As I had promised Marina, I would work a bit extra today on Saturday after school. I guess she just needs more help, can only imagine what the boss of the livehouse had told her.

Could possibly relate to the live that will be in May, and thus everyone that works there needs to do double time. Well, me and Stephan are just high schoolers, so the boss can't possibly put more work on us, even if we probably wouldn't mind the extra money.

As I pack up my things, take out my outdoor shoes from the shoe lockers and put them on instead, I am soon outside and walking as fast as I can to CiRCLE.

It's the usual when I arrive at the livehouse and go inside-

*BOOM*

...Well, until a stack of boxes suddenly falls over after Marina has tried stacking them.

"Dang it, why can't these just stay on top of each other?!" Marina says in an angry but tired tone, before she notices me. "Ah hey, (Y/N)! Sorry that I suddenly messaged you and Stephan the other day, the boss wanted double time for us that works full-time here, and even suggested you two as well to help."

"No problem really, as long as they plan on paying us more for working a day before the weekend."

"Haha, one can only hope..." Marina replies with a dejected expression. Doesn't the boss pay her and the others well..? "Nevertheless, let's get on with it! Stephan is downstairs working on the live stage we will use for the upcoming event, so you can be the one that takes care of things up here!"

"And that would be?"

"Oh, well, cleaning at most, but you can help with the speakers that will be outside that day!"

"But what if it was raining?"

"And what if you stopped asking dumb questions?"

"Well, no question is dumb or stupid-"

"(Y/N), you are NOT funny. Time is money at work, so... PLEASE JUST START HELPING!"

After getting scolded a bit by Marina for wasting time just wanting to make her feel more at ease, I am moving the big speaker outside that will be playing the various girl bands' songs to attract more audience.

It's just going to be an event for everyone to come to, though they still have to pay for the admission ticket, but it's not going to be pricey according to Marina, or that's at least what she had heard from the boss.

But as I were carrying out the last speaker, I can hear a few foot steps coming this way.

"Hey there, Hulk!" A familiar voice suddenly says as I turn my head to see Tomoe and the others in Afterglow come up to me.

"Ah, hey girls." I say to them as I put down the speaker in its place before fully turning to them. "How come you guys come by here?"

"...(Y/N), I thought that would be obvious?" Himari asks with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh, practice? On a day like Saturday?"

"I see no reason not to do so?" Ran interjects as I shrug before nodding.

"Yeah, fair point. Anyways, Marina should be inside, she will take care of you five."

"Thankies!" Himari tells me as she and the others walks inside, but not before Moca hands me something which looks like a coupon.

"I have saved up a lot of filled out point cards for Yamabuki Bakery over the last few months, so now I am giving them out to as many people as possible. Aren't I great for sharing~?" Moca asks me with an almost smug and proud smile on her face.

"Huh, I would say it's pretty nice. I have never been to Saaya's bakery though."

"Oh? Not even... inside her bakery?"

"What?!"

"What? I was just asking, because then maybe we should take you, and perhaps Stephan as well, there. It smells great in there~"

"Oh, uh, I misunderstood. But yeah sure, testing bread baked in a Japanese bakery could be nice." I tell Moca before she gasps. "What now?"

"You don't eat babies, (Y/N)!"

"So you were making that sort of joke?!"

"Mehehe~! Himari was right, joking with guys is fun~"

Moca soon walks away, but still laughing while I feel a bit embarrased. How did she make me fall for that sort of joke?!

But not too long after, I suddenly get surprised by someone cartwheeling and stopping right in front of me.

"(Y/N)!"

"Kokoro? What are you doing here? And where is everyone else?"

"Oh?" She replies before looking around. "Oops, I must've forgotten to tell them I hand in mind to practice today..!"

"...Well, now when you are here..." I begin as I look around for a bit. "...Do you want to help me and Stephan in the live house, just for today? Uhm... I can give an amount of my salary-"

"Salary? What's that?"

"...Wha..?"

That's all I could reply because... who doesn't know what salary is, even if one doesn't work at the moment..?

But Kokoro asked it very sincere, and the look she is giving me is a look of "Tell me more!".

"Is it some sort of salad? I love all sorts of salad!"

"Oh no, it's the word you use for the money you get from having worked during the month."

"So like, allowance?"

"Yeah, like allowance."

"Ooooh, why didn't you just say that, (Y/N)!"

"Because it's really not the word you use in work life. Anyways, you in?"

"In on what?"

"Helping?"

"With what?"

I could just stand there, dumbfounded at this point, giving her a look like this:

"Ahem... I asked you, Kokoro Tsurumaki, do you want to-"

"You guys are still in highschool, no need to propose now!"

"Shut up, random person! I'll drink your prune juice!" I yell at the person whom suddenly shouted and made the situation even more awkward. "Anyways- Huh?"

Suddenly, Kokoro was gone, before she came out of the livehouse again, sporting a different look.

"Look, (Y/N), I got this t-shirt from Marina!"

"...Guess you are helping in the end." I say, feeling a bit defeated that Marina just did the easy work anyway.

Soon after that, me and Kokoro are fiddling around with the cables for the speakers, and she surprisingly helps very well, which I kind of didn't expect considering how clueless she seemed moments ago.

Though I swear that I felt there were people in the distance watching our every move...

"Ah yeah! (Y/N), I need to ask you something, but it actually has to wait because I want to ask Stephan as well!"

"Well, he has full hands on the live stage, so it might take some time." I tell Kokoro as she just nods before going back to the cable management.

But in the corner of my eye, I can see that someone else walks inside the livehouse, that person being Touko.

Oh boy, that girl is obsessed with Stephan, he has told me already that she has been messaging him over social media. Well, all I hope is that she doesn't disturb him or anything.

Though not too long after Tsukushi comes as well, but she actually greets us two before walking inside herself, but with rather quick steps. As if she has been tailing Touko, for some reason.

"(Y/N), where does this cable go?" Kokoro asks me, interrupting my thoughts and having me back to work yet again.

---

Touko walks down the live stage, smiling at the familiar atmosphere. "Ah, I remember the days before Morfonica was fully formed, this was something else..."

She looks around a bit, before soon seeing the one she were looking. "Yooo, Stephan~!"

"Hm? Oh, hi Touko!" Stephan replies back as Touko giggles while feeling her cheeks heat up like they do as soon as she is with him.

"Whatcha up to?"

"Just doing some painting really, need the live stage and surrounding area to look good after all on the live event." He replies to her as she walks up to him while looking at what Stephan has done.

"Wow, is that... Whoa, it's a butterfly, our band's image! And it looks so cool!"

"Yeah, I got provided by Marina images of each band's logo, including yours, and instead of going for the name's, I figured why not the smaller things that represent you guys?"

"It's an awesome idea!"

"Heh, thanks Touko, I appreciate hearing that." Stephan thanks her as she blushes even more, her cheeks only heating up even more.

"Hmm, what's the heart for?" Touko asks him as she point to the heart close by the butterfly.

"Oh, that's just to show that this live event will unite us all thanks to the love for music and each other as well, either romantically or platonically, friendship or family." He explains to her, before he chuckles. "But who knows, maybe someone will do that cliché thing with writing the first letter in their and their crush's or partner's name in it, you never know."

"Hehe, I... hope that doesn't happen."

"Eh, not the whole world, you know?"

"Mhm... Oh yeah, lemme take a pic of you in front of the mural!" Touko requests to Stephan, which he agrees to.

"Saaay circleeee~!"

"Circle!"

*SNAP*

Touko takes a perfect photo of Stephan with the whole mural in the background. "Let's... Take some closer on you~"

"Oh yeah, sure thing."

With every close up photo Touko takes, she moves closer and closer to him, before realizing how close she actually. "Oh, oops! Hehe, didn't mean to go too close to ya~"

"Nah, it's fine, I don't mind it-"

"Stephaaan, you're too humble! What if someone else does that, like a creepy person?!"

"Oh, well..."

"Well, I would protect ya with my life!"

"Huh..?"

"Oh, nothing~" Touko replies before smiling a bit again, but still feeling so nervous while being with Stephan. "Hey, ya doing something tomorrow~?"

As she asks that, she plays with her a bit while still feeling confident in what she has just asked.

Meanwhile Stephan's heart almost triples in speed that it is beating at, or at least even quicker compared to the other times he is in the presence of Touko.

"Well, apart from playing Fortnite, no, not really."

"Then wanna hang out with me~? We can do anything you want to do!"

"Oh well, you sure about that? I don't often do much when I am hanging out with others and might be boring-"

"You are not boring to me at least." She tells him as she continues smiling at him, before he smiles back at her.

"Well, sure thing then, I will check what there is around Shinjuku then so we can have some plans for tomorrow!"

"Awesome~!" Touko says as she almost goes in for a hug, but stops herself and bows instead. "See ya tomorrow, I will say over messages when you can come~!"

Stephan waves as the blonde gyaru heads upstairs before he sits down in a nearby chair and sink down in it. "...I think I am deeply in love with her..."

But during all that, neither had known that someone else had been watching on and heard and seen everything.

"...I knew it... Am I already too late to tell him..?"

---

"Sup guys, sorry I didn't greet you two earlier!" Touko says to me and Kokoro, but her smile soon fades. "Wait, Kokoro?! Why work, your family is crazy rich, aren't they?!"

"Oh no, I got this from Marina so I could help!"

"And I think it can be good job practice." I tell Touko who seems to think for a bit, before laughing.

"That's still so dumb though! Kokoro has a guaranteed safe pension once she is an old lady!"

"Touko, I don't get it, just how rich is the Tsurumaki family?"

"Weeell, there is the mansion, several Michelle Lands, fundings for like, literally every event Kokoro's band is in, and the suits as well!" Touko tells me as she points to three ladies in black and sunglasses, standing menacingly while looking at us. So there was someone watching me and Kokoro this whole time...

"So, uh, why are they here?"

"Oh, to make sure that nothing too severe happens for Kokoro, and they make sure that anyone that says no to Kokoro's offers changes their minds!"

"Blackmailing?"

"Nah, I dunno really. Let's try!" She says as she turns away from the suits a bit, before giggling. "Ahem... Oh nooo, I am veeery sorry Kokoro, I cannot gooo with you to Michelle Land next week!"

As she was saying that, the suits started approaching the gyaru with great steps, coming closer and closer to her as she is finishing the sentence.

"Touko, what are you talking about? I don't have any Michelle Land invites ready yet!" Kokoro replies as the suits turns around, most likely because it was a false alarm.

"(Y/N), did they start approaching me?"

"Y-yeah, it was kinda scary actually."

"Hahaha, scary? Don't be a wuss, they aren't going to pull out guns or swords to cut you down to size!"

"Whatever..." I just reply to her as she continues laughing, before I remember. "Oh yeah, what were you doing inside?"

"To meet Stephan, duh~" Touko says as her cheeks becomes completely red before sighing. "He's such an angel, but he makes me feel funny and extremely happy every time I meet him though, heh~"

"That... Sounds like love."

"W-well, duh..! I just... wanted to describe it in my own way!" Touko says as she looks at me with an angry expression, before looking away with a more nervous expression.

"I am just surprised you like him so much."

"Shut up! It's just... I feel something in him, and... And I just... Ugh, I don't know!" Touko says as she has a hard time bringing out the right words. "Look, just don't mind, okay?! I want to be with him, enough said."

"And how do you know he won't take advantage of you being pretty rich yourself considering the school you go to and your parents' kimono shop you have told us about-"

"Shut up, shut up, lalalalala!" Touko begins as she holds her hands over her ears.

"Just saying." I simply say before going back to work on the cables as Touko shakes her head and soon goes away, most likely tired to say anything more. Welp, better change the subject. "How much in allowance do you get, Kokoro?"

"Allowance? What's that?"

"Oh for fu-" I manage to say before the suits are by my side all out of sudden, and I slowly turn to them. "...Yes?"

"No swears in front of the Tsurumaki's child."

"That's ridiculous-" But I quiet down at once as one of the suited ladies pulls out a gun and puts it to my forehead.

"At ease, it's just a toy gun." She tells me as she pulls the trigger as it only clicks but nothing else happens.

"...If that is one of your intimidation tactics to give Kokoro what she wants, you all need to be locked in at an asylum."

"It is not. We only bought this gun straight after Touko Kirigaya's daring stunt with trying to make us look like fools."

"Even so..." I reply to them as I shake my head. "Rich people..."

"Maybe, but not all rich people are like that!" Another familiar voice says, and it turns out to be CHU2 a.k.a Chiyu.

"You people just keep on coming, huh?"

"No? I just came by here to check if it was true that the beef jerky here was cheaper than Lawson. Oh and I needed to catch some Pokémons in Pokémon GO."

"Who... Who plays that game in the 2020's?!"

"Me, smartpants." Chiyu says as she looks down at her phone. "Awesome, a shiny!"

"By the way, isn't PAREO usually the one that does things for you?"

"Not always, I am not that lazy! Besides, I am the producer of Raise A Suilen, so clearly I do the most work!"

"Yeah, yeah, as I said, rich people-"

"You still going with that? I am sure I am richer than you~" Chiyu proudly says as I am just, confused.

"...I am just a teenager, obviously I won't be a millionare or billionare unless my parents are such, which they aren't either really."

"So a bit rich at least, hmm? Well, probably not on the level like Morfonica's band members, especially Touko Kirigaya and her parents being kimono shop owners!"

"Far from it."

"Afterwards, Kokoro clearly takes the second place cake, while I am at the first place buffet!"

"But I also want to eat at a buffet..." Kokoro says as the suits goes up to Chiyu.

"Wait, hold on, it was just a way of saying-"

But one of the suits hunches down and takes down her sunglasses to look straight into Chiyu's eyes.

"The Tamade family will never be as rich and mighty as the Tsurumaki family. A puny penthouse does not stack up to a mansion and several summer places in the most expensive parts of Japan." She tells the DJ as she just gulps in response. "Is that clear?"

"Y-yes ma'am..."

"Good. Now, let us take our leave, everything here is in order." The suit lady that had pulled the toy gun at me earlier says as the three retreats, aa quickly and quietly as they had appeared.

"I'm going home now..."

"What, already? What about the Pokémon?"

"What about them?" Chiyu just replies as she with a defeated look walks away.

"Consequences of a winning mentality." I say and shake my head at, before looking back to Kokoro. "Welp, I guess we are done for today-"

I soon get interrupted again as Tsukushi suddenly comes bursting out of the livehouse while covering her face, sounding a bit like she is crying. How did that even happen..?

"Oh poor Tsukushi, she isn't happy... I know, I can send everyone a lot of ice cream!"

"Well good luck, that takes a lot of money- Oh wait, you're rich. Though you don't seem to have an allowance."

"Again, I don't know what that word means! I just get to use my card that has infinite money on it!"

...Oh crap, she has money via her parents at all times, no wonder she can do everything...

"Well, that's nice, Kokoro. But uh, let's concentrate on finishing our tasks for the day."

"Absolutely, (Y/N)!"

---

Later on the day, everyone got not only a simple pack of ice cream, but a whole lifetime supply of ice cream, each, with the first batch of it sent to everyone already on the same day.

Chiyu looks at the batch of ice cream she has gotten, before looking down on the tag that came with the first box;

From the Tsurumaki family's sun jewel to all of you, have a great weekend!

"...Yeah, she really is the richest."

The Rich, Richer And Richest: END