Superhumans of the Dome City
Chapter 442 - 442 8 Idol's Holiday Part 1_2

442: Chapter 8 Idol’s Holiday (Part 1)_2 442: Chapter 8 Idol’s Holiday (Part 1)_2 “We’re friends, right?

There’s no need to fuss about it, and if you say that again, I’ll get mad.”

“Sorry.”

I apologized reflexively.

A usually soft and gentle girl can put on so much pressure when she gets serious.

They spent another half-hour in the used parts district selecting accessories.

Most products here had changed hands several times, and some that were missing arms or legs had to be sold separately.

Qiluo chose a double-bladed axe and a cannon with a flashing effect for her new figurine, which actually made it look quite impressive.

“What did Gongsun Ce buy?”

The gray-haired young man cradled a plush toy about 60 centimeters tall with a pale yellow belly, a chubby shape, and a wide smiling mouth.

In his left hand, he carried a hardcover book titled “The Man Who Died Seven Times.”

“Those gifts seem to have quite the style difference,” Qiluo commented.

“I think she’ll like Totoro, but this book might not be her cup of tea.”

The place of new wave mystery in the hearts of traditional mystery fans was an interesting topic.

And as for novels where humor and light-heartedness outweigh the mystery elements, they present even more of a challenge to traditional fans’ limits.

“Intentionally gifting someone a book they don’t like…”

“It’s pretty representative of Weiyuan City culture, isn’t it?”

The real intention was revenge for the time when Dawn Knight sent over a grammar book.

As if she saw right through his mischievous thoughts, Qiluo frowned and said, “So childish!”

“I never thought I’d see the day when Qiluo would lecture me,” Gongsun Ce said helplessly.

“And how about you, dressing in a disguise to look at revealing figurines?”

“Hmph, I don’t want to talk to Gongsun Ce anymore.”

“Such a childish tantrum, this one!”

The two spent three minutes queuing to pay and then left the store, strolling leisurely around the bustling electronic district.

The neon lights dispersed the darkness of the night, and the chatter of pedestrians still filled the air even late at night; on the giant screens at the intersection, the evening news anchor introduced with utmost professionalism the high-tech Ninja Army of Zero Island, designated to combat Calamity God.

An invited expert solemnly speculated that the so-called resurrection of the dead was actually a collective hallucination, an accompanying phenomenon after the arrival of Calamity God.

A city once destroyed by Dragon Disaster was quickly functional again after emergency repairs, with the revenge spending of the citizens who escaped death forming the foundation for the rebuilding of Weiyuan City.

It seemed as though the giant billboards on the sides of buildings had been repaired in overtime and were flashing new images [Super Mobile Ninja Battle is now airing hot][Four-and-a-half Stories.

Block Society offers home rebuilding services][In memory of Calamity God’s pacification, all items 10% off][Big Venus!

Qiluo claims top spot in weekly sales]…

Many stores played familiar songs, which sounded like the new song Qiluo had hummed on the rooftop.

Authentic superstar popularity!

Gongsun Ce was about to compliment her when he noticed his friend was subtly avoiding her own publicity billboards, so he urgently switched to a different topic.

“Speaking of which, Qiluo, is it really necessary to be so secretive just to buy some figurines?”

“I am an idol, you know.

Does Gongsun Ce know what the most important thing for an idol is?” Qiluo retorted.

A good singing voice, good looks?

That didn’t feel right.

Thinking about the core value of an “idol”…

“Meeting the expectations of the audience?”

“That’s right,” Qiluo pouted.

“The super popular idol Xingli is a talented, pure girl known for her singing.

Her fans definitely do not want to see Xingli playing games, watching late-night anime, or toying with risqué figurines.”

The fans would also have quite a shock seeing you now.

“But it’s not that serious, right?

You have superpower control abilities, and still, you’re in disguise.

It’s like…” Gongsun Ce concluded, “you’re doing something you feel guilty about.”

“Ah!” the girl exclaimed softly.

Hit the nail on the head.

Gongsun Ce, with his friend in tow, searched around for a while and realized there wasn’t even a bench for tourists to rest on, though the expensive open-air cafes were still open late into the night.

Reluctantly, he bought two lemonades, exchanging the drinks for the right to take a brief rest on the street corner.

“There’s really nothing to be shy about, Qiluo.

I don’t even hide my hobbies in front of acquaintances anymore.”

“It’s not like that…” Qiluo murmured softly, “does Gongsun Ce still remember why I became an idol?”

They had discussed this topic after the disturbances at the end of February had ended.

Pursuing her dream, wanting to be different from others, wanting more people to hear her songs.

“I remember.”

In the end, the girl lost herself in the pursuit of her dream, falling into the trap set by those in white lab coats.

Qiluo lifted her hand and pointed towards a poster in a nearby store, where a young idol with black hair and a white dress stood at the center, her smile gentle, her appearance dazzling.

“Xingli sings touching songs with refreshing beauty, she wins one award after another, satisfying everyone’s wishes,” Qiluo lowered her gaze, “but her sweet voice is the result of laboratory technology; her beauty and image are the result of publicity.

The laboratory fulfilled their promise, crafting a perfect dream for me…

But the person standing on that brilliant stage was never the real me.”

“The more I listened to Xingli’s songs, the more I felt a pain in my heart.

I wanted to tell everyone that all that beauty was false, that they should not like such artificial products, but I lacked the courage, and even more so the strength.”

The pink-haired girl’s profile, under the confusing lights, seemed somewhat sorrowful.

“I feel like I’m about to be replaced by Xingli…

So I must find a way to retain my own self off the stage.”

“So you started watching animations?” Gongsun Ce asked.

“Animations are great!

The girls in the animations are fictional and beautiful as well, they appear due to the audience’s desires and the creators’ ideas, yet they carry traits that are detached from reality…

They can wear revealing outfits without worrying about the gazes of others; they can act as they wish, expressing their true thoughts…”

The idol girl cradled the box, focused on the figurine she had just purchased.

“I also want to be like them, but what is there to be proud of?” She put the box back into her tote bag, whispering, “I know this is all about escaping reality, seeking numb happiness in fictional works.”

Indeed.

Undeniably, those immersed in a love for virtual works always carry a bit of projection and wish fulfillment.

Chance encounters, girls descending from the sky, pure relationships devoid of ulterior motives, fantastical adventures beyond reality…

Precisely because such events do not exist, or at least not wholly, in real life, people fantasize about this virtual beauty.

Ordinary people seldom agonize over this, but Qiluo, who works in the idol industry, is much more sensitive to these feelings.

Hence, she sees her hobbies as something of a “burden.”

“I guess turning into this appearance after the laboratory accident has a bit of a rebound from suppression, doesn’t it?”

Qiluo put down her bag, took off her coat, and revealed the performance outfit she usually wore.

A white off-the-shoulder top, a black miniskirt, silk-textured long gloves, an exaggerated dress akin to animation characters.

She made the “peace” sign beside her eye, cheerfully saying, “Good evening, I’m the virtual idol Qiluo☆~!”

Like changing a mask, the girl instantly reverted to her former expression.

“Now I truly am a bona fide virtual idol, with the good figure I once envied and wearing beautiful clothes I never even dared to dream of.”

She sat back down, not leaning towards the young man as usual, but maintaining a subtle distance.

“But I still can’t sing the beautiful songs, just a silly head, without the courage to fight…”

The girl looked away, whispering, “kind of like the fan-service characters in late-night animations.”

Gongsun Ce believed that etiquette was an important factor most of the time, with very few exceptions.

Now was undoubtedly the time to think differently.

The Superpower User raised his finger and prodded the girl’s forehead hard.

“Ow!

That hurts!” Qiluo instinctively covered her forehead.

She had barely shouted out against this rude gesture when the Superpower User pulled her to her feet.

“Let’s go,” Gongsun Ce said with an undeniable attitude, “we’re going to sing.”