[ Their plans fall into place so quickly after being made it's almost a little scary.
Ai only has a day or so to dither about how she's going to pull this off. She's good at making up off-the-cuff excuses when she and Rinne meet for dinner and other sorts of things but a convincing lie about a four day absence is a bit much even for her. As it turns out, though, she doesn't need to worry. Not two days after they agree on it, a job offer comes through to Strawberry Productions specifically for Ai, all the way from a ryokan out in Izu. It's deceptively innocent; they'll comp a three-night stay with meals included in return for Ai promoting the place and talking it up on her social media once she's home and safe. As offers for Ai go, it's technically on the cheap side but Saitou snaps it up — setting a precedent that they're open to sponsorships like this will pay off big time once tourism season comes around. And just like that, Ai's off to Izu with nobody any the wiser that they've been played.
Honestly, Ai can't help but feel a little wrong footed too. Part of her wants to question exactly who this friend of Rinne's is that he can pull these sorts of strings so quickly and easily but then she thinks about what the combination of "mahjong buddy" and "owns a ryokan" could add up to and decides that actually, she'd really prefer not to know.
If anyone smells something fishy, it's Miyako. Even as Ai does everything she can to throw both her and Saitou off — including subjecting herself willingly to a fifteen minute lecture by asking him whether or not she can take Aqua and Ruby along for the trip, purely to distract him from the issue. Miyako, by contrast, has a suspicious frown on her face all the way up to dropping Ai off at the station and seeing she's getting the train alone... but maybe it's because she's going alone that Miyako smells a rat. What idol goes on a job like this without her manager by her side? But it's too late for her to protest and someone needs to look after Aqua and Ruby... so off Ai goes on her own.
Well. "On her own" is a bit of a stretch. There's only one train that goes from Tokyo to Shizenji, after all and one bus from there to the ryokan. Which means that even though she and Rinne are right there on the same train and the same bus, they have to resolutely pretend the other doesn't exist for the three or so hours it takes to get to the Yugashima Onsen. It's all sorts of silly, sure, but it's necessary too - even though they're both as incognito as it gets, this is still beyond risky. Much more so than any of their little outings before. Weirdly enough though, Ai doesn't feel anxious. The flutter in her stomach feels much more like excitement... as far as she can tell, anyway.
But it's not until the empty bus drops them off at the stop that she dares say anything at all. They step from the warm, dry bus into misty, autumnal rain and Ai heaves a big, performative shudder. ]
Jeez, of course it'd rain at a time like this... [ She fumbles with her luggage for a moment before managing to extract an umbrella from her bag that she promptly pops open above the two of them. ] I know it's not a long walk to the ryokan but still!
[ how on earth is she acting like this is normal ]
[Ibara was going to give him hell for it. But the rest of his unit was focused on their individual projects anyway, said Rinne, and doesn't the vice president of Cosmic Production think some of his idols deserve a break? Filming a drama isn't the same promoting an album or doing a concert, but his schedule was super packed, and now he thinks he's getting a fever or something. Since he feels soooo sick and tired, t should be okay for him to rest for a few days before he starts recording for their new single, right, Vice Prez?
With the power of sheer annoyance, Rinne managed to get a disgruntled yes. Of course he did. Favors aren't easy to earn, but once someone owes him, he never forgets. He was the one who arranged for Niki's dance lessons, Kohaku's variety show filming, and HiMERU's photoshoots to fall on the very same long weekend. He was the one who endorsed Ai to that ryokan in Izu. So as long as the owner kept Rinne's secrets, Rinne didn't mind being quiet about his. Rinne's image was never great anyway — not like Ai's. It must be more difficult for her to pull this off without causing suspicion. She must be stressed from all the hiding and all the planning...
Ugh. He's going to hug her so much after this.
If Rinne can figure out how to handle this.
What is he doing? He's never been to a ryokan. Do private hot baths in the open air really feel as good as they seem? He remembers sneaking out to bathe in the river by the mountains, but that isn't quite the same. After all, he'd never been with a woman before. He doesn't know what will torture him more: the long ride to the onsen where he can't so much as look at her, or the first night in their shared room where he'll bare all his inexperience and shame as he breaks his own rules before he can even remember them. The guilt settles in before they even arrive. Yes, he's being impulsive. Yes, he's being irresponsible. Playing a delinquent is one thing, but an idol — no, the leader of his people shouldn't act like this. But when he thinks about Ai and how she's willing to do this with him despite everything, his face can't help but burn up to his ears.
...Oh, they're here.
Even as it rains, Rinne tries to be normal. He brings his own luggage down, pulls his hoodie up, and— And, well—
What is she doing? Shouldn't she be freaking out, too? It's kind of pissing him off! Is he the one who's excited?]
How the hell are you so calm? Doncha know we're getting the order all wrong?
[ Aah, that's the Rinne she knows and likes. It'd felt awkward and absurd to not at least try and catch his eye while they were on the train but even traveling in such close proximity was asking for trouble as it is. Now they're off the train, though, it's different. This little town's nothing like Tokyo — the energy, the noise, even the smell of the air is totally different. It feels... safer here, even if she knows realistically this is still beyond irresponsible. Being in this quiet, sleepy place with him and knowing they can actually talk has made some of the stuffy anxiety that'd been turning in her stomach clear and blow away on the breeze.
Had Rinne been worried too? Is he a little grumpy they didn't get to chat like normal on the trip, maybe? That's cute. ]
Are we really? Hm, I guess an overnight trip is a little more risky than just going on a date...
[ The road's empty aside from a few cars passing too fast to get a good look at them so Ai hooks her finger into her mask and pulls it down. Like that, her grin is piercingly bright even in the gloomy weather. ]
But now we're all the way out here, I feel like I can actually breathe a little easier...! I felt all worked up on the way here, but isn't this place nice and quiet? No way anyone's going to recognize us this far out from Tokyo.
[ Ai is right. No one's going to recognize them here. That's the whole reason they wanted to get away, isn't it? She probably wants him to be a little bolder today. That's why, after seeing that dazzling smile after that dreary trip, Rinne throws all caution to the wind and... wraps his hand around the one holding her umbrella. She doesn't need to see his face through his mask to know how red it is. His ears are hot.
But he's smiling. ]
Then let me hold this for ya.
[ Sharing an umbrella with Ai... Hehe. ]
It's too quiet for my tastes, but I'm starting to like holding your hand like this. What'd Prez Saitou say about it?
[ Like, does he know? Does Rinne have to meet him after this? He feels like he should. Not immediately, though. That's weird. ]
[ Ai's well aware that Rinne's taller and broader than she is (much like basically everyone else in the world is, too) but she hadn't quite realized how much bigger and stronger his hands were than hers until his fingers had curled around hers. It's warm, too — she'd hadn't realized how cold her hand had been until it'd been wrapped up in Rinne's touch. ... it's nice. And he's blushing all the way up to his ears — this trip is already worth all the hassle it's taken to get things arranged and they're not even at the ryokan yet.
With her luggage trundling along behind them, she sets off hand in hand with Rinne. ]
Well, his blood pressure went up so fast when I told him what was happening, he passed out before he got a chance to say anything.
[ A beat. Then she giggles. ]
No, just kidding. As far as he knows, this is a totally above board sponsorship that I'm enjoying all by myself. In fact, he actually got all excited about it... he was talking about making a whole thing of having me stay at different spots around Japan and hyping them up if this one worked out, but that's like twenty steps too far ahead, right?
[ Now Rinne's thinking, wow. He's a bad influence for making her lie to her dad! But if it makes Ai happy, he thinks he shouldn't care too much.
He pulls his luggage along as they walk down the winding path. They're south of Tokyo, but the lush mountains and red leaves remind him of his hometown in Hokkaido. Would Ai like it in his hometown? Probably not. The village is quieter than the city, but nothing there can belong to anybody. Not even Rinne. Not even Ai. This weekend, at least, is his. This ryokan is his territory. Nothing won't ever threaten it. ]
Kyahaha! You gotta dream big if you wanna win big, Ai-chan. Strawberry Productions, Yugashima Onsen... they're all placing their bets on you. They got a reason to believe this sponsorship will work out, yeah? So it ain't about how you do it. You know how to make this shit trend.
[ Oh god, his heart starts to race as he even thinks this: ]
[ She laughs, merry and at ease like she never is back in the city. Out here where nobody but Rinne knows her, she can be a little more at ease. ]
What, get caught? Me? Rinne-kun, you should know better. When I want to be sneaky about something, nobody can sniff me out.
[ Not unless she practically tells on herself, of course. But that hardly counts. She's kept secret after secret after secret as she and B-Komachi have risen higher and higher, so what's one more? When you think about it, a three-night retreat to somewhere pretty and out of the way is much easier to keep a lid on than the two living people who absolutely do not exist in her apartment. She'll manage it. ]
Besides, I've been coming up with ideas! Since this is supposed to be like one of those solo travel diaries, I can just take selfies and solo pics and it'll look totally above board. And people will figure 'if she's doing her own photography, she must be by herself'. Right? You can tell me I'm a genius if you really want.
Yeah, yeah, my Ai-chan's super smart. You want a prize for that?
[Cute. He'd ruffle her bangs or pinch her cheek here if he could. Maybe that's not very boyfriend-like of him, though.
...They never did bother with naming what this was, did they? He's pretty sure friends don't just book three nights at a ryokan in the beautiful middle of nowhere. But would Ai want that? She already has one secret to keep. He can't give her another.
But she wants him here.]
Being sneaky's a lot of work, though. I can't believe we gotta sneak around here, too! I just wanna do nothing with you all day...
It's a lot of work, sure... but isn't it more fun doing something when you know you're totally not supposed to be doing it?
[ Wink! When she says stuff like that with that mischievous smile on her face, you really have to wonder just how much she was kidding about Saitou's blood pressure... ]
We should still be able to have fun, though! I looked up a bunch of things about this place before I set out. They've got all these fancy open air baths and their lounge has one of those air hockey tables - oh, and there's a TV in our room that streams a whole bunch of stuff we can watch for free. So we're all covered!
[ Look how proud she is of all her research...
After a moment though, her pleased as punch expression softens a bit. ]
And besides. Even if all we're doing is laying low, we usually have fun whenever we're together, right?
[He looked all of that up, too, but it's so much funner listening to Ai talk about it. So that's what she likes about this place, huh? Rinne's excited about those things, too, but Ai's right — it's so much funner to do something he's not supposed to. That's the second thing he likes about this trip. The first? Well...]
Yeah. [His smile reaches up to his eyes.] I always have fun when I'm with you.
[He is rarely honest like this. The boys would freak out if they saw him. His gentle smile is only ever with her, and only when they're alone. Ai's probably figured it out by now, hasn't she? He's not like this with just anybody.]
Just so you know, I ain't going easy on ya! Rinne-kun's pretty good at air hockey☆
[ Is this mushy? It is kind of mushy, huh? They might play around at flirting and Rinne says all sorts of things to her, but it's rare that they're so soft and direct with each other out of pure necessity. She'd always thought she was no good at that kind of talk but she's finding it's slipping out of her more and more easily now it's just the two of them and she doesn't have to worry.
Hm. Maybe if this goes well and they don't get caught, they'll have to find a way to make a habit of this. But that's a big if. ]
Sorry to say, but I'm pretty good at it too. So good that you might have to get ready to eat your words and surrender.
[ Bold faced lie. She's never played air hockey once in her life. But she likes it when Rinne gets keyed up and competitive. ]
[Rinne knows Ai likes to bluff, but he's just happy she wants to play with him at all. That she would do these things with him regardless of who he was or what he is — it's nice. It's not lonely.]
If I win, you get to do whatever I say! And if I lose...
If that's what's on the table then I promise to crush you without mercy.
[ 'the loser does what the winner says', huh. yeah, she's played that game before. Coming from Rinne, though, it really does feel like harmless, playful fun — after all, the only reason she's happy to be here is because Rinne is the kind of guy she never usually finds anywhere. The kind she can... well, about ninety percent trust. For her, that's a solid percentage. ]
Now I just have to plan what to ask for... hm, hm ♪ Since I'm planning to beat you so badly, I should probably be nice...
Uh, now I'm scared of what you'll do when you're not nice.
[Can she not? His palms are getting sweaty. He's going crazy. It's not that he doesn't trust her — she's one of the few people he does — he just thinks he's not mentally prepared for this. What if she decides that she hates this? Like, what if he sucks? Ugh, no. That's not what he should be worried about.]
We're almost there.
[Rinne's worried about something far more important than that.
He gives her hand a small squeeze.]
Hey, Ai-chan. You... You know what we're doing, right?
[ She looks up at him, blinking. She's still smiling and it's too gentle and bright for it to be put on but... while it's not exactly clueless, it's clear that whatever's bugging Rinne is very evidently not bugging Ai in turn... if it's even on her mind at all. Maybe she really is just a little too calm. ]
Well of course I do. You think I dodged around the Prez and Miyako-san and still didn't have any clue?
[ Her smile turns into a grin, just sharp edged enough to be playful. ]
And just like that, he loses his chance. They arrive at the entrance, and the question shuttles back to where it came from. He's still nervous! But now is not the time to worry about tonight. They have a whole day ahead of them.
At the lobby, Rinne does not hide his awe the entire time they're there. His mouth is agape in childlike wonder as he takes everything in, from the huge decorative plate in the foyer to the bronze statues of bodhisattvas near the front. He keeps sneaking a peek at the souvenir shop, wanting to look at their wares. He knows that can wait, though. They have to check in first. He'll do that.]
So this is a ryokan, huh... I thought it'd be bigger.
[ In almost perfect tandem, Ai's face lights up alongside his. She's been to sleek, fancy places before in Tokyo but this is different — it's not necessarily ornate, but the decorations and the care with which everything's been placed and the sweet, old smell of the wood that makes up the building makes it feel grander than anywhere she's ever set foot in before. It's almost enough to make her feel like they've made a mistake in asking someone like her to represent this place.
Mistake or not, she was asked to a job and that's what she's here for — so of course she's snapping pictures of everything on her phone as she goes. She's so caught up in her quest that she doesn't let up on the snaps until Rinne's hand touches her head.
... Hm. More evidence that Rinne's hands are both bigger than previously thought and that she kind of likes it?? But still, she puts on a show of huffing, if only to play into the joke. ]
If it's the perfect size for me, it'll be too small for you, won't it? [ She puts on a perfectly puppy-dog-eyed expression of concern and not at all of mockery. ] What a shame... you might have to sleep on the side of the river outside... I promise to wave hello to you every morning, though!
[Rinne leans back in mock offense.] Ahh? What's that? After all the strings I pulled to get us here, I can't even sleep next to my girlfriend? Some vacation this is!
[His use of the word is deliberate. He hopes she doesn't hate it. He made sure to say it quietly, but so long as he was friends with the owner here, no here would go to the press about two idols at a romantic ryokan in the fall. After all, it's a normal thing for ordinary people to do. Rinne wants to think the days will pass by smoothly, too. It's his first time sharing a room with a woman. Japan's rising star, no less! He really doesn't want to fuck this up.]
Well, you can tour around and take more pics without me. Repping the place is your job now. I'll bring our bags to our room.
[ Ai's expression doesn't change but something about her posture does — she'd been scrolling through the photos she'd taken so far and the her thumb slips clean off her phone. Her shoulders straighten a little. Is that the first time he's said it? It must be, right? That's why her stomach is squirming all of a sudden. Which is stupid — he's been talking about liking and loving her since the first time they really talked, even if he was just playing around, and they've been going on dates, they've come here together... that's the kind of thing you do with a girlfriend, right? So it shouldn't be strange to hear him call her that.
... it is strange. But not in an unpleasant way. In fact... Oh. She'd really liked hearing it. She kind of wants to hear him say it again.
When Ai looks up at him from her phone, two pinpricks of colour bloom high in her cheeks. Look at that, her blush has finally made it onto her face. ]
Ah— no, wait, no way! [ Before he can make a move to leave without her, Ai steps in close and presumptuously links her arm through his. No escape! ] If we're looking around, I want us to go together!
[ As an idol, Ai technically has every right to drop by Cafe Cinnamon if she wants but the entire time she's making her way there, she still feels a bit like she's doing something wrong. No, if she's honest for once, she's been feeling that since before she even set out. She'd dithered over her outfit for an hour, dressing up and down in all different directions until she's settled on something she hoped was passable. It's silly. She's not dressing for an interview or a shoot or even a date but she feels like she needs to put on a show. It's her first time being properly introduced to Rinne's precious friends and if she doesn't make a good first impression then she kind of feels like she might die.
Should she have bought gifts? Sweets? Oh God, that's what you do when you meet someone's parents, isn't it? Crazy:B aren't Rinne's parents. She's fine. She's definitely going to die.
Once she gets to the door, Ai allows herself a second to peer inside and see if she can spot Rinne — or really, to try and steady her breath before she steps inside. No sign of Rinne so far which makes her want to pass out slightly more than she already did... not that you'd know it to look at her. She pops on her prettiest, most happy-go-lucky smile and confidently makes her way inside like she doesn't have a care in the world. ]
Ooh, this place really is just as cute as I always heard...! ⭐
[Meanwhile, Niki's pretty chill. Rinne said something about bringing his wife over, but everyone knows it's best for idols to marry when their careers are past their prime. Rinne's not even there yet, which means this is something he totally decided on his own again. Oh well. At the very least, it sounds like Rinne made a new friend. Maybe he even has a crush? That's good! If she can make it this far, maybe she knows things that even Niki doesn't know. ... That's a little strange to think about.
That said, it's not like Rinne told anybody to be on their best behavior, so Niki's just not going to worry about it.
And he's definitely not worried about it when a weird—er, young woman arrives. The cafe is kind of cute, but maybe he's just used to it. To spare her the embarrassment, Niki's just not going to comment on that. He's kind of on duty!]
Hi, hi! Oh, have I seen you somewhere before? You're in that drama with Rinne-kun, right? [He smiles a little brighter.] A table for how many?
[Now, Niki knows exactly who this is, but he's not about to collapse or ask for an autograph or whatever. He's not that interested in idols. That's Rinne.]
[ For a horrible panicked moment, Ai's brain completely fails to produce his name. She knows it's a shorter one and her brain very helpfully decides to tell her that this isn't Kohaku and then completely stall on any further identifying details. Great.
She manages to not make it obvious and instead flashes him a smile that makes it look like she isn't completely flailing on the inside. How high does 'forgetting his friends' names' rank on the Terrible Girlfriend scale? ]
That's me! Nice to know people recognise me even when I'm not in uniform, heehee. [ And then, mercifully, her brain cooperates at just the right time for her to say: ] Niki-kun, right? Rinne-kun talks about you a lot at work.
[ Complains. He complains a lot. She thinks it goes without saying, though. ]
Ah, is a table for... maybe three okay for now? I'm supposed to be meeting someone but I guess they're running a little late...
[ Ai's kind of a scatterbrain sometimes - she knows that and she's made her peace with it. When it comes to the things that really matter though, there's nobody more on the ball than she is. Sure, she'd started planning for Rinne's birthday what some might call a slightly unhinged amount of time in advance but - it's a special day! She wants to give herself plenty of time to get this right!
Against all her most high anxiety expectations, though, things do somehow end up coming together. She ends up securing time off and babysitting when she needs it and manages to keep a straight face when she and Rinne glumly acknowledge their busy schedules right when his birthday lands so he doesn't suspect a thing. His gifts almost seem to fall into her lap with how perfect their timing is and the food sorts itself out, too; a cute bakery that does fancy and elaborate desserts handles the cake (apple tart's kind of a cake, right?) and she gets dinner delivered from all the take out places she and Rinne like best after she lets herself into his apartment to set everything up.
She keeps the decorations simple - red and gold bunting taped up on the walls and a matching tablecloth under all that food. In fact, Ai's really the most decorated thing in the apartment - it's a special day so she'd gone for something a little different, a cute sweater dress and dark stockings. The kind of mature look she's not really supposed to wear as an idol but might be just fine for Rinne's girlfriend. That's the only thing she wants to think about being tonight, after all.
So she settles in to wait. She'd made sure to do her best to line things up with his schedule and if she's timed things right, he should be on his way back to the apartment by now. She's been peppering him with lovey dovey texts all day to make up for her supposed absence but she feels a teeny bit bad about lying to him. Hopefully the surprise she's been covering for will make up for it. ]
[ Being back in the theater is more nostalgic than Ai had expected. Maybe she's not really old enough to be nostalgic about much of anything, but sometimes it feels like a whole lifetime has passed since those days at Lalalie. It's more bitter than sweet to think back on it when she remembers what a mess she'd ultimately made of things... but when she gets to say goodbye to Aqua and Ruby every morning before rehearsals, it's hard to think of it as a mistake.
And now she's in the right mindset, rehearsals are oddly enjoyable. Her princess isn't really the deepest character, but that makes things easier for Ai. She just has to dazzle everyone, tantalize them with the suggestion of something deeper they can't see and the audience will fill in the blanks with whatever they want to see. She has fun, finetuning the ins and outs of it. It's close enough to what she always does that it's right in her strike zone and just different enough that experimenting doesn't feel like a risk.
Watching all the real actors perform has been the highlight, though. For a first-timer, Rinne's little brother does an amazing job, so naturally it makes Ai a little envious for how easy he makes it look. But Rinne himself is the real surprise - she'd thought she was used to his acting after shooting so much of SpringColours with him, but his energy on stage is different. If she's a star, Rinne's a spark. When she's on stage, she glows - Rinne burns.
She's hovering in the wings today, watching one of his scenes - she hasn't been around to watch this one before, a clash between Rinne's character and a powerful knight opposing him, and now she's gotten the chance she absorbs it greedily. She'll be too busy to enjoy the performance when they're actually giving it to an audience, so rehearsals are all she's got. She's a polite enough spectator, at least - it's not until the director calls for a break that she announces herself by giving Rinne a playful (and yet, entirely sincere) little round of applause from her spot just offstage. ]
Wow, stage acting really is totally something else... If you're that intense during rehearsals I'm suuuuuper mad I'll be missing the real thing! Heehee.
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Ai only has a day or so to dither about how she's going to pull this off. She's good at making up off-the-cuff excuses when she and Rinne meet for dinner and other sorts of things but a convincing lie about a four day absence is a bit much even for her. As it turns out, though, she doesn't need to worry. Not two days after they agree on it, a job offer comes through to Strawberry Productions specifically for Ai, all the way from a ryokan out in Izu. It's deceptively innocent; they'll comp a three-night stay with meals included in return for Ai promoting the place and talking it up on her social media once she's home and safe. As offers for Ai go, it's technically on the cheap side but Saitou snaps it up — setting a precedent that they're open to sponsorships like this will pay off big time once tourism season comes around. And just like that, Ai's off to Izu with nobody any the wiser that they've been played.
Honestly, Ai can't help but feel a little wrong footed too. Part of her wants to question exactly who this friend of Rinne's is that he can pull these sorts of strings so quickly and easily but then she thinks about what the combination of "mahjong buddy" and "owns a ryokan" could add up to and decides that actually, she'd really prefer not to know.
If anyone smells something fishy, it's Miyako. Even as Ai does everything she can to throw both her and Saitou off — including subjecting herself willingly to a fifteen minute lecture by asking him whether or not she can take Aqua and Ruby along for the trip, purely to distract him from the issue. Miyako, by contrast, has a suspicious frown on her face all the way up to dropping Ai off at the station and seeing she's getting the train alone... but maybe it's because she's going alone that Miyako smells a rat. What idol goes on a job like this without her manager by her side? But it's too late for her to protest and someone needs to look after Aqua and Ruby... so off Ai goes on her own.
Well. "On her own" is a bit of a stretch. There's only one train that goes from Tokyo to Shizenji, after all and one bus from there to the ryokan. Which means that even though she and Rinne are right there on the same train and the same bus, they have to resolutely pretend the other doesn't exist for the three or so hours it takes to get to the Yugashima Onsen. It's all sorts of silly, sure, but it's necessary too - even though they're both as incognito as it gets, this is still beyond risky. Much more so than any of their little outings before. Weirdly enough though, Ai doesn't feel anxious. The flutter in her stomach feels much more like excitement... as far as she can tell, anyway.
But it's not until the empty bus drops them off at the stop that she dares say anything at all. They step from the warm, dry bus into misty, autumnal rain and Ai heaves a big, performative shudder. ]
Jeez, of course it'd rain at a time like this... [ She fumbles with her luggage for a moment before managing to extract an umbrella from her bag that she promptly pops open above the two of them. ] I know it's not a long walk to the ryokan but still!
[ how on earth is she acting like this is normal ]
no subject
With the power of sheer annoyance, Rinne managed to get a disgruntled yes. Of course he did. Favors aren't easy to earn, but once someone owes him, he never forgets. He was the one who arranged for Niki's dance lessons, Kohaku's variety show filming, and HiMERU's photoshoots to fall on the very same long weekend. He was the one who endorsed Ai to that ryokan in Izu. So as long as the owner kept Rinne's secrets, Rinne didn't mind being quiet about his. Rinne's image was never great anyway — not like Ai's. It must be more difficult for her to pull this off without causing suspicion. She must be stressed from all the hiding and all the planning...
Ugh. He's going to hug her so much after this.
If Rinne can figure out how to handle this.
What is he doing? He's never been to a ryokan. Do private hot baths in the open air really feel as good as they seem? He remembers sneaking out to bathe in the river by the mountains, but that isn't quite the same. After all, he'd never been with a woman before. He doesn't know what will torture him more: the long ride to the onsen where he can't so much as look at her, or the first night in their shared room where he'll bare all his inexperience and shame as he breaks his own rules before he can even remember them. The guilt settles in before they even arrive. Yes, he's being impulsive. Yes, he's being irresponsible. Playing a delinquent is one thing, but an idol — no, the leader of his people shouldn't act like this. But when he thinks about Ai and how she's willing to do this with him despite everything, his face can't help but burn up to his ears.
...Oh, they're here.
Even as it rains, Rinne tries to be normal. He brings his own luggage down, pulls his hoodie up, and— And, well—
What is she doing? Shouldn't she be freaking out, too? It's kind of pissing him off! Is he the one who's excited?]
How the hell are you so calm? Doncha know we're getting the order all wrong?
no subject
Had Rinne been worried too? Is he a little grumpy they didn't get to chat like normal on the trip, maybe? That's cute. ]
Are we really? Hm, I guess an overnight trip is a little more risky than just going on a date...
[ The road's empty aside from a few cars passing too fast to get a good look at them so Ai hooks her finger into her mask and pulls it down. Like that, her grin is piercingly bright even in the gloomy weather. ]
But now we're all the way out here, I feel like I can actually breathe a little easier...! I felt all worked up on the way here, but isn't this place nice and quiet? No way anyone's going to recognize us this far out from Tokyo.
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But he's smiling. ]
Then let me hold this for ya.
[ Sharing an umbrella with Ai... Hehe. ]
It's too quiet for my tastes, but I'm starting to like holding your hand like this. What'd Prez Saitou say about it?
[ Like, does he know? Does Rinne have to meet him after this? He feels like he should. Not immediately, though. That's weird. ]
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With her luggage trundling along behind them, she sets off hand in hand with Rinne. ]
Well, his blood pressure went up so fast when I told him what was happening, he passed out before he got a chance to say anything.
[ A beat. Then she giggles. ]
No, just kidding. As far as he knows, this is a totally above board sponsorship that I'm enjoying all by myself. In fact, he actually got all excited about it... he was talking about making a whole thing of having me stay at different spots around Japan and hyping them up if this one worked out, but that's like twenty steps too far ahead, right?
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He pulls his luggage along as they walk down the winding path. They're south of Tokyo, but the lush mountains and red leaves remind him of his hometown in Hokkaido. Would Ai like it in his hometown? Probably not. The village is quieter than the city, but nothing there can belong to anybody. Not even Rinne. Not even Ai. This weekend, at least, is his. This ryokan is his territory. Nothing won't ever threaten it. ]
Kyahaha! You gotta dream big if you wanna win big, Ai-chan. Strawberry Productions, Yugashima Onsen... they're all placing their bets on you. They got a reason to believe this sponsorship will work out, yeah? So it ain't about how you do it. You know how to make this shit trend.
[ Oh god, his heart starts to race as he even thinks this: ]
You just gotta make sure we don't get caught.
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What, get caught? Me? Rinne-kun, you should know better. When I want to be sneaky about something, nobody can sniff me out.
[ Not unless she practically tells on herself, of course. But that hardly counts. She's kept secret after secret after secret as she and B-Komachi have risen higher and higher, so what's one more? When you think about it, a three-night retreat to somewhere pretty and out of the way is much easier to keep a lid on than the two living people who absolutely do not exist in her apartment. She'll manage it. ]
Besides, I've been coming up with ideas! Since this is supposed to be like one of those solo travel diaries, I can just take selfies and solo pics and it'll look totally above board. And people will figure 'if she's doing her own photography, she must be by herself'. Right? You can tell me I'm a genius if you really want.
[ So modest... ]
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[Cute. He'd ruffle her bangs or pinch her cheek here if he could. Maybe that's not very boyfriend-like of him, though.
...They never did bother with naming what this was, did they? He's pretty sure friends don't just book three nights at a ryokan in the beautiful middle of nowhere. But would Ai want that? She already has one secret to keep. He can't give her another.
But she wants him here.]
Being sneaky's a lot of work, though. I can't believe we gotta sneak around here, too! I just wanna do nothing with you all day...
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[ Wink! When she says stuff like that with that mischievous smile on her face, you really have to wonder just how much she was kidding about Saitou's blood pressure... ]
We should still be able to have fun, though! I looked up a bunch of things about this place before I set out. They've got all these fancy open air baths and their lounge has one of those air hockey tables - oh, and there's a TV in our room that streams a whole bunch of stuff we can watch for free. So we're all covered!
[ Look how proud she is of all her research...
After a moment though, her pleased as punch expression softens a bit. ]
And besides. Even if all we're doing is laying low, we usually have fun whenever we're together, right?
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Yeah. [His smile reaches up to his eyes.] I always have fun when I'm with you.
[He is rarely honest like this. The boys would freak out if they saw him. His gentle smile is only ever with her, and only when they're alone. Ai's probably figured it out by now, hasn't she? He's not like this with just anybody.]
Just so you know, I ain't going easy on ya! Rinne-kun's pretty good at air hockey☆
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Hm. Maybe if this goes well and they don't get caught, they'll have to find a way to make a habit of this. But that's a big if. ]
Sorry to say, but I'm pretty good at it too. So good that you might have to get ready to eat your words and surrender.
[ Bold faced lie. She's never played air hockey once in her life. But she likes it when Rinne gets keyed up and competitive. ]
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[Rinne knows Ai likes to bluff, but he's just happy she wants to play with him at all. That she would do these things with him regardless of who he was or what he is — it's nice. It's not lonely.]
If I win, you get to do whatever I say! And if I lose...
[Well, Ai can think of that.]
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[ 'the loser does what the winner says', huh. yeah, she's played that game before. Coming from Rinne, though, it really does feel like harmless, playful fun — after all, the only reason she's happy to be here is because Rinne is the kind of guy she never usually finds anywhere. The kind she can... well, about ninety percent trust. For her, that's a solid percentage. ]
Now I just have to plan what to ask for... hm, hm ♪ Since I'm planning to beat you so badly, I should probably be nice...
[ bullying him <3 ]
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[Can she not? His palms are getting sweaty. He's going crazy. It's not that he doesn't trust her — she's one of the few people he does — he just thinks he's not mentally prepared for this. What if she decides that she hates this? Like, what if he sucks? Ugh, no. That's not what he should be worried about.]
We're almost there.
[Rinne's worried about something far more important than that.
He gives her hand a small squeeze.]
Hey, Ai-chan. You... You know what we're doing, right?
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[ She looks up at him, blinking. She's still smiling and it's too gentle and bright for it to be put on but... while it's not exactly clueless, it's clear that whatever's bugging Rinne is very evidently not bugging Ai in turn... if it's even on her mind at all. Maybe she really is just a little too calm. ]
Well of course I do. You think I dodged around the Prez and Miyako-san and still didn't have any clue?
[ Her smile turns into a grin, just sharp edged enough to be playful. ]
We're here to have fun! Right?
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[He can't deny that!!!
And just like that, he loses his chance. They arrive at the entrance, and the question shuttles back to where it came from. He's still nervous! But now is not the time to worry about tonight. They have a whole day ahead of them.
At the lobby, Rinne does not hide his awe the entire time they're there. His mouth is agape in childlike wonder as he takes everything in, from the huge decorative plate in the foyer to the bronze statues of bodhisattvas near the front. He keeps sneaking a peek at the souvenir shop, wanting to look at their wares. He knows that can wait, though. They have to check in first. He'll do that.]
So this is a ryokan, huh... I thought it'd be bigger.
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[pats her head ☆]
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Mistake or not, she was asked to a job and that's what she's here for — so of course she's snapping pictures of everything on her phone as she goes. She's so caught up in her quest that she doesn't let up on the snaps until Rinne's hand touches her head.
... Hm. More evidence that Rinne's hands are both bigger than previously thought and that she kind of likes it?? But still, she puts on a show of huffing, if only to play into the joke. ]
If it's the perfect size for me, it'll be too small for you, won't it? [ She puts on a perfectly puppy-dog-eyed expression of concern and not at all of mockery. ] What a shame... you might have to sleep on the side of the river outside... I promise to wave hello to you every morning, though!
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[His use of the word is deliberate. He hopes she doesn't hate it. He made sure to say it quietly, but so long as he was friends with the owner here, no here would go to the press about two idols at a romantic ryokan in the fall. After all, it's a normal thing for ordinary people to do. Rinne wants to think the days will pass by smoothly, too. It's his first time sharing a room with a woman. Japan's rising star, no less! He really doesn't want to fuck this up.]
Well, you can tour around and take more pics without me. Repping the place is your job now. I'll bring our bags to our room.
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... it is strange. But not in an unpleasant way. In fact... Oh. She'd really liked hearing it. She kind of wants to hear him say it again.
When Ai looks up at him from her phone, two pinpricks of colour bloom high in her cheeks. Look at that, her blush has finally made it onto her face. ]
Ah— no, wait, no way! [ Before he can make a move to leave without her, Ai steps in close and presumptuously links her arm through his. No escape! ] If we're looking around, I want us to go together!
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slams into this
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Should she have bought gifts? Sweets? Oh God, that's what you do when you meet someone's parents, isn't it? Crazy:B aren't Rinne's parents. She's fine. She's definitely going to die.
Once she gets to the door, Ai allows herself a second to peer inside and see if she can spot Rinne — or really, to try and steady her breath before she steps inside. No sign of Rinne so far which makes her want to pass out slightly more than she already did... not that you'd know it to look at her. She pops on her prettiest, most happy-go-lucky smile and confidently makes her way inside like she doesn't have a care in the world. ]
Ooh, this place really is just as cute as I always heard...! ⭐
[ H e l p. ]
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That said, it's not like Rinne told anybody to be on their best behavior, so Niki's just not going to worry about it.
And he's definitely not worried about it when a weird—er, young woman arrives. The cafe is kind of cute, but maybe he's just used to it. To spare her the embarrassment, Niki's just not going to comment on that. He's kind of on duty!]
Hi, hi! Oh, have I seen you somewhere before? You're in that drama with Rinne-kun, right? [He smiles a little brighter.] A table for how many?
[Now, Niki knows exactly who this is, but he's not about to collapse or ask for an autograph or whatever. He's not that interested in idols. That's Rinne.]
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She manages to not make it obvious and instead flashes him a smile that makes it look like she isn't completely flailing on the inside. How high does 'forgetting his friends' names' rank on the Terrible Girlfriend scale? ]
That's me! Nice to know people recognise me even when I'm not in uniform, heehee. [ And then, mercifully, her brain cooperates at just the right time for her to say: ] Niki-kun, right? Rinne-kun talks about you a lot at work.
[ Complains. He complains a lot. She thinks it goes without saying, though. ]
Ah, is a table for... maybe three okay for now? I'm supposed to be meeting someone but I guess they're running a little late...
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Against all her most high anxiety expectations, though, things do somehow end up coming together. She ends up securing time off and babysitting when she needs it and manages to keep a straight face when she and Rinne glumly acknowledge their busy schedules right when his birthday lands so he doesn't suspect a thing. His gifts almost seem to fall into her lap with how perfect their timing is and the food sorts itself out, too; a cute bakery that does fancy and elaborate desserts handles the cake (apple tart's kind of a cake, right?) and she gets dinner delivered from all the take out places she and Rinne like best after she lets herself into his apartment to set everything up.
She keeps the decorations simple - red and gold bunting taped up on the walls and a matching tablecloth under all that food. In fact, Ai's really the most decorated thing in the apartment - it's a special day so she'd gone for something a little different, a cute sweater dress and dark stockings. The kind of mature look she's not really supposed to wear as an idol but might be just fine for Rinne's girlfriend. That's the only thing she wants to think about being tonight, after all.
So she settles in to wait. She'd made sure to do her best to line things up with his schedule and if she's timed things right, he should be on his way back to the apartment by now. She's been peppering him with lovey dovey texts all day to make up for her supposed absence but she feels a teeny bit bad about lying to him. Hopefully the surprise she's been covering for will make up for it. ]
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And now she's in the right mindset, rehearsals are oddly enjoyable. Her princess isn't really the deepest character, but that makes things easier for Ai. She just has to dazzle everyone, tantalize them with the suggestion of something deeper they can't see and the audience will fill in the blanks with whatever they want to see. She has fun, finetuning the ins and outs of it. It's close enough to what she always does that it's right in her strike zone and just different enough that experimenting doesn't feel like a risk.
Watching all the real actors perform has been the highlight, though. For a first-timer, Rinne's little brother does an amazing job, so naturally it makes Ai a little envious for how easy he makes it look. But Rinne himself is the real surprise - she'd thought she was used to his acting after shooting so much of SpringColours with him, but his energy on stage is different. If she's a star, Rinne's a spark. When she's on stage, she glows - Rinne burns.
She's hovering in the wings today, watching one of his scenes - she hasn't been around to watch this one before, a clash between Rinne's character and a powerful knight opposing him, and now she's gotten the chance she absorbs it greedily. She'll be too busy to enjoy the performance when they're actually giving it to an audience, so rehearsals are all she's got. She's a polite enough spectator, at least - it's not until the director calls for a break that she announces herself by giving Rinne a playful (and yet, entirely sincere) little round of applause from her spot just offstage. ]
Wow, stage acting really is totally something else... If you're that intense during rehearsals I'm suuuuuper mad I'll be missing the real thing! Heehee.