Chapter 3 : Hoshino Ai

Shandor watched as the girl removed her mask, revealing a cute smile. This girl could sense his gaze on her; discretion wasn't exactly his strong suit.

Making an effort to put a smile on his face, he calmly replied, "There's nothing at all. Just something that surprised me, that's all." Truth be told, he wasn't very sociable with strangers, so that was all he had to say. A trait he didn't inherit from his older brother.

"Oh~ I see ! Even with a mask, I'm cute enough to catch your attention. What a problem !" she said in a cheeky tone. The girl had no shame.

Shandor raised an eyebrow at the statement, not bothering to dispel the misunderstanding. Not that he cared, she remained a total stranger after all.

"You're quite confident," he retorted with a hint of amusement. "But you're mistaken. It's not your appearance that intrigued me, but rather your aura."

"My aura ?" She repeated with curiosity. "What do you mean by that ? Are you a medium or something ?"

Shandor shook his head, realizing he may have said too much. He wasn't accustomed to revealing his abilities to strangers, especially in a world where the supernatural was hidden from human eyes.

"No, nothing like that," he lied effortlessly. "Let's just say I have a good instinct for judging people. And you, you have something special, I can sense it."

The girl blinked, surprised by the unexpected compliment. She felt her cheeks blush slightly beneath her mask, and she bit her lower lip.

"Something special ?" she repeated hesitantly. "Are you trying to flirt with me ?" She simulated a dramatic and frightened expression as she was accustomed to doing.

Shandor burst into laughter, amused by the girl's reaction. He had no intention of flirting with her, but he had to admit she had character and piqued his curiosity. However, he had no intention of playing the gentleman with a 15-year-old girl.

"No, not at all," he replied honestly. "I'm just curious to know who you are and what you do in life. Are you a student ? Singer ? Model ?"

The girl smiled under her cap, flattered by Shandor's interest. She decided to play along and respond with a hint of mystery.

"I'm a bit of all those things," she said mischievously. "But I won't tell you just like that, you'll have to guess."

Shandor shrugged, accepting the challenge. He thought he could spend a little entertaining time with this girl and maybe even learn something interesting.

"Alright, I'll give it a try," he said with a slight smile. "But you'll have to give me some clues ; otherwise, it's too easy."

The girl nodded, delighted to see that Shandor was getting into the game. She thought he was rather cute and charming, and she might have some fun with him.

"Very well, I'll give you some clues," she said with a wink. "But you'll have to buy me a coffee in return."

Shandor laughed again, finding the proposition reasonable. However, he wasn't the type to simply accept a coffee, especially from a young girl.

"Deal rejected," he said, waving his hand. "I'm not interested in kids," he added with a flat expression.

The girl was shocked by Shandor's response, as he had just rejected her without mercy. She felt her pride wounded, and she pouted.

"What ? Are you calling me a kid ?" She exclaimed with indignation. "I'll have you know that I'm 15 years old, a mature and responsible young woman! You talk as if you're ten years older than me!"

Shandor rolled his eyes, finding the girl's reaction exaggerated. He thought she was truly immature and naive and had nothing special about her. Who would propose a coffee to a stranger as a challenge anyway ?

"Fifteen years old ? That's still the age to play with dolls, not to drink coffee," he said with irony. "And you're neither mature nor responsible ; you're just a spoiled and curious kid."

The girl was offended by Shandor's words, as he had mercilessly teased her. She felt her desire to play rise, and she burst into laughter.

"Curious ? How can you say that about me ?" she said with amusement. "You don't even know me, you have no right to judge me!" She maintained her sparkling smile.

Shandor smiled, thinking he was having a good time with this girl. He thought it would be best to leave before the situation became too serious.

"I don't need to know you to know that you're curious," he said lightly. "You're curious with your smile, with your gaze, with your words. But you're a false shy girl hiding behind a mask."

The girl was shocked by Shandor's remark, as he had just unmasked her false facade. Her current expression had become lighter, as if something had broken within her.

Her smile, her emotions, her expression. She had worked hard all these years to be the best idol, but above all, the best liar. She didn't even know what it meant to be happy, let alone to smile.

But now, in front of this man, she had become powerless, and a pressure weighed on her heart, starting to doubt herself. It might seem insignificant, but for her, it was very important to play the role. That a simple guy she had spoken to for the first time could see through her smile was... Sad ?

"How... How do you know that ?" she asked with curiosity despite everything. "Who are you ? What do you want from me ?" Perhaps he was a fan who knew too much ?

Shandor laughed mysteriously, deciding not to continue the conversation as he continued on his way after a few final words.

"I'm someone who knows a lot of things," he said mischievously. "And what do I want from you ? I don't know who you are, so nothing at all. All I have to say is that you should be more sincere with your smile, you know." He didn't turn around to face her, simply taking out a bottle of sake and opening it with his teeth before consuming it.

Ai had put her mask back on to hide her face despite the shock of this conversation. Had she just received a moral lesson from a stranger she had spoken to for the first time? She didn't even know his name !

Looking at the boy's back, she let out a sigh as she regained her radiant smile. She wasn't discouraged in the least.

"What a strange boy," Ai thought as she watched Shandor walk away. "He managed to unsettle me with his words, but he doesn't know who I am. He doesn't know that I'm Hoshino Ai, the greatest idol in Japan. He doesn't know that I am loved and admired by millions of fans. He doesn't know that I am a professional who works hard to achieve her dreams. He doesn't know that I am an actress who plays different roles according to the situation. He doesn't know that I am a liar who hides her true feelings behind a smile. Ah... It's true that he guessed the last point~!" She still maintained her joyful smile without showing any other emotions. Honestly, it could be scary for some. She even dared to proclaim herself as the best idol.

Ai resumed walking, determined to forget this encounter. She told herself that she didn't need the opinion of a stranger on her life. She told herself that she didn't need to be sincere with her smile because it was her smile that made her successful. She told herself that she didn't need to change because she was already perfect.

"I will continue to be the best idol in the world," she said to herself with conviction. "I will continue to inspire people with my voice, charm, and beauty. I will continue to be the girl everyone loves, even if I don't love myself. I will continue to lie, even if it hurts. I will continue to smile, even if it's fake."

Meanwhile, Shandor had no idea of the impact he had made. The man simply enjoyed his "special" drink, unaware of the lingering effect he had on the girl.