Chapter 36: My Former Colleague Is Also My Sole Bias
Inside the cramped apartment, heavy curtains blocked out the exterior light entirely, leaving only the faint blue luminescence of the television screen to pierce the darkness. The air hung thick with the stale scent of instant ramen, and the table was cluttered with a messy heap of empty beverage cans and discarded takeout containers.
The corners of the room were plastered with posters and photographs of Ai Hoshino. Some had already yellowed with age, while others had been torn into shreds and meticulously pieced back together.
Nino sat cross-legged on the carpet, positioned uncomfortably close to the television, her hollow face appearing deathly pale in the fluorescent glow. Her hair was a tangled mess, and dark circles heavily ringed her eyes, yet her gaze remained unnaturally fixed on the screen. She gripped the remote control so tightly that her knuckles had turned white from the strain.
Nino–legal name Fuyuko Niino–was a former and founding member of B-Komachi. Following the group's dissolution, she used her idol experience to land a job at a maid cafe.
For a long time, she had harbored a deep, venomous jealousy toward Ai–a jealousy that gnawed at her insides like a viper. Yet, through that extreme envy, her feelings had gradually mutated into a twisted form of adoration.
The logo for LoveForReal materialized on the television screen, accompanied by the familiar opening theme music. This was the latest episode, bearing the title: "A Romantic Japanese Night."
Nino clenched her fist, driving her fingernails so deeply into her palm that she felt a dull, stinging ache.
Recalling the previous episode of the reality show, a powerful wave of resentment welled up inside Nino's chest.
In that broadcast, the six guests had gone to a movie theater and visited a planetarium together. Ai and Hikaru Hoshino had interacted in close proximity, and the effortless, natural intimacy between them made Nino feel as though a tight fist was squeezing her heart, making it hard to breathe.
"Hikaru Hoshino... Heheh, so that bastard Kamiki ended up betraying us after all," Nino muttered under her breath, her voice laced with a piercing, venomous chill.
A cold, mocking smile crept onto Nino's lips. In her eyes, Hikaru Kamiki was just another failed fan of Ai. Yet here he was, adopting a brand-new identity to try and worm his way close to Ai once again.
To Nino, this was an absolute betrayal of both herself and Ryosuke. To think she had actually considered him a kindred spirit and a like-minded friend in the past.
The opening sequence rolled by, meticulously edited and set to a lighthearted, upbeat background track. Fast-paced cuts of the six guests changing into their outfits flashed across the screen, ultimately settling on the group photo taken after everyone had donned their yukatas. A caption materialized across the screen: *Tonight, a heart-racing Japanese-style date begins!*
The studio's hot spring-themed set looked exceptionally romantic under a soft-focus filter, and the warm, golden color grading enveloped the entire scene in a cozy, inviting ambiance.
Close-up shots swept across each guest individually. The shot of Ai wearing her pale purple yukata had been given special post-production treatment; the background was heavily blurred, accompanied by a pink cherry blossom petal overlay that made her appear as though she were stepping out of a dream. Hikaru Hoshino's entrance, conversely, utilized a low-angle pan from the ground up, making his blonde hair shimmer brilliantly beneath the studio lights.
Nino's gaze locked tightly onto Ai, her eyes gleaming with absolute obsession.
"Still as beautiful as ever..." she whispered to herself. "Always commanding the center of attention, attracting every single pair of eyes."
The broadcast cut to the game segment, but it wasn't a raw, unedited recording. The production team utilized multi-angle editing, complete with a cute, pulsing "Heartbeat Index" icon bouncing in the corner of the screen.
The camera focused on Emi Sai as she proactively proposed the game, though Emi's dialogue was lowered to make way for an enthusiastic narrator's voiceover.
The game segment had been heavily trimmed to amplify the most crucial climaxes, while several unimportant rounds were skipped entirely. When Ai was asked who she loved the most, the camera zeroed in on her for a dramatic close-up. Time seemed to grind to a halt, and the background music abruptly cut out.
Massive text flashed across the screen: *What will the answer be...?!*
Nino's breathing turned shallow and rapid. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, terrified of missing even a fraction of Ai's facial expressions.
"It's my mother," Ai answered with a bright smile, her familiar voice ringing clearly through the television speakers.
Nino let out a massive sigh of relief. "What a joke, asking a stupid question like that," she muttered, her rigid, tense posture finally slumping back.
Immediately after, the editing rapidly cut to Hikaru Hoshino's reaction. His smiling face was processed in slow motion, accompanied by a prominent question mark caption: *A bitter smile?* A low, dramatic sound effect played over the frame, intentionally framing his expression as a forced, melancholy grin.
"You shameless parasite! To think you actually have the nerve to try and claim Ai for yourself!" Nino erupted into loud, furious curses, her voice echoing wildly through the empty room. It was thoroughly, utterly disgraceful.
Yet, it was also deeply, profoundly enviable.
*If B-Komachi hadn't disbanded back then... where would I be right now? Would I still be able to stand right beside Ai?*
A profound sense of regret washed over her. Nino bit down hard on her lower lip, tasting the bitter tang of her own remorse.
Just as Nino was drowning in her pool of regret, the television broadcast abruptly cut away to a public service announcement. A gentle, soothing female voice echoed from the speakers: "Caring for those around you starts with a simple smile." On the screen, warm sunlight streamed through window panes into a cozy living room, where a happy, harmonious family sat gathered around a dinner table.
*Damn it, even a stupid commercial is mocking me now?*
Left entirely to her own devices in her crushing loneliness, a volatile surge of anger exploded within Nino. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to hurl something and smash the television to pieces. But she immediately checked herself, realizing that if she destroyed the TV, she wouldn't be able to watch Ai's broadcasts on time, forcing her to abandon the impulse.
The show soon entered its "Sweet Treats" segment, cutting to the footage of Ai and Hikaru sitting together beneath the eaves of the porch roof. The production team had cleverly framed the cut, making their profiles form a flawless silhouette against the night lights, looking as stunning as a classical painting.
The camera slowly pushed in from a wide angle, paired with a swelling, lyrical romantic ballad that cultivated an incredibly dense romantic atmosphere.
"Stop... Stop doing this!" Nino bolted upright, the remote control slipping from her grasp and clattering sharply against the floor. Her hands balled into tight fists, her entire frame shaking violently.
*We are all just dolls whose souls were stolen away by Ai... Ryosuke and I, both of us were entirely willing to die for her sake. But you... you actually want to pluck that star from the sky? You want to hoard her all to yourself?!*
Memories rushed back like an unstoppable tidal wave, forcing that dim, claustrophobic room to materialize before her mind's eye once more. She and Ryosuke had sat facing each other in utter despair, the very air thick enough to suffocate them.
"I killed Ai! There's no coming back from this, nothing can ever be fixed!" Ryosuke had screamed himself hoarse, weeping hysterically as his entire psyche collapsed into unrecognizable ruins. "I shouldn't have been so impulsive! No! It's all my fault! Ai shouldn't have died... I'm the one who deserves to die most!"
At that exact moment, Nino had completely lost her soul as well, her gaze turning colder than sheets of ice. "Then go die."
And shortly after, Ryosuke actually committed suicide.
Unlike Ryosuke, Nino didn't particularly care if Ai entered a relationship, and she was even perfectly fine with the fact that Ai had given birth to children.
But when Ryosuke had broken down crying and told her that he had murdered Ai, Nino felt her entire world shatter into dust.
And so, driven by that absolute abyss of despair, she had personally told her own boyfriend to go die.
When she later crossed paths with a very much alive Ai prior to the Tokyo Dome concert, Nino was left completely bewildered but also intensely relieved, concluding that Ryosuke had simply suffered from a psychotic break and hallucinated the entire murder. Afterward, she became consumed by a deep, lingering guilt, realizing her momentary impulse had caused Ryosuke's completely unnecessary death.
Believing she no longer possessed the right to stand by Ai's side after the concert concluded, she pro-actively resigned from B-Komachi.
Since that day, Nino had degenerated into an even more unhinged state, tracking Ai's every move across the internet and media outlets, completely transforming into her most fanatical, obsessive stalker.
*Ai has already stolen my heart entirely. She even carried Ryosuke-kun's soul to the grave with her.*
*If that's the case... if the person named Ai Hoshino is actually just a plain, ordinary, thoroughly unremarkable girl... then...*
*Don't Ryosuke and I just become the biggest, most pathetic jokes in the universe?*
The reality show concluded, seamlessly transitioning into a shopping commercial. A chirpy voice pitched: "Do you want to possess flawless, radiant skin just like your favorite idols? For a limited time only, try the Basilisk King Whitening Skincare Set! Anyone can achieve their dream porcelain complexion!"
On the screen, the model's skin glowed with a blinding, luminescent white. That piercing glare cast a ghostly, spectral illumination over Nino's equally pale face hidden in the dark.
A bizarre, distorted smile slowly twisted the corners of her mouth.
"Ai... you absolutely must..." Tears leaked from the corners of Nino's eyes, a flush creeping up her cheeks like a young girl in the throes of a passionate first love.
She breathed out a beautiful, devout wish.
"You must continue to shine brilliantly forever and ever."
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LanLi: *shivers*
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