Constant Nagging

Yoshino and I joined Manager Na along with the rest of Sunayomi in their hotel room. By the time we got there, everyone was dressed and ready to head out.

"Oh, they're here!" Manager Na said. "Did he learn his lesson, whatever it is?"

"Hehe, he very much did," Yoshino giggled as she shot me a dubious look. "At least, I would hope so."

"Y-yeah..." I gulped.

Manager Na smirked with his arms crossed. "I don't know what you did, but you'd better refrain from doing what you did, kid. Even I'm smart enough to not dumb enough to piss her off."

If only he knew exactly what she was talking about. Would he still be cracking a joke like that? Probably not, but it's because he doesn't know that I'm not taking it as seriously as I could've.

"Cross my heart," I said. "Trust me. I've learned my lesson."

"Making me even more curious as to what it was," Manager Na scoffed. "Care to share?" 

"I would, but..." My eyes turned to Yoshino, who had been glaring at me the whole time. "Between you and Yoshino, I think she outranks you, so I'm not allowed to say."

"Hah! I guess if Yoshino is insisting on keeping it a secret, then who am I to decide otherwise? Anyway, now that we're all good to go, I'm gonna get the van ready. I'll call you guys down in a bit."

"Okay~," said the girls in unison.

The moment he left through the front door, the atmosphere immediately changed. Suguha was the first to dart over to me.

"Yozora~!" she cried as she threw her arms around me. "I thought I'd never see you again..."

"What the...? How did you come to that conclusion? It's not like I was gonna abandon my job, especially since I'd be stranded in Osaka without you guys."

Natsume inched closer with her hands tucked in at her chest. "Still... Are you really okay, Yozora? You can sit out today if you'd like."

"It's okay. I came here to help you as your assistant. I shouldn't flake just because of my feelings. Otherwise, I wouldn't have stepped onto that plane to begin with.

"But..."

"I'm fine, Natsume. Besides, I also wanna watch you guys perform. If I don't go, then how am I gonna do that?"

"You could always turn on the television," Mitsuki said. "It'll be broadcast live."

"Nah, it's not the same. Also, if I don't watch it live, then my little sister is gonna kill me."

As much as I tried to lift the mood, it seemed like the girls were reluctant to simply let it go. In a way, I'm kind of glad that they're going the extra mile because it affirmed something I always tried to deny.

They... really do care about me, don't they?

"Don't feel pressured," Yoshino said. "If you're feeling tired, then sit out. If you feel like you won't be able to do your best, then say that. We're not going to think any differently of you because, like everyone else, you're only human. Especially after what happened yesterday, take some time off if you really need it."

"Yesterday...?" Natsume mumbled.

I let out a sigh. "Like I said, I'm completely fine. Rather than worrying about me, how about you guys mentally prepare yourself for your performance? As your assistant, I wouldn't wanna be the reason you flop."

"Hm... I think I've finished my diagnosis," Yoshino smiled.

"...Diagnosis?"

"Yep. I've determined you're in no condition to be our assistant. Take the day off, Noa."

The instant my name left her mouth, I felt a tidal wave of regret crash over me. Slowly, I turned to the others, only to find their wide-eyed stares fixed on me, their jaws practically hitting the floor. And then there was Yoshino, casually walking away with a smug grin, as if she'd orchestrated this entire moment.

"Noa...?" Mitsuki muttered, her tone sharp enough to cut through steel.

"Wait... Wait, wait, wait!" Suguha exclaimed. "NOA?! Since when did she start calling you by your first name, Yozora?!"

"I-it's not like that!" I stammered, waving my hands defensively. "I'm sure it was just an acci—"

"Noa gave me permission to use his name yesterday," Yoshino interjected smoothly, drawing all of their attention away. "Likewise, I allowed him to call me by my name as well. We're close enough to be concerned about each other's well-being, so shouldn't we start calling each other by our first names? It's only fair since we're... comfortable now."

Her words hung in the air like a lit match, and I could practically hear the collective snapping of gears turning in their heads. Their stares returned to me, more calculating than before.

This isn't good.

Before I could react, Suguha bolted over and grabbed me by the collar of my sweater, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yozora! Can I use your first name?!"

"Eh?!"

"M-me too, Yozora!" Natsume chimed in, her voice unexpectedly bold.

"W-wha...?! I—"

And just like that, the situation spiraled completely out of control—so out of control that even Mitsuki, the girl who never once wanted anything to do with me, started tugging on my hood.

"Explain, Yozora!" she shouted. "How did this happen?!"

"Shouldn't you be asking Yoshino that?!"

Yoshino let out a chuckle. "I told you before, didn't I, Noa? Just call me Yoko."

All of our heads collectively turned to look at her devious smile, but they immediately turned back to me while spouting a bunch of random remarks.

I retaliated as much as I could, but combined with Suguha grabbing my collar and Natsume backing her up, I couldn't say anymore before I was bombarded again.

"Go on, Yozora!" Suguha demanded, her grip tightening on my hoodie. "Say it! My name!"

"And mine too, Yozora!" Natsume chimed in, her voice almost cracking from the sheer volume.

"It’s only fair," Mitsuki added with a slightly perturbed expression. "You already called Yoko by her name. If it's all of us, then at least it won't explode into some ridiculous scandal!"

As they continued shaking me like a rag doll, I caught sight of Yoshino in the corner of my eye, her shoulders trembling as she desperately tried to hold back her laughter.

How can she walk away so casually when she's the one who threw me under the bus in the first place?! It’s hard enough dealing with one of them blowing up my eardrums—let alone three!

"Alright, alright!" I finally caved, throwing up my hands to stop the relentless assault. "Let's calm down a little."

When they finally stopped, I took that opportunity to start walking around, acting as if I were annoyed.

"Look. I don't know why you're all making such a big deal about this," I said. "Aren't you technically my bosses? If you want to call me by my first name, just do it. You don't need my permission."

"It's not the same," Natsume muttered, her pout just barely noticeable. "Even I know being on a first-name basis is a big deal, and I'm originally from Korea."

"Yeah, well, it's not that big a deal to me. But fine. You guys can call me by my first name from now on. In return, I get to call you by your first name. Deal?"

The three of them froze, exchanging quick glances. It was the perfect opening.

Although it may seem like I'm just pacing around aimlessly, every step brought me closer to the front door. One thing I’ve learned from spending time with these girls is that they’re often too caught up in the moment to notice the bigger picture.

The second my hand touched the doorknob, I knew I had won. I swung the door open and flashed them a smile.

"Starting tomorrow," I said before swiftly shutting the door behind me.

"WHAT?!" Their muffled screams echoed from the other side, sharp enough to make me wince.

They can't leave the hotel room until Manager Na is ready. Otherwise, they might get noticed by a random passerby. As idols, they need to move discreetly to avoid attention.

I know all of this. That's why I can't help but smile a little because I'm flawlessly using it to my advantage.