After a two-hour ride on the bus, we finally arrived at the live venue. I had attended two of Sayama-san’s concerts before, and both were held indoors, but this time, the live venue was set up outdoors.

“Whoa! This place is huge!”

“Seriously… Yukari is going to sing at a place this big…”

“Well, it’s not just Sayama-san’s group. A lot of other groups are participating too.”

“I looked it up, and it’s not just popular underground idol groups. Even voice actors you see on TV are coming!”

On this bus were Abe, Watanabe, Kawabata-san, Mogi-san, and other staff members. Sayama-san and the other performers were coming on a separate bus a little later.

…And for some reason, Mogi-san was sticking with us. Abe and Kawabata-san are naturally social and can befriend anyone easily, but I personally struggle a bit with people like Mogi-san, who are flashy and pushy.

That said, after everything we’ve been through, I know that while his personality is… unfortunate, he’s not actually a bad guy. We still exchange messages occasionally, so I’ve gotten used to him.

I thought Watanabe would also struggle with someone like Mogi-san, but they were deep in conversation about idols and their costumes during the bus ride and seemed to hit it off surprisingly well.

“Alright, those in the equipment setup team, please come this way.”

“Ah, that’s me. See you guys later.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

“Mhm, see you.”

This part-time job was divided into separate teams. I was assigned to the heavy-lifting team for setting up filming equipment. Before the concert started, my job was to carry and set up cameras and large pieces of gear. During the live event, I would be patrolling the venue.

Abe and Kawabata-san were on ticket duty, checking for valid tickets and guiding guests. Watanabe was assisting at the merchandise booth. And let’s not forget Mogi-san—he was in charge of idol group costumes, so he headed backstage. Since he was handling outfits for multiple groups, he was probably even busier than us.

“Tachihara-kun, bring that equipment over here. It’s heavy, so be careful.”

“Got it.”

Following the leader’s instructions, I carried equipment from the truck to the venue. Some of it was incredibly heavy, but with my current strength, I had no trouble transporting it.

Thanks to the leader’s clear directions, I managed to finish all my tasks before the live event started.

“Man, we were in a real pinch with the staff shortage, but having you here, Tachihara-kun, really helped us out. Alright, from here on, just follow the instructions from the other staff.”

“Understood.”

With the equipment setup complete, I moved on to patrolling the venue. The job wasn’t too difficult—mostly walking around the venue, checking on merchandise stands and food stalls, guiding guests to restrooms and entrances, and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Of course, if I did notice anything unusual, my job was simply to report it to the official security staff via radio.

“Excuse me, where’s the merchandise booth for this idol group?”

“It’s over this way.”

Using the venue map I had memorized beforehand, I guided the guests. All staff members wore matching T-shirts, making us easy to identify.

For some reason, most of the people asking me for directions were women. Since the venue was at the beach, about 80% of the attendees were in swimsuits. Getting approached by women in swimsuits was… well, honestly, extremely nerve-wracking.

It might not be the most appropriate use of it, but I activated my Cool-Headed skill. Without it, I’m not sure I’d even be able to talk properly.

Once the concert started, there wasn’t much to do besides patrolling, and I could sneak glances at the performance as I walked around.

The only disappointment was that, despite being a beachside concert, the idols weren’t in swimsuits. Sayama-san’s group was wearing slightly lighter outfits than usual, but… no swimsuits. A shame.

“Man, event staff work is tougher than I expected. I thought I’d just be standing at the ticket booth checking tickets, but I was on my feet the entire time, and by the end, I was exhausted.”

“Same here. We got a few breaks, but my feet still hurt…”

After wrapping up the concert, cleaning up, and preparing for the next day, our part-time work was over, and we moved to our lodging. It was a typical seaside inn. I shared a three-person room with Abe and Watanabe. Kawabata-san was rooming with another female staff member but had come to hang out in our room since her roommate was out.

“The merchandise booth was crazy busy before and after the concert, but during the performance, things were pretty slow, so I actually got to listen to the music. Super lucky.”

“For me, the first half with the equipment setup was hellishly hot, but patrolling in the second half was pretty easy. I got to hear the music and even caught glimpses of the performances. I even saw Sayama-san’s group singing.”

“I can’t say I’m jealous… Before working at the ticket booth, I helped set up the venue, and I saw you guys carrying all that heavy equipment in this blazing heat. That was definitely the toughest job.”

Yeah, I had the strength to carry the equipment easily, but the other staff members were sweating buckets. They kept reminding me to stay hydrated, so that was probably the hardest job.

“Wow… I would’ve totally passed out.”

Back when I was overweight, I would’ve definitely collapsed from heatstroke.

“At least patrolling was pretty easy. And once we finish tomorrow, the day after is all free time at the beach! Just one more day to go, guys!”

“Yeah!”

“Yep!”

“Mhm!”