Returning Transcendent Opens an Idol Agency

It was a subconscious reaction on Rin's part.

John could tell that Rin felt she was just acting like normal. That the smile she was giving off right now was an ordinary one.

But it clearly wasn't. And yet, she thought it was... which meant there was a whole slew of issues there to unpack.

Still, he couldn't just rip the lid off on that can of worms. This was something that called for delicate operation.

Well, John could *technically* spin time back to cheat like he was save-scumming a visual .

But he didn't want to do that. Going down that path was an easy road to treating everything as fake and artificial instead of reality.

So...

"Phew. Glad that's in the clear then."

...John played along with Rin for now.

Rin's fake smile shifted back into her warm and genuine one. "Sorry to worry you again, Mister John." After that, she grabbed another cookie.

John grabbed one as well and said, "Just want to make sure everything goes well for you." He smiled and said, "That's what a manager's for, after all."

"Mmhm!" Rin nibbled on her cookie and said, "I'm glad that you're my manager, Mister John." She sighed and said, "Being an idol is a lot of work."

John reached behind his chair to pull out a fresh pitcher of lemonade. Grabbing Rin's empty cup to refill it, he said, "You're finally realizing it now, huh?" He offered to refilled cup back to Rin.

Rin took the cup and then nodded. "Yeah." She sipped on her lemonade and said, "I always thought being an idol was a way to make people like you, so I worked really hard." She laughed and said, "It's weird though." She fiddled with the cookie in her hands and said, "I didn't think there would be so many people who liked me just for being me. I mean, 'Hana', but... you know."

John pulled out some napkins when Rin wasn't looking and handed them over. "You'll get the chocolate on your fingers, Rin."

"Oh." Rin took the napkins from John and said, "Thanks, Mister John." She sighed and said, "You're always there and helping me with things I don't know..."

John nodded and said, "Well, it's my job. Plus, I promised your mom to keep an eye out for you. Don't want to be on her bad side, you know?"

Rin giggled and said, "Yeah. Mom can be pretty mean when she's mad at you. And she's *really* good at guilt-tripping too."

John chuckled and said, "I bet she is."

Rin wiped her hands with her napkins before sipping on her lemonade again.

John quietly refilled his coffee and then sipped on his cup too.

A comfortable silence filled the room. Rin sat there for a bit, happily eating her cookies and sipping on her lemonade.

John did the same, but on the inside he was thinking on how he wanted to handle this.

There were at least two big issues to tackle from what John had seen so far.

First, Rin definitely had a lot of repressed trauma. Although she hadn't said what exactly went on in her school, there were enough hints dropped to know that she was at least left out, if not blatantly bullied.

Second, Rin seemed to not have had many friends or socialized much in general from that little exchange they had about colors.

Although it was a bit iffy if just taken at face value, from the way Rin talked about it, she seemed to be musing a bit on what it'd be like to have that conversation with another person instead of just not having ever asked.

And that was just what John had noticed so far in their short conversation. His gut... and his experience dealing with countless problematic women in the past, told him that there was an entire field of landmines left to navigate.

"Oh!" Rin stopped in the middle of eating a cookie and said, "We're supposed to be chatting!" She lowered her head and said, "Sorry, Mister John. It's just so comfortable being around you that I forget what we're doing sometimes..."

John nodded and said, "Women tell me that a lot."

Rin giggled and said, "Well, you have to be careful! Miss Yue might get jealous, you know?"

"Trust me, Rin. I've thoroughly learned that lesson." John sipped on his coffee and said, "It's why me and Yue make sure to have proper communication and conversation about what we're doing every day." He paused and said, "...Though she's been a bit preoccupied recently with Rara."

Rin blinked and said, "Rara?"

"I'm trying out cute nicknames for Aurora and seeing what sticks." John sighed and said, "It's a bit hard. But anyway." He leaned back and said, "Is there anything else you want to know about me, Rin? You can ask whatever you want. I won't judge."

Rin hummed and said, "Mm... there are. But it's kind of a lot..."

John grabbed his tablet to check the schedule and said, "Well. Alphy and Asako took less time than I thought, so we have all morning and through 2 PM when I start chatting with your kouhai.

"Oh!" Rin looked happy to hear that and then hesitated. "...Is it fine to take up so much of your time though, Mister John?"

John smiled and said, "I'm your manager, so of course it is. And even if I wasn't, at this point I've practically adopted you anyway."

Rin giggled and said, "That's true. Onee-chan has too. She's basically like my real big sister now, you know?"

"That's good. Don't let Meggie hear you saying that though."

Rin smiled and said, "Don't worry! Me and Meggie are pals now! Um. I think... Oh! The questions!"

John nodded and said, "Yes. The questions."

And boy did John have a lot of those as well. He hadn't noticed until now, but Rin had definitely been getting a bit more scatterbrained recently too... More stuff to unpack in the next... two or so hours they had together?

Maybe John should make an extension just in case...

Rin sat there for a bit to think. But after a little while, she looked up at John and hesitantly said, "I can ask any question, right Mister John?"

"Yep." John nodded and said, "Any question."

"Then..." Rin lowered her hands and fiddled with the hem of her shirt for a bit before saying, "Why did you request me at the karaoke bar?"

"I didn't."

"Eh?" Rin tilted her head and said, "But... You were the customer there, weren't you?"

"Nope." John laughed and said, "If I was, Yue would have actually tried to kill me instead of just sending me a mountain of bad karma. Besides, as much of a lady's man I seem to be, the only woman in my heart is my cute wife."

Rin frowned. "Then... Why were you even there, Mister John?" She shifted in her seat and frowned. "If you weren't there as a customer and didn't request me... how were you there waiting for me? *Why* were you there waiting for me?"

John shrugged. "I don't need a reason to help a girl who looks like her world is falling apart. And you probably don't remember it, but the panicked look on your face when you first bumped into me was definitely like that."

Rin blinked and said, "That's it?"

"Well." John laughed and said, "It was a bit selfish too. I *did* just acquire an idol company. And said idol company didn't have any idols at the time, so everything worked out."

Rin pursed her lips, lost in thought. And then she let out a deep sigh and said, "You're too nice, Mister John."

John laughed and said, "People tell me that all the time, Rin. Now... since you asked a question, can I ask one too?"

Rin nodded and said, "Mmhm!"

"And I can ask about anything?"

Rin hesitated for a bit. But then she nodded and said, "Since it's Mister John... Yes. You can ask me anything."

John nodded and said, "Okay. Now, this might sound a bit crazy, but I wanted to check something. So don't take it the wrong way."

Rin looked a bit nervous, but she nodded and said, "It's fine. I won't be mad, Mister John."

"Alright. Now... you didn't kill any of your classmates in high school, did you? I'm just asking because I want to be sure but..."

John trailed off when he noticed Rin turn pale.

"...Um. Rin?"

"...I didn't 'kill' anyone." Rin lowered her head and muttered, "It was an accident. And they didn't die. Just... get hurt a bit."

Oh.

So it turns out that Rin miiight be a yandere.

You know, in hindsight, that explains a lot...

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