Chapter 415 - The Companion
After quickly tidying myself up, I headed down to the lobby, where, just as Madoka-san had said, two figures stood waiting.
One was the same young lady from our date, though in a different outfit, fidgeting nervously. Instead of her usual indigo, she was a vision with caramel-blonde hair and sparkling green eyes.
The other was a woman I didn't recognize. For a moment, I wondered if an overeager Ashe had gallantly escorted Nia here, but it seemed my guess was off.
She didn't look like Nia's mother, either. Her stylish sunglasses made it a bit difficult to get a read on her, but I was fairly certain she was around my age.
Her light, flaxen-colored hair, which I assumed was dyed, suited her well, giving her a distinctly feminine look. Her soft, gentle aura vaguely reminded me of the young lady from the Shijo family.
The gazes of the two young ladies drifted toward me the moment I appeared. I was about to greet the stranger first, but...
She was the first to speak.
"Hello there."
It was nothing more than a simple greeting.
"Uh, h-hey... Ah, h-hello...?"
And yet, those two simple words carried an incredible weight.
It wasn't that her voice was low or masculine; it was more like... how to put it? It felt like it contained a different level of information than a normal voice.
"...Hey, what are you frozen for? C'mon, Nia-chan, say hello."
Her tone was as sweet as condensed honey, yet it washed over me refreshingly, leaving no trace of cloyingness or pretense.
Ah, this is... Yeah, I know what this is.
It was the voice of a heroine from an anime—and just as my ears were completely captivated, a soft, thin piece of cloth was tossed squarely at my face.
I knew what had been thrown without even looking. I'd caught a glimpse of a pouting face in the middle of a throwing motion, stole in hand.
When I pulled the cloth from my face, I was met with a message displayed right before my eyes—
'Staring at my best friend is forbidden.'
It was none other than an 'edict' from Miss Liliania Vlueberry, written in response to a completely baseless accusation. I swear, I wasn't staring.
Though I might have been captivated by her voice.
"Yeah, yeah. Hello, Nia-chan."
'Hi, hellooo!'
"And you are...? Whoa, hey, stop it! It's not like I'm dying of curiosity, this is just a normal way to greet someone new!"
Her behavior seemed a little strange... but then again, that was business as usual for her.
The woman at her side, whom Nia-chan apparently called her best friend, watched the rambunctious girl pitter-patter her fists against an unknown man with an amused expression before turning to me.
"I'm sorry. I don't believe I know your real name, but judging by my 'best friend's' reaction... you must be [Haru]-san, correct?"
Her eyes, their color hidden behind the sunglasses, focused on me.
It was a blatant case of getting my real-world identity exposed, but considering she had passed through Yotsuya's security to get into the lobby...
"That's... right. Yes."
...it was probably fine.
Nia wouldn't bring a suspicious person here, and Madoka-san, despite her gentle demeanor, would never fail in her duties as the residence hall's gatekeeper. The fact that she had been allowed in meant this friend's identity was guaranteed. With that decided, I affirmed my in-game name. The woman studied my face with a serious expression for a moment before her features softened into another smile.
"My apologies again for not introducing myself. I'm something of a childhood friend to that little hellion... Um... if you would, please take this."
"Oh, thank you." I said, fending off the "hellion"—who was either expressing her dissatisfaction or simply playing around—while accepting the small card she offered.
It was a stylish yet cute business card, adorned with an illustration of a budding branch and a small chick. The name printed on it was—Mitsueda Hiyori.
Hmm...
Nope, unfortunately, I've never heard of her. Wait a second, maybe somewhere...? No, it's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't place it.
The card said she was an illustrator. If she carried her own business cards, she must be quite famous.
Then again, I've never really made an effort to remember the names of famous people in creative fields. My apologies for being so out of the loop.
"...And there you have it. I don't just do illustrations like the one on the card; I'm involved in a wide range of creative work, including voice acting and performance. My real name is almost the same: Saegusa Hiyori. The kanji for the surname is the same, just a different reading, and 'Hiyori' comes from the word for a perfect, clear day."
"Your real name... huh?"
As I was pondering this, the famous illustrator I'd presumably just met suddenly dropped her personal information, leaving me stunned.
But as I stood there frozen, thinking, what is this person talking about, the woman—Mitsueda-san—simply laughed, unconcerned.
"You seem surprised... but I've just been introduced into the daily life of [Crown the Acrobat], who's currently the center of worldwide attention. You could say I'm holding your lifeline in my hands now, right? So, this is the least I can offer in return. Please, think of it as my own token of sincerity."
"Sincerity, you say..."
Judging by the way Nia had frozen with a stunned look on her face, this was likely her friend's decision alone. I understood what she was getting at, but...
"I know, 'a girl shouldn't be so careless,' and all that. Even with the risks, it's not enough to balance the scales with a Titled Ranker from Arcadia... so I hope you'll let my status as her best friend fill in the gap of credibility."
Well, whatever.
There were plenty of things I could say or question, but I supposed I had no choice but to accept it—after all, this was Nia's friend.
Their manner of speaking, even their intonation, was similar. The claim that they were childhood friends who had grown up together was infinitely persuasive.
In that case, perhaps their stubborn, single-minded personalities were similar, too.
"Alright, then... uh... Mitsueda-san, is that okay?"
"For the record, my fans affectionately call me 'Hiyorin.' And Nia-chan, full of love, calls me 'Hiyo-chan.'"
"Got it. Nice to meet you, Mitsueda-san."
When I offered a smile without another word, she smiled back mischievously.
"Yes. It's a pleasure, Haru-san."
She then peeled her still-dazed friend off me and began to scold her like an older sister, a practiced ease to her movements.
Protagonist: "Never heard of her."
This guy casually watched Hiyorin's stream while studying before the Four Pillar War. Don't you dare forget about a person who's a walking bundle of tropes like a painter, idol voice actress, illustrator, and Archiver (who is also a 20-year-old college student).