My Oshi's Best Friend: The Ex-Idol in the Seat Next to Me
In the spring of his second year of high school, plain and friendless Isogai Takuto (16) is a secret hardcore fan of the super popular VTuber Himizuki Yui. At school, he tells no one, spending his afternoons watching archived streams. One day, his classmate Kurose Maria, who had just returned from a long absence, catches a glimpse of his phone while picking up his eraser. On the screen is a limited singing stream by Himizuki Yui. Maria's eyes light up.
'Wait... you're a Yui fan?'
Maria's true
My Oshi's Best Friend: The Ex-Idol in the Seat Next to Me - My Oshi, My Best Friend, and My Wavering Heart — The Curse of the Remaining Pentagon
The setting sun dyed the surface of the Tama River red.
Three shadows stretched long across the riverbed.
Even though Maria's voice had miraculously returned, the air hung heavy, cold, and taut.
"Sorry... I'm sorry, Takuto-kun. I'm happy... I'm happy, but I can't stop crying..."
Maria's voice was drenched and muddled with tears.
Yui arrived, out of breath.
"Maria..."
Maria looked at Yui and shook her head.
"Why... why did you come, Yui... I didn't want you to come..."
Maria's true feelings spilled out along with her tears.
"Maria... I got the message, and I couldn't sit still. If you lost your voice because of me, then I was going to get it back, no matter what. So..."
"No! That's not it! It's not your fault! The reason I didn't want you to come is... because there's something I didn't want you to know more than anything..."
Maria cried out, as if wringing the words from the depths of her chest.
Yui gently grasped Maria's shoulders.
"What is it? What don't you want me to know? Hey, Maria. You lost your voice because you can't forget about me, right? NeoPorte disbanded, and I left you behind to become a VTuber. You've resented me for that all along. So... so the cause of your illness is your lingering attachment to me, isn't it?"
At Yui's words, Maria's body trembled sharply.
Takuto's chest ached, as if being squeezed tight.
(No.)
(Yui's misunderstanding.)
(The cause of Maria's illness isn't lingering attachment to Yui.)
(It's... her feelings for me.)
Maria shook her head, crying.
"No... that's not it... Yui, that's not it..."
Maria couldn't say anything more.
She couldn't confess the real cause.
Because if she said it—
(That my feelings for Takuto-kun are what's stealing my voice...)
(There's no way I can say that.)
(If I say it, everyone will suffer even more.)
Maria clutched her own throat and crouched down.
"Maria, I'm sorry... I didn't know anything... I'm really sorry."
Yui rubbed Maria's back.
Takuto stood beside them, unable to move.
Maria's voice had returned.
But.
Maria's illness was not over yet.
As long as Maria's feelings were directed at Takuto, the illness would relapse.
And Maria's best friend, Hizuki Yui, was here now.
Maria's secret could no longer be hidden from anyone.
Two emotions swirled simultaneously in Takuto's chest.
(Hizuki Yui is here. My oshi is right in front of me.)
(But Maria's voice is still fragile.)
(What am I supposed to do about either of them?)
The setting sun stretched the three shadows long.
At that moment, Yui slowly raised her face.
Her tear-glistening eyes stared straight at Maria.
"...Maria."
Maria still kept her head down.
"I've been thinking this whole time. That if I could see you, the first thing I'd do is apologize. But that alone isn't enough. I want to show you everything about who I am now. I want to show you that I am who I am because you were there."
Yui's voice wavered, mixed with the wind.
"So please. NeoPorte—won't you do it again, with me?"
Maria's shoulders twitched.
Takuto couldn't believe his ears.
"Once more, with the five of us. No—even just the two of us is fine. You and me, standing on stage together again. I'll protect your voice. Your singing can make people smile again. So..."
Yui's voice trembled with tears.
"I want to hear Maria sing again. I can't forget your voice from that day at Grand Base. I've always wanted to hear you sing. But... I felt like if I chased after you, I'd only hurt you again. So I ran away. I'm sorry. I won't run this time. I want to sing beside you. Please, Maria. Just once more, for me—sing."
Yui's tears sparkled in the sunset light.
Maria raised her face.
Tears were spilling from her eyes too.
"Yui..."
Maria forced her voice out.
"I want to sing with you, Yui. I want to, so much. But..."
Maria's voice broke off there.
(But the cause of my illness isn't you, Yui.)
(Even if I'm with you, the illness won't heal.)
(The more I'm with Takuto-kun, the more my voice disappears.)
Maria screamed that inside her heart.
But she couldn't say it out loud.
"...Yeah. It would be nice if I could sing."
Maria nodded vaguely.
Yui took Maria's hand.
"Thank you, Maria. We'll definitely make it happen. I'll start preparing seriously tomorrow. I'll talk to the agency and clear my schedule. I'll create the day you stand on stage again."
A strong light of determination dwelled in Yui's eyes.
Watching that scene, Takuto felt something bitter deep in his chest.
(Yui doesn't know the real cause of Maria's illness.)
(It's her feelings for me that are stealing Maria's voice.)
(The closer Yui gets, the more Maria corners herself.)
But he couldn't say it.
Takuto didn't have the courage to tell the truth.
"...Um."
Before he knew it, his voice had come out.
Yui looked at Takuto.
For the first time, he met Hizuki Yui's eyes head-on.
At the sparkle in those eyes, Takuto's heart leaped.
(My oshi is looking at me.)
(Hizuki Yui is looking at me.)
"You're the one who brought Maria's voice back, right? Takuto-kun... was it?"
Yui said his name.
"Uh, y-yes. I'm Isogai Takuto."
His voice cracked.
"I've heard about you from Maria. That you shouted that you'd protect her voice. Thank you. Knowing someone like you is there for her puts my mind at ease."
Yui smiled brightly.
It was the smile he'd seen countless times through the screen.
But the real Yui was incomparably more dazzling than the one on screen.
Takuto couldn't find words.
"Seriously, my oshi is precious."
The words in his heart slipped out of his mouth just as they were.
"Huh?"
Yui tilted her head.
"Ah, no, that's not—! That was just my inner voice! I mean, I'm sorry!"
Takuto turned bright red and hung his head.
Maria let out a soft giggle.
"Takuto-kun said he watches all of Yui's streams, right? He's the most amazing fan among all my friends."
A little softness had returned to Maria's voice.
"Is that so? Then you've listened to my songs, Takuto-kun. Thank you."
Yui patted Takuto on the shoulder.
"Ugh..."
Takuto felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
His oshi had touched his shoulder.
And forgetting that they weren't alone, all that remained on his shoulder was the warmth of Yui's hand.
"Takuto-kun, please keep taking care of Maria from now on."
Yui moved to stand beside Maria.
Then, with a natural gesture, she wrapped her arm around Takuto's shoulder.
"See, Maria. Your voice came back—that's wonderful. Let's smile a lot from now on. We can stand on stage together again."
Yui's arm was around Takuto's shoulder.
(Aaaaaahhhh.)
(My oshi has her arm around my shoulder.)
(And she's Maria's best friend, on top of that.)
Takuto's head was on the verge of exploding.
But at that moment.
He saw Maria's face twist with sadness.
(Maria...)
Maria was trying to show Yui a smile.
But deep in her eyes, loneliness was surfacing.
(Because I'm talking with Yui?)
Maria's gaze fell between Takuto and Yui.
Takuto caught himself.
(No. I was so caught up in my oshi that I wasn't looking at Maria.)
Maria had only just regained her voice.
The real cause of her illness was her feelings for me.
Her heart must be wavering so much that the illness could relapse at any moment.
"...Um, I need a second."
Takuto slowly slipped out from under Yui's arm.
"Maria, are you okay? Does your throat hurt?"
Takuto peered into Maria's face.
Maria looked surprised for a moment, but quickly gave a small nod.
"I'm okay. Because you helped me, Takuto-kun."
Maria's voice was hoarse.
But it reached Takuto's ears clearly.
"Good..."
Takuto felt relieved.
(Maria's voice came back.)
(That's enough.)
(Even though my oshi Yui is right in front of me, I can't stop worrying about Maria.)
Takuto couldn't deny that his heart was leaning toward Maria.
"Well then, I should get going. Maria, Takuto-kun, thank you so much for today. I'll properly thank you soon."
Yui spoke as if reluctant to leave.
"Yui..."
Maria called out.
"It's okay. We'll see each other again soon. I'm looking forward to the day I can hear your voice again, Maria."
Yui gently kissed Maria on the forehead.
"Eh..."
Maria froze.
"Wh-what..."
Takuto's eyes went wide too.
"We used to do this all the time, remember? Back when Maria would sleep on my lap—it was our daily ritual. Because I love Maria so much. And because kissing your forehead made you happy."
Yui smiled mischievously.
Maria's face turned bright red.
"S-stop it, Yui! Not in front of Takuto-kun!"
Maria buried her face in Yui's chest like a little sister clinging to her older sister.
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. Well then, see you later."
Yui waved to them and walked away.
Takuto watched her back until it disappeared into the twilight.
(My oshi was here.)
(I met my oshi.)
(My oshi put her arm around my shoulder.)
And Maria's voice had returned.
It was a miraculous day.
But Takuto's heart was not at ease.
(Maria's illness hasn't disappeared.)
(Yui is seriously considering a reunion.)
(Maria, unable to tell the truth, is trying to live up to Yui's expectations.)
Takuto gazed at the Tama River, illuminated by the setting sun.
The water's surface glittered.
"..."
"Takuto-kun, thank you."
Maria spoke quietly beside him.
"Huh?"
"My voice coming back, getting to see Yui—it's all thanks to you. I'm happy. Truly happy."
Maria's voice was still trembling, but it was sincere.
"But I'm sorry. I'm making you put up with so much, Takuto-kun. Because of me, you're suffering."
Maria's eyes were welling up again.
"Stop that. I did this because I wanted to. It's not something you should apologize for."
Takuto gently stroked Maria's head.
Maria's hair brushed against his fingers.
"Takuto-kun..."
Maria buried her face in Takuto's chest.
"Sorry. Just let me stay like this a little longer."
Maria's shoulders were trembling faintly.
(She's crying.)
Takuto wrapped his arms around Maria's back.
"You can stay like this as long as you want."
The two held each other for a while in the twilight.
The wind from the Tama River swayed their hair.
It was a small respite after the miracle.
But.
It was nothing more than the calm before the storm.
The next day.
After school.
Takuto parted ways with Maria and walked alone in front of the station.
He hadn't been able to see Yui today.
Her stream was also off tonight.
For the first time in a while, Takuto was spending a quiet after-school hour.
Maria had gone home early.
"Contact me if you start feeling unwell."
He'd said that and they'd parted.
But Maria's complexion was far better than yesterday.
Her voice was coming out clearly too.
(The miracle is still continuing.)
Takuto tried to believe that.
But thinking about that illness, he couldn't be optimistic.
"...Hah."
A sigh escaped him.
"Yo, Takuto."
Suddenly, someone called out from behind.
He turned around to find Ruka standing there.
Ruka was leaning against the bus stop in front of Minase Central Station, watching him.
Her usual flashy gyaru makeup, a skirt just barely within school regulations. Her blonde ponytail swayed in the evening light.
"What're you spacing out for? See a ghost or something?"
Ruka stepped in close.
"I-it's nothing."
"Hmm? You were thinking about Maria again, weren't you. It's written all over your face."
Ruka poked Takuto's cheek with her index finger.
"Cut it out."
Takuto brushed her hand away.
"You've been with Maria nonstop lately. Have you forgotten about me?"
Ruka pouted.
"Forget about you? You're just my childhood friend."
"Tch, so cold. Well, whatever. Hey, Takuto, there's something I want to ask you."
Ruka's eyes suddenly turned serious.
"What?"
"Maria's voice came back, right? Did something happen when you met Hizuki Yui?"
Ruka looked at him searchingly.
Takuto fell silent.
"Why would you think that?"
"Because yesterday, a friend told me you and Maria were hugging on the riverbank. And that there was a super cute girl with you."
A thorny edge crept into Ruka's voice.
"Was that Hi
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