Idol Gunner [Yuri Villainess LitRPG]

By the time Kana got back to her room in the night, there was no time left to think and consider tomorrow. And by the time the sun rose on Sunday morning, she was far too busy fighting away the bunker nightmares her brain kept trying to conjure up. That, mixed with a seething hatred towards Nobuko and Chitose for indirectly coming together to mess her victory, made for a particularly bad start to the final day of the retreat.

Even as she begrudgingly got up and into the shower, though, there was one person she couldn’t bring herself to get angry at. Risa Ueno.

There was something creepy about the girl, even if her naivete sometimes made her pass off as innocent. When Kana had first seen her, it had been a hilarious moment just because of how badly her personality clashed with Kimura’s. But now that she had actually seen her, she wasn’t sure what to think.

Was it that normal for a girl her age to not even blink when everyone around her was screaming and losing their minds? Kana kept asking herself the same questions over and over again until she finally got out of the bathroom and put some clothes on. Only then did her brain calm down to find enough visual stimulation and get distracted.

Soon after that, Emi was at the door.

The final round between Akiko and Kelsey’s time was, for once, a match that Kana actually wanted to watch. Given that, she expected that their talk would be short and to the point. They would perhaps discuss what to wear for the final dinner, and then spend some time taking a walk in the resort’s garden.

Instead of any of that, however, the girlfriend started by entering the room and locking it behind her. Then, as she hurried past Kana and sat down on a chair, she spoke only in whispers.

“Alright, so I thought about it. I spent a lot of time thinking about it yesterday, and I even had to call my dad to figure some stuff out about the legality of things and how everything can be twisted and stuff, right? So, I actually have something really important to ask you about all of the information that you found the other day.”

“Whoa, alright. Calm down. What do you mean?” Kana got on the bed and folded her legs, waiting for a proper, calm explanation.

“Right…” Emi took a deep breath and shook her head, “Let me be proper. The paper that you got about the entire connection between the media and MidoriLIVE. What exactly was it?”

“No, wait. Are you telling me you went and did actual research about all of this? Why?”

“Because…I wanna help you. That’s it. I’m not answering any more questions along that line. Just tell me what I asked.”

Kana wasn’t sure what she wanted to feel. Joy over the fact that they could talk about this openly now? Or was it anxiety over dragging this girl into a world she had no place in? Her eyes moved down as she snapped her fingers. The sound barely made it into her ears. The vibrations were the only thing she could feel clearly. The answer eluded her.

“Kana…” Emi whispered, shaking her head, “Don’t do this now. You got me kidnapped, alright? I haven’t been saying it out loud very often, but you did. That’s it. Fucking. Period. You did. So instead of acting like I don’t belong here right now, maybe you should start listening to me when I have something of substance to add to the conversation.”

“Uh, no. That’s not…what I mean. I know what I did, and you don’t need to remind me of it. Keep it to yourself, in fact. I don’t want to keep you out because I think you won’t fit with what I’m doing. I want to keep you out because you’re too good a fit. Do you understand that?”

“Really? You’re gonna try and pull that on me? Well, no. I don’t understand that. I don’t care about it. This is…what I want. It’s what I decided to do. It’s what I spent all of yesterday doing. So, just let me get to the point. What kind of paper did you get your information from?”

Her head throbbed. Every inch of her skull cried out in a desperate attempt at opposition to the idea. Kana rubbed her forehead, closing her eyes to consider the proposal. On one hand, she could see the recklessness it had stemmed from. On the other hand, Emi Kitamura’s father was a lawyer. If anyone knew legality and scandals, it was him. This was potentially valuable information that she couldn’t just throw away.

“Internal, private e-mails.”

“Exactly. That won’t work.”

“What makes you say that? You don’t think the Coalition members will freak out the moment I leak this to them?”

Emi shook her head with a slight smile, “They won’t. It’s not enough proof, or at least that’s what my dad said. Essentially, if you showed that to a lawyer, they would show you the door. It’s a great story, but it’s not enough proof. You need substantial, digitally secure financial information to truly prove your point. Otherwise…it’s just a piece of paper that could have been forged.”

“Well, I know that. But I don’t think you realize that I am not planning on going to a lawyer. The printout will be sent to every single other agency under the Coalition, and effectively unmask what they have been doing. The point is not to destroy their entire company, but to get them kicked out of the group.”

“Oh…” Emi gulped, “Then…I guess my argument is stupid and holds no water? Sorry. I didn’t know what you were going for…”

Kana waved her off. The girl’s intentions had been pure, and that was what mattered.

She crashed down on the bed, feeling the soft mattress almost melt like a cloud underneath her. Emi stayed silent as Kana looked at the ceiling. For a second, the latter felt like she had dodged a bullet. Her plan had been watertight, after all. The agencies would get the letter, and it would remove MidoriLIVE from the Coalition. That would effectively, eventually…kill their whole business.

That was how it was going to go.

“Forged.” She whispered, spreading her arms and relaxing before the realization hit her. “Forged? No, wait…faked. True. You’re right. It might not work.”

“What?”

Kana got back up with a jolt, “That’s not how Tanaka and Akiko do business. They don’t care about the audience or the truth or lies or whatever. No, they rely on perception. And…and…manipulating perception. And…there has to be a reason why they got Bobtail Felis out of the Fair Play Committee, but kept MidoriLIVE, even though they are still competitors.”

“Um…didn’t you say that was because Nozoki Neko is an indie group?”

She clicked her tongue, “Could be, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Even if it pisses Tanaka off, Akiko wouldn’t blink twice. Nope, the two of them kept MidoriLIVE there for a reason. And that’s because…um…it’s got to be…fuck…the agencies. Yes. Right. That’s it. The agencies see Lilac Shower as a combined enemy, but they don’t put them on a pedestal because MidoriLIVE and Bobtail Felis were still giving them some competition.”

“But now one of those is out?”

“Uh, yeah. Partially, I guess, that’s a point. But that’s not the point. All of the agencies hate Bobtail for being indie. It’s not surprising that they didn’t care. But, you see? Just like Akiko has been trying to make us the ultimate enemy of the retreat, they’ve done something similar with MidoriLIVE. Yeah…they’re kept there as a pillar of hope. Do you get what I mean?”

“People…like them because they can relate?”

“Yup. There you go. And that’s why you’re right. If I just send an email out, nobody will do anything. MidoriLIVE is, as far as they’re concerned, one of them. Kicking them out would mean putting either the Fluorescent Angels or us into the top spots. And trust me…they don’t want that.”

“So, you will need more proof? And I…was right?”

Kana looked at her with eyebrows raised, “Go figure. The Coalition won’t do shit to them. We need to actually bring them down as a company to justify it. Or else…it’s not happening. And to do that, we do need a very real lawyer.”

“Yeah…I figured that out…beforehand.”

“Really? You’re such a genius.”

Emi smiled, laughing as she leaned back in her chair and sighed, “God, this is annoying work, isn’t it? But it’s ok. I’ll do my best.”

“You still have an out, so go for it.” Kana laughed back, getting off the bed and slowly closer to her, “On the other hand, you totally did just ensure that I’m not gonna be watching the final round. I need to go back to the third floor.”

“What?”

“Yup, yup. You did that. Now live with it.”

“Ugh…I was thinking of actually sitting and watching it with you for once, too.”

“Well, I guess we’ll have to make up for it right now, then…”

Kana pulled her off the chair and closer to herself. All that filled her eyes, however, was a blur of colors that she could barely decipher. She did not realize when exactly Emi leaned in to kiss her, or when they moved around the room and got to the bed. In an instant after her girlfriend got off the chair, Kana had already tied herself into an interaction she couldn’t escape.

Locked herself with someone whom she did not know how to look at. She loved Emi, and that was a fact. But right now, all this girl was doing was reminding her that the paper hadn’t been enough. That she would need to try harder and do more. That she couldn’t see Akiko’s plan unfold in real time.

So, Kana stopped thinking. She closed her eyes, decided that she was overthinking, and gave in to the moment before she could lose herself. Whatever would happen was still in the future, after all. Right now, there was only Emi.

_____________

The broadcasting of the final round unfolded on the main lawn. Right in the center of the resort, it was almost like an invitation for Kana to put herself by getting caught in one of the many cameras indirectly pointed at every inch of every corridor. And yet, she skipped the chair with her name on it to head for the third floor instead.

There was absolutely no doubt in her mind after the little talk with Emi. She and Marie stood no chance at convincing the Coalition to remove MidoriLIVE, purely because of how they had been positioned in the competition. To break through the thick wall of defense that Lilac Shower had employed, the only logical way was to reach straight for MidoriLIVE as a company.

Proof was easy to get, as she had found out. As long as the doors were unlocked, at least. That is what she found herself hoping for as she slowly walked through the corridors of the third floor while sticking to the walls far away from the windows. The sounds of people shouting and calling out to each other, along with the combined clamor of the crowd, made it all the way to the top.

The match had not started yet, but the preparation was in full force. That, thankfully, meant that there would be no members of the media on the floor at this time. And since she had already confirmed the lawn presence of the idols who had rooms on this floor, this little trip was bound to be a quick in-and-out of her searching the rooms of the related press members.

As she made her way through the corridors, checking every single door as she walked, the sounds below became unbearable. The amateurish announcement work of the Coalition representative started, signaling the beginning of the round itself. Kana was tempted to move to the window and look down just to see what was going on, but decided that it was probably best not to. Her curiosity would have to be stifled.

Of course, she could have been down there if not for Emi. But she also could have miserably failed at her plan if not for Emi. Even if the girl did not belong in this world, she had led to something.

CLACK!

The door swung open, and she stepped in. Kana wasn’t sure whose room it was, but it was filled with papers and some bags, so at least it was occupied. She kept the lights off and closed the door behind her. Flashlight out, she started searching every corner for potential evidence.

Papers on the bed, papers on the table, and even more papers on the floor. And yet, as she made her way through every single one, she realized that these were not her victims at all. This was a completely different media agency. One that she wasn’t related to at all. Or rather, that was what she thought at first.

It was only towards the end that she found a letter signed by one Masaru Abe. That headache of a journalist. This one wasn’t anything bad, though. Just a letter looking for permission to stay at the Hiroyama Resort for the duration of the shoot. And since there were other signatures on the letter as well, it also did not mean that this was his room.

All she knew now was that this particular set of rooms was probably given to his group. That meant that she had nothing to gain by being here. A quick pivot to the other side of the corridor was what she needed.

Turning the flashlight off, she headed for the door. The cheering had started on the lawn, which meant that Akiko and Kelsey’s teams were probably heading into the round’s map. Maybe during her walk, she could try to catch some of the action. At the very least, the layout of the map. She opened the door and got out, making sure it was kept open.

“Ah…”

Kana went stiff as she turned to look at who had made the noise.

To her right, coming out of the neighboring room at the exact same time, was Risa Ueno.

Gulping, with her head tilted, she would have been a comedic sight. A little obstacle that Kana could talk her way out of by maybe even threatening her a little. She would have been the absolute nobody who was probably here because of some stupid mission Nobuko had given her. Kana wished that she had been here because of Nobuko’s instructions.

But she wasn’t.

Risa Ueno was not here with Nobuko Kimura’s permission, and that was painfully obvious.

Other than her ruffled, frizzy hair with sweat all over it, the rest of her body was a graveyard of proof, too. An ultra-readable, barely covered map whose ridiculous smell gave away every bit of the secret her trembling hands were trying to hide. Her hands, which had gripped onto the singular, oversized white shirt covering her body for her life.

“Now, walk straight down, alri-”

The voice of the shirtless middle-aged man who leaned out of the same door with a cigarette in his mouth trailed off the moment his eyes met Kana’s.

This was no business of hers. All she needed to do was look down and walk away. A little embarrassing story that she could use as leverage to get out of this position. Something that she just had to ignore and forget by the time she slept. And for Kana Minami, that would have been the easiest thing in the world.

If only she hadn’t been intimately aware of Chitose Yono’s age. If only she hadn’t taken the effort to read through the information sheet about this entire group of girls that had been handed over by the Coalition.

“M-minami-san…” Ueno barely let out a whisper before she realized that Kana was not bothered about her at all.

“What are you looking at?” The man spoke with a crooked smile, “Keep those eyes down, new girl. You think we don’t know about the little publicity stunt you all pulled with Mari Sanada? Oh, or are you here because of that? Because in that case, I might need about ten more minutes before you can get in…”

She had worked so hard to get so far, too. So much work to be quiet and light-footed, and not get caught. So much work to ensure that Abe was thrown off when he tried to question her. Kana wondered what the right question to ask right now was. Whether she had a choice or not, maybe? Did that matter? Really?

“Risa.”

“…” The girl looked at the floor, shivering as tears started to form in her eyes.

“Eyes up here. What’s your name, again? Minaki? What is it? Speak to me, got it?”

“Risa.” Kana sighed, cursing herself for even trying. “How old are you?”

That was all that mattered, after all. Sometimes older girls got into certain batches, too. It was always better to be sure. It was always better to confirm things before you gave in to the slowly rising whirlpool of destructive rage and anger swirling inside your chest. Always a good idea to have your back covered before doing something disastrous.

“T…twenty…”

“There. You think you’re being cool or dramatic, are you? Listen. Shut the fuck up and go to your own room. You don’t wanna get involved in this, Minaki.”

“Risa Ueno.” She decided this would be the only time she would repeat her question, “How old are you?”

The trainee slowly looked up, sniffling like a child. Probably because she was. Grabbing the shirt and pulling it closer as she started to shrink with embarrassment, Risa finally met her eyes and stuttered out the truth.

“F…fifteen.”

“Hmm.” Kana nodded. “Oh…fuck me.”

“Alright. She’s fucking lying. Now, that’s it. I’ll have no more of this bulls-”

She did not have the strength to look at him or drop a cool one-liner. She really did not. There were boundaries that she did not cross, but only when those in firing distance stayed inside their own boundaries. Only as long as they did not piss her off more than necessary.

Then again, there was all the secrecy to think about. The entire situation with MidoriLIVE and her own sneaking to the third floor. So much to consider. Yet, as her hand moved up and reached out, she did not feel even a moment of hesitation. Not even a single thought of doubt polluted her mind. She’d throw all of that away in a heartbeat.

Kana Minami was not going to regret this at all.

Perhaps it was all the fights she had been forced into. The very fights that had slowly started affecting her hearing. Right now, she was grateful to them. Because it took her no effort to grab the man by the neck and drag him as he fell to the floor. Her ears were not bothered by Risa’s crying or the man’s entitled shouting. They were especially not bothered by the screams that would fill the resort a minute from then.

With no hesitation, she dragged the man to the edge of the corridor and slid the windows open. Below, the match entered its countdown as both teams prepared to start the fight. Unfortunately for Kelsey, that never happened.

Before the countdown could hit zero, she ignored the screams of the man, pulled him up to the edge of the window, and threw him down. Before the match could begin, the blood splatter caused by his body hitting the lawn made enough noise to drown out the announcer’s grating voice.