[Auditions III]

After the swimsuit test, all the idol candidates were given free time. 

They were told that they were allowed to spend their free time as they wished until nightfall. 

From the film crew's point of view, this was a time to shoot footage unrelated to the judging in preparation for the on-air broadcast later in the day. They started walking around the building in a hurry with their equipment. The idol candidates were in high spirits as they responded. 

In the midst of all this, Rose and Gabriella were meeting with Tarosuke. 

The location of the meeting was the monitoring room, which was off-limits to all but those concerned. 

"Idol followers? I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"Apparently the audition being held here at the inn and it leaked out on the internet that Kurusugawa was participating in it. Aside from the other girls, her fans outnumber the idols, so there seems to be a lot of activity at this event."

"But what do you mean by that?" 

In the center of the tatami-mat room, they exchange words around a table. 

On the table, each of them has a teacup in his or her hand with steam rising from it. 

In the center is a bowl of sweets with a bun in it. 

While Tarosuke is still wearing a flower-patterned suit that looks out of place, Rose and Gabriella are still dressed in yukata, as they have been since yesterday. Since they spent their time freely in the same place, sitting with their legs spread out or lying down, their hems and chests are slightly exposed. 

If a virgin had been in the room, he would have been more or less conscious of the fact. However, Tarosuke, who has never had trouble with women in his life, was more concerned about his own work progress. He continued his exchange without seeming to be bothered by the situation. 

"I've seen photos on the internet that I think were taken at the swimsuit contest...... " 

"I see." 

"That in itself is fine, because it can be used for sales promotion. However, along with the pictures, a somewhat disturbing message was also posted, so I wondered what to do. If something were to happen, it would cause a lot of problems, wouldn't it?"

"Why not just call the police to report such a thing?" 

"We will take appropriate action at a later time. However, I do not want to change the audition schedule. Contacting the police would take a lot of time and effort. First of all, it would definitely interfere with the filming. That's where I need you guys to come in......." 

"You want us to go after them and catch them?" 

"It's enough just to check around the hotel and the area around the inn. I've already asked my available staff to do the same, but with your backing, we can continue filming without any worries. It will be enough to keep us safe until the auditions are over tomorrow afternoon." 

With a prayerful look on his face, Tarosuke spoke to the two girls.

Rose was the first to respond. 

"I'm the one who suggested the help, so I don't mind if it's just to patrol the area." 

"I'm sorry to be so one-sided, but I'd really appreciate it if you'd put it that way." 

"But, sister, isn't it troublesome for you to encounter him in the building?" 

"Even if it's [Normal], I'm not going to be behind in this kind of thing." 

"I'm sorry to hear you say that, but it makes me feel a little frustrated."

Normally, this would be an unthinkable offer. This time, however, the goal is to get the Chairwoman and Matsuura-san off his back. To achieve this, a successful audition and Alice Kurusugawa's debut is the shortest route. 

As for Rose, her cooperation with Tarosuke is not a minor matter. 

"What do we know about the other party?" 

"The social media account from which the image was leaked appears to be that of Kameco, who has been involved with Kurusugawa for some time. However, the actual communication seems to have taken place when she first started cosplaying."

"I wonder if it was some kind of revenge by a guy who was dumped?" 

"I verified, and they were never in a relationship." 

"So the guy who was conveniently used by her got dumped, and now he wants revenge."

"Well, I guess that's about it......." 

"If that's the case, it's not such a big job."

With a short mutter, Rose sat up from her cushion. 

Still in her yukata, she walked toward the hallway. 

"Oh, wait, in that case, I'll go with you!" 

"I don't mind, but make sure you don't drag me down, okay?" 

The two girls left the guest room, chatting about this and that. 

Tarosuke, left alone, could only watch anxiously as they left.

◇ ◆ ◇

This is the game corner of the ryokan. 

Lining up in a narrow space are a variety of retro game machines with a hint of the Showa period(1926-1989). Punching machines, whac a mole machines, and the like, a lineup rarely seen in game arcades in Tokyo. 

The Chairwoman and Matsuura-san spent their free time here until the evening. 

However, the atmosphere between the two is quite different. While the Chairwoman was playing around the center out of curiosity, Matsuura-san was playing the games from the corner of the room. She faced the machines with a serious look on her face. 

"Matsuura-san, you play the game so enthusiastically, don't you?" 

"There's a chance that the games here will be used for judging, right? If you play all the games during your free time, you'll have an advantage over the other kids. And the arcade has a retro look to it, right? You never know when you'll need to be prepared." 

"...... Why don't you direct even 10% of that passion towards your schoolwork?" 

"Indeed, Matsuura-san's point is well taken. The playground here is one of the selling points of the ryokan. It is a weak screening for becoming an idol, but if they thought about making it into a video production at a later date, it's not like the other side hasn't considered it!"

It was Nishino who gave a pompous lecture in response to Matsuura-san's opinion. 

He has been working with them since they had free time. 

Currently, he is standing behind her and watching the situation with the Chairwoman. 

"But then, I don't see any other kids." 

"If I were another candidate, I'd have followed the film crew inside the building." 

"That's usually what I'd do....." 

The Chairwoman looks at the inside of the arcade, which is not popular with everyone, and mutters to herself. 

The Futsumen politely responds. 

This kind of casual interaction makes the virgin deeply pleased. 

After a while, Matsuura-san's hand becomes quiet. 

It seems that she has finished the game, and her attention turns to the next cabinet.

"Chairwoman, this is next. It's a competitive game, so you can play against me." 

"I want to play the punching machine over there..." 

"Then I'll be your opponent." 

"Well, I don't mind if it's you, Nishino-kun. I'll insert a coin."

"Oh, well, then I'll watch too......." 

Two members of the opposite sex from the same class at a game arcade in a hot spring resort. 

Nishino's mood is filled with excitement at this very adolescent situation. Moreover, Rose and Gabriella are nowhere to be seen today. Putting aside his day job, he spends a moment at the ryokan with his schoolmates. It was a bit of a youthful atmosphere, not too much to call it the greatest in Futsumen history. 

The nostalgic environment of a quaint, unpopular amusement park was also delicious. 

And the Chairwoman and Matsuura-san were dressed in yukata.

However, such a time did not last long. 

A short, shrill scream could be heard in the distance. 

A few moments later, the sound of footsteps approached. 

Naturally, their attention turned to the doorway of the arcade. 

At the same time, a man wearing sunglasses, a mask, and a knit cap around his neck appeared. Dressed in jeans and a shirt with a hoodie over it, he did not look like a ryokan staff member.

Around his neck was a large camera with a lens. 

The body of the camera is a full-size camera, a far cry from a smartphone or a digital camera. 

"........" 

He saw Nishino and the others in the hall, stopped abruptly, and then turned around. 

Without setting foot inside the playground, he headed elsewhere with a slam. 

The sound of his footsteps soon receded into the distance. 

"Wow, that looks bad." 

The question naturally leaked out of Matsuura-san's mouth. 

The Chairwoman also tilted her head. 

"Maybe a customer? He had a camera around his neck." 

"I don't think he'd want to be seen with a camera around his neck." 

Meanwhile, another sign of a new person approached. 

The next person to appear was Alice Kurusugawa. 

She had rushed to the amusement center, stopped near the doorway, and looked around the floor, huffing and puffing. Nishino and the others standing there stood out, considering the fact that few people were to be seen in the area. She takes one look at them, too, and walks up to them. 

"The guy with the camera, didn't he come here?" 

Then she asked Shimizu, picking her out of the three of them. 

Her usual mocking tone was not well disguised. Her shoulders were rising and falling with her breathing, and sweat was beading on her forehead. As the sound of her lively footsteps indicated, she had been running around for a long time. 

"Huh? What's that?" 

Instead of the Chairwoman, who was about to open her mouth, Matsuura-san said. 

The chairman gave me a startled look, asking, Isn't that the person from earlier ?

 The desperate appearance of Alice Kurusugawa also brought out the voice of the Futsumen. 

"If you're having trouble, we can help you too, but ......" 

"Unlike either of you, I have a lot of fans and it's not easy!" 

"Fans?" 

"Didn't he come here? I'd love to know. Thank you!" 

And as soon as she meets them, Alice Kurusugawa leaves the area. 

The sound of her pattering footsteps running down the hallway soon becomes inaudible. 

After confirming this, the Chairwoman, looking back at Matsuura-san, raised her voice. 

"I mean, isn't Matsuura-san a bit of a jerk? Why don't you tell her?" 

"..... Chairwoman, perhaps this is it." 

"Huh ?" 

Where the Chairwoman gazed, Matsuura-san had stopped playing the game and turned her attention to her own cell phone. 

After a few moments, the screen was held out to Shimizu. 

The first thing she sees is a social media application. There was a description of an unidentified account, and images and comments that appeared to have been posted by the owner of the account. It appeared to be a photo taken outdoors. 

The Chairwoman checked this without prompting. 

Immediately after, her face turned bright red. 

"What the hell is this? ......" 

"What's that? It's a sneak peek!" 

Matsuura-san was right; it was a photo that appeared to have been taken secretly. 

It was also an audition for an idol in which the girls participated. It was taken for the swimsuit contest held in an open-air bath. The Chairwoman can be seen in the corner. She was seen in a small image with her bikini bottoms down and a bath towel wrapped around her waist. 

Incidentally, beside her is the figure of Matsuura-san. 

She is facing backward, but there is no doubt that she is wearing only the front from the waist down. 

Naturally, since the front is not visible, the lower half of her body is exposed. 

"You mean the man who just took this picture is the culprit?" 

"......." 

The Futsumen, who had moved up behind the Chairwoman before she knew it, looked over her shoulder at Matsuura-san's phone and said. Shimizu's body shook with a jerk as she unexpectedly received a tone of voice that rang out from her ear. 

Immediately turning around, she saw a close-up of Nishino's face looming there. 

"Nishino-kun, you're so close!" 

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Chairwoman." 

In the past, Shimizu probably would have pushed out with her arms outstretched without asking any questions. Today, however, she simply shrugged her shoulders and did nothing. She neither frowned nor voluntarily backed away.

On the other hand, Futsumen's attention was focused on the phone in front of him. 

There, along with a photograph, he wrote about his resentment toward Alice Kurusugawa. 

"That's a pretty disturbing list of complaints to go along with the photo."

"I'm guessing it's some kind of pet that was dumped by that little bitch?"

As Matsuura-san pointed out, the profile of the account in question shows a description of a camera as a hobby. Recalling Alice Kurusugawa's origins in the cosplay community, Nishino and Chairwoman were convinced. 

Scrolling the screen, similar statements can be seen around the edges. 

"But it seems the situation was the other way around ... " 

The man with the camera was running around the building with a desperate look on his face. 

Alice Kurusugawa, who appeared shortly after him in pursuit. 

If anything, the owner of the account was more abused. 

"That's just like the relationship between Chairwoman and Nishino-kun." 

"What does that mean? " 

"Didn't the guy fight back at the last minute and run away?"

Shimizu, who had repeatedly been violent toward Futsumen in the past, could hardly breathe a sigh of relief when she was told this. Immediately afterward, she began to feel uneasy about how her own mind was handling such a series of actions. 

She is a violent woman who now begins to think about what she should do if she is thought of as a violent woman. 

"In any case, for the time being, I'd like to keep both of you more secure than ever."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm sure they'll catch on soon anyway."

"..........."

After that, nothing much happened, and the free time passed. 

◇ ◆ ◇

That evening, the idol candidates were gathered in the same hall used in the morning. 

The tables lined up in rows remained unchanged. However, the pushbuttons on the tables had disappeared, and instead, tower PCs were lined up for the number of idols. On the chassis, stickers of manufacturers claiming to have high-performance parts are conspicuously displayed. 

The displays in the front of the room were uniformly showing the start-up screen of a well-known first-person shooter game. 

The last screening of the day appears to be a PC game match. 

Under the direction of Tarosuke, who is wearing a flower-patterned suit, the idol candidates follow the name plates on the tables and sit down in front of the computer assigned to them. The arrangement was the same as in the quick quiz, with the Chairwoman and Matsuura-san sitting next to each other. 

Stroking the keyboard in her hand, the Chairwoman says.

"Matsuura-san, you missed the point you were trying to make during the day." 

"...... You think so?"

"A game is a game, but it's a computer game." 

"I'm in the top rank of this game." 

"Oh, really?"

"I guess it's time to get lucky, huh?" 

"........." 

Matsuura-san, who is talking back and forth with Shimizu, is struggling to suppress the pleasure that is bubbling up from within. She is trying to hold back a smile and pretend she doesn't know what is going on, which makes for a very complicated and bizarre expression.

The slightly creepy look on her face makes the Chairwoman take a step back. 

Rose and Gabriella are watching the scene through the camera. 

As before, they are located in a monitoring room set up in a guest room in the hotel. 

There, they are monitoring the idol candidates through the display.

"Why would a computer game be used to select idols?" 

"The guy said it was because of the sponsors." 

"Oh, I see." 

"Although he was ostensibly talking about e-sports." 

There are several tables lined up against the wall and numerous displays sitting on top of them. The two women are standing side by side, peering into them and exchanging a few words. They have already taken a bath and are dressed in yukatas. 

In the center of the room, there is another table with a variety of dishes that are the pride of the ryokan. The girls are tucking into the food while watching the final event of the day, a game tournament. 

The game was a battle royal. Points are awarded in order of longest survivor. The game is repeated three times, and the participants compete for the total points. Tarosuke, who was in charge of hosting the event, gave this information to all the idol candidates.

"I wonder what the important score would have been?" 

"At the moment, the girl with pink hair is the best. It bothers me that people all exist together in the next-ranked group."

"Well, if that's the case, I think she'll be fine." 

"I don't have anything planned this time." 

"I hear she's pretty good at this game." 

"So you're saying that in addition to the sponsorship, you're also taking that into consideration..."

"I'm more concerned about the stalker who has been in the building." 

"After all, sister and I couldn't find him either." 

"You haven't heard from the account in question since then, have you?" 

"He may have already escaped and is taking a breather, I suppose." 

"I hope so." 

In the meantime, the first game was settled. 

The winner was Matsuura-san. 

On the podium at the front of the hall, a projector showed a screen of her playing the game and an in-game message praising her victory. 

She looked at the projector with a not-so-satisfied look on her face. 

The Chairwoman, on the other hand, was staring at her with a reproachful look on her face. 

"Matsuura-san, isn't it terrible that you beat me first? I didn't move well."

"I was nearby, so I had no choice. And you had some nice items with you." 

"....... I won't show mercy next time." 

"With the Chairwoman's player skills, I don't know if you can do it." 

"Gghh......" 

In a complete change from the morning's fast-paced quiz, it was the Chairwoman who was having a hard time. In contrast to Matsuura-san, who won the first place, she was beaten at an early stage, so the points given to her in this game were quite low compared to the overall score. 

The Chairwoman, aided by her competitive nature, was facing the computer with nothing to lose. 

Manager Nishino is watching them from a corner of the hall, just as he did during the quiz. He is the Futsumen who has been following the girls since their free time, following the stalking scandal involving Alice Kurusugawa. 

Matsuura-san finds him a bit annoying. 

Shimizu pretends not to like it, but she is conscious of his eyes on her and plays with her hair. 

Rose and Gabriella, on the other hand, are bewildered by the unexpected game winner. 

"Sister, wasn't this a game that the subject was good at?" 

"...... I'm confused." 

After some time, the second round of the game began under the direction of Tarosuke. 

By the way, Matsuura-san was frowned upon by all the idol candidates because of her blatant self-motivation in the swimsuit judging. Naturally, the criticism of her became stronger after the second round. In the first round, Alice Kurusugawa was the target of concentrated fire. 

Some of them even formed a clique to challenge her. 

Alice Kurusugawa took advantage of this and played her cards right.

Compared to the first round, the difficulty level increased dramatically in the subsequent games. 

Even so, Matsuura-san fought bravely and without any danger. 

The third and final round was no exception. Perhaps aware of the level of the participants, she became more aggressive toward the end of the game, finishing with more kills than in the first two rounds. More than half of the participants ended up being defeated by Matsuura-san. 

In conclusion, Matsuura-san was the overwhelming winner of the game tournament. 

She was the first place winner in all three games. 

Alice Kurusugawa is always in second place, but if she has lost all the games, the power relationship between the two is clear. Even the Chairwoman, who is not familiar with this type of game, could clearly see the difference in strength between the two. 

Incidentally, the Chairwoman was eliminated in the early stages of the second and third rounds as well. 

Finally, Tarosuke declared Matsuura-san the winner. 

All of today's judging was completed. 

Immediately after that, the audience saw movement in Alice Kurusugawa. 

Her eyes were staring at the opponent who had defeated her. 

Matsuura-san, on the other hand, remained seated in front of her computer, logging in with her own account. She began to continue enjoying the game, regardless of the other idol candidates who were scattering from the hall. It seems that she really likes this game. 

The Chairwoman, who was appealing to return to her room, did not care, but continued to play the game. 

The ranked game is a way to relieve the frustration that has built up in the loose games between idols. 

"Matsuura-san, may I have a word?"

"It's not good at all. It interferes with the game, so can you please get out of my way?"

Matsuura-san, not even glancing at Alice Kurusugawa, is on her way to the game. 

She is becoming more and more salty with every word she speaks. 

" ......I think you cheated in the previous round, didn't you?" 

"How can you cheat in a game like this?" 

"That move was definitely not done by an amateur. Somewhere else, a pro is standing by......." 

Alice Kurusugawa's gaze turns to the display in front of Matsuura-san. 

There, right now, was the character she was playing. 

She is busily moving from right to left as the keyboard and mouse are operated, slaughtering all of the many other rivals from one side to the other. Her series of movements were steady and even to the casual observer, one could tell that she was a skilled player. 

What caught her attention was a user name displayed in the corner. 

"Why are you using machimochi's account?" 

"Because I'm machimochi." 

"Eh ... " 

Moreover, the keyboard and mouse that Matsuura-san is using were prepared by the audition management for this project. Although they are gaming models for the convenience of the sponsors, they are a far cry from the devices she uses at home. 

Even so, machimochi was doing well in the screen. 

As Alice Kurusugawa and the Chairwoman gazed on, Matsuura-san was defeating her opponents one after another. Witnessing her flowing movements, the former, who would have come to the same place to voice their grievances, was speechless to continue. 

As the girls gathered, attention turned to them from the other idol candidates. 

Eventually, Matsuura-san was the last one standing. 

The result screen after the play showed information about the account, along with a report on this game. The medal icon displayed on the screen was, as she told the Chairwoman before the judging, something that only a few of the top players could obtain. 

Alice Kurusugawa, looking at Matsuura-san's play, was dumbfounded. 

A murmur escaped from her mouth. 

"Alice, always played with an account called Sayopon." 

"Yeah, the one who sneaks up on you with a rifle from the edge." 

" ......... "

Matsuura-san responded nonchalantly without looking at her. 

It was a brief moment of gazing at the results screen. She immediately proceeded to the matching screen for the next game. Her fluid mouse movements indicated that she plays this game on a daily basis. 

"Sayopon, you're not very good at positioning yourself when approaching." 

"Well, that's ......!" 

"But I think your aim is on the right track." 

".........." 

Matsuura-san returned her words in a nonchalant manner, staring intently at the game screen. Alice Kurusugawa's expression broke into tears for just a moment at his casual muttering. She was happy to receive even a small praise from the player of her dreams. 

Oh, you're happy? was the surprise of the Chairwoman standing right next to her. 

Immediately afterwards, however, her expression suddenly changed as if she had remembered something. 

Her whole body began to tremble, and a crease appeared between her eyebrows. 

She seemed to remember that the person sitting in front of her was not only a respected game player, but also an idol candidate whom she hated and who wanted to interfere with her idol career. The many terrible words she had been given over the past few days were hard to forget, even if she wanted to. 

"It's Alice who is making her debut! It's Alice!" 

Alice Kurusugawa was a complicated woman with a mixture of emotions. 

She left a few words and ran away from the hall. 

All the idol candidates present looked at her back with expressions as if to say, What's the matter with you? The Chairwoman was no exception. Only one person, Matsuura-san, was staring at the game screen.

"Matsuura-san, that ...... " 

"Shut up, you're distracting me." 

"...... Yup." 

Matsuura-san is a person who does not take anything for granted, but her passion for this game is genuine.