"Ladder, nails, and wooden planks—OK, everything's here. Let's get to work!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get the logic, but why am I the one patching the roof?! I've never done this kind of work before!"
"Cut the crap! You think I have?"
Grand Blue was a concrete warehouse; it didn't have the "authentic" wooden architecture found here. Naturally, Miyazawa Yuu had never done any carpentry either.
But he was a guy—this kind of thing is usually self-taught. Besides, it was just a shack; as long as it kept the rain out, who cared about the details? It wasn't like anyone was living in it!
"Stop whining and listen up. You already drank the beer, so now you have to work for me! Got it?!"
"You bastard..."
Looking down from the ladder, Ichigoe Yuuichi practically ground his teeth to dust. The crucial point was that Yuu hadn't mentioned this was a "pay-to-play" scheme before he drank!
And if it was just about money, he actually had a little bit...
"Oh, by the way, if you're thinking about paying me back with cash, forget it. I only accept the beer you just drank as payment~"
"Drop dead! Someone like you should go cosplay as a speed bump on the national highway!"
Gripping the upper rung of the ladder, Yuuichi found his retreat cut off before he could even speak. He could only bite the bullet and climb onto the roof toward the hole.
Below the shack, Miyazawa Yuu spread his hands and sighed. If possible, he didn't actually want to scam Kouhei, but since he was doing a favor for his mother-in-law, he figured he'd just knock it out.
However, because he had been dragged away in such a hurry, he only had his wetsuit on hand. Waiting for his clothes to "respawn" or going back to the shop to get them would take too much time.
With his current "heavyweight" status soloing a dilapidated roof, it probably wouldn't be a repair job—it would be a total demolition project!
"Wait... I remember Ichigoe-kun being afraid of heights, wasn't he?"
In the bushes nearby, the professional film crew's cameras were truly advanced. Even from a distance, the Director could see every detail of the "actor-faced" Yuuichi on the screen.
"Maybe it's the alcohol. Moderate drinking does seem to help overcome certain fears."
"Is that so? They're repairing the roof, right? Get the close-ups focused on the muscles and hands! Another group focus on the expressions! And the third group—give me some more 'natural' shots of the naked man!"
"Understood!"
...
"Dammit... I'm at the spot. Hurry up and send the stuff up!"
"Coming right up~"
At the hole in the roof, one could see the displays inside. The high shelves, reachable from the hole, dissipated most of the fear of heights rising in Yuuichi.
As he turned back to shout from above, Miyazawa Yuu nodded, snatched up a repair plank, locked onto the direction of the voice, and tossed it up.
Watching the plank fly up and land right in front of him, Yuuichi was still shocked, but he had somewhat adapted to Yuu's abnormal methods.
Calmly pulling a hammer from his waist, he put a nail between his teeth and began patching the roof according to his own ideas—even though every patch he made was incredibly ugly.
"...They've actually started working. My eyes!"
"Endure it! The eye drops are on the company! Record every single detail for me!"
The camera crew could only describe the scene as "a dazzling display of sights."
One thing was certain: Ichigoe Yuuichi's vibe had changed. He had gone from a simple idol to someone more down-to-earth, possessing a mysterious sense of power.
This was a great transition in Japan, as audiences loved peeking into the private lives of idols. A "pretty boy" who sang and danced on stage but turned out to be a hardman who could fix a roof? That was irresistible to girls!
Especially with that muscular hunk driving the pace, the entire scene was so "philosophical" that even men would stop to watch. This was the advantage of primal power!
"Yuu! Beer!"
"Catch~"
Popping the cap and chugging—there was no complex reason; Yuuichi was simply exhausted, and his overheating body desperately needed to cool down!
Through the camera lens, however, the image of him swinging a hammer, drenched in sweat, then shaking off the droplets to chug beer was a classic "Redneck" Western-style persona that others simply couldn't replicate!
"Ichigoe... he has truly found his path to becoming a superstar..."
Tears were already streaming down the Director's face. Witnessing a new star rise under his guidance was the ultimate joy for any director!
But it wasn't over yet! To compensate, Miyazawa Yuu turned his phone volume to the max, playing the theme song for Lalako, the character Kouhei loved.
Amidst Yuuichi's confusion, the Director's eyes lit up again in a moment of total enlightenment!
Not just men and women—he's going to take the otaku's money too! This kid Ichigoe is going for the Grand Slam! Interesting... then I'll play along with his madness!
...
Half an hour later, finally back on the ground, Ichigoe Yuuichi wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked blankly, "Yuu, what was that song you were playing just now?"
"Eh? Just Dissolving Girl Lalako, the one you always listen to. Is there a problem?"
"Hmm... maybe I was too far away and didn't hear it clearly."
Almost blew his cover again. Yuuichi made up an excuse to brush it off, then saw someone waving at him not far behind Yuu.
"Right, Yuu, aren't you in a hurry to get back to Dolphin? Don't worry about me. I'll handle the rest of the finishing touches!"
"Really? Then I'll leave it to you. I hope Mother-in-law still left the door unlocked for me."
Unsuspecting, Miyazawa Yuu patted "Kouhei" on the shoulder and nodded with satisfaction. That "girly" vibe the guy had earlier was completely gone now!
He really must be in a bad state from a heartbreak. With a good bro like me here to counsel him, he should be laughing in his sleep!
"Then I'm heading off. If I have time tonight, I'll find you guys for a drink!"
"For sure!"
Waving Yuu off, Yuuichi watched the man's naked back retreating into the sunset, a gentle smile curling his lips. He's an idiot, but he really is a friendly guy. I'll come clean tomorrow!
As for now...
"I'm sorry, Mr. Director. I got a bit carried away over here. Please, whatever you do, don't give that gentleman a hard time!"
Seeing the Director walking quickly toward him, Yuuichi gave a deep, 90-degree bow, hoping his sincerity would earn forgiveness.
He figured it was impossible, though. He had delayed everyone for the entire afternoon; if he got yelled at, he'd just take it...
"Ichigoe! You kid really have a way about you!"
"Eh?"
His shoulder was slapped hard. Yuuichi looked up in a daze, only to see the Director wasn't angry at all—he was elated beyond measure!
"Mr. Director, I'm not wearing any clothes..."
"It's unique!"
"I wasted the whole afternoon..."
"Wasted? Helping the shop repair the roof is part of diving! It proves you are deep-rooted in the community and have a kind heart!"
Slapping Yuuichi on the back twice, the Director laughed toward the sky and gave a thumbs-up. "Keep it up! No! Why don't you occasionally take your clothes off tomorrow, too? It'll make your 'hook' even deeper in the audience's memory!"
"Huh???"
...
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Dolphin, Miyazawa Yuu looked at the locked shop and scratched his head in frustration. As expected, his mother-in-law was heartless and hadn't left the door open for him at all.
Given his current state of wearing only a wetsuit, he could only hope that foreign countries were more tolerant of strange outfits on the street.
"Yuu? You're back early."
"Ah, Mr. John. It's so late and you're still here? Is something wrong?"
"Of course. This is for you, left by the Manager..."
Passing by the shop, John was one of Dolphin's three veteran employees—a "nice guy" who looked remarkably like Uncle Toshio and spoke kindly to everyone.
"The house keys and the car keys. The Manager isn't very good at communicating; please bear with her."
"I'm the one being looked after here."
Slightly surprised and happy to accept the keychain from Mr. John, Miyazawa Yuu narrowed his eyes with a touch of helplessness. She'd rather leave the car keys and take the subway herself than wait a little longer?
His mother-in-law was unexpectedly stubborn in speech but soft in heart. He guessed she ran off because she didn't want to keep making Chisa uncomfortable either.
"Thanks, Uncle! I'm heading off now!"
"Have a safe trip~"
"...Even if we're playing the whole part, locking the shop so we can't get in is a bit much."
Humming a tune, Miyazawa Yuu happily drove away, completely failing to notice that several other figures in wetsuits had appeared at the shop entrance alongside Mr. John.
"That's just how Mom is. She always values attitude over communication. Even if it's a hassle, she has to use actions to show her 'non-cooperation' policy..."
"Ah~ sounds exactly like Chisa!"
"Shut it!"
Kicking Iori in the back of the knee, Kotegawa Chisa walked into the shop Mr. John had reopened with her chin held high, stubbornly refusing to admit she was like her mother.
This guy... give him a little bit of a good mood from diving and he starts getting cocky!
"Chisa, you can't learn from Mom~"
With a gentle reminder, Kotegawa Nanaka stripped off her wetsuit and changed into casual clothes, then began assigning tasks to the group who had enjoyed their dive.
"Kouhei, you and Aina... Iori, you and Chisa take the changing rooms."
"Yes, yes, yes!"