Chapter 4 | How to Call an Idol by Name

“It’s too late, Kazu! What’ve you been doing all this time?” Rin’s sharp message hit me the moment I logged into Black Plains.

A grin tugged at my cheeks—her irritation was kind of adorable. It was Saturday, 9:07 p.m., and I was supposed to meet Mizuki-san and Kurumizaka-san to hang out online. Our agreed time was 9:00 sharp, so yeah, I was a tad late. The reason? Simple, if a bit embarrassing. Nerves had my stomach in knots, chaining me to the bathroom until just moments ago. I’m no coward, okay? But think about it—playing an online game with two insanely popular idols? For a gaming addict like me, the pressure was unreal.

I fired off a quick “Sorry” to Rin and opened the gaming chat app on my PC. Selecting the talk room I’d set up with her earlier, I clicked the voice channel and joined. Three names popped up: “Kazu,” “Rin,” and… “Sturmangriff.” Who? Someone’s rocking a fancy foreign name.

“You’re late, Kazu. We’ve been waiting forever, you know?” Rin’s voice came through, cool and composed, a stark contrast to the cute, snappy message she’d sent.

I didn’t pry—Rin’s got her reasons for the shift in tone. More pressing was this Sturmangriff mystery. “Um, who’s Sturmangriff-san?” I asked.

“Yo, yo! That’s me! Kurumizaka Nana!” A booming, energetic voice blasted through my headset, so loud my ears rang.

“Nana, tone it down. You’re too loud,” Rin chided.

“Oh, sorry!” Kurumizaka-san’s voice, as vibrant as ever, carried the same larger-than-life energy she always had.

Curious, I ventured, “Kurumizaka-san, why ‘Sturmangriff’?”

“It’s my cat’s name! Isn’t it cute?” Her bright tone was dead serious, catching me off guard. I’d braced for a punchline, but nope—she meant it.

As I scrambled for a reply, Rin jumped in. “Nana’s sense of style is just… different. Don’t mind her.”

“That’s not true! I’m totally normal!” Kurumizaka-san protested.

…Definitely not normal. A quick online search later revealed “Sturmangriff” meant “assault” in German. What kind of plans did she have for that cat?

“Nana’s already done with the tutorial,” Rin continued. “Sorry, Kazu, but could you head to the starting village?”

“Got it. I’ll be there.” It seemed using player names got old fast, so we switched to real names.

I hopped on a horse and reached the starting village in a few minutes. From what I gathered en route, Kurumizaka-san had finished the tutorial but was still shaky with the controls. So, we agreed to take on weak monsters around the village until she got the hang of it. I guided my character to the central plaza, where a serene village sprawled out. Waiting there were a cute blonde elf archer—Rin—and a hulking, axe-wielding beastman uncle… Sturmangriff.

“…Kurumizaka-san, that’s a gag build, right?” I couldn’t help but ask. Black Plains allowed detailed character creation, and Kurumizaka-san’s character was a muscle-bound brute, clearly maxed out on strength.

“Gag build? Huh? Isn’t this guy cute?” she replied, genuinely puzzled.

“…The heavens don’t grant two gifts, do they? That’s rough,” I muttered.

“Hey, Kazu-kun! What’s that supposed to mean!?” she shot back.

Exactly what I said. Rin cut in, steering us forward. “Now that we’ve confirmed Nana’s weird taste, let’s go hunting.”

“Boo! Rin-chan and Kazu-kun are so mean!” Kurumizaka-san grumbled, her voice dripping with a pout as she followed Rin out of the village.

We soon reached a grassy plain teeming with monsters. “Oh, look! There’s a big, cute cat over there!” Kurumizaka-san exclaimed.

“That’s a saber cat,” I warned. “It’s the strongest monster around here. You can’t beat it yet, so don’t get close—”

“This guy’s so cute! Look, he’s playfully pouncing at me!” she chirped.

“No, Nana! That’s an attack! Run away!”

“Huh? Um, how do I run—oh!”

“Party member Sturmangriff has been defeated.”
The death notification flashed coldly in the chat window.
Barely five minutes after leaving the village, she hadn’t even charged forward—she just stood there and died.

“Nana…” Rin muttered, exasperation lacing her voice.

“Sorry, Rin-chan,” Kurumizaka-san replied sheepishly.

For now, I focused on revenge. My max-level 【Kazu】 swung his sword in a single, fluid motion, cutting down the saber cat. By the way, that saber cat? Not cute in the slightest. Sure, it vaguely resembled a cat, but it was human-sized, with a ferocious face and massive fangs jutting from its maw. Anyone who could call that thing cute probably had a soft spot for even the ugliest kaiju.

“Let’s pull ourselves together and keep moving. Kazu, please,” Rin said.

“Right.”

Somehow, I caught her intent without needing more. I circled the area, swiftly dispatching any monsters that might trouble Kurumizaka-san.

“Oh, I might be able to beat this one!” Kurumizaka-san exclaimed. The massive beastman uncle—her character—swung a huge axe, matching his size, at a puny weasel. But even her normal attacks felt clumsy, occasionally whiffing as the weasel dodged. This wasn’t a click-to-target system, so it must’ve been tough for a beginner like her.

“…Nana is even more…” Rin trailed off, catching herself. “No, I’ll stop there.”

I could guess what she was thinking: Kurumizaka-san might be hopeless at games. Well, probably just inexperienced. While she struggled with the weakest monsters, Rin and I casually hunted nearby ones. No real rewards came from it, but hearing Kurumizaka-san’s cheerful voice felt like enough.

“You two are so in sync,” Kurumizaka-san said suddenly.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You’re giving each other instructions just by saying names, right?”

“Well… the monsters here are weak, so we don’t need complex coordination,” I replied.

“Rin and I have been playing together forever,” I added. “I can tell what she wants without thinking.”

“Exactly. It’s like telepathy,” Rin said proudly.

Kurumizaka-san let out an impressed, “Wow, that’s amazing!”

We kept hunting, chatting casually, until Kurumizaka-san interrupted. “Sorry, I have something to do. I’ll step away for a bit.” She left her seat, still logged in, probably still in the voice channel too. She must’ve planned to return soon.

Just then, my phone chimed on the desk. A message from Kurumizaka-san.

“The mood’s perfect now! It’s your chance to be alone together!”

No need to ask what she meant by “chance.” It was about calling her Rinka.

“That’s too sudden. I’m not mentally prepared,” I typed back.

“You’ll be fine! You were casually calling her Rin earlier, right?”

She was right. I hadn’t even noticed I’d been calling Mizuki-san “Rin” so naturally.

“Just add the ‘ka’! Easy peasy!”

Easy, huh? Now that I was aware, even “Rin” made my nerves tingle.

“What’s wrong, Kazu? You suddenly went quiet,” Rin said, her voice tinged with curiosity.

“Uh, um… Rin, ka… maybe there are seagulls flying?” I stammered.

“Seagulls? Where? Are there seagulls in 【Black Plains】?”

My phone chimed again. Kurumizaka-san’s silent “…” scolded me. I had no comeback. It might just be a name to some, but for a guy like me—who’d only ever played online games and barely talked to girls—calling the popular idol Mizuki Rinka by her first name was a big deal. A normal girl? Maybe I could manage. But her? Nerve-wracking.

“Do your best, Kazu-kun!” Kurumizaka-san messaged.

“I’ll try starting tomorrow.”

“That’s just procrastinating until you never do it, right?”

She was right.

“Just call her Rinka naturally!”

…

A strange haze settled in my chest. Did I really need Kurumizaka-san’s push to get closer to Mizuki-san? Mizuki-san, who liked me so much she wanted to be my wife in real life… Ever since I learned Rin was Mizuki Rinka, my world had shifted. I’d even connected with Kurumizaka-san, someone I’d had no ties with before. That would’ve been unthinkable for the old me.

Above all, Mizuki-san acting like my wife in real life—that was the biggest change. Flustering, sure, but honestly? Fun. It made me happy.

“Yeah, that’s right,” I muttered.

“Kazu? What’s really going on?” Rin asked, puzzled.

Ignoring her question, I solidified my resolve. The week’s events, my memories with Mizuki-san, flashed through my mind. It had been an intense week, shaking my daily life so easily. And she was always at the center. If she was serious about me, shouldn’t I meet her with my true feelings? That’s what equals do.

The pure, untainted connection Mizuki Rinka wanted—despite the undeniable status gap in real life. Even if her tone shifted, Rin and Mizuki-san were the same, always trying to meet me halfway. I still had hesitations, worries lingering. But deep down, I wanted to meet her halfway too.

“Rin… no, Mizuki-san. Can you listen to me for a bit?”

“…What is it?” Her voice carried a hint of tension, sensing my serious tone.

“Honestly, I only thought of you as a close gaming friend.”

“—!” I heard her catch her breath through the headset.

My phone rang. Kurumizaka-san, probably listening in, ready to chew me out for saying something that could ruin everything. But I didn’t need her words. I turned off my phone and pressed on.

“I admire you, but I don’t know if that’s romantic. It might just be idol worship…”

“…I see…” Mizuki-san’s voice trembled, stunned.

But I wasn’t done. I hadn’t spilled all my true feelings yet. “But I want to respond to your feelings. No, more than that, I want to know you better, get closer than we are now. …Is it about commitment? I want to face you properly in real life too.”

“…Huh?”

“So, as a first step… can I call you Rinka?”

I said it smoothly, despite my nerves. A brief silence followed. Just as I feared rejection, her voice came through.

“…Of course, that’s fine. But, um…”

“What?”

“From what I heard, it sounds like you like me, Kazuto-kun.”

“Well… I can’t deny there’s some idol admiration mixed in… You wouldn’t like it, right? If I said yes just because an idol confessed to me.”

“…True, if that were the only reason, I’d be really upset. I believe online games allow for pure connections without extra baggage. If I was only accepted because of my idol status, I’d absolutely refuse.”

Her words came sharp, but softened as she continued. “But I’m certain. You like me for who I am, Kazuto-kun.”

“…Huh?”

“You’re just confused and can’t sort out your feelings. But that’s okay. I understand you better than you do. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“…”

W-Wait a minute… The conversation was veering somewhere strange.

“I heard some men don’t feel like husbands even after marriage,” she said.

“That’s not what I mean. I’m confused because my close gaming friend and a popular idol I admire are the same person…”

And she had extraordinary feelings for me. Who wouldn’t be confused?

“Then I’ll wait,” she said.

“Wait?”

“Yes. I’ll wait until you sort out your feelings and accept our relationship.”

“Th-Thanks…?”

That might’ve been the most reassuring thing she could say. I needed time to face my feelings properly.

“I was shocked at first. You saying you weren’t sure if you liked me.”

“Yeah, well…”

“But your next words made it clear. You love me from the bottom of your heart.”

“Uh, Mizuki-san? Isn’t this conversation looping?”

Or maybe it was a contradiction. I’d said I wasn’t sure if I liked her but wanted to get closer in real life. That’s why I asked to call her Rinka. Yet she insisted on interpreting it as love.

“Well… even if your feelings are just friendship or respect, that’s fine.”

“Huh?”

“It’s simple. As your wife, I’ll become a woman you can’t help but fall for.”

“Uh, sorry, I’m lost.”

“It’s not complicated. We got married before you fell in love, so you can fall in love later.”

Oh, I see. My slightly panicked brain barely processed it. Mizuki-san was still acting like my wife, even now.

“I’m glad you shared your true feelings, Kazuto-kun. It wasn’t the answer I wanted, but… knowing your honest heart means a lot.”

“Mizuki-san…”

“Oh? Did I mishear? I thought you’d call me by my name from now on.”

“…Rinka.”

“…”

“Rinka? You went quiet… Was it bad?”

“No, sorry. I was so happy my breath stopped.”

“W-What’s that supposed to mean…?”

Being so happy your breath stopped just from being called by name? Never heard of that. Did that mean she liked me that much? Thinking about it made my face burn.

“You’ve been agonizing over me, haven’t you, Kazuto-kun?”

“I wouldn’t say agonizing…”

“No, that’s definitely agonizing.”

“…”

I had no comeback. To my pathetic self, Rinka clearly stated her feelings. “You don’t need to overthink it. I’m the one who fell for you on my own.”

“—!”

Fell for me on her own… Those words were precious. No ulterior motives, not drawn to looks or status. She liked me for who I was.

“Also… Nana’s listening to this, right? Pretending she’s not here,” Rinka said, her tone confident.

“Haha, busted?” Kurumizaka-san reappeared with a shy laugh, surrendering to Rinka’s sharpness.

“I heard some faint noises. I don’t know what, but I sense some kind of plot.”

As cool as she looked, her mind was razor-sharp. I doubted she knew everything, but she probably suspected my connection with Kurumizaka-san.

“Sorry, Rin-chan. I didn’t mean any harm by this,” Kurumizaka-san said.

“It’s fine. Whenever you do something weird, it’s always for my sake.”

“Rin-chan…!” Kurumizaka-san exclaimed, touched.

“That said, I don’t like being schemed behind my back,” Rinka added.

“Rin-chan…” Kurumizaka-san’s mood plummeted.

“But, well. If you’re sorry… maybe show a little consideration?”

Consideration? What did that mean? I didn’t get it, but Kurumizaka-san seemed to understand immediately.

“Of course! I’d love for you two to get even closer. So… Kazu-kun, take care of Rin-chan!”

“Uh, take care of what—”

Pirolon♪ Sturmangriff has left the talk room.

Apparently, idols had a habit of hanging up without listening to the end.

“Now, Kazuto-kun,” Rinka said, her tone firm. “You spilled your heart the moment Nana conveniently stepped away. That’s hardly a coincidence.”

“N-No, I mean…”

“You’re going to tell me everything. What you and Nana were scheming behind my back… all of it.”

“…Uh, can we do it in text chat?”

“Why?”

The in-game Rin felt softer, easier to talk to. I couldn’t say that, though. “I thought it’d be easier to explain in text.”

“…Fine, if you insist.”

A chat popped up in the game right away. “Kazu! No more secrets from here on out!”

Yup, this felt right. This was more like it. Alright, I’d spill everything. Now was the time.

“During lunch break the other day, Kurumizaka-san called me.”

“Nana!? Don’t tell me you’re cheating with my best friend…?”

“No, no! Don’t jump to cheating!”

Cheating, huh… No matter what, Rinka was set on being my wife. It was weird, but strangely, I didn’t mind. It even felt reassuring. Maybe because I’d shared all my feelings?

I might not have much weight as a gaming addict, but one thing was certain: when people stripped away excess and shared their true selves, they could understand each other without conflict.

“So, you had nothing with that Kotone girl, and nothing with Nana, right?”

“…She held my hand at first.”

“KAZUUUUUU!!”

I take it back. No need to say unnecessary things.

“We haven’t even held hands yet… Nana stole your first!”

“That’s way too dramatic! It was just a casual fan-handshake vibe, so relax!”

“I’ve decided! I’ll manage your relationships from now on! I’ll check your friend list! Submit a daily schedule too!”

“A surveillance state!? I’ll suffocate!”

Having a wife like this in real life would be exhausting. Oh, she was my wife in real life too. That’s wild.

Thinking that, I typed responses to Rin’s chat. While connected via voice chat, we exchanged our hearts through the game’s chat, just like old times. I knew we’d be together like this forever—