[The Emperor's Seclusion!!! Enfants Terribles Enters a Period of Rest]
[Full Comeback Scheduled with 3rd Album Release After a Six-Month Hiatus!!]
After Enfants Terribles officially entered their hiatus, Hide halted all public activities and went into seclusion. The only place he could occasionally be spotted was near the convenience store that held precious memories of his lover.
"Wait, isn't that... Hide?"
People who had come out to the convenience store for a quick snack would often stop in their tracks, stunned by the sight of a blonde man sitting vacantly at one of the outdoor tables.
"Hey, use your head. Why would Hide be here of all places?"
"No, look at him. No matter how you slice it, that's definitely Hide."
"It's just a lookalike."
It was only natural for people to be surprised. It was hard to imagine a celebrity of Hide's stature sitting at a common convenience store table, smoking a cigarette and drinking beer without a single shred of a disguise.
*Normally, you'd at least wear a mask or sunglasses to cover your face, wouldn't you? What kind of superstar just shows his face out in the open like that?*
It was precisely because of that logic that people began to doubt whether the man at the table was actually the real Hide.
"Maybe not..."
"Probably just a close resemblance."
"Now that I look closer, the face does seem a bit different?"
A man and a woman passing by the store hovered near Hide, their doubts spiraling in circles.
Usually, they would have just kept walking. However, the blonde man was quietly humming a song, and no matter how many times they heard it, the voice sounded exactly like Hide's. They found themselves unable to move.
"But hey, isn't it weird for even the voice to be that similar?"
"Sigh... You have a point..."
As the man hummed with his eyes closed, the whispered conversation between the couple grew louder. Naturally, others passing by began to take notice. Before long, a dozen or so people had gathered in front of the convenience store.
In the crowd were children who had come out with their parents to buy snacks. Seeing the man they had seen on television right before their eyes, the children began to pester their parents.
"Mom! Isn't that the person from TV?? I know his song!"
"It might not be him, honey..."
He was a celebrity being far too blatant about his presence. The adults hesitated to approach because of it, but the children had no reason not to run up to the famous man from the screen.
"Mister!! I know you!! You're the one who did that funny dance on TV, right??!!"
"Son?? What if it's someone else!! Come back here this instant!"
As the child broke free from his parent's restraint and ran toward the blonde man, everyone held their breath.
"Hey kid, I'm not a 'mister,' I'm just a big brother. Want an autograph?"
"I want to go on TV just like you!!"
Hearing the child's bright, innocent wish, the blonde man let out a small smile and ruffled the boy's hair. Seeing that scene, the rest of the crowd began to swarm around him like clouds.
"Are you really Hide??! Man, you're so damn cool!!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Could... could I get an autograph too?"
"If you bring me a pen, I'll do it."
Hide set down the beer can he was holding and stood up from his chair. He provided fan service to every single person in the burgeoning crowd.
In the midst of it all, a female fan who had been hesitating nervously finally asked him a question.
"But... why did you come here?"
It was the one thing everyone gathered there was curious about.
"Because I was bored. The person who used to play with me all the time... she's gone now."
Hide replied simply, a bitter expression fleeting across his face.
In truth, a celebrity has nothing particular to do during a hiatus. Lying around the house all day sleeping is fun for a day or two, but when it becomes a cycle, you end up killing time by zoning out in boredom like this.
"Now that I'm famous, I can't even visit nostalgic places as I please."
He had come to a place full of memories with his past lover to change his mood, but even that was in vain.
"I guess sitting in front of a convenience store was pushing it a bit."
Usually, people would just doubt and move on, but today, for some unknown reason, they swarmed him. The convenience store table was out of the question now, so he moved on to a ramen shop.
"Welcome... o-oh...??"
The part-timer's eyes widened the moment they saw me.
"A-Are you... Hide...?"
"Well, is there anyone else in this world who looks like me?"
"I'm a huge fan... would you mind giving me an autograph?"
"Bring a pen."
An autograph is the most direct and heartfelt gift a rock star can give a fan. It holds meaning because it represents a moment where the star shared their time specifically with that fan.
*Someone who can't even give an autograph... hasn't even mastered the basics of this industry.*
With that thought, I ordered miso ramen. The part-timer looked surprised again.
"You must make a ton of money... but you ordered the cheapest ramen."
"Isn't shoyu ramen the cheapest?"
"With only a 1-yen difference, they're basically the same."
There was no special reason for ordering miso ramen. It was simply because the ramen I ate with Ai after the ASAYAN Top 16 round was miso, and since I liked the taste back then, I ordered it again.
"A rock star isn't some unicorn. If we're hungry, we eat whatever's around."
In fact, this kind of food was more familiar to me. Hadn't I spent most of my lives struggling in poverty? Expensive food felt far more awkward to me.
Lost in thought, I picked up my chopsticks and stuffed the noodles into my mouth.
"It tasted so good back then..."
But the miso ramen I was having for the first time in a while was nowhere near as good as I remembered.