My new Neighbor's an Idol!?

I Don't Care-oke

Ishi was disappointed, but not surprised. His times of peace were usually short lived. Now stuck with the chatter from his fellow classmates who always seemed to show up where he was. This was going to be an inconvenience to him. Perhaps he could leave for the beach they just abandoned, but the sun was beginning to set and the only lights shining were at this bar. So unless he wanted to spend the rest of the night in total darkness, he was going to have to be trapped here.

"Another drink would be good about now." He took solace in the only thing to go his way today. That being the wonderful drinks served here. The bartender got to work, as the boy still had enough money in reserve to continue paying it. While sipping from his glass, a certain boy nearly leaped onto him, nearly causing the contents of his drink to be spilled.

"Figures you hid yourself here." Otoya greeted him with a rub over his hair. "Looks like for once, you were the one ahead of the curve."

"That's one way of putting it." He responded dejectedly as the crowd of people passed by with Rinse in the middle of it all. Most of his grade was here, so this place went from empty to packed in mere minutes.

"So, since you've been here first. There's gotta be some details you got for us."

"There's a microphone here." He pointed to the center of the spot, which contained an elevated platform complete with a karaoke machine. "So it looks like my ears will be blessed with the sounds of terrible singing."

"Eh eh eh, I think you forgot something." Otoya said as if Ishi actually forgot, rather than pretend wasn't a thing. "But we actually have a real idol in our midst."

"Right... How could I forget." He was dead in his voice, barely bothering to play along with this act. At this rate, he was going to call it a night early and head back to the hotel. "Look, I paid for way too many drinks. So why don't you sit down and relax a little."

"You're too kind sometimes." His best friend took the offer with no hesitation. While it was nice to take a kind gesture from a friend, there was another not-so-wholesome reason for this. "Hey, Hattori, Ishi got drinks for us." He was fortunate enough that the girl was walking by them.

"He does?" That offer drew her towards them. "Doesn't really sound like something he'd do."

"Because I'm not." Ishi set the record straight. "But I won't stop Otoya over here if he wants to share his half with you." The boy made a mental note to never offer his friend drinks for free for the rest of life. Rinse decided to accept anyway, since free was always good. Even for someone with her fortune.

"Where's Hanada?" She asked. The last time she had seen that girl was with him, when they split for the shop. "Did she not stay with you?"

"Apparently despite all my warning signs, you still want to talk with me." He quipped. "But I left her when we got to the beach to go here. So I would've thought she was with you."

The way he acted continued to perplex her. Of all the people she ever saw him interact with, Youna was the only one never to suffer his wraith. In fact, she would've thought he actually cared about her given all his actions. The small talk on the bus being the major factor that she couldn't understand.

Having to listen to someone drone on for a couple of hours ended up leading the girl to wander her mind onto others. Which is how she noticed him being the one to start the conversations with that girl. Why? That boy was never one to begin talking to someone so normally. In fact, he always wanted to avoid idle chatter. So what made that quiet meek little girl so different?

"I'm sure she's fine." Otoya leaned forward to talk with her, blocking her view of Ishi. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd all love to hear you sing."