My Childhood Friend, who became a National Idol, moved next door to my Run-down Apartment [Dropped] - Chapter 21 - Her past!

“It was about a year after I scouted Mitsuki-san that the so-called ‘Kazu-kun Deficiency Syndrome’ began to manifest in her. At first, her dance, which I witnessed, possessed a charm that was like a raw gemstone, captivating anyone who saw it,” 

Shirai-san, Mitsuki’s exclusive manager, said with a solemn expression on her face.

What on earth is ‘Kazu-kun Deficiency Syndrome’? Is this some common knowledge? I couldn’t help but wonder.

“Is it alright if I ask a serious question?” I inquired.

“Of course, it’s a matter of utmost seriousness. It’s something that could even shake the entire foundation of Star Planet Music,” Shirai-san replied.

Unbeknownst to me, it felt like I was getting involved in something extraordinary.

“The trigger for me to scout Mitsuki-san was her dance, which took place at a certain high school’s cultural festival. Dancing gracefully in the center of the music room, she exuded a charisma that was truly fitting for an idol,” Shirai-san continued.

Ah… I remember that now. It was a story from the time when we were tired from our cultural festival performance, and Mitsuki and I had casually entered the music room to take a break while I played the piano for her.

“Play a lively tune!” she demanded, an entirely unreasonable request. In response, I improvised a piece, and as Mitsuki began to get into it, a crowd magically gathered out of nowhere.

What was meant to be a stress-relief session for us turned into something akin to a concert at the first-year high school cultural festival, becoming one of Mitsuki’s cherished memories. I distinctly recall feeling apologetic when I later learned that more people gathered around us than at the main live performance which was being held in the gymnasium.

Who would have thought that entertainment industry professionals were watching Mitsuki’s dance back then? Fate is truly something mysterious.

“After witnessing that dance, I immediately started moving to acquire Mitsuki-san. Looking back, she was already a girl with a mysterious driving force… Even though the president and I had repeatedly invited her to become an idol, she had always declined. But then, one day, she changed and finally accepted our offer,” Shirai-san said, reminiscing about the past.

“I will become a top idol. It’s for the sake of living together with Kazu-kun. To breathe the same air for a lifetime with Kazu-kun, I will become a top idol” Shirai-san recited the words which Mitsuki had said to her when she was new to the idol industry.

Hearing those words, I couldn’t help but recall the incident where Mitsuki, after a long time apart, which had fabricated my words.

If it’s for Mitsuki, becoming an idol again and becoming her neighbor would be enough, I thought. If she becomes a top idol, she might be able to live with me again…

So, it wasn’t that her memory had been altered over time. From the moment she heard it, she had interpreted my words on her own…?!

“I didn’t understand the meaning behind it, but at that time, there were only two employees in the company—myself and the president. Star Planet was staking its entire business on discovering idols. It was a gamble, but there was no choice but to take Mitsuki-san, a sparkling gemstone. However, signs soon appeared. It was Mitsuki-san’s ‘Kazu-kun Deficiency Syndrome,'” Shirai-san explained, bringing the conversation back to its initial topic.

I still couldn’t make sense of it, no matter how many times I heard it!

“After moving into the dormitory for a year, shadows began to appear in Mitsuki-san’s dance. The sharpness she had when I scouted her, as well as her joyful expressions, vanished. The reason for this was discussed repeatedly at meetings involving the advisory lawyer, the president, and top-notch talent scouts, and there was only one conclusion,” Shirai-san said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Lifting her red-rimmed glasses, Shiroi-san continued, “It was because she had been separated from ‘Kazu-kun,’ her childhood friend, whom she often spoke to while facing the screen of her smartphone.”

I couldn’t help but feel deeply sorry for making such a personal matter a topic of discussion at a company-wide meeting.

“Due to the manager’s judgment, as Mitsuki-san would talk endlessly in front of a picture of ‘Kazu-kun’ with neither a message nor a call…”

According to the story, it seemed that her cellphone had been in the temporary care of the manager.

Come to think of it, since I parted ways with Mutsuki, we haven’t contacted each other even once until recently.

I thought I had completely been forgotten, but it turns out it was because of that…

I’m glad to be Mutsuki’s driving force, but at the same time, I feel uneasy walking on thin ice.

“Once I understood that, I promptly returned her smartphone. And then, Mutsuki-san regained her spirited dance. Not only that, considering the importance of ‘Kazu-kun’ to Mutsuki-san, the president decided that despite idols typically residing in dormitories, she could live near ‘Kazu-kun’ if her position in the entertainment industry required it.”

“So, that’s why Mutsuki could easily come to my apartment…!!”

The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together…!

Unknown to us, it seems that even the apartment was being monitored by one of Japan’s leading idol agencies.

I can faintly see one of the reasons why Mitsuki has been working so relentlessly for the past year or two.

“In addition, we’ve secured several rooms around your apartment under my and the president’s names. We’ve thoroughly planned for any scandals and have given our approval.”

Come to think of it, Mitsuki mentioned something like that too!

It was true, the manpower of entertainment agencies is quite formidable.

“It’s amazing how much they do for just one idol…”

As we walked down the hallway of the agency, Shirai-san suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Toujou Mitsuki saved our company, Star Planet, from almost going bankrupt. She chose our small company, with just me and the president, and thanks to her, we’ve grown this big. That’s why we’ll protect her. We want to support her dream with all our might. We might not be the best idol agency, but that’s what we want to do.”

She smiles troublingly, seeming somewhat happy.

“Kazu-kun’s existence is still top-secret within the company, known only by me and the president as the founding members. And your existence in itself has been really helpful for us.”

Looking straight into my eyes, Shirai-san deeply bowed and said,

“Thank you so much—!”

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TL : Zenon#4120