Volume 13 Chapter 71 Shirogane Aqua, First-Class Celebrity Demeanor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Top entertainers need to possess dignity.
It seems there’s a show that evaluates just that.
I was chosen to represent male entertainers on this show.
”And now, our special guest for today, Shirogane Aqua! Please welcome him!”
”Hello, I’m Shirogane Aqua! Nice to be here today!”
I chatted with the host, Announcer Onidzuka.
I had been excitedly hoping for a chance to shine, but my spirits sank when I saw that Onidzuka wasn’t wearing a wristband.
Who came up with this wristband system anyway? Oh right, it was me! What’s the deal with wristbands? All they did was crush my spirit completely!
My self-esteem is in shambles!
”And here are the rest of our guests besides Shirogane Aqua!”
”Hey, hey! Onidzuka-paisen, your introductions are way too sloppy!”
Kaede, ahead of the other participants, rushed to the front of the camera with the speed of a comedian.
That’s Kaede for you. I’ve never seen an announcer like this in my world.
The enthusiasm and energy for variety shows here are unmatched. Whether that’s the right approach for an announcer, even I can’t say. As far as I know, Kaede is the most entertaining woman in this world.
”Here are our guests!”
”Your introductions are way too sloppy! Come on, national broadcaster! I don’t mind, but at least introduce the others properly! That kind of arrogance is showing!”
Announcers, unless they’re freelancers, are essentially employees of the broadcast company.
Despite this, Kaede doesn’t hold back even against her employer, the national broadcaster. Normally, this would be unthinkable, but Morikawa Kaede, as Emily says, doesn’t live by the usual standards.
I’m really glad I married Kaede. There’s no one else quite like this incredibly entertaining woman.
I direct my gaze towards Kanon and Ai, who are among the participants. Kanon is pregnant, so I hope she doesn’t overexert herself.
”Okay, okay, we don’t have time, let’s move on to the next one~”
As expected of Announcer Onidzuka. She sure knows how to handle Kaede.
”Huh? Today’s special broadcast is different from our usual ones. We’d like to invite top celebrities to form teams and participate.”
Huh? Seriously? I didn’t hear about that!
Who will be my partner? Emily, maybe? Or Ayana? I can’t wait to find out!
”Now, we’d like to invite the partner for Shirogane Aqua-san to enter! Please come in~!”
Excited and nervous, I gaze at the entrance for the guest.
”Hey! How long are you going to keep me waiting!! I’ve been standing here for 6 hours!”
I stumble at Kohina-senpai’s appearance.
I had a feeling, but still, couldn’t you let me dream a little longer?
”Let’s change!”
”Huh!? Who’s changing!? My partner is Hakuryuu-sensei!”
”Huh!? M-me!?”
Then why did you come out first!?
It’s so confusing… Oh, Ai, do your best.
”Um, once again, please welcome Shirogane Aqua-san’s partner!”
In response to Announcer Onidzuka’s call, Maruo, who was stiff as a board, enters, extending his arms and legs at the same time.
Ah… So that’s why Kohina-senpai entered first.
I guess this eased the tension a little.
”Hey, Maruo, are you okay!? You’re as pale as a ghost!”
”Y-yes… Actually, Kujaku was supposed to come, but he got a sudden fever from a summer cold, so I had to replace him…”
”I see…”
In that case, I’ll make Aqua’s special udon later.
Porridge and udon are standard for a cold. I’ll add some deep-fried tofu, seaweed, and pickled plum today.
”Next, let’s have Shirogane Kanon-san’s partner enter. Here you go~!”
”Lapis-chan? Ayana-chan? Who could it be~?”
It’s like she’s watching her past self. Kanon, it’s better not to expect too much~
Whether that expectation was correct or not, Kanon raises both hands and looks at Emily, making an indescribable expression.
Unlike Kanon’s reaction, cheers erupt from the audience at Emily’s entrance.
”Kanon, you can relax now that I’m here!”
”Is that so…”
Kaede, who was standing next to Kanon and Emily, shows a smirk.
”Kanon, tough luck.”
Hey, Kaede! That’s a huge flag!!
”Now, let’s have Morikawa Kaede-san’s partner enter. Here you go~”
”Nee-san, come! Nee-san, come! Nee-san, come!”
Kaede… Kotono is a behind-the-scenes person, she definitely won’t show up.
All eyes are directed towards the entrance for the guests.
But no one enters. Huh? Is there a problem?
”Kaede’s partner is me!!”
Ah, that voice is Inko-san’s.
Inko-san’s figure is shown on the large monitor installed above the entrance.
”Tough luck came!”
”Who’s tough luck! Being paired with Kaede is definitely tough luck!!”
Hey, don’t fight with your partner~.
”Tough luck.”
”Gnununununu!”
Emily, don’t provoke Kaede too.
Well, this is also evidence of their good relationship.
”Now, let’s have Jou Maron-san’s partner enter. Here you go~”
”Nice to meet you.”
Oh, it’s Ayana!
The classic combo with eau de Cologne, huh. This seems tough.
”Maron, let’s switch with my Inko!”
”Why!”
”No, no, Maron-san. Let’s switch with my senpai, Emily.”
”What did you say!?”
Maron-san becomes hesitant under the pressure from Kaede and Kanon.
Announcer Onidzuka blows the whistle hanging from her neck.
”Partner exchanges are prohibited~”
The host, Announcer Onidzuka, is a great choice.
Kaede, who was grabbed by the nape of her neck, becomes quiet.
”Okay, everyone, please take your seats quietly~”
Behind her smile, a fierce determination can be seen.
As if the earlier commotion was a lie, everyone sat quietly in their seats.
Even Kohina-senpai is obedient.
Perhaps using Announcer Onidzuka as a lethal weapon against Kohina Yukari is a good idea.
Announcer Onidzuka introduces the partners of the other participants.
”Now, for the first topic.”
Everyone’s gaze is directed at Announcer Onidzuka.
Maruo, are you okay? I tried to comfort the nervous Maruo.
”Top celebrities probably eat incredibly delicious food every single day. So, even blindfolded, they can easily tell the difference between a dish made by an amateur and one made by a top chef, right?”
No way, if you eat delicious food outside every day, you’ll end up with gout, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
I try not to eat out too much, and when I do, I make sure to calculate the calories.
Managing one’s figure is also part of an idol’s job.
”Now, each team, please discuss and decide on the first respondent.”
I think if you don’t answer this time, you become the respondent for the next question, right?
I don’t know what the next question will be, but I want to secure points at the start. Also, for the nervous Maruo’s sake, as a senior, I want to make sure to secure points and show off a cool side.
”Maruo, I’ll go first.”
”Y-yes!”
I got off the luxurious chair and headed to the room where the question was being asked.
The topic is fried rice… I’m looking forward to it.
Chosen as the last respondent, I sit in the waiting room chair, waiting for my turn.
”Shirogane Aqua-san, please put on this blindfold.”
”Yes!”
I put on the blindfold and, guided by the staff, sit at the table where the dish is prepared.
”Which one of these fried rice dishes is on the right?”
”It’s A.”
”Okay, then, A it is.”
The staff person seemed taken aback by my response.
”Huh?”
”Oh, I could tell by the smell. However, it would be rude not to eat it after they went through the trouble of making it, so please enjoy.”
”Um, well then, let’s start with A’s fried rice.”
I was puzzled as the staff member handed me the fried rice.
The first thing that hit my tongue was the savory scent of soy sauce. The rice was fluffy, and the egg was mixed in perfectly.
I could taste the sweetness of the onions and carrots, and the aroma of pepper and green onions made it really delicious.
It was a simple yet perfectly balanced fried rice that brought out the flavors of the ingredients.
”Next, we have B’s fried rice.”
Wow! The flavor of the scallion oil hits you right away. Plus, the rich taste of the char siu, and they even added ginger to get rid of any gamey flavor. Of course, the rice was fluffy, and the taste of the egg was prominent as well.
I see.
”It’s definitely A, isn’t it?”
”Why do you say that?”
”B’s fried rice is something you’d expect to see at any regular restaurant. But… A has a richer aroma and isn’t too overpowering in terms of smell… Hmm, B’s excessive use of scallion oil bothered me.”
If I got this wrong, I wouldn’t be able to face anyone, but I trusted my senses.
I removed the blindfold and burst into A’s room.
”See, it’s definitely not A!”
”Aqua-sama, yayyy!”
Huh? Is it just Kohina-senpai and Emily here?
No way! I must have gotten this wrong… I can trust Emily, but being with Kohina-senpai…
”Hey, why do you look dissatisfied?”
”Well, it’s just that being with Kohina-senpai is a bit…”
”Huh?! You forget the favor I did for you when you said you wanted to eat fried rice while we were shooting for Yuu-onii, so I took you to the hotel’s Chinese restaurant!”
Oh, yeah, that did happen…
But there were like, 5 or 6 other people with us at that time, including Ayana!
”Aqua-kun!! Going over there with Kohina-senpai and Emily is definitely a mistake! Why did you go there!?”
Kaede… I love everything about Kaede, her positive attitude, her unwavering confidence, and the way she fully trusts herself.
”Aqua-kun, it’s okay to secretly come to Room B now that no one is watching!!”
”Oh no! Aqua-sama, don’t go to Room A!!”
”Ugh, so Aqua and Yukari-senpai are over there…”
The other participants start making a fuss as they enter the Room A.
Oh… it’s not just Kaede, Ayana is over there too.
I wave to everyone in Room B while gracefully using the spacious sofa with Kohina-senpai, Emily, and me.
”Now, I would like to announce the correct answer!”
I can hear the sound of the doorknob in the room turning.
It seems like Announcer Onidzuka is alternating between turning the knobs of the neighboring Room B and Room A.
”The correct answer is…”
I check Room B on the monitor placed on the table and see Kaede eagerly waiting with confidence, while the others are staring at the entrance with a prayer-like posture.
”It’s Room A! Congratulations to all the top-notch entertainers!!”
”Yay!”
”Woo!”
Emily and Kohina-senpai embrace Announcer Onidzuka as she enters the room.
Damn it, I was completely late because I pretended to be relaxed!! Grrrr. Can I join in too!?
”Kaede! You were so confident, but you missed it!!”
”Aww! Even though I was so sure…”
Cheer up, Kaede. I pat her shoulder.
”I’m sorry, Maron-senpai…”
”It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t worry.”
When I tried to praise Maron-san, along with Ayana, Kohina-senpai behind me gave me a sharp glare.
Alright, alright, I’ll go back to my seat properly.
”A’s dish is fried rice from a famous restaurant that made it into the top 100 in the world. Shirogane Aqua-san said he could tell just by the aroma, and it seems they put a lot of effort into the fragrance of the fried rice. They use a special blend of spices and oil extracted from crustaceans to give it depth. Congratulations to Shirogane Aqua-san for correctly identifying it based solely on the scent, outshining even the 3 top-notch celebrities who got it right.”
I nodded in agreement while sitting on a luxurious chair.
”Now, moving on to B’s fried rice, it was made by this person here.”
The big screen monitor displayed the face of a familiar person.
”Great!”
Tenga-senpai energetically tossed a Chinese Nabe.
”This is Tenga’s special scallion oil double roast pork fried rice! Now, dig in!”
Oh, I remember. He said he was studying cooking at home with Haruka-san, cooking together and learning, for the beryl&beryl cooking showdown.
Looking at the results, it seems his efforts paid off. Actually, apart from me, Emily, and Kohina-senpai, everyone else chose Tenga-senpai’s fried rice, so it’s quite impressive.
It’s not surprising since Tenga-senpai is good at math and science, and I always thought he had a knack for cooking.
”So, that’s it. B’s fried rice was made by Tenga Akira-san. Thank you for your cooperation!”
”Tenga-kun’s fried rice!?”
”Oh no!”
”Darn it, if only I had been part of the cooking challenge!”
”Darn it all!”
The revelation that B’s fried rice was made by Tenga-senpai caused a commotion among the crowd.
Those who couldn’t eat it were frustrated, and some who were lucky enough to have a taste were so surprised that they fell down foaming at the mouth.
”Well… I think we should take a 10-minute break.”
Yeah, that’s a good idea.
At that moment, Maruo approached me.
”Aqua-san… while everyone was judging, we also tried the food, but I… I didn’t understand it at all.”
I patted Maruo’s shoulder, who looked downcast.
”Don’t worry. Even if you fail, I’ll guess it right, so let’s do our best as a team!”
”Yes!”
I tried to cheer up Maruo and laughed at the funny scene on the small monitor where Kohina-senpai, wearing a strange eye mask.
Then, Kohina-senpai, who was right behind me, hit me on the head.
”You’re laughing at others, but you were wearing a really perverted-looking eye mask too.”
”No way!?”
It’s true! Hahaha, what is this!? But if you watch it for a long time, it’s surprisingly not that bad.
I watched my own scene again and laughed together with Kohina-senpai.
I hope this helps Maruo, who’s caught in the middle, relax a little. Hang in there, Maruo!
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.