Chapter 14: Cinderella

Rin heard a car pull up in front of her house. However, she didn’t go to answer the door. The reason for that…

“I-It wasn’t a ghost, right?” Rin stood in her bathroom, staring at her reflection with bloodshot and trembling eyes.

She heard it. She could swear on her life that she heard Mister John call out to her and warn her. But when he called, he really wasn’t nearby. And there hadn’t been any cars nearby either.

So he hadn’t arrived yet. But then… But then…?

A knock on the front door.

“Eeeek!” Rin shrieked and jumped away from the mirror, panicking and falling into the shower curtains.

A loud crash, followed by the curtain falling down along with the rod. Thankfully, it missed her and she managed to catch herself before she fell down and got hurt.

Taking a deep breath, Rin shook her head and said, “It was just a coincidence, Rin. Calm down.”

Like before, she talked to herself, trying to hypnotize herself with her own words.

Of course, it was all a lie again.

“Rin?! Are you alright?” Mister John’s voice called out from the door.

Rin started to go towards it to open, but then a thought crossed her mind.

W-What if it really was a ghost or monster? Didn’t strange things happen to her recently? There was the saying that fortune and misfortune went hand in hand.

Th-Then…

“NOOOO! I DON’T WANT TO BE ISEKAI’D!”

Rin screamed and curled up in a ball in the shower.

“Rin!”

The door slammed open.

Rin screamed again and scrambled to go and lock the bathroom door.

Before she could, it was wrenched open, a figure standing in the doorway.

She started to scream again… And then saw who was standing there.

John stared at her. Then he looked at the broken shower curtain. Seeing that, he sighed.

Rin sat on her bed and sipped the caramel mocha that John bought for her, flushed with embarrassment.

Meanwhile, John was outside talking with the neighbors and telling them that nothing was happening and that Rin was just having some nightmares from spending too much time alone and the stress.

That… was probably true. It *was* pretty scary sleeping alone at night. She thought that she had gotten over it, but staying up late last night to watch the video must have made her already stressed out mind start hallucinating.

That’s right. That was the explanation. It had to be it.

Still… That voice had been so vivid…

A deep sigh, followed by the front door closing. Afterwards, John walked into her room, leaning against the wall. “What a mess…”

Rin bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Mister John.”

He waved his hand. “It’s fine. It’s my fault anyway. I didn’t think you’d get that scared.” He sighed and then sipped on a coffee himself.

Rin stood up and picked up her bag. As she did, she glanced at her mirror.

Was it because Mister John was there? For some reason she didn’t seem quite as terrified. Though…

She turned to look at John and said, “Mister John?”

“Hm?” He tilted his head. “What’s up?”

“What’s… up?”

“Ah.” He shook his head and said, “Translation issues… I meant what is it?”

She stared at John and said, “Were you… really not around this morning?”

He blinked and said, “I stayed up late last night doing the livestream and then had to make sure everything was settled and Akihabara was back to normal by this morning. Does it look like I had the time to show up randomly at your house?”

“…That’s true.” Rin frowned. “It’s just… I could have sworn you were outside my window this morning. I even had a conversation with you and you told me not to stay so close to the windows…”

John shrugged. “Maybe you’ve been so worried that your mind is coming up with ways to keep yourself from trouble?”

Rin froze.

That… could be the case. And then if that was true… her mind’s way of warning her was with Mister John, who pulled her out of her bad luck and despair.

Realizing that, Rin laughed.

John blinked. “What’s so funny?”

She shook her head. “Nothing, Mister John.” She gave him a bright smile and said, “Come on! We’ve kept Hana waiting long enough!”

Saying that, she ran on ahead, her heart warm and a slight flush on her face.

By the time John and Rin arrived back at the office, it was around 9 o’clock. A bit later than when he initially planned to start, but considering the laidback schedule, it wasn’t too much issue.

Rin walked in, adjusting her bag, and then spun around to look at John with a bright smile. “So what will we be doing today, Mister John?”

He paused.

Right. What were they supposed to do today…?

Rin stared at him quietly with a bright smile.

Seeing that, John hummed and said, “Well, I guess that we should see what you can do.” Saying that, he walked over to the elevator to head up to the dance studio. “After that, we can start planning the debut stream… And I need to start doing some ‘hiring’ too.”

Knowing the way recent events had been unfolding, John could sense that trouble would brew if people began to notice that the only two people working in the building were him and a beautiful young girl.

But the problem with that was the logistics… It’d be more annoying to deal with more people and running through the interview process.

Maybe he should just use some of the automatons he had lying around?

“Um, Mister John?”

“Hm?” John blinked and turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

Rin pointed at the elevator and said, “It opened already.”

John turned back and saw that it was indeed opened. Not only that, it looked like he was thinking about it long enough for the doors to start closing again.

He sighed and held the door open before walking in.

Rin walked in after him, quickly scuttering to the corner of the elevator. Afterwards, she kept giving him looks out of the corner of her eyes, flushing red.

John pointedly ignored it and pressed the floor with the dance studio. At the same time…

‘Dumb necklace! You’re supposed to stop these developments! What buddhas? What protection against worldly desires? You’re making things worse!’

…He cursed out the defective protection charm he was wearing.

Was it because this was Earth that it wasn’t working? The charm that Eternal Emperor Abstinence gave him wasn’t working at all. It should have stopped this sort of development from springing up.

Well… Maybe it would be fine.

Rin was still young and naive. Maybe this would just be a school girl crush that would fade over time.

…And maybe he should start looking into hiring male idols as well to distract her. Or draw the line?

Right, that should work and-

“Mister John?” Rin called out, waving from beyond the elevator doors. “We’re here… And are you alright?” She tilted her head in concern and said, “I’m… there isn’t a problem with me being here, is there? Am I not good enough? Or-“

John stepped out, shaking his head. “It’s fine. I just have a lot to organize in my head. Even if it’s just you right now, I have to make plans for later.”

“Oh!” Rin nodded. “That makes sense… and that’s a relief. I thought you were second-guessing hiring me…”

The lights in the dance studio were off, leaving only a few rays of sunlight to illuminate it from behind the curtains.

John snapped his fingers, turning everything on, and then said, “You should have more faith in yourself, Rin. And besides, even if you were completely talentless… You know, I’m something of an idol myself.”

“E-Eh?”

John grinned and said, “I’ll go first. Try to follow along, then we’ll go from there.”

“O-Okay? But Mister John…” She stared at his clothes. Specifically, at his dress shirt and jeans. “Are you sure you can dance in those?”

He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. Now, get ready.”

“E-Eh? But I haven’t changed yet-“

“Let’s go!” John snapped his fingers and then the song began.

*Don’t you know that I LOVE YOU! These words that I have…*

*Oh surely YOU LOVE ME! Now don’t be so sad.*

*Hand in hand lets go off to find the dream, the wish you’re chasing now~*

_________