[Ayumi Ishida]
Idol potential: EX
Talents: Singing, compassion, cooking
Specialty: Motherly Charm
Current situation: Struggling to make ends meet.
Likelihood of scouting: 50%
Increase your familiarity to increase odds of scouting

I didn't know what to make of the window. First of all, what the heck was EX ranked idol potential? Did that mean she had the potential to be the best idol or something? And what was that 50% scouting rate?! This was real life, not a monster collection game!

...But still, my new cram school teacher was a potential idol... Dammit. Is my entire life just a light novel now?!light novel name?

The young woman quickly stood up and brushed herself off. She smoothed her light green blouse and her pleated black skirt. After that, she let out an awkward smile and adjusted her glasses. "Sorry! I didn't think anyone was actually going to show up..."

Ren shook his head. "Sorry to startle you, Sensei. Though..." He looked around and said, "Are we really the only ones?"

Ayumi- No, Ishida-sensei nodded and said, "Yep. Um... Ren-kun and... Sen-chan?"

Ren laughed.

"Oi!" I smacked him in the arm.

He winced and then shook it. "You really have been practicing, huh? That actually hurt."

"You implying that I hit like a girl, you bastard?!"

"Only that you look like one. Seriously, we need to build your muscles."

"A-Ah." Ishida-sensei blushed and said, "I-I'm sorry. Sen... Sen-kun, is it?"

I sighed and bowed my head. "That's right, Sensei. And sorry for being late."

"Oh no." Ishida-sensei shook her head and said, "I'm just glad you came." She made her way back to the desk and said, "I was worried that I'd just be sitting here by my lonesome, so the fact that you're here is great!"

Ren frowned and said, "Strange. I'd think that a pretty Sensei like yourself would have a lot of students..."

Ishida-sensei laughed. "Thank you, Ren-kun. But I guess most people just don't trust a failed university student to teach cram school..." She sighed. But then she smiled and said, "That's why I'm grateful you two showed up! Ah, and don't worry about the tuition. It's fine if you can't pay it right now. I think I should still have enough saved up for this month..."

Ishida-sensei let out a bright smile. "It'll be a bit empty with just us, but that means we can spend more time answering your questions... Ah, and did you two eat yet? I've got some extra food it you're hungry."

I blinked and then tilted my head. "Sensei..."

"Yes, Sen-ch- I mean, Sen-kun?"

My eye twitched at her slipup, but I ignored it and said, "I don't mean to be rude, but..."

"Yes?"

"...Did you fail university because you helped your friends out too much and forgot to do your own work?"

Ishida-sensei gasped. "How did you know? Sen-kun's super smart!"

I sighed.

-VI|IV-

Ren glanced at his bag, filled to the brim with snacks, and sighed. "Sensei is too nice for her own good."

I nodded. "She really is... Honestly, we're supposed to be paying her to teach us, but she's basically paying us to be her students with all the snacks and everything."

It was turning to night now. After a long study session with Ishida-Sensei... mostly consisting of her going over past exams while stuffing us with snacks, she waved us goodbye and locked up while we left to go home.

Ren adjusted his bag and then glanced at me. "You kept asking Sensei a lot of questions though, Kimura-san." He grinned and elbowed me in the ribs. "Do you have a crush on our kind and cute Sensei?"

"Oh come off it." I shoved him back.

Ren laughed and then said, "Right, right. My best friend here is a guy who rejected the entire student body. Of course you're not interested."

I rolled my eyes. "That's why you're still single, you bastard."

"Eh. Girls are annoying anyway."

"...I swear to god, if you say that you like guys, I'm going to beat you up and throw you in the river, Ren."

"Hey, I never said that. And I don't." He paused and then gave me a weird look.

"Oi! Don't turn this back on me! I'm straight, dammit! I like girls!"

Ren nodded. "That's true. You *did* ask me to buy a lot of doujin for you last-"

I threw a punch at his head.

Ren laughed and blocked it before putting me into a headlock.

"Argh! Cheating bastard!" I struggled to break free, but the guy had too much muscle mass on me.

"Hey now, who's the one causing misunderstandings this time? Calling me something like that will make people think-"

"Oh my!" A passing elderly woman gasped and then shook her head. "Young couples are into the strangest things these days..."

I froze.

Ren did as well and then quickly pushed me away. His ears were red and he coughed.

I groaned. "Dammit. This is why I keep having trouble, you dumb musclehead."

Honestly, half the reason why I got into so much hassle was because this idiot was a natural ladykiller and looked the part.

I brushed off my wrinkled shirt and then adjusted my bag.

Ren cleared his throat. "Sorry about that."

"Apologize by getting me that protein powder. And maybe a gym membership." I frowned and said, "These bodyweight exercises aren't cutting it."

"...You do realize that the only gym in town is where all of our school's athletes train, right? Didn't you say you didn't want to deal with them anymore after last time?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll deal with a little awkwardness to get rid of this girly body." I stuck my hands in my pockets and said, "If I don't, at this rate I'm going to keep attracting all the weirdos instead of a proper girlfriend."

"Oh yeah... Didn't Naomi-chan want you to-"

"Bring up that incident again, and I'm going to drag both our names through the mud by saying we're dating."

Ren froze and said, "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Ren held up his hands. "Fine, fine. I surrender." He grinned and then turned back around, walking down the sidewalk.

I followed after him.

"But going back to Sensei... Is she really not your type? You have a photographic memory, so you didn't need her to explain it so much, right?"

"I do... but she seemed a bit pitiful, you know?"

Ishida-sensei was working that hard, and she was a kind and nice teacher as well. Yet, no one enrolled to her school and it looked like she was struggling to make ends meet. Especially since it looked like she lived in that dingy old building as well.

It wasn't dangerous since it was still part of the suburban Kichijoji, but it was still unfortunate.

"Ah. Right..." Ren nodded. "And that habit of yours is what keeps causing misunderstandings, Kimura-san."

I blinked. "What habit?"

"Nothing. Anyway..." Ren pulled out his phone and said, "You like anime, right? I just recently found a fun new YouTube channel-"

A flash of blue hair. A beautiful girl with a soft giggle.

The moment I saw that on Ren's phone and heard the voice, I booked it.

"H-Hey! Kimura-san!"

"I left the water running! Don't forget the protein powder!"

Making a nonsense excuse, I ran off.

But #%$#! Was the system out to get me or something? How the hell did that guy find Azura's stream already!?

[Note: As with all businesses, the first customers tend to be related to the salesman. In accordance to this principle, the system has spread the user's stream to the closest acquaintances.]

I froze.

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait. Then does that mean-

My phone rang. Pulling it out, I winced when I saw the caller ID.

Dad.

Since it would only be worse if I ignored it, I let out a nervous laugh and then answered. "Y-Yeah, Dad?"

"So... Should I actually start introducing you to my coworker's sons, Kid?"

@#$@$#!