Me and Ai

Chapter 12: Working Part-time

Chapter 12: Working Part-time

When I entered the faculty room, Saotome-sensei and Tsukimiya-sensei were there.

"Good afternoon, Saotome-sensei, Tsukimiya-sensei." I bowed.

"Hahaha! Little spark, just call me Shining Saotome!" he made some flashy poses again.

I sat down on the chair beside them by the teachers' desks. I was here to submit my form for financial assistance since I really am paying half of my own tuition. I handed the form over to Shining Saotome and he read it. He started to laugh weirdly again.

"Hahaha! This is perfect!"

Perfect? I am so confused. What's he talking about?

"Yamashita Kaori, don't worry about half of your tuition! When I found out about you paying half of it, I already thought of a perfect way for you to pay for it!"

Tsukimiya-sensei stood up and said, "Ta-da! You're going to work part-time here in school and as an idol!"

"Oh! I don't mind that! I'm used to having part-time jobs... AN IDOL?!"

I almost fell off of my chair when I heard those words.

"Yesss! You will work part-time as an idol for Shining agency!"
Shining Saotome is so enthusiastic.
"I will assign some errands to you and give you a shift in the school's store, Saotomate. However, I will also let you start working as a part-time idol. Not just any idol, but a male idol!"

"Male idol?! Wait, you're telling me that you—"

"Why yes! I knew! I could tell that you can sing as a man, am I right?"

How did he know that I could sing as a man? I've only done that a few times to enter contests for the prize money. Maybe he saw me in a contest before? No way! T-This can't be happening!

"You'll be given some modelling jobs at first and then you will start making and recording songs for your first album. After that, you'll start appearing in TV shows as a guest. Oh! During your shift in Saotomate, you'll also have to be a guy during half of your shifts and introduce yourself as a student in the idol course. If they try to ask in which class you're in, just try avoiding the subject, alright?"

Tsukimiya-sensei is so fired up as well. I just can't keep up. Ah! I should ask them an important question regarding my course.

"Alright, I understand. I will work as a man in Saotomate and Shining Agency. I will use the name Kaoru. Will that be alright?"

"Yes! You will be known as Yamashita Kaoru during work. You can call that alter ego of yours as your older brother."

"Okay. I'll remember that. I also have something to ask. You see, I'm having some trouble in class. They look at me as a weird or suspicious person because they can't tell whether I'm in the idol course or in the composer course. It all started because of the recording test and I was left without a partner because we were odd numbered in S class. So, what should I answer if they ask me what course I am in?"

Shining Saotome was thinking for a while. "I have the solution to that! You shall say that you are in the composer course and if they ask who you are writing songs for, give them the name of your ''idol brother'', Yamashita Kaoru!"

Tsukimiya-sensei then said, "That's a good idea! Then if they ask you why were you the one singing your song, just tell them your brother couldn't make it because he was working part-time for Shining Agency and was given a special test to make up for the recording test!"

"A-alright. I u-understand." Somehow I feel uneasy about this. Sigh.

We talked a bit longer about the details and to get my story straight. They told me that they will update the other teachers about my circumstances later so that if I have a part-time job that coincides with class, they would already know the reason and will just receive the excuse papers in the faculty for my absence together with the details of how long I would be out and on my job location.

When we finished talking, I thanked them and returned to my classroom. I entered from the back door and bowed at the teacher who simply nodded at me and I went to my seat.

I can't believe that I'll be working as an idol and a male one! Well, at least I won't have to worry about my tuition fee and certain expenses. Maybe I'll be able to make extra cash and add more money to my savings. Sigh. It's going to be a long and adventurous year. I just have to make sure that no one finds out about my double identity.

Classes ended and we were free for the rest of the day. I was on my way out of the classroom when someone called out to me.

"Kaori!"

"What's up, Syo."

"You were out for a while. I thought you were just going to submit something to the faculty?"

"Well, I submitted my papers but then they oriented me about what I should do about it and all so it took a while. They were also asking me certain questions so it took longer than I thought."

"Oh. You missed two classes and half of this class so I'll give you my notes. You can just return them when you're done."

Syo hands me his notebooks.

"Thank you very much, Syo! I owe you one!"

Jinguji-san notices me and Syo and approaches us.

"What's this? Since when were you close to lady, Ochibi?"

"Stop calling me that!" Syo says in annoyance.

Syo looks cute when he's angry so I ended up giggling. Syo noticed and ended up sighing since there was nothing he could do.
I remembered that during lunch, Syo asked me what course I was in. I never got to answer him.

"Syo, about your question during lunch, I'm in the composer course."

"Eh? You're not in the idol course? I thought you were in the idol course because you were the one singing your song."

This also surprised Jinguji-san who was still with me and Syo. "You are a composer? That is such a waste. You were shining brightly while singing in your recording test, lady."

"Well, I was just forced to sing the song because the person who was supposed to sing was not able to make it in time. My brother was supposed to sing it. He was my idol partner but he works part-time for Shining Agency so he wasn't able to come because he was doing a job."

Syo and Jinguji-san looked at me at surprise.

"You have a brother here?" Syo asked.

I nodded.

"So I guess the rose has brought it's thorns with her. You should introduce us to him some time."

"If he's not busy, I'll introduce Syo and Jinguji-san to him." I smiled but deep in my mind, I had no idea how that can happen since that person is me!

"So what is onii-chan's name, lady?"

"Yamashita Kaoru. That's his name."

"It's just like a male version of your name. That's kind of cute." Syo remarked.

All three of us talked for a bit and then we went on our separate ways.
I just went back to the dorm to rest and let everything I was told today sink into me...

I let myself fall onto my bed with my face flat down on it. I was like a wooden board that fell onto the floor.

"God, all of a sudden I'm going back to my cross-dressing days."
I started sulking until I saw my bag on the floor. I saw Syo's notebooks.
I stood up and took the notebooks to my desk.
"I'll copy notes to keep myself busy! That's right! Keep myself busy!"

I opened one of the notebooks and saw a picture of Hyuga-sensei.

"Wha-aat?! What is this?! Why does Syo have Hyuga-sensei's picture in his notebook?!"

I gasp all of a sudden when a possibility entered my mind and activated my imagination.

"NO WAY! NO WAY! NO WAY! NO WAY! NO WAY!" I just kept saying that while trying to stop the thoughts that were flowing into my mind.

"THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO KEEP ME BUSY AND FORGET ABOUT MY STRESS FOR A WHILE! THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH RIGHT NOW!"

I ended up staying on my bed while chanting "No way, it's not true." over and over again while trying to forget about Syo having Hyuga-sensei's picture in his notebook and all those thoughts my mind made up to give me mental and emotional damage during this innocent and youthful part of my life.