Start with a core cabin

Chapter 1613 Starting Point

Chapter 1613 Starting Point (Sure enough, you shouldn’t eat instant noodles that you are not familiar with)
On Sunday, Duanmu Huai took Ruby out and sat down in a private room of a nearby cafe.

Although Ruby was confused all the way as to who Duanmu Huai was going to take her to see, since Duanmu Huai didn't say...she could only wait and see.

"call……………"

After entering the box, Ruby took off her hat, glasses and mask and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Artists are such a hassle.”

"Sister, you are also an artist, right? I really want your ability!"

"In fact, it's useless for you to have my ability."

Duanmu Huai stretched, then sat down and started browsing on his phone.

"Why?"

"Because I'm an actor and you're an idol."

"What's the difference?"

Hearing Duanmu Huai's answer, Ruby was a little confused, and Duanmu Huai glanced at her.

"What's your first thought when you think of actors?"

"Hey?"

"High above, away from the crowd, right."

"Ah, um... that's right..."

“That’s the benefit of television and the silver screen.”

Duanmu Huai shrugged his shoulders.

"To the general public, actors are more like 'people living on TV'. The screen is a physically isolated space, which makes most people naturally feel alienated from actors. You must have seen that many actors have been involved in scandals or announced their marriages, but most people are not particularly enthusiastic about it, right?"

“That’s… indeed.”

"The reason lies in this inherent sense of alienation. Whether actors are performing on TV or appearing in real life, to the audience, they are all 'people on TV' and what happens is also 'what happens on TV'. Let alone acting, even if you see a place being hit by an earthquake or hurricane on TV news, it is difficult to empathize with it."

"Um……………"

Ruby nodded obediently.

"But idols are different. You will be face to face with the audience up close, so for the audience, idols are real people who can be touched, not imaginary, lofty illusions on the screen. Because of this, they invest more energy in idols than actors, so when something goes wrong, they are more likely to be criticized."

Duanmu Huai said this while showing his cell phone to Ruby.

"Look, both are cheating scandals, but the actor was just condemned as a matter of routine and bowed to apologize. But the idol not only had to endure insults and apologize, but also had to quit the group and completely end her acting career. What do you think? Don't you think it's fair?"

"It's really unfair..."

Watching the news, Ruby pouted unhappily.

"I've always hated those guys! It's as if they have the right to criticize others just because they did something wrong, just like when my mother was stabbed... It clearly had nothing to do with them, but these people stood up one by one to stir up trouble... They maliciously slandered others under various banners..."

“This is what idols have to deal with.”

Duanmu Huai took back his phone.

"In fact, actors also had such extreme fans before, but now, thanks to idols, there are fewer such fans among actors."

"Hey? Why?"

Hearing this, Ruby immediately became unhappy.

"Because those extreme fans want to have close contact with their favorite idols, but for actors, this is obviously a very difficult thing. They can't enter the TV station, the filming site, and it's even more impossible to enter the actor's home. Even if they follow them, they are likely to violate the law. But idols are different. For a handshake ticket, you can spend a few hundred or a few thousand yen to let the idol shake hands with you and chat with you, and there is no legal risk. People are looking for low risk and high returns. In the past, when there were no idols, those fanatical perverts could track actors. But now there are idols who are less risky than actors, and those fanatical perverts will naturally choose easier targets."

"Wow..."

After listening to Duanmu Huai's explanation, Ruby looked speechless.

"Sister, your statement is like saying that idol fans are all perverts."

"That's what I'm saying. In my opinion, those guys holding light sticks under the stage are not normal."

Duanmu Huai said that’s what I said.

"They have fallen into the trap of capitalism and willingly gave everything to be exploited by capital. Obviously, the agency is the one that benefits, but once something goes wrong, the idols themselves will be the ones who get cut off and suffer. The twisted system produces twisted fans. They are really a perfect match."

"Ugh..."

"By the way, I think your obsession with idols is pretty abnormal."

“Wuwuwu…!”

Ruby was like a provoked puppy, almost baring her teeth at Duanmu Huai, but she also knew that it was useless to tell Duanmu Huai about this. In Ruby's opinion, perhaps because of the influence of her mother's assassination, her sister had always disliked the profession of idol since she was a child. She used to argue with Duanmu Huai about this, but now Ruby has long given up arguing with Duanmu Huai on this issue.

After all, if she made too much noise, the tireless Duanmu Huai would pick her up and spank her hard, letting Ruby experience what it meant for the weapon of criticism to be less effective than the weapon itself.

“Ding-ling-ling…”

Just then, the cell phone rang. Duanmu Huai picked up the phone and answered the call.

"Hey, um... yes, we're here. Come on, the location is... yes, just like that."

After telling the address here, Duanmu Huai hung up the phone. At this time, Ruby couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked.

"Who is coming? Sister?"

"Someone you are also familiar with."

"I?"

Just when Ruby was puzzled, she heard footsteps and stopped at the door of the box. Then the door opened, and then Ruby saw a long-haired girl wearing a hat walked in.

"Hi, I'm here, hello."

"————————!"

Hearing the voice, Ruby froze there. She stared blankly at the other person taking off his hat, revealing his true face. She could not believe her eyes.

"Red Sound?"

The person who appeared in front of Ruby was none other than Kurokawa Akane. However, Kurokawa Akane at this moment was completely different from the Kurokawa Akane that Ruby was familiar with. She had a frivolous and cheerful smile on her face, and her whole body exuded a strong presence that made people unable to look away. Even her clothes looked casual. However, to Ruby, this was more like another person.

That is their mother——Hoshino Ai.

"What's wrong? Ruby? Why do you look like that?"

Looking at Ruby who was standing there motionless, Kurokawa Akane approached her with a smile and asked. She and Hoshino Ai didn't look alike and their voices were different, but as Hoshino Ai's daughter and "old fan", Ruby could feel the characteristics of Hoshino Ai from Kurokawa Akane.

It was as if... the Kurokawa Akane in front of him was possessed by Hoshino Ai.

"elder sister?"

Ruby looked at Duanmu Huai as if for help, and only then did Duanmu Huai nod to Kurokawa Akane.

"Okay, that's about it. Thank you for your hard work, Chiyin."

"No, it's nothing."

As she spoke, Kurokawa Akane's presence that was like Hoshino Ai quietly disappeared, and she once again turned into the introverted and gentle girl that Ruby was familiar with.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"???"

Looking at Kurokawa Akane in front of her, Ruby widened her eyes in surprise, and for a moment she couldn't figure out what was going on.

"This is Kurokawa Akane's acting skills."

Duanmu Huai then explained to Ruby.

"She was able to study the character's material and then completely transform herself into that character. That's what I mean by one of the ways to become Hoshino Ai."

"Does it mean to imitate Mom completely and become her?"

If she had heard this kind of talk before, Ruby would have simply dismissed it, because she believed that the most special thing about Hoshino Ai was her incomparable presence that attracted everyone. This kind of thing was impossible for ordinary people to imitate. But Kurokawa Akane did it. In fact, if Kurokawa Akane's voice and appearance were not different from Hoshino Ai, then Ruby, who is a veteran fan of Hoshino Ai, would probably have mistaken her for Hoshino Ai.

Because that kind of unique and existential quality cannot be imitated at all... No, can it be imitated?

After that, Ruby fell into silence, and Duanmu Huai ordered lunch. The three of them ate lunch together, and then Kurokawa Akane said that he still had work to do in the troupe and said goodbye and left.

"Sorry for wasting your time."

"It's okay. I'm very happy that Xiao Ai is willing to ask me for help."

Waving at the two of them, Kurokawa Akane turned and walked towards the station. After watching her figure disappear, Duanmu Huai looked at Ruby.

"What do you think?"

"I didn't know... that performance... could be this good..."

"Kurokawa Akane is special. After all, she is the top star of the troupe. To be honest, I find her skills weird. It's like she is possessed by a ghost..."

"Well……………"

Hearing Duanmu Huai's complaints, Ruby had a complicated expression, but nodded in agreement.

After all, it really looks like a ghost possessed.

"Speaking of which, sister, how did you convince her to play the role of mother?"

"Oh, I told her that you are a fan of Hoshino Ai and that you have hit a bottleneck in this area. I hope she can study and play the role of Hoshino Ai for you... You can't just say that you want to see your mother. If you want to see her, I will take you to the hospital later."

"That's it..."

"Okay, let's go, it's not over yet."

"Where to go next?"

"Go to a show."

Duanmu Huai stretched out his hand and hailed a taxi.

"let's go."

After that, Duanmu Huai took Ruby to a music festival. Compared to the ones Ruby usually attended, the standard of this music festival was not very high. If we compare it with the football league, it was only at the level of the second division. Most of the performers were underground idol groups, and the quality they showed was also average. Ruby was confused by the whole performance and didn't understand why Duanmu Huai took her to watch this, but she still followed Duanmu Huai to watch it, and then...they returned home again.

"At today's music festival, do you think there are any idols that can compare to love?"

"Of course not possible."

Ruby shook her head vigorously.

"So, you think they are useless?"

“That’s not the case…”

"That's right. Even in these underground idol groups, the C position of each group has their own shining points. Although compared to love, they are just starlight, but......"

Duanmu Huai sat on the chair, turned on the computer, and played the video of Hoshino Ai. Ruby watched the video without saying a word.

"They also have different brilliance, right?"

"…………………"

Ruby said nothing, but nodded silently.

"So, one last question."

Duanmu Huai waited for Ruby to finish the performance and stared at her.

"Back to the beginning, why do you want to be an idol? Do you want to be like Hoshino Ai? Or do you want to surpass her?"

"None of it is right!"

Ruby gritted her teeth, stood up, and shouted loudly.

"I just hope...I just hope to be able to stand on the stage with my mom and become an idol together!"

"Good, it looks like you already have the answer."

Duanmu Huai stared at Ruby, who seemed to just realize what he had just said.