CHAPTER 32
"Miyuko-chan, where are we?"
"Shh... just follow me."
Renge hesitated, but he kept walking. He struggled to keep pace in the dark as Miyu lead the way with a brisk, confident stride. Every time Renge lagged behind, he had to jog to catch up, his eyes darting nervously toward the looming structures surrounding them.
(These houses are massive...)
"Isn't this the Kinzui neighborhood?" Renge whispered.
Miyu didn't answer. He just kept walking, whistling a low tune and pretending not to hear the question.
(Why did she bring me here?)
A few moments later, the two stopped in front of a house—though mansion would have been a more fitting description. Near the iron gate, a small nameplate caught the moonlight.
(Souta residence? Souta?)
Without a second thought, Miyu pushed the gate open and walked in as if he owned the place.
"Miyuko, wait!" Renge hissed, sprinting ahead to intercept him.
He reached out and grabbed Miyu's shoulders, forcing a halt. Renge's face was a frantic mix of worry and fear, while Miyu remained eerily calm, his expression unreadable in the shadows.
Miyu tilted his head slightly and offered a small, knowing smile.
"What is it, Renge-chan?"
"This house—this mansion," Renge stammered, his grip tightening. "Why are we here, really?"
Miyu stepped back, smoothly releasing himself from Renge's hold.
"Well, we can't convince Mio to let you collab with your sister... but we can convince Producer Daichi."
"But, Miyuko-chan! Isn't it beyond rude to visit his house unannounced? What if he's furious the moment he sees us?"
"Don't worry, don't worry..."
Miyu stepped past Renge toward the front door. Instead of knocking, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.
(What? She has a key to this house?)
Click.
The lock turned effortlessly. The door swung open, and the two of them stepped into the silent interior.
Renge froze. His eyes darted between ornate vases, gilded paintings, and marble statues that looked like they belonged in a museum. The sheer wealth of the place was suffocating, yet Miyu kept walking forward with a bored, practiced ease.
"Wait!" Renge hissed, scurrying after him to avoid being left alone in the shadows.
They climbed a grand staircase and stopped in front of a set of massive double doors.
"Miyuko, what is this?" Renge whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"Just come," Miyu said, pushing the doors open without a hint of hesitation.
They stepped into a sprawling master bedroom. While Renge moved with extreme caution, his eyes tracing the intricate moldings on the ceiling, Miyu didn't hesitate. He ran straight for the center of the room and jumped onto the massive bed, the springs creaking under his weight.
"Miyuko, can we please leave?" Renge begged, his voice trembling as he approached the edge of the bed.
"It's fine!" Miyu chirped, still bouncing.
A sharp, dry cough echoed from a door on the side of the room.
Miyu stopped mid-jump.
"Oh, he's here..."
(Who?)
The door swung open, and the scent of expensive soap and crisp perfume flooded the bedroom. A man stepped out, steam still clinging to his skin. He wore nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist.
"Daddy!" Miyu squealed. He scrambled off the bed and sprinted toward the man, throwing his arms around his waist in a fierce hug.
(Daddy? Daichi is... Daddy? As in "father," right?) Renge's brain struggled to process the image.
Daichi patted Miyu on the head, his usual stern producer persona melting into a warm, paternal smile.
"Welcome home, Miyuko-chan."
Miyu giggled, looking back at Renge with a triumphant V-sign.
(Home? But Miyuko lives in an apartment with his sister... right? Did I mishear everything?)
Daichi lifted his head then, his gaze settling on the stunned idol standing in the middle of his bedroom.
"Oh," Daichi said, his voice returning to its calm, resonant bass. "Renge-chan is here, too."
"Goo—good evening, Producer Daichi-san," Renge stammered, his face heating up as he tried to look anywhere but at the man's towel.
Daichi laughed, genuinely amused by the awkwardness.
"You're not doing your usual chuunibyou stuff today?"
"I—no..."
"Daddy, the thing is," Miyu began, jumping in to save the momentum. "Renge-chan wants to do a collab with his sister, but Mio won't allow it. She's being mean."
"I see..." Daichi mused. He turned his full attention back to Renge, his eyes sharp and analytical. "I can help you with that. But..."
(But?) Renge swallowed hard, his mind racing through every dark possibility.
"I have one condition—" Daichi continued.
Renge's protective instincts flared instantly. (Oh no! He's going to demand something indecent from my sister! I have to protect her!)
"You can't touch my sister!" Renge demanded, stepping forward with a sudden burst of courage.
"That's fine," Daichi answered calmly, unfazed by the outburst. "Afterall I prefer you, Renge-chan."
(Eh? Me? Is he crazy?)
A smirk tugged at the corner of Renge's mouth. This was perfect. He had the ultimate weapon to shut this down.
"Daichi-san, unfortunately for you..." Renge paused for dramatic effect, his confidence returning. "I'm a guy!"
He declared it with a triumphant smirk, waiting for the shock, the disappointment, or the immediate dismissal. Instead, Daichi began to laugh—a deep, echoing sound that mixed mocking amusement with genuine delight.
The room froze. Renge's smirk faltered as the laughter filled the massive bedroom until Daichi finally gathered himself.
"You're a funny one, Renge-chan," Daichi said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
(Funny?)
"The truth is," Daichi continued, his expression turning intensely serious.
Renge swallowed, his heart thudding against his ribs as he waited for the next sentence.
"I am gay," Daichi declared, his voice ringing with absolute pride.
(Gay? That's not possible!) Renge's brain short-circuited. He had played out a dozen scenarios in his head, but "The Producer is gay" was not on his bingo card.
"You're lying!" Renge shouted, pointing a finger.
"I'm not lying~" Daichi replied, his tone sing-song and entirely too relaxed for Renge's comfort.
"How can a man—how can you be gay?"
"Ummm—"
Before Daichi could even start to explain, Renge shouted again, desperation leaking into his voice.
"Do you even have proof that you're gay?!"
"I don't have to give you any proof," Daichi stated flatly.
Renge stood stunned, his finger still hovering in the air. (He's right... he doesn't need to.)
Then, Renge's eyes drifted toward Miyu. A realization hit him like a lightning bolt. (Miyuko-chan is the proof! There's no woman in sight... wait, that's not how biology works, but still!)
Daichi noticed Renge's eyes drifting toward his son. He caught the train of thought and flashed Renge a quick, smug grin.
"You finally understand."
(Oh no! I'm in serious danger!)
Renge swallowed hard, his muscles around his peaches tightening as instinct kicked into overdrive. The atmosphere in the massive bedroom grew heavy. They stared at each other—the Producer perfectly calm in his towel, and the Idol standing wary, slowly shuffling his feet toward the exit.
Daichi cleared his throat, the sound echoing in the silent room. Then, he yelled.
"Can you please leave?!"
Renge blinked. (What? He's not going to trap me?)
"Umm... sure," Renge squeaked.
The heavy atmosphere vanished instantly. The predatory tension Renge had imagined evaporated. He realized, with a mix of relief and slight embarrassment, that he was never actually in danger.
(But what about Miyu?) He glanced at his fellow idol one last time before taking a frantic step out of the room. Miyu just waved at him with a cheeky, knowing smile, seemingly perfectly content to stay in the lions' den.
(I guess he's... fine?)
Renge didn't wait for a second invitation. He turned and bolted, sprinting down the grand staircase and out of the mansion as fast as his legs could carry him.
On his way to the station, he nearly collided with a familiar figure.
"Sakura-chan!" he gasped.
Kiyomi looked up from a burger, blinking slowly.
"Renge... chan?"
Still panting, Renge gripped his knees, trying to gather enough oxygen to speak. Kiyomi simply waited, mid-chew, until the frantic idol could find his voice. Finally, Renge leaned in, his voice a trembling whisper.
"I just learned," he wheezed between gasps. "Producer Daichi... he's gay."
Renge braced himself for the explosion, the shock, the mutual panic. But the only one shocked was Renge himself. Kiyomi didn't even flinch.
(He wasn't shocked? Why?)
Kiyomi swallowed his bite and answered simply, "I know."
(He—he knew? Don't tell me he's in on it too?!)
Kiyomi offered no further explanation. He just went back to his burger, the rhythmic chewing the only sound between them. Renge's mind began to spin, the gears turning faster and faster until they started to smoke.
(Don't tell me everyone knew? What about Izumi? What about the LuvTuber Airi?)
The more he pondered, the wilder his thoughts became. His internal filter had completely disintegrated.
(Maybe Airi has a little chick hidden between those legs? Oh no! And Mio? Is she secretly a guy too?)
Renge caught his own reflection in the station glass. He stared at his own crafted beauty, the perfect Princess mask he wore every day.
(It's entirely possible... if I can do it, anyone can!)
He turned back to Kiyomi, who was still systematically dismantling that burger.
(Wait... am I actually gay?)
"I don't know what's going on in your head, but I'm leaving. Bye," Kiyomi said, stepping onto the arriving train without a backward glance.
(Is it possible that every girl around me is secretly a dude? I need to investigate! I need proof!)
Dazed and suspicious of every person in a skirt, Renge boarded his own train toward the Northern District. By the time he stepped onto the platform, his mind was a hazy fog of conspiracy theories.
The fog only began to lift when he reached his apartment. His sister, Rin, was there to greet him the moment he stepped inside, her bright smile a welcome relief from the shadows of the mansion. But as they hugged, a new, terrifying doubt took root in his mind.
He pulled back abruptly, squinting at her with narrowed, suspicious eyes.
(Is it possible that even my sister is secretly a guy?)
Renge let go of her as if she were made of hot iron.
"Onii-chan?" Rin asked, her head tilting in confusion.
"Rin, I need you to do me a favor," he said, his voice dropping to a low, deadly serious tone.
Wary now, she stepped back. "What... what is it?"
"I need to see your hole!" he blurted out, desperation overriding his sense of propriety.
"What are you even saying?!" Rin cried.
"Rin, please. I just... I need to be sure!"
Rin decided to drop her guard and trust her brother. She slowly lifted her skirt as her brother crouched, looking directly at her panties. Then she dropped her panties, revealing what's inside to her brother.
Renge stood up instantly, a radiant, peaceful smile spreading across his face. He felt a profound, overwhelming sense of relief.
"Thank you, Rin," he whispered, wrapping his arms around his sister once more in a tight, genuine embrace.
That evening Renge learned something important. Something he never asked before.
(My sister is a girl!)@