Chapter 281. The Planetarium, Operation Hook Up: The Post Show. (4/4)
“She needs to keep you in check?”
“Yes. I know her deepest darkest secret, one that she doesn’t want the world to know at all costs. She doesn’t dare make a move against me in fear I might reveal it to the world. She isn’t willing to take my word that I have no interest in disseminating that information to the public so she’s keeping a close eye on me. On my side, I’m concerned she may make a move against the people around me to gain insurance for herself. She agreed to stop having people tail me all the time so long as I go along with her conditions. This way, she wouldn’t target the people around me.”
“How do you even get into a situation like this? It sounds ridiculous.”
“That’s a long story too, but it’s related to her secret so I can’t go into it. Sorry.”
“Well, it’s fine. Since you were honest, I’ll forgive you for hiding it from me.”
“Huh? Really? That easy?”
“But just because I forgive you doesn’t mean Rosa will. As for my mother… she probably wouldn’t make a big fuss.”
“For the time being, can you keep it a secret between just the two of us for now? I’ll eventually explain things to Rosa and Irene. Before I fill them in, I want to see how everyone interacts with each other first.”
“Are you planning something sneaky like trying to get us to form a good relationship before you reveal everything?”
“Uh… Alicia, can you please play dumb and act like you don’t have a brain?”
“So that was your plan?”
“Haha… sorry.”
“I’m not as naive as I used to be.”
She was right, in the short three months she’d spent working, she’d grown significantly. Haaaaah. It wouldn’t be long before she didn’t have any easily exploitable weaknesses for me to take advantage of. She still had the same innocent air about her, but she was by no means the same girl I met back on the school roof last year.
Was that a bad thing? Not at all. She’d continue to change and grow.
“Yeah, you’ve grown a lot, but you’ve still got a long way to go. A criminal. Pfft. As if there would really be a criminal in disguise here.”
“T-That’s… please forget about that. It’s embarrassing.”
“Hahaha, nah, I’ll be sure to engrave it into my memories and tease you about it in the future.”
“I’ve got to go. My class is getting on the bus now. I’ll see you at home.”
“You’re not hanging up out of embarrassment, are you?”
“I’m noooot~”
The call abruptly cut out with that playful exchange.
On that note, I exited the washroom and peeked outside the second exit of the coatroom to confirm her class was really gone. When I checked in the direction of the box office my eyes landed on Angela and Izora together.
What the? I thought they’d already left, but it seems they’d returned inside. It looked like they’d just bought tickets to see the next show together. The next show would begin in about fifteen minutes.
After they got their tickets, the two of them entered through the planetarium entrance.
I was a bit curious so I headed over to the planetarium side and checked the large posters on the wall for the shows. It looked like the next show was about things like magnetars, quasars, pulsars, supernovas, black holes, white holes, dark matter, and dark energy. It explored the far reaches of the universe beyond our little solar system. Reading about it got my heart pumping a bit.
I hadn’t actually seen this one before. As such, I was slightly interested. The space phenomenon it listed, and the universe, in general, were topics I found quite interesting. For the sake of reference material, I should watch it. Yeah, it’s definitely not because I was curious what these two girls would be talking about.
I bought a ticket then stored my jacket and bag away in the coatroom again before I entered the planetarium. I scanned the room and found where the two of them were seated. I took a seat two rows behind them where I could secretly eavesdrop on their conversation.
“-interested in him, right? So what’s the story behind you two?” I made it in time to hear Angela ask that.
“What does it matter to you?”
“I just found it a bit interesting, that’s all. He seems like he’d be popular with girls. You’re interested in him yet you acted like he’s nothing. I can’t comprehend your approach to get him to like you.”
“That other girl who was with us just now is the one he likes.”
“Huh? That just makes this situation even more incomprehensible. What’s going on here? Are you seriously crushing on a high schooler when you’re in university?”
“University?”
“Oh? Was I mistaken? You’re not in university? I was under the impression you were. I didn’t expect to find a girl going to the planetarium on their own who wasn’t in university.”
“Uh… I’m not in university at the moment, but I’ll be enrolling next semester.”
“Oh? You will? What are you planning to take?”
“I’m aiming to get a degree in the performing arts, theatre to be exact.”
“You want to be an actor?” Angela tilted her head to one side and asked.
“Yeah. Are you going to laugh and call me naive?”
“No, it’s just that with your tattoos and piercings you might find the roles you can get to be pretty restricted.”
“I’m good at hiding them.”
“Well, I suppose if you can hide them well it should be fine. Do you have experience in theatre?”
“Yeah. I’ve been in theatre since middle school.”
“Well, I have to admit, your act in front of that guy was pretty convincing. If I didn’t notice your displeasure toward me, I’d have been oblivious to the fact you were acting the entire time. It’s quite impressive though, to nearly deceive my eyes shows you’ve at least got some talent for acting.”
“I’m still nothing. I’ve got a long way to go. There’s this infuriating guy I know who’s constantly putting me in my place. It’s so aggravating to deal with him.”
I take offense to that.
“You mean the guy you like?”
“No. Not him. The guy I’m talking about is a phony, a total scam artist. He’s calculating, cunning, and extremely deceitful.”
I said, I take offense to that.
“Oh? If you ask me, the way you talk about him sounds as if you actually like him.”
“Like him? That guy? Never. Absolutely not. I wouldn’t like him even if he was the last guy on Earth.”
“Hmmm, somehow, I sort of get that sentiment which is why I think you actually like him.”
“How would you get it when you’re a celebrity? You’re not even dating anyone, are you?”
“Publicly I’m not.”
“Huh? You mean in private.”
“Yeah. Up until around Valentine’s Day I held a similar sentiment toward this guy at the university I started attending this semester. But when Valentine’s Day came around, something changed a little. Just a little though. He’s a guy I dislike a lot. But at the same time, somewhere deep down inside me, there’s something about him I’m attracted to. I’ll never admit it to that jerk though. He doesn’t even know my name despite me being a celebrity.”
“Seriously? He… doesn’t even know your name?” Izora asked doubtfully.
“No.”
“He hasn’t asked for it?”
“No. It’s so aggravating. He doesn’t even want to know it.”
“Why not just tell him?”
“It’s a matter of pride.”
“Haha, sounds like you have it pretty tough with that guy.”
“Right? I have no one I can even talk to about him. It’s awful. Nobody I’ve asked even knows him either. The one lead I had slipped away too. I can barely get in contact with that person and even when I do and ask them about him, they’re tight-lipped.”
“Nobody knows him? How’s that possible?”
“I don’t even know his name~ ahhhh~ just thinking about it gets under my skin. Why do I have to try so hard?”
Angela confiding with Izora about her guy problems, how did their conversation lead to this? Seriously, who is this pain-in-the-ass guy Angela is even talking about? Why is she even interested in such a terrible guy?
Okay, even if I try to play ignorant and avert my eyes away from the truth, it’s obviously not going to change anything. Why the hell is she attracted to me when I’m such a pain in the ass? It makes no sense. Please develop a better taste in guys, it’s no wonder you ended up with that scumbag before.
“Wait, but didn’t you imply you were dating? How are you dating a guy you don’t even know anything about?”
“Well… I don’t know if I can call it dating. It’s more like I forced him to be my boyfriend.” Angela raised her legs up onto the seat and hugged them.
“You had to force him?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s wrong with this guy? Isn’t he just weird? Are you sure there isn’t something wrong with his head?”
“He doesn’t like attention and enjoys his peace and quiet. He doesn’t have much ambition either. He’s just a weirdo in general and does his own thing.”
“It doesn’t sound like there’s even one good thing about him.”
“Yeah, yeah. Exactly. But despite all of that… I’m still attracted to him. I don’t get it at all.”
“You should seriously break up.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You can’t? Why not?”
“It’s complicated.”
I had an awful sense of déjà vu. I’d quite literally said the exact same thing to Alicia only minutes before this.
“Complicated? How so?”
“Sorry, forget I said that.”
Izora slumped forward in her seat, rested her right elbow on her knee then propped her cheek up with the palm of her hand as she sighed and said, “Haaaaah. I guess I’m not one to talk. My situation can only be described as complicated as well.”
“With that guy you like?”
“Yeah.”
“Hahaha, it seems the two of us have an unexpected connection. Our relationship situation both seem rather complicated.”
Two girls bonding together over their overly complicated relationship with guys, how touching.
Like hell it is.
Haaaaah. Well, ignoring that for now, it appears Izora at least successfully established a connection with Angela. Thanks to that I also heard some of Angela’s true thoughts.
Overall it wasn’t a bad outcome.
As I thought that the next show began.
I relaxed in my seat, forgot about everything else, and fully immersed myself in it. Overall, it turned out to be more interesting than the last one. It was good enough that I’d even consider recommending it to the few people I knew.
When it was over, I didn’t bother to stick around for questions from the audience. I immediately slipped out to avoid being caught by the two of them.
I retrieved my jacket and bag then wasted some time at the mall until it was almost time for my shift at work with Rosa.
The day ended pretty peacefully without any further incidents.
Operation Hook Up had been quite successful today.
Izora even got to go on a date with Zale after school.
This was just the beginning, from here on out it was all up to Izora. I wouldn’t be much assistance. Though that was the case, Izora still had me keep the disguise for the time being in case she needed emergency help in the future.
Chapter 281. The Planetarium, Operation Hook Up: The Post Show. (4/4)
“She needs to keep you in check?”
“Yes. I know her deepest darkest secret, one that she doesn’t want the world to know at all costs. She doesn’t dare make a move against me in fear I might reveal it to the world. She isn’t willing to take my word that I have no interest in disseminating that information to the public so she’s keeping a close eye on me. On my side, I’m concerned she may make a move against the people around me to gain insurance for herself. She agreed to stop having people tail me all the time so long as I go along with her conditions. This way, she wouldn’t target the people around me.”
“How do you even get into a situation like this? It sounds ridiculous.”
“That’s a long story too, but it’s related to her secret so I can’t go into it. Sorry.”
“Well, it’s fine. Since you were honest, I’ll forgive you for hiding it from me.”
“Huh? Really? That easy?”
“But just because I forgive you doesn’t mean Rosa will. As for my mother… she probably wouldn’t make a big fuss.”
“For the time being, can you keep it a secret between just the two of us for now? I’ll eventually explain things to Rosa and Irene. Before I fill them in, I want to see how everyone interacts with each other first.”
“Are you planning something sneaky like trying to get us to form a good relationship before you reveal everything?”
“Uh… Alicia, can you please play dumb and act like you don’t have a brain?”
“So that was your plan?”
“Haha… sorry.”
“I’m not as naive as I used to be.”
She was right, in the short three months she’d spent working, she’d grown significantly. Haaaaah. It wouldn’t be long before she didn’t have any easily exploitable weaknesses for me to take advantage of. She still had the same innocent air about her, but she was by no means the same girl I met back on the school roof last year.
Was that a bad thing? Not at all. She’d continue to change and grow.
“Yeah, you’ve grown a lot, but you’ve still got a long way to go. A criminal. Pfft. As if there would really be a criminal in disguise here.”
“T-That’s… please forget about that. It’s embarrassing.”
“Hahaha, nah, I’ll be sure to engrave it into my memories and tease you about it in the future.”
“I’ve got to go. My class is getting on the bus now. I’ll see you at home.”
“You’re not hanging up out of embarrassment, are you?”
“I’m noooot~”
The call abruptly cut out with that playful exchange.
On that note, I exited the washroom and peeked outside the second exit of the coatroom to confirm her class was really gone. When I checked in the direction of the box office my eyes landed on Angela and Izora together.
What the? I thought they’d already left, but it seems they’d returned inside. It looked like they’d just bought tickets to see the next show together. The next show would begin in about fifteen minutes.
After they got their tickets, the two of them entered through the planetarium entrance.
I was a bit curious so I headed over to the planetarium side and checked the large posters on the wall for the shows. It looked like the next show was about things like magnetars, quasars, pulsars, supernovas, black holes, white holes, dark matter, and dark energy. It explored the far reaches of the universe beyond our little solar system. Reading about it got my heart pumping a bit.
I hadn’t actually seen this one before. As such, I was slightly interested. The space phenomenon it listed, and the universe, in general, were topics I found quite interesting. For the sake of reference material, I should watch it. Yeah, it’s definitely not because I was curious what these two girls would be talking about.
I bought a ticket then stored my jacket and bag away in the coatroom again before I entered the planetarium. I scanned the room and found where the two of them were seated. I took a seat two rows behind them where I could secretly eavesdrop on their conversation.
“-interested in him, right? So what’s the story behind you two?” I made it in time to hear Angela ask that.
“What does it matter to you?”
“I just found it a bit interesting, that’s all. He seems like he’d be popular with girls. You’re interested in him yet you acted like he’s nothing. I can’t comprehend your approach to get him to like you.”
“That other girl who was with us just now is the one he likes.”
“Huh? That just makes this situation even more incomprehensible. What’s going on here? Are you seriously crushing on a high schooler when you’re in university?”
“University?”
“Oh? Was I mistaken? You’re not in university? I was under the impression you were. I didn’t expect to find a girl going to the planetarium on their own who wasn’t in university.”
“Uh… I’m not in university at the moment, but I’ll be enrolling next semester.”
“Oh? You will? What are you planning to take?”
“I’m aiming to get a degree in the performing arts, theatre to be exact.”
“You want to be an actor?” Angela tilted her head to one side and asked.
“Yeah. Are you going to laugh and call me naive?”
“No, it’s just that with your tattoos and piercings you might find the roles you can get to be pretty restricted.”
“I’m good at hiding them.”
“Well, I suppose if you can hide them well it should be fine. Do you have experience in theatre?”
“Yeah. I’ve been in theatre since middle school.”
“Well, I have to admit, your act in front of that guy was pretty convincing. If I didn’t notice your displeasure toward me, I’d have been oblivious to the fact you were acting the entire time. It’s quite impressive though, to nearly deceive my eyes shows you’ve at least got some talent for acting.”
“I’m still nothing. I’ve got a long way to go. There’s this infuriating guy I know who’s constantly putting me in my place. It’s so aggravating to deal with him.”
I take offense to that.
“You mean the guy you like?”
“No. Not him. The guy I’m talking about is a phony, a total scam artist. He’s calculating, cunning, and extremely deceitful.”
I said, I take offense to that.
“Oh? If you ask me, the way you talk about him sounds as if you actually like him.”
“Like him? That guy? Never. Absolutely not. I wouldn’t like him even if he was the last guy on Earth.”
“Hmmm, somehow, I sort of get that sentiment which is why I think you actually like him.”
“How would you get it when you’re a celebrity? You’re not even dating anyone, are you?”
“Publicly I’m not.”
“Huh? You mean in private.”
“Yeah. Up until around Valentine’s Day I held a similar sentiment toward this guy at the university I started attending this semester. But when Valentine’s Day came around, something changed a little. Just a little though. He’s a guy I dislike a lot. But at the same time, somewhere deep down inside me, there’s something about him I’m attracted to. I’ll never admit it to that jerk though. He doesn’t even know my name despite me being a celebrity.”
“Seriously? He… doesn’t even know your name?” Izora asked doubtfully.
“No.”
“He hasn’t asked for it?”
“No. It’s so aggravating. He doesn’t even want to know it.”
“Why not just tell him?”
“It’s a matter of pride.”
“Haha, sounds like you have it pretty tough with that guy.”
“Right? I have no one I can even talk to about him. It’s awful. Nobody I’ve asked even knows him either. The one lead I had slipped away too. I can barely get in contact with that person and even when I do and ask them about him, they’re tight-lipped.”
“Nobody knows him? How’s that possible?”
“I don’t even know his name~ ahhhh~ just thinking about it gets under my skin. Why do I have to try so hard?”
Angela confiding with Izora about her guy problems, how did their conversation lead to this? Seriously, who is this pain-in-the-ass guy Angela is even talking about? Why is she even interested in such a terrible guy?
Okay, even if I try to play ignorant and avert my eyes away from the truth, it’s obviously not going to change anything. Why the hell is she attracted to me when I’m such a pain in the ass? It makes no sense. Please develop a better taste in guys, it’s no wonder you ended up with that scumbag before.
“Wait, but didn’t you imply you were dating? How are you dating a guy you don’t even know anything about?”
“Well… I don’t know if I can call it dating. It’s more like I forced him to be my boyfriend.” Angela raised her legs up onto the seat and hugged them.
“You had to force him?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s wrong with this guy? Isn’t he just weird? Are you sure there isn’t something wrong with his head?”
“He doesn’t like attention and enjoys his peace and quiet. He doesn’t have much ambition either. He’s just a weirdo in general and does his own thing.”
“It doesn’t sound like there’s even one good thing about him.”
“Yeah, yeah. Exactly. But despite all of that… I’m still attracted to him. I don’t get it at all.”
“You should seriously break up.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You can’t? Why not?”
“It’s complicated.”
I had an awful sense of déjà vu. I’d quite literally said the exact same thing to Alicia only minutes before this.
“Complicated? How so?”
“Sorry, forget I said that.”
Izora slumped forward in her seat, rested her right elbow on her knee then propped her cheek up with the palm of her hand as she sighed and said, “Haaaaah. I guess I’m not one to talk. My situation can only be described as complicated as well.”
“With that guy you like?”
“Yeah.”
“Hahaha, it seems the two of us have an unexpected connection. Our relationship situation both seem rather complicated.”
Two girls bonding together over their overly complicated relationship with guys, how touching.
Like hell it is.
Haaaaah. Well, ignoring that for now, it appears Izora at least successfully established a connection with Angela. Thanks to that I also heard some of Angela’s true thoughts.
Overall it wasn’t a bad outcome.
As I thought that the next show began.
I relaxed in my seat, forgot about everything else, and fully immersed myself in it. Overall, it turned out to be more interesting than the last one. It was good enough that I’d even consider recommending it to the few people I knew.
When it was over, I didn’t bother to stick around for questions from the audience. I immediately slipped out to avoid being caught by the two of them.
I retrieved my jacket and bag then wasted some time at the mall until it was almost time for my shift at work with Rosa.
The day ended pretty peacefully without any further incidents.
Operation Hook Up had been quite successful today.
Izora even got to go on a date with Zale after school.
This was just the beginning, from here on out it was all up to Izora. I wouldn’t be much assistance. Though that was the case, Izora still had me keep the disguise for the time being in case she needed emergency help in the future.
