My Wife in The Web Game is a Popular Idol Chapter 1 Episode 2

Chapter 1

Episode 2

TLed by: TanoshiKara

"Mizuki-san sureee is beautiful and cute whenever I look at her"

I was watching a "Star☆Mines" music video on my smartphone while relaxing on the bed in my room. Star☆Mines has five members who are all female high schoolers. They are wearing cute dresses and seem to be dancing happily. As they are a popular group, there would probably be at least once in your life that you will hear of that name.

However, the only person I am paying attention to is Rinka Mizuki. I am a Rinka Mizuki fan rather than a Star☆Mines fan. What got me to be her fan was being in the same class as her. She caught my eye with those exceptional looks and her cool mannerisms. Come to think of it, this was probably the first time that I clearly felt the existence known as an idol. I had no interest in idols before meeting Mizuki-san after all......

However, in the classroom, Mizuki-san's cold demeanor stood out. As she always has an uptight expression and a serious attitude, some students keep their distance from her. You can say that......she dislikes company. That said, as she is a popular idol, her popularity among boys is terrifyingly high. I had seen a variety of boys talking to her in the classroom countless times.

.........Perhaps she is actually going out with someone in secret?, or so there are people who think like that and they are not few in number but there is the Cool-type Idol, Rinka Mizuki. She was only having the most minimal of conversations that was required of her, even with the boys in her class, much less flirting with specific boys.

"Doesn't she just hate boys?" or so a rumor went around as a result.

Well, thinking about it logically, it is probably a measure against scandals. Idols, who have been exposed to having boyfriends, have all suffered backlash after all......

If so, one might ask if she is on friendly terms with the girls but that is also not the case per se. I shall say it outright. Mizuki-san was—being isolated. I think that it is the norm for girls to form groups and act as a group. The same goes for boys but girls especially follow this trend, probably. Regardless of this, it has become a given for Mizuki-san to act alone. Well, the person herself is fine with it so it just might be what she wished for.

However, she seems to be talking happily with a certain girl. That girl is a member of  Star☆Mines as well. It is most likely that Mizuki-san is the type to open her heart to people who she herself has accepted.

If I were to pick another reason for her isolation, it would probably be that her atmosphere feels different from normal people. Shaped by the rough waves of the Entertainment Industry, the bold air of someone who works hard day in and day out. It is clear that the aura that envelops her body is different from us common folk.

Even I, who is labeled by the people around me as a person who cannot read the air, feel that staring at Mizuki-san's back from the corner of the classroom is my limit. That person makes me nervous just by striking up a conversation. A certain paralyzing tension drifts over and makes it hard to talk to her.

"But I would like to at least greet her thoughhh. I want her to say 'Good morning' with that beautiful voice of hers......!"

It is said among the public that among the group, Mizuki-san's singing is the best. It is something that I agree with wholeheartedly. My heart trembles just by hearing her singing.

"Be brave, tomorrow is the day that I try to greet her in the morning......!"

I do not expect us to go all the way and be lovers, but I would like our relationship to reach a point where I can greet her as a classmate. Or so several weeks passed since I had such a wish. I have to say, I am quite the wuss.

*pling*. The notification sound came from my smartphone. It was from the voice chatting app used for games.

The sender of the message is [Rin].

"I'm in already~"

"Oh, it's already this late huh"

The time now is 21:07. As we agreed to meet at 21:00, I am late. I had forgotten about the plans with my friend as I was engrossed in thinking about Mizuki-san.

"Sorry. I'll be on immediately" I replied as I sat in front of my computer and pressed the power button. The computer powers on. Clicking the icon, I booted up [Black Plains], an MMO that boasts an overwhelming degree of freedom.

An open-world game where one can enjoy real-esque graphics, from battling all the way up to everyday life, this is an amazing online game where one is able to enjoy all kinds of roleplay. Some functions even make people link up to their smartphones.

By the way, my player name is "Kazu". The origin of my name comes from my real name. Real name, Kazuto Ayanokouji. In other words, I took the first two syllables of my first name.

When I got on, Rin immediately sent a message in the chat.

"I was waiting~. It's been a while"

"A while you say? We were doing stuff together last Sunday no?"

"Then it's been a week yeah! I have been looking forward for ages to the day that I am able to game with Kazu!"

"Yeah, yeah"

Energetic as usual, or should I say that she sure is upbeat.

This player known as Rin is a friend of mine who I became friends with during the second year of my middle school. I am a second-year high schooler now so......we have actually known each other for four years. I can probably call her my best friend online, right? No, although it is in a game, we are married so it might just go beyond being best friends. At least, Rin holds nothing back and interacts with me in a carefree manner.

"What should we do today? By the way, I'm kinda in the mood for fishing~"

"I want to head to the mines and level up my harvesting skill while collecting ores"

"What should we do today? By the way, I'm kinda in the mood for fishing~"

"Are you a bot!? My request is not getting through though!"

"Let's go fishing"

"Ain't it already forced!"

If that is the case, do not ask 'What should we do today'...... or so I think but I do not say it out loud.

That is us messing around, done in place of a greeting. Rin understands this as well. Although we do not know each other's real-life circumstances, we have built up quite a trustworthy relationship.

"I do wonder what kind of person the real Rin is like"

There was a time when I nonchalantly tried chatting with Rin about real-life topics. But she said that she would like to leave out the real-life topics so I do not pry any further According to her, relationships crumble when information regarding real life is mixed in.

I understand what she was trying to say. This is an extreme but if Rin were a bulky Yakuza1 member with ginormous muscles, I would probably, besides uninstalling Black Plains, utterly smash my computer and do my utmost to keep my distance.

..........Well, anything goes. Whoever Rin is, is none of my business (As long as she is not a Yakuza). Playing the game together with her is fun. That is the most important fact after all.

"Hey, hey Kazu. Let's go out to sea on my boat"

"It'll sink so nah"

"Why did you say such a thing!? It is absolutely fine I say!"

"I heard that line thrice already. And I always get roped into helping to gather repair materials"

"It's fine this time I say! I went to search on a video site about ways to control the boat skillfully I say!"

Rin, the Elf, dressed in a cute outfit, on the screen, showed me a guts pose with her hand clenched. Her avatar gives off an air filled with determination.

"I'm really counting on you okay? Even repairing the boat is troublesome after all"

"Leave it to me! If it's my current self, I get the feeling that I can do anything!"

And so, following Rin, who was filled with an odd sense of confidence, I got on the ship that was probably just slightly larger than a small boat. Getting too far away from land would result in pirates attacking so caution is required.

We stop the boat midway and start fishing.

A carefree chat until the moment a fish bites sureee is enjoyable.

"Say Kazu. I have not heard your apology for being late though"

"I am sorry"

"Why were you late?"

"Because I was watching an idol's music video"

"Ohh. So Kazu had an interest in idols"

"Well yeah"

There were several seconds of silence after my reply. I stare blankly at the fishing line hanging out from the ship into the sea. Rin also shows no signs that a fish has bitten.

"What is that idol's name?"

"Isn't real-life topics prohibited?"

"It's different this time. Tell me"

Somehow or another she is ‘biting on’ quite hard to this topic. It seems what bit was not a fish but Rin.

"It's a group called Star☆Mines. You know of it?"

"Uh-huh"

"I'm a fan of Rinka Mizuki and I have been watching from time to time"

"I see"

"Uh-huh. I am actually in the same class as Rinka Mizuki. Ain't that amazing?" I tried saying it in a slightly bragging manner.

After that, there was no reply. One minute, two minutes, three minutes.....her speechlessness continues. This silence is a troubling kind of silence. Additionally, even as Rin's fishing rod is shaking, showing that a fish has bitten, Rin shows no signs of fishing it up.

Is she away? Huh, at this kind of timing? This is too sudden. Did I perhaps say something bad? It just might be that bragging about being in the same class as Rinka Mizuki was not good.

"Sorry Rin. I got ahead of myself and even said some unnecessary things. I am sorry if I soured your mood"

Let's apologize for now. As I wait for her reply, my mouse gets slightly moist with the sweat from my hand. At the moment when the fish escaped from Rin's fishing rod, a reply finally came in the chat.

"I, am Rinka Mizuki"

......

......Hm?

"Haha. What're you saying all of a sudden? Of course I know that is a lie"

"Third class of the second year. The teacher-in-charge is Mr. Satou. I am sitting at the very front seat two columns from the window"

The text window started steadily filling up with information regarding Rinka Mizuki.

......Y-you are kidding, right? Everything is right though! No, but this person might not be Mizuki-san herself. Might be a classmate.

"Who are you Kazu"

What should I do? Is it alright for me to say? But I do not think that Rin will lie. If so, that will mean that Rin is ‘equivalent to’ Mizuki-san though......

"Can you not believe me?"

After being asked in such a manner, my heart ached from the slight guilt I felt.

I typed in the chat without thinking.

"I am the person sitting at the back of the row of seats by the window," I said, giving a slightly vague reply.

A reply immediately gets sent in the chat.

"Kazuto Ayanokouji-kun then"

"......That's right"

With this, leaving aside whether Rin is Mizuki-san, the probability that Rin is a classmate of mine got higher.

"I am sorry. I will get off now"

"Okay"

Rin's figure disappears from the ship. Is it possible that they got disappointed when they found out it was me? If that is so......I am shocked. I should never have talked about real-life topics if it would become like this. No, didn't Rin say this before? That online game relationships get twisted when real-life circumstances get brought into it. I should have thought more deeply about its meaning.

"I have gone and done it......"

What should I do if I can never play with Rin again?

While I hung my head, regretting my own shallowness, a notification sound rang out from my smartphone.

It was from Rin.

"Will you head to the Cafeteria with me during lunch break tomorrow?"

While trembling from nervousness, I replied "Okay".

What should I do if this really is from Mizuki-san? That will be really darn amazing. Haha............ Let's think about this calmly. Rin is not Mizuki-san. As for why, aren't "The Cute and Pure Rin" and "The Cool-type Idol Rinka Mizuki" totally different in personality! Indeed, a fake............a fake for sure. It is just some classmate of mine teasing me is all.

As I tried to convince myself, I got another message. The title is "I will prove that I am real". I tap it, opening the message. A selfie, with Mizuki-san and her computer in the background, was attached. I got nothing when I tried searching the image online, meaning that it was not an image that was taken from the Cloud.

"F-for real? Is th-this for real......!"

The hand, that was holding my smartphone, started shaking uncontrollably.

The friend that I married in an online game is the one I had admiration for............?

"To think that my wife......in an on-online game is a popular idol.......!"

1 - The term for a Japanese Mafia Group.

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This marks the end of th-, just kidding! The translation will go on! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Also wishing everyone a merry Christmas!