Volume 13 Chapter 313 Shirogane Aqua, Big Bites, Big Dreams
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Shintaro suggested we grab a meal, so we ended up at a burger joint.
”D-damn, that’s huge!”
I froze at the sight of a monster burger, thick and dripping with juice. The woman selling it had a generous chest, but honestly, the burger could compete.
”I’ve always wanted to sink my teeth into something this big, without worrying about what people think.”
Shintaro opened his mouth wide and bit in. Seeing him, Tenga-senpai and I followed suit.
”U-umai! This is so good!”
The simple punch of meat overwhelmed me. The patty was seasoned with only salt, pepper, and barbecue sauce.
But did a burger really need anything more? It felt like the cook was shouting at me through the flavor: This is what you came here for! This is the burger you wanted, right?!
”Ah—cheese is spilling…”
Toa nearly dripped cheese from the corner of his mouth. I grabbed a napkin and wiped it off.
”Thanks, Aqua,” he said.
”No problem.”
Women nearby suddenly staggered, fanning themselves. Were they okay?
They insisted they were fine, told us to pretend they were just part of the scenery. I didn’t get it, but whatever. We finished the burgers and fries, then hopped into our chartered taxi.
”Okay, now it’s my turn!” Toa said with a grin.
We headed toward an observatory overlooking Los Angeles. Faces pressed to the glass, we admired the cityscape and chatted.
That’s when I spotted Claire walking into a church. I slid the window down.
”Hey! Claire, what are you doing?”
”Oh, Aqua-kun!?” She looked flustered. Maybe I shouldn’t have called out?
”Uh, just… some prayer,” she admitted shyly.
Even on a school trip, she still made time for faith.
The sign out front read: St. Aqua Los Angeles Church.
”Whoa! Same name as me!”
”Eh? Ahaha, yeah. But, you know, there are lots of churches around here. Just coincidence…”
I nodded. The building was huge.
Back in training, a senpai once told me idols were like a religion. Maybe someday, I’d be a big enough idol to have a church with my name too.
”Oh, the light’s changing. See you, Claire!”
”Yes… see you.” She smiled and waved.
I still couldn’t believe that such a gentle, modest girl could turn so bold in bed.
”Aqua, you always look like you’re in your own happy world,” Toa murmured beside me.
”Hm? What was that, Toa?”
He met my eyes.
”Nothing. I just want you to stay the Aqua I like.”
Suddenly, the taxi screeched to a halt.
Accident!? I glanced at the driver.
”Sorry,” she said. “A kid almost ran out, but it’s fine.”
”Good to hear. But are you okay? Your eyes look tired, like those burger shop customers.”
She laughed it off, but before I could press, Tenga-senpai pulled out an international driver’s license with a smug grin.
”No worries. I’ve got this covered.”
”As expected of you, Tenga-senpai!!” we chorused.
I wanted one too.
Shintaro and I stared enviously as Tenga-senpai basked in the praise. Soon, we reached the observatory.
We stepped out, gazing at Los Angeles spread below in the glow of sunset.
”Perfect timing,” Shintaro said.
”Yeah,” I agreed.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, the four of us shared the view. At first, I thought it was weird Tenga-senpai tagged along on our school trip.
But now, I was glad. I wanted to keep making memories like this with all four of us.
”Back to the hotel, please,” I told the driver.
On the ride back, the others fell asleep, worn out from the day. I spoke softly so I wouldn’t wake them.
”Sorry, could you drop me off early? There’s somewhere I want to go.”
”Understood. Leave the others to us,” she replied.
The taxi dropped me off near the Hollywood Star Road, right in front of the Hollywood Theater.
Someone familiar stood there, staring at the theater.
”Yo!”
”Ah, Aqua!?”
Ayana spun around, eyes wide with surprise. So she’d come here too.
”What’s up? Not going inside?”
She shook her head.
”No. I decided my first time walking through here won’t be as a tourist. It’ll be as an actress.”
”I see.”
We stood side by side, gazing at the red carpet that stretched before us. Anyone in the acting world dreamed of this place.
Only a chosen few—like Mommy Mikuni and Reira—ever reached it. This was also where the All-States Academy Awards were held.
”Well, you’ll have to beat Kohina-senpai first.”
Ayana laughed.
”True. But she’s still in prison.”
What!? If she just worked honestly, she could have been out in two or three days.
What on earth was she doing? Gambling?
”They say she’s been digging a tunnel with Mikuni-san and Reira-san, trying to break out.”
I pressed a hand to my forehead. Kohina-senpai, your efforts are completely misdirected…
”So, what about you, Aqua? Where are you heading next?”
”Oh, I’ve got one more place I want to see. I’m going there now.”
”Figures.” She looked a little disappointed. Honestly, I wanted to wander the night streets with Ayana too, but the hotel had a curfew.
”Then I’ll head back first. I’ll be waiting for our date.”
”Yeah!”
I put her in a taxi, then caught another one myself.
”Here we are…”
I stepped out at the arena used by Los Angeles’s pro basketball team. Not only was it a basketball stadium, it was also home to the All-States Grammophone Awards—the ceremony that honored the best music and artists of the year.
”Aqua-kun!?”
”Hm?”
I turned at the familiar voice. Ako stood there, eyes wide in surprise.
”Ako-san? What are you doing here?”
She smiled.
”Same reason as you. I wanted to see the place we’ll all come to someday.”
She turned toward the arena.
”Of course, you’ll be the one to bring me here, right?”
”Of course. I plan to sweep all four major awards. Just wait.”
The Grammophone Awards’ four main categories were: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. Of them, Best New Artist was the toughest.
Only artists who had released a CD in the States within the last five years could win it. And with how different the industry worked here compared to Japan, you basically had to release a great album, cut multiple singles, and rack up several hits in a year to even stand a chance.
”That means we’ll need a solid album and some killer MVs.”
”Yes!”
We stood side by side, gazing at the arena glowing in the night.
”Promise me… you’ll bring me here. Bring us here.”
”I swear. I will. We will!”
Ako raised her right hand, fist clenched. I bumped mine against hers.
”Ako-san, while we’ve still got free time on this school trip, why don’t we go somewhere together?”
”Oh? Sure. But only if you’ll come along to scout concert halls for our Stateside shows.”
I scratched my head.
Of course. I’d meant it as a date, but Ako completely missed the point.
”Fine. Deal.”
”Heh, thanks.”
I turned back to her and offered my hand.
”It’s getting dark. Why don’t we head back? I can’t leave a girl alone on these streets at night. Please—take my hand.”
Otherwise, I knew she’d just keep working.
She burst out laughing.
”Oh, Aqua-kun, you’ve got it backwards. Boys shouldn’t walk alone at night. But girls? Nothing’s going to happen. Especially someone like me—I’m not that young anymore.”
Still smiling, she took my hand.
”You’re wrong. You’re plenty attractive.”
”Thank you. Hearing that from a handsome boy like you, even as flattery, makes me really happy.”
Hand in hand, we walked through the noisy streets, then stepped out onto Main Street to catch a taxi.
On the ride back, we stayed linked, silently watching the neon lights flicker past.
Ako was beautiful, but she always kept a certain distance for the sake of work. Because of that, I had forced myself not to think of her as a woman.
That’s why I wanted to know Ako-san’s true feelings. What did Atori Ako think—not of the idol Shirogane Aqua—but of me, just Shirogane Aqua?
While I mulled that over, the taxi pulled up to the hotel.
”Thanks for escorting me.”
”Of course. It’s only natural.”
Our hands, linked until then, slipped apart. Ako-san returned to her room, and I headed back to mine, where everyone else had already gathered.
”Where’d you wander off to, junior?” Tenga-senpai asked.
”There was still time before dinner, so I went for a walk.”
Looked like Shintaro and Toa were awake too.
We changed clothes and made our way down to the hotel restaurant. Dinner on the first night was set for everyone together.
At the entrance, Sugita-sensei stopped me, staring hard.
”Shirogane… if you did anything in town, tell me right away.”
”I-I didn’t do anything!”
…Probably. I didn’t think I had, anyway. Wait, what?
An ambulance showed up at the burger place I went to? No way. That had nothing to do with me. Definitely.
”If you’re that worried, why don’t you just come along during my free time?” I said.
”Wh—!?”
Her face flushed red.
”W-wait. That would be… a date, wouldn’t it? A teacher and student… that’s not allowed. But still… it might be the safest option…”
I patted her head casually, then walked off toward my seat as if nothing had happened. Heh.
With that, I’d managed to invite the strict Sugita-sensei on a legal date. Exactly as planned. The dark Shirogane Aqua inside me cackled in triumph.
”Aqua, you’re at it again,” Kanon muttered beside me, glaring.
J-just your imagination! I scooped up little Anon to change the subject.
”Here. I’ll watch the kids while we eat. You just relax and enjoy dinner.”
”…Thanks.”
If only I could produce milk, I’d happily take care of them all day. I even tried flexing my chest a little, just in case.
Nothing came out. Only my well-trained pecs twitched.
Damn it!
So the only milk a man can provide is the baby formula kind?! I thought raw power could do it, but no!
”Aqua, you may score better than me on tests, but you’re actually dumber than I am,” Toa said, laughing.
”What!?”
He doubled over, and even Shintaro’s glasses shook as he tried to hide his laughter.
Hey! I was dead serious about power milk!
Our noisy dinner ended, and after baths we returned to our rooms.
”Hey, Shintaro. Let’s talk in our room.”
”Yeah.”
I used the excuse to draw him out, so I could check on things with Awashima-san.
By normal standards, Shintaro’s pace was probably right, but if I left it all up to him, Awashima-san would be the one waiting forever. So I listened, steering him along, supporting their relationship in my own way.
”Shintaro…? You asleep already?”
He had passed out on the sofa without even going back to his own room. I drifted half-asleep in bed when the door creaked open.
”J-Junior…”
Of course. Tenga-senpai. Dark and lonely, huh? Couldn’t sleep alone? Fine.
The other bed’s open, so go ahead. Wait, what? You want to share? No way! Even a king-sized American bed is too small for two guys who are 190 and 185 centimeters tall!
I forced him into the other bed and pulled my blanket over myself.
…And Toa!? He must’ve come in by mistake after going to the bathroom.
”Guess I’ll sleep on the floor then…”
In the end, despite having plenty of rooms, we all crammed into one.
The next morning, my body was stiff and aching from the hard floor.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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