アンコール | "I got roped into... becoming an idol." Finn sighed in defeat.
Rayne blinked once, twice, and even thrice. He tilted his head to the side, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "You're going to be a what now?"
After graduating from Easton Magic A...
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CHAPTER XXI < Rayne Ames and the Arcade Encounter > 《Into the Ultimate Encore Arc》
LOVE Cute tapped her fingers on the edge of Wirth's desk, watching him scroll through emails. It was the start of her first day as Himeakira's creative manager (Finn forced her to), and she couldn't keep the nerves at bay.
Wirth seemed unfazed as he rifled through files and shot off replies, his focus wrapped up in digital papers and spreadsheets.
She tried not to fidget as he hummed. "So... what exactly are you working on, Wirth-ouji?"
Wirth's head snapped up. "D-Do you really have to call me that?"
"You said I could if we're alone, remember?"
"Yeah, but—" Her pout made him blush harder, forcing himself to clear his throat and look away. "I'm mostly organizing everything for the dome performance. Just tying up loose ends so everything runs smoothly for Finn-kun, Anna-chan, and Lemon-chan."
Love's face fell ever so slightly at that last part—Finn, Anna, and Lemon. It used to be her name that was included in those preparations. She had once rehearsed in the echoing spaces of the dome, her voice mingling with theirs. But that chapter had closed. "Now I'm backstage." And for some reason, though she was glad to leave the spotlight, it stung a little to feel so removed.
They worked in comfortable silence. Love glanced around the small, cozy apartment that felt so much like Wirth—warm but cluttered, practical but charmingly disorganized. Light spilled from the window, highlighting stacks of papers and stray pieces of fan mail, which Wirth had kept for "data purposes."
Wirth was so business-like, it was almost funny to the point that she found herself glancing at him occasionally.
He was always like this, even back in Easton. Oftentimes, after short meetings with the Magia Lupus, she'd find his nose sniffing through textbooks in the library. Honestly, he's quite the nerd, but she was fond of that.
It was silly, maybe. But seeing Wirth like this, looking so intent, made her chest feel strange. She looked away quickly, trying to shake off the feeling. They were just friends. Highschool friends.
"So... Is there something I should start with?"
"Oh, right. Well, since you're handling the creative side now, maybe you could work on something to boost interactions with the fans before the dome performance?"
Love's eyes brightened a little. She hadn't realized how much she missed having an active hand in Himeakira's work until now. "Can you give me an idea?"
Wirth pondered, resting his chin in his hand as he looked at her, and the look held for just a beat too long. She felt her cheeks heat up from the stare before he spoke, "Something that gives fans a chance to feel closer to the group, maybe? Like, something you'd want to see as a fan."
