King of Idols C5 Mai

Mai had a successful first day in her second year of junior high, making plenty of new friends and enjoying her classes. It was a good day by all accounts.

After wrapping up her club activities, she headed home, calling out a cheerful "I'm home!" as she removed her shoes and stepped inside.

"Mai-chan, welcome back!" Yuki greeted her with a warm smile from her seat in the living room. "How was your first day of second year?"

Mai set her bag down on the sofa, shrugging nonchalantly. "Pretty normal. Made some friends, did the usual club stuff, you know how it goes."

Yuki's face lit up with pride as she stood to prepare a snack and some tea for her daughter. "That's wonderful to hear," she said, bustling about the kitchen.

Glancing around the living room, Mai furrowed her brow, then asked curiously, "Oniichan wa doko？" (Where is big brother?)

As she poured the tea, Yuki replied, "Hm? He's up in his room." A smile played on her lips as she recalled Renji's earlier words. "Best not to disturb him. He seems quite busy at the moment."

"Busy? Hmm..." Mai's suspicion was piqued. Normally, her brother would be lounging in the living room, engrossed in videos of his favorite music artists.

Yuki returned with a tray of snacks, setting it down on the table. "Here you go, your favorite treats."

"Thanks, Mom." Mai nodded gratefully, her curiosity about Renji momentarily forgotten as she dug into the snacks.

Grabbing the remote, she flicked on the TV and settled in to watch a drama, munching away and sipping her tea.

Half an hour later, Mai switched off the television and headed upstairs. She was just about to enter her own room when a horrific sound stopped her in her tracks.

Turning towards the source of the noise, she realized it was coming from Renji's room. The terrible voice continued, accompanied by the strumming of a guitar.

Unable to resist, Mai tiptoed over to his door and pressed her ear against it, listening intently.

"Boku no te wo nigitte... hanasanaide..." (Hold my hand... don't let go...) Renji's voice warbled, the notes painfully off-key and strained. "Anata to futari de itai kara..." (Because I want to be with you...)

Mai clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a giggle at the awful racket. But the moment the sound escaped her lips, the singing and guitar playing abruptly ceased.

Knowing full well that Renji had heard her laughter, Mai couldn't resist calling out, "Wow, whoever's singing in there has a truly awful voice!"

She waited for her brother's retort, but instead, the door swung open. Caught off guard, Mai nearly toppled forward, having been leaning against the door.

Luckily, she found herself supported by a firm chest. Glancing up, she met Renji's gaze, his cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "What are you, some kind of peeping Tom?" he grumbled, his tone a mix of annoyance and accusation. "Always sneaking around, sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Mai felt a flush of shame, but quickly defended herself. "I couldn't help it! Your singing is so bad, it's impossible to ignore. It's like a car crash—you just can't look away."

Renji rolled his eyes. "That's why I'm practicing, genius. Trying to get better." He started to close the door, adding, "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to it. You do your thing, I'll do mine, and we'll both be happier for it."

As the door clicked shut, Mai pouted, muttering under her breath, "Hmph. Always so full of himself."

She was about to head to her room when Renji's singing resumed. A mischievous grin spread across her face as an idea took shape.

Pulling out her smartphone, she carefully cracked open the door and began recording her brother's less-than-stellar performance.

Lost in his practice, Renji remained oblivious until he caught sight of the door ajar, his sister's phone camera pointed directly at him.

"Seriously, you little brat? You just can't take a hint, can you?" he exclaimed, exasperation clear in his voice.

Mai simply giggled and darted off, leaving Renji to sigh and shake his head in resignation.

As he watched her go, Renji couldn't help but notice the sleek device in her hand.

One thing that had struck him about this world was that despite it being 2008, the technology seemed more advanced than what he remembered from his previous life.

The phone in Mai's hand was the latest model from Toyota.

In this world, Apple introduced the smartphone much earlier—around 2004—prompting numerous companies to enter the market. The fierce competition likely accelerated technological innovation.

Smartphones were widely used, but the latest models came with hefty price tags. Many people hesitated to buy new ones, opting instead to stick with their older devices from two or three years ago.

The phone Mai held, however, came with a staggering price of $1,999.

In contrast, Renji himself owned an older model phone, complete with a physical keypad.

Apparently, the "original" Renji had been convinced that this classic design was far superior to the newfangled touchscreens.

'To each their own, I guess,' Renji mused, turning back to his practice. 'But if I'm going to make it in this world, I might need to get with the times. Can't let a little thing like outdated tech hold me back.'

"Maybe it's time I got my hands on one of those Toyota smartphones," Renji mused, a wry grin tugging at his lips. "Wonder if I could convince my new dad to hook me up."

Chuckling at the thought, he turned his attention back to his practice, his voice and guitar playing slowly but surely improving with each passing minute. Sure, he still sounded like a total newbie, but progress was progress.

[Practice Daily Vocal Exercises — 6/10]

[Practice Guitar — 7/10]

As the clock struck 6:00 PM, the guitar practice meter finally hit 10. A minute later, the vocal exercises followed suit.

"Thank god," Renji muttered, a wave of relief washing over him. The hours of dedicated practice had paid off, and he'd successfully completed his daily missions.

Exhausted but satisfied, he gathered up the tray of snacks and empty cup from earlier and headed to the kitchen to wash them.

Just as he was finishing up, a familiar voice called out from the entryway. "I'm home!"

Renji immediately recognized it as his father, Hoshikawa Takashi.

After placing the clean dishes on the drying rack, Renji stepped out of the kitchen to see his mother, Yuki, greeting her husband with a warm smile and a gentle embrace.

As he studied the man who was his father in this life, Renji couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

Takashi was a well-built man in his late forties, with a head of thick, dark hair peppered with gray at the temples. His face was kind but lined with the subtle marks of stress and long hours spent at work.

'So this is the man behind the small entertainment company,' Renji thought, his mind already whirring with the possibilities. 'With his connections and resources, I might just have a shot at breaking into the music industry.'

It was a tantalizing prospect, one that Renji knew he couldn't afford to squander. After all, in this cutthroat business, it wasn't just about talent—it was about who you knew and what opportunities you could seize.