Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Alright! I’m back home looking forward to a warm bath and to start catching up on my new fave show, Love is Blind!” The idol paused. “Hmm I think I’ll cut it here; we had a fun day of modeling that new Fall line and checking out the city! As always, thank you so much for tuning in. I try to read up on all the comments you all leave for me on my different platformers, so your encouragement is always very appreciated. See you again soon! Misa Misa signing off!”

The blonde model held a toothy grin at her phone before tapping the screen to end the recording. 

Geez, seven hours of footage. Sorry Matsuda! I’ll have to send him some extra pastries for the editing work he’ll have to put in for this one.

Seven minutes and a tubful of water later, Misa Amane was finally in a bath and off her feet, exhausted from a long day of shoots and signings. As with most days, this day was long and hectic, but she was grateful for the life she got to live. Things were pretty comfortable thriving in C-lister stardom. Out the door every morning by 7am, she was a tight-schedule train of stops all across Tokyo’s entertainment hotspots until returning home at 7pm with sighs of relief and hours of footage for her personal video journal project. 

For Misa, it wasn’t about “growing the brand” or “audience engagement.” She just wanted to give her supporters a glimpse into her life, to see that maybe the idol wasn’t so different from the average person, at least aside from her busy-ness. Misa’s PR team never asked her to start filming or doing any of the posting herself, but after seeing the public support and demand after her first personal video, they were hard-pressed to say anything short of total approval (so long as she was “brand safe”).

Though long baths spent phone-scrolling were a luxury enjoyed quite frequently by the idol, it was a pastime she never grew tired of. The only catch, though, was that– 

Ugh this season of Love is Blind is already boring me. My favorite couple already blew it and nobody else has remotely the same chemistry. Not to mention the fact that– 

Misa was infamously difficult to keep entertained.

Maybe I’ll just find something quick on Youtube for tonight, and I can just find a new show to binge later. Let’s see here…Disneyland video essay… true crime podcast …Happy Sweets cooking hour…These all sound boring! There’s never anything good on TV, and now YouTube too? Maybe I’ll just scroll Tiktok for a while…

After a couple dozen exasperated scrolls through each of her self-labeled “entertainment” apps, Misa lastly opened Twitter to check in on what her fans had to say about some of her most recent posts. 

All that she (and her PR team) had posted that day were just a few candids from her photoshoot with Eighteen magazine, but her fanbase of self-proclaimed “Misa’s Minions” were more than happy to chime in with positive words for the idol. She’d go through and give some of her favorite comments a Like, a simple but genuine gesture of appreciation toward her fans. She wouldn’t be anywhere without their unwavering support, a fact she made sure to never let herself forget. 

After scrolling her phone for some time, she noticed her fingers starting to get wrinkly from time overdue in the bathwater. With a drawn out sigh, she put down her phone on the nearby end stand to get herself out of the water.

For Misa Amane, the end of this day was simple and uneventful, just like any other. She drained her bath, got herself ready for bed, then quickly fell asleep within minutes of her blonde hair resting on the pillow. Misa knew this nighttime routine all too well, one of the few constants in her otherwise pleasantly chaotic life. What Misa didn’t know, however, was that this would be the last uneventful evening she’d have in a very long time.

Chapter Text

Touta Matsuda wiped the sweat from his brow and adjusted his hastily-knotted tie as he rushed across the busy Tokyo crosswalks. Life as Misa Amane’s personal assistant was plenty of things, but laid-back certainly wasn’t one of them. The dark-haired twenty-something didn’t mind it though; Matsuda liked to feel useful, and he liked to be around the cheerful idol’s infectious positivity.

As a longtime family friend to the Amane household, Matsuda had doted over the peppy blonde for years, especially after the incident. While he never really got the whole “idol fever” that so many of Misa’s supporters claimed to catch, he was the blonde’s number-one fan nonetheless. When her career was finally starting to kick off and she was advised to find an assistant she could trust, Touta Matsuda was the first to receive the call those years ago. 

“Matsu, Matsu! I’m so excited, you’re never gonna believe what just happened! I really hope you’ll be able to say yes.”

“Whoa, slow down there Mimi! One thing at a time,” the brunette chuckled into his cell phone. “What’s the big news?”

“Remember those Nivea commercials I landed? And those holiday jingles I got to help sing? Turns out this big talent agent guy had noticed me and he thinks I should audition at his management company!” exclaimed the starry-eyed girl. “And he asked if I knew anyone close to me who I'd want as my personal assistant to help me out and go with me to events. Is that something you'd wanna do?” 

“Of course! That’s incredible Misa! I mean, I knew you always had it in you to land a big break like this but wow, this could really turn into something!’ Matsuda beamed. Excited as he was though, a worrying thought struck him in that moment. “This does sound a little too good to be true though…Misa, are we sure this guy’s legit?”

“I thought the same thing! But I looked him up online and he’s definitely in the business! And where he recommended I audition? Amuse Inc!

“Wait really?! They’re the ones who signed Perfume! And Babymetal! That’s the real deal, Misa! This could be the big leagues…this could actually be your big break!”

And surprisingly, it really was. The odds of “making it” in the entertainment industry (especially for a wannabe idol) were incredibly slim, but after everything she’d been through, Misa Amane was someone due for a stroke of good luck. One promising gig led to another and before long, ordinary-man Matsuda found himself on set at the latest Popteen photoshoot, an iced coffee in one hand and a certain idol’s itinerary in the other. 

“Ugh finally! I thought that shoot was never going to end” Misa groaned with an exasperated sigh as she and Matsuda made their way to his humble sedan. 

“No kidding,” the dark-haired man deflatedly added. “The Popteen reps said the shoot would go until three at the latest. And to think I thought we might get a free afternoon for once; I can already see the sun starting to set. Still though…good job today Mimi!”

Though exhausted, the two shared a proud smile after another long day’s work. After opening the passenger-side car door for Misa (as he always insisted), Matsuda asked her an all too familiar question.

“So whatcha hungry for?”

The idol scrunched her nose. 

“Hm…Oh! How about steak? I don't care where it's from or what else it comes with. And make sure to get dessert with it!”

“You're the boss! I'll call ahead so it'll be ready for pickup when we swing by on the way home.” 

And with that, the duo’s daily winding-down ritual began. On a less exhausting day, Misa and Matsuda might have taken a stroll through the bustling downtown, browsing shops and food stands along the way. After a busier day like today, though, the two would waste no time getting some dinner and heading straight back to their respective abodes for some much needed R&R. 

As Matsuda drove to the restaurant, Misa whipped out her phone to begin her usual updates with her fans. Whether it be a seven hour vlog or a two sentence tweet, the blonde made a conscious effort to touch base with her supporters whenever possible. While she often aimed to record a few hours of footage for her fans each day, today was definitely just a two sentence tweet kind of day:

“Keep an eye out for Popteen magazine these next few weeks! Had a great time shooting with them today, you should see me in one of their issues soon :)” the idol read aloud as she typed. “How’s that? Not too stuffy or too professional?”

“Sounds good to me!” Matsuda replied as Misa nodded and posted it. “By the way Misa, we’re almost at the restaurant. I’ll go in and pick up the order while you wait–”

“No, I’ll go with you! I heard you ordering on the phone, it’s a lot to carry all by yourself!”

“But–”

“No ‘but’s! Just because I’m an idol doesn’t mean I’m above being helpful!”

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes and surrendered with a smile. For as long as Matsuda had known her, Misa Amane was infamously stubborn when it came to helping. It was one of many traits that he had come to admire in the blonde after years of looking out for her and later working by her side. 

“Thanks for the lift, Matsu!”

“No sweat Mimi! I know we’re free tomorrow, but just give me a ring if you need anything! See you around!”

“See ya!” Misa hollered from her doorway, waving happily as her partner-in-crime drove off.

As the idol stepped into her home and began setting her food down, she considered booting up a quick livestream, just to talk about the day since she was unable to nab any footage earlier. First though, she had to check online and see how her supporters were responding to both herself and her management team. 

As for the management team, it was nothing out of the ordinary regarding posts and responses. Songs, merchandise, poster signing events, etc, followed by a small handful of enthused Misa hyper-fans who reveled in commenting under every post related to the idol. 

Misa soon noticed something odd, however. Strangely enough, the innocuous two-sentence tweet she’d sent earlier was blowing up. Hundreds more comments and retweets than usual, especially for what she thought to be such a plain and simple post:

Keep an eye out for Popteen magazine these next few weeks! Had a great time shooting with them today, you should see me in one of their issues soon :)

That was it, nothing more. And the comments themselves only served to puzzle her further. 

“So sorry for your loss! I hope they catch the guy!”

“Like this tweet if you came from L’s latest episode!”

“I don’t know why you all comment here as if she reads these, probably some shill management old guy pushing her brand” 

“All of our hearts go out to you Misa! After hearing what happened with your parents on the latest Open Case, I can’t even imagine. We’re here for you! <3”

Misa Amane blinked, her hands becoming unsteady. 

“What happened with your parents”?! That was years ago, before I'd even thought of becoming an idol. NOBODY is supposed to know about any of that, especially not these strangers... Where did all these people even come from? I don’t recognize almost any of these usernames. “L’s latest episode”? “The latest Open Case”? 

Panic. Anger. Fear. Above all…Confusion. 

“What is going on…?”

Chapter Text

Watari’s eyebrow raised as he noticed a particularly eye-catching email in his grandson’s inbox. Adjusting his glasses, the elderly man read the message with disbelief before calling out for its intended recipient on the other side of the room.

“Sir, you might want to take a look at this. It's been sent to the inbox just tonight.”

A nearby young man, gangly and awkward in his posture, finished the last quarter of his Kit-Kat bar with a decisive chomp. As he slowly rose from his chair before shuffling over to the old man seated at the computer desk, he brushed the unkempt medium-length black hair out of his eyes.

“What’ve you got for me, someone sending in a new case?”

“No sir, it's someone asking to speak with you directly.”

“Hm? Watari, you know we don't interact with the listeners like that. Besides, I can’t be bothered with entertaining some stranger right now; there are still too many details in the Amane case that I haven't quite figured out. We don't even have a clue on–”

“Well that's just the thing. You'll want to see who's asking to speak with you.”

The young detective cocked his head. 

“Please, read it for yourself,” the grandfather insisted politely.

Curious, the young man perched himself on a chair in front of the monitor as he read:

Subject: ITS MISA AMANE I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU IMMEDIAT

The subject line cut off there. The hobbyist detective’s eyebrow raised, scanning the sender’s email address expecting some kind of trickery or sign of impersonation. 

“ [email protected] ” the young man read aloud with a hint of amusement. It clearly hadn't come from any official idol management, nor was it even attempting to be taken seriously. He read on:

“I FOUND THIS EMAIL FROM A GOOGLE SEARCH, IT BETTER BE YOU. I DUNNO WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE BUT WHATS YOUR PROBLEM? WHY ARE YOU TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT MY PERSONAL LIFE? I HAVE WEIRDOS IN MY COMMENTS TALKING ABOUT MY PARENTS DYING, THATS NOT SOMETHING I WANT STRANGERS KNOWING OR REMINDING ME ABOUT. HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THAT? 

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ASAP, I HAVE QUESTIONS. IM USUALLY ONLY FREE AT NIGHT. PLEASE RESPOND”

The messy-haired detective blinked as he turned to his assistant.

“Well, this is something, though it's not entirely a first. We’ve had our share of jokers reaching out to us because of the podcast, but nothing this… ambitious. What do you think, Watari? Do you think it could actually be her?”

“I’m unsure. It could very well be some prankster as we've seen before, but I am curious about something. Assuming it could actually be Misa Amane here, I’m surprised how anything you'd talked about could have gotten back to her. You didn't name her in that video of yours did you?”

“That's right, I make a point to keep everything anonymous. I did mention though that the case surrounded a future idol whose parents had been murdered in Kyoto. Even having not mentioned names or dates, I worry that some of the more zealous viewers could have cross-referenced every murder in that region over the last several decades or so with the last names of hundreds of idols. That, or Miss Amane must have simply shared details of her childhood and parents during one of her numerous livestreams.” 

The black-haired detective stared at the computer screen in deep thought. With the faintest smile across his lips, L began to type. 

“...but the killer’s identity remains a mystery, as do the circumstances of the break-in. The causes of death don’t appear to suggest premeditation, but rather an unfortunate result of the struggle ensuing after the parents confronted the intruder. That said, the motivation for the break-in is unclear. The small Kyoto family was by no means wealthy, leading me to believe the break-in may have been some sort of personal vendetta. That is all I've concluded so far. I am still uncovering new information, as the small scale of the case leaves much to be unearthed. As always, I will post an update should a breakthrough be made. And if you have any new cases in mind or info on cases I've discussed here, feel free to submit them here to Open Case via the email in the description below. Thank you.”

Misa Amane sighed loudly in her bathtub as she finished watching the latest episode of the true crime podcast video on her phone. As she'd feared by the halfway point of the faceless video, there was nothing in the episode itself that actually identified the Amane family as the victims of that home invasion. In fact, particular attention seemed to have been paid to make the victims as anonymous as possible, even refusing to mention any publicly available information like names or dates. 

However, one quick glance at the video’s comments explained everything. 

“Wait who could this be about? Think it's about any current idols? This could be something decades old.”

“Most idols make a point not to talk about their families or where they grew up, this could be anyone.”

“Wait, I remember on one of Misa Misa’s streams, she talked about growing up in Kyoto! Anyone else think it’s her??”

“I was just thinking her! Misa has always said how tough it is without her parents’ support, but she never said why!” 

“I just looked up Kyoto obituaries with the name Amane and sure enough, there's a married couple who were killed by an intruder who was never caught! It's gotta be her!”

“Poor Misa Misa! She needs our support! This must be so hard on her <3”

And you weirdos aren't making it any easier. Me and my stupid mouth…

The idol slumped further into the tub and blew a few bubbles into the water, frustrated both with the ever-nosy Internet crowd, as well as with herself. 

I really should have watched that guy’s video before I'd sent him that email. Not to mention how unprofessional I must've come across, ugh. Here's hoping he just never –

* ding* 

Misa rolled her eyes at the timing of the email notification on her phone. Sure enough, there was that response from “Ryuzaki’s Open Case Submissions.” Expecting to be scolded or mocked for her previous message, the idol opened the message dejectedly.

Re: ITS MISA AMANE I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU IMMEDIAT

“Alright then, ‘Miss Amane.’ If it really is you, you'll have no trouble sending some sort of proof. Please send a photo of yourself wearing something the real Misa could never wear in public, perhaps something a bit less family-friendly than what we usually see from the idol. 

Additionally, you'll need to be in some unique pose that couldn't be photoshopped easily; I'm thinking one arm raised above your head holding up four fingers while the other hand is on your rear. 

If you can prove you're the real Misa Amane, I’ll do everything I can to make sure those comments go away.

I await your response.

-Ryuzaki”

The idol was stunned. Was this some joke? 

“A bit less family friendly”? “Hand on your rear”? Who the hell does he think he is? He must really think this is all some strange joke; this request is ridiculous!

Still though, Misa could already anticipate the headache with her management team the next morning if all those comments were to stay up everywhere. A part of her just wanted all of this to be done and over with, but she would need this “Ryuzaki”’s help.

After a moment in thought, the blonde got up from her bath, determined.

“Sir, that was an awfully…bold email to send,” Watari remarked, still occasionally surprised by his grandson’s antics.

“I'm well aware. Of course I’d never speak to the real Misa Amane this way, but I’m ninety-six percent certain this is just another online nobody looking to capitalize on the situation for some attention. I'm curious though; I wonder if they'll attempt some shoddy photo-editing to try to keep the facade going rather than admit defeat.”

“But sir, what if it really is her?”

L paused, halfway through unwrapping a chocolate bar.

“I truly don't expect–”

*Ding* 

There it was, another email from [email protected] . This time, with a photo attachment. 

Subject: Good enough for you, perv?

L and Watari quickly exchanged wide-eyed glances before the detective hesitantly opened the email in question. 

The image loaded.

L’s mouth hung agape, while Watari did his best to stifle a hearty chuckle.

The computer monitor showed an unmistakable photo of the idol, adorned head-to-toe in a modest bathrobe, her iconic blonde hair wrapped up in a towel. As for her pose, Misa indeed held four fingers above her head as requested. As for the other hand though…

A middle finger, facing the camera directly, complemented by a smirk worn proudly by the bare-faced idol. 

The dark-haired detective was stunned, but couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of it all. There was no doubt; that was the real Misa alright. He scrolled down to the rest of her email:

“A deal’s a deal! I proved it's really me, so can you please deal with those commenters? I can delete the existing comments, but what we need is to stop future ones.

Also I’m sorry I reached out to you before watching your video myself. I appreciate you keeping everything anonymous, and it was mostly my fault that everyone was able to link things back to my family. Any help with all of this would be really appreciated.

-Misa”

The detective sat in silence for a second before turning to his grandfather. 

“Watari, any chance we could do something about that original obituary? As well as making up some tangential falsified articles? It seems Misa hasn't given any public response or reaction, so I think we might be able to convince these people that they're wrong about anything from that case being linked to her.”

“I'll get right on it, sir. And what will you do?”

Chapter Text

Misa Amane awoke to a blaring nightstand alarm at 6:30 in the morning, feeling worse than she looked (and looking exhausted). 

I must've slept maybe an hour last night with everything going on; I couldn't relax at all. That stuff with my parents being dug up, that Ryuzaki guy, worrying about the interview…

“ The interview!” the idol gasped. 

Wiping the sleep from her eyes before smacking both cheeks to jolt herself awake, the blonde quickly hurried out of bed.

The previous night:

RE: Good enough for you, perv?

“I will take care of it, Miss Amane.

-Ryuzaki”

The idol laid wide awake in her bed, staring at the curt response on her phone, unsure how to feel. Childish as it may have been to want, some part of her was hoping for more of a reaction to her little photo attachment spectacle. All the same though, she was always grateful for anyone in her corner.

Misa was tempted to ask how some random YouTuber would be able to do anything about the hundreds of fans gossiping about her dead parents across multiple social medias and forums, but she resisted the urge to respond. 

Gah I hate feeling so helpless…but if I get wrapped up looking at everything online again, I'm gonna lose my mind! I'm just gonna put my phone down and lay in bed so I can–

*bzzt bzzt*

“Schedule Manager Cell” her phone displayed as it vibrated. 

The idol threw her head back in exasperation. Bracing for a long-winded diatribe about everything going on online, Misa exhaled before answering.

“Hello sir, what’s up?”

“Misa Amane! I hope I didn’t wake you; I know it’s late.”

The idol glared at the “1:37” at the corner of her phone screen.

“....not at all. So what's going on, everything okay?” she replied, her cheery voice masking her anxieties.

“Absolutely! In fact, I believe I may have a bit of an opportunity for you, though if you’d like to decline, that is alright as well. It’s extremely short notice…the ‘tomorrow morning’ kind of short notice. Still interested?”

“Hmm…it depends. What’s the gig?”

“So NHN News 6 had an hour segment lined up for tomorrow morning, some interview piece. Thing is, their guest canceled super last minute, and their usual backup entertainment is out of the country. They've been calling around trying to–”

“I'll do it! What time’s it at?”

“Oh! I didn't think you'd agree, that's wonderful! I'll let them know right away Misa. Interview at 8, be there no later than 7:30. I'll also let Mr. Matsuda know, and he’ll pick you up tomorrow morning around 7.”

Ooh right, sorry Matsu! So much for our day off. I could really use the distraction though, and I can never pass up an interview…

Misa didn't get much rest. 

And with Matsuda en route to pick her up any minute, the idol didn't have time to mourn the loss of her beauty sleep. 

Today was an interview day, and the blonde couldn't afford to show up as anything but a lovably-put-together and surprisingly-intelligent young woman. Misa Amane herself knew that she was genuinely both of those things, but every talk show was a new chance to stubbornly push back against public perceptions that might assume otherwise.

Okay, their network scheduled us to go live pretty soon after we make it there, but the drive is about a half hour or so. I don't know what the studio’s makeup situation is with such little time… I’ll do most of my own makeup in the car just in case. Let's see, what else, what else–”

*ding*  

The doorbell rang. 

“Moooorning, Mimi! Just letting you know I'm here with the car whenever you're ready!” Matsuda sleepily hollered from the front porch. 

And with that, the idol grabbed her things and jolted out the door with a huff.

“You feeling okay Misa? You haven't said a word and right now you're kind of…intense.”

“Oh! I'm sorry Matsu,” the idol replied sheepishly as she rummaged through her makeup bag. “With the rush from this morning and having barely slept at all with everything that happened last night, I'm just a bit on edge. But I'm okay, no worries here!”

“Last night?,” the brunette man stated inquisitively. 

While Misa was grateful that it seemed no one in her sphere was too aware of the potential incident from the previous night, it was slightly concerning to her that hundreds of comments about the death of her parents went mostly unnoticed by anyone she worked with.

For once I’m glad I was so paranoid checking all my socials even after the day was over. I love my team to death but…I really can’t afford to let up even a little I guess.

“It’s…kind of a long story,” Misa nervously chuckled. “Do you know that Open Case channel on YouTube? It's–”

“Oh yeah he's great! I don't have time to watch much these days but every now and then I'll binge a couple hours of his stuff. That Ryuzaki guy is pretty smart!” 

Misa blinked. “You know this guy?”

“Of course! I mean not personally obviously, but his channel is pretty popular in that kinda crowd, true crime and unsolved mysteries and all that. Some of what he deduces goes way over my head, but I've always been a little fascinated with detective work and what the bad guys are thinking!”  

Matsuda’s exuberance on such a random topic caught the idol off guard.

“I would've never guessed ol’ Matsu was into that stuff. Still learning new things about you,” Misa chirped with a grin.

“What can I say, I'm full of surprises! So what happened last night, stayed up late going through his channel?” the driver inquired. 

“Well not exactly…”

Matsuda’s face was a whirlwind of expressions as Misa recounted the evening she’d had. 

“Geez Mimi! I’m so sorry; that's gotta be rough seeing all the old Amane family stuff dug up again,” the driver sympathized. “But wait, you actually had contact with Ryuzaki?! He's one of the most secretive content creators out there. I've never heard of anyone hearing back from him, let alone going back and forth like that! So what did he do next?”

“Huh?”

“Ryuzaki told you he'd take care of it right?” I'm assuming he meant all the comments and fans gossiping around on your socials.” 

“Oh that's right, I haven't checked since last night!” Mimi exclaimed as she pulled out her phone, first opening Twitter and returning to her most recent post where those initial comments had poured in. “Oh my god…”

“What is it?!”

“Almost all of those comments are gone! But it says they were each deleted by their original posters, not that they were struck down. Why would people take down their own comments…” 

Misa scrolled further before something else caught her eye, reading aloud what she saw as Matsuda continued driving to the television studio.

“Did you all hear about what happened to her parents on the last Open Case?”

A comment about the incident that hadn't been deleted. But what caught her eye was the handful of responses to that comment. 

“Dude that got debunked already lol”

“Just because she doesn't show her parents doesn't mean they're dead in some conspiracy, moron.”

“Actually the obituary dates don't even line up at all with any possible ages of the parents. Not to mention there's hundreds of people with the last name Amane and there could be other idols with the same last name but different stage names all the time. insane stretch to assume that the Open Case was about Misa Misa’s family just because he mentioned it might be a former idol lmao” 

Misa’s brow furrowed. She frantically looked up the public records of her parents and sure enough, the years didn't line up at all. The site now stated they'd passed years before Misa was even born. 

“I’ve looked at these records years ago though, and the dates were correct. Did Ryuzaki–”

“Sorry Mimi, but we’re here!” Matsuda announced as he pulled into the studio parking lot.

“Everyone! We’re live in five minutes, get to your places!” 

The set was abuzz with stagehands and assistants zipping around, and Misa Amane was at the center of it all. Morning talk shows were never the idol’s favorite (on account of needing to be awake and perky so early in the day), but today, the chaos of show business was a welcome return to familiarity, as well as yet another proving ground for the young woman. 

I still don't even know how Ryuzaki did so much overnight; how can some Youtuber even change a public record like that? Let alone changing so many people’s minds about the rumors so quickly…He did say “we” in that one email; he must have a team of some kind. But also, how did he even hear of that case in the first place? It was such a small story, so long ago too. Could he have heard about it from someone who knew my– 

“Misa? Misa, you ready?”

A stagehand’s words snapped the idol out of her thoughts. 

I can figure that all out later. One thing at a time!

The blonde nodded at him as she took in her surroundings one last time before showtime. The talk show set was simple, with herself in an upholstered chair at stage left, a modest coffee table serving as a centerpiece, and then three more matching chairs facing her from stage right. Filling those seats were the show’s three hosts: a clean-cut man and woman in their late-twenties, and then a somewhat disheveled elderly man sat between them. 

“Don't worry, it's pretty relaxed and free-form around here,” the young hostess assured the idol. “We've got our little introductions for ourselves, then we’ll cue you to introduce yourself. We’ll ask pretty generic stuff: maybe what you do, what you like, whatever’s on your mind lately, the usuals. And honestly, that should be everything Ms. Amane.” 

“Thanks again for the opportunity, all of you! I really do appreciate it. And please, feel free just to call me Misa!” the blonde insisted with a toothy grin, eliciting a nod and a smile from the female host. The idol aimed for infectious positivity whenever possible, both on and off the air.

“Places everyone!” a crew member shouted from behind the teleprompter. “We are cutting to the set live in thirty seconds”

Misa closed her eyes as she took in one last deep breath. Exhaling, her eyes lit up with determination. 

“Three! Two! And–”

“Hello and good morning to all of you from each of us at NHN News 6!” the young male host began. “My name is Yosuke Muto, and accompanying me as always are my two colleagues, Ms. Eri Kujikawa and Mr. Daisuke Takada.”

Both co-hosts raised a friendly hand in acknowledgement as the cameras cut to each of them respectively before returning focus to the young man.

“Today, our special guest is someone who might very well be a familiar face to some of you. An up-and-coming idol across all of Japan, our guest here has made quite a name for herself with both her endearing personality as well as her signature looks. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ms. Misa Amane!”

The idol bowed in her seat before waving to the cameras, a sweet disposition worn well on her face even despite her lack of sleep or preparation. 

“Hi there everyone! I'm Misa Amane, but feel free just to call me Misa. I'm grateful to be a guest on the show, so thank you again for having me!” 

“It's our pleasure, Misa,” the young man replied. “Now getting right into it, I was wondering if we might be able to ask you some questions about your life as an idol?”

“Go right ahead! I'm happy to answer anything you want to throw my way; I’m an open book!” the bubbly idol assured.

“Glad to hear,” Eri chimed in. “Personally I was always wondering; what's the Misa Amane beauty routine? You must have some secret with your skin looking as good as it does!”

Though her happy expression covered it, the blonde was rolling her eyes on the inside.

“Oh nothing out of the ordinary! I do drink lots of water though, I take my makeup off as soon as I get home, and I usually take baths instead of a shower!” 

“Ooh, do baths work better with your skin than showers do?”

“I'm not quite sure! To be totally honest, I just like laying around in my tub on my phone for a few hours,” the idol replied matter-of-factly.

The three morning hosts chuckled at the candid response of the idol before the young man of the three spoke up again.

“Well whatever you’ve been doing with your skin, it’s definitely working; you look great.” Yosuke stated in a manner slightly less becoming of a morning show host and more like that of an approaching stranger at a bar. “Of course we have to ask as we do with any idol we interview; what’s the Misa Amane love life looking like right now?”

The blonde flashed some teeth and feigned some coyness at the question as she thought through a response.

I’m a professional! Dozens of photography shoots, so many hours of choreography and dance practice, hell I've even got an album in the works soon! I’m online and interacting with everyone I can, every single day! Why is EVERY interview about my looks and my love life and not about what I DO? And to think I’d hoped this might be different than every other idol interview. At least until the way he said how good I looked, ugh. I swear one of these days I’m gonna– 

The idol took a deep breath.

– but not today .

“My love life? Honestly I wish I could give you some kind of juicy info on my dating life, but it really is non-existent right now,” the idol responded with a shrug. “Between all my different modeling gigs and performances, I haven’t even had the desire to date, let alone the time and energy. Right now, I’m focusing on myself and giving back to the people supporting me!”

Though the young male host nodded in return, Misa read an unspoken disappointment on his face at something she’d said. It looked as though Eri was about to chime in with a remark, but the older gentleman spoke up for the first time all morning.

“Now Misa,” Daisuke began, “I won't pretend to be the most up-to-date on what the kids are watching these days. I mean, honestly I’d never heard of you in my life until I heard that you'd be joining us! But you sure are easy on the eyes though, no complaints here!” the old man asserted with a hearty laugh. 

Misa wanted to scream. Judging by the looks exchanged by the other two hosts, Misa figured that this wasn't a first for this kind of unprofessional remark on-air by the man, though externally the idol didn’t bat an eye as the cameras kept rolling. 

“But,” the elderly host continued with sudden earnest, “After hearing your voice, I think you might be who my granddaughters watch on their phones sometimes after school. Some afternoons I hear them rush home all excited and yelling something about ‘Oh I hope she's still on!’ and all that before they turn the volume up to listen to a voice that sounds much like yours. If that is you, tell us more about that show of yours please.” 

The two younger hosts tilted their heads and exchanged subtle glances yet again, clearly unaware of anything the older man was talking about, perhaps praying that he wasn't going on some senile tangent to an unrelated stranger on live television. 

Misa was grinning. 

“Yup, that's probably me! Whenever I get a chance after shoots or even after interviews like this, I’ll go live online just from my phone camera and stream myself talking to anyone who's happy to listen. I'll talk about my day, answer questions, think aloud about future projects, whatever may be. It's just me talking, but I can see and reply to the comments that the viewers post, so it's kinda conversational as well! And then I also archive all that footage for an editor to go through and make a short little highlights video for any fans who might've missed it!”

At the far back of the studio, Matsuda muffled a sneeze into his sleeve before checking his phone.

“I see. And you go live like that every day?” Daisuke inquired.

“Well…” the idol smiled sheepishly. “I try to have a consistent daily schedule, but I'm certainly guilty of missing days here and there when things come up. Whether it's surprise business meetings or idol stuff or–”

Misa recalled the previous night.

“–just anything that keeps me busy. But now that you mention it, I'm going to be sure to go live later today! And if I don't, I want the three of you to pester me about it!” the idol beamed. The three hosts all chuckled and nodded in joking agreement, clearly charmed by the blonde. 

The rest of the morning show was business as usual as the hosts took turns discussing a handful of predictable topics with the idol. Style inspirations, her choice of outfits, her unique hairstyle, etc. Misa would be lying if she said she wasn’t a bit tired of those same talking points in every single interview, but this morning it seemed as though she didn’t mind them as much.

“I can’t believe they asked about the stream!” Misa exclaimed as she walked through the studio parking lot, her personal assistant in tow.

“Right?! How long has it been since anyone in the business even brought it up, weeks?” Matsuda inquired.

“More like months. Last time it was some random journalist asking what I did in my spare time and I went in detail about it, and I don’t even think he wrote about it. This is the first time it’s been talked about on camera! On live TV at that!

“Do you think more people will tune in?” the dark-haired man asked as the duo reached their car.

“Who knows! But honestly, I don’t even care about that. I’m just happy I got to talk about something besides my hair and my skin, like they asked about something that I actually do for once, you know?”

“Oh I hear you there Mimi. Speaking of what you do,” Matsuda asked as he opened the passenger door for the idol. “What’re you gonna do today? With the talk show done, it’s back to being a day off! I know you didn’t sleep much; you sure you wanna go live like you said back there?”

The idol scrunched her nose in thought before nodding.

“Definitely. I was gonna do a quick update kind of stream last night, but of course everything online and all that was happening, I couldn’t. Oh that reminds me! I should check and see if those rumors–”

“Already ahead of you. I was on my phone looking around online during some of the talk show. Twitter, Youtube archive comments, everywhere I looked there was still either no trace of the rumors, or plenty of people jumping at the chance to discredit anyone who didn’t seem to get the memo. Whatever that Ryuzaki guy did, it definitely worked.”

“Yeah…” Misa trailed off and pulled out her own phone as Matsuda got settled in the driver’s seat. First checking Twitter as she always did, she noticed a post from her team on her account from earlier that morning.

“Surprise everyone! Watch NHN News 6 at 8am today to see Misa Amane’s guest appearance in an interview on the morning program! -The Misa Amane Team”

Checking below in the comments, Misa noticed nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual fan support. Beneath every other previous post from herself or her team, it was the same as well.

“Thank goodness,” the blonde sighed. “Whatever’s going on, I still need to think of what to talk about on stream today! And we need some lunch, your choice today!”

“You got it boss!” the personal assistant declared with enthusiasm, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

Watari entered the room holding a silver tray with a simple ceramic mug atop it.

“Here’s your hot chocolate sir. Would you like me to bring you anything else?” Watari inquired of the young detective.

“No this will be all. Thank you very much Watari,” Ryuzaki replied, perched in his chair with his focus on the television before him.

“Of course. By the way, I was curious. Any reason for using that old cable television? It’s usually on your computer that you tend to watch anything these days,” the old man inquired.

“Hm? No, just watching the morning news, that’s all.”

Chapter Text

“Annnd we’re live, from the passenger seat of Matsu’s parked car, with some burgers! He's off-screen beside me, but he says hi! I hope you’re all doing well!”

Despite the numerous times he’d seen it in person (and on his editing dashboard), Matsuda was always impressed at the seemingly endless energy of Misa Amane during her livestreams. 

She didn’t sleep a wink last night, hasn’t had a vacation in who knows how long, just did a live television show, and is live again just hours later…How does she do it?

“We’re just having an early lunch after a busy morning! How are all of you doing? Any of you see me on NHN this morning?” the idol spoke candidly to her phone camera as dozens of viewer comments flooded the corner of the screen.

“Just saw you on that morning show, you killed it! :)”

“That one anchor guy was kinda weird lol”

“I loved you on the news today.. I think I'm in love with you. I want to meet you Misa.” 

“Loved your interview :D got any other TV appearances coming up?”

Though obviously not able to reply to each of the hundreds of comments she'd get over the course of any given livestream, Misa Amane did a damn good job of reading nearly every message that came across her screen as she entertained her ever-growing fanbase.

“Nothing else on TV lined up just yet!” the idol replied. “Though I do think we've got a music video we’re shooting later this month. I think it'll be for–” 

The blonde took the slightest pause as she caught Matsuda in the corner of her eye. Noticing her dark-haired assistant about to take an especially messy bite of his sandwich, Misa’s face twisted to a devilish grin.

“I don't recall which song it's for actually! Hey Matsu, what song is the next video shoot for?” the idol asked coyly as she abruptly turned the phone camera onto her partner in crime. 

A deer in the headlights. 

A guard, let down. 

A mouth full of burger. 

“Mmmbrgh!”

He never stood a chance. 

“LMAOOO”

“Poor Matsu! Let the man eat in peace!”

“You're so mean Misa hahaha”

“Turn the camera back to Misa please”

“We've all been there xD” 

Laughter erupted in the car. The next hour or so was spent entertaining the livestream with antics and anecdotes, answering questions about the morning interview, and discussing upcoming projects for the idol.

“Thanks as always for the ride home, Matsu!”

“No worries Mimi!” the driver replied. “Now please try to get some rest! With you taking that morning show on such short notice, management pulled some strings to get you an actual day off tomorrow, so use it!”

The idol rolled her eyes. She knew Matsuda was right, but she nonetheless felt strange having an entire day to intentionally be unproductive. Between antsy ennui and crushing burnout was a fence that Misa Amane balanced daily.

“Oh yeah, almost forgot!” the dark-haired man added. “I got your behind the scenes clips edited, along with the livestream highlights from earlier this week. That video should go up tomorrow, so the fans will still have something to watch while you’re taking it easy!”

“Perfect, thank you so much my faithful editor-assistant-chauffeur!” the idol grinned as she saluted him in playful yet earnest gratitude. 

“Always happy to help. Now scram! Honestly you should probably take a nap right away, you're running on empty!” Matsuda reminded the idol.

“I'm fiiiine,” Misa insisted as she stepped out of the passenger’s side of her best friend’s vehicle. “See you ‘round!”

“See ya! As always, let me know if you need anything!” 

And with that, the assistant’s car leisured off down the streets of Misa’s humble neighborhood. 

Though her team had insisted with the idol’s ever-rising success that luxurious living was an option, Misa Amane instead opted for her own small house on a quiet street. Miles away from the city’s paparazzi and hustle-bustle, the blonde enjoyed a bit more choice about when she engaged with the spotlight than some of her heart-of-the-city peers did. 

The added bonus of such an unassuming home for someone such as Misa was its safety in subtlety. After all, who looks for an idol in a suburb?

That was the hope, anyway.

Home sweet home.

The idol sighed as she stepped inside, immediately checking her phone. 

About 3 in the afternoon…way too early for winding down with a bath. What to do, what to do…oh! 

Misa recalled the previous night, the comments, and how quickly it had all come and gone, thanks to a certain stranger on the Internet. 

It feels so long ago, but it hasn’t even been 24 hours. 

The idol sat down on her pink loveseat, again rifling through her social pages’ comment sections.

“Great work this morning Misa!”

“Loved the stream! BurgerMan Matsuda hahah”

“When could I maybe arrange a date with you, Miss Amane? I think you would like me very much.”

“Whens ur next appearance??”

The idol exhaled through her nose. 

Just like Matsuda had said this morning, not even a trace of anything about her past. Not only that, but no sign of that Ryuzaki guy’s involvement…how did he change those records…

“...zzz…”

BZZT! 

“H-Huh?” 

Misa stirred from her sudden unintended slumber. Wiping the drool from her chin, the idol reached for her phone.

I must've dozed off for a couple minutes…

Misa rubbed her eyes just enough to read the text alert that awoke her from her rest. 

3:11PM

Schedule Manager Cell:

“Good job today!” 

The blonde closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose, her hands resting on her temple. 

“Thanks! And thanks for the opportunity!” Misa sent quickly in response before tossing her phone onto the opposite end of the loveseat. 

Matsuda was right, I really didn't get much sleep last night, and it's been a busier week I guess. 

The idol yawned as she curled up, the exhaustion clearly setting in as she drifted back to–

BZZT! 

3:17PM

Schedule Manager Cell:

“You're welcome :)”

The idol rolled her eyes. With a sigh, she returned to her near fetal position on the loveseat, resting her weary eyes as she soon fell– 

BZZT!

“COME ON!” the idol roared in the midst of her silent home, picking up her phone in a feral craze.

3:20PM

Gmail Alert

New Mail from Ryuzaki’s Open Case Submissions

Oh.

Misa wasted no time opening the message.

“Hello again, Miss Amane. As was agreed, my team and I have done what we can to curtail those swirling rumors about what happened with your parents. Though we ourselves have not seen any resurfacings of the topic, feel free to let me know if that issue comes up again. 

-Ryuzaki”

The idol blinked. 

Misa Amane let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. 

I still don't know HOW some random YouTuber managed to do anything like what he did with my family’s online records, but I can't imagine Mr. Mysterious here is one to show and tell. Still, who knows how big a mess it could've been if he hadn't helped.

The idol began typing her reply. 

“Thank you SO much for whatever it is you did :) you were a big help and–”

Wait, is this too casual? I mean we’re both professionals in our own fields, I should be a bit more proper.

“Thank you for your assistance with that matter. I'm indebted to–”

Ugh, no that’s way too proper. Especially after our whole exchange last night, maybe I've thrown out any hint of professionalism, especially from ‘mimithesinger84@gmail’...his whole deal does seem pretty sophisticated though. Hm.

Misa stared at her phone, motionless in thought. She pursed her lips before typing. 

“I'll be sure to let you know if something comes up. Thank you so much for all the help! I don't know how you pulled it off, but I really do appreciate it, Ryuzaki. 

-Thanks again,

Misa”

That'll do.

The tired idol pressed Send and promptly tossed her phone (now firmly on Silent) back onto the other end of the loveseat before letting the drowsiness overtake her eyelids.

A bit anticlimactic huh? I guess that's that…

“Yaaawn…”

The idol stirred from her groggy daze, soon finding her phone after feeling around the loveseat cushions in the dark of her quiet home.

Oh god the sun’s already down…9:30? I slept 6 hours?!

Suddenly, a rumbling filled the room. She looked down at her stomach.

And I’m starving too. I really should’ve gotten a second burger at lunch for later; I’ve got like nothing in the fridge. Time to pay the ol’ FamilyMart a visit.

While most idols even at Misa's modest level of fame might think convenience store food beneath them, the blonde was different. She never considered herself too good for any of the simple pleasures of life, especially something as ordinary as walking to a nearby corner store and getting–

“Just the fried chicken here, yes! One regular famichiki and one spicy please,” the idol requested as she laid her hot-to-go dinner on the store counter.

“You got it, miss!” replied the clerk, a plain-looking woman in her forties. As she rang up the blonde, the woman behind the counter couldn’t help but feel something familiar about the customer standing before her. Though otherwise ordinary in her baggy shirt and joggers (donned minutes prior just for this outing), the young woman’s strikingly blonde pigtails and bubbly personality seemed to jog a memory. The clerk gave a quick glance to make sure there was no one around who might be in line behind the customer before her.

“Excuse me miss, I’m probably mistaken,” the clerk started, “but were you by any chance on a TV program this morning?”

The idol’s resting smile was quickly replaced by full mouth-open excitement.

“YES! Yes I was, NHN News’ morning show! Did you see my interview?”

There was a brief pause. 

“Well…I didn’t actually watch much of the program, I apologize. I was flipping through the channels at breakfast and as I’d lingered on that one network, my teenage daughter pointed you out. Saying something like her not knowing you but saying how cute you were, especially your hair. Do you always keep it blonde and in pigtails like that?” the clerk asked.

“Pretty much, yeah! It’s a little bit of upkeep, but I think it’s pretty cute,” Misa answered with a smile. 

Though the blonde would be lying if she said it wasn’t a slight disappointment to be just another face in this woman’s channel surfing, the idol was still happy to be remembered at all. It wasn’t Misa’s first time being noticed while out in public, though it was one of a select few times that it was by someone who didn’t seem to know her as an idol at all.

“My daughter seemed to love your look. Maybe after work, I’ll ask if she wants me to pick up any hair dye on the way home. I hate to be so forward, but would you mind if I got a picture with you to show my daughter, Miss…?”

“Amane! Misa Amane at your service. And yes I’d be happy to!” the blonde agreed with a smile, holding up a peace sign as she cheesed for the clerk’s phone camera. 

After a few more pleasantries, Misa thanked the clerk for the talk and headed back to her little home, sneaking bites of her chicken along the way.

Well now what to do…I passed out from like 3 to 9; there’s no way I'll fall asleep at a normal time tonight. I think I'll do my usual bath and routine, just in case I’ll still be tired enough to fall asleep at some decently normal time. Or maybe I can catch up on watching some episodes of…

Later that evening, a mother and her daughter excitedly talked about an unlikely run-in at work with the cute girl from the morning show. After a quick name search online and several videos, the two became instant fans, suddenly starstruck and incredulous at the chance encounter.

The photo of the idol with the mother made its way to the teenage daughter’s Instagram: 

“um guess who my mom saw at work??? #MisaMisa”

As with nearly every photographed appearance of Misa Amane, the image quickly found its way around the forums and fan pages for the idol, albeit with the clerk’s face blurred for privacy’s sake.

Scrolling one of these forums, a gaunt man no younger than thirty craned his neck forward towards his computer monitor, adjusting his glasses as he zoomed in to scan every detail of the photo’s location.

Once I figure this out, I can show you what you’ve been missing all your life!

The man’s hands were a blur as he erratically handled his keyboard in his rushed analysis.

Just a little longer, then we can meet! 

You can finally fall for me, my Misa.