Harem Quest: Love or Escape?

Chapter 9: I Hate This Idol

Chapter 9: I Hate This Idol

Kai had no choice but to go along with Hyo-Rin's wishes. Even though he wanted to escape from this concert, he couldn't. Hyo-Rin's bodyguard—who was as big as a female King Kong—kept holding onto his arm.

"Alright, Bakachin! You and Kitty go watch me from the seats I've prepared for you. It's a VIP section, right at the front, where you can see me clearly!" Hyo-Rin said excitedly.

"Wait—hold on! I don't even know where the VIP section is! I've never been to a concert in my life! And... your King Kong of a bodyguard is named Kitty? That name doesn't suit her at all!" Kai blurted out, completely confused.

"UGH!"

Kitty tightened her grip on Kai's arm, clearly offended.

"Seriously?! Wow, you're such a country bumpkin, Bakachin. But this is perfect! This will be your first concert experience! I'll show you just how exciting concerts can be—and, of course, how amazing I am..." Hyo-Rin flashed a dazzling smile and winked at him.

Kai's face turned slightly red.

"Alright, fine. I'll watch your concert. Just get it over with so I can go home," he said nonchalantly. But deep inside, he was a little curious about Hyo-Rin's performance.

Hyo-Rin giggled, waved her hand, and disappeared backstage to get ready.

"Well... maybe this won't be so bad. I might as well try to enjoy it," Kai muttered to himself.

Hyo-Rin's bodyguard, who had been silently gripping Kai's arm the whole time, suddenly spoke.

"Master rarely looks like that..."

"So you can talk, huh, Kitty?" Kai raised an eyebrow.

"You might be the one who can help her, Bakachin."

"Uh... help her? By watching her concert? Whatever, let's just go to the seats," Kai replied in an uninterested tone, making Kitty sigh.

Finally, Kai arrived at the VIP seats Hyo-Rin had arranged. Just as he was about to sit down, Kitty remained by his side. Instead of letting him sit normally, she made him sit on her lap—to make sure he wouldn't run away.

"Uh... Kitty, I'm not a little kid who needs to sit on his mom's lap in the car. There are plenty of seats here. Why don't you just sit next to me?" Kai felt incredibly awkward.

"Enough talking. The concert is about to start," Kitty replied firmly.

Hearing that, Kai gave up. Sitting on Kitty's muscular lap felt like sitting on a rock—rock-hard and uncomfortable. His legs started to cramp.

He wished he could sit on the lap of a soft, warm girl like Aya. But that was just a dream. Right now, he was stuck with this female King Kong. With a sigh, he accepted his fate.

The concert was about to begin. The dome was now packed with fans, mostly men ranging from teenagers to adults—even some elderly fans were present.

They were all wearing matching outfits representing their fan community, Twinkles Fanatic Family [TFF]. They wore white headbands with star-shaped accessories and held up light sticks in their favorite member's color.

Kai noticed that the light sticks representing Hyo-Rin's color in Twinkles were yellow. What surprised him was that most of the audience had yellow light sticks. This meant that Hyo-Rin was the most popular member of Twinkles.

As Kai was still processing the massive crowd, suddenly, all the lights went out.

Kai panicked for a moment, thinking there was a power outage. But then, a spotlight beamed onto the center of the stage, and the Twinkles members made their entrance with great energy. The music started, and the giant screen behind them lit up, showing close-up shots of the idols.

There were five of them, each looking absolutely stunning. They were dressed exactly like the idols Kai had seen online—wearing stylish black and white stage outfits.

"Twinkles! Twinkles! Twinkles!"

The audience chanted in unison.

Then, the spotlight focused on one girl in the center.

It was Charlotte Hyo-Rin.

She was the center of this performance.

The fans immediately started shouting her name.

"Rin-chan!"

"Hyo-Rin!"

"Charlotte! Cute! Beautiful! The best!"

Kai was stunned.

Hyo-Rin was already beautiful before, but now—dressed in her idol outfit—she looked even more breathtaking.

Her hair was decorated with cute pins, her outfit was stylish yet adorable, and she wore a black ribbon around her arm. The stage lights illuminated her, making her shine.

Kai's heart skipped a beat.

He never expected Hyo-Rin to look this stunning.

"Hello, everyone! We're Twinkles! Tonight, we'll be performing our single [Makenai Love!/I Won't Give Up on Love!]" Hyo-Rin announced cheerfully into the microphone.

"With our beautiful voices and dazzling dance moves—Twinkles, let's start shining~"

As soon as she said that, the intro music began.

The members got into formation, ready to perform.

The members started singing, with Hyo-Rin at the center. Her voice stood out the most—clear, bright, and full of energy. Kai listened intently.

Every morning, I say hi (hi!)?

But you just pass me by ?

Demo ne, I won't cry! (but I won't cry) ?

Zettai akiramenai! (I will never give up) ?

The opening lyrics stunned Kai.

Hyo-Rin's voice was beautiful, cheerful, and powerful. He watched with sparkling eyes, completely mesmerized.

Even if you look away, I'll still be here?

One step closer, I won't disappear?

Motto motto chikaku naritai yo (I want to get closer)?

Dakara nee, matte yo! (So hey, wait!) ?

Kai slowly got caught up in the rhythm. He could hear the passionate chants from the fans, and before he realized it, his foot started tapping along to the beat.

Kitty, seeing this, smiled softly and hummed along.

Then, the song burst into the chorus, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The fans sang along in perfect harmony, their voices echoing throughout the concert dome.

Hyo-Rin and the Twinkles members danced with vibrant energy, their bright smiles lighting up the stage. It was truly a feast for the eyes.

Makenai! (Never give up!)?

Kimi no heart, knock knock (Your heart, knock knock!)?

Itsuka kitto, you'll see?

That you're meant for me! ?

Mainichi okuru LINE (Every message that I send)?

Demo kimi wa ki ni shinai (Kimi wa mada shiranai)?

Demo ne, shinjiteru (But I know in the end)?

Itsuka wa kimi to futari! (You will be right by my side!) ?

The song entered its bridge, yet the entire audience kept singing along, as if this was the happiest moment of their lives.

The spotlight shone directly on Hyo-Rin as she hit a powerful high note, her voice soaring effortlessly. The entire dome fell silent, utterly captivated by her performance.

Kai couldn't take his eyes off her.

Twinkle twinkle, my love shines?

Like the stars up in the sky?

Itsuka wa todoku yo (Even if it takes some time)?

Kimi ni mukau love story! (I will make you mine!) ?

The song returned to the chorus, signaling the approaching grand finale. The Twinkles members danced with flawless precision, flashing their most dazzling smiles at the audience.

Then, out of nowhere—Hyo-Rin looked directly at Kai.

He immediately noticed.

But she didn't look away. She kept singing while holding his gaze, standing under the bright stage lights with a microphone in hand. Her emotions poured into every note.

Makenai! (Never give up!)?

Kimi no heart, knock knock (tok tok!) ?

As she sang, Hyo-Rin formed a heart shape with her hands—and aimed it directly at Kai.

Kai's heart pounded wildly.

He was completely captivated by her beauty.

"This girl... She really just did that in front of everyone. Was that supposed to mean she's knocking on the door of my heart? Does she want me to become her fan? She's seriously stunning. Right now, she's absolutely breathtaking... She really is the perfect idol."

Without realizing it, Kai's words made Kitty smile behind him.

Itsuka kitto, you'll see?

That you're meant for me! ?

No matter how long it takes,?

I'll keep shining bright for you! ?

....

The song ended, and so did Twinkles' performance. They only sang one song—their debut track, which was currently going viral.

The event then moved into the Q&A session. The Twinkles announced that they would be releasing a new song, which sent their fans into a frenzy. Without realizing it, Kai also felt excited—he couldn't wait to hear their next hit.

After everything was wrapped up, the event concluded with the Twinkles members expressing their gratitude.

Hyo-Rin waved to the audience and thanked them.

"Thank you, everyone! I love you all!"

Then, she glanced at Kai and gave him a playful wink. It felt like a massive arrow had just pierced through Kai's heart.

Kai blushed but tried to stay strong. In his mind, he told himself, "Stay strong, Kai! Don't fall for her tricks. This is Hyo-Rin we're talking about! Getting involved with her could be dangerous—"

AHEM!

"It's time to go. Come on, Bakachin, we're meeting the master," Kitty said while forcefully dragging Kai along. He had no choice but to follow, completely resigned—like a kitten being carried by its mother.

After walking for a while, Kai realized that Kitty wasn't leading him toward the stage but instead toward a small alley near the concert dome.

This confused him. "Hey, Kitty, isn't the backstage area in that direction? Why are we leaving the dome and coming to a place like this? Do you need a snack or something?"

Kai tried to joke, but Kitty didn't respond. She simply gave him a sharp look and said, "This is the right place. Master told us to come here."

A bad feeling crept into Kai's heart. Something felt off. Then, a realization struck him—this was just like in that trashy harem novel written by Goddess of Love! In Arc 2, there was a moment when Haruto, the original protagonist, accompanied Hyo-Rin after watching her concert.

That was when Haruto discovered Hyo-Rin's terrifying secret.

Kai immediately wanted to run, but Kitty's grip was too strong.

"Why are you in such a hurry, Bakachin? Answer me—what did you think of my performance?"

Out of nowhere, Hyo-Rin appeared, wearing a black cloak with the hood up.

"Huh? Ah... it was... great! Yeah, you did great!" Kai struggled to come up with a better response, too busy panicking and trying to escape.

"Just great? That's all?" Hyo-Rin's eyes turned cold, completely different from the bright, cheerful look she had on stage.

"Fans? Hah! Just because I watched your concert once doesn't mean I'm your fan. Besides, you already have so many fans. I'm not that important, right? So, just let me go!" Kai blurted out, desperately trying to come up with an excuse.

"Oh, really...? There's no way a man could watch my performance and not fall for me. Tell me the truth, Bakachin! You're actually a spy from that criminal group in Japan, aren't you? I received intel that there's a spy at school, and I suspect you."

Hyo-Rin's gaze sharpened as she stared at Kai.

"A spy?! What kind of nonsense—? I have nothing to do with the Yakuza Baddie Group... oh, crap—"

Kai immediately regretted his words. He had just blurted out the name of the criminal organization—Yakuza Baddie Group (YBD)—the very group that was after Hyo-Rin!

YBD was a notorious gang that targeted beautiful women and famous celebrities, kidnapping them, forcing them into drug addiction, and then selling them into a life of dependency and control. Rumors even said they were involved in human trafficking alongside the drug trade.

"Yakuza Baddie Group? Funny. I never mentioned their name, but you already know exactly who I'm talking about," Hyo-Rin said, smirking. "I knew it! Any man who doesn't fall for me after seeing my performance must be a normal guy. You're definitely planning to ruin me with drugs and sell me off, aren't you?! You disgusting creep, you filthy otaku, you bastard!"

Hyo-Rin pulled down her hood, revealing a tight black spy suit underneath. Then, she pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at Kai.

Kai froze in terror. He knew Hyo-Rin was one of the heroines in that ridiculous harem novel written by Kamiyama Ai, the Goddess of Love. But she was also a top-secret agent—working under a joint operation between the U.S. and Japanese governments, assigned to take down YBD.

Her fame as an idol had drawn YBD's attention, which was why she was so suspicious of anyone unusual.

Kai's face went pale. "What kind of logic is that?! Just because I'm not your fan, you assume I'm a criminal?! That makes no sense! There are plenty of people who aren't your fans! Are Cristianson Ronaldso and Rionel Messy your fans? Is Zonald Trumph your fan?! Is my grandfather your fan?! That's ridiculous!"

Hyo-Rin smirked. "Yes, they're all my fans."

She then raised her gun, ready to shoot.

"HUHHH?!! I can understand if the others are, but my grandfather?! How the hell do you even know that?! Enough! I'm out of here!"

Kai spun around and tried to escape, but Kitty blocked his way.

"I'm sorry Bakachin." Kitty said that with a sad face.

Realizing there was no way out, Kai turned back—only to see Hyo-Rin pulling the trigger.

"DIE, YOU CRIMINAL! This is for all the girls you and your gang destroyed!!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Hyo-Rin fired three shots—one at Kai's head and two at his chest. Her movements were precise. She was clearly trained to kill.

A ridiculous misunderstanding had just cost Kai his life.

As his vision darkened, his last thought was: "Seriously... this is why I HATE Hyo-Rin in that trashy harem novel... Damn it..."

Suddenly, a notification appeared before him:

[Hyo-Rin hates you. Mission failed!]

[Penalty applied! You have died!]

[Skill activated: Returning to Checkpoint!]

....

Kai snapped back to reality. He clutched his chest and head where he had been shot, drenched in sweat and trembling with fear.

"Why are you in such a hurry, Kai? Answer me—what did you think of my performance?"

Once again, Hyo-Rin appeared before him, dressed in the same black cloak.

Kai had returned to the moment right after the concert—the checkpoint.

His mind went blank. How was he supposed to get out of this situation?!

Inside his head, Kai screamed:

"Damn it! Stupid harem novel! Stupid goddess! Stupid Hyo-Rin!! I HATE EVERYTHING!!"