[ He's very chipper, almost as thrilled as he was when they won at Black or White -- this seems a little different, though. His cheeks are a little pink and he seems a little more dazed than excited; still, it seems like he really did have a good time today. ]
I got to spend some time with a friend for her birthday, and it was a really good time!
[ 🤔 ]
What about you? You're up late -- were you working on something again?
[ At Sougo's question, though, Riku turns sheepish. That enthusiastic grin doesn't leave his face, but he seems a little embarrassed about...something. ]
Well, I went over to her place and we watched a movie together. I feel like I got to know her a lot more too...hah...
[ Judging by how red his cheeks are, though? There's more to the story than he's letting on. ]
Really, I don't mind at all. You're an adult here and don't need to worry about what time you come home, but I can't help wanting to look out for you.
[Naive as Riku has a tendency to be, he has a good head on his shoulders and can make his own decisions. He's of age here, so it's only right to treat him accordingly.
...But when he reacts so genuinely like this with his heart on his sleeve, Sougo can't help but find it utterly charming. How sweet.]
You're growing up right before our eyes, Riku-kun. [And fond as Sougo's smile may be, the look he gives alongside it is knowing.]
[That's about the reaction he was expecting... which is, again, terribly cute. But rather than continue standing here, Sougo grins and moves to take a seat on the couch, silently inviting Riku to do the same.]
Spending time alone with a girl is a new step for you, isn't it?
[ He's being exposed. Sougo absolutely knows the gist of what probably happened, Riku's realizing, and he sits next to Sougo, hands clasped together in his lap. ]
Heh... It's weird to think about how this would never be allowed back at home. I'd probably get in big trouble for doing something like that if we were still in Japan. It's nice, though, with the right person, I think!
I don't mean to tease you, but you've looked so happy ever since you came home. It's very sweet.
[Even something as simple as going over to a woman's home would create a huge scandal back home. Behaving according to industry standards has always been a given, so it's surprisingly difficult to understand the full scope of the freedom they've been given here.]
That's true. But now that we have the opportunity, I think you should make the best of our circumstances and do what makes you happy. There's no shame in pursuing that.
[They'd probably all agree... except for Tenn. That's a different story entirely.]
I won't pressure you to share any details unless you want to, but she must be a nice girl.
[ He looks a little sheepish at that. Riku didn't realize how happy he was until Sougo pointed it out; he really must be smiling a lot, huh? That only gets his blush to deepen, but he's happy Sougo's so supportive. ]
Thank you, Sougo-san. Really, I'm glad you're okay with this. I've been really worried about people finding out, so...
[ Especially Tenn, but uh. That's for another day, because right now, Riku wants to talk about Mira! ]
She is! Her name is Mira, and we met at the festival. The one with all the powder being thrown around! She's really nice and sweet, and I can tell that we both really care about each other!
Of course. Not only do we need manna here, but you deserve to be happy.
[Riku opened up to him, but is he about to open up to Riku? Absolutely not. This pure, sweet conversation only makes Sougo's behavior behind closed doors seem even more terrible...
But at the mention of Mira, Sougo's eyes widen a little bit.]
Mira? I briefly met a girl with the same name at the festival. Is she well-mannered with dark hair to about here?
[Indicated by his hands, which he raises to just about chin length.]
Don't worry. It was only a brief conversation, so we barely had the chance to exchange names. But she did seem very kind.
[He's kind of getting an idea of Riku's type, and that's incredibly cute. It's very fitting.]
Now that we're here, you shouldn't feel like you need to hide anything like this, Riku-kun. I want you to feel comfortable talking about the things that make you smile.
Well, when you say it like that, it really is hard to hide things from you, Sougo-san!
[ He doesn't sound at all bothered by it, though. Mostly happy that Sougo's encouraging this. ]
Haha... She really did bring a smile to my face today, though, even though it was her birthday. I think she just has that affect on other people. It's hard not to be so happy around someone so sweet.
That's an admirable quality, and you should be proud of it. But at the same time, I worry other people may try to take advantage of you...
[Riku is stronger than he seems, and he has a good head on his shoulders. But being so naive and kind is dangerous here, and there's really no good way to get that across. Mira seems incredibly sweet, but... maybe Sougo should get Mitsuki to give him the big brother talk, just in case.]
As long as you keep being honest and tell people "no" when they need to hear it, you'll be just fine.
Haha, Sougo-san, you're really worried about me, aren't you?
[ It's valuable advice, though. Riku can be kind of bad at reading the room sometimes, but he really trusts Mira and doesn't think she's a bad person. Maybe that's him being too trusting, though -- nah, it can't be. There's no way someone like her can turn out to be a horrible person.
...Right? ]
I don't mind it, though. You really are like a big brother to me...
I'm glad you think so. The last thing I want is to be overbearing and put unnecessary pressure on you.
[And he pauses.]
I know you have good intuition, and you aren't a child. But we aren't in Japan anymore, so it wouldn't hurt to be a little more cautious with strangers who may not always have kind intentions.
[On the other hand, isn't he accidentally making this sound bad when Riku's talking about his cute crush/maybe girlfriend?!]
But Mira-san seems like a sweet girl! Don't worry, this isn't about her.
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[ He's very chipper, almost as thrilled as he was when they won at Black or White -- this seems a little different, though. His cheeks are a little pink and he seems a little more dazed than excited; still, it seems like he really did have a good time today. ]
I got to spend some time with a friend for her birthday, and it was a really good time!
[ 🤔 ]
What about you? You're up late -- were you working on something again?
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[Oh, how cute... He seems so elated that Sougo can't help but laugh softly under his breath, smile fond.]
It may be late, but you're as bright and cheerful as ever. What did the two of you do together?
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[ At Sougo's question, though, Riku turns sheepish. That enthusiastic grin doesn't leave his face, but he seems a little embarrassed about...something. ]
Well, I went over to her place and we watched a movie together. I feel like I got to know her a lot more too...hah...
[ Judging by how red his cheeks are, though? There's more to the story than he's letting on. ]
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[Naive as Riku has a tendency to be, he has a good head on his shoulders and can make his own decisions. He's of age here, so it's only right to treat him accordingly.
...But when he reacts so genuinely like this with his heart on his sleeve, Sougo can't help but find it utterly charming. How sweet.]
You're growing up right before our eyes, Riku-kun. [And fond as Sougo's smile may be, the look he gives alongside it is knowing.]
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[ And while Tenn will always be his twin brother, it is nice to have someone look out for him in IDOLiSH7, too. He really appreciates Sougo for that.
He does not, however, appreciate the look Sougo is giving him! He blushes a little more and looks off to the side. ]
Growing up? W-what do you mean?
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Spending time alone with a girl is a new step for you, isn't it?
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[ He's being exposed. Sougo absolutely knows the gist of what probably happened, Riku's realizing, and he sits next to Sougo, hands clasped together in his lap. ]
Heh... It's weird to think about how this would never be allowed back at home. I'd probably get in big trouble for doing something like that if we were still in Japan. It's nice, though, with the right person, I think!
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[Even something as simple as going over to a woman's home would create a huge scandal back home. Behaving according to industry standards has always been a given, so it's surprisingly difficult to understand the full scope of the freedom they've been given here.]
That's true. But now that we have the opportunity, I think you should make the best of our circumstances and do what makes you happy. There's no shame in pursuing that.
[They'd probably all agree... except for Tenn. That's a different story entirely.]
I won't pressure you to share any details unless you want to, but she must be a nice girl.
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Thank you, Sougo-san. Really, I'm glad you're okay with this. I've been really worried about people finding out, so...
[ Especially Tenn, but uh. That's for another day, because right now, Riku wants to talk about Mira! ]
She is! Her name is Mira, and we met at the festival. The one with all the powder being thrown around! She's really nice and sweet, and I can tell that we both really care about each other!
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[Riku opened up to him, but is he about to open up to Riku? Absolutely not. This pure, sweet conversation only makes Sougo's behavior behind closed doors seem even more terrible...
But at the mention of Mira, Sougo's eyes widen a little bit.]
Mira? I briefly met a girl with the same name at the festival. Is she well-mannered with dark hair to about here?
[Indicated by his hands, which he raises to just about chin length.]
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He knows her. Ah, geez. He trusts that Sougo won't say anything to her but somehow that makes this even more nerve-racking??? ]
Y-yes! That sounds like her. She's really short, too...
[ Mira's 5'0", so...tiny. ]
Ah, so you know who she is... Somehow, I'm even more embarrassed, now.
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[He's kind of getting an idea of Riku's type, and that's incredibly cute. It's very fitting.]
Now that we're here, you shouldn't feel like you need to hide anything like this, Riku-kun. I want you to feel comfortable talking about the things that make you smile.
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[ He doesn't sound at all bothered by it, though. Mostly happy that Sougo's encouraging this. ]
Haha... She really did bring a smile to my face today, though, even though it was her birthday. I think she just has that affect on other people. It's hard not to be so happy around someone so sweet.
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[This is too pure for his sordid heart.... no.]
You say that, but you have the same effect on people, Riku-kun. If she invited you to spend her birthday with her, then I'm sure she can see that too.
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[ And it's true. It's so true. Even so, Sougo's words following Riku's admission make him smile a little wider.
He's really lucky to have a friend like him in his life. ]
You think so? Well, if that's true, then I'm glad she invited me because of that. I think Sougo-san has a similar effect on people, too!
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[Riku is stronger than he seems, and he has a good head on his shoulders. But being so naive and kind is dangerous here, and there's really no good way to get that across. Mira seems incredibly sweet, but... maybe Sougo should get Mitsuki to give him the big brother talk, just in case.]
As long as you keep being honest and tell people "no" when they need to hear it, you'll be just fine.
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[ It's valuable advice, though. Riku can be kind of bad at reading the room sometimes, but he really trusts Mira and doesn't think she's a bad person. Maybe that's him being too trusting, though -- nah, it can't be. There's no way someone like her can turn out to be a horrible person.
...Right? ]
I don't mind it, though. You really are like a big brother to me...
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[And he pauses.]
I know you have good intuition, and you aren't a child. But we aren't in Japan anymore, so it wouldn't hurt to be a little more cautious with strangers who may not always have kind intentions.
[On the other hand, isn't he accidentally making this sound bad when Riku's talking about his cute crush/maybe girlfriend?!]
But Mira-san seems like a sweet girl! Don't worry, this isn't about her.