NOVEL NEXT Chapter 100 – Ruby’s Idol Group 03
"Are you alright?" I extended my hand to the pink-haired girl wearing the shrine uniform who had fallen while carrying the fortunate slip.
"Oh, thank you." The girl responded as she grabbed my hand and stood up. "Ah, the fortunate slip—" she added as she watched the box she was carrying fall over and make fortunate slips scattered on the floor before she squatted down to retrieve the fortunate slip back into the box.
"I will help you," I said as I helped pick up a few fortunate slips that had fallen quite far from the girl.
"Really, thank you. You're such a nice guy." The girl thanked me while bowing her head many times.
"It's fine. Hmm, you seem to be having trouble. How about I help you?" I volunteered to help the girl.
"Eh, you don't have to. You are a visitor to this shrine, aren't you? It's best if you enjoy your time." Of course, the girl declined my offer and tried to carry back several boxes of fortunate slips that I could tell she was having trouble carrying.
"It's fine. We're also about to buy a fortune slip. In other words, we're going to the same place anyway. So it's fine for me to help you carry this." I insisted because this was a rare encounter, right? I can't waste this opportunity, can I?
"Well, I'm grateful. But—" The girl's resistance began to fade, but she still looked hesitant, and her eyes looked beside me to Kaguya.
"Ah, it's fine. It's not like helping you is a plus because I'm showing her that I'm a good guy." I whispered to the girl, who reacted with wide-eyed surprise at my words before she smiled and replied.
"Geez, that's true. Okay, and thank you."
I helped the girl carry the box of fortunate slips to her place without saying anything else. While walking there, I also took the time to have a conversation with the girl.
"Are you a part-time worker?"
"Hm, I guess."
"I guess?"
"Etto, I'm honestly helping my family and will get extra pocket money." The girl answered honestly and looked a little too embarrassed to tell me.
"Is that so? That's very good. I wonder if you're looking for extra pocket money because you want to buy something."
"Oh, yes. There's something I want. Is it easy to guess?"
"Ahaha, I'm pretty good at guessing. Hm, I'm pretty sure the thing you want to buy must be a game."
"Oh, how could you know that!?"
"Un, it's straightforward for me to guess something like that. I'm pretty fond of playing games and like myself. "
"Oh, what kinda game do you like?"
The girl and I had a conversation with each other that could be considered quite intimate, even though neither of us was acquainted with each other. Since I had knowledge of Miko Sakura and spoke to a girl who looked like Miko Sakura through that knowledge, I can say that I'm pretty sure that this girl is Miko Sakura. I practically refrained from asking this girl's name because it would be too obvious.
It wasn't long before the three of us finally arrived at a stall inside the shrine selling fortunate slips. I took the girl at her word to store the boxes behind the kiosk.
"Really, I'm really grateful for your help." The girl thanked me again and bowed her head.
"It's fine. I have fun talking with you, too."
"Well, me too. To be honest, I rarely talk to boys. This is probably my first time having a fun conversation with a man. Maybe because somehow, I feel familiar with you. Hm— I wonder if we've met somewhere before?"
"Ahaha, too bad. I guess we've never met you," I responded to the girl's words with a smile and continued to add. "Of course, an honorarium can provide new experiences for you. It would be nice if I could know your name?" Before I finally asked the girl's name, who was almost certainly Miko Sakura. As our conversation grew longer, I began to hear the same way of speaking from this girl, Miko Sakura.
"Oh, that's true. We never introduced each other by name. My name is Miko Sakura. It's nice to meet you." Miko introduced herself in a very excited voice.
"My name is Hoshino Aquamarine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san."
"Un— Hoshino— Hoshino Aquamarine. Huh— Nnnn— I think I heard that name before. Yeah, it's such a familiar name—" Sakura held her chin and seemed to be thinking very seriously and looked at me, which, to be honest, even though I wasn't completely disguised. I still wore a hat to at least make my appearance inconspicuous.
Honestly, I thought Sakura was too much of a geek that she didn't recognize me. However, because of this, my conversation with her became calmer.
Before I could see her facial expression start to change, she kept looking at my face repeatedly as if she was confirming what she was thinking. You could tell her face was increasingly shocked, and her mouth opened before she finally started speaking.
"There's no way, right— I mean, that's too much—"
"Ahaha, that's quite a reaction."
"No way, are you really that Hoshino Aquamarine."
"Well, I don't know any other Hoshino Aquamarine."
I said that while taking off my hat and revealing my blonde hair. The thing that made Sakura completely convinced that I was the same person as the famous actor.
"Uuu, I— I never thought I would have a conversation with such a famous actor. I mean, I don't think such a famous person will help me like such ordinary people." Sakura actually said such a rude remark.
"Ahaha, I don't know what you're imagining about me."
"Ah, sorry."
"It's fine. It's not like I will help many people after all. As I said before, I helped you because I also happened to want to buy a fortunate slip and a small matter."
"Oh— that's right. Um, as a thank you, how about I give you a fortunate slip for free."
"Eh, well. You don't have to do that?"
"No, it's fine. I would happily give something to someone I admired so much in my childhood. I also really liked the movie Children of Heaven when I was a kid." Sakura clapped her hand before she looked embarrassed for a moment. Then she, with a beaming face, finally asked me something, "Can I get an autograph?"
"Oh, well. That's fine. It's such an easy feat."
"Really? Then— Can I get some photos, too?"
Oh, Sakura seems to be trying to take advantage of this opportunity to get what she wants as much as possible. I gave her an autograph and also took a photo with her; at the same time, after all that, Sakura finally took Kaguya and me to get fortunate slips, which is a tradition in this world at the beginning of the year.
Anyway, this is how I first met Miko Sakura, which was one of the lucky things for me at the beginning of this year.
