 
Idol Star System Generation: Season 1

R. P. Mor

Idol Star System Generation: Season 1

Copyright 2017 Rafael Peccioli Moreno

Published by Rafael Peccioli Moreno

Smashwords Edition

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Table of Contents

Prologue – Breaking Free

Chapter I – Led by Mirages

Chapter II – Sinful Blossom Season

Chapter III – Into the Idol Star System Generation

Chapter IV – The Best and the Worst

Chapter V – Girls in the Shell

Chapter VI – In Pursuit of dreams

Chapter VII – Baptism of Light

Chapter VIII – The Eyes Have It

Chapter IX – Love for the Underdogs

Chapter X – Where Idols Fear to Tread

Chapter XI – Black and Golden

Chapter XII – Behind the Lenses

Chapter XIII – Of Goddesses, Angels and Mortals

Chapter XIV – Companionship

Chapter XV – Proof of Valor

Chapter XVI – Sacrifices

Season One Finale – Dawn of a New Day

A Word from the Author
***** Idol Star System Generation: Season One *****
Prologue – Breaking Free

The sound of thundering steps on the corridor finally silenced. It didn't last long, though, as the door energetically broke wide open. The small room was a little less crumped than the first time she went there, or maybe it's just that she started to get familiarized with the many shelves full of trash, unused furniture and a small thin TV piled up one over the other and cardboard boxes. A single fan and two bulbs of light decorated the unremarkable white ceiling. The only thing that saved the place from being a claustrophobic cavern was the existence of windows across two walls. If not for the fact there were so many stacked things that obscured the view, it'd be quite pleasant. The windowless walls, on the other hand, sported a couple of large, color-intense posters of supposedly famous girls over psychedelic backgrounds.

The Sunday morning sun soaked the ambient, shining through the glass and making it sparkle. It's almost as if there're spangles all over the windows. Unfortunately, it's just the dust accumulated on the inside making the sunlight go wild, but it's beautiful nonetheless. Of what could be seen of the outside, a large part was covered by a few multicolored signs and a big billboard made of little lamps and neon lights that emanated a retro feeling. Glimpses of the crowded street, tucked among three to five-story buildings, could be seen if someone really wanted to.

A well-groomed man in his mid-twenties was the sole living soul in that room, sitting behind the only desk there was and almost hidden behind his computer and the piles of paper. His suit was of ordinary quality at best when it came to its fabric, but fitted perfectly in his tall, somewhat slender body. His garment was of the same hue as his jet-black hair, slickly falling over his shoulders. As for the top of her boss's hair, she still couldn't quite say if it's stylish or just messy. His dark brown eyes quickly glanced toward the figure that had just arrived.

Even though the whole place reeked of tobacco and dust, there's something about it that she liked. It's exciting, almost as if she's walking into a yakuza crib instead of a plain, old commercial room. Her producer had the smelling perceptiveness of an oyster and was completely unable to tell that his recently rented office could potentially kill people with asthma.

"I'm here!", an otherwise mesmerizing feminine voice, somewhat high-pitched and even more full of energy than it's expected from an average teenager came from the door sounding a lot like a duck quacking. Mixing a slight greeting bow with a movement to gasp for air, the girl took a moment to catch her breath. Finally, she added on a somewhat mocking way, "Still waiting for an elevator".

Smiling by the sight of the girl, the man stood up and calmly welcomed her:

"Good morning, right? Come in." In a lower tone, he replied, "Naoko-Chan came running upstairs, didn't you?"

"Nope," she retorted, closing the door behind her, "Not this time. Well... just a little. But your nest is still unnecessarily hard to reach. Seriously, you should consider stop being stingy and putting an elevator here."

Already accustomed with the uncommon bluntness of the girl, and not being particularly one for tempered words, the man sat at the edge of his desk with his lustrous black shoes still on the grayish-blue carpeted floor. Cool and light-heartedly, he retorted in the same half-joking way:

"And you should consider stop being such a sedentary and start exercising. This way in a few years you're going to dance for two minutes and then faint on the stage. Not to say if your health is already this deteriorated at such a young age, you're in for a life with your best buddy, the oxygen cylinder, before you turn forty."

"Ha ha, you're such a comical guy, Produ-San, you," she responded, smiling genuinely albeit acting as if it wasn't funny. It's clear both of them had sharp tongues and didn't mind a small contend of witty remarks. Slightly more serious, although not at all more formal as people were generally expected to act with their superiors, Naoko said "I actually do exercise: I met Rin-Chan at the Athletics club, after all! Also I practice karate every Tuesday and Thursday after school! But be it there, on stage or wherever, I never have to climb walls like those stairs."

Surprised, the man, in a more serious tone, asked:

"You're kidding, right?"

Immediately the girl crossed her arms and casually pointed, exaggerating on the details for the comical absurdity of it:

"Your room is on the third floor of a building twelve, maybe fifteen meters deep and your stairs go up nonstop, not only once changing direction. It climbs about ten meters and is around those fifteen long. And I'm the one joking here? Imagine how funny it'll be when you finally get someone to visit you and this person has cardiac problems."

"No, no, I..." the man started to explain himself. Thinking for a second, he briefly commented "Yeah, now that you mention it, I think not everyone would be able to climb those stairs, although since I'm not the owner of the building, an elevator is out of question." Looking curious, he continued "I'm just surprised you practice martial arts. You never told me."

"It's on the schedule, just look at my agenda," she mentioned. The man, with a negative gesture, declared, "No, your schedule just mentions the hours you're occupied, I didn't bother to write what you do at what hour. I'm your producer, not your stalker."

Assuming a more sober attitude, the man directed her to his desk. Taking a small envelope from the middle of that mess, he handed it to the girl. Her jet black eyes sparkled with interest. Taken as if by surprise, she cautiously asked:

"What's this? Is it for me?"

The young man, astonished, answered:

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when Naoko-Chan would act in a proper way! It's... kinda strange. And underwhelming. As much as I hate to admit, you're better with your carefree and happy personality, I suppose."

With her eyes half open and a vexed countenance, she retorted:

"Get lost. I'm not being polite, it's just that I didn't believe up until now that you'd pay me anything at all."

Her young boss, with a sour expression, told himself:

"Ouch. Well, I asked for it, now, didn't I?"

"You bet you did!" the girl agreed. Bowing nevertheless, she grasped the package with both hands enveloped by her small, white gloves, feeling a rectangular volume weighting inside it. Rapidly glancing over to her producer to see if it's alright to open it, she sat down and haphazardly broke the seal. A lump of dozens of bills waited inside, more than she would've guessed. Her witty, almost caustic attitude melted away as she stood momentarily looking the thick pile of cash. It's nowhere near a fortune so far, but around six hundred thousand Yen was much more than enough to pay her rent and school, eat, invest and much more. It was an amazing sum. Her blank stare was partially covered by a curtain of slick and lustrous hair as black as the moonless night, giving her the impression the man couldn't see her face. But as she came back to herself and found him quietly watching her with a somewhat heavy expression, she flushed.

Standing up again, still slightly shocked, she expressed her gratitude while bowing somewhat more than usual – even though the "usual" was little more than just a nod with the head, something quite disrespectful depending on the situations:

"Thank you, Aratani-San. I..." Noticing inside herself a wish to ask for forgiveness instead of thanking him, she stopped mid-sentence. When she stood straight again, her producer joked:

"I'm so generous I even deducted that one hundred Yen just so Naoko-Chan doesn't need to worry herself! I hope you learned never to bet against me ever again. Especially concerning expecting too much from Megumi-San. Though if you want to give me even more money, be my guest."

Naoko's serious expression altered for a second while she acidly replied:

"I hope Produ-San swallows this one hundred Yen coin and choke on it."

The man grinned, though for some reason Naoko turned back to looking abnormally serious. It slowly made her producer also adopt a cool but somewhat stern countenance. Aratani, with an unreadable expression, asked her slowly, in a way that was hard to tell if he was disappointed, sad, angry or just acting more severe than normal:

"Since you do not bother pulling punches, I'll also be blunt here, so please forgive if I'm rude. I need to know. Naoko-Chan, when we first met I measured correctly your cheerful personality, I think. In these couple of weeks we've been together you proved to be just the upbeat, happy-go-lucky and honest, sometimes borderline insulting, but kind-hearted girl I took you for the second I first laid my eyes on you. But also during the initial conversation you took a nosedive and became so defensive that I almost though I'd gauged you wrongly. If I remember correctly, it seemed as if you though I was joking, or maybe that I wasn't capable of keeping my word. I need you to be as frank as you usually are. Tell me: did you really believe in me as a producer from the beginning? Do you believe me now?"

Seeing her producer so serious made her heart skip a beat and her stomach hurt as if squeezed by ice claws. Instinctively she stepped back to open up space and turned partially sideways, in a way that the hair fringe that fell slight over the right side of her face could cover her evasive sight.

"So that's how other people feel when I'm direct with them?", she replied with a forced smile, only then noticing she was being evasive, a thing she always hated. Breathing deeply, she turned toward the waiting man, his expression unshaken, and paused for a moment.

"Like you once told me," the man insisted, "don't mind sugarcoating your words, I'm not going to eat them. Just give me the truth, that's all I want."

Hesitating for a moment, Naoko finally shook her head in understanding and responded:

"Okay. The truth." Looking down to her feet, becoming more self-aware of her body position and of how the three inches of her white platforms made the floor seem more distant than she remembered, she continued, "Actually... at first I didn't... I didn't believe too much." Raising her head gradually, noticing that even with the advantage of her boots, she was still a few inches lower than her producer, she confided, "But it wasn't really because of you. Sure, when you first think of an idol agency, you generally imagine something a little more... glamorous than this. But it's not that I didn't believe in _you_. I just didn't believe in agencies in general. Actually, I think I just accepted to do such a crazy thing as to move here because of you."

"One of the first times we met you said that you're craving to move away from your parents' home," the man remembered. "That it's your main reason to try this new life. That you didn't even think of trying to be an idol before, and that it's just a way to get away from home."

"Yes, to move to Tokyo, yes," she confirmed, "but not to believe in a promise of fame and fortune. Sure, nobody knows me yet, but at least now I know you're not a scam."

Thinking for a second, her producer murmured, tucking his hands in his pockets:

"So you though I was a scam at the beginning, huh? I was under the impression you thought something like that."

"Not because of you!" Naoko insisted, drawing the attention of his eyes that were wavering down. Putting the envelope she was still holding inside a small, purple purse, she closed it, rested the object over the desk and, with her hands free, she began to talk using both her voice and body movements to emphasize her point. "Maybe I never explained why I came here in first place, and why I accepted to believe in you. Do we have some time?"

Looking at the clock over the door ticking eight and twelve, the man nodded, mentioning:

"Our first appointment is only ten thirty. We've plenty of time."

"Alright," she said, regaining part of her natural smile. "Listen up."

When Hayato found his cousin Naoko at the airport, he didn't know what to say. Last time he saw her, she was just a ten years-old urchin combing the narrow streets of their hometown, Shimabara, in search of adventure and trouble. Since his father moved to Tokyo, Hayato never again returned to Shimabara, nor to anywhere near the area around Nagasaki. Heck, he never again set foot in Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan, and his father only did it three times. His father lost contact almost completely with his own two siblings, including the father of Naoko, six years before. They've never had a rupture, but after Hayato's father moved due to his work, they rarely spoke. Thus, when his older brother Yoshirou called desperately begging if they could let his daughter stay in their home for a few days, it's strange to say the least.

Even though his physical constitution, strong, with a squared jaw and frowning eyebrows made he look bad, Hayato was in reality collected and tranquil. He was the polar opposite of his agitated and outgoing cousin Naoko. She always said there was just one thing to do in their hometown: to die of boredom. Unlike her, he actually liked Shimabara a lot. It's a city of almost fifty thousand inhabitants with simple houses and surrounded by majestic nature. It was bathed by the blue waters of Ariake Bay and sat at the foot of the thousand and five hundred meters tall Mount Unzen, covered in lush green vegetation. Many onsen, scenic hot springs that attracted tourists and locals alike, dotted the region. It's a paradise, despite what Naoko thought. Hayato had difficulties adapting to the bustling Tokyo, and even half a decade after moving the excessive amount of people still got on his nerves.

At the airport he almost didn't recognize her. From the last time they met, she had grown into a spectacular sixteen year-old girl. Averaging one meter and seventy, maybe a little less, she sported a cascade of dark hair up to the middle of her back and long lashes that surrounded razor-sharp eyes, absorbing everything around her with curiosity and unbounded excitement. Her skin was fair, although not really ghost-pale, because even though she stayed a lot outside, she had the habit of applying sun filters regularly. She used light make-up, just the eyeliner being more prominent. It was simple, but showed she cared for her appearance, contrary to what her tomboyish fame suggested. Her mouth agape in a big smile revealing peal-white, perfectly aligned teeth, she was in eternal awe, as if walking on heaven. The girl did had a small, non-externally perceptible septum deviance that made breathing through her nose a hassle, but that's kind of nice because it forced her to always keep her open mouth, seemingly smiling.

Her face was particularly gorgeous: it'd striking features, very proportional and lady-like. It's simply beautiful. As for the rest, even in unremarkable clothes, just a sleeveless, unbranded white, purple and yellow t-shirt and pearl shorts, she was quite the head turner. She wore no accessories other than a good luck charm anklet made of white and black intertwined straw she'd received from a childhood friend, and beaten white sneakers. Maybe it's good after all that she had a lot of running and climbing in her town, because her long and firm legs were real eye candies and her slim body was on the curvaceous side. Still room for improvement, but on the other hand she hadn't fully matured yet. Not that he'd be checking on his cousin, of course. Hayato was too busy cursing his luck of having been born as her family member.

The first few days of spring break flew by. To be far away from home was a blessing by itself for Naoko, but to be away from her parents and also surrounded by lots of people, lights, movement and energy, was a dream.

She told her cousin the reason she made a trip there was because life in her house became unbearable. Even though the tension with her parents grew by each passing year since she was seven, things really started to go nonfunctional after Naoko turned twelve. It's a reason why the girl stayed as late as possible in the streets, with her friends. The majority of them were boys a few years older than her. She got herself in every activity she could, mostly because she was easily excited for anything but also in order to stay away from her house. Since she was twelve every minute she spent with her family was a war of attrition. So much that her father simply gave in to a few things she asked, like to get enrolled in a karate dojo she somehow managed to get accepted in just to avoid unnecessary discussions. By the year she completed fifteen it's rare to live a single day without any argument.

The first week in the apartment of her uncle's house was amazing. Hayato was worried at first that the six years of isolation would have dulled their already tense relationship, but Naoko proved to be an amazing guest. She was always radiant and could sustain talks for long hours with anyone. Despite her unladylike reputation, she was surprisingly feminine except for her interests and her frank speeches. In fact, she was confusing, for as much as she loved to play videogames and practice karate, her nails were always polished and she carried an eyeliner brush, along with sun filters and a few other things, wherever she went. Even then, she wasn't fond of over accessorizing and hated spoiled people, not really having any problems in going on adventures among trees, insects and mud, getting wet under rain or anything. The girl was also very independent, in that she could wash dishes, clean the place and take care of her clothes and belongings. She wasn't such a good cook, but Naoko and her aunt, who basically lived to make dishes, could talk for an eternity about everything related to cuisine. And even though Naoko didn't like baseball, sumo, pro wrestling and many other sports, her uncle always found himself entertained in conversations with her about trips, locations worth visiting, economy, politics and more. Even when she didn't know anything about a topic her curiosity still made the conversation flow smoothly more often than not. As much as she's an outstanding talker, she's also an excellent listener, eager to discover new things.

Of course she had her fair share of flaws, too. Her loose tongue was the worst offender in Hayato's opinion, but he also found her unstable temperament, prone to swings, to be vexing. At the same time she said what she thought of others, what didn't concern other people was kept well under locks, turning her intriguing and sometimes mysterious, but also making her hard to reach and help, and frustrating to try to understand (but a couple of times she still acted as if others were supposed to comprehend her nonetheless). Her short fuse and her quickness to judge, condemn and punish made her an entire legal system in a single girl, which at first seemed amusing but rapidly proved to be a nuisance. She was extremely loyal to people important to her, but her means of showing it could be improved. Her sense of direction was abysmal and when she decided on something it's as hard to refrain her as it is to prevent a volcano from erupting. It wouldn't be a bad trait if she always got the right idea in her mind, but in spite of her good-willed nature, her stubbornness was a challenge to everyone when, out of poor judgment, she committed herself to a cause that was clearly not a good idea.

Also her "adventurous" spirit was nothing short of a liability, wreaking havoc at the least expected moment. And last but not least, until last time he saw her, Naoko's good-willed personality could take a sharp and scary turn when she felt particularly unhappy, helpless and alone, turning into an insensible, borderline cruel one. It was a rare sight, thankfully – Hayato only had the bad luck of meeting her ice-cold alternate side twice in his life, and even Naoko refused to accept that on these exceptional occasions she acted that way. Overall, she was far from perfect, but was still a lively and intriguing company most of the time for sure.

Hayato was five years older than Naoko, even though his father was four years younger than hers. Still, she was used to talking to older men, and left nothing to be desired from any good conversation he'd have with his friends. It was odd because they grew apart, and as far as Hayato knew both sides couldn't care less for the other, but out of respect they accepted to receive her, and maybe to repay the favor she showed her best side. She wanted to know about the college degree in chemistry her cousin was attending to and what he did to have fun in the big city. Since he had only a few friends, very few hobbies and seldom left home, it's a nice change of pace to go explore the sprawling metropolis with her.

Even though her family let her stay with her uncle just because she was intolerable in the last few months, Naoko had a mission. She wanted to find a new high school to enroll and go live in the Greater Tokyo Area. Of course, the cost of living in the eastern capital was prohibitive for her family, so if she's to stay there, she had to find a way to make ends meet. As a high school girl it's obvious she'd need the financial support of her parents to foot at least part of her bills, but despite her father having said multiple times he wouldn't pay for any "extravagance", he knew her intentions for the trip and still helped her visit the metropolitan prefecture all the same.

Naoko and her cousin went sightseeing every day but even so the girl was barely able to see a few of the long list of places she wanted to see with her own eyes. One or two of them were downright rejected by Hayato, like the nightlife intense, luminous signs-riddled red-light district of Kabukichou, but the majority was simply cut due to time constraints. She watched the cherry blossoms, saw the staggering Tokyo Tower from a distance and much more, but it just felt rushed. Her nine days, starting the second to last Friday of March and going until the Saturday of the next week, counted down fairly quickly. Soon she realized she hadn't visited any high school. Her sixth and seventh days were spent info hunting on institutions that were good, accessible and could help relocating her to dorms. Though those two days were unremarkable, she found three nice options.

The problem was, like always, the money. Even living in dorms would cost a lot, and the schools themselves were more than her family could afford. Thus she began searching for any place which would accept an unskilled and inexperienced student for a well-paid arubaito – a part-time job. At first the colossal amount of commercial establishments in the metropolis gave her the false sensation that it'd be easy to find work despite what her cousin and her uncle told her. She visited shopping malls, galleries, convenience stores, outlets, restaurants, a hairdressing salon, a movie theater, three maid cafes and a few electronic stores, all by herself. By the end of the eighth day her feet were hurting and all she managed to get were many evasive answers that meant the same thing: no. To complicate matters, she spent almost all the cash she had left commuting.

To be fair, the only owner of a maid café she was able to talk to actually got an interest in her. She was unearthly attractive and sociable, after all. His attention was especially increased after he asked her to sing anything she wanted, and he seemed genuine enough when he said there were currently no open positions, but that he'd contact her if there're any vacancies.

Anyway, she though, her father was so close-minded and antiquated that he'd probably abandon her for good if she told him she'd work as a maid. In practice those places were just coffee shops with waitresses dressed as maids, with a few quirks like the possibility to order thematic dishes or ask for a girl to sing for everyone. Each place had their own twists, but as a rule of thumb things were pretty tongue-in-cheek and light. Even so, her father would probably still have that feudal line of thoughts that maid cafes would be modern equivalents of brothels or whatever. He's that narrow-sighted. Even if the owner gave her the job, she still foresaw an arduous fight to convince her parents it was an honorable enough work.

That night she could barely sleep. Her legs ached like they've gotten a beating, and the temperature was hotter than usual. Even with air conditioning it's unpleasant to sleep, and her mind couldn't silence even for a second. She had already been to Tokyo before, but only with her parents, and it's nowhere near as fun as it's this time. She loved that place. To think she'd have to go back to her backwater town full of nothing to do and live under her parents' roof again, having to obey every ridiculous rule and feeling imprisoned made her feel dizzy. The pressure to find something, anything, the next day was so unbearable she wanted to get up that same instant and continue searching, even though she was exhausted. Of course, she could wait until college to go out... but she'd probably already be a psychiatric patient by that time.

The next morning was even hotter, making any attempts of trying to shut eyes even for a moment futile. Fatigued, she went back to her job hunt by dawn. Of course it's hard, but she was accepting almost any position, unless it was degrading. In a city that size, how hard could it be to land a job of a dog-walker, a salesclerk or a mascot for children parties anyway?

She visited a few streets known for having lots of videogame stores, imagining they'd want a girl who actually knew a lot about games to attract otaku... although the more she pictured in her mind the most extreme cases of strange nerdy guys drooling over virtual girls and making their manga pages sticky with saliva and... other... fluids, the more she regretted the idea. And her imagination was one of her strongest traits (unfortunately).

"Welcome!", she would loudly and enthusiastically greet a customer by the sound of the bell ringing when the door was opened, only then noticing a short, thirty-something man with untidy hair, wide-open, beady eyes as if he's being followed by some shadow assassin, sporting clothes four sizes bigger than him. On such sight all her hopes of suggesting interesting and decent games would've been abandoned.

After noticing her, he would probably freeze on the spot, his fingers erratically moving as if they're living noodles, squirming over the Yen bills his mother clearly gave him. Starting to sweat profusely and hyperventilating, he'd indecisively whisper something along the lines of:

"Do... do you have... the game... 'G... Gotcha!!! Chained Strawberry Angels Palpitation Fever Ultimate: Super Nonconsensual Tentacle Hell Seven – Pure Loli Maiden Sisters Edition'?"

By the time the 'freaklient' would be going out Naoko would have developed a severe case of traumatic twitching under an eye and, clinging to the farthest possible wall, her "Thank you for your patronage, please come back soon!" standard phrase would most likely come out more like "Please go back under your rock and don't you _ever_ show your face here again!"

Never mind the fact that she knew her stereotypes were prejudiced and far from truth... of a few otaku, at least. Or so she hoped. Nevertheless, she combed every gaming store. In most cases she couldn't find the owner. Of the ones she did, at least two seemed interested, and one of them made a brief interview with her.

Her gaming knowledge wasn't the problem. When it came to proper etiquette for clients, in that case the owner, however, Naoko noticed something wasn't right. She was able to perform well the basics, like greeting a client when he came in and to count the change out loud, albeit it rubbed her the wrong way for some reason. She felt wrong, as if... she was being nice to someone just so they could give her something – money, in this case. It felt like backstabbing, but she could live with being polite. When he pushed her, impersonating a truly irritating customer, however, she started to ask herself if that was the kind of work she'd like to perform.

The owner was pleased with her and vowed to get in contact again in a couple of days. When she left the store, however, all she could feel was emptiness. To be mistreated, even if just in a pretended sale, without being able to do anything and having to keep her cool was a big pain for her. If she wanted to feel bad she would've stayed home.

Not only she looked drained, she also lost part of the will to work. The more she thought about how any job involved doing something for someone and tolerating frustration, stupid clients and people that were unable to listen to the truth without getting pissed off, the more she got depressed. She went over a mental list of every position she knew, both plausible and absurd, but no matter what, every single one involved people. Any employee could be fired if their superiors were dissatisfied with their performances. Their bosses would answer to directors. Even a CEO had to answer to stockholders and the general public. Maybe... maybe stockholders didn't have to tolerate abuses! Yeah, they still relied on others, but they're the ones getting pissed of there, if anyone. If she had a lot of money – or so she thought it's necessary – and knew how to invest in stocks that would be a sweet option.

She day dreamingly crossed from sidewalk to sidewalk, automatically going in and out of every open door and only stopping to reapply sun filters every hour. At first she looked for signs that they were hiring, but after hearing so many indirect refusals Naoko got desensitized enough to try her luck everywhere she considered decent. At every opportunity she went back to her fantasies of operating stocks. Although that was the kind of work she considered boring, the more she supposed it to be similar to a game, the more excited she got. The ups and downs of those lines, the gaining of lots of money, the... well... that's it. She had no idea how it performed in reality, but somehow Naoko was able to get thrilled about yet another thing out of the blue, just dreaming about having a computer with multiple screens, most of them showing trends of powerful companies full of people slaving away their uneventful lives for her while on the last screen she'd be playing something while waiting for the stocks to reach selling point or whatever.

There was a moment she got so pumped up about the idea that she could clearly see herself doing it during the next years. She could stay in her parents' house, since she'd simply lock the door of her room and play. It wouldn't be and adventurous life and she started to think she'd get lonely eventually, but her father wouldn't be able to say she was being lazy or that all she did was to play videogame or computer games because by the end of the day, she'd receive much more than him! When she turned twenty and thus became legally an adult, Naoko would then rent an apartment in Tokyo and be free! Maybe she could even hire a handsome butler!

The ground started to shake slightly, bringing her back to reality. The seismic movement was so quick and weak it could've passed for a loaded cargo train approaching a platform, if there was any nearby. When the tremor stopped, a few seconds later, she had the impression many pedestrians hadn't even felt it. But then it's too late, her daydream was shattered.

It was strange, when she thought about it. She loved to be close to people. She loved Tokyo because it's so lively! Why was she having cold feet about any position? Was it because of fear of responsibilities? But she was always responsible, despite being slightly hot-headed.

Entering a convenience store, she watched the saleslady perform her duties with a client. It wasn't nowhere nearly as bad as she was thinking during the last few hours. And although Naoko had never worked for a paycheck before, in her hometown her nosy nature and her drive to stay away from home as much as she could lead her to do lots of voluntary works. School projects, caring for the elderly, doing whatever she was allowed to for firework festivals... It's always fun. Why did she abruptly begin second-guessing her decisions? And, even in a worst-case scenario where a part-time job she got proved to be ill-treating, if she was to pick fights with a person she would meet for one minute in her entire life because he or she abused Naoko's patience, the girl would essentially be giving reason for the arguments of her father that her short temper was nothing more than sheer immaturity. No, she would persevere. And, most importantly, she already knew how her home was akin to a penitentiary. No way she would go back there!

The convenience store ended up being another no-go, but she left the venue with renewed hopes and a snack she ate at an opportunity she got to sit down, the only thing she consumed that whole day. The sky leisurely turned red and started to go dark, increasing the feelings of frustration and her rush. The flight back home was scheduled for the upcoming morning, giving her few precious hours left, but she would hate to go back empty-handed.

She hurriedly kept searching for her dream arubaito – any plain part-time job, really. Eventually, though, her tired legs protested and refused to move. She, against her will, found a nice kids playground and sat down.

Only then, as resignation grew on her, she could take a moment to breath and pay attention to her surroundings. As the dusk got darker and the last sunbeams painted the clouds, few and far between, a rosy hue, the stars started to appear. Truth be told, the starry skies of Shimabara were prettier at night. In Tokyo there were hardly enough shining dots in the firmament to fill it. Only two or three. But the lights that steadily started to shine across the city more than made up for it in Naoko's opinion.

She ran the entire day with mixed feelings and had little time to appreciate the experience, but looking back she found it fun. The towering buildings' windows around her reflected one another and the street lamps, the squirming car headlights and rear lights that formed white and red rivers, the multicolored billboards, the glistening cellphone screens that made crowds sparkle as if sprinkled with silver dust, the airplanes coming and going and so much more. The metropolis radiated brighter at night with spinning lights that her hypnotized eyes reflected. To be there made her at peace, even if her stomach was empty and her body sore. Despite her sleepless last night, she didn't notice her tiredness.

She stood there in silent contemplation for who knows how long, and as she decided to move again, her heart was full of peace. As she spent her last change on something to eat and took the train back to her uncle's place, it's already well past rush time and the number of people on the streets was manageable. She found herself a cozy seat next to a window and kept staring at the iridescent city that moved outside, while her reflex looked back with a mix of happiness and sadness.

The repetitive, low humming and the tender rocking of the train gently carried the bushed girl to a deep slumber. When she came back to her senses, her heart almost jumped out of her mouth. Her station had already passed by three stops, and Naoko dashed out of the vehicle the first chance she got.

Finding her way to the opposite platform to go back, she waited for a moment. For as much as she'd like to rest, her biggest desire was that this day never ended. So much, in fact, that when the train arrived she couldn't force herself to get in. As she watched the doors open and close and the metal, serpent-like vehicle slip by, Naoko decided to go by foot. She was just three stations away from her uncle's apartment, anyway.

Every corner of the streets was different than the last. Every new block was full of possibilities for a girl that felt caged in her real home. Every person dressed differently – with the exception of the suit-clad, sake-filled, tottering salarymen that seemed to spawn at alarming rates at every turn, but that was to be expected. In a new city even those generally annoying, loud men were amusing for her. They composed the experience of free roaming the capital.

A couple of blocks down the street, where small, two or three decade old but charming commercial buildings full of luminous signs aligned themselves, she found out some doors sported hiring notices. Too bad it was a quarter to ten and most offices were closed. If she knew that place before she could've found a part-time job there, maybe. Still, she wandered the long, straight avenue looking at every notification. A couple of them were really vague, but since offices seemed to be the thing there, it wasn't hard to imagine they would need auxiliaries, secretaries and whatnot.

Eventually, after a lot of walking, she passed through a three-story building with a few lights still on. The door was opened, immediately leading to a dimly lit stairway that climbed, without stops, all the way up, whilst presenting doors to every pavement. A big hiring board by the door listed every open position for every floor. All were empty except the uppermost business, which simply and vaguely presented a "accepting applications!" statement.

Naoko gave a few steps back and looked up. As she had imagined, the windows of the third floor were still illuminated. Above them there was a retro-esque, neon billboard. From where she was standing, almost beneath it, it was hard to tell the name of the company, but she could see the symbol was a sort of a diamond with its lower tip sitting atop a disc of some sort. Even though the long, narrow stairs seemed somewhat shady, the big sign was really well made and flashy, and inspired confidence.

Naoko hesitated, looking at the hour on her cellphone. Even if the office was still open, it's hard to imagine they would receive her at such an hour. But then again, the worst it could happen was another no, like the hundred or so she already obtained those two days. And there was nothing she could do, by next morning she'd already be leaving. If she explained it and was lucky enough perhaps they would still send her word in case some position came up.

"Fat chance," she thought. A school girl with no prior experience in whatever office tasks she'd be required to do, probably looking miserably tired and with no business card to back her up would show up almost ten p.m. looking for work. Yeah, great chances of success. Well, at least she could say she was dedicated.

The expectation to hear another roundabout no made her legs start to move away, but as she started to think about it, she stopped again. To hell with probability, at that time all she wanted was not to go back and keep exploring. Given, the place looked a little suspicious, but nothing that made her think she'd be entering a mafia den. Although when that crossed her mind, her imagination started to play tricks on her.

Even then, she fought to control her fear. The last time she thought so vividly about bad things, she pictured herself selling porn games to a creepy otaku, and reality (so far) turned out to be not nearly as bad. Mustering up her courage and inquisitiveness, she went back and started climbing the stairs.

The steps were short and the inclination was steep. After two days of intense walking her legs shook like jelly. The very climb was a test of resolution, it seemed, but it just made her curiosity burn hotter.

The stairs wound up on a wall. After a L turn there was a small, carpeted corridor. To the right two restrooms and on the left a few couches and an old door. At the end of the hallway there was another entrance, from where the faint sound of a television and a fan came out. She made her way there and, vacillating for a while, regained her breath and knocked. By that time she had already thought about what she'd say if she found out a lot of gangsters and her years of martial arts classes that would certainly not save her flashed before her eyes.

Contrary to what she thought, she was greeted by a soothing male voice, maybe a little drowsy, politely asking for a second. After a brief pause the door opened slightly, and through the gap a tall and young man appeared. He definitely looked like he was sleeping, his face partially wrinkled and red. He seemed surprised, and after checking the person before him his cloudy eyes lost their half-asleep air. He opened the door, and behind him Naoko could see his room. It was the messiest thing she'd ever seen, even for an office. A small TV airing the news sat atop cardboard boxes and his desk was hidden behind a small fridge, a sofa still with the marks of someone who had slept there and other furniture. A strong smell of tobacco and dust clogged her nostrils. The neon lights came in from the darkness outside the windows, and an old ceiling fan span slowly, generating more noise than wind. It was surreal.

There was nothing to be liked on that chaos, but somehow places like that attracted Naoko. She secretly liked boy's rooms for reasons even she didn't fully understood. Maybe because the untidiness equated to freedom for her, and that was a precious thing.

"Please, come in," the tall, slender and elegant man in his mid-twenties invited with a bow, looking lost. Noticing her eyes glancing around the room, he scratched the back of his head and apologetically explained while bowing again, "I'm deeply sorry. We just move in, there's still a lot to be done."

Closing the door behind the seemingly shocked girl, the man opened up a way to his desk and offered a seat for her. Taking everything from over the table and putting it over the sofa, he lowered the volume of the TV so that the images gave an impression of liveliness to the ambient but the sound didn't interfere and, going back, he said, in a careful way:

"Well... I'm Aratani Kouta, the owner of this agency." After a brief pause, the tall, slim man in his creased suit mentioned regretfully, "It's already past business hour, so I don't know if I can help you now, but... Please, if I can be of any assistance, let me know."

Naoko knew it was a polite way of saying "get the heck out of here and come back other time", but she was surprised the man named Kouta looked actually genuine in his intentions of assisting her. The girl quickly said, as politely as she felt comfortable to be:

"It's a pleasure to make you acquaintance, Aratani-San. I'm Yano Naoko. Sorry for coming at such late an hour, but... to be frank, this is my last night in Tokyo. Tomorrow morning I'll be flying back to my hometown, and I wanted to... see if I could find a job so that I could pay my studies here. And I saw in the board by the entrance your company was accepting applications. So... I'm sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to know if I could know more about that position. I... couldn't find any information about it, but..."

The man, showing interest, leaned forward and told her in a considerate way:

"No, I understand." Pausing briefly to think, he inhaled and exhaled the air through his nose as if ventilating the tiredness of the day while looking for something in the shelves of his desk. " I'm thankful for your interest. You seem like a dedicated person, to be up at such an hour looking to fulfill your dreams."

She was afraid he'd take her wrongly, thinking a girl looking for work at such a late hour would be up to no good, but it looked like they thought similarly. Glad, she thanked him and waited while the man took a flyer and a business card in his hands and, putting them at the edge of the table for the time being, he asked:

"Let's get down to business, then. Yano-San, you seemed like you have some questions about the application. Can I help to clarify anything?"

"Hm... yes," Naoko replied, "I'd like to know more about the position. What kind of job is it? I'm sixteen, and I don't exactly have any previous experience in office work, but I've already done a lot of volunteer work at my hometown, and I'm a quick learner, I think."

The look on Aratani's face became puzzled. Appearing to have lost part of his enthusiasm, he briefly gauged the girl's eyes. He could see she was tired, but there was a glint of hope and something on her gave the impression she was more energetic and cheerful than that formal meeting made her to be. And although she had probably made a dumb question, she appeared to be smart. Her eyes were attentive and sharp. He decided to chalk up that misunderstanding to her weariness. Unsure, he clung to his gut-feeling and elucidated:

"Well... about the application, I'm sorry it wasn't very precise. We currently have no open positions in terms of office personnel. That invitation was due to the fact that we are a newly-founded idol producing agency. I'm the owner. We're currently looking for talents to produce."

The moment Naoko heard the word "idol", she petrified. All her will to continue that conversation was syphoned out of her body. Suddenly the messy but rather cozy room seemed like an intimidating place, one she got a sudden urge to leave.

The young man handled her a pamphlet written in big characters. "The Paragon Idol Agency", it said. The logo was that of a big diamond, in its most classic shape, drawn in silver lines over a dark background. His lower tip levitated atop what appeared to be the center of a platinum-colored disk, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray or any kind of similar media. The disk was seen from a perspective, as if resting atop an invisible surface. Drawn over the diamond was the black silhouette of a young woman. There're no details, but by the outline it could be imagined she was wearing a skirt and holding a microphone. The back of the flyer presented, in bullet-point listing, some information, but Naoko could hardly read anything.

Her eyes were covered by a cold mist, almost like if she got lost in her mind. Back in time and space to her hometown, seven or eight years before.

Remembering the day they first met, her producer, lying down on his chair with both feet over his desk, interrupted Naoko's raconteur spree:

"Yeah, I was under the impression you spaced out the moment you heard it's an idol agency, but at that time I was so pressed to find a good talent to promote that I refrained from asking what was the problem." Smiling, he added, "Not to say I was too afraid to lose such a rare diamond in rough like you over any argument to care, diamond girl."

Looking at his sly face, straight and unfaltering while complimenting her, Naoko laughed.

"I'd pretend to be shocked if I wasn't well aware of your womanizer's traits. Keep them to yourself, you perv, the only one you're going to get to know this way is a police officer."

"You try to compliment the talent of a woman with no ulterior motives and she immediately raises shields against you," Aratani mentioned, jestingly looking hurt. Going back to his cool self, he inquired, "Alright, Naoko-Chan. Get to the point. What was the deal? Why did you think I'd betray you?"

Losing herself in memories, her eyes clouding again albeit without the shocking and disheartened expression of a few weeks before, the girl continued her narrative.

The moment that man told her about idol producing, her mind was pulled back to Momoko. Fuchigami Momoko was the older sister of Naoko's oldest friend, Fuchigami Masahiro. Two years older than her and always the quiet type, Masahiro lived right across the street. He probably cared for Naoko more than anyone and, despite not being particularly adventurous, he's always there to help her out of situations. He had a tendency to try and overprotect Naoko, taking the blame for things she did. Naoko eventually made many friends all across Shimabara and beyond, some from the streets, some from the karate dojo and the other martial arts centers she liked to take a peek, many from school, a few from online games and so on, but even then she maintained her childhood friendship.

Masahiro had a sister six years older than him, and thus eight years older than Naoko. Her name was Momoko. When Naoko was still a brat around eight years old, Momoko was already an attractive teenager. She always dreamed to be famous, maybe an actress or a singer. Her father encouraged her to pursue her dream, and somehow she found about an idol agency in Nagasaki that seemed interested in her. Her family invested in her, paying every fee the agency said it was necessary. Apparently the process was very complicated and involved many legal consulting and expenses for tests, singing and dancing classes, initial promotions and other things. Her family paid a lot of money.

After many travels, all of which ended up in frustration because for one reason or another every test, audition or interview with the producer-to-be got canceled at the last moment, the anticipation came to a sad conclusion. The agency simply vanished, taking all her money. Her "producer" was never seen again. The scam to prey on the dreams of girls made many families go into debt, and even though Momoko's father and mother were able to eventually recover from the loss, their daughter was left emotionally scarred.

Although Naoko wasn't exactly a friend of Momoko, which at that time was almost double her age, she knew her well enough to notice a drastic chance in her behaviors. After that incident the good-spirited girl became introspective and sour. Her bonds with her family grew tighter, as if she became so riddled with guilt that she did anything for her brother and parents, but at the same time she became distant and cold to others, sometimes borderline cruel. She got attached to animals, but her faith in humanity was compromised. So much that she became neurotic with her studies and a real workaholic, aiming only for perfection and not caring for any stranger anymore.

After that, similar stories were heard across Shimabara a few more times. Tales of supposedly big shots from Nagasaki, Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and so on getting an interest in a girl from small towns. For the women, it's like being discovered against all odds. Then there was an expensive process that invariably ended up in the agency disappearing in thin air, leaving the girls and their families to lick their financial and emotional wounds.

It was easy for vile people to fool young girls with promises of stardom and fortune. In Japan the idol industry was a huge and well-oiled machine. Scouted boys and girls could go for nobody to national celebrity overnight. The entertainment industry craved for pretty faces and new songs. Billions of Yen changed hands over teenagers and spam a myriad of products. CDs, commercials, clothes, dolls, official school bags and other materials, shows and much more. Girls found themselves being interviewed in TV, appearing in building-tall electronic ads and having legions of fans calling her in the streets. As much as it was tantalizing, the idol industry had its own fair share of traps and competition was fierce, but nothing detracted from the dream of becoming the next one on the spotlights and every year dozens of thousands of women tried their lucks, looks and talents for a piece of the action. Only a few managed to get somewhere. Even when not falling victims to schemes, the idol road was fraught with dangers and hardships. For some it added value to the victors, but that was because nobody thinks they are going to be among the vast majority who falls flat.

To someone such as Naoko, who knew terror stories about con artists draining families of their resources or leading girls astray, to discover herself in an agency was almost worse than if she had actually met a group of bad looking men with their backs covered by tattoos.

Sure, the young man in front of her seemed like a decent person. Even then, his office was nowhere near what an authentic idol agency would look like, as far as what she knew. It was definitely a ruse.

To his merit, that con artist looked very smart, noticing something was amiss with her. Quickly, he started to detail the process his agency applied to idol candidates:

"About the application itself, we try to make it as quick as possible. There's a singing and dancing test, following guide rules from the supervisory organ. Then, there's an interview to get to know the candidate, just to know with whom we could be working with. Finally, should everything be okay, I submit the data to the higher-ups so they can look into the paperwork. Usually the whole process doesn't take more than four days."

Right off the bat Naoko caught on a discrepancy in his explanation and, without any care for what would the schemer feel, tossed it right at his face:

"Yeah, right, your 'higher-ups'. Listen, didn't you say you're the owner of this lovely agency, 'Produ-San'?'

The almost pet-like name "Produ-San" she called the supposed producer out of the blue was coated in venom. Despite having the unisex "San" suffix, which in Japanese denoted some degree of respect, often akin to "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Ms." or something similar, in this case Naoko was being clearly sarcastic. To her disappointment, the man looked just slightly fazed, and instead of breaking the conversation on that point, he calmly answered, somewhat jokingly:

"That's correct, this lovely agency is all mine, I'm glad you liked it. The higher-ups I refer to are the people from the supervisory organ I mentioned."

"What organ?" questioned Naoko, crossing her arms. She actually liked the nonchalant attitude of that Aratani guy, but as far as she could tell there were no such things. He, in a matter of fact way, replied while handling her his business card, with the logo of his company, telephone number, e-mail address and something called an 'I.S.S.G. ID' followed by fourteen digits:

"Every idol agency answers to the Idol Star System Generation Co., you know." Pausing to evaluate her expression and noticing she only seemed a little confused on top of her defensive posture, he asked "Yano-San... knows about the I.S.S.G., I... think? Or... do you want me to clarify what's it?"

To make assumptions about other people in any conversation in Japan was a risky bet, and one Naoko usually did far more often than most people and incurred in bigger chances of offending someone. But on the other hand, she wasn't nearly as much hurt when others did the same to her, and since the man was trying to be polite when implying she should probably know about that organization, she let that slip. Looking at the black business card, she merely said in a passive-aggressive way while thinking if she should just stand up and go away:

"I've heard this name once or twice, but since I've never, ever wanted to be an idol and I barely keep up with idol trends and stuff like that, I don't know much about it."

Getting more and more disappointed, Aratani leaned back on his chair. Out of politeness he replied:

"Most people think the Idol Star System Generation Co. is just a corporation that owns a few domes and theaters and promote gigs, but they're actually a committee that regulates a few aspects of this branch of the entertainment industry. The female branch, at least. They have to accept your application, for starters. In practice they just lift papers and check to see if you're clear. You know, it'd be bad if we discovered an idol to be an axe murderer after having invested a lot of money on her."

Since she was being so impolite, the man also took the liberty to spike her back indirectly. Contrary to what he'd expect, though, Naoko actually broke into laughing. She hated herself for not being able to control it and use the opportunity to get away, but the images that immediately popped in her mind were just too good. To see a cute idol, all smiley and lovey-dovey, still presenting baby teeth-like pointy canines and ribbons all over not get as many applauses from a particular fan in a show and draw a halberd, screaming "love me, you bastard!" and jumping from the stage like a frenzied berserker... that would in fact be a sight Naoko would like to see! Not in real life, actually, but the mental images she depicted were far too exaggerated and cartoony not to be funny.

That girl was clearly something else, to be able to laugh like that, Aratani could see it. It was either a good or a very bad sign, but all in all it made the man relax a bit. Her laughing was quite contagious too, and made him smile a little, his disappointment fading away. Getting back to herself, she took a deep breath and sent a straight ball:

"Okay, I see you're a funny guy, Produ-San. Let me get real here. I'm not one who likes to beat around the bushes, so I need to get it out of the way now: how much would you be asking me to pay you for all this trouble of tests and legal work?"

Naoko could remember Momoko's sad story at that moment as vividly as if she were living it all over again. The question was a trap, but a well-disguised one, she thought. Aratani, still dazed by the ups and downs of that girl, and taking an unexplainable liking in her wild personality as much as she had her strange laughing moment over the idol axe murderer topic, replied in a similar fashion while lying more comfortably in his chair:

"Alright, Yano-San wants it straight, I'll give it to you. No fees. Seriously, if you're fretting over money all this time, you could've said it sooner, sis."

Staring deep into the cool, borderline lazy-looking but also upfront man, she searched for clues he was lying, but to no avail. She repeated "No fees?" just to be sure, and Aratani, in the same confident and firm voice, confirmed:

"No fees. Not that I wouldn't like to share the risk of the investment with you, but there are guidelines I.S.S.G. imposes for agencies, one of them being not charging admission fees from candidates. The money for tests and bureaucracies must come from the agency. In case the candidate gets accepted, there's an annual member fee for the idol, which I think was around two thousand Yen last time I saw. But as for your question of 'how much would you be asking me to pay you for all this trouble ', you wouldn't be paying me anything. This annual fee is paid directly to the corporation."

Frowning, the girl got lost for a few seconds in her mind. When she came back from her mind the first thing she requested was, "OK, suppose I get accepted. You'd say I'd probably need dance classes, dresses and whatever, right? And, not that I'd care since my family wouldn't support me financially and, thus, I wouldn't foot it, but these things cost money too."

"Don't tell me," the man casually said, "I prefer not to be reminded about all the things that will someday appear in red characters in my accountings. But yeah, what of them? You don't have to worry about it, I'd be paying every cost of it. That's what people call 'investment', and there's no business you can get into where there's no investment."

"I get it," Naoko replied, "but what about me? I'd be part of a business without investing anything. Is that it?"

"Not investing money doesn't mean not investing anything," Aratani pointed it out, "Money is my part of the business. Also, that's the reason I'd be getting eighty-five percent of all the revenue. Because I'm the one footing all the bills and also because who has the money gets the bigger share. But you'd still be investing your time and effort, and since you're so direct, Yano-San, let me be too: I don't say that lightly. Should you be accepted, I'll take no complaints that I'm slaving you away in marketing campaigns, presentations, lessons, rehearsals and so on. You'll be expected to cope with the work hours, including nights, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, so on and so forth. And don't even get me started on your summer vacation, that's prime time for idol promotions. At the same time, you'd still be expected to perform well in school, because every negative point you let tabloids know is like sugar to ants. Those sensationalist reporters would kill for a chance to defame someone and gain notoriety for their dirty papers. If working your soft skin out is not enough investment for you, I don't know what is."

The silence that followed was a long one, as the girl stood still, in a half-surprised expression. The man looked so sincere that for the first time Naoko actually considered the possibility it was a real offer. The state of his chaotic office threw her expectations down again and he was coping with so many bad attitudes from her that it was fishy at best, but maybe, if he could prove what he said was true...

...Well, even then there were so many things that would prevent her to be contracted, beginning with her own family, it was for the best not to dwell on it. She played it safe:

"Okay, I think I get it. But anyway, I think my parents wouldn't support me. Certainly not financially, so if there are any hidden taxes you're not telling me, forget it, and I would be hard-pressed to convince them to allow me to become an idol even if I passed the tests. Which, since I'm going back home tomorrow morning anyway, I couldn't do. So..." Seeing the face of the man becoming depressed despite his efforts not to show it, with such intensity that someone faking feelings would hardly be able to achieve, Naoko felt bad for how she's been acting. She proceeded, "I'm sorry, Aratani-San. I was just looking for a regular part-time job. Sorry I... appeared out of nowhere at night and..." the more she thought about how she was the one who looked for him, acted like she owned the place and spent his time, the worse she felt.

In the middle of her sentence, her cellphone started to ring a happy, upbeat song. She instinctively looked for the man apologetically, but he, albeit certainly not happy, wasn't too concerned. The conversation was over already, so it wasn't a loss. He serenely gave her a positive nod and, while she answered the call, he stood up, going to a shelf where a tea machine was hidden among other objects.

"Naoko-Chan!", the voice of her uncle sounded relieved as she answered, "Where are you? Is everything OK?"

"Uncle Kenji...", she mumbled while mechanically bowing all the slightest, taking a few seconds to change gears from her previous conversation and leaving the guilt behind, "Yes, I'm fine. I was still looking for a job and got carried away. I'm sorry."

"Where are you now, Naoko?" his voice sounded inquisitive in a bad way. Naoko, bowing again, retorted:

"I'm a few squares from home. I'll be right there. Sorry to have caused you trouble."

Her uncle asked again if she didn't want him to go get her, but she refused, reassuring him she'd be by his place in a few minutes. After she hung up, the suit-clad man asked her from afar if she didn't want a cup of tea. Based on his downed voice, it was more out of cordiality than because he wanted her to stay.

"Ah, no, thanks. I really have to go, my uncle is worried about me." Standing up, and feeling her guilt come back, she added, honestly "I'm... sorry for taking your time... and for being such an ungrateful guest. Really."

She bowed more than usual. Even if not for truly believing in the young man, at least to show appreciation for him being nicer than she could ask for. When she stood up, she found the face of Aratani to appear even more tired and lifeless than when she met him. The owner, taking a moment looking deeply at her, finally sighed heavily. Lowering his eyes to the two cups of tea he had taken, he put one away, grabbed a pack of cigarettes, a lighter and a portable ashtray and showed her the way to the door.

From all the years she spent having lots of male friends, the experience told her that he was a good man. She wanted to believe him, just so she could sleep knowing she hasn't demotivated an honorable person. Walking into the corridor looking at his business card while he accompanied her and closed the door behind him, she reviewed her conversation, noticing how much self-restraint the complete stranger must've had not to toss her out of the window. In fact, that was the fishiest part of that man: he seemed too detached, to the point where if felt he was trying too hard not to spook her away from his messy room. Maybe something a guy trying to pass a scam on someone would do. She mustered up the courage to ask:

"Aratani-San? Can you tell me one thing?" Listening to a low and not all that excited "Hm, sure, go ahead", she pressed on, "You're awfully nice to me, despite... everything. Why?"

Tucking one of his hands on the pocket of his pants while scratching his head, he vaguely answered while stumbling down the corridor:

"Honestly? I've got no idea. I just... don't care too much if people don't like me, I think. Well, to be fair, a large share of the public love a strong-willed girl that starts cold and warms up to them little by little. They can't resist bittersweet relations. That's being a tsundere at its best, and you seem like a natural. So from a business standpoint it'd be good for me to accept you as you are. You've no idea how many idol fans secretly fall on the masochist side of the spectrum."

Negatively shaking her head, Naoko replied in a more joyful tone while starting to go down the long flight of stairs:

"I could've gone to bed tonight without having heard that about the fans. I sense it'll haunt my dreams. But I'm not a tsundere. I'm just careful."

Despite at first glance sounding like a bad excuse, when the girl gave it some thought it made sense that he'd accept a few offenses if the public wanted a girl with that characteristic. Still, that didn't excuse her, nor made her feel any better. But since she had already shown her true colors, at least she could help him somehow. While climbing down, she advised him:

"Listen, not trying to be rude or anything..."

"Not that you'd need to try in order to be," Aratani remarked with half a smile. Naoko, feeling her tension decrease as he joked, continued, jesting, "Yeah, but I can be much worse if I try! Want me to show you?"

"Nah, I'm fine, I believe in you. Go ahead." he replied grinning, and the girl proceeded, "Okay, listen. If you're really serious about your agency, you should tidy up that place. I know it's rude to say it, but at least let me give you this advice. It'll come in handy, trust me."

Taking the lighter and the pack from his pocket, he agreed while pulling a cigarette out:

"Yeah. I figured as much. Sorry about the mess. I know it's not an excuse, but we've only opened up a week ago. But yes, sorry for making you put up with the uncleanliness."

"No, it's okay. You don't have to apologize," Naoko said. But almost immediately, as she reached the ground, the girl included a snarly comment, as if she already knew him for a long time – something she was so used to do it became a habit, and despite appearing dangerous actually got generally good results "But really, a week is more time than necessary to groom up that place. What's with the delay?"

Going out in the sidewalk with the girl, Aratani pointed up to the luminous billboard over the windows with an open hand and spontaneous and light-heartedly declared:

"Do you have any idea how much time it took me just to put that thing up there and running properly? A whole day!"

"What about the other six days of the week?" Naoko retorted, smiling from her witty comment. The man, though, took her off-guard replying mockingly:

"Do you have any idea how much time it took me just to rest after putting that thing up there and running properly? Another whole day!"

Naoko burst into laughs, not expecting him to be able to do such jokes. While she did it, Aratani lit a cigarette and took a deep breath, looking up in the sky. His smile slowly faded away, leaving behind only a concerned, though resigned, countenance. As the girl got a hold of herself, she found the man in deep thoughts. He gradually spoke, as if for himself more than for anyone:

"Now that you mentioned it, it's hard to imagine any girl would believe a guy who can't even tidy up his office would be able to produce her properly, no? Heh, did I really need someone else to tell me that to notice it?"

"Well," Naoko surprised him with a quick reply, breaking his trance-like contemplation of the almost starless sky, "it is worrisome, yes, but that's just a way of proving people you're capable and... trustworthy."

Nodding as if swallowing the reality bit by bit, he thought out loud:

"In my last work all I needed to show professionalism was a business card and showing up at court with punctuality. To think I'd just throw in my I.S.S.D. number on my card and let people consult my trustworthiness by themselves was a big misstep. I'll... try to find a way to clean that place up. Thank you for the feedback, Yano-San. Really, I needed it."

"Don't mention it," Naoko said, letting only the fresh spring winds speak for a while. Curious about something, she asked it quickly, while her feet pointed in the direction of her uncle's apartment, prepared to go. "You mentioned your last work involved courts?"

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Aratani didn't bother taking the cigarette out of his mouth to say:

"I'm a lawyer by trade. After getting my degree I spent a few years on an office. You may not believe me after seeing my room, but I'm actually very responsible. Never lost a case. Not that I worked there for too long, I'm only twenty six after all, but I always took care of the people I got under my wings. Too much, I guess." Making a pause to smoke, he looked down to the pavement. "I never had time for myself. And eventually, for a few... reasons... I left my job. My girl. My... ah... What I could've left. You get the point. But, you know, if after you leave a place and your problems continue, then the problems weren't in that place. They're on you. Heh. I'm still the same, I see. Able to be very responsible for the others, but unable to do anything for myself, like organizing the place I spend my whole day. Shit."

When he lifted his head, he was taken aback by the caring look on Naoko's face. He was expecting more disgust and less affection. Smiling, she mentioned:

"You're actually a very nice guy, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," he said ironically, "And you know what they say about nice guys, right?"

"What?" she inquired.

"They never get the girl," he stated with a smile, although not a funny one. Lifting his sleeve and looking at a silver and black wristwatch, he said "Hey, Yano-San? It's already late, your uncle will be worried. But it's a pleasure meeting you." With a temporary malicious grin, he stated, "A real pleasure. You're as sexy as you're devious, girl".

Seeing her get crimson and react so surprised, he laughed, returning to his casual, laid-back usual self:

"You're a bad liar if you tell me no man has ever told you that or that you don't like to be praised. You've got looks, and you know it, sis. Also a sweet voice and a contagious smile. You're a diamond in rough, so to speak. If you have a dream of becoming an idol, can't admit it to me and found it hard to believe in old Aratani Kouta here, don't get discouraged. Many agencies would be willing to produce you, just take a peek at the official website of the Idol Star System Generation and you'll find a list of all licensed agencies. Just drop in the nearest one, I'm sure they'll be glad. Every idol is a bet, of course, but some bets are safer than others. And you're a very safe bet if I've ever seen one."

The way the man coolly made such compliments, without so much as batting an eye and without any tension or innuendoes – other than the 'sexy and devious' part –, simply stating what he thought to be true, made Naoko blush heavily. For as much as something weighted on her as she thanked him and bid farewell, Aratani also left her with a warm feeling inside her chest.

She slowly paced her steps, gradually getting away as the man stood on the door smoking and watching her go with eyes lost in thoughts. As the distance between the two increased, so did some kind of uneasiness inside him. When Naoko was almost crossing the empty street, his voice abruptly called out for her. As she turned around, she saw him a good fifteen meters away, apparently surprised with himself too for having done that. Still, he made one final statement, shouting and not really caring if someone heard:

"Yano-San! I know you said you'll go back home tomorrow morning and that you had some financial issues, so I'm betting you wouldn't cancel your flight just to take a shot, but... I'm... I'm willing to take the risk and pay you a flight that same day at night if you consider taking the tests tomorrow morning here. You have my business card so if you change your mind please give me a call. Up until nine a.m. it's still possible to schedule the tests."

He reclined back at the wall by the entrance, only then feeling he'd done everything he could and that it was now on the hands of that girl to take up the chance or not. Even from afar she could see he was finally able to settle down and smoke in peace. Having now the responsibility to decide to do the tests, something painful stirred inside her. Even if she did take the exams, chances were she wouldn't pass, because although she liked to sing, her dancing skills were mediocre at best and she was always ashamed to dance. But if she miraculously got approved, there was no way her father would approve, she thought. At least not without another long fight, which she wanted more than anything to avoid.

But at that time she remembered: she wanted to live in Tokyo not only because she loved that place. Despite all she thought, Shimabara was a pretty and inviting place. It was because she wanted to be free and not have to face criticisms every day at home. And she actually got an opportunity, even though her memories of Momoko made her wary of trying. Also, if she transferred her studies to the capital and fell in a scam, she'd be doubly screwed.

The girl turned her attention to the black business card with the diamond logo. "The Paragon Idol Agency". As she walked away, her eyes kept scanning the fourteen-digit number of identification. Supposedly, if there was a supervising organ, she could see if what that Aratani fella said was true. If so... well, she got tired just by the thought of trying to see if there was any truth about that, going through all that process, changing her flight, explaining to her father everything and trying to convince him to let her go, waiting for the response, transferring her studies to one of the high schools she found and moving. But if everything went smoothly...

It was a leap of faith, granted. There was no way of knowing if all would go well, and for the first time in many years she experienced fear again. Not just anxiety, but fear itself. If breaking free from her old life weren't such a big dream, she would've dropped it that instant. Only it was, and, full of uncertainties, Naoko walked alone the long streets, clinging to the dark business card as if holding an invitation to a party she never thought before she wanted to attend.

"And that's it," Naoko concluded. "Like I said, at first I didn't believe in you too much, but it wasn't really because of you. I just didn't believe in agencies in general, due to my friend's sister, Momoko-San, and her story. I accepted the risks just because of you. Since our first meeting I believed in you, Produ-San, or at least did my best to, and I'm glad for it now. This payment was the last piece I needed to overcome my fears! Produ-San's the best!"

Looking straight to the ceiling fan, Aratani looked more serious than usual. Snapping out of it just to thank her, he got lost again in his head. Soon after Naoko finished explaining her side of how they came to know each other, the young man finally spoke his mind:

"I didn't know about that incident with Momoko-San. But yes, although the Idol Star System existed for about eleven years now, the company itself only became a supervising organ of sorts about seven years before, after the acquisition and fusion of two giants of the idol industry. The resulting company, the I.S.S.G., kept the star system-based ranking of the buyer one, but with their combined influence and negotiations with other lesser corporations they were able to create a cartel-like corporation that almost monopolized every single aspect of the market chain, from the agencies and rights acquisition to promotion, production of goods and distribution, and more. The agencies who wanted their female idols to have any screen time and voice, and thus, any chance to be actually lucrative, had to submit. It was a legal and political struggle fought more often than not behind the scenes, and there were a lot of criticisms from the media and other interested parties. They control the female side of the industry, which is also the larger one, to their whims and there are a lot of things that are left to be desired, but... listening to Momoko-San's story, I'm for once glad we have the I.S.S.G. If it existed back when she got conned maybe her story would've been different."

Taking his feet off the desk, he asked in an irritated intonation:

"But to think there are people capable of such things... How are she and her family now?"

Looking diagonally and up while remembering and inattentively touching her lips with her index finger during the idle moments, she finally answered, uncertain:

"To tell you the truth, I don't really know. I mean, she's fine, but it's been a while since I last heard from her. She doesn't live with her parents anymore. I'm aware she got into a good university, but I can't recall the course. Architecture, I think. But she was doing well in her job. After all, she became really perfectionist and non-reliant on others, like I said."

"That's... a relief," Aratani said while leaning in, although his frowning told he wasn't all that relieved, "Though that incident really stained her trust on other people, right?"

Looking at the concerned and not just a little revolted face of her producer, Naoko rapidly poked his forehead, sending him crashing to his chair's backrest. She gleefully said:

"Don't go all 'justice hero' on me now, Produ-San. What, will you be Momoko-San's lawyer?"

Unwinding, the man exhaled heavily.

"Yeah. You're right. I got a little carried away." Staring at her, he insisted, "But, Naoko-Chan? Don't you seem a little too serene? I mean, to be unable to trust other people is a serious matter."

"She's not a little girl anymore. She'll be fine," she replied confidently. "If I were to worry about someone, it'd be about her brother, but even then, he'll be okay. They're alright now."

"What of her brother?" Aratani asked, and the girl, in a way that showed she dismissed it as unimportant, mentioned, "It's nothing. Just that when I went bid him goodbye and explained him I was coming to Tokyo he got sad. Like, 'not getting out of his house for anything' kind of sad. Although he was already introspective to begin with. If it wasn't for me pestering him during all these years he'd probably not get out of his house as much as he did anyway. And to be sad, that's to be expected, we were door neighbors since we're babies. I was sad too. He'll get over it. Like I said, _if_ I were to worry, it'd be about him, but in practice there's nothing to worry."

With a fixed look to a random point in his desk, Aratani murmured:

"Hm... I wonder." Finally lighting up, he completed, "But you're the one who knows him. If you say he'll be fine, that wraps it up. Just stay in touch with him, OK? I can feel him. I, for one, would want _this_ kind of trouble not to forget me if I was him."

Glaring deep into his cool, unassuming eyes, Naoko slowly stated:

"You did it again, didn't you, you slime ball?"

"Did what?" her producer, clearly trying to push her buttons just for fun, replied serenely.

"You passed a line on me again! Don't you dare deny it, you dirty fox!" she explained, knowing all too well he liked to pick on her like an older brother importunes his sister just for kicks. But as much as he feigned to try to seduce her, she also played along, appearing offended just so that he could get his deserved retribution.

"Me? I'd never do such a thing," he answered, all the while letting a tiny grin slip. Naoko, standing up lightning-fast, leaned in and slapped him from across the desk mumbling unintelligible words, while her producer, laughing from her inability to hit him, simply protected himself with his forearm. After some time he looked at her with a serious face and pointed out innocently, "Hey, Naoko-Chan? You can thank me later for letting you know this: your hair's a mess."

"Ahhh!" she screamed, starting a fruitless assault one slap at a word, "It's your fault! And you know it! And... stop... laughing... at... me! You... get... on... my... nerves!"
Chapter I – Led by Mirages

Truth be told, her liking for Aratani grew quickly. They had a lot in common: both were easygoing and fun-loving, even though at first glance she seemed energetic as a power plant and he, a polar opposite, was chill as winter. Both were also very responsible when needed.

Of course, at first she was skeptical and took all the necessary precautions. After getting on her uncle's house she explained the situation, and her cousin searched for his credentials while the burnt out girl went to the bath. Hayato, having lived in Shimabara too, knew very well the story of Momoko, and was doubly careful when checking the facts. But at the same time, unlike Naoko who simply held a grudge against the idol industry since she was a kid and refused to learn anything about it, he lived in Tokyo long enough to know about the Idol Star System Generation Co.

It was hard to miss, really. The company's headquarter was a major landmark, a gigantic tree-like marvel that rose above the cityscape. Nearing a thousand feet tall, it was a sight to behold. The scenic view was one of the highest of the city and was a treat. The headquarter was not only an office, but a complete entertainment facility. At the bottom there was one of the biggest domes in the country, where shows occurred. There was also a shopping mall next to it. Then there were many office floors and a center for idol development and promotion above the mall, and finally, a big, five-story, arborized terrace that mixed a luxury hotel, a restaurant and an observation deck. Even for people who couldn't care less about idols like Hayato, it was next to impossible not to be aware of it. The I.S.S.G. also employed many people, one of his classmates being a waiter there. The guy, who wanted to specialize in food chemistry, told him his job was underwhelming, but opportunities to grow in the career were aplenty.

When Naoko came out of the bath, almost stumbling on the bathroom slippers while taking them off, she was far too drowsy to understand anything he found, but she made an appointment to wake up even earlier than planned to look at the results. She didn't want Hayato to get up early too, but he did so anyway. It'd be easier than to write down about the I.S.S.G on a paper.

The Idol Star System Generation, from what her cousin told her at the break of dawn, was a solid corporation. In its official site there was a list of affiliated agencies allowed to produce girls, and Aratani's The Paragon Idol was among them. His ID number was valid, and the information that threw her cousin off, that it was founded a mere two weeks before, didn't fazed Naoko as much. Apparently the man was telling the truth after all, that's what matters.

More importantly, a somewhat hidden area of the website also gave an overview about the application process. There were lots of details regarding legal tidbits, such as parental approval for minors to work at the entertainment industry and so on, but Naoko didn't bother with that for the time being. Instead, she used her precious, running out time to read the instruction of the first few steps any idol wannabe should go through. It was clearly stated in the contract that under no circumstances were a candidate to pay upfront fees for the admission to occur. It was, like the agency owner had told, the company's obligation to foot such costs. Also, the agencies' commissions could only come from generated revenue.

There were many other details that slowly built-up her confidence. Not that she'd be approved, exactly – the dance test still left her doubtful – but at least that it was the real deal and not some cold-hearted scam. The site also presented a list of other agencies, some with many years in the market, in which rested her cousin's favorable opinion. After all, even if The Paragon Idol was a real, honest enterprise it was still small and newborn. Given all the costs to operate that line of business, it was still a coin flip. If she came to Tokyo and the agency went bankrupt from the large entry barriers and difficulty to generate revenue, which was a very real possibility, Naoko would still be left with no job to pay her studies and her life there. Meaning even if she were to accept the possibility of becoming an idol, there were better, safer agencies. Just like Aratani said the night before, in reality. But exactly because of that she thought he was a dependable and sincere guy.

Eventually, seeing the clock fast approaching the hour for her to be at the airport, she made up her mind. It was worth a shot. Worst case scenario Aratani would also not keep his promise of paying her another flight, and she'd know he wasn't to be trusted. And since she had a few pennies saved, it wasn't a big deal, she would go back home no matter what. Or if she didn't pass the exam, she'd at least know how it was, and could feel if she wanted to do it again at another agency. If so, she could prepare beforehand. And in case she got accepted, moved to Tokyo and the company went under, well... she'd only looked for a job for two days, if she lived there it was just a matter of time before she found something, she told herself. And all in all, she would be flying back home at night, so she wouldn't need to spend her entire last day of spring break in her parents' house!

Sure, to give an idol job a shot, with all that was said, was as risky as pursuing lake bodies in the horizon of a desert, hoping they weren't mirages, but there was a chance. A real one, she wanted to believe. Thinking positively, she washed the tiredness away of her face and mustered up the courage to call that man. Despite having mistrusted and perhaps mistreated him the night before, though, it seemed Aratani wasn't one to hold a grudge. In fact, he showed appreciation in hearing her voice, remembered his promise about the flight and thanked her for the interest.

She put on her makeup as quickly as possible, called her parents to tell them the flight was postponed due to a job interview offer without giving too much info not to lose time and quickly ate breakfast before hastily departing to Aratani's office. As he opened up the door and found the panting girl who had clearly rushed up the stairs a smile formed on his mouth.

From the get-go he reassured her and answered all her questions. The exams, which petrified her, weren't made on his disordered room, but on a dancing school close-by, a beautiful, large and illuminated place. Along with him there was a middle-aged woman, dressed formally and wearing a severe expression, who apparently worked as an instructor there. With her came a younger woman, just a senior student in her classes, to watch and maybe give opinions. Even though Naoko was initially afraid of possible harsh opinions from the agency owner, his straightforward and relaxed character made him a far less scary judge than the hawk-eyed instructor and her one spectator.

The singing test consisted just of a battery of three songs, two chosen by the examination board and one by Naoko herself. It was terrifying but easy enough. The girl just sang like she would in a karaoke, although butterflies in her stomach constantly bugged her. In less than ten minutes it was over, but it left her with a very bad impression that she'd been rejected right there. And since the judges didn't give any preliminary results, she was left to guess what they thought.

A problem soon became clear to Naoko: she hated to be rated. Any kind of audience made her uneasy and nervous. It was hard to understand: she was really extroverted and could easily talk to any stranger, even if it was a politician, a celebrity, a director of an important company or any other person, but as soon as she felt she was being evaluated her heart accelerated and she lost conviction in herself. It was the same feeling as when she had exams to change belts in karate. She had no problem participating in a class full of men and owning the place, but no sooner she found herself being tested she could hear her heart beating her chest much harder than her arms and legs' blows.

Curiously, she didn't have any problems doing school exams, with the exception of P.E. ones. While others were chewing on their nails and fingertips before the scariest theoretical tests, Naoko was as stalwart and tranquil as a forest. Even though she didn't have the habit of studying at home, usually relying just on what she learned during classes, her smarts and her cool head during assessments generally got her better grades than many students in her class who were dedicated and maybe knew the subjects more than her, but ultimately let their doubts dominate them.

In the singing test it was the opposite. In her imagination if she was to be put against a raucous century-old turtle wearing bunny ears and a skirt, the reptile would perform better. This mental picture was a bad sign for her confidence, but at the same time made her smile genuinely. With a laugh trying to find its way out as she sang, the girl actually started to feel her performance improving during the second presentation. It wasn't an honest feeling in that she liked the way she sang, but at least she was having fun about something.

After a brief pause her main terror started. The dance tests consisted of the same logic: three songs, one of them being Naoko's choice. They checked if she knew all of them, otherwise they'd need to change it. She was free to sing if she so desired or if it made it easier for her to concentrate, but it wasn't a requirement and wouldn't affect her score. Even then, she decided that flailing arms and legs without singing along would be even more awkward than not doing it. By the time she was expected to give the board the name of a song of her choice all she wanted was for it to end soon so she could find a cavern to hide in and forget that shameful experience.

Noticing the girl was nearly having a heart attack, Aratani had a word with her. He told her he couldn't present her the examinees scores yet, but asked her if she liked to dance. As the girl hesitantly responded she kind of did, but she was afraid, the man insisted:

"Yano-San, if you're afraid to do something, you're doing it out of obligation. I asked you if you _like_ to dance. Think about what you feel when you do something you like, instead of what others like you to do. If you can't feel you do something you like, there's no point doing it."

It was a warning, but also an advice. It was true. Maybe she shouldn't be trying to get a job she'd be suffering to perform. Or maybe she was just on the wrong mindset.

If she could just grasp how she was able to do tests in school with such ease, she'd probably be fine. Of course, she still didn't know how to dance. The last time she did it for real she was around seven years old. But, to be fair, she had already made tests in school where she knew little about the subject and wasn't nearly as much afraid as then. Also, in these situations she simply did what she could, randomly wrote what she reminded and relied on last-minute study remembering... anything. Somehow she was able to do well.

"Somehow". Maybe that was the key. In school exams she knew from experience that knowing the answer wasn't the only way to get things done. Resorting to logic, common sense and random luck were all fair game. Also, she had many friends, both the nice guys and the not so nice. Some boys would have no problem to toss her an answer was she to ask for it, but she never resorted to that. The only times she was involved in cheating, she was the one giving them the answers. But it was tempting to grab the correct answers from someone. After all, what could she do if her expertise was with human interactions instead of cold, hard knowledge? Every person was good at something, but the way school worked privileged only a handful of skills. It was only just to level the playfield resorting to the abilities she had, if it came down to that. Anyway, she firmly believed in her capabilities of getting things done. Maybe not how they were supposed to be, but somehow.

She chose a song that made her feel good and that she knew well, "Doi-Chan wa Damsel Is Distress Da!" The name mixed English and Japanese, like many titles across different media, and roughly translated as "Little Doi is a Damsel Is Distress". The "Is", in this case, was not a typo, albeit not making sense when translated, and fitted perfectly to the theme. It had a positive, self-motivational feeling to it and versed about a funny girl, whose family name was Doi, in her nonsensical attempts to get a boy one year older than her in school to notice her. Something about the absurdity of her ideas and the way the original songstress made the character appear innocent and crazy at the same time made Naoko crack whenever she listens to it.

The situations were over the top, like the protagonist firmly believing that sending the gym ceiling with her name written on it crashing down on the boy she loved would make him notice her more, or how the guy during the course of the music begins to actively avoid that dangerous girl but she doesn't notice it and keeps pursuing him. It was a well-written and comical song, even though she also said a lot of truths about how people acted blindly when in love. Its "go get what you want somehow!" message felt right for that occasion, and it was a personal favorite of Naoko, so at least she'd be in familiar territory. That was all she could do for herself.

Her mental depictions were all there was for her to lean on at that time. After the vocal test ended she felt something was not right. Not with the judges, really, but with her. If she was scared to sing for three people, how would she feel in front of a crowd who paid for a good spectacle? Also, as much as the examination board remained stoic, she began to imagine they were secretly disapproving her way of singing. Since Naoko never liked idols a lot to begin with – her only memories of this were of two bands whose lyrics she enjoyed when she was six or seven – she had no idea how an idol was supposed to be. In her imagination, they were just a bunch of false girls who smiled on the stage, but who were probably antipathetic and snobbish in real life.

Not that there was too much realism in an idol to begin with, she sensed. There was a common saying across many of those who liked idols that claimed that "an anime character is 2D; a real person is 3D; an idol is 2,5D". It possibly alluded to the fact that an idol was a real girl invested in a position where she was actually impersonating a character. The only difference between that and an actor was that after a movie or a theatre presentation the character vanished and the artist came back to itself, whereas an idol usually lived as that semi-real, dream-like entity both on the stage and out of it. Not that different from any kind of celebrity, really, which even on their normal lives were surrounded by a certain quasi-magical aura. Only many girls took that _je ne se qua_ to a whole other level of fiction, maybe pumped by the media and their fans' expectations, or maybe due to their own vanity. Not all idols were like that, Naoko was willing to bet, but since she knew little about that trade it was easy to generalize.

All in all she couldn't rely on her knowledge of real idols, so the closest thing she knew was how fiction depicted them. It was safe to assume manga, anime, games and other media abounded with over-the-top caricatures of what a human was actually able to do and to be, setting the bar very high. But, now that she thought about it, since she was fairly erudite in these forms of cultural manifestations (much to her father's frustration) and her imagination was wild, she could try to rely on visualizations to help her through! Much like the turtle idol, if she could imagine a character dancing – decently, this time – in front of her, maybe she could try to copy her movements!

In reality it wasn't easy, even for someone with as insanely creative as her. Sure, her mind was able to create on the fly images she'd seen somewhere before, but didn't even remember. However, the effort to reproduce such movements detracted from her visualization, making it fade away. She had to imagine someone dance, then switch to reproduce it and turn back to letting her creativity show her the next steps. The interpolation had to occur at a frenetic rhythm to seem like a natural dance without weird stops. It was draining, but of the plus side it required so much brainpower and focus that she partially lost her self-awareness, which was great, and almost all of the surroundings seemed to fade to nothingness. Also, since she had to concentrate for minutes, every unnecessary thought got in the backseat, including her predictions of failure. It felt good to employ her imagination to a constructive cause instead of having it around working against her.

Testing it before the actual test, it looked promising. The best part of it was that she didn't feel as lonely. It wasn't the same as dancing alongside a real person, but it was enough to make her fears reduce to manageable degrees. And the prospect of tackling the dance test with a companion was such a good novelty that it made her laugh on the inside.

Her mind created out of the blue a random partner who, in her opinion, matched every criterion for a top-notch idol. Since it was just her imagination, many details were omitted or looked blurry. Despite that in Naoko's head her partner had a pretty face, one she couldn't see it clearly, nor did it matter. Her long, blond hairs, though, were easily noticeable. Also were her white, blue and purple dress, three of Naoko's favorite colors, and her long, white and black stripped stockings. The girl had no clue from where did her imagination created such an image, but it was a nice one.

As the examination began, Naoko started to try projecting and reflecting the blond idol-like image. Between this and singing there was very little room for her to worry or focus anywhere else. Sometimes, especially during non-singing portions, she got a little self-aware and remembered she was being judged, and her movements suffered as a consequence. Most of the time, though, she was too entertained in her own world to care.

The first song was probably mediocre, she gauged, but she was just getting the hang of it. As the second one started, the blond visage adapted as if by magic to the feel of the music, with a slower pace and heartfelt tune. At that time her mind got some leeway and spawned ridiculous things, like the turtle idol dancing alongside the two of them during a particularly boring part of the lyric. It almost made Naoko laugh her lungs out in the middle of a song about the hardships of a non-corresponded love. But since the music got so down in the dumps in the chorus the slow pace of the reptile and its one hundred year old candid expression was spot on.

At some point Naoko began to get slightly aware of the judges as the music came to a conclusion. Almost as if the girl's mind paid no heed to it, a question suddenly popped in her mind, in a voice similar to her own but not exactly, as if the blond idol was talking to her during the presentation:

"Hey, what do you think those three would say if they discovered what was going on inside your head this whole time?"

The candidate exploded in laughter, only then noticing the confused face of the three spectators. Since the song was almost at the end anyway, Naoko quickly transformed that into a few jumps, a smile and some punches in the air as if she was commemorating having completed her second dance. She wasn't sure if it worked, but Aratani got to smile back and the senior dance student didn't react in any negative way either. Only the instructor lady kept her grave expression and statue-like standing, prompting Naoko's mind to bully her.

"Look! An Egyptian mummy came to watch your presentation!" the blond idol's supposed voice sounded in excitement, making Naoko struggle again not to laugh. Luckily the song she had chosen was the last one, and it was also happy and ridiculously funny. She'd probably be alright giggling while "Doi-Chan wa Damsel Is Distress Da!" was playing. The song's Doi-Chan was the very incarnation of distress itself, after all! As long as Naoko didn't completely lose it, things would be fine, she thought.

Which was a good thing, because her imagination went overdrive during the last song, mostly attacking the eternally serious instructor in every way. The turtle idol falling down over her, a sword-wielding man appearing out of nowhere wanting to fight her because he thought her ugly and static face was a samurai mask and ideas like someone asking "please check if she's breathing, I think that instructor's dead" because of the fact she hardly moved were just a few examples. Since Naoko was finally having fun and it was only a minor distraction, she didn't try to stop it. It made her fears much less intimidating.

At some point Naoko started to wonder what the hell she was doing trying to mimic her own imagination, but no sooner it occurred her that she had more in common with the character from the song than she'd ever realized. It made her day. Fully embracing the craziness, she felt her fears of inadequacy paradoxically wane. At the time she didn't have the opportunity to think about why that was the case, but she kept it for further reflections.

Her visualization often faded away, leaving her not knowing what to do, but by the third song she had already loosen up and simply repeated a movement she had previously executed. As the blond idol mirage "showed her" a new move Naoko usually remembered a glimpse of a person or character she'd seen somewhere doing it. A few were actually good, even though others, while also valid dancing poses and steps, made her feel stupid. One in particular, involving spreading the legs and bringing her forearms and arms close together while pointing her hands up and close to the cheeks, and proceeding to alternating between rising one and the other, seemed adorable when looking the imaginary idol perform, but while doing so all she could think was that she was mimicking a monkey. But it was more due to the difficulty of trying to copy a pose she projected than for the movements fault.

"On my mind it looked so beautiful!", she mocked herself mentally, almost losing a sentence of the lyric because of that. And it would be a shame, it was a good sequence of lines where Doi-Chan asked if her senior would notice her if she invaded a hurdle race and grabbed him mid-track, and the guy ends up winning the competition because he was fleeing from her.

Of course, even though in her head the blond idol was like a superstar, she was still part of her imagination and her repertoire of moves was limited to what Naoko had seen before. In time she began repeating the same moves, but it wasn't a bad thing as the song was also finishing.

As she sung the last word and let the music run by itself, the blond visage froze with one leg bent and the opposite arm raised. Naoko reflected the pose, quickly noticing her imagination wasn't always to be trusted as the mirage could stand perfectly still and balanced, while the real girl felt herself gradually leaning. Her thoughts turned to a quick succession of "Finish, song. Finish. Finish, song, dammit! Finish already!" At last she was unable to keep her balance and had to return her raised foot to the floor, but the final accords were already in course so she gave it no further thoughts and simply acted as if the presentation was over.

A round of applauses took place, and Naoko got surprised seeing the middle-aged woman she previously thought was so intolerant and unlikable to clap while shaking her head approvingly. At that time something clicked on the girl, as if a jigsaw piece fell into place.

Puffing, Naoko dismissed her imagination, only then fully comprehending she had made a test based solely on an imaginary friend, a turtle wearing skirts and a song about a crazy girl doing whatever came to her mind. As much as she began to worry for her sanity, she found it amusing that it was possible to conquer fears just by putting her mind to a productive end instead of letting it roam freely. It wasn't easy and half an hour made the girl as exhausted as if she had exercised the whole day. But despite the anxiety and the fear of rejection she still had to find a decent way to overcome, she felt incredible after it ended. 'Addicting-level' incredible.

The sensation she suddenly had was that those people were fine with her expressing herself! A strange, warm sensation of peace bloomed inside her chest. The two judges talked for a while, but she barely noticed it. Squatting, she stayed for what appeared to be a couple of seconds, just appreciating the bliss. As Aratani came to her, the girl stood up to hear the results, but for the first time she found herself not really afraid of the opinion of others. They led an ear to her, after all. Even though her mind had made fun of the instructor and her intimidating expression, she stayed there until the end and heard Naoko. Even if she were to evaluate her unfavorably, the girl understood it wouldn't be out of malice or hatred toward her. Whatever result Naoko got, she knew she deserved it, and that soothing certainty appeased her.

Aratani's face was unreadable as he started to give her the results:

"Yano-San, after some deliberation we came to the conclusion that you show potential. Should we were to invest in further improving your capabilities we believe you'd be capable of performing to the likings of the public. As such, I'd like to inform that Yano-San, having achieved a combined singing score of eighty-eight out of one hundred points, and a combined dancing score of sixty two out of one hundred, with a minimum required score of sixty in each category, is considered accepted in both tests."

Contrary to what she initially thought, the result itself didn't make her at peace more than she already was. However, it made her happy, in a way she took days to fully understand. At the moment she heard she had passed, she had an urge to smile, to jump and, more importantly, to thank the presents bowing deeply, hands folded in front of the body, and sustaining it for several seconds. It was a feeling of gratitude she hasn't known for a long time, one that lingered in her mind for two whole days.

"As such," Aratani continued, "I'd like to invite you for one last step in the application process, an interview so I can know more about Yano-San."

It was a no-brainer to accept the offer, especially for Naoko, who was walking on air. She wasn't, at that time, fully able to understand why, but for some reason all her drive to fight people subdued. As she got back to the sun-bathed streets she noticed the absence of negative feelings she wasn't even aware she felt before. People walking with earphones or looking down to their cellphones never really bugged her, or so she thought, but noticing they didn't fazed her even the slightest showed her that up until then they actually annoyed the girl in a subtle way. The overly-energetic way salesclerks greeted people by the stores they passed in front didn't rub her the wrong way anymore too. Now she could see she harbored the assumption those people were being nice to others just to make them feel comfortable to spend money there, as if having second thoughts, no matter how obvious they were. But now she could accept for the first time the possibility that people acted that way just out of respect for others.

'Respect' was a keyword there. At first she thought her happiness when she passed the tests was due to the fact that she had success in the endeavor. But remembering her sensation of peace and plenitude had predated the results, she gradually came to a deeper conclusion: that she felt heard. That it was actually possible for others, strangers even, to give her ears. And, in doing so, people were not all bad. Following this logic, if they sometimes didn't pay attention to her it wasn't necessarily because they disliked the girl. They could be just busy or lost in their own minds. Wasn't this a habit of Naoko too?

Also, there was the round of applause, which she previously deemed as an empty custom for reasons unknown. Maybe serving the purpose of embarking on peer pressure, just to be the same as everybody and pretending to have enjoyed something even if you didn't. Showing respect for others, she began to comprehend, was not just a thin layer of civility to hide nasty intentions, but could also come from genuine... liking of the other person. "Liking" was not the best word to describe it, but at that time Naoko couldn't think of a better one.

She took a few days to understand it, and even then it didn't make sense why she had come to stumble upon such discoveries during her tests. The best she could understand was that noticing an interest of others in hearing her made her feel liked, and not on a superficial level. Not because of looks, or out of business interest alone. Perhaps these were factors, yes, but she wanted to believe they weren't the only ones.

But despite only having marginally comprehended it days after, the effects of such peacefulness were felt since the end of the tests. Her body felt light and she could then feel how her muscles were tense before. Not just due to the evaluation: it was as if she had lived years with unnecessary tension, like a cornered animal always ready to defend itself.

Her interview went smoothly. It was blatant for Naoko how she didn't feel in any moment the urge to act impolitely, be it there or after. Naturally she had lived so many years being upfront and not all that ladylike that some ways of acting, including her will to tease and pester, were already too hardwired on her to be changed in a single measly epiphany, but at least it was clear for Naoko that her disposition to use impoliteness as a form of aggression lost part of its intensity. As a result of feeling there was a real possibility others could want to listen to her and approved what they heard Naoko found she, too, could be more tolerant. Within limits, of course. Her short fuse didn't get any longer, she could see. Only her ability to comprehend that other people was not always as critical, cynical and negative about her as she once believed.

Her interview at the chaotic office ended on a positive note, and as it finished Aratani finally expressed his interest in having Naoko onboard:

"I'm glad I heard my gut instincts back when we first met. Yano-San seems dependable enough, and I'm actually surprised you're able to act politely when it's necessary. Since our interview is over now, let me reveal you something: I liked your no-holding back personality, I'm a little like that too, but it also made me uneasy. I don't want you to be a wallflower with me, but yesterday I've made a point of not extending you an invitation were you unable to show restrain at some point. You know, the public might love a strong-willed girl, but since in this line of work there are other players such as journalists, businessmen and such, a wild cat would only prove to be a liability. But lo and behold, you can be really sweet when needed, and your tests were something to write home about! I'm sold."

Grinning, partly by the thought of what would've happened if she hadn't chanced upon such unexpected peace and the rest for gratitude, Naoko brightened the mood and asked:

"Did Aratani-San really think my tests were that memorable? I barely scored enough to pass the dance part! Sure, the vocal one was also higher than I would've expected too. Eighty eight out of one hundred? Do you really think I'm that good of a singer?"

Even if she more or less believed in the seriousness of the agency by that time, Naoko was still a bit reticent about the apparent easiness of the application process. In her mind, it was almost as if he was trying for her to stay with him, which made her a little worried. It looked a bit desperate of his part, as if he was doing some charity to a regular girl calling her mediocre test a blast Aratani, though, was cool as always, prompting the girl to ask herself from where did she got that feeling while he explained in details:

"The test follows a set of guide rules stipulated by the I.S.S.G., not as strict but the same that applies to every audition and presentation of the corporation. When we say you scored eighty eight out of one hundred, it doesn't mean you were twelve points short of perfection. It meant you were twelve points short of the maximum we could expect from a candidate with little or no previous experience or training. Were it in a real audition against already professional idols, even low-class ones, you'd probably score your vocal around the thirties, forties tops."

Taking a brief pause to shelve the sheets regarding the interview, he continued:

"Also, your dance test was a bit of an oddball. I'll go into more details of how a presentation is scored using I.S.S.G.'s metrics if and when I'm producing Yano-San for a gig, but for now let's just say there are five categories total, two of which are Singing and Dancing aspects. Each one has multiple subcategories. Dancing, for example, is composed of Mood, Stage Presence, Choreography, Execution and Assertiveness. Simply put, Mood is whether or not the idol danced according to the overall feel of a song. Stage Presence means the use of all the space of the stage and how well was it. Choreography is never present at an application test, but tells of the difficulty and general awesomeness of movements planed beforehand for a dance. It is scored before the presentation and doesn't change in a presentation. Execution means how well the choreography was executed. Higher-point choreographies are more difficult to perform, and an unprepared idol can really take a hurt in Execution scores if she's unable to live up to the expectations. In the test, the execution didn't follow any previously planned route and just meant how well any movement you threw at us was in terms of technical aspects ad the fluidity of the dance. Finally, assertiveness means if the idol stole the limelight of shied away. It's a score based on the amplitude and energy of movements, facial expressions and other components. Everything's clear until here?"

Seeing Naoko nod, Aratani kept going:

"Right. Specifically about your dancing test, the score was a simple average of both judges. Your first song was the one that hurt your score the most, while the last was better than I expected, to be honest. On a whole, your Mood and Assertiveness scores were the ones that saved you, while the Stage Presence wasn't bad either. Your biggest problem was on the more technical Execution score. It felt underwhelming, but then again, it's understood that a common girl is not supposed to know how to dance like a pro. That's the reason why, after being accepted by an agency, idols go through a rigid routine of lessons to hone their skills: because what we look for in tests is not actual skill, but rather signs of potential. This becomes obvious once you know the inside-outs of how points are awarded, or rather, subtracted. Each subcategory has a long list of faults, which can detract anything from one to ten points. There are also a group of especially nasty faults dubbed the "Cardinal Sins", which immediately disqualifies an idol, but that's only an issue during real auditions and shows. Things like attacking or harming another idol in any way, hurting someone on the audience or on the examining board if there's any, acting in shameful ways on stage... things like that. Anyway. On the real deal every idol starts out with perfect scores across all categories except for a few pre-valued subcategories, and any fault subtracts points, but on tests each candidate is given five free opportunities to boggle before her score starts to be chipped away. It gives some leeway to candidates."

"And even then I barely managed to score sufficiently?!" the girl replied, shocked. The man, dismissively, calmed her down:

"Like I said, you performed remarkably well on Mood and Assertiveness, which are more reliant on the personality of the girl than on technical aspects. Dancing skills, such as those required on Execution and, to some extent, Stage Presence can be learned, but the opposite is not always true. Try making a shy girl dance a song like the one you chose and Yano-San will see it's easier to teach an extroverted girl how to dance than to make a bashful one smile, jump and bear the sights of the crowd without flinching."

Filled with warmth, Naoko nodded, replying:

"Although, truth to be told, I was mortified at first!"

"Everyone would be, rest assured," Aratani told her, "The test can't really recreate the sensation of being in front of an audience, naturally, but it's made to instill anxiety in the candidates to see how well they perform under pressure. To be evaluated by singing and then dancing two pairs of songs you had no time to prepare to is nerve-wrecking, we know it. But you've been able to adapt to the circumstances. You even had fun from the second song onwards, I could see it. Again, it wasn't so much about actual performance, but rather how you conform to such situations and if you show potential to learn the rest. Also, if it's of any reassurance, on tests judges do give emphasis on things that are hard or impossible to change, rather than on what can be taught. And your singing scores were pretty high, something you seem to forget. Granted, there are singing techniques you can learn, but as a rule of thumb, a person's voice can only be improved up to a point. No one's going to make a frog into Top 10 lists of the most wanted songs on radios."

Aratani looked around the shelves of his desk for a few seconds and took one diminutive, sparkly dot on the palm of his hand, which he promptly handed to the girl. At first Naoko couldn't see what was it, but as she took in her own hands the cold, pointy and inexplicably hard object, akin to a grain of sand albeit bigger, her eyes shone with comprehension. Between her thumb and her index finger lied a shining, crystal-clear gem that refracted the sun that came from the windows into a million rays. It was round when looked from the top, and made of many facets, it was almost as if someone tried to create a circular form out of squared angles. It was so small Naoko at first was afraid to smoosh it like an ant, but it soon became clear not even her nails would so much as scratch it. In fact, the thing was so hard it was probably the brilliant gem that would chip her nails if she were not careful.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Aratani's voice sounded tranquil, but had the effect of an alarming clock snapping Naoko out of her trance. "When we say we need to 'polish' the skills of an idol for her to reach full potential, it's a surprisingly accurate statement. To polish is to remove any unnecessary parts, rather than to put something new on the table. First we give an idol anything to work on, and then we polish her skills, removing faulty elements of her performance. But no matter how well you polish a pebble, it'll still be a pebble. I believe everyone has qualities, everyone has a place in the world, but the stages are not the place for pebbles. People want to see whoever's there shine bright like a diamond. During the tests we don't look for brilliance, which can only be unearthed with a good polish. We look for a delightful voice, even when untrained. A girl with powerful and hardened self-confidence, and willpower so sharp that nothing but herself would be able to graze her own determination. A personality so enthralling that, reflecting the spotlights, could dazzle and blind the audience. That's what I was looking for: signs that I've found a diamond in rough that can be polished into a gem fit for a crown."

Silently, Naoko handed back the tiny, colorless and spellbindingly pretty stone back to Aratani, who put it back from where it came. The girl was seriously amazed by what she had seen, and even more by what she'd heard. To her, that man erred on the sloppy side, maybe due to his room or his untroubled personality, but for once Naoko noticed he actually knew really well what he was doing. Like he told her the night before, he was well aware she wasn't ready to tackle stages yet, but he seemed confident she was a safe bet.

So that was why she thought he was being overly lenient with her. Naoko judged herself based on current standards, and by doing so thought she was nowhere near idol's quality. His way of looking at things, on the other hand, wasn't as immediatist. He didn't evaluate her idol material based on what she was, but rather on what he foresaw she could be if properly taken care of. Naoko, although still a bit skeptical, could finally see herself being produced by a man who had a vision. She entrusted herself to him and expected that he knew what he was doing, because she had zero idea what she was getting into.

"With all that said," the agency owner, taking a more formal tone for the moment, sat erectly on his chair and said, bowing a tad bit, "I'd like to announce your results are deemed more than sufficient. Yano-San, I'd like to extend you an invitation for The Paragon Idol's Agency. Please consider the possibility of working with us, if it's of your liking."

Formal situations were awkward for Naoko, but on that day it didn't put her off nor made her start picking on petty details, like why would Aratani employ plurals if so far he seemed like the only one working at the place. Bowing, she replied after some consideration:

"Aratani-San, I'm grateful for the opportunity." After a brief pause to think how she would put what was bugging her, she finally gave in to her old habit, "Listen, I'm really grateful. I am. And I hope I can be of assistance. But before we go any further, I... need Aratani-San to know something. About... my family."

Looking serious, Aratani lost some of the formalities and quickly asked the girl to tell him what could be troubling her. And so she did.

"Since I'm below twenty, and thus my parents will most likely have to consent, I... need to inform this now, so I'm sorry if I cause you any trouble. The thing is, me and my parents are not exactly on good terms. Well, me and my father really. My mother simply tries to zeal for peace. But it's already been six or seven years that the situation at home... deteriorates every day. I came to Tokyo to stay on the apartment of an uncle I didn't see for the last six years or so, simply because my father couldn't tolerate me anymore and... as much as I hate to admit it, neither could I. He's also not that old, I think. He's fifty-seven, but he acts as if he was ninety years old! He'll probably have some qualms with me getting on this line of business, I think. He's a little old-fashioned, so I'll do my best to convince him, but..." Bowing again, close to the surface of the desk, she asked "Please, please forgive me if I took your time and made you go through so much trouble, only to discover I'm ultimately unable to convince my parents at the end. I'm deeply sorry should this happen, and I'll try to repay you somehow in this circumstance."

As Naoko raised her head she found Aratani in a grave mood, unlike how he normally presented himself. Presuming he wouldn't be happy to discover just now that all his efforts could've been in vain, the girl apologized again:

"I'm sorry for only letting you know this now. I should've told Aratani-San sooner..."

"No," the man's voice responded, "Yano-San did mention yesterday at night your family could very likely veto your decision. I'm just concerned for what you told me about the situation with your parents. It's none of my business, I know, but your family is one of the most precious things in your life. Yano-San shouldn't cause her father grief."

"It's not like that!", she promptly explained herself, only then noticing she had started to talk about her private life to someone who she knew for only one day. But, to be fair, it wasn't any secret, "We don't usually fight, in the sense of open conflict. It's almost always subtle, but it pains me a lot nonetheless. To be fair my family isn't bad, I admit this. Father, mother and daughter. And a cat. That's it. On the outside, it's just another common family, with average income and average lives, with no glaring problems. No drug addictions, no physical violence... with very rare exceptions, no constant couple fights, no financial problems, no nothing. I... never could quite put a finger down on why I've so many arguments with my parents. The only thing I know for sure is that my father never accepts anything I do."

Evading the agency owner's stare, Naoko talked to her fists she clasped over her legs:

"He always complains about my behavior, about my pastimes, the way I dress and so on. If I go out with my friends, he dislikes the way I mingled too much with older boys, even though they protect me and are really nice. If I stay home, the problem is that I played too much videogame instead of doing something productive. I'm not one to study home, but in school I listen carefully the classes, and since everyone tells me I'm curious and attentive to everything..." along with an arguably intelligent mind, but she didn't mentioned others used to tell her that because it would look like she was bragging, "...I am always able to get good to excellent grades. Even then the only thing my father could say is that if I get such high marks without studying, I'd be so much better if I actually make an effort. There was... also a time... also a time I got a maximum score in a test and wanted him to know. I thought he'd be happy the daughter he had so much doubt about was actually faring well. But as I showed him he..."

She stood quietly for a moment, feeling the peace she had discovered that day fading away as she remembered situations that were so hard on her that the girl still remembered them as if it happened mere hours before. Trying not to dwell too much on sad reminiscences not to destroy her humor, she bit the bullet and spilt out everything as quickly as possible:

"He looked at my perfect test and told me 'You got this score? From whom did you copy the answers?' And I swear I never got answers from anyone in my life!"

As her eyes faced Aratani, he could see the anger and sadness inside her. For Naoko it was a strange feeling, to open up like that, but it wasn't anything new. In her experience, to express her feelings to others was never as bad as it seemed, despite making her feel weak. At the same time, people usually told her the opposite, that to be able to do such a thing was insanely courageous, if not a little insane. But that was Naoko in a nutshell, and she couldn't be any different from that. She knew it because she had already tried numerous times.

"Bottom line is: my father's never happy with his own, only daughter. Nothing I do is ever enough. Most of the time he doesn't even have to say anything to hurt me, just the way he looks shows me his disapproval. In fact, it's better when he professes his displeasure verbally, because then I could confront him. Often, though, he silently attacks me with his face, and if I try to retaliate, he always tells me he didn't do anything and that it's just my imagination. I... think I grew up learning the hard way that not to express your feelings in words is to be a coward."

The worst part was that her father wasn't anything special to justify having such high expectations for her. He wasn't famous, rich, particularly handsome or especially smart. He's competent and dedicated, it's true, but nothing out of the ordinary. Just your average salaryman.

Closing her eyes not to let them become wetter, she rushed to a part of her feelings that were always confusing to her, but in the girl's opinion were worthy of mention:

"On the other hand, for a daughter to confront her own father from such a young age like that is not only a rarity, but shows just how much self-control my father has. On a few occasions I... know I made him so angry that I got physically hurt by flipping tables and whatnot as a result, but I'm fully aware I deserved it. Really... if only I knew what's the matter I'd do everything to correct it and make amends. I... I don't do it out of evilness, I... just wanted him... to like me... or something. I wanted... not to shame... my father and make... make him proud, but... I don't know how. I... always feel guilty, and it's horrible. But to be shunned every time by everything even when I perform well... it's just too much for me to tolerate. I... I'm far from perfect, I know it... but I don't think I deserve to be treated badly... for trying my best..."

Trying to understand why he disliked her so much occupied a lot of her mind. She was able to comprehend he worried about her future and he wished her ways, similar in many aspects to that of boys, became more feminine. In her opinion, she understood him better than he did her, but the frustration and anger never ceased to exist. Even though the girl was generally so blunt that could insult some people, she's in fact pretty empathetic and could make some really deep trains of thoughts, thanks to all the long hours, days and years she spent trying to understand her feelings.

Stories were her first allies in helping her create connections in her mind. Manga, anime, movies, series, soap operas, books, games... every story had characters with whom she could relate, and in understanding the connections between their fights and her life she could achieve a deeper understanding of herself. Eventually lyrics also became prime material to spark her imagination. She always loved songs in general, but after she noticed some of them touched her heart in uncanny ways she began to give more though about them. With the exception of love songs and those that had no lyric, she liked almost every kind of musical composition, both national and international. In fact, a lot of her fluency in English was due to her interest in songs and games.

As she came to a halt after feeling she said too much, guilty of having said all she did invaded her, making her eyes overflow. Quickly covering her face, she swept the tears as they came, washing her eyeliner, while mumbling, with a mix of sadness, anger and frustration:

"I'm sorry. I embarrassed myself... and took your time. But no! Stupid Naoko is completely unable to stop talking! Now... Aratani-San probably thinks less of me. That I'm... a bad person. And..." as she came again in contact with the feelings she harbored for her father, and how much she wanted it to be different, she completely lost control of her cries, her tears becoming black as they mixed with her eyeliner and rolled down "...and he'll... probably... be right! I must really be a horrible person!"

Standing up abruptly, Naoko bowed deeply but quickly. Trembling, she excused herself and ran to the door. The man had no time to do anything before the girl left rushing to the woman's bathroom by the corridor.

It took her almost fifteen minutes to calm down and more so to reapply the makeup. As she came out of the small but well-kept bathroom, she found Aratani sitting on one of the two brown and black sofas in the corridor, with his cellphone in hands. Contrary to her fears, the man's face was full of compassion instead of reproach. As soon as he saw the crestfallen girl, the suit-clad man stood up and put the electronic away.

"I'm... sorry again," the girl apologized with a bow, unsure if it was for worrying him, taking his time, ruining whatever good impressions he might've had about her or what. Aratani, running the fingers of his right hand through the back of his hair in a lack of a better thing to do with them, protested serenely:

"Don't say that, I'm the one who put you through all that. I'm sorry for sticking my nose on where it didn't belong and reopening wounds." Glancing the girl, who dismissed it blaming her own loose tongue, the man calmed her on a lighter tone "But you know what? I think I got to understand Yano-San a little bit better now. You're not a bad person like you said, on the contrary. A bad person wouldn't care for her father to the point of wanting him to be happy about a school test, and wouldn't feel bad for arguing him. Also, she wouldn't care to try and comprehend her father like you do, or wanting him to be proud of you."

Naoko felt the tips of her lips turn up and her eyes start to become wet again as the man, in a somewhat disconcerted way that probably felt out of his nature to him, spoke his mind with a voice that sounded true and heartfelt:

"When you started telling me you had those problems in your home, I was reticent, but now I see you're not a bad person, Yano-San. You're actually good, even though your ways of expressing it may not be... ah... necessarily the most orthodox ones. Just as much as I believe, from what little I know, your father to also be a good man who only wants the best for his daughter, you also do your best for him. It's only natural you two to have different opinions about things, and clashes of views are to be expected, but don't lose faith. I'm sure your father treasures you much and just... just thinks you're still too young to comprehend your own value to him. Of course he'd worry if his daughter likes to hang out with older boys, I mean. But in time Yano-San will see that just as much as your love for him becomes sour when he doesn't act the way you expected him to do, so does his for you. Then again, I don't really know you or your family, but even then, my bet's that he cares for Yano-San a lot."

Her quavering mouth smiled gratefully while her eyes restarted to shed tears, this time out of positive feelings. For a moment Naoko could barely talk, her emotions piling up and being washed away by her cry. She couldn't get herself to thank Aratani anymore, so after gesturing her feelings in a bow, the girl, searching for something to say, laughed out of what crossed her mind:

"Ah, look at that! You made me cry and ruin my makeup again!"

'Excuse me? I just cheered you up, you were the one chose to cry instead of showing appreciation through other means. Like blowing me a kiss, for example! Hint." Aratani teasingly stated while the girl went back to the bathroom. From there her laughing voice sounded loudly, pretending irritation, "The only thing I'll blow is your head off with slaps if you keep being a cheap womanizer at every opportunity!"

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure it's not possible to blow someone's heads with slaps," Aratani retorted with a witty remark, finding out he was enjoying the make-believe argument just as much as Naoko, who replied in a mocking century-old fashioned threat, "Fret not, for I shall use thy head to illustrate how as soon as I come out!"

Grinning, Aratani sat down again on the sofa and, taking back his cellphone, whispered to himself "Now that's more like the impression I've of you, girl."

Eventually the cat-and-dog game came to an end and the man finally told her about the next steps of the process. The legal paperwork would take approximately four days to get through and be sent by e-mail, and if everything was right Naoko's parents would have to seal the deal. With said documentation the agency and the I.S.S.G. would then be able to provide support to hasten her school transference, get her a room in a dorm, sign her up for a bank account under her parents' responsibilities and set her up for her new life and career.

If it worked like Aratani made her believe it would be a dream come true. Nonetheless the man made a point clear: she had to pay her school and dorm from the get-go and the agency had a list of taxes and payments to do. For as much as it would be good to spend a few months in preparation process, time was running against them. Aratani said he knew of ways to get the cash flowing, mostly ads, auditions and gigs at the beginning and before people knew her name. It was viable, but it would also mean a lot of work early on. Until she had constructed a name for herself and could rely on merchandise incomes a brand to generate a steady flow of cash, she would need to be prepared to be pitted against many other girls, idols who already passed their probation time, for a share of the action.

Also, it meant she had four days to convince her parents. Any delay after that would be time wasted and less chances of raking dough. Also, since the agencies were required to pay a fee for every audition they ran at, placing among the last ones was, at the beginning, not an option.

It made Naoko a bit nervous, but she was glad the owner of that agency was honest with her. If he told her everything would be all rainbows and unicorns she'd probably fall back to her fear of being scammed. She had yet to see the consequences of her leap of faith, but as much as it intimidated her, the thought of finally breaking free from the influence of her parents sounded just as seducing and balanced out her fears.

Aratani turned his attention to his computer after leaving Naoko to fill in a form with her basic information. Which the girl did, but not without some consideration and reticence for the now unlikely but still real possibility she was giving her name, that of her parents, contacts and so on for a guy which could just so happen to have made a very authentic ploy to scam her. As she finished asking hesitant questions to be sure she wasn't signing any binding contract unknowingly, and if those information would really be used just to send the real documents to her parents to accept or not, it was past one p.m. when she got through the simple, two-paged form.

Her stomach protested, roaring like a tiger. The last few days had been quite demanding, both physically and mentally, and Naoko hadn't eaten properly due to time constraints. For some time her curiosity and hopes kept her up and running, but after the adrenaline from her tests subsided the girl started to feel dizzy. She'd probably never eaten so little in her life. Despite her lean figure, she used to eat a lot. It's her metabolism, not her self-restraint, the one to be thanked for her low weight.

She expected Aratani didn't hear her tummy going berserk, but the man, while looking at his screen, asked:

"Have Yano-San been eating accordingly? It's important to do so if you're doing lots of exercises, you know? Don't tell me you're on a diet."

With an uncertain face, Naoko cheerfully replied:

"I'm more or less eating properly. The past days have been a little tough, but now I don't have appointments anymore, so I can compensate all the ramen I didn't eat so far. I think I have only ever been on a diet once, though. Not to get slimmer, it's a detox one. It's nice, I felt more energetic after that, but I don't plan to go back to drink those grass-tasting juices and yucky veggies ever again. I prefer my yummy industrialized snacks! After all, it's widely known that the human body is composed of about seventy percent flavorings and coloring, chemical preservatives and acidulants! They're all part of a healthy diet! Modern human being can only live three days without artificial harmful components and excessive sugar levels in their food!"

"Way to go, girl," Aratani sarcastically responded, "I'll take note to take you to real restaurants every now and then. I don't want you to go fainting on me or on your fans. Try to survive until you come back."

Turning the computer screen to the girl so she could see it, Aratani showed her a list of air companies and flights. Playfully, he said:

"Okay, now for the part I dislike the most, where money leaves my wallet. Choose your destination and we'll find a suitable flight for you in the evening."

Having almost forgotten his promise, Naoko stared shocked at the man. As the realization that he was the kind to keep his words, her worries of handing him a paper full of her data waned. Though as she started to thank him for the trouble, the smirking man told her sarcastically:

"Oh, don't thank me now, wait till the morning after the economic class trip. If you wake up hurting everywhere don't blame it on me, blame it on the nightly budget flights."

Chapter II – Sinful Blossom Season

As soon as the door closed behind her, Naoko tossed her arms up in the air and screamed. Leaving her beaten sneakers at the entryway, she rushed up the low step that separated the small rectangular area by the entry where footwear should be left at and her shining new place.

Truth be told, the twelve square meters room was way smaller than she was accustomed with, back in her house in Shimabara. But at the same time her room on her old residence, the place where she spent most of her time when she was actually at home, was not much bigger than that. Also, in the school dorms she had it all to herself! A small cubicle that took a quarter of her apartment led to a simple but nice bathroom, with western-style toilet and a shower. Her new place also had a two-burner stove and a microwave. There was also one on a communal area for those who lived on the more than two hundred rooms of that five-story building, also. The edifice belonged to her high school, and even though the gray tone of concrete was everywhere, she still liked it.

She also had a sink and a minibar. Two windows gave plenty of natural light to the ambient, one for the bathroom and the other right above her futon, a quilted and thick mattress used for bedding. The futon mattress, along with the pink, purple, black, yellow and red dragon-stamped duvet Naoko brought from her parents' house, could all be folded and put aside into the suspended white cabinets that lined up on the walls. This way it opened up space. Above the futon area there was a television attached to a wall by a retractable arm-like support that could extend back and forth. Also on the same location there was a folding table that, while up, doubled as a headboard. The moment Naoko saw it she started to make plans for the cold winter nights, where she could put her laptop or videogame and a steaming bowl of ramen on the table, slide under the blanket and play all night long without anyone to bother! Room 527 was paradise on Earth!

Along with a cupboard below the sink, a heater and an air conditioner, the dorm held all basics for a living. Naoko knew it was nothing special, but it was her first time living alone, so she quickly fell in love for that place. Outside, on the dormitory building, nothing was out of the ordinary. It was shaped like a U, each floor consisting of three long corridors. Two formed a straight angle but the third one was somewhat crooked to the inside cavity, the edifice vaguely resembled a right triangle where the hypotenuse didn't meet one of the legs. It was good for Naoko to remember her about geometry classes and also provided an open space where students could appreciate the breeze. A few pieces of cloth were hanged on the corridor's parapet to dry, but it only involved shirts and pants and only out of urgency. Underclothes, along with most other garments, were dried on the communal washhouse.

There was an elevator on the building, but it was mostly for disabled people and cargo transporting. Also, during the morning and immediately after the end of the classes there was so much traffic it was quicker to go by stairs, which was a hassle since the girl was transferred one week after the start of classes, and thus was assigned to one of the last unoccupied rooms, on the fifth and topmost pavement. On the flip side, the view outside her windows was top-notch and her floor only had nine of the thirty-nine rooms filled, meaning fewer annoyances and no adjacent neighbors to disturb her – or, more likely, be disturbed by her: she got easily carried away when playing games and cursed a lot, and she hated to listen to music on a low volume.

She still felt the necessity to drop by her nearest neighbors, including the one immediately below her room, to introduce herself and bring a few cheap cookies she bought out of the nearest konbini – a convenience store. She grabbed the nearest discounted item she found and gave no thought about it, so once she presented herself and said the most commonplace of sentences, that such present was just a silly thing, she felt good because, for once, it was the truth. People usually went to bothersome degrees to find presents for others only to downplay it, but Naoko was true to her words! If she was going to say it was nothing special, it might as well not be!

Since it was Saturday morning, she wasn't hoping to find anyone, and true to her expectations, both neighboring rooms on her floor were empty. Only at night was she able to find their occupants, a boy and a girl. Both seemed fine folks, though the boy below her, whom she did encounter holed in his crib by 11 a.m. of a sunny Saturday was a smiling creep resembling a snake that Naoko rapidly found she wanted distance from, so she didn't feel as bad showing how inconsiderate she could be by throwing some cookies at neighbors. The guy didn't say a word for the most part and the way he whispered his name was so low that the girl, uninterested and still wanting to explore her own room, only barely heard "Fukuda Katsuro", didn't know if that's really it and merely nodded as if she had fully understood it.

Aside from that, no words from him, as the grinning guy just stared her without blinking from the top of his vertiginous one meter and forty something centimeters high, more or less. The more she saw him, the more she had the impression it was probably less. But then again, the boy appeared to gradually lean forward as if growing a hump, so his real height was a mystery. One Naoko had no interest in solving.

As the girl, having introduced herself and that she was enrolled to 2-5 out of cordiality was about to leave, the boy from room 427 let his hissing voice be heard for the first time, mentioning he was then her senpai while letting his grin grow bigger, revealing his teeth. If at first he could pass as a slightly weird student who just tried too hard to appear friendly despite being too shy to speak, it was no longer the case. It was already hard enough to believe that a guy who obviously wasn't a dwarf but almost as tall as one was in high school, but he was her senpai, or senior, too. Naoko stood still for a moment, looking at the boy while she reflected on what to say next. The way he sounded happy, a little too happy, from below his collected exterior when he stated his senpainess as if it was a trump card sounded the girl's alarms to control her naturally cheerful attitude not to seem too friendly. She responded:

"Oh... that's... good. So you won't be in school next year, right? Nice." After a second, thinking about what she said, Naoko quickly added, "I mean, nice for you, of course! You'll be in university, right?! That's awesome! I'm rooting for you! Okay then, bye!"

Despite not having looked back anymore as she "walked" away (with the speed as someone running), she could almost feel him still glaring at her. In her imagination he would've been closing the door slowly, while a portion of his big smile and one of his eyes would still be seen from the gap, gazing intensely.

So alright, the dormitories weren't perfect, but it was still nice and her room was a lovely place. Also the sun-soaked city was marvelous at the beginning of April. The cherry blossom period was already over, which was a shame, though. Sure, she had watched it with her cousin, but although Hayato was nice, she'd very much prefer to see it again by herself, without hurrying. During the week Naoko stayed at her hometown she went flower-seeing too. Then again she did that for all her life, so seeing the pink-leafed sakura trees in full-bloom, albeit arguably gorgeous, wasn't exactly out of the ordinary.

The flower-watching could be over in Tokyo, but spring was just starting and she had lots of new things to do. Studies, work, hobbies... For starters, she has not only enrolled in a new school, but also had to present herself on a new dojo. When she explained she was moving, her master got her in touch with an old acquaintance of him that held a training center in a ward nearby. The only thing Naoko knew was that, just like her first master, the chief instructor she was assigned to also followed the Shotokan style, which didn't mean much as "Shotokan", even though being itself a school among many in Karate, was more of an umbrella term to encompass many different sub-schools.

Naoko couldn't get more information, though, as it happened one day before the trip, the reason being she didn't even know if things would work out until the last moment. Her parents, especially her father, gave the girl a lot of trouble to convince, like she expected. During the three days after her return she tackled her old school and life went back to normal as if her days in the capital had been nothing more than a dream. She couldn't even tell others she was moving because her parents, for the first two days, were resolute not to let her go. Naoko used every minute of her free time to try and persuade them otherwise, and had her own resolution tested by arguments such as the already beaten risk of scam, the prohibitive cost of living there, themes related to honor and humility, her own inexperience in living by herself, the dangers of the most populous area of the country and one of the most of the world, so on and so forth. Luckily, the girl was headstrong, and the singing and dancing tests made her for some reason calmer than before. As such, Naoko was able to keep rational conversations for longer, which ultimately led the firm conviction of her father to crack. Naoko had faith in it, or so she shown.

When the contract arrived she and her parents spent almost four hours reading every single line of it and searching the internet for help whenever necessary. They read and reread it numerous times, looking for any legal traps, but to no avail. Fifteen percent of every source of revenue for the idol, reasonable work hours and performed functions, well-explained and acceptable copyright information, rights and obligations...It was A-Okay and coincided with everything the I.S.S.G. website stated to be mandatory. The only compromising part which made Naoko's father worried regarded a paragraph about early contract termination and contractual penalty. Since the document was valid for two years and should be renewed after expiration, the girl would be tied to the agency for that period. If any of the involved parties were to terminate the contract before its expiration date without reasonable explanation, it was imposed a penalty equivalent to five months' worth of revenue or compensation, depending on the side rescinding the document. The month of reference would always be the last one. The problem was that Naoko's payment wouldn't be fixed, but was expected to fluctuate following the fifteen percent of total revenue accrued every month by the company. So if she wanted to walk away for whatever reason, it would cost her a sum she didn't know if she could afford to pay.

Then again, it was standard fare among contracts, so her own father wound up calming Naoko. Everything looked acceptable, and after that night, however unwilling, he and her mother gave her the greenlight. Only then, on Thursday, she began to spread the news of her departure, all the while managing all the official procedures for the agency, the Idol Star System Generation, the bank on which she was going to open an account, her old and new school for the transfer process and her dorm room, the dojos and finally booking her flight in time. For a teenager who has never had to tackle so much bureaucracy before it was overwhelming, and her father, in order to evaluate her daughter's capacity to live by herself, did the absolute minimum to help, just signing what he was required to. But Naoko, obstinate she was, did all she could in record time, locking herself in her room as soon as she returned from the karate classes and getting a medical examination as required on Thursday, and staying up until 2:30 a.m. of the next day filling forms.

Only by Friday evening, having just barely protocoled the last tidbits of bothersome papers for the bank, the air company and her new education institution, the girl finally managed to have time to spread the news to those she didn't met until then. Most of them were friends from different schools and random people from shops and spots across the city. She didn't even see some people, merely texting them farewell just so she had time to spare to talk to more important people, like her grandparents.

While Naoko loved her parents, the constant fights with her father Yoshirou and the irritating attempts of her mother, Natsuko, to conciliate the two undermined her desire to be close to them. If there was one person in her family that Naoko regretted a little to leave was her grandfather. Her grandma, Kohaku was also a lovely person, but grandfather Akihiro was something else. Nearing ninety one years-old, he didn't have the same vitality he used to, but was still a surprisingly funny person, contrary to his son Yoshirou.

He was a few inches taller than Naoko, though he couldn't stand straight anymore, and leaned over a walking stick due to a serious injury he had. He used to be a policeman. Quite the strong one, judging from the old photos on family albums that Naoko loved to check back when she was a kid. He was shot on his chest at that time. Since firearms were a rarity in Japan when compared to many other countries, this was shocking.

Naoko still remembered the day she discovered that. She was seven and used to notice Akihiro sometimes appeared to feel pain while playing with her, and he played a lot. She was probably his favorite grandchild. Her grandfather liked her cousin Hayato, of course. Akihiro also had a daughter called Manami, younger than Naoko's father Yoshirou and her uncle Kenji, thought Manami lived in a distant city and hardly ever visited them. Not unlike uncle Kenji, in fact, though when Naoko was seven Kenji still lived in Shimabara. Manami also had two sons, but for grandpa Akihiro, Naoko was special. She was the only granddaughter he had and was the only child of Yoshirou, who was Akihiro's first son.

Akihiro used to do whatever Naoko wanted. He loved her that much and liked to play with the cheerful and energetic girl a lot. She frequently rode on his back or asked to be tossed in the air and caught by him, and her grandfather did that. Naoko's father never did that to her, and always stood close when she was with Akihiro, looking serious and boring. In Naoko's mind her father either disliked to see Akihiro play so much with Naoko or was just envious that he had the disposition to play with the girl, when Yoshirou didn't. Yoshirou always stood like a shadow observing the two, close to a wall, arms folded and a grave countenance from a person that apparently didn't know how to have fun.

In a sense, Naoko's grandfather acted like a father to her, since Yoshirou, while arguably taking care of the girl didn't use to play or enjoy her company. Akihiro, however, sometimes appeared to feel pain while playing, and on one of those occasions he had to stop and almost fainted on a chair in his house. After Naoko's father, mother and grandmother tended him, Naoko started crying, fearing she'd lose Akihiro. At that time the gray-haired man explained to her, with a soothing smile, that there was nothing to fear. That he just had a wound for almost four decades and was still breathing.

He seemed disconcerted, however, when Naoko started to ask questions about it. It was a small, circular depression on his chest, slightly to the right of the heart area. Seeing he didn't want to explain, Naoko turned to her father, who seemed as serious and stalwart as always. From the door, with arms folded, Yoshirou quietly and severely observed his own father. Akihiro seemed a little ashamed, and reluctantly explained that it was a bullet scar. The small girl was horrified and demanded an explanation, asking if it was because he was a police officer back when he still worked.

Glancing nervously to his wife and son, he hesitantly replied, tense in a way Naoko had never seen him to be:

"I... Yes. It dates back to when I was a police officer."

Started, Naoko inquired while climbing on his legs, hugging him and passing her hand over the wound:

"What happened, grandpa?! Did... a bad guy shot you?! Did you shoot him back?! Eh?! Did you shot the bad guy, grandpa?!"

From his chair in the living room the disconcerted man embarrassedly glanced to his silent and judging son, possibly gauging if it's alright to say those things to his daughter, and decided to answer as succinctly as possible:

"No, Naoko. It's... not a bad guy. I... handled my own gun in the wrong way... and shot myself. Let's talk about something else, guns are not a good topic for a little girl to..." Naoko suddenly interrupted him, suspiciously interrogating "But grandma says grandpa Akihiro was an amazing and skilled cop! Did you really shot yourself?!"

Flustered, the man simply replied, his face still showing signs of pain:

"Even skilled people commit mistakes, Naoko. Bad ones, sometimes." Petting her hair with his left-hand and looking embarrassed and thoughtful all the while showing a smile, he said, "But you can learn with your mistakes. It's part of the past, now, so let's not dwell on it. Why don't you tell me about those songs you were hearing. I heard from your father someone lent you some CDs. Is it true?"

Scanning with attentive eyes his oddly acting grandfather, Naoko thought for a moment. Something seemed fishy there, she couldn't imagine Akihiro committing such a gross mistake. She was only seven, but she wasn't dumb. Also, he had told her once before that he and many of his colleagues hardly ever carried their guns around back when he was an officer. There was no need for it, and it intimidated good citizens. As such, she replied:

"Yes, I got some CDs. Now why don't we talk about your wound? Please! Tell me what happened, grandpa! How did you shoot yourself?! Why did you never tell me you had a wound?! Does it hurt?! Are you sure it wasn't a bad guy?!"

As her grandfather silently hugged her back, saying "Naoko, enough with this subject, let's change..." his son's eyes got sharp as a razor. An imposing hand pulled the girl away. Startled, the old man observed his son breaking Naoko away, but said nothing. Naoko protested and screamed as Yoshirou walked her to the door while seriously saying:

"Naoko, learn to have respect. Your grandpa is in pain. He needs to rest and you're bugging him. Let's go."

While his daughter tried to free herself from his firm grip and cried for him to let her go, for she wanted to be close to her grandfather and help to ease his pain, her own grandmother said with a caring but hesitant voice:

"Yoshirou, please. Your father... he's better now. And he doesn't have many chances to see Naoko. Please, there's no need to go so soon."

The serious man, facing his concerned mother and his own silent and embarrassed father, retorted sharply:

"He needs to rest. We'll come back another time."

Not even Naoko's mother seemed to understand why Yoshirou reacted that way with his own mother and tentatively asked why they shouldn't stay a little longer. Getting even more serious, Yoshirou retorted:

"I know Naoko will insist on this topic. My father needs to rest. She won't let him. That's why."

While Naoko yelled and tried to evade her father's grip, her grandmother gestured back to the lonely and sad-looking old man as he watched Yoshirou open the door, and reminded him:

"Yoshirou, please! Don't do this. He's better now! He only wants to be with his family for a while! Is it to ask too much? He's your father!"

Apparently not caring for his own wife's puzzled look, Yoshirou glanced to Akihiro and resolutely replied:

"And Naoko is my daughter."

Naoko never understood the context of that situation, and neither did her mother. Yoshirou just pulled the girl back to the car and, without giving any explanations, simply left. Years after, Naoko still had no answer for what happened on that day. She only knew her father abhorred violence and hated when he found the girl playing games that involved guns. Yoshirou apparently disliked everything related to Akihiro's profession as a policeman for some reason. The only clue Naoko thought to have obtained on the nine following years about that came from her grandmother, who said that after the shot Akihiro was left with serious health problems and retired. Apparently, it wasn't the police or the government that did it: Akihiro did that by himself. After that, their family had many financial problems for some time.

Naoko was left with the impression that her grandfather Akihiro had lied about misfiring his own gun, though there was a problem to this logic: if he was shot and incapacitated on his duty by someone else the government would've probably paid his retirement. It was the main reason why the explanation of him accidentally shooting himself made some sense, despite Naoko's resistance to accept it. Anyway, she could at least understand why Yoshirou hated guns so much. A shot had ended the career, and almost the life, of his father, after all. And seeing they faced hard times after that incident, it was justifiable that he was so afraid of Naoko's curiosity. Even when she was seven the girl already played many violent electronic games online, including war games, and learned quite a few facts about real-life weaponry on them. Her interest on the subject probably frightened him. He couldn't understand that Naoko just liked games, not real guns or warfare, though she could imagine Yoshirou preferred to be safe than sorry.

The horrible incident involving the shot was never elaborated by anyone no matter how hard she tried, but to see that her grandfather managed to keep a positive outlook on life despite his pain and hardships was inspiring. His personality was cheerful no matter what. When Naoko told her grandparents she was moving to Tokyo to work as an idol, her grandfather was the only person in her family who promptly got happy for her. Though he had some difficulties to move, he insisted on giving her some money on an envelope. Despite not being much, it was what they could afford to give her. She refused it many times, not out of politeness – she wasn't a big fan of it – but because she really didn't want to take anything away from them. In the end, however, her supportive grandfather encouraged her to take it, saying:

"You know, Naoko, when I was around your age and got my first job, my parents also had to support me during the first month, until I could live by my own means. I had to commute to work, to eat and had other expenses. I didn't want to bother them at first, though I had no choice. What I did was to repay them. I used all I could spare from my first payment to buy them a fancy dinner at a restaurant and a few gifts. Well, I say "fancy dinner", but at that time I only had money for a regular night out, really. It was already fancy enough for us, since my parents never did these kinds of things. It's a nice change of pace, I think. So Naoko, now's not the time to refuse help. Tokyo is an expensive place to live. First you get paid, and then you can think about repaying. Please take it. It's not much, but all we can do to help you, we will."

That was the kind of thing Naoko didn't forget. And despite Yoshiro's flaws, her father was the only son of Akihiro and Kohaku who supported his parents. It there was anything Naoko learned with her father was about loyalty. He carried his father to hospitals, paid for remedies and treatments and much more. He was always austere, but deep down he cared for the others. And since her grandparents received hardly enough money for themselves, Yoshiro needed to also provide financial support for his parents, along with everything else he did for them.

That was the main reason for Naoko to dislike her supposedly crazy aunt Manami and Uncle Kenji – because they practically abandoned their own father and mother in Naoko's opinion. Of course, since Naoko was welcomed into Kenji's home, she did her best to be a good guest. She hated his lack of loyalty to his own family, but he was not a bad person otherwise. No matter. All she cared at the moment was that for her grandparents to give cash to Naoko like that, no matter how little, was a sacrifice. One the girl recognized. Trying not to cry, she promised to repay them somehow as soon as she could.

When she returned home she finally got the time to talk to her neighbors, including Masahiro. He was her childhood friend and the younger brother of Momoko, the girl who fell for the fake idol agency scheme and whose story made Naoko so reluctant about accepting that opportunity.

She expected that when she told him about moving to Tokyo Masahiro would be sad, like she was, but no. He was devastated. As she explained to him that she was going away first thing in the morning, before sunrise, he sat down on the sidewalk, his eyes staring at her house across from his without seeing anything. Their street was small and both vehicle traffic and foot traffic was almost nonexistent, so no one would see him get as down in the dumps as he got, but even if someone saw he'd most likely not care.

His short, almost bowl cut hair if not for a few spiky tips, was just stylish enough not to appear completely plain. He used glasses that made his eyes look much bigger, but his black frames were tasteful. He was almost the same height as her, and not too skinny but sporting no noteworthy muscles either. When they were younger and bet on physical capabilities, he could defeat her on arm wrestling despite it being a tough contend, but she was slightly faster and could withstand longer distances running and swimming. He wasn't really handsome, but neither was him ugly. He had very few friends but wasn't too shy. He was smart, although nowhere near a genius, and liked a couple of things Naoko also did like games and manga, but unlike her, Masahiro's interests were limited to those things. He wasn't audacious, but followed the girl on numerous occasions, and even thought he was generally the irritating voice of reason of the pair, she knew Masahiro liked to get on adventures through the city and beyond. He wasn't particularly funny or entertaining, but could maintain decent conversations without a problem. He was kind of a bummer sometimes, but mostly because his loyalty was too much to let Naoko do a few things she wanted that weren't necessarily smart. He wanted to be an engineering like his father and studied for it every day, but other than this, he didn't have a clear vision for his future so much as glimpses. Both had their discords with their parents for similar reasons, but Masahiro never got out of control, although he also hardly ever expressed his mind either.

In other words, from a strictly rational point of view he was kind of 'meh', and a few of the many boys and girls Naoko knew have asked a few times why she put up with that guy when there were so many others who were stronger or cleverer, more daring or funnier, more handsome or stylish than him. Especially when Naoko received so much praise on most of these aspects – including strength, although only in a "you're pretty strong for a girl" kind of backhanded compliment she usually received in the dojo, which meant "yeah, you were able to break two planks with a blow! If you were a man, that'd be considered subpar, but we'll praise you anyway just because you're the only woman here and you're willing to try and get better", which got on Naoko's nerves. And although she found it hard to understand why, she liked him. Masahiro was her first friend ever, and she could confide everything to him. They could be completely honest with one another and even argue, even though he hardly ever talked his mind to her or anyone else anyway, and she was accustomed to his way of being. She knew he was 'meh', but she liked him for that.

At first he was shocked, and in disbelief he asked if that was some kind of late Fool's Day prank or something. It wasn't a big custom in Japan, but he knew Naoko was into other cultures enough to justify some silly play like that. She loved dates like Christmas and Halloween, despite it having nothing to do with the Land of the Rising Sun. But as she explained to him that it was no joke, he kept trying to find a trick somewhere.

"But if Naoko's telling me this just now, when you'll be bidding farewell to everyone else? On your way to the airport in the middle of the dawn? Stop bluffing."

She quickly said she had told the others since Thursday and explained how she hadn't even left home that day making arrangements. Also, she had quickly given the news to the others on her way home that day, leaving him for last because he lived nearby and also due to the fact that there was no more rush, so they could talk as much as they wanted. She genuinely believed it was a nice thing and that Masahiro, knowing her for so long, would understand that she gave almost everyone just three or four words before going to the next person, while for her longtime friend they could spend an hour talking! He'd appreciate the consideration, and also the fact that she didn't simply texted him a goodbye message like she did for a few people.

He got even more miserable, his unstable voice barely audible and as if he tried to appear serene despite the frustration and resentment:

"Wait. So you told it first to your school friends, and the karatekas you train with, and... all those thousands of boys you know who-knows-how from all across the city?"

Getting exasperated by what she heard, Naoko reacted angrily:

"All the thousands of...? What kind of girl Masahiro's implying I am? They're not thousands, and you know all of them just as well, so don't give me this "boys you know who-knows-how" crap, you idiot!"

"I know them because you presented them to me," he defended himself in a higher tone, though still low, and Naoko retorted "So you know them, and you know they're nice people, so stop acting like I'm wandering with Yakuza people or anything!"

"I know them well enough to see some of them aren't as nice as you make them to be!" Masahiro stated, almost not managing to hold of his anger. "That Hiro fella used to be on a school gang back on his days..."

"He's not like this anymore, he works with his father at the gas station now." Naoko replied, trying to exert self-control and sensing her patience overheating and malfunctioning.

"Oh, yeah? What about that Norio dude from near the bike shop three squares from here?" her friend, getting upset like he'd never been before, although never raising his voice against her, argued, "How many girls did he seduced to begin with?"

"Don't know, don't care, I wasn't one of them so that's not my problem!" Naoko scold him, "Seriously, what's the matter, man?"

"What's the matter?!" he replied so abruptly, standing up and turning to face her with such impetus that for once Naoko thought he'd attack her. Her friend, after a moment of fury, swallowed it and his skin turned paper pale. He once again sat down on the pavement, almost like letting himself fall, and tried to mutter something, then another thing, and finally stopping cold.

Sensing he took the whole thing the wrong way, the girl held the green skirt from her school uniform not to let it rise as she sat down by his right side and tried to console him while explaining more in-depth her way of looking at things. She could understand he felt left for last and unimportant, but it was the opposite: she did that so she could spend with him more than a few seconds, like she did with every other person with the exception of those who studied with her – because she was forced to be with them for hours, anyway.

Looking completely lost he faced away from her while she told him everything. From there she started talking about her last few days, and then how she'd managed to make her father comply. Masahiro himself had a few problems with his parents too, mostly revolving around how they only seemed to have eyes for his older sister Momoko. She was the most beautiful, most hard-working and most intelligent of the two, it seemed. Contrary to Naoko's father, who was silent but at least made it obvious his daughter was less than he expected, Masahiro's parents didn't make that so crystal clear.

They went as far as trying not to compare the two siblings, even if the praises were mostly given to Momoko. As much as the girl was just as good as they made her to be, Naoko always though she was also too dependent on the opinions of others. Too insecure, and even more after the scam incident. Her parents probably felt it too, and gave her the praises she desired. And it was true the woman also worked hard to deserve the approvals, so Masahiro couldn't even argue it was ill-placed. To Naoko, Masahiro's parents didn't prefer her older sister so much as gave more attention to her than to him since he appeared to be more resilient and not all that reliant on compliments. But she also knew he felt as if he was half-forgotten by his own family, hence Naoko's detailed recording of how she managed to get her father to concede: so he could learn something to use for his own benefit.

From there she told him about her trip, the agency, why she believed it wasn't a scam like the one Momoko suffered, how Tokyo was amazing, everything. She got so carried away that more than half an hour passed before she noticed Masahiro wasn't reacting to anything. At first she got upset that he didn't seem to pay attention, but when she saw his face, low and facing the asphalt in a hopeless expression, her heart hurt as if stung by something sharp. Starting to worry, she called him, but despite clearly listening and reacting with his arms, he didn't reply at first. It took him a long time thinking, lost inside his private world, to finally mutter, disheartened:

"Do you... still wear that anklet... I gave you?"

Thinking about anything she could do to cheer him up, Naoko promptly changed sides so that her right leg was the one closer to him and lowered her knee high dark gray stocking all the way down, showing him a simple anklet made of black and white-painted straws rolled together. It was a good luck charm he gave her a long time ago. In a festival, if she remembered correctly, although she wasn't sure which one. She could barely remember receiving that present, it was too much to ask for specifics, but from what little she could recall, it had fireworks. Again, a vague description.

She was so used to wearing it she hardly even remember it, and only took it off to go into swimming classes in her school, and only because it was prohibited to wear accessories there. Other than that, she left it on her ankle the whole time, even during baths and at the sea. It wasn't supposed to be taken off under no circumstance for some reason, but there was nothing she could do about the classes. It was a good luck charm, after all, and supposedly made a wish cast upon it when the object was worn for the first time come true when he broke out of being too worn out.

Naoko wasn't a superstitious girl, so she didn't really believe in such nonsense as good luck or wishes. For her it was the feeling of the person that gave it to her that counted, so she wasn't scared to break any stupid spell, but she valued the thought of Masahiro in presenting her such a beautiful, even if simple, accessory. She wore it as much as possible. In reality, even her friend, who did believe in such things, took his one off every swimming class he had. He had a matching pair, and since both of them studied in the same school, the same rules applied – the difference being he was two year older than her. It was nice to know older students, being close to a senpai was really something else. But then again, she knew more boys older than her than those of her age, so it wasn't a big deal. Initially the girls from her class were envious, but as time passed they're able to get to know Naoko better. Eventually they started wanting to hang out with her instead of chastising her.

Naoko's relations with other girls were a wee bit strange. It wasn't that she had no female friends, au contraire. She had no problems making friends with other girls, be it older, younger or the same age as her. On her school she had three very close girlfriends and many others she talked to when the situation was right. The problem was that not all things she liked, other girls did. It just so happened that she found two girls who shared her enthusiasm for music, international stuff and manga, and another one that the trio converted to their otaku cause. As the time passed they developed common themes to talk to and their friendship evolved. But many of the things Naoko liked, though not all, just happened to be stereotypically enjoyed more by men than by women, be it by some natural mechanism or just by societal pressure. When she found another girl that liked games, martial arts, anime and all things awesome she had no problems becoming her friend.

Another, more complicated matter, was that Naoko disliked the way girls usually acted. It had nothing to do with the people itself, but rather the roles society had for them. When it came to women Naoko had nothing against, but girls... Simply put, the way they were molded by society generally made girls irritating. Boys could be direct, playful, pester others, fight, talk dirt, slide on the mud, not wear shirts on the beach and on swimming pools, get down on fours to create sand castles or to hunt bugs on the grass without someone telling them to mind their poses, and being free to catch bugs to begin with without anyone looking at them like they were extraterrestrial beings. In essence, it wasn't about the way they could be expansive and upfront, though it was nice, or about catching insects – which Naoko did when it came to ladybugs and fireflies, but not for other creatures. On the flip side, she wasn't afraid to touch worms to go fishing or to squish a cockroach as long as she was wearing something that covered the entire foot or which had a thick sole, and preferably both – No, it was about freedom. Boys could do a lot of things while girls were resigned to looking pretty and acting like defenseless vases.

That wasn't to say boys didn't have problems too, Naoko knew many and saw their sufferings. Men were also expected to prove their masculinity in stupid ways, holding back emotions women weren't as expected to suppress and had their own ridiculous perfection models. She knew it was expected every man to be tall, strong, brave, self-confident, have powerful voices and be able to win at many things, leaving those who aren't like that on a limbo just like women who aren't physically attractive. Naoko understood those things, she just preferred the liberty society gave to boys more, even though when they became men the expectations on their shoulders were just as big as the privileges they had as kids. But as Naoko was still sixteen and most of her friends were just a few years older, almost all she had experienced up until now focused on the stages of life preceding adulthood, hence her stand on the subject of men and women.

Also, most of her female friends had at least a few characteristics that separated them from the annoying girl stereotype, meaning Naoko had no problems having female friends, she had problems having irritating friends. It just occurred that girls usually did more things that infuriated her than boys, beginning with self-centered, "you're not worthy of me" kind of attitude that somehow proliferated in part of the national young female population. Expecting too much of others and not showing the same values themselves. Or so it was Naoko's opinion, and it made her worry about her professional contact with idols. They rubbed her like the epitome of vanity, even though she knew nothing of them. She just so hoped to be proven wrong.

As the airplane took off the next morning her concerns about Masahiro felt left behind, but deep inside she knew she'd have to make amends. Her childhood friend was too shattered the night before to respond, but the girl expected in a couple of days he'd have found his balance again, and then she'd be able to think of a text message that cheered him up. Meanwhile, for as much as she hated to admit it, it felt good to leave that gloomy place. Her heart was pumping full of excitement for what was to come and for leaving her worrying parents who thought she was too immature for living alone, getting away from her depressing friend who'd become abrasive and sobbing out of being left for last – and with a good reason to boot – and from other people acting as if it was her funeral. It was good to be free from that prison of bad feelings and to have space to spread like petals of a blossoming flower.

Leaving the depths of boredom and uneasiness behind, she arrived at the airport only to be welcomed by the witty remarks and high spirits of her new producer, Aratani Kouta. The young, tall and smartly-dressed man with shoulder-long stylish hair seemed simply too good with a grin and a pair of cool shades. Just as he came under the shadows of the airport entrance to help her with her luggage and took the sunglasses off after a brief bow, the girl, also bowing and noticing an enticing cologne smell that faintly remembered wine, immediately told him:

"Put the shades back on now. I never thought you'd look so sharp on those, Produ-San! Also congrats for the perfume! Much better now."

Instead of a typical, boring welcoming statement, Aratani replied teasingly:

"Lady, please, the shades are the ones looking sharp on me, not the other way around." Although self-promotions were frowned upon, Aratani was so over the top in his clearly exaggerated joking bravado that the girl could do nothing besides bursting into laughter out of the ridiculous one liner. On a side note, he added, "As for my perfume, thanks, but I have already put it on the last time we met. Your sense of smell just got better, I think."

"Wait... what? No way! Last time you just stunk like tobacco and sake." she replied, making the man promptly protest. Eventually Naoko noticed it was probably because his room smelled so badly and her nostrils got clogged whenever she went there. Unfortunately, her producer seemed completely unaware his agency reeked that way. It wasn't that Naoko disliked the noir detective feeling it gave to the ambient, it was just that she was very sensitive to scents and strong odors easily affected her. Even his black car, an old model that wasn't very impressive but was well kept nevertheless, faintly smelled of cigarettes. Aratani swore he didn't smoke inside his vehicle and accused the girl of saying those things just to importunate him. Eventually Aratani's complete cluelessness of smells became a recurrent joke Naoko used to pester her "Produ-San". Also the way she'd once called him out of mockery quickly became her favored way of referring to the man when not in the presence of other people.

He took her to her dorms, asking if she wanted help and, when the girl politely refused it, he told her she had a busy schedule for the day. By mid-day he'd pick her up again so she could get her school uniforms, textbooks and such and complete her transfer. Then, they'd have lunch. After that she'd have an appointment with a hair stylist, because at 5 p.m. she was to meet a beautician, and by 8:30 a photographer. With the photos Aratani could then start promoting her to companies that could be interested in her looks alone. At the beginning, he said, it was hard to make money as an idol, so before she got famous it was a good time to perform jobs that paid well but required no singing and performing, like featuring in ads and labels of female shampoos and cosmetics in general. Also, most advertisements were really cheap in that they presented young, beautiful women for no apparent reason, even when the products they were trying to sell had nothing to do with it. As Aratani said, if anyone wanted to sell anything that wasn't specifically wore by men, all they needed to do was stamping a beautiful lady along.

Naoko felt uncomfortable by the thought of appearing in such ads, but her producer reassured her he'd only accept decent ones for her. His goal, after all, was for her to become an idol, and tarnishing her reputation with anything was beyond question. Also, he promised her she'd only act as model until they had amassed her a fan base that let them survive on merchandising of their own. Though as much as ads walked a gray line when it came to ethics, ii was fair money.

Continuing on her schedule, her day would end with a few purchases. Aratani told her it was on his tab since a few of the items were to be used on stage. And, as he pointed out, they couldn't afford an idol to be seen roaming with a pair of sneakers so worn out their soles could fall off at any second, like the ones Naoko had with her. They would buy just the bare-minimum at that time not to strain the budget even more than it already was, but her image was a priority. Her wardrobe would grow bigger as cash started to flow in.

Even though having to carry all her luggage up to her dorm, Naoko felt as if she was floating. After settling down and meeting the friendly neighboring weirdo from the floor below, she returned to her room to finish unpacking. Some unimportant things, like food and clothes, were put away as quickly as she could, while other, more serious matter, like her videogames, her gaming library, her laptop and a few manga she brought just in case she found someone with similar tastes, were neatly organized like they deserved.

Also, her mother packed a few old idols CDs Naoko had since she was six or seven years old. At that time, she listened to a few bands. Mostly two anyway: the colorful and cheerful "Skip/Beat Indigo" and the dark and mature "Cross Sakura no More". The girl barely remembered she had idol band CDs, much less that she still possessed them. Whatever had in them was almost ten years old and certainly outdated, so Naoko didn't even bother to pick those up since they wouldn't even serve as a reference, but her mother tucked the disks on her bags all the same. Since it was Naoko's only thing that had to do with her new job, her mother felt it could be of some help anyway. She said the old things were not to be discarded but rather used as a model and improved upon. Naoko understood perfectly that, when saying "old things were not to be discarded", she was also talking about her and Naoko's father. Of course, the girl, even if relieved to be free, would never think about abandoning them. Hence she decided to take the CDs. She didn't even look at them, but if it made her mom happy, she'd do it.

The case with all the CDs was put aside rapidly, though, since mid-day was fast approaching. The remaining time was spent testing all electronics along with the heating and cooling systems, the TV, the minibar, the faucet, the lights, the shower and the toilet full of buttons to heat or rise the seat, activate the bidet and more.

That year was atypically dry and pollution levels worsened at every day, despite the skies appearing generally clear and blue. Many TV newscasts reported an increase in health issue cases, notably among the elderly and the newly born, and alerts regarding prevention and minimization of the impacts of the preoccupying climate conditions abounded. The weather forecast included much needed precipitations for the middle of the next week onward, but people had to bear with the worrisome air quality until then. As Aratani caught her on the dormitory building's entrance for their appointments, it became clear for Naoko that the number of people wearing sanitation masks on the streets had grown since the last time she was there.

Generally the white masks that covered the nose and mouth were used more out of respect for others, by sick people trying not to spread their diseases, than for self-prevention. Though on days when the pollution, both domestic and that blown from continental Asia by wind currents, grew to unacceptable levels many wore the protection to reduce contact with dangerous substances on air. Since they could not only induce long-term health problems but also lower body immunities and heighten the risks of contracting infectious diseases, it could still be said people were taking care of the others to a certain degree by taking care of themselves.

Through foot traffic intense avenues and streets filled to the brim with vehicles the two zipped through a few wards, gradually ticking lines on their to-do list. Some were uneventful, but for Naoko everything was new and interesting to the point where even having lunch on a simple but charming ramen shop or grabbing her new school uniform and clothes along with textbooks, notebooks and stuff was memorable. Even more so was the hair stylist.

On a well-located and chic saloon consisting of a doubled-floor atrium where the bustling ground pavement was overshadowed by a pretty, column-supported balcony-like mezzanine with even more seats, mirrors and people, it was a lively high-end location. Many plants on vases gave the atmosphere a soothing aura, contrasting with the bright, colorless spotlights all across the ceilings being reflected dozens of times by all the mirrors across the place. These mirrors made the place appear to be even bigger. There was a Feng Shui sort of balance to the ambient.

Many assistants, both women and men, tackled the never-ending flow of clients, but the owner of the place, a sixty-something eccentric but endearing chief hair stylist personally supervised the work on every customer. While Naoko waited to be called, she saw the owner's doubtful but effective methods on many patrons. On an old but well-groomed man, apparently some kind of big shot on some company, the hair stylist not only asked questions about the executive's personality and habits, but he also looked at him from many angles, as if evaluating a statue. Not satisfied, he got close to the top of the customer's head and sniffed it hard before, in a glimpse of realization, he explained to one of his assistants what had to be done. When the cut was done, he returned to see the results and, not satisfied, gave the finishing touches himself.

Aratani told Naoko before their arrival that the hairstylist master Matsushita Kazuhiro was famous for tending to many celebrities, including lots of top-class idols, but he was a bit odd. Seeing him in person, though, Naoko was unsure if she wanted to laugh or to run away from that man. If he sniffed her before she knew the owner was so peculiar the girl would be mortified, but as he did strange things to everyone Naoko eventually chilled out. Also the man heeded not what cuts the clients asked for themselves, instead believing in his own image of what would be best for their figure, but the results were nothing short of spectacular. The girl could imagine not every person would be comfortable there, but she was on high spirits and could tolerate some oddity for the novelty of it.

In the end the owner was much less annoying as she made him to be at first glance. When he laid his eyes on her they gleamed. He called a blond and young handsome man to perform her cut, which made the girl start to really enjoy it. The chief stylist began inquiring her about her hobbies, her life and her dreams, all the while running his fingers through her dark, long hairs as if stroking them. The first time the old man did that she cringed, but his firm hands were a delight, as gentle as a breeze and full of an enigmatic energy. Where they touched her hair and her nape, they left an electric and tickling feeling that lingered long after it stopped. Her neck, stiff from the initial contact, quickly loosened up. The hair massage looked more like an expert harpist playing his instrument with fondness, and undid every knotted strand. It was so good that when he finished his questions and turned to his assistance, all she wanted was for him to keep caressing her locks and sending shivers down her spine.

When Naoko first laid her eyes on the confident, tall and pretty assistant she badly wanted the chief hair stylist to stop talking and let that stunning man take care of her, but after the owner left and his employee assumed, the girl got a little sad. The young man was dangerously attractive and all, but his touch on her hair was... normal. He knew what he was doing, and his fingers were suave too, but it just wasn't the same thing. The old dude just had electricity running through his fingertips! Also, she didn't understand too much the vision the owner got for her at first, but as the work got performed Naoko was astonished.

Before her hair was just slick and fell freely. Simple and clean. After some products to increase its brightness and softness and many cuts, some to eliminate double ends and others to give it shape, things changed. She got a fringe that partially covered one of her eyes. Two bangs fell in front of her ears, and one got visible while the other was mostly concealed. Tasteful asymmetries were added all over, like a lock on the left of the top of her head that got spiked up, looking like an eternally still black sea wave crashing on the rocks and splashing all over. Spiky ends were made on one side while the other remained au natural. When the chief returned, he inspected it from all directions checking if it was reflexive like a black mirror and detailed as he wanted it. Noticing it lacked something, he further cut down a few strands on the back to slightly increase the impression of volume on the crown tail. To Naoko, it was akin to a very minor sport car's airfoil, since she had no better way of describing it. Like most other details, it was very hard to notice unless carefully observed, but added up to the subliminal richness of the cut.

When it was finished, the hair was cut in such a way that it naturally preserved the shape without the need of gels or other cosmetics. It was so gorgeous Naoko not only felt like staring at a princess at the mirror, albeit one with a rebel flair, but was also afraid to even touch it.

"Well?" the chief hair stylist asked after putting the scissor to rest, "Is it to your liking?"

"It's marvelous!" Naoko replied, staring intensely at the mirror to absorb every detail, "I've never had such a beautiful hairstyle! I don't understand it, but I love it!"

"What part of it did you not understand, my dear?" he questioned, suddenly worried.

Studying her own figure, she pointed out she found the half-fringe, the cover over one ear, the head top splash of hair over one side and a few other aspects to be her favorite ones, which was strange because she always thought symmetry was key to beauty. The man, hearing that, lightened up and let a beaming expression out due to her compliments.

"Ah, the fallacy of symmetry!" the hair stylist, positioning his face over one of her shoulders to observe her at the mirror from a perspective close to that of her eyes, replied eagerly, "At first I thought you didn't understand my cut because it didn't reflect true feelings you harbored for yourself, which would be a horrible mistake of mine."

"Hm... what?" Naoko interrupted him. "Feelings?"

"You see, I try to capture feelings on my cuts." the man explained, vigorously, "I cut the way I feel about someone, and try to crystalize it on my work. The hair grows with the person and is in constant change, but some characteristics remain for a long time. Personality traits, or some kind of essence, if you will."

"And you try to capture this essence in your art?" presumed Naoko.

"Ah, young lady, you've no idea how hearing you call my work 'art' makes me happy!" the owner stated, starry-eyed with some kind of passion that made him appear as energetic as a boy, "Indeed, I try to catch a glimpse of the soul and make it so that everyone can see it. I don't like to dwell on what's ephemeral. When I was an inexperienced hair stylist I was always frustrated by the fact that hairs grow back. I wanted my art to be eternal. And it pained me to see my works get slowly ruined. I always had to recreate them again and again. Until one day, I noticed that the hair cut I tried to maintain for years on one client didn't suit him anymore. The first time he'd come to me, he was a fifteen years-old athletic boy. Five years after, he'd matured into a fine lad destined to climb the salarymen ladder till the very top. If hair didn't regrow, he'd one day be a manager, a director, a CEO of an important company stuck with the hair of a boy. That moment opened my eyes to the beauty of life: change."

"But you said you didn't like to dwell on ephemeral things," pointed Naoko, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes, but people mistake changes for starting anew," the stylist, leaning against his mirror to face Naoko, told her, "To start again isn't to change. It's to be imprisoned in a cycle that ultimately only brings suffering, because when you start anew you throw away whatever progress you'd accumulated so far. You don't keep anything, and soon enough you'll be incurring in the same mistakes. That's what I used to do before my realization. I was so blinded by my drive to keep things from changing that I discarded everything new that I saw. I did a cut, and months after I only trimmed away the new to make the old shape appear again. Trapped in samsara, in a limbo between lives, not ever growing. But to change? To change is different. A new beginning needs nothing previous to it, but if you change something, it's implied there's something there to begin with. A real change does not throw away the old, but rather improve upon it."

Naoko tried hard to follow the man's logic, but although he looked at her, he spoke as if to himself. After a brief pause thinking, he continued:

"When I discovered it, my heart was set ablaze! For, you see, that boy that became a man, that would become a powerful executive someday, changed, but a change was just an improvement over something previously established. It made me think: if I could see the entire lifespan of a person, most things wouldn't be kept during their entire course, but a few things could, perhaps. An essence that was exclusive to that individual. As I started to try and unearth what it was, my fear of changes eventually subsided."

"So that's why you ask questions and other... stuff to new clients?" Naoko mentioned.

"You're very attentive, lady. Yes, it is." The hair stylist acknowledged, "It took me several years to hone my skills to the point where I felt confident enough to cut hairs from every kind of person, from a beggar to a Prime Minister."

"Have you ever cut the hair of a Prime Minister or was it just an example?" she asked, and the man confirmed. Sighing deeply, he leaned closer and started to talk in a low voice, "Yes, I have. And to be frank, it was kind of underwhelming. See, when I took on the business of my family, I dreamed of cutting hairs of celebrities, politicians and famous people in general. I hated to see the look of satisfaction on the face of my father when he cut the hair of a John Doe. I thought he was too good to be serving average people, and I thought his absence of will to open a bigger saloon and attract richer people was a flaw. It took me thirty years to understand a simple thing: that I wanted to create things people thought were beautiful. I thought beauty was only real if others praised it. And the most beautiful of hairstyles, on the head of a common folk, would only get minimum attention and, thus, praise. But when I got that there was something, an essence, that was common throughout the life of a person, I found that many famous people weren't born famous. They got there. Those common peasants I disregarded could tomorrow become the celebrities I sought after. It made me question myself. Well, if the same person could make me feel antipathy and sympathy at different stages of life, what was fame? What was that thing that made me think a person was more beautiful than she was the day before?"

His daydreams could seem confusing at first, but they also enticed Naoko's imagination. She kept closely hearing his tale while losing herself in thoughts of her own.

"After years of meditation I realized fame was just a motivation lot of people had to find the good aspects of someone. It was the will to see what was positive in someone who had what you want, in hopes you learn something and be able to replicate the same characteristics to achieve your own goals. I understood why my father was always satisfied cutting the hairs of random passersby: because he could see the beauty within everyone. That beauty that came from the good characteristics everyone have, but which we only tend to notice on people close to us and on celebrities. After that realization, I set my go to unearth as much from the essence all the people had, that which was not ephemeral and persisted through all but the biggest of change of hearts. In that lied the beauty I could now see all around me. A beggar being no different than a Prime Minister in that he also had qualities that could dumbfound those who took the time to notice. When I cut the hair of a Prime Minister, I finally understood he was just another person. Also full of beauty inside, but no different from anyone else. One thing I noticed was that, just like my father, whom I criticized in the past, I too found satisfaction in average people. The good aspects of a famous or an especially beautiful person are already visible, more or less, or people are more likely to try and find them, but those of a regular folk are not always that clear. I learned to prefer helping those whose qualities are not always clear."

Reflecting for a second and trying to remember how his speech ended up like that, he returned on a previous topic to close open ends:

"And when I help bring that beauty out I feel at peace, because it matters not if my work gets 'destroyed' as hair grows again. As long as I'm true to a fraction of the essence of that person, my cuts would've helped to show her something good she had inside her, and as such, my work would forever live on them."

Snapping out of his loud thinking monologue, he found Naoko attentively listening and thinking. Glad, the man leaned back on the mirror again and, once again on a louder voice as normal, he pointed out:

"You know, lady, maybe you're too young to understand it now, but you seem genuinely interested in other people, so I believe someday, hopefully, you'll come to realize it too. Not rationally, but deep within your heart. Youth, now as much as before, is easily swept by fame, and forget to see the qualities every person has. When your producer told me he'd be bringing an idol, I expected the worst. You know, in all humbleness, many famous people come here, especially idols, and with a few exceptions I always find it hard to see even the slightest glimpses of essence on them. They get so caught up on fame and on showing 'their best side' that they end up becoming... artificial. Their true beauty is fogged up by superficial, ephemeral beauty. Too much tatemae and not a sight of honne in those youths. To me, that's sad."

Tatemae and Honne were antagonizing concepts. Tatemae meant the public image one tries to be known by while Honne, meaning "true voice", was the conjunction of the true feelings, ideas and standings of a person. People, especially in Japan, valued the tatemae on numerous situations and employed it to create the least amount of friction on their relationships, not rarely preventing themselves to tell what they truly feel in order not to bother others. It was a persona of sorts, covering up the shadowy inners of an individual. To let his true, deep voice be heard was a temerarious thing, one which Naoko had problems to comply. She, with her sporadic impetus to tell what really crossed her mind, was a very bad example of how people acted on the society. She was the exception, not the rule, and although Naoko usually got through her honne sprees unscathed, it was mostly because other people did their best to keep their tatemae and their cool. Even then, it's generally something to frown upon. It could, at that time, be seen, for example, that the chief hairstylist, lost in thoughts and talks, was making clients wait, but despite probably not liking it, they kept their tatemae and acted like nothing was happening.

On the other hand, honne wasn't just about bad things, and as much as Naoko used to express negative feelings, she was also true with the positive ones. What the hairstylist said about some young people not being true to themselves made Naoko think, though not before the man told her:

"Since it's generally hard to see anything at all of essence in idols nowadays, I was happy to see a girl which I had such a clear vision of a fraction of the essence for once. I have a handful of idol clients which are just like you, and I find them to be good people. Hence, when you told me you didn't understand the cut, I thought I had fallen for a false impression."

"No, no! I love it, really." Naoko insisted, "I'm just not an expert in hair styles, and I was surprised to see asymmetries looked good on me."

"Did you have any doubts?" the man asked her, content, "Even after all you told me? A girl that loves games as well as keeping her nails long and pretty, that likes monsters as much as cute things, that takes care ever to be with her eyeliner but stays on computer all night long when she can and ends up with reddish eyes. You're in the middle of your teens, so it's expected lots of duality, but yours are just out of this world. So many conflicts, it just screams to be a main theme in your hair. If only I could see more... Well, in truth, all I ever see are glimpses. The beauty inside a person is always infinitely better than any attempt to recreate it. Such is the main source of pain for every artist, but it's also fantastic to see that reality is always much bigger than we can comprehend. I gave you a fringe only because it represents the air of mystery that surrounds all the questions I still have left about you, and all the things about yourself that still seemed unclear even for you. It's frustrating, actually, but even that frustration is a marvel in itself, like life is."

It was something she kind of knew, but never thought of her conflicts as a part of herself. And to think a hair stylist would notice it was beyond all of her expectations. That man, whose touch appeared to reach deeper than others and leave that lingering electric feel, was really something else. Seriously impressed both by his work and by his keen senses, she inquired, on a bit of a hurry after noticing their conversation was making everyone else wait:

"It seems Matsushita-San has gone to such great lengths to understand everything he said that I'm about to start calling you Matsushita-Sensei. But, if you allow me one final question, what drives you to try and make the essence of people surface like you say? If you understood beauty is something that exists on everyone, why the need to take a peek at it and make it show up? I mean, it's an awesome art, but if you already know beauty is there, why the frustration?"

The master looked down, puzzled. Slowly, he answered, uncertain:

"That's a very deep question, young lady. I... don't... think I've ever meditated about it before." As a beam of excitement shone on his face, he began to mutter "Perhaps I still want to show something. Maybe not me, this much is clear, I think. But..." After a pause, he confessed in a low voice, "You know, not everyone's born as you. Not everyone's considered to be drop-dead gorgeous, and like I've said before, the physically attractive and the famous doesn't nearly entice me anymore as it did in the past. When I was a kid I got under the impression I was really ugly, and it persisted throughout my life. I knew I had qualities, but people couldn't see them, and thus they acted as if I had nothing good at all. The girls in my school acted as if I didn't exist, if it means something to you. And since my family was poor, I blamed my father for cutting hairs of common people instead of aiming higher, making us rich and so on. I thought money would make people start noticing me more, and thus, increasing the chances they'd find what I was capable of. This much I already knew. Eventually I too started to believe I didn't have any qualities at all, and I suffered a black, deep sadness for more than a decade and a half, even though my work helped me giving a reason to get out of bed every day, and little by little I fought to understand myself and get through it. Life went on, I discovered I had good aspects just like everyone else, but... thinking now, I... think I'm still trapped on the past on this aspect. Maybe... maybe I'm trying to help people not suffer the things I did. Like... showing them... they have qualities. They... and perhaps the others even more, since hair is something that's easier for others to see than you, anyway. Hm..." Getting more excited by the minute, he concluded, "I'm very grateful for your insightful comment! No one, not even me, has ever noticed it before! I'm now eager for my nightly meditation like I wasn't for a long time!"

Just when Naoko was getting sad by Matsushita's story the man got even happier, causing some mixed feelings on the girl. She walked out of the saloon having only understood that what people called "oddity" in his way of being was just because the master hairstylist was self-conscious and true to himself. But all he'd said was just too much for the girl. She understood a few things, got very interested in the man's past and noticed a few things he said resonated on her for some yet unknown reason, but it was too much information for her. Still, it was the best hair saloon experience she'd ever had! Oh, and she also got a stunning haircut to boot, which seemed more like a bonus than anything else. Talking with Aratani about how was the experience, the producer joked that he'd sent her there to get a new haircut, not to be the stylist's psychologist, but if she did that again she should at least charge him as well.

One thing Naoko noticed was that for such a cramped, one-man company like The Paragon Idol Agency, Aratani was investing heavily. Just like the hairstylist's saloon, the beautician clinic also screamed "poor people need not apply". The girl always got mixed feelings about such places, and unlike the hair saloon where the owner was actually pretty humble, the beautician one had no such balancing grace. It was just a beautiful location full of people with noses pointed up high in the air. For as much as Naoko liked to experience everything at least once in her life – or at least "experience everything with some exceptions", which made no grammatical sense but was totally comprehensible otherwise – a few things just repeatedly annoyed her. She loved astounding locales and high-quality products and provided services, and to be frank it was good to be pampered sometimes, but Naoko felt much better in simpler places. Mostly because she hated stuck-up people, like the ones these venues usually attracted. The girl actually felt bad every time she thought what other people would think about her if they saw her on such high-end places. Just as she disliked formalisms, she also couldn't endure that kind of glamour, though Naoko didn't know why exactly. It just occurred every time, a reason why she frequented small ramen shops, grocery stores and tiny, cozy family businesses in general.

Still, it was another probably pricey location with equally good results. The girl always took care of her appearance despite her happy-go-lucky nature, like going for a walk between the trees and the dirt in the mountain range but not without her makeup, and thought a beautician would not do much for her. Partially because she considered her skin and nails were already good enough, and also because Naoko didn't have the habit to go to beauty centers, which she regarded as tossing money on the drain. Actually, her father was very critical of any behavior of her which showed esteem for her body. He considered it vanity, and was so strict that when Naoko started to apply makeup from her mother he got angry and made her brush it off with detergent. Then the stubborn girl reapplied it one hour later, and repeated the process, determined not to let the punishments get to her, until her father gave up.

The girl left the beautician clinic bored and annoyed by the chic and stuck-up atmosphere, but had to admit the results were excellent. Her skin was softer than a peach, cleaner than soap and felt even younger. Stray strands on her eyebrows were plucked off, every semblance of body hair on arms and legs was removed, all traces of dead skin and irregularities were eradicated from her lips and so on. Her nails, especially feet nails – to which the girl didn't pay as much attention as that of her always exposed hands – received an overhaul and, while maintaining the natural color, got spotless and glossy like a pure snowflake. It wasn't showy, both because Naoko would feel awkward and because school girls were prohibited or heavily discouraged, depending on the institution, to put on anything too extravagant, be it painted nails, colored hair, lipsticks and such. Naoko was just barely within tolerable limits using light eyeliners and almost non-perceptible makeup, if she used any more cosmetics she'd probably have problems when she went to class. On a side note, piercings and tattoos were taboo things and off-limits not only to school girls, but to every respectable and law-abiding member of society, with next to no exceptions – earrings being the most glaring one, a no-go to school girls but still accepted among adult women. Even foreigners, who generally weren't expected to understand every nuance of the arguably complicated Japanese customs, were required to keep tattoos and body piercings as low-profile as possible. On more recent times a few taboos started to be questioned by newer generations, but it was long before any of those became unobjectionable.

The most awkward situation of the day was posing for a photographer, though. Since it wasn't a photographic essay, but rather the production of a photo book to be sent to companies looking for a model for their ads, it was nothing more than a compilation of shots from different angles. She found herself in the middle of a room with a scenario covered in silk and nothing but a white sofa in the middle. On the outside of the set many reflectors, light bulbs and lenses focused on her, making Naoko immediately nervous. True to what Aratani told her, she was to wear everyday clothes and the poses, for the majority, were nothing she wouldn't perform on stages anyway, but Naoko still felt tense.

The face and regular standing full body shots were simple enough, but initially the girl was so concerned that the photographer, while not announcing it, wasn't even recording the images. The camera flashes were hollow in that no photos were being taken, and the first ten minutes just involved a warm-up. He started to amp the audacity level of the shots by requiring Naoko to perform gradually bolder poses. The girl was initially resistant to simply step on the couch with one foot or to sit down while looking away, wanting to believe in her producer but fearing the essay would get out of hand. She only gained confidence when the photographer, after asking her to lay down on her tummy, told her that was the most extreme pose she'd be asked for.

When the girl finally got comfortable, the man revealed her he didn't take any photos due to her anxious facial expressions, and that they'd have to do it all again. That time Naoko let herself loose and, with the exception of the only two lying down poses, one on her back and the other facing down, all were natural and enticing enough to be taken in one or two tries. When the essay finished Naoko was just starting to have fun and regretted not having trusted in Aratani and enjoying the opportunity sooner. Sure, until she knew if her producer was really going to pay her up or attempt any last minute coup, she wouldn't fully put her loyalty on him, but the more she knew that young man, the more she liked him.

It was past 9 p.m. when he took her to a shopping mall. The dazzling lights of the city by night slid over the black car hood and on her starry eyes as they approached downtown of some ward. The girl couldn't quite tell which one of the many that compounded the Great Tokyo Area it was. The air was cool and the wind that blew through her open window caressed her hair. By Saturday night the city was brimming with the energy of people and beaming signs everywhere. Illuminated skyscrapers, car lights and street lamps glistened everywhere as far as one could see. It was a marvelous sight to behold, all those intense colors whirling as the car sped up or turned, leaving behind momentary, phantasmagorical tails made of pure light on her retinas.

Old-school neon lines fused with next-gen spots to illuminate towering facades, signboards abounding with manga-like drawn characters that announced products and establishments that had nothing to do with manga at all, subway entrances, vending machines on every corner, windows lit from inside and the silhouette of a million human forms. The radiance danced as haphazardly as odd, luminous kids playing. Naoko loved those spinning lights, way-out games and dizzy heights around her. It was so hypnotic that the girl could barely blink, thus making her eyes compensate the dryness by way of non-rolling tears that blurred her view, giving the surroundings an almost ethereal nature.

A huge digital board that covered the frontage of an enormous building reflected on the windshield flipping advertisements, most of them presenting dazzling women. Deviating his eyes from the road as the car came to a stop due to intense traffic, Aratani pointed it out to the girl:

"As much as our main goal is not to be a modeling agency, but rather to make you shine on the stages, we'll have to put your face out there and at the beginning those kinds of ads sounds about right. Good dough and a decent promotion to make people familiar with you. And since we have to make it anyway, might as well go for a homerun. Who knows? Maybe next time you'll be looking at yourself up there."

Intimidated by the huge signboard and the prospect of being there, Naoko cringed.

"No way! People would see me there! I mean, lots of people!"

"Hm... that's the point of ads, y'know?" Aratani, accelerating again, mentioned, "So?"

"So... it'd be very awkward! No, please don't." Naoko, suddenly getting cold feet, begged, "I wouldn't feel comfortable at that."

Her producer, raising an eyebrow, inquired why, but Naoko didn't know the reason. She was just too afraid to let herself be seen up there. Thus, Aratani began to create hypothetical situations to test out scenarios and get why she was so terrified at the idea:

"Okay, figure this situation: a lot of people saw your image up there and everyone loved it. Every single one. Not loving the ad, but you specifically. Would Yano-San still be afraid?"

The girl gave it some thought. The idea of having a sea of people liking her made Naoko blush as a heat wave expanded through her chest. It was soothing. Her stomach still felt faintly cold, though, but many of her worries were taken away for a moment, before reality returned and brought concerns back with it:

"Yeah. If I somehow knew everyone loved it, I... think I'd be much more at ease."

"How much more?" her producer insisted, "From zero to one hundred percent, where one hundred means you'd have no more grips whatsoever."

"About..." Naoko dug into her feelings and her memory, pondering the warm sensation she experienced but also the small knot in her stomach, "...ninety percent, I think."

"Well, that's great news," Aratani told her with a smile, "because then it's probably just fear of rejection. Don't worry, it's only natural to be uncomfortable at the beginning when you're still unsure how the public will react. Let's solve this and then tackle that final ten percent, 'k?"

"How're you planning to solve this, anyway, Produ-San?" Naoko asked.

"By gradually making you understand people already love those ladies up there, and that you're nothing short of them in any aspect." Aratani replied. Naoko, blushing heavily, ordered:

"Why, you! Stop passing lines on me, at first it was funny but now I'm getting worried."

With a cool but serious face and voice, her producer assured:

"No, Yano-San. First of all you know I only ever pass you pick-up lines as a joke. I've no intention of compromising our professional relationship, you have my word on it. And, secondly, this time I'm not joking with you. When I told Yano-San is on par with those girls, I meant it."

Stopping the car at another intersection, he faced her, and by his eyes she could see the producer actually believed that. Getting shivers about the possibility of having a producer that overstated her beauty, Naoko replied doubtfully:

"I... don't know what to say. I'm... grateful, but for once... I think you're exaggerating. Those women have no visible flaws! Perfect legs with absolutely no cellulitis, and their lips..."

Laughing, Aratani stopped the daunted girl mid-sentence.

"Oh, I get it now! Listen, Yano-San, those girls are certainly marvelous, but they're not like that in real life, I guarantee you. Every photo receives overhauls on image editors before getting spammed to the public eyes. On computer they enhance proportions, eradicate small flaws and such. Nowadays experienced photo editors can take any image, even that of an orange, and transform it into a drop-dead gorgeous lady, and I'm not even joking. I've seen videos of people doing this before, search the internet if you don't believe me. They just use real women as models because it takes less time to give final touches and also because they exist on the real world. People can see them on signboards and then find photos of her on the web, see her on TV or get a glimpse of her on a catwalk or stage. They see how attractive that woman is on the ads, discover she's real and think, 'well, that product might actually work if there's a real woman with those cellulitis free legs or dangerously welcoming lips. I'll buy it!' and bam! Products fly off the shelves. But in reality those girls have flaws, they have tiny accumulations of fat on unwanted points of her bodies and such. They're people that bleed red just like you and me."

Pointing with her open hand, palms down, to a big facial cream sign presenting a brunette beauty, he told her:

"Marketing nowadays sells illusions of perfection. If you're not careful, you end up believing you're forever inferior and in constant need of products to try and become like those eye-catching ladies and gentleman that populate the boards and labels. That's how they sell their stuff: they want you to feel inferior. As if imperfections were a sin. You either believe in yourself or in the marketing of companies, and if you do the latter you're screwed for life. They don't care if you think you're not worthy of others, or if you start believing you're ugly, and they're certainly not concerned if you develop a depression or worse." Resting his arm on the door by his right side and his jaw on the corresponding hand while steering with the other, Aratani pleaded "I can show you how ads are made, and I can assure Yano-San is at least just as beautiful as any girl up there who is loved by every single soul on the masses, but I can't believe in you on your place. Yano-San will have to trust me on that."

The producer quickly glanced over to the girl. To his disbelief, she appeared sadder than before. As the man was about to try again making her believe in herself, Naoko told him:

"I understand. Thank you, Aratani-San."

"Yano-San still seems preoccupied, though," he noted, "Be frank with me, what's bothering you, diamond girl? Still not convinced you're as sweet as a peach?"

Forcing a smile, she denied it, declaring, actually feeling slightly better, but sensing the knot on her stomach get more painful:

"No, not anymore. Thank you, I understand now. It's only that... I'm thinking. You know, hairstylist master Matsushita told me about his childhood. Those girls in his school didn't even look at him, and he thought he was ugly. And that he faced a decade and a half of great sadness. People, even boys... and I think girls even more, take beauty very seriously. Those ads with unrealistic people, like you said, can really make a dent on everyone's self-esteem. Not to say we start expecting a lot more from others too. I... can imagine many people suffer comparing themselves to those models. I... don't want to be up there even if I can. Even if people would like me, I... wouldn't feel right if I was responsible for making them sad. Depressed. Or worse."

Sighing, Aratani told himself before proceeding:

"I should've kept my mouth shut. Yano-San, listen: it's not you who's going to make anyone sad. It's the way marketing works. If you're not up there, others will be."

"Let them be," she replied. "At least I'll not be the one responsible for the suffering."

"Like I said, you're not responsible." Aratani insisted, grave, "You're doing your job. Other people have theirs. Don't be like me: don't be stupid. Don't try to solve the problems of the world. Others are responsible for themselves. And, as I promised, you'll only be doing it until we manage to create you a fan base. Then you'll not be a model anymore, but an idol."

"What's the difference?" Naoko, disheartened, asked. "I'll be just another 2,5D, unreal person in a real world, will I not?"

"You're correct on the 2,5D part," her producer said, while thinking feverishly for a way to lift her spirits again, "but there's a major difference between being a model and being an idol. It has something to do with how they use their talents. Can you figure out what's it?"

After thinking for a minute, the low spirited girl took a guess:

"That a model is nothing more than a pretty face while an idol puts a little bit less emphasis on beauty due to the dance and singing?"

"Well, that's also true, but also not the main difference," he insisted, "Naoko, think about all the idols you know. About their songs, their performances, what they do!"

"I... don't know any idol." The girl admitted, "I told you before. I never dreamed to be one, I... I've no idea how an idol's supposed to be."

With eyes wide open in disbelief, Aratani countered her argument:

"Wait, I thought that was just a hyperbole! If you never watched an idol or anything, how were you able to dance like that during the tests?"

Thinking for a second how to respond that, Naoko cautiously told him:

"I... Actually, it's kind of a hyperbole. After I was... eight, I believe, I lost my interest in idols, but until then I... sort of liked it. There was I think two idol bands I liked. My mother actually found the few CDs I had of them and made me bring it. I vaguely remember seeing a few video clips and shows of them on TV. Of a band dancing at a sunny park and all. I believe that's how I knew a move or two. As for the song I chose, I just like songs in general and knew it was from an idol, but I've no idea how to actually dance it."

Driving into the parking lot of a colossal shopping mall, Aratani whistled in incredulity.

"Okay... Huh... Well, that explains why your choreographies were so different from what's expected. But then, try to remember those bands. What you felt when listening to them?"

Closing her eyes, Naoko tried to find long forgotten memories. She got a few foggy glimpses of the past, about her watching on TV bands of girls in multicolored attires jumping and cheering big crowds in sunlit concert halls inside of parks. Naoko vaguely remembered herself lying down in front of the screen, loving the positive energy and wanting to be on a presentation like that one day, jumping with the crowd and having fun. As far as the girl recalled, the songs ranged in themes from romantic ones to those that reproduced the hardships of life and, the ones she liked the most, the crazy, fun and uplifting ones, but in general every song was amusing, light-hearted and made the audience enjoy the show.

Her memories, even if distant and fragmented, soothed her heart and made her feel some faint happiness. As she told it to her producer, he replied:

"That's it. See, idols don't exist to be another oppressive perfection model to follow. I'm not gonna lie, a few of them really lean on this road, but the majority keep true to the reason why idols, and anyone that sings, for that matter, exist: to make people happy. Even sad songs ultimately help people express their feelings, and it helps them overcome whatever burdens them. Yes, I know you can think there's an idol industry whose objective is to make money, but people don't listen to them because they like to give mega corporations their hard-earned cash. They do it because they like music, and idols can make them happy."

Listening to Aratani and checking up her memories to see if it was true, Naoko's eyes regained their gleam and hope. Her producer, finally finding an open lot, parked the car and turned the engine off before finally facing her. Being met with a high-spirited smile, he nodded.

"That's my girl. Yano-San, I know you don't like it, but we'll need to cash in on ad revenue at the beginning. But I swear to you, I'll do everything I can to make you leave it behind as fast as possible. Also, the people that'll see you on whatever sign or product will be more willing to listen to your songs when they know you're an idol, so you'll be able to right any wrongs you think you've helped to create, and cheer huge crowds up. People can use some happiness, and Yano-San is a ticking positive energy bomb!"

Opening the door and leaving the car along with the upbeat girl, her producer summarized:

"You can't cheer anyone up if you're not happy too, so remember it well, Yano-San. People will be counting on your high spirits for joy. Let's do our best to make it happen, alright?"

"Roger that, Produ-San!" Naoko agreed loudly.

Recovering her joyfulness, the vibrant girl combed the shopping mall like there's no tomorrow. Aratani had trouble keeping up with the ecstatic teenager, marveled as she was to be in such a big place. All the shopping malls she's been before paled in comparison to that one, with never ending corridors aplenty with the most varied stores. Apparently, it was too much to ask Naoko to focus on buying clothes, as she wandered inside bookstores, window-shopped every videogame store there was, got stuck in front of the cinema entrance and more.

Seeing the girl escape inside a game store, her producer followed her. Naoko's sparkly eyes ran through every shelf, prompting the suit-clad young man to state:

"Yano-San appears to like videogames a lot. A little too much, actually."

"What, is there a problem with it?" the girl reluctantly asked, suddenly getting worried "Don't tell me... it's something I'm not supposed to do, is it?"

Crossing his arms, Aratani dismissed it with a witty half-smile.

"Only if you play it for hours straight, and only not to destroy your eyesight. If Yano-San asks if there's any problem from a business standpoint, the answer is no. Tomorrow at the office I'll go in greater details through the dos and don'ts in order for an idol to maintain her public image, but playing games or be seen buying them bears no repercussion as far as I'm aware. Though, seriously, I know you told me you liked it, but I though girls had better things to do than waste their lives away in front of a TV."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks for the reminder, dad." Naoko sarcastically retorted, "I used to stay away from home for the entirety of my days, if you want to know. But when I came back, I liked to listen to music while watching a movie or playing a game for a few minutes. Like... three hundred or so."

"That's not a few minutes, that's five hours!" Aratani argued, "You played that much?"

"More or less, depending on my disposition. And only on weekdays, at night," Naoko answered, while running her glossy fingernails through the many boxes of games piled together on bins, "On weekends it wasn't rare to make it double or so. I usually stayed out until late, and when I returned I stayed up all night playing or watching videos of people playing. Of course I didn't do it every weekend, but it wasn't rare either. Especially during winter. When I wasn't with my friends, I was commonly locked up in my room, playing. What about you, Produ-San? Do you like videogames?"

Looking away from the shelves, the young man scratched his chin, replying:

"Nowhere near as much as Yano-San does, apparently."

"Why?" she asked, teasingly "Surely you liked it when you were young."

"I _am_ young!" Aratani corrected her and rebut, pestering, "Twenty six is young by all standards except by those of stupid manga and brain-damaging videogames. You've spent too much time on virtual worlds, Yano-San, might want to go get your head checked by a doctor."

Slapping his arm, Naoko protested:

"Videogames actually help develop many mental and brain abilities, you know!"

"Brain cancer's not an ability, it's a disease." Aratani acidly remarked, prompting the girl to slap his arm again. Laughing, she insisted, "Really. Produ-San does like videogames, right?"

Thinking for a moment while looking at the shelves, the man stated:

"I never had a videogame of my own. I was raised on..." pausing for a second, he redid the sentence, "I grew up doing other things, playing sports and such. My family also didn't have money to spare, so the only times I played games was on my friends' houses. And, on rare occasions, on those... machines where you sit and pilot cars, or mash buttons and tilt a stick..."

"Arcades," Naoko named it and tried to cheer him up, "That's kind of sad, I never though a guy like Produ-San was poor once, but don't worry! Naoko got you covered! I brought all my consoles, I can lend you one! Let's find a game you like and you can play it when you're bored!"

Despite telling her it wasn't necessary, the girl started asking questions about his tastes, explaining the plots and mechanics of many titles to see if any piqued his interest and exploring the store after games she liked and though he'd too. She was so accustomed with her favorite local game stores in her hometown, where she knew everyone and talked freely about that pastime that Naoko didn't even notice she was doing the same on a place no one knew her, and as such could be bothering someone. In reality, the customers weren't really bothered as much as startled to see one of the few girls on the place actually knew very well what she was talking about. Aratani decided not to cut Naoko's lecturing spree about one of her passions, she seemed far too content for him to spoil her fun.

"Hey, look," the producer, suddenly getting interested about something, took on his hands a box he'd found and showed it to the girl. It was a game called "Idol Star System Generation V", bearing the official logo of the I.S.S.G., a yellow five-pointed star with its tips rounded up, with one leg overlapped by three progressively smaller planets that appeared partially on top of each other forming a tail-like pattern. The biggest planet was blue, the second red and the smallest green. At the same time the astounded producer told Naoko that, the amazed girl excitedly shouted "Wow, look, Produ-San!" while presenting a game with a bad looking dude in leather garments, sporting a chainsaw-meets-rocket launcher kind of weapon over a gory background.

The sides of Aratani's mouth twisted in disgust, and the man turned his attention back to the game he'd found. The cover art was divided in many small, tall hexagonal shapes, not unlike crystals, each one presenting a girl or a young woman. As he was reading the texts from the back Naoko suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling him. The man, after recomposing himself, told her with a semblance of interest:

"I knew the I.S.S.G. licensed innumerous products, but it'd never occurred me they'd have an official game. And it's already on the fifth edition! It appears many of the higher class idols make an appearance here somehow. Can you control their digital characters or what?"

Taking a glance at the game, Naoko explained:

"I never played this series before, but it's clearly one of those dancing simulators where prompts appear on screen and your performance is based on your rhythm and precision. You don't really control the characters, although by the looks of it they react depending on your inputs. Like fumbling or getting a step of the dance right. Seems boring if you ask me, but it's just because I don't really like this kind of games. Not enough gratuitous violence, you know?"

"But if they're on the ninth edition, it must be a commercial success, right?" Aratani asked. "People probably buy those games, I assume?"

Taking the copy from his hands and reading the bullet-point listing on its back, she said:

"Probably. Let's see... 'Test your mettle on five difficulties'... 'more than fifty licensed songs and fifteen real stages'... 'seventy-five world-class idols to choose from'... yada-yada-yada... Ah! Yup, I imagined it. 'Customize your favorite idol with more than two hundred pieces of clothes and accessories'. Turns out you get to dress the girls." Naoko's eyes became unimpressed and half-open. On a cynical voice she retorted "Yup. You can bet this series sells pretty well."

"Dress them? That's... unexpected." Aratani commented, shocked, "I... thought at first it'd be a good idea for you to appear on it should we get to reach the higher levels in the star system, but... yeah, no way. I wonder, in legal terms, how they were able to circumvent graphic issues, especially with minors on the cast... I know there's a legal loophole about it when it's related to fictional characters, but... I wonder if a virtual representation of a real person counts as fictional. Hm... I wonder."

"To be fair it's probably not as extreme as I made it seem..." Naoko disclaimed ,"Games like such tend not to allow players to completely undress the characters, and this game is rated for ages ten and up, so it clearly shows nothing extreme. Knowing what these kinds of games are capable of, I'd still bet a good number of clothes are kinky costumes ranging from sailor suits to bunny attires, but nothing else. Though I'd definitely pass on featuring here even if I could."

"Oh. Still, that's a relief to know there's nothing over the top here." Aratani told her. Suddenly he got a small grin, one that Naoko already knew it meant the guy was about to tease her. Just as he started to say "But wouldn't it be a treat if..." the girl quickly sent him flying with an uppercut and interrupted him, yelling "Shush!"

In the end, no games were bought that day, keeping true to the producer's budget, but it didn't detract from the fun in the slightest. After that teasing talk Naoko got wary of buying clothes with her producer, but the man left the choices of attire for presentations and two for everyday life up to the girl. As long as it attracted attention, looked tasteful and didn't blew his bank account it was good. The girl started to visit stores for casual wear and costume stores looking for something that would cut.

The problem that soon became clear to Aratani was that Naoko's choices of attires were completely nonsense. Going in and out of fitting rooms, every time was a veto from the young man. On one instance, she appeared wearing comfy navy-blue pants and a shirt with a happy panda, prompting Aratani to ask her "Are you going to the stage or to bed?". Next it was happy, unmemorable girl next-door wear. After that, unmemorable ten-year-old brat time. Then, Naoko appeared wearing a full green bipedal, dinosaur-like monster costume with just her face appearing out of its tooth-riddled mouth and a pair of eyes looking at opposite directions. Giving himself a face palm, her producer interjected "The fuck is this?"

"It's Kamijira!" explained Naoko, beaming, while parading with arms flailing and spinning its long tail around. "Or Kamizilla, if you're the international type! It's an old-school lizard-turned-monster by radiation that destroyed cities and stomps people, but also poses as a guardian against other radioactive creatures that..."

"I know what a goddammit Kamijira is!" Aratani exclaimed, "What I want to know is why's my idol wearing a stupid Kamijira costume when she was supposed to find a stunning, attention drawing wear! And not this kind of attention! Get back there already and grab something nice for once!"

With puffy cheeks, the disappointed, crestfallen Kamijira girl slowly dragged her thick, alligator-like tail back to the fitting room while mumbling "Kamijira's not stupid, I like Kamijira..."

All her attempts to choose a garment invariably ended in failure. All the clothes she chose were too plain, despite the joyful, lively colors. Eventually Aratani called her out:

"Yano-San, what's going on? It's as if you're trying to dress to blend in the crowd rather than to make your presence be noticed."

"What? Really?" Naoko asked. Looking down to her stripped t-shirt and blue denim skirt, she mentally revised all outfits she'd chosen, mentioning "I... haven't thought about it. I..."

The instant she imagined herself standing out on the crowd, her heart pumped faster. She experienced both a surge of excitement, as if she'd been looking for it for long, and fear, imprecise to the point where it was almost impossible to tell what she's scared of. By her blushing, smiling and breath-taken reaction, though, her producer could more or less risk a hunch:

"Let me guess, Yano-San would love to catch the eyes of all around but fears it as well?"

Though not verbally agreeing, Naoko slowly and timidly nodded. Sighing, her producer tucked his hands on his pocket and told her:

"Alright, let's give it a break. Wanna grab a bite somewhere and call it a day?"

Looking surprised, Naoko asked him if it wouldn't compromise their schedules, but the man told her it'd be just a minor setback to go shopping some other day. Besides, it'd be bad to try and force a garb on her that Naoko wasn't still comfortable wearing.

Eventually settling down on a table in the food court, Aratani changed subjects to others, unrelated to work, like her expectations for school, but the girl couldn't forget her producer's words about her choices of vestments. With a few exceptions just for kicks, she actually thought the dresses and clothes she'd chosen were provocative, but when the young man mentioned she was trying to blend in the crowds rather than stand out, she immediately noticed it was true.

To complicate matters, every time she'd walked past a shop window with appealing, detail-rich and boldly designed multi-tiered miniskirts and faux leather shorts, high-heeled boots, vest-blouses, high-cut tops and slim tees, skinny jeans, knee-high and up stockings, platform sandals and shoes, frilled bonnets and such her heart accelerated. It wasn't that she didn't want to wear those articles, she noticed. On the contrary, it was clear for Naoko the urge to see how she'd look like wearing those things, but it required far too much bravery for such.

Returning to the old topic and telling Aratani that, the man laughed it out:

"What? The girl who have no qualms talking her mind out to strangers, facing her father, moving to Tokyo alone, owning the hairdressing saloon and every game store she enters doesn't have the courage to wear a bonnet? That's rich, Yano-San."

"Yeah. Hey, Produ-San? It's okay to call me Naoko if you want," she casually allowed, smiling from what she's heard. Putting things that way, it was ridiculous. It obviously wasn't a lack of courage that prevented the adventurous and impulsive girl from choosing high-profile dresses. Maybe it was because...

"I don't know why I'm so afraid. Like Produ-San said when we're talking about the ads models, maybe... maybe I'm just not confident that I can... be kind of... okay."

To praise oneself was a hard thing to do and one Naoko was awful at, but the euphemisms were clear enough to Aratani, who not only understood it but keenly remarked in his common, unabashed, matter of fact, poker faced straight way:

"You don't need to be humble on this subject, Yan... I mean, Naoko-San. You're not "kind of okay", you're hotter than hot. And no, I'm not joking, teasing you or anything now. Like I told you the first time we met, you'd be a bad liar if you told me you've never noticed other people mentioning your beauty. No, my bet is that you're fully aware of that, only you don't feel comfortable about it. Deep down, you probably like to be praised, and this isn't a flaw. Everyone likes it, admitting or not. And I'm not talking just about looks here. People like when others notice they're smart, or how hard they worked on something. Actually, looks are something people are born with, so it's not really a merit of Naoko to be pretty, or at least your merit is just not screwing up what your parents gave you. But on the other hand, it's no shame being beautiful either. It's not like you chose to be born like that, or you stole another person's beauty or anything. At least not if don't believe in religions, and even if you do, for example, follow Buddhism's conception of existence, your prettiness would still be chalked up to good karma, so in one way or another you deserved it. But let's chance focus: what if instead of admiring your beauty, I praised something you actually worked for and earned, like your incredible skills and ample useless knowledge on those brain disabling videogames? How would you feel about it?"

Caught unguarded by Aratani's ironic speech, Naoko burst in laughter. Irony wasn't that much of a commonly employed comical resource in Japan, and it showed the girl her producer was well-versed in international standards just like her. Since the national culture emphasized non-attrition with others and sarcasm was based on flashing out negative characteristics with a twist, not only it was a foolhardy art but people, not usually accustomed to it, would not always understand it, much less appreciate it. But as Naoko have told him during the job interview she liked international movies, games, stories, videos and such just as much as she liked those of her home country, the young man presumably knew she could understand and appreciate it, and took a chance. True to his gut feeling, the girl found the eventual use of irony as fun as him.

After some consideration and laughing over the producer's question, Naoko told him:

"Produ-San's right. I liked when my friends noticed I was good playing my so-called 'useless, brain disabling' games. In fact, it was a common thing to hear, but maybe not because I'm so good at it. More often than not it was because of that misconception that women don't play games, or at least not games with adventures, violence and such. Or, when they play, the guys immediately assume they'll perform horribly, so anything you do right grant you lots of praises, as if you've completed a sixty-hour long game in ten minutes using just your left foot, while blindfolded and upside down."

"You said they usually praise your skills because your friends expect nothing from a gaming girl," Aratani highlighted, "but are you sure of it or you just believe so?"

Not comprehending what he's trying to say, Naoko exemplified her point of view. She and two male friends used to meet on the living room of the house of a boy to play. It was common to do it back then, since one of her friends was the son of a small game store owner. She met him because of the frequency she went there to play videogames and trading-card games. Since his house was in the back of the store, she and a few people sometimes dropped by after purchasing something. For as much as the boy liked games, his father was the real enthusiastic there.

Still, the trio had the habit of watching internet videos related to the gaming community, both national and from abroad, especially speedruns – a kind of modality of e-sports where people generally aimed to complete a game in various categories in the lowest possible time. Speedrunning events were a blast for Naoko and the other two, many involving people meeting on a room or theater to watch a few speedrunners getting together on a couch and tackling the games like Chinese Kung-Fu masters, with moves as fast as lightning, expert timing and employing a mind-numbing arsenal of carefully trained techniques to bend the laws of the virtual worlds and achieving seemingly impossible times. Many of the international players, especially, commented and made jokes during the presentations, generally making the experience even more enjoyable than just watching a person zipping through a game. It was so fun that when her two friends introduced Naoko to the speedrunning community, she immediately proposed they got together from time to time to play and have fun like the professional speedrunners seemed to have. Though at first it felt awkward to meet a couple of guys on the house of a boy to play, it soon became second nature. When rainy Sundays occurred, they often hanged out there.

One day, while they were playing a gory fighting game, another friend of the store owner's son arrived at the shop, and was promptly invited to the gaming party. Naoko didn't know that boy three years older than her, and no sooner he saw her there he became as pale and rigid as ice. Her two friends, already knowing how Naoko played, just for fun pitted her against the newly arrived boy. At first he seemed skeptical, though not trying to show it off, and out of courtesy let her choose her fighter first. By the time Naoko had forsaken the female, pretty characters in favor of a badass, fiery ninja from hell the boy should've noticed something was amiss, and two rounds later, after a massacre, he watched dumbfounded as his character fell flat before managing to get more than two hits on the opponent.

The guy was so ashamed when he turned and found her bright smile it was like he'd disgraced his family's name on a public scandal, rather than having simply lost a match. It took him three hours to recover his speaking capabilities, and only after everyone on the room told him repeatedly it's okay, that they knew she was as good as anyone else there. From there on, though, the new acquaintance started to overdo it, praising every minor thing she did right and trying to find ways to put the blame of her multiple failures on adverse conditions and buggy game mechanics.

"For as much as I like it when people acknowledge my skills, it gets annoying after a while if they constantly do it for everything. It's as if they didn't expect me to be able to jump a stone, even after seeing me do it numerous times before. Things they wouldn't praise if it's a boy playing. I know they mean well, but it just screams that they act as if I'm a baby or something. And even my friends that already know well how I play sometimes fall back to this pattern. Now that I think of it, the people on other activities I do, physical ones mostly, also act like this from time to time. I think to be praised is kinda cool, but being overpraised gets old quickly."

Grinning, Aratani honestly told her:

"Heh, you've no idea how much I'd like to be praised so easily. But back to the subject of attires: it still feels good to be praised as long as you think you deserve it, right?"

"Hm... right," Naoko agreed, "Perhaps that's why I feel uncomfortable thinking about using those kinds of clothes. Maybe... I don't feel like I... deserve it somehow?"

"Or maybe you're afraid of being overly praised and getting too much attention," her producer hinted, as if he more or less knew what was going on the girl's mind even though she did not. "Did anything Naoko-San really disliked used to occur when you're admired back then?"

"Something I really disliked?" Naoko repeated, "No. Nothing that I can recall. There's no harm in being praised for playing games well, I think."

"Yeah, but try not to focus on games anymore. When you're overpraised about anything, be it a skill, your beauty, something you did, school grades, whatever, did anything bother you?" Aratani insisted, and this time the girl fell into deep silence, chowing down her food as she pondered. While skills, acts and grades rang no bells, the moment Aratani mentioned again the subject of beauty, a few memories crossed her mind. The first time she put on eyeliners was one, as her father rebuked her, and her repeatedly rebuttal of his authority happened at a time when she was fed up with his censorship.

The first time she showed him how cute she was on a school uniform, before her first day in school, he forced a smile but seemed preoccupied. When Naoko found out beaches were fun and decided to buy swimwear in accordance, he had a long, night argument with her mother on why had she allowed Naoko to buy what he considered to be an overly-revealing bikini instead of a plain swimsuit (even though the bikini was nothing out of the ordinary). The only clothes she knew she could wear without making her father sour were pants and t-shirts made of materials that didn't easily accommodate to the body shape. Since summertime was usually blistering hot, pants were out of question, and when Naoko gave up the long skirts in favor of shorts her father protested. Mini shorts were another pain to be marginally allowed. If someone told him during a festival how beautiful his daughter was he usually looked less than happy than other girls' parents appeared to be when receiving similar compliments. Yoshirou eventually accepted every one of those things, but not without resenting, worrying and making his daughter feel bad.

Just like a non-operational analogic watch with a dislodged tiny gear that, when put in place, makes the whole machine jump back to life, something suddenly clicked in Naoko's mind. Naoko was complimented a lot based on her appearance, and every time she was praised, it hurt the girl to see her father begrudge her for never explained reasons. Instead of feeling good, every sign of another person's admiration became unbearable. As if it was something to be ashamed of, as if Naoko did something wrong. Sinful. And since the more she grew up, the more compliments her father received or noticed other people wanted to do about Naoko, the worse the tension escalated.

Thinking like that, it was no wonder her attrition home increased year after year. Also, Naoko had no control over it except to wear the most unassuming clothes she had to try and make people stop looking at her. Even then, the first opportunity she had to go to Tokyo, she picked in her wardrobe just her best outfits. It was a delight to be able to walk in shorts without her father censoring her, and the warm feeling she had on her chest when she saw a mesmerizing set of clothes could be nothing different from freedom and desire. It started to make even more sense to the girl why she wanted to be as far away from her parents as possible, too: her father not only used to censor her about a supposedly positive trait she had, but an uncontrollable one, meaning she was at fault simply because she existed. It was the same as hating someone's guts because of race, skin tone or country of origin, things over which people had little or no possibility to alter, and which even if they could, they'd be going against who they were just to please someone else. It was racism. In her case, a strange form of it.

To reproach someone because she was deemed beautiful had the increased effect of being unorthodox and hard to tell. As such, it's also hard to fight against. Why would someone dislike his own daughter because she had a positive trait? It was the opposite of the hairstylist master's supposed ugliness, because he felt isolated from others whereas people actively tried to get on the good side of Naoko, but since at home she felt just as lonely, it was just a matter of how many people was being mean. Maybe being considered ugly could still be worse, she thought, but the one person that silently admonished her was also her own father, one of the two most important figures in her life. The more Naoko thought about it, the more she relived her rages at Shimabara that earned her rebellious fame, even though she was far from the anarchist her father probably painted her out to be.

She couldn't buy nice clothes because she was afraid of what her father would say, and most of the time she was seen with boys – which was often – Yoshirou was displeased. Her only two boots were a yellow rubber one, to be used on mud and water, and an ankle high one with a small, squared heel that she bought on a rebel splurge. Not only was the boot plain and much less impressive than usual footwear her female friends had, but her father cut her allowance for four months because of it. He only receded when the girl threatened to find an arubaito at a local konbini a friend of hers worked (also, remembering this made her understand why she had high hopes of finding a part-time job at convenience stores during spring break at the capital).

Even her short pajamas, used during scorching summer nights by her inside her own house while locked up in her room, fazed him beyond what would be reasonable. He was so strict with the girl, and she received so much more acclaim based on her looks than on her smarts, that her father probably thought she was nothing more than a pretty face, to the point where her high grades, computing skills and all the knowledge the curious girl have amassed meant little or nothing to him. If she got a good grade on a test, he dismissed it to the possibility some boy have given her the correct answer. The more Naoko thought about it, the more she began to notice how paranoid her father was sometimes, even if on the surface he seemed an everyday guy.

Initially that thought hurt her a great deal. To put her own father under such a perspective was something no child who loved their parents would willingly do without having suffered a lot beforehand. But that also broke some invisible chain that tied her to a big burden. For the first time she could really think the problem was not on her, but on her father's view of her. That people like Aratani existed, people who didn't act as if her beauty was essentially sinful or wrong, since the girl was quite modest about it. Looking back, Naoko could actually have acted like the sexy and devious lady her producer once joked about. Of course, being a teenager, she'd have only gone so far anyway, but she'd numerous opportunities to shatter hearts if she's into it and could do so even with only words. She could, but it wasn't something that made sense to her personality and to her own heart. She wasn't an angel, but neither was she a demon. She just wanted to be herself without feeling guilty. Was it to ask too much? For her father not to understand it, he had serious issues believing in his own daughter.

That was eye opening. Thinking back, it suddenly made sense to Naoko why she didn't want to be featured in ads. The thought of hurting others due to her beauty wasn't something out of the blue. That was what happened in her old home, she frequently tried not to upset her father until she could bear it no more. Then she'd go berserk, only to later feel guilty about it, try to mend things she wasn't really responsible for breaking and restarting the vicious cycle. But Naoko knew many boys and girls. She knew everyone had their problems, just not exactly that kind of paranoia her father presented. Naoko also wanted to believe her father was a good person too, and that he didn't want to feel that way about his daughter. He blamed her, yes, and didn't notice he was the one creating the issue, but certainly no one wants to suffer and he wouldn't, of course, do such things if he could avoid it. For all of the mistrust and pain he caused her – and prompted her to pay him back and feel guilty about it – the girl found she could forgive him.

At the same time, though, understanding the problem was on his eyes, not on her, made Naoko lighter than ever. Freer than ever. Wasn't it the whole point of moving to the capital in the first place? The "ten percent" block that seemed more like ninety-nine percent of the fears that kept her from allowing herself to get on ads and wear non-Kamijira costumes and boring attires subsided. Aratani seemed already to have that conviction when he told her it wasn't her fault, just her job, and that the others were responsible for themselves. Her producer told her not to be 'stupid' like him and trying to solve the problems of the world, which the girl understood just now it meant that the only one capable of changing a person's mind and solving its issues is him or herself. Just to understand she wasn't a walking sin was a huge relief.

Snapping out of her trance with the answers she sought after, she found herself back on the gradually emptier, but still huge and fabulous mall, in front of her already cold leftovers and of her producer who silently stood by her, respecting her need to dive into herself.

"So?" Aratani finally spoke "Back from Wonderland, I see. Let's go, Alice?"

"I want to resume shopping!" Naoko stated with a determination she hasn't shown before.

In a half-smile, Aratani congratulated her decisiveness, though mentioning:

"Now I like the look in your eyes, Naoko-San! But I hate to break your fun. Mall's closing."

"W...wait, what?!" the girl abruptly stood up and examined her surroundings, getting disappointed. Her producer, keeping his cool, got up too and suggested:

"Now, now, remember what I told you about keeping your high spirits. Tell you what: why don't you go thinking about what you'd want and tolerate wearing, and we come back tomorrow after our morning meeting?

Raising a fist and smiling back with conviction, the girl happily nodded.

She hadn't noticed how tired she was until she reached her dorm room. She had woke up three and a half by dawn, made her way to another city to take a flight to Tokyo, settle down in her new place and went to many appointments, all in one day. Aratani had previously mentioned, while he took her back to the dormitory building, that the first few weeks would be intense due to how many new things she's supposed to get used to, but despite feeling drained, Naoko was happier than she ever remembered being. In the capital she felt free to go wherever she pleased. After getting the cookies to her not yet known and kind of nice fifth floor neighbors, she closed the door, briefly called her parents to tell them everything was okay and free she was.

Her room was her sanctuary. She found pure harmony in the fact that no one could disturb her there. If she wanted to play videogames all night long, provided she had the energy to it, she could. If she decided on subsisting on a diet of instant noodles, she'd do it until the day she died of high blood pressure and lack of nutrients. But she'd die a happy and free girl. If she wanted to wear anything, or kick back just in panties, or wear nothing at all, it'd be totally okay – as long as the windows were closed. If she wanted to masturbate on the shower thinking on nothing but how she should've moved way before there'd be no need to do so silently, worrying others could hear her, because there was no annoying other there.

The only recollection she had of when she was three or four years old was the first time she discovered that touching certain parts of her body or rubbing it against her teddy bear's muzzle felt indescribably good. As a teenager Naoko's only unreasonable fear was of wrapped gifts and teddies, with their beaded, pursuing eyes, but at that time she wasn't so. And when the innocent kid went to show her discovery to her father, like children love to do whenever they find something good, he was horrified and scolded her in such a harsh and terrifying way, his face so red and his voice so loud, that she got afraid even to see him for a few days. Kids see no evil in such things and genuinely believe they need to share nice discoveries with those they love, and to be faced with an overwhelming act of censorship, as if it was evil incarnate, made for a cruel welcoming to society's arbitrary codes. It's so traumatizing she remembered nothing but his severe reprimand. Yet another example of a practice considered sinful by social standards despite being a natural drive probably everyone had.

Of course, it was an absurdly taboo topic, but it wasn't a fairy tale she lived in. She was a person like anyone else and no matter how well this secret was kept, it was still part of her. Living alone for the first time, she couldn't imagine a single person, male or female, that wouldn't eventually think about this kind of freedom. It was just as vital as, say, the freedom to let dishes accumulate on the sink for days until it became unbearable to watch! Or the one about letting unfolded clothes all over the entire place. Or not cleaning the floor religiously every day. Things that kids learned in school and with their parents, and that they followed. But there's a time in everyone's life where it's a must to go against such rules, even if just once. And for many, that time's when they finally get to live by themselves. Naoko didn't want to live in an unclean and messy place, of course, but it wasn't about actually letting dishes accumulate. Rather, it was about being able to let it happen if she so desired. That was awesome!

As the girl came out of the bathroom, smelling soapy and checking on the mirror if her hair could still regain the stylish shape of when it was cut, she tucked herself under the dragon-stamped duvet and clung to the wall, like she always did. It gave a sense of protection and well-being that was too good to pass on. Interestingly, she also felt more relaxed and guarded there, on a dorm room surrounded by a huge metropolis full of people she didn't know, than she felt on her parents' home. Also her dorm's shower was better, since the one from her old house was old and some of the holes from where water should pass got clogged. Repeatedly cleaning it with a needle bent them, meaning the water jets fell randomly around instead of straight down. On her parents' home the walls took better baths than the girl, a thing that didn't occur on her dorm.

So exhausted she was, there was barely no energy left to flip lights off. When she got on the plane, she told herself the first night in Tokyo she'd spend awake, enjoying her new room and playing with impunity, but reality was different and Naoko, hugging part of the duvet, immediately crashed down into a deep slumber, unconsciously smiling in peace.
Chapter III – Into the Idol Star System Generation

"Let's get down to business, then," Aratani began talking as soon as he managed to get to his chair. His room was only marginally less messy then the last time Naoko was there and the introduction of a censer just so the girl could stop telling the place reeked of cigarettes and alcohol – which the man still thought was a bluff – was a waste of space.

"If you told me you're trying to repel spirits I'd believe, but to cleanse smoke and sake smells with that? You must be joking," Naoko previously commented. It was only tolerable because, even though the cigarette odor was very pronounced, because the same could not be said for the sake part. It was even hard to tell from what kind of drink it was – the word "sake" usually just meant any kind of alcoholic beverage, since the national name for what outsiders called the rice-fermented beverage was 'nihonshu', or "Japanese wine". And it certainly smelled stronger than Japanese wine, though faintly. Maybe whiskey or similar. Naoko knew nothing about alcohol and had only secretly tasted it twice as far as she could remember (except for liquor-filled chocolates), so it wasn't a surprise she couldn't discern the beverages that compounded the unpleasant fragrance. Also, she only knew her producer smelled of men cologne because he'd driven her there, because on his room she couldn't even notice it.

The young man, turning his computer screen so Naoko could see a list in it, said:

"Since you told me you know barely anything about idols I'll go over the main dos and don'ts and explain you how it'll work. I'll give you a canvas so Naoko can put all her schedules there. I'll try to keep away from your weekdays as much as possible since you're required to attend school and also perform well on it. At the beginning it won't be too hard to stay away from your Mondays, Tuesdays and so, just bear in mind that once you achieve greater status I'll notify you for opportunities during weekdays, like interviews and special presentations. We'll meet here on my office every Sunday morning, and for starters this will suffice. Also I'll tell you this right now: vacations are golden times for idol business, so I apologize in advance for that, but we'll wind up working doubled at a time students like you are supposed to be chilling out. On a positive side, it means a lot more cash for us and visibility for you, so please endure it. So far, so good?"

Until then there was nothing Naoko didn't already know. Also the list Aratani presented her was one in the I.S.S.G.'s official website. She'd already skimmed over it before.

The man began explaining what an idol was expected to do or not do. The do part was pretty straightforward, like attending to appointments, dedicating herself to constantly improving, keeping relationships with fans light and good but also not too close and such. It was nothing anyone wouldn't be expected to do in any other job. Also the majority of topics on the don'ts list were nothing more than common sense, like don't disrespecting clients and fans, don't dwelling in illicit or shameful activities and so on. Idols were apparently supposed to refrain from smoking, gambling and drinking, the last of which being just barely tolerable in social situations, and only in strict self-control, but again, since Naoko was sixteen it was already off-limits to her anyway. A few of the lines in the list required some attention, though.

The most worrisome paragraph stated it was unadvised that idols were seen alone with men in situations that could be misinterpreted. Though it wasn't a rule, and Aratani had a few exceptions of idols who actually had publicly known boyfriends or were mothers, it was a rarity. In general, the career of a girl could be tarnished or even destroyed if the public thought the idol had romantic relations with a man, and since it was only required indirect proofs for tabloids to prey down on celebs, a photo of an idol holding hands with a boy or whispering something to him was enough to start a ruckus. It obviously depended on how famous the girl was and how was her image constructed, among other things.

"For example," Aratani showed Naoko a pie chart and explained it in such an ironic, straight way that made it clear he thought the data was next to absurd, "a recent study on tarnished reputations showed a few interesting data on the topic of constructed images. Girls whose public images were categorized as 'sadistic', 'dominatrix' ladies took a negative impact of twenty eight percent of official fan base and forty seven percent in accrued revenue on short term, on average. Also, all of them were able to keep their careers as idols. On the other hand, girls presented as 'cute' and 'pure' took a blow of eighty one percent on fan base and ninety seven percent on revenue accrued on the subsequent year of the scandal on average, and sixty percent of them were publicly disgraced to the point where they had to abandon their careers, or whose agency decided to terminate their contracts on a just cause. Idols in categories such as 'serious', 'tsundere', 'mature' and 'timid' were found in-between the two extremes."

"I... don't know what to make out of this information..." Naoko said, cringing.

"If by 'make out of this information' you mean what the public's thinking..." Aratani replied, calmly, "I think it means fans get more lenient if they think idols are whipping or trampling other people instead of kissing and expressing love and affection through other means. But then it's a public mental health issue, not an idol industry one. If you mean you've no idea on how to proceed, either bring your dog lash and love for someone else's pain to the stage, or keep the low-profile altogether when alone with boys. I'd suggest the second course, unless of course you're the kind of..."

"One more word and you'll be swallowing your own teeth." Naoko warned him.

"Oh, Naoko-Chan really is the first type! Good, good! The public will love you." Aratani mocked her, making the tense girl giggle and unwind. "No, seriously, Naoko-San, I can't stress this enough: don't ever be seen alone with a man in suspicious way. It'll only become a concern after you're quite famous, so we're a long ways off, but please be careful."

"But then..." the girl replied, "I'll have to evade boys from now on?"

"Eh... no." her producer answered, "see, the keywords here are 'alone' and 'suspicious'. Try not to be alone with a boy, but if you must, don't fret. If the situation is okay, like if you're on a train with a schoolmate or something it's okay. By 'suspicious' I really mean anything tangible that can make the dirty minds of a few fans create fantasies. Just don't eat the same ice cream, hold hands, whisper close to his ear, hug him, kiss him or anything like that. Also don't worry, I'm a lawyer and I can debunk anything the tabloids throw at us as long as it's not unquestionable evidence. Also, a few points to help you out: being with female friends, even alone, is okay. Apparently you can do whatever you want with other girls and the public won't so much as bat an eye, so feel free."

"Ew! Stop it!" Naoko interjected in disgust.

Grinning for a while, Aratani kept going without replying to that:

"Also, if you're in a group with at least one other girl, you're fine. If there are three or more boys following you people tend to chalk it up to invasive fans and you're also scot-free. If you're on your school uniform, as long as you're not performing suspicious acts you can also pass unscathed to staying alone with another boy also wearing school uniform in public areas. You're even allowed to eat ice cream in this case! Sure, not the same cone."

"Yay." Naoko remarked on the most unexcited voice she could harbor.

"Yeah, I know you're beaming with happiness." Her producer wittily stated, "Anyway, your best bet is to have a female friend with you. Second one, large groups. Third: your armor, the school uniform. Forth, don't be suspicious around boys if you're alone with them. Finally, if everything else fails, you can be okay as long as you can prove nothing happened. Hard?"

"Hm... Just a little." Naoko, thinking for a moment, replied "Alright, it's okay. But tell me one thing: if idols are not to be seen with men as such, they essentially can't fall in love?"

Scratching his nape, her producer thought for a moment before responding:

"How can I say that in a way that won't make you worry?"

"Don't mind sugarcoating your words, I'm not going to eat them," Naoko insisted, and the man, laughing from her creative way of pressing him for the truth, said:

"I liked your phrase, I think I'll use it myself. Okay, Naoko-Chan wants the truth? Short answer is: no. Long answer is: it depends. Like I told you, there are a rare few who has boyfriends or are mothers. It depends on numerous factors, and I didn't study those cases in-depth to understand how they're able to pull this off. From what I understand, the reason the fans don't appreciate an idol having romantic relationships is the jealousy. Idols are 2,5D in the sense that they serve as good screens for people to project their fantasies on, just like a silver screen receives the projections of a movie. So fans in general might dream that the idol they go through so much pain to support is theirs. Almost like a divine muse, untouchable in nature, even though they like to think about the ones below twenty as girls-next-door. I think that's why they feel betrayed if the girl is seen having a romance with another person. But note that this mostly applies to men. I don't know if that's the case, but maybe those idols with boyfriends appeal mainly to a female audience who thinks them more as how they wanted to be than anything else. Another assumption is that these idols either appeal to a broader audience that don't really care much for the fantasy part, or they somehow manage to keep their songs as the main attraction, prompting people to see them more like regular songstress than anything else. I don't really know. Also it's important to see who their boyfriends or husbands are and if their agencies have any special connections to the media so that tabloids paint their relationships in a good way. Every now and then there are a few trends like that too. There's so much that can influence it that it's hard to precise. So yes, it's technically possible, but it's so rare nowadays it's almost non-existent, and this should act as a warning for Naoko. Why the question? Do you have anything on your mind?"

Relieved about hearing that, the girl retorted:

"No, it's nothing. I was just afraid, since I actually enjoy the friendship of boys a lot, that I could be endangering my career."

"Well, it's slightly risky, but there's one thing we can do to almost negate risks." her producer suggested, "If we work your image right off the bat as a girl who likes games, manga and all those stupid things you do like, things that stereotypically boys also like, and we be frank from the get go with the media that you're such a blast in those things that boys like to be with you just for the sake of those pastimes, I think you'll not only be fine, but carve yourself a niche."

"So in essence, tell the truth." Naoko summarized. "Was it really that difficult to come up with the idea of being honest?"

"It shouldn't be, if not for the fact that a girl admitting these things is a very experimental thing." Aratani told her, in a serious tone, "I think it can go well, but there's probably little data about it. And if things don't go as we planned, we're both screwed, because all of my investment and your image will be lost. Also, it'll be almost impossible for just me to keep an eye on every publication and correct any mess that pops up. And all of this doesn't even change the fact that your fans can get jealous anyway. Personally I'd still prefer if you kept a low profile."

"Can we find a common ground, then?" Naoko offered, "We tell people the things I really like, just don't emphasize the boys part? I don't plan to screw anything up, but in worst-case scenario having told the truth about my hobbies can at least make it easier to explain that a supposedly awkward situation was actually just related to games and stuff, not romance. I... don't want to force anything up on Aratani-San... but can you at least consider it, pretty please?"

After thinking for a minute, Aratani accepted:

"Okay, making an alibi from the get-go sounds like a good plan B. Just don't go overboard and if we need to resort to it, we fall back to Operation Boy Friendly Lass. Let's do it."

Giving Naoko a moment to applaud and express her happiness, the producer continued:

"Alright, that's the end of advices. Just don't murder, rob, kick puppies or anything bad and you're gold. Now onto a different subject, and here's where the fun begins: let me introduce you the Idol Star System Generation and the ranking structure that's the bread and butter of the corporation, aptly called the Idol Star System. Do you know anything about it?"

"All I know is that it's kind of a stupid name." Naoko unabashedly told her producer, who asked why she thought that. "For starters, I don't know if I should read it 'Idol Star... System Generation', as in 'something that generates a system that does something for idols, who are the stars of the show', or 'Idol... Star System... Generation', as in 'the production or generation of a solar system where, instead of planets, we have idols floating in the space', or maybe 'Idol... Star System Generation', like 'genealogy of generations of a solar system made of idols' or whatever. Also, being a Japanese company, why name it in English? Worse: butchering the language."

Itching on his chair to put his feet on his desk, only not doing so because it'd be too inelegant, her producer explained what he could:

"Well, the I.S.S.G. CEO told a few years ago to the press that the name was made to be purposefully vague in order to give it multiple meanings. If I recall correctly he used English both because it's a trendy language that Japanese youth like, that sounds good enough and also to make the company more easily accessible to internationalization. The full, legal name of the company, though, includes the typical ending on Japanese. As for how's the I.S.S.G.'s name is really supposed to be pronounced or what it really means... no one knows, as far as I'm aware. Even when pronouncing the name of the company in interviews, its spokespeople are instructed to say it in quick and monotone fashion so as not to induce any reading in favor of others. In reality, there's probably no correct or wrong way, since there's not even an instruction to agencies or idols as to how to say it, so just pick the one that feels right for you and you're set."

He made a brief pause, as if expecting Naoko to continue the conversation. Both stayed looking at each other in silence for a few seconds before Aratani remembered:

"Oh, yes, I gave you that explanation just because Naoko-Chan told me she knew nothing about the corporation, right? Okay, let's see. First, if you look carefully at documents you'll see the I.S.S.G. is actually a conglomerate, but people generally call it a corporation or a company for whatever reason, and the higher-ups don't care. Maybe they think 'conglomerate' is too intimidating a word to be in entertainment business. In general, they ask that idols refrain from speaking about anything from the I.S.S.G., the only exception being the already mentioned Idol Star System that lends its name to the company. In fact, to make announcements as if you're a staff of the I.S.S.G. is a violation of their rules. Remember that you don't really work for them, you work for The Paragon Idol Agency. You can't publicly claim or disclaim anything in their name."

Dancing uncomfortably from one side to the other of the chair, the young man turned his seat sideway and stretched out his legs on the floor while telling:

" About the Idol Star System itself, it's basically a glorified ranking structure, where depending on fan base, money accrued for the corporation and victory in tournament-like shows the idols ascend, gaining more visibility, better cuts at profits from ticket offices and merchandising and the possibility to participate in bigger events, among other benefits."

"So it's basically a system of belts like in many martial arts?" Naoko abridged.

"Yes, if you will." Aratani agreed, "They could've made it simple, like creating classes ranging from one till eight, or F till A, or 'Meh' till 'I'm too cool for school" or whatever, but no. Instead they decided to base their system on our solar system, just for the novelty of it. So tell me, Naoko, do you know the names of the planets and the order they're in relation to the Sun, excluding our own?"

"Like, Mercury, Venus... Mars and such?" Naoko asked. "Yeah, I know."

Different from the Roman Pantheon-inspired planet names in many Western cultures, in Japan the origin of planets names had connection with elements and natural occurrences. Mercury was named Suisei, where "Sui" was written with the same character as "water" or "fluid" and "Sei" meant a star or any bright celestial body, excluding the Sun and Earth's Moon. So the Japanese name of Mercury was composed of characters that literally translated as "water or fluid bright celestial body". Venus was called "Kinsei", where "Sei", like in every other planet, meant the same as before and "Kin" meant "gold" or "metal", among a few other possible meanings that were, however, not applicable to this circumstance (for example, the same character for "gold" could mean "money" too, but nobody would thing of Venus as a "money planet").

After Earth came the red planet Mars, dubbed "Kasei" where "Ka" was written with the ideogram for "fire". Pretty self-explanatory, unlike Jupiter, which, named "Mokusei", was graphed with the Kanji, or Chinese character, of "tree' or 'wood'. Along with "Dosei", Saturn's Japanese name written with two kanji for "earth, mud or soil celestial body", it concluded the five planets whose names alluded to elements in ancient traditions, also used on other places like five of Japanese's names of the days of the week – the other two being drawn from the Sun and Moon kanji characters.

Starting from Uranus, the names of planets became disconnected from elements and focused more on natural occurrences and mythologies. Uranus' name in Japanese was "Ten'Ousei", where "Ten" meant "sky" or "heaven" and "Ou" alluded to any kind of sovereign, but especially a king or emperor. Thus, it had the characters for "King of Heavens celestial body". In similar fashion, Neptune was called "Kaiousei", where the "Ou" meant the same thing, a king, and "Kai" was written with the same character as "sea" or "ocean". Thus, Neptune aptly meant "King of Seas celestial body".

Finally, on the note of the old planet demoted from its position, the distant, cold Pluto, it's called "Meiousei". The "Mei" character meant "dark", so that celestial body's kanji character composition translated as "King of Darkness".

"Good. So, Naoko-San, picture this," Aratani explained, "Going from the most distant planet to the nearest to the Sun, and also excluding our own lil' place, we've the King of Seas, The King of Heavens, then Soil or Earth, then Wood, Fire, Metal and Water. Correct?"

"What about Pluto?" Naoko asked "I know it's not a planet, but doesn't it make any appearances? Even if just a cameo one?"

"We'll get to that in a second," her producer told her. "So, following suit, there are seven classes in the Idol Star System. From lowest to highest, Sea, Sky, Earth, Wood, Fire, Metal and Water. Well, in reality there's an eight class, but that's a special one only a handful ever earns."

"Darkness!", Naoko exclaimed exultantly, suddenly imagining herself clad in a black dress and with a scythe instead of a microphone, "So badass, right?! I want to be a Darkness Idol! Yeah, let those poor bastards feel my music as I emerge from the shadows and take them to eternal chaos! They'll never see it coming! Mwahahahaha!"

With an unassuming, serene face Aratani jokingly replied:

"Naoko-Chan, the brain damage your games caused you are spreading, better take it easy." After a few minutes where both traded witty comments, the man was finally able to continue, "No, Darkness is not a class. In reality, it exists as "Dark idol", but is just a semi-official way of mentioning idols like you, that still haven't met the minimum requirements for getting to the Sea class. The Sea one is the lowest official class, and Water is the highest an idol generally gets. Beyond the Water one there's a special, final grade called the Star Idol, sometimes also called the Sun Idol. Only Water class idols can compete for it, and each year only one person, the one who wins the Special Invitational Idol World Tournament, is awarded Star Idol class. Since the career of an idol usually ends around twenty-five years old, and more often than not before it, there's only so many Star Idols out there. I'm pretty sure currently there's about five, with a sixth one being selected on the main event of the tournament happening during next summer break."

Naoko eagerly spoke her mind in wonder, contaminated by her thoughts of titanic clashes:

"Wow, that's much cooler than I expected! Darkness Idol would still be cooler than Star Idol, in my opinion, but yeah, not too shabby anyway. I thought idols' lives were just about getting in a band and singing, not about a tournament of life and death where people climbed a hierarchy through blood and destruction and battled their way up to stardom while kicking their opponents to their doom! That's awesome!!"

In Naoko's mind she could clearly picture it. The "stage", a caged arena surrounded by yelling people craving for blood. She and another girl there, and just as music started to rock in deafening volume Naoko would run against her opponent and deliver a jaw-dislodging elbow blow. As her rival started to fall down Naoko would jump on top of her enemy and pin her down before begin pummeling her face with a flurry of slaps. As her enemy screamed, Naoko would joyfully shout "That's right! Sing to me, bitch!"

Noticing the pumped up, smiling girl with distant eyes, Aratani hesitantly corrected her:

"I'm pretty sure I didn't mention anything about blood or any life and death situations."

"Are you really sure?" the girl insisted, and her producer repeated "Pretty sure, yes."

"Aw..." Naoko feigned disappointment. After a while a question formed in her mind, prompting her to go back to the topic, "Alright, so what are these tournaments about, then?"

"Contrary to what you may be thinking, the tournaments are not a big part in the System, Naoko-Chan." Aratani elucidated, "Sure, the small ones, called cups, are required for the ascension in class, but other than that there's not much to it. Much more important are the actual presentations, from where most of our revenue will come. They're divided in two major categories: Ranked and Non-Ranked. Non-Ranked ones are just your regular, everyday shows, no questions asked. You go there, sing, dance, get paid and that's it. You can either contribute or not a percentage of profits to I.S.S.G., to increase your contribution limit until you can partake in cups that increase your class. Ranked presentations, on the other hand, is where things get hairy. They all count toward your total revenue accrued for the I.S.S.G. so contributing is mandatory. Actually, though it's counted as a contribution, it's the other way around: the corporation promotes the event and choses the best idols to be in it, the people pay to watch it and I.S.S.G. gives each idol, or rather, their agencies, a share of profits, already deducted by a margin of contribution.

Taking a moment to go back to the non-ranked gigs, Aratani said:

"Non-Ranked presentations are generally created by agencies and they take home all the sweet, sweet cash they get. It's far more lucrative than Ranked matches, where ticket office money is usually divided between a few, most or all participants depending on the rules of each event. On the flip side, I.S.S.G.'s the one conducting the events, so agencies don't have to worry about renting a place, promoting the gig, paying staff, charging fans, nothing. Idols just go there, do their things and it's done. Bank account numbers gets a few more pals to join the party."

"Sounds pretty simple." Naoko judged, her eyes getting sharper, "Too simple. Where's the catch?"

"Smart girl," the young man commended her smarts, "Even not mentioning your adversaries, which are bound to make everything they can to grab first place, there are numerous catches. Most of them involve rules of specific presentations. While the Non-Ranked gigs are simple and clean, Ranked ones are further divided into numerous subcategories, and then some. We've, for example, Free-for-All, in which fans pay through the internet, and the idols whose fans raised the most amount of money gets the spotlight on a simple show with no first place, second or anything. Then there's the Queen of the Hill, where an examination board evaluates idols to determine the winners, all the while the crowd watches the competition. There are also Duels, where two idols face one another in three or five rounds, depending on rules, to see who gets the most amount of points according to the board. Also there are themed presentations where certain evaluation categories, those five I mentioned you after the tests, receive arbitrary weights. Also there's the always chaotic Random Fest, where idols that weren't chosen for other shows on that week are randomly drawn and invited to participate in a competition with also randomized rule sets. And there are multiple others, including a few very rare ones that only occur once every blue moon or so. I'll go over the details of every presentation as we tackle them, and be ready because we're going to be running for prizes almost every week once Naoko-Chan is ready."

Feeling the pressure in the form of butterflies on her stomach, the girl put her hands over her cold tummy and questioned:

"How're we going to know when I'm ready for presentations?"

"We can evaluate how well you'd fare in a real gig by measuring your total scores like we did during the tests. Since every judge thinks differently, there's no way to tell the exact score you'd get, but a rough approximation is possible. True, we won't know if we're able to win it until you've performed on it, because it also depends on your adversaries, but we'll try to find easier presentations at first. There are a few greenhorn-friendly shows that help budding idols and their agencies get the show rolling. The payment's nothing stellar, but it helps make ends meet and lets you gain some actual experience in a real-life show."

"That's... a relief." The girl felt her worries subside a little "That's actually well thought."

Agreeing with a nod, Aratani changed positions of his feet using the small, precious free space he had and expounded:

"Before the I.S.S.G. the idol market was segmented. Each agency had their own auditions to select idols, made their own shows and such. The conglomerate came to control the production and promotion chains, to bite on the big bucks, but it soon became clear they had a problem: it was hard for new agencies to get on the market, and the reduced competition wasn't exactly fun. They even tried to expand into the male idols territory, but it required such big image changes that they opted not to at that time. Even now they still only have plans of doing so. Maybe in the future they will. What they figured out was simpler: if they created their own events and opened them up to new agencies, they could help finance new companies that would eventually expand and generate more income."

Painfully turning his torso to face Naoko while having his legs spread to the side was a no-go. The girl, noticing it, told him there'd be no problem if he put his feet over his desk like he was itching to do, and the man, surprised, asked if she's really okay with that. Sarcastically, Naoko retorted:

"Better than to see Produ-San snap his backbone twisting like this. As long as you don't tidy up this room there's nothing I can do. Not to say it'll probably look awesome, as if Produ-San is some kind of gangster!"

Thanking her, he did that for a while, saying:

"I don't know if I'm happy or worried that Naoko-Chan thinks it's nice I look like a gangster, but thanks. Back to the subject, then. Those gigs created by I.S.S.G. were such a success that they began getting megalomaniacal with events. This, along with the Idol Star System that predated the corporation, dating back to one of the companies that were fused together to create it, created a comprehensive path idols could blaze through to fame. And, just like this, they monopolized the very creation of fame, which before was an immaterial thing. It got tabulated and artificialized. Now an idol's not a Water classed girl because she's famous, she's famous because she's a Water classed girl. It's hard, nowadays, to be a reckoned idol if you do not partake in I.S.S.G.'s arbitrary rollercoaster of a system and jump through their hops, but on the other hand, they really made it easier for new agencies, that'd have no way of planning their own events and amassing fans out of nowhere for a girl no one knows yet, to thrive. Also, it partially shifted perceptions of idols from band integrands to standalone stars, which... is kinda good and kinda bad."

"Why?" Naoko inquired "You'd need to invest on a band of girls otherwise, no?"

"Yes, from a business standpoint it's great," Aratani told her, "but the system puts a heavy emphasis on individualism, which creates unnecessary strain on the girls and just sends the wrong message to society, in my opinion. Before, bands rivaled for fans, of course, but girls from the same band were generally friends once they passed the audition processes. It was a good era. Now everyone's an opponent, some girls get crazy. Real crazy, I mean. That's because the Idol Star System only works for individual idols. Bands have no such systems. They still exist like they always did, though, and I enjoy it."

"I'd think the I.S.S.G. would try to pull the strings of bands too." Naoko declared, "They seem more profitable than single idols, or am I wrong?"

"Profit depends on numerous factors." Aratani responded, "I can't tell if they're more lucrative because they also have larger payrolls, but that's not the reason why the conglomerate can't heavy hand them to its whims. To start, it's complicated to determine if fan base exist for the band or for the girls. Imagine a band with one hundred thousand fans lose a girl that most of its fan base loved. The girl would have no fans to begin a solo career? What about the band, how would they know how many fans it'd have then? First problem's that it's a jigsaw puzzle to make a system for bands that does not conflict with the already existent Idol Star System. Second is that the I.S.S. is based on classes. If you divided bands just based on classes too, you'd end up pitting a duet with a thirty-some girl-fest. It'd be kind of unfair. And to divide bands based on member numbers would thin down competition to ridiculous amounts. For example, how many forty-seven member bands are out there anyway to justify a competition? Just one, as far as I know. The logistics to control bands are much harder than those to tab single idols. That's why currently bands are being formed just by grouping individual idols that also compete against each other on the main system. The results are hardly on par with how they were a few years back, when girls were actually trained as a group, went to collective performing classes and acted as a unit."

Suddenly getting up, Aratani stretched his legs more comfortably than on his confined space. With Naoko imitating him, the man told her he just wanted to flex his muscles, but if it's okay, she should complete her schedule canvas and a few other things and then they should go back to the shopping mall and finish that conversation on the way there. At 1 p.m. would begin Naoko's first dancing class. After that and subsequent singing and body language sessions Aratani told he had a surprise.

Letting the girl agonizing in excitement and anxiety over what could it be, her producer left her to type down her agenda while he prepared some tea. After that, bringing two cups, the young man sat back again in front of the computer and showed her an internet page. Made in a comment-thread, forum-like manner with added slots for photos, the black background and silver letters presented a still simple but functional website.

"Behold your own fan club," Aratani presented. "It's an official I.S.S.G. directory, meaning they use the fan count here, along with other metrics such as forum activity, to gauge your recognition level among your base. They also use some witchcraft math to calculate how much of your total fan base is actually represented in your fan club domain. As for the site itself, it's still bare as bones, but that's to be expected. I'll begin feeding it with news, photos, question pools and useless data fans like to hear about once we get our first show. It's already online but since you've yet to amass fans things are pretty dead here right now. Which is good, because you can change the layout and suit it to your liking. It's very intuitive, really: just drag and drop things, select them to drop a menu with possible changes to be made, this kind of digital illiterate-friendly stuff. Give it a shot now."

While Naoko eagerly tested out background patterns and colors, text fonts, layouts, expanded the image photos, dragged and dropped new menus and customized it to her heart's content, Aratani closed in on her side with a notebook and asked:

"While we're at it, let me ask you a few useless data I need. I already have some, like birth date, from your application and you've already told me others like your gaming compulsion, but others are still missing, so let's do it. First about your personality: what's your blood type?"

"A+," Naoko answered without thinking or deviating her eyes from the monitor, "Why? Do you believe in this trash that blood type influences people's personality?"

"I believe fans love this kind of useless info, and what fans love gives me money. That's what I believe." Aratani retorted, "Do you?"

"I'm pretty sure my blood type has absolutely no match to what those tests say my personality should be like," Naoko replied, "I can be wrong since I don't believe in things like this, zodiac signs or whatever, and the last time I did a blood type and personality correlation test in one of those stupid websites was years ago. But alright, next question."

"Favorite food," Aratani continued, to which the girl had to think about for a few seconds.

"I love meat and sweets. For me I dislike plain food, it needs to be either salty or sweet. Well... scratch that, ramen is my fav. There are a few other exceptions, like rice, seaweed, salmon and such, but as a rule of thumb if the taste isn't clear, it's a waste. See? It's not that I don't eat plain things – I'd die of starvation if I did, because most of our food is very plain."

"They call it "delicate", Naoko-Chan." Aratani declared. "Only the refined can appreciate the delicate aromas and tastes of the refined cuisine. It takes trained senses to do that."

"Poor Produ-San will never like those stuff, the way he can't even smell how bad his office stinks, right?" Naoko teased him with a lovable face.

"Screw you, girl," her producer retorted, "Now about food you dislike."

"That's easy," Naoko revealed, "Anything classified with labels starting on "V" and ending on "egetables". Kill those green monstrosities with fire. I love fruits, though."

"Right, I'll write you're one of those unhealthy girls who'll probably get wrinkles before thirty then." Aratani joked, though the moment Naoko looked away from the screen to face him, her sharp eyes almost had a red tint, so scary they were. Her producer, after a brief tense smile, proceeded, "Just kidding! There's no need to look at me like you're going to rip my heart off my chest and eat it fried. Next question: favorite animal."

"Dragons can be considered animals?" Naoko interrogated, prompting Aratani to exclaim, "No, they can't. Also, damn it, Naoko-Chan! Why can't you just say a bunny, a cat or another girly animal?"

"Oh, I like bunnies, they're cute!" Naoko stated, making her producer sigh in relief. Only for a second, though, before she continued, "As for cats I don't have anything against them, I even have one at my parent's home. Well, kind of, since he actually only comes home when he pleases. But I much prefer dogs. They're much happier and livelier! Dogs are my third favorite real animals, just behind snakes and tigers!"

Looking helpless, Aratani wrote down something while saying:

"Tigers are technically felines just like cats, so I'll just mention "felines" and let's leave it at that. And don't you dare answer this question to a fan if he asks you!" Reading the next item, Aratani grinned for a brief moment. After, putting on an unassuming poker face, requested, "Measures."

Naoko's fingers suddenly stopped typing and, without moving her head, the girl slowly rolled ice-cold eyes in her producer's direction. Aratani casually told her:

"Fans can't help but being curious. You can start with your cup size."

Quick as light, Naoko showed her producer's face her fist size, small in absolute terms but big enough to send him flying.

The fan club webpage still felt somewhat sloppy despite Naoko's best efforts, with hard edges on every text box and a placeholder photo of her smiling face near the "Fans" tab, which showed all the people who've joined the club. Currently zero. It was cringeworthy to be seen smiling there alone, and though the photo was pretty good it just felt strange somehow. Still, the colors felt right, a black, purple and blue background and white characters. The header also felt slightly better with another photo of her, though for some reason her face everywhere bugged her. It could use improvements, but all in all was somewhat better than before.

After finishing all preparations they departed to the mall. This time there was no Kamijira costume on the way. The man was startled by Naoko's decisiveness. The girl had given some thought on the looks she wanted and decided she'd wear things that looked decent but also that she'd only dreamed to have before. It conveniently coincided that the clothes of her dreams also attracted lots of attention, though that was to be expected. Anyone would like to wear attractive attires, provided they felt good in them, she supposed.

A pure white vest-blouse of slim silhouette, full of frills and a large collar caught her eye the moment she saw it. The tiny black buttons were cute but the high-cut left the navel exposed in a daring way. The collar's extremities had black faux fur that surrounded the fair cleavage. It was just the duality master hairstylist Matsushita told he saw on her, and true to that, she loved the piece. Undeniably not one for women who had any doubts about their own bodies, and Naoko too felt intimidated by it. Still, her heart pounded so heavily that she vacillatingly got the vest to put it on. The moment the blushing girl left the fitting room, Aratani's cool and collected face grew a trembling smile, as if he tried in vain to control his emotion. It looked like he'd start screaming of happiness and running in circles in the middle of the store until he missed a step and flew through a window or something. Who would've guessed that radioactive lizard loving, virtual violence indulging, pop culture freak of a girl could learn overnight how to dress like a lady! Sure, Naoko was still far from feeling natural on that, but for a girl that never had anything like that, she was performing very well. She was even still breathing, albeit with hardships!

The breathing part was not only due to shyness, but because the bust line was slightly tighter than it should, but that was nothing a couturier couldn't resolve. After the first purchase Naoko got even more excited than she already was. She used to dislike clothing stores, but after understanding she was free to dress as she wanted, its position quickly increased in her list of nicest places – still under ramen shops, naturally, but close up there.

From there the girl went on a shopping spree. Naoko had already seen most of the shop windows the day before and knew a few items that sparked her interest. Now the problem was the budget, forcing her to make difficult choices. Just as Aratani told her, she's supposed to take three outfits, one of which would be used during the first few auditions and presentations. Also, he said hopefully in a few gigs they'd have already amassed enough money to increase her wardrobe, and most certainly by autumn and Winter they'd have already bought other attires in accordance, so for the time being she's supposed to focus on clothes that made sense for Spring and, maybe, Summer. It helped narrow down her choices a little, though not by much since barely any stores had items from different seasons.

One exception, thought, was a gorgeous pair of knee-high, snow-white leather boots. Not just any boots, though: platform ones. There were three inches of platforms, a little more on the heels, but the intimidating height was compensated by the extremely cute lace-up front. Though at the same time, its tank soles gave it a mixed, rough and endearing composition. It was on a sixty percent off price tag due to belonging to the winter's clothing inventory, but it was clearly not made to be used on snow anyway. Its platform and barrel height and tightness could offer decent protection and the rugged sole could provide good stability on soft and hard terrains alike, but weighting more than one kilogram each foot it'd make a very poor choice for walking on thick snow. That is, unless someone wanted to make exercises or just enjoyed getting stuck a lot. It was designed more to be fashionable than practical, and Naoko could imagine herself wearing it all year long on numerous different situations.

That is, if she's sufficiently brave. She already knew the reason of her fears was the heavy censorship she suffered all her life and that it was no fault of her, so she was free to wear it, but she'd also never developed a habit of using such extravagant clothes. Sure, other than the lace-up, it had no other frills that could pass for trying too hard to get attention, but the height of the platform and the barrel was no joke. And she'd already received so much criticism from her father the few times she decided to try her mother's pumps that it was like if someone afraid of heights faced her fears by rappelling down a building – only with less risk of death. But the fact that she did those things anyway showed just how much she craved for the experience.

Her female friends had nothing that came close to it, but one of her older friends once went to a weekend girls day-out wearing a thick sole, low barrel bootie. To Naoko, it looked so appealing, comfortable and protective that the girl, since she was fourteen, desired to at least put it on to see how it was like. Something about the sole height and the appearance of the object just attracted her. Even when choosing sneakers it was true, though since she used them until they fell apart and had numerous painful occasions where she stepped on pointy rocks, fish hooks, nails, wood splinters and such due to explorations and not well-thought experiences, she learned to value a resistant pair of soles. It partially explained her fondness of bigger, even manlier footwear (as long as it received a cutesy overhaul), but not entirely.

It took the girl ten minutes just to decide on trying it on, and the three added inches filled her with excitement, happiness and also a terrible shame to be seen. Just as she loved the feeling of protection she got by tucking herself under the duvet and clinging to a wall as she slept, the high barrel gave a similar sensation, but it just felt wrong somehow. For as much as she loved it, the one meter and sixty-eight centimeter girl was already above average when compared to her colleagues and female teenagers of her age in general – not to mention she was already taller than quite a few fully grown women – and to be almost eight centimeter taller wearing those boots made her feel she'd stand out a little too much for comfort.

Her producer, though, pointed that Naoko herself enjoyed it, and also looked stunning. He persuaded her not to cave in to her anxiety and purchased the pair, along with a black one – it was priced at only 40% off, but still made for plenty of possible combinations. Unlike the vest-blouse, which required a couturier, the boots fit perfectly too, so he convinced her to start wearing it right there. He was a tall man, Naoko on platforms still got a few inches short of him. He was accustomed to the height, so to speak, so it was easy for him to say those encouraging words to her, but Naoko almost didn't leave the store wearing it. And when she did, the white of her boots made for a stark contrast with the redness of her face.

As she continued shopping, Naoko began to get used to it. She acted at first as if at any moment someone would reproach her, but no. People did notice her, she sensed it, but they're all so discreet, like usual, that the girl felt progressively more accepted. And people were trendier on that fashionable ward than on her hometown, so she was not out of element there despite the inner feelings of anxiety. Aratani, for one, was reassuring, and the way the crowd kept going about their lives made Naoko slowly comprehend she'd made too much ruckus out of such little things. It was a huge victory for her, but to think the world would go rampage against her for wearing boots was a far-fetched stupid idea. Sometimes her imagination was much scarier than reality, she perceived, and also that people in general didn't act like her father.

After that, the final purchases went smoothly as the girl let herself be drawn by what caught her eyes instead of being conducted by what she thought other people would think. Two mini shorts, a citrus and a jeans-fabric navy-blue one, along with one purple tank top, a three-tiered red and black miniskirt, black everyday sneakers and a frilled and laced sleeveless crimson shirt that resembled a short dress. Aratani also got her a simple pair of gloves, that Naoko chose to be black and fingerless, and the girl also wanted a cool silver colored serpent dragon bracelet, but budget was already busted, so instead she received a cheap candy and a pat on her back.

The adrenaline rush she felt was akin to karate classes when they made kumite, or training combats, in free sparring rounds – which didn't happen often for rookies, especially the multi-man, nonstop ones that felt so chaotic and that Naoko always loved to watch and partake. Aratani wasn't too excited to talk due to the amount of bags he was carrying, but the girl couldn't help but chat all about her plans for the clothes. All articles were good enough to be brought to a stage, so she could mix and match them to her heart's content both on gigs and during everyday life.

All the clothes really were of high quality, beautiful and stood out, so at first everything was right, but as Naoko got to the dance class one problem became evident: she had bought two pairs of platform boots, the only footwear she could take to a stage since the sneakers, although okay for street roaming, would be underwhelming for a presentation. Since the tank soles were adherent enough, it was technically feasible to dance with them, but with two and a half extra kilos and three inches for a girl that had no experience with anything higher than school shoes it was a complicating matter. Her producer, though aware, wasn't concerned – it wasn't the same as to dance in stilettoes, for example – and in fact seemed to find it quite agreeable for some reason, but Naoko, who's still getting the hang of walking on those, wasn't so sure.

The dancing classes happened at the same locale Naoko was tested, and with the same middle-aged, apparently severe woman that judged her. Initially it was intimidating because the girl could hardly run, much less dance with her poor choice of footwear, alluring and striking but ultimately restraining as if the girl was moving with flower pots on her feet. Since she was already bad at dancing to begin with, Naoko got afraid the instructor would get discouraged or got overly critical, but once again she got surprised to find reality being much more caring than her own imagination was with her. As the girl hesitantly apologized in advance, mentioning she was still getting used to her footwear and explaining she'd only discovered it was a poor choice after buying it, the instructor, with an unchanged severe expression but an encouraging voice, stated:

"Yes, it's quite the daredevil's choice, but with big risks come big rewards."

"Reward?" Naoko inquired "What reward? You mean... the appearance on the stage?"

"Why, yes, but not only," the woman mentioned "It also amps your difficulty modifier."

Seeing Naoko looked puzzled, her instructor briefly told her while going to the radio and choosing a song:

"I see Aratani-San didn't go over the scoring system most of your presentations will be based on so far. Well, I won't spoil the fun. It's a dense system with many nuances that requires more time to explain than we've in our class, but basically two of the five major evaluation categories, namely Dancing and Aesthetics, are directly affected by it. One of the subcategories in Dancing, called Execution, takes into account the attire while calculating whether or not you followed a predetermined choreography. Chains, wings, particularly restricting dresses, headgears that can easily fall off, platform boots or high heels, carrying novelty objects like umbrellas, anything that detracts from ease of movement adds points to Execution and a difficulty modifier to other categories. It is just a multiplier that ranges from one hundred and one to one hundred and ten percent apiece. If you're dancing under particularly adverse conditions, these modifiers can add up and make even a mediocre execution score skyrocket, as long as you don't commit any mistakes. If a mini crown falls or your platform boots make you trip over not only this hurts your tally, but also voids the modifiers. Going back to the five major categories, Aesthetics is another one directly influenced by it. Self-explanatory, really: on average platform boots are much more visually impressive than, say, flip flops. Of course it all depends on your costume and desired effect, but as a rule of thumb the more daring and gorgeous, the better. And you've a very solid choice of footwear, not only score-wise but also as long-time fan favorites. Only you'll have to work twice as hard to keep up with the hardship and the expectations it creates. Shall we begin?"

Listening to that was a respite for Naoko's mind. Instructor Sato Mayumi was quite the welcoming and supportive person despite her perpetual grimace. True to her physiognomy, though, she was as strict and perfectionist as she seemed, and even cutting some slack for the girl who still walked like a duck trying to maintain her balance, the teacher was demanding. Sato-Sensei was a very technical instructor, and as the girl quickly discovered, had the sights of a hawk and could practically detect minor flaws in Naoko's movements from a mile away while sleeping. Granted, what Naoko thought to be "minor", to a trained eye, was as bright as the sun.

The instructor's feedbacks were quick and precise. The dance required songs and Naoko to sing along sometimes in order to get physically ready. The girl was used to karate trainings, but the only vocal sounds she used to make there were shouts. It was deceptively hard to keep her breath when she was required not only to move but also to sing, and Naoko found herself frequently panting and losing the end of sentences to inhale before collapsing. It was also hard to hear the music or her voice because of the teacher's instructions. It's done both verbally and non-verbally, but each added their own difficulties to the class. Verbal instructions cut Naoko's concentration on the lyrics, but like the sensei had warned her, it was a required training since shows were loud and noisy anyway. Of course Naoko would he hearing her own voice more than anything, but concentration was key nevertheless, due to the amount of audible and visual stimuli that would compete with her focus and could very easily make an inexperienced idol lose song cues.

As for the non-verbal instructions, they're daunting. The girl had to incorporate many habits in a short amount of time, and master Sato interrupted her as soon as she forgot something. The first class was nothing more than an introduction to basics, mostly related to posture and less on poses or movements. Still, it overwhelmed the girl.

"Legs," Naoko frequently heard, reminding her immediately of the teacher's words at the beginning of class, "There's no such thing as closed legs on the stage. You're on a show, not waiting for a train." It immediately told the girl her posture was wrong.

In reality, out of context that instruction sounded strange, but it belonged to an initial explanation about how Naoko was expected to present herself in front of a crowd when not posing, waiving or performing choreographies:

"For starters, imagine your body to be composed of two parts: a lower and an upper one. The upper one is nuance heavy, but the posture of the lower one can be resumed in: spread your legs. There's no such thing as closed legs on the stage. You're on a show, not waiting for a train. There are exceptions, sure, but unless it's part of the choreography or your public image is that of a shy girl, don't bother at first. And even timid idols don't usually stand still, legs closed for long. Their stock posture for below the waist line is to get knees together but separate the feet while making them point slightly one toward the other. This gives the cutesy without the legs being closed. The only other exception worth noting for now is the standing crossed legs stance, but we'll go over it another time. The problem, on stage, for uniting them is that it's the everyday posture an average person uses. It's common and boring. When we start learning about poses and movements I'll go over instances where you'll want to keep them tight, but other than that, spread it. Just don't overdo it: if your feet are a little past the shoulder line it's good enough."

Unlike the times when Naoko got lazy or distracted and stood straight, making her instructor warn her with a single word, the upper body had different idle positions, mostly revolving around the arms and the rotation of the waist and head. Like with the legs, the boring 'arms hanging by the side of the body' was a no-no with the exception of a near-ninety degree torso rotation, meaning the upper body looked sideways in comparison to the legs. On this situation the hanging upper members would be between the legs, both in front and on the back. Excluding it, that position for arms was only for stances and moves. In general one arm held a microphone, so it had a standard position, but the other one, the dominant one most of the time, couldn't be left leaning lifelessly, and thus had lots of variances, ranging from the lazy "two hands holding the mic" to some hard to remember idle positions, such as the "waitress", with a palm open up in the air as if sustaining a tray. Presentations without handheld microphones were even more complex, either requiring careful planning and coordination for both hands or the chaining of movements and poses in quick succession so as not to let any down time.

Idles were positions girls were supposed to revert back to whenever they'd finished posing or executing a movement and before starting a new one. Since they're not part of choreography per se, they're usually half-forgotten, but were indispensable for a good presentation. Dances with no idle postural elements, or with not enough variety, felt sloppy and not only got lower scores but also weren't as appealing to the audiences.

When the class was over Naoko's legs were shaking and her back was done for the day. To move nonstop for two hours under master Sato's rigorous discipline was harsher than it looked, but it made for quite the experience. Along with the weights on her feet, Naoko felt exhausted and ready to go to bed by 3 p.m.

The singing class was also one on one and on the same building, but with a different instructor, a young woman with graduations in speech therapy and liberal arts, according to her. And finally, two hours after, another class with another woman, an early forties, a little overweight, short lady with yet another artistic background. The body language teacher possessed overseas theater courses and the supervision of movie choreographies on her curriculum vitae. So many classes with such qualified professionals not only drained Naoko's batteries dry for good but also got her thinking just how much must her producer have disbursed with her just on that day. When she thought about it, practically all of her remaining fears about the integrity of that man vanished, resting only the first payment to cement her trust. Still, it was already pretty safe to assume it was the real deal, which got Naoko even more excited about the next weekends.

Of all classes, the girl thought the singing one was the funniest, while the body expression, although very insightful, dragged on for what looked like an eternity. Putting on headphones and singing on a big mic in an acoustic studio was fantastic and the instructions and corrections her teacher made were spot-on, though when Naoko heard the replay she could not believe it was her. Her voice sounded far too different, more high-pitched, than she thought. Also on the other half of the class she got to make many vocal exercises which, despite the boring nature, when done right made her chest, her nose, her throat and her back reverberate. The resonance tingled and made Naoko laugh every time.

The body expression class, on the other hand, was a mixture of posture correction exercises, theoretical explanations about the meanings of gestures, almost magical and strangely functional tips to employ postures and motions to create feelings such as confidence and enthusiasm on her or awe and fear on others, trainings on self-awareness, relaxation techniques, studies of facial expression and more. There were a lot of contents, and many were really cool. Naoko felt as if she was studying to be a spy, a yogi, an actress, a telepath and a doctor in human behavior at the same time. Thought Naoko, already exhausted from the dance class and from the strenuous day before, had difficulties learning the theories, almost fell asleep on a few relaxations and her body was hurting too much for the stance reeducation, it was interesting.

Overall the six-hour training was an incredible experience. By the end of it Naoko was hurting all over, hoarse, tired and a little paranoid about her own posture, but it was fun and she learned a lot. Unfortunately she also had lots of "homework" exercises to do, from voice trainings and postural corrections to movement trainings every day.

When she thought things were over, Aratani reminded her he'd a surprise. By that time Naoko just wanted to go to bed, but her curiosity was too much to bear. As the man drove her around the early evening city, when people enjoyed the last few hours of Sunday, the girl interposed many questions about the surprise, just to know if she was expected to study or do any more exercises, but her producer simply told her:

"No, just watch closely and have fun."

Soon, from atop a traffic-intense bridge that swindled among buildings a towering structure gradually made itself visible over yonder. Its glass and metal façade was illuminated by countless colored spotlights and bright lines that made its silhouette stand out over the night sky. Shaped like a tree, it presented a huge circular base from where an off-centered tower came out. Despite the appearance it gave off at first sight, it wasn't perfectly conical, since one side of the building stretched over the center of the base resembling a triangular sail. A gigantic tear-shaped "treetop" crowned the building, supported by the main building and by structures resembling branches. The crown was made of multiple stacked arborized terraces, apparently. Including the transmissions tower with its multiple antennae and satellite dishes, it reached three hundred and twenty one meters, but its impressiveness came mostly from its radius. It wasn't a slender tower, but a chunky, robust one really resembling a century-old tree. Still, its soft curves, the spirals the metal frames described around the frontage around which the mirrored panels were set and the absence of hard edges gave it a natural and graceful look.

The terrain it occupied alone would've probably cost a fortune and then some in the high-class special ward of Shibuya. Since the tree-like structure had a somewhat circular base, the unused edges of the area were made into four triangular-shaped, small parks complete with trees, benches and even a pond each. It included a fifth, smaller one by the entrance, maybe just to break the bad augurs that supposedly came from number four, which in Japanese had a few readings, one of those being pronounced as "shi", exactly the same as the word for "death". Each of the four parks was themed with a color resembling one of the seasons: green for spring, yellow for summer, red for fall and blue for winter. Those were also the colors that composed the logotype of the conglomerate, a large five-pronged yellow star which, from the lower right leg, spammed three overlapping but off-centered planets, going from the biggest one, blue, to the smallest, green, with red in-between. It created a tail-like figure in an ascending parabola that made the central shape look like a rising star. Its outside borders were made thick and of an almost black hue of mixed blue and purple, while also presenting small, sprinkled white dots like a starry sky. Seven slightly bigger star dots spaced around it.

That was a logo Naoko had seen a lot lately. Every document concerning her new job that made her stay up until the wee hours to read and rubricate had a watermark of that symbol, and the Idol Star System Generation official website also bore it. The I.S.S.G. headquarters also had it on its entrance.

The HQ was such a sight to behold that Naoko's sleepiness gave in to the dream-like entertainment aura of almost themed park proportions, full of semi-psychedelic luminosity and vibrant colors. Its outside by itself was already a one in a billion sort of experience, which was awesome because with the ridiculous amount of vehicles on the large avenues around it, Naoko had almost half an hour to appreciate it just until Aratani could get in the line for the parking lot.

Meanwhile, the thrilled girl pointed out all of the amusing details she could make out of the edifice and of its crowded parks. The only thing that annoyed her concerned the fact the building was off-centered from its base. It triggered the obsessive-compulsive disorder for symmetry Naoko didn't have, or didn't notice so far that she had. She was far from the organized, compulsive type, but it was too big of a structure not to see the irregularity.

"Didn't the architects and engineers see it?! Are they blind?!" she complained while they waited on the car line, "My obsessignal's screaming it's going to fall at any minute!"

"Luckily Naoko-Chan is not an architect or civil engineer." Aratani pestered the girl, "It's off-centered precisely not to fall. The main ground area's composed of a shopping mall and a huge dome for shows. Problem is, a dome is such a huge open space that it wouldn't comport the weight of the building, and putting huge support pillars there would not only cost precious space that could be filled with paying spectators, but it'd also obstruct the view of many people. And it'd look ugly, more likely than not. So the building is based over the shopping mall, while the dome area stretches out without overhead pressure. Should it be centered, it'd not have sustenance."

Naoko's mind immediately created a poorly drawn, happy and cute version of the edifice as if sketched on a whiteboard by a five-year old. It even had an immensely out of proportion chibi, or big-headed and lil' bodied, smiling Naoko sticking out of it. No matter how hard she tried to portrait a more realistic setting, her mind refused to give away Chibi Naoko and her adorable tree. Not that she tried too much: it was funny and lovely, so she stuck with it. As the young man talked about the lack of support of a building erected over a pillar-less vast area, her happy blinking avatar went crashing, arms flailing, as the badly-drawn building imploded into a big puffy cloud. As it subsided all that could be seen was a twitching petite leg and a band-aided head bump sticking out of the debris.

Amazed, Naoko looked back to the structure, but quickly noticed a discrepancy: the long, sail-shaped part of the building that advanced over the center of the base. Aratani explained it was just a hollow glass overhead. Since the building, in order to use the most out of the space the circular base offered, had an overview shape of a crescent moon that slowly became round as it went up, the glass covering the dome was not just for looks.

"Imagine that building without the glass cover above the show area," Aratani prompted, "With a big crescent-shaped surface like it has on its first few dozens of floors out of space optimization, the structure would be like a dam to all the wind," her producer described, "On such scale, even breezes could test the structural integrity of it. Stronger winds and heavy rains could very well send the skyscraper crashing down on the city. The overhead blade-like glass structure covers this crescent-shape and protects it."

And down went Naoko's cartoony building again, this time leaning and topping over along with her own diminutive screaming version, forming another dense puff as it reached the tiny city below.

"Okay, I got the structural stuff, but why the glass cover?" the girl asked, "Isn't it dangerous? Can't it break and fall over the audience? Wouldn't it be better if they left just the metal frames?"

"The glass is not there just for embellishment, I take," Aratani, bored out of his mind by the big line, explained while going overboard on the details just for fun, "The dome have an internal retractable overhead used during windy days just to protect it in the remote case a glass panel shattered and fell off, but it's not only safe to have the mirrored cap, it's a must. If I understand it correctly, the wind problem's not limited to it hitting the building on its flat surface. Due to it being round and aerodynamic on the other face, air currents would probably slip around the structure if they came from the front, and I believe the spiral-like pattern of the metal frames that compose the façade helps channel wind too. But once the air got past the building, the area that is hollow under the real life glassy cover would be exposed. Especially on cold days where heat transfer could create convection lines that drew air off the building due to the expansion of it caused by the internal heating system, I believe, the wind could create negative pressure area on the non-aerodynamic face. In other words, it could vacuum off the flat front of its glasses, especially with so many open windows they have there since it's an office area. And without the windows a particularly strong air current on the front face could potentially create a negative pressure on the back powerful enough to damage it. The metal frame would most likely prevent any serious structural failure, but glass would fall over the dome, I think. Hence the aerodynamic overhead covered in glass. That's my take on it, anyway."

As the spiraling cartoonish wind lines formed a hurricane that blew off half of the building in her imagination, Chibi Naoko jumped for her life. Opening a parachute she had for whatever reason and putting on a pair of cool shades just to show how much she cared for architecture, the endearing petite girl slowly glided to safety while watching the rest of the structure lean away from her. Unfortunately Naoko's mind was not one to cooperate, and the building suddenly tipped over in the opposite direction, crashing over the poor girl and collapsing. One thing was clear for her about the exaggerated mental recreation: it sucks to be Chibi Naoko.

Raising an eyebrow, the confused girl questioned:

"Just how does Produ-San know all those things? They teach architecture to lawyers?"

"They barely teach lawyers how to argument, let alone project buildings," Aratani sarcastically replied, "No, I have a really close friend who's a designer. Sort of, anyway. The machine type designer, not the clothes one, mind you. He used to tell me about airplanes, cars, trains, even elevators and those stuff. He's one of those train freaks, though he doesn't admit it. I also used to tell him about bureaucracies, but between this and hypersonic jets, he usually got more talking time. Good for me, 'cause thanks to it today I know what's a convection line."

"Cool!" Naoko ardently stated, though adding, "Even then, does it have any practical applications for you? Like, important ones?"

For a moment her producer stayed still, seeing nothing. His mind drew him to a beautiful depiction of a gorgeous lady wearing skirt and walking down the street. Through the magic of the movement of molecules that expanded upon heating, thus forcing others to move away into areas of less pressure, convection lines in the atmosphere created winds that blew and lifted the now desperate woman's skirt. Slowly grinning, Aratani simply replied to an even more confused Naoko:

"Lots of practical applications. Very important ones."

The three-floored underground parking lot was gigantic, and even then it's hard to find a place to park, but it was worth it. The inside of the I.S.S.G.'s complex was nothing short of spectacular. They only passed through a few corridors of the luxurious shopping mall, since her producer told her they'd have lots of opportunities to explore it another day, so the girl only saw a fraction of it, but the place seriously impressed her. It was a business of its own, not relying on any idol-related merchandise to attract customers. Sure, there were a few here and there, but nothing any other shopping center wouldn't also have. Her producer told her it attracted clients like any mall would, and since the building also had restaurants and a hotel, among other facilities, on the upper floors it wasn't a place just for die-hard idol fans. Even people that didn't usually care for dancing girls went shopping there or appreciate the terraced view of the capital and wound up staying for the shows. Aside from the colossal dome there were six smaller theaters used both for idol trainings and presentations, and shows also occurred every night on the restaurants by the treetop. There were always people to watch the gigs.

Aside from that, Aratani briefly cited, the conglomerate had lots of contracts with event promotion companies, show houses, clubs, media corporations, parks, amphitheaters and many other places and businesses all over the country and a few abroad that maintained a continuous agenda of shows. Lower-ranked idols still got lots of opportunities to shine, even if on smaller houses. Not all of those low-visibility presentations were aimed at fans, meaning a few were more useful to generate immediate revenue than fan base, but work's work.

Nothing, however, have prepared Naoko for the Sun Dome, as it was called. Bigger than a regular block just by itself, it easily reached fifty meters in height. Unlike sports stadiums, the stage didn't occupy all the center of the location, but was composed of two parts: a monumental one on a wall and a smaller, circular, removable central stage with the floor made of glass or some other translucent material, that connected to the main one by a long catwalk surrounded by illumination. The rest of the space was occupied by the audience, and as such it was hard for Naoko to gauge its capacity. She roughly estimated it close to one hundred thousand spectators, but she could be overestimating it.

Still, that was her impression. As she and Aratani came in from the ticket office, each receiving a luminous plastic stick of a different color by the entrance and getting in barely being able to read the table of attractions of the night by the immense double doors, all she could see was a sea of people. In the darkness the crowd was kept under, the tens of thousands of glowing batons made for a stunning and psychedelically disorienting experience. Naoko had never been on a show before – at least not one with electronic music, special effects and such. And certainly not one in such a gargantuan dome, with so many people.

The ceiling was mobile, but currently was closed. Over it lines for moving TV cameras and lights were projected, forming a galaxy of dancing stars. The stages before the show were kept in darkness, but Naoko could see numerous spotlights around them. The central one, specifically, sometimes gleamed with light that came from below its glassy surface.

The crowd was neatly organized in blocks, but it was still hard to move around the cramped and dark spaces. The audience energy, though, was something Naoko had never felt before. So many different men and women, a lot of them young but also many not so much, anxiously waited for the start of the show. The whole place gave Naoko delicious shivers, though just thinking about being the focus of such crowd was also spine-chilling. The girl excitedly but also hesitantly asked the young, suited man:

"Produ-San, you don't really expect me to perform in a stage like this with such a huge audience, right?!"

"Not now, no!" he yelled to be heard, "But someday I hope you will!"

"I hope I don't!" she replied, smiling of enjoyment but also afraid, "I'd be petrified!"

"You'd be petrified if I put you right now on that stage," her producer said, "You still barely know how to dance and got no stage experience, so it'd be terrifying, I imagine, but someday Naoko-Chan will be ready, trust me! After what you'll see here tonight, Naoko-Chan will most likely be disappointed with quite a few of her own gigs at the beginning of her career, I think. At first Naoko-Chan will hardly sing for two hundred people tops unless we get lucky on an audition. Hardly. One hundred's a good starting number, so you'll begin from the bottom. It'll give you plenty of opportunity to improve and get used to the audience! As you grow in class you'll get progressively bigger numbers, until you're able to come to a place like this and crowd control the heck out of these people like its second nature! Don't fret over it now, just enjoy it!"

As the clock turned eight and a half white sparks flew off all around the core platform and ran in a firework-fest through the sides of the catwalk, lighting up footlights, as a monumental screen got turned on over the main stage, which also got floodlit by spotlights. Just as a faint energetic song began playing on the background, a grave, silk-smooth mainly voice announced vibrantly:

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Idol Star System Generation's Aurora Invitational Springtime Ranked Contest!" a thundering round of applauses ensued, instigating Naoko to do the same while also shaking her lilac glowing stick vigorously. "Tonight is overflowing with attractions, so let's get the show on the road! Please receive the Metal Idol Koyanagi Hideko!"

Immediately after the announcer stopped talking the until then faint music volume went over the roof and the titanic screen got invaded by a blue and black radiant background, over which a silver and red strip rolled in. It quickly showed some sort of a logo reminding a winged cat, the girl's name and a photo depicting only her eyes, colored a deep pink that was obviously due to the use of lenses. As the other information vanished from the display and someone began to sing, the strip-like line that revealed just her eyes faded away, and the full face of the smiling idol appeared on the immense monitor. She was probably not a teenager anymore, but her cute expression and laced pink and white tiara made she look as adorable as a kid.

So captivated by the photo over the mesmerizing background, Naoko took a few seconds to notice the real woman was already on stage, and only after the image changed to the actual cameras that filmed the star. She had a very girly voice, presumably trained a lot to maintain the high-pitch and almost infant qualities. Naoko particularly was not too fond of women overacting like a little girl, but despite it, that Hideko gal looked absolutely fantastic. With short black hair and a white dress full of pink and rosy ribbons, laces and frills and wearing elbow-long pure white gloves, she was the very personification of all things adorable.

Her presentation, though, was certainly not something a seven-year old girl would do. After having just one day of classes Naoko could already see the absurdly high-level of her dancing skills. Bearing no handheld mic, she used both hands in a hypnotic fashion, catching everyone's attention with high-spirited movements. Chaining poses and choreographic elements with no combo breakers, she's very close to an erratic little girl full of energy, but one that knew very well what she's doing. She went from one side of the stage to the other, claiming every person's sights, and her feet never stopped moving. In fact, she didn't resort too much on idle positions because she's always walking or posing. Most of her choreography came from her arms that always connected gestures in a way that felt natural despite being so over the top.

When she got to the catwalk, it became even more evident to Naoko she'd have walked in a different way than the idol on stage. Hideko had long and pretty legs but didn't use long strides or proud postures. She wasn't a model, but an idol, and one that acted the child type. She used quick, small and happy steps, sometimes even low jumps, and frequently rotated three sixty while still going to the central stage. As her pink, winged shoes threaded over the glassy chessboard the translucent panels over which she walked glowed temporarily in a rainbow mixture, sending powerful beams upwards. Probably very few people noticed it, but putting herself on Hideko's place it became obvious for Naoko that the idol couldn't look down or she'd be temporarily blinded. Hence she had to walk and jump without seeing where she stepped, a dangerous thing to do when there were so many jumps and leg work on her executions.

Following her arms movements, the audience also began flailing their luminous sticks. Her song was kind of silly in the lyrics department, but extremely catchy, and the woman, even though being diabetic-killing sweet, had some positivity to boot. Naoko, though not particularly fan of the ultra-girly setup, found herself carried by the delectable vibes.

As the songstress returned to the main stage and screamed the lyric's last line, a surge of applauses shook the dome and made Naoko's hairs rise with the contagious liveliness. Almost nonstop the announcer introduced another girl, another metal class idol dubbed "Violet Lily", named in plain English. The instant she heard it, Naoko turned to her producer and whispered:

"Violet Lily?! The heck's this name?"

"It's not a name, Naoko-Chan," he explained to her while the song began and the girl got its face shot on screen, "It's her artistic name. Idols can opt to be known by those instead of by their real names. Of course fans know their true names, but don't use it. Once you get to your first gig you'll be asked if you want to adopt an artistic name or not. Your call."

Violet, as the fans around seemed to call her, was in stark contrast to Hideko. The young woman's eye lenses were a jade color, and part of her hair or wig was green while the other was of a shocking purple. Her attire followed suit: with the exception of her jet black slim legging tights full of added-on pockets, everything else were in one of the two colors. Her tube top was green while the long sleeved, opened mini jacket she wore over it was purple, as was her choker. Her footwear was a mixed sort of mismatched pairs: a violet bootie and a half-way barreled gladiator-like emerald boot that left her toes open. She carried a long, cane-like mic with bat wing decorations on it and a black suction cup on the lower end. Her makeup was heavy, with thick eyeliners, intense blush and green lipstick. Her head bore a petite devil-horn tiara, and her earrings were shaped like spiked handcuffs. Her makeup was heavy and she didn't smiled that much.

The "metal idol" class seemed just right for that lady, Naoko thought as, in awe, her chest was pounded by powerful sound waves that resonated inside her in a heart-accelerating, frenzy-driving way she'd never experienced before. Violet was a beast, every bit the confident and provocative early twenty lass she looked like. In fact, she was so aggressive that Naoko disliked her personality a bit, but it was another incredible example of how varied idols could be. Her one-handed choreographies seemed somewhat easier than cheery Hideko, but Violet Lily used her whole body in more creative ways.

On a certain non-verbal point of the music she got to the edge of the stage and, crawling like a panther ready to attack, stared into the people nearby while using her cane-like mic to capture the yells of the audience. In the same way, she also stuck the one meter-high cane mic on the floor using the suction cup and spun around it like a dancing pole. Since it wasn't truly fixed on the ground and the show was rated ten and older she didn't performed anything too daring, but the way she acted, Naoko firmly believed she could go much further than that. Violet had an acid personality that felt intimidating to Naoko, but her emotion-heavy song, resonating voice and power-trip prone character had a shocking effect. Her fans were mostly punk-like teenagers as far as the girl could see.

Contrary to Hideko, Violet's strides were long and heavy, even though she was shorter than the idol before her. At a moment she simply tuck her off-hand on the pants' pocket and threaded the catwalk with lowered head but staring straight. Never one to smile, the way she touched the audience was through her thought-provoking, society-bashing lyrics. Her choreography employed far less movements than Hideko, and her dance was more impressive for the few extreme positions, with perfect side splits and exaggerated interpretations of angst with her body rather with the rapid succession of simpler moves. Her poses were also intense, mostly involving leaning forward or raising one foot in front or behind the body and maintaining the balance. It was technical, but not as much as Hideko's presentation. It was, though, a lot more intense in terms of bravery required.

Her best trait in Naoko's opinion as the song ended was her voice, feminine too but forceful like a lion's roar. Naoko had never felt sound pierce her body like that, making her internal organs resonate and tingle as if they're numb. It made her heart throb as if she was under some kind of danger. It was an intimidating, but ultimately astounding experience Violet had pulled off.

The show kept going and Naoko, who didn't remember the last time she'd so much fun, jumped, applauded and sang along, not even remembering her previous tiredness. It was a fantastic experience that only got better by every passing minute. Each idol sang just one song and lyrics usually weren't more than four minute long. On a two hours show, there were many idols coming and going. With the exception of the first five, who were of Metal class, the second highest, all the others were of Water class, meaning the best there was – save for the almost nonexistent Star-class idols.

About the first five presentations, Aratani explained there's no examination board because the girls had already gone through an eliminatory round beforehand. It was common that idols were chosen to participate in shows, be it through auditions, public vote, invitations, fan support or even through other shows. Low ranked idols were far too many and usually had to compete for a single spot, but as classes went up things got easier. The show they're watching, the Aurora Invitational Springtime Ranked Contest, had a huge name but in essence was an invitation based gig for Water-class idols that occurred during spring. It involved a competition with big prizes, and was considered a ranked show, meaning money was paid I.S.S.G.

Metal Idols were not on par and, like so, wouldn't compete onstage, but they're very famous nonetheless and the competition that led the five winners to get a spot there has also been a show all by itself. After the opening arc the true contest would begin, pitting Water Idols one against the other, and then there'd be a pool of five judges evaluating them. The judges stayed by the side of the stage so as not to interfere with the show, though. With a few exceptions, the only instances where they got really visible were during cups, the contests that awarded the victorious a higher class.

Finally, when the main event of the night started, Naoko was more pumped than when she'd performed on her own tests. Her producer told her that, according to the show's description, the contest's format would be that of a two-round Battle Royale followed by a three-rounded score attack Duel. Battle Royale competitions were a kind of ruleset where each girl sang a pre-determined number of songs, two in this case, and by the end an average score of both songs was taken for each competitor. The one or ones with the best overall tallies won or proceeded to the next phase. Since the second phase was a Duel, only two girls would get through, and face off on a three song competition.

Duels could work on many ways, but two were more commonly found: through scores or points. Even though both words meant almost the same thing, there were differences in terms of rules. Scores were simple, zero to a hundred, numbers awarded on each of five major categories, like Dancing, Singing and Aesthetics. Points, on the other hand, were awarded on a proportion of one for each category. So, for example, if a girl scored ten on four categories and one hundred on the last one while the other got a score of eleven on all five categories, the second one would have gained four points, because her four elevens were higher than her opponent's four tens, and the first girl would have one point, because her one hundred was bigger than the other's last eleven. So, even on a ridiculous presentation, the girl with five elevens would have won if the contest was based on points by four to one. If the competition was on score basis, though, the first girl would have been victorious because of her total of one hundred and forty far surpassed the second one's fifty-five.

Ten Water Idols were invited to participate. With three exceptions, all were twenty years old or more, though only one was older than twenty-three, being twenty-five. It was most certainly her last year as an idol, and in fact only a few managed to work until such age. There were exceptions, but more often than not women started to lose fan support after twenty-two or so, as Aratani reluctantly told Naoko once the girl asked it. According to the producer, a successful idol could easily amass in six years far more than a typical white-collar worker could make during his or her entire life.

"But as people say," her producer told her, "the candle that burns twice as bright, burns for half as long. And just how bright could a star burn?"

Even though Naoko had never wanted to be an idol, knowing she only had nine years left, tops, made the girl worry for a second. But nine years, for someone who was sixteen, was more than half of her life and seemed like an eternity, so that thought was quickly forgotten. Still, the oldest idol picked her attention the most.

Every woman there performed on unbelievably high levels, each according to her own personal characteristics. One seemed lazy and happy-go-lucky while another was every bit lovey-dovey. From one that looked a little obnoxious and self-centered but arguably gorgeous and talented spoilt princess to another which was as sexy as it got, going through an apparently normal, everyday girl, a cold-hearted lady of sorts, and more. At first glance it was a rich collection of stereotypes, though Aratani told Naoko their stage personae were usually just that: a mask to be used on stage. Some employed it because fans liked, others because they felt more secure. Though every girl used to have on their own personalities a few characteristics that composed their artistic frontage, only a handful actually acted in real life like they did before the masses. It made Naoko question herself about how Violet would most likely be in reality.

The oldest of the ten was an incredibly gorgeous lady presented as Ogasawara Umeko. When introduced, the woman with long, wavy light-brown hair entered the stage without any trace of anxiety and no rush. Her attire, unlike that of other competitors, had no frills, no angel wings, no fancy bonnets, novelty gloves, designed mics, cowgirl hats, pilot glasses or anything. It was an unpretentious but exquisite long dress in black with wine-red details, with a cut that left one leg to be shown while hiding the other. Spangles glittered all over making her dark vest appear bright as white under so many spotlights, and her footwear was a pair of classy, high-heeled black sandals. On her amazingly lustrous hair stood a single white rose, and a red gemstone glittered on a silver pendant that adorned her cleavage. She had the second biggest cup size of all competitors, so it was easy for her dress to be too exaggerated to the point of seeming vulgar or too restrictive and end up looking like she tried too hard not to be seen, but her vest found somehow a sweet spot that felt just right. One silver bracelet and a ring nailed her looks.

Her gorgeous, voluminous brown hair felt faintly familiar, and her smile, for whatever reason, felt more genuine than any Naoko had seen on stage before. As she began to sing it quickly soothed the girls agitated heart in a mysterious effect almost opposite of the one Violet was able to achieve. Her voice was mature and serene, and tackled a dangerously hard song as if it was nothing. The music was full of vocal modulations and presented two instances of sustained singing for long periods that left Naoko breathless just to watch, but Umeko made it without the slightest sign of distress. Steadfast as a mount and with silk-smooth voice, she clearly gave preference to singing over any other aspect. Her choreography was straightforward and mostly related to the use of her hips to perform constant changes in the supporting leg and the employment of her free hand, making long and wide gestures. She also did a few movements with her open leg and the arms, but all in all, after Naoko saw jumps, splits, spins, arms flailing and so much more, her dancing aspect felt kind of underwhelming. Still, it somehow felt perfect for her.

Umeko looked like nothing Naoko had seen before even though feeling slightly familiar. She was more of a regular songstress than an idol, but not a bad "regular". Her lyric, "Point of No Return: 5 Seconds for Tomorrow", was the most touching and well written of all the songs Naoko heard on that show so far, versing on the recalling of a sunset filled school classroom as seen from the eyes of a graduating person, remembering all the things she could have done, the love she could have found and the happy experiences she could've happened if only she'd stayed true to her best feelings instead of letting ire, bashfulness, lame excuses, laziness, fears and petty things detract her from the really important things of life, and what would the person do if she could go back in time. It was apparently sad, but the lyrics kept the optimism since the person, learning from her mistakes, found she could apply them on university, on work and on life in general. To Naoko, though, that silver-lining search was the part that filled her eyes with tears. The interpretation of the song was heart touching like nothing she'd heard before on that show.

It was strange that the woman who jumped and waived the least could get the attention of the audience like no other. Maybe it was the lyric that spoke true to the young audience while the lady's maturity and breathtaking, emotion-galore presentation catered to the older ones. Either way, her dulcet voice, not the loudest but unquestionably the most harmonious and nuanced of all, far surpassed Naoko's expectations, and even if her song was a bittersweet rollercoaster, the woman was very heartwarming, adding even more depth to the concert. Comparing herself to Umeko was like putting a drum-wielding chimpanzee side by side with an experienced pianist. Of course, Naoko had just taken her first day of lessons, but it seemed next to impossible that she'd ever reach that level of singing prowess, as she thought.

After such solid presentation the girl that came after it, full of jumps, high energy and easygoing themes was a blessing, but also felt immensely shallow in comparison. Ultimately, it felt unrewarding, just a cheap funfest. It took Naoko a few songs to get back to herself. Not that she wasn't having fun anymore, on the contrary: it was a blast to be in touch with such mind-boggling situations. To feel emotions, a huge array of them, was fun in itself.

The second round felt slightly faster. To Naoko, who deserved to win was a tough call. Umeko impressed her the most and made her cry and feel happy at the same time, but her dancing was the least impressive one. An especially egotistical-looking lady with a dark sailor suit and silver wig irritated Naoko with her poise, but her dance was as exhilarating as watching a martial arts movie, only more feminine. Also there was that provocative-looking and acting lady in a black and fuchsia polymer, skin-tight catsuit full of leather belts and wearing cat ears, a choker and high heels that felt a mix between a cosplay of a space-themed manga and a fetish compilation. "Vyper", she's called, stylized with a "y" and written in roman characters instead of using Katakana, Japanese's syllabary for foreign words and names, among other uses. Naoko was actually much more attracted to that woman's self-confident personality than she wanted to admit (if Naoko had to wear such costume in front of almost one hundred thousand spectators and still dance she'd have died by a heart attack on the first five seconds, probably) and she wasn't obnoxious like some of the others. Furthermore, her dance was enticing, her song was catchy and her aesthetics and power to attract the crowd's attention... well, it was second to none.

Also, in all fairness, under her rubbery clad, well-endowed chest lied a healthy diaphragm. The buxom lady was a very technical songstress and managed to sing complex songs despite having narrow vocal amplitude. She paled heavily in comparison to Umeko's supernatural capabilities to modulate her voice to her will, but the provoking idol was still decent at singing. And by "decent", Naoko thought "Water-class idol' decent", because in absolute terms she's outstanding.

Naoko actually liked that woman quite a bit. She acted in a caring but dominating way that sent mixed signals. A part the fans seemed to fawn over this trace but the girl begged to differ. The best part of that idol for Naoko was that, in some sense, she didn't seem too much of an idol too. It felt more like an anime character. The way Vyper acted just made Naoko desperately want to be as confident as that woman in real life, though since she appeared to get a little too much attention from Aratani, the girl began rooting for every other woman there just so she lost. It wasn't jealousy, no. It was just hatred for people with qualities she wanted to have! See? Whole other thing.

Contrary to the "not too idol-like idol" feel from her first presentation, though, the second time Vyper got on stage she actually looked much more "idol-ish" according to Naoko's definitions, which threw the girl off-balance. Though still retaining some of her appealing demeanor, it became secondary, limited to a few winks and poses. The woman came back with a head-affixed mic and her choreography got significantly different. Following a happier song's vibes, her dancing became full of upper-body member's gestures. They're perfectly cadenced with the music to the point where it gave the impression the melody was the one keeping up with her, not the other way around. Just as the song was full of heavy beats, Vyper's lightning-fast moves that invariably came to sudden stops as if she hit invisible drums around looked incredible. In high, pointy heels she still walked like a seductress and, unlike other idols, never jumped, but her upper half gave of cheerier waves.

Overall, it looked like the idol from the first presentation had her mind hijacked by a joyful external consciousness. Despite getting more in line with how other idols acted, Naoko got a serious liking to that woman, still confident like no other but more positive and upbeat. She still kept her caring smile while her dominating side seemed less rooted on sexiness and more on natural leadership. Vyper got all the more agreeable to Naoko, to the point where she was second only to Umeko in the girl's favorite list for that night.

Umeko came back for her second presentation and this time her song was happier, too. At that time she really showed how well she could dance. Even with a restricting tube dress and a white rose on her hair, the woman moved like Naoko only dreamed she could. She wasn't one for jumps too, but her ample gestures, although not light speed quick as Vyper's, were no less outstanding. She relied on the difficulty of multiple chains of movements that flowed seamlessly like it was just one. On the first round her genuine smile and encouraging heartfelt presentation made her look like a motherly figure of sorts, but on the second she made much more the older sister part. Her smile was still unparalleled in calmness and honesty, which made it the most beautiful in Naoko's opinion, but her eyes also gleamed brighter with enthusiasm. The lyrics were not as deep as first time around, but just as well-written, and the interpretation she gave to it was marvelous. The woman sang as if she's a storyteller, and she was so passionate about it that Naoko got under the impression that almost anything she told, no matter how boring, would seem breathtaking and exciting. Umeko had a magnetic personality that got just clearer as she assumed that sunshine stance.

The way most of the Water-class idols changed the vibes of their exhibitions as the songs demanded like changing gears on a car while still seeming real as if they all had multiple personality disorders was puzzling to Naoko just as much as it was awe-inspiring. Every way they acted made the girl think she'd finally discovered the real self of an idol, only to be thrown off her feet by a different acting that felt just as real. True, Umeko looked even more genuine than anyone else, but the others' personalities also seemed water-clear despite changing like a coursing river full of turns and waterfalls.

By the end of the second round, after every woman had gone twice under the limelight, the huge screen presented a complete list of the scores every judge had given to every idol. There were five categories, three of which Naoko had already listened a little about: Singing, Dancing and Aesthetics. The forth one was really strange, something which could only be translated as "Devotion", while the fifth one was called Memorability. Most scores the ten idols amassed were over eighty points on a scale ranging from zero to one hundred.

Umeko and Vyper, the two Naoko wound up rooting for, managed to score magnificently. Vyper got nineties on Dancing, Devotion and Aesthetics, the last one being the highest of all participants and Devotion the second best. Dancing got a close third. Umeko also scored above ninety in three categories: Singing, Devotion and Memorability. While her Dancing score got a "mediocre" eighty-one, probably due to her first presentation, she also got the best Singing and Memorability scores, respectively ninety-seven and ninety-five, and the third best Devotion.

It had good reasons for why Naoko loved the two more than the others: they really stood up on that presentation. The judges apparently agreed, because after computing the tallies only the two remained. It was a very close call, though: Vyper, in first, had scored four hundred and fifty three, only five points above Umeko and seven beyond the third place, an arrogant and bittersweet-acting lady in a half princess, half sorceress costume known as Hina, who got best Devotion and second in Aesthetics. Even if the three had ruled the exhibition, the others only got a few points below, meaning any mistake anyone had committed would've sent her down to the bottom of the list. Except for the last one, penalized for letting a small cowgirl hat fall off – even though she managed to grab it midair and put it back immediately –, the others stayed no more than twenty-six points below first place. Too close for a five hundred total maximum. No one there was a pushover, that's for sure. Naoko was under the impression the eighty-eight she'd scored on her singing test would've been worth something like a ten on that exhibition.

Over a blue and black electric-looking background a fuchsia-colored strip appeared on the left half of the gigantic screen, and inside it the sparkling eyes of Vyper, along with her nickname and a strange symbol Aratani explained to be the emblem of the idol's agency appeared. A stylized red-stroked yellow "Vs" inscription fell over the edge of the strip, in the middle of the screen, and immediately connected another rectangular ribbon that rolled in. It was of a scarlet color and presented Umeko's info and her calm and happy stare. As data faded away and the picture of the faces of both idols covered the huge electronic rectangle, facing one another and smiling, each their own way, heavy-beat music got started and spark fireworks erupted around the stage. The announcer quickly called in the finals, mentioning in a brief one line explanation that the Duel would take place in a three-round, score-attack format.

The "Credited Intro", as her producer told Naoko the standard eye-strip scene was called, got the girl so pumped up that all her body felt as electrified as the big screen. They felt like life-long rivals clashing. She was practically laughing without even knowing why, just in anticipation of the duel, and waived her glowing stick so fast it's semi-circular blur looked like a luminous purple fan. It was unbelievable, then, that the contestant Umeko, under all that pressure, still seemed so serene while Naoko was frenzied and pumped like she'd received a horse-sized adrenaline shot to her neck. Aratani, grinning, told her in a cool and low voice while the announcer spoke:

"Easy girl, I know you've sent me an A-Okay medical checkup with your application documentation, but you look like you can get an arrhythmia at any moment."

"Don't care!" Naoko replied in sky-high spirits, "So that's how a fan feel?!"

"Nope," her producer answered, "A fan would probably feel even more pumped, unless you're so excited because it's your first high-class idol show."

"It's my first idol show, period!" Naoko told him, yelling, "That's the best thing there is!"

"Well, there are a few other situations I personally find even more enjoyable," Aratani mentioned, grinning for a moment, "but you're right Naoko, it's a very powerful experience indeed. No wonder, despite the easy access people have to online music, live shows are still a thing."

Eagerly, Naoko watched the three rounds of duel almost without blinking. The moving crowd was like a charged, thundering black cloud with a million rainbows inside. Along with the fireworks and the crazed spotlights and the obfuscating central platform's glassy floor's illumination, things got even more erratic than before. The duel was a nonstop sequence, as soon as one woman's song ended the other one's began. It was mind-numbing, then, that every lyric got a different feeling to it, and both idols played their parts interpreting them all extremely well.

It was hard to tell if the ladies were saving the best for last or if the adrenaline rush from the presentations just made they perform better and better every time, but each performance looked more solid than the last. Another possible explanation was that, unlike the Battle Royale's half of the show, during that Duel the preliminary scores were briefly shown on the bottom of the big screen after judges have completed the evaluation, so the women could be adapting their onstage postures based on how they performed. True to the results, Umeko still ruled supreme over the Singing and Memorability categories while Vyper dominated Dancing and Aesthetics. The Devotion category, which Naoko didn't understand what it represented – and didn't want to bother others around asking for Aratani or losing the awesome presentation hearing explanations –, was disputed between the two.

The thing that gave Vyper an edge was that Aesthetics was mostly a fixed score. Since the idols didn't change clothes between rounds, it only fluctuated minimally, maybe due to how well their costumes matched their songs. The more provocative songs earned the lady slightly higher scores in Aesthetics than the more typical love songs. Still, she had a fun-loving aura that sometimes went overboard into kinky territory, and her lyrics usually versed about having fun, sometimes full of innuendoes while others really just talking about happy things in general. As such, she had consistency in her repertoire and her attire never felt completely out of place – about her personality, not about the real place, because Naoko thought wearing a lustrous catsuit in front of so many people was already an otherworldly absurdity. That and her matching black long hair with a huge fuchsia fringe that covered half of her face earned Vyper a solid nine points of advantage over Umeko every round without any difficulty, a difference that her opponent had to offset with her arguably superior voice. The last round, especially, was a nerve-wrecking showdown.

The two rivals managed to maintain the show rolling for three rounds with no problems. In fact it seemed like just the beginning of another gig when the songs stopped and the two got called back onstage for the examining board's results announcement. For a moment both women stood looking at the big screen while each score of each judge for each song of each idol was gradually shown, in a dramatic ten seconds-long tab revealing that almost made the tense Naoko scream "get this over with already!" Even though the prelim scores have been previously shown for each song, it'd require above-average memory capacity and lots of attention for people to have memorized the tallies and know beforehand who the winner was. Also, like Aratani told her, judges could still discuss and make last-minute changes to their values based on not yet noticed facts that others could point out. It was rare, but a bonus or a fault could've passed unnoticed by one or most examiners, and would only be credited or subtracted after all the exhibitions.

At the end Umeko's final score of a thousand, three hundred and seventy, got eight points behind Vyper on the sum of all rounds. For as much as Naoko had enjoyed that night more than she remembered ever having, she got slightly frustrated with the outcome. Even though she had quickly learned to love Vyper, the woman on the spangled dress just had something too heartwarming, positive and genuine, and her vocal talent was overwhelming – even though her dancing skills really dragged her back compared to her opponent.

A deafening round of applauses issued. As the two women deviated their sights to face each other, Naoko's heart skipped a beat, though. She quickly grew fond of both, to see anyone act in a discourteous or sad manner would've been too hurtful, even though Naoko didn't even want to think what she would've done if she's one of the two on the stage. She would've been too happy or too ashamed, and both could be problematic. But, contrary to her fears, both ladies smiled. Granted, Vyper's grin was bigger, but for some reason Umeko also seemed to find something funny. Extending her arms, the catsuit-clad one pulled her adversary into a tight hug. The huge screen, on a very close camera angle, slightly showed the two exchanging a few quick words before separating. The exultant Vyper seemed all the more caring than she used to, while Umeko, though not as radiant, was just as tranquil and joy-filled as she showed to be during the show.

As both turned to bow to the clapping audience before leaving waiving to the fans, Naoko felt a warm feeling of gladness pervade her chest. Applauding excitedly, the girl was overflowing with happiness, though a part of her still felt numb after their reaction. It had been much more reassuring than she thought it'd be. She felt so sad for Umeko, who'd lost by such a small margin, that at first anything that Vyper could do to her rival would've seen unfair and enraging. But no. They both acted surprisingly mature, not to say friendly.

At that time Naoko couldn't understand how Umeko was so calm after having lost by a hair in front of so many people, but her serenity seemed real, which just made the girl all the more amazed. She couldn't fathom how much confidence that woman had or what she was feeling and thinking. Taking by her appearance, it's as if nothing had happened.

She left the dome, ate and was driven to her dorms in a trance-like state, as if too much happiness, energy and too many good emotions had short-circuited her brain. Even then, the memory of the reunion of the women at the end lingered on her mind as a touching moment, but also one hard to understand. She didn't know if they're being honest or just acting. Those two had already shown they're able to make almost anything they did seem believable, though the girl really wanted to trust it was real this time. The doubt was too much for her to bear.

As the adrenaline slowly passed, and after getting her tummy full in the shopping mall, the girl began to notice just how worn-out she was. Even then, that night she went to bed dazed by amazement and overjoyed like she hasn't been for long.
Chapter IV – The Best and the Worst

The sudden, loud alarm from her cellphone almost made Naoko jump to the ceiling. Used to being carefully woken up by her mother, getting kicked into action by a digital sound was not the most pleasant way for an easily startled girl. But the moment she remembered it also meant there was no one there to demand anything either, her morning got shiny.

A quick shower was all she needed to kick-start her senses. She was so tired the day before that she forgot to ready her obentou, the lunch she's supposed to eat on school. Though since she hadn't brought her yellow lunchbox from home, she wouldn't have much of a choice anyway. And since she didn't have time to buy any food, or cooking apparel for that matter, she'd have to endure school with what she'd eaten the day before and acquire the needed objects and supplies later that day without fail.

Before coming to the capital Naoko had also dreamed about her first school day, and it began with her getting of the bath to find a neatly folded school uniform on hangers by the door. Too bad she didn't hang it the night before, so she had to dig through the semi-organized pile of clothing bags her producer had bought her on Sunday to find her vest still wrapped. It was nice, still, because it gave her the sensation her weekend had been incredibly productive, and the sense of urgency was also exciting. Her new uniform was also sweet: white shirts with blood-red laced chest ribbon and pleated skirt, completed with black stockings and shoes. It was sober and simple, but just wearing it and going to a new school was enough to thrill her. After everything, she's already on time to leave, but couldn't do so before checking herself out by the small mirror by the bathroom and applying her thin, discreet eyeliner.

Many students had already left the building by the time Naoko left her room. Still there's plenty of people waiting for the elevator or climbing down the stairs. As the girl rushed down too, a short, nervous silhouette found her on the fourth floor. With a big grin stuck on his face as if his mouth had been stitched into position forever, neighboring weirdo from room below caught a glimpse of her as he clearly waited by the first step, though as she also noticed him he began moving like he just so happened to be passing by coincidentally while Naoko was too. Thankfully the girl was already on a rush to begin with, and he began leisurely strolling down the stairs while following her with the corner of his eyes, so he'd have no reason to change his pace – if he did so she'd get desperate. Despite hesitating for a second, Naoko ran down as fast as possible. The boy, attempting to be casual, waited until she's passed him to feign he'd noticed her, and when he tried to say something his voice didn't come out. As such, Naoko simply lowered her face as if to tread down the steps with care and also playing the game of make-believe. Pretending not to notice her neighbor's axe-murderer-like frantic smile, she bolted down and fled. Thus, Naoko got away safely.

Just as she got to the bottom of the stairs, under the ceiling that surrounded a large, open courtyard with nothing but a few sparely distributed potted plants, a short man called out to her in a serious tone. Though his voice was kind of high-pitched and bore a few diction problems, his dry hair was brittle-looking and his built was slender, the man in his fifties commanded a surprisingly unabashed and unwavering conviction as he instructed:

"Miss, excuse me. Janitor Yamamoto here. I ask that you don't run while on the stairs. It's dangerous and is written on the rules."

At first his eyes seemed ice cold, but the girl barely noticed it. Just that his voice was funny but also that he looked a decent, hardworking man. The time he took to explain her that was enough to make her smiling friendly psycho-like neighbor almost catch up. Lightning-fast, Naoko replied in the cute, smiling way she knew from experience she could employ to get her through a few tight spots, though not without restart running away afterwards:

"Okay, sorry and thanks for the tip! But now I'm not on the stairs anymore and I'm kinda late so bye!" On the run, she shouted back, "And nice to meet you!"

The janitor, though unhappy, couldn't do nothing but wish her a distant "be careful!". Though she couldn't see, the crestfallen grinning guy from the room below got his hopes back after seeing the incident. After all, the girl was late for class! At first he's on the impression she just tried to avoid him like other people usually did, but no, Naoko was just worried. He could forgive her for not noticing him, he thought. He agreed he's so frightened when he saw her that his voice didn't come out, so she could just not be paying attention. Also, the way she smooth-talked and dismissed the warnings of the imposing and scaring Yamamoto-San like it was nothing, and the usually authoritative man could do nothing to prevent her from continue doing as she pleased fascinated him beyond measure. Even though being nice to him, she'd something that tamed even the rigid law enforcer's drive to impose rules on her! At least that was his take on it, according to how he wanted to see the situation.

She's even better than he initially thought, and sweet too! No way a girl like Naoko, who could bend the rules to her will, would need to drop by his door and give him a simple but obviously heartfelt present he loved just out of politeness. She even lived on the floor above, so it wasn't all that necessary in his opinion. He didn't think of himself as an important person, but that beauty still introduced herself to him nevertheless. Maybe she really liked him or was destined to, despite acting aloof. It'd only make sense in the grand scheme of things that was the narrative of his life, where unsung hero and main character Fukuda Katsuro had a chancy meeting with a gorgeous, too perfect to be true and seemingly unreachable girl that'd forever change his life! It's a common plot device, and one he'd been waiting for all his life! Though it still didn't make sense how she knew about him to take an interest in first place.

Unless... she had some kind of real supernatural powers! Or maybe she's a time traveler trying to prevent mankind's last hope (which was obviously Katsuro) to fall prey to his gloominess before a cataclysmic event sent Earth spiraling down into chaos! If so... if so she's even more amazing than he's taken her for! Sure, he'd already painstakingly understood that no such things existed in real life and such expectations only made him suffer even more... but what if something supernatural really existed?!

Unaware of the plot twist heavy narratives that took place on her creepy colleague's mind, Naoko hurried away. The dormitories were a block away from school, and the girl had already been there once while looking for institutes. Still, she's seen only a tiny fraction of its insides. The high school was a huge building, easily more than three times the size of her previous institution. It had a clock tower that gave the otherwise unassuming building a classic feel. It was a well-established school founded in eighteen ninety of supposedly high-quality standards of education, which to Naoko meant "old place with demanding, boring professors", but it was the most respected and the biggest of all three she'd deemed viable when she looked for it while staying on her uncle's apartment. Since its education was considered top-notch, it was a positive aspect she used to convince her parents to let her go, and the "biggest" part meant more people and, thus, more fun to her.

On the first of its four floors it got two panoramic windows, one on each side, a later addition to the architectural project for sure. A swimming pool with a grandstand, a theater, a multi-purpose court, racetracks and other facilities were cramped together, but just having it showed just how big the terrain was. Maybe the square-meter price was not as ridiculously high centuries before, or people just liked big schools for the elite at that time.

The monthly fee of that institute was just as big as its location, and Naoko really hoped she got paid by the first week of the following month or things would get ugly. The I.S.S.G. also offered some scholarships for high schools and universities, but only for idols of Fire class and up, so no money-saving for her until she's improved her standing by a lot.

Two last-minute arriving boys hurried through the main gate besides Naoko, if only to make her feel she's not alone. The male uniform was very eye-catching, a suit composed of dark-red coat and tie, white shirt and black pants and shoes. Naoko's favorite colors, in order, were purple, blue, white, black, red and yellow, so red and black weren't on top of her list, but despite loving blue the girl admitted that many things were much better off being of a deep crimson than of a cyan, and uniforms were one of those things. She absolutely loved it.

To arrive late at the first school day she's had, which was also the second week of classes, was not a nice way to begin. Classes started at seven o'clock and by nine a.m. there was a thirty minute break that Naoko simply loved. Compared to her previous school, it meant ten extra minutes! Still, it was compensated on the first month by extra classes after the end of the regular ones. After another half an hour break for lunch by midday lesson continued until three p.m. Those extra few hours each day only happened during April and were meant to give transfer students or those that didn't learn the previous year's contents well enough a recap so that, starting on May, everyone could be expected to have the basic knowledge required for that year. In reality, some teachers simply kept on their lessons instead of recapping, though.

The exasperated girl managed to reach her class, the fifth one of second year, before the gray-suited professor began the lesson. Seeing from behind brown-framed glasses the ashamed girl by the door, the mid-forties man went talk to her. He's the same height as her, which made him less than impressive to her, but his brown hair had a few gray strands that looked very good on him. He'd a dignified posture, and with elegance received her after she apologized and explained herself.

The class was a spacious room with a wall full of large windows both to the outside and to the corridor on the inside. Many rows of chairs were neatly organized along the space, almost every single one occupied. As she was let in by the professor a room full of people she'd never seen before turned to face the new, stunning student with stylish, long and shining black hair and enviable figure.

"Class," the teacher called, "I'd like you all to welcome Yano-San. She'll be studying along with you all from now on. Yano-San, would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?"

It was generally an uncomfortable situation, but Naoko usually paid no mind to it. Pumped up by the run, she energetically introduced herself:

"Hello, I'm Yano Naoko! I transferred this week from Shimabara. It's a pleasure to meet you all, please be nice to me!"

It was a custom to ask others to take good care of someone as they're made acquaintances. Her teacher gave her freedom as to where to sit, but there were only three open spaces. One, surrounded by boys, seemed like a bad idea for now. Another, by a window and surrounded by girls, looked awesome, but the instant Naoko was free to decide, a female classmate with long, dark-brown hair sitting on the first row politely invited the newly arrived colleague to sit on a third open chair diagonal to her. Naoko wasn't the kind of person that liked to be on the second line, much rather preferring the back of the classroom, but to refuse that invitation would be rude. The arguably beautiful girl that called her had no time to say anything since class began immediately after, but the way she paid close attention to the lecture, wrote everything the teacher said, had an obsessively well-organized notebook and generally seemed like a perfect student already told many things about her. She sometimes didn't seem too interested on the class subject, but forced herself to keep up with it nevertheless.

Contrary to what Naoko was expecting, the old institute actually had up-to-date teachers that weren't half as boring as she thought, though their classes were just as content-heavy as she came to assume it'd be. Accustomed to relying on her keen senses to absorb knowledge from the teacher's voice waves as if by osmosis, she found herself actually having to jolt things down. Her previous school was by no means bad, but Naoko was already familiarized to the way things worked there and could study with a foot on the back. The education system on her new high school was different, though, requiring her to focus on her studies for once.

By the end of the first class the dark-brown haired girl, just as tall as Naoko if not slightly taller, finally got to introduce herself. In a semi-polite way, she told while slightly bowing:

"Excuse me. I'm class president Horiuchi Miwa. It's okay to call me Miwa, though. I'd like to welcome you to our school. It's nice to meet you, I hope we get along well."

"Me too," Naoko replied, standing up to talk to her classmate. Once again, she introduced herself, "I'm Yano Naoko, but just call me Naoko."

"Understood," Miwa said, "So, Naoko-Chan, I believe it'd be good if I introduced you to the rest of our classmates. Would it be okay for you?"

Despite acting like a model student and a bit formal at first, president Miwa was actually a very nice person – which was good for a change, since Naoko's experiences with class presidents left her wary of such people. Miwa quickly proceeded to introduce Naoko to her friends before the second class began, and kept presenting the newly-arrived girl to the other students every time they had a minute to spare.

A few boys were really handsome and for the most part seemed interesting enough. Just one acted too nonchalant for her liking – to be cool was a nice thing, but to act aloof made her quickly lose her interest on him. Luckily almost every other guy in class appeared interested in talking to her, to various degrees. She knew boys well enough to know they usually tried to seem calm and not overly interested at first when meeting a female classmate, but soon opened up. She could almost feel how well her friendship would go with most of the guys in her class. They had many common grounds, it appeared. It looked promising.

The female students were a whole other beast. At first many seemed guarded, almost like they're intimidated by Naoko. It was a common thing with her, they simply usually took longer to warm up to her, and this made Naoko slowly develop during her life her perception bias that girls – though not necessarily adult women – were just a pain to befriend. If it wasn't for the warning Aratani gave about exerting care once she became more well-known not to be seen by reporters alone with boys, she'd not bother to get too close to her female classmates, only letting things naturally develop.

In fact, it was frustrating when close friends, most often than not boys from abroad she only knew through the internet, asked her for advices on how to approach girls, because even though Naoko was one she had no clue how to do it too. A few of her real life male friends actually seemed to know more about it than her. One guy called Norio, quite the ladies' man, once told her the reason he thought girls were usually so abrasive or shielded when first meeting her was due to jealousy and fear she'd outshine them. Between that and her father, Naoko had good reasons to be humble and not trying to bring her best side at first, but it also restricted her style too much.

Even though the capital girls seemed more open and a few even applied very light makeup, Naoko never had a hairstyle, polished nails and well-cared skin like she did now, so her first expectation was to be even more shunned than before. And the female classmates of her classroom initially didn't seem too happy with her presence, too, but president Miwa's intervention was a godsend that bridged the gap between Naoko and her class.

Since the transfer student was so easygoing and energetic, acting the opposite of whatever negative first impression she could unknowingly give off, Miwa got a sudden interest in her. After hearing from Naoko she got late because she'd been on a show the night before the class president's eyes got filled with life. For a girl that sent off such a stern and perfectionist aura to demonstrate a liking for live exhibitions was more than Naoko could ask for.

The president seemed to like to hear about how awesome it was to be on a huge dome full of people, lights, music and energy. The class president, who delighted in hearing about awing social situations, found a girl that could talk for hours without going out of topics and enthusiasm, and her remarks about things she found particularly noteworthy easily amused her listener. Miwa told her that if it wasn't for her younger brother, who she had to look after since her parents worked till late hours, and supposing she had the money to buy a ticket and a friend to go with her, she'd love to watch a gig like that. It was unprecedented for females her age to open up so quickly to Naoko, but once they did it's fairly normal for them to develop incredible friendships.

Since Miwa and Naoko have gotten along so well, and the other girls could see the transfer student was so charismatic, uplifting, funny, easygoing, approachable and not in the least conceited, by the break a small group formed around her and the class representative. One asked Naoko if she'd gone alone, which she replied negatively. By that time she asked herself about whether or not it'd be okay to divulge about her job which hadn't even begun yet, but there wasn't much of a choice since the others immediately inquired if she'd family in Tokyo, or friends, or even a boyfriend. The girl felt some anxiety about revealing she had a producer and a job at an idol agency, as if the others could suddenly turn sour for whatever reason, though even Naoko couldn't quite explain why she felt it. Perhaps because of her friend Norio's jealousy shield theory. Eventually, the hesitant girl wound up explaining the one who paid for the show, and the only one she knew in Tokyo with the exception of a distant uncle, was her producer.

All the girls around her became incredibly agitated all of a sudden. They showered her with questions regarding if she'd performed in the show the night before, how many fans she had, how the life of an idol was, if her parents encouraged her and more. A few sounded clearly defensive, like if men in general paid just as much attention to her as the fawning boys in their class, to which Naoko honestly answered she didn't notice any special attention from them, even though many of her classmates argued she's probably just used to it, because in their point of view the instant the transfer student first stepped into the class all male students became strangely quiet and focused.

Defusing that awkward situation, Naoko quickly and truthfully replied she really used to get lots of attention from boys, but it's expected since she loved things they commonly did too like videogames, cartoons, comics, cosplay shows and so on. Her anecdotal recordings of many situations of how she used to hang out with boys took a turn for the quirky and funny, lighting the mood.

As Naoko came to expect, they had little interest in such trivialities despite all having recollections of a few manga and anime they liked when they're younger. In Miwa's case, it's her brother who importuned her about those things, always wanting a new game or the next volume in an ongoing series of comics, a magazine or other things she considered stupid, but which she had to buy him nonetheless since she's responsible for her home and the kid to begin with. To see that Naoko knew about most of the stories Miwa said her younger brother liked, and the way the transfer student excitedly summarized every one of them, though, made her and the other girls laugh. Miwa told her there was another idol in the school, on third year, but that she's nothing like Naoko, acting much more the famous and untouchable part.

The transfer student's comical, slightly crazy, unabashed and positive ways rapidly put her classmates at ease with her and their questions scanning for potential threats she could represent subsided. If it wasn't for the class president, Naoko would've probably not had the opportunity to show them how she was, but because of Miwa they ended up knowing about her boyish tastes and a few ridiculous situations she'd gone through because of it. The most recent of which had been with her producer on a shopping mall, and how he tried to buy her clothes while the girl tried to convince him to buy a game. Even though they had only a limited amount of time, the glimpses of her old life, her courageous moving to the capital, the producer Naoko painted as an amazingly cool, laidback but also dependable, knowledgeable and funny guy, her amusing work and such piqued their imagination in a hard to believe way. Naoko was one of those people able to make any situation, no matter how absurd, look hilarious when told, from clothes-shopping turned Kamijira's rampaging stroll to having a creepy neighbor waiting for her as if he's plotting an ambush, and this quality kept her "audience" breathlessly following her anecdotes among laughter and never-ending chains of comments.

Eventually one of them asked Naoko why wasn't she lunching like everyone else, and the girl reluctantly explained them she didn't have time during that weekend to prepare accordingly. Miwa, and instantly the other girls, promptly offered her a small portion of each one's own food and made her at ease to accept it. They're the best, Naoko came to realize as she gladly ate and narrated her frenetic weekend, to her classmate's entertainment. At a time almost half of the female students of 2-5 were listening to her dream-like reenacting of the facts surrounding her two previous frantic days.

Naoko had planned to go explore her school during the break, but it turned out much better than she could've hoped for. Also, Miwa offered to show her the facilities the next day, including the many clubs she could get in. Overall her class was easily the one Naoko liked the most in all of her life, being quickly accepted and having a fantastic president who's also not a prick like every other one she had before. It's also the first time she'd known almost nothing about the boys. Sure, she saw a few looked hot; one short student looked the clown of the class; another one had a darker skin tone and his voice was never heard; two had actually been talking about games when she overheard them and so on, but it's nice to feel welcomed by the girls without all the drama for once.

After the lessons were over, Naoko was invited by one of them to watch a training from the female soccer club. The short-haired, slightly chubby girl who extended her the invitation told that they urgently needed more players. Since Naoko was one of the tallest girls from her class, seemed in perfect shape and looked the type of girl who liked to exercise she could perhaps enjoy what she'd see in the drill and get interested in joining the ranks. Naoko already had her karate classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but she opted not to divulge that and watch the training.

She had little interest in team sports for some reason, but while she watched from the grandstand the girls aimlessly running through the emerald-colored grass field, Naoko saw from a distance another big group darting around the tracks that surrounded it. It looked like there was an athletics competition club in the campus. Now that's a thing she could see herself doing.

The sun had almost set down when Naoko left the field area. The empty corridors gleamed with an orange hue and long shadows filled her with peace and made her remember the first song she heard the idol Umeko sing, about the reminiscences of a person graduating. It's amazing how memorable that lyric and the woman's interpretation was. Maybe that's the meaning of her sky-high "Memorability" scores. That high school felt like a sanctuary by the beginning of evening, with the last rays of sunlight covering the terrains and flowing through the windows of classrooms and hallways. Humming Umeko's song, Naoko crossed the main building from back to front and left the school with a smile. It'd been a fantastic first day.

Combing the city after an ATM to withdraw some money from her little reserves that Naoko had left from her saved allowances and from what her grandparents had given her, she then proceeded to buy food, plates, kitchen wares, a nice lunchbox and more. She bought all she remembered needing for the days to come and painstakingly brought everything back to the dorms. As soon as the encumbered girl reached the building courtyard while aiming for the elevator, she noticed someone approaching her.

A quintet of bad-looking boys surrounded a single male student and talked loudly over a corner of the open area. Grouchy faces, legs spread, arms folded or with hands tucked in their pockets, wearing the dark-red buttoned coated variants of the school uniform in a lazy way, with extravagant hairstyles, they looked like nothing but bad news. Even then, Naoko had a few friends and acquaintances that were that way but deep down were very nice guys. Still, when one of the five saw her and came in Naoko's direction, head down and eyes up on her, his sight almost covered by a topknot reminiscent of a seemingly new take on the classic pompadour hairstyle, only with less volume and a few wild spikes, her muscles tensed up.

As the bad-looking boy, almost two inches shorter than Naoko, reached her, he asked in an informal but, in a twisted way, respectful manner that she already knew very well:

"Hey, sis. Haven't seen y'around before. I know I wouldn't forget a lass like ya. Seems like y'could use a hand, sis. Lemme help ya, wouldja?"

The first time Naoko was approached by a guy like that, she's genuinely scared. She'd heard horrible tales of that kind of man, and how they didn't accept no for an answer. But it turned out that below the walking trouble attitude, all the boys she wound up knowing that put up that show were very respectful with ladies they liked. Norio, that womanizer who'd told her about his impression that her first impression was usually intimidating to other girls, turned out to be a boy who always protected her. Not that she needed it, but still. He usually passed a line or two on her too, so Naoko wound up getting used to it – not to mention it eventually became more of a joke than anything.

Thanks to Norio she's able to appreciate the compliments and jokes Aratani sometimes used, instead of being crept out. She already knew when it meant business and when it's just for laughs. She just never allowed Norio space for trying his charms on her, but she nevertheless assisted him many times. She discovered that a guy accompanied by pretty girls looked much more appealing to other girls, and just by sticking to him and his friends she's already of invaluable help. Also, she sometimes eased other women's fears towards her friends, just because it's fun to be useful and hang around with them. She knew almost every girl and boy of her hometown, and it included both the nice guys and the bad boys. On the second kind Naoko was aware that they could be awesome people as long as she passed the first, dangerous layer of imposingness they presented.

It wasn't common for a person to accept help, be it from strangers or acquaintances, or at least not without refusing it a few times first, but he didn't look like his question was actually a question. Rather, it's an announcement that he'd be helping her. And to be frank, she's carrying so many bags it'd be kind of welcome. Still, with some reticence, Naoko answered:

"I'd refuse to be polite, but you probably don't care about it, right? Here, take it."

Transferring most of her weight to his strong arms, she sighed in relief. That guy was just like a couple of others she knew back from Shimabara, when they're around sixteen, which made her comfortable. Perhaps a little too much, but that's what experience was all about.

"Hey, thanks for the help," looking over his shoulders to his four friends intimidatingly surrounding the poor boy, a scene that made her uncomfortable, Naoko asked sarcastically, "So, I suppose your friends over there aren't just calling that fella to play cards with you guys, right?"

In a dismissive way, the pompadour guy replied:

"Pay the boys no mind, they're just chatting. So, where to, sis?"

Feeling sorry for the seized boy and seeing that everyone around pretended not to see that, Naoko faced the serious-looking guy with a stern expression. He acted just like the boys from a few streets down her house, which she already knew, but he wasn't one of them. If she acted too familiar and demanding, things could go bad, but if she's right about her gut feeling, they could respect her wish as long as she politely asked for them to let that boy go. It could be nothing, but it could also turn bad for the outnumbered student. Taking her chance to smooth-talk the bully, she played along.

Directing herself to the elevator, she commented on his last sentence:

"Right, you guys are just chatting. If you say so, it's okay. I'd hate to come out tomorrow morning only to discover your boys didn't keep you word, though." Getting in the elevator and pressing the fifth button, she quickly added before the boy had to answer that rather acid comment, "You guys live here or just came here to chat?"

The bully, who seemed ready to answer her sharp comment on the same level was thrown off. Nodding from behind the bags, he replied:

"I live here, that's why I thought of helping out ya. The boys are here just to visit me."

"You live on which floor?" Naoko asked. Since he'd see where her room was, the thing she feared the most, it's at least fair to know his floor in response. The boy went farther, though, and replied in a firm, bold way:

"Forth, room 426. Wanna come to my room, sis? You're a utopia, girl. I wouldn't mind to chat alone with ya."

Forcing a laugh, she valiantly retorted in a way he was not expecting:

"Yeah, right. Sorry, boy, that's not how it works. I don't even know you and the only things I know so far are that you're a gentleman, but the way you "chat" gets me worried. You just chat like that with men or...?" Suddenly she noticed something and cut her courageous statement mid-sentence, because it interested her more, "Hey, you said room 426? You're wall neighbors with that... how do I put it... "happy" dude from room 427? How... how's it like?"

Getting her acid remark, the boy grinned for a second. As the elevator came to a stop, he let Naoko get out first and followed her, replying:

"Heh. Yeah, that freak's right next door. Why? Know him?"

"Can't say I do, thankfully," Naoko answered getting in front of her room, 527, "but I tried to give my neighbors a present when I got here and, well, turns out he lives right below me." Resting her bags on the floor, she insisted, "That guy. He's... not dangerous, right?"

"Not if you're a man," the bully replied, also putting the objects carefully on the floor, "but can't say for you, sis. Can hear naughty screams from anime girls like things gets rough on them all damn night long sometimes. Guy's into kinky things, I think. And dude's in my class. Does nothing but draw the whole time. All women are scared of the boy, even more than they're scared of me. Guy's a beast." After a brief pause, he inquired in a concerned, protective way "Why? Is freak bothering ya, sis? If so, just let me know." In a hardly ever smiling face, he told her, "I'm Handa Daiki. Daiki for ya."

For once Naoko was really glad she'd known that guy. Like she imagined, he could be respectful. Smiling gladly, the girl nodded, saying:

"Yano Naoko. You can call me Naoko. Thanks for the offer, Daiki-Kun. That's really appreciated. That boy didn't do anything too suspicious so far, but if he does, I'm happy to know I can count on someone. Thank you." After a while, she remembered, "Oh, and thanks for helping me carry all this stuff up here too! Much appreciated!"

Staring at her smile for a few seconds, Daiki tucked his hands on his pockets and turned back so she couldn't see his face. Dismissing his deeds, he said:

"Tsc, that's nothing." After a brief pause, he added, "Know what? I liked ya, sis... I mean, Naoko-Chan. If that freak tries anything funny, y'know where to find me. I promise I'll have a chat with him for ya. Later then."

As soon as he waved goodbye without looking back, sounds from a commotion started on the ground floor. Daiki and Naoko walked to the parapet to see what happened. On the courtyard below, illuminated by cold lamps, one of Daiki's friends held the outnumbered boy tight while the other three surrounded a short man, bumping on the mid-fifties, pushing him and facing him centimeters away from his face. From his high-pitched voice plagued by diction flaws, it's obviously the janitor. In spite of being surrounded, the man insisted on not retreating and loudly commanded:

"You boys have no business here! Get out before I call the police!"

"You crazy?" one of the surrounding bullies, with such a short hair that it almost looked clean-shaved if not for millimetric stubs, asked informally, "We're doing nothing! Just hanging 'round with our chap. Right, chap?"

The bully casually holding the fearful boy faced him intensely, and the "chap" hostage, terrified, told something in a voice too low to be heard by Naoko from the fifth floor, but the voice of Yamamoto-San demanding their retreat and the succeeding threats the boys told him were perfectly clear. The girl, turning to Daiki, pressed him while watching the scene:

"Daiki-Kun, what have you said exactly about only chatting? Now that janitor guy got involved, and maybe the police will too."

"None of your business, sis." Daiki stated, trying not to seem too offensive though. Facing Daiki, Naoko tried to persuade him the way she knew it worked back in her hometown with Norio and the other bullies: believing in them and showing concern with a demanding attitude:

"Hey, I know you're a nice guy and you helped me out. I'd hate to see the police on you, and you also know that janitor can kick you out of here. I don't know what that boy did to you guys to make him deserve it, but unless it's worth getting problems with the cops and thrown out of the dorms, make them stop it. Also you promised you'd be there to protect me if I need! Will Daiki-Kun break it the minute after you made it by getting into trouble?"

Butterflies had started to fly around Naoko's stomach after she pressed the bully into a retreat, but if that continued his friends would probably hurt the poor janitor and the boy, and Daiki would most likely get evicted from the dorms, so even if he turned on her, she'd probably not be seeing much of him anymore. The pompadour boy stared down for a few moments, contemplative, before grinding his teeth and shouting down, not really caring if he's causing trouble for someone:

"Oi, boys! Let's go. Not worth the trouble. We've got better things to do anyways."

"Eh?!" one of the bullies, the tallest of all, with the hair thrown to one side forming a wave, exclaimed, "Whatcha say? Who made ya leader to call us off like that, eh, Daiki?!"

"That's my dorm here, I'll be the one paying for the trouble," Daiki replied, "Ya got me covered on that, eh, Fumio? No? Then let's get outta here. Not worth the trouble."

Seeing the silhouette of Naoko beside Daiki, the Fumio dude yelled:

"That's not like ya! Ya following orders from that lass over there now?!"

"Nope, but she's got a point." Daiki hesitantly retorted under the tense eyes of Naoko, "I've a promise to keep here. Can't go getting kicked out 'cause of a stupid argument. Let's not bother. Fumio will get what ya want another time."

"You'll pay for calling me outta action like that, man! You, me, outside, now!" Fumio threatened. Facing the others, he issued, "You heard, lads. Daiki needs to hear stuff. Let's do it."

Visibly irritated, the bullies released the janitor and left. The one holding the boy, pushing his head away, said as if he thought to be insulting him:

"Saved by a girl? You've no shame, dude? Catch ya later, loser."

Not having occurred to Naoko until then that Daiki could maybe not be the leader of the group, she became suddenly worried by what that Fumio boy said. Turning to Daiki, she found the boy already leaving, with his hands in the pockets. Rapidly she rushed to him, saying:

"Daiki, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get you into trouble. Where...?"

"We got ourselves into trouble by choosing this place to close on the dude," the guy, with distant eyes, told her, "None of your business, Naoko-Chan. Don't worry."

"I'm not the one who should be worried, after the way that guy threatened you!" she insisted, "Let me guess: you think it's okay to go meet them outside and fight there, right? You against four?"

"Me against that dude who threatened me, that's all," Daiki replied.

Naoko stopped following Daiki. She wasn't quite sure about what she's doing, since she'd only met that guy for about a minute. And to say he's going to fight because of her was a lie: like Daiki told her, they had chosen to ambush that boy on Daiki's own dorms, so whatever problems that arose of it, including a police blitz, would've been their fault. To show Daiki he'd be screwing himself over something he'd already done wouldn't cause problems for anyone not already involved in that quintet, and in fact she didn't even wanted to meet him in first place. He's the one who came intrude. The instant Naoko understood it, she stopped and let him go. Contrary to her hometown friend Norio and other guys she knew, who just pretended to be bad boys to mingle with women, drink, smoke and have fun while underage, that quintet was actually troublesome for others big time. When the similarities between her old town's acquaintances and that boy she just met faded, her care for Daiki went with it. Whatever he's going to do, he deserved it in the first place. Also, for as much as it'd be nice to have help with the weirdo from 427, it wasn't worth the trouble of getting on the good side of bad, gang boys.

She returned to her room through the almost empty corridor, packing all of her acquired goods inside. She prepared her obentou for next morning in her new violet and black lunchbox. After that she went to bath. The crystal-clear water drops that fell suddenly got colored by the red lights of police cars that came from inside the small window inside the shower box. In all fairness, it's exciting, but she couldn't see anything down below and didn't try too much anyway. She just sat down, letting the warm water wash her worries away. When she left the bathroom the police had already gone away. After that she finally found some time to play videogame for the first time since she'd been transferred, and finally slept.

On the next morning, starting her mood-swinging period, Naoko once again took a quick shower, a custom she had when waking up and going to bed. Water soothed her. After getting out hurriedly and evading the awaiting smiling boy who once again thankfully was unable to muster up courage to bid her good morning, thus allowing her to pretending not having noticed him, she darted away. As soon as she got on the ground floor, an already well-known voice called her:

"Miss, I must again ask that you don't run on the stairs. It's dangerous," the janitor insisted. Just as Naoko, too absorbed in running away from her grinning neighbor to remember the instruction, apologized and was about to get away, Yamamoto-San lowered his voice and told her in a polite way, "Excuse me, miss, I know you're late and I regret for the trouble, but can I have a moment of your time for an important topic?"

Sensing his seriousness, Naoko hesitated. She didn't want that Katsuro boy from room 427 to catch up on her, but she also felt she couldn't turn down on the janitor's request. The man, with a grave semblance, said while bowing:

"I'd like to thank you for your timely intervention last evening. It helped us greatly..."

"Don't mention it, it's nothing." Naoko quickly replied, noticing Katsuro appearing on the stairs. Just as she's about to leave, the janitor proceeded:

"...but I'd also like to ask that you take care with that boy from 426. Do you know him?"

His question sounded rhetorical, though he's caught off guard once the girl, already caught up by the weirdo who stopped to discreetly overhear their conversation, explained herself:

"No, I've never seen him before. I was passing by when he came to help me with some bags. I saw those guys bullying that boy, so I felt sorry for him and asked the guy who helped me to stop it, because he'd bring problems to himself that way. He decided on his own to do so, however."

"Oh," the janitor interjected, looking ashamed for some reason, "Since you convinced him on halting that absurd, I thought you already knew him or had some connection with him in some way... or something." Bowing, he apologized, "I'm deeply sorry for the misunderstanding and for taking your time, miss. Thank you again for your help preventing aggressions last night."

Under the impression he had thought she's Daiki's girlfriend, Naoko hesitated to respond, though she ultimately asked:

"No problems. Just tell me, do Yamamoto-San know what happened to that boy?"

"Handa Daiki-Kun, you mean?" the janitor asked, "He got what he asked for. He got injured during a fight last night and was taken to a hospital."

"Oh... is that so?" Naoko replied simply. She kind of felt bad for him, but mostly she didn't. Not one to pretend, she answered without emotion, "Too bad for him. Hope he gets better, though. Well, I'm off then."

Leaving the dorms hurriedly, Naoko got away before Katsuro tried anything. The boy would actually do no approaches this time, though, so absorbed he was linking the facts he already knew, about the incident the night before with some gang members that almost hurt the janitor and a student with all he'd heard from his room and his own imagination. Judging from what he heard, that girl had even commanded a dangerous guy she'd never seen before! The more he began conjecturing that marvelous girl taking pity upon the miserable boy being harassed down there and ordered that rascal from his adjacent room, 426, to put an end to it, the more incredible it became. That Daiki guy studied in Katsuro's class, meaning he's also Naoko's senpai, and he's scary as hell, but even then, was it through psychic powers or just her charms, she could control him! That made his mind overflow with created scenes and narratives.

Aside from him, that day was as good as the previous one in school. Everyone on her class already knew about her job and the number of girls that came to listen to her increased. Even a few boys stood nearby to hear her answer another round of wild questions with more anecdotes that, for some reason, made people laugh. The way she told her friends how've been her test to be accepted as an idol, with her mental images of blond companions and skirted turtles, made a girl laugh so hard at the wrong time that she choked with her own food. A handsome boy nearby pointed out that Naoko should ingress the drama club. He and a timid girl from across the room, that sat alone near a window, were the only ones from 2-5 there, but the club was fairly big. Even then, in his opinion Naoko was expansive and unafraid of crowds. She could grab a central position in the next play without a problem.

"Ah... thanks for the invitation, but I'm actually shy on stages... when it comes to theater plays." Naoko retorted, and it was true. For whatever reason she had problems every time she tried to act on a school theater. Seeing how Naoko looked outgoing, the three times she performed she'd received rather good characters: a princess, a two-tailed cat turned woman and an ice witch. The last two had been respectively the main heroine and main antagonist. But despite performing admirably on the rehearsals, when it came to the real deal she almost didn't manage to pull it off. In fact, it scared her a bit that she could feel the same onstage as an idol, though she betted on her accumulated maturity since last play to pull her through. She added that she's shy on stages when it came to theater plays just not to put her career in doubt in front of her classmates, but it could be true. The way she felt afraid at the beginning of her singing and dancing tests still made her nervous about her first performance.

To cohobate with the thesis that the drama club could help her overcoming her anxiety, the charming boy, still smiling a beautiful smile from Naoko's last recompilation of stories, called an isolated, short and dark-haired girl by the window that looked the cityscape through thin-lensed glasses with a distant sight and a melancholic look. As she heard Takumi's voice calling her, the girl immediately snapped out and brightened up, almost dropping her lunchbox.

Turning around, she found most of the class grouped together around the new student looking towards her. It froze the girl on the spot, her shy smile prettified. The pretty boy inquired eagerly:

"Shiori-Chan, isn't it true that I, you and many others came to the drama club to overcome our fears of talking in public and that it helped us a lot?"

"Y-y-yes...!" the timid girl responded in a barely audible way, still trying to seem happy.

"Don't you think Naoko-Chan, who's much more extroverted than us, would probably benefit from it a lot too?" he continued, with a positive, eager attitude. The dark-brown eyes of Shiori slowly glanced at the joyful, energetic, hilarious, unearthly good-looking idol girl who's the center of the attention of Takumi and most of her class, and her cold fear melted in an even worse face of melancholy than she had before. Nodding against her will, she murmured an almost inaudible and sorrowful "Y-yes..." while looking down to her plain lunchbox.

Meeting Naoko's doubtful eyes, Takumi tried to explain it:

"Well... Shiori-Chan is still a bit shy, but that's part of her personality. Even then, the drama class helped her a good amount. I'm sure it could help Naoko-Chan! Don't you want to come take a look at it? Give it a chance, and maybe you'll like it! I'm sure everyone'll be happy to have you there with us."

The way that Shiori girl looked at her and nosedived into a sad state got Naoko minimally uncomfortable. Hearing about how "everyone" would be happy with her presence on the drama club (which she wasn't too fond of to begin with), she replied with an evasive "I wonder."

After the lessons and before she left for her first day in the new karate dojo, Class president Miwa briefly showed Naoko the school and the female and mixed clubs. Poetry and literature, archery, drama, soccer, basketball, calligraphy, athletics, swimming, volleyball, painting, gymnastics, philosophy, table tennis and more. There was a wild variety, though only a few got her attention. She could participate in up to three clubs, thought Naoko would be happy if she managed to cram two in her agenda. She got interested by archery and athletics, mainly. She also loved to swim, but as she discovered, athletics already encompassed that since it presented competitions for not only various track racings but also triathlon. But since she had until the end of April to decide, she postponed her decision taking.

Just as they're finished, Naoko noticed Miwa hadn't shown her the roof. Some schools had leisure areas on their rooftops, surrounded by protection grids. Her older school had it, and it's a blast to chill out there during breaks, enjoying the scenery. And, from the ground, it looked like that high school also had it. As she mentioned it, though, Miwa replied heavily:

"Yes, we have it here too, but... It's where a few unsavory characters dwell. There, and by that creepy alleyway behind the school once classes are over. Since last year no one goes to the roof anymore. It's just not worth the trouble."

Judging by the last school gang Naoko saw, she could understand why people tried to avoid it, though she didn't know if there were other groups, and Miwa seemed blissfully unaware of how many claimed the rooftop terrace theirs. She didn't want to know, in practice.

After the school Naoko waited a little and took a train to her new dojo, cleaning her makeup away as soon as she got there like she always did before trainings so the sweat didn't ruin it. It was an amazing classic style building at the outskirts of a distant and slightly more arborized ward and the trip there was long, but well worth it. A huge training area full of portraits and decorations over the wooden-covered walls made Naoko happy just to be able to see it. Under the sunset lights that came in from a few wood-framed windows, lots of students trained there. Naoko's class was in a rush hour, well after school and of many kinds of work, so lots of teenagers and adults looked for it. Aside from a single, short woman around twenty-five or so, two grades higher than her, Naoko was the only other female student at that hour, among the seventy or so karatekas.

Unlike in the school, where she'd been lucky with the girls there quickly accepting her, there's no such luck in the dojo. As soon as Naoko presented herself in her white vest and blue belt, three of the more advanced students excused themselves from talking with the other female karateka and came to welcome the new trainee. The woman there became adamant and cold in such a clear way that from that point on she just responded in monosyllables when asked by them. It's such a clear-cut change that even Naoko, who'd only seen the woman for fifteen seconds, could notice her gesture-filled speech get retracted. In this sense the only body language class she did was already enough to let her notice that the other female student assumed a defensive posture throughout the whole class.

There was not too much to be done about it, though. The three students that came to salute her were all black belts and directly instructed by the dojo master to supervise the new trainees. They had most likely welcomed that woman too years ago, when she first came to train, and if she hadn't developed friendships with other students, she'd probably been stuck to talking with her own instructors for years. And even though they also supervised other rookies, it's only when they came to help Naoko that the woman's expression from the other side of the area changed to a sour countenance.

Besides her, everything was nice. The three students were all around early thirties. The shortest of the three being a bulky, positive and funny blond guy with a warming smile framed by squared jaws. The tallest of the three was particularly charming, sporting short black hair in an executive-like haircut and an athletic body. The other one, though also handsome, was silent almost all of the time and presented medium-length hair. They made quite the trio and despite their black belts, were very accessible guys. Thanks to them Naoko quickly got accepted by the rest of the class, and on her first day there they kept a close eye on the girl, testing her abilities to assess what did she know and how good was Naoko at it.

The class in general was very supportive to her, even though the girl was not that bad herself. She knew how to evade and defend, and even though her arms' blows were kind of weak, her kicks were stronger and quicker than her instructors had expected. She liked many forms of martial arts and had watched many movies and videos about it. She knew if a man the size of one of her supervisors attacked her, trying to protect herself with her arms would be ineffectual, but the human body's legs had far more potent musculature. Even the female body, with less dense muscles, could use it to great extents. Naoko, who already had strong legs by genetics to begin with, could break many planks with them easily. In a real-life situation, a well-applied kick could potentially fracture bones. Also, one of her favorite forms of defense relied on joint attacks. A kick from the right angle could easily turn an elbow or a knee in the wrong direction. It wasn't common practice in karate as it was in some other martial arts, but joint attacks existed all the same.

That wasn't to say her arms would be useless in combat. Her previous master had taught her about how to open space between an assailant and her if he tried a grab by positioning the lower half of her hands on the upper part of the attacker's throat and pushing it. He urged her not to apply blows in this part, because it could actually kill a person. And since that part of the body has little musculature to protect it from frontal hits (though a lateral blow could be cushioned), any attack could dislodge the column and shatter vital air-flowing channels. Even if the person survived, he could still be left tetraplegic. She could think it'd be okay to hit a big, muscular attacker in that area imagining he'd not fall for a girl, but she would be wrong. As such, while to push that area to keep assailants at bay was okay, to hit it was not and should only be used if that was the only last resort she had.

Other techniques she knew to protect herself in a real situation were taught by her friends who practiced different kinds of martial arts and self-defense trainings. A few weren't even fair play, like groin blows, eye-aiming hits, tympanum-shattering slaps on both ears, nose-crushing palm attacks and so. Every one of those could be employed as a desperate resource using her hands, but since some could leave a person disabled for life she couldn't even imagine herself using it. It's just a corpus of knowledge she amassed due to curiosity and of martial arts freaks she knew. It's cool to know about it, she thought, but to actually employ it would be certainly not.

The master of the new dojo overviewed the trainings. He's just as old as her first master, and he welcomed her when she arrived. Contrary to her old master, though, that despite his eighty years or so still commanded the classes, her new one, Ban Nobuyuki, did not. To Naoko it felt somewhat underwhelming. Ban-Sensei mostly guided his instructors and watched closely. During the exercises he just observed, though once the trainings of positions began the master walked around the dojo, correcting every student's mistakes and showing them how to perform correctly. Despite his age, he had surprising agility and firmness, his hands as stead as those of a statue. Also he seemed like he had no joints, because his articulations could do things Naoko only dreamed she could. The part Ban-Sensei instructed the students was by far the most interesting one, and she's pleased that he actually told her the postures and movements she's able to perform were quite good.

At the beginning of the class the three black-belted students mentioned Naoko could stop at any time during the class if she felt she couldn't go on, since resistance was something to be developed gradually. She didn't think too much of it then, but by the end of the one hour and a half training the girl trembled and felt nauseated. Her master, keenly noticing it, instructed the pale and huffing girl to sit down for the last five minutes. At the end he reunited everyone for a closure involving the contemplation over a proverb. After that he stayed by the border of the training area briefly speaking in particular to each student as they went to the locker rooms. Specifically when talking to the suddenly silent woman, her master cordially asked:

"Kurosawa-San, is there something you'd like to talk about?"

Seeing that the heavy-heartened woman politely refused, he respected it, thought saying:

"If at any moment you feel like you need to talk, I'll gladly hear it."

While it occurred, Naoko was still sitting half-conscious on the same place she heard the teachings, with her legs folded and resting on the floor on both sides of her body.

"Naoko-Chan, are you feeling well?" the concerned voice of a seventeen year-old student one grade higher than her that stayed by her side most of the class snapped her out of the void of tiredness she's in. The girl, barely being able to move, muttered:

"Yes. Somewhat well. I... train karate for a few years now, but... my master from Shimabara... focused more on positions and... techniques... instead of body conditioning. It came with time, they said. So I'm not... used to the body work... you guys do here, that's all."

"Don't overexert yourself," her colleague advised her. That guy, Hideaki-Kun, was one of the many guys who received and helped her and made her feel at home right on the first day there. He's very skilled, but his best fighting trait was his almost telepathic reflexes, as if he sensed what his opponent would do even before Naoko herself knew. Just like her previous master, he told her she telegraphed her blows too much, making her lose time and energy to actually initiating the attack and making it easy for opponents to prepare accordingly. Under the guidance of the instructors, Hideaki took upon himself train with Naoko at least a little each class to help her become a less obvious attacker.

Almost falling over when bowing to leave the tatami, she went to the locker room with heavy steps. The only part she disliked about it all was that, since locker rooms were divided between genders, Naoko wound up in a large room alone with that woman who couldn't stand even looking at her. Since the girl was in such bad shape after overdoing the training, the instructors asked the woman to take care of her while on the locker room, just in case Naoko's nauseas worsened. Though the older female student complied, she did so in the most mechanical and distant possible way. Feeling bad for her, Naoko, who almost couldn't lift her face and was chilling out still in her training vest, forced a smile and tried to start a conversation in a friendly way:

"Hey, thanks... for watching over... me. Don't worry... I'm feeling better now. I... just wasn't used... to the body conditioning... you guys did here. Your... training is... very hard. I'm sorry to... cause you any trouble."

Not even looking at Naoko, the short woman, far from being pretty but arguably very skilled in class, sharply replied in a roundabout but blunt way:

"The training we do here is not for anyone. You can't just practice in an average dojo and come here expecting to impress everyone on your first day."

That butthurt bitch had just insulted her previous master, calling his dojo "average", and the girl herself, implying she's "anyone"! Being on her period didn't help Naoko control herself, either. So tired she was, the moment she heard that her exhausted heart pumped faster and her blood boiled, but weak as that, she felt her pressure plummeting and her sight fading into black.

When she came back to herself, she's lying down in a bench outside the locker, surrounded by the instructors and students. Ban-Sensei stood by her side, as did that woman, with a face as pale and worried as if she'd seen a ghost. Just as Naoko opened her eyes, Hideaki's voice called out for her asking if she's alright.

For a moment all Naoko did was stare angrily at the seemingly afraid woman. If the girl told others about what she said there she could maybe repay her for what that cretin deserved, though Naoko would also be drawing the attention of others to the possibility that her old master didn't train her well. Which he did. It wasn't his fault if Naoko's constitution just wasn't that great.

For a second her new master, perceiving her furious eyes, glanced over to the focus of Naoko's attention, the woman with the scared face of a kid that knew she'd done something wrong. Breathing deeply, the old man asked others to give Naoko room to breathe and thanked everyone for their supports, dismissing them back to the lockers. Once alone with the saddened girl and after she'd recovered, the old man asked politely:

"Yano-San, is there anything you'd want to talk about?"

Thinking for some time and hesitating, Naoko though about telling him, but once again couldn't force herself to do it. Her old master was excellent, he didn't deserve to be shamed by a girl hardly fit for being a top notch martial artist. Naoko ultimately replied with a bow:

"No, Ban-Sensei. Thank you for receiving and taking care of me, and sorry for... causing so much..." Her eyes, against her will, began to water. Resisting it, she continued firmly, despite her voice becoming unsteady and cracking, "Sorry for causing so much trouble on... my first... day here... and being unable... to keep up with the training. I'm... deeply sorry."

"Is that so?" the master asked, her answer having suddenly sparkled some sort of understanding in his eyes. In a calm way and with a precision apparently too good to be chalked to chance, the master told her:

"Well, that's no trouble at all. Despite your tiredness, you performed admirably for a first day, given the circumstances."

Forcing another sad smile for a second, Naoko replied:

"How is it possible? I've just fainted for the second only time in my life."

Standing up, the old man explained her:

"Yano-San is not the first student to be exchanged between me and master Himura along all those years. We trained together and have a strong relationship. Himura-San used to have a dojo in Nagoya, from where we came from, before moving. At that time, decades ago, I had already opened this dojo here, so whenever a student moved, we had connections to transfer them to a nearby master we knew and trusted. And every time we did, the student had some difficulties until he adapted. Himura-San focuses heavily on body posture and movement excellency, for he believes a fighter must use the least amount of force possible to fall an opponent, meaning his movement perfection, precision and power must be a priority. While I agree with this, I believe real-life situations need to be taken more into account, where multiple opponents may make a fight unreasonable and a quick escape needed. Thus, I lean more heavily on constitution developing before requiring a high level of movement precision. When we exchanged students, especially those of the first few belts, the ones I sent him invariably lacked finesse and polishing in their moves compared to the ones he trained, while the ones he sent me suffered to keep up with my body conditioning intense exercises. It's due to our own differences, each master has his own understanding of the teachings, of the world and of life itself. It's in no part a fault of the students, it's just a matter of prioritizing for the masters. Eventually the students of both dojos learn most of the same techniques and reach roughly equal body capabilities. Don't feel disheartened, Yano-San. We've seen it happen before. Just as your constitution needs training, your movement skills deserve nothing but praise. You performed well, don't worry."

Though her eyes were full of tears, not of sadness anymore but of relief, Naoko swept them away as they came, not letting them roll and be seen. The way the master told her, spot-on, all of those things as if he'd been able to read her mind – or, more likely, because he'd "seen it happen before", like he said, and noticed the guilt on that woman's eyes – lifted a heavy weight from Naoko's shoulders. Bowing deeply and thanking him, she excused herself to the locker room to clean her face and change clothes. Once she entered, the still afraid woman quickly left without a word, but by that time Naoko's anger had already subsided. After recovering her blood pressure, changing and reapplying her makeup she left. By that time another class had already begun.

When she left the building, Naoko found Hideaki and another seventeen year-old student waiting for her. Saying they're worried she couldn't go back home alone and explaining they hadn't any more appointments for the day, they waited to see if she needed help or wanted company at least during part of her trip back. It warmed her up again.

Since the trains at that time were extremely crowded and no one had anything better to do during the rest of the day (besides Naoko's homework, but that could wait), the three stayed at a café for quite some time. The two boys were chivalrous and Naoko had many common likings with them, so they talked nonstop until they couldn't postpone the trip. The way back was much better than her trip to the dojo, too. They only stayed with her for part of the way, complimenting her willpower and desire to train when she told them how distant from there was the dorm she lived in. After that she fell into a deep slumber, relying on her cellphone alarm and earplugs to wake her up, without bothering the people around, before her stop. The railway and subway systems were usually on time, so it's possible to calculate more or less how much it took her to go to the dojo and estimate the time she'd arrive at the desired station.

Drained, as she arrived at the dormitory building all she wanted was to take a shower and crash in her futon, so she barely nodded as the janitor passed by. Yamamoto-San, though, quickly left after welcoming her back, mentioning something about going to tell a person that wanted to see her about her arrival, though she didn't understand it clearly. After just a few minutes of having arrived at her room, tossing away her kneaded school uniform and getting ready to shamble her way into the shower, a few knocks on the door were heard.

Probably looking horribly tired but not caring, Naoko sighed. Dressing herself up again, she answered the door with shaky legs and a bad mood. As she opened it, her weary eyes took a few seconds to adapt to the nightly background. Only then she could make out the shape and physiognomy of a boy her age holding a beautifully packed present with lots of laces and cellophane papers making it gleam. He looked vaguely familiar, but Naoko was too exhausted to think about who could he really be. He was slim and a few inches shorter than her, and his voice soft and respectful. Bowing more than she expected a visitor would do, the boy, noticing the tiredness on her face, introduced himself:

"Erm... Yano-San? I'm deeply sorry to bother you at such a late hour. I'm... I'll be brief so as not to take too much of your time. I'm second year student Maeda Hiraku, from room 207. Last night I've been attacked by a gang from our school, but thanks to you they didn't hurt me. I'm here to thank you for helping me. I know it's nothing but a boring gift of no value, but please accept it as a token of my gratitude!"

Bowing deeply again, Hiraku extended with both hands the luxurious gift he'd just downplayed. Surprised out of her sleepiness, the dumbfounded girl replied it wasn't necessary, but as he'd gone through the trouble of preparing it and insisted vehemently, Naoko accepted it. With a confused semblance the girl asked – politely but too sleepy to care about other formalities such as not butting in other people's lives:

"Maeda-San? May I ask you why those people were bothering you? I'm sorry if I'm intruding and if you don't want to tell it's okay, but it just left me curious of what would they want with you in the first place."

It didn't leave her curious, actually. Not until then, when that curiosity suddenly sparked inside her.

"No, it's okay. It's not me they want, but by older sister," the boy respectfully revealed her. "She lives in room 118 and is one year older than me. She studies in the same class as that Fumio rascal, the boss of that five-boy gang. He acts like he owns the place and thinks he can do whatever he wants. He sometimes bothered her the last year, but recently he decided he really wanted my sister to be his girlfriend, and when she refused it, they tried to press her into accepting it by threatening me. Beating me up, maybe."

Feeling her blood boil again and her somnolence fading away, Naoko clenched her fists. That Fumio dude seemed irresponsible and arrogant, but until then the girl wanted to believe the five were at least nice people on the inside. Maybe because of her positive experiences with the bad boys from her hometown, a bunch of lazy and impolite but ultimately respectful and dependable guys. But no, Fumio and Daiki and those other three idiots were just that: idiots. Suddenly getting worried, Naoko questioned:

"Hey, if that's the case don't you think they can try to attack you again?"

Looking troubled, Hiraku slowly confirmed:

"Yes. It's a possibility, though... my sister and I are thinking about enrolling in another school, so they stop bothering us."

"What?" Naoko revolted, "They're the ones who should be leaving, not you and your sister! Have you already spoken to your teachers or the director maybe?"

Lowering his head, he explained it in a low voice:

"No. They threatened to beat my sister up if she or I told anyone who worked in the school about it."

Horrorstruck, and still retaining part of her anger from that coward and egotistical, ugly and butthurt woman from her dojo, Naoko felt a burning desire to beat those gangster-wannabes to a pulp herself. Not that she'd be able to do that in reality, but she badly wished she could do that. Wrathful, the girl quickly replied:

"No, I don't want to lose decent people and be surrounded by jerks, I much rather prefer the other way around! Can't you gather proofs, talk with your class president and let him or her take the necessary steps?"

"The president of my class is also afraid of those bullies," Hiraku told her. Naoko, infuriated, insisted, "What about Yamamoto-San?! He saw it! Can't he talk with the director?"

Bowing, the boy thanked her again, though in a burdened way:

"I appreciate your worry for us, Yano-San, but we'll be fine. At first Yamamoto-San said he'd do it, but if he does, those five can still beat up me or my sister, so we though it's better to just move on. It's still April, it's possible to enroll in another institute. Sorry to have caused you unnecessary worries, and thanks again for the help. I won't take any more of your time."

He departed, leaving Naoko trembling, this time in fury. She closed the door shaking, only then noticing she's clasping her present as if she wanted to smash it. While the girl liked gifts, they also made her nervous, and not just in a good way. It wasn't dread, exactly. She only had one irrational fear, and that was of stuffed animals. She knew it's stupid, but she feared them for supposed pursuing her with their eyes, and while cute in theory, she only remotely liked them far away from her. The only redeeming quality of them was their squishiness, so she knew she could destroy them in case one suddenly came to life and attacked her in the middle of the night – yes, as absurd as it looked, Naoko's mind actually though about such things even if rationally she knew there was nothing to fear. But presents, while not being fear-inducing, were always treated by her with suspicion, even ones given by well-known people, though she couldn't tell why.

Inside it was an expensive-looking assortment of fruits wrapped in a pretty box from a famous brand, which made her not only relax but also be content. Fruits, especially exotic ones, could cost piles of Yen, and made for fine gifts. Like Naoko imagined, the boy had seriously downplayed his fantastic present out of humbleness.

She's so tired that after packing her lunchbox and taking a refreshing, tension-alleviating shower she crashed on her futon into a deep, dreamless and rejuvenating sleep.

Wednesday saw the blue skies turn gray. Finally remembering she's not allowed to run on stairs and with her legs hurting too much to try it anyway, she resorted to using the elevator to get around the maniac-looking Katsuro. She had another incredible day at school, her friends helping her keep up with the lessons and Naoko raising the spirits of everyone. By the end of the last class that boy from the drama club, Takumi, invited her to watch a rehearsal, though mentioning that until that time they're just practicing basic stage techniques since they hadn't chosen a story to play yet. Naoko went, and to her surprise it actually felt a lively place. The theater had a big auditorium and the stage was equally large. Also the drama club occurred on Mondays and Wednesdays, so it didn't conflict with her schedule.

The stage techniques they're training to reduce anxiety and develop the memory seemed really useful too, to the point where Naoko, even though still disliking theater plays, seriously considered joining in just for understanding it could help her as an idol. But then she found that timid girl from her class. Shiori, if she remembered correctly. The girl looked very sad. In fact, she did it every time apparently, but especially when their classmate Takumi asked Naoko, who's bored to death watching breathing exercises and visualizations, if she didn't want to participate in the practices.

It felt strangely familiar: just as the instructors and students in her dojo gave the new, energetic and excited student lots of their attention, leaving that stupid woman resenting, Takumi and a few others received Naoko warmly and seemed to also give her special attention, to the point where they let her partake in their exercises even if she wasn't a member of the club. And just so, the timid Shiori looked all the more melancholic.

That was a reason why Naoko had mixed feelings towards other women. Her mere existence was enough to make some of them act as defensive as a rat cornered by a cat. Luckily there're also amazing girls like her class president Miwa and others who opened up with time and became good friends, but all that nonsense had grown tiring years ago for Naoko. As such, even though the drama club looked a good opportunity to hone her stage skills, Naoko decided to give it a pass just so she didn't have to be around that sourpuss Shiori girl. Even the way Takumi looked down and told her if she ever changed her mind, to come back made Shiori gloomy. That wasn't the type of person Naoko wanted to have around her.

A big aspect about male-female interactions was that usually they started pretty shyly. Unless they happened in a place or situation where both parties couldn't deny they're looking for a relationship, or in the case of a few aggressive individuals, it usually began slowly. Showing interest through excess of attention was a common habit, and men usually tried to make themselves useful. The problem was that it wasn't exclusively for showing interest in others. Naoko wasn't stupid, she knew very well that those two boys from the dojo that waited for her could possibly have an interest in her, but the trio of instructors, that demonstrated equal care for her, were all married and most likely acted that way just because it was they functions there (or at least Naoko expected). Drama club Takumi was harder to say. He showed some signs of interest, but at the same time it could also be just because he's the one who invited her there and just wanted to make her guest feel comfortable. Naoko received so many of those mixed signals from boys her age or a few years older that one thing she learned in her life was that if she tried to analyze every single one, she'd be crazy. As such, most of the time she simply didn't care and assumed all mixed signals to be non-interest-just-business in nature. If boys wanted to get an interest message through her mental customhouse, they'd have to do so explicitly, because her poor neurons wouldn't work double turns trying to decipher what they wanted to say just because they're too bashful to do so in complete sentences.

Only problem with this was that, though certainly not naïve, Naoko misinterpreted some clear interest signals sometimes. She didn't think too hard about these things like some other girls did, so she could be wrong. Takumi, though acting like almost every other boy from her class, could be interested in her, and Shiori could like him and notice signals Naoko didn't, or didn't give importance. Subtlety was a thing she hated, it felt like a cheap tool only a coward would employ. And though Takumi was kind of handsome and very attentive to her, so were many others. He's a nice friend to have, but if Shiori indeed liked Takumi, felt overshadowed by the transfer student as it appeared and could read Naoko's mind she'd discover the girl had no interest in that boy – or, currently, any other for that matter – and wouldn't "steal" him from her even if he declared himself. But no, it's apparently too much to ask that other people could read convenient tidbits from her mind! So yes, that drama queen could have her bloody drama club to herself for all Naoko cared.

About the rest of the boys of her class, only a few didn't show that kind of attention towards her. Her most handsome classmate, and one of the most handsome students in all of the school, was not only indifferent with her, but with everybody. Some girls likely thought him to be a cool, silent type and were attracted to it, but Naoko assumed he's just a dumb, obnoxious dude. He's the only one that annoyed her, the other three boys who didn't gave her special attention seemed just timid guys. One was dark skinned and always walked alone, and the other two seemed to live in their own worlds, talking about their hobbies and nothing more. Mainly games. For as much as Naoko loved the topic, seeing people who had no other conversation subjects looked strange, kind of childish. Still, she's willing to bet those three guys could be nice friends if only they opened up.

Never before having ventured around the city just for fun, Naoko did so after returning to her room, doing all her homework and changing clothes. Though she wanted to get used to wearing the platform boots in public, it's hard to muster up the courage to put it on. Not mentioning the other showy clothes Aratani has bought. Albeit feeling glamorous, Naoko left her room looking both sides and hoping no one saw her. On the streets the girl felt shivers and tried to hid herself for half an hour before getting more or less accustomed to the outfit. But then again, it's better that she started losing her anxiety for flashy getups now rather than during gigs.

Eventually the anxiety dwindled, leaving just the pleasure of feeling free to actually look attractive without complainers bringing her down. She had twenty-three wards in Tokyo to explore, the burning desire to do so and some free time in her hands. Sure, by the end of the day she had seen approximately... nothing, at least when compared to how much there was to see. If she did that every day, and supposing the colossal metropolis never changed, she'd probably take about twelve or thirteen millennia to see most of it, but it's a nice start! The more she roamed the bustling city, the more impressed she became. It gave her many ideas she wanted to do, like hitting a big arcade, visiting a huge exposition (preferably one centered around games, international stuff or food), inviting her friends for a karaoke, perhaps even calling them to an amusement park someday, or over to her place once she'd organized it.

While Naoko explored a big gallery a woman called her, introducing herself as the manager of a maid café Naoko had visited a week or so before looking for work. She offered her the job, making the girl insanely happy for such a small reason. She wondered if she could accept the position to work during the week, but Aratani would probably not like it. Even refusing, Naoko felt great knowing she could actually have other jobs in case that idol business came under or turned out to be a now very unlikely hoax. It made her day.

Just as she left the gallery, raindrops began to fall around her. Naoko, with no umbrellas, retreated to buy one and started to make her way back to the train station. As rain began to pour, soaking the dry city and sweeping away the dust accumulated in more than three weeks of almost uninterrupted clean skies, innumerous black umbrellas popped out over the crowds like dark mushrooms. Her own, a purple and white one, was small and the torrential downpour that issued quickly got her legs drenched, but with only a mini short there wasn't much to get wet. In fact, for once it felt really nice to walk on platform boots and being able to tread through puddles and small currents that fazed smartly dressed people without a care in the world.

Naoko loved rain just as much as she loved bright, sunny days. Back in her childhood she couldn't help but jump in every puddle she found, until a day where she fell flat on one. Water, in general, was something she loved, from pools to rivers, from a shower to the ocean, the rain, hot springs and more. While it's horrible to walk with waterlogged shoes, that wasn't the case with those almost impermeable and well-sealed footwear, so no complains there. And the city's air felt much better. Too bad the rain became so heavy that a gray curtain prevented the girl from seeing more than two squares away, and the wind threatened to split her poor umbrella in two, because the waterfalls that fell from the building façades made for quite the scene.

Hiding under marquises when the winds became too strong to proceed and appreciating the view while at it, Naoko slowly made her way back home. There many students roamed around, bringing soaked clothes to the communal laundry. So did her as soon as she dried herself, reapplied the makeup and changed clothes to another recently bought flashy outfit she's supposed to be getting used to wearing.

The washhouse was decent-sized, but even them seemed crowded. Bringing her attire with school uniform along the clothes she had to wash anyway, the girl stood by the entrance, watching others and learning how to operate the machines. While she's at it, Naoko noticed a known face: the bullied boy Maeda. He's accompanying a rather pretty girl, with similar facial features. Though she's slightly smaller than him, it's probably his older sister he mentioned, unless he had a younger one, a cousin or something. They're too similar not to be related by blood, she thought.

It seemed most of the people living in the dorms were there, and just as the girl stood waiting for her turn, she suddenly got an uncomfortable sensation of being watched. Not just being looked at, like people usually did, but actively stared deeply. It didn't take too long to notice an unnatural grin in a corner, like a psychopath trying to look friendly. Weirdo Katsuro looked up in the air like he didn't notice her, though his eyes periodically glanced her for a fraction of a second at a time in rapid movements. It's the first time Naoko felt more than slightly worried about that boy. Since he couldn't bring himself to come in her direction, the girl also pretended not to see him, but things got awkward. Especially because he's many numbers in front of her in the line, and once he'd cleaned his clothes and turned to go away, he suddenly pretended to having seen her. As if he'd prepared carefully for that moment, he walked in her direction with his basket of clothes and his forehead beginning to glint as if getting wet by sweat.

Instinctively crossing her arms and legs and leaning against the closest wall, the girl also began to sweat. At the same time, Naoko got very aware of her surroundings. There're lots of people there so he'd probably not try anything stupid. But he's also apparently very frail and short, Naoko analyzed she's probably much stronger than him and could defend herself as long as he wasn't armed. But what if he had a knife or something with him?

Just as her mind began getting paranoid over the approaching boy with the strange smiling behavior, the meek guy slowly walked as if he's going past her and, in a cracked voice almost too low to be heard, greeted while bowing:

"Good... night." The girl, noticing there was a boy and a girl by her sides she could push over the freak if she needed, breathed deeply and, trying to appear surprised (in a positive, non-terrified way) as if she'd just seen him, replied nervously, "Oh, hey, hi."

Initially it looked like he'd keep walking away, but he abruptly stopped and turned full-front in her direction, while the girl, clinging discreetly to the wall, instinctively turned slightly sideways facing the nearest escape route. Katsuro stood there for what appeared to be an eternity, grinning mouth agape idling while he thought of something to say. From the top of her platforms Naoko was around twenty-five centimeters taller than him, but the short guy facing her from below with almost non-blinking eyes still scared her badly. Even though he looked in her general direction all the time, he's unable to maintain eye contact for more than a second at a time. Eventually he inquired, like always in such a low voice that Naoko would have to lean in to listen perfectly what he's trying to say, though of course she'd do no such thing:

"Crowded here tonight... isn't it?"

"Yes," Naoko replied, thinking furiously if it meant something like he'd invite her to a less crowded space or something. "I love crowded places."

Nodding, but appearing not to have heard anything she said, the seemingly nervous boy quickly launched another statement with a compliment undertone, though much more truncated and full of hesitant pauses, as if he'd memorized what he'd say but was afraid of doing so:

"Nice. Hey... Yano-San... looks... The way... Yano-San... looks... kind of... reminds me... of a... a... character... in a... manga... I know."

Not knowing if that was a compliment and internally asking herself "Yeah, so what, why don't you go read it and maybe choke on the manga and die?" the clearly uninterested girl replied a long, dubious "Riiiiiight."

The way the boy seemed so nervous, slowly leaning in as if getting smaller, and his forehead getting brilliant with sweat while his trembling smile never ceased, made Naoko gradually more and more nervous too. It's hard to tell what passed by his mind, but the way he looked like a maniac made the girl get even more worried. There's no way she'd feel safe around a guy that looked half psychotic, half scared as a chicken. By that time a sudden and desperate recollection from her body language teacher called the girl's awareness to her posture. Completely closed and cornered, her arms folded in front of her chest as if trying to hide it, legs crossed, her head close to the wall meaning her sight-line was far above the boy's head and, thus, her fearful eyes turned down to face him, hurting her orbits and its musculature.

Remembering the only lesson she had, about assuming more confident postures and about creating awe on the audience – and in extreme cases, fear, if used wrongly onstage, her teacher warned her – Naoko took a brave leap and immediately corrected herself. She couldn't, at first, bring herself to open fully, but she uncrossed her legs and spread them somewhat. Though her arms continued folded, the girl stood as tall as she could and, making use of her height, with difficulty leaned slightly over the boy, while staring him down from the bottom of her eyes, that turned serious and razor-sharp. Doing so with an audience transmitted a message of superiority, not unlike the one Violet Lily used to employ. Used close to the edges of the stage, it could easily intimidate the nearby watchers, so it was a dangerous move to pull under the limelight. But at that time Naoko was glad for what she thought initially to be the most boring of all lessons, because as soon as she assumed that posture two things happened: her racing heart calmed down somewhat while her sense of security and confidence increased, and the meek boy took a step back, looking even more terrorized than before. Even his plastered smile vacillated, and in turn he forced it to be even bigger.

At first it gave the scared Naoko the impression the posture had backfired, but as she came to understand when the boy continued talking in an even more frightened and low way, he's actually extremely afraid. His smile had grown bigger just as a defense, though the girl couldn't tell if to try and intimidate her back or what. His voice, though, became even more soft, high-pitched and shaky, and he cowed even more, as if trying to make himself as small and harmless as possible. It filled Naoko with a powerful conviction that the boy wouldn't be able to attack her then. He's barely able to breathe, actually, which for the first time felt a little funny. To see that freak who terrified her act like that too was calming and nice.

Even though almost looking like he'd have a heart attack, Katsuro kept going on in his whispered and vacillating speech, nervously looking around, his fingers shaking and white from the lack of blood flow making it evident he's holding his basket of clothes as a shipwrecked would cling to a life buoy:

"People in... school are... talking... about... I mean... They... were talking... today... about a... manga... and games-loving... id... idol... from 2-5. Is... is that... Y-Yano-San?"

Though nobody directly glanced over, a few girls and boys started to notice their awkward conversation. The girl by Naoko's side discreetly retracted a little. Katsuro's previous statement about Naoko looking like a manga girl began to make sense to her, since the boy appeared to know she liked those things. Naoko also wasn't aware of "people in school" talking about her other than her class, though she could be wrong since she had barely walked around during the breaks to hear the last corridor gossips. Still, it seemed fishy. Constantly reminding herself she was stronger than him (almost anyone was stronger than him, really) kept her fear at bay, and the girl barely mumbled an "hm" in acknowledgement, meaning she'd heard what he said. The grinning boy, seeming lost with her lack of enthusiasm, asked:

"Do... Y-Yano-San... like... it? I-I mean... what... kind of story... do... do you...?

Unable to finish the sentence he silenced, letting the context speak for itself. Too worried to think about anything, the girl replied a quick "Any story's fine" in a loud voice, to call attention from the others to her. Just in case someone was nice enough to come to her rescue, even though it seemed the hardly-breathing boy was the one in need of assistance.

"Any?" the boy, for the first time looking a little less desperate and with his eyes finally beaming, replied. Naoko was almost saying what suddenly came to her mind, "Not the ones you probably like the most, thought, you perv-stalker-weirdo!" when the boy detailed, "Like, uh... action stories... with giant mecha... or, uh, superpowers... things like that? Do Yano-San like... these kinds of stories too?"

Though his smile kept being enormous, for the first time it felt a little genuine, and so did his gleaming eyes, almost as bright as the sweat drops that began forming on his forehead. Still creepy as hell as much as crept out himself, but for once he seemed to have heard her.

"Y-yeah...?" Naoko hesitantly replied. That was one of her favorite kinds of stories, her hesitation was due to the person asking the question rather than the question itself. Just as he started to inquire if she'd already read something he'd no time to say what, a bulky figure approached Naoko and stood, arms folded, by her side. The already petrified boy became even more so when he saw the hardly-happy, strong face of that muscular guy that lived the door besides him, Daiki. The bully had a bandage over a small part of his chest that could be seen under his shirt, and one of his eyes was half-closed and still a bit swollen. He wore long sleeves and pants, meaning there was no way of telling if he had other injures, but it appeared so.

Being unable to even whisper "excuse me", the terrified boy moved his tense grinning lips somehow and left, still forcefully smiling but crestfallen. Only then being able to breathe again freely, Naoko relaxed her posture and sighed deeply. Daiki, who was already naturally a few centimeters lower than her and now seemed even shorter, asked her with a firm voice:

"Y'alright, Naoko-Chan? Freak tried something on ya?"

Gradually recovering, she took a moment to be able to speak, so shaky she was.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks," For the first few seconds she's glad Daiki had shown up, but as her composure returned so did her anger after what that bullied boy, Maeda Hiraku, had told her. Facing the always frowning eyes of Daiki with an equally unwelcoming, grave face, Naoko retorted, noticing his wounds, "Seems like that talk with your boss was a tough one."

"I don't have a boss," Daiki replied gravely, to which Naoko retorted acidly, "I was under the impression you did when that stup..." Controlling herself and trying to dose her adrenaline with some logic, Naoko rephrased herself, "...when that boy threatened you that way, and all you did was telling him your gang should go away because the warning I gave you made sense. And because you did nothing but comply when he acted like he'd mop the floor with you."

"Watch it!" Daiki warned her in a forceful way, making Naoko feel suddenly intimidated. Noticing it, but not really apologizing, the boy simply complied in a slightly more respectful way, "Yeah, the gang has a leader."

At that moment, when she finally accepted she's afraid of that imbecile, a strange thought crossed over Naoko's mind: why was she so scared of a puny boy she could snap in two with a sniff and that seemed as afraid of her as she was of him, but didn't feel too much intimidated by a gang member until now? Whatever's the case, a reflection about it would have to wait. Noticing the boy the gang had bullied and his sister watching them discreetly from afar, Naoko, not caring if she looked frightened, replied while taking a step away from the guy:

"If the gang has a leader and you're part of it but's not the leader, than you have a leader. A leader that beat you up and threatened to do the same with that boy you guys attacked and his own sister. Right? I heard why you guys picked up on him. It's true, isn't it?"

"Who told ya that!?" Daiki demanded to know, making Naoko even angrier. Even more, she became afraid she'd denounced the boy that presented her, so she quickly amended it:

"You jerk! That's none of your business! Many people know it, they just don't talk about it out of respect for the victims! You and all of your stupid gang! You've no qualms with beating up women! Stay away from me!"

The second Naoko took a step away from that boy, his hand held her wrist. In a mix of terror and surprise, the girl turned to face him shouting "Let me go!" The first thing that came to her mind was that if he didn't comply immediately she'd, out of fear and fury, dig her nails deep down in his eyes or something. The boy, noticing a commotion form around them, with people starting to record videos discreetly through their cellphones and others getting away or coming closer, released her and, in a low voice, asked, trying to be a little more tranquilizing:

"Can... I talk to ya outside?"

"Why?" Naoko, taking another step back, nervously defied in a loud voice, "So you can beat me away from everyone's eyes? Hell no! Get lost!"

Getting angry, Daiki initially exploded:

"Stop yelling, I'm not gonna beat ya but ya getting on my nerves!" Seeing a few boys from the third year closing in, Daiki closed his eyes and tried to calm down. In a low voice, almost a whisper, ashamed he probably was of others hearing him, he tried to explain himself "Listen, Naoko-Chan. I promised to protect ya. I'd never hurt ya. I came to ya right now, didn't ya? I didn't know y'here, but as soon as I heard ya, I came, 'k?"

Six athletic boys stood behind Daiki, giving Naoko a small respite. The bully, though close eyed, could probably have noticed the movements around him, with many girls getting away and boys coming closer. Breathing deeply, Naoko pointed out the commotion he was causing – even though knowing that it was her, in fact, that was being loud and using the crowd to protect herself, though the boy was the one responsible for forcing her to do so:

"You're bothering everyone here. You're part of a gang that intimidates people and threatens to attack girls. And you want me to be calm? You want me to believe you'll protect me? Ha! If your boss decides your gang will beat me, you'll most likely don't even bat an eye before following his orders!"

Opening his eyes abruptly as she'd started to speak, Daiki's face grew even more serious, to the point where it began looking mortified. The boy protested vehemently:

"Naoko-Chan doesn't know me! No, I wouldn't do it! I swore I'd protect ya!"

"Yeah, right!" Naoko replied, "You get a beating from your stupid boss, come back here telling me you're still part of that gang and you want me to believe you'd not follow his orders blindly, whatever they may be?! Tell me: if he ordered you to beat me, what would you do?"

Daiki grinded his teeth, facing Naoko with eagle eyes. Her heart ran as fast as when she practiced karate in the dojo, and even though all her teachings crossed her head by that hour, she knew she'd have no chance of beating him up. He's shorter, but much stronger, and she's still a novice karateka. Maybe she could deflect a punch, but not much else, even though he was injured. At least she wouldn't be able to protect herself without resorting to extreme and dirty measures that had nothing to do with karate, like hitting his eyes or between his legs. She'd have to count with the help of the many guys close-by to stop him.

After many tense seconds, Daiki, looking her fearful and angry face and also the surrounding people paying close attention, replied in a whisper:

"I wouldn't follow his orders if they're to beat ya. I'd defend ya."

It felt genuine enough for Naoko, though as afraid as she was, she didn't trust her instincts on it. They could very well be trying to lead her into a false sense of protection. She insisted:

"So you'd disobey your leader's orders, you say? Yeah, it's easy to say it, but I doubt you'd really do it if it came to it!"

"I would!" Daiki insisted nervously, "Whatcha want me to do to prove ya I would?! Why can't ya believe me?! I'm a man of word!"

Just as nervous, Naoko countered his flawed logic:

"Daiki-Kun, you even continued following that Fumio guy's orders after getting sent by him to a hospital! Give me one good reason to believe you'd..."

"I don't give a damn 'bout myself!" Daiki interrupted her, saying it all as quickly as he could, "But if I say I'd protect ya, I'd do it, even if I had to go against my leader! It's not like I've ever gained anything working for him anyway... and I said I liked ya, right? Don't ya make me repeat me in front of everyone!"

That was some serious sentence, Naoko felt. While the girls in the room seemed only impressed by the second to last sentence, a kind of declaration, the boys seemed much more respectful during the entire statement. They probably understood much better how hard it should've been to say that in front of so many people and what it truly meant for a gang member to say such things. Naoko understood the meaning of it due to all of the years having so many male friends, but even she admitted she couldn't fully comprehend what the solemn boys in the washhouse appeared to feel. On the other hand, it's better this way, because she didn't care for the meaning of it, rather focusing on how it affected her life and that of the people around her. She could even make seemingly cruel demands and blackmails, though they'd ultimately lead to positive results in her opinion. Therefore, after reclaiming her breath, she assumed a confident body posture to help alleviate her fears and said in a less aggressive voice and a slow pace, buying herself time to think about what she's going to say:

"Okay. Listen: I thank you for... huh... saying that and all. It's not like I don't really want to believe you. I do. But let's get real here: you say that to me, but you're still part of a gang with a boss that threatened a girl he said he liked. And you say you're a man of word, but you probably gave your word to your leader that you'd follow his orders to get accepted in the gang, right? I know how it works, you're not the first gang boy I knew. So I hate to force you such a difficult choice, but I also hate indecisive people. You'll have to choose which side are you on. Protecting me like you said or being with your gang after seeing how egotistical your leader is, risking you to be expelled from your dorm, and what a loser he is threatening a boy to press his sister into accepting him, beating you up and causing problems with the police."

Getting abruptly infuriated, Daiki exclaimed loudly:

"How dare ya blackmail me like that?!"

"No, how dare _you_ do the things you did!" Naoko retorted, suddenly yelling full-blown, not even stopping to think about what she's saying because she'd surely not have the courage to say all those truths otherwise, "What kind of future do you think you'll have following a loser like him, anyway?! Don't you _dare_ raise your voice on me, so far you're nothing! Hear it?! Nothing!"

Daiki gave a furious step in Naoko's direction, and even though it wasn't clear what he intended to do, the boys behind him reacted quickly and held him. The girl, though knowing it'd be best to stop right there, unleashed all of her anger and loath on him:

"You're just a low-level dog of a stupid school gang of five idiots run by a coward! A man who can't even get a girl through decent means! You said you'd protect me from that strange boy, but at least he mustered up the courage to come talk to me and respected me instead of forcing himself on me or acting like he'd punch my face every time he heard something he disliked! Truth hurts, doesn't it? So stop with this bravado before I call the police on you for grabbing me forcefully and for threatening me, and listen!"

The restrained guy stopped trying to force his way out, though his eyes were furious. The boys that restrained him remained grabbing his hands firmly, because Naoko seemed to have gone berserk and blindly released her wrath on the gang member:

"You told me I'm blackmailing you, but that's exactly what that weakling of your boss's doing with girls, and you're not enough of a man to call him on that like you did to me! You follow orders from a vermin like that, what's me to expect from you than being even more of a weakling? Eh? That you protect me?! I need no protection from weak guys! You... think people fear you for being so tough, but you're just physically so! You have no self-respect, to the point where other guys can beat you up and you'll still follow them! What kind of future you expect to have being like this?!... What kind of girl do you think would like a guy like you?! You think I like to hear from you that you like me?! You insult me, that's what you do!"

Daiki tried to break free to rush her, but was restrained.

"You insult my intelligence!" Naoko proceeded, shouting on his face, "I'm nowhere near desperate enough to want a guy like you remotely close to me! And while you remain a weakling that another weakling can mop the floor with, while you... while you keep disgusting me, coming here like I should be happy to see a coward that gangs up on a decent boy for scabrous reasons, while you don't grow up, grow a backbone and start doing what's right instead of what a chicken orders you to do, I want you in jail! In hell! Far away from me! The instant the people on that school understand they have nothing to fear from a bunch of vermin if they team up, you five will be squished in a second! And you know the best part?... You'll have no one to blame but yourself for not being man enough to do what's right and insisting on standing by the side of those losers doing what they want you to do!"

Blinded by rage, Daiki moved his head quickly, as if to head-butt her, but stopped on the last second, barely touching her forehead. Shocked, the girl stepped back, noticing his wrathful eyes. Getting even more choleric for him almost hurting her, but also getting more intimidated, she concluded:

"So alright, you don't want to choose between keeping your promise of protecting me or continue following orders from an insect? Fine!... Choose for yourself, then: do you want to keep acting like a nervous kid with no ability to withstand frustration and who follows orders from other kids, or do you want to become a man? And for the sake of heaven and Earth, look at my eyes at tell me if I said any lie!"

All eyes in the room where wide-open and the only noises that could be heard when Naoko ceased her verbiage spree, huffing, was the rain outside and the low hums of the machines cleaning the clothes. The girl was so fed up that she unleashed all her rage, including things not even related to Daiki like that stupid woman from the dojo, that drama queen Shiori from her class, her stressful encounter with Katsuro and the fact that Naoko's period had started the day before, adding up to that cretin Daiki getting all worked up after helping a gang force a girl to accept that filthy Fumio as her boyfriend by threatening her own brother. She couldn't care less if Daiki felt bad, if he cried all night long or if he cut his arms so deeply that he amputated both hands. She's so blinded by wrath that she swore if Daiki said anything stupid she'd rip him to shreds with her bare hands.

The fact that she'd assumed the postures her body language teacher told her helped too, as did her understanding that Daiki was just as much, if not more, meek on the inside than that grinning boy Katsuro. Probably more, because Katsuro was physically weak too, while Daiki, being burly, still acted like a little, nervous kid. Naoko had developed her train of thought as she spoke, never before having thought about the things she did while she talked. It's as if deep down she already knew things that she didn't know she knew, but that flowed out of her mouth as she let herself talk what she wanted. It's disturbingly strange, but in a sense, to reach that Honne, that True Voice state, was delightful. In a dark, twisted way.

Daiki's eyes couldn't retain his bad attitude throughout the whole speech. After Naoko got personal, asking him what kind of girl would like a weakling who followed another weakling's orders, even his tough frontage crumbled. The frustrated, ashamed and surprised boy, still restrained, heard in silence all Naoko said, sometimes getting extremely angry, but more often than not just being staring her in shock. After the almost possessed, choleric girl concluded her verbal thrashing and leaned to glare deep into his eyes from the same level, all she said began to sink in for both sides. For Naoko she knew she'd committed a grave mistake. She slowly began to think in all the things that could happen to her for having meddled in what didn't concern her. Daiki knew where she lived and he was as dangerous as he was childish, for he didn't seem to be able to take critics well. If she'd only let that gang beat up the boy and the janitor without interfering, she'd have no problems by now!

At times like that, in her hometown her childhood friend Masahiro would've interfered and impeded her to be irrational and getting herself into trouble. At times like that she wished he's by her side. Not having him around anymore, the girl would have to policy herself, but maybe what she'd done was beyond repair. Hence the girl began thinking for alternatives for resolving the situation as her anger decreased and her fears increased while staring dead-on inside the boy's eyes. Maybe calling the police and trying everything she could to get him under cop vigilance, or getting him expelled from the dorm and the school somehow...

She suddenly snapped out of it by a rapid movement. The scared girl leaned back up a little in a reflexive action before noticing it's just Daiki's eyes. He closed them. After a long and torturing silence the boy opened them again, looking somewhat sad for the first time, even if he continued trying to keep his bad boy attitude that didn't deceive Naoko anymore.

"I hate ya. How... could ya do this to me? After I came here to protect ya... Though maybe... y're not lying. Like... maybe... y're, like... right," with his forehead and his jaw trembling as if his face muscles fought over showing or not any emotion, Daiki finally spoke. After thinking a lot over it and glancing over to the silent crowd that watched the scene, he continued, "I'm worthless. Always been, always will be. Sorry... for not being worthy. I'm... not worthy, that's why I live for an unworthy gang."

Feeling her heart race at the prospect the boy could change, not because she still cared for that brute who apparently tried to hit her but just to settle matters, Naoko disagreed:

"No! You don't need to be like this forever."

Shaking his head negatively, the boy replied in a pessimistic way:

"I dunno how to be any other way. Dunno what's to be worthy."

"Well, then learn it!" Naoko insisted. Giving a thanking nod for the boys that held Daiki to release him, the girl excitedly spoke, "What's to be worthy? It depends, I think." Reflecting for a moment, she questioned, "What things are worth fighting for, in your opinion?"

Closely observed by the boys who kept him held until instants before, Daiki looked lost.

"Dunno... maybe... maybe..."

Perceiving the boy was already too ashamed to say anything, Naoko eased his burden while speaking slowly, again to give her time to think ahead about what to say:

"It's okay, you don't have to say it. Just think about what's really worth fighting for. If you fight for those things, you'll be worthy! You're not worthless for life, you're just currently being so. You'll have to choose if you want to keep fighting for that Fumio dude, picking on innocent people and getting yourself hated by all, or fight for things you consider worthy. Just know that like you said I could call you if I needed, Daiki-Kun can call me too to help you if you reconsider. I believe you can be a great person if you try."

Even though there were machines that have already finished cleaning and drying, no person there dared move a muscle. Gazing at his own feet, Daiki, in a low voice, very ashamed as he was, mentioned after a brief, reflective pause:

"I... want it. I do. But... me and Fumio... and a few of the boys... we're in the same class. It'll be awkward to be there alone... Can't count on anyone. They'll attack me every day."

Trying to find a way to bypass that "nitpicky detail", Naoko replied, pressuring:

"You know what will be awkward? When the police calls your parents telling them his son attacked a girl or something and is under custody, and your school bans your for life and kind of destroys a good chance you have at a better future. Not to say you'll have to find another place to live. I, particularly, fled from my parent's house and the idea alone of returning there would make me reconsider any choice I could make, but if that's not a problem for you or you have somewhere else to stay, scratch that and just stay with the tarnished criminal and educational files reason. And it's not like you can count on someone right now, anyway. Unless you think you can count on the guy that almost wasted you!"

She knew it wasn't a very good response because it didn't solve the problem presented, just put it under a new perspective, but Daiki, though initially looking sour when Naoko mentioned his parents in such a way that the girl could see it clearly, became much more sensible to the plead by the end.

One of the athletic boys, a tall one who's held Daiki tight during his raging impetus, raised his hand slightly behind the bully, as if asking politely for an opportunity to talk:

"Hm... sorry to interrupt, but if the problem is to have no group to be part of, I think you should consider joining a club. I'm members of the basketball club. Tanaka here too. And I know a guy from your class who's also there with us. You're from 3-3, right? They'd not attack a player, it'd have repercussions from the whole team"

Another, shorter boy who also helped detain him, seizing the opportunity, added:

"If for any reason you don't feel basketball's your game you can also try the soccer team. I'm part of it, can show you 'round if you want."

Bringing his hands shamefully over his eyes, Daiki stood still, trying to calm his voice enough to say something for all those people who stood by his side and lent him a hand after all the stupid things he did. Suddenly, from somewhere in the room a short boy shouted excitedly:

"I'm in the Poetry club! I can also introduce you to everyone there!"

Everyone turned to acidly face the boy who broke the touching brotherhood-like mood. Eventually recovering from the traumatic experience of imagining himself with glasses reading haikus, small poem-like sentences, before Fumio and his goons broke in the poetry club room to punch not only his face, but that of every other intellectual student there, Daiki turned to face Naoko as well as the boys who've helped him and thought for a long time.

Even though the washhouse was full and space was precious, the bully, barely able to hold his emotions at bay, abruptly moved. Not really caring about the dozens of other boys and girls there, or merely biting the bullet and doing what he thought was needed, he crouched down on the white-tiled floor as if to sit over his folded legs, but leaned forward. Almost touching the ground with his forehead and supporting that most extreme begging position with both hands clasped, Daiki took most of the free space and even then he almost touched the feet of the nearby people. For the first time speaking in a proper way, in a loud voice, mostly for those with whom he spoke directly but presumably also a little for everyone else in the room, he apologized:

"I'm profoundly ashamed for all the troubles I've made all of you go through! I'm aware I don't deserve the forgiveness and the chance you all present me! Even so, I beg that you all let me join you so I can work with every fiber of my body to help you all however I can and try to correct all shameful wrongs I did! Please let me set this straight!"

The silence that flooded the laundry was so overwhelming only the rain outside dared to break it. People barely breathed as if not to be the first one to dispel it. Feeling strangely happy but also very embarrassed, Naoko glanced to the boys that restricted Daiki looking for someone courageous enough to say anything and make that repented gang member get up, though since she's the one talking to him to begin with, all eyes circumspectly fell on her.

"Ahem..." the girl, after what seemed like an eternity, hesitantly took upon herself the task, "I'm glad you made this choice, Daiki-Kun. Count on me on whatever you need." Whisperingly, the girl, getting tense, added in a modulating voice, partially spoken and partially sung, holding a few syllables longer for comical relief and emphasis, "Also, stand up alrea~dy, I'm getting uncomfortable he~re. You're not a yakuza goon so stop acting like o~ne!"

Cleaning clothes in a washing machine had never been so exhausting and time consuming but also rewarding. After apologizing to Hiraku, the boy he and his ex-gang had threatened, and also to his sister, Daiki seemed more relaxed. Still beet-red ashamed for what more than a quarter of the dormitories students had seen, but fine once he'd made up his mind and found solace and a sense of belonging with the boys who've restrained him, especially the soccer club one – Daiki felt he wasn't tall enough to play basketball. Since videos of the incident spread like wildfire across the dorm building and the school students, quickly lots of people knew about his change of heart so his word and mettle were tested right off the bat. On the bright side, the ashamed boy found out people actually supported his shift towards a more dutiful attitude. Boys respected his braveness to admit his wrongs and changing.

Most girls were quite reticent about the way Daiki acted on the videos, as if he'd harm the student who faced him. For Naoko things got excellent, however. Whatever little sympathy she had for the boy was permanently lost and all that's left was some small compassion for a human being trying to change, but Daiki got extremely disappointed and irritated with himself after watching the recording and seeing how he acted in clear contradiction to his vow to protect her. From that point on the senior student did everything he could to repay her. On a final note, it paid off to wear those flashy clothes Aratani gave her: Naoko looked absolutely stunning on the videos. Unfortunately she also looked scarier than hell, screaming those things as if next thing she'd do was to throw the gang member inside a washing machine and watch him spin for hours.

The rainy day started well: the janitor was absent since the night before, when his old car lost control and crashed in the vehicle of an old geezer during the downpour. No one got seriously injured, but it meant he'd to take care of many things, and as such Naoko could run down the stairs without worrying. By morning the whole school had already watched the videos and it spread through the students' network issuing a flood of comments, many of which parodying the absurd scene and wishing the ex-gang member good luck on his return to grace endeavor. Daiki joined the soccer club the same day, immediately gaining two friends among his classmates who also took part in it and more than twenty others around the school, many of which belonging to the third year. This, along with the boys from the male basketball club and the archery club, gave him quite a support net to fall on to, making his ex-gang members shy on the idea of taking him by assault in the campus or the dorm building. They still promised a payback, not only on him but also on Naoko for insulting them to a point where boys and girls alike laughed on Fumio's back.

That made the girl extremely worried, but not only Daiki promised to not let anything happen to her, many boys from the sports clubs also warned the gang members there'd be serious repercussions if they so much as looked her, or any other girl from school, the wrong way. Once the word about Fumio's harsh ways of trying to get girls spread, many female students denounced the four remaining gang morons to the director's secretary, which gave everyone hopes that the quartet would be expelled. Unfortunately the director couldn't attend work that day due to a light injury suffered when some crazy driver crashed on his car the night before, but nevertheless by Friday things were probably going to be settled. Tension went sky high, but since the four were severely outnumbered, they evaded conflicts. Too bad a thunderstorm raged, because the gang could no longer claim the terraced rooftop theirs with dozens of boys itching for the slightest reason to unite like Naoko was seen mentioning in the videos and squish the petty opposition. Demoralized, with their ranks thinned down and besieged, there wasn't much Fumio and his minions could do but wait.

As class president Miwa told Naoko to calm herdown, from what little info she had on the rooftop gang, they're one of those thorns that acted through hard to prove threats and little else, it seemed. They're scary for individuals to face head-on but did no real harm to anyone to justify a full-force intervention by the school. If anything else, they fought themselves instead of others, and when teachers tried to assess if they're doing something wrong, like baring students from accessing the rooftop, they simply denied it, though as soon as the authorities had turned their backs they resumed their doings, such as the trifling territory wars against no specific targets and with no weapons other than bluffs. No one really tried anymore to cross the lines the gang drew just so as not to test if their threats had any bite along with the barks, but besides a few minor brawls, the troublemakers posed no danger if people were united. What kept them from being wiped-out was that until then they'd given others little reason to get together against the gang. In other words, like Naoko summarized, they're a bunch of sissies that only knew how to threaten but paled away from any real challenge.

The only problematic part about facing them, according to Miwa, was the supposed dream the gang leader had of someday joining a real crime organization. The idea of clashing against a guy with such a terrifying plan for life scared people. Seeing Naoko got even more worried, Miwa quickly apologized and reassured her they wouldn't be able to do it, she thought. Their wimpy infamy generated by the video would prevent it, though Naoko insisted that didn't suffice as proof they wouldn't be able to join a mafia family someday. So far they're just students, after all.

The girl didn't have too much time to worry, though, because her female classmates kept her busy every free minute they had talking about a wide array of topics. At first they invariably related to the incident, but quickly went astray, from clothes to who was the "strange boy" she referred to Daiki had vowed to protect her from in a part of the videos. It worried Naoko she could have said something wrong that her freakish neighbor Katsuro could've watched too, but as her friends replayed the video she felt relieved to discover the complete quote was "You said you'd protect me from that strange boy, but at least he mustered up the courage to come talk to me and respected me instead of forcing himself on me or acting like he'd punch my face every time he heard something he disliked!" So she'd actually praised the smiling boy for his courage and respectfulness. Nothing to fret over. Though the more she thought about it, the more she got concerned again. Not that Katsuro wouldn't like it, but that he'd be encouraged to try again...

During all day Naoko fled from her concerns through social interactions, but as she returned to her room, changed clothes and went, under sparse rain, to the dojo, feelings of uneasiness got the best of her. The more she thought about Fumio's promise of revenge, the more scared she became. Maybe it happened tomorrow, or maybe it took ten years to happen, once he became a respected member of a crime organization. That boy was seriously problematic, however much Miwa tried to convince her otherwise.

So afraid she got thinking how bad that payback could be that Naoko simply had to show that video to her newly acquired friends in the dojo and tell them the story before the training. At first she did so in high spirits, but after she told them about the vendetta topic the girl took a turn to the gloomy side. Deep down Naoko wanted to be reassured that others would help her if she needed, though maybe she knew too little about the people that trained with her, for after all the fun with the lighthearted part they simply acknowledged the problem but tried to minimize it, telling her there's nothing to worry about.

That's because they weren't being threatened, Naoko imagined. However her training was so exhaustive that Naoko had no chance to think about her problems during it, and no energy to do so after. Only not nauseated like the first time, the girl was nevertheless fatigued. So much she didn't even notice that woman silently training nearby, and how her master asked her again after the training if she wanted to talk to him about anything that bothered her. She refused, though, thanking him for the concern but declaring there was nothing currently disquieting her.

As class was over and her master called Naoko to ask what troubled her so clearly during that day that her moves seemed shy even though the girl could swear she's focusing on her exercises, Naoko briefly explained the situation to him. She wasn't really expecting help from Ban-Sensei, but under the circumstances any advice he could spare would be already appreciated and she asked for such.

After a brief deliberation the old man replied:

"When you think too much about your fears, you lose sight of your potentials and the fact the other party also have fears. They only have the upper hand right now because they threaten you to make yours come true, whereas you don't do the same for them."

Quickly thinking about that, Naoko inquired:

"But what can those boys fear that I could threaten to make real, Ban-Sensei? I can't simply attack them straight on! And they act like not even being expelled from school is a big deal! Not even causing problems that require police intervention, too!"

"Physical violence is just a last resort," Ban-Sensei explained, "There are a couple of ways you can go. If those boys make constant use of it or threatens to do so, it means they have no other tools to make their desires come true. Yano-San doesn't have to lower herself to the same level or trying to employ the same tactics your opponent use and thrive on. If there are dreams, however, there is fear those dreams might not come to fruition, and a million ways those fears can become a reality. An expulsion might not be it, but there's bound to be a way. Find it and explore it with the tools you do have. Alternatively, help them develop other tools to achieve their dreams so they don't have to rely on aggression."

"The gang leader's dream is to become a full-blown criminal!" Naoko insisted, "I can't help them achieve it. Thought the part of exploring their fears might be plausible!"

"Dreams are never bad things, Yano-San," Ban-Sensei clarified, "What you do to make them come true is what can be understood as good or bad. Dreams are but necessities and desires, such as to be healthy, to have friends, to not be alone, to be respected or to be happy. If in order to be happy and respected you think you need to steal and threaten people, that's not part of your core dream, but the goal you set for yourself to achieve in order to fulfill your dream. People hardly ever fulfill dreams because even after reaching a goal, they just set the bar higher and higher. Goals are as limited and twisted as the mind that created them and relies on the tools available to the person, but dreams? They're almost universal, and never bad in itself. You can't blame a person for wanting a romantic relationship, though you can blame them for the way they choose to realize it. The same way a person can hurt itself or others if they only have a maul to use in order to slice bread, and wouldn't be a threat to others if someone lent him or her a knife, everyone has its limitations, and need to make do with tools unsuited for the task. Most of the time people hurt others because of their internal limitations: they don't have the right tools to fulfill their dreams in an efficient way and create roundabout goals to try and do so."

Closing his eyes and speaking from heart, the old master continued:

"It may be tempting to judge a person's goals based on your perspective, but rest assured if a task seems easy for you, that's because you have the right tools to tackle it, though not everyone do, and certainly they don't have it because they don't find a way to develop it inside them, not because they don't want it. Believe in the purity and goodness of everyone's dreams, Yano-San, though put their methods to achieve it under suspicion. Act either to help them find better alternatives to reach their innermost, positive needs and desires, or instill fear in them by threatening to ruin the goals they currently set. The second's only a palliative, though, for the desires and needs of the person would still be unfulfilled, possibly prompting them to try again at a later date with even less adequate tools, maybe not against you, but against someone. And in case all two fail, only then physical violence becomes viable, only to protect yourself and those you care about and only with the minimum required amount of strength to make it do. And even then, if you saw the situation before it came down to that and still had to employ physical violence, rest assured you also failed somewhere along the road. If you're taken unexpectedly by assault, employ it, but if you had the chance to foresee it and failed to at least try to take steps to prevent it, you can't truly say you have a better heart than those who attacked you."

Like last time, her sensei's words lightened her burden and made her think more clearly. Her fears almost disappeared after her master mentioned the goodness of the innermost needs and desires of anyone. Thinking like that, Daiki had repented after noticing how twisted had become his ways of achieving whatever ends he wanted. To be part of a group or having others to rely on, maybe. Perhaps Fumio and the other boys also just wanted things like having a girlfriend or being accepted, but limited as those numbskulls were, the means they found to make it true were as limited as their brainpower and honor.

Soon after Naoko thanked Master Ban and went to the female's locker room, that woman dismissively broke the silence and asked her if it was true what others were saying about someone having threatened the girl to pay her back for something. The woman, though looking inattentive to her while folding her clothes, had actually gone through the trouble of trying to bridge the distance between the two, so Naoko felt she had to encourage that somehow. The exhausted girl showed the woman the video and explained the situation. The short female karateka, becoming gradually more aloof and sour while watching Naoko owning the washhouse couldn't prevent herself from mentioning in an ill-spirited, roundabout way:

"Someone who butts in other people's businesses and thereafter reduces to nothing a boy who said he liked her and all of his friends, while having to rely on others for protection, practically asks for bad consequences."

Once again, if Naoko wasn't tired to the point of asking herself if she'd have the energy to return home, she would've counterattacked. It immediately made her decide she'd need to get on that athletics club to help her get in shape quicker. That woman was clearly trying to pick a fight with her, though every time she let her mind slip she became too afraid of the consequences herself and quickly escaped while bearing an apologetic look on her face. It wasn't common for someone to say her mind like that when it clearly hurt others, that whore should either have brain problems or was beyond wrathful to not be able to control herself. Either way, she once again ruined Naoko's good mood, though not for long that time. As the girl contemplated Ban-Sensei's words while watching the rain wet the train's windows, she suddenly had an uplifting insight.

That ugly, sourpuss, socially inept woman had done exactly what she condemned by butting in other's lives and reducing another person's will to zero, while evading the results. She was also begging for bad things to happen to her, but she did that anyway. Looking back, she was a person very few people she talked to in the dojo, while Naoko, on the second day of her training, had already attracted more people around her than the other female had in many years. Also the "reduces to nothing a boy who said he liked her" part felt strangely specific. She could've pointed out other much more pronounced characteristics in Daiki-Kun. Why focusing on the declaration he liked her, which was only briefly mentioned once or twice in the video if she recalled it correctly? As her master said, people had good dreams but not always good methods to fulfill them. Maybe that woman, despite all her evident envy, only wanted not to be alone, but in the absence of better "tools", better social skills or whatever, to fulfill it opted to try and verbally abuse Naoko, who "stole" the attention of the three instructors, the only people with whom the woman talked to in the dojo.

Thinking about that, Naoko suddenly realized the "someone who butts in other people's businesses" while "having to rely on others for protection" parts of the sentence made a whole lot of sense when she tried to look from that woman's perspective: a girl came apparently invading her space and quickly became something like a "favorite" of others, meaning the person who was there before couldn't react without fearing retaliations from the others. That could be seen in her coward acts after she said something stupid. Like her master told her, it'd be easy for Naoko to judge that moron's acts wrong, but that woman probably just didn't have the tools Naoko did to perform well in social interactions.

That insight made Naoko all the happier. It wasn't her fault, but a limitation of another person who made that woman attack her, much the same as it wasn't anyone's fault if Fumio was nothing but a critter who couldn't see how childish he was and had no capability to take no for an answer. They seriously lacked tools to achieve their goals, and it made Naoko somehow cheerful. It's wrong, but kind of good to know the people who scared and bullied her suffered in their own ways, not unlike that Katsuro grinning boy too. Only it looked too pious and forgiving to help such people get the required tools, and much fairer to just find how their fears could be exploited so as not to make them mistreat her again. It's clear that dojo woman feared Naoko's reactions, Fumio must had something that scared him too. Something related to making his goals not coming to fruition, like Master Ban told her. Maybe if he permanently lost his chances to becoming a yakuza goon?

Naoko had also listened to the part where her master told her to scare people was just a temporary solution, though, so while the prospect of paying them back what they deserved sounded more appealing, she returned home thinking whether or not she should try to help those people reach their innermost dreams and, if so, how.

One thing was for sure, though: Naoko's fears had dissipated and her overjoyed self had returned.
Chapter V – Girls in the Shell

The female athletics club meetings occurred every Monday and Friday, though there was also a spare training on Saturdays for those who wanted or couldn't attend to other days in the week. Since it's still raining outside, that day the club would make use of the swimming pool. On most schools it's only open from June onwards, though internal heating systems, a thermally-isolated building, clubs that relied on it and other technicalities Naoko was unaware of made it possible on that school to have it open almost all year round.

After joining the club, Friday became even more intense for the girl since Naoko already had Physical Education in her regular school timetable to begin with. The karate classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays also always left her muscles sore the day after, but that was nothing that more workouts couldn't solve. She was no expert in body conditioning to know if so much exercise was beneficial for her health, but Naoko felt fine and her lungs and muscle resistances improved noticeably, so she gave it no afterthoughts.

Though the metropolis looked grey and depressing, the day was great. Before classes had even started Naoko heard gossips that the director had expelled gang leader Fumio and put the other three boys who remained in the group on a disciplinary correction course. The leader would still come to the school by Monday with his parents to finish the bureaucracy, meaning his classmates would have to endure one more day with that stupid boy, but it's enough to cheer everyone up. Especially Naoko: it made her day as bright as sunshine. So much she actually performed better than she expected in Math. She also performed exemplary in English lessons, though that one was nothing out of the ordinary.

Naoko usually did better in English than she did in Japanese, both because the foreign language wasn't taught in the same depth as the national one and because the girl was already pretty knowledgeable on it anyway. Many games, movies, songs and videos she liked were in English, and some online friends of her also only spoke it. Mostly people related to the games speedrunning international communities and online games she used to play. They're a lively and funny bunch, that's for sure, and Naoko learned a lot with them, both related to the language but also other customs. While she could read anything short of a Ph.D.'s thesis on ancient English, could write with only a few typos and understand whatever people said, her spoken abilities were a notch below. She still could make herself easily understood and to think in the foreign language wasn't too much of a problem, but there's no way around her accent. Letters like "L" sounded slightly like the "R"s in words like "aurora", and the "R" itself was an even worse offender. In English it sounded indescribably soft or polished, whereas her accent made it slightly dryer and on a few occasions became a "ra" or a "ru". Some lone "S" or the sound of it as in words like "nice" became a "su" and some words like "here" were unintentionally pronounced "hea" by her. She knew it's wrong, she just couldn't help it – to be fair when her friends from abroad tried to pronounce Japanese words it also sounded wrong and funny. Other than that, the girl had no difficulties with it, her knowledge level in it was far more any school would ask for. If only it's the same with the other subjects...

Master Ban's teachings carried her through the P.E. class, the last one before break. While boys were sent to the pool, the girls were divided in two teams to play volleyball in the roofed sports court. So happy she was, in the locker room Naoko started teasing Miwa and her other friends as she saw them in their P.E. white and dark-red attires, and they did the same with her. Under the doubt of whether she or Miwa looked the most stunning – even if the only girl voting for Miwa was Naoko herself –, they started a contest to decide who looked the best, and quickly most of the girls in the class were comparing one another's outline, asking to postpone the decision until they had their first class in the swimming pool, messing around with parallel competitions for specific features and generally having fun. Thanks to Naoko the place went from being relatively quiet (she called that locker's room a monastery) to a party with many voices colliding, surprise exclamations and screams, laughs and so on. Amidst the happiness, though, one downcast girl clung to a bench by a wall and stood there staring at a drain on the floor.

The mood of the drama club girl from 2-5, Shiori, was as gray as the skies outside, like usual. As Naoko noticed her standing alone in a corner, the first thing that came to her mind was her first day in that school, when she had three choices of chairs to occupy. The one by the window, now she knew, was right in front of Shiori. And to think Naoko almost sat there. In a week the girl got more or less used to the second row in the front of the class, thanks to her friends. To think she could be stuck with that sobbing girl instead of Miwa and the other fun girls if the class president hadn't invited her to sit nearby was a terrifying thought.

The short girl looked so down, though, that Naoko felt bad for her. She thought about calling Shiori over to have fun with them, but her intentions would probably be misinterpreted. The wallflower, table-flat girl with the thin glasses would most likely feel insulted to be part of a beauty contest, even though Naoko could actually see some sort of prettiness in her. Her face was beautiful and she had a petit quality that made her adorable. Well, her melancholy aside. But to tell that to her seemed inappropriate, since she wasn't messing around like the rest.

While the undisputed title of class beauty was awarded to Naoko, the real question became who'd get second place. Miwa and a brunette student that sat by the windowed outside wall close to Shiori, named Sayuri, divided the class' opinions. Eventually Sayuri got the best by marginal difference.

Informally crowned class beauty, Naoko was also one of the tallest, and as such, the second to be chosen, right after Miwa, by two classmates randomly assigned team leaders by the thirty-some teacher. He wasn't very handsome, Naoko thought, since his face seemed humorously off, too similar to a baby somehow, but he was very fit and bore an impressive abdomen that showed through his t-shirt. Shiori, being small, skinny and having no friends, was left for second to last. At least she didn't bring her thin glasses to the fray, though it's hard to tell how good she'd be without them. Also, though not being fond of team sports, Naoko was on a roll that day and was an actually athletic person, contrary to the one centimeter higher Miwa. The class president, though being fit as a fiddle, couldn't jump high, slapped the ball with little force, didn't have particularly keen reflexes and quickly got tired, while Naoko's only problem was her poor accuracy. Still, she's able to jump far past the net's line and block incoming balls with ease.

During a rather disputed point the ball was lobbed in the air from the back of the opponent team's lines, giving Naoko some time to act. She jumped to intercept the ball, noticing then that Shiori cowed in anticipation. Hence the defending girl decided not to be bad and deflect the ball in the opposite direction. Left, not right. Left. Not right. When the ball came in range, her hand flung violently, hitting the object midair with a grave, low thumping sound, sending it exactly to the right. The ball passed over Miwa before the tired girl could even jump. Shiori started to panic, running in circles and screaming before the ball finally stuck her head with sniper-like precision and sent her flipping to the floor. Then the ball flew upward and fell again over her head before hitting the ground and stopping. Then it most likely would've come out of inertia if it could, gaining altitude and falling again on the girl just to show how bad she was at it.

"Damn you, eye-hand coordination!" Naoko thought, "Why can't you large muscle bundles be as accurate as your sibling in the fingers?! Why?!"

Looking on the bright side, Shiori wasn't wearing glasses.

Naoko was far from suitable for all volleyball positions, but could perform passably even in the rear ones. Furthermore, to everyone's surprise, class beauty queen Naoko was not only the opposite of a spoilt girl and finicky player, she's borderline suicidal. Having no qualms in jumping after a seemingly lost ball to recover it even if it meant crashing flat on the ground soon after, Naoko played like a madwoman. What she lacked in finesse, she more than made up in sheer braveness (or craziness). To her it's just the way she played anything, every so often getting injured, but for those who watched her persistence, her vigor and her skull thickness were astonishing. Since Naoko knew how to feather a fall from her karate training, her crashes weren't nearly as brutal as it looked like, but only a trained eye could see that and, apparently, there was none in her class.

Her classmates paled in comparison. Miwa, more so. And then there was Shiori. Poor girl couldn't even hit the ball. Every time someone threw it in her direction, Naoko's team got a point and the shy girl looked even more disheartened. She tried not to deflect anything against her, but in the heat of the moment and with her blind aim it wasn't always possible. Naoko's team also had a few girls weighting it down, but overall Naoko just blocked most balls right at the net and didn't spare her classmates chances to demonstrate just how awful they were at volleyball. All in all her class was not very good at it, the only reason that made the also mediocre player Naoko, full of energy but not really skilled, shine. Her team smashed the opposition and in just one class Naoko managed to become Class Beauty Queen MVP, while Shiori successfully defended her belt of Wallflower, Most Clueless Player.

Back in the locker room, everyone was so cheerful that Shiori stood out for Naoko as a little black hole, trying to suck away the joy. Sure, it wasn't her fault for not being happy, but even the girls from her team, despite the loss, were vibrant. Miwa and many other girls were all praises to Naoko's abilities and questions about if she hadn't break any bones, while others were just tired and hungry, but kept talking among themselves. The glasses girl, on the other hand, was even more miserable than before. So much it started to get on Naoko's nerves, just like she did in the drama club by looking helpless whenever that boy Takumi spoke to the (un)aspiring member. It's as if Shiori couldn't see anyone happy, being praised or winning without getting down, and even though she didn't act, it almost looked like she expected others to notice her sadness and console her. In its own way, that was very egotistical of her.

But once again Master Ban's wise words appeased Naoko. That girl just didn't have the tools, the social skills and eloquence, to achieve her dreams otherwise. She most likely wanted to be liked by others, she just couldn't find the way to do it. And unlike that dojo woman, she didn't react in stupid ways. It's as if she suffered alone. Feeling sorry for her, Naoko thought about going to talk to the girl, but since Shiori had no friends and no one to talk to, she's also the quickest to change clothes, and before anyone knew the girl with a red, ball-like round mark on her face had gone back to the main building under her small umbrella.

Noticing Naoko's bothered expression as she saw the girl going away, Miwa remarked:

"Is something the matter, Naoko-Chan?"

"Oh, Miwa-Chan," Naoko was brought back from her contemplation, "I was just thinking. About Shiori-Chan."

"About the ball you shot on her face?" Miwa risked a hunch, "If that's it, don't worry, she knows it wasn't on purpose."

"Ah, no, it's another thing," Naoko told her, "I was just thinking that Shiori-Chan is always alone and looks... kind of sad. I was wondering why."

Putting an index finger on one cheek close to her mouth and looking up, Miwa recalled:

"I study with her since I was nine, I think. As far as I can remember, she was always like that. Well, maybe not as silent as those last few years, but definitely quieter than most. She had one close friend until the year before last, but her family moved to somewhere in Hokkaido. I can't recall where exactly, though. Still, Shiori-Chan is just introverted, I think."

"Is that so? Still, don't you think she looks a tad sad?" Naoko insisted, to what Miwa thought for a moment, "Hm... I think I just got used to her being that way that I didn't notice. Now that Naoko-Chan mentioned it... maybe? Perhaps I should go see if she needs something."

During the break Miwa did so, but to no avail. Shiori-Chan simply thanked her for her concern but mentioned she had nothing she needed that she could think about. It's frustrating to Naoko, who could clearly see the girl by the window, observing the rainy landscape, was melancholic and could use a friend. Then again, Naoko's assumption was hers alone. She could be wrong, even if her gut feeling told her otherwise.

Her mood quickly returned back to vibrant as usual while she went to the swimming pool for her first day in the athletics club. Not knowing anyone was slightly daunting like always, and unlike in her dojo there was no one to welcome her other than a senior girl who did little more than explaining her how the club worked. Under the guidance of a coach, a previous female triathlon champion, the girls trained to break their own records, and the best results awarded the respective person a chance at various competitions, pitting them against other schools. Though there was an external coach, she also supervised other institutes, and the girls' trained by themselves. Even though Naoko preferred individual sports rather than having to rely on teamwork, it felt boring at first, and the girls paid little attention to one another. Eager to test out her black and red swimsuit, Naoko was disappointed there was no one around that she knew to talk about how pretty she thought it was, and the others seemed to be too focused on her own exercises to care.

Her displeasure was rapidly put aside, though, because as she got in the lukewarm water Naoko felt right at her element. In Naoko's previous school, the swimming pool was only open from June onwards, but on her new school the place could be used since the beginning of April. The thing she liked the most about pools was the freedom it provided. She could float and spin around if she wanted, walk as if she's on the moon or pretend to fly. After the initial shock to discover how the Athletics club worked she carried over, testing out her speed and lungs capacity under the coach supervision. When she's done the coach showed her the results, and in many categories Naoko had performed rather well, generally occupying the fourth or third positions in the swimming leaderboards. For someone who'd just arrived, it looked promising. Then again, most of it could be related to differences in height.

Just as the coach left an excited girl drew close to the lane divider. Looking happy, the pale-blond, short haired student threw Naoko off balance with the thankful tone in her speech:

"Hey, you just need to perform a little bit better and you'll surpass Rin's records!"

Naoko glanced in a disbelieving way to the apparently overjoyed girl. It seemed hard to believe someone would really be happy to have her second overall position threatened like that, but no matter how she looked at it, the strange girl looked honestly glad. Naoko reticently said:

"Hm... I'm... sorry? Thank you?" Seeing the girl look bright, she asked, "Hey, huh... you... look kind of happy with it..."

"Heck yeah!" the upbeat girl agreed. Leaning closer and covering the sides of her mouth, she revealed whispering, "It's because only the first two get to participate in interschool competitions! Gets me dizzy just thinking about the crowd."

Relaxing, Naoko giggled. "For a sec I thought you'd try to scold me or something, but you're actually glad I can surpass your records?! You dislike competitions this much?"

"Rin's not joking! I hate to compete!" the girl replied, "I joined this club just so I could exercise a bit! I've no intentions of ever going back to competitions! Last time Rin was so afraid Rin almost fainted, and placed last in front of everyone!"

That girl looked surprisingly lively and carefree. Smiling without noticing, Naoko asked:

"But are you required to compete if you place second or first?"

Getting suddenly preoccupied, the girl quickly insisted:

"Oh, no, don't tell me you also hate to compete?! No, please, you have to become better!"

"Huh... It's not that I enjoy competing," Naoko answered, "I get kind of tense too, but I don't think I'm scared or anything. Why? Do we get scolded if we lose?"

"Nah, nothing like that," the eased girl explained, "It's just Rin's problem. I just can't stand to see everyone watching me and expecting me to win. I usually faint when it happens." With bright eyes, the girl inquired, "Hey, tell Rin: you're that girl everyone's talking about, the one who absolutely demolished that boy in that video and ultimately led to the expulsion of that idiotic coward that played mafia boss, isn't it?"

"I don't... know about the demolishing and expelling part..." Naoko modestly replied, "but yeah. I'm Yano Naoko, from 2-5. It's a pleasure meeting you, hope we get along well!"

"I knew it!" the girl exultantly exclaimed, "The others here probably know it too, they're just too self-centered and boring to say anything. I'm Uehara Rin, 2-1! Call me Rin, okay? Please be nice to me!" after an exchange of radiant smiles, Rin continued, "Hey, Yano-San?"

"Hey, no need for formalities too! "Naoko" is just fine", Naoko insisted, to which Rin acknowledged in an uplifting way, "Right-O! So, Naoko-Chan? Can I ask you a favor? Big one?" With sparkly eyes the blond girl begged, "Please train hard and surpass my scores! Here in the pool as well as on bikes, on foot and such! What do you say? Please?!"

Cheerful, Naoko happily agreed to try her best, though asked Rin why she couldn't simply hold herself to stay behind, to which the girl replied mixing first and third person speeches:

"Rin thought many times about doing it. Rin knows Rin came here just to make exercises and have fun but Rin just can't hold herself back! It's too troublesome and no fun at all! I want to feel I'm giving it my all, I just don't want to compete! So please do your best! I'm sure with some training you can help Rin!" The high-frequency girl, just after completing her plead, thought about something and immediately said it, "Ah, can Rin just ask also we don't make it a rivalry? It makes me uncomfortable. It's a kind of competition, too. Can we just be friends? Oh, I know, I know! I can help you in whatever you need to improve! Rivals don't help each other, right? They're just an incentive for someone to improve itself, but friends help other friends! So... would Naoko-Chan... you know... care to be Rin's friend?"

"Yay-yay!" Naoko instantly agreed, happy enough to hug Rin and only not doing so by a hair. Rin and Naoko had lots of things in common, as they quickly discovered. Both were energetic, easy-going, easily excitable girls of the same age. The blond girl also always carried a smile and felt that club was nice in theory, but people were too individualistic in practice. Too focused on competing, they barely talked to each other.

Rin was surprisingly fast for a girl around eight centimeters shorter than Naoko and a slim figure. The external corners of her eyes were slightly lower than the inner ones and her cheeks, according to Naoko, begged to be pinched, giving her a cute face. Her hair was beautiful, though in a peculiar way: blond but pale as sun-dried wheat straws. A few random straws were darker than the majority and a few lighter, though the girl told it's normally like that. A few could be seen sloppily hanging out of her red swimming cap while in the pool, but after the training Naoko could see her full hair, straight though not all that well-kept. As such the uneven bottom curved upwards as if the girl slept folding her tufts unknowingly and didn't care to comb it too much. It's kind of untidy, but suited her nicely.

The two went away talking. Each carrying her own color-intense umbrella, Rin's one being lime-green, they learned they shared some similar tastes. They both liked manga (Rin, to some extent), exotic foods and music. Rin knew how to play a few songs on a piano as her family had one, though the only instrument she really loved and wished she knew how to play was an electric guitar, just like Naoko. She also looked excited when hearing about the I.S.S.G.'s shows, mentioning she'd never, ever have the guts to perform in front of others but she'd love to watch a gig. The blond girl didn't usually play video games, but she liked a few other kinds a lot, mostly board games. Her only problem was that anything that vaguely reminded her of a competition made the usually positive girl get dizzy and few uncomfortable, even if she played on a team against another one. The kinds of games she liked the most were cooperative ones. She disliked real violence and wasn't interested in martial arts like Naoko, but she accepted action movies as long as they had some kind of romantic plot mixed in.

Rin was fascinated to know about Naoko's bustling gaming life, full with friends from around the world, and intrigued about how the speedrunning community worked. From what Naoko told her, even though people were always competing for the best time, most speedrunners actually helped one another by sharing new tricks and information, playing together and such. The charity events that grouped them together periodically caught the attention of the blond girl, specifically. As Naoko described how fun they were and her experiences with friends getting together to play like them sparkled Rin's interest in trying the same and knowing more about.

The blond girl knew some nice places around the city and Naoko promptly suggested they went to a karaoke the next day after the club. If it wasn't for the fact both wanted to go home and wash the pool's water away under another bath, they'd do it that same day, so well they got along together. They had their differences too, like Rin feeling uneasy around boys but also enjoying love stories far more than Naoko. The blond girl also revealed that she admired Naoko's courage the moment she started to watch that video, but that she couldn't even finish watching it. Rin detested tensions and conflicts, and declared she desperately wished to be even half as firm as her friend. Overall both felt they complemented each other's tastes nicely.

Naoko returned beaming a big smile to the dormitory building. As soon as she arrived at her floor, however, something made her uneasy: a packaged gift by her doorstep. She more or less understood most people would be even happier if they received a present, but the girl only reluctantly approached. Wrapped in a shining purple and blue paper and held closed by glistening pink laces, it was eye-candy. People were almost always respectful enough not to touch the belongings of others even if they're left unguarded, but it doesn't mean the few boys and girls from her floor wouldn't have known she'd received such an attention-catching gift.

At first Naoko tried to take it with the tips of her fingers, but the cubic content was too heavy, which made her even more worried. While checking if there's no ticking sound inside, the girl found a red letter that came with it. Inside it, a few lines stated in trembling character traces as if someone with bad writing tried too hard to make it look pretty

"To Yano-San, Please forgive me for budging in like this with such an unfitting gift, but since you told me you liked action manga, I thought you'd perhaps enjoy something here. If not, I'm deeply sorry! Also I have all the volumes of these collections, I'd be more than happy to lend Yano-San any one, please feel free to ask me if that's the case! Respectfully, Fukuda Katsuro."

Just knowing that present came from the grinning boy made Naoko's danger senses go haywire, even though it's clear enough the heavy, almost cubic content of it was almost certainly a pile of comic books. That's the only reason that convinced her to bring it inside. True to the letter, there're ten manga volumes, all of different stories. She had read only one of those and had already heard about other five. They were action-packed stories, alright, though all the ones Naoko knew had some kind of romantic interaction, either as a background sub-plot or as a core element. Either Katsuro didn't fully believe the girl would like narratives that were completely centered on fights and wars, or he's implying something.

Even knowing the content was harmless the girl still felt somewhat apprehensive, which she usually didn't. On the other hand, it's a legitimate surprise Katsuro, after asking her about her preferences back in the laundry, had gone through the trouble of giving her not only one or two, but ten books. As suspicious as she was, Naoko couldn't argue it wasn't a thoughtful gift. She left it still in the wrap in a corner to think another time about what she'd do with it. All that's left was to prepare a small bag with clothes to change to the next day and answer messages, one of which from Aratani. Also, there's the usual calling home for the boring "Hey mom, I'm still alive" talk. Then she's free.

On Saturdays there were a few classes in her school, though only until break. After that, people were free to leave or go to clubs. The rain had subsided for the most part of the day, and though the sky was still clouded the meteorology was promising for the next week. Also the girl had a meeting with her producer by five p.m. and was expected to take care of her appearance to attend it, but until then she'd plenty of time to spare.

The athletics club was much livelier with Naoko and Rin around. The two were the only ones to frequently talk there, and even if they slacked a bit sometimes, the two achieved relatively high performances compared to most of the rest of the team on the racetrack. With the exception of the obstacle course, that the short, blond girl was not good at, most of her other scores were generally good. Still, Naoko was able to beat most of her friend's records unlike in the swimming pool. There was another girl who's first in almost every ranking list, but besides her, Naoko and Rin usually figured among the second, third or fourth positions. They're either naturally talented, blessed by genetics or just too hyperactive compared to the other girls.

The two quickly swept away the sweat and changed to spare casual clothes, Naoko reapplied her makeup and both left for a city stroll. By "casual clothes" it meant Rin's non-matching red sneakers, green t-shirt and a pink skirt while Naoko, even though wearing a combination of everyday garments Aratani bought her, still looked like she's going for a fashion show rather than a leisurely walk. Aside from her boots, changed in favor of the black sneakers, her attire was spellbinding as usual, though the girl started to get used to it. Her blond friend, though, was not and excitedly remarked every time they passed by a group of boys about how she thought they're secretly checking up on Naoko, even if the girl herself didn't think so. In a particularly crowded street Rin couldn't stop blushing and bringing up:

"Rin thinks they discreetly looked at you, Naoko-Chan! That's twelve just on this street! Wow! Oh, look, look! Another group! Shh! They're coming!... Ah, now's seventeen! Ahhh!"

"Yeah?" Naoko, laughing at the way her friend looked astounded, replied, "So?"

"I'd never have the guts to walk the same sidewalk as them if I knew they'd look at me! There're five of them! Rin would be out cold by now! How's Naoko-Chan so chill around boys?! Oh, Naoko-Sensei, please teach this undeserving disciple your secrets!"

"Rin-Chan? You can't be serious," Naoko retorted, "Rin-Chan is a very cute girl! No way you've never heard that from boys before!" After a powerful déjà vu experience, she added, "My, my, now I'm having flashbacks with my producer when he said something similar to me! I think now I can understand what he meant... Anyway, you're always happy and expansive! What makes you so nervous around them?"

"Wish I knew!" Rin replied, "What makes Naoko-Chan so calm around them?"

Reflecting upon the question for only a second, Naoko joked:

"Wish I knew!" Laughing, she elaborated, "No, I'm kidding. I think it's because I know lots of boys and I know there's not as much to worry as you think there is. Sure, some boys are trouble no matter what, just like girls, but most are pretty cool people! They can be fun, and to be frank they're usually more welcoming to me than the girls usually are. I'm having great luck here knowing girls like Rin-Chan and others in my class! That wasn't the case back at my hometown."

They talked the whole trip about Naoko and Rin's past experiences. The blond girl had no traumatic memories that could've kick started her fears as far as she recalled. Apparently she was always bashful around boys. Still, she had a soft spot for love stories, and showed real enthusiasm in the way Naoko acted like it was no big deal. Maybe because to Naoko it wasn't a big deal, really, and she's convinced it also shouldn't be to Rin. Seeing her blond friend so excited to learn anything she could to help her with the paralyzing anxiety that tormented her, Naoko felt an urge to intercede and happily promised:

"Tell you what, Rin-Chan: I want to see you overcome your fear! I have absolutely, positively zero idea how I can help you, but we'll find a way to make you steadfast like no one!"

"For realsies?!" Rin radiantly inquired with dark shining eyes, "No strings attached?"

"Yeah, of course not! Why'd I do something like this?" Naoko returned the question, to which Rin responded while covering her mouth with her hands, "Like, when I told Naoko-Chan to try and beat my records you looked surprised, like if no one would like you to surpass them! But Naoko-Chan is a perfect magnet for boys and is very calm about it, why'd you want to help other girls with boys if you can have all of their attention to yourself?" At the same time the blond girl looked horrified with a thought that invaded her mind and, bowing, she apologized profusely, "Rin's not saying she'd ever, ever surpass Naoko-Chan! Naoko-Chan is just too pretty! Please don't think I'd ever try anything with any boy Naoko-Chan might be interested in, I swear! Rin... Rin just wants not to be so afraid and...! And..."

Naoko noticed the blond looked so upset with herself and tense with the vaguest idea she could end up competing for anything, much less a boy with her gorgeous friend, that Rin started to sway as if she's on a boat by the sea. Her eyes lost focus and went nonfunctional as the girl, suddenly shutting down like a robot turned off, passed out. Naoko rapidly got a hold of her fainted friend before she fell flat to the ground with the cutest blank stare she'd ever seen. Her expression, not unlike if her eyes were substituted by a big pair of "X"s, still looked adorable albeit frightened. Her phobia of rivalries looked worse than Naoko had expected.

When she recovered, Rin got on an apology chain that Naoko only managed to sequence break by rapidly making her way to the karaoke her friend had suggested they visited. With red and lilac walls full of famous bands posters with light bulb inset frames and lots of closed rooms for rent, it's a popular spot that looked amazing. The room they rented was not very cheap and the rows of cushioned seats surrounding three of the four chairs told Naoko the place was supposedly very affordable only if the bill was split among the twelve or fifteen people that chamber comported. Still, it looked fabulous, with a central table and a large TV close to the door.

Being the guest – even if the idea of singing in a karaoke was hers –, Naoko got to choose the first song. Like it was customary, while one person sang the others waited their turn, enjoyed the presentation and chose the songs they'd sing without interfering, or asking beforehand if they could join to sing. Rin, though, looked more than happy to just listen, and eagerly applauded at the end. Her blond friend insisted the girl sang again, even though it's Rin's turn, and asked Naoko to show her a song she could perform, preferably dancing like she's on the stage. There was not enough space in the room for a full dance and Naoko had only rehearsed once before, so she wasn't very enthusiastic about the idea, but Rin hadn't even chosen her song yet, so her guest took another round.

It's strange at the beginning to dance as well as sing, even for a one person audience, but Rin appeared to be having so much fun that it put Naoko at ease. As she finished her song, though, Rin still hadn't chosen hers, and became suddenly quiet as she looked down tensely to the lyrics menu.

"Rin-Chan, what's the matter?" Naoko demonstrated interest in knowing. The blond girl hesitated for some time, answering she's just indecisive, but after Naoko discreetly insisted Rin finally admitted, ashamed, "I... didn't think about it through when Naoko-Chan asked me to show you a karaoke venue. But Naoko-Chan is an idol, right? I... I... can't sing well, you see..."

"Sooooo?" throwing the mic from one hand to the other, Naoko asked in a long syllable, starting to understand what held her friend back. Rin vacillatingly answered:

"So... maybe... Naoko-Chan will... you know... like, laugh at Rin. Or something." Getting overwrought again she began to formulate the ideas that passed through her mind in increasingly rapid succession, "Because Rin can't sing well, really. Even if Naoko-Chan doesn't externalize her laugh, she'll most likely be laughing on the inside. And maybe you won't want to come to a karaoke with Rin anymore, because Rin sings so badly! No one wants to hear screeches!"

"Calm down, calm down!" Naoko tranquilized her friend, while sitting beside her, "Rin-Chan is grossly overestimating my own singing capability, and..."

"No, you just sang divinely!" her blond friend stated.

"...and, most importantly, Rin-Chan is taking it far too seriously." Naoko finished her sentence, "Get real, Rin-Chan: I'm your friend, why'd I laugh at you? You also probably sing much better than you think you do, and even if you didn't, you're not here to sing well! We're here to have fun, not to judge each other! If anything, I'll support you like you do to me in the athletics club! So? Wanna choose a song you like and enjoy it?"

Slowly recovering, the still pale girl nervously inquired:

"Does Naoko-Chan promise she'll not get mad at Rin for singing poorly? Or... or not going out with Rin again?"

Throwing the microphone to her friend, Naoko smiled warmly and encouraged Rin to choose a song. She sang it anxiously and really didn't perform too well, but it's clear she had a good voice and her otherwise upbeat personality would've pulled her through without a problem if Rin didn't let her fears take the best of her. As she finished and hesitantly glanced back to her friend, Naoko applauded her effusively. Blushing, the blond student claimed:

"Naoko-Chan is too kind. Rin knows Rin sang horribly..."

Standing up and getting close to her friend to grab the mic, Naoko comforted her:

"You're worrying for nothing! I'm not applauding you only for your singing, but because Rin-Chan overcame her fears and sang! That's a lot! You deserve to be praised for that!"

Her friend's face got brightened by a big smile. Naoko invited Rin to sing together the next song, to which the nervous girl accepted with a hopeful expression. It took them almost half an hour before Rin got completely comfortable, but it's worth it. When intimidated the girl was like a hard to crack oyster, closing herself in her shell, but with patience she slowly opened up, showing once more her pearlescent nature. The joyful personalities of both girls flooded the rather empty room with the energy of twenty people, as the usual custom of alternating turns was discarded and the two sang together all songs, while shouting and laughing in between. Naoko too overcame her initial anxiety of presenting like in a stage, noticing how stupid she'd also been for getting even slightly nervous about it, and invited Rin to learn a few dancing steps. Naoko herself only knew a handful from the single two hour class she'd done before, but it's enough to get the two guffawing loudly over their unsynchronized and silly choreography to the point of gasping for air and feeling their abdomens hurt.

One hour was all Naoko could afford, both because of money getting dangerously low and also due to time constraints, but they're having so much fun she wished they could stay at it until they had no energy left to sing and laugh. On their way back, while Rin breathlessly talked about how thrilling it'd been to sing with an idol and how they should totally do that again another day Naoko's cellphone rang. It's an owner of a games store asking if the girl was still interested in a clerk position she'd applied to and been interviewed for two weeks prior. It's nice to receive yet another job proposal, though once again she had to politely turn it down. Not before asking Rin if she wanted to have a part-time job, though.

"Rin would love to!" the girl explained while speaking in third-person like she sometimes did, especially when saying something negative or didn't want to involve herself with, "Unfortunately Rin's family is very strict about her studies and didn't let her do anything that could detract Rin from her homework and private classes. I'm sorry, Naoko-Chan. But thanks for the generous offer! Also, I don't know much about games, I'd be shy there."

Once the job proposal was declined, Naoko asked:

"Is Rin's family that severe? What private classes do you do?"

"Many boring classes!" Rin responded, "Math, sciences, history, English... Rin studies from Monday till Friday after getting back home. Before Rin had even more teachers, like the piano one, but now I only have about seven..."

"Seven?! You've seven private teachers?!" Naoko exclaimed, and her friend confirmed, "Yup. Though one of them is very nice, really! She teaches Rin philosophy!"

Raising an eyebrow, Naoko enquired why her friend studied it, and she happily explained:

"Rin's parents require Rin to study each school subject every year. Some teachers teach Rin more than one subject, or subjects from a more advanced grade. In turn I can choose every year something of my liking to learn! I've already studied astrology, theology, mythology, psychology, French, anthropology, German and such. Last two years was German!"

Staring with unblinking eyes at the smiling girl as if she'd seen an alien, Naoko stood still as if paralyzed with a gaping mouth, holding her cellphone midway to her back pocket.

"What?!" Naoko abruptly exclaimed, "You know anthropology and psychology and stuff... and German?!"

"Well, I'm not fluent at German," Rin modestly explained, "I only know enough to survive, though I know how to read kind of well! Rin was looking one day for an easy storybook in that language to read... but instead Rin found Also Sprach Zarathustra: Ein Buch für Alle und Keinen from a philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche! Rin painstakingly translated it, and found it so funny Rin decided to study a little about philosophy this year!"

Blinking without moving anything else for some time, Naoko suddenly rallied:

"You're telling me you know French and theology and play a piano and have seven private teachers and have read an Also Spinach Zara-whatever philosophy book in German but you're ashamed of speaking with a single airheaded boy and you'd clam yourself shut in a game store because you don't know about stupid games?! What's the problem with you, girl?!"

For a few seconds Rin's frozen excited expression was just altered by eventual blinks from her starry eyes. The girl then returned to a previous topic as if nothing had happened:

"Speaking of games, Naoko-Chan knows a lot about them, right? Can you show me something about that speedrun thing you told me about?!"

Facing Rin's vibrant countenance, Naoko half-closed her eyes and agreed:

"Yeah, right, way to change subjects! Fine, let's pretend I didn't notice your maneuver. Yup, I can show you around that, sure. I need to leave to work by four thirty, but are you going to do anything until then?"

Bringing Rin to the dorms, Naoko showed the amazed blond girl her room.

"Sorry about the mess." Naoko quickly apologized while opening the door, already knowing she'd left her futon and her videogames messily lying around. Rin, though, seemed as marveled as if she's entering a castle. Leaving her sneakers by the entrance, she exclaimed:

"Naoko-Chan really lives by herself! It must be the best thing ever! It's fabulous! Oh, this dragon-patterned futon just screams "Naoko"! I loved it! Your room's perfect! You're so lucky!"

Naoko tried not to look as excited out of humbleness, but those were her thoughts exactly. Grabbing her laptop, Naoko invited her friend to sit in the only place there was to do so, the futon, and asked Rin what electronic games she knew about.

"Hm... I don't know many. I never had a video game. My parents think it's a boys' thing and it would distract me. I'm... kind of at a loss here!"

"You... never played a video game?" Naoko sounded even more lost. Rin disclaimed excitedly, "No, I have. A few friends used to have those handheld video games, and I've a few games in my cellphone and computer, but they're so hard I can barely win the first level!" She showed Naoko the ones she had on her nice but overly-decorated cellphone. A few of which were real classics, "Oh, and I liked to play those gaming machines they have at shopping centers and on some hotels, those cabins with buttons and sticks or plastic guns!"

"Arcades," Naoko told her, glad to know it, "You're just like my producer, then! I'm also trying to make him play games! Okay, I'll just show you a few videos of people speedrunning those classic games you've with you and we'll go from there."

Showing her a list of videos, she chose one. The rectangular screen was divided in one big area where the game was played and two smaller ones. One containing technical information like its title, the name of the person running it, an expected time to finish the playthrough, an inscription of the name of the event and a number in the hundreds of thousands preceded by a dollar symbol. The other presented a fixed camera shot of an auditorium. Close to the cam there was a sofa were the player, along with a few other people, sat.

"How's your English doing, Rin-Chan?" Naoko asked, "If you need I can translate it."

"Don't worry, thanks! I'll be fine." The blond girl enthusiastically responded "Why? Are they going to talk in English?"

"Yup," Naoko affirmed, "I chose to show you an event I like a lot, but there are others, including a few in Japanese. This one's an international summit that occurs twice a year, next one occurring on summer. Both are conferences to raise money for charity. Speedrunners try to complete the games as fast as possible and perform a few challenges while people donate money for the cause. Everyone on that couch is a speedrunner, though almost always only one play at a time. Since not everyone can play and speak at the same time, the others, who also run the game and know it very well, comment it. Sometimes the runner does so too."

"They aren't competing against each other then?" Rin questioned, and her friend said:

"Nope. Well, there are a few rare occurrences where two or more runners face each other for the best time, but then again, they're not there to win or lose, they're trying to raise donations for a charity. Some are more serious, but quite a few makes jokes and genuinely look like they're having fun. I've already watched all those videos, I know this runner. He's a funny one. Look."

She showed her friend a few quick videos. The guys from the videos annihilated many games Rin had on her cellphone and couldn't even beat the first stage. Both the runner and the commentators mentioned tricks and how they executed seemingly impossible feats, joked about past stories of failures, pointed out trivia about the game, credited members of their speedrunning communities for discovering certain exploits and more, all the while making it look easy. A few times a voice interrupted them to read comments of donors, and the number of dollars on the bottom right corner gradually increased. A few comments were jokes while others talked about real life stories of people close to the supporters fighting against diseases the institutions that would be benefited with the donations tried to eradicate. Even then, the mood was always bright as the people on the couch quickly drew attention back to the games and the absurd skips they did that a casual player would never do.

At a particular moment in the fourth video presented, the player forced the main character through a seemingly solid wall, making it get beyond the usual area into a dark void, only to appear seconds later at another part of the game world, beyond a gate. Confused, Rin asked what had occurred, to what Naoko informed:

"There are different running categories for each game, like completing one hundred percent of it as fast as possible or just rushing to the end. Some categories accept the use of glitches, which are mistakes the programmers committed when creating the game. Some mistakes can make the game stop working or making it impossible to beat, but a few can be taken advantage of to do things that weren't supposed to happen. In this video the player character went out of bounds, meaning it got away from the area the game usually occurs on. With it the runner was able to walk across the edges of the map and bypass a locked door. That door usually requires the average gamer to go to a different level and do lots of stuff to get the key, and then backtrack to the door to open it and proceed. It usually takes half an hour to do so, but by getting out of bounds and bypassing the door, then getting inbounds again, the speedrunner lost just about five seconds. Some categories wouldn't allow it, but this is a glitch run, meaning the player can do anything the game allows, even exploiting programming mistakes, to get through. This game, to an average player, takes about twenty hours to complete, but this speedrun gets it done in less than forty-five minutes by abusing some known glitches."

"Wow! Though this way they're not enjoying too much of it, are they?" Rin reflected.

"Do you think that's the first time these people play that game?" Naoko retorted, laughing, "They've already finished it hundreds of times! They already played the game as intended by the developers and saw probably all there's to see from it before reaching a point where they have the skills to force their way through the game and skip major sections like that."

"Makes sense," the blond girl agreed in awe, "Just a question: skipping things like that isn't kind of cheating?"

"Not according to speedrunning rules," explained Naoko, while getting up to look if there's anything in her minibar she could cook for lunch for them, "Cheating is using external devices and things the game isn't built with, like if you hacked the coding with a computer to alter things in your favor before playing it. Also, some old games didn't allow gamers to save their progress, so they presented password systems where players could jump back to a specific level they've supposedly already beat, but that's also considered cheating because you can just go right to the last stage. A speedrun involves you starting a game in its original state from the beginning and finishing it quickly, so anything the game gives to you between that is okay, but external resources, messing with cartridges and other media, tilting the console and so on are not. That's why going out of bounds for exploiting a programming flaw is alright but playing an altered game or, say, plugging in an external source that hacks the coding to make you invincible is not. But if you can somehow abuse a mechanic that's already inside the original game to make you invincible, that's fine by rules as long as the category you're running allows glitches and exploits like this."

Initially Rin found it very complicated to understand what was going on, but Naoko patiently answered all of her interested friend's questions while she cooked lunch for them. Granted, some were very basic but still curious, like the reason why a few games played by the speedrunners from that convention, the majority of which clearly coming from English-speaking countries, were written in Japanese. Naoko told her it's because some games with lots of texts, like Role-Playing Games, could have different ways of depicting letters and characters depending on the world region they're translated to. The English versions of a few games presented texts one letter at a time while the Japanese one could show the entire text box in just one frame, meaning in the long run players could save a few seconds by playing the Japanese one even though they didn't speak Japanese. They already knew the game well enough not to need the texts anyway. Other questions were not as easy to answer, however, like how certain glitches worked.

Letting her friend play her video games for some time while she cooked, they both ate lunch while enjoying the videos. When she offered her friend some fruits as dessert, the blond girl quickly turned down in amazement:

"It's such an expensive-looking package! And what's this?! Melon slices?! Rin could never take it from Naoko-Chan! It must've cost you a lot!"

"Eh... no, it's a gift." Naoko explained it, making Rin's eyes sparkle, "A gift?! That's a very thoughtful gift! Is it Naoko-Chan's birthday or something? Rin's sorry for not knowing!"

Letting the video run on mute, Naoko explained to her friend why she received that present, to which Rin was staggered.

"In an inversed way, that's so romantic! Naoko-Chan saved that boy in distress and he thanked you! Aw, now I want to save boys too! Do you think they'll like me for it?!"

"Huh... I'm pretty sure they'd already like you for other things, there'd be no need to save them," Naoko responded, "but... yeah? Well, that's unusual to occur, I'm sure they'd see even more easily the unique girl you are. Though, really, it's not worth the trouble, you can get in a mess doing so and boys already have plenty to like in Rin-Chan without all the fuss. Why?"

They briefly talked about the reason a beautiful, cute and fascinating girl like Rin felt like she should save a guy for him to want to get close to her, but to no avail. After that, Naoko got a hold of the controller and played the games her friend had sluggishly and painstakingly tackled. It was exactly the same games, only this time it's the hostess playing, and a few parts that took the blond girl minutes to complete, Naoko breezed through in seconds. Dumbfound, Rin asked to try a trick and Naoko showed her an easy one, which her friend practiced during almost twenty minutes while the hostess changed clothes in the bathroom and got ready for the meeting.

While she reapplied the eyeliner the curious voice of her friend asked from the other side of the wall, "Naoko-Chan! I just noticed that open gift package on that corner! Another gift! You're a present magnet! Don't tell me it's another present from that boy! Are those manga?"

Taking a moment to understand what Rin was talking about, she suddenly remembered while finishing her makeup and taking her toothbrush:

"Oh! Yeah, it's a present. But not from that boy. It's... huh... from another boy that lives in the dorms building too. He asked me what kind of stories I liked and gave me those. You can take a look if you want."

After a couple of seconds, Rin called even more excited than before:

"I've read two of those! Pretty good stuff! I'm so envious of you, Naoko-Chan! To receive such a present from yet another guy! That boy also has excellent taste!"

"Wha-?!" Naoko interjected, washing her mouth clean of toothpaste before continuing, "No, don't get your hopes high on him, Rin. He's... not very... Wait, you said you've read two of those? But... but I've only ever read one, and I consider myself a big fan of manga! Is it possible that you're even more than me?! I'm so proud of you!"

"Huh... don't know!" Rin replied, "I like manga, but it's not as if I read a lot and I only have, like, fifteen tops in my collection! Though I know a few. I'd no idea Naoko-Chan liked romantic stories too!"

Getting out of the bathroom looking puzzled, Naoko disagreed:

"I don't, and these manga aren't about romance. They're about action! At least the ones I know about, though there are four there I can't really say."

Grabbing one of the comic books Naoko had already heard about, though never cared to read since it had a romantic couple as the central plot drivers and little action, Rin mentioned:

"Take this one as an example! Rin gets it there can be a few action moments on this one, but it's a story about love!" Leafing through it, the blond girl described it with exultant eyes, "The sad story of a boy and his mutual love with a school girl who's actually a weapon of mass destruction created to unwillingly decimate people in a war, if Rin remembers correctly. It's very touching and talks about many subjects other than love, such as duty, ethics and free will! I love it, it's so sad but cute! What would Naoko-Chan do if she was a governmental secret weapon whose only reason to exist was to kill, but fell in love?"

Naoko thought about it for a second. Not about what she'd do, but about how she'd say that to Rin, because in her mind things looked as clear as day.

"No, Naoko-Chan! We can never be together!" a tall, short grayish-brown haired boy cried from closed eyes behind his thin-framed glasses while hugging her dearly.

"Why?" Naoko would reply, crying together, unbeknownst to the many pillars of smoke rising amidst the bombed city around them. Holding her tighter against his blue uniform, the boy would reply between hiccups:

"Because you're the ultimate weapon of mass destruction, chosen for having the highest compatibility rate of all people with the defense system attached to you!"

"Bwa, bwa, that's very sad, bwa, bwa..." Naoko would unrealistically cry, though only until the information sank in. "Wait. I'm what?!"

Looking at her right arm Naoko would make a big weapon come out of it while metal wings popped out of her back. Surprised, Naoko would certainly smile radiantly and her eyes would gleam reflecting the solid, high-caliber multi-barreled gun. Getting free from that sobbing loser's hug, she'd obviously say the only thing that would make sense in this circumstance:

"Awesome!" In a second Naoko would be flying away at ultra-speed, leaving that gloomy boy to watch as numerous explosions in the distance painted the horizon red and lit his face and glasses. Because what's the point in being the ultimate weapon of mass destruction if she didn't caused destruction? Well, maybe she'd not leave him completely, of course. After Naoko had laughed enough raining tactic missiles down, she'd eventually come back, landing close to him. In a touching reunion, she'd, once again, say the only heartfelt thing reasonable in this situation:

"Can shoot ballistic missiles from my fingers! Don't need you anymore, sucker!" Taking a small rock from the debris around, she'd toss it at his head before flying away again, cutely laughing while sending lasers and bombs tearing down at enemy vessels, buildings and little screaming people beneath her alike just for laughs. Sure, Naoko wouldn't be such a good defense system if she destroyed the country she's supposed to protect, but eventually she'd make it even by leveling the ones she's supposed to attack too. And probably most of the world along with it, because why not?

After some time laughing loudly and evilly, Naoko snapped out of her imagination and calmed down. Facing Rin, who looked slightly suspicious, Naoko answered with a cute voice:

"Sorry, I just remembered a little joke. About the love story? Yeah, tough question. What would I do if I was a weapon of mass destruction who fell in love?" The girl giggled for a sec before changing subjects. "Anyway! Nice to know Rin-Chan not only likes manga, but knows quite a few already! Can't say I like love stories, though, so if you want to take any of the ones there that focus on romances more than on action, feel free to do so."

"No, Rin can't take any! Thanks for the offer, but it's an incredible present from a boy to Naoko-Chan!" Rin refused with her hands covering her mouth, too shocked to even bow. "That boy must like Naoko a lot to give her such a nice gift!"

"Don't worry, that feeling is not mutual." Naoko guaranteed, "If you really feel bad about it, I can also lend Rin-Chan the volumes you want. It's not like I have time to read those anymore, they either don't pique my interest or are very long stories."

"But this one's really good!" Rin pointed to the one she'd previously used as example, "Naoko-Chan should read it! Maybe you'll start to like love stories too!"

"Or maybe I'd need something happier than a forbidden love between a boy and an armada turned girl if I'm to like love stories." Naoko countered, to which Rin eagerly responded, "Good idea! Okay, let's trade then! Naoko-Chan lends me one of those and I'll bring, like... five from my own collection to school next Monday so you can also choose one! I'll make sure to choose only short stories, don't worry! What do you say?"

Love stories didn't exactly interest her, but just to make Rin happy Naoko accepted the exchange and let her borrow a comic book from the pile. Soon after, the two left. Her friend told her she'd loved her room, the karaoke and to know about that gaming community, and was going to look for more info by herself. Naoko thanked her for the amazing day and apologized for having to go to work, though the blond girl, looking just as thankful, mentioned it's not a problem.

Taking the train to The Paragon Idol agency, Naoko barely saw the trip, so happy she was with the memories of that day. Rushing to the office to get in time, Naoko ran upstairs, her platform boots thundering against the steps. Reaching the last floor exhausted from the run from the station until there, she quickly knocked and entered her producer's room huffing.

"You're still one minute early," Aratani remarked, "And I could hear you rocking the stairs like a hurricane. You don't need to rush like that, Naoko-Chan." Opening a small smile, he invited, "Come take a seat, I've good news for you."

Walking around the still clustered office was even harder than before due to her platforms. The place was still cramped with trash, only somewhat better organized, and the only major difference was the inclusion of a few posters of idol bands. The girl quickly asked:

"What are those posters? Do you produce them too, Produ-San?"

Running his eyes through the famous bands around the walls, Aratani commented in a disbelieving tone:

"Huh... no. They're all well-established idol bands, some with many years on the road. Don't tell me you don't know any of those? Naoko-Chan doesn't know about, say, AK1/47?"

Getting immediately pumped up, Naoko responded with unfaltering certainty:

"Of course I do! The AK-47, or Avtomat Kalashnikova, first manufactured in 1947 in the Soviet Union, is an assault rifle officially accepted in the Soviet army by the end of that same decade! It went through many overhauls during the years but many decades after its initial production, it's still used around the world! It's considered a reliable weapon, with passable accuracy to hit targets up to one hundred meters away, good cadency of fire and low production cost! It has a more or less unimpressive "life expectancy" of around ten thousand rounds, though some can surpass it. It's also an easy to maintain weapon and its parts are easy to find and replace, it resists harsh weather well and are not all that heavy for a trained soldier! It's an also popular weapon for modifications and can receive anything from simple clip size increases for its thirty-nine millimeter bullets to the addition of grenade launching adaptations!" After thinking for a second if she'd forgotten anything she knew, Naoko asked, "Hm... Why did you ask me about a gun? Weren't we talking about bands, Produ-San?"

Keeping his cool so as not to freak out, Aratani gave himself a face palm.

"Naoko-Chan, please tell me you made up everything you just said. How the hell do a girl like you knows about military weaponry from ninety forty seven Soviet fucking Union?!"

Looking as confused as her producer, Naoko explained simply:

"It was created in soviet territory during Cold War, but it's one of the most famous guns of all times! Practically every first-person shooter game you play has an AK-47 or a model produced after it, and a few games explain a lot of details about the equipment a player can have. It's hard not to know it even exists if you play war games, and it only requires you to be a little curious and patient to read everything the menus say to eventually know this kind of stuff. The rest I learned on the internet!"

"For all that's good, girl!" Aratani chided her, "Don't you ever show anyone these kinds of knowledge like that! You speak as if you're a grizzled veteran who knew from your own experience about this gun you said! At least tell others beforehand your data comes from games, because the way you said it I'd believe if you told me you've already shot a gun in real life!"

"Video games are real life too!" Naoko protested, mockingly cowering in her chair, "You've no idea the horrors I've already seen!... Mostly due to my own ineptitude, really... but horrors all the same!"

"I've spotted one!" Naoko claimed on her headset years ago, speaking low so as not to wake up her parents at three a.m. and doing so in English since her online friends were all from abroad, "He's over one of the two towers by that funny, big building! He's mine!"

"Roger that, Straight Girl," a guy with a thick, manly voice spoke from her team acknowledged, referring to her in the joking way her usual international friends liked to call her. It's because the two characters that composed Naoko's name, like she once explained them, were that of "straight, correct, docile, fair, sincere" and "child". They liked the irony of her father having named her that way as if he wanted Naoko to be a good, well-behaved girl only for her to become so critical to him and doing lots of things her father disliked. Playing so much being one of these things. Well, at least she was sincere... They liked how "Straight Girl" sounded better than "Straight Child", though, and it became her nickname among the other players.

Naoko pressed the aim button and looked through the magnifying scope of her precision rifle, hunting for her prey in silence. Crawling over the rooftop of a building, she slowly made her way to the left so that she could get a good sight of her target, hiding with another rifle at the top of a bell tower of a church of sorts. Slowly, slowly and sneakily she moved, not letting her sight off her scope even for a second so that she'd grab any opportunity she had like the professional she was...

And then the rooftop was over and her character fell off from its edge, spinning to his ridiculous death many meters below. Staring the screen unbelievingly with tired and frustrated eyes reflecting the bluish light of the monitor, Naoko dropped her forehead on the keyboard.

"I'm out, guys." She spoke to the keys, groping her way to the mouse and only lifting her head slightly to see where she was clicking to exit that stupid game as soon as possible.

"Oh, the horrors of war and of ineptitude..." Naoko commented with wide-open, non-blinking, fixated eyes while hugging her folded legs. Getting back to normal, she interrogated, "But why're we talking about it?"

Sighing, her producer explained her:

"We were talking about an idol band from Akihabara called AK1/47 before you started to freak me out with talks about weapons and Russia. I was going to ask you if you didn't know those famous idol groups on the posters to tell you I don't produce them, but let's change the subject quickly before my tiger-loving, weapons-specialist idol worries me even more. First of all, I'd like to congratulate Naoko-Chan for having already amassed around one hundred fans on your fan club... without having performed a single time yet."

"Huh? How?!" Naoko questioned, surprised. In a cool expression, her producer reacted, "That's also what I wanted to know, so I investigated. And apparently there are a couple of videos with tens of thousands of views on the internet about a girl just like you scolding the life out of a gang boy. Ring any bells?"

Seeing the man cross his arms and face her, Naoko suddenly got what occurred. Lowering her head, the girl bowed and apologized, quickly explaining all that happened. Her producer, though clearly not happy, didn't reproach her, instead merely cautioning the girl:

"I get it. Okay, you did some good deeds and I'm actually glad to see you care for others to the point of intervening in favor of a boy and your janitor, and capable of persuading others to the right path. I'll not tell you it's wrong, all I ask is that you think about the consequences of it next time. And not only for your career, that's the least of our concerns. You can create enemies with the wrong people, Naoko-Chan. I know that boy was expelled and all, and that I don't need to tell you that, but please, be careful."

Seeing the cheerful girl was left burdened, the man changed subjects with a casual smile:

"But I'm happy you're wearing your new clothes. They simply looked too good on you on those videos. Atta girl. Now, for the real good news: you've your first work right tonight."

Brought back from her downcast state by the shock, Naoko frightfully interrogated:

"Oh, no! Don't tell me you want me to perform! I've only done one day of lessons! I...!"

"Hey, hey, chill out, Naoko-Chan," Aratani coolly calmed her down, "Of course not, I wouldn't risk your image in a presentation just yet, knowing you just started learning how to dance. That's why I looked the whole week for other work you could do. Turns out a company that sells pillows and bed stuff is always looking for stunning girls to pose to ads. I have other companies interested in your photo book too, from cosmetics and fitness stuff for gyms to natural drinks and so on, but until now only one signed a contract so far. So here, sign this paper and by 6:30 p.m. you'll be resting your locks on said company's new pillows and matching spring blankets. Just pretend you like it even if you don't, stay awake and before you know we'll have accrued some change to get us back closer to positive. Got any questions, Naoko-Chan?"

As the girl finished reading the simple and straightforward contract, her eyes got wide and her feelings of shame were lost among a mixed surge of excitement and suspicion.

"Wait! It says here three hundred thousand Yen?! Being paid three hundred thousand for pretending to sleep with a smile?! Isn't there something wrong here?!"

"You're not being paid three grand to pretend to sleep smiling," Aratani corrected her, "You, along with a few other models, are being paid three grand for being a gorgeous girl who, by pretending to sleep with a gracious smile, will surely attract customers attentions to a huge company's new line of pillows and stuff and help generate hundreds of millions, billions of Yen. Also, remember: that's the total amount the agency will receive. Your share's fifteen percent, meaning forty five thousand. Still as impressed as before?"

Astonished, the girl hesitantly signed the contract after certifying herself there was nothing to fear about it. Though much more reassured, Naoko exclaimed:

"It's still quite a bit of cash for just a few photos."

"Maybe, but in Tokyo it's nowhere near enough, unfortunately," Aratani brought her back to reality, "That's why I'm already looking for many other companies. I think by next weekend we'll have more work to do. I'm also negotiating with that same company we'll be going in half an hour from now to extend our contract for a few more ads. Let's see how it all plays out. The important thing is that the companies seem to like what they see in you, Naoko-Chan. This first contract is actually a weak one, but I accepted it anyway so we can have something on our portfolio to show clients. When a corporation sees other big companies had already contracted you, they become much more open to my advances and new contracts get easier to close, so the more your face gets out there, the more familiarized the public and the contractors become with you, and business gets better and better."

Astounded not only by that calm young man's honesty but also by his business savvy, Naoko commented casually:

"I never thought you had to think about so many things, Produ-San! Until now I thought you just scheduled lessons, cared for my image and made bureaucratic works for I.S.S.G.! What are your other incumbencies, Produ-San? What does a producer do, exactly?"

"More than we've time to discuss, unfortunately, since I still want to talk with you about another topic," Aratani stated, "but basically, aside from what you said, a producer tries to find good contracts. It means he visits potential clients, attends to events to strengthen his network, sends prospects to companies and such, which currently take up most of my agenda. I'm also required to take care of the paperwork for any show you'll be making and making sure you're on top condition for it, which I'll hopefully be doing in the near future. I manage your fan club, research new trends, take care of copyrighted songs, clips and contents you'll have someday, make contact with the media, yada yada yada. Also, I'm required to close contracts for non-ranked shows, but that's still a long ways off. So no, I don't just sit here all week waiting for Sunday to be your chauffer and slave you to the bone in many hour long courses, don't worry about it. Actually, my weekends are the most relaxing time for me, when I can usually kick back and see the things I planned during week unfold, staying nearby just in case it didn't go as intended. And since I'm also the owner of this agency, I also need to pay its taxes and room rent, take care of your payment and so on, but that's easy, actually. Oh, and also send home the many other girls who come here looking for work, but this part's even easier with the office the way it is right now. So there, my work in a nutshell."

"I... had no idea." Naoko said, in lack of better words, "And I thought my week was full."

"Speaking of which, how's your first week here?" Aratani leaned in over his table and put his elbows over it, clasping his hands in front of his mouth, "Did you enjoy it, Naoko-Chan?"

"Huh... beside that stupid mess I got into, you mean?" Naoko, in a sorry way, asked, to which her producer nodded and stated, "Yeah. I take it you've already noticed not only that companies won't want to associate their brands to a girl who gets infamous for clashing with gang boys, but also that it could be dangerous for you. If you learned your lesson, it's fine, let's forget about this topic, shall we? What about the rest of your week? Did you like the school, the city, living by yourself, knowing new people, things like this?"

Naoko briefly recounted her first days in the capital, so briefly in fact she didn't even mention things like the karaoke or her dojo, and while she did so she gradually recalled how wonderful it's been. So far for every good thing she experienced, she also found that wasn't as nice, but until then she'd given more importance to the negative things than they deserved, since the positive ones far outmatched the cons. Having her own room in a dorm full of good people was awesome, even if Katsuro and Daiki lived there and were kind but rubbed her the wrong way; getting in a class with Miwa and other lovely people too, and that drama queen Shiori was the exception, not the rule; her dojo only had one stupid woman and seventy-some nice, reassuring and interesting men, including her remarkable new master; her friend Rin alone was spectacular and would already make the athletics club worth the trouble just by herself, but the exercise was a nice bonus. The city was fantastic even under heavy rain, and Naoko had so much to do she'd barely no time to chill in her room, to which the girl was glad. Nothing was perfect but Naoko never felt so alive, and counting her blessings made her even more radiant.

Content to hear about it, Aratani joked:

"It seems everywhere Naoko-Chan goes, she becomes the favorite member. Too bad nowadays idol groups are losing some space to individual presentations, a few years ago you'd become a supported member of many fans in your band. Well, guess we can still make you shine brighter than other idols in your class and leave them green with envy, so no waste here."

"Idol groups are not a big thing anymore?" Naoko inquired, and her producer half-agreed:

"Not like they used to be half a decade or so ago. They're still huge in terms of business, but became kind of luxury articles, that have immense value but not the same high demand they used to have. The Idol Star System favors individual idols. As such, current generations of idols are getting more and more specialized and extreme. You saw it on that show, I think. Every idol looked very different from the others, even though most of them come from a time where bands were still the main thing. I think you remember that lady who won the competition, nicknamed Vyper, but I don't know if you remember, for example, one of the first Metal class girls at the beginning of the show, with a purple and green hair. Do you?"

"Violet Lily?" Naoko quickly responded.

"Exactly. They're both part of a band one day. Izumi and Sayuri. Vyper, whose real name is Izumi, being around Naoko's age now, and Violet Lily, who by that time was also known by her real name, Sayuri, was one of the youngest. She's thirteen, I think. Sayuri's name character composition translates in English to "small lily", so you can see from where she took her stage nickname, though I've no idea about Vyper's one. Anyway, you can see the two have a darker take on the thing than the others, because the band they came from leaned heavily on the punk style, full of black clothes and intense makeups. But after they went solo, you can see they developed their own flairs. That's what happening to idols nowadays: instead of following a common style from a band, they try to create their own characters. Things are getting more and more individualistic as girls have to carve their own niches. It's a concept that draws its influence heavily from international solo singers and celebrities. The I.S.S.G. was created to be expanded to the world, so it's no wonder there's a kind of Western-style trait on it that urges girls to be different and attract more attention than others instead of working with your peers for the greater good."

Entertained, Naoko smiled, though only in the slightest.

"I didn't know Vyper and Violet were once part of the same band! That's cool! Though... Produ-San? You seem a little... critical about... standalone idols, or is it just me?"

Leaning back and relaxing, Aratani shook his head dismissively:

"I'm sorry, pay me no mind Naoko-Chan. It's not that I dislike standalone idols. I wouldn't open an agency like this if that was the case. I just... let's say I have my point of view about I.S.S.G.'s methods. Can't complain, though, it's possible to gain lots of money in this business and is always challenging and fun. And it's not like there isn't differences between girls in bands, on the contrary: there's plenty. The shy girl, the happy one, the girly, the serious one... Only difference's that in bands this mix work because it caters to many tastes of fans, bringing more people to watch them and more revenue for all. It's a good thing, because the differences bring variety and strengthen the group, whereas currently it distances the girls. But no, it's not as bad as I make it sound, and it can be fun. Forget I said anything. There's just one thing I..."

He stopped, as if Aratani didn't want to go on. Having hooked unintentionally Naoko's attention, though, her producer continued:

"See, this system doesn't completely eliminate bands, including among otherwise solo idols. A few agencies focus on special contracts to group up standalone stars for special concerts. Violet Lily, for example, is sometimes seen in a band created just for girls with colors in their names. I can recall being Cyan, Scarlet, Coral and Violet, but there are others. That's an unintentional coincidence for the most part, but a few well-established and keen producers are able to capitalize on this and create a special squad-sort band out of it. There are others, too, including of girls who began on bands and are now tackling solo careers on their free times. It's not impossible, just harder. Anyway, I would eventually have to tell Naoko-Chan this, so might as well be now. Just take this as an advice, it's nothing to spoil your happiness or anything, okay? The thing is, you'll most likely find, once we enter you in gigs, that some girls may not be as friendly as maybe you'd like. I'll tell you this now so you can put your mind to rest: it's nothing against you. You've no problems and they don't hate you no matter what they say. It's just that I.S.S.G. pits girls against one another right from the start, fighting for a top position. Some get reticent with all this rivalry and find it hard to open up to others. It's nothing personal so don't feel discouraged if it happens, got it? I know it makes little sense to give you this peep talk right now instead of before your first show, but I'll remind you of this again in due time, alright?"

This aversion to rivals made Naoko remember a few people, like that woman in the dojo and Shiori from her class. Also, Rin-Chan, who's not only afraid of rivals but of rivalries and competitions in general. Thinking back, if Rin liked to compete or was opposite to people who could take her place she'd probably never have come talk to Naoko to encourage the new club member to surpass her personal records. Naoko began to get why her producer was averse to making idols compete and try to be different to surpass the others instead of uniting and letting their dissimilarities complement one another.

"Anyway, on to business," Aratani lighten up the mood, "We still have twenty-some minutes, so before we go I'd like to go over a few explanations about the Idol Star System score mechanics, so we don't have to go over it all in one single seat before your first presentation, okay? I believe I've already told you every ranked presentation with an examining board is evaluated under five categories, right?"

"You mean, like, Dancing and Singing?" Naoko gave it a shot, and Aratani confirmed:

"Exactly. There are actually seven categories, but two of them are kind of unofficial. People call them the "Secret Categories" or "table turners". They're just a bunch of personal tastes that can influence judges and a few bonuses and penalties, so we'll skip it for now. Let's focus on the five official ones: Singing, Dancing, Aesthetics, Devotion and Memorability. If you paid close attention during that show last Sunday you've probably noticed a lot of numbers on the score totals, with each judge giving five scores to every girl on every dance."

Nodding, Naoko recalled:

"Yeah, I remember those. Especially this "Devotion" thing. I thought it was very strange."

"Yes, it's a very... how can I put it... "extreme" naming for a category," Aratani agreed with a smile, "The previous name was even worse, though: "Idolatry". I get it make sense because it has an "idol" part to it, but after the reformulation the I.S.S.G. came under to make it more international-friendly, they discovered "idolatry" is generally used in negative contexts in many countries, and opted for "Devotion" instead. It's still debatable, as some directors of the corporation thing the term "Crowd Interaction" would be more neutral. No matter the real name, this category in informally called "Crowd Control" by most producers and idols, so if you ever hear it, know they're talking about the Devotion score, okay?"

"I like Crowd Control!" Naoko talked her mind exultantly, "It gives me the impression I'm a powerful sorceress raining down meteors and lightning bolts over hordes of enemies to keep them at bay and obliterate their numbers! I liked this category!"

Unfaltering and cool, Aratani remarked in an ironic way:

"The only thing you're obliterating with these games are your own neurons, Naoko-Chan. Ahem... We'll talk about Devotion on another time, first let's go over Singing and Dancing."

"Oh, you've already told me a few things about the Dancing one, remember?" Naoko pointed it, "After I finished my tests! I remember a few things... but I could use a recap, I suppose."

"Yes, it's true," her producer confirmed, "I'm glad Naoko-Chan recalls it. Let's begin by it, then. It's composed of five sub-categories like every other one. In Dancing we have Mood, Stage Presence, Choreography, Execution and Assertiveness. Mood is if your dance captured the feel of a song. Stage Presence evaluates the use of the space of the stage. Choreography is a fixed score about the planned movements you're supposed to perform. Execution means how well you managed to perform your planned choreography. Last but not least, Assertiveness evaluates if you showed confidence in the stage. Your dancing teacher will tell you more about this one during your classes. Can we go over to the Singing one?"

"Yup," Naoko agreed, though adding, "Oh, just a question! A shy girl will always have crappy Assertiveness scores, then?"

Reflecting on it for a brief period, Aratani replied:

"It's a good question. Like everything, it depends. The stage persona an idol incorporates is different from her real self, and the score takes this into consideration. A girl can behave like an introvert cutie, but have high Assertiveness scores, because judges can evaluate it's part of her acting. Also, a girl can act all reserved but still sing loudly and don't flinch away from the audience, meaning she has lots of confidence and is merely acting. It's different from an idol who, even with a smile and a frenetic choreography, stays as far away from the public as possible, makes no eye contact with her fans and generally behaves nervously. Overall outgoing idols end up with slightly higher Assertiveness scores, but that's maybe due to a bias of judges toward extrovert types. The judges are humans, after all, and can be slightly fooled, but in theory, no, Assertiveness is not a measure of how ample your moves are per se, but if you demonstrate confidence or not in your acting."

"Oh! Okay then!" Naoko nodded, "So, what about Singing?"

"Once again, your singing instructor will go in the tidbits with you, but I'll give you an overview of this category," her producer announced, "Singing is divided between Voice Quality, Lyric Quality, Lyric Difficulty, Interpreting and Rhythm. Voice Quality evaluates if you have ample or narrow vocal amplitude, can reach high and low pitches, if you can modulate between them with ease or not, if you can project it or it's hard to hear, these kinds of things. Lyric Quality and Lyric Difficulty are both set and unchanging scores evaluated by professional musicians as a song is submitted for approval on I.S.S.G. for the first time. The Quality one means how deep and rich the lyric is, their technical metrics and rhymes composition, use of vocabulary and lots of other stuff. The Difficulty measures if it has lots of pauses for breathing or not, if it forces quick oscillations between high and low pitches, if it has sustained solos for long periods, etcetera. Basically if it can be sung perfectly by an asthmatic seven year-old girl or if only the crème de la I.S.S.G. and professional songstresses can dominate the beast. While both are fixed in value, Interpreting means how well you performed the chosen song, so there's no point in choosing an absurdly hard composition just for the large fixed points in Lyric Quality and Difficulty if you're unable to sing it correctly and end up with a ridiculous Interpreting score. Also, Interpreting evaluates the individual flails and personality an idol gives to her music, since no two people will sing the same song in exactly the same way. Finally, Rhythm. It's self-explanatory: if you don't sing along with the instruments or the electronic sounds your score will get hurt, otherwise you'll be fine. Many rookie idols take Singing for granted because of the two fixed scores, but it's actually one of the hardest categories to master. Also, some people are naturally gifted with good voices and there's only so much one can do about it, so some idols will naturally have an advantage here."

Agreeing, Naoko recalled:

"I saw that on the show! That Umeko-San lady sang like an angel! If it wasn't for that stupid Aesthetics score, Vyper would never have a chance!"

"The Aesthetics category is not stupid, Naoko-Chan, it's an integral part of presenting yourself, not only on stages but to other people in general." Aratani declared, "Take a lawyer for example. No one would believe him or her if the person wore a leather jacket over the skin instead of a suit. But yes, I see where you're coming from. Umeko-San is an amazing idol with an incomparable voice. Though I can assure Naoko-Chan your voice can at least get very close to that kind of perfection with enough training."

Forcing an acidic laugh, Naoko discredited him:

"Now you're exaggerating, Produ-San."

Turning to his computer, Aratani replied while getting a song started:

"I knew you'd say that, Naoko-Chan. So I decided to randomly choose a song Umeko-San sang during the beginning of her career to make my point clear. Bear in mind that she began about ten years ago, meaning she's part of a band. Six or seven girls in total, I think. There are other voices during this song, but every girl gets a solo part, so I'll point it out to you when is Umeko-San's time to shine so you can hear it for yourself."

An energetic, upbeat and happy song began sounding. The moment a chorus of female voices excitedly started to sing, Naoko got a powerful feeling of nostalgia. The easy and catchy lines were simple, maybe even a little bit silly, but in an unpretentious way. The music was obviously not made to be the next hit of the century or to discuss deep topics, it's just a cheerful, carefree song, and Naoko liked it just the way it was.

She knew that song, though she could only remember fragments of it. In fact, it brought more memories of her childhood back than recollections of the lyric by itself. The rough, dry and warm feel of a carpet over which she laid down, chest on the floor and legs folded and up in the air. The hot summer sun flooding the living room through open windows. The brightness of her old TV, on which an open-air show was performed in front of a huge acoustical shell amidst the lush green trees of an enormous park somewhere. The enthusiastic group of girls in blue dresses full of frills. Some taller, some shorter, all beautiful and funny. Almost all with long, gorgeous hairs. One a wavy light brown, the other a straight dark curtain. One in particular, the one Naoko liked the most, was a mesmerizing light blond that reflected the sunlight like a golden mirror. All of them danced with joyful choreographies and made the public go crazy. Naoko vaguely remembered wanting badly to be among the cheering audience and to be blond.

So lost in warm, cozy, nostalgic childhood memories the girl almost didn't notice when Aratani mentioned "Now's Umeko's solo". A very young, girly voice full of energy took the central spot. Though lovely and cute, it's full of glass-scratching high-pitches and technical imperfections. Caught by surprise by the nostalgia and by that amusing teenager voice that Umeko once had, Naoko burst in laughs. The cheery song kept going until a high-toned end as a road ending in a precipice, leaving only silence after it. Turning off the screen and facing Naoko, her producer asked her a quick "So?".

The girl stood numbingly recalling fond, half-forgotten memories of when she was six or seven year-old for a few seconds before declaring in thrilled shock:

"I can't believe it! I remember this song! I remember watching on TV a show with a few girls in a park! It's so nostalgic! I don't know if this song belonged to Umeko-San's band or what, but I can recall it!"

"What did you think about Umeko-San's voice at the beginning of her career?" her producer questioned, to which Naoko laughed. "Produ-San, it's so strange to hear her like a teenager! It's as if it's a completely different person from the Umeko of the show we watched last weekend! Are you sure you're not trying to deceive me or anything?"

"I swear it's the same person," Aratani guaranteed with a cool smile, "Hard to believe, right? But it's true. Once a girl matures into a woman and her vocal chords stabilize it's too late to make any drastic changes on it, but on the other hand it also becomes more harmonious. Less peaks of hormones to screw it up, meaning more control over it and a cleaner, more polished singing. Of course Umeko-San was born with a fabulous voice and trained it, but I'm just showing you it's not impossible for Naoko-Chan to reach the same kind of vocal perfection in six or seven years if she trains hard. Your eighty-eight Singing score in the tests didn't take in consideration the two fixed lyric values, meaning we evaluated you highly in Voice Quality, Interpreting and Rhythm. You have good vocal amplitude, cleanliness, cadency and other important attributes without ever having trained it. I'm not joking when I say you have potential to get at least close to Umeko's singing level. Certainly not by tomorrow, but some day. I'm telling you, Naoko-Chan is perfect material for a fan favorite member of a band and a solo star."

Reassured, Naoko opened up a room-warming smile. Aratani, grinning back, joked:

"Oh, how I love to see you happy. But you know what I love more than it? Pestering you. You may have Umeko-San's potential, but don't try to imitate her in every regard. Get your dancing fixed up unless you want you get bested by a well-endowed, catsuit-clad stunning girl. Unless... we get you a catsuit too! Now, I'd like that!"

Instead of explaining about the Aesthetics category in the remaining minutes before departure, Aratani used the time to laugh and protect himself from slaps. He could explain the rest another time when he wasn't being attacked.

The work for the bedding company on a photographic studio was smooth as the white and rosy pillow Naoko was put to rest on. It felt somewhat cold for extended periods of time, which was exactly the innovation the company was trying to sell during that spring. With specialists predicting high-temperature records for that year, it's no surprise a pillow that could remain chilly for longer would sell as much as ice-creams during spring and summer.

She was given comfortable and fresh clothes, just a simple, white sleeveless tee and small, pink pajamas shorts, and put in an impeccably clean, well-illuminated and whitey bedroom scenario only broken by an ice-blue flower and its two small green leaves. It's not as easy to feel relaxed with a production team of six people and Aratani close-by watching her pretend to sleep like an angel, but since Naoko just closed her eyes and tried to rest her head while making the least amount of wrinkles on the pillow, it wasn't hard. Ten minutes and hundreds of photos after, she's out of there. They even gave her the fresh, comfy, enthralling and adorable pajamas free of charge, whatever that was worth.

After getting back home Naoko felt as light as a plume. Umeko's old song still played on her head, giving her nostalgic vibes from the sunny, blue days in Shimabara. For the first time since she'd arrived in the capital Naoko felt the faintest of desires of getting in touch with something from her hometown. Not her parents, that's for certain. But the ocean water, or the smell of wet soil of the plantations from distant terrains, or a glimpse of the haze that formed over the hot spring pools by Mt. Unzen's foothills, anything. Actually, anything that reminded her about her childhood.

Under the lukewarm, crystalline water of her shower Naoko fell into a trance of sorts, remembering when she was seven. When there wasn't much to do, but life felt like an adventure by itself, a feeling she'd only regained after moving to the megalopolis. Looking to her feet, she let the aromatic shampoo run white over her black hairs as water washed it away, and her eyes rested over her black and white good-luck charm anklet she never remembered she wore. At that time when she recalled her childhood, though, it made total sense. She'd completely forgotten to call her long-time friend Masahiro. Last time they met he looked very sad, but it's been a week since then, so he should probably be alright by now, she thought.

As soon as she got out of the bath and put on her new pajamas she sent him a message asking how he was doing. After some time she got a surprised response of him, and both talked through texts. He asked how was life going, and Naoko told him how wonderful it was to live in the capital. Her room, her friends, her school, her dojo and the Athletics club, her job, the city... The more she thought about it, the better it seemed. She told him about Miwa, her other female classmates and Rin so much Masahiro eventually asked her in astonishment if she hadn't made any new male acquaintances. Naoko replied it's obvious she did, including most of her classroom, the karatekas at the dojo, a few senior boys from sports clubs who've helped her and so on. She briefly mentioned the ex-gang boy Daiki and grinning weirdo Katsuro, though not in details so as not to spoil her happiness.

Masahiro's astonishment immediately faded away. The boy still felt gloomy on his texts, even though saying it's good to know Naoko was happy. Since Masahiro always took a nosedive into introspection and melancholy when Naoko talked about other men, she changed subjects to her job, telling him all the things she'd already done and how much she liked her producer for his cool but funny personality, his business knowledge and reliability. And once again Naoko notice she's talking about a man and Masahiro got all the more low-spirited. That was something Naoko hated in her childhood friend. Still, getting in touch with him seemed nice while it lasted, so after the longing was gone she quickly ended the conversation so as not to harm her high-spirits.

On Sunday she returned to the office for a brief talk about the Aesthetics category before going for an extended, eight hour long lesson chain.

"Aesthetics is composed of Idol Presentation, Attire Presentation, Composition, Image Impact and Final Integrity." showing Naoko photos on his computer as examples, her producer explained her. "Idol Presentation has nothing to do with the clothes, but rather about the girl herself. If she looks like she combed her hair, put her makeup and took time to look pretty or if she looks like the last bath she took was two weeks ago. Also, things like teeth prettiness and other factor influence here. It's one of the most controversial subcategories of all, because in practice gorgeous girls almost always get the upper hand even if another, less pretty idol had put in the same amount of effort on her hygiene and body care. You don't have to worry about it, though. Naoko-Chan will most likely cap this subcategory on most presentations as long as you take good care of yourself. Really, it's hard for any idol to get a low score here, especially after the initial classes when you gain access to stylists and hairdressers before most gigs, offered by I.S.S.G."

"Is there something like this?!" Naoko questioned eagerly.

"Yes, though until you get to Wood class your only bet is your private stylist. And even after having access to this convenience many high-class idols still prefer private service providers like that hairstylist I sent you to, and to whom you became his therapist. That place is frequented by many top idols, including Water-class ones. I think even one of the five current Star class idols sometimes go there, so really, after you had that experience even the best professionals the I.S.S.G. has to offer will not look like much, I suspect. Anyway, where have I stopped?"

Under the admired eyes of Naoko, who imagined again just how much a haircut at that place could cost, Aratani resumed once he remembered:

"Right, Idol Presentation. After that there's Attire Presentation. It's almost the same, only for the clothes. It's a value given to the condition of the costume. Not really if it's pretty or not, but rather if it's well-kept. If dresses don't have wrinkles, leather is not dried out, if the cloth has no unintended holes, wigs are not worn-out, if things that should shine aren't opaque and so on. Once again, it's just a criteria I.S.S.G. created to force agencies to take good care of costumes. The producer needs to be very sloppy and the idol very inattentive or lenient to lose points here. Then there's Composition, where things get really complicated. Composition takes numerous factor into accounting: if your clothes match, if it makes sense, if it's aesthetically pleasing, if it fits perfectly or falls too tight or too big... It partially draws from the idol too. If we took Vyper's costume of that show we watched and put it on a cutesy girl, even supposing it fit her body perfectly the score would be lower because, let's face it, it'd look odd. Also it's influenced by the song. If you bring an angel costume to sing a thumping, heavy beat music full of screams it'll also detract from your Composition score. It's very easy to lose points here."

"I remember the Aesthetics score of Vyper changed a bit between songs," Naoko cited, and her producer agreed, "Precisely. It's most likely due to Composition. On that attire, which works on a sexier note, she used to get slightly higher scores when acting sexy than when being just fun-loving. If Vyper decided to sing a sad song that had nothing to do with the way she presented herself, her Composition score would most likely plummet."

Grinning, Naoko joked:

"Well, no Kamijira costumes on stage, then, right?"

"You betcha!" Aratani immediately stated. After a pause, he disclaimed, "Well, not quite. There're rare few whimsical and rather strange competitions where it'd actually win you many points, but in general, no, no giant lizard, city-stomping Kamijira attires. Though it brings me to the Image Impact subcategory, where the more unique the costume, the better. Obviously I'm not talking about Kamijira-levels of uniqueness, but still. Some attires can be very detailed and pretty, but are also tried and true to the point of feeling somewhat average to the public. The secret to Image Impact is creating your own personal style, something that people can know it's you even if they don't see your face. Think of it as an aesthetical fingerprint mixed with a surprise element. And here's where judges' personal tastes are supposedly left out, because if a costume makes sense on a shy girl they'll have to consider it even if their likings were different." Grinning, he added, "I, personally, would only like to see women on stages, no girls allowed, and only in skinny vests, bikinis and such, but it doesn't mean I would be able to blame them for wearing something else if I were a judge, for example."

"Thankfully! At least there's a perv fail-safe mechanism to keep dirty people like you at bay!" Naoko replied with puffy cheeks.

"Unfortunately," Aratani mockingly added, "Well, it leaves us only with the Final Integrity to explain. It's an evaluation on the final condition the outfit is seen after the presentation is over. If spangles fall from a tiara or the whole tiara is lost during a dance, if plumes fall down from wings, a stiletto heel breaks, the cloth get too many wrinkles, anything that changes the state of the garment in an unintended way, it's deducted from here. Also it counts not only the state of the cloth, but of the idol as well. In practice it's very hard to get maximum score here because if your hair gets slightly messy after dancing or you lose your breath it's detracted, though usually it's also not too bad. The only excuse is if the changes were made by external, unforeseeable causes. For example, if it's raining, you go there and somehow get wet it's your fault because even an oyster could have seen this coming, but if the sprinkler system of an auditorium gets broken and ruins your costume and your makeup you're not blamed for it."

Taking a look at his black and silver wristwatch, Aratani wrapped it up:

"And that concludes my explanation on the Aesthetics category. Many idols and agents like it because it's the easiest one to get points on, even if it has one of the most finicky subcategories of all in it, Composition. Overall expect heavy opposition on this front, but since you're already at an advantage due to Idol Presentation, we can also play this game and send the rivals packing. Higher class presentations include subtopics on each subcategory, like if a costume is particularly expensive or if it has any special meaning, like a nature-friendly attire associated with a song that talks about protecting the environment. Things like that. But there's currently nothing to worry about it. Do you have any questions, Naoko-Chan?"

Thinking for a moment, Naoko asked:

"Just one, actually. My dancing instructor mentioned something about difficulty modifiers like... heels, platform boots, wearing things that can fall off... Things like that."

"Yes, there are these." Aratani explained, "Though they usually fall of in one of the two Secret Categories, that of Bonuses and Penalties. Modifiers are counted separately from the Aesthetics but the final modifier multiplies scores of four Categories. On Aesthetics, specifically, it also multiplies four subcategories: Idol Presentation, Attire Presentation, Composition and Image Impact. Then the Final Integrity is added separately. Note that every one of the five subcategories equate to twenty points maximum, and can't go higher than this. So if you already have twenty points in, say, Attire Presentation and get a modifier of one point two, it doesn't mean your final Attire Presentation score will be twenty four points. It'll still be capped at twenty. But if it was, say, ten, then after the modifier it'll go up to twelve. Just as a final note, a few rare rule sets alter these values, uncapping them for modifiers or changing their respective values to give emphasis on specific subcategories, but that's a nonissue for most of the shows. If we ever get into a competition with funky rules I'll let Naoko-Chan know beforehand and will help you prepare accordingly, don't worry. Any more questions about Aesthetics or modifiers?"

"Hm..." Naoko thought for a moment. Suddenly curious, she asked, "Oh, I've one! How much does platform boots add to the modifiers?"

Her producer, raising his shoulders showing he didn't know, searched on his computer files for a moment and responded, looking at his screen:

"Platform boots which are five centimeters or higher nets you a five percent bonus, plus one percent for every extra inch, up to a maximum of ten percent. So yours, being around three inches tall, nets you six percent I think."

"Can I see what're the biggest bonuses?" Naoko asked, and Aratani, while letting her, warned, "This incomplete list only serves as a reference. Also, if I were you I'd not think about wearing these things just for the modifiers. Some of them are even prohibited on a few stages as far as I'm aware, like ice skates, since they can ruin the floor. Not to mention it'd be next to impossible to dance on those."

Ice skates were among the items that conferred maximum bonus points, equal to ten percent. At nine percent were some of the most extreme stiletto heels and rollerblades. That list only showed footwear, so Naoko's curiosity wasn't totally satisfied, but it's curious nevertheless.

Aratani decided not to give information so far about the other two categories, Devotion and Memorability, because Naoko would already have a lot of things to remember on that day. She got sent to an eight-hour long lesson session, composed of four classes of two hours each. Two of those were Dancing classes, while the other two were Singing and Body Language like usual. The four hours of Dancing were divided in two parts, separated by the two other sessions so as not to extenuate her too much, but nevertheless it drained the girl dry of the last bit of her energy. It was as exhaustive as it was productive, and Naoko felt if she had just a little less physical constitution and body conditioning she'd be screwed.

In her dancing exercises she learned and practiced the most basic movements and poses. According to her instructor, the difference between the two was that movements were part of the choreography and expected to be performed during the songs, affecting her Dancing score, while poses served mostly the purpose of increasing her Devotion one, though it could also impact others. They were just stances throw in between moves to interact with the crowd and the cameras. A good act at the right time could give the audience the impression the idol called for them, and could also emphasize a specific part of a song. It's easier to chain movements than poses since the last were static while the first could fluidly link together.

Besides those her instructor told there were other, higher level elements to a presentation like Comebacks, Steppings, Stances and more. Two or three comebacks would be taught relatively soon, for they're used as a last resort to turn a flop into an artistic movement. Despite this, they were only going to be presented in-depth at a later date just like steppings, which revolved around moving around while looking pretty in order to make use of the whole stage. Stances, on the other hand, weren't even going to be taught there, for they revolved around mental postures, for what little Naoko could understand. Her instructor declared even she didn't understand how those worked but they're more like powerful psychological elements than choreographic ones. Only a few idols knew anything about it and even fewer, mostly Water class ones, made use of it. One thing she'd eventually learn that, while nowhere near as complex as stances, were psychological elements too that she'd be taught there, according to her instructor, was called Mimicking. Basically they're imagination exercises that let an idol adopt a few behaviors they drew from mental sources, like acting as an animal or as another person. They're hardly as useful as Stances, but could add some variety and were treated like moving poses, mixing it with steppings to some very interesting results. But, then again: high-level material. Naoko was expected to learn the basics before anything else.

Since Naoko had done no homework from the body language class aside from the unintentional training of body postures at her meeting with Katsuro and Daiki at the laundry, she got to work double to catch up with the instructor on that class and learn new things like breathing techniques to calm down and the use of mental visualizations to train muscle coordination even without actually employing them. That second one made Naoko initially reticent, for it sounded almost like magic to train movements to be performed just on her mind, but surprisingly it worked. She noticed she could prepare herself to execute anything from choreographed moves to karate blows and swimming member coordination just by going into meditation and using visualization techniques. It's hard for her, but possible nonetheless. In fact, Naoko discovered the thing she'd done in her tests imagining a blond idol by her side was a much more advanced visualization technique than she's being taught, though there were also trainings to perform that in more reliable and practical ways.

Naoko paid special attention to the Singing classes since her producer showed her Umeko's teenager voice. Her instructor not only let her rehearse a few songs she'd most likely perform in her first presentations but also began training her on improving her vocal amplitude, increase her capacity to modulate it on the fly and reduce noises, among other things. Noises, like her teacher explained her, were tiny (or not so tiny) imperfections created by unwanted air circulation inside the vocal apparatus. The woman quickly noticed Naoko had a small septum deviation just by the way her inhaling through her mouth could be heard on the microphone and by how some nasal sounds seemed slightly off. She told her it only detracted minor points on the first many classes, but on the top tiers it could chip her score noticeably, and proposed trainings to help her mitigate these effects while training her on improving the maximum acoustical frequencies her voice could reach.

Beyond that spectrum, which in Naoko's case was already good in her teacher's opinion, she could reach slightly higher or lower frequency ranges through the controlled use of falsetto, though ideally they'd train her so she could perform naturally on those ranges. Falsetto was a process through which a person could reach an octave or so beyond their usual vocal range, though almost always with a loss at tone quality, resonation and other important characteristics, making it sound usually breathier. It's a last resource to be used if a song demanded it, but since it sounded worse and the prolonged use of it could strain the vocal system, it's best used on the least amount of occasions possible.

Naoko was also given homework lessons about musical theory so she could understand what was an octave, a frequency, a note and so on. She was also given information to study about solmization, both the international solfège, Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti scale most people knew but had no idea what its purpose was, and its Japanese classical counterpart, I-Ro-Ha-Ni-Ho-He-To. Apparently it only served the purpose of teaching scales and pitches, but since the girl didn't know what the purposes of those were too, it's useful.

Finally, her last dancing class got her rehearsing a few dances she could use on her first few presentations, according to the songs she's also being taught. At the end of the lesson the teacher also called in about ten girls around eight years old that were waiting for their collective class to begin, to watch Naoko perform a few presentations. It served the purpose of getting her ready for exhibiting herself in front of an audience. Naoko was already worn-out badly, but the prospect of having a cheering crowd pumped her up and carried her through the last ten minutes of class. She got somewhat nervous, far more than it seemed reasonable for the circumstances, which at first made her clam up. Only it reminded her about Rin and her panicking at the karaoke, and deciding not to commit the same mistakes her friend did Naoko forced confident postures and tried to relax and open up from her defensive shell. It all went well and the applauses cheered her up.

When it's over, Naoko could see her effort had many similarities with the memory of Rin overcoming her fears in the karaoke, though exhausted as she was she couldn't reach any conclusions at the time as to why was that so. After training karate on Thursday, attending to the Athletics club the two days after and eight hours of classes on Sunday her body itched for a respite. Furthermore, she's supposed to train her dancing outside of her classes too, though the girl had no idea where she could do so. Aratani suggested she found an isolated part of a park or asked on her school if she could use the theater when it's vacant, but the more Naoko though about having to move ever again, the more she came to like those visualization teachings.

Once everything was done and all she wanted was to go to sleep, Naoko found out she had lots of messages to read, a lot from her friends, both in real life and internet ones, asking how was life going or why she's absent for so long from online games and communities.

It got her thinking. On her parents' house she always craved to play when she's not roaming the town, but now she hardly wanted to do it. If she felt no need to play now that she had so many better things to do, did it mean her gaming habits were just a way to give her a sensation she's achieving something that now she really was? It's clear to her she used it to escape having to talk with her parents, and to lock herself on her room without doing nothing would be maddening. Also, she knew it's something else that allowed her to get new friends, but so far she'd never thought about it as a means of giving her a false sensation of accomplishment. Not that she didn't like it anymore, but she just didn't feel the need to play something she's already familiar with, and that would net her no revolutionarily new experiences.

For once Naoko was glad for not wanting to play and for not wanting to dwell on internet communities. Even her childhood friend Masahiro decided, in the girl's understanding, to stop being stupid and resumed his sending of messages. As if he'd not been silent for a whole week waiting Naoko to take the initiative of looking for him. He's also back to his usual self, worrying for her well-being and wishing her a good night, but despite being very happy, she wasn't in the mood to talk to him, or anyone else for that matter. Furthermore her social media was overloaded with requests of people from her school to connect with her. Too many people asking for attention and making her jaded with it. So Naoko simply decided not to answer any messages that day. Maybe some other time, when she wasn't so bushed and people were not overwhelming her with useless small talk.
Chapter VI – In Pursuit of Dreams

Looking down to her extremely old and crappy cellphone, the picture of two birds on its gleaming screen reflecting on her glasses, all she could wish for was that someone, anyone sent her a message. Even small talk would be fine. Her entrance boxes in e-mails, messages, social media and everything else were so empty if it was studied by science mankind could probably discover a new kind of vacuum with never before seen emptier qualities. Even the artistic photos she liked to take of nature and landscapes with her equally old photographic camera, that sometimes got her a comment in social media, were not netting her anything anymore. It's as if people got bored not only of her photos, but of her as well. Hearing Naoko apologize to her class friends for not answering them the night before because she had more than seven hundred message threads, requests, notifications and communication trash to look at and decided not to bother, Shiori could only wish she had one hundredth of it.

That was something that pissed her off. Why people flocked to clearly insensitive girls like Naoko, who didn't feel the need to respond to others, when nice ones who could give others the attention they deserved were left in a limbo? People really liked to suffer this badly? Or were they just stupid? What people wanted Shiori to do to get even a little bit of attention?

At times like that the girl usually fell into long meditations, but the answers she found were invariably the same: simply put, she was ugly and Naoko was beautiful. Beautiful people received lots of praise from others since they're born, so they had fewer reasons to be afraid of others and could become more extroverted. Being so, they could attract more people, and they in return would have even more people to praise them, creating a cycle. Shiori wasn't so lucky. She's just a below average girl, in her opinion. Others didn't praise her, and required her to constantly prove herself based on her smarts or other qualities for her to even receive attention. Worst of all: there was no way around that. People already made no efforts to be with her to begin with, it wouldn't cut to imitate the loftiness she saw on Naoko toward others because it'd only repel them even more.

She hated herself so much for admitting she wanted to be as beautiful as Naoko that Shiori couldn't even stand to face her classmate, but it's true. For as much as Naoko looked very friendly, she could also disdain all the clear signals of interest almost all boys from her class sent her and it only teased them to try harder. That charming boy named Takumi with whom Shiori studied together for the past seven years and because of whom she enrolled on that stupid drama club was a perfect example. He never gave too much attention to her, but tried so hard to get even the slightest bit of Naoko's attention it's disgusting. Every damned time Takumi found a chance to talk to her, he reminded Naoko about how the drama club could contribute to her career. To be fair, even if aloof, the idol was arguably very kind to others in this regard and politely refused again and again. Shiori knew if she's in Naoko's place she'd be much less nice to that imbecile who couldn't take a hint. If anything else, it motivated him to insist even more. The glasses girl had never seen that handsome boy act so much like a puppy. It revolted her.

She lost herself so badly in her sweet imaginings of how marvelous would her life be if she's a drop-dead gorgeous girl too that she noticed far too late she's expected to pay attention to lessons and take notes. When her teacher dismissed her class to the break Shiori got pale and desperate. She'd once again lost sight of the subject at hand. How's she supposed to get exemplary grades to get even the smallest bit of others' attentions if she couldn't even concentrate on classes? A few year before her daydreams were nothing more than a distraction during free time, but currently it happened on a daily basis and weighted against her on her studies. Her grades followed a downtrend over the years and even her natural intelligence, the only thing the girl felt she could positively talk about herself, could only carry her so far. She had to pay attention to that class, and without any friend she could ask for help all Shiori could do was pray the contents she'd lost wouldn't be required to understand the ones from subsequent lessons, though it usually was.

While she sat still, ruminating about problems, one interesting event surrounding Naoko brought her back to reality. Two intelligent but not really handsome or sociable boys talked between themselves like they usually did while the idol was about to leave class for a stroll with her friends. Those two hardly ever spoke to other people in the class, thought it looked like they had a few other close-knit friends on other classes. In fact, they studied along with the glasses-wearing girl for about six years and she knew almost nothing about them. They sat close to the windows and talked about some kind of game involving swords and magic as far as Shiori could tell, though she didn't understand anything about the topic to make any sense of it. But the instant Naoko unintentionally overheard their mumbo-jumbos her eyes sparkled. The girl eagerly barged in, asking if they talked about something she referred to as "RPG", whatever it could be.

Even though Shiori knew absolutely nothing about the subject, the conversation that took place only three chairs away from hers amused the girl. The two collected boys where initially petrified, their postures stiff and their shaky voices merely responding in short sentences. Shiori was naturally an amazing observer and listener and could see that from miles away, though Naoko apparently did not. The excited idol asked lots of questions with apparent excitement, such as if the game they referred to was a "tabletop RPG", if they already had a group, who was the "Game Master", what kind of "system" they used, what narrative setting they liked to play on, what kind of characters each player preferred to role-play as and so on. Again, Shiori had no idea what it all meant, but before her eyes a kind of miracle happened.

The initial shock of the boys grew bigger, but their fearful expressions gradually gave in to surprise. One, wearing contact lenses and bearing an untidy brown hair, asked in disbelief:

"Does Yano-San really like to play Role-Playing Games?"

"Yup!" Naoko excitedly replied, "Well, the ones I play are just computer or video game ones, to tell the truth. I never played a tabletop RPG before, I just heard a lot about in on the internet. It looked so cool! I always wanted to know how it's to play it!" Scratching her cheek with an index finger and looking frustrated, she contradicted her own speech, "Funny thing is, just yesterday I was happy about not wanting to play games anymore since I moved in, but here I am having a relapse. Oh, well. Hey! Do you guys play RPG with those cool dices?!"

Nodding, a boy with dark hair parted in the middle, sending two fringes over his forehead, opened his pencil case and took a small blue object from it. Initially Shiori thought it's a ball because it looked roughly spherical, but a closer inspection revealed it's actually composed of many numbered faces. Handing the dice to the astonished idol, the boy told her:

"Yes, the rule system we follow make use of dices. This one you have is a D20, because it has twenty faces. We also employ the D4, D8, D10 and D12 along with the D6, which is the classical six-sided dice."

The class president discreetly came closer and Naoko, with starry eyes, showed her friend the dice. Miwa, getting suspicious, inquired the two boys, getting them afraid again:

"What are you boys doing with dices on school? You do not intend to gamble, I expect."

"No, Miwa-Chan, don't worry," Naoko intervened in their favor, explaining, "These kinds of dies are not used on gambling, they're used on a kind of game called a Role-Playing Game, or RPG for shorts. Basically a few people get together to role-play as characters in a story that one of the players, called the Dungeon Master or Game Master, creates. People say what their characters do, the Master tells them about the world around them and what enemies and non-player controlled, secondary characters do in response, the players react to that and the story unfolds. They use the dices to solve if someone succeeds or fails in any task that require skill to be performed, such as hitting an opponent with an attack. It's hard to explain in a few words, but trust me, it's not gambling. And it's so nice to see an actual dice like this! Wanna roll it and see who gets the highest value?!"

Though not very enthused like her friend, Miwa laughed.

"Seriously, Naoko-Chan, do you play these kinds of things too? That's so you."

"Nope, never had a chance to play this, no one I knew played tabletop RPGs," Naoko explained, "I just know about it because I play electronic RPGs. The ones from video games are usually very different, but they come from the same source, so I've already got curious and tried to learn about it! But no, I actually know little about tabletop ones."

Turning to the boys, Naoko thanked them for letting her see the dice. Shiori could feel in the air they wanted to invite her to play whatever it was, though they didn't and Naoko left with Miwa and the other girls for a walk around the school. As soon as she went away the two boys started to discuss what had just happened as if they'd been graced by the visit of a goddess. Next thing it looked like they'd do was to ask themselves if she's really human. She's just so something new, for them at least. Worse, a few others who stayed in the classroom during break also got to talk about it. Initially Shiori thought the majority of the class would make fun of the popular girl for liking such silly games, but on the contrary, they all seemed thrilled. The shy, friendless, glasses-wearing girl couldn't understand why this happened. If she was the one doing that, all her classmates would most likely mock her, but it seemed like whatever Naoko did was okay!

All the while, it's the first time Shiori found she was unable to get angry with Naoko, though she had no idea why. Maybe because for once she wasn't unknowingly getting the attention of the handsome boys with an ease that made Shiori envious. The girl, despite being very popular, had approached two unsociable boys, and looked very happy and gentle. She hadn't act like the extroverted, fun but standoffish girl Shiori came to expect her to be. Naoko looked sincerely interested in that game even if the ones talking about it were a pair of socially-awkward boys, and didn't care what others could think about it. Her friend Miwa had acted like she came to expect Naoko to be fun-driven like that, in fact. And to get those two boys out of their shell like that, even if just a little, was a feat even the reclusive girl had to acknowledge.

It got Shiori thinking again fervently. About how incredible would it be if she was beyond reproach from others like that. About what would she do if the situation was inversed and a stunning boy came to talk to her about something she liked. Photography, movies, literature, anything. About how such a little act made those two snap out of their tiny shells of worlds. And why nobody did the same to her. Why nobody seemed to care to try and take her out of her shell. What was the problem with the others? Or maybe... what was the problem with her?

The Athletics club had meetings on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, but attendance was required during only two days of the week. Since Naoko's body was hurting a lot she decided to give it a pass and go ask for permission to use the school theater during whatever free time it had for practicing her songs. The secretary told her it's unfortunately not possible because even though the theater had many schedule vacancies, the only student group typically allowed to make use of it and request permission for its use was the Drama club, because they're responsible for the maintenance of that space. However, the secretary told her if their members scheduled an hour for her to rehearse, even if it has nothing to do with the club itself, it'd be acceptable since those students would be vouching for the correct use of the facility.

Naoko didn't want to rehearse her singing and dancing in a public park and she couldn't afford to rent a big place every day just for it. Her dorm room was barely big enough for her to walk around it, dancing would be a no go, and she'd definitely not dance in the building's courtyard. Her best bet seemed the school theater, which was enormous and acoustic. Its walls were also soundproof, meaning people on the outside wouldn't even know she's rehearsing. It looked good, but Naoko wasn't one to ask for favors. Still, it seemed she had little choice on the matter if she really wanted to be ready, so maybe she could do them a favor in return to even it out.

She texted Rin to meet her by the theater with the manga the girl wanted to lend her and went there to try and talk with that boy from her class, Takumi, who constantly invited her to join the club. He's her only contact there, maybe he could get her in touch with whoever was in charge. And the vast majority of people on the club were very nice to her the only time she's there. She hated to ask favors to people but maybe they'd accept it nevertheless. It'd still be awkward to tell she needed to do so because they could ask why her agency didn't pay her extra classes then, but if she just told them she wanted to improve by herself, perhaps they'd buy it.

Even though she waited until the end of the rehearsal to enter, Takumi looked very pleased to see her. Naoko ashamedly explained him she wanted to practice her songs and dances outside of working hours and explained she liked that theater so much she asked the secretary if she could use it. She explained why she's directed to the drama club and, bowing, asked if Takumi could help her in any way, promising she'd return the favor to the group somehow. He introduced Naoko to the senior girl in charge of the club, a brunette of average height and a stern face called Jissoji Chiasa.

She didn't look too welcoming, though Naoko had already partaken from a few exercises on the drama club and recalled that girl being very outgoing and open despite her serious semblance, so she humbly retold the situation and asked for help. That she could return the favor of any rehearsing hour the club could schedule for her. For some time she looked reticent, not wanting to downright decline but also looking uneasy. It's because of the responsibility of lending the whole theater to anyone who was not even part of the drama club to begin with. If something happened to the facility or to herself during her rehearsals the club president Chiasa would be blamed and the club could have a hard time with the director. Takumi, though, intervened, proposing that Naoko joined the drama club. Her presence there could attract the interest of many students to watch their plays, and maybe she could even make a show for the students as a way to pay the favor back.

The club president Chiasa got interested. That time Naoko was the one who vacillated. After all, she hated theater plays, she didn't want to bother being close to that Shiori girl who seemed so sad whenever she's around and she wasn't sure her producer would accept she did a free gig. The last argument was the only one she mentioned, though. She hesitantly told them she could try to persuade him to it, but that her contract was very strict about her payments. She told a few lies just to see if she could dissuade them to force her to join the group, though her argument only posed difficulties to her special exhibition. In the end she felt forced to excuse herself and take some distance to call Aratani, just so she could show others she's interested in it.

Aratani was more than happy to allow her a single free show if it meant she got free publicity on her school, experience under her belt and a whole theater to rehearse. Just to make it more worthwhile, he proposed a counteroffer in which Naoko had at least one hour and a half of rehearse time every day she could spare for it, because most real shows she'd perform in the future would generally be as long as one and a half hour. Naoko, grinding her teeth at the prospect of having not only to act in a theatrical play but also perform an extra gig, but unable to tell her producer that without having the others know of her real fears, presented the proposal to the club president. Chiasa immediately agreed as long as her producer accepted to promote their play however he could. He counteroffered accepting to promote it, but only on the girl's fan club and the agency website, and only as long as Naoko had a significant role in it. Also, he'd want to personally supervise the preparations for her show on school. Chiasa replied, Aratani replied her reply and so on for about fifteen minutes.

Serving as a messenger between both sides since she's the one talking on the cellphone, Naoko got gradually more worried. First, she'd be in a play and do a show. Then she'd have a central role in a thing she hated. Then her show would not be free anymore, but people would have to donate food for a charity because it'd give her gig more perceived value and could be better promoted. Then the promotion was getting bigger and bigger. Then Naoko would have two hours to rehearse. After that, the club members would have to be able to watch some of her rehearsals. Eventually Naoko passed her cellphone to Chiasa so she could negotiate directly with Aratani, because the girl didn't want to hear any more about all the things that would happen. Both the drama club president and her producer had a megalomaniacal sides she discovered the hard way they possessed, because when Chiasa finally hung up the phone, she looked content. Shiori, who stood in the distance along with many other club members waiting the results, looked miserable in contrast. Naoko looked even more so. The only redeeming thing was that Rin, who'd arrived in the middle of the conversations, smiled radiantly, more and more enthusiastic as she watched Chiasa make her friend's play and gig greater and better.

"It's settled, then! Welcome to the Drama Club, Yano Naoko-San!" the club president Chiasa happily said while giving Naoko back her cellphone, prompting lots of energetic applauses. Shiori was so wretched she could almost not even muster the strength to clap, but it's compensated by Rin, who jumped and cheered loudly as five people in one. The helpless Naoko, grabbing her cellphone back, thanked with a faint voice and an enormous desire to punch Aratani, Chiasa and Takumi, "Thanks, guys. You're just... the best." Thinking about the play she'd have to participate, and as a main character to boot, the girl asked as an introduction, but really using it more as a begging, "Please be nice to me!"

The Drama Club's meetings occurred on Mondays and Wednesdays, meaning with that, her karate trainings at Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Athletics club on Fridays and Saturdays Naoko had a full agenda. Chiasa told her she'd have two hours every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after club hours to rehearse her songs. Even more, group members who wanted could stay to watch her as long as they all understood it's practice hour and not a show, meaning she's expected to commit mistakes, restart songs, fumble steps and so on. Just like rehearsals of a theatrical play. Apparently Aratani thought it'd help her get used to an audience and Chiasa understood it's a nice bonus for the club members after their hard works.

Pulling Rin with her, Naoko quickly got away from there before she couldn't bear to smile gently anymore and murdered someone. Thankfully her friend was there to cheer her up. After some congratulatory talk Rin presented five manga books she took from her school bag.

"Sorry, Naoko-Chan! I told you I'd bring five manga about love stories that were short and that I thought you'd like, but there's only four I could find that matched these criteria!"

"But... there're five here," Naoko noted, to which Rin explicated, "Yup! But only because Rin took a fifth one for completion's sake! It has no action, however... I don't know if you like slice of life stories as well, but it's the only short one left Rin had, and since Naoko-Chan told Rin she had little time left to read, Rin thought it'd be best to stick with it. It's kind of strange and its love story's arguably not that great, but Rin likes it anyway just for its novelty! And also for being Rin's first manga ever."

The moment Naoko glanced through the five volumes, it quickly became obvious which one was the oddball. Among four who seemed to have at least a few action sequences and fantasy features mixed with the romance, there was one with no outlandish elements. Not very interested, Naoko just glanced through its pages, but in a split second her eyes caught something she'd never expected to see in any manga. Backtracking to the page that piqued her interest, she found a big stock market chart full of vertical stick-like lines and oscillating bands running up and down around it.

It made Naoko recall that time when she was looking for work and, after thinking about many possibilities of jobs she could have that didn't rely on others, briefly thought about the stock market. She knew nothing about it, but back then it felt cool to gain lots of money from behind a computer and not having to get in touch with clients and such.

Suddenly getting curious, Naoko began browsing through its pages.

"It's this one Rin-Chan was talking about, right? What's this about?"

"Like I said, there's no action in it!" Rin disclosed just to be sure, "Well, it follows the story of a boy who's hired as a very well-paid private teacher for a girl. Turns out she's a secluded multi-billionaire girl who has basically no contact with the outside world, lives alone and the only thing she knows about is how to operate stocks. Then their relationship evolves from the trust they create and a few things happen involving another boy who..."

"Yeah, yeah, love's very nice and all," Naoko quickly interrupted, not sounding nearly as much interested as her enthusiastic friend "Does it actually teach something about stock markets or is it just a thing that happens to be in the plot?"

Blown away by her friend's excited question, Rin evoked her recollections for a moment.

"It only briefly mentions a few aspects, if Rin recalls it correctly. It does not really teach anything, though it introduces the topic somewhat. It falls a bit short not only on the romance but also on the stock thing, it won't turn anyone in a stock trader, but it deserves merit for mixing both in an interesting way! After reading it even I was curious to learn more about it! But since Economics is not my cup of tea I preferred just to daydream one on my private teachers was a handsome boy and I lived alone! And then he'd take me to dinner! And we'd go to a park..."

Quickly glancing the other manga, about otherworldly feats, hard to believe coincidences and impossible romances, Naoko decided to give that one about the rich girl a shot. It made Rin very happy, since the girl told her she had more real-ish love story comic books than action-packed ones and was itching to show her friend her small collection.

That story looked promising, she saw after getting back to her dorm and reading a few pages. The only thing left then was to do her homework, both from school and from her Sunday classes, using visualization to help her overcome the space limitation when necessary.

The next morning the skies had cleared up back to an infinite blue, even if clouds could be seen here and there. For the first time Naoko went with Miwa and her classmates appreciate the scenic view from the rooftop terraces, now that the gang had been dissolved with the expulsion of its leader. The place was crowded with students who wanted to savor the regaining of that awesome chilling spot, and though she unfortunately met Daiki there, he looked different. Less bravado made for a nicer person, even though Naoko's memories made her wish nothing more than that he stayed far away from her.

Still, he's accompanied by many boys from the soccer club, and those from other sports clubs were also there. Part of that victory was theirs, after all. And since Daiki came talk to Naoko, she eventually was able to have a talk with the boys who've helped her in the washhouse by restraining the ex-gang member, which was pretty sweet. Receiving her as the person that made that victory possible, the high-spirited guys welcomed her warmly, joking about tipping others never to screw with that irascible girl and about making her the mascot of the teams. With Naoko's easygoing and fun-loving personality coupled with those boys' friendly attitudes they quickly kicked off a conversation about the male sports clubs, Naoko's membership of the female Athletics one and so on.

Eventually Naoko spotted Rin and a few female friends of her class roaming around, and called her. She knew Rin was afraid of boys' attentions but since she's also part of the Athletics club and the guys, even the senior ones, looked so welcoming she though it's a good opportunity for her blond friend to get used to talking to boys. Perhaps she'd just never been able to talk in a friendly environment. Rin, just as Naoko expected, was frozen rock solid by fear as she's introduced in the circle and could barely mutter a word, but Naoko supported her by cheerfully talking in her stead and bringing up her excellent personal records. From there she revealed how they first met each other, though the way Naoko recounted the facts was, like always, biased by her own take on them. And her take on the facts invariably leaned on the extraordinary and the comical.

The way she painted Rin as a carefree girl who just wanted to kick back and enjoy the exercises, getting happy for someone who could try to surpass her records and being generally cute and funny while doing so, kept everyone interested. A few retellings of how at first Naoko perceived her friend's absurd take on the newly arrived athletics member and how Rin turned out to be an easily excitable and hilarious company got not only the sports boys, but Rin's friends, Miwa and all those around laughing. Naoko didn't mention anything about her frights of competitions or boys, though, merely chalking her acts to some kind of positive, small eccentricity of the blond girl.

When they got away to return to their classes, Rin looked completely ecstatic. Finally getting to recover from her petrification, she seemed capable of flying with the amount of overjoyed gestures she made while talking about her thumping, high-frequency heartbeats and how the experience was thrilling. She got afraid the boys were laughing from her supposed strangeness, but Naoko and the other girls quickly related it's the other way around: they seemed to love her upbeat ways, or at least what Naoko told them about her, and seemed totally interested in knowing better that cute and amusing girl.

That reassurance made Rin smile brighter than the sun and frenetically talk in awe and disbelief about how her meeting with the sportsmen, especially the senior boys, was a memory she'd forever cherish. The way she excitedly spoke about it, an unknowing listener could imagine she's the first person to establish well-documented communication between Earth and a friendly alien race of identical physiognomy that'd forever change humanity's take on life, the universe, itself and so many other aspects. Said listener would probably be disappointed when discovering it's just about a girl getting introduced to a group of boys and being barely able to speak her own name while at it. Still, Rin looked so grateful and exultant, like she'd won some big championship, that Naoko couldn't be happier for her friend.

On this occasion Naoko also got to meet Rin's class friends and introduce the blond girl to Miwa and the others from 2-5. Unfortunately the break was over quickly, because the two groups actually got along well thanks to the funny friendship of the two. Later telling Miwa and her classmates about her karaoke with Rin – or at least the part Rin wasn't scared half way to death – Naoko got them interested in joining a singing session any Saturday after school – provided Miwa could find a way not to bypass her obligations of taking care of her younger brother. The group returned to the classroom in such a lively mood, laughing and talking frantically, that it startled the people already there, silently waiting for the teacher's arrival.

From there the day remained nice. Even the sourpuss woman from the karate dojo didn't spoil the fun. Naoko used the commuting time to read the comic book Rin lent her, and while it really only briefly scratched the surface of the stock market subject, it nevertheless got her curious to learn more about it. Also the story, while very simple, was nice for a pastime.

Naoko could already feel her various body conditioning trainings making a difference, she's even able to do her daily homework after arriving on her dorm room, and while she's tired for brain activity intense studies like the ones from her school or her musical theory, the ones revolving around training her voice and imagining dancing steps were not a problem. She's initially reticent on doing vocal exercises loudly, but there were no nearby neighbors and she didn't care too much if others heard her, as long as she didn't disturb them and vice-versa. On a sad tone, though, Naoko "discovered" the fruits she'd been gifted were eaten when she groped the package and found out the one that was already in her mouth was the last one.

The following day was just as fantastic, including some small talk with a few senior students on the rooftop terrace again that got her classmates impressed and showering her with questions when she tried to eat. The theatrical play of the Drama club she somehow got into was the only thing worrying her. To complicate matters club president Chiasa got big ideas on her mind, that much was clear from the instant she grouped everyone to explain the current situation:

"For those of you who left as soon as last meeting was over, let me introduce a new member of the Drama club, 2-5 student Yano Naoko. For those who don't know, Naoko-Chan is a new I.S.S.G. idol, and she came asking if she could use the theater to practice. She joined us over the condition she got a few hours of rehearsal time and a central spot on our play."

"That's my producer's idea, guys!" embarrassed, Naoko quickly noted.

"Yes, it's true" Chiasa confirmed with an excited smile, "To return the favor, her producer accepted a few terms. Naoko-Chan will perform a special show here to raise food for charity, and it'll also give the Drama club quite the visibility. Our own play will follow suit. Because of it, we'll also have her agency's help on the promotion of the play! Hence her central spot. We're expected to help her increase her fan club counter of registered members, too, so the promotion gets more effective, so let's do our best, everyone. Furthermore, we'll be able to watch Naoko-Chan's singing rehearsals! But bear in mind, everyone: it's just that, a rehearsal, not a show, so she's bound to make mistakes and retakes, so please be supportive to her so she can get better and better, both for her career and for our sake! And, last but certainly not least, her producer agreed on a most generous donation of one hundred thousand Yen to help our club!"

Everyone applauded effusively. Even Shiori, who looked more miserable than ever and was the only one who didn't seem thrilled, got shocked by the last part. Naoko herself forced a smile to cover her agape, surprised mouth. Chiasa told the thirty-some members:

"Thanks to it, this year we'll probably don't need to take money from our own pockets for the costumes! Following our tradition, we'll still buy cloths and other materials and sew our own garments, though, both for those who'll be here the next year to know how it's done and so we can save cash for backgrounds, invitations and scenic objects. We'll still do our customary fund raising campaigns for the same reasons, so stay sharp, everyone! Okay then, let's begin?"

The stage exercises for interpretation took the majority of the meeting since the narrative that would be played was still not decided. Chiasa and a few senior students seemed to know a lot about the subject and constantly brought techniques they've researched to show the others. From relaxation to character interpreting, memory training, voice projection, diction and acting exercises and more, there was a myriad of things to learn. Despite Naoko's aversion to theater plays, she could see many applications of those teachings on her job, so it hooked her attention.

While some of the exercises were very strange, borderline embarrassing to do like trying to feel and interpret a madman or screaming the vowels A, I, U, E and O as loud as she could in unison with the others, they're actually fun. After overcoming the initial shock and uneasiness, Naoko found herself laughing of a few uncanny theatrical practices but performing them anyway and enjoying doing so. Even looking the shy Shiori trying to yell or getting red as a strawberry when being required to incorporate the mindset of a crazy person and act in accordance was hilarious.

Though the introverted girl had huge difficulties to let loose, she tried hard to overcome them. In a sense, it was reminiscent of Rin struggling with her fears, which made Naoko develop a little more sympathy for the girl with the glasses even if she acted aversively to Naoko.

Not to mention all those exercises really helped Naoko both with technical aspects and in getting comfortable with the others. She noticed that after she started to have fun, what looked excruciating became rather pleasant. All the theatrical rehearsals she had in her life before focused exclusively on performing a specific character in a specific play, and not in developing the actors and actresses' abilities to do so. To memorize lines of a script was a pain for Naoko and she's still hesitant about the moment when it started to happen, but so far it's better than she imagined.

The sun was setting when it ended. Shiori escaped in the first opportunity she got, but Takumi, Chiasa and many others decided to stay to watch her first musical rehearsal. Before the start of the session at the Drama club Naoko was apprehensive about having to practice in front of the members, but the crazy exercises she made along with others and the fun she had made her feel right at home. The dancing still got her a bit worried, but applying all she had learned so far about relaxing on the Drama club, on her Sunday lessons and from the experience that came from Rin's unfounded fears to dance in front of her friend at the karaoke, she put her anxiety aside. She's surrounded by friends there too. They knew that was a practice session and that mistakes would certainly happen. Most importantly, she could demand they supported her efforts or she could send them packing for not respecting their side of the deal. Remembering herself of all those things and letting the funny craziness that lingered after interpreting a mad person fill her with a nonsensical disregard for the opinions of others, she put herself to practice the few songs that she'd already trained during her classes the Sunday before.

The stage seemed immense for just one person. Naoko wondered how she was expected to make use of it all to receive a good score in the Stage Presence subcategory of Dancing. It puzzled her even more that the double stage she saw on the show Aratani let her watch was many sizes bigger, but all idols seemed to occupy it like they were giants, whereas Naoko felt like an ant in her school theater one. Though she still hadn't learned how to move around, so it's okay.

She went backstage and changed to an attire she'd yet to experiment, but which Aratani had bought exclusively for stage use. A three-tiered red and black miniskirt, a frilled and laced sleeveless crimson dress-like shirt, a pair of black gloves and her black platform boots. When she turned the background music on and went back onstage she's met by astounded expressions by all the girls. The boys, on the other hand, all had the most unassuming countenance as if they tried too hard to compensate the astonishment the girls felt free to express by looking way too casual. Their frozen mien, hardly blinking eyes and the sepulchral silence they made betrayed their apparent nonchalant aspects. The girl knew guys well enough to see through the masquerade of their self-control working feverously not to let them act too wondered. For as much as she understood and appreciated the respectful behavior, though, it's kind of underwhelming to dress in a way she though so charming only to be met by boys with poker faces. Cowards. She wouldn't hold it against them for showing a little appreciation, as long as it was courteous.

Naoko focused on singing and getting her choreography right while not forgetting to maintain the spread legs idle and a smile. There were so many things to remember she felt like she's juggling ten balls at the same time and constantly forgetting something. But eventually it began to sink in that she should only stand still with legs apart, meaning one less thing to worry. Her constant smile began to tire her face muscles after some time and she started to worry she'd look like that eternally grinning Katsuro weirdo, so she let her mouth sing naturally without tension and only smile when she wasn't saying anything. Little by little she began to get the feeling of how it worked.

The first music-stopping mistake she committed made Naoko lose part of her supposed indifference for others' opinions, though, and the girl nervously glanced to the audience. They remained as composed as ever, as if nothing had happened. Once again Naoko reminded herself she's overreacting like Rin when the girl was afraid and kept on. It's annoying that she had to remind herself many times the same thing until it gradually got absorbed by her brain as a natural modus operandi to be. Slowly but surely her doubts diminished. In the same proportion, a hard to describe pleasure grew on her. Naoko never thought she'd feel anything more than embarrassment dancing in front of an audience, but once she felt at ease it got immensely satisfying. It's hard for an arguably humble girl like Naoko to admit it, but deep down she found herself enjoying being watched and applauded way more than she thought she would. She could easily see herself getting used to it.

There were a few things harder to get used to, however. She'd already noticed on her dancing classes that her long hair wobbled a lot. It irritated her, but instructor Sato Mayumi told her it looked very pretty, so she decided not to give it attention and press on. Moreover, it was harder to dance wearing a miniskirt than wearing mini shorts, like she thought, and it required her to be doubly careful not to fall from her platforms. It's an insidiously risky combination, though her choreographies presented no complex elements that could favor a trip over. As long as she's careful, things should be fine.

Two hours were allotted for practice, far too long for the audience to watch the same four songs replayed again and again, no matter how much they liked it. One by one the students went away between songs, bowing respectfully as they did so. If before the club session Naoko wished nothing more than to practice alone, the presence of the supporting spectators was so pleasing she got wishing they stayed longer. Despite twenty-six of the thirty-four club members being around for the rehearsal at first, it seemed a lot less than that in such a big theater, and each one that went away made it even emptier.

About twenty minutes left to the end of her practice her cellphone rang on the backstage. Excusing herself and taking a mental note to always silence it before going on a stage, the girl turned the music off and answered it. Her producer's slightly tense voice greeted her:

"Naoko-Chan? Aratani Kouta here. Can you talk right now or are you busy?"

"Produ-San!" Naoko eagerly replied, "I'm rehearsing my songs! It's incredible! At first I wanted to punch you for letting the Drama club members watch my practice, but it's amazing! I loved it!... Hey! I just remembered! Did you promise to give one hundred thousand Yen for the club?! I know it's none of my business and I believe in your expense planning, but... are you sure about this?"

Her producer, unwinding, spoke in his characteristic tranquil voice:

"If I tell Naoko-Chan how much it costs anywhere in Tokyo to rent a simple, non-acoustic saloon without built-in speakers or illumination for just one hour you're probably going to understand why a onetime payment of one hundred thousand Yen for six hours per week use of a real theater is a no-brainer. Also, you're going to be a central figure in your play and lots of people will know about the event, we need to make sure it looks good. I didn't "give" money to your club, I "invested" it. As soon as the media get to know a new idol's employing her talents to raise awareness of a noble cause and food donations to a charity it'll more than pay itself up."

"I... had no idea you'd thought this through like this, Produ-San! Well played." Naoko had to admit, "Though I'm curious: I understand it'll revert back to us in the form of better image and more public awareness for us, but how does this revert back to money, exactly? I believe in Produ-San, I just don't understand how it works."

"Companies want to associate their brands with reputable people," he detailed, "The same way I told you they won't want to have in their ads a trouble-making idol, it works the other way around too. You donate food, people respect you for your generosity, companies who want to look respectable call me to have you on their ads. The better your fame and social standing the more you're worth to them. Remember your first work, that pillow ad that netted us a measly three hundred thousand Yen? Well, it's already three times the amount we'll be paying to your school Drama club, and trust me, it's chump change compared to how much other ads can pay. A well-organized event like the one we're talking about can net us seven-digit contracts even if Naoko-Chan is still unknown by the general public. Got it?"

"Oh, now I got it! You're very smart, Produ-San!" Naoko happily complimented him, to what the young man drolly retorted, "Can you repeat that, please? I'll record it so I can use it as my alarm. Nothing beats waking up in the morning with a cute voice saying "You're very smart, Produ-San! You're very smart, Produ-San!". I think I'll even make it my ringtone too."

Playfully letting her voice turn sour, Naoko implied while smiling:

"Very smart indeed. A little too smart for your own good. Just saying."

"Point taken," Aratani said, and his voice got a slightly more serious tone, "Listen, Naoko-Chan, I have good news and bad news. Well, not exactly bad, but still."

Losing her smile, the girl listened more carefully.

"Good news is that we already have a contract for next week, and a few other companies are inches away from signing up with us too. Bad news is that, since we can't really count on what's not certain, we'll have to take some extreme measures to make ends meet this week. Meaning a small ranked gig."

The girl stood a few seconds looking puzzled and trying to understand what she heard.

"A gig? Okay, but where's the bad news?"

A loud laugh came from her cellphone. Unwinding, her producer said:

"Well, I got all worked up and ready to apologize for putting you through an audition so early and Naoko-Chan dismisses it just like that. That's golden. Like I said, it's not bad news per se, but I rather not had put you through it so soon. I apologize for it and also for worrying you, if that's the case. But again, that's a last resort just for this week, only because we currently have no ad contracts for it. I plan never again needing to rely on last minute shows like this. I promise."

Only then Naoko understood why her producer was worried. She's really going to present herself. Only two weeks after she had accepted her job! Trying not to concern herself, she asked:

"Produ-San? Just tell me: do you think I'm currently able to... like... perform well?"

Aratani took a moment to answer to that.

"I won't lie to you, Naoko-Chan. I'm a little worried. I've faith in you and I absolutely know you'd have no problems demolishing the competition if you had maybe two months of training. Your instructors speak highly of your, and I trust in them and in your capabilities. But with only two weeks of classes, plus a third next Sunday... I genuinely feel bad for putting you through this so soon. I'll tell you more about it on Sunday, but don't worry, I've chosen a beginner's gig. You don't even need to win, anywhere among the top five is fine. I have faith you can do it, but don't be disheartened if things don't go as planned. I mean, it's not the end of the world if it happen. Also, I'll be trying to close contracts for this week until the last minute, and if I manage to do it, which seems likely, there'll be no need to get on the gig. I'm calling you just to let you know about it and to ask you to try and practice as much as you can during the rest of this week, just in case. Can you do it?"

Even though her producer told her not to worry, there's no way she'd be able to do that.

"Hm... sure. Just... can you tell me what will happen if I can't get among the top five?"

"Hey, Naoko-Chan, don't worry." The man calmed her. Pausing silently for some time, he regretfully revealed, "Next time I'll call you mentioning I have two good news, just so you don't worry. Like I said, it's not the end of the world. I'll just have to take a small loan. I'd rather not, because I'll have a small fixed interest rate I'll have to pay even if I repaid the debt one minute after claiming it, but it's no biggie. And we already have a contract for next week, so I'm guaranteed to pay off the debt in a few days. The only real downside's that due to I.S.S.G.'s nonsensical policies, new agencies in debt gets a lot of extra bureaucracy to fill and a few penalties like no discounts in a couple of services, meaning I'll have to pay the full price for your Sunday lessons next week. It could set us back a few bucks, but really, don't stress over it. Things will be fine anyway, I'd just rather not go into debt and have unnecessary bureaucracy for me and, more importantly, for you to fill if I can avoid it. Trust me, it's alright. Okay?"

Aratani hung up only after apologizing for worrying her and reassuring if any contract appeared he'd cancel her participation at the gig, but nevertheless Naoko lost the will to dance during the last ten minutes she had. Still, that was the time when she needed to do it more than ever. Returning to the stage, she resumed her practice for the five spectators who'd stayed until the end: Chiasa, Takumi and three other boys. So preoccupied about her upcoming first show, the talk about loans and penalties and so on, she moved in stiff ways and her smiles got hard to believe. No one in the audience pointed it out and when the five, along with Naoko, went away they acted like nothing strange had taken place during the last three songs. They praised her skillfulness and cheerful ways. Chiasa also commended her on her marvelous outfit and overall prettiness, whereas the boys fell silent again and just agreed with unnecessarily emphatic nods. It alleviated some of her tension, though not all.

It's the first time Naoko really felt the exercises her instructor gave her to practice home were more than just pastimes. Of course she knew it's part of her job, but so far it looked more like fun then work. Returning to her dorms two hours and some later than usual she found the janitor, Mr. Yamamoto, tending to the potted plants on the courtyard while a few pairs and trios of students stood talking nearby, appreciating the enjoyable night. Naoko couldn't find in herself peace to do the same in spite of wishing to.

She couldn't take it off her head on Thursday, especially after Miwa pointed in the corridors a stunning senior girl who proudly carried a small metal necklace in the shape of the I.S.S.G.'s star and planets logo. There were seven tiny stars on its purple and navy-blue border, five being white and made of plastic and the other two being colored gems. She had short hair and was accompanied by four other girls. Despite smiling, she paid no mind to the people around her. Miwa mentioned that brunette girl, four inches lower than Naoko regardless of being one year older, was the only other idol their school had. While the idol looked cheerful, something told Naoko she was not very accessible. The two briefly exchanged looks as they passed by one another on the corridor, and the short idol, showing a semblance of interest, inquired suddenly, after they had already crossed:

"Hey, you look a little familiar. Aren't you the one who faced that gang boy from 3-3? The idol some people talk about?"

Naoko stopped and turned back. Evaluating the pretty girl with a confident smile that questioned her, she agreed, introducing herself:

"I'm Yano Naoko, from 2-5. Nice to meet you."

The four girls that accompanied the idol opened space on the corridor, though the idol didn't seem to have that kind of common sense. She introduced herself with a rather average voice from the middle of the hallway:

"I'm from 3-2. Sky idol Fujisue Reiko. Nice knowing you. I can't see your medallion, though. What's your class, Naoko-Chan?"

Reiko was either too friendly or too upfront to call Naoko by her name without her consent like that right on the first time they met. Sure, she was on the third year and was, thus, Naoko's senpai, so she's not expected to be as respectful as the girl from second year, but that was a little uncalled for. Since it's a little nuisance, though, Naoko let that slip. She'd be more impressed about her Sky idol rank if she hasn't forced the girl to state her own class:

"I don't think I have any medallions..."

Losing part of her interest, Reiko seemed slightly disappointed, though not enough to break the conversation:

"Ah. A Dark idol. For how long have you been there?"

"Since the second week of this month, I think," Naoko retorted.

Regaining some of her interest, Reiko started to say something, but got quiet until two students had passed in front of her – in fact, she was the one in the way, despite getting slightly annoyed with the others for "their" intromission. The first year girls lowered their heads and apologized while quickly passing between the two, clasping both hands in front of them as if they cut through the air. Only then Reiko said, interested:

"That's better, I thought Naoko-Chan had been an idol for some time already! The way some boys from my class seem to know you, it's as if you've already been on the road for some time." With an uplifting smile, she raised her fist in front of her chest and said, "I'll tell you what I'd like people had told me when I started, then: don't be discouraged, Naoko-Chan! Don't lose sight of your dreams! It took me a year to get to the Sea class and another year and a half to reach Sky class! It takes time. Let's see how long Naoko-Chan takes to reach Sea class! You look promising. Perhaps we'll meet someday at an audition! Keep me informed, would you?"

As they parted ways, Naoko was left with mixed feeling. She thanked Reiko for her encouraging words, though that girl seemed to lean a little on gratuitous rivalry. Also, while it's good to know it took time, two years and a half to reach the second class was actually a discouraging statement. It could very well been a backhanded encouragement. Reiko looked a little self-centered and judgmental too, though she's no doubt upfront and happy. At least she treated Naoko better than other people, giving her some importance too. Naoko didn't know what to think about her. When Reiko discovered Naoko was still a Dark idol seemed to think less of her, but knowing the girl was only like that for less than two weeks somehow sparked her interest. She also sounded genuine enough when stating her wish to be informed about Naoko's progress. If it was an attempt to compare each other to belittle Naoko or to measure if she was worthy of being her friend was hard to say, but her interest was the opposite of what Naoko would expect from a person wanting nothing. Maybe she really looked forward to a worthy rival. Her voice didn't seem all that great, but it's hard to say how well she performed on stages.

Miwa was also uncertain about what to think. All she knew was that people usually respected Reiko but found her too unreachable, albeit charismatic in some sense. For good or for bad that girl became yet another thing to occupy her mind. Luckily or not Naoko and Reiko hardly met since they're on different school years and also their classrooms were on different floors. At least until Naoko was promoted she expected Reiko not to be a frequent appearance in her life.

It was only on Friday that Naoko managed to get some respite of her doubts after training with Rin on the Athletics club. She looked so happy when she was informed her friend would be performing for the first time that she couldn't stop asking questions and commenting on how it would be a treat to watch. Rin apologized for not being able to since her family restricted her to do lots of things, but she would be rooting for her. Though there was no Drama club session that day, Naoko had the theater held in reserve for her rehearsal. Before Rin even asked if she could, her friend invited her to watch at least a little of her practice, mentioning she'd ask for permission if needed.

To have Rin as the only audience was a delight. The girl had private classes in an hour so she regretfully told her she could only stay a few minutes, but it's enough to cheer Naoko up. When she left the auditorium felt an unsettling void, and for the first time the girl discovered she'd rather have it full than empty. To sing to nobody was disconcerting, and she found out she performed better when others cheered for her than when there's no one to do so. It was an eye-opening experience. On the other hand, at least she could focus on her choreography. She'd already practiced the same four three-minute long songs for four hours last Sunday and for two more in her school theater, not mentioning the visualization sessions she'd been practicing every free time she had, so besides starting to get tired of them she gradually got the hang of it on yet another two hours of practice.

The choreographies were simple, the easiest one enough to get her seven points out of twenty in that subcategory and the hardest, nine. This in an entry-level, Sea class gig, which was the lowest possible rank besides the unofficial Dark idol class in which Naoko was. According to her dancing instructor, as classes increased the exigencies did so too, so a choreography worth nine points in a Sea class competition would hardly be worth more than one in a Water class gig.

Her instructor told her the secret at the beginning was not to want lots of points in high-level choreographies, but rather to focus on Execution. Judges could see when an idol choose a high-score choreography she wasn't capable of performing properly, and had many ways of penalizing her. The reason being I.S.S.G.'s business was to provide entertainment, and idols that fumbled lots of complicated moves were not entertaining. If many started doing it, that could even tarnish the company's reputation. As such, the corporation encouraged idols to perform simple dances well instead of complex ones in a bad way. Not to mention judges tended to have more sympathy to girls who fulfilled what they committed themselves to execute, even if a simple performance, than those who promise the impossible and fall short.

An eight-point choreography for a Sea class presentation was easy even for rookies to master and could easily net sixteen or more points in Execution if well-performed. If Naoko made good use of bonuses, like her attire difficulty multipliers, she could amp those scores by a reasonable margin, whereas an idol who tried and failed to perform harder dances could end up not only with very low Execution scores but also with penalties, though her instructor hadn't delve in details about how it worked. Just that Naoko's initial fears she'd be undercut by her excessively humble choreographies were unfounded and that, provided she danced well, she had every chance to beat a high-level step routine from an unprepared competing idol.

There was also another component she had to take into consideration: on the few initial classes the gigs were usually small. They occurred in small show houses, restaurants, a few private parties companies threw for their employees and so on. As such most venues had only tiny stages, fit for a singer but not really for dancing. Some were so tiny that Stage Presence wasn't even scored by judges, because even if the idol stood still she'd already be making use of most of the space available. A complex choreography like the ones Metal and Water-class idols performed were only suited for big stages. For a beginner idol, an overly complex choreography full of jumps and wide moves was not only unrequired but could also be detrimental due to stage size. Since there's no way to know beforehand the amount of space she'd have to dance, the safest bet was to train simple choreographies. Worst-case scenario the idol would have to move around between movements and poses to make use of all the space, but that was no big problem.

Naoko focused a lot of her attention on her dancing skills, because she's already an arguably good singer as far as her instructors told her. She could remember their words clearly. Her voice was tuned and melodious, excellent by the average person's standards and still good by idol's ones even though she had no previous training. There're only little occurrence of noises due to a lack of technical capacitation so far, easily remediable with vocal practices, and her most glaring flaw was still minimal and would only negatively influence her scores on the mid classes onwards, and only by marginal amounts. It's about a flute-like feel to nasal sounds due to her small internal septum deviation. It wasn't externally visible, but it affected the way the air moved inside her nasal cavity and influenced especially nasalized sounds.

Thankfully most songs made for females to sing had little or no use for such, so as long as she stayed away from the few lyrics that did and refrained from humming onstage too much she'd be fine. True to it, the only resonating sounds required by the songs her singing instructor asked she trained were produced in her throat or chest, though she'd given the girl home exercises for nasalization. The septum deviation was only a nuisance because it forced Naoko to breathe through the mouth, and on especially dry, polluted or cold weather the air could affect her vocal chords or, on extreme circumstances, damage her larynx. It wouldn't happen if air was inhaled through the nose since it is naturally moistened, warmed and purified as it flows through the nasal apparatus. She'd have to take special care of herself under such adverse climate conditions, but that was currently nothing to worry about.

She never though singing could have so many technicalities, but overall she's a good songstress even still not knowing the theory behind it that could help her to improve beyond regular standards of excellence. Her main concern at the time was getting her dances right. Since she's alone it's possible for her to slack off a bit, but the fear of not being ready for the upcoming competition made her sustain an almost uninterrupted streak. In two hours she's able to practice each of the four songs nine times from beginning to end.

She went back to her dorms room exhausted. Like usual at that hour the janitor tended to the plants, his eyes passionate and his movements unhurried. There were not that many plants on the courtyard, but he took forever on this task when compared to how agile he was to solve every other thing. Naoko got to her dorms, ate, took a shower, discovered she'd forgotten to put out the trash from the past few days, changed back on to casual wear to bring the non-combustible trash out – each type of trash had a specific day to be collected – and when she got back again on ground floor Yamamoto-San was still at it.

The students that sat around on that warm night didn't even bat an eye to him, but the man caressed the leaves and even whispered to them. Naoko, for one, found that soothing and amusing, though that was the kind of thing most people wouldn't care about. Liking plants for the prettiness they granted to an ambient but not really having the discipline to tend to them, Naoko merely enjoyed what a few individuals like the janitor were capable of. It's mildly entertaining and very relaxing to watch him prune and pamper the vegetation, though she could only stand to do it for a minute tops.

It reminded all the relaxation techniques she learned, and put them to use after doing her homework. By that time Naoko was already so tired she soon fell asleep. She always dreamed but generally forgot what she dreamed about, though that time was different. Even after awaking she still retained a fragment of it, where she was trapped in a catacomb-like room with only two doors and the water-level rising. There were two tigers there, one protecting each exit. One looked very old, ugly and weak but also famished and prone to attack if she got close, while the other was extremely young, gorgeous and robust but well-fed and, because of it, apparently not much of a threat as long as she didn't behave improperly. She had the conviction she could try fighting her way out through the penurious tiger, though not only it still posed a big risk but she didn't want to harm any animals if she could avoid. Also, she loved tigers: after all, they're such powerful and imposing creatures.

Since the water-level gradually rose, she needed to get away or she'd drown, so she walked slowly towards the strong and well-fed tiger. The big feline just lied in front of the door, but his muscular mass blocked it from opening. She had to make it move somehow, and fast, but not in a threatening way. Then she remembered having her lunchbox filled with delectable food, her favorite ones, that even she wanted to prove, and her cellphone inside it for some strange, dream-like reason. Maybe the food would draw it out, but not only the animal seemed very well-fed and unlikely to budge just because of food, it could also prompt the hungry tiger to strike her. However, her cellphone began to ring from inside of the lunchbox, putting Naoko on a dilemma of opening it or not.

She eventually did so, and the famished tiger slowly began to crawl in her direction, crouching menacingly. The desperate girl answered her cellphone to discover it was Aratani calling her to ask where she was, because she was late for her birthday party. The desperate girl explained the preposterous situation, to which her producer, in a cool voice, suggested her to interact with the bulky tiger. She should bow down respectfully but not show any fear or it'd eat her alive the second it sensed her apprehension. Then she should invite the tiger to her party too. She wasn't supposed to make any big claims about it because the party would be rather small, and as soon as the giant animal arrived at that and felt frustrated he'd also devour her. But she also shouldn't downplay the fun of her party, or he'd not be interested and wouldn't move. And she should not think about the tiger, but about the enjoyment of the party, because the animal seemed scary and vastly superior on the interaction between the two. On the happy party, however, she's the star and the tiger merely another guest, though he'd still be a guest of honor.

She had to be respectful but not fearful, humble but honest and centered on fun but not egotistical. As the girl did that the tiger moved, Naoko mounted on it and they both crossed the door in time to narrowly evade the famished animal behind and the rising waters. It wasn't the complete dream, but merely its final part or so it seemed, because it's the only one Naoko recalled. Dreams never seemed to make sense, but for some reason it lingered on her memory.

Raining clouds amassed on Saturday, though the forecast for Sunday was sunny. The group on the Athletics club got on bicycles provided by the school for the triathlon training and Naoko lost the count of how many laps she and Rin did around the racetrack. When assessing her times, Naoko surprisingly got first place, surpassing even the girl who's always first on every other event. She used her bike a lot back on her hometown, and though Shimabara had quite a few plane streets near the sea, it also sported numerous inclines elsewhere. The previous first-place student had faster laps on the beginning, but she couldn't maintain her pace for as long as Naoko did and eventually fell to second place. Rin, being third even before Naoko carved a new record, wasn't concerned about that event, but was overjoyed nevertheless by her friend's results. The same couldn't be said about the previous champion, but Naoko was fed up with others disliking her for being better than them and simply ignored the vexed girl. People on the Athletics club hardly ever spoke to one another, so there's no reason for any of the two to talk either way.

Once they finished training, Rin showed Naoko a charming ramen shop she knew about after discovering her friend loved that kind of food when both talked about lunching together. Once again the place was expensive but excellent, prompting the guest to joke about going bankrupt if she went out with Rin every Saturday. Rain started to pour as soon as they got to the bar-like venue, anyway, so all the other plans both created for that afternoon and evening were cancelled and Naoko simply invited the blond girl over to her place again.

Rin was more than happy with it, but Naoko felt doubly so. Not only was friend always fun to be with but that way Naoko had no time to think about the forthcoming show. As soon as they got to her room, Rin started talking about her discoveries on the speedrunning subject she did during the week. Naoko, on the other hand, apologized for only having read about three chapters of the first volume of the manga her friend lent her because of her rehearsals. While they watched more speedrun videos and Naoko talked about her doubts for the next day Rin said:

"Rin couldn't imagine Naoko-Chan would be anxious about anything! She's able to sing and dance on the karaoke and in front of thirty Drama club members, and she's never afraid of boys! She even spoke her mind freely and conquered everyone's attention on the rooftop that day! Naoko-Chan single-handedly conducted the conversation and made all the senpai and everyone else laugh and have a good time!"

"But that's different from being in a show where one hundred or so people paid for a good presentation," Naoko claimed, "It's my job, and people expect I perform well. Also, if I don't rank among the top five my agency will go into debt, even if just for a week. That's what my producer told me, at least, but who knows if he's not euphemizing it just to make me not worry?"

"Is it this serious?!" Rin questioned in a concerned voice. Naoko, noticing she had troubled her friend, quickly tried to go back on her words, "Nah, probably not. I'm just nervous and getting worked up for nothing. My producer's not one to lie, if he says things will be fine even if I fail, I bet it'll be this way. Sorry for making Rin-Chan worry."

"But... but is Naoko-Chan sure?!" Rin insisted, "Is there anything Rin can do to help?!"

Pinching Rin's cute cheeks, Naoko smiled warmly.

"Aw, you're totally, irresistibly adorable! Thanks for the support, Rin-Chan! Just having you by my side cheering me up is already a huge help!"

"But that's not enough to help Naoko-Chan perform better or her agency not facing the risk of going into debt..." Rin desolately replied. Suddenly her eyes brightened up, "Oh, I know, I know! Rin can subscribe on Naoko-Chan's fan club! More fans mean you get more visibility and people get to go more on your shows, right?! I can invite the people on my online networks to subscribe too! Hopefully they'd do the same for others and your fan club will grow bigger!"

"I'm really grateful, but that's not necessary, really..." Naoko tried to explain, but Rin was already at it. Using a nice, next-gen cellphone she decorated with countless spangles, fake gemstones and shiny, glittering patterns that made it as discreet as a hundred fireworks exploding all at once, she looked for Naoko's fan club. After subscribing and sending invitations, the girl browsed the thumbnail-sized photos of people already on her fan list.

"Oh, look! It's a guy from my class! He's your fan too, Naoko-Chan!"

"He's part of the Drama club," Naoko replied after glancing over his photo.

"I know this one... and this one... There's quite a few people from school, right?"

"Yeah," Naoko agreed, "most of them subscribed after watching those videos where..."

"Hey! Look! Isn't this that ex-gang member boy you argued with on those videos?" Rin asked in awe, pointing to a small photo of Daiki with his regular frown, "That's amazing! Naoko-Chan manages to get even boys she fight with to like her! Oh, I wanted so badly to be like Naoko-Chan!... Oh, let's see who's your first fan!... Hm. Yeah. He looks like a happy guy!"

The instant Naoko glanced back to her friend's sparkling cellphone and saw a maniac-like grin, her spine chilled. Katsuro had been the first person to subscribe as her fan!

"Well, that explains his strangely accurate hunch about my liking of manga back at the washhouse, when he told me it's just because other people were saying that on the school corridors..." Naoko thought out loud, and since her friend didn't seem to understand, she explained, "There a section in the fan club where my producer included information about me like blood type and preferences. This boy Katsuro probably saw it. He's the one who gifted me all those manga."

"He looks fun!" Rin commented while looking for said section, and before Naoko could tell her how Katsuro really was the blond girl exclaimed, "Naoko's an A+?! What?!"

"Whatever's that supposed to mean." Naoko retorted. Rin immediately explained in a passionate way, "Blood type affects people's personalities! Like Rin! Rin is an O+! O-type are optimistic, easily excitable, flexible and energetic people! They're unfortunately a little airheaded and a few can be very irresponsible! I know that's a trait of mine I'm very careful about! But Naoko-Chan being an A-type? A-types are serious, cool, reliable and fair, usually intelligent but also a little stubborn and judgmental! Rin... Rin's confused..."

"Rin-Chan... do you really believe in these superstitions?" Naoko asked, to which Rin eagerly replied, "But they're not superstitions! There are lots of studies attesting its reliability!"

"Yeah, it looked very reliable in my case!" Naoko stated sarcastically, "Forget about it, the only thing you discover when you see a person's blood type is A+ is that you can kill her in a blood transfusion if you inject B or AB types. It's like trying to grasp someone's personality by his or her name. I can attest it doesn't work. And so can you, right? "Rin" is written with the same character for "cold", and yet you're far from being a cold person, right?"

"Yup!" Rin agreed, "But a name is something others give to you when you're born! Or at any other time. It's not a biological part of you like your blood type!"

"Well... yeah, it kind of makes sense." Naoko thought about it for a second, but then quickly contended that logic, "But then again, my hair and my skin colors are also part of my biology and I'm pretty sure they have no influence on my personality, intelligence or such."

"Waa! Naoko dislikes veggies!" Rin brusquely interjected, changing her focus back to the fan club's facts about Naoko in a heartbeat and leaving her friend disoriented, "And loves ramen! Which I already knew. And candies! We're practically twins! And... meat? Oh, well! That's good too, I suppose! Oh, oh, look! Naoko-Chan likes cats too!"

"Cats?" Naoko asked, reading the page carefully while still trying to follow the blond girl's rollercoaster-like train of thoughts, "It says "felines", not "cats" there."

"What's the difference?" Rin asked, "You like all felines in general? Like lions and panthers too?"

"Yeah, they're nice," Naoko replied, to the astonishment of her friend, "though when my producer asked what real-life animal I liked the most and I told him it were tigers he put "felines" there just not to cause trouble. He said it could shock people."

"Tigers?! Naoko-Chan likes tigers the most?! What about kitty cats?!"

"They're okay," she agreed, "I had one back in Shimabara, though it usually lived in the streets and only came home for supper. I still like dogs better as far as domestic animals go, but my favorite ones are still tigers."

"What is there to like in tigers?!" Rin asked, "They're dangerous! And not cute!"

"Yes, they're dangerous and not cute! I like them exactly because of it! They're capable of tearing anything apart without so much as breaking a sweat, and looking cool at the same time! They're so badass! What's there not to love in those powerful, majestic creatures?!" Naoko replied. Suddenly something came to her mind. The memory of a lunatic meeting with two tigers in a flooding catacomb. Blown away by the unexpected reminiscence, she told, "Now that you're saying about tigers, I remembered a dream I had last night that coincidentally involved tigers."

Rin's thrilled eyes sparkled brighter than her cellphone and the girl instantly asked to know about it. Letting the speedrun video unfold to nobody, Naoko forced herself to recall her dream and, little by little, pieced together the fragments as she, amused by its craziness, retold it. Rin also laughed while her hilarious friend related an already absurd story in an even more outrageous way. Still, when it's over her guest began to joyfully reflect while speaking:

"Naoko-Chan's dream is amusing! Hm... it shows some kind of conflict or impasse as far as Rin can tell! Like you had two choices, between a poor and dangerous route and a prosperous and relatively safe one! Though you're on a time for some reason and the one Naoko-Chan chose could very likely destroy her if she made something wrong, hence a big anxiety! And you cited a party you're supposed to attend? One your producer had invited you?"

"Huh... yes," not really understanding what her jolly friend was doing stating the obvious, but letting her be happy anyway, Naoko said, "After I answered the cellphone that was in my lunchbox."

"Right! A lunchbox filled with delicious food!" Rin spoke excitedly, thinking aloud, "Your favorite ones, right? Like... favorite... favorite... Like something... you like? Something that's good for you? Good! Yes, something very good! Makes sense! You had something very good, but the famished, weak and ugly tiger prevented you from revealing it for some reason!"

"What's Rin-Chan attempting to do, anyway?" Naoko asked, getting curious.

"Rin's trying to decipher Naoko-Chan's dream!" she explained with a vibrant smile, "Every dream has many meanings! Only it's, like, codified in a way only the deepest parts of your mind can easily understand! We need to decode it to grasp its meanings! That's no coincidence, that's synchronicity! It's so exciting! It's like an adventure into Naoko-Chan's deeper self!"

Skeptical, the girl asked if that was also part of her studies about blood-type and personality matching, but Rin denied it:

"Nah, that's because Rin studied a little bit of psychology! Rin goes on a therapist since Rin was ten! Before that, Rin was afraid of many things, like thunder, the number four and every animal with four legs. And mirrors, cars... Now Rin's only anxieties are about boys and competitions! Rin's almost free from her fears! Yay! And then I started to study a bit of psychology too! I discovered some sources from Europe that believed in a kind of deep part of the mind called the "Unconscious"! And a few authors go even beyond and mention it could be only the tip of a collective unconsciousness of sorts that linked people's minds through their pasts and other hard to explain natural occurrences! Since most original books were in German, though, I decided to study that language! Well, not because of it per se, I already wanted to study German since I was little! One of Rin's ancestors was German too! And he had such an adventurous life! Rin's ancestor was a young merchant in Germany whose family's specialties were Asian products! Then he had to leave everything behind when he was just seventeen due to Jew persecution and lost even his family! His father had many contacts over the world and a Chinese friend of him took him under his protection! They had many problems with the authorities, travelled the world and met fascinating people! He learned many languages and the tools of his trade and became a dashing explorer and trader, sometimes making shady businesses with the Chinese Triads and other mafias around the world! His adoptive father died in the meantime without heirs and my ancestor assumed the business! When the war was over he made a fortune almost overnight exporting goods to Japan! It's around nineteen forty seven he met his soon to be bride and..."

The way Rin unbelievably painted that story was so creative and captivating Naoko could clearly see it: her blond ancestor, who probably carried a retractable gun up his sleeve and ventured into millennia-old temples in search for riches met his future Japanese wife while he drove. And the charming man swept the girl on his arms as he drove by on a motorcycle. At high speed. Under the rain. While they were chased down by Chinese mafia goons. And he tried to save the world. Preventing secrets of a spring of eternal life in the Himalayas to fall on wrong hands. Driving among ruins of a destructed city. A very well-known city in a very likely place, like Malaysia, Kuwait or South Pole. With Peruvian temples and Egyptian pyramids on it. And bombs raining down around them. Two years after the end of the war. Because screw the logic.

Obviously Rin hadn't really mentioned these things, but the girl was so excited she made it look like her ancestor was more of a gallant thief than a merchant. It's a very nice painting, although Naoko could see a "few" problems on her friend's narration. Still, eventually Rin returned to the original subject, after a twenty minute digression:

"...and that's why I wanted to learn German! Oh, and also because of a few texts about psychology. They weren't from Germany itself but were written in German nevertheless. But anyway! Dream interpretation is one of Rin's favorite pastimes! Rin did that a lot in the past for herself! We can try to interpret Naoko-Chan's dream if she wants!"

After so many slightly suspicious accountings, Naoko was not very confident about the results they'd get to, but gave Rin a chance just for fun. Strangely, though, the things Rin helped Naoko uncover from her dream by asking her what came to her mind when she thought about every element that composed the narrative made sense. More sense than she expected, anyways. And while some aspects could be easily perceived on the girl just by knowing the stressful situation she was put in, others were not known even by Naoko herself, though they also felt very familiar when unearthed. It took both almost an hour to get to a conclusion, albeit part of it was due to Naoko's inexperience in interpreting dreams and Rin's tendency to digress.

Basically, the choice between the old, hungry, ugly and weak tiger she could maybe defeat but didn't want to and the young, pretty, strong and well-fed one was understood by Naoko to be the choice she made between keep living on her parents' house, that well-known, old life with few perspectives and her father always censoring her, and her new life in the capital, full of opportunities. Tigers, though, were liked by the girl for their dangerousness and power, meaning even the young and well-fed one that marveled her could destroy her if she wasn't careful. She's on a timer from drowning because both she couldn't stand her old situation anymore and wouldn't be able to live on her old home for long, and because she had only so much time to make enough money to keep living in Tokyo and preventing her agency from getting into debts. The young tiger wouldn't budge, too, the same way her problems wouldn't solve themselves. She had to do something.

She had a lunchbox full of delicious food even she wanted, but she was afraid to reveal it because the old tiger could attack her, much in the same way she had many qualities she used to hide fearing her father would censor her harshly. It's Aratani's voice calling for her that made her open the box, the same way it's her producer who helped her free herself both from her old house and lifestyle, but also from mental shackles that made her afraid to dress to impress, sing and dance for others and reveal a few of her qualities. Things she was born with or that composed her, like her prettiness, cheerfulness and honesty that her father criticized. Though by doing so she got the old tiger slowly crawl in her direction, the same way Naoko, now free from some of her bindings, feared she could be sent back home due to a failed business attempt if they didn't get the money they needed in time. Even then, Aratani mentioned she was late for her own party and instructed her about what to do to get through her problems unscathed.

She had to be respectful but not fearful, humble but honest and centered on the fun she could provide but not egotistical. Doing so, she's expected to invite the young, powerful tiger to her party. The tiger could easily rip her to shreds if she's not careful the same way the fans and the audience could undermine her career from the get-go if she committed some mistakes. Namely, be frozen by fear instead of merely respecting the audience, or not respecting them at all; not promising more than she could deliver for it could create frustration, but also don't promise any less than her best or the public could be uninterested in giving her a chance. And also not focusing on the audience, for they were many and she, only one. Conversely, if she only thought about herself, she could ignore mistakes she could commit that the spectators would not tolerate. She had to find a balance, because she's the star of her party. An idol in a show. The audience was not the focus, but her, though a party without guests was no party at all. They were important, though she couldn't concentrate on them or her fears would paralyze her. By doing all of it, she's able to mount on the tiger in her dream and narrowly escape, much in the same way she could also gain the audience's favor and ride her way to freedom.

Watching Rin ask her questions and slowly make sense of an apparently absurd story, like all dreams seemed, the girl gradually shifted from skepticism to curiosity and then awe. Despite believing in things Naoko though to be superstitions, like the blood-type and personality links, Rin was actually capable of interpreting a dream and revealing things even Naoko didn't know about her own self. Or, like the blond girl explained, simply wasn't consciously aware of it, but knew unconsciously. Of course, it wasn't Rin who made sense of the dream, but Naoko herself, as she answered her friend's questions about the first things that came to her mind when she thought about tigers, water, parties and so on. Her friend wasn't even aware of Naoko's tense relationship with her own parents or the answers to her fears regarding her oncoming show, she couldn't simply have said those things out of the blue hoping they'd be right. The conclusion was too spot-on to be left to chance. Seriously impressed, Naoko inquired:

"I can't believe it! That was amazing! How do you know how to do it?!"

"Rin told Naoko-Chan!" the girl explained with her cutely high-pitched, animated voice, "Rin studied a little bit of psychology and have a therapist for six years now! Actually, Rin learned how to interpret dreams because Rin had horrible nightmares every night! Recurrent nightmares! Rin couldn't even sleep and was having problems at school! So Rin's parents looked for help from a renowned psychologist that used dream interpretations, and Rin's therapist taught Rin how to interpret her dreams and how to create a dream diary! Rin stopped having nightmares in less than a month, but she liked the process so much she still do it every day even now! Rin's unconsciousness teaches Rin lots of things, though some are very hard to accept and apply. Rin's still not capable of doing a few things even after years of warnings! Like Rin's fears of talking to boys! It's like Naoko-Chan's dream, that tells her not to fear the audience and focus on herself, but not exactly how's she supposed to do it. Rin knows Rin's fears of boys and of competitions come from Rin's fears of rejection, but it's still hard to find a way to solve it! But compared to who Rin was, Rin's much, much better now! That's how Rin knows it! Hey! I know, I know! Does Naoko-Chan wants Rin to teach her how to interpret her own dreams? This way Rin can repay Naoko-Chan for trying to help her overcoming her fears of singing and talking to boys! And for helping her not to have to compete in the Athletics club's future competitions! And teaching about games! And a lot of other things! How about it?!"

Impressed, Naoko replied smiling:

"That's incredible! Looking at Rin-Chan, who's always so cute, sweet, upbeat and happy, I never would've guessed she had to overcome so many hardships in the past! I seriously doubt I've helped Rin-Chan nearly as much as she says, though. But I'm still at it! And yes, I'd love to learn about how to interpret dreams! Thanks a bunch! It seems awesome! Like magic powers!"

"Isn't it?!" Rin exclaimed, her eyes gleaming enthusiastically, "It's almost like you could read your own mind!"

With an excited smile frozen for a second, Naoko reduced it and replied:

"Huh... Rin-Chan? You make it look far less awesome when you put it like that..."

She tried to make sense of it by talking about the differences between Consciousness and Unconsciousness, and things that could be beyond that in the mental and social realms, but Rin was no specialist in psychology and her train of thoughts was too convoluted to maintain an explanation for more than two minutes without getting sidetracked. As such, they quickly changed subjects to other matters and Naoko was left to piece the confusing information by herself. Though she ended up no closer to understanding how to interpret a dream than she was before the beginning of the conversation, the interpretation of the dream of the two tigers was a shocking experience that left her calmer, albeit puzzled. She paid it no mind after the subject was dropped and while Rin was on her room, as the two discussed about boys, games, songs, preferences and more. Naoko finished reading the manga her friend lent her so the blond girl could take it back and taught the blond girl how to cook rice to create simple onigiri – rice balls.

With apparently no experience preparing anything other than instant noodles on a microwave oven, Rin was a disaster in the kitchen, but whatever she learned, no matter how basic, thrilled her. For a girl with knowledge in many complex things, she sure was helpless on even the most trivial everyday tasks. Naoko found it amusing to watch her friend trying to comprehend how to operate a stove as if it's rocket science. To Rin's defense, though, she mentioned being used to eating out with her parents and her favorite foods were sweets, meaning she consumed lots of cold or ready to eat snacks. Not to mention sugary treats were capable of calming her down no matter how anxious she got. All in all, not a healthy choice, but a delicious one at that.

Only after her friend went home Naoko was able to ponder about her dream, and of her mind strangely telling her things she didn't really know about. Though in a sense she kind of knew all those things all along. It's just like when her producer bought her a pair of boots, the first in her life. She wanted it badly, but while she was thinking about how the others would react, she was scared by the possibility people would act in overly critical ways just like her father would. When she stopped focusing her attention on other people's opinions and turned back to her own desires, however, she was able to wear it. In doing so she also discovered others weren't nearly as terrifying as she thought they'd be. Her imagination created a scary scenario with her worst previous experiences where everyone would act like her father, when reality proved to be much less troublesome. Wasn't it what her mind was telling her to do again on the show? To focus on herself, the songs she already knew how to dance and her desire to be watched like when the Drama club members attended to her rehearsal? Paradoxically, was her mind telling her to stop paying attention to her own judgmental imagination and, in concentrating on her desires and positive traits, experience the real world rather than her scary fantasy of it?

It looked like a very roundabout and complex way for things to work. If her mind didn't want to scary her with her thoughts, why didn't it step aside in the first place instead of forcing the girl to consciously focus her attention on her own desires and not on what she believed other people would think of it? Yet thinking about her own mind as an alternate entity, separate from her, seemed a long shot, even if that was the impression Rin gave her when explaining about the consciousness and the unconsciousness. Anyway, once she established a link between what she already did when wearing her new extravagant footwear for the first time and the events that were still to unfold, her anxiety waned, giving in to calmness. That night Naoko was able to sleep peacefully and wake up renewed and ready.

While she commuted by train to Aratani's office and felt the energy that flowed to her by merely being around other people, she gradually got pumped up by the idea of presenting herself. She already knew her few dances and songs by heart and the incredible sensation she felt by practicing in front of twenty-some students warmed her chest. If that was already good, how much better would it be to gig in front of five or more times more people and be paid to do so? The only thing Naoko noticed was that the instant her attention turned to the thoughts of the audience she lost her confidence. When she centered herself back on her desire to do those things, to be watched and to sing, her courage and drive to win returned.

Furthermore, the sun invaded the windows and bathed the passengers, faintly reminding her of that nostalgic show she watched on the TV back on her childhood. The one where a group of idols on a sun-soaked acoustic shell on a crowded park sang that cheerful song that Aratani showed her Umeko singing during the beginning of her career. If Naoko's first gig was to be even one thousandth as fun as that, and it helped her perhaps someday doing a similar show, she's more than willing to sing that day! The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to be on the stage that very minute.

She ran upstairs with thundering steps and arrived at the office breathless but radiant. Her producer also seemed content, but seeing the girl so brisk baffled him.

"Let's do it! When's the show?!" Naoko burningly stated as soon as she opened the door. Aratani, scratching his head and looking confused, asked her to sit down while rumbling, "I swear it must be easier to comprehend the illusion that pervades our supposed reality and transcend it into Buddhahood than to understand women! Damn it, Naoko-Chan, last time we talked I was left with the impression you'd be mortified for today, and yet you almost break my door in excitement as you enter?! Not that I'm complaining, but still! Care to explain what happened?"

"Show! When?! Speak!" with flaming eyes Naoko ordered bluntly, to which her bewildered producer replied, "Huh... Remember when I told you we'd only do that audition for the gig as a last resort, in case I wasn't able to net us an ad contract until then? Well, I thought you'd like to hear the news that I worked myself half way to death these days and got a job for us right on this week and a few for next one... but apparently you'll try to stab me instead, right?"

He handed her a two pages contract that the girl, while not exactly unhappy, looked slightly disappointed while she began to read.

"So there'll be no show?" Naoko asked, to which Aratani inquired, "Is Naoko-Chan sad?"

"No. Not sad, I'm just..." the girl thought about it for a second while reading the contract. Noticing the value of it, she continued, "Oh, seven grand?! That sweet! I... uh... To tell you the truth, I was just excited for the show today. At first I was really afraid, but after thinking about it and with the help of a friend of mine I just understood it'd be nice."

Aratani faced her puzzled.

"Well... We already got what we needed, so Naoko-Chan has no responsibility whatsoever to do it, but since I have already registered us there and paid the entry fee, we can technically still to it if you wish."

"For real?!" Naoko immediately replied. Taking a moment to muster up the good feelings of her practice sessions and from the nostalgic park exhibition from her childhood, she lit her passion again and asked, "So, can I still do it?! Is there a penalty for losing?"

"Other than the entry fee I already paid and which will not be reimbursed anyway, no. No penalties for losing." Aratani explained, "Though, to be frank, I'm slightly worried that a loss at your first gig might discourage Naoko-Chan. It's a common thing to happen, I might add, and even though that's a competition for rookies, most idols there had between three and five months of training before attempting it, so Naoko-Chan, having only three days including today, would have nothing to be sad about if she lost. Especially since she has no obligation to compete on that audition, much less rank among top five. Even so, I'm reticent here because I don't want you to feel bad in case you lost an audition."

The girl lowered her face back to the ad contract. As she thought about the possibility she lost, even if she had no pressure to go well anyway, anxiety began to well up on her. Though that was an already well-known problem with an already well-known solution for her. Asking herself what was her desire and trying not to focus on anyone else's opinions, not from potential spectators and certainly not from judges, she felt a slight hint of enthusiasm as she imagined herself in front of a small crowd. Curious, she questioned:

"Produ-San, do you know how many people would be watching my show?"

"Well, at first you'd have an audition, where the only ones present would be other idols and their respective producers, along with the judges and a few businessmen from I.S.S.G." Aratani explained, "Probably the hardest part, since you'd be surrounded by your competitors, around thirty idols or so. If you manage to rank among top five, your real gig would be on a high-end restaurant known for its already traditional musical presentations every Saturday and Sunday nights. Every week there are idols presenting themselves there, they're long time clients from I.S.S.G. Show prospects never mention the number of spectators, but I've been there once. From what I remember, I believe the house capacity is around two hundred seats."

"Two hundred?!" Naoko exclaimed, "Two hundred people to watch my first gig?! Are you crazy to think about sending me to a place like that from the get-go, Produ-San?!"

"I said two hundred seats, not necessarily two hundred people." Aratani replied, "If a couple take a table for four, that's two less seats available. I'd estimate around one hundred and thirty to one hundred and fifty people would be there. Also, remember they'd not be there just for you, Naoko-Chan: there are five idols to present themselves, one after the other. And to be frank, while the show plays a large role in that restaurant, people are also entertained by the food and the beverages, so don't get your hopes too high. It's a very nice place for a first exhibition, though: the place looks fancy and after a glass of alcohol most people get to enjoy shows more than they would otherwise. And you get to start with an already nicely numbered audience. None of those private parties with forty people crap that sometimes people pay I.S.S.G. to do, and to which the corporation requests greenhorn idols to attend. Trust me, it was a perfect first gig opportunity. Only we don't need to go through this hassle anymore. Not just yet, at least."

That sounded an amazing opportunity to Naoko that got her pumped and thinking. Not only it looked good, but he was right on the "not yet" part. For as much as Naoko got anxious thinking about it, she'd have to do gigs sooner or later anyway. And when she thought about it, her anxiety was not different from her desire to get onstage and be applauded like she was on her school theater, only with added fears related to her losing sight of her wants and focusing too much on how others could react to her. In bad ways, of course. In fact, wasn't it the way Rin used to think to get her so scared? In the karaoke, her friend was afraid Naoko would be displeased about the blond girl's singing, would laugh at her and never again want to go out with her. That was clearly a worst-case scenario thinking. Rin was focusing too much on how Naoko could react to her in the worst possible ways. And so was Naoko, when thinking about the crowd of her possible first show. They wouldn't be there to judge and censor her, but to enjoy a meal and have fun. When that occurred to her, the fears that tainted her desires and transformed them in anxiety dwindled and the thrilling thoughts that made her pumped up during the train trip returned.

"Well, Produ-San is right." Naoko, getting brisk and positive again, retorted, "But, like you said, we don't need it "just yet". Eventually I'll have to make my debut, right? And you've already paid the entry fee anyway, right? And you said that we've nothing to lose attending to it this time? So how about you let me try it? I swear I'll not get down if I lose!"

Grinning, the man coolly stated:

"That's not something a person has entirely under her control, so I don't know how Naoko-Chan plans to keep her promise if she loses, but you have a point. Well, I guess we can give it a shot. The worse that can happen is that I'll have to lend you a shoulder to cry and then have to send my wet suit to the laundry."

"Produ-San should send his whole office as well!" Naoko snapped, "See if they can remove this tobacco and alcohol smell from it!"

"There you go again with your olfactory hallucinations," her producer retaliated.
Chapter VII – Baptism of Light

Due to the reintroduction of the audition and the possible subsequent show her schedule for the day got a mess. Naoko would have a dancing class until ten a.m. and the photographic modeling work after it. Then they'd have until three p.m. to lunch and rest. By four thirty the audition would be over and she'd have a singing class from five till seven. By eight she'd be presenting herself on that restaurant, provided she had ranked among the top five in the audition.

The dancing class was mostly focused on rehearsing the same fours songs she was already tired of training, and introduced only a few new tricks for her to use: one recovery act and one stepping. A recovery was a move to use if she fumbled something. In this case, her instructor taught her the most basic way to cutely come back from a fall, if it happened – since that was the biggest threat for Naoko, since she'd be on platforms and probably nervous during the presentation. If she noticed she's about to fall, instead of trying to prevent it she's to make it as cartoonish and unrealistic as possible, meaning she'd be turning a mistake into something that, while distracting, would at least be amusing. Then she was merely to look surprised to the sides while still singing, jump back up, shake off the dust, smile and keep going as if nothing had ever happened. It'd still detract points from her, but at least not as much as if she fell, felt sorry for herself and got ashamed. There were other, more complex and effective recovery techniques that actually transformed a fall or other mistakes in a pose or a false choreographic movement, but for starts that was good enough.

The stepping was another important aspect. Steppings allowed idols to make their way around stages without walking in a boring, average way and losing points and crowd appeal while doing so. Being treated as an idle, only a moving one (even though a "moving idle position" made no sense and, hence, was named "stepping"), it was easier than recoveries most of the time. The one Naoko learned, one of the most basic of all, was called the No-Frills Cute Catwalk Stepping. It was little more than an exaggerated walk, and resembled someone trying to walk on a rope. Each foot was to be put in the same alignment as the previous one and the knees were supposed to fold as little as possible. The steps were to be large and confident, though not overly so. The legs movement was a standard of all Catwalk Steppings. What put the No-Frills Cute Catwalk one apart from the others was the way the free hand or hands were supposed to look. Resting casually on the sides of the body with arms slightly flailing like any regular walk, the hand or hands were to be folded upwards in a way that their palms faced down and stood parallel to the floor with the fingers close to each other but not touching one another. It gave the walk a girly feel. There were other Steppings made to evoke different feels, but for starts it'd suffice. In any case Naoko already had her songs to practice and could not afford to lose time on new moves.

After the tiring lesson, it was a lucky thing that the ad she'd be producing was for an isotonic drink to recover her energy, or so she thought. The product was already on the market but three new flavors were going to be introduced: raspberry, blueberry and grapefruit. Each drink was given an according color: pinkish-red, blackish-blue and orange, and the ads for each flavor were going to feature a different girl. Naoko was chosen to star the blueberry one, while a red-haired girl and a blond one were selected for the others.

"Associating those drinks colors to hair colors was kind of creative!" Naoko joyfully gave her opinion, "How does a blueberry taste, though?"

"Admen are incredibly creative people," Aratani sarcastically commented, "Unfortunately they almost invariably prefer not to use their creativity and instead fall back on the old and proven selling strategy of giving a feminine face to their products. At least you'll get to prove and know how blueberry tastes! This way I don't need to come up with taste descriptions."

There were two problems, though. First, Naoko wasn't really supposed to drink anything, but to pose as if she was happily about to drink it. She tried a few times to smile and turn the open bottle just before its content escaped, but the photos looked strange, like she was smelling the content rather than proving the juice. Though she was instructed to do the same as the other two models had done before her and appear just to sip it, sipping didn't cut either. Though the photographer looked happy enough with it, Naoko did not. She couldn't smile too well while trying to do it. Her agency was being paid seven hundred thousand Yen just for starters and a small weekly fee for internet ads according to number of accesses, so it's best to look good.

Asking the production team to try another time turning the bottle all the way, she did one more take. One of the many photos per second the cameras took finally looked amazing enough to satisfy the girl, and certainly the admen. In that picture, a frozen fraction of a second, Naoko looked stunning, with slightly closed, yearning eyes like that of a person who had really made exercises and craved for an isotonic drink. Her smiling lips slightly opened so that the refreshing juice that gushed out vividly from the bottle a few centimeters away could get inside. Her lustrous hair moved around through the movement of her head. It's a drink for sportspeople! It had to look vibrant, lively and refreshing! And more than any other girl she nailed it, surprising everyone at the studio with her idea and its fantastic results. So thought-provoking, so full of movement and desire, so much better than just sipping it!

Though that was just a photo. After that split-second the blueberry drink that spilled from the bottle gushed over her entire face, invaded her nostrils and washed away her eyeliners before entering on her eyes. A second after looking so gorgeous, Naoko was coughing, with reddened eyes, trying desperately to breath and just being miserable. Ten minutes later she could still smell the blueberry juice drops inside her nose. When the photographer yelled to everyone it was perfect, all the girl wanted was to chop his neck off.

Second problem was that it didn't taste like blueberry at all. She was given quite a few bottles to hopefully be seen in public drinking it and promote the brand even more, but as Aratani proved it while he drove back to his office and stopped at a traffic light all he could say was "it's passable, but has nothing to do with blueberry. It's just like many supposedly strawberry-flavored red things produced from industrial chemicals and sugar. Most taste good but bear little resemblance to the actual fruit. Well, guess Naoko-Chan is not going to know the taste of blueberry today! Who would've thought it!" One hand chop from the frustrated girl later and her producer went back on his word, driving around looking for a yogurt shop just so Naoko could choose its toppings with a few of the small indigo fruits and taste it.

It's good, sweet and acid. The citric flavor was the part that was almost completely absent from the isotonic drink, and its sweetness was watered-down due to probably being cloying in big doses. Still not bad, just not the same taste as the real fruit, like her producer previously told her.

After lunching Naoko was taken back to her dorm to rest a little before being driven to the I.S.S.G.'s headquarters. There were numerous elevators there, a few leading only to the first floor Hall of Fame, others to the hotel and restaurant area at the top floors while yet others taking people to the offices and to six auditoriums used for both auditions and shows. To know how to move around that tall and bulky building required some practice.

Right at the reception desk a tiny girl with braces who spoke sentences Naoko barely understood asked two identical girls and their old producer right in front of her on the line a few things. They all answered it as if they could completely understand the questions and acted in accordance when required to do something Naoko couldn't even fathom what.

"I'm shhvorry to insfjform you thaxmhrt thebxlyre's no suchbgdg thinhbgg as a doublbvdtjke idwlvzxol presentxvbpqrtation," the secretary said.

"What?" a very old-looking producer, with flimsy gray hair and a pair of brown, square-framed glasses that made his eyes look enormous in comparison to his short height looked completely clueless. At first Naoko thought the old geezer didn't understand the garbage that girl asked, but the man reluctantly insisted with a feeble voice, "But that's... very unfortunate! I... I've made a registration, you see."

"Sincybgxlye youbhx madghbje onlyxch one registrxchjghation," the attendant told him with her incomprehensible speech problems, though only for Naoko as the others acted like she spoke as any average person, "I'm shchxzkjorry to ashjxk you tjuhgdhis, but you'll havcthgfe to chxjhgtoose only one gjylchirl to partchxicipatxcwje on the auditxqtktion."

Both twins, maybe around fifteen years old, turned frustrated faces to the helpless old man while he looked inside his century-old looking brown leather suitcase. Taking lots of papers out from it, he painstakingly began reading them, so close to his glasses that he almost looked like he was kissing it.

"I can't see any rule against duos here in the event description," he pointed it out.

"Itxzcvh's in the agjxwhency's subsckckckription and idhhyol's regjxhtchistration's contrhkbtracts," the attendant explained, and the old man took another eternity juggling papers, dropping them on the ground and asking the frustrated twins to grab them while he looked around his dusty suitcase for the correct form. When he found it, he read it for another half century or so before saying, "I can't find anything like this here, missy!"

"Firshzxt paragjbvcwqraph," the secretary calmly mentioned, and the old gaffer returned to the first line. After staring at it for another decade, he asked while handing it to one of the girls, "Sakura-San, please read the first paragraph to me."

The beautiful twins exchanged annoyed looks. They were both the same height, around one meter and fifty six, brown eyes and had shining caramel hair, though one sported it in a long ponytail and the other in odango, a double bun of hair tied on the sides of her head from where pigtails emerged from. The one the man referred to as Sakura wore odangos, though it's the ponytail one who, irritated, took the papers from his shaky hands and told him while reading it, "I'm Sakura! Man, you're so clueless!... Hey! It's written right in the first paragraph as the lady said! Only individual presentations unless specifically mentioned otherwise! Why didn't you told that sooner to us, are you stupid or what?!"

"Please respect me, little lady!" her producer politely asked.

"Who're you calling "little"? Me and Harumi are both taller than your dehydrated, shrunk body!" Sakura furiously replied, to which her producer retorted talking to himself, "Women these days! Back in my days they actually knew how to respect the elderly!"

"Back in your days women painted their teeth black to look beautiful!" Sakura raged, using as example a millennia-old old tradition that died out by the first two decades of the twentieth Century called ohaguro, in which it was considered elegant to die the teeth black to set women and sometimes men apart, generally if they were from aristocracies, on ceremonies or when women got married.

Aratani and Naoko exchanged discreet looks while the old producer and Sakura discussed, and the other idol remained silent. Eventually the man decided he'd not let Sakura participate in the audition and instead gave the place to her sister Harumi. The quiet girl had an acid expression when she ironically thanked him.

"Thanks a lot, that's exactly what I signed for. Because I had absolutely not told you explicitly before that I'd be mortified to present myself alone when I questioned you if I'd have to! And you said I'd never have to! Because I clearly didn't want to feel confident and be with Sakura!"

"Good! That's what I like to hear!" the old man replied. Harumi, not descending into anger like Sakura but becoming razor sharp, contended him, "Someone doesn't really understand the meaning of "irony" here. What about our choreography?! It's made for two!"

"I have faith you'll do just fine, Haruko-San!" her producer tried to cheer her up, to which the girl, sighing, corrected him, "It's Harumi."

As the two were about to leave and glanced back to Naoko, the girl and her producer stood sober and sad in respect for the twins. Sakura, still irritated, asked what they were looking for, but Harumi quickly asked the two for forgiveness. Naoko decided not to pick a fight and was merely sincere:

"No, I'm the one to be sorry here. Sorry for your circumstances. My condolences to you both. I feel your pain. Really do. I can't even begin to comprehend your daily sufferings..."

Nodding, Harumi and Sakura thanked her for the kind words. The odango-haired one introduced themselves:

"I'm Mizushima Harumi and this one's my twin sister Sakura. Pleased to meet you!"

"I'm Yano Naoko. Call me Naoko," she did the same, "And this is my producer, Aratani Kouta. The pleasure's mine!"

The girl with the ponytail, Sakura, quickly requested her while presenting excited eyes:

"Hey, Naoko-San? Don't you want two girls on your team? Isn't your agency looking for hardworking twins?! We can dance, sing, make coffee, anything! I know where you can find a duo if your producer wants!"

Abashed, Aratani explained while looking the old man getting away:

"Ha-ha, I'm thankful for the offer, though currently our agency is quite small and can't really afford to produce more idols, though I'm sure there're plenty of other agencies dying for a cute and talented duo."

"Thank you, but if we can't present ourselves on stage at the same time, what's the point in having twins on the cast?" Harumi asked, to which Aratani hurriedly clarified with an increasingly concerned expression as he saw Sakura and Harumi's producer walk away, "Though almost all competitions are made around individual presentations, there's still lots of value for fans to cheer for twins. Also, single presentations are only an issue on ranked shows. Non-ranked ones are free of constricting rules, meaning both Mizushima-San can present themselves. You both can make an awesome career centered on non-ranked shows and only dwell in ranked ones for class promotions."

"What's a ranked show?" Harumi asked to Sakura, who retorted, "What's a class?"

Not only Aratani, but Naoko as well got baffled. The twins had absolutely no idea about anything! Seeing their almost blind old producer stopping near a window of the thirtieth floor and knocking on it like a door, Naoko's producer nervously instructed:

"Why don't you girls have a look at the official Idol Star System Generation website? There's a Frequently-Asked Questions section there and a phone number dedicated only to agencies and idols to ask questions! I hope you girls find what you're loo... No, wait!"

Cutting the conversation short, Aratani desperately ran to grab the humpback old producer that forced his way through the glass while complaining that door was jammed before he unwarily threw himself out of the window. The twins looked helplessly in Naoko's direction. Sakura urgently begged, "Please save us, Naoko-San!"

Harumi got directed by the gibberish-speaking secretary somewhere, and after that her was Naoko's turn. According to Aratani, who apparently understood everything that secretary asked, she was questioned if she wanted to register a nickname to be used on stages. After thinking for a while, Naoko declined it and was sent to the same place Harumi was a few minutes before. It's just a small place with a fitting room, a computer and a green background surrounded by reflectors and lightings. A photographer asked Naoko to get changed and then come back to take a photo for her Credited Intro. It was that image that announced the idol by showing here name, the symbol of her agency and her face over psychedelic backgrounds. She simply had to look to both directions while smiling and she was good to go.

In her black and red dress Naoko and her producer walked to a large double door. Before entering her producer handed her a thin, black tiara, to which the girl asked:

"What's this for? My hair's already black, no one will see this tiara if I wear it!"

"That's the point," Aratani stated while handing her a pair of black and red ribbons, "While your attire is top-notch, I felt something was missing, so I brought you this. Strap this on the tiara and you'll have laces on your head without needing to wrap a tuft of hair and messing your haircut. Also, before we get in, I just want to tell you one thing."

Getting the frilled tiara on her head, the girl listened closely.

"I already told you that you don't have any pressure to win this, but I haven't yet mentioned this: Naoko-Chan is capable of winning it. I haven't even told you about the Devotion or the Memorability scores yet, but you don't need to know those right now. Just do your very best and I'll be proud no matter what the results are, okay? If you need me, I'll be right by your side, just call me."

The girl felt warmth envelop her as her producer coolly told her that and opened the auditorium doors immediately after. A catchy song, though sang in a nervous voice, reached their ears just as they entered a huge place with overlapping balconies, easily fit for seven hundred spectators or so. At the time, though, there were only about sixty people there. Roughly half of them were girls in colorful outfits and the other half, people in suits. With only one exception, all producers were men. Even though most suits were black and the others gray or brown, a few producers also stood out in the crowd. One wore a white suit and a big hat. Another was an absurdly muscular and tall man with a butch out hair precisely cut with one quarter of an inch around the entire circumference of her head full of pulsating veins. His big moustache and eyebrows made him quite the character. He barely fitted in the seat and surely attracted more attention than his diminutive idol.

The atmosphere in the auditorium was tense. Idols performed to three judges, two women and a man. They sat right in front of the big stage, bigger than Naoko's school one. Even then, there were markings describing a four meters long by two in depth rectangle in its center, and idols were supposed to stay between those lines. According to Aratani, it's because the restaurant in which they're going to perform only had a tiny stage on it.

No one dared to speak there, It's immersed in such a tense atmosphere, where each pair of idol and producer sat separated from the others, that Naoko began to feel butterflies on her stomach. The thought of having to perform to such a hostile audience gave her shivers. Aratani, noticing it, found them seats at the farthest corner of the auditorium and whispered her:

"I told you the auditions were the worst part. Naoko-Chan is getting nervous, right? Don't be. Focus on any other thing."

"What can I focus on?" she asked, to which her producer suggested, "I don't know. Think about one of your stupid games, perhaps?"

"They're not stupid!" Naoko insisted, "And I can't! I feel like I'd lose my concentration! Like if I'm not here and now I'll forget my dance steps or something!"

"You'll only forget it if you get nervous," Aratani argued, "But okay, let's find something here and now to concentrate. Hm..." After some thought, he smiled, "Hey, can you see those two girls around here somewhere? They were before us on the line, but still aren't here?"

Smiling too, Naoko drolly opined:

"I think Harumi-San and Sakura-San might be getting led astray somewhere. Poor girls." Laughing, Naoko whispered back, "I thought only the idols were going to stand out here, but quite a few producers are just as showy! Look at that juggernaut over there!"

"Where? Oh. Wow!" Aratani immediately noticed the bulky behemoth, "And his idol's so small! He's the real show there! I wonder if her idol's not afraid of him."

"I'd be for sure!" Naoko agreed in whispers, "Seems the kind of guy who arrives at his office and says to his idol..." she whispered in the lowest pitch she was able to, "Good morning! Let's get to your schedule for today... but before that, I'LL HOLD YOU BY YOUR WRISTS AND ANKLES AND USE YOU AS WEIGHT TO DO FIFTY BENCH PRESSES! Wrrruaaahhhh!"

Naoko impersonated a frowning man lifting weight. The two broke in laughter and had somehow to keep it low. Aratani got dragged into the joke in a voice as low as possible:

"Can you imagine how was their first day together? 'So this is an idol agency and we'll get you into classes so you train all the important things you'll need to become a successful idol. Things like arm wrestling! Weight lifting! Calisthenics! And my special secrets to get a pair of treasures like these two bad boys here!" Aratani made a ridiculous impression of a person kissing his own bulged biceps, getting Naoko almost to laugh too loudly. Covering her mouth she controlled herself and mocked:

"While every girl practices by dancing and singing, his idol is obligated to accompany him on a forced forty kilometer march and meditate under a waterfall!"

"And while you have body language classes, she has body building ones!" Aratani added insult to injury, and Naoko made it even worse, "And while I'm sleeping at 4 a.m. his poor idol is drinking four raw eggs and being put to do pushups and punch sandbags while he screams on her ears "That's how I like it! Punch it harder! Like a cruel angel, girl! Become a legend!"

The two laughed together for almost half an hour while idols presented themselves, most of them nervously so. At some point the twins arrived at the auditorium with their clueless, senile producer and Naoko waived to call them. Harumi wasn't even wearing a special outfit, but just the same plain clothes she used when she was on the line. The two joined them and while the old man slept snoring in his seat, Harumi, Sakura, Naoko and Aratani continued to make fun of that behemoth of a man and other strange producers and idols around. Aratani was skeptical to let the twins know they were making jokes of other people, but Naoko open-heartedly invited them to notice a few of the most bizarre characters in that place and in less than a minute the sisters were also contributing to the mockery. Sparing no one, not even the judges, the four laughed for almost another thirty minutes until it was Harumi's turn.

Her choreography was clearly intended for a paired dance, and the girl got so terrified that she ultimately did poorly. It scared Naoko a bit, but she had so much fun on the last hour that when she was called to the stage she still couldn't stop grinning as she passed by lots of people they had secretly joked about. The uneasy expressions of the audience in general only made it funnier, and she couldn't even take the judges seriously. It was a saving grace just like when her imagination started tossing skirt-clad turtles on top of her future dancing instructor during her tests. At that time Naoko didn't know that woman was such a nice person, all she could see was her serious face, and the fun she made of her helped the girl to chill.

Contrary to what she was expecting, her audition was very uneventful and only stayed on her mind because it's her first time presenting herself in front of judges. The only song she was expected to sing was cheerful like all the other three and her mind was at peace, having a blast, and that was all that mattered. When she finally understood she was really being evaluated and her anxiety began to well-up, the song was over, her simple choreography done impeccably and her voice only slightly off due to so much laughter. She wasn't nowhere near the most technical idol there, but her scores were high nevertheless.

When the audition was over the judges presented everyone their averaged final scores on a big screen. Naoko got eighty six points on Singing, getting her tied on the second position, and seventy seven on Dancing, securing her an also incredible second place. Her Aesthetics got her fourth place, and while Devotion was not really good, only eleventh position, the girl ranked third in Memorability. Overall, she managed to narrowly nab the fifth place between thirty one idols. Though Naoko was unimpressed, her producer was exhilarated.

"Produ-San, why are you so happy? I mean, I am too! But I ranked fifth, not first." she pointed out, "To be content is one thing, but you look like about to have a heart attack."

"Naoko-Chan! That was amazing!" he evaluated, "Can't you see? Second in Singing, third in Memorability even though I hadn't explained you this category yet and second in Dancing! Second! And you only had two weeks to train! Second, see?! That's the part you got the most trouble in your tests at the beginning! I was so unsure at the time I gave you a clear sixty by then, meaning if your instructor had given you even a point less you'd be out! But I see she was right in having faith in your talents, for she gave you four points more than I did."

"What?!" Naoko replied, baffled, "I thought she's way stricter than you! You dirty..."

"Back to the subject!" Aratani insisted ardently, "Your fourth place in Aesthetics can be corrected with the use of more accessories and a choice of attire that's more in line with your happy personality and song. I told you: one of its subcategories is Composition, where they evaluate if your clothes match with your acting, lyric and so on. And you're wearing a black and red dress and miniskirt, black gloves and gothic-like platform boots, but you're so radiant and your song and dance, cheery. It probably hurt your Composition score. Even so you got fourth in the most disputed category! As for Devotion, I should've told you sooner what it means. You made no poses, no appeals, didn't look too much to the judges and so on, meaning you kind of forgot your audience. It's the reason why you got eleventh place in it! If I had only foreseen this and was a little bit more careful with your outfit, Naoko-Chan could've easily nailed second or third place with just two weeks of practice! That's insane! Most girls here got months of training! Sure, most don't have the renowned instructors you do either, but still! What's not to be happy about fifth place under all these circumstances?! Naoko-Chan was awesome there!"

Naoko felt a surge of happiness. Blushing, the girl humbly said:

"That was only because Produ-San helped me stay calm and have fun, while other girls looked so afraid on the stage they were unable to show what they're truly capable of, I suppose. Thank you for helping me, Produ-San!"

"All I did was making sure Naoko-Chan would be herself on the stage, Naoko-Chan did the rest," he coolly insisted with a smile, "It's your merit, diamond girl, no need to be modest about it."

So happy she suddenly became, Naoko took a few seconds to notice Sakura wasn't by her side anymore. She sat a few seats away, hugging her desolated sister Harumi, who'd finished in the twenty-third position. Meanwhile their senile producer continued to snore. Glancing back to Aratani, Naoko inquired him with her eyes while asking:

"Produ-San? Do you think we can do something for them?"

The man, sighing, stood up. Keeping his cool, he signaled Naoko to follow him and walked in the direction of the two. As his tall figure overshadowed them, the twins snapped out from their sobbing talks, looking surprised.

"Sorry to barge in, but I need to ask you girls a question: what exactly you both were taught about the idol business? Do you girls know what subcategories compose the Aesthetics score? Or do you even have a stage outfit to wear on auditions and gigs to begin with?"

Seeing the two looked helplessly lost, Aratani said while taking a business card from his pocket:

"I imagined as much. Here, take this. Ask your producer to call me. If he refuses, call me yourselves. I can't currently produce other idols and I wouldn't "steal" girls away from other agencies even if I could, but I can help you girls understand the whole business and give you directions. The Idol Star System and how it works, the classes, the categories, how can you both amass fans and get on non-ranked shows, what's a non-ranked show to begin with, these kinds of things. If you girls were chosen in a test following I.S.S.G.'s parameters, I believe you have potential. Don't feel bad for your results, Mizushima-San. Once you and your sister understand how things work and prepare accordingly, I'm sure you two will be very successful. Drop me a line if you girls need any help... or, more likely, if your producer needs any help, and I'll see what I can do, okay?"

Sweeping away her tears, Harumi took Aratani's black card with the diamond symbol of the agency on it with both hands and, after looking at it along with her sister as if trying to memorize all its information, she questioned with a trembling voice:

"D-do Aratani-San r-really mean it? That he thinks... w-we can be successful? Even after seeing m-me... perform so horribly?"

Trading looks with Naoko, Aratani declared:

"Definitely. For a girl who basically has no knowledge on what composes the scores or how anything works here, who has no stage outfit, whose choreography was made for two and who apparently told her producer beforehand she was afraid to ever performing without being accompanied by her sister, to still rank above seven other girls who probably trained and were aware of the rules, had stage outfits and weren't kicked in shock into a stage is really something. And to be fair, twins are really appreciated by fans, with the right promotions and correct management I can see you two having a nice career. Really. Only thing is that your producer will need help. To not even know the I.S.S.G. is made with individual presentations in sight is... worrying, since all producers are required to attend to a preparatory course and get evaluated in a test before being awarded the title by the corporation."

"Is it true?!" Sakura asked, "Harumi, how do you think Ikeda-San got through the test if he's even unable to read? Do you think he cheated?"

"Or maybe he did it when he was young, nine hundred years back!" Harumi guessed.

"Or maybe it was Hamasaki-San!" Sakura assumed. Turning to Aratani and Naoko, she explained, "Ikeda Hiro is the owner of the agency since it started operating about a month ago, but he had a young producer with him, Hamasaki-San. He was the one who evaluated us and such! But Hamasaki-San left only three weeks after getting employed. Right, Harumi?"

"I think Ikeda-San said something about Hamasaki-San being unable to keep working anymore," Harumi said, "Something about antidepressants overdose."

"Oh, yeah, right!" Sakura recalled, "The coma thing! Hey, remember that time Hamasaki-San started screaming after talking to Ikeda-San, drank lots of his pills along with rice wine and threatened to burn the office down?! That was the coolest day ever! I miss Hamasaki-San..."

Harumi got up and bowed deeply to the shocked duo that silently overheard the twins.

"Thank you very much, Aratani-San! Naoko-San!" Harumi said, and Sakura, bowing too, added, "Thanks a ton! So we can really call you guys for help, right?!"

"Ah... yes," Aratani, taken aback, confirmed, "Though the more I hear about it, the more I ask myself if I'd be able to help you girls on the situation you're both in. But yes, call me and I'll, uh... see what I can do for you two."

Leaving the twins, Naoko was happy for ranking among the top five and happier that her producer was such a cool and nice guy to offer to help the poor girls. By the door they met a slender producer in a white suit uselessly demanding his ten thousand Yen entry fee back since his idol had lost. Naoko didn't even have time to mention the apparently expensive entry fee when they saw a new batch of idols and producers coming, one of which wore a zebra-patterned suit and another sported a flamboyant, huge black hat and shades indoors. Each auditorium had about eight auditions per day, Aratani explained, and then a show, so the foot traffic was intense there. Naoko's problem wasn't with the amount of people coming and going, but rather the characters she saw there. It's more of a circus than a company! Not that she complained, though. It's far livelier this way than it'd be if there were just a bunch of boring people in plain suits.

Aratani left Naoko on her singing class and left to his office, only coming back to take her to the restaurant. At that time her producer wore a different suit, still black but decorated with red and orange details on its left arm and shoulder resembling a stylized fiery decal. His shirt was not white anymore, but a wine red and his tie was a lustrous black. Wearing reapplied cologne, a silver watch and a pair of tiny, stud-like diamond earrings affixed by pressure, the tall young man looked mesmeric. As soon as Naoko saw him, she joked:

"What are you doing, stealing the attention like that?! I need no competition here! Go back and only return when I'm the prettiest one around!"

Grinning, her producer coolly reassured her in the same vein:

"For a girl as direct as you, Naoko-Chan sure goes to great lengths to tell a roundabout compliment. Though you've nothing to fear, not even New Year's fireworks would take away the eyes of others from a lady like you."

He stared deeply into her eyes without faltering and Naoko sustained it for as long as she could with a serious face. Blushing heavily and ultimately being the one to deviate the sight first, the girl burst in laughs and queried while hiding her cheeks with her hands:

"Damn you, Produ-San! How can you say such things without even batting an eye?!"

"Because I know I don't need to, generally after I say things like that you bat my eyes for me," he mocked, "See? Naoko-Chan can learn with me how to take compliments without uppercutting someone to Mars."

"Or I can uppercut you to Mars until you learn not to make me blush with your cool-cool boy replies!" the girl reacted, to which the man snapped, "Suit yourself. Just take care not to hit my suit, will you? Fine fabric and all. It's hard to find a laundry with people that know how to clean it."

"Aaaand yet another cool reply. Thank you for choosing Naoko's space line, I'll book your flight for when you're not wearing your fine fabric suit," Naoko responded sarcastically, "No, seriously, what's with the fancy outfit? Got jealous of that guy wearing a zebra-pattern suit, Produ-San?"

Laughing, Aratani conducted Naoko to his car while saying:

"Nah, mine's better. Truthfully, though, many producers have special attires for presenting themselves in press conferences or while their idols are performing. We're on a show business and we're all part of the show. A few go beyond what's reasonable, as if they really tried to shine brighter than their own idols. Vanity runs rampant in this line of work. But humbleness is no excuse, either. Most producers back in the audition weren't wearing anything too fancy simply because they weren't going to be mingling with fans, but rest assured quite a bit of them have alternate costumes. When trying to create an otherworldly experience to fans and causing the suspension of belief, one of the most important elements in the idol industry, every detail counts." Opening the door to Naoko and going around to get inside, he added:

"Not to mention I was craving for an opportunity to wear it. Thought it'd take longer, so I was reticent at investing on it right from the moment I started the agency. Thankfully I listened to the wise words of a professor I had at university. Criminal Code chair, pretty boring stuff despite the fact that many people enjoyed the subject. The best thing he taught me was that a good suit is the single most important investment a good lawyer makes. Second one is a solid education. I think he was wrong, though." After a brief pause to concentrate on a traffic intense cross, the man resumed, "A good suit is the single most important investment any person makes."

"Meaning we pay lawyers first and foremost to look good, and only then to help us with our problems? Great." Naoko sarcastically countered. Aratani disagreed in a drolly way:

"Nope. People choose them based on the confidence they transmit and expect them to solve their problems. A good suit just means you give a better impression and will have clients. After that, it's up to you to live up to the expectations. It's like this everywhere, really: try to get on stage wearing baggy pants, straw hat, socks and a horrible sweater and look what happens even if your singing and dancing skills were the best in the universe."

"I get it makes a difference for idols, and a few other professions," Naoko granted, "Yet having a solid education still seems more important for a lawyer, in my opinion."

"As long as you have clients, yes, but you won't get any without looking reliable no matter how good you really are. And since you need clients to survive, it's kind of mandatory to look sharp, unfortunately. Or not, depending on how you look at it. I, for one, don't complain to wear a good suit. It's better than a sweater and straw hat." Changing the subject, Aratani told her:

"Naoko-Chan, I just remembered: while I was preparing the fan club web page for the photos and maybe videos I'll be uploading, I noticed something very strange: your fan counter went up by another one hundred or so and is still increasing. Mostly decent-looking people in suits. They're salarymen and office ladies, I presume. I'm curious: were you involved in any other absurd argument, this time with a salaryman or something, that I need to know?"

Confused, Naoko denied it, and the two lost about twenty minutes debating from where those fans could have come from. Maybe from one of the companies they worked for, though it's impossible to tell. Getting nowhere, Aratani simply dropped the subject:

"Alright, Naoko-Chan, as long as there is nothing bad going on, it's fine, I suppose. Also, we've more pressing matters to talk about. Here are a few points about your presentation."

With small and well-trimmed bushes decorating its frontage covered in wood-pattern paint and large windows, the restaurant was impressive. Its internal décor, full of black light luminaires, mirrors and abstract paintings, was as fancy as its menu. It presented a half-circular stage with two meters in radius and, near the kitchen, a communal dressing room with two smaller fitting rooms.

The big problem Naoko assumed she'd have were the four other girls there, who spoke to no one. The small room was silent as a tomb. When she greeted the others as she arrived, almost in time for the show due to her Singing classes, the other four pretended not to hear her, immediately infuriating Naoko. The girl greeted even louder, almost shouting on the ear of one of the four, and only then they unwillingly answered, in disdainful tones. They really acted like snobs. Probably because of petty rivalries and because Naoko was ranked the lowest in the audition. She began to wonder if it'd be any different if she was the first.

The reason why it wasn't the biggest problem was that Naoko had only ten minutes to change and was off to the show. Being ranked fifth place, she was the first one to present herself, so she had barely no time to feel the horrible atmosphere. On the other hand, since the room was close to the kitchen Naoko was tortured by delicious smells that made her stomach growl.

As she was called by her producer, Naoko left the dressing room and took a deep breath. She couldn't quite tell if her tummy hurt because of anxiousness or hunger, but it wasn't pleasant so the girl recalled all she had learned so far: relaxation techniques, body postures to inspire courage, a focus on her desire to feel the positive vibes of the audience and a few of the jokes they had made during the audition to help her chill. As she stepped on the stage, all lights were turned to her, making it hard to see the crowd, but even so there were innumerous silhouettes she could more or less recognize. So many people sitting by their tables but not a single talk. The only sounds were that of a few western-style cutlery against the tableware. Despite being relatively calm, anxiousness started to boil inside her.

Not waiting around for it to worsen, Naoko quickly took a hold of the microphone and stood in the center of the stage, while a soundtrack began to play. Behind her she could feel the reddish light of a screen turn up, and she took a quick glance out of curiosity, only to find her name, her eyes and the diamond-shaped symbol of her agency, The Paragon Idol, presented on a red horizontal strip over a black and pink background. Like Aratani told her to do, Naoko immediately put a large smile and, trying to feel joy even though her fears partially prevented it, she introduced herself as vibrantly as she could:

"Good night everyone! I'm Yano Naoko! I'm so happy to be here tonight with you all! Please support me and enjoy the show!"

Those lines felt incredibly fake to her coming from loud speakers all around, though hopefully no one would've noticed. It was so strange to hear her voice getting thrown back at her! Her mind began to sabotage her asking why was nobody replying to her greeting, and the girl had to answer herself that people were eating and listening to a show, it'd be doubly rude for them to break the silence. With her eyes still trying to get used to the spotlights, Naoko began singing, though for a horrible second she forgot the first movement. After she recalled it, though, the dance flowed with ease.

Taking care not to fall from the small stage and performing her dance accordingly, the first few minutes were tense, though merely singing gradually soothed her mind. When the second song began playing Naoko's eyes were habituated enough to the dazzling lights that bathed her that she started to make out the physiognomies of the spectators. Since she just looked in their general direction but not really to them, they still looked like faceless masses, but since a few heads were slightly swaying to and fro as if enjoying the beat and the singing, she began to feel at ease. By the end of the second song she also found Aratani walking around the corners while snapping photos and capturing videos, giving her some security to know he was there.

When the third song started Naoko finally noticed she was still alive. No knives were thrown at her. No tomatoes or boos. It could've been an idiotic discovery, but made all the difference. From that point on Naoko relaxed and started to enjoy her presentation. When she moved due to her choreography, each spotlight created a luminous phantom line on her eyes that scrambled her senses. Her voice outside of her was almost surreal. It's like an out of the body experience. For a moment she felt herself dancing automatically, as if her arms and legs moved independently of her will. Her voice vibrated on her throat and sent tingling sensations down, while the volume and weight of her attire as she moved sent mixed signals up.

When the third song was over the silence of a few moments until the final, upbeat melody began playing annoyed her. She jumped at the task of singing the last song of the show already feeling a little sad it had to end so soon. Three minutes passed like three seconds as the vague image of everyone silently watching her made her thrilled like few times in her life. The song was over and was followed by a round of applauses was one she wanted to last forever. She only regretted not being able to enjoy the show sooner.

"Thank you! Thanks, everybody!" Naoko concluded it while bowing. Standing up and amply waving her free hand, she added "I'm Yano Naoko, please look up for me. Bye-bye!"

Handing the mic to the next girl with the same disdain she was received in the dressing room, without so much as looking to her face, Naoko left exultantly. As she returned to the fitting room to change her clothes back the place was still as silent as a graveyard. Only this time, Naoko was so radiant it felt different somehow. Instead of feeling scorn from the others, all she could feel was anxiety in the air. They were greenhorns like her, too, after all. Nevertheless they acted like aloof snobs.

While she changed back something occurred to her as she faintly listened to the song of the girl who sang only passably at that moment: even though she'd been ranked fifth in the overall results, Naoko was chosen the second best dancer and songstress! Also her third place in Memorability and fourth in Aesthetics despite the costume incongruences with her songs and personality were nothing to be ashamed of, either. She's in fact one of the best among the five, and with only two weeks of training! Of course, the other girls appeared to have no control over their anxieties and performed worse than they probably could, but still. Self-confidence was part of the show, too. Those girls were very attractive and appeared talented, but somehow Naoko managed to be among the best! That actually surprised her more than it probably would've surprised any other person who watched her perform.

Only then fully comprehending what Aratani told her in his overjoyed moment after the audition, Naoko felt beaming brighter than any light. Changing and going away, she wished the three tense idols in the dressing room good luck, not caring in the slightest if they'd respond or not, and left smiling. Discreetly getting away with her producer, Naoko waited until she was in the car to let loose a stream of highly excited gabble, hard to understand due to how fast the girl spoke. Her frenetic talk was mixed with ample and rapid gesticulations, pointing to her own nose and hiding her cheeks and crossing the index fingers to create an "X" like symbol and punching the air and making a "V" with the index and the middle fingers and so on. Aratani merely stood listening and driving in silence while the cheery and agitated girl bombarded him with her impressions and thoughts, and about how happy she was.

The thrill of presenting herself was addicting. So much Naoko didn't even remember to ask how much they've received from that gig, but nevertheless questioned if they were going to register on a new event the next weekend, to which her producer agreed, though saying:

"If you're feeling so confident and liked it so much, sure, we can do it, though let me just remind you that my rush to land us a contract this week actually got us already a few next one, and some others are still in the horizon. And since right now most shows are small, it's not only a risk but also one that pays somewhat less than our contracts. Sure, it gets you some stage visibility, helps me feed your fan page and, most of all, gets you show points, which I'll explain later but are required for class promotions, and experience on the real deal, so I'm more than willing to let you shine in exhibitions. However, if the schedule for your classes, modeling activities and shows get too tight, I might be required to ask Naoko-Chan for a chunk of her Saturday, a thing I'm currently trying to avoid. Is this acceptable?"

The girl paused. Her Saturdays with Rin were among the highlights of her week, and as such she explained it to Aratani.

"But if there's no other way, maybe I can explain it to Rin-Chan. I'm sure she'll understand." Naoko hesitantly presented a counterpoint to her own argument, though her producer opted to suggest as an alternative, "What if instead you invite your friend to watch your show? We can arrange one with an audition on Saturday, and then you two go meet and have fun. If you're selected for the gig, I pick you and your friend at your place later and drive you two to the show. We can more than afford one hundred tickets with the amount we're paid, buying one for her is no problem. And if you do not qualify, you get to stay at home being consoled! Sounds like a plan?"

"Except for the part of me not qualifying, it does!" Naoko confidently replied, still pumped by the exhibition's adrenaline and getting excited about the idea of taking Rin to a show.

"Okay, it's settled, then." Aratani agreed, "Just take a hint and keep your invitation to your friend as low-profile as possible. You don't want other girls you know to get jealous about it, and they will if the discover. Trust me. Either this or we'll have to take a whole battalion every time, and while we are paid a decent amount per show, currently it's best not to have to treat too many people to it. Meanwhile I'll find you a gig for Saturday next time."

Nodding about the invitation secrecy, Naoko enquired:

"Is Produ-San positive we can find a show on Saturdays?"

"Not only we can, but it's also easier to find it. Though Fridays nights and Saturdays are prime time for high class idol shows, there are quite a few for the lower classes too. Many clubs, restaurants, parties and such make use of Saturdays to request gigs. I avoid it whenever possible so you can do your homework and dedicate yourself to school activities, but it's the best day of the week for shows. Sunday comes in second, Friday in third. Monday's the worst day of the week for shows if you're wondering. Then again, Monday is the worst day of the week, period."

While he drove, her producer let Naoko see the photos and watch the videos of her presentation that Aratani would be uploading to the fan club website once he got back to the office. The girl, taking his cellphone to see it, asked in surprise:

"Produ-San is going back to the agency again? It's already almost nine p.m.! Don't you sleep or anything? Why don't you upload it tomorrow, or from your home?"

Looking lost for a moment, the man evaded the question:

"It won't take more than a few minutes. And it's on my way home, I can say that. Don't worry about it." Glancing to the bothered girl, he insisted, "I said no worries. I won't work myself to death, so stop looking at me like this and turn your puppy eyes to the cellphone already. It was a solid presentation, especially the last two songs. Too bad the image quality is only average at best. I'll buy a professional camera first thing tomorrow."

Though a little bit concerned for her producer for a while, eventually Naoko was sucked back to the enthralling experience of her first show. It was strange to see it from another perspective, but it looked surprisingly better than she thought it would. Being a rookie, she imagined her inexperience would've been more obvious, but no, she was dumbfounded to discover she actually looked idol-ish. Nowhere near as good as Umeko, granted, but not as shabby as her imagination made her to be. It didn't look like she was nervous on her first song, maybe just not as pumped as she got on the second half of her twelve minute performance. In fact, what detracted the most from the experience was not her fault: the photos and especially the videos her producer made had a somewhat amateurish feel to the framing, with small unintended shaking effects and such, but it's not a big deal either.

"The image quality is not as big of an issue as the poor cameraman suffering from Parkinson's disease!" Naoko commented in a tongue-in-cheek way. Her vexed producer faced her for a moment, but was unable to maintain the serious mien and laughed it out.

"Now that you mentioned it, I might also have to invest in a medical check-up and some photography classes for myself. Either this or find a Parkinson's disease-free freelancer."

Despite her witty remark, Naoko was amazed by what she and her producer were able to achieve. After the adrenaline rush receded the girl was left physically and mentally exhausted, but as content as she knew to be possible. Thanking him a lot for the day when she was left by her dorm, Naoko wobblingly made her way to the elevator, noticing only one person in the courtyard: the janitor, appreciating the hazy moonlight among his beloved plants.

There were many messages for her like usual, but while most were not worth the effort to answer, a few got enough of Naoko's attention to warrant an answer. Her childhood friend Masahiro had been texting her every night since the previous week, and while it's never about interesting or important things, it's nice that he wished her a good morning and a good evening every day. Naoko wasn't always in the mood to respond, but usually she did so. That time, though, she felt the urge to tell him about her first show.

So tired she was, Naoko didn't detail it as much as she would otherwise, or if she hadn't already discharged all she had to say on her producer, but it was enough to make a small conversation. Or rather, a monologue, since Masahiro was the listener type. Still gloomy, but interested in hearing her, he promised to look for the videos and photos on her fan club page. Even more, he told her he'd subscribe there to help however he could.

When her friend Rin subscribed Naoko felt a little off, though at the time she couldn't quite tell why. When Masahiro told her that, though, it got clear to Naoko something was amiss and the reason for it: he was the first friend she had in her life. The guy who was always by her side in her hometown, and a rare person she knew she could blindly trust. For such a longtime friend to become merely a fan made Naoko feel empty. Of course, he wouldn't really be a fan, he's only going to subscribe on her fan club to help her get a bigger number of people there. Still, it bugged her to the point where she asked him not to. Not out of humbleness, but really meaning it. Masahiro knew her too well to understand she wasn't just being polite, but he did so anyway.

The girl felt a small void inside her for the next twenty minutes and kept texting him without even knowing why. Maybe just to make sure he hadn't changed. Eventually, though, it got clear he's still the same guy she always knew: quiet, respectful, a little fun at times, a little gloomy at others, but always there for her. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Only then relaxing, she bid him good night and went prepare her lunchbox and all she needed for the next morning. Though she hadn't said anything to Aratani while he playfully bashed Mondays, it's one of her favorite days of the week. It's just so full of new opportunities!
Chapter VIII – The Eyes Have It

Smiling radiantly to him, the sun greeted Katsuro happily with a divine feminine voice:

"Good morning, Katsuro-Kun! Have a wonderful day!"

The boy, while walking down a beautiful boulevard around sky-high buildings and with the pavement painted pink by the many cherry blossom petals of the many sakura, or cherry, trees in full-bloom, energetically greeted the sun back with utmost respect:

"Oh, good morning, Sun-Sama! Let's do our best on this marvelous day, shall we?!"

Walking down that fabulous street, from where he could see deep blue skies and the sparkling, snowy summit of the imposing and gorgeous Mt. Fuji, Katsuro was soon greeted by a lovely cat that leisurely walked by:

"Wonderful morning to you, Katsuro-San!"

"A wonderful morning to you too, Kitty-San!" Breathing deeply the fresh Spring air, the smiling boy opened his arms and commented, "What an absurdly lovely morning! Absolutely nothing can go wrong in such an outstanding daAAAAAAAAH!! THE HECK IS THIS?!" he shouted as the earth shook violently and the breeze became a strong wind that turned purple with malevolence.

With a thundering oomph, molten rocks suddenly erupted from the top of Mount Fuji, ascending well over twenty miles before raining down over the city like meteors in a devastating salvo. Flaming rocks pierced buildings, sending the smoldering ruins crashing down among explosions and cascades of debris. Thick, dark puffs of fumes arose from the exposed volcanic caldera, gaining the upper atmosphere and spreading dark clouds as far as the horizon.

"No! Protect yourself, Katsuro!" the worried feminine-voiced sun advised the boy before being eclipsed by tempestuous clouds, pervaded by purple lightning. The towering, pitch-black pillar of smoke rising from the colossal mountain began to unnaturally fork itself. It became two, then four, and finally eight columns, each one having more than a kilometer in diameter. United by its base, the eight subdivisions appeared to sustain the tormenting clouds like branches supporting the massive canopy of a titanic, evil tree. The thick fumes that formed the pillars gradually got more and more dense, to the point where it didn't resemble smoke anymore, but black rocks that somehow kept moving. Suddenly, the eight segments began to contort and twist in a way normal volcanic lumps of debris would never do. The way it started to move closely resembled a bunch of snakes.

And, true to it, the branches tops slowly descended from the thundering clouds. Each one sported a pair of raging, inferno-red sharp eyes on its serpentine heads. The forked pillars had become an eight-headed viper, twenty or more kilometer tall, made of coal, black stones and dark, glassy shards that gave it a slightly crimson hue due to reflecting the burning Aokigahara jungle by the mountain foothills and the fires that ravaged the capital. The monstrous snakes opened its mouths all at once, exhibiting pairs of shadowy fangs easily the size of some of the highest buildings of the world and lighting the terrifying skies with an infernal red clarity that came from inside their throats.

The eight-headed abomination didn't appear capable of moving away from the volcano on its base, but towering over the city with the range of its necks reaching the high atmosphere and capable of sending earth shockwaves and hurricanes by merely twitching, the demonic creature looked easily capable of reducing Tokyo to dust at its whims and covering the entire planet in a dark blanket of poisonous, ice-age inducing miasma.

From the mantle of dusky clouds, a myriad of hellish creatures began falling, some winged and some not, a few resembling humanoids while others as grotesque as a pile of tentacles and eyes, the majority of which the size of a person or a car but a few as big as a cargo airplane. As they flew over the desperate crowds or fell over them, the monsters started spitting fire and slashing their way through the people.

"Ah!" the population screamed as they ran past him, "Is there no teenager, high-school boy about the same age, height and physical appearance of Katsuro who could save us?!"

"I wish there was! Unfortunately that can't be me because I'm just a regular boy with no power to overcome such a threat!" Katsuro replied in an overly specific way while standing still, "I have absolutely no chance against that monster and as such I'm going to stand here, right beneath that immense building that's obviously not going to fall over me, while I dramatically introduce the main character to the manga readers showing I'm just an average guy concerned with the well-being of others but powerless to stand against the dramatic threat that menaces the world!"

Meanwhile, in a huge, open stadium on the other side of the city, the one hundred thousand or so spectators stopped cheering for the dazzling top idol who performed the show as they saw the skies turn black, quakes hit the surroundings and monstrosities fall down from the twisted torment. Naoko interrupted her world-class presentation and looked up in disbelief as the...

Now that Katsuro thought about it, he didn't know if there were idol shows at morning. Thinking about it for a second, he decided it's best if his story began at night. So he scratched the part of the sun greeting him, changed it to the divine female voice of the moon and resumed it.

...as the darkening skies became scary and...

But thinking about it, the sky turning pitch-black wouldn't be as impacting during night as it would in the day. So he decided it's best to maintain the morning setting, the sun greeting him at the beginning and simply imagining there were idol shows at morning. He wasn't sure, but there probably were. And, in any case, he was the one inventing the story, so he could do whatever he wanted. And since in his plot Naoko was an international celebrity, he just pretended her fans sought after her so much she had her schedule full from morning till evening with shows. Yes, that'd be convincing enough! Back to the narrative, then.

...as the darkening skies became scary and flaming rocks started to fall. On Naoko's earphones a male voice called her in a hurry, once again using the tremendously respectful "Sama" suffix:

"Yano-Sama! Here's the Prime Minister! We need your help!"

"What's the situation, Prime Minister-San?" the girl, not really appearing concerned, but still worried for the safety of others, asked.

"The army confirmed Yamata no Orochi has surfaced! Its current location is Mt. Fuji, but there's no telling for how long it will be there! Also its appearance is opening increasingly big dimensional rifts from which not yet documented evil Youkai are assuming physical forms and invading our world! It will tear the fabric of the universe apart if Orochi is not stopped!"

"I'm on it!" Naoko excitedly announced, but the Prime Minister prevented her:

"No, wait Yano-Sama! I know your special, Youkai-hunter secret powers are capable of destroying Orochi like your ancestors did in previous incarnations every time it appears, every one thousand years, but to do so you need to find a special boy that for some random reason is able to summon the energy of Chi slash Chakra slash Prana slash Power of Protagonism slash whatever mysterious power that everyone has but also for whatever reason no one is able to manifest! The boy probably knows nothing of how special and awesome and heroic he is or that he can unite the will of humanity in inexplicable ways that we'll try to explain anyway when the manga series drags several chapters behind the anime and we need to create twenty filler episodes! Until then, just trust in the oddly specific specialists we have in a secret department of our Government and find that boy! We've been following him since the beginning of his life, and we'll send you his coordinates! I'm sorry for taking about two minutes to explain all of this in the middle of a dire circumstance when it should've been better if we had told you it all during training, but please find this Fukuda Katsuro boy, our only hope despite the fact that you'll be the one doing almost all the work! Your mission is to not let Yamata no Orochi destroy the planet!"

Waiting patiently with crossed arms, Naoko finally asked:

"Can I be on it now?" The Prime Minister replied simply, "Yes."

"I'm on it!" Naoko excitedly announced. Throwing her small, black microphone into the air, she yelled, "Transform!"

The stadium and its panicking audience got substituted by a psychedelic, seizure-inducing flashing background as the girl's idol clothes, full of frills and laces, shone bright. They disappeared in an instant, leaving behind only white sparkles with an uncanny capacity to be at the exact position to obstruct the view from her intimate parts. Her tossed microphone conflagrate itself and expanded amidst blue flames. Wires, gears, a trigger and four pairs of parallel magnetic rails extended from its tiny insides. Four long tubes with one palm of caliber each appeared out of nowhere and encompassed the rails. When the flames extinguished, the mic had become a two meters long, four-barreled cannon. With a black luster and full of useless external blue lights and wires that people would simply pretend had some real use in the mechanism of the gargantuan weapon, it was an awesome apparel to look at.

As the cannon fell back to Naoko's right hand, black, semiliquid filaments extended from it. Sliding through her body, it quickly solidified into boots, gloves, a tiny jacket with high collar and skinny wears that were clearly not inspired by bikinis despite looking almost like one, only with small extra details. It's a very serious battle suit, and while it left about eighty percent of her body exposed, it supposedly offered extreme protection like any high-tech armor would, while resorting to the well-beaten and eye-rolling excuse that its lack of unnecessary weight granted the scantily clad girl high mobility. Because high-tech magic.

Holding with one hand the cannon, that would almost certainly weight at least three hundred kilograms, like it was a chopstick, the girl, out of the psychedelic background and back to the stadium, saw many meteors falling in the direction of the crowd. Actually, with a velocity of almost three thousand miles per hour, they should've already hit the ground way before, but since the Prime Minister was talking in an intermission during the last three minutes and time was apparently frozen during her transformation, the rocks were still falling. Naoko raised the cannon and opened fire.

Bluish, comet-like shots of energy the size of a big watermelon burst out of the four barrels in high frequency, almost ten projectiles per second. Shooting with improbable precision, the girl mowed the car-sized molten rocks while still in the air, reducing them to countless fragments. The audience applauded her feverously.

"We love you!" a fan shouted passionately, "Thanks for reducing twelve or so car-sized rocks that'd probably kill ten people each in thousands of small, flaming fragments the size of a fist that'll most certainly spread over a wide area and take away hundreds, if not thousands of lives! You're the best, Naoko-San!"

"You're welcome!" the girl happily shouted before departing hastily, not seeing when a rock hit that happy fan on his head.

While all that happened, Katsuro was still standing in the middle of the boulevard street. Man-eating humanoids carrying scythes attached to their arms attacked people all around with lightning-fast, preemptive strikes without even blinking, but for whatever reason seven or so surrounded him, slowly and dramatically crawling their way to what, for all the monster knew and cared, was just another regular human. The boy worriedly looked around, asking himself if that's how it's going to end. Then...

Though, as Katsuro thought about it, his imaginary persona wouldn't look too heroic if he asked such things. It'd be better if someone else did that.

Okay, so instead of it, he'd saved a small girl somewhere, somehow, and she asked that while hugging to his leg. The boy, facing the evil creatures that prepared to attack but inexplicably never did so, told her, "Don't worry, I'll get us out of here somehow."

...But then again, he wanted Naoko to save his character. And a tiny girl would be a liability in the oncoming fights... So screw the tiny girl, there was no tiny girl there. So instead he was worried for other reasons. Maybe... more monsters? No, too cheap. Oh, right! The falling building he had planned to implement in such a stealthy way no one would be waiting for it!

At the instant the creatures prepared to leap over him, a faster-than-a-bullet flaming rock punched through a skyscraper right next to him, exploding its windowed façade with a deafening bang and piercing it entirely, only to emerge on the other side and smash against yet another building. The vertiginous structure started to lean over Katsuro, dropping countless debris and glass shards that mysteriously didn't hit him or the enemies surrounding him.

"Oh, no, that immense building that was obviously not going to fall over me was struck by a rock and now is falling over me!" he exclaimed, while his enemies also stood silent, contemplating the oncoming ruin. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a loud, powerful engine hum got to his ears. In the distance, from one side of the boulevard street, a single blinding headlight shone.

A large, black motorcycle sped through the debris at about two hundred kilometers per hour or so. Its wheels were made of a lead colored, metallic sequence of overlapping plates, making it look dented. Three exhausters of a silvery alloy on each side looked like the closed wings of a diving eagle, and left behind a trail of white fire. The engine rumble was deep and resonating like a lion's roar. The vehicle was nothing less than impressive. From the top of it a stunning dark-haired girl holding the handlebar with one hand and an immense four-barreled cannon with the other let go of the steering bar, extended her arm out and shouted to the boy:

"Quick! Grab my hand! Even though at this speed we'd both probably have several life-threatening fractures by attempting to do this, you need to grab my hand if you want to survive!"

She apparently had a very powerful voice to be able to shout so many things from afar in the time the two-hundred kilometers per hour vehicle took to close in the boy, but despite that, Katsuro, in a split-second, decided to give it a shot. Grabbing the arm of the mysterious girl (scantily) clad in black and being pulled to the backseat without any injuries while the pilot ran over one of the monsters and sped away, Katsuro held himself tight to her. The skyscraper came crashing down behind them as the two narrowly evaded the gigantic impact.

Numerous creatures along the street turned in their directions when hearing the engine. A few of them carried not scythes anymore, but crossbows armed with grenade-tipped bolts strapped to their arms. The mysterious girl quickly turned the motorcycle with inhuman reflexes and, evading a salvo of arrows that exploded behind them, trained her own huge cannon against the hundreds of monsters that obstructed the road. Blue light missiles sprayed forth, opening craters and tearing dozens of the creatures in the way with its piercing and exploding properties.

"Hey, don't I know you?" Katsuro asked as he took a moment to glance at the stunning girl he held tight. For no ulterior reasons, of course. "You seem vaguely familiar!"

"I'm an internationally acclaimed idol!" she told him, speaking loudly to be heard among the explosions and the wind, "I'm Yano Naoko! Just call me Naoko!"

"I'm Fukuda Katsuro! Pleased to meet you!" he told her, "Oh, so you're an idol?! Maybe I've vaguely heard about you once or twice, hence the familiarity!"

"I'm happy that you've heard of me!" she declared while the motorcycle rammed a few monsters, turning them into blood splatters and flying limbs, "I've heard about you too! You're humanity's last hope for no apparent reason! I need your help to defeat Orochi, that eight-headed abomination that towers above the city!"

"What?! Me?!" Katsuro looked at the back of her head in disbelief, "What do you mean, help you defeat that thing? I'm just an average boy! I... I don't have any weapons! Any skills! I can't! It's too much for me! Insert here self-deprecating, pity-generating speech!"

"Maybe you've never unleashed your powers yet!" Naoko yelled while shooting and running over creatures as they passed by in mind blowing speed, hardly even slowing down to deviate from the rubble that piled all over the infinitely long and straight street, "but in fact you're special! You possess the power to converge mankind's hopes and willpower and unleash it unlike any other person for reasons we'll probably only cover in the second or third OVA! Until then, just bear in mind that insert here touching motivational speech!"

"I'm hardly worth of what you think about me!" Katsuro insisted, "But if it'll make you feel better, sure, let's go straight to that menacing, apocalyptic monster because despite I'm being just an average guy, I'm somehow not afraid or riding directly into a fray with a twenty kilometer tall, multi-headed serpent! It's not like I have family or anything, and I'm certainly not afraid of meeting a painful, untimely demise! Let's try to take it and a horde of hellish monsters just the two of us! Yeah, why not?! Let's go!"

"That's what I like to hear!" Naoko said eagerly, "Hold tight despite the fact that if it wasn't a fictional creation I'd surely be slapping your face for it!"

Leaving an unusable street full of craters and dismembered bodies behind, the two made their way to a cliff and accelerated past it into a suspended highway that thankfully existed nearby. Many stopped cars crammed the way but, also thankfully, a few of the lanes were almost pristinely unobstructed, save for a few more monsters itching for a road kill. From the highway it was possible to have a clear view of the sky-reaching eight-forked snake atop Mt. Fuji. Its fangs spit jets of magma around the burning metropolis as if it was venom, and every time the heads made brusque movements collectively, the mountain beneath it sent pyroclastic flows from the flooding exposed caldera of the volcano. Bending the laws of physics, the motorcycle approached the foothills without tephra mists outright killing the two lone riders on the storm by clogging their lungs because... the mysterious energy that emanated from Katsuro created an invisible aura around them didn't allow that! Yes! Perfect explanation to say "because the mangaka hates laws of physics and don't want them interfering with his manga" in an acceptable way! It could also explain other things, like how Naoko's long hairs flowing through the wind were not getting inside Katsuro's eyes and mouth! Because of the aura of lazy, half-cooked mystic powers able to alter physics!

Flying creatures reminding thorn-covered wasps the size of bears flocked around them. Naoko let loose of her cannon in all directions, felling quite a few. More descended from the darkened heavens, though, and the girl, excusing herself, jumped into the air while her motorcycle mysteriously managed to maintain velocity and control while ascending the bumpy elevation. Stepping on one of the wasps while mid-air, she jumped again and shot its ugly face off from point-blank. Kicking and gunning the enemies down as she jumped from one to the next, the girl rose higher and higher. A few spit fire as she got in range, but Naoko merely pierced the flames as if it's nothing and proceeded to mincemeat the attacker.

When she couldn't go up anymore due to a lack of wasps close by, the girl spun around, launching a deadly salvo downwards to eradicate the remaining enemies she hadn't yet plug full of holes and turned her weapon skyward, to where a continuous horde of flying small fries spawned. Aiming at the group coming in their direction, the girl activated whatever mechanism there was in the cannon to alter its form. The four barrels were each divided in many small, long parts that rearranged themselves in twenty small ones. The immensely versatile gun rapidly launched a blinding barrage of laser-like blue bullets that fragmented into even smaller projectiles, the same ten salvos per second. Spreading like a shotgun-meet-Vulcan machinegun, the flying horde nearby was turned to Swiss cheese before getting close.

Reverting the weapon back to the four-barreled variant, Naoko once again altered its form through magic shmagic inputs to the technological marvel, and its barrels separated from one another. Attaching it to her back in another hard to explain, magnetically magical way, its spread tubes turned flamethrowers propelled her forward like jet turbines. With her makeshift wings, the idol and world savior flew back to her motorcycle. Making her cannon go back to normal and falling on her seat, the girl resumed the driving.

"That was incredible!" Katsuro complimented her, though the girl downplayed it, "Nah, it's nothing. Trash mobs are nothing to worry. We've bigger problems to concern ourselves with."

Eight serpentine pairs of gargantuan, fiery eyes turned downwards in their direction. Yes, the colossal eight-pronged snake had very good eyesight to detect such a small threat from the top of its miles-long height. One of its head opened its mouth and spit a rain of blazing boulders that fell all around them. Naoko shot a few and evaded others that crashed in thundering booms close to them, though many more started rolling down the mountain.

The girl opened fire, reducing them to bits with her shots, and predicting a follow-up attack, she immediately altered her cannon form to another cheap, overpowered one. The four barrels mixed together in one huge, two foot-wide caliber gun. Holding the trigger but not releasing it, blue light began to accumulate inside, slowly forcing the external filaments that composed the walls of the already compensatory weapon to widen even more while letting small sparks fly through gaps. The head that sprayed the useless salvo of rocks swooped down, its immense mouth wide-open.

Rising her cannon heavenward, she released the trigger. An obfuscating light came out along with a deafening thunder, and the gun recoiled with such force that sent the motorcycle spinning off-balance. A black orb filled with blue lightning was launched up while the enormous head stroke down. The orb, generating a weak gravitational field that pulled the sandy impurities in the air towards it and sucked them in like a black hole made its way up, getting swallowed by the vast mouth. For a moment the creature kept advancing, as if it took such a big creature so much time to get to the ground from the top of its height.

"It's still coming down at us! Naoko-Chan, it's going to kill us! What do we...!" Katsuro started to scream while the motorcycle spun out of control, but suddenly a titanic glowing blue explosion erupted from its neck, severing that head off in a gush of magma-like blood. "Never mind, forget I said anything."

Naoko sped up the motorcycle – which apparently could reach any velocity, because she was always accelerating it and was yet to decelerate it once – in order to evade the mammoth severed head from crushing them. The impact of it against the rocky mountain elevation sent yet another earthquake around and lifted a small sandstorm. The seven remaining heads watched in silence the headless neck fall lifelessly and exchanged surprised looks.

"Wraghwrawraw?!" one of them inquired, and another, with a decided tone, exclaimed, "Wraw! Raw rawraw grawl!"

Suddenly, all of them turned their wrathful countenances to the tiny duo below and pounced in quick succession, one after the other. Turning her spinning motorcycle sideways and accelerating (again), the front wheel raised off the rocky ground and the back one along with the six flaming exhausters, spraying gravels everywhere, propelled them forward. With Katsuro screaming like a sissy and the girl getting to charge her cannon again, the two barely escaped one of the heads. It crashed right behind them, sending quakes and strong winds everywhere. Fighting to control the bike, Naoko dropped the wheelie and turned somewhat backwards, running parallel to the neck of the first head as a second one hit the ground hard beside them, sending the vehicle flying. Its metallic, dented wheels hit the first snake's neck and got to climb it vertically.

A third and a fourth head swooped in their direction with a fifth one close behind, prompting Katsuro to scream even more. Instead of Naoko trying to evade them, though, the girl shot the charged, mini-black hole projectile roughly between the two closest heads. As they drew nearby, the dark orb exploded without even touching them due to the cheapness of the Deus Ex Machina properties of the highly technological cannon. The explosion, like a small blue sun, ripped off half of the skull of each head, sending them dead to each side. The fires hadn't even completely dissipated, though, when the fifth snake pierced the remaining blue blazes with its huge mouth glowing bright red.

"Hang in there! And stop screaming or I'll kick you off!" Naoko ordered while driving straight into the gapping mouth. The colossal mouth swallowed them, making the two other heads that still hadn't attacked smile and head bang one another in commemoration.

For a moment the head that swallowed the motorcycle looked content too. Then a small explosion opened a hole in the side of its neck. Then another and another. As the two rode their way down its throat, Naoko went trigger-happy with her oversized cannon. Even without charging up, it still packed quite a punch. Perforating the neck numerous times from inside out, the girl eventually drove the bike off of one of the openings she created. Never minding the presence of lava inside the gargantuan snakes, the two escaped unscathed, falling close to the mountain top. Near the volcanic caldera overflowing with magma and toxic vapors that didn't affect the two because the story would end in a ridiculous way, the two drove around the mountain summit, from where melting ice caps descended into a deluge and the bike blazed above the slush because it's too fast, too shiny and too cool to get stuck on rapid-currents of mud.

"We're still alive! Thank goodness!" Katsuro yelled while holding Naoko tight to the point of suffocating her. Seeing the sharp eyes of the girl turning murderously to him, the boy quickly let loose and resumed his cool acting, "I mean... yeah! Four heads down! We can do this!"

Suddenly, in an eruption of magma and volcanic ash that solidified instantly, the severed neck from the first downed head sprung back another immense skull and came back to life.

"We can't do this! We're dead!" Katsuro instantly backtracked on his word. "Aw, come on! It can regenerate itself back again?! I didn't remember the legendary Orochi to be able to act like that! Are you sure that's not an oversized Greek hydra?"

"Have you ever fought against the legendary Orochi?" Naoko cynically inquired.

"Uh... No." the boy had to admit, and the girl nailed it, "Then shut up."

"Okay... but if so, what's the plan?" the boy changed subject.

"Concentrate on awakening your powers while I buy you time," the girl told him. Seeing he was about to ask something, she immediately added, "If you ask me how you're supposed to do it I'll drop you into the lava."

Katsuro quietly closed his eyes and started to reflect upon his supposed powers, embarking on a spiritual journey inside himself while the girl evaded giant serpents, falling rocks, fissures, magma spills, fumaroles, lightning bolts, evil winds, otherworldly minions, acid rain, dimensional rifts that tore the fabric of the space-time continuum, lahars, tephra storms and such. Eight colossal tails sprung from the ground around Mt. Fuji and started whipping at the motorcycle too. Getting desperate after many tense minutes, Naoko asked:

"So?! Anything yet?! No hurries, it's not like we're facing a life-threatening situation and running low on time to prevent the universe from collapsing!"

As she poked the boy behind her she heard a loud snore. Screaming louder than the hissing sounds of the regenerated eight-forked viper heads combined, Naoko got the boy back in action. While she lost her concentration yelling at him, an immense head swept away at them, getting her to scream.

"Oh no! An immense head caught me off guard while I was screaming at you, you stupid, and despite the fact that we've already been swallowed once and have escaped unharmed I'm still going to act like it's a big deal and in spite of the fact that I have plenty of time to scream all of this but I'm still unable to react because that's the meaning of being surprised oh no!"

Sensing the impending doom looming over him and, most importantly, that girl that he clearly wasn't hopelessly captivated by – that's right, just because of the doom of the two, not because the Earth was going to hell – a powerful surge of dormant energy sprung out of his hands. Assuming a purely coincidental shape resembling a long and curved sword made of bright lightning, he swept the weapon horizontally in the air while moving to hug Naoko tight and getting in front of her as if it'd actually make a difference. Because it's the only logical thing to do: attacking with a short-ranged blade while the enemy is still one hundred meters away.

Instead of a usual swoosh any normal, metal sword created, a thundering boom silenced all other sounds as the still air got suddenly agitated. A colossal mass of air spreading from one side of the horizon to the other was dragged around by the luminous, ethereal sword and the evil, purple winds got swallowed by an immense horizontal hurricane. The unnatural storming winds that brew, from a breeze to impossibly brutal seven hundred miles per hour, gradually extinguished the fires that ravaged the sinister suicide forest Aokigahara and the capital. Even then, the furious winds seemed not to affect the buildings, the people, the animals or whatever remained of the city, merely quenching the infernal flames and cleansing the area of the monstrosities that invaded from beyond. The gales, as if controlled by a superior intelligence, merely slid around objects and living beings while eradicating evil Youkai.

Ascending the mountain from behind the duo, the raging sacred winds vaporized every creature it came across and exploded against Orochi like huge sea waves hit a small boat. The rock-hard surface of the eight-headed snake started to turn back to smoke as it once was and the titanic creature slowly melted away. Its external walls, and then its fiery inner parts cracked and broke, its fragments getting swept away by the impossibly fast winds aimed upwards. Its magma fillings was cooled off and torn asunder, as the snake was decimated and its pieces got trapped inside the rolling hurricane. It ascended to the skies, tearing through the dark clouds and purifying it back to an intense blue where the sun could shine once again.

"That was amazing! Oh, Katsuro, I'm so happy!" Naoko screamed while turning back to hug the boy. "Please continue to protect me forever! There's just one last thing we need to do to save the world!"

Deep down on the volcano glowed a dark bulb of pure malevolence, from which fumes slowly began to recreate the snake. Naoko, unlocking the limiter on her cannon – because it's obvious her cannon's output was being limited until then – began charging the weapon again.

One minute later, after jumping to the stratosphere and appreciating the beautiful circumference of that marvelous blue world she swore to protect, she aimed her white-hot cannon down at the crater. A huge, pure black beam streamed downwards. The beam shone into the ground zero, making the mountain sparkle. And suddenly the planet exploded into trillions of tiny fragments.

"Yano-Sama?!" the Prime Minister called her from her earphone, "What happened? Your mission was to not let Yamata no Orochi destroy the planet!"

"Prime Minister-San? Mission complete!" Naoko announced through her earphone, "We did not let Yamata no Orochi destroy the planet! We did so ourselves!"

"Hahaha!" he laughed in high-spirits, "Oh, Yano-Sama, how clever of you! Technicalities are marvelous things indeed! Excellent work! I and all politicians of ex-Earth are proud of you!"

Floating around in a small rock, Katsuro could finally breathe easily the pure, fresh vacuum from space and appreciate the marvelous view from the Earth turned into an asteroid cloud. The bright sun bathing all in its glorious, harmful cosmic radiations gave it an even more beautiful tone to it. The girl's motorcycle floated nearby and after a moment, Naoko dropped into its seat, with an exultant smile on her face and happily accelerating twice just so the sound of the engine that wasn't supposed to exist on space called his attention. "Vroom vroom!"

"Naoko-Chan! I was worried about you! Welcome back! Great work!" Katsuro gladly complimented her with thankful eyes.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Katsuro-Kun!" she thanked him, "I'm so happy you're here with me! Why don't we go for a stroll in the park?"

"What park?" he asked, to which the girl proposed, "There's a park near your school, right? Why don't we go around the planetary debris looking for the seven Serpent Virgins that when reunited can grant us a wish, ask for the world to go back to normal and then go to the park? Do you like ice-cream?"

"I love ice-cream!" Katsuro explained, "It's my favorite thing after cheesy all-encompassing plot mechanics made to protect a story from falling into unwinnable situations!"

"Me too!" Naoko happily agreed, "What's your favorite ice-cream flavor?!"

Katsuro stood by the side of the stairs of the dormitories with distant eyes and drooling mouth, daydreaming about him, Naoko, giant serpents and world "salvation" (only in the broadest of senses). He'd watched the videos of her first presentation during the night before and could hardly sleep, thinking how close he was to such an incredible person. Well, actually he could hardly sleep because he had a tendency of sleeping after he got back from school, meaning he traded the day for the night, when it's less noisy, but even so.

The ambient of the videos looked impressive and though it's hard to tell how many spectators were there, it's surely a lot – or so he thought. Also, he'd never seen her on that black and red attire. It's a dream. His imagination had been formulating ideas all night long, a few about how he could talk more often with the girl, but most about unrealistic fantasies. Maybe he'd even draw a few of them.

While the boy absentmindedly waited near the stairs, Naoko came running down. Seeing him, the girl froze. Since the daydreaming, half-smiling guy looked unaware, though, she carefully sneaked her way past him, one step at a time. When she's out of harm's way Naoko resumed running down until the last flight of stairs. Stopping, she calmly walked down the last few steps, greeting the janitor that always stood nearby to watch, and then proceeding to rush to the school. Not that she was late: classes were just too early.

Naoko had a lot to tell about her first show to Miwa and the others. Many of the girls of her class and some of the boys stood nearby during the break to hear her recollections, see photos and watch the videos. Though it'd been just twelve minutes of show, there was also a lot to say about the audition before it. Her recounting of the twin idols, their senile producer and her describing almost everyone in the auditorium that day got her friends laughing nonstop. It's dangerous to eat around Naoko while she narrated her experiences, for two students choked on their food while laughing. Even the usual and not so funny questions that her classmates asked, like how was the experience of singing for a crowd in such a chic place, were turned into unintentional jokes:

"It's awesome! Everything was like a dream! Well, during the show, at least. Before it I had to face four frowning idols that looked like they'd just finished sucking lemons, no one spoke to no one, and the dressing room was too close to the kitchen. The restaurant owner probably decided he wanted to torture the artists there, because the smell was just so good! So I was there trying to get changed quickly and concentrating on my presentation that I'd be doing in five minutes and my tummy was all "Rawrooooarawr!", roaring like a tiger! I thought people would hear it more than they would hear my own voice! If I had to stay there for fifty minutes like the first ranked idol did, when they came to tell me it's time to go to the stage they'd probably find me chewing on my chair!"

What impressed Miwa the most was that those too boys that were usually distant to everyone and just talked about their games actually looked interested. After getting their attention drawn by the laughing crowd in the class, they looked in their direction and paid attention to Naoko's tales. After the classes were over and everyone was put to clean and organize the room as they regularly did the class president told Naoko the two got as far as chuckle after a few of the jaunty girl's remarks. They hadn't left their seats to get closer, but just getting their attention to something else was already a big victory. Miwa mentioned that as the students got to clean the classroom.

"I'm loving this year more than any other thanks to Naoko-Chan!" Miwa told her, "I've never seen our class so united. Until last year it's hard for people from different groups to get together like this. During the exams it used to get even worse here at school. It's a high-end, demanding institute, and people historically tend to be a little distant to each other here. You made me remember it when you said about how the idols in the audition and in the dressing room on the restaurant you performed acted distant to their peers. Especially when compared to you and those twins you told you before the tests, with whom you had fun for half an hour while everyone else stood serious and concerned. Seeing those two boys starting to open up to the rest of the class... or, rather, to you, fills me with joy. I don't know how there are people like you, able to bring others together like that, but does Naoko-Chan suppose it's something one can learn how to do? Even if just a little? Or do you think it's a natural gift that can't be developed?"

"That's so nice of you to say those things, Miwa-Chan!" Naoko stopped scrubbing the floor for a minute to thank her, "But why are you asking me this? You're just as good as me, if not better, in uniting people! When I first came to our class, it's you who called me, made me feel at home and introduced me to others! That was never the case for me with other girls, they usually act with me all reticent. It always took me months, years perhaps, to get them to open up! Why did you ask me that? Miwa-Chan is the best!"

Pointing to her own nose for a while, Miwa looked surprised.

"Eh? Me?! I never thought about it this way. It's just expected that class presidents try to make new students get along with the others, it's not really a gift or a merit of mine. I studied with many of our classmates for years now and we've never been so unified, even though last year I was already our class representative. I asked you that because I really don't feel I'm able to get people to work together, though I still dream of studying in a class where everyone gets along fine. Sure, nothing can be perfect, but at least now's much better than before! We still have a few students aside, unfortunately. Shiori-Chan is my biggest concern since you pointed her out, but there are others."

Looking around the class as people cleaned it up, Miwa whispered:

"Those two boys for example. Then there's Hideo-Kun and Keiichi-Kun who are also aloof, and Minoru-Kun who, despite trying sometimes, still has no real friends. Sadao-Kun is another problem entirely too, for he has friends but tries to make fun of others and promotes discord. Kayo-Chan is also something, being only a little more participative than Shiori-Chan... Well, you can see our class still has quite a ways to go. Naoko-Chan is doing incredible things to us, but I can't just sit here and expect you to do all the work! It's my dream to unify this class, and I wanted to contribute, even though I have no idea how. That's why I asked you if you think such ability is something with which you're born with or it can be developed."

Most of the people Miwa mentioned were already well-noticed by Naoko too. Ueda Hideo was a black boy, though technically his skin was not even that dark, but he still had lots of difficulties to get accepted in the group, or so it seemed. Hisakawa Keiichi was another boy who didn't mix with others, though contrary to Hideo, who seemed somewhat interested in doing so, Keiichi didn't have Naoko's support. He was that handsome guy who always acted aloof. Then there was a meek-looking boy called Enatsu Minoru and a secluded girl called Yamasaki Kayo who brought her textbooks wrapped in a transparent plastic bag and had no lunchbox, always bringing a big fish slice with gluing rice on a paper to eat. Both of whom Naoko had never really paid attention. They just seemed extremely introverted but not completely cut off from social contacts like the glasses-wearing Akitomi Shiori, for example.

And then there was the class clown, Tsujii Sadao. Stupid boy that thankfully had no guts to make jokes of people like Miwa, Naoko, a boy from the basketball club that also studied on their class and so on. That short, unfunny and cowardly Sadao just picked targets that couldn't easily defend themselves to make fun of, and only when they're isolated from the rest. Naoko had never witnessed him making any particularly insulting jokes to anyone while she was close, but rumors about him and two classmates that found his tasteless humor hilarious abounded.

Finishing cleaning a big cabinet on the back of the classroom where the two girls spoke in private, Miwa looked up to the rest of the class, each doing his part to tidy it up, and asked:

"Can Naoko-Chan give me any ideas of what should I do?"

Even after thinking for a while, Naoko was unable to find an answer, so Miwa instead questioned her:

"It's a hard question, sorry for asking. Let me ask you something else, then: can Naoko-Chan tell me what does she think that unites people?"

"What do you mean? Like, parties, similar tastes, activities and such?" Naoko asked for some clarification, and proceeded one she found her friend confirming, "Well, I... think these two things are great for getting people together. Group activities and similar tastes, I mean."

"Hm... yes. It makes sense." Miwa agreed, "You're able to talk to those two boys about that game with dices and they seem to be opening up a little bit to you. Hearing you, at least. Now I feel bad for having asked them if their favorite things were related to gambling. It'll probably make it harder for me to get them to open up."

"We can still do the activities route!" Naoko suggested, and Miwa agreed, "Good idea! I can't think of anything we could do with our entire class as of now, but I'll think about it. Do you have any suggestions, Naoko-Chan?"

Scrubbing the same spot on the floor over and over without really noticing, Naoko said slowly, pondering about it:

"Involving our whole class? Well... Not right now, but I can think about it too. What comes to my mind is the karaoke we said we'd do, but it's not something for everyone."

"The karaoke!" Miwa suddenly remembered, surprised, "It's a great idea! It's not for everyone, but it's a great idea of an activity we can do nevertheless! Previously, when you said "activity", I was thinking about things we could do in the school, but that's eye opening. We don't need to do it here!" After a second, she looked a tad frustrated, "Though I fear I might have a problem doing activities outside of our classes."

"Why? You have any problems?" Naoko stopped sweeping the floor and interrogated. Her friend, acting a little disappointed, explained, "No, not a problem exactly. It's just my younger brother. I think I told you once or twice about him. Since my parents always arrive at home late and frequently have to travel on business I have to take care of him. I... It's a little frustrating that I usually have no time for myself. As soon as I leave classes, I go pick my brother at his school. I'm the only class president in the school to not take part in any clubs, for example. My weekends are almost invariably spent at home too, since my parents always travel during them. I only have some respite when my brother goes to play on a friend's place, but I end up tied and unable to do things I wanted." Shaking her head, she rapidly emended, "That's not that bad, though! I can dedicate myself to my studies, so there're perks too, pay me no mind! I'm just thinking aloud about how I can formulate activities outside of school."

Even if dismissing it, Miwa didn't look too convinced about her own talk concerning the perks of being tied up and unable to do things she wanted, as she put it herself. Naoko couldn't help but feel bad for her friend:

"I remember you saying you have a younger brother, but I didn't think it's like that! That... must be rough. I know you can dedicate yourself to studying and all, but that's no excuse to being imprisoned at home! Especially if you don't like games or anything like me! Back home, I'd probably feel in paradise if my parents traveled so much, but I don't have siblings to take care of. And I still felt trapped there too! I know how it feels! You need help, I tell you!" Thinking for a moment, Naoko asked, "How old is your brother, Miwa-Chan?"

"Eleven," she replied, to which Naoko looked a bit daunted, "Kind of too young for us to drag along to a karaoke, right? Though maybe there are things we can bring him together..."

With a thankful but negative face Miwa opened her mouth to say something, but Naoko promptly interjected eagerly:

"Oh! That's right! We can bring him to an amusement park! This way every person we bring along can take turns to look after him and Miwa-Chan gets at least a day to be together with others during her weekend! What do you say, eh? Eh?"

Miwa smiled thankfully. She politely refused it, stating her friend needn't concern herself with it, but Naoko was not one to take "no" for an answer when it came to people tied up by their families. The two walked away from the classroom but Naoko kept insisting on activities they could do, as long as they programmed themselves with a week or so in advance so she could make her work schedule coincide. She got suddenly interested in helping her friend, and began to look for ideas as to what they could do, not only during weekends but also to let Miwa do clubs and other activities from Monday to Friday. Eventually she asked:

'What if your parents hired someone to be with your brother?"

"You mean a babysitter?" Miwa asked, "My parents probably wouldn't accept it. It's my responsibility, after all, why would they pay for another person to do what's my obligation?"

"What, they can't pay or something?" Naoko promptly asked, only then noticing how intrusive she's being, "I mean, sorry for asking you this! It's just that... I don't know..."

"No, it's okay," Miwa calmed her down, "It's not about money. My parents are kind of well off. They both work at a big carmaker. Their jobs require them to work and travel a lot, but they have good positions inside the corporation. It's not about money, but about having responsibility. They're both very responsible, and expect no less from their children. Well, from me, at least. My younger brother kind of does whatever he wants, is only average at school and my parents are okay with it, but from me they expect somewhat more. I'm the older sister, you know. I need to set a good example."

The unhappy but resigned way Miwa revealed that was particularly bothering. Naoko, taking care not to cross lines repeatedly, opinioned:

"I'm no one to intrude in your life, I know it. And your parents are probably right in teaching you to be responsible. But Miwa-Chan is already one of the most responsible people I've ever met! Having someone to help you take care of your brother will not make you suddenly become a lazy bum! And you're sixteen! To be locked up at home at such an age is nothing but cruelty! When are you planning to be able to have a weekend for yourself? When you're fifty?"

Miwa's eyes suddenly started to water. Naoko, not expecting that in the least, quickly continued before her friend accused her of intruding:

"I'm not saying your parents are doing anything wrong, but come on! Even they must have fond memories of that age and certainly don't want their daughter to waste away one of the best parts of life like that! I understand they're probably not going to get a babysitter because your brother is not a baby anymore, but, I don't know, how about... someone else? Someone to take care of him..." Naoko suddenly remembered Rin, "A private teacher! Yes, what about it?! Your parents would probably want your brother to be as responsible and knowledgeable as his older sister, right? What if they hired a private teacher to stay with him for one or two hours a day? This way he'd get better at school and you'd have some free time! You don't need to slack off, either! You can go to clubs, for example! It'd still be a responsible thing to do and, like you said, you're the only class president in our school that's not currently in any club! I'm sure they can comprehend all of this, right? There are only benefits for everyone!"

Gladly seeing her friend getting to control back her emotions, Naoko proposed:

"Do you remember that blond girl from 2-1, Rin-Chan? She has currently, like, seven private teachers if I remember correctly! If you want I can ask her if she can give me the contact info of them and you let your parents decide which one or ones they want to hire! Sounds good?"

Her friend looked very interested, though she reluctantly replied:

"I don't know. I mean, I'd certainly love it! But... I... don't know if I have the courage to ask my parents to do it... It's... I need to set an example for my brother, and..."

"What?!" Naoko interrupted, "Miwa-Chan, then that's not your parents'... ah... "fault" anymore, for a lack of a better term. That's your fault! You're the one demanding too much from yourself! I know it's important to be responsible and sacrifices are sometimes required, but if "sometimes" becomes "always" there's got to be a mistake somewhere! I take I'm not one of those people that would die working or anything, but I'm committed nevertheless! I do what I say I'd do! Isn't that enough? To uphold your promises?"

Noticing she had strayed too far and that line of speech would end badly if Miwa simply said "that's what I do, I uphold my promise of taking care of my brother" Naoko subtly and seamlessly changed topics back to a better one:

"But to sacrifice yourself like this? I think not even your parents would be happy if they took a moment to think how responsible you became, to the point of sacrificing your youth staying at home and just studying all the time! It's good, I know, but not if that's the only thing you do in your life! What kind of example will you give to your brother then? To waste away his youth too? Would you like him to learn this kind of thing?"

Getting she was once again putting unnecessary pressure on her friend's shoulders without actually solving her problem, Naoko reconfigured her speech yet again to focus on Miwa's parents supposed point of view in hope it'd convince her friend:

"It's not like your brother is a baby anymore, he's eleven! He doesn't need you to be all the time with him! On the contrary, to get him a private teacher will get him to become much more responsible! You're not the only one that needs responsibility, right? And yours is already well developed, Miwa-Chan! Too much, I'd say! I think your... well, I don't know your parents, but I think they might agree that currently a private teacher will be able to help your brother more than you will. It's a different person, teaching him and stuff. If your brother is only average at school like you say when he's only eleven, he'll probably have to develop responsibility and study hard as soon as possible too, or he'll have problems in high school! And you know it! I get it you want to be a good example for him, but ultimately you're probably not helping him as much as you think you are, Miwa-Chan, as if you, say, let him have a private teacher and learn school subjects and how to be responsible too! To set an example is fine, but your brother also needs to train it if he's to develop responsibility!"

Suddenly having a nice idea popping on her head while the two walked out of the main building and she spoke, like all ideas before – Naoko usually had no clue of the things she'd say when starting a conversation, they crossed her mind out of nowhere as it developed – she went for the final blow:

"If just a matter of looking others be responsible is all it takes to make a person become responsible too, you'd not even need to do anything for your brother to train your responsibility like your parents supposedly say! All you'd need would be to look at their example and voila! And you know that's not the case! You need to practice being responsible to be so, and if you stay over the shoulder of your brother pampering him all the time, he'll not develop himself! So do yourself and your brother a favor and ask your parents about these private classes for your sibling. Tell your parents all I told you and I'm sure they'll agree! It's the best thing for everyone and you know it!"

Stop talking, Naoko stood silent for just a second, thinking she was over. But then she felt the urge to blabbermouth a little bit more, just to make it clear to her friend:

"Just don't sabotage yourself while doing so, Miwa-Chan! You're not doing it only for you! You need to accept you're not as all-powerful as you'd probably like to be and can't single-handedly teach your younger brother everything and also make he become a responsible person just by looking at you." Finally getting it done, the girl concluded, "Whew! My tongue's exhausted! But that's it! You can count on me! Whatever I can do for you, just say! Oh, we can ask Rin-Chan tomorrow for her private teacher's contacts too! And then you can get into clubs and we can plan activities for the class! So, after all this, what do you think, Miwa-Chan?"

Miwa's unsteady lips smiled. With a lower voice than she commonly used, maybe to make sure it didn't fluctuate as much, the girl spoke:

"Thank you, Naoko-Chan. I'm really grateful for your concern and for your ideas." Miwa opened her bag and searching for a pencil and paper, "Better take note of the arguments while I still remember all of them!"

Naoko excused herself, already late for the Drama club meeting that she was, but she asked Miwa to keep her updated. Miwa stayed behind, sitting in a bench by the school's backyard while writing down all the arguments. As she silently followed Naoko walk away with increasingly watered eyes, two warm teardrops retained at great costs until then rolled down around the class president's glad face and wetted the paper beneath.

The people at the Drama club congratulated Naoko on her first gig once she thanked them for the invaluable help by letting her rehearse. Though they were already subscribed to her fan club due to the negotiation Aratani did, only the club president Chiasa, Naoko's classmate Takumi and two other people had watched her videos until then, so the remaining ones decided to watch it after the meeting. During it Chiasa started to discuss what kind of story the members wanted to play on the theater that semester, but since most people didn't manifest themselves, she brought an activity where pairs would briefly discuss their narrative tastes and jolt it down on a paper. Then the pairs would change until everyone had talked with everyone and the results would be debated.

One by one, Naoko started to discuss in pairs what kind of story they wanted. Many members were surprised, like people always were, to discover the girl's likings of stories full of action and twists. It was nice until she had to talk with Shiori. As the girl with the glasses saw Naoko, her eyes turned cold and fearful. Sighing, Naoko remembered herself of the talk with Miwa and of her impressions that Shiori was as sad as she was reserved. Like her producer told her when talking about other idols, it wasn't personal, they just felt the need to protect themselves from supposed rivals, but it didn't mean they all hated one another or anything. Applying this logic to her classmate, Naoko walked to Shiori while noticing the girl looked as scared as melancholic. Trying to be encouraging and letting her cheerful, upbeat personality guide her, Naoko greeted her and immediately asked what her favorite stories were.

The girl with glasses could barely speak, and preferred to return the question while she supposedly though about an answer. Naoko, naively, pointed out Shiori was already talking about it with the others, only then understanding the girl wasn't really unaware of her tastes, just too afraid to talk. However, trying to undo that proved to be worse, so Naoko simply played along and answered about her favorite kinds of narratives. While she did so, she found Shiori glanced continuously to the sides, as if assessing the others, and avoided visual contact with Naoko.

When Naoko finished her remarks, she was completely clueless as to how to tell Shiori it was her turn. Most of the other pairs had already finished and looked in the direction of the two girls, writing for them to finish so they could continue with the activity. Her classmate looked down to the piece of paper where she wrote her tastes and those of others down. The one she held shaking. She opened her mouth and whispered vacillatingly, "I... like... stories about... about... f-friendships and... biographies of... people that over... overcame uns-surmount-table hardships..."

While she tried to speak, her eyes got full of water for no apparent reason. With her face down, the girl glanced everyone around in rapid eye movements until she could bear it no more. Asking for pardon, Shiori suddenly ran away as the first tear rolled down, leaving Naoko baffled. Seeing Shiori run backstage to the restrooms, Chiasa asked Naoko in disbelief:

"What happened?!"

"I don't know!" the girl, getting worried about what others would think, explained, "I didn't do anything! I don't know what happened, I swear! I asked her to tell her tastes, she asked me to do it first, I did so and when it was Shiori-Chan's turn she... Well, that happened!"

"Well, I saw that, I was watching," Chiasa told her with a concerned look on the face, "I just imagined... Don't know... It never happened, maybe you noticed something... I don't know. Wait, I'll see how she is doing. Everyone! Keep doing the exercise! I'll be back in a moment!"

Since most people were watching, they saw Naoko wasn't at fault, but it still worried her for some reason. The club president left backstage and took almost twenty minutes to return, along with an extremely ashamed Shiori.

After the meeting was over, and while Naoko went backstage to change clothes for her practice session, most of the members got to watch the videos of her stage debut. Seeing Shiori quietly getting away, Chiasa rushed to her and spoke in private.

"Hey, Shiori-Chan! Leaving already? Don't you want to stay with us for a bit?"

The evasive girl was surprised to hear someone calling for her. Though looking to the others, who were all watching the idol's videos on their phones, she reticently inquired: "I... but... why?"

"Why? Because you always leave so soon, and I thought maybe you'd like to be with the others a little," Chiasa reasoned, "You told us during your first time here you wanted to integrate the club to overcome your shyness, right? Well, I thought you'd like to be with the others if that's your objective to be here. Of course, that's just an invitation, don't feel pressured."

Shiori hesitated. The small, timid girl looked interested in staying, but at the same time she didn't.

"I... I'm just... I don't really like shows... too much, that's all..."

"It's not a show, it's just a rehearsal," Chiasa said, "But you don't need to be here for it too. We can just go out and talk. Are you doing well?"

The timid girl nodded in a thankful or apologetic way, meaning she's fine without using words. The club president, troubled, drew closer and, in a lower voice, inquired:

"May I ask you something, Shiori-Chan? You look a bit hesitant around Naoko-Chan. Sorry if it's a wrong assumption, it's just my perception. Did something happen between you two? Be it here or elsewhere? You don't need to tell me, but I can help you if you do."

Giving the impression of being a tad sad, Shiori denied it:

"No... nothing like that. Nothing... happened. I just... I don't... know. I'm sorry for bothering everyone. I... I need to go. Excuse me."

Seeing Shiori bow and get away as if escaping, Chiasa was left troubled. She went backstage, waiting for Naoko to change, and asked her the same question. Looking worried, the girl said:

"What? No, nothing ever happened between us! I never even talked to Shiori-Chan before! In fact... it's fun. In a sad way, I mean. It's fun you mention it, because I was talking with a friend of mine earlier, who is also our class president, Miwa-Chan. That's why I was late for the start of our meeting today. Among other things, we were discussing how to bring some people from our class together with the rest. Shiori-Chan is one of them."

Naoko briefly explained her impressions since she first met Shiori, the way she acted in class, how she looked especially miserable during the numerous times Takumi invited Naoko for the club, her reticence of joining it because of Shiori, Naoko's long story of hardships with girls in her life, the only time she thought about trying to make Shiori join the fun during a Physical Education class and so on. It's an abridged, ten minute-long version of the events, but it gave Chiasa a good idea of what was happening.

"And like Miwa-Chan, I'm just as clueless as to how we could integrate Shiori-Chan to our class," Naoko revealed, "Shiori-Chan always looks so sad... I'd like to help her, but it seems my mere presence is enough to make her even gloomier, to the point where I regularly go out of my way to avoid her just so Shiori-Chan doesn't look as bad. But... that's not going to solve anything, I think. Even Miwa-Chan had already tried to ask if she wanted help, but she always closes herself to everyone. And contrary to others, I don't even know what she likes! How can I even attempt to start a conversation if she gets afraid of me like she was today? Does Chiasa-Senpai have any idea we could employ to bring her closer to the others?"

"Well... Not really, unfortunately, Shiori-Chan was introduced to the Drama club last year but even today she's still a mystery to me," Chiasa exposed, "Last year she personally asked me to have a very small role on our play, which kind of contradicts her explanation of wanting to become less timid. Now that you mention Takumi-Kun, though, it starts to make sense. She joined us soon after he did and she was usually fond of him. The eyes have it when a person likes another, and her eyes had it. Since Takumi-Kun seems to just have eyes for you nowadays, I can understand it." After thinking for a moment, she rapidly added, "Even so, Naoko-Chan is not at fault here! Shiori-Chan was already like that ever since she came here, last year. I'm glad to hear you're interested in helping her. I'll try to think about something, and you can count me in if you or your class president finds a way to achieve this goal and need any help."

Rehearsing the same songs over and over, Naoko was already so used to them she could even have glimpses of thoughts about the matter, though nothing conclusive. She still thought it'd be hard to get close to Shiori if she didn't even know what were her preferences, and asking seemed a bad idea. Even when Naoko asked Shiori about her favorite kinds of narratives the girl looked troubled. Saying she like stories about friendships and biographies of people that overcame hardships made her hesitate, cry and run away. Recalling that moment over and over, though, Naoko was left with the impression Shiori was ashamed of it, or was afraid of how the others would react. Stories about friendships and overcoming hardships? That looked the opposite of how Shiori acted! She's always lonely and evading everything and everyone.

That made Naoko's mind suddenly click, though. She's looking for stories with elements she didn't have in her life! It's an obvious thing, but it took Naoko quite some time to comprehend. Thinking about it, wasn't that the same with Rin, who was afraid of boys but had a fall for love stories? Weren't they both trying to experience through narratives things they were unable to, or at least felt like they were unable to, have in real life? How many people used narratives that way, to live in fiction what they couldn't do in reality?

Eventually her mind digressed. If that was the case, would it apply to Naoko herself too? What was she expecting to live with action stories that she was unable to in her life? The girl quickly laughed it out, though. Action stories usually had impossibly exciting settings with superpowers, magic, epic fights and such. Of course she couldn't do those in real life!

Though, deep down in her mind, something told her that wasn't the case. No one was able to do such feats, but not everyone was interested in these kinds of stories either. Still, the girl dismissed those thoughts. They had nothing to do with Shiori and the task at hand, after all.

The theme about stories hooked Naoko's attention, though. When she went back to her dorm and after calling her parents, getting her lunchbox ready and so on, she felt before going to bed the desire to play a few games. She also texted Rin about her private teachers for Miwa but also requested the next volume of the manga about the stockbroker girl she lent her.

In the morning Naoko, accompanied by Miwa, met Rin during the break. Rin handed her a couple of volumes, the entire story – which was not that long, anyway – and the contacts of her private teachers to Miwa. During the free time Naoko helped the always funny Rin getting a little more used to talking with boys, though the girl looked as helpless as ever. After parting ways and while going back to class, Naoko asked Miwa:

"Changing subjects, did you already say anything to your parents about the idea of the private classes?"

"Not yet. I'm a little nervous about it," Miwa answered unsurely, "I tried to talk with my younger brother about it first, but he downright rejected the idea. If I told my parents about it then, my brother would probably undercut it. Now I'm trying to figure out how to convince him."

"Convince him?" Naoko repeated, getting upset, "Convince him?! Tell me, Miwa-Chan: does someone needs to convince you about frequenting classes?! No! That's not something you get to choose, you're forced to do it! There's no convincing. The same way works with your brother: he will have to study in high school someday. Or have a job. These kinds of stuff. He needs to become a responsible person, that's not a matter he has a choice on! That's not like you to act as if something that is an obligation needs convincing! You're always so firm!"

Nodding, Miwa agreed in a strangely bashful way:

"Naoko-Chan is right, isn't she? My firmness at school is, however, limited to the school. I don't know what happens to me, it's as if I'm a different person at home. I... admit I have a few difficulties imposing limits to my brother, though I don't know why."

"That's all the more reason for your parents to have a private teacher taking care of him instead of you!" Naoko replied, taking her friend by surprise. Stopping next to the door of their class, Miwa pondered about it:

"When Naoko-Chan says all those things it makes complete sense to me, but the moment I have to put it in action, I just... flinch. I forget the reasons I memorized for an hour straight. I can imagine myself negotiating it, but when the real situation presents itself, I simply falter." In a half joking, half serious way, she added, "I wish I had you with me at home to say all those things to my brother and to my parents! Ha ha..." Looking down, she returned to her old self, "Some class president I am. Unable to be forceful and do what's best even for my own brother."

Her friend looked so distressed that Naoko reluctantly said:

"Miwa-Chan knows I'm nobody to barge in your home and suggest anything to your parents, but if you want, I can... talk with your brother. Or something? Though I have no idea how much will that help."

"Oh, no! Please, don't concern yourself! I was just kidding." Miwa told her. Recovering her usual firmness, she assured, "I'll find a way to do it, don't worry. Naoko-Chan has already been an enormous help, I'll do the rest. Somehow. Even so, thanks for the offer!"

The two went inside their class. Miwa went straight to her seat, but as Naoko did the same, something called her attention. Those two boys who always talked about games and had barely any connections to the rest of the class were involved in an apparently electrifying multiplayer local match using a pair of handheld video game consoles. The way they talked about combos and button sequences involving a direction and a chain of inputs, it's probably a fighting game. A little because of the talk she had with Miwa the day before about unifying the class and a lot because the way the boys reacted, it looked an awesome brawl, the curious girl zeroed in and silently tried to watch the match. Only as the two saw her attempting to gander it, they paused the game and discreetly tried to hide the screens. Though trying to look casual, both blushed and were clearly nervous.

"Hey!" excited, Naoko repeatedly touched and separated both index fingers in front of her chest and joyfully petitioned in a cutesy way, "Can Naoko take a tiny-teeny peek?"

The two exchanged nervous looks. Naoko, getting slightly uncomfortable with the anxiety the boys demonstrated, reassured them:

"Don't worry! I know about games! You boys are playing a fighting game, aren't you?"

Pale, one of them, with black hair divided in the middle and fringes falling over his forehead, asked in the most self-betraying casual voice ever:

"Did Naoko-Chan... saw it?"

"No, I just overheard you guys talking about combos and I though it should be a fighting game, but..." Naoko started to explain herself, but stopped, "Hey, why are you guys so tense?"

The boy with a messy brown hair tried to lie saying they weren't tense, but he just lost his breath for a few moments. Seeing Naoko was getting suspicious, the two looked one another. They probably thought about turning it off, but it'd only raise even more distrust. As so, they hesitantly showed the screens while saying, "But... please... let us explain!"

The moment Naoko looked at the unpaused screen, she recognized the game and understood why the tension. It's a fighting game with a female-only cast. Despite having arguably solid and fun fighting mechanics, one of them revolved around the tearing of clothes as the fighters got hit or performed a few special attacks. When completely torn the combatants were left in nothing but their underwear.

The two boys petrified under the void, cold stare of Naoko, with semi-closed, unimpressed eyes. They tried to say something about the game but the girl, intimidatingly resting her hands on her hips, interrupted it in a sour voice:

"Don't bother explaining, I know this series. A friend of mine lived behind his father's game store, I've seen games like this being played more times than you boys can imagine." Though reminding herself she was the one asking for a chance to watch the gameplay, Naoko cut them some slack and merely changed topics, "Okay, let's pretend I didn't see that. Do you guys have other games?" Getting eager again, she mentioned, "Like, I have a few! If you guys also have any of those, I can bring them tomorrow! It's been long since I had a multiplayer match on those, since I'm currently only playing it on my computer!"

She told them the eight only games she owned for that console, and while it's a small number, most were full-blown action games or mixed, action-RPG ones. Surprised and enthusiastic, the two confirmed to know about all of them and to also have a few. They had little time to talk before the teacher arrived at class, but the eager Naoko promised the equally eager duo, if not more so, to bring one game to school the next day.

By the end of classes the two boys came talk to her again, asking if she had some time to talk about the multiplayer games she said she like to play on the computer, but this time she excused herself. Making up her mind, Naoko quickly departed, following the class president that in the last two days looked slightly troubled.

"Miwa-Chan! Wait up!" Naoko caught up with her in the lockers area by the entrance of the school, "Are you going to pick your brother at his school now? I only need to take a train in one hour, so I kind of have to kill time like always. Can I come along?"

Surprised, Miwa opened her mouth, but instead of saying anything, merely closed it back and smiled. The two walked out of the gates together, talking, Naoko describing the incident with Shiori in the Drama club last day and Miwa asking about her chat with the two boys. Then the conversation got sidetracked and Miwa started to talk about her hobbies when Naoko asked what did she like to do with all the time she spent at home.

"Besides studying, you mean?" Miwa asked, and Naoko repeated, "I said "like"! Don't tell me you actually like to study, Miwa! That's just wrong! I said what do you like to do in your free time! Come on! Free time is me time! What you do as a hobby, not for being responsible or for others or anything like that!"

Laughing, Miwa reflected about the inquiry:

"I like movies. I watch series and soap operas. I read books too. Oh, I also like to cook. What? Don't look at me like that! It's true! I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. You can see sometimes I bring different food to eat during break. That's me experimenting. Sometimes it ends well, while at others... Well, at least I learn with my mistakes! And it's fun. I also have a few potted plants at my home that I like to take care. There are miniature fruit trees, some vegetables and some ornamental plants. It's relaxing to tend to them, and some gives me ingredients for my culinary inventions."

"Well, now you're officially the second person I know that really like to take care of plants, so I can't say the janitor from my dorm is a one of a kind weirdo!" Naoko joked, and told her friend about Yamamoto-San and his night garden tending habits. While, as usual, Naoko's retellings leaned on the absurd aspects and made Miwa laugh, the girl was also pleased to hear about that man and the passion he showed for plants.

Laughing, they arrived at another school, situated at the corner of a block. Many parents waited in front of the gates and lots of children stood in the garden next to the exit. Miwa waved to a group of kids playing and a boy, looking frustrated, bid the others farewell while the rest stared at the other high-school girl nearby. Contrary to Miwa, who was even slightly taller than Naoko, the boy was rather short for his age. Even then, his facial lines, with a thin nose and slender, small chin were very similar to Miwa. While on the girl they made her look very pretty, they gave the boy a somewhat feminine face that, while beautiful, made he look a little fragile too. Even then, his frowning expression was as boyish as it came.

Raising his eyes from the ground when the boy got close to his sibling, he looked perplexed as he noticed the unknown girl in high-school uniform.

"Naoko-Chan, this is my younger brother Tamotsu." Miwa introduced him, "Tamotsu, this is my classmate and friend Yano Naoko."

The boy stood still in silent contemplation. Naoko, smiling, greeted him with a high-spirited "Hey there! Nice to meet you!" but the boy, as if still trying to comprehend what was going one, timidly responded "Hi." His sister immediately scolded him:

"That's not how you properly greet new acquaintances! Introduce yourself right now!"

Looking frustrated, the boy did so against his own will:

"Hello, my name is Horiuchi Tamotsu. It's a pleasure to meet you, please be nice to me."

"That's better," Miwa evaluated severely. Relaxing a bit, she told him "Naoko-Chan is the friend of mine I told you that is an idol."

The boy, looking back to Naoko with his quiet, perplexed but reserved countenance, replied a concise "cool!", not too enthusiastic but a little more admired than before. Naoko smiled back again, though the boy remained silent and resorted to nodding when his sister questioned:

"Did you remember to put your coat in your bag? Did you fold it? Let me see."

Taking his backpack off, Miwa opened it to check if it was there and only then, returning the bag to the boy, proceeded to walk away. After a few steps she said:

"You're awfully quiet today. Is it because of Naoko-Chan? Or did you do something bad in school?" The boy denied having done anything wrong, and Miwa proceeded, "Well, Naoko-Chan, he looks timid and well-mannered now, but I can assure you he's the opposite of it."

Naoko, walking on the left, glanced across Miwa to the quiet boy on the right, looking down to the floor. By the way he walked and the look on his face, he was probably just uncomfortable, and since the ambient got a little tense, the girl decided to ask:

"Soooo, Tamotsu-Kun! What do you like to do?"

Miwa faced the silent, short boy from above and waited only a few moments before instigating him with a somewhat severe voice:

"Hey, Tamotsu, Naoko-Chan asked you a question. Tell her what you like to do. Tell her you're always plugged on your games." Turning to her friend, she explained with a hint of criticism, "He likes to play video games a lot. That's the only thing he does the whole day."

With no way to ask Miwa in a way that wouldn't sound offensive to stop criticizing her brother, Naoko decided to try again talking to him about something his sibling wouldn't be able to speak in his place:

"Video games? Cool, I like it too! What consoles and games do you have?"

The boy, glancing over to Naoko and looking a little disbelieving, mentioned a few games he had. To his surprise Naoko looked animated and started talking about them. She didn't actually like the few games he listed, mostly about races and a few not so amusing action titles, but she enthused over them just to show she knew what she's talking about. Also, while she didn't say that to her friend so as not to embarrass her, most of the games the boy named weren't really for video game consoles, but for smartphones and computer-like devices. Miwa probably didn't know the difference and simply used the words "video game" like an umbrella term for every kind of electronic, digital games.

"But do you only have five games?" Naoko insisted, and this time the boy looked more responsive. He told her about a few more and the girl, in an energetic tone, replied a few simple comments about them. She actually didn't use to play smartphone games too much and hadn't played many of the ones he told her, but the mainstream game industry had a "problem" that was, in this case, a saving grace: the abuse of franchised games. Each major gaming company had a few flagship series that they milked to the last drops. Since to create AAA games all around the world was very expensive, at least dozens of millions of US Dollars and usually more, and marketing costs alone could easily make up for a large chunk of the budget, to create a successful game was a risky and difficult task. As such, once a new intellectual property was accepted by the public and found followers, companies typically took advantage of the feat to transform a standalone title into a franchise. It allowed them to sell new titles for an already existing fan base, and with a name people already knew about. And while a AAA game could take many years to be done, simpler games could take only a few months and be sold for relatively less profit, but keep the series name in the minds of gamers. Many of the games Tamotsu mentioned, while for smartphones, a platform Naoko didn't enjoy too much, were installments from well-known franchises for video games and computer devices. Hence the girl's salvation: she was able to generalize the knowledge she had from the video game counterparts and make broad statements. It's a cheap tactic, but it worked.

Soon the boy opened up and Naoko could ask him about actual video game platforms, where she was at home. Miwa discreetly traded positions so that Naoko could stay in the middle of the trio and talk to the boy without obstructions. Amazed a female friend of his sister would know so much about things he also liked, Tamotsu initially asked questions that clearly tried to assess how much the girl knew. Naoko, however, had much more experience than him not only about games, but about conversations, and after each answer she gave, she retorted with a question too. About classic games that served as inspiration for the ones he mentioned, titles that had similar mechanics to the ones from games he thought were so innovative, curiosities about the consoles and so on. Questions she could almost guarantee the boy didn't know the answers.

And he didn't. If she wanted, she could have lied and he wouldn't even know, but it wasn't necessary, she knew more than enough about the subject to impress an eleven year-old boy. Soon, instead of trying to test Naoko, Tamotsu was the one trying to prove himself. He made bold statements about games, some of which were incorrect and others just exaggerated, and in both cases Naoko had no qualms to call him on that. The boy still had a mentality that the world was born with him and knew nothing of the many generations of games that existed before him. Even mentioning trivial facts about very well-known games from the beginning of the game industry, back in the decades of nineteen sixties and nineteen seventies was enough to shock him.

Conversely, his "incredible" facts were either well-known by Naoko or too insignificant for her to care, like about a specific object or creature in a specific level of a dumb game. Naoko, having an uncanny ability to talk with boys, even if kids, didn't ever minimize his knowledge and kept her fun-loving attitude, though she also didn't feign any awe about silly trivia and his claptrap. Her data was much better, in any case. And since all he told her was either too basic, incorrect or not that interesting, even though she maintained her cheerfulness and positivity she end up looking a next to impossible girl to impress. A true challenge. This wasn't calculated by her – or as Rin would say, not consciously calculated anyway – but it had an enthralling effect.

It was only a brief conversation, since eventually they stopped at a crossing where they'd part ways, and even if they stood there for a couple of minutes, it wasn't too much. Even so, fifteen minutes was all it took to make Tamotsu go from a quiet boy into a happy chatterbox. With his high-pitched, child voice getting loud with enthusiasm, the boy started talking about his records in his games just when Naoko was about to go, and did so right when the conversation was getting extremely exciting for the boy. It's the best moment to leave, she knew it. On the downside she's unable to talk about the private classes to help Miwa like she wanted, but Tamotsu looked so radiant it'd only break the mood. Better let him have some fun and get to like her a little before asking him favors or force him to accept things.

Looking seriously impressed, Miwa bid her farewell as well and Naoko left for her karate training. Even though the conversation with Tamotsu was certainly not too interesting for Naoko, the girl still felt somewhat satisfied about it. He looked nice. Maybe a little too active, but that was to be expected from a boy his age. Miwa, on the other hand, seemed very severe with him. She probably had some anger stored up, Naoko could feel, though it's also to be expected. To be unable to go out because of a brother five years younger should be horrible. And to see her parents letting he do as he pleased while bugging Miwa to set a perfect example would be even worse, though since Naoko didn't know Miwa's parents, she couldn't really say how much of this was true and how much was part of her friend's imagination. Naoko was one to say imaginations could be many times worse than reality. She could only hope that was the case, for she liked Miwa too much to let the girl be imprisoned like that. No one deserved that, much less the first and one of the best school friends Naoko ever had in the capital.

Her desire was to quickly solve the matter, but it's of no use to worry about that. She put those thoughts aside using the travel time to read some more of the manga Rin lent her and dove into fantasies of knowing how to make fortunes in the stock market.

"Must be awesome to be able to hear a two hour show free of charge three days of the week!" a charming boy with stylishly messy black hair who had just finished cleaning the windows said while watching in his phone a video. "And this Naoko girl is actually good! I kind of wish I had free time to spare for the Drama club, Chiasa-Chan. Probably wouldn't join it just to watch her shows, but it's a nice bonus! Even unknown idol's show tickets in a place such as the restaurant from this video can cost three thousand Yen or more for one hour, and that's not even mentioning what you're going to eat! I'm sure if you tell others of it there'll be more people joining the club."

"It's not a show, but a practice session, and we don't need people joining the Drama club just to watch her rehearsal afterwards," Chiasa replied while brushing the desks of her classroom, "But that's not the best part! We're going to have money for this year's theater play and even support from Naoko-Chan's agency to promote it! Along with her own show in our school, of course. It's going to be a blast! Oh, I'm so excited for this year's play!"

In the distance, facing the teacher's table he scrubbed, a short boy attentively overheard the Drama club president and that guy from the soccer club talk. Katsuro wasn't smiling, since he only did so when people could see his face, but as soon as he finished cleaning the table he would instantly put on a grin again. He couldn't help it, it's automatic. Though at that time the boy almost let a tiny, real smile fold his lips. It's the first time he heard about Naoko being on a club. And thankfully it wasn't a girls-only one!

Though the next instant his happiness faded away. It's still the Drama club, and he was terrified of theater plays. Along with masks, it's an extreme fear he had. Actually, not just theater plays, but anything that forced him to present himself in front of others. Why did Naoko had to take part in the Drama club? Why didn't she choose a club he'd have no problems in enrolling? Why didn't she choose the calligraphy one, where he's already a member?!

Though wasn't that to be expected from a girl like her? Every time Katsuro saw that girl or heard about her he liked her more. She was kind but distant with him when she introduced herself to him, and she was always upbeat, positive and energetic! He always saw her running down the stairs in the morning! And she probably had lots of things going on in her life, because she always seemed lost in thoughts and never appeared to notice him. She's usually gentle, happy and very humble, but could also be very scary and cold as a snow woman! She played it tough and was too perfect to be true, he thought, but she was the first girl Katsuro actually felt something deep for.

That made him ponder what was he doing with his life and if there was a way out of the darkness that surrounded it. When watching her debut videos, he felt captivated. For her, yes, but also for her lifestyle. He never had any interest in the outside world, really, but seeing her perform in such an awesome restaurant with a cool atmosphere and lots of people enjoying the show... it made him go as far as wanting to go out of his room! So far he only did so for school and feared once he graduated, he'd have no reason to leave his bedroom in his parents' home anymore if he didn't manage to get to a university as soon as possible.

Reminding himself that after watching on his room the videos of that girl – so close and so distant at the same time – he looked back to his reflex on the mirror and told himself he'd not commit the same mistakes he'd been making his own life and try all he could to be with her, Katsuro felt a cold wave of fear slipping down his spine. Well, now he knew Naoko was a member of the Drama club, a place he could join too. Only problem was that not only he was too paralyzed by fear to even talk to the girl under normal circumstances, he was also petrified by the idea of getting on a theater play. Then again, it's as if the prayers he hadn't done because he doesn't pray had been heard. Now he had a chance to actually be with her (and a lot of others, unfortunately). Unlike in the stairs during morning, when the girl was always on a rush. A real chance. Only no one said it'd be easy.

Frozen by the mere idea of getting on a stage, Katsuro lost himself again in thoughts, pondering what he should do.

Drawing her own handheld console from her bag after eating the contents from her lunchbox, Naoko sat near the two boys. Miwa got closer to look, as did many of her classmates. Though most of the female students cared little or nothing for games, the novelty of the situation made them flock around, loudly cheering for Naoko even though they didn't understand what was going on and some couldn't even see the small screens.

After choosing a free-roaming arena battle game that pitted every player against all the others and a few weak cannon-fodder enemies controlled by the dumb artificial intelligence, the three students got to choose their combatants. Loading previously saved files, each got their usual characters. The two boys, once again hesitating and nervously looking to the crowd that amassed nearby, contrary to their expectations, revealed their avatars while explaining them to Naoko, though in reality saying it out loud so that everyone could hear their oh-so-fair reasons for selecting those characters as their main ones.

The messy brown-haired one, revealing a small, cute girl in a lilac dress and graciously holding an intricate stave, quickly said, "This character has the highest raw magical output in the game, making her a powerful Damage Per Second dealer, albeit being a glass cannon due to her low physical resistance. Her Area of Effect attacks are also amazing and can stun-lock multiple enemies easily! That's the only reason why I play as a girl! I swear!"

"Right..." Naoko said with a non-convinced voice and face. At least most of the people around knew nothing about that game and presumably believed in that lie.

"As... As for me..." said the boy with the dark hair parted in the middle while vacillatingly presenting a tall, ridiculously well-endowed female fighter with ash-gray hair, crimson eyes and skimpy attire that regally sported a bow, "I just play as her because of the high evasion rate and... huh... long-ranged attacks being very versatile. That's all."

"O-okay..." Naoko, getting slightly uncomfortable, quickly chose her own character. A huge, bulky, barbarian-looking man with an enormous dark beard, burning eyes, clad in a sinister black and red spiked armor and holding a pair of colossal hammers eternally on fire. Under the wide-open eyes of everyone around, Naoko eagerly introduced that behemoth with a bloodlust-infused grin, "That's my fighter! I chose him because he's so fucking badass! Let the bloodshed begin!"

In less than ten seconds the two female combatants were being hammered brutally into the air and chased by an onslaught of burning projectiles before falling and being pummeled into submission by fiery flurries of blows. The two boys scratched their heads at the same time while their supposedly vastly powerful and technical fighters had their life bars drained by Naoko as if she drank it from a straw. Smiling cutely, she commented under applauses:

"Ah, I never get bored of it! It always feels so satisfying! One more round?!"

While the girls around cheered, many boys started to make fun of the two secluded players, making them look gradually less confident, easy to beat and getting more introverted every round. The worst offender was Sadao, the coward student who liked to importunate and make fun of defenseless people. Naoko, getting worried the two players were closing themselves again in their shells, waited after another victory to defy all the male students who were mocking:

"Oh, you guys are laughing so much, you must think you're so much better than them, right?" turning to two particularly irritating guys, one of which the short class clown Sadao, she challenged, "You and you. Here. Against me. Now."

From behind his large, freckled nose, Sadao lost part of his smile. The two sad gamers gladly passed their consoles to the hands of the new unwilling challengers, and Naoko focused. Despite she having trampled the two previous boys because their character choices were simply aesthetical and held no real chance despite their attempts to say otherwise, they were actually very good players, and she managed to beat both repeatedly with her overpowered monstrosity. As such she wasn't too concerned about those newbies, but Naoko nevertheless had a point to sustain and couldn't afford to lose.

And she didn't, like she imagined. Even after giving her new opponents a few moments for them to get used to the controls, she obliterated them.

"Ha-ha! What were you losers laughing about a few moments before, again?" Naoko laughed loudly right in their faces as soon as she delivered the final blow. It's a slightly cruel thing to do, but the two well deserved it. Sadao, the sore loser he proved to be, blamed his inexperience in that game, but the other boys and even girls, out of spite for that coward clown or merely following Naoko's snarly remarks, followed her laughs. Butt hurt, Sadao left the console as well as his partner for another duo Naoko high-spiritedly and cutely (for the most part) challenged.

"Now, let me see... ah, you two there! Yes, yes, exactly you, Takumi-Kun! Long time no see! Having fun there, right? Let's see how much you'll be laughing after you and your happy friend Gorou-Kun face me IN MORTAL COMBAT! Get over here!"

Two by two, the girl decimated all the male students of the class who had been mocking the original players. The two secluded boys, at first looking ashamed by the supposed public humiliation Sadao started, got back to joy as they watched Naoko rip through all opponents. A few boys who'd previously laugh started to dissipate before their time came, but Naoko asked the girls around to prevent them from escaping and resorted to infallible tactics to make any boy do what she wanted him to:

"Are you fleeing?! What, so afraid you're running from a girl?! Are you a man or what?! Are you admitting you're a sissy? Be a man and come back here! Show me what you're made of after I'm done with your merry little friends here!"

Pride was such an easy target and an immediate critical hit on boys, Naoko knew. The break wasn't even over when she finished felling the two last guys that were laughing. The ones that hadn't been mocking the secluded duo were spared, but as of the rest, at first it looked a little shameful for the losers to be called on by Naoko in a purposely flippant act, but eventually so many were defeated it got funny. The apparent absurdity of the situation got not only the female students laughing and cheering loudly, but also the male ones. Rooting for their peers and laughing out of disbelief after every round, the boys were taught an important lesson that day: not to make fun of introverted people, and especially not in front of Naoko. Not the most important lesson, which would be how to change character to ones that actually stood a chance against the one the girl played as, but an important lesson nevertheless...

It's a different break, but an immensely fun one. Even the two otaku who initially faced Naoko rooted among the crowd – for the girl, of course. It let the two cheer, commemorate and laugh side by side with Miwa, Sayuri and all female students that watched the matches. The pair reclaimed their honor and their handheld consoles with deeply glad faces once Naoko defeated the last opponent and, in an upbeat tone, declared to all:

"Get rekt! Yup, like I thought! You guys were laughing of Akio-Kun and Hiroto-Kun, but they're the best of you all. And no lame excuses about they being the owners of their games and such! Guys, assume your "wreckedness", it's much better than being sore losers!"

The only one around who wasn't laughing or having fun, paradoxically, was the class clown Sadao, so Naoko rated it a ten out of ten, "would play again" type of job well done. Applauded and being awarded yet another informal title on her class, the now Class Beauty Queen MVP Hardcore Gamer girl's trophy was to get the two otaku boys to open up a little more not only to her, but to the rest of the class too. After the amused crowd dissipated Akio and Hiroto turned ecstatic to Naoko, who immediately apologized:

"Hey, boys, sorry for putting you all through the trouble. I hope you guys don't be sad by the jokes at the beginning. The other boys weren't insulting you two or anything. They'll also think twice after doing that again, okay?"

Looking glad, the two bowed slightly, almost a nod. The boy with the black, divided hair, Hiroto, put his console back on his bag and eased the seemingly troubled girl:

"Thank you, Naoko-Chan is very kind. You've nothing to apologize for. It was amazing."

"You bet!" the thrilled boy with untidy brown hair and contact lenses, Akio, agreed, "Naoko-Chan is incredible! Granted, your character was also..."

Akio silenced. Naoko, smiling, satirized:

"Was what? Come on, tell it! "Overpowered", isn't it? You knew, you both knew it, and yet you guys chose female avatars saying it's because of magic output and agility and whatnot! Ha!" Seeing the two look embarrassed, the girl calmed them with a happy face, "Guys, it's okay to play as girls if you want! Heck, I play as a huge, hammer-wielding barbarian man from hell! I'm not going to judge you two or anything! Just don't make dumb excuses for it! I'd respect a guy much more if he actually said he chose his female avatar just because he thought she looked smoking hot! It's not like you guys are fooling me and I'm still here, not judging you two, so just drop the acts, okay?"

Though looking even more embarrassed, the two exchanged looks and chuckled about their own faces. Hiroto, the dark-haired boy, changing subjects, asked in a shy and roundabout way, sometimes correcting himself as if speaking with his own mind:

"Uh... Naoko-Chan? Speaking of games, we were discussing... like, me, Akio-Kun and two others who play RPG with us... And we were discussing that conversation we had the other day about RPGs, remember? The one Naoko-Chan said she had never played a tabletop RPG and wanted to... I mean, f-from what I... we understood Naoko-Chan appeared to... to know how to... No, not to know how to play, because Naoko-Chan probably knows it already, at least theoretically, but, ah... When Naoko-Chan mentioned, from what we understood, that she'd be interested in playing it. Remember? And we were discussing it, and... well, our group only has three players. Well, four people, but I'm the Game Master, so I don't really count as a player. And many adventures are made for a four-player party in mind, so..."

Seeing the teacher standing by the class door to talk with another instructor before coming in and the girl getting ready to go back to her seat, Akio hesitantly but quickly invited her:

"We thought, maybe Naoko-Chan would like to, you know, give it a try... or something? You know a lot about games, we can see it, so... What... what do you think? Would you like to...? You know, we can teach you and... No, not teach, but... You can play RPG with us... if you want. It's okay if you don't want too! Just... an invitation, but..."

With no time left, Naoko smiled and happily agreed in concise sentences:

"Sure, I'd love to! Thanks! I'm a bit short on free time, but after classes we talk about when we could arrange a play session, okay?"

Returning quickly to her seat, Naoko left the two boys awestruck. They weren't the only ones excited, though: she had no idea how she would make it work with her full agenda, but she was eager to try it. Despite the anxious way of Hiroto, the boy who would be the Game Master, from what little she knew about tabletop RPGs it looked like a fun experience she wanted to have.

After the end of the classes Naoko wanted to hear from Miwa how her situation was, but before it she quickly told Akio and Hiroto she had a full schedule on that week, though they could try to arrange a play for on the next. In fact, it wouldn't make too much of a difference since her Saturdays and Sundays would be full anyway, and she had clubs and dojo classes during week, but she felt bad about saying that to the two secluded boys who looked so exhilarated. Postponing taking this decision, she left for the Drama Club, but not before inquiring Miwa if she had any progress in her endeavor.

"I haven't talked with my parents yet, since I still couldn't find a way to do so without my brother interfering," she revealed. Naoko raved back, though in a joking way, "Miwa-Chan, for the love of all that is good, stop postponing taking this decision! You look just like me, who just postponed a decision I had to make! Stop following my examples! What's the excuse now?"

Giggling for a moment, Miwa stated:

"For as much as my parents would comprehend all those arguments, they're just too soft with my brother. They always end up doing what Tamotsu wants. If my brother refuses himself to have private classes, my parents will most likely comply. Things are like this in my home."

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that. That's bad," Naoko told Miwa, who contrary to her speech, in fact looked cheerful, "It's okay. Also, Naoko-Chan, my brother was fascinated about you! I've never seen him as excited as after we've gone our separate ways yesterday. Well, I have, but you get the idea. He couldn't stop asking questions about you. He even looked for your fan club when we got home." Laughing, Miwa happily told her, "You should have seen his sad face when he found out only people aged thirteen and older could subscribe! Ha ha!"

Enjoying the conversation with a smile until the last bit, Naoko acidly pestered:

"Hey, Miwa-Chan? Why did the part of your speech where you got the most happy was when telling me your brother got sad?"

"No reason at all!" Miwa responded in an upbeat way, "In any case, he asked me if you'd be coming again today with me to pick him, and of course I told him you wouldn't. And he got disappointed again! Haha! Anyway, that's only to say he liked you a lot. He looked eager to see you again and said not even his friends know as much about games as you do. I can't recall the last time he spoke with me for so long. I don't get it how you're able to do it, Naoko-Chan! First my brother and now those two boys from our class! Is video games such a universal topic for conversations?!"

Trying not to look fazed by her friend's curious reactions to her brother's frustration, Naoko nodded in agreement, though relativizing it:

"It is for most of the boys, anyways. It's not as fail-proof with adult men, though: the older they are, the less they tend to be interested in it, or at least less enthusiastic about it, with some exceptions. With girls and women it's also a mixed bag, but in my humble experience it won't do you nearly as much good as it will with boys. Maybe it's just me who was unlucky enough to only ever meet a handful of girls who liked it. I know there are a lot out there, but I had no luck in finding that many. So, not really a universal topic, but if you like games, it won't do any harm to bring up the subject either, especially with eleven year-old boys. Or game otaku, whatever."

"Still, it's pretty useful," Miwa maintained, "I'd like to know about it. Or rather, I'd like to like it. This way I'd at least have something in common to talk about with my brother. I suppose Naoko-Chan would make a far better older sister than me. In less than fifteen minutes you already made him like you more than he probably likes me."

"Or I'd be the exact opposite of you, just play with him and not make him do anything he had to and ultimately be a horrible older sister!" Naoko gave her friend an alternate perspective to cheer her up, though Miwa didn't look sad in the slightest despite all she said. It's hard for Naoko to tell if she should be glad or not by it, but the girl opted to use the opportunity to insist, "But since he liked me so much, I think we can use it to our advantage! Or... your advantage."

Returning the smile, Miwa joyfully admitted:

"If I were to bet on one person who can do it, I'd bet on Naoko-Chan! I should tell you to not bother, but... since we started talking about me having some free time, I dream with it every night and have gone as far as make plans of what I'd do with two hours for myself every day from Monday to Friday! So... I know it's very egotistical of me to ask this, but..." Miwa bowed reverently and sustained it while asking, "Please, can you help me achieve it, Naoko-Chan? Or at least try, it's alright all the same."

Both because helping her friend made her happy and to break that awkward moment, Naoko immediately responded:

"Stand up already, there's no need for it, Miwa-Chan! Of course I can help you, and of course I will! Wasn't that the plan to begin with?"

Straightening up her posture, Miwa looked very animated and optimistic.

"Thank you, Naoko-Chan! I don't think I remember we having a plan, but having you by my side fills me with hope!"

"Don't mention it!" Naoko replied with an also energetic disposition, "Though Miwa-Chan is right about the plan part. Okay! So we'll make a plan!" She uttered a few words in a lower voice before reverting it to normal, "Only I'm kind of late again for the Drama club meeting, so we'll have to do it tomorrow, but! We'll make a plan! Let's call it Project... ah... Project Freedom!"

Clapping lightly, Miwa agreed, albeit with a small note:

"It's settled, then! Thanks, Naoko-Chan!... Though did we really need to name our plan? Not that I'm complaining! It's a nice name! Sounds like an idol band placeholder name. I couldn't expect any less from you!"

"Ah... does it?" Naoko inquired, looking puzzled, and Miwa confirmed, "Yes. I thought you did that on purpose! You know? The way lots of idol bands, before getting a final name, receive a placeholder one that often starts with "Project" in it?"

For a while Naoko looked even more puzzled. Miwa, also getting lost, questioned:

"Huh... Naoko-Chan... didn't know that? But... I thought you... as an idol... would..."

"Miwa, let me tell you something," Naoko clarified it, "Last time my producer asked me a question about idol things I confused a band with a Russian assault rifle. First lesson you need to learn: all I know is how to dance and sing my few songs, don't ask Naoko questions about idol-related stuff. You probably already know more about it than me. Just don't tell that to others." Leaving Miwa baffled, Naoko wrapped it up, "Anyway, let's discuss our plan tomorrow! Let's make it Plan... No, Operation! Operation, ah... Operation Free Miwa-Chan for Great Justice!"

That was a solid idea! To make a plan! Now all they needed was an actual plan, but Naoko wasn't concerned about such trifle detail. She left in high spirits for the Drama club, rushing into the theater and asking the people already on the stage for forgiveness for being late. The club president Chiasa, calming her down, said:

"Don't worry, Naoko-Chan, we hadn't start yet. I've just introduced to everyone our new club member, my classmate Fukuda Katsuro."

As Chiasa uttered that name and gesticulated with her hand in the direction of a short boy lost among the crowd, his already large and edgy grin grew even bigger, his non-smiling eyes wide-open turning to look at the girl with evasive, rapid movements. Naoko froze, shivers descending from her nape down the spine the instant the girl saw her creepy, snake-faced neighbor. His posture was completely retracted, maybe even more than Shiori, and a vein pulsated on his partially hidden, sweating forehead. He wasn't even able to move properly, his muscles – or whatever little musculature he had – awfully tense.

Just as him, Naoko was on edge during all session. Notwithstanding his overwrought smile being spine-chilling by itself, the boy often sent unintentional glances over to her, which he immediately corrected while trying to act casual. Of course, she could be getting paranoid and be imagining things, but her gut feelings were almost always spot-on about those kinds of incidents. After a series of relaxation exercises which Naoko was hardly able to do and a few other teachings, Chiasa continued prompting people to talk about narrative ideas for plays, and while Naoko had many concepts in her mind, she wasn't able to express them. The thought of attracting attention to her while speaking and having Katsuro look to her was too much.

She'd never noticed how intense the dark circles under that boy's eyes were. He's either having bad sleeping patterns or she just never had the displeasure of facing him under good lighting conditions. The only time she's forced to do so, during the laundry incident, the place was too bright and the girl too afraid to see anything. Now she's only too afraid. The boy also couldn't even say a word during the meeting and every interaction he had to do with others was artificial and calculated. Even then, it's abysmal.

Once the meeting was over, Naoko suddenly remembered she'd be staying there rehearsing for two hours and usually people only stayed to watch for a few minutes. Her mind immediately began fantasizing worst-case scenarios. What if she's left alone with him? He, watching her from the empty auditorium. What could he do? Or even worse: what if, when she finished practicing and returned exhausted to the dark backstage bathroom to change, she raised her eyes from the faucet only to find his creepy smile from behind her in the mirror? Desperate, she called Chiasa to the backstage, and as the woman started inquiring if she had any idea about how to bring Shiori closer, Naoko interrupted her:

"No, not yet. Listen: please, please, will Chiasa-Senpai stay to watch my rehearsal until the very end today?" Noticing the girl was upset and concerned, the club president asked what had happened and Naoko told her about Katsuro since she first met him and how he stood by the stairs of her dorms every day. Chiasa, listening attentively, muttered:

"I know him, he studies in my class for years now. Yes, he's... somewhat strange, I know. But I can assure you he's fairly harmless despite arguably looking scary. He just lives in his own world. In class all he does is to draw. I understand your concerns and I know it's no use telling you not to be afraid, but trust me, he's not the threat he seems to be. At first I was scared too, but you get used to him, that's just how he is. He smiles when he's nervous, and as far as I know, he's very afraid of people. It's a miracle he wanted to join our Drama club! I thought he's terrified of theaters!"

"Please, Chiasa-Senpai..." distressed, Naoko begged, "...stay with me today! Just today! I'm sorry for troubling you! I'm... just... I'm afraid to be alone! Sorry! But he lives close to me! I know he waits for me every day in the morning! I just know it! Please..."

Seeing the girl was almost about to cry, Chiasa reluctantly agreed to stay with her that day. It gave Naoko some respite, but she's still too scared about the next week to think. Her desire was to get away and never come back again to the Drama club, but she needed the precious hours of rehearsal. The club president, though assenting, requested in a serious voice:

"If you need it so much, I'll stay with you today. But, Naoko-Chan? Let me ask you a favor too: please give Katsuro-Kun a chance. I know he's strange. I know he's scary. I personally don't like him too much and I don't know anyone who does. You don't need to tell me that. But please, all I ask is that you give him a chance at our club."

Unwillingly remembering her horrible imagination about the smiling boy appearing behind her on the female backstage restroom's mirror, Naoko shook negatively her head, giving a step back. The club president, getting worried, pleaded in an unusually grave voice, mentioning things that haven't even occurred to Naoko yet, but probably would eventually:

"Please! I know if you get so scared and go away we'll have problems like we did last years. Okay? I know it. We need you here. For all the support your agency gives to us, for all the promotion, and because I can see you'd be an incredible actress. You cheer the others up, you're... we just need you. We like you. I wouldn't risk losing you, and if I was put in the spot of choosing between you and Katsuro, I'd... I'd choose you. There, I said it. But... please. Please, Naoko-Chan, I ask you... I beg you: please give Katsuro-Kun a chance! I know him for years! There's nothing to fear from him! I'd personally take responsibility if anything occurs!"

Upset, Naoko sighed. Thinking while facing the club president's concerned face, the girl weighted the risks. She'd not yet thought about her importance to the Drama club before. To know Chiasa would choose her over the boy was slightly reassuring, but her fears only worsened when thinking even that wouldn't stop the boy if he really had ill intentions. So what if she expelled him if he attempted something? He'd already have made what he wanted by then. Her desperation grew so strong that, in a moment, she could clearly see herself facing the terrifying assailant in the bathroom. The boy trying to grab her. She, exhausted, reacting. Only, even tired, she was still stronger and taller than him. A chop to the neck, a bite, a punch to the plexus, anything, and once the boy flinched she could blind him. Hit him below the belt. Pull his head against the sink. Though what if he was armed with a blade or something? She'd need something to also protect herself too. Maybe... she'd need to conceal a metal baton or something similar somewhere. In her footwear, perhaps. As a decoration on her gloves. Whatever.

Everything changed. Her fear gave in to some sort of calmness, though not really. She's still tense, only she could imagine scenarios and prepare accordingly. There was a big problem in the president's speech which the scared and irritated girl pointed out in a slow pace to get the message clear, aggravated and without the least remorse:

"Chiasa-Senpai, if I'm left alone with him during a common rehearsal day and I, after draining my energies away dancing for two hours, open the door of the toilet of that dark woman's restroom backstage only to find him waiting for me with a knife or something, would you take responsibility for whatever happened? And, more importantly, what would I care if you did?"

Too shocked to even seem outraged, Chiasa vacillated:

"Naoko-Chan! That's...! He'd never...! That's... not going to happen!"

"How can you be so sure?" Naoko questioned, gradually transitioning from looking scared to looking scaring, her eyes getting ice-cold and her demeanor shifting, looking calm, collected and, for whatever reason, a little bit dangerous. Her eyes had something in it that was past fear, like if the girl was actually living in the moment of her frightening imagination and became capable of doing anything to protect herself. Anything. Chiasa had never seen Naoko look like that, and the way the girl suddenly changed in the dusk of the backstage was intimidating. Coupled with her straight questions and hard to bend arguments, the otherwise cheerful, humble and easygoing girl got frigid, calculating and imposing, her eyes borderline cruel, but in a subtle way that couldn't be called on. Getting extremely uncomfortable and left speechless, the club president unconsciously turned a little to face the light that came from the stage through an opening on a side of the backstage.

"Y-You... are right..." she said hesitantly, looking scared as if she'd seen a ghost, "I... will be... with you during your... rehearsals." The plural on "rehearsals" was nice, she had to admit. Naoko, not really comprehending why the club president got so scared out of nowhere but trusting it's because of the grim scenario she painted, and not really caring for Chiasa at the time, left to the restroom to change. There she analyzed the whole place, the three toilet cabins in front of a large mirror and three sinks. There was nothing to be used as a weapon there, but Naoko still had her school bag. She could throw it on Katsuro if he appeared, provided the shock didn't make her faint first. She also had her lunchbox inside her bag, and her tiny, retractable umbrella.

She suddenly had an idea: an umbrella! It could be useful, provided she found a sturdy one to buy. It's such an obvious choice of object resembling a sword or a club that she'd be surprised if no one sold modified or sturdier-than-normal umbrellas on the internet.

The presence of Chiasa during the rehearsal got her calmer, but Naoko was already strangely chill. Previously she thought she'd be unable to so much as appear onstage in her attire for gigs, but not only was she serene about it, Katsuro didn't faze her in the slightest. True to her hunch, the boy stood there during her whole practice session, along with the increasingly concerned Chiasa, but Naoko managed to perform as usual. In fact, better than usual.

Previously she focused on herself and forgot the existence of others until she's fine with it, but at that time it's different: she sang and danced while fully aware of the others, but not caring in the slightest for anyone else. What others would think was not a concern. For the first time she really felt that even if the auditorium was full, she'd still be able to act in the most carefree way in the world.

Her chest felt a little off, as if there was a hot knot inside her, not unlike what she felt when food appeared to get stuck midway. Still, it wasn't nearly as intense and the girl only briefly noticed it before forgetting. Despite the little nuisance, she never felt so good on a stage. Like she's in control of everything. As if she's performing for a pair of bunnies or tree stumps. Irrelevant. Like what happened in the laundry, she noticed that whenever she looked directly to Katsuro he got even more tense and smiling harder, while sinking in his seat. Even though she'd noticed it before, only then Naoko could fully comprehend how much the boy looked scared. She could smell his anxiety, a cold fear of sorts, from miles away, and it's such a delightful aroma.

Every time she made a pose he blushed. Whenever she sang looking at him he evaded his eyes after a brief contact. She found out she could paralyze the boy by merely glaring at him. It undid any fears she had left. By the end of the rehearsal it'd become almost a pastime, toying with him to see if she could force him to leave or have a heart attack. He looked close to both.

Even after going backstage and getting in the dreadfully dimly lit bathroom she's still okay. In fact, she almost wished Katsuro came to visit her. That way she could end her worries, though a certainty he wouldn't do that grew on her. A gut feeling he'd not attempt anything. He's too afraid to even look at her face. She couldn't imagine if she'd be as confident if Chiasa wasn't there, but she was. And she would be on every future rehearsal.

Naoko understood she could force things to be her way on the Drama club, and they would be. It was the club president's fault Katsuro was accepted on it, so she'd answer to protecting Naoko from the results of her stupid decisions even if it meant Chiasa would be losing six hours every week watching the same songs over and over again. Either this or expelling Katsuro, it was the club president's call.

When she left, Chiasa accompanied her to the school gates, though being only the three, Katsuro wound up tagging along. In the two hours she had to wait the club president probably had a lot of time to create her own scary fantasies about what Naoko had said and of what could happen to the Drama club and to its representative if a girl, and on top of it, an idol was assaulted by a boy while rehearsing. Even worse: in a situation that the victim had already foreseen, and the club president had taken too lightly. Chiasa looked desperate, contrary to Naoko, who was cool as snow. While they walked around the school, through moonlit gardens, to get to the front gate everyone stood in silence, though only Naoko looked okay with it.

When they arrived at the gate the club president glanced nervously to Naoko, knowing the two would have to walk one block to reach their dormitories. It's a bad idea to let Katsuro in the Drama club, she knew it now. Damn, why did the boy had to join them exactly now, after things were finally settled thanks to Naoko's presence and her agency?

Chiasa's heart abruptly skipped a beat and her pupils contracted when she asked herself that. Katsuro, who had multiple chances to join them years before, was joining them just now, after the stunning girl he lived close by decided to do the same, the same day Chiasa told one of her male classmates about the idol's importance to the club and he decided to tell everyone about it. Also, she was very perceptive, and could see Katsuro acted a little differently when close to Naoko. The boy Chiasa knew was always daydreaming and never interested in his surroundings, but when near the idol he looked attentive. His eyes had it in them.

Unlike any other person when smiling genuinely, his eyes never expressed the happiness his mouth tried to emulate, but they weren't opaque and distant as usual that night. The more she thought about it, the more the club president got a bad feeling about that. At first she'd been very outraged when Naoko said those things about a person Chiasa knew for years, but the more she witnessed Katsuro behave unlike his usual self, the more she got preoccupied Naoko could have actually noticed that before her.

Looking apologetic and worried to Naoko, Chiasa reluctantly asked:

"So... are you two... going already?"

Eternally smiling, though leaning in a way that created a small hump whenever Katsuro was close to the idol, he glanced over to Naoko. The girl, in an abnormally serene mien that was even more impressively on par with her long strides performed in a tranquil gait, refused:

"No. I'm going already," watching Katsuro's already forced grin falter, she calmly said, not caring if it'd disappoint the boy, "I have clear instructions of my producer not to be seen walking together alone with a boy. Much less in strange situations the journalists of scandal tabloids could mold to create distorted stories. And to walk alone at night with him would be the end of my career if I'm unlucky enough to meet a paparazzi that takes a picture of me now, only to use it against my agency years later. Forget it, I won't take the risk. I'm going by myself."

Though looking disheartened, the boy, in a whispering voice, respectfully agreed in a way that, for once, felt honest:

"I-I understand it! I'd hate to cause... Yano-San any trouble!" Hesitating, he asked, looking embarrassed, "Ah... can I... just... ask Yano-San... a question? Did... Yano-San enjoyed... any of the... the manga I... I..."

Naoko let the boy stutter for a while, amusingly noticing he actually looked a bit funny when afraid. Which was the whole time when close to her. Also, recalling the Drama club session, he looked so terrified it's now a bit hilarious to remember. Maybe Chiasa was right: he's nothing to worry about. Yes, Naoko would still be taking precautions, but after being so afraid because of that boy, it's nice to watch him getting petrified too. If he's like that it's okay, she could see herself giving Katsuro a chance, like Chiasa requested. As long as the club president acted her part of the deal and watched all of her rehearsals like she promised, Naoko would at least have some entertainment.

The fun of watching Katsuro stutter out of fear or humbleness – to remind someone of a present given was a delicate art – grew old quickly, though. Getting annoyed, Naoko responded exactly as things came to her mind, not stopping to think if it's verbally abusing or not:

"Stop stammering already, it gets on my nerves! No, I didn't read any so far, I'm busy. I don't even have Saturdays or Sundays free, that's when I'm working, and I always come back home at night, exhausted and with lots of things to think about. I have to practice for my work and study for school while also finding ways to babysit people like Shiori-Chan and others. I've no time to read manga. Now if you excuse me."

Departing without looking behind, Naoko went back to the dormitory building. The janitor was taking care of his stupid plants like always, and people crowded the laundry since the weather was bound to change the next day. It's only while taking a shower and getting to relax under the warm water jets, in lieu of a bathtub, that her cold stare finally subsided.

Thinking about how fantastic it felt to be on a stage not caring about anyone's opinions, she began to reflect on all that had occurred. Of everything she said and every thought she had. It started to feel odd. Of course, she's afraid of Katsuro and it felt somewhat good to see he was also scared of her during the practice session, but to actually enjoy letting him stutter for a while? The more Naoko thought about how much fear a person needed to feel to make him stutter, the more it felt cruel. And, true to what Chiasa told her about the boy being harmless, he hasn't done anything, though Naoko couldn't say if it'd have been different if the two were alone during the rehearsal. Though, judging from the way he looked frightened to even face her and blushed whenever she posed while staring at him, it seemed hard to conceive. Still possible, but the more her mind was put back at peace, the more it seemed a far-fetched possibility.

The mere thought of having him appear close to her on the backstage bathroom was maddening, but yet again, her imagination was pulling the strings. When Naoko told him she'd be going alone because of her job, Katsuro looked honest and respectful enough. As Naoko recalled those things she gradually came to worry about how oddly she'd acted. It started to make sense why Chiasa had that surprised and intimidated semblance on her face moments after she told her about her importance to the Drama club. It's about when she asked Naoko to give Katsuro a chance.

Breathing deeply, Naoko felt embarrassed about all that had occurred. Her chest suddenly felt slightly numb when, to her surprise, she discovered the warm knot inside it, that she'd already forgotten, was suddenly gone. It left behind just a tingling feeling that soon went away. Only then tranquility was really restored, and Naoko could notice how different it was from the sensation she'd previously called calmness. Back then it was a state of vigilance, controlled and attentive. It was not unlike when she played first-person shooter games and waited patiently behind a sniper rifle's scope for a newbie target that posed no threat. She knew the enemy would eventually come under the crosshair, it's just a matter of waiting. Tense but patient, passive-aggressive. And that was how her mind worked at that time, Naoko began to remember. After she got so horrified and dragged away by her imagination she started to reflect on what she could do to protect herself, and her fears were supposedly gone, giving place to a strategic way of thinking. But her fears, now she could see, weren't really gone at the time, she'd just found in herself the will to do anything to get through that imaginary situation. Like a cold rage.

Reflecting back, while her ability to perform onstage without a care in the world and do so in a better way than she ever did left Naoko amazed and curious to learn how she was capable to achieve such incredible mental state that could certainly help her a lot, the rest made her so worried and ashamed she couldn't even bear to reminisce about it too much. And even if her stage performance left even her impressed, she couldn't feel any joy from being there except for the fun she had frightening Katsuro. It's like in that day in the laundry when she briefly asked herself why she was so afraid of that short and frail boy, despite him having the smile of a psycho, but not of that violence-prone Daiki, who until then was still part of a gang. Once again Naoko felt that Katsuro, easily frozen in place by his dreads, was less of a threat than another person to which the girl wasn't afraid of, but probably should. Only this time it's herself.

Cringing, Naoko left the shower trying not to remember anything from that night, but the harder she tried, the more her mind forced her to face all the things she said. The way she left Chiasa and Katsuro to go back to the dorms. Even the way she's annoyed by Yamamoto-San when she saw the janitor tending with love to the potted plants. It's good to be back to her usual self, though Naoko was left a little concerned. Not about Katsuro as much as she was about herself. All she wanted was to pretend nothing had ever occurred, but since that was impossible, she'd have to make amends.

Initially all she thought about was Chiasa, but as she left the bathroom, her eyes instinctively moved towards the pile of manga Katsuro has gifted her, still inside its meticulously made wrapping and forgotten half-opened in a corner. Just imagining a hypothetical situation where the boy had given that to her personally while grinning a huge and psychotic smile got her tense, but it's nevertheless a thoughtful present. Even Rin said so. And even though Naoko wasn't too interested in those particular manga stories, it wasn't Katsuro's fault. She couldn't deny he'd tried to satisfy her tastes with not one or two, but ten different narratives, and told her he could lend her any subsequent chapters she so desired.

He tried too hard, that's for sure, and Naoko was afraid to know to what extents he could go or what he could do if turned down. He had the face of a madman, after all, and no one could get inside his mind to assess if he posed danger to others or not. If it wasn't for this, though, Katsuro would probably not cause her the intense aversion he did. He'd still be a short, weak, nervous and fidgety boy, certainly not attractive qualities, but she wouldn't flee from him like a fish swims away from a smiling piranha, no matter how small it is.

Chiasa's plead started to make sense, though. The club president, who knew him for years, asked Naoko to give Katsuro a chance. Well, Naoko felt she owed one to both. Not a chance so Naoko could pester him like she previously thought, but a real chance. She only hoped not to regret it.
Chapter IX – Love for the Underdogs

Following the arbitrarily convoluted and not really clear plan the two created during the break, Operation Free Miwa-Chan for Great Justice was initiated. It had something to do with games, a walk in the park close to Miwa and Naoko's school, ice-cream, the importance of studying for having a bright future, more ice-cream bribery and a few other hundreds of steps. Luckily the rain that brewed that day had stopped so a walk in a park was feasible, though the skies were still gray. As the two arrived at Tamotsu's school, however, Naoko had already forgotten half of the plan and Miwa, while remembering it, wasn't capable of explaining it.

Seeing the two, Tamotsu's frown turned into a smile. As he bid the small group around him farewell, the other kids followed the boy against his will to the entrance gate too. Just as he greeted Naoko radiantly before even saying hi to his own sister, the children around started murmuring among them. A curious girl nearby asked intrusively, though as respectfully as she could:

"Miss? Are you really an idol?"

With the exception of Miwa, who immediately looked to Tamotsu, all eyes fell on Naoko, who, caught in the middle of a greeting smile to the boy, responded positively in high spirits. She'd already mustered the energy and cheerfulness to talk with Tamotsu anyway, she thought, so might as well keep that up. In awe, the kids observed her like some sort of fascinating dinosaur skeleton or a laser beam generating machine attraction in a museum or something. Slightly fazing. A boy eagerly interrogated as if asking a question to a famous game designer:

"Tamotsu-Kun told us you play games! That you love to play it! Is it true?" Another boy quickly added, "He told us that you know everything about games!"

Laughing, Naoko replied in an upbeat voice:

"It's true that I love to play games and I know a couple of things about it, though no one knows everything about games. Or about any other thing."

"But she knows a lot!" Tamotsu insisted, talking to his peers, "She even knows about the first games that were created! Isn't it?"

Naoko had virtually no time to answer that before yet another girl questioned, amazed:

"Are you Tamotsu's girlfriend?"

Miwa and Naoko exchanged baffled looks, and his sister turned a murderous glare to Tamotsu. Naoko, taken aback, immediately responded in a puzzled way due to questioning herself from where that could've come from:

"Huh... no? Absolutely not. I only met him two days ago, and he's eleven, and he's my friend's brother, and I don't have any boyfriends anyway, and I've no interest in... Why would you think that?"

The group of kids turned caustic countenances to the embarrassed boy. The girl who asked that absurd question accused:

"She's not your girlfriend, Tamotsu-Kun! You're such a liar!"

Apprehensively looking around to Naoko, who unconsciously crossed her arms and lost her smile, to his wrathful older sister and to his revolting friends who started accusing him and retelling other situations where he fabricated stories, he tensely tried to explain:

"No, I... I didn't say that! I said she... that she was... That I liked..."

"You said that!" one of the girls averred, trying to speak louder than the others and getting agreeing nods from her classmates, "You said she's your girlfriend and she's an idol!"

"No, I didn't say that! You misunderstood it!" the boy, trembling, tried to contest, though looking lost as to how he'd do that, "I said she is an idol that I knew... and she was... nice and... I... liked her..."

Suddenly starting to cry, Tamotsu evaded his sister, slipped between the parents that crowded the walkway and ran away through the sidewalk. Miwa, looking desperate, glanced to Naoko and the two left in a hurry. The crying boy was small and couldn't run fast, but the school gates were also not far from a crossing. If he turned and kept running through the paved path he'd be caught soon enough, but he probably knew that and the only alternative would be to try run past the traffic. Maybe the vehicles prevented his pursuers from following him until the street lights were open for pedestrians. There was no way of telling what he'd do, though. And though the traffic velocity around the school was moderate, fifty or sixty kilometers per hour was still fast enough to make a vehicle driven incautiously throw a kid down the ground and under a tire.

Miwa shouted for him while hurriedly but politely trying to open a way through the crowd of kids and parents in front of the school, but both she and Naoko were much bigger than the diminutive boy and had difficulties slipping though gaps Tamotsu had no problems passing through. To be polite like Miwa would not solve the matter, though, and Naoko quickly noticed that. If the boy didn't look so ashamed she'd bet he would not try to run between the cars, but he looked capable of that and his sister, who knew him well, despaired. Not really thinking and getting angry with the parents who just stood still acting surprised, Naoko pushed away whoever stood in her way. Unintentionally hitting her knee on a kid and forcing a tall man with her shoulder, also inadvertently making him tip over the hood of a car parked in front of the gates the girl stormed her way through the screaming crowd and broke free. She'd be in trouble if Tamotsu didn't try anything dangerous.

The boy ran while sweeping his tears the six meters that separated him from the crossway, meaning he didn't pump his run with his arms. The girl, frenetically darting behind him as fast as she could in school shoes, approached the intersection the instant the boy had to choose between turning right and continuing through the sidewalk or going straight and attempting a dangerous crossing. His legs didn't turn, however, and the boy, evading a street light post, strode into the asphalt right in front of an incoming vehicle just so he didn't have to slow down or Naoko would grab him. A high-pitched, screeching sound of tires suddenly ceasing to rotate and sliding through the road still wet by the rain mixed with a strident horn broke the relative silence.

Tamotsu vacillated with the alarming noises, giving his pursuer just enough time to grasp for him. Stretching one arm to the boy and the other to the post, Naoko jumped behind. Her nails and fingers narrowly reached his backpack and clutched its slick fabric while her other arm hugged the tall object affixed to the ground to stop her. From opposing forces, both of her arms suffered impacts from the abrupt brake and the kinetic energy from her body and that of the boy. Her right hand's pinky and annular, the ones from the hand that grabbed Tamotsu's school bag, suddenly hurt acutely as her polished nails broke, sending rivulets of blood around.

Grinding her teeth, Naoko pulled Tamotsu down and back, and both fell partially in the sidewalk. Turning slightly sideways, the white incoming car skid to a full stop right beside them. Behind the vehicle others also stopped abruptly, inches away from one another. From a distance it's possible to see that the white car, halting about half a meter beyond where the boy would have walked, wouldn't really have ran over Tamotsu even if Naoko hadn't intervened, but the boy would've been hit by the nearly stopped vehicle and either thrown over the hood or into the asphalt.

Screaming and crying, Tamotsu tried to free himself from his backpack, but Naoko, in pain and already out of patience, let go of the street post and grabbed one of the boy's legs, dropping him back to the ground as he tried to stand up. Infuriated, the girl screamed while immobilizing him:

"Stop being an idiot, you almost just killed yourself, you...!"

Naoko only stopped short of cursing Tamotsu because she saw Miwa desperately drawing close. Even then, it'd probably make no difference to badmouth that imbecile, because his sister seemed even more choleric than Naoko herself. Only when her friend reached them and firmly held her brother's arms Naoko was able to let go of him, and just then she actually saw how bad were her cringingly hurting fingers with broken nails.

Miwa had to apologize to the car drivers and the parents in front of the school for her brother's attitude and the lengths at which Naoko had to go through to stop him. Even more ashamed than before, Tamotsu crouched with his back against his school's wall, shaking and crying while hugging his folded legs and hiding his face between his knees. He stood that way for some time, until his hair was brutally pulled back by Naoko and his face lifted.

"There! Look what you've done!" the raged girl forcefully turned the boy's head in the direction of his sister, who, bowing deeply, spoke to the car owner. Releasing his hair, Naoko severely stared at him from a stand up position, "You almost killed yourself! You hurt me! You lied to your friend, insulted me saying I was your girlfriend when you're just an eleven year-old boy I met two days ago, you almost caused a traffic accident among the other cars that would've cost your family a lot of money and drivers a lot of trouble and now your sister has to answer for your stupidity to all those people!"

The boy, crying even more, tried to hide his face again, but Naoko held his hairs even tighter this time and, pushing his skull back, crouched right in front of him with deadly-serious eyes.

"You're going there and answer for your own acts," she ordered him, only then releasing his hair, "You're going to explain to everyone why you ran away and..."

The boy started to hide his face again but Naoko instantly stopped him:

"Don't you dare turn your face back down again!" Tamotsu, though stopping midway, kept looking down, his somewhat feminine face awash with tears. Noticing her angry orders would only make the boy even more evasive, Naoko sighed. Trying to calm down, the girl resumed with a more serene voice and expression, though still serious, "Listen, Tamotsu-Kun, I understand you liked me and I'm happy with it. You're also a nice person. However, what you just did was the opposite of a nice thing. How do you think your parents and your sister would feel if you suffered an accident?"

Crying nonstop, Tamotsu replied with a trembling voice:

"T-they d-don't care ab-bout me! N-no one c-cares! M-my p-parents n-never want t-to b-be with us and t-they ord-der m-my s-sister t-to be with m-me! And s-she n-never l-lets me d-do anyt-thing, s-she h-hates m-me!"

Controlling herself not to hit her knee in his face like she unintentionally did to a kid a few minutes before, Naoko inquired:

"Look at your sister deeply apologizing in your stead! Your sister who picks you every day in you school and wastes her life away locked in your home just bec..." Breathing deeply, Naoko resumed, "Your sister sacrifices herself a lot for you, and you're not even able to acknowledge her efforts!"

"But s-she's always angry w-with m-me!" Tamotsu replied with a horribly embarrassed face, "Ev-veryone always is! Ev-ven Naok-ko-San is!"

Naoko though about saying she wasn't just to console him, but she's unable to. He didn't deserve consolation.

"Of course I am! You made me bleed! You hurt my arms! I could've been rammed by a car trying to save you! You lied about me to your friends! How do you expect me to be?! Happy?! Sure I'm angry with you!" Suddenly remembering how she'd acted with Chiasa and Katsuro the night before in the Drama club and how she came to regret all she did, Naoko finally felt part of her rage subside, if only for fear of making new mistakes. Forcing herself to calm down, she added, lying a bit and mixing things up purposefully, "I'm angry, but it doesn't mean I don't... sort of... like you. I just... I like you, Tamotsu-Kun, so that's why I'm angry: because you practically committed suicide just a few minutes ago! I wouldn't want to see you hurt or dead, that's why I'm angry with you! It's as if I like you more than you like yourself!"

The boy, stopping to tremble, faced her with surprised eyes. His face got suddenly full of wrinkles as it was contorted into an agonizing cry. The boy opened his arms and, jumping over her, hugged Naoko as tight as he could while trying to pronounce "I'm sorry" and "thank you" but failing miserably on both attempts. Naoko, holding his head on her shoulder, felt her angriness appease. She told him while the boy wetted her uniform with tears:

"I'm not the only one who likes you, either. Your sister loves you infinitely more. She's always angry with you, like you said, because she could be having fun with her friends, but instead she stays at home all the time just to take care of you! I'll tell you the truth: she's the only girl in her class that can't play with her friends after school because she tells me she needs to be with you all the time. Says she wants to set the best possible example she can to her younger brother. I felt such pity that I suggested she spoke with your parents about finding you a private teacher."

Tamotsu leaned away and stared at Naoko with betrayed eyes, while asking "W-why?"

"Because it'd be good for her and for you," Naoko explained in a soft voice, "Don't you like to play with your friends? She likes too! But she's so intent on setting a perfect example for you that she sacrifices all she likes to do be with you! That's how much Miwa-Chan loves you! But at the same time, when you're prohibited to do things you like, don't you get sad and mad? Well, so does your older sister! She's usually angry because even though she loves you so much, she also likes to do a few things, and she can't do the things she like because she stays all the time at her home with you! Look at her! She's asking others for forgiveness in your stead just so you don't have to! If she didn't like you, she wouldn't even pick you at school every day, much less try to placate furious people so they don't get mad at you!"

The boy's watery eyes gazed his sister in silent contemplation from over Naoko's shoulder. Naoko was actually exaggerating: no one was furious, not even the car owners or the people Naoko pushed away, just preoccupied with the boy. Even so, the girl opted to make it look bigger than it really was, because if Tamotsu lied to his friends and got himself in so much trouble, Naoko felt it's justifiable to lie to him too so she could get him out of that mentality of his. Likewise, she found an opportunity to convince him of having private classes just so all that trouble wasn't for nothing. Also, because she really hoped he'd develop some responsibility quickly before killing himself. She continued to answer the boy's question, talking some hard truths, though in a soothing and caring voice that made it more agreeable to the kid:

"And if you had private classes, your sister would be able to do the things she likes and not be angry at you, but she likes you so much she couldn't even force it upon you to do a thing maybe you disliked. However, it'd be good for you too: you'd learn to be a responsible person! Your parents don't hate you, and they certainly want to be with you! They just work a lot so you and your sister can have a nice life! That's another way of loving! But of course they won't let you be alone at home! You almost just killed yourself right now! You're the one who makes your parents worry for leaving you alone! It's not their fault or that of Miwa-Chan, it's your fault for being unable to prove them you're a responsible boy who can be alone by yourself! It's not that your sister don't let you do anything because she hates you, but because she loves you and is concerned about the things that you can do. You, a boy with no responsibility as far as you demonstrate to others, who lies and causes accidents. Seriously, you can do better than this!"

Miwa finished talking with the people and turned a worried face to her brother, though with surprise finding him crouched, hugging Naoko and looking in a contemplative and crying way in her direction. Her friend, making a discreet signal for Miwa to wait a moment, concluded:

"If you're able to prove it to them, they won't ask your older sister to be with you all the time, and you'll be free to do what you want in your home, as long as it's safe! And private classes are a way of developing responsibility and proving to your parents and to Miwa-Chan you're reliable! It's not they who have to let you free, it's you who need to prove them you can be free without hurting yourself, the others or causing problems. You brought it upon yourself, it's up to you to take on private classes or whatever and making amends. If you can do it, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to let you be by yourself, play video games and do what you like in your free time! They love you, after all. They just want you to be safe, and that's something you have to show them you're capable of, not the other way around."

From behind a cascade of tears, Tamotsu stared his concerned older sister standing close to where he almost suffered the accident. Surrounded by people who watched the scene, Miwa stood frozen, following her friend's discreet plead to the letter. The boy briefly turned to Naoko with an inquisitive look on his wet and ashamed face, as if asking what to do. In a confident and serene whisper, Naoko told him:

"Go. Show her some appreciation for all she does for you."

Turning back to face Miwa, her young brother hesitated. Looking embarrassed and afraid, he took many seconds to leave Naoko's arms and stand up. Crestfallen, he glimpsed over to all the spectators and closed his eyes. Walking at first, he ran the last few steps and hugged his sister's hips, hiding his crying face on her uniform. Miwa, not really knowing if she was surprised, concerned, angry, glad or what, held him too while looking thankful to Naoko. The boy, after rubbing his washed face on her clothes, ashamedly called her to lean close and, hiding his face from the surrounding people, vacillatingly whispered in her ear before going back to crying.

As she heard whatever the boy whispered, tears filled Miwa's eyes. The girl, crouching over a knee to be on the same height as her brother, tightened her grip, pulled his head near to hers and closed her eyes, all the water accumulated rolling down at once.

Standing up nearby, Naoko watched smiling the touching reunion while mentally repeating to herself "Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry". It's such a beautiful moment she felt even her frustration disappear. Tamotsu was a problem, but maybe she could find it in her heart to forgive the kid for being a kid. At first her eyes became wet too, but the girl managed to keep strong. All she did was casually rub her fingers around them as if she's sleepy or something and all the excess water was gone.

Though the moment she did that, she saw up close her two broken nails, painted red by blood. As if her brain said "Oh yes, forgot about it, thanks for reminding me to turn the pain back on", her fingers restarted hurting a lot. The girl, cringing and expressing disgust, started crying using the already stockpiled tears. A little due to the pain and a lot because her polished, marvelous nails she liked so much were ruined.

Scratch what she thought moments before, she'd never forgive that prick! Tamotsu should be happy Naoko didn't rip all of his fingers off for the crime he committed against her nails!

Training at the dojo with two broken nails, even though bandaged, was painful, but at least Naoko had an awesome story to tell. She'd not exactly save a boy's life because she's pretty sure the accident wouldn't have been fatal even if the car had hit Tamotsu, but at least she liked to think she prevented a broken bone or an even worse childhood traumatic experience. She also had a bruise from when she fell on the pavement and the school uniform she left at her dorm was in dire need of a washing machine. She had a lot to thank her master and her instructors for training her, and her friends and fellow karatekas for helping her develop her swiftness, reflexes and body conditioning. If she was any slower and she'd not be able to deter the boy before he's hit, and if she was any weaker the impact on her arms for stopping so abruptly could have injured her. She's as thankful as their peers were proud of her.

The only person who didn't look impressed was that woman who seemed to dislike her. Big surprise. Her eyes were cold and every time someone complimented Naoko for her doings, that ugly sourpuss woman looked even bitterer. Then again, that was to be expected.

In the locker room the woman, initially asking her casually about the incident, insinuated in a moment she couldn't get ahold of herself:

"I noticed everyone looked very proud of you. That's understandable, that's quite a feat after all. Only... has Yano-San any proofs of the claims she made about saving that boy? Because a pair of broken nails is not exactly proof of such great deeds."

All Naoko's happiness went to the drain, and all of her stockpiled rage against that idiot was revived in an instant. A faint knot tied up again in her chest as her desire to annihilate that woman with all the anger she'd accumulated boiled. The girl, not in a mood to be bitched around, replied brusquely and abruptly, turning a pointing finger right to the suddenly afraid woman:

"I don't need to prove anything about my life to you or anyone else. I know what I did, if you don't what to believe that's your problem. Also, this is the third time you're getting on my nerves. What's your problem with me? What did I do to you? Well, I gave you far too many chances. If you're unable to control your mouth, I have no reason to control mine too. Come."

Naoko put her clothes back on and left the locker room. Walking to her master, she finally told him about the events that occurred that day and of the other two instances where that woman had also acted with spite against her. One during her first day there, when she made Naoko faint after insinuating her previous master taught on an "average" dojo, and the other when Naoko had a problem with the gang leader Fumio, who threatened her after she'd seen in videos bad-mouthing him and his stupid goons to Daiki in the washhouse. At that time that woman told Naoko she couldn't expect to barge in other people's businesses and expect them to take her lightly, meaning the woman told the threats she suffered were justified.

Even though Naoko had never mentioned those occurrences clearly to Master Ban, he didn't seem surprised. The woman took some time to come out of the locker room, and though trying to look innocent at first, her face was so filled with terror she soon noticed she couldn't pretend she didn't do anything. At least she had some honor to tell the truth in a fearful and sad way once her master asked her if Naoko's accounts were true. Not that he looked distrustful, though.

In a calm way, he asked Naoko to leave him alone with the downcast woman. As soon as Naoko left, the old man turned to the pale, terrified female karateka and, calmly, told her:

"Kurosawa-San, during all those classes since Yano-San arrived I've asked you if you wanted to tell me if something was troubling you. You didn't. Only now someone did it for you, and it's worse than if you'd done it yourself. The first time, you judged her, made her faint and feel miserable, yet she told me nothing about you. The second one, she's being threatened, feeling desperate, and you worsened it. Yet still she didn't tell me anything. This time, she's sharing her happiness and her victory's laurels with others, and you put it under suspicion. Now she told me, and as such I'm obligated to see this matter through. I won't force you to tell me what's troubling you, but I can't let that happen again. If you can't open up with me, I'll have to find other solution, and I expect you to understand it, Kurosawa-San. So I'll ask you again: do you have anything troubling you that you want to talk about?"

Naoko returned to the locker room, only then feeling really alleviated. Her knot had once again disappeared, though at that time Naoko noticed it clearly. Every time that knot inside her chest was felt, she was under heavy pressure, fear or rage and every time she assumed a reactive, cold and efficient mindset where she couldn't care for others, but could solve her problems exemplarily. Well, at least this time in the dojo she's able, though at the Drama club, when her problem wasn't even real – Katsuro never really assaulted her to begin with – there was no possible solution, and she fell into a spiral of bad thinking, exaggerated criticisms and passive-aggressive acts. She'd try to be careful with her thoughts during particularly stressful days.

Even then, at that time she became radiant for finally being able to call that woman on her irritating, cowardly actions. For once Naoko was glad of her insensitive side, which was usually nasty even for her. It's unpleasant and reminded Naoko of her constant disputes at her parents' home, only back at her house it kicked in as soon as she got close to her mother or father, and had to take constant care not to overdo it. It was so common she hardly noticed it.

This time, though, it worked like it should. She got cold at the right time, solved the problem and the sensation went away before she could fall down on that spiral that eventually led to cruelty. Sure, not tolerating any frustration was hardly a good thing, but this time Naoko could actually forgive herself. That woman had committed the same mistake three times. Enough was enough. And doing so brought back all of Naoko's happiness back with interest. Of course, as cool as it'd been to save someone, Naoko still preferred they had employed Operation Free Miwa-Chan for Great Justice. It'd have spared her nails. All in all, though, it had still been a day to cherish.

About the time Naoko got back to her dorms and was waiting in the laundry for her school uniform and a couple other clothes to be cleaned her cellphone rang. Aratani told her a man claiming to be a journalist from a newspaper said he's writing an article about a kid being saved by an idol. The reporter mentioned he'd investigated the name of the boy in the school, talked with him and his sister and through them he got Naoko's name and a few facts about her. They didn't want to divulge her phone contact, but he found her agency. Aratani didn't want to let him have her phone number, but accepted to get in contact with her, get the information the journalist wanted and write it back to him. In essence, acting as a press officer for her.

Her producer asked Naoko briefly about what happened. She explained it, though getting apologetic about having two broken nails because of it. She thought he'd get mad, but Aratani wasn't too concerned. The only warning he gave her was to take care not to get a serious injury. Even then, he seemed proud of her, and said they could work her nails problem around with gloves during shows and with the magic of photo editing software for ads. Her acts would net her much more visibility than a few nails would, anyway. Aratani asked if she'd accept to answer a few questions the reporter had requested him to do, and Naoko gladly accepted.

Aratani seized the opportunity to give Naoko an overview about the contact with the press. His first and most important instruction was for the girl to never talk directly with a journalist before consulting her producer. He could provide her with guidance and speak in her stead if possible, preventing traps that could tarnish her image. If a journalist somehow got in contact with her, she was supposed to ask him or her to first speak with her producer and call him immediately. After that, he asked the questions, and while he did so, he gave her a few tips. Short and direct answers were preferred, both because the newsperson's time until the deadline was usually short and because the more she talked, the more she could fall into pitfalls or say things she'd regret.

If she did so, Aratani's tip was to ask the journalist to keep that off the record. Reporters had moral obligations and a code of ethics and conduct to follow, both with the general public and also to the person who provided information. Only the most unscrupulous journalists, a few of cheap tabloids, would not respect an off the record request.

Of course, since newspersons also had the public interest in mind, particularly important information someone told them in a slip of the tongue would catch their attention. They'd most likely respect the request to keep it off the records, but would investigate it and try to find another informant who confirmed that same data on the record. Still, if Naoko simply committed a mistake with no relevance to the public and asked the reporter to keep it off, he or she would certainly agree. That privilege was not to be abused, but to do it once or twice in an interview, as long as it didn't purposefully omit important information, was okay.

On a final and obvious tip, it's nonsensical to ask in a live interview to keep things off the records. Aratani said he'd train her for performing live interviews once it's deemed necessary, but until then she should simply avoid it. They're the most dangerous type of contact she could have with the press, although most of the time, the one with the best rewards.

Her producer told Naoko he wasn't expecting to be called by the press so soon and was planning to only go over such details at a later date, but he's happy about it. After inquiring her the rather simple and straightforward questions, Aratani asked if the boy was okay, just to be sure, and also how Naoko fared. Since they were already talking, he briefly mentioned he'd been on the agency of the twin idols Sakura and Harumi and would be getting paid by the company owner, that old man, to dedicate one hour per week during a few months to help them. It'd be a business consulting side job.

"I wish you could see the happiness in those girls' faces when we settled it," Aratani recalled, "Also, I wanted to make it a surprise, but might as well tell Naoko-Chan now: you'll have company during your dancing, singing and body language classes this Sunday. After all, we won't be paying this round, it's on the old geezer's tab. Don't worry about the twins, though, it's your classes, Naoko-Chan. They'll just tag along and try to learn something. Poor girls have only been to a few classes on a budget school, had lessons along with many other students and... ah... Well, you'll be able to talk with them on Sunday, they might tell Naoko-Chan what they told me and more. They desperately need some real help."

Naoko was overjoyed to hear about the twins getting some support and showing up next Sunday on her classes. As for her joy about Miwa's situation, it reached its plenitude even sooner, on the rainy Friday. Naoko had never seen the president so ecstatic. Before classes she called Naoko to talk in private and, bowing very gratefully, she gifted her a box of fine hazelnut-filled chocolates and a bottle of perfume that also had a complex smell with hazelnut traces.

"I wanted to give Naoko-Chan something useful for her job, but I don't know your numbers and, thus, couldn't get you clothes," Miwa eagerly explained, "And to give you any accessory seemed far too little, so I thought instead about giving you chocolates for your great assistance and sacrifice. Then I found this perfume and had the idea of coupling it with some chocolates made of hazelnuts too! I hope Naoko-Chan is not allergic to it! It's an extremely unworthy present for you invaluable intervention but please accept it! It's the least I can do to start repaying what you've done for me!"

"People should seriously stop downplaying amazing gifts! That's awesome! Much appreciated! Miwa-Chan, you're the best!" Naoko excitedly thanked her friend and received the gifts. After opening them and happily commenting a little about both, she turned back to the main topic and impatiently asked, "So, what about your brother?! About his private classes?!"

Miwa opened up a radiant smile that spoke by itself.

"I almost didn't even have to ask my parents for it! Tamotsu and I explained what happened, and of course my parents were mortified at first, but my younger brother asked me and them for forgiveness a lot, voiced us many things he said you told him about having responsibility, about deserving our trust to be alone and a couple of other things, and when I started to explain my father and my mother the idea of his private classes he agreed. He told them I deserved some free time and that he'd become responsible through his classes and never commit the same mistakes again. He surprised me with the maturity he showed. I still think he did that to escape being grounded for weeks, but he's still punished anyway. He won't be playing video games any time soon, among other things, but he seemed to understand what he'd done and accepted it without debating. And after he went to bed I had a talk with my parents and exposed them my point of view, with the arguments you mentioned. I even showed them that list of private teachers, if for anything, to demonstrate them I was already thinking about that before the incident of yesterday. And guess what?" Miwa's happiness reached a peak, "Starting next week I'll have free time from Monday till Friday and my parents will hire someone to be with my brother at least during Saturday! And if my brother behaves well, after some time we'll try leaving him by himself at home on Sunday! If it works, both he and I are permanently free!"

The two exhilarated girls commemorated intensely during the entire day. Miwa still apologized profusely for the trouble and for Naoko's nails, though, demonstrating great concern about how her friend would present shows like that, but Naoko had already talked with her producer about it. All she needed was a pair of gloves. Not the fingerless ones she had, but a simple one would suffice. Miwa promised to buy her a pair and even though Naoko said it wasn't necessary, her friend was determined to correct what she thought to be her fault.

Also, Friday was Physical Education day. The girls were conducted to the swimming pool, and even though Naoko waited for this day for a long time, she'd already debuted her swimming suit before and had to take her bandages off of her two swollen fingers and her broken nails. In order not to let it uneven the girl had unwillingly clipped all others, but she liked to have long nails. That was not how she wanted to look, so at first the girl wasn't too excited. In fact, she's embarrassed.

Her entire class was curious to know what had occurred, and though Naoko was hesitant to tell, Miwa took it upon herself and explained the incident to everyone, both before and during P.E. She even showed her classmates the website of a newspaper in which an article retold the story and presented her, Tamotsu's and Naoko's quotes among others. It made Naoko lose her shame of exposing her hurt hand, since most of her classmates were left awestruck by the events and promptly agreed that a pair of broken nails was a small price to pay for saving a kid. The ones who didn't manifest amazement were expected to do so as well – mainly Shiori, the handsome but standoffish and uninteresting Keiichi and that stupid clown, Sadao. In other words, everyone even remotely expected to be surprised was so.

After taking off her anklet and changing to her swimsuit Naoko sent the website news to her dojo friends, just in case some stupid woman tried to convince them she was lying, and left the cellphone along with her bag to go to class. The sound of the rain outside increased to a storm, though unlike a few of her colleagues who were afraid of strong winds, Naoko found it soothing. It helped her even more not to think about her embarrassing nails.

Like every other P.E. class, Naoko stood out even with two hurting fingers, mostly because her peers were, for the most part, clueless slowpokes. It's nice to discover all the trainings she'd been doing were paying off. What's more, even though Naoko had already used her swimsuit before, it's the first time in the year for most other girls, so yet again comments about the prettiness of a few students abounded. Just in case the ironing-board flat Shiori hadn't already suffered enough being friendless and not attracting any attention to her while Naoko shone bright. Again.

And to make it worse, the informally second most beautiful girl of the class according to many, Sayuri, as well as the third one, Miwa, also received many praises, both part of Naoko's "group". Akiyama Sayuri was a brunette with a simple but beautiful hime, or "princess", haircut – in its most basic form consisting of an even fringe over the eyebrows and long, straight hair with bangs falling over the breasts. Sayuri sat close to Shiori by the windows. While she certainly wasn't the closest friend Naoko had, she was one of the many who usually stood close to hear the idol's funny stories, talk and laugh. In practice, since most of the female students and quite a few male ones did that, chances were that the prettiest girls would be in that big group, while Shiori's small one would be left in the shadows. It didn't help, either, that Shiori's group only had one member. She had little reason to commemorate.

Since even that semi-Olympic, twenty-five meters long pool only had six lanes, in theory not everyone could be in the water at the same time, but that was circumvented by creativity. The teacher first had the class stand around the pool and reminded them of four primary swimming strokes: front crawl, breaststroke, butterfly stroke and backstroke. After, he instructed the girls to divide themselves in trios according to their surnames and detach a few lane separators so half of the pool was undivided. As the trios were alternately put in the three remaining lanes to practice the strokes, the remaining students were given water polo balls to train tosses and catches.

Along with Miwa, Sayuri and a couple other girls, Naoko had fun for half an hour tossing balls, splashing water on each other, diving under one another to startle unsuspecting friends and so on. Some girls, like Naoko, finished the stroke training in a blink, while others took forever. Shiori was both a slow swimmer and had no reason to return to the playfield, since she had no one to play with. Each student had to swim one stroke style each twenty-five meters, meaning they had to perform two full laps. It wasn't too much to ask, but the girl performed it in almost thrice the time Naoko later came to do. Unfortunately the swimming pool wasn't infinite and sooner or later Shiori had to conclude her sluggish traverse. When she returned to the undivided section of the pool, she grabbed another ball while looking around anxiously before resuming to "play" alone in the most uninterested way ever seen in a person.

The girl was so good at keeping a low profile that no one noticed her for a long time. Only Naoko did so when she came back from the two lap rush. She was one of the last students to be summoned due to her family name being Yano, one of the last syllables in both syllabaries' sequences, A-Ka-Sa-Ta-Na-Ha-Ma-Ya-Ra-Wa (and there was also the standalone "N" syllable, but contrary to the Na one, there was no use for it at the beginning of a name or surname). And similar to the two Japanese syllabaries, Hiragana and Katakana, the letter "Y" happened to be second to last in the Roman alphabet used in most Western countries, so not even by other standards was she free from the last few positions unless they took into consideration not her family name, but her actual name, which started with "N". In Japan, however, that rarely occurred.

It was also for that reason that Naoko usually sat in the back of the class, since her previous school, like most, divided students according to their surnames. As such, they were aligned following the sequence. First A, I, U, E, O, then Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko and so on. By the time the list reached Ya, Yu and Yo – one of the two only syllables not covering all five vowel sounds in modern Japanese, the other one being Wa, with Wo being the only usual variant – there were only a few chairs left for Naoko to be assigned to. With time she got used to it and liked the privacy the back of the classroom promoted. Her current school employed the same methodology when possible, but once the chairs were distributed at the first day, new students had to fit in wherever spaces were left, generally by other students previously enrolled but who transferred like Naoko did. The same way the girl left an unoccupied chair on her previous school, someone who sat close to Miwa transferred away, opening up the seat Naoko now occupied even though her surname's initial syllable, one of the last of the sequence, contrasted with that of those around her, mostly involving the syllables for Na and Ha variants – Horiuchi Miwa being an example.

As such, Naoko was among the last trio. Only when she finished the two laps and returned to the freestyle zone she noticed Shiori all alone, looking down in the dumps as usual. No matter how much Naoko disliked the timid girl's attitudes, seeing her sad always generated mixed feelings for unknown reasons. Swimming quickly to Miwa and calling her in private, she pointed out whispering:

"Miwa-Chan? We've been having such a blast so far I just noticed someone who could've used some fun, apparently."

The class president, on one of the happiest days in her life until then due to the positive aftermath of her younger brother's incident the previous afternoon, was left unsurprisingly concerned once she found Shiori far away, looking depressed while diving and trying to drag the floating ball with her. Naoko, in a low voice, commented:

"I think we lost a golden opportunity here to draw her closer."

"That was a grave oversight of mine," Miwa acknowledged with a worried look on her face. Naoko, in turn, corrected, "An oversight of us all. I wonder how much time left we have in class. Maybe we can still invite her to play with us."

Nodding, Miwa agreed in high spirits:

"That's a good idea! Even if it's only for a few minutes, it's worth it!"

The exultant class president departed hastily, but only a few strokes away she's interrupted by the calling of the teacher. As the two other girls that swum along with Naoko in the last trio finally finished their laps, the coach asked everyone to remove the lane dividers and ready two small goals, one on each side of the around twelve meters width pool so the girls could play water polo during the last fifteen minutes of class.

"Fine, we'll call her to play with us next P.E. class! It's a promise!" Miwa assured to her friend while swimming back. Naoko suggested they got Shiori on their team if they could, but not even that was ultimately possible. The instructor divided the twenty one girls who've attended class in two teams, divided in alphabetical order according to the surnames, as usual. And there were a lot of girls with surnames starting with the first few syllables of the syllabary sequence, A, Ka, Sa and Ta, like Akitomi Shiori and Akiyama Sayuri. As such, Horiuchi Miwa and Yano Naoko were names left for the second team. Also, since the two were among the tallest girls and their group got two of the quickest students, Naoko and a girl called Wada Masuyo who was also part of the Swimming club, the teacher left the teams uneven. Eleven students whose surnames started from A to Ta formed the first team while the ten left were assembled in the second one.

Even then, it wasn't too hard. Miwa had poor physical condition and reflexes, but being tall she managed to protect the goal well while Naoko and Masuyo scored points one after another. The other girls were not too helpful, but the opponents were also not too much of a problem. Shiori, especially, was so clueless she actually disturbed her own team and unwillingly helped her opponents by preventing her teammates from reaching the ball due to poor positioning, deflecting it in all the wrong directions, unintentionally tossing it to her adversaries when she tried to pass it to her partners and so on. She was left even more miserable than when she played by herself because her teammates criticized her every time the scared girl caught the ball or fled from it just so she didn't commit any more mistakes, but in doing so allowing her opponents to catch it in her stead.

In all fairness, Naoko's team also had one girl who couldn't keep up with the game, though for other reasons. Yamasaki Kayo was one of the extremely introverted girls Miwa once said that concerned her a bit. The girl, though not as secluded as Shiori, only sporadically tried to mingle with others. Kayo was the only student who had no school bag, just a transparent plastic bag where she stored her textbooks and where she brought a big slice of fish meat with rice wrapped in paper towel, in lack of a lunchbox. She wasn't a bad player, but felt dizzy during the match and was spared. As such, Naoko's team lost one player. Still, with Shiori being so awful that she basically played against her own team, the game was not that difficult. The match ended thirteen against six, favorably to Naoko's team, and that's only in fifteen minutes.

When the game was over Shiori was the first one to get out of the pool, amidst a commotion concerning the girl that felt dizzy. Naoko, Miwa, Sayuri, Masuyo and many others, concerned about Kayo, surrounded her to assess what happened. Despite her skin being not that fair, Kayo was pale after fainting. The timid girl was paralyzed when she found herself being the center of the attention and her pale figure got even more so.

Kayo practically said nothing about what happened and merely told her teacher it wasn't that uncommon for her to feel lightheaded. The coach mentioned he didn't remember seeing any medical exams from students on that class labeling them unfit for physical exercises, but just to be sure he'd keep an eye out for her on the next few P.E. classes.

It took Miwa some time to notice Shiori was nowhere to be found. When she and Naoko returned to the lockers room, there was also no one there. Confused, Miwa risked:

"I take Shiori-Chan is already gone back to the classroom, right?"

"No way. Listen closely," Naoko replied, making a pause afterward. The sound of thunders and howling winds came from outside, "It's almost a deluge out there. We're all trapped here for the time being. We'll find Shiori-Chan by the entrance, no need to hurry."

Like always, Shiori was the first to slip away to the lockers room and attempt to get back under the heavy rain and winds to the main building once the class was over. She hated to see laughing people getting together and sharing umbrellas so others didn't have to go through the trouble of opening theirs. Also, she liked rain. In the Poetry and Literature club she regularly wrote poems about it and texts that alluded to it were some of her favorites.

Only in her hurry to get away she tried to cross the small gardens that separated the sports facilities and the backdoors of the main school building under strong winds. A powerful gust lifted her small umbrella and forced it sideways. Not only Shiori got exposed to the rain, but her desperate struggle to get ahold of her umbrella bent the fragile object. The girl finally got to the main building soaked, with nothing to shelter her once classes were over if the downpour continued and even more miserable than before. To make it worse, since all her classmates were isolated in the pool and the roofed court areas for almost thirty minutes due to the tempest, the next lessons got delayed, rendering Shiori's brave efforts useless and leaving the girl forlorn in the otherwise empty classroom. Not that she cared.

She dried herself up in the restroom with the towel she brought to the P.E. class, but her clothes remained somewhat soggy. For the most part it wasn't too big of a deal for her, but she couldn't stand to have dank socks and shoes. No matter how hard she tried, though, it's no use: even twisting her drenched socks was not enough to completely remove the water. The grey curtain of rain that covered the windows by the side of her seat and hid the city beyond was her only solace. It's pretty in its own way. It's not only photogenic, but she also couldn't see any people through it, which was a godsend by itself.

The lonely girl by the window was noticed by her classmates as they returned to the classroom once the rain lightened, though most were too concerned for being late to care. Naoko and Miwa, however, were too taken aback by the deplorable state of the melancholic girl to pay no mind. The two exchanged worried looks, and the class president commented:

"Shiori-Chan looks even more helpless than I thought she would. Naoko-Chan, we should do something. That girl really ran away from everyone under a storm."

"Does she hate to be close to the others so much?" Naoko commented, "Well, now we know she's swift _and_ determined. Let's meet her once the..." she stopped, looking disappointed, "I forgot I have the Athletics club after class."

"Let's meet her tomorrow, then." Miwa suggested, though both girls, looking at the inconsolable student by the window, felt she'd need help sooner than that. Naoko stated, "We... can do that, but... Shiori-Chan looks so hopeless... To tell you the truth, if I had any hope the talk would end in five minutes or so I'd gladly meet her once classes were over, even if I got a little late for the Athletics club, but... It's Shiori-Chan, after all. I've no idea how to even approach her, every time I do that in the Drama club she gets so sad and defensive I have no hopes of getting through it in five minutes..."

The two sat down on their respective chairs with pensive expressions. Suddenly Miwa turned back and telegraphically announced:

"Naoko-Chan, leave this to me. I'll try talking to her again when we're dismissed."

A few students seemed to always disappear during breaks, Miwa came to notice. Though Shiori usually didn't, the girl wearing glasses was always the first to flee from her peers whenever she could once lessons ended. As such, she was careful to pack her textbooks and pencil case back on her bag as soon as classes were over. Thanking Naoko again for her help, the class president left on a rush, trying to remember all she planned to say.

Shiori stood a few moments watching the weak, constant rain pour down outside the entrance doors. Looking down to her bent, almost unusable umbrella in her hands, the girl sighed. Raising the broken object, she left the lockers area, starting to tread the damp pavement that connected the main building to the gates. At first one of her shoulders started to get wet by the drizzle due to how messed up her umbrella was, but to her surprise a larger object overshadowed her, giving her shelter.

A bigger umbrella was held over her by her breathless class president. Panting, Miwa asked for a second to regain her breath and questioned:

"I urgently need... to start exercising... now that I have... free time. How is Shiori-Chan... able to get away... so quickly when... classes are over?"

"P-Pre... President H-Horiuchi?!" startled, Shiori whispered. Seeing the beautiful girl nearly twenty centimeters taller than her get close, under the same umbrella, made her freeze. Once she regained her breath Miwa replied:

"I know we almost never talked before, but we study together for seven years now. There's no need for formalities, Shiori-Chan. Please call me Miwa, I'd prefer it this way," Finding the destroyed umbrella the dumbfound girl held, she told her, "We tried looking for you when the Physical Education class was over, but to no avail. So Shiori-Chan really attempted to go back to the classroom under that tempest?"

Following Miwa's eyes to the broken umbrella she held, Shiori's eyes saddened and, briefly hesitating, she nodded. Lowering it and trying to close the object without success, the girl wearing hazy, wetted glasses cautiously questioned with her almost child-like voice spoken softly and shyly as usual:

"Does Pres... erm, does... Mi... Miwa-Chan... need something?"

The visage of the short girl looking at her with tense eyes from behind her glasses, clouded by humidity, while holding her broken umbrella with nervous hands was something to pity, but all the while it was also so cute Miwa wanted to hug her. Smiling tenderly, she denied it:

"No, I don't need anything, thank you. I do, however, wanted to talk to you. Is Shiori-Chan on a hurry?"

Looking as if she tried to predict the talk so as to choose between "yes" or "no", the short girl took a few seconds to timidly say:

"No. Did... something happen?"

The way the girl looked surprised and anxious, it's as if she's expecting bad news. Miwa, perceiving that, tried to ease her fears with a kindhearted smile even though she was also slightly nervous. She'd thought about what to tell her during any free time she had during classes and wanted it to work.

"Don't worry, nothing happened. It's just that I wanted to... talk." In her imagination it looked better than that. She pretended to be Naoko talking to others to see how would that friendly girl pierce Shiori's hard shell, but all she discovered with it was that it's easier for a cheerful person to make others open up just by being herself and speaking the truth. As such, after being at a loss for words for a few seconds, Miwa, who was radiant to begin with, breathed deeply and played it simple, "In reality, we've been itching to call you to join us for quite some time now."

"Us?" Shiori repeated, perplexed and very afraid to say that in a way Miwa could hear. In turn, the class president assured:

"Oh, ah... Yes. "Us": Naoko-Chan and me."

When Shiori heard Naoko's name her expression got a little sadder even though she tried to make it remain unaltered. Miwa, detecting it, explained:

"It's Naoko-Chan who first called my attention to how..." she wanted to say "sad", but that was far too direct, so she opted to try and circle her way to get to it, "...to how Shiori-Chan seemed a bit lonely. I always knew you're kind of introverted, so I never really paid too much... ah... attention, but Naoko-Chan, being a new student and not accustomed to our class at the time, quickly told me she found you a little... sad. That she felt bad for you."

Shiori was taken aback. She observed around to see if they would go back to school or to the gates, but was unable to move the class president with her without asking for it and looking like she tried to run away. Like such, holding her position no matter how uncomfortable it was to be under the same umbrella with her class president, the girl murmured, looking down:

"Is... that so? I'm thankful, but... there's no need to... worry. Though I... don't know... Me and Yano-San are also part of the Drama club, and... she never told me anything..." Suddenly concerned, she added nervously, "I-I'm not saying Miwa-Chan is making that up! Just that I've never thought Yano-San would... want such things, since I've never seen her..."

The girl with glasses stopped uttering things and looked embarrassed. The class president knew Naoko more than once looked concerned for Shiori and had told her about the things that happened in the Drama club. About why she was reticent to join it and how were the meetings, the way the club president looked interested in any help she could get to bring that timid girl out and so on. To see Shiori put that under doubt was not nice of her, though Miwa could forgive the girl for trying to correct her words. Still, perceiving her interlocutor sounded slightly bitter despite her best efforts to cover it, she lost some of the shame to say things directly to that girl. Miwa replied in a way to break the girl's defenses, the only apparent way to make the conversation flow:

"Naoko-Chan wanted to invite you to join us during breaks, but she never found a way to do that. In fact, she tells me she thinks you get sadder when she's around, so Naoko-Chan is always hesitant to talk to you. I remember she told me she kind of wanted to get on the Drama club because that could help her in her job, but because you looked so down when close to her, she decided not to, and only remade her decision because she needed a few extra hours of rehearsing and the school administration told her the Drama club was the only student party that could provide her that. And once she got there, the club president required her to be part of it in order to get some time to use the theater. Otherwise, she wouldn't have even bothered just so as not to make you look sadder. She had an Athletics club meeting now, but she wanted to talk to you as much as I did. Really, Shiori-Chan, you may not believe me, but we're both concerned about you."

Listening to the class president and recalling the idol's reluctance to accepting Takumi's invitation, the long negotiation between Chiasa and Naoko's producer by cellphone and other situations, Shiori's eyes gradually turned down to the ground. By that time many students were already leaving, so the two started to slowly walk away too. Watching the raindrops break the puddles' surfaces, the girl with glasses appeared to be extremely puzzled and embarrassed. In a faint voice, almost impossible to hear amidst the rain, she inquired in a self-deprecating way:

"But... why would Naoko-Chan... be concerned about me? Oh, and you too, Miwa-Chan. Why? What could you too... possibly want from someone like me to make you worry so?"

Looking away, to the grayness of the landscape covered by drizzle, the class president thought about it for a while before unsurely attempting to respond:

"Why wouldn't we be concerned about you? It's not a matter of wanting something from you. Wouldn't Shiori-Chan also want to see a particularly sad-looking person around brighten up? Or help a timid person get close to the others if you could?"

The way Shiori took a long time to nod, as if the staggered girl had a hard time finding inside her the sympathy to genuinely answer positively to whether or not she would help people got Miwa a bit more concerned. Thinking about it, though, Shiori possibly needed so much help she had no eyes for others. Miwa couldn't blame the unfortunate girl, she was the same regarding her own brother until last day. Deprived of freedom, she couldn't feel anything but hatred toward Tamotsu, now she could see it, and to think about helping him just to see her brother happy, without second thoughts, was hard back then. And that's because he was her brother, not some stranger.

So as not to put unnecessary strain on Shiori, Miwa continued, speaking from her heart as the two left the gates and started walking aimlessly at the sidewalk:

"I can't really explain it. We just want you to be happier. To be with us, join our talks, be friends... I can't prove you that we mean it because there's no way to present our true feelings, just the actions we take based on them, but I can prove you that we tried to make you join us before. We even tried twice to talk to you after P.E. classes but couldn't find you, and I came to talk to you once because I was concerned, though I admit I was quite invasive. I ask that you forgive me for that. At the time I didn't know what to say to you." Pausing, she revealed, "Actually, even though I used our last few classes thinking about it, I still don't know what to say."

Shiori's ashamed face brightened up as if recalling the only time Miwa asked if she wanted any help eased her mind somehow. She glanced anxiously to her company, and seeing Miwa look distressed, holding an umbrella that sheltered Shiori even though she had no obligation to do so, made the girl's eyes water from behind her blurred glasses. The ends of her lips, getting a bit shaky, turned upwards in a small but genuine-looking smile that warmed Miwa on the inside.

"So, where are you going to, Shiori-Chan?" Miwa lightened up the conversation once she noticed her company was unable to say anything, "I'm going to take my younger brother at his school, but if where you're going is close enough, I can take you there."

Almost too moved to talk, Shiori whispered amidst sudden hiccups:

"No, please. There's no... *hic*, need, I don't want to bother you, Mi... *hic*, Miwa-Chan! I usually go to the subway, but... *hic*, you can leave me here, the drizzle is weak and I'm already a little damp to... *hic*, to begin with! Don't worry, I..."

"What? I won't leave Shiori-Chan under the rain!" Miwa protested, "I can take you to the nearest subway station, I think. My brother can wait a few minutes."

As the two walked along the streets, Shiori found a convenience store and her eyes sparkled. She hadn't thought about that before and would've probably walked home under her broken umbrella without a problem, but now that she was with her class president it made her want to ease her classmate's self-imposed task. Relieved, the girl anxiously declared:

"That konbini! I can buy a new umbrella there! This way Miwa-Chan doesn't have to burden herself with me! We're close too, so there's no need for you to bother crossing the street, I can get there easily!" Halting unexpectedly, the girl bowed far too deeply for someone merely expressing gratitude to a classmate for taking her a few meters under an umbrella, "Thank you, Miwa-Chan!"

Turning back once she saw Shiori stopping and getting under the drizzle to bow, Miwa quickly sheltered again the timid girl. She'd suddenly become immensely grateful and thoughtful, almost as if Miwa had been the first person in her life to show any kindness toward her. As if Shiori already cared far more for that compassionate person than she did for herself, or as if she's far too worried to burden Miwa and risk losing her sympathy. For a girl so collected and hard to read like Shiori, that much was uncharacteristically easy to spot. Refusing to let her go, the class president insisted:

"There's no way I'd let Shiori-Chan cross under the rain. Like you said, it's close, it'll be no hassle to take you there." Considerately, she added, "Unless you don't want me around. I can understa..."

"No! No, nothing like that! I really want Miwa-Chan around, please don't think otherwise!" With eyes tightly shut Shiori abruptly interrupted her, the very thought of being misunderstood as not wanting Miwa nearby too much to even let her hear the complete sentence before replying.

Once the panicky girl finished her blind objection and opened again her nervous eyes, she found Miwa facing her surprised. She'd never seen the girl with glasses acting so resolutely. Regardless of the shock, it also filled the already radiant girl with overwhelming happiness, so after she recovered, Miwa smiled beamingly.

The timid girl, losing her concerned countenance, blushed and embarrassedly lowered her face. The class president, covering her mouth with her free hand, giggled warmly and that put the tense shy girl at rest.

Cautiously glancing up to her company's face as if to assess if everything was still okay, Shiori quickly turned her sights back to the wet ground and bashfully smiled back.

"Thanks again for the invitation!" Rin radiantly replied as the two bid each other farewell, "Rin will talk to Rin's parents to see if they let Rin watch Naoko-Chan's show! Rin apologizes in advance if they don't... but Rin will try her best to convince them! I'll tell you by tomorrow's training how it went! Yay, a real show! Thanks-thanks!"

Leaving Rin once the Athletics club training was over, again in the swimming pool in lieu of the dampened racetracks, Naoko made her way to the theater. As she opened its big doors, she found a single person in the whole auditorium, already sitting and staring blankly at the stage. Chiasa smiled when she saw Naoko, though it's a tense, polite and not really happy grin. Seeing her, the class president stood up and went talk to her, mentioning:

"Naoko-Chan, good afternoon. I want to show you something."

Changing gears from the lighthearted, joyful laugh-fest it was to be with Rin like always, Naoko remembered she had something to apologize for.

"Good afternoon! Huh... Chiasa-Senpai? Why are you here?"

Firmly, the club president replied without getting into details:

"I told Naoko-Chan I'd watch every rehearsal. I won't leave you alone."

Looking embarrassed, Naoko rested her bag on a nearby chair and took a deep breath.

"Chiasa-Senpai, I need to apologize for what I did last Wednesday."

"No, there's no need for it, I understand your troubles and you're righ..." the club president started to dismiss it but Naoko ashamedly maintained her speech, "No, I need. Please listen. I'm sorry for having acted that way during our last meeting. I awaited our next meeting since then just so I could apologize for it. I overreacted. I was... scared by Katsuro-Senpai. His creepy smile scares me in a way I can't even begin to describe, so when I got here and found he'd joined the Drama club, I got a little paranoid. But..."

"That's no paranoia of yours," Chiasa interrupted gravely, "That boy had many years to join the Drama club and he never did. I know he's mortally afraid of being in public, especially when presenting something. A mere school project to be exposed in front of the class is enough to make him panic. I found it very strange when he decided to join us, but was happy for it at first. Thinking back, though, he joined us the same day I committed the mistake of talking about your great help to our club to a friend, and he spread the word to our classmates. Perhaps Katsuro-Kun overheard it. And Naoko-Chan was right about fearing something. The more I think about how different, how... hopeful... he was around you, the more I fear he really acts differently with you than he always did. I'm... scared he's not the boy I always knew when he's around you. I'm the one who needs to apologize here."

Naoko started to worry again after all she heard. It took her a lot of willpower to control her fright and say:

"Still, I had no right to do what I did to Chiasa-Senpai. And... to be fair, even not to Katsuro-Senpai. I mean, he's... he seems a little... afraid around me... so I don't..."

"There's no need to be humble here, I can see Naoko-Chan makes Katsuro-Kun and many other boys look far more than just "a little" afraid," the club president said, "Katsuro-Kun just seems more afraid than others and even more than what's usual to him, to the point where he sank into his seat whenever you stared down at him."

Getting even more ashamed, Naoko agreed:

"Yes. I know that. I need to apologize to him for that too."

"For what? Smiling to him?" Chiasa questioned, and before Naoko could explain herself, the club president revealed, "Don't bother, that's not a crime. To be frank, despite petrifying him, you made Katsuro-Kun happier than I've ever seen him. Disappointed, but happy nonetheless. After Naoko-Chan left that day, I stood watching him for almost ten minutes in the gates. He's never one to talk, but that time he did, mentioning it should be rough for an idol not to be seen walking with a boy and said he'd give you time to get to the dorms and we started to talk. Never mind his naiveté..."

Scratching her head, Naoko briefly stated while she still had the chance:

"Chiasa-Senpai probably noticed I did that just so he didn't follow me, but if there's anything I can say in my defense is that I didn't make that up. My producer actually told me to be careful with being seen alone with a boy. It's a real thing among idols, apparently, and unscrupulous reporters from gossip tabloids can really destroy my reputation if I'm not cautious. The thing is that he told me to be mindful of that only after I become famous, which I'm currently not. So I didn't lie to him, but yes, I kind of did too..."

Astonished, the club president was left speechless for a second.

"Wow, I... didn't know that. Must... really be tough. Maybe Katsuro-Senpai wasn't really being as naïve as I though, just noticing things I didn't. Paired with Naoko-Chan perceiving him to be a threat to you while I took awfully long to do that, it is happening more often than I thought it would. I always took pride in my ability to evaluate the character of people and seeing through lies, but... apparently I'm not as good in it as I thought." Getting back on topic, she continued, "Anyway. That night he looked very happy. And I don't mean smiling bigger. I kind of felt some frankness in it as Katsuro-Kun spoke to me. He never speaks to anybody, but he did so. Praised you a lot and said he trusted your ways could really fill a crowd with joy. In a roundabout way, he said he enjoyed your rehearsal a lot, and I believe that much. He's thrilled, like he's watching a real show. He's actually thankful for your smiles and appeals directed to him. So... you don't need to apologize to him for frightening him or anything."

Naoko had to admit Katsuro had some strange ways of twisting facts. So not only he didn't notice last rehearsal the girl was cruelly picking on him by giving the scared boy too much attention while on stage, but he enjoyed when she posed and sang while staring at him, even though it made him pale and fearful. He's too naïve for his age – or at least Naoko preferred to think this way than to imagine he actually knew she's being unkind in a twisted way and liked it – but in a sense, his compliments were heartwarming. Naoko embarrassedly revealed:

"I knew he looked afraid of me. In a sense, making Katsuro-Senpai look scared of me made me at peace, since I was just as much afraid of him, so I... picked on him during all my rehearsal. And so afraid he was, I believe he'd... not be able to... you know, do anything to me like I originally feared. That's why I wanted to apologize to him. But it also made me think: if he fears me so much and shows some respect like he did by the gates that night, I imagine... I ought to give him at least a chance, like Chiasa-Senpai asked me to. So that's why I'm also sorry for not listening to you. I was too frightened at that time to think clearly, I... I'm sorry." Lowering her voice after bowing, she mentioned, "Chiasa-Senpai granted me the opportunity to rehearse in this incredible theater and helped me so much, and I... did that to you. I'm... very ashamed. Please, there's no need to lose your time watching me rehearse! I know six hours every week is a lot of time to spend like this, so please don't feel obliged to do that! I believe in you when you said Katsuro-Senpai is not a threat, or at least I'll... I'll... I'll give him a chance to prove that!"

For a girl who was known for saying what she was thinking without hesitation, it sure took a lot of bravery for Naoko to admit her own mistakes. Chiasa seemed pleasantly surprised, though. Bowing a little, she retorted:

"I'm the one who needs to thank you for all you're doing to the Drama club, Naoko-Chan. Also... thanks for understanding. I've been thinking about it too and since Katsuro-Kun looked so respectful and dutiful about you that night while he talked to me by the school gates, I think he'd also accept to leave half an hour or so before the end of the rehearsal. Just due to that same reason of idols not being alone with boys. Even though there's no way a reporter would break inside of here to snap photos, we can just say other students could get jealous and spread false rumors. I think he's naïve enough to fall for that. I would not go back on my promise to stay here with you were you not to free me from it, but that'd be one more security measure."

The club president's eyes glowed bright as the girl recalled:

"Oh, I'd forgotten I still have something I want to show Naoko-Chan! Please follow me!"

The senior student conducted Naoko to the backstage woman's restroom and, with a slight bowing gesture, invited Naoko to enter. The girl, getting apprehensive, did so while mentioning she's not usually too fond of mysteries. Still, when she opened the door a small bell attached to the doorframe rang, immediately announcing someone was coming it. Smiling, Naoko turned on the lights to see the new addition better, and when she did so, the previously dimly lit small ambient was brightened blindly by new sets of lamps. Now not only it was possible to know if someone got in, but the illumination system was fantastical.

Seeing Naoko look amazed, the cheerful Chiasa explained:

"It's a lot of money your agency paid us, so it's only fair to invest a little bit of it this way. Also now each booth has a lock on the inside. I also put a heavy, wooden-handle plunger on every one, in case someone needs to unclog a toilet bowl or smack a grinning face with it. I got a little paranoid here with the smacking part, but it's there in any case. If something really happens and there's no immediate need to club meek boys resembling Katsuro-Kun into submission, though, you can just as well lock yourself up and call for help from relative security. It's a couple of improvements that benefit us all, too, so it's totally fine!" On a witty remark, she added while touching her right temple with the index finger, "Just help me tell all the girls not to mention it to the boys, okay? Let's say I just kinda forgot to improve their restroom like I did to our own... Not that they'd need it anyway, save for the new lights maybe."

Rain continued to pour on Saturday, but Naoko was exultant to meet Rin and attempt a new gig. Miwa almost looked happier, though, which was the first thing Naoko pointed out once classes were over. The class president, smiling, invited her to the windows that led to the outside. Naoko looked confused for a while, but complied. Maybe Miwa wanted to talk to Sayuri.

As she followed her friend, Miwa waved in a politely but friendly manner to Shiori. The shy girl, for the first time packing her bag without hurry, glanced doubtfully to the idol by the side of the class president, but quickly turned back to Miwa and timidly waved back. Taking her bag, the girl wearing glasses hesitantly approached the two. Even if she still looked very anxious, reserved, walked with her head down and stepped carefully, for once the introverted student had a hopeful look in her eyes.

As Shiori nervously stood in front of the two, Miwa greeted her:

"Good afternoon, Shiori-Chan!"

The bashful girl, awkwardly holding her own hands in front of her body, whispered with a shy smile:

"Good afternoon, Miwa-Chan!" Looking reticently to the dumbfound Naoko, she added, stuttering, "G-Good a-afternoon... Yano-San."

Naoko didn't answer immediately because she was shedding rainbows from her mouth like a waterfall. First she fell on the ground in ecstasy, and then she choked on the rainbows and turned her head sideways. Then the classroom was flooded by rainbows. Only when she snapped out of her amazement did the girl greeted her back, awestruck:

"G-good afternoon Shiori-Chan!" Suddenly worrying she'd replied on the automatic pilot, she corrected herself, "I mean, Akitomi-San!" Turning back to her cheerful ways, she proceeded, "Please call me Naoko!"

"Ah... ah... P-please call me by my name too!" Shiori replied, shocked. Seeing Naoko's eyes sparkle with happiness, the timid girl bowed while apologizing in an extremely low, cute child-like voice, "I... I'm s-sorry for... causing concerns to Miwa-Chan and... and N-Naoko-Chan. Miwa-Chan told me yesterday that... that Naoko-Chan... tried to... to..."

Shiori had so much difficulty talking there, so afraid and embarrassed she was, that Miwa softly interrupted her to help, happily picking up from where the shy girl halted:

"I told Shiori-Chan yesterday about how concerned you were about her too, Naoko-Chan. That many times you wanted to invite her to join us, but that Naoko-Chan never knew how to do that since Shiori-Chan always looked so sad and tense when you were nearby."

Astounded, Naoko smiled effortlessly to the two and reassured:

"Oh, you don't need to be sorry for concerning us! I'm the one who should apologize for never having found a way to talk to Shiori-Chan!"

Shiori timidly dismissed it, claiming in her shy voice that Naoko found so cute:

"No, no, I... I also never let... an opening to be approached either. My... older sister always tells me this."

Miwa was almost interrupting the streak of apologies of the two when Naoko exclaimed:

"Oh, Shiori-Chan has an older sister?!"

"Ah... yes." The girl affirmed, "An older and a younger one, actually. My... older sister is nineteen, my younger one is fourteen."

"And how is it?!" Naoko asked, excitedly. Miwa, seeing Shiori looked a little uncomfortable, mediated the conversation, "Naoko-Chan, by the way you ask it's as if you're expecting Shiori-Chan to tell us she has fun every single moment with them. That's... not how most sibling work in real life."

Looking disappointed, Naoko said:

"Aw... Sorry again, Shiori-Chan. I'm an only daughter, so I sometimes wished to have a sibling imagining how awesome it'd be to play with him or her and talk and... play! And not being the only one scolded in my home! And I recently met a pair of twins that supported each other so much I could only wish I had that kind of company back at home in Shimabara! But... maybe that's not how things really are most of the time, right?"

Seeing how excited and starry-eyed Naoko seemed when imagining a perfect life with siblings, Shiori smiled faintly. Letting that question unanswered, the girl mustered the will to ask how was Shimabara, and Naoko started to reply before suddenly remembering she had the Athletics club training to attend. Excusing herself and promising to tell the girl that some other time, she's almost leaving when Miwa called her.

Taking a beautifully enveloped package from her bag, the class president gave it to Naoko, explaining to the confused girl and Shiori, just so she wasn't left envious:

"Naoko-Chan actually broke two nails because of my younger brother, just to show how siblings can be horrible sometimes. I'm indebted to you for saving him and helping me. And I'm really sorry for you not being able to expose your nails on stage. I told Naoko-Chan I'd buy you a pair of gloves, didn't I? It's a very simple and dull pair, but please accept it!"

Meaning, not a simple and dull pair at all, Naoko discovered it after thanking Miwa on her way out. The gift was actually a stunning pair of elbow-long, faux leather black gloves with three belt-like strappings that could either fasten the arms or be left hanging for embellishment. It also had a zipper, but Naoko would've never imagined its purpose without looking at the package. Apparently people folded the opening of the gloves for a stylish look, and it'd not be possible without the zipper. So many fastening systems looked overkill to Naoko otherwise, but she's surely impressed by its beauty. It also made her think that, unlike Miwa and many others who regularly bought presents for thanking or apologizing, Naoko hadn't even given a hairpin to Chiasa for showing she's sorry. In fact, she hardly gave anything to anyone, which was something she would ponder about why...

...if it wasn't for the fact that in less than two minutes she's already having fun with Rin in the Athletics club and conveniently forgetting about dreary self-reflection subjects. Her blond friend was exhilarated with the news she had, that she disclosed it in the lockers room:

"When Rin asked Rin's father to be allowed to watch Naoko-Chan's show, he initially refused to consent. Father-San is very worried about Rin going to places Rin don't know with people he doesn't know. He's very protective. Rin tries to understand him, but Rin was so sad Father-San promised Rin he'd talk with the managers where he works and try to invite Naoko-Chan to make a show for a few employees, and then Rin will be allowed to watch! There are a small number of parties, some for departments that achieved their goals, some to receive a handful of new employees. Every month Rin's father's company also makes a party to commemorate the birthday of people born on that month. There are a few people and some parties where Rin's father works! Rin is confident her father will be able to convince people to let Naoko-Chan present a show at some party! And Rin will watch her first idol show ever! And one of her first few shows ever! What's even better, with Naoko-Chan! Yay!"

While not the news Naoko wanted to hear, it wasn't all that bad either. She found it kind of underwhelming to be invited to a company with "a few people" to make a show for "a few" employees, to quote her friend, but she really wanted Rin to watch a show. The girl looked so excited about it and her father, like Naoko's, seemed to restrict her so much it was worth it even if she's to present herself to only a handful of people. The way Rin said they commemorated the birthdays of employees every month made Naoko think there should be at least a few dozen there to justify it, though asking directly at what company her father worked or how many employees it had, as if she'd be evaluating do that gig or not, would be kind of impolite, no matter how easygoing Rin was. Naoko only expected her producer would understand it.

As if perceiving Naoko was slightly disappointed, though, Rin's excitement faded a little. The blond girl, getting closer, apologized while inflating puffy cheeks and big, bright eyes in a cute way that she did like nobody:

"Sorry for not being allowed to watch Naoko-Chan's show today! But Rin promises it's only until Rin's father get to know Naoko-Chan and her producer! Rin will introduce Rin's father to Naoko-Chan and her producer! Then he'll see how awesome you are and will be at ease to let Rin watch your other shows! Please forgive Rin for the trouble!"

Forgetting it after hearing those reassuring words and seeing Rin's adorable face, Naoko promptly cheered up and freed her friend from her worries:

"Don't mention it, it's no trouble! Aw! Rin-Chan, you're so cute when you do that face! I have an absolutely uncontrollable urge to pinch your soft cheeks off! Pinch! Pinch! Can I bite them?!" Naoko started to teasing her friend, tickling and pinching her while Rin, laughing breathlessly, got to run away around the locker room, hiding behind other girls and doing whatever it took to evade her pursuer. Naoko, trying to corner the blond girl, ran around for quite a few minutes in that somewhat confined space yelling, "You're not going to flash your cute, puffy cheeks to me and get away unscathed! Stop right there and receive your pinchment!"

What made Rin an even better dare for Naoko was that her friend's skin was unusually sensitive and tickled at the slightest touch. Almost every soft spot she squeezed between her thumbs and index fingers made Rin shiver, flinch and laugh uncontrollably, to the point of shedding tears and gasping for air. When she's finally cornered and pressed against two walls Naoko also couldn't stop laughing just from seeing her friend's amusing reactions. It was indescribably good to nip her to Naoko's heart's content. Almost too good, in fact. She only stopped because she's getting a little too carried away, not for Rin but for the other girls there who were too boring to understand. Actually, it wasn't quite like that: two or three even giggled seeing the blond student getting tortured by pinches and tickles, but none bothered to join the fun.

Even after bidding each other goodbye for the time being Rin still coughed due to all the laughs that almost prevented her from breathing for quite a few minutes. The drizzle had become a rain when Naoko returned to her dorm to change as always and also to apply the new perfume Miwa gave her, but the downpour stopped as she rode the train to her agency. As the sun broke through the final raindrops, illuminating the expansive city while the skies remained a dark gray, a breathtaking rainbow appeared. Naoko and many of the passengers appreciated its immense and colorful ark reigning supreme over the capital during a good chunk of the trip.

Running upstairs while her platform boots' loud steps resonated through the building, Naoko arrived at the office huffing and instructed, exhilarated.

"Put... a damn... elevator... on this building... dammit! Also, look... at the... rainbow... outside of the... windows, Produ-San! It's disappearing... but you can... still see... something!"

While Aratani stood up and opened his way to the windows across the many cardboard boxes and unused furniture that cramped the place, he serenely stated:

"I was worried to hear thunder after the rain ceased, but thankfully it was just Naoko-Chan climbing the stairs like a rhino. No need to rush, girl... Oh, yes, I can see it! Pretty indeed."

Observing it for a moment from the gaps between the neon signboard affixed outside of the windows, he returned to his seat and smiled coolly while turning his computer's screen to her:

"First and foremost, I'd like to say this week was outstanding. I take it you read the news about your heroic deeds, right?"

"My heroic deeds? What....?" Naoko began to inquire, "Oh! About protecting Tamotsu-Kun, the younger brother of my friend Miwa-Chan? Yes, I read it. What of it?"

"Naoko-Chan read "it" or read "them"?" her producer retorted, "After that initial article on that newspaper, a couple of other articles were written. In a few small websites, mostly. I've been clipping what I could find from print sources and saving internet news, but aside from that initial one there was nothing too interesting... until a reporter from the Kirakira Idol Sunday Mag got an interest in it, that is. I'll ask if you know it just for politeness sake. Do you know it?"

"Produ-San already knows the answer," Naoko replied, "All I can think of is that it's a magazine sold on Sundays that talks about... glittering idols? Really, why bother?"

"I told you: to be polite," Aratani snapped, "Very well. Yes, Naoko-Chan is correct. It's a magazine sold on Sundays about idols. Just don't think about the "Kirakira" part too much. Yes, this onomatopoeia means "glittering", but it's actually the name of the periodical. It's a famous weekly mag about the idol industry. Since we have no photos of you saving him and Naoko-Chan is still not even a full-fledged idol, it's not going to receive more than a small box on it, which is a shame. Still, it's a miracle we're even able to figure there so soon. It almost never happens for a "Dark class" idol, meaning a girl still in probationary period, to get even a line there."

Lifting an eyebrow out of curiosity and surprise, Naoko questioned:

"If it's so hard, how did I get it? What did you do, Produ-San?"

"For once, nothing," Aratani answered sincerely, leaning back on his chair with a smile and clasping his hands behind his head leisurely, "Well, not really. I did send the news clipping I amassed to every idol-specific communication companies worth mentioning, though I wasn't expecting anything. We're lucky there was a good reporter in an important magazine interested in the fact rather than the person. Also, he checked your fan club, and was nothing less than impressed by the number of fans you have."

Looking at the counter on the screen as Aratani showed her, three hundred and eighty two, Naoko faced her producer unimpressed.

"I thought we'd need far more than that to even be considered famous, especially since most of those are my schoolmates."

"Just a correction: most of those are actually suit-clad people. But yes, Naoko-Chan is correct from a monetary viewpoint," Aratani agreed, "We'd be broken if we solely relied on revenue that came from these people. But it's actually a significant number for a girl in probationary period. Dark class idols, as they're informally called, aren't even expected to amass one hundred fans before being promoted to Sea class. That left the reporter impressed." Sitting straight, the man tried to clarify his statement with another question, "See, what is a fan?"

Looking sideways, Naoko thought about it but ultimately evaded through a witty answer:

"Hm. What is a fan? What is a fan indeed? Hm... You're playing me for fool, right? Hm... Indeed. What is a fan but a miserable pile of secrets? Ah...There's a catch somewhere, right?" seeing her producer denied it, she finally gave in, "Okay. A fan is a person who likes another person and buys stuff related to the celebrity, cheer for him or her, wants to know more about the one that is supported and so on. Now's the time you tell me I'm not quite right because, like you did to your Ak-47, the word "fan" is used in a different context here in the idol business, isn't it?"

"Why would I?" Aratani asked, "This is not a charade or a school exam. And Naoko-Chan is spot on, a fan is a supporter. Fans buy stuff, watch shows, promote the idol they like and so on. Not every person who buys a product or watches a show is a fan, however. Fans wittingly do those things because they like a person and want to see him or her achieve ever bigger success. Not everyone who is subscribed to your fan club is a fan, but it serves as a parameter to know how well you're known. It's only expected an idol to start having a sect of real, diehard fans once she has released her first album, meaning she has at least ten or thirteen copyrighted songs under her belt. Most idols only achieve this once they're well into the Wood class. Only a few do so while in the Earth, or Soil, class. Fans like to support idols from the start, but it's getting progressively harder for them to do so due to how the system works. After an idol has a music album she can seriously start raking in the cash with merchandising, royalties and non-ranked shows and shine without singing someone else's songs. Only then can her character truly be seen by people and fans become a big factor."

Showing Naoko her fan club on the screen, Aratani expertly declared:

"Dark class idols performing on restaurants and private parties for people who are not really interested in becoming a fan, much less subscribing to a fan club, frequently have little opportunities to make fans. But for a girl to have almost four hundred subscribed people on her fan club on her third week as an idol, without already being previously famous, having no supporting big-shots behind, not being the daughter of a celebrity, having no song to call her own and only ever having performed once is huge, I tell you. That reporter saw it too, and once the article is printed, by tomorrow, I'm expecting an increase in your fan page traffic. He knows you're someone to keep an eye out for. Four hundred subscribed fans, under normal conditions, is what is expected from a recently promoted Sky class idol, meaning you're two tiers above your league as of now."

"So I'm technically a Sky class idol?! Like a girl on my school who took two and a half years to be so, Reiko-Senpai?!" Naoko questioned full of hope, though deep down she already knew the answer her producer would give her.

"Not without winning cups to increase your rank, no. These numbers don't come into play until late in the Earth class, when you're required to have at least three thousand subscribed fans to attempt a cup, or in the Wood class, where you're expected to have ten thousand fans. From this point onwards the fan count becomes one of the requisites for getting a class promotion, but until then the only two prerequisites are the amount of revenue you generate for I.S.S.G. and how many gigs you've performed."

Not waiting for Naoko to ask what she looked like she would, Aratani opened a table file on his computer and showed the girl while explaining it:

"The Idol Star System Generation has a list of prerequisites for an idol to attempt a cup. If there wasn't, an unknown girl could, in a few weeks and a lot of luck, become a Water class idol if she managed to win all cups somehow. It'd be bad for business to have a girl n one knows about and who generates no money for the company in the Major League, so we need to meet a few criteria before each cup. The Dark to Sea promotion is the only that don't require cups. To reach the first real class in the Idol Star System, the Sea class, a "Dark class" idol is just required to have performed at least ten times and at least five of those must've been Ranked shows. Furthermore, she's expected to have generated a measly one million Yen in revenue for I.S.S.G."

"One million Yen?!" Naoko exclaimed, "How do they expect an unknown girl to make this sum right from the start?!"

Keeping a cool expression, her producer replied as if it was no big deal:

"To be fair, since around fifty percent of the idols compose the informal Dark class, they impose such requirements to weed out girls and agencies unable to keep up with the most basic of expectations." Hearing Naoko comment it was a cruel thing, he proceeded, "Maybe a little, but this is business, not a charity. Also, in a sense it's good for the girls too: those who succeed have less competition. Those who are unable to amass a million Yen... really, it's best for them to go find some other work to do. They have their own taxes to pay and probably need money to live. To waste their time on something that can't ever pay them back would be bad for them too. Either this or they're being fooled by their agencies. In both situations, the requirements help them see something is amiss."

With a dismissive hand gesture Aratani coolly affirmed:

"And despite what it looks like, a million Yen is nothing in this kind of business, even for a Dark class idol, as long as she and her agency are at least average. In fact, if we really wanted, we could already pay this amount with what we earned from our contracts. The I.S.S.G. doesn't specify all this money needs to come from shows: at the beginning, modeling is a very good option to raise money. Later, royalties and merchandising usually surpass the revenue generated by gigs too, so there's no problem here. We're not expected to pay I.S.S.G. a share of any income other than that from Ranked exhibitions, but we can if we want. Right now it'd be nonsense, because we still have to make you perform nine more times, so there's plenty of time to go, but hey, it's an option."

The girl was left flabbergasted. Confused, she asked for clarification:

"Wait, we... I still have to go through nine more auditions... or to actually perform nine more times? Like... rank among the winners and such?"

"Perform," Aratani simply replied, "If you go through one hundred auditions and not qualify on any, you're still at zero on this counter."

"But... but then...! So that's why Reiko-Senpai took two years and a half to reach Sky class?! But it's hard to...!" Naoko started to mutter, but her producer gently calmed her, "Relax, Naoko-Chan, it's not as tough as it sounds. First of all, like I previously said, we only need to perform five Ranked presentations to reach Sea class. The other five can be unranked ones. And though generally they cost a lot of money to produce, guess what? A Non-Ranked gig is merely any show authorized by I.S.S.G. where an idol gets visibility and receives something material – even if it's food to donate. And it just so happen that, with almost six hundred seats at your school theater, I got a permission from the higher-ups to qualify the show you'll present there as a Non-Ranked one. So we've yet another notch on your idol card and only eight gigs to go."

In only a split-second Naoko realized how well-played it'd been.

"Wait... Produ-San accepted that I performed a charity-raising show at my school because of it?! That's very well thought, Produ-San!"

"Well, not only because of it, since charity is nice and is always a good thing for your image like I already said, but... Yes, a little because of it too." Aratani revealed, "Don't be discouraged if those eight remaining shows take quite some time to happen, though. Usually an idol who is also a student and attempt a show every weekend take between ten months and one year and a half to fulfill the show requirement for a Sea class promotion." Before Naoko started to scream, Aratani quickly added, "But then again, that's saying they had between three and six months of training beforehand! And also there are student idols who manage to do this in four months once they start presenting themselves! It depends, and Naoko is already at an advantage with a gig completed in her third week! So don't fret too much. Like I said, around fifty percent of the idols are Dark class ones and quite a few of them have very little chance of posing a threat. You saw that on your first audition. Right now we can count on the lack of stage experience of them to paralyze those girls. As long as you keep calm, it'll be okay. Really. Also..."

"Also?" the concerned girl repeated.

"Also, when I say "ten shows", that's not technically correct," her producer explicated, "In reality what you need are ten show stars. Each gig is awarded between one and five stars according to the complexity, number of spectators and such. One star means a tiny show, two is a small one, then a medium-sized, big and finally a huge one. Since a two star, small show requires three thousand spectators and a three star gig, fifteen thousand, currently all presentations you can make will only be worth one star, but in the future this number will skyrocket."

"How many spectators are required for a five star show?!" Naoko curiously inquired, losing all her worries. Aratani, looking lost, admitted, "I don't recall exactly, I'm not focusing on it right now. All I know is that four stars shows require around two thirds of the Sun Dome filled, that place we watched that show, to be achieved. As far as I'm aware no dome or stadium in the world can receive the required amount of people for a five star show. It's only achieved through television broadcasts, internet streams and so on. But since many Water and Metal-class idols' shows are broadcasted, they end up being worth more stars than the in loco audience suggests."

Seeing Naoko finally back to her typical carefree mood, her producer quickly changed subjects, gifting her two pairs of small gloves just a little past wrist line. One pair was black and the other, white. They were very simple and the natural fibers of the fabric made for light and fresh, springtime-friendly garments, but a few dent-like decorations on the opening for each hand granted them a much more fashionable look than they would otherwise.

After testing both pairs and thanking her producer, Naoko told him Miwa had also given her a pair of gloves to hide her broken nails, and describing it left Aratani very pleased with the aesthetical qualities of it and with how thoughtful her friend was.

Taking a peek at his watch, Aratani told her:

"I hate to interrupt the fun, but we have that audition Naoko-Chan asked me to sign her in approaching, and I've yet to explain the last two categories: Devotion and Memorability. Last time your score was only not even better because I've not taught you of those two, and I intend not to repeat the same mistake. So let's get down to business."
Chapter X – Where Idols Fear to Tread

"Same deal as ever: five subcategories in Devotion, each worth twenty points unless stated otherwise." Aratani started to explain, "Crowd Devotion, unofficially called Crowd Control, measures how well an idol interacts with the audience. Currently it's quite straightforward: in an audition, the judges must be your only focus. In a gig, the spectators. Even on a radio station you only have one microphone. It won't get harder than this until we get to TV broadcasted shows or those that include multiple cameras, where you'll have to give them some love too. So far so good, Naoko-Chan?"

Only when the girl nodded energetically did her producer proceed:

"So, Devotion, for shorts, has five subcategories: Attention Quality, Idol Appeal, Communication Effectiveness, Reciprocity and Crowd Reaction. The first two are more related to the idol, the third is a mixed bag and the last two lean heavily on the audience's disposition. Attention Quality is how the idol acts in relation to the audience. The secret here is for you to sing as if you knew everyone on the crowd. Eye contact is a must here, but you can also wave, wink, gesture in the direction of someone, whatever. As long as it's not too over the top or in poor taste, it's okay, and there's no surefire way to do it: it depends on the idol. Some blow kisses while others feign to have found someone she knows in the distance and sing looking in that direction for a few seconds. Whatever. In large audiences it's obviously not expected that you look to each person. Just imagine the auditorium divided in four or six quadrants, choose a random person on each one there and do something, no matter how distant they are of you. Rinse and repeat until the song is over. About ten interactions in a three minute song is average, but don't forget to keep your eye contact during the whole presentation! Even timid-looking idols have ways to make this work, through oblique glancing and such."

"Looks more complicated than I imagined," Naoko opined, though not really concerned, "but then again, I noticed how powerful can eye contact and interactions with the spectators really be on my last rehearse. I won't go into details because it seems we're short on time, but there is an odd student who is always smiling. He's creepy. I discovered, however, that whenever I sing staring at him or making poses and such, he's extremely embarrassed or afraid. I thought I'd kill him during the two hour practice, but ultimately he told the Drama club president, Chiasa-Senpai, he enjoyed my presentation a lot! Weird people are weird, I suppose."

"Or rather, he acted like every other person," her producer said, "The stage imbues the people on it with perceived power. Think it this way: the person on the stage is the one speaking, the others are merely listening or singing along. What the idol says, every spectator hears, but the opposite isn't true. It's not rare to fear the person on stage when he or she is looking at you – it's a thing just as much as a person on the stage can fear the crowd, and only positivity in the interaction can make this nerve-wrecking connection pleasing. It's scientifically proved that if a person thinks a hard to reach authority is looking at them or speaking with them, hormones like adrenaline are produced in larger quantities. And the stages simulate this. That's why it's important to balance your interactions: too little and the people will feel like you don't care for them. Too much and you can intimidate them."

"Yeah, now I know it!" Naoko agreed radiantly, "I've never thought it this way, but it makes sense, Produ-San! I'll be careful with it!"

"Good. Also, Naoko-Chan mentioned poses," Aratani kept going, "Poses are not qualified as attention giving, but rather as appealing for the audience. Hence it's a major component in the Idol Appeal subcategory. Most poses, steppings and so on don't request anything from the crowd, unlike what one of the meanings of the word "appeal" might suggest, but some poses actually do. Out of the top of my mind I can recall one involving clapping your hands to induce the crowd to follow suit. Also, if you petition the crowd to sing along, rally it to sing louder during the chorus, jump, dance, swing their cellphones or light batons, create organized waves of raising and lowering arms and so on, those are also huge Idol Appeal factors. On a funny note, this value doesn't take into consideration if the crowd actually does what you ask them to, merely if you tried. The willingness of the audience to do what you ask falls into the Reciprocity subcategory."

After giving Naoko another pause so the information sank in, Aratani continued:

"Now, Communic... Oh, wait, before we go one, just one last advice on Idol Appeal. Once again, it's harder to appeal for three or five judges than during a real show and they know it. They won't sing along, dance or anything, so don't feel bad for not being able to move your "audience" during auditions. Just pretend they reacted as you intended them to, okay? On closed-doors auditions, the ones where only judges, idols and their producers attend to like our first one, the judges merely score your Idol Appeal and assume the audience would act accordingly, hence giving the same score for Reciprocity. On a Ranked show like the one we saw with Vyper, Umeko and the others, where a real crowd was present, judges evaluate both scores separately. Some idols are quite bad at appealing, but their fans are many and react to her every whims, hence granting her bad Idol Appeal value but an excellent Reciprocity score. The opposite is also possible too, but in general the audience reacts positively as long as the idol makes sure they have fun. Got it?"

Laughing, Naoko replied, having fun at what her imagination created:

"So I'm required to pose and rally the judges and imagine they're having fun even though they're looking at me with blank faces, right? It's my application test all over again, where I was singing and tossing imaginary skirt-clad turtles on top of Sato-Sensei! Only I was the one having fun there, not her... But I can imagine the other way around too!"

Not expecting that, Aratani burst into laughs and agreed:

"Instructor Sato Mayumi can look intimidating at first, I know. She does that on purpose, I think. She once told me that when she's judging idols on auditions, she knew a girl would be fine on the stages if she kept appealing to her five times even with her unwelcoming façade."

Thinking about that for a moment, Naoko had to admit it made sense:

"That's very wise of... what?!" Suddenly the entirety of her producer's words sank in, "Produ-San said Sato-Sensei is also a judge for I.S.S.G.?!"

Unimpressed by the girl's lack of ability to reach logical conclusions, he attested:

"Huh, yes? Every person allowed to evaluate an idol candidate alongside the potential producer either is or have been a judge for I.S.S.G., it's a rule. Each person needs to be approved on a rather strenuous course promoted annually by the conglomerate to become a judge, and judges, like idols, also come in different classes. There are five kinds of judges, though a person can actually do different courses and accumulate more than one function. Three of those are related to the three Leagues we have in the Idol Star System. The first three classes – Sea, Sky and Earth – are called the Minor League. The two following classes, Wood and Fire, are called the Intermediate League, and the topmost two, Metal and Water, compose the Major League."

"What about the Star class?" Naoko inquired, making her producer grin.

"I knew Naoko-Chan would ask about the out of charts stuff. Very well. The Sun, or Star class, is actually just a glorified Water class. Informally people talk about a "Star League", but it doesn't really exist. You see: a league is just a way of the organizers to let idols of different classes compete. A Sea class idol will never sing against a Water one, both because it's unfair and because in the remote possibility the Sea one wins, all the Idol Star System will be discredited. But some competitions let idols of classes composing the same League to be pitted against one another, so a Sea class idol can face a Sky or an Earth one. Since there are only five or so Star Idols, it'd make no sense to create a League just for them. All competitions would look exactly the same and become boring to the audience. As such, they're part of the Major League. The I.S.S.G. takes special care with them, though: a Star idol almost never competes against anyone that is not a Water-class idol. Metal-class idols, which are part of the Major League, never face Star ones. Also, more often than not, Star-class idols don't even compete, they're just invited for shows and always have a place of honor there. They become kind of nobility, their image is protected not only by their agencies but by I.S.S.G. itself. There's even a special type of judge just for them, trained not only to evaluate but also to shield their public image. Few people outside the I.S.S.G. know of it, though. It's not a secret, but it's also not usually mentioned."

Naoko's eyes sparkled in awe. Smiling slightly at the girl's enthusiastic expression, Aratani turned his attention back to the previous subject:

"So, as I was saying, there are five types of judges. One for each League makes three. Then, there's one kind specifically qualified for evaluating Star idols and judging the cup that awards a Water-class idol the Star status. And finally, there are judges that teach other people how to become judges. Among those, there are many finer specializations too: each judge is certified a position based on his or her previous experiences of at least ten years in one or more of four categories: singing, dancing, aesthetics and some sort of communication. A journalist, a PR or any other similar professional. So even a Minor League judge is a professional that has worked at least ten years with one of those things. They are awarded an Expert status in the area they excel, so for example, if a person was a dancing instructor for ten years before becoming a Minor League judge, she becomes a Dancing Expert Minor League Judge. She evaluates all five categories like all judges, but if his or her dancing score ties or conflicts with the one from a person which is not a dancing expert when determining a winner in an audition or show, the expert one will take precedence. It's just a way to untie gigs."

Absorbed and displaying an incredibly interested face, Naoko quickly questioned:

"What if two dancing experts' scores tie when determining a winner?"

Scratching his head confusedly, Aratani replied:

"It's uncommon to have two experts of the same category on an examination board, the organization invites judges with different expertise. But supposing there is one with two or more Expert status, or in the case of Major League competitions with five judges instead of the usual three or four, the untie rule takes into account who has the most years, months and days of experience. If somehow it's still not enough, the age of the judges is measured up to the seconds of difference and the older one takes precedence. If it's miraculously not enough, they flip a coin." Noticing Naoko's unbelieving face, Aratani insisted, "I'm not joking, that's how it works. Go read the I.S.S.G.'s internal regulations if you don't believe me. Still, why does Naoko-Chan want to know this, anyway? Does she want to become a judge or something?"

Smiling animatedly, Naoko denied it:

"Nah, I'm just impressed by how intricate the system is. It's so cool to have all these specialties and stuff! Looks a kind of military title! Like idols and judges get medals or awards! Or as if it's a ranking system for the best players in a game! Like: you're not a newbie anymore, you're a full-fledged member of our guild, or a veteran, or an ace! Come on, I know you'll say "I imagined you'd say that", but you can't deny that it's cool!"

Grumbling, her producer uttered:

"I should've imagined you'd say that. Anyway. Unlike your assumption, where a veteran becomes an ace and is not a veteran anymore, in I.S.S.G. those positions are not mutually exclusive but rather they're cumulative: to judge the Intermediate League you also need to have been qualified as a judge for the Minor League, for example. So even a Major League judge can evaluate idols on a Minor League if he or she so desire. After each exam, a judge needs to work as such for some time before being allowed to study on a promotion course. Your dancing teacher, Instructor Sato, is a Major League judge and also has qualification to teach other people how to become a judge. She didn't bothered with the Star-class qualification course, which is more of a political than a technical evaluator, but she's a very well-known I.S.S.G. judge. Also, your singing and your body language instructors are both judges, too. Your singing teacher was a song composer since she's thirteen, I think, and is, unsurprisingly, a Singing Expert. Your Body Language teacher is a Crowd Devotion Expert. And talking about it, I just remembered your curiosity and my lack of focus during conversations made me digress horribly. I've yet to finish explaining the Devotion category..."

The vexed face of Aratani made Naoko giggle.

"Right, where was I?" He inquired himself, "Attention Quality, Idol Appeal, Communication Effectiveness... yes, that's it. Communication Effectiveness is a value given to whether or not if your appeals and the way you give attention to the spectators is good, if you get your message across or not. So even if you do many poses and call your fans to sing along, if you do so unintelligibly, like using an unknown foreign language or with your body language conflicting with your vocal requests, this score will get hurt. Also, it also evaluates how well you interact with your audience in terms of respect. If you're perceived as being abusive or insulting, not only this score will plummet but you'll most likely get a warning and a penalty. In a few instances, it's also expected that you be mindful of special audiences. So for example, even if that idol dubbed Vyper is known for acting all sexy and hot on stages, if she's doing a special show for children she'd be required not to act that way and instead fall back to a more fun-loving and easygoing attitude. Failure to comply can result not only in zeroing her scores but also in severe penalties and warnings, in this case. It's an extreme example I'm giving here, no one would let a gig like that happen in the first place, but it just shows how the Communication Effectiveness can be finicky. Most of the time, though, it's just a matter of common sense."

Shutting her eyes, Naoko shook her head and angrily ordered:

"Produ-San, that example was totally unnecessary! What's your deal with Vyper anyway, you pervert?! Stop using her as examples altogether, dammit! Never, ever, give me mental images like that again!"

Grinning maliciously, Aratani pestered Naoko:

"Why? Vyper is an excellent example of many things. Good things... That wasn't even that bad, too. You've not even heard yet of my examples concerning Vyper and a special show in a rest house for old peop..."

Next thing Aratani knew, Naoko was screaming with eyes tightly closed:

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Get away from me! Naoko Punch!"

With a burning fist she sent the pestering young man flying backwards, through the window and piercing buildings like a cannonball for a few miles. Returning with a cab, he sat down again at his desk with his untidy suit and messed up black eye and proceeded on his explanation while behaving well so as not to give the girl reasons for a second attack with a ridiculous name spoken out loud:

"So now it's Reciprocity, though I already said it means just how well the audience follows your appeals. Nothing you can do. Any questions here?"

Thinking for a moment, Naoko replied negatively and asked her producer to proceed. The man, who wasn't messed up anymore because that fiery punch was merely what the girl desired to do to him, but who'd received a painful kick from under the desk to his leg nonetheless, continued:

"Crowd Reaction then. The last subcategory is very specific, but very important. It means how does your audience reacts when the song is over. If they applaud excitedly or not, if someone is crying after sad songs or energized after cheerful and upbeat ones, this kind of thing. An apathetic crowd is a bad sign, otherwise it's okay. In closed-doors auditions it's the average between your Attention Quality and Idol Appeal scores. In real shows it's harder to evaluate, but generally it's never low or high. Unless the crowd is really unimpressed or is particularly euphoric or touched by your performance, this subcategory is usually scored around ten out of twenty. In essence, Naoko-Chan performed mediocrely in the Devotion category on her first audition because she didn't know she had to keep eye contact with the judges; almost didn't performed poses, focusing just on her choreographic movements; didn't wave, wink, try to call the judges to sing along, didn't ask them to support you or anything. Just remember the rule of thumb from your dancing teacher, Sato-Sensei: interact five times with each judge in alternate orders and don't be discouraged by their stoic postures. Keep your happiness, imagine they're a real audience that would surely reciprocate your efforts and you're golden."

Gazing at his watch, the man announced:

"We need to go now. I'll take you to the audition and explain the last category on the way there. Then we grab a bite somewhere. I don't know about Naoko-Chan, but it's already almost midday and I'm starving."

On the way to the garage, Naoko commented she's nervous for her classes on Sunday now that she knew Sato Mayumi was a judge, but suddenly she got a question in her mind.

"If Sato-Sensei is my teacher, it probably means at least a few of the other judges teaches other girls as well, right? I know Sato-Sensei, despite being kind, is very strict and would never favor me even though I'm her pupil, but can't other judges with less of a moral fiber help their own students?"

"Well thought," Aratani congratulated her while turning the car on, opening the remote-controlled door of the garage and driving off, "Naoko-Chan has the same keen mind as those who create rules. But don't worry, the lawyers and the organizers of I.S.S.G. thought about this possibility beforehand. There is a rule prohibiting an idol to get subscribed to an audition or a show being evaluated by a judge to whom she, her producer or anyone working on her side knows, have or had any kind of relationship with, commercial or otherwise. If it's proved the occurrence of favoritism from a judge towards an idol, both can be severely punished or permanently banned from the system. On higher classes, notably the Major League ones where there's only a handful of idols compared to other leagues, the organizers are even more careful. They go as far as plan the examination board for each individual contestant so as not to deny entry of an idol to any event. Because, you know, no one would be stupid enough to deny the presence of a profitable celebrity with seventy thousand, one hundred thousand official fans or more anywhere. In fact, no one would be stupid to so much as risk an idol like that not attending an event. The I.S.S.G. even provides them with whatever whims they throw at the organization, as long as it's not dangerous or very immoral. If they want a cup of cappuccino at their private dressing room, a masseur, a butler or a flute-playing penguin, the corporation will do it."

"Wow... Those Major League idols sure have it easy!" Naoko spoke with starry eyes, "I want to be a Major League Idol! I want a handsome butler and a flute-playing penguin at my private dressing room too!"

"Then I invite Naoko-Chan to first get to Wood class to be allowed to use a private dressing room and we'll walk from there," her producer told her. Suddenly the cool guy looked startled for a moment, "I just remembered I need to tell you one thing: we have three contracts for this weekend. One for today before our show and the rest for tomorrow. I'm sorry for scheduling one for today, but there was no other possible day for the company. I even managed to push a fourth contract back to the Tuesday next week due to the Golden Week holidays, but the one today was unavoidable. But if you want, we can bring your friend together, if she has no problem with it."

Puzzled, Naoko repeated it in an interrogative way:

"Friend? What friend?"

Aratani, glancing over to her for a moment before turning his eyes back to the road, said:

"Didn't we agree that Naoko-Chan would bring a friend for the show today, in case she ranked among the winners of today's audition?"

"Ah!" Naoko exclaimed, "I'm sorry not to have mentioned it before, but Rin-Chan, my friend, won't be coming with us. Her father didn't allow her. Said he wouldn't let her daughter go to a show with people he doesn't know."

Though looking a little sour, Aratani shook his head in a somewhat accepting gesture.

"Fair enough. A little antiquated of him if you ask me, but I can't blame the man either."

Unwillingly nodding in accordance, Naoko replied acidly however:

"Well, I can blame him! Restricting his daughter like this is no way of protecting her, it just ruins her freedom. But Rin-Chan told me her father would at least try to talk with the managers in his workplace to see if they can invite me to perform a gig at one of the parties the company has. Birthday parties every month, introduction to new employees and so on."

The man whistled in surprise and got suddenly thrilled:

"He must work at a pretty big place, then, to have so many parties."

"Well..." Naoko reticently revealed, "It didn't seem so, the way my friend said. She told me there are "a few" workers there, so I'm figuring sixty or seventy to justify those parties?"

Cooling down a bit, Aratani took a moment to pass a car and, unsure, commented:

"I've never seen a company with seventy people have complex birthday parties where they could call an idol in, to tell you the truth. Especially since you have only trained a few songs, even if they invite you I.S.S.G. will probably require them to either pick other idols or will audition themselves a few more to compose a group capable of performing for at least an hour or so. Even if they only invite you and open, say, four other slots for audition, I take it'll still be an Invitational Ranked gig, an incredibly rare thing for a Dark class idol to get on. It will cost the company at the very least two million Yen to do, and that's not even mentioning the cost they'll have with a saloon or whatever space they have, or they'll have to rent, for it."

"So much?! Why?!" Naoko inquired breathlessly.

"For starters, each one of the five idols presenting, or rather, their agencies, needs to be paid, even if it's just two hundred thousand Yen or so like the last gig we did. Also, that restaurant you performed at had clients that paid the bills, a thing the company of your friend's father won't do with its employees. After that, there's the cost of opening an audition, hiring judges and so on. I.S.S.G. also sends an inspector to venues they're not already aware of to evaluate if the location has any condition to receive five idols, even if greenhorn ones. Just so people don't try to cram a show in an underground garage or some other ridiculous location. And this inspector also needs to get paid. Then there are taxes, I.S.S.G's profit and so on. And that's not even considering the other costs of the party like foods and beverages, the renting of space and so on. For a company with seventy employees to do this... I don't know. I mean, it always occurs, don't get me wrong. But they generally do this once a year. To do such a big event on a routine birthday party in a regular month where five or six employees were born... it's kind of far-fetched."

Naoko looked a little downcast, and half-heartedly questioned:

"Does Produ-San think Rin-Chan's father told her a lie about going to try and talk to managers about a party to just to make her feel better?"

Sensing the girl was in need of some support, he asked her to wait a little bit until the car stopped at a street light so he could think about it clearly. In reality, think about how he could cheer her up. Eventually he answered:

"It's not necessarily a lie. Then again, I don't know if that's really the kind of party you'd be invited for. Many companies conclude their fiscal year at the end of April, so it's possible her father was not talking about any birthday party, but about one of those big, once in a year events a lot of companies do. Also, we don't know how many employees the company really has. "A few" is very unspecific and your friend could've said that just to be humble. Or her father's company really has sixty, fifty or so employees, but its business is particularly lucrative and his boss can afford luxuriant parties. Who knows."

Recovering faith and, with it, her joyful mood, Naoko asked, almost in a begging way:

"Produ-San? Suppose it's a company with fifty employees. Would you still allow me to perform there? Because Rin-Chan said she would introduce us to her father so the next time, he'd already know us and would allow Rin-Chan to come with us!"

The young man, not really understanding the reason of the question, assented:

"Yes, of course I would allow it. Why do you ask? You mean, because it's a small number?" Naoko nodded, stating, "Yes. Produ-San once mentioned that gig at the restaurant was much better than some silly company parties, I think."

"Well, it is true the bigger the audience, the better," Aratani confirmed, "but at the beginning of a career we can't be too selective. Also, remember we need you to perform ten times to be allowed to attempt a class promoting cup, and it'll count as one performance. What's more: a ranked one, since even an Invitational gig, due to being organized by I.S.S.G., is considered a Ranked gig despite you, an invited idol, not having to rank among the first few places to qualify. What's more: it is an Invitational show! I told you how rare this things are for Dark class idols. As long as we can prove the owner of the company is not a relative of yours and that you've no relationship with him or anyone close to him – and you don't, because you don't even know your friend's father – we can say the company owner was so impressed by you that decided to call Naoko-Chan to animate his party. Maybe he'd already watched a previous show of yours, or he saw an advertisement of you drinking refreshing blueberry isotonic juice through your nose and ears, or was very impressed by you saving a boy, I don't know. Being invited so early would be a great thing to attach to your portfolio."

Frustrated, Naoko insisted before turning back to a sunny mood:

"The photographer told me I looked amazing in the ad, the part where I almost drowned in fake blueberry juice was after the photo! Stop making fun of me! As for the show, that's great! Thanks, Produ-San! Though... if it's so easy to be invited, a girl whose father owns a company wouldn't be able to circumvent the requirement of the ten gigs by repeatedly being invited to perform at her father's workplace?"

Getting slightly surprise, Aratani joked:

"Naoko-Chan, what are you? A con artist or something?"

It made the girl slightly remember her initial fears about her producer's own company and also that she's yet to be paid, though she's still just on her fourth weekend there. The girl put those thoughts aside for the time being to hear what Aratani had to say:

"I swear, you have some strange thoughts, girl. But to answer your question, people at I.S.S.G. are not stupid. They evaluate every gig proposal beforehand. If they get suspicious of a girl being invited over and over to the same place, they'll check it out. And trust me, that idol will never show her face on a stage ever again. Also, invitation gigs are a rarity right now, but become quite common later on, so the suit-clad boys and girls on I.S.S.G. have their strategies to prevent system abuse. And finally, even in the remote circumstance the idol is not unmasked, such cheap tactics will only bring her so far. Eventually she'll have to amass enormous quantities of money and, what's more, thousands, tens of thousands of fans, something that's very hard to do if she repeatedly presents herself on the same place."

Just to joke, Naoko questioned:

"What if she forges fan subscriptions to meet the quota?"

Breaking into laughter, Aratani answered:

"In case you're wondering: no, it's not possible to forge subscriptions in an I.S.S.G. idol fan club. Each person subscribes with their own national I.D., passport or whatever legal document they have. People less than thirteen years-old are also a no go, for they're not legally responsible for themselves and it could prompt system abuses. And every document is verified by the conglomerate. Any other questions regarding law-bending ideas?"

"What if that idol is secretly a forger and the company of her father is just a façade for illicit activities because he actually is the chairman of a powerful, fifty thousand men-strong mafia clan?" Naoko insisted, going into overdrive with her ideas just to test her producer out. The man, humorously stopping the car at the side of the road just to facepalm himself in dismay, resumed driving immediately after and sarcastically told the laughing girl:

"Then that girl would be much better off accepting her destiny as a mafia princess than losing her time trying to climb a capriciously longwinded system for idols. She's sure to get just as much, if not more money and influence this way. So let her be and let me finally tell you about the Memorability categ..."

Aratani's stomach suddenly growled, derailing his train of thoughts.

"You know what? Screw that, I'll talk about it on another occasion. It's not like knowing about it can make much difference at the beginning since it's the hardest category to consciously manipulate and will require a plan to really be influenced during an audition. Just do your best out there for now. Naoko-Chan is in such a good mood for the audition, I'd hate to break it, and I'm far too famished to think clearly."

Like so, instead of learning about an important category that makes up for twenty percent of her final score, Naoko and Aratani opted to create outlandish fictions revolving around the yakuza princess idol. Once again her producer did whatever he could to keep Naoko calm and in high spirits in the line for the registry confirmation. After the attire changing and photo taking, he resumed his recreational activities during the arguably nerve-wrecking atmosphere of the auditorium where idols and producers gathered for the audition. Like Aratani had previously stated, about half of all idols in the I.S.S.G. were actually Dark class ones, meaning girls that were not even considered full-fledged idols so far. There were so many girls in such situation that Naoko couldn't see any known face from the previous gig, though there were, again, many funny people around.

Still, the yakuza princess idol story was preferred this time. Sitting on the back like before, Naoko and Aratani laughed together while jointly improving the already absurd idea of a girl who was the daughter of a mafia lord wanting to become a renowned idol. Things like every show of her being attended by ten thousand bad-looking men wearing suits and intimidating other idols to flee and the judges to give her perfect scores every time, threatening an adversary producer in a zebra-patterned suit by surrounding him while a man ready to fight threw away his own jacket and shirt to reveal the tattoo of a huge carp covering his entire back and so on. Then she'd get on stage during a show by skydiving from a helicopter. And she would wear an eye patch. And no matter how bad she sang, everyone would applaud because they were either goons or people being threatened by them.

Luckily Naoko's turn didn't take long that time. Since girls were called according to their inscription order, and since Aratani had inscribed Naoko the day after her previous, and first, gig, she was the sixth to be called. The girl, only then, remembered her producer haven't even told her if there were special rules for that presentation – which she assumed not – or where would she be presenting herself if she won. In fact, she didn't even know how many idols would qualify.

Even so, the girl had already performed the same four songs so many times she could almost hear herself singing it while sleeping. This time she also opted not to wear her black and red attire, instead preferring her new white gloves, the frilled white vest-blouse and white platform boots in combination with her blue mini shorts and the tiara her producer gave her, tied with blue ribbons. It was a combination that made more sense for a cheerful and upbeat girl like her. Also, while her producer was, as always, completely oblivious to smells, the proximity of Naoko to the judges made it worthwhile for her to sprinkle some hazelnut perfume before she went to the agency.

Speaking to Aratani after the presentation about how the judges seemed to notice in a positive way the aroma, the man, even though only barely being able to discern it, told her it's also a factor that could help her in the Aesthetics category. Especially the Idol Presentation subcategory, but also Composition and Image Impact to a little degree.

This time Naoko got only slightly nervous, but managed to dance and sing even better than on her first audition. Also, she took care to look at the judges during the whole time. She still had to train how to do poses and only knew a handful, but she did the ones she knew. Thankfully she'd tortured Katsuro with those for two straight hours – or, how she preferred to think, "trained with his help" – and it paid off somehow. She also performed a wink, a wave, a few inviting and friendly gestures she came up with on the spot as her producer told her, though they felt somewhat artificial to her. It's her first time doing that, though, so she thought it was okay.

Like her producer had warned her, the judges really didn't budge. They looked kind of dead and made the girl wonder since what hour were they sitting on that auditorium evaluating wave after wave of girls. Their unexpressive semblances after a few appeals made Naoko start to worry, but she firmly held to what she'd learned and insisted. In the end, she lost the count of how many appealing moves she'd done, but she's under the impression it's less than five for two of the three judges.

Aratani was very impressed nonetheless, he told her after the presentation. So much, in fact, that her solid performance could've put a little more pressure on the girls that came after her and committed the mistake of watching each exhibition instead of chilling out. During the almost one hour Naoko was left waiting there were only two noteworthy girls: one wore a long, blood-colored wig and dressed in red with black details, somewhat resembling Naoko's dark attire. Still, she sported thin and tall high heels that surely increased her modifiers for her seemingly hard dance, and carried numerous accessories, including a small crown inlaid with a single big and sparkling red gemstones.

She was a very technical idol. "Ruby" was her artistic name. She was short and very beautiful, though she usually didn't smile too much. It's as if she forgot to do so, so concentrated she was on performing perfectly a choreography worth thirteen points, as opposed to Naoko's eight. Her voice was maybe not as loud, clear or harmonious as Naoko's and Ruby sang without passion, being instead precise and minimalistic as a machine, but her song was also less cheerful and more serious. Overall, that girl could pass for an artificial intelligence, having a personality that felt a little abrasive, not really cold but not welcoming either. She also did poses mechanically and evaded eye contact sometimes. Not an overly sociable girl. Even then, in technical terms Naoko admitted Ruby was superior to her. What she didn't have in voice magnetism or natural, extroverted charms, Ruby more than made up for with her robotic precision of steps and timing.

The second girl that got Naoko's attention among the thirty competitors was a tall one with a blue wig. She was gorgeous and looked incredible in a lilac sailor suit, so Naoko imagined she'd be a blast, but the girl sang a merry and carefree song in a low and shy way for some time and then, bursting in tears, stopped. Begging for forgiveness, she left the auditorium in a rush, followed by a crestfallen woman in suit. Naoko was left heartbroken for that contestant, her expression of fear and embarrassment and her humble apologies were the only things in that audition that touched her feelings. Even a few other idols, previously unresponsive to anything, showed some sort of sympathy. The judges, however, looked unfazed as if they'd already seen that happen many times before. Their lack of apparent compassion upset Naoko a little. For a conglomerate of the entertainment industry, those people were not fun and, what's worse, unkind, or so it appeared.

The rest of the idols were not that remarkable. Some were good, others not so much. Most of them wore very intricate outfits, full of ostentatious accessories. Because of that, too, a few lost parts of their garments while dancing, from mini hats to bells attached to their skirts.

When the audition was over and the results were in, Naoko was once again awarded the fifth overall position among thirty three contestants. Her Dancing was ranked fifth for its choreographic simplicity but good execution and her Singing, fourth for similar reasons. Her Aesthetics was ranked seventh, being a little simpler than her previous one but matching her character better. Still, the lack of extra components on her wear gave her less modifiers that hurt all her other categories in comparison to other, more flamboyant girls there. Her Devotion score, though, got second place, and the Memorability category was awarded fifth. Still, only three points away from the first place and with many other girls tied with two or one more point than her, it didn't hurt her final score by much. On a side note, Ruby was awarded the fourth position, with first place in Dancing and second in Aesthetics due to her pretty attire and to the amount of things she wore that could fall off. However, she got sixth in Singing, the ninth position in Memorability, though not too far from Naoko in actual score, and only twelfth in Devotion, much like Naoko on her last show.

Once again Naoko turned a blasé face to her producer, and also again Aratani was absurdly thrilled. "We did it! We did it!" he exclaimed, while the unimpressed girl replied "Yay, fifth position again..."

"Let me see if you're getting the hang of the system by now," her producer exultantly tested her, "What made those other four girls get a better score than you?"

Naoko, after thinking for a second, replied that Ruby was excellent but only not got the first position because of her pathetic Devotion and Memorability scores, to which Aratani agreed. However, when she told him the other girls sang and danced better than her, he denied it:

"Nope. That's not it. You actually performed better than the other three."

"That's not what the scores are telling me" Naoko rebuffed, but the man insisted:

"But it's true, I'm not telling this just to make you happy. See, a score is just a number. You ranked seventh on Aesthetics and had no modifiers to help except for the one from your platform boots. Ruby, on the other hand, had huge modifiers. Remember what those are? Those aesthetical multipliers you earn for particularly complex and double-edged things you wear, that make you even more stunning and also prone to failing? In reality, not all modifiers come from wearable objects, there are bonuses for some things you can do while singing, dancing and so on, but the ones from the Aesthetics category are the easiest ones to pull off. You got only a meek modifier, but still ranked incredibly. Those other idols' performances were not as good as yours, with the exception of that Ruby girl, but they're sporting garments with more flair than a peacock and with more things hanging from them than a clothesline."

Looking at the score table on a big screen at the back of the stage, he continued:

"Many other girls attempted this too but lost parts of their outfits. The ones on top were simply competent or lucky enough not to let anything fall, thus retaining their modifiers. And remember it impacts all categories but Memorability. I calculate some girls here must have at least a one point twenty five score multiplier to every category! Can you imagine what it means to receive twenty five percent or more of your score as a bonus? In comparison, you have a one point zero six modifier, I think. Those girls have an advantage of twenty percent or more over you, as long as they don't let things fall or commit mistakes! For every five points they got, they were given an extra one! That's why it's incorrect to assume they performed better. They just had better numbers at the end. The I.S.S.G. uses math to decide the winners because they need some kind of parameter so as not to leave such important decisions entirely to the personal tastes of judges. Still, math is cold. No matter how sophisticated and complex it is, algorithms and formulas are unable to get the nuances of an art. That's why there is a Memorability score that is unaffected by modifiers, too: to give a semblance of a human touch to the hard numbers. You'll understand why when I explain you about it."

Looking radiant, Aratani smiled coolly to the encouraged girl.

"I told you all of this just to say: don't fret, Naoko-Chan. I can guarantee you were the second best idol here, at the very least. The other girls were either too scared, committed too many mistakes, were too plain or simply didn't have the passion and energy you put on your presentation. Even that Ruby girl only got marginally better than you because of her many modifiers. If she didn't have those, she'd probably still have been the best dancer, but her Devotion score would've been even lower. Her singing isn't on par with yours too. And to be frank, she's only good because she looked like a perfectionist. She didn't have any emotion on her dancing and singing, however." Facing Naoko deeply in the eyes, he stated, unflinching, "Of course you can say I'm your producer, so I'd be telling you this anyway. It is fine, you don't need to believe me if you don't want to. I believe in you all the same, Naoko-Chan."

Feeling the conviction with which her producer said those encouraging words warm her chest, Naoko gradually smiled genuinely. Aratani, returning to his cool self, stood up and stretched his arms and back while proclaiming like a king:

"I hereby say we go eat something on the shopping mall's food court before my stomach's acid burn a whole on my shirt. After that, I announce we will depart post-haste to buy you another pile of things before we actually lose an audition just because Naoko-Chan doesn't have enough bracelets, necklaces, decorative angel wings covered in glitter, magnetic balls to affix on a jeweled tiara and other shiny, useless stuff dangerously hanging from her."

"Lets!" Naoko enthusiastically agreed, jumping from her seat on her feet.

Since her attire, while flashy, was not completely unique and could be used on the streets, Naoko didn't even bother to change. Simply taking off her tiara, not even her gloves, she and her producer departed to the huge and incredible shopping mall on the first few floors of the I.S.S.G.'s headquarters.

As the two walked around the food court Naoko found a sad-looking girl a little taller than her on a line. Very attractive, looking around seventeen, she seemed familiar somehow. Despite her casual clothes Naoko had no doubts she was an idol and that she'd seen her on that same day, though it took a while to recognize her: it was that contestant who cried, humbly apologized and ran away. On the stage she wore a sky-blue wig and a lilac sailor suit, but her real hair was of medium-length and black with a half fringe, lustrous and with a few spikes. Alone, the idol looked inconsolable.

The instant Naoko recognized her she felt a huge desire to talk to that girl. She not only looked blue, she was the only idol on that audition with whom Naoko sympathized. She didn't really look shy, but at that time she was stricken by terror and couldn't even move. Also, she acted very humbly, something most of the other idols there could learn from her.

"Hey, Naoko-Chan, what's the matter? I thought you didn't like vegetarian food," Aratani's voice snapped her out of her contemplation. The girl found herself close to the line that idol was in, from a place that only offered nutritious food rich in green ingredients accompanied by many other colors that made for a fresh and healthy meal. Everything Naoko hated. Getting away from that line to vegetable hell, Naoko discreetly motioned her head towards that idol.

Aratani also took a few seconds to recognize the gorgeous downcast girl, and when he did, the man turned half-closed, unsurprised eyes to Naoko. Seeing her smile in an inviting way, almost pleading him to accompany and support her, her producer said in a low voice, so others couldn't hear:

"First Harumi-San and Sakura-San, now this? Naoko-Chan, if you're going to help every single girl that gets frustrated in the idol industry you'd better open a therapy clinic. Make each session a group therapy too, otherwise you won't have enough time in a week to help every client even working sixteen hours per day. Seriously, what's the matter?"

"That girl was the only one I actually liked there! She looked very humble and sincere! And now she is very sad, can't you see it?" Naoko asked, and her producer replied ironically, "So? My stomach is growling, can't you hear it?"

Getting a little annoyed, Naoko thought about arguments to give to her producer, but there was no good one to justify it. Even so, the man, sighing, nodded, though showing her his wristwatch and advising:

"Can you see the minute hand close to the number two? When it gets to the number four I'm out of there, understood? I'm not joking about being hungry."

"Thanks, Produ-San!" Naoko eagerly said, and dragged the man closer. As the sad girl asked the attendant what she wanted with a very modest and cordial attitude and paid, leaving to wait nearby, Naoko intercepted her in a caring way:

"Hm, excuse me?" The downcast idol was startled when hearing someone talking to her, "Hi, I'm Yano Naoko. I think I saw you at the audition earlier. Are... you okay?"

The surprised girl, getting back to her sad expression, faced Naoko for a while, apparently trying to evaluate the intentions of the girl. After a moment, looking even more miserable, she humbly replied with a polite, "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for the concern."

At the same time, her eyes got full of water. Seeing the face of Aratani silently telling her "congrats, you just reopened the wound", Naoko tenderly tried again, though not really knowing what to say to cheer her up:

"Hm... I... liked your outfit and you wig! You looked gorgeous! Really! Don't be sad!"

"Thanks," she unenthusiastically replied concisely while bowing slightly. Her body posture was very uncomfortable, though. That girl acted very modestly for being so beautiful, having treated the attendant with almost as much respect as the salesclerk treated every customer, but she didn't appear too keen on talking, or just too sad to care. Seeing the always sunny Naoko was in fact completely clueless on how to brighten a sad person up, Aratani broke in the talk with a witty statement and a cool, straight face looking up to the pictures of the menu displayed on the store that idol decided to stop by:

"I know it's hard, but you must let go of the past. Veggies? Are you serious? Come on, girl, forget the money you gave to those people, it's not worth the trouble of eating those green things over there. Look at that picture of dish number four, that salad with two slices of tomato: it looks like it'll come to life and munch you instead of the other way around. I'll show you the place where you really wanted to be: that chocolate store over there. I dare you to look into my eyes and tell me that's not the truth."

Astounded, Naoko saw the miserable-looking girl suddenly giggle out of surprise from Aratani's unpredictable remarks. Not that she wasn't sad anymore, but at least her face brightened up. She stared at his eyes for a second as she was dared, but was unable to keep up and, with a faint smile, explained in an amenable way:

"I won't lie that I wanted to eat there a little, but I need something more substantial than chocolates to keep me up right now."

"Substantial?" Aratani repeated, "Are you sure you got in the right place, miss? I only see leaves, plants and seeds there. That one looks like birdseed. Are you a bird?"

Giggling, the girl denied it, but Aratani teasingly insisted in a cool tone:

"I think you're a bird. Prove me you're not a bird."

"Ha ha, I... I'm not a bird! How do I prove I'm not a bird?"

"I don't know," the man, extremely calm, said with a small smile, "Do something a bird can't do, maybe."

It got the short and slightly spike-haired, tall idol thinking. Eventually she said, still a bit said but also amused by the conversation to the point where she actually smiled faintly:

"I don't know, hm... I can't fly!"

"That doesn't prove you're not a bird," Aratani kept teasing her and making her giggle with his impromptu jokes, "An ostrich also can't fly but is a bird. Maybe you're a bird too."

"Why do you think I'm a bird, mister?" she asked, and he promptly replied, "You eat in a place that sells birdseed. That's food for birds. Hence you, miss, are a bird. Logic."

"Ha ha, that's not birdseed! That's oats! It's food people eat too!"

"People eat "too"? Why "too"? As in, "birds eat it and people eat that too"? You're not people, miss? Then you just revealed you're a bird." Aratani once again deflected her arguments with a twisted and insane logic that made the girl chuckle louder. Naoko was left admired by how easily her chill producer talked with an arguably very pretty lady who just a few moments before was so sad and retracted. He made it look very simple to entwine her on his crazy and comical talk.

The girl insisted she wasn't a bird by stating she could talk, but Aratani said, unfaltering:

"But parrots can talk too. And you sing. You know what animal sings too?" Making a gesture with both hands, shaking them once to emphasize his speech, he answered his own question while opening his eyes wide for a moment, "Birds."

The girl, laughing, tried to counterargument his logic by stating she looked human, but Aratani merely replied she could be part of a not yet cataloged species of birds. She replied she wore clothes, but the man told her it could just be in order to hide her birdiness. She returned the question by asking how could Aratani prove he wasn't a bird, but the man evaded it comically:

"That's a first! A bird who is capable of logical arguments! You're not a bird!" after a brief pause, he stated feigning awe, "You're an alien bird!"

The two idols burst into laughs while Aratani mocked:

"We're being invaded! That's dangerous! Unless... you're a good alien bird. In this case I can protect your secret, Birdie. Are you a good alien bird? Prove me you're not a bad alien bird."

Even Naoko started to laugh. Though she knew her producer could be funny, she'd never seen him act like a madman before. The best part was that he never lost his cool composure, meaning he didn't look mad, but a perfectly common person saying things in a very matter-of-fact way. If not for his slight smile and a few eventual laughs out of disbelief of his very words, denouncing he was joking, he could've passed for a crazy person, albeit a very calm and presentable one. Also, no matter what the amused idol said in her defense, Aratani easily dismissed or evaded them in such a way that he maintained his outlandish claim in the most exceptional ways merely by the use of reasoning. Naoko didn't understand how he did that, but he did. In a few moments the tall, humble and pretty girl was not only unable to prove she wasn't a bird, but was trying to prove she wasn't a bad alien bird:

"I'm not a bad alien bird because... I... like... people! I help people! I do charities in my free time!"

Aratani finally admitted his defeat for a second, before turning it upside down:

"Okay, I got it, Birdie-Chan. You've proved me you're not a bad alien bird... You're a good alien bird."

"Than... Hey! Hahaha!" the girl, taken off-balance for the thousandth time during that conversation, started to laugh heartily. She started to try and counter that once again, but Aratani, snapping away from the droll chat, pointed out, "You said you do charities in your free time?"

The idol, noticing the man had changed gears, resumed the modest nature Naoko, who was just a spectator to the conversation, came to expect from her. She revealed:

"Ah... yes. In a communitarian house that helps homeless people."

Aratani suddenly looked fascinated and asked for details, prompting the girl to humbly explain it:

"It's really a small space supported by a Shinto temple, though I'm not part of the temple itself. I'm merely a volunteer from the community, and my help is minimal there. We look for donations of food, clothes, medicine and so on from markets, pharmacies and businesses in general. Also, many homeless people don't seek us, we're the ones that look for them, so..."

"Why? Wouldn't they be the most interested party?" Aratani interrupted, looking curious. The girl elucidated in a seemingly already well-known speech, as if she'd said that many times before, "Yes, but homeless people also suffer a lot on the streets. Many don't want to bother others or even lose the ability to trust other people. If they show any fragility, they can fear others would take advantage of it or abandon them even more, so they don't look for help. We're the ones who try to convince them we only want to help, and it takes time to build trust. They think we'll try to convert them or make they repay us somehow. Also, a few are usually drunk. It's rare for homeless people to do so, but sometimes they drink to forget the sadness and also to endure the cold of the nights. Every year we're always on a rush to find and make the largest amount of homeless people accept our help before winter comes, when many of them die. And no one cares to publicize this kind of news. To die an indigent, forgotten in the cold like this..."

The girl's concerned eyes turned fraught with sorrow for a while before going back to normal.

"We also have contacts with other groups who help homeless people, stray animals, alcohol addicts and those with addictions to other drugs and other humanitarian causes, so even if they don't trust us, they still get help."

The conversation had gone from a lighthearted, comical fest to a serious tone in less than a minute, but Aratani and the tall idol didn't seem to care. When the attendant called her, the visibly distressed girl was too absorbed in the chat to notice. Hence, Aratani told her, "Hey, Birdie-Chan, your birdseed is ready", though in a cool way and not falling back again to the previous, nonsensical talk. Instead, as the girl returned with her vegetarian food, the man said:

"Well, I would've never imagined a girl like you would donate your time and effort to such a noble cause. People your age are usually not as kindhearted. Or at least, don't regularly manifest their kindness the way you do. But Naoko-Chan here was right." Bringing the tall girl's attention to Naoko, Aratani revealed, "When she saw you here, she asked me if we could try to cheer you up. In her words, you're the girl she liked the most during the audition, because you looked humble and sincere like no other."

The girl Aratani previously dubbed "Birdie" sent a grateful look to Naoko and, bowing, thanked her and the man for the concern. The producer coolly continued, slightly joking:

"She's not that tactful at cheering people up, but Naoko-Chan also has a good heart. There is not a single audition we get to where Naoko-Chan doesn't want to console or help other idols." Preferring not to mention that was just her second audition ever, Aratani quickly changed subjects, "I'm Aratani Kouta, Naoko-Chan's producer."

The girl, bowing again while holding the tray with her plate, introduced herself:

"It's a pleasure to meet you both! I'm Kobayashi Megumi, but please call me Megumi."

Taking note of the tray on Megumi's hand, Aratani suggested:

"Why don't we find somewhere to sit down? In fact, I didn't eat anything the whole day, so I'm deeply sorry, but I'll briefly excuse myself. Naoko-Chan, I'll grab something for you too, just tell me what you want."

After she decided and the man was gone, Megumi complimented the two:

"Wow, Naoko-San is really blessed to have such a kind producer! Kindness attracts kindness, they say."

Megumi looked only slightly sad, a huge improvement over how miserable she appeared to be just a few minutes before. Naoko smiled gladly, but out of humbleness decided not to comment on it, preferring to ask:

"What about your producer, Megumi-San? How is he or she?"

The girl looked down to her plate, sadness returning to it. Perceiving she'd said something wrong, Naoko immediately apologized, but Megumi modestly replied:

"No, it's okay. Well... my producer was a nice person. Strict, but she took good care of me. I... I didn't deserve to have a producer like Yoshida-San. She invested on me for almost six months, taking me to classes and all. She even gave me seven chances to qualify on gigs. But... whenever I stepped on a stage I..."

The girl looked hopeless. Naoko was also left baffled and started to think of anything to say to change the subject, but Megumi bravely held her tears and pressed on:

"Thing is, Yoshida-San gave me far too many chances, and I failed her on every one. I was even the Queen of her agency, despite that she could've afforded another idol."

"Queen? Sorry if it sounds stupid, but what is a Queen?" Naoko questioned.

"Oh... does you agency has other idols?" Megumi replied, but as she received a negative answer, she said, "Well, then Naoko-San is already the Queen of her agency! Maybe Aratani-San just never used this expression, but it's a common way in the idol industry to refer to a single idol on who an agency deposits all the faith on. Generally it only applies if your company can afford to promote more than one idol, but decides to focus on just one, though nowadays you can say any agency that has only one idol has a Queen. Sorry for using this term, it's just a silly expression used in the industry."

Despite already having food to eat, Megumi let it rest, waiting Aratani to come back with the dishes for him and Naoko. In the meantime, Megumi, looking lost and a little afraid, said:

"The thing is, I wasn't able to keep up with the expectations Yoshida-San put on me. They told me I actually performed well on my application test, though I don't know how, but all I did was to betray the expectations my producer had for me. I wish I'd never tried to take that test... It would've been the best for Yoshida-San. Though... I needed it at that time... Well, I... still kind of do. I don't... know what I'm going to do now that I'm unemployed."

Getting extremely concerned, Naoko hesitated:

"Can't Megumi-San... I don't know... try to... overcome her fears and ask for one last chance? Or... something? I-I know it's easy to say "overcome your fears" but hard to do it, I have a friend that is very afraid of boys and competitions and I'm trying to help her, but it's very hard! And I also have some fears, so I know it is. But... if Megumi-San needs it, can't she..."

The look on Megumi's face indicated it wouldn't be as simple as that, as she told Naoko:

"I can't. Yoshida-San gave me too many chances. And each audition has an entry fee of at least ten thousand Yen. I can't... ask my producer to pay yet another time for me to... fail her again. Also, I... don't know how to overcome this fear of mine, otherwise I would've already done so. I'm... scared to death every time I treaded on a stage. I'm scared to death of failing... and I failed." Looking down, the girl humbly asked after a period of silence, "Naoko-San? Are you not afraid of failing?"

"Please drop the formalities, Megumi-San," Naoko asked, referring to the "San" suffix, "And... well, I am a little afraid, yes. Of stages and of failing but..." Suddenly she remembered how she's able to qualify on both auditions she'd tried so far, "Oh, but I have a secret weapon! The first time I came to an audition I was very tense, and Aratani-San started to joke around to calm me down. Since I also have the same sense of humor he does, a little nonsensical at times, I got into it. And it worked! So now we do it every time!"

Naoko started to relate the jokes the two have made involving other producers, girls and the fictional story of the mafia princes turned idol, making the troubled girl smile once again and giggle a few times. Naoko was at her best when relating comical things, but once she stopped Megumi relapsed back to her worries, despite some improvement in her humor. The worst of all was that Naoko couldn't even blame the girl for being depressed, she'd just lost her job in a sad way. Still, when Aratani arrived with the food, he was startled.

"Naoko-Chan, when I left just a few minutes ago, Megumi-San was smiling and laughing. What did you do to the little bird?" he joked, though with a cool and slightly serious face, and the girl, with an upset countenance, retorted in an acid, mocking way, "That's because Megumi-San was laughing of you, not of your jokes, Produ-San!"

"Ouch," the man feigned to be hurt by her words, though his face showed he found their little bickering entertaining. Putting the dish Naoko asked in front of her and sitting beside the girl, he pestered, "Maybe I shouldn't have done the favor of grabbing your food for you..."

"Maybe Produ-San would be a dead man by now if he didn't!" Naoko replied caustically. Abruptly smiling and petting his shoulder, she added gently, "Also, so sweet of you! Thank you!"

Megumi, giggling, diligently and respectfully told her situation again:

"When I said to Naoko-S...Chan that Aratani-San looked as kind as her, she asked me about my producer. I was just telling Naoko-Chan I... don't have a producer anymore. I failed her seven times. I made her lose more than five months with me. I was Yoshida-San's agency Queen, but every time I stepped on the stage, I was petrified. I didn't even deserve the trust she put on me. Naoko-Chan was trying to cheer me up, to what I'm deeply grateful."

While Aratani ate, his face turned serious just like Naoko's. The producer questioned:

"What about you application test? If you're so afraid to step on the limelight, how were you accepted, Megumi-San?"

Covering her temples with her palms in an expression of dismay, Megumi revealed:

"That's what fazes me the most: I have no idea! All I remember are glimpses of that day: I got there during fall and, after that, I walked away of the building! I've no recollections of my test."

Resting his hashi – his chopsticks – on a small hashi support, Aratani exchanged puzzled looks with Naoko, and she recalled:

"Megumi-San also said she only attempted the test because she needed the job, and she still needs it. So I asked if she couldn't try one more time, but somehow also overcoming her fears in the meantime."

"That's very specific of you to suggest Megumi-San needs to overcome her fears "somehow", Naoko-Chan," her producer teased the girl, and she, looking blankly with wide eyes, commented, "I noticed it, but In my mind it made more sense than when I listen to it..."

"Even so," the man turned to a cool but objective tone, "if Megumi-San performed well enough in her test, even if she doesn't know how she did that, she must have it in herself to be a potential idol. There must've happened something for you to have overcome your fears at that test, and if you get it, maybe you can employ it on future show."

"But... there'll be no future shows, I... was fired," Megumi repeated, sorrowful. Glancing sideways to Naoko, who appeared directionless, the man pondered and inquired, making it sound like a rhetorical inquiry:

"Say, Megumi-San: do you really want to be an idol? Or do you just want a job?"

Naoko was upset for a second by her producer's question. It sounded a little offensive to her. But to her surprise, Megumi seemed almost to be expecting that, and didn't look troubled in the slightest by it. It's as if Aratani could somehow read the girl better than Naoko, and to say the things that were relevant for the situation instead of trying to cheer a person up without solving anything. Megumi, though not happy, humbly replied with a glad tone:

"Aratani-San is very observant. I just wanted a job, indeed. I needed... I need the money. The idol job just had a few perks."

Keenly, Aratani kept on, though his cool and genuine demeanor made it look less pressuring than his words would otherwise suggest:

"You said you looked for a job about five months ago. That was the end of fall." While Megumi seemed to acknowledge the man's words as if he'd stated something far deeper than the obvious, Naoko was left visibly confused and facing her producer puzzled. The man, thus, explained, "Naoko-Chan, Megumi-San helps homeless people. She said many unsheltered indigents die during winter. She looked to become an idol by the end of fall. Ring any bells?"

Though Megumi wasn't too interested in explaining her motivations clearly, Naoko was amazed by her producer's ability to reach logical conclusions as if he composed a jigsaw puzzle from the idol's fragmented speech. Even more, the results left Naoko touched:

"Megumi-San wanted the job to raise money to help homeless people?!" Naoko asked, shocked. Megumi, smiling sadly, humbly explicated, "Naoko-Chan and Aratani-San make it sound nobler than it really is. In fact, I didn't want the money to help homeless people. Maybe a little, but I mostly needed it to pay my university studies. I want to be a nutritionist, and I enrolled this month, so I wanted to start saving money as soon as possible. And it's not that much, since I already have a scholarship. So... in terms of money, almost any job would do."

"But then why... the idol thing?" Naoko inquired, even more confused, "I mean, I believe Megumi-San would be an amazing idol if she wasn't afraid of stages, but since you are, why would you choose a job you're petrified about if any other can pay what you need? Is it... because in the long term you can gain much more money than you need being an idol?"

Seeing Megumi was too modest to be able to answer that, who did so was Aratani, as if he could see the reason right through the girl:

"Megumi-San not after the idol business for a career for long-term money, she already has other plans for her life. She already said what she wants to be: a nutritionist. When she said any job would do, but the idol one had its perks, she's talking about the visibility she can get, from what I understand. She said homeless people died on the streets but no one cared to make news about it. If she became famous, she could draw the public attention to that cause. And it's easier to become famous as an idol, even if you're not in the Major League, than if you're a nutritionist, or almost any other thing for that matter."

With a glad look Megumi nodded. Naoko, surprised, said:

"I... am speechless. Megumi-San is... easily one of the kindest people I've ever met. But if that's the case, why did you look for a job on the end of fall? You... thought you'd become famous in a month to draw attention to the homeless people before winter? Probably not, right? Then why?"

"I... knew I wouldn't," Megumi agreed, looking reminiscent, "but I was desperate to find an answer to all my worries that fall. I'd almost graduated from high-school by that time and had no way of paying the university I had enrolled, even with the partial scholarship I was granted, so I needed a job. I also saw the approaching winter, and it always made me uneasy. At that time I was thinking about becoming a journalist. I never wanted it, but that was the only profession I could think that would pay me something and would let me promote the cause I fight for. But I disliked it and the long work-hours would not let me continue my studies. Furthermore, I would be just a mere reporter, and I know many. They're good people, I know it, but they tell me the companies they work for don't usually let them write about the homeless beggars. It makes for uninteresting news that no one likes to know about, the companies say. So even if I became a journalist, I'd probably not be able to draw any attention to what I wanted. Not unless I became a renowned journalist, but that can take decades to occur, and I'm not talented for that job, really. It was last fall I desperately talked about it with everyone I knew, and when a friend asked me why I didn't try to become an idol, I didn't think twice. I trained for a whole week while looking for an agency with vacancies. I knew it'd take a few years, but that was my best bet. Also, I'm not shy, I'm usually quite outgoing, so I thought I'd be fine. I think I managed to perform well on my tests just because I was so pumped up and desperate at the time. But to get in front of many people, be judged and face the possibility of failing... is too much for me."

A long silence followed. The three quietly ate with thoughtful countenances, though Naoko had no idea what the other two pondered about. All she knew was that Megumi's humble and kind ways grew on her and she sincerely wanted to help that person, though Naoko was as clueless as the very girl she tried to aid.

It was Aratani who ultimately broke the silence:

"I apologize for us bringing up such topics and ultimately not being able to help, Megumi-San. From what I take, you only have two options: solving your fear of stages "somehow" like Naoko-Chan said, or looking for another job. If you want help on the second, I can try talking with businessmen I know and see if they need a girl like you for any job position."

In the stead of Megumi, Naoko reasoned:

"But another job wouldn't help her promote her cause, and to solve a fear, like Produ-San said, is not that simple. Also, she's already dismissed anyway."

Megumi agreed nodding, and Aratani was left with the hard task to shoot them down and bring both girls back to the reality:

"Sorry if it seems rough, girls, but we're people just like the ones we try to help. Naoko-Chan and I have just as much of a hard time trying to help Megumi-San as she has helping homeless people. We're not saints, we can only do so much. It's not how I wanted it to be too, but you girls need to face reality: we can't solve all the problems of the world. Megumi-San, maybe you're not going to be able to help every single homeless person in Tokyo, but that doesn't mean your efforts are useless. You're already doing your best and there are people being helped by you. I know you probably wanted to help many more, but think it this way: would it do any good for an ant to suffer because she's not able to carry a whole tree all at once to the anthill? You can, and must, expect only the best of yourself, but you can't blame yourself for not being able to do what's beyond your human capabilities. And Naoko-Chan? I know you only wish the best for Megumi-San and I know you're trying to help, but insisting on the idol subject can bring her even more suffering without accomplishing anything. Megumi-San needs to pay her bills somehow, there's no use insisting on a job she's having trouble performing and that ultimately is not bringing her any satisfaction. The homeless people surely have massive problems, but they're not the only ones in the world to have problems: Megumi-San has her own share, too. She needs money, and another job can do that for her. After she is sure to pay her university she can think about what to do next. Trying to solve everything at once will accomplish nothing."

The two girls stared their food for long, their faces an enigmatic mix of feelings. Sighing, the man added:

"Just so you girls don't accuse me of trying to persuade Megumi-San to quit the idol business once and for all, let me just clarify one misconception here: even if her producer told her today she was fired, it's not that simple. I.S.S.G. imposes a legal period of seven days for an idol to be removed from the system. They check for debts, try to understand the reasons to improve what they can and, in case of high-class idols, try to persuade her and her agency to find alternate solutions. They also give a week so people can reconsider. You two are girls, you know how young women can be impulsive and do stupid things at times, like asking to quit. All in all, they require one week. It's not as simple as saying "you're fired". So even if her producer won't accept her anymore on her agency, until next Saturday Megumi is still an idol. If she somehow manages to overcome her fears until then, she can make herself a registration on an audition, pay the fee of ten thousand Yen and qualify. It's going to be a hassle, but it'd prove that Megumi-San can really achieve the success her producer once envisioned on her."

Resting his hashi on the chopstick holder, only then Aratani faced back the two surprised girls. They clearly didn't know about those legal facts and looked staggered. Snapping out of it, Naoko quickly asked:

"Can we help Megumi-San, Produ-San?! Like... if she's able to control her fright of stages, can we... or, rather, you... help her with the registration and... stuff?"

Looking very serious for a moment, Aratani loosened up and, with a faint smile, replied while leaning back on his chair:

"I knew I'd hear it. Naoko-Chan, you understand that Harumi-Chan, Sakura-Chan and Megumi-San are actually your rivals, no matter how nice they are or how much they deserve to be helped, right?" Shaking his head, he proceeded, "Well, I suppose the business needs more kind girls like you and Megumi-San than cold and insensitive people like the majority of the idols we have on the lower classes nowadays. Fine, though that's not something we can decide for her. Megumi-San, tell me: what do you really want to do?"

The tall girl silently contemplated Aratani and Naoko's faces for quite some time. Megumi's expression was surprised, though it's also frozen. Only her eyes moved around, and only slightly. It took the girl long seconds to respond:

"I... don't want to betray the expectations of anyone ever again... and I need the money... But there are other places where I can get it...but I also want to help those people..."

"Megumi-San, you're giving us reasons to insist on this kind of work or not," Aratani pointed out, getting very direct and sharp for a while, "Surely you have your motivations and there are many other possible jobs for you. That's not what I asked. I'll rephrase my question. What I want to know is: even knowing you'll still need to overcome your petrifying fear of stages and that you'll need to present yourself numerous times on your career for increasingly big audiences, and that even this is not a guarantee of success, do you seriously want one final chance to be an idol and would you like to be it, for whatever reasons you have? Yes or no?"

The girl, with her black eyes wide-open, hesitated. Naoko found Aratani's question to be extremely upfront and intimidating, but she couldn't say that at the time without possibly causing many problems to the conversation. In a sense, she got it was almost a test of willpower, not unlike the blank stares the judges gave to the girls while they tried to sing, dance and appeal to them. If a girl managed to keep her determination under such harsh conditions, the judges would know she was ready for a real, bigger but generally more welcoming audience. If not, the girl could have problems during a real show, which would be even worse. It was borderline cruelty, but in a twisted sense, it protected not only I.S.S.G., but also the idols and their agencies from a potential public fiasco.

For almost two minutes Megumi was meditative. Sometimes hints of fear could be seen on her face, while at others, hope surfaced. She looked worried at all times, twice getting close to crying. Her eyes were the only windows that led to beyond her statuesque, motionless exterior. They didn't move because they looked at Aratani and Naoko alternately. In fact, they looked at nothing. Her eyes moved as if shaken by the hurricanes of thoughts that could almost be seen through her dilated pupils. Eventually, the still insecure girl came back from the tempestuous and terrifying lands she appeared to have walked on, her expression reticent but her eyebrows folded in however much determination she was able to gather inside her.

"Yes!" she announced suddenly, almost as if spitting out the word before she had the time to reconsider. Though not appearing too confident, Aratani nodded.

"Remember the "yes" you just said, Megumi-San, when you get on the stage the next time. Here's the deal: if Megumi-San is really serious about her career as an idol, even if her reason is to become famous in order to help promote a just cause, there is still a small hope. But you, Megumi-San, have seven days. If you miraculously manage to overcome your fears by next Saturday by nine a.m., look for me."

The man, handing Megumi his black business card, instructed her:

"You'll have to prove me you conquered your fears, but if you do, I'll do the registration with you. The registration process for a gig is not difficult, but I'll need you to bring me a detailed plan of your choreography. In general dancing instructors have this set up, so if you have a teacher, ask him or her. If not, take it on your agency or write it yourself. Include your personal documents, a copy of your contract with your agency and the name of the song you'll be singing. Depending on your contract with your agency, a written permission of your current producer allowing you to participate in an audition might be necessary too, though if it's the standard fare, we can circumvent it through a loophole that lets idols not be limited by their producer's decisions if they deem it improper. If you want I'll pay your entry fee of ten thousand Yen, as long as you accept that I also want to be repaid by my services and the risk involved in it, the quantity of... say, fifty thousand Yen if you qualify. If you don't, you won't owe me anything, though. Not even the entry fee. So it's only fair I get a share of your profit. Oh, and one more condition: I won't register you in the same audition Naoko-Chan will participate, if she competes on that day. And she will, since next Saturday is during the Golden Week. Do you accept these conditions, Megumi-San?"

The girl, standing up, promptly agreed in a respectful voice while bowing:

"Yes. I'm very grateful for your support, Aratani-San! I'm also very grateful for your kindness, Naoko-Chan! I'll do my best to try and overcome my fear somehow by Saturday and not let you two down!"

Regardless of Megumi's words and best intentions, Naoko had no idea how it would be possible to overcome such a dread in a mere week. As the three talked, Megumi came up with a vague plan involving trying to figure out how was she able to perform her tests. Aratani believed that could work for a few auditions too, but that unless the girl found pleasure in being on a stage, she wouldn't get far. To sacrifice herself for a dream was one thing, but to do anything against one's will was a surefire way to make one's life miserable. Naoko agreed on that, trusting the girl would have much better chances at succeeding if she got a plan to do what made her happy, though Megumi told the two she found very hard to enjoy singing for judges and an uninterested audience like that of the auditions.

They discussed briefly about how the people at the auditions weren't her real spectators and Aratani asked her a few what-if questions to evaluate what exactly scared the girl. The scenarios he created removed or altered single elements of the shows and auditions. He inquired her how would she few if there were no judges, then if the judges appeared to like her, then if there was no other people in the auditorium, then if there were hundreds of fans there rooting for her and so on. One of the many scenarios the producer created included a crowd of homeless people, but contrary to his expectations, Megumi's imagination showed her that wouldn't make her feel any better than if she sang for a bunch of rich people. However, she did get slightly excited by imagining that after a show she could get a few seconds to talk to those rich people about the situation of the ones who lived on the streets.

It gave Aratani an idea:

"Megumi-San, you said you considered the possibility of becoming a journalist just to publicize the drama of the homeless people, but was afraid to find no space to do it and to have no talent for the job, right? What if there were actually songs about homeless people? About their sufferings, their situation, songs through which you could say all the things you want?"

"Songs?" Megumi repeated, "But would people want to hear an idol sing about this?"

"It doesn't matter for the time being, just tell us how would you feel about it," Aratani request. Megumi closed her eyes and quieted down for some time. Opening them with a surprised face, she confirmed, "That could work, I think! Even if I sang it on an audition and failed to qualify, at least someone would've heard what I had to say!" Even though looking content, the girl reiterated, "Though I don't know if there is any song like that and I still think not many people would enjoy hearing about it. Can you imagine a song saying "They get hungry and have no money to buy food! They get lonely and find it hard to trust others! They get sad and have no shoulder to cry on!" That's not a very nice song..."

Searching for something on his cellphone, Aratani took some time to respond, wittily:

"I agree, but that's because you suck at creating song, little bird. That's the reason why you're an idol, not necessarily a composer. Also, I can't see the difference between people hearing this song or enjoying a happy one and then suddenly the idol asking, "Hey! Did you all like my happy song?! Are you all happy?! Well, too bad, because for the next minute I'm going to talk about how horrible a life in the streets are and how you or a person you love can become an indigent someday too!" Now that will make your fans like you more, won't it?! Short answer: no."

Letting Megumi laugh for a moment, the man finally found what he was looking for on his black cellphone. Resting it on the table and raising his eyes to the tall idol, still way shorter than him, he affirmed:

"If you say people won't like to hear you singing about it, you're censoring yourself even before trying. It's like the newspapers not accepting certain news about homeless people because someone there thinks the public won't enjoy it and it won't be relevant. Like you said, it'd be worthwhile to sing about it even if you failed on an audition, because you'd have delivered your message. And with such a mindset maybe Megumi-San won't be as afraid to perform and can focus on enjoying herself. You just need to find a good song. Don't worry about it being sad, there is demand for sad songs too, even when sung by idols, as long as they are good. I'm not a composer, but I can imagine a creative mind could come up with a nice song about it."

Taking his cellphone back on his hand, Aratani continued talking:

"Since it costs millions to create and copyright a song, at first you'll have to make do with what already exists, but don't lose heart: if Megumi-San perseveres, she will someday have her own songs. Until then, let me show you an example of a well-made sad song. It has nothing to do with homeless people but nevertheless talks about a long, arduous journey. It'll hopefully show you it is possible to create songs like the ones you're talking about."

Thinking for a second, Naoko inquired before her producer played the composition:

"And heck, why do all songs needs to be sad in the first place? If we're talking about the hardships of homeless people, why not focus on their will to fight against the odds instead of lamenting their suffering? Like an energetic song about overcoming adversities! I think people at gyms would like it! Also, this way you can also show people not all hope is lost!"

The two were startled by Naoko's quick thinking, and visibly approved the idea. Just to make his point through, though, Aratani played the song he'd chosen. It was melodic, slow and the male voice that sang in English was accompanied only by faint instruments on the background. It was apparently the story of a person on a journey of thousands of miles for love, facing perils through many nights and days. In first person, the lyric was very touching and led the listener through a grand and somewhat solitary adventure in just a few minutes. There were no big crescendos or heavy beats, but behind the calm voice of the arguably excellent singer there was an extremely well-crafted song, simple on the surface but quite deep in its meaning.

When it was over, Naoko immediately congratulated Aratani for having that song saved on his cellphone, stating she didn't know he liked anime. Seeing he looked puzzled, the girl lost the glitter on her eyes, saying it'd be too good to be true, and explained that was the opening song of an old anime. Her producer looked vexed when he discovered that, but quickly forgot it and turned his attention back to Megumi.

She looked ecstatic as if she'd discovered a new world of possibilities. Even the reality check made by Aratani, reminding her she'd have to find a song of her liking, write her choreography for it and practice it, presumably without the help of a dancing instructor since her producer would not spend any more money on her, wasn't enough to break her resolution. Pumped by the idea of truly saying something meaningful on her audition, coupled with Naoko's suggestion of finding upbeat songs that made sense for promoting her just cause and hanging on a thin thread of hope, Megumi was thrilled.

As they exchanged contacts and she went her separate way, copiously thanking the two, Megumi had regained the brightness on her eyes. Sighing, Aratani scratched his eyes and, looking tired, murmured:

"I hope she succeeds. She's a kind girl if I've ever seen one. But dear goodness, Naoko-Chan! You're just as hopeless as her! While Megumi-San tries to help every homeless person in the universe, you do the same with idols in need?! If you keep like this I'll soon have no time to actually produce my own idol!"

Staring at him with glad eyes, the girl smiled radiantly:

"Aw, Produ-San, you say that, but I know deep down you agree it's much better to have people like her around than, say, Ruby! I can sense you're actually happy to be able to help Megumi-San!"

The man was unable to hold back a little smile while they walked around the stores, prompting Naoko to tease him:

"A-ha! I knew it! You talk about her and me, but you're just as hopeless! You can't deny help from a person you know that deserves it!"

Not really looking too happy about it, but keeping it cool, the man unenthusiastically replied "I guess", to what Naoko excitedly agreed:

"I guess so too! And Produ-San, you were so amazing back there! I had no idea what to say, but you did so like it's second nature! You called her a bird, gave her a nickname, did the most nonsense talk I've heard since last time I opened my mouth and made a depressed girl laugh! How?! I could see Megumi-San already likes you a lot, Produ-San! During a second back there I was almost getting a little jealous of you two!" Suddenly looking angry, the girl ordered, "Don't you ever trade me for her or anyone else, you hear me?!" Getting back to her cheerful complexion, she kept talking as if she hasn't flipped her personality twice in less than five seconds, leaving her producer baffled, "Produ-San is quite the ladies' man, isn't it? You didn't even bat an eye to talk with her, and Megumi-San is quite attractive, isn't she? You even charged her fifty thousand Yen if she got qualified, you slimy fox! Is that how you treat the ladies?! Oh! How did you managed to maintain that crazy story that she was a bird for so long?!"

Completely disoriented, her producer tried to answer whatever he could remember of Naoko's convoluted sentences while resuming his walk through the shopping mall:

"I... was always at least passable at conversations to begin with and was taught to argument like every lawyer is or should be. I... was also going to say Megumi-San is pretty, yes, though not as gorgeous as Naoko-Chan, but since you just became enraged for a moment in a sudden mood swing a while back I think it's best if I don't tell you that since it usually doesn't end well. Especially because Naoko-Chan got jealous of me trying to cheer up a girl that Naoko-Chan herself asked me to talk to in the first place, and got afraid I'd trade her for another idol when I was clearly against even helping Megumi-San to begin with. Ah... about the fifty thousand Yen, it'll cover expenses and little else, but it's important to do that so Megumi-San feels she can repay us. It's just like if a homeless person is helped by her and doesn't even thank her. Megumi-San would probably feel bad otherwise, maybe even falling back on the dangerous assumption that she's useless and unable to help people who are important to her, thus risking her to lose the will to sing. And... Oh, right. You don't cheer a sad person by reminding her of her problems, you either give her a solution or change subjects altogether to something happier and trust her capability of solving her own conflicts by herself when she's alone. Let me see... if I left some question you did unanswered I'm sorry. I just can't keep up with you. Whew. You're one tough girl, you know that? Can we finally get to buy the clothes and accessories we came here to purchase before we get late for the ad's photo session and your show, Naoko-Chan?"

That was the kind of reassuring answer she liked to hear! Flashing a bright smile in response, Naoko nodded and tagged along, only then completely at peace.
Chapter XI – Black and Golden

The show on Saturday, while only marginally bigger than the first Naoko had performed, got the girl so pumped up that the first thing she asked Aratani when she met him again on Sunday was if there was any possibility for her to attempt to perform two shows every weekend. Perhaps even starting on that day. Sure, the dressing room was once again a tense and silent place, the obnoxious Ruby and the other girls irritatingly argued about who was the best among them and other trivialities, and it appeared to be a habit of restaurant owners to make performers dress up in rooms close to the kitchen. It wasn't perfect, but the actual gig was, like before, a fantastic experience. It had occurred on another bistro that offered live exhibitions. The place looked smaller but the house was full, two hundred people.

Naoko couldn't even wait for her next show. The thrill of the night, the flashing lights that surrounded her, the upbeat atmosphere and how welcoming the audience was, with cheers and applauses, was addicting. She could hardly contain the expectation to get to higher classes and experience how was to perform for bigger crowds.

Her producer was taken aback by her determination. Until she arrived by seven a.m., awfully soon for a Sunday but on time like they had scheduled, his only concern were the photos and videos a freelancer photographer had captured from her show. He'd bought a professional camera, meaning the quality of the images were much better than before, though Aratani was still an amateur holding it. As such, he'd paid a seemingly expensive cameraman to help him. The man was used to photographing weddings and parties. The professional's photos were much steadier and a few shots even looked a little artistic, but most were just well-taken, albeit still, pictures. A little underwhelming considering Naoko's gig was full of lights, movement and energy, but a decent work nonetheless.

Taking a moment to get mentally ready for the shock of frenetic positivity that was Naoko when she was happy, Aratani explained they wouldn't be able to register her on another show on that day since she already had a full schedule but he promised to try to manage her agenda to make her wish for double auditions on weekends come true whenever possible. Naoko was determined not to take one year to get to Sea class like the other idol from her school, Reiko, and also enjoyed performing more and more.

They visited two different photographic studios for the ads contracts, and after that Naoko was taken to the classes she eagerly awaited while Aratani returned to the agency to send the scanned copies of the contracts by e-mail to her like always. On the hall by the entrance of the large, glass-covered building where she was taught, Harumi and Sakura awaited sitting on a couch.

The twins looked ecstatic to see Naoko and excitedly followed her. They were amazed to see the acoustic studio where she had her singing lessons. It was a good opportunity to have them there too, since Naoko was finally going to learn four new songs – or, rather, how to sing properly songs she already knew. The two stood contemplating in amazement from behind the sound-proof glass along with the instructor, and she explained them many things while the sole student sang on the sound-isolated part of the room. Naoko couldn't hear what her teacher said, but it's amusing to see the awed expressions Harumi and Sakura did through the glass. After the lessons were over Naoko's instructor even let the sisters sing a song at the microphone while she talked with Naoko about her new homework.

The following classes were just as fun. Initially they were so scared by the severe mien of instructor Sato Mayumi while Naoko explained about the presence of the two that the guests were reluctant to even get inside the dancing room. Eventually the twins loosened up, though, since the teacher, albeit strict, was a lovely person. From there they enjoyed the many mistakes Naoko did while learning new poses, steppings and two new choreographies. She had another dancing session after the body language class to learn the other two choreographies for the remaining new songs, but before that Aratani showed up and took the girls to lunch.

Sakura almost couldn't eat due to how much she talked. Harumi, though nowhere nearly a timid person, was usually less impulsive than her sister and spoke a little less. Still, the two talked nonstop with Naoko and her producer during the one hour break. They were so amazed it was as if they'd been invited to an amusement park instead of an eight hour course.

The twins told Naoko they had been visited by Aratani once, who'd explained them the basics about the I.S.S.G. and even helped them buy outfits (with the money of their old, senile producer). Since they're twins and would be practicing the same songs in hopes they'd perform non-ranked shows together, their costumes had to make sense on a pair despite the two being different in terms of personality. As such, the sisters got a pair of good and evil-themed attires. Radiant, outgoing and short-tempered, Sakura chose a lil' devil suit, albeit not really an evil-looking one. There was a tiara sporting small horns, a sleeveless one-piece short yellow dress with a diagonal lower cut, only one white wing resembling that of a bat and two pairs of white boots. One was knee high and the other had half of that length. With this it's possible to mismatch them. She also got a small pointy tail to be affixed on a belt, sharp winglets for her footwear and long gloves, along with a few accessories that matched those of her sister.

Harumi, quieter but also more cynical and acid when she got irritated, got a one-winged angel garment, with a single black wing. She chose another short one-piece dress, though pink and with a furry diagonal lower border. Her gloves were short and she also got two pairs of black boots of different barrel lengths to be mismatched. The small plastic wings to be affixed on her footwear were white, though, and looked like fluffy cute wings.

A nice thing about buying outfits for the twins was that, despite each having their own standard looks, their body measures were the same. This allowed Harumi and Sakura to exchange pieces of clothes if they wanted.

They told Naoko that Aratani, on his first visit, taught them about two of the five categories judges evaluated: Dancing and Singing. As such, they enjoyed a lot the lessons they'd watched. Aratani seized this opportunity to explain Naoko the last category she didn't know about, Memorability, while also teaching the twins about it, meaning they'd only need to learn two others at a later date:

"Memorability is the oddest category there is. While the other four are very technical and have even subcategories with set, predetermined scores depending on the difficulty of a song to be sang or a choreography, for example, Memorability has none of it. It's also the only category where most modifiers don't apply and that doesn't focus on specific aspects of the presentation, but on it as a whole. It's created so that the judges can express their own opinions, within reason, and give the scoring system a flexible approach to subjective aspects that hard math can't really calculate. Even the names of the five subcategories reflect that: Novelty, Idol Signature, Feelings and Emotions, Significance and Mystique."

Giving time for Harumi to write down it all, while Sakura lazily let her cellphone capture Aratani's voice in the restaurant, the man proceeded:

"Novelty exists to evaluate how creative or innovative a performance was. Previously known as "Uniqueness", at first it required girls to always try new steps, wear new frills and so on, but the higher ups noticed that forcing introduction of new elements made no sense. Instead, Novelty doesn't require, in theory, that an idol do anything new per se, but rather something different from what other idols that had already presented on the same show or audition, even if it's a common thing among idols. So if a girl does a tried and true movement, sing a classic or wear the same frilled dress she wore the last twenty gigs but somehow no other contestants before her did the same on that particular show, that will be considered novel enough. There is a catch here: the first idol to perform will have no previous competition, so anything she does on a show will theoretically be "new", while the last idol to get on stage will have to do different things from all the girls before her if she wants a good Novelty score. To balance it, judges make it so the Novelty score gets progressively easier to achieve during presentations. So unless the first few idols do something genuinely new or unexpected, they will usually receive average, ten out of twenty scores, while if the last girl pulls only a handful of moves, garment pieces and whatnot not yet seen on that presentation, she can easily be awarded fifteen or more points."

"So is it better to perform last?" Sakura asked, and Aratani responded:

"Not really. The tough part is having something new or unexpected after twenty, thirty of sixty competitors to show. It becomes easier on the higher classes, where the number of idols is smaller and each already has a clear stage personality. Also, remember that tensely waiting an hour or two to perform can wreck the nerves of anyone, so even if you do manage to gain a few points here, a girl who is not mentally prepared can lose a lot of points elsewhere. And, to complicate matters, if an opponent that's going to present before you knows beforehand what you'll do she can include this element on her performance and undercut your score a little if she really wants you to lose points. Sure, the order of presentations is randomized before every show, but not on auditions. Also a pose, an introduction sentence to salute the crowd, things like that can be changed in a jiffy, so be careful what you girls reveal about your oncoming performances before it. It won't dent your tally by more than one point or so, since the Novelty subcategory takes into account not only if what you did has already appeared on that show, but also how many times it did. So unless every other girl also decides to do the same thing just to hurt your score, it's not a big problem, but a point is a point."

"Wow, do people really do these things?!" Sakura asked, irritated, "That's low!"

"In reality, you girls will see this is usually not an issue," Aratani calmed her down, "Right now it's not even expected you girls do anything new, really. The Intermediate League, meaning idols of the Wood and Fire classes, is when this can become an issue. There is some foul game there, since there's still a big number of competitors and many fall into similar stereotypes. Major League idols, meaning those in the Metal and Water classes, are few when compared to other leagues and concern themselves more with their own presentations than with that of others, since they all have such distinct stage personalities. It won't help her to "steal" a move or a pose from another girl to hurt her tally by one point if, by incorporating an incongruent element on her acting it can make the foul-playing woman lose two or more. An idol who acts all lovey-dovey will not copy a sexy, a cold or an aggressive pose from others because it can badly hurt her Idol Signature subcategory, which is the next one on the list. So girls, learn one thing: the Intermediate League can be tougher than the Major one, because although the competition is usually not as fierce, technically speaking, it's common for opponents to employ dirty tricks like this. It's here where bad characters are weeded out of the system. Compared to them, Major League idols are far more respectful for their peers. Not to mention they are generally more mature, are very well-paid and wouldn't risk their solid careers and reputations on a show, much less on a single point. They're more often than not past the trivialities, so don't worry, Sakura-San. It's not that bad, just aim to reach Metal class soon."

"Roger that!" Sakura replied, holding a fist in the air and facing her sister with burning eyes, "Let's do it, Harumi, right?! Oh, and you too, Naoko-Chan! Let's help each other blaze through those petty classes and reach the Major League pronto!"

Aratani, Naoko and Harumi exchanged half-jokingly looks, painfully aware of a fact Sakura seemed not to know or to blissfully ignore: it wasn't as simple as that. Still, Naoko responded, letting her eagerness show despite keeping her feet on the ground:

"It probably won't be as easy as Sakura-Chan makes it look like, but yes, let's help one another! This way we won't be lonely like all those girls we see at the auditions!" Thinking for a moment, she added, "Well, Sakura-Chan and Harumi-Chan have each other to rely on, so you two won't be lonely anyway. I'm a little jealous of you too... But we could help each other... I think..."

"No, Naoko-Chan is right," Harumi agreed, "When I was on the stage back on the day we met, my sister wasn't with me. If I qualified, I would've been sent to that show alongside Naoko-Chan, though! So I wouldn't be lonely amidst many idols like Aratani-San told us you did!"

"Oh, yeah! That's right! We can all be together if we win the same audition!" Sakura complemented, "This way we can help each other!"

Aratani interrupted the girls, pointing:

"Sorry to barge in, but while it's a good idea, it will only work if you three are able to qualify. If you girls register to the same show, you will be pitted against one another and can unwillingly kick each other out of the qualifying zone. Also, remember that not every gig has five qualifying places, some only has three, two or even one. Even Sakura-San and Harumi-San can in fact harm each other by registering to the same gig. If you girls want to help each other, support one another but also don't register on the same gigs unless you're very confident about all of you winning. Until then, keep your distance so as not to jeopardize your chances."

"Makes sense, I agree with Aratani-San," Harumi soundly agreed, "We can communicate with one another to set the gigs each one will be registered to. This way we can maximize our chances and kind of form an unofficial group. Is it okay to do this, Aratani-San?"

"Well, there's no rule against having friendships," the producer replied, "In fact, girls that sing on bands usually do such things. As long as you girls don't go forming gangs that violate any laws, like two of you preventing an opponent from a third one from reaching the audition in time and thus getting disqualified, it's all fair game."

"It's settled, then!" Sakura eagerly announced, "Let's form a group! It'll be very cool to help each other ascend classes!"

Getting enthusiastic, Naoko suggested, a little hesitant at first:

"Hey, we could also have other friends with us! I mean, if you girls want, of course! Yesterday I met a girl called Kobayashi Megumi, who's going to university this year to study nutrition and who helps homeless people! She was extremely sweet, humble and nice! She was fired for fumbling seven straight auditions because she got terrified on stage, but she's amazing! Aratani-San will help her if she overcomes her fears, so by next Saturday I expect she'll try to perform again. It's her last chance, so I'm rooting for her! Can we talk beforehand so as not to register on the same audition as her? Also, it's always nice to have more friends! With more people on our group we can help each other better! There's a bigger chance some of us can attend to each other's presentation to root, and we won't be lonely among so many cold girls and producers!"

"Sounds fun!" Sakura immediately agreed, "It's as if we're really a band! Perhaps we can even really form a band, all of us, someday! What do you think Harumi?"

The girl with the odango hairstyle, a double bun with pigtails emerging from it, answered calculatedly:

"Sounds promising. As long as we don't make the group too big, otherwise we'll run out of possible gigs and start competing against one another, it's a good idea. More people also means more chances we'll still have friends with us even when we get class promotions. Not to mention since me and you, Sakura, are going to heavily rely on Non-Ranked gigs for money, it's a good thing: I'm sure our agencies can share the costs and the profits of Non-Ranked shows easier if we really form a band for some exhibitions once we're more famous. This way the fans of one girl can also get to know the others, and we can create a network like a real band! I like it."

"Yay! Now that's a plan!" Naoko enthused, and Sakura, thrilled, leaned over the restaurant table and raised both of her hands, palms clasped in the air, saying "High touch!"

The other two also raised their arms and high-fived each other at the same time in a triangle. Aratani, looking glad, commented:

"You know, girls: that's not a bad idea, actually! I can see Naoko-Chan's mindless drive to help people and make friends paying off here. And since the Mizushima sisters will be at their best on Non-Ranked shows where they can perform alongside one another, you girls will have to rely on rather costly gigs to be promoted between classes due to the requirement of a minimum number of show points. Splitting the bill with other agencies can not only make you two and the others perform Non-Ranked shows sooner than you'd otherwise, because of the reduced costs, but also, perform more often. It can lead to quicker class promotions and a more steady flow of cash to us all. Sure, the profits will also be divided proportionally, but more shows also mean more chances to amass fans and keep them fed with content, and fans in turn buy merchandises, ask to hear your songs on radio stations and so on. Seems not only a good idea for you girls to cheer each other up, but from a business standpoint it also sounds appealing. And like me, I'm sure other producers will agree with that too. Good call, girls."

After letting them enthuse about the possibilities for a while and using those moments to eat, Aratani returned to the original topic:

"Alright, girls, you three will need to go back to classes in a few minutes, so back to the explanation about the Memorability category. We already covered the Novelty subcategory. Next is Idol Signature, also sometimes called Character Fidelity. Really simple stuff: each idol has, or should have, an easily identifiable personality. It's like with any person, really: if someone is timid, you expect him or her to usually act shyly. If one day that person acts outgoing, the other he or she is aloof and the next one, enraged, people around will get confused. The stage character you girls have is how your fans expect you three to act, and despite the fact that the personality of an idol under the limelight is usually over the top when compared to an average Joe walking on the streets, it's not different, really. Consistency is the keyword here. When you're not famous, people expect you girls to act in accordance to how you three dress and behave. They see your gait, the way you talk and sing, how's the mood of your songs, these kinds of things. When you three get famous, and I hope you do, it's even more important to pay attention to be consistent. Idol Signature is not only a reason for girls not to copy each other by default, but also an essential part of your images. Fans don't want boring, plain idols. Even girl-next-door personae are not to be plain and boring, so girls, find about your personalities, exaggerate it on stages and keep to it. Questions?"

Harumi, asking for forgiveness, inquired:

"I'm sorry, Aratani-San. I just read a note I took on a previous topic you said. You mentioned something about requirements for promotions? I wrote down your words here, let me quote it: "you girls will have to rely on rather costly gigs to be promoted between classes due to the requirement of a minimum number of show points." I got curious about these points. Can Aratani-San briefly tell me what these are about?"

The producer, in a minute, explained Harumi and Sakura about the requirements of money sums, number of shows and, later, number of fans for being allowed to attempt class promotion cups.

"Don't worry, Harumi-San, I'll go over those things in details on our next meeting on your agency," the man assured once the girl looked satisfied with the explanation, "Now, back to the topic at hand. Next subcategory of Memorability is called Feelings and Emotions. It's easily confused with one of the subcategories of the Dancing category called Mood. Did you girls remember it? Mood means what's the sensation a dance gives, but on Memorability, the Feelings and Emotions mean rather if the idol was able to make the judges and the audience feel something at all. Sometimes the dance is good and transmits the impression of a feeling like sadness, happiness or whatever, but the idol does so in such a mechanical or impassionate way that while the Mood subcategory of Dancing will go up, the one of Memorability, Feelings and Emotions, will plummet. In fact, that's one of the most unreliable subcategories there is, because a judge can feel things the others won't, or a person has heard a song so many times that its initial impact is lost. However, in general a good song and a solid performance will always touch the hearts of people. That's what art, in all of its forms, is about, and human beings are easily swayed by them. When judges evaluate a real show, the energy of the crowd usually affect this score and make it skyrocket even on an average presentation despite the best efforts of the examining board to keep it professional. That's how humans are. About the Feelings and Emotions subcategory, it's almost always either a pretty good or a pretty bad score. Twenties and zeroes are not uncommon, and there are usually no so-so values here. If your presentations are just "meh" you can be sure Feelings and Emotions will be hurt by a lot, so put your hearts on your songs and, if possible, try to have the crowd sing along and help multiply the vibes."

Aratani made a brief pause to ask the girls if they wanted desserts and called the waitress. After that he resumed his explanation:

"Now, Significance. This score is frequently low, don't you girls worry about it. It comes into play when there is an external reason for you girls to wear, sing or do something. For example, if your song tries to call people's attention to global warming, if it's occurring a campaign somewhere to adopt cats and you girls wear cat ears to promote it or if it's the last show of an idol's career, for example. Naoko-Chan mentioned Megumi-San, a girl who fights for homeless people: if she sings about it, for example, her Significance score will easily go to max. Once again there is little ground for an average here: it's either a very low or a very high score. If there's any significance to what you girls are doing, you must tell your producers so they can write it during the registration process, because the judges are not expected to know everything and can't be blamed for, say, not giving significance points if you girls wear a bandana in commemoration of the supposed birthday of a fictitious character from a stupid game or anime that also wears a bandana. Of course, like it can be seen from this example, not all things you girls do to increase Significance need to be serious, and not everything increase it by a large margin. If on the first week of summer you girls wear a sunflower on the hair or sing about the beaches and sun, that's some significance. Also take note, girls: if you wear golden accessories on a presentation during the upcoming Golden Week next week, that's some easy points for you three."

The Golden Week was a period where many holidays were concentrated. Occurring on April twenty-ninth and May third, fourth and fifth, it's a week-long vacation for many employees and students. Since that Sunday was the twenty-seventh day of April, the advice Aratani gave was timely as there were only two days until one of the greatest sequence of festivities of Japan.

The waitress arrived with the desserts, and while they ate Aratani kept explaining:

"And, finally, we get to the last subcategory: Mystique. This subcategory is so subjective that numerous agencies have already sued I.S.S.G. because of it. I heard when the organizers were thinking about a name for it, they almost decided for the French expression "Je ne sais quoi", which literally means "I don't know what", and only not did so because it'd be hard for the general public to pronounce. But that's exactly what Mystique tries to evaluate: a certain something that is hard to explain, a certain "I don't know what" that a specific idol, singing and dancing a song in a certain way, evoke. Harumi-San and Sakura-San weren't on that show we watched a few weeks ago, Naoko-Chan, but I'll try to make sense of it for them: there was a Water class idol there called Ogasawara Umeko. She sang songs with deep lyrics and did so with passion and talent. Her voice was able to send shivers down the spines of people and make them want to cry while also being happy. Her performance not only inspired feelings and emotions, previously covered, but had some deep... something, hard to explain but easy to feel for those who were present. Her Mystique score was most likely maxed, and, true to this, she was the undisputed best idol when it came to the Memorability category. Mystique can really make or break a presentation and is impossible to objectively qualify. Still, studies point out that different judges almost always agree on a high or low score here, so even though it's very subjective, it only show that a spine-chilling performance is a spine-chilling performance no matter what."

As the girls finished eating, Harumi with some delay due to the notes she took, Aratani also concluded:

"Novelty, Idol Signature, Feelings and Emotions, Significance and Mystique. These are the subcategories of Memorability. It's very easy, especially during the Minor League, for an entire rooster of thirty or fifty girls on an audition get low Memorability scores and for the point difference be neglectful, due mostly to the Novelty and Idol Signature subcategories. It's not a big deal right now, but the more prestigious the class, the more it'll come into play. Being either high or low with little room in-between, Memorability is the last frontier here, the hardest and most unreliable category of all, but because of the large variations in scores, it's also where true idols shine. Millions of women and girls can sing and dance nicely, but only a handful can make it memorable. Some Major League idols' agencies even have an employee on their rows just to find ways of increasing this Category during shows. In the end, these five subcategories all group up to answer a simple question: if someone liked your performances or not and whether it was just a forgettable pastime or a memorable show spectators will still want to talk about ten years later and proudly say they were there, watching history unfold through the hands and voices of legends that once walked this ground."

Shivering, Naoko looked to her equally admired friends and laughed:

"Way to speak like a megalomaniac, Produ-San! That was some speech you just did! I can't see how anyone would really look at a show as "history unfolding", but that sounded cool, I can't deny."

Standing up to go pay the bill, Aratani called the laughing girls to go with a gesture and answered in a cool but assertive way:

"Naoko-Chan clearly underestimates the power of music. I'm not joking or exaggerating when I say it's possible, albeit obviously hard to happen. An overseas tour, a cup to decide who's the next Star idol, the last show of a beloved band... this can all be very powerful. But that's not all: along the modern history there have been many memorable shows or sequences of shows, here and worldwide. I'll give an example, an idol one specifically: do you girls ever heard of the Black December Days?"

Seeing the three looked completely clueless, Aratani kept it in suspense for a moment. After paying the bill and nodding to the bowing clerk who bid the four goodbye, he said while walking back to his car and getting in:

"I can't blame you girls, I think. Black December Days happened thirteen years ago or so. Back then, three great disasters struck the country in less than two years and many coastal regions were threatened by the rise of the ocean due to the global warming. It broke the respite of economic resurgence while Japan also faced another crisis due to a few scandals concerning major companies. Also, political tensions with China and North Korea regarding international waters, stupid ballistic tests, hacking attacks and whatnot were taking a heavy toll on the government and, hence, the finances. Likewise, at that time there were never implemented plans for Japan to expand its economy internationally in such a way that would conflict with the interest of China and many other countries. In fact, Japan's government took an odd turn towards a preemptively aggressive stance, responding to North Korea's routinely and oblique threats with unexpected animosity and not being too responsive towards diplomacy with other countries either. At that time, no one knew why we suddenly started acting this way, but it led us to the brink of war, or so it appeared. Also, continuous drops in birth rates, an increase in the already high number of youths who refused to leave their bedrooms, too many old people to take care of in comparison to the productive population and other complex problems made for not that many taxes to spare for country security, so a few militarization projects and national internet security enhancements were started at the expenses of other social areas, like actual security. As in, security for people on the streets. Then..."

The man stopped for a while, thinking what he should say while he drove. After a moment, he hesitantly spoke again:

"That's not a nice subject, but... since I was careless to choose the Black December Days as an example of memorable shows, please bear with me. There was an increase in a few specific types of crimes that the news blamed the reduction of funds for internal security for." Reflecting how he should say that to the girls, Aratani finally gave in to the most straightforward way possible, to end that conversation quickly, "The most prominent type was sexual assault. At the time the press couldn't quite tell if it was a coincidence or not that amidst all that chaos some people went rampage, but nevertheless numerous cases of rapes and murder were documented at the time, and apparently many others went unreported. Most of the known ones involved minors as victims. It caused quite a commotion, and when the press linked the attacks with the government's already questionable decisions regarding its investment agenda, it became even worse. At some point, somehow, a group of schoolgirls wearing black clothes decided to protest in front of a school against the lack of security on the beginning of December, after a schoolmate was murdered, and a few days before the date where politicians would get together to decide on how exactly they would allocate the finances on national defense programs they would create. It was a small number of girls at first."

Looking around discreetly to see if he hadn't shocked the girls beyond what was reasonable, Aratani was pleased to see Naoko, Harumi and Sakura merely looked absorbed on his story. Breathing easier, he continued:

"It was such a horrible subject that many businesses simply pretended it wasn't happening anything. Of course, one of the industries that did that emphatically was the entertainment one. They kept producing comics, animations, movies, songs and whatever like they always did and people on it hardly manifested their opinions at all, even though they had powerful communication tools under their control. Only a small group of idols, eleven or... no, it was twelve, I think, from many different bands, heard about the protest of those schoolgirls and, probably against better judgment from all but one of their producers, they decided to join the fray. Thinking about it now, to associate their images with a fight against an unpopular topic no one wanted to admit that existed was a foolhardy act that could've backfired and ended their careers in a jiffy. Still, a dozen girls and a single producer who was probably unattached of material things, seeing he could've tarnished his reputation and went bankrupt for backing up girls from different bands without the consensus of their own producers, mustered all the press attention, internet support and help from activists for human rights in Japan and abroad that they could in a day or so for a special show."

While Aratani was more concerned with the traffic than with his talk, the girls were completely concentrated on his story, breathlessly listening to him. The man, silencing for a moment to focus on driving through a crossway, resumed:

"December seventh was the day. Two days before the one when the politicians would vote about what to do with the money extracted from the taxes supposedly destined to health system, social security, police and so on. Wearing pitch-black school uniforms, the dozen idols publicized the not very well-known protests of those students of a single school. Between songs they denounced the wave of rapes and murders, criticized the government's oddly preemptive militaristic agenda to the detriment of the internal security and rallied the population to press the politicians to back down from the meeting that would occur the following day. The hastily prepared show four or so hours long took everyone off-guard and broke many taboos of the idol industry. The media gave it ample news coverage and also looked for the students who did the original protest for interviews. People on the internet went insane – well, more insane than they usually are – and human rights activists and feminist groups from many countries unexpectedly manifested support for the victims and the cause. Seeing how well the population accepted the twelve idols' pleas, along the day other idols manifested support, celebrities of other kinds did the same and the thing escalated quickly."

Aratani took a moment to clear his throat and steered one more time, reaching the avenue where the building Naoko had her classes was. The girl eagerly insisted that he continued, to what her producer retorted:

"Calm down, Naoko-Chan! Unlike you, who can speak for hours on end, my throat actually gets dry after a while! Ahem. So, with all of this happening, that night was very agitated. The population eagerly waited for more news and many students were already discussing protests for the oncoming days. On December eighth students, mostly girls but also many boys, wore black clothes or accessories in schools all around the country. I remember I did so too. The show was such a big success the producer and the eleven or twelve original idols got the help of many other agencies and girls to promote a big follow-up gig the next day. Also on December eighth the claims of the idols that the government was acting oddly on its anticipatory and aggressive external diplomacy and that the population should not tolerate being deprived of internal security while risking a war no one seemed to want was apparently heard by someone who could do something about it."

With an expression as if forcing his memory to work, Aratani recalled:

"By the end of afternoon someone, or maybe a group of people, anonymously hacked social media accounts of the Minister of Defense on the internet and used it to leak bombastic claims about allegedly personal interests that the same Minister could have in the seemingly inevitable war bound to start at any moment. The source backed it up with supposedly real documents attesting transactions of large sums of money to a bank account that was apparently his, coming from a big company that produced equipment and vehicles for war. On that same night a newscast presented the first verifiable evidence that the Minister of Defense was contacted multiple times by representatives of that company on non-official meetings. It was a very weak proof by itself, but you girls can imagine the consequences of it, right?"

Sakura looked confused and said she got lost on the part of the repercussions of the show and what did it have to do with the Minister of Defense. Harumi explained:

"A person or an organization was probably alerted by the idols on the show about how oddly the government was acting being so upfront about a war and decided to investigate. If they hacked social media accounts of the Minister of Defense, they were probably hackers who could also hack other things and get the documents. Either this or the person or group already knew about it and was waiting for the right opportunity to publicize the info. Whatever's the case, it means he was being accused of receiving huge payment from companies that could gain lots of money if a war erupted."

"So they were saying the minister was forcing a war to gain money?!" Sakura asked, and Harumi, agreeing, replied, "Seems like it. Please proceed, Aratani-San!"

The man, taking a moment to recover his train of thoughts while driving, said:

"The population came crashing over the government like a tidal wave. The stock market plummeted, the media hunted down politicians like there was no tomorrow and students and people in general protested wearing black clothes, makeup, accessories and so on all over the country. The twelve original idols received dozens of reinforcements for their show that day. Starting in the afternoon, it came to an end only late at night. Despite the snow, many people protested on different cities. Even some groups of activists showed support for the cause around the world on that date: Berlin, New York, Moscow, London... Small groups, sure, but it just showed how much the silent plead of students of a single school was amplified by a handful of idols. And as they say: luck favors the bold. Once they did what they could, publicizing the cause, society was lucky that someone found out about the Minister of Defense's private agenda. After that it wasn't a struggle of a few girls anymore: the fight was taken from the streets and stages to the courts, where it was solved. It's hard to say what would've happened if those idols hadn't decided to intervene, though. I want to believe those hackers would have leaked that information all the same, investigations would've followed suit and the war would've been thwarted nevertheless; either this, or it would've never really occurred because it wasn't the plan to begin with, like the Minister of Defense personally declared. If I recall correctly he was being blackmailed and threatened by companies to create a reason for corporations to sell weapons, though he had no intentions to start a war. But who knows?"

The producer parked the car close to the building and gave a brief glance to his own hair on the rearview mirror. Looking from an angle it was possible to see Harumi and Sakura's engrossed expressions, and on his left Naoko was just as captivated.

"And?!" Naoko interrogated eagerly, "What happened?!"

Aratani extended his arm to the glove compartment to take a hair brush. While he took care of his hair through the use of the rearview mirror, the producer retold:

"Of course, among so many accusations the government had to postpone the meeting, thus halting the animosities with other countries for the time being. Funnily, this follow-up, huge protest show occurred the day before December tenth, the internationally observed Human Rights Day since nineteen fifty, so protests continued for that day too. Investigations took place for many more days, but by the end of December there were already a few hard to deny proofs against a few politicians. From there it was found the Minister of Defense was blackmailed and had illicit businesses with private corporations that supplied weapons and war machinery. The scandal even hit the Prime Minister and other bigwigs, until then hell-bent on not turning back on the rather poorly-done economic expanse plans that were causing obvious ruckus on the international community. The aggressive stance of the government was quickly corrected and tensions with China, North Korea and a few other countries were reduced to... well, to the way they usually are. Not really good, but certainly better than how they were back then."

Tossing the hair brush back from where it came, the man continued:

"Also, the money was reverted back to security, public health and so on, and the country returned to normal. Well, still in economic recessions and with many problems like always. The cause of the numerous rape attacks was never quite understood and, despite being mitigated by the ostensive patrols of the police after funds were sent back to security, the situation was merely controlled, not really comprehended and solved, if it's even possible to do it. So the shows of Black December Days weren't magical vaccines to all the problems of humanity and even after that it took almost three years for political, social and economic situations to get more or less acceptable again, but... compared to the war that we almost faced, we can't complain. Sure, the Minister of Defense even told at the time that there a war would never really occur: they were just going to create an international tension to justify the building of a few military bases and to reinforce the defenses buying war equipment and weapons from a few companies, and then they would step back. But who knows how far that could've gone, really?"

Turning his attention to Naoko, who was baffled beyond measure, Aratani declared:

"And those became known as the Black December Days, referring to the way people, especially women, dressed to protest against the increase in reports of abuses committed at that time. The way those idols performed, in black and singing rather acid songs, even spun a new music subgenre dubbed "Nippunk", known elsewhere in the world as "Japunk", and influenced a few fashion tendencies to boot, if you girls want to delve into details. Of course: it's rare to even have the opportunity to perform shows like that – and to be fair, it's good that "opportunities" like the crimes and political tensions that led to those protests never present themselves again. But it's not impossible. Compared to the importance of the Black December Days sequence of shows, talking about the Memorability category of a simple gig for cash like we were back in the restaurant is vastly underwhelming. Still, does Naoko-Chan at least understand now what I meant when I said some shows are memorable beyond measure, and that the spectators can really attest the watched history unfold beyond their very eyes?"

The girls were so impressed that for the rest of the afternoon the Black December Days subject recurred on their conversations. It just wasn't the only discussion topic because the twins were also amazed by the newness of Naoko's classes. Since the last two classes happened between two and six p.m. the marathon left even the sisters exhausted just by seeing Naoko dance and learn about body language, but also staggered by the high quality of her hard training.

They told her the only lessons the twins had attended so far were dancing classes. They couldn't even sing there since there were other people, none of which were idols, practicing alongside them. Despite the warning of the producer they had for a few weeks, Mr. Hamasaki, that those casual lessons would be insufficient, the senile owner of their agency thought it was a good idea. And by "good", he meant "cheaper". Sakura and Harumi told Naoko after the classes that the agency owner, that old man called Ikeda Hiro, had lots of money but was the stingiest person they'd ever known.

After losing their producer, the now comatose Mr. Hamasaki, the twins had to practice singing and dancing on their own, using the constrained space of their agency for it. They even had to interrupt practice sessions to answer phone calls and send e-mails for Mr. Ikeda as the old geezer didn't quite understand how to use a computer.

When Aratani arrived at their office, Naoko's producer was shocked. He forced Mr. Ikeda to either seriously invest on those girls or leave the idol business altogether so as not to lose money and compromise the twins image – not to mention their sanity. Ikeda was very reticent to spend money at first, but Aratani was also very persuasive in his speech about how much the old man could profit if he invested on those girls. Ikeda wasn't too keen on long-term investments since he had no expectations of living another ten years and couldn't care less about his heirs' well-being, Still, he was sold when Aratani flashed the argument of potential incomes of nine digits and up per month in a few years if he seriously invested on the twins. As such, Harumi and Sakura were going to be enrolled on those same classes starting the following day, Monday. Unlike Naoko, who had three or four classes straight in one day, they would study and practice for two hours each day during the week. The two could hardly contain their anxiety, and since the rest of the day was free time for all, they had plenty of time to talk about their expectations.

When she returned to her dorms one of the many messages she received was from her childhood friend Masahiro, impressed but also worried about what he'd seen on her fan club page. Aratani had published the excerpt of the prestigious Kirakira Idol Sunday Mag with the news about her saving Miwa's brother from a car accident. Despite being only a tiny box, that was enough to create quite an uproar, albeit a positive one, on her webpage. The actual number of fans didn't change by more than ten or so, but for the first time the message forum of her fan club actually looked lively.

Naoko explained Masahiro what really happened, since he was imagining Naoko had jumped in front of a car to move the kid out of harm's way. Her childhood friend kept insisting it was still a foolhardy move and holding she should be more careful with herself, but nevertheless his worry for her safety and the news made her happy.

By the sunny Monday Naoko was still excited about the idea of forming an unofficial group with Sakura, Harumi and maybe Megumi, if she managed to qualify on her audition. Also it was the last day of school before the Golden Week – because her school actually had classes on that day, along with Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, respectively April thirtieth and May first and second –, and while Naoko knew she'd not be able to kick back and relax on that marvelous opportunity for idols to work, she was excited by it nonetheless. Also, due to May fourth being on a Sunday, there'd be a compensation day on May sixth. Coupled with the fact that the last week of April was also the last week of extended "recap" classes, beginning on May her classes would end by midday and not by three p.m. like they did until then. Club hours would be reorganized accordingly too. She had no idea what she'd do with three extra free hours each day, but the possibilities were infinite! For all of these reasons Naoko was radiant.

Another girl who was beaming was Miwa. Beginning that day she had a few hours for herself every afternoon due to her brother Tamotsu's private classes. During break Naoko followed her to Shiori's chair. Even the usually melancholic and sorrowful girl wasn't that bad on that occasion. She was not paralyzed anymore, but at first was still very timid around Naoko despite Miwa's tries to bridge the gap between the two.

Initially Naoko thought about discussing what made her so reticent, but then she remembered what Aratani told her about cheering up people. After he did that crazy talk about calling Megumi a bird, he explained Naoko that to keep insisting on reminding a person of her problems would accomplish nothing. She should either present a solution or drop the subject altogether.

Instead of focusing the conversation on Shiori's bashfulness, she looked around for the first funny thing that caught her attention on the girl. Problem was, there seemed to be no funny things about her, so Naoko asked about her thin-lensed glasses, the most eye-catching object she wore. Shiori looked a bit down when replying whisperingly about it, though. Naoko learned two facts with it: one was that Shiori's myopia was actually light and she could easily see without glasses. She only wore them so as not to strain her vision, which could lead to a progression of the myopia degree. The second was that pointing someone else's flaws was not a good idea if the intention was to make her open herself to you. Pretty deep stuff!... Though not really.

Running out of ideas after just one try, Naoko simply forgot about finding funny things on her and asked about what she intended to do during the Golden Week, expecting it to cheer her up. Shiori thought for a while, but nothing occurred to her.

"I'll... stay home, I think," she whispered unenthusiastically. Naoko and Miwa promptly asked "why?" together, to which Shiori replied timidly, "I... don't have... many things to do."

Naoko finally saw an opportunity and suggested the three of them did something together, to what Miwa immediately agreed. Only question was what. Miwa excitedly suggested:

"We can throw that karaoke party we said we would!"

Naoko was about to agree, but seeing Shiori didn't look too excited, she commented:

"We'll throw that party, that's for sure! But what if we let Shiori-Chan choose this time?!"

Though she thought it'd be a nice thing to do to give her freedom to choose, Shiori looked a bit lost. Uncomfortably looking to her feet, the girl fearfully replied:

"I... don't know... I'm not... very creative for this kind of thing. I said I was going to be at home. Maybe... I'll go out to a park or something... I'd prefer... just to tag along!" Tensely, she regretted, "But Miwa-Chan and Naoko-Chan must... think I'm a boring person, don't they?"

That was exactly what Naoko was thinking, but hearing Shiori say that made her realize the shy girl was actually trying her best. Feeling some pity, Naoko questioned:

"No, don't say such things about yourself, Shiori-Chan! Say, what do you like to do? Anything at all, even if you think is boring for others or that you like to do alone, anything!"

Pondering, the girl reticently replied in a shy, somewhat childish voice:

"Naoko-Chan and Miwa-Chan will probably think that everything I like to do is boring. Well, for the most part, anyway. I like movies. I think many people do. I also... like to listen to music, though I've only been to a karaoke twice, maybe. I get a little uncomfortable singing with people around. Besides, I like... to read and to write, I think. I'm part of the Poetry and Literature club, too, so... yeah. But that's not something I could do with others. Maybe discussing texts, but not really reading. Oh, and... I really like photography. But that's another solitary hobby, I think..."

"Those are nice things! Though Shiori-Chan mentioned photography?" Naoko asked for clarification, "Shiori-Chan likes to appreciate the works of others or to snap her own photos?"

"I don't like to appreciate other people's photos too much, I much rather prefer to take my own," Shiori replied in a low voice, and Miwa inquired, "Like, with a cellphone, or...?"

"Ah, no. I have a semi-professional camera," Shiori explained. Seeing her friends got surprised, Shiori smiled a little for the first time Naoko could remember, although the girl modestly added, "It's an old camera my father gave me more than a decade ago, though! It's heavy and big, not that practical, but I like it. I still prefer to use it than any cellphone. I..." getting a little sour for a moment, she vacillated, "I'm not a big fan of cellphones or taking photos with it."

"Why?" Miwa questioned, but Shiori's hesitant answer took some time to be heard:

"Because... People take many pictures with it, and... they trivialize photography." Assuming a firmer look on her face, Shiori declared, "Back when it was created, taking photos was a hard and complex process, deemed second only to the millennial art of painting. Families wore their best clothes to be photographed. It evolved to become a form of art by its own merits. While anyone can push a button, a true photographer goes a lot beyond that. The angle; the positioning; the timing; how much time do you keep the shutter open to increase light exposition and create blurs, continuous lines, over-saturations and other effects on the photo; the contrast between light and shadows and the careful planning of illumination, the object being framed and its relation to the background; the focal distance, meaning if the background will be blurred or not; the use of zooms or not; the influence of different lenses to expand or distort the image for artistic purposes... There are many factors that a professional cameraman needs to take into consideration! The composition of an image can generate feeling on those who see it, or give information! The cinema was only possible thanks to the photography, and it also employs many terms for the filming that comes from the photos! There are historical photos that denounce crimes of war, fractions of a second before something groundbreaking happens or everyday situations full of significance that no one seems to care anymore! Cellphones vulgarized the art of photography. Now there are so many images people think photos exist just to prove they did something! They're eating on an expensive restaurant and take a photo to show off to everyone on the internet. They comb their hairs and snap a picture on the mirror. Things like that. Trivial photos no one cares about, that only exists to fuel vanity. True photos have meaning, instill feelings on those who see it or transmit significant information. They register things people would want to show their grandchildren fifty years after. Most of the pictures people take nowadays will only bring shame to them a couple of years from now. That's an absurd!"

Miwa and Naoko were staggered, their mouths agape. After Shiori's passionate speech, the girl quickly recovered her timid expression and added:

"Also, it's not like I would be able to use my cellphone to take photos even if I wanted..."

The girl wearing glasses revealed an extremely old cellphone she had. It could hardly take pictures, and did so with terrible resolution. Slightly embarrassed, Shiori stated:

"It's another thing my father gave me quite a while ago. I only use it for calls and messages, really. The only image I have here, this background photo, I took with my camera. I had to edit it on my laptop to lower the resolution and file size due to memory capacity issues."

She showed her phone's background image, depicting a slightly tilted close-up shot of the meeting of two little birds over the leafless branch of a tree during winter. Icicles hanged from the branches, but the sun, hidden behind the two birds, shone over frosty mountains on the back, illuminating a vast blue sky and fields covered in a white blanket of snow. While the resolution wasn't that great, like Shiori pointed out, the photo itself could be easily confused with any stock image taken by a professional cameraman. The tilted angle let a little of the ground be seen, something that would not be possible if the image was taken from a horizontal position like any amateur would probably do. Also, the way the sun shone from behind the animals gave them a bright aura. Only a fraction of its splendorous light escaped from being obscured. More than that and the image would've been oversaturated by light, but it didn't. It helped compose a photo that was very artistic. The winter setting was beautiful yet sober, while the touching birds were heartwarming.

Miwa was surprised, but nowhere near how much Naoko was impressed. Of course she wanted to praise Shiori for something as an act of friendship, but for once she didn't have to force herself to do that. The girl wearing glasses really deserved it.

"That's amazing!" Naoko genuinely complimented, "I loved it! You managed to make those cute birds even cuter with the sun illuminating their feathers from behind like that! That's impressive! Shiori-Chan truly has talent! I have absolutely no knowledge about photos, but I can see your image here has something which I can't quite say what it is... Something that's more than any picture I'd take in a second. Does Shiori-Chan have any other photos she can show?"

Miwa agreed, though also saying she knew nothing about photography, and praising her for the positioning and the nice angle. Blushing, the timid girl smiled gladly.

"Thanks, Naoko-Chan! Miwa-Chan! I... have a few more... I mean, not on my cellphone, but... I have an account on a social media application where I upload a few of my photos. Huh... can I show it to you two?"

She tried to use her cellphone, but it was so old and slow to process information that ultimately Naoko and Miwa opted to use their own to access Shiori's images. Though she said she selected only "a few" photos to publicize, the girl had more than a thousand pictures there, each one starkly different from the others. Sure, there were lots of pictures on rainy days and during winter, but each looked unique rather than a sequence of five or so photos from the same object or living being. It was rare for Shiori to photograph people and when she did so, it usually omitted the faces or focused on parts of their bodies, like a hand holding a dribbling umbrella.

The exception was when the image wasn't only made to be artistic, but also critique. One photo in particular pictured the facade of an expensive-looking restaurant. A well-dressed couple ate by a table as it could be vaguely seen through an open mirrored window, while the focus of the image was an angled reflection of a bearded man in rags walking on the other side of the street carrying a cardboard box full of things. A beggar, no doubt.

The word "beggar" was misleading since it's uncommon for homeless people in Japan to actually panhandle for money or anything when compared to most other countries in the world. They hardly begged, partially so as not to bother people, or did so sparingly and as a last resort. Though that photo showed a man in rags, it's not hard to see somewhat well-dressed homeless people too. They frequently relied on what other people threw away instead, as the image Shiori took could potentially show. The instant Naoko saw that image, very well-taken and also fantastic from a photojournalistic standpoint, she remembered Megumi. Telling Miwa and Shiori about her meeting with that idol who devoted herself to helping homeless people, Naoko sent her an invitation to see that image. When she did so, the girl was taken aback by the number of other people that had already shared that photo: zero.

Despite Shiori's photos being all fabulous, her gallery seemed to receive almost no visitors and no comments. Bewildered, she asked Shiori why, but the girl looked just as puzzled:

"I think I'm just not good enough at it... or just don't know many people to publicize it."

"Are you kidding me?!" Naoko excitedly retorted, "Of course Shiori-Chan is good enough! She's better than that, even! This photo of a beggar reflected on the window could easily appear on any newspaper or magazine, in my opinion! I'd never imagine it was taken by a high-school girl rather than a grizzled, badass photojournalist that had already been on wars dodging bullets while snapping images, or that has helped some ace exorcist free an old feudal town from dangerous ghosts that only appears on pictures, something like that!"

Not expecting that last twist, Miwa and Shiori burst into laughter. The glasses-wearing girl, though very grateful and thanking Naoko a lot for her kind words, pointed she was nowhere near a veteran war photographer. Naoko, though admitting that, insisted while opening her own fan club website on her smartphone, where the photos of her shows were exposed:

"Okay, maybe I exaggerated a bit on the part of Shiori helping exorcise a village with her camera, but I can prove you're nothing short of a professional, either. See this for example: it's a gallery with photos taken on the two shows I've performed so far. My producer photographed the first one and it was horrible, so he decided to hire a freelancer for last Saturday's gig. The man's a pro, costs a lot I think and works on weddings and parties. I won't say the photos he took were bad. But... I expected more. I can't quite explain it, but with a few exceptions these pictures seem a little... I dunno. Not very... energetic. Enthralling. Lively. Whatever. And that's coming from a renowned professional! Seriously, I saw photos you took that look better than this. Those birds, that homeless guy reflected on the window... I can't quite put my finger on why, but I'm not saying this just to make you happy either! What do you think, Shiori-Chan? Miwa-Chan? Am I really being too optimistic?"

Miwa was quick to agree the pro's photos, despite looking better than what an average person would do, paled in comparison to many of the images on Shiori's personal gallery, though the introverted girl was not so fast to judge. The smartphone's luminous screen reflected on Shiori's glasses as the girl silently analyzed the pictures. After some consideration, still glancing at the pictures, she commented:

"This person knows how to handle a camera, I can see that. Your shows were both on dark places while the stage was heavily lit. He had to use a high light sensitivity setup and high amplitude lenses just to absorb enough light to make the silhouettes of spectators appear clearly like that, but in doing so he risked capturing too much of the stage's illumination and making it bloom so much it'd have made you disappear amidst it, Naoko-Chan. He was careful to set the exposition time right so that the shutter let just enough light in, while apparently not making use of a camera flash."

Noticing her friends had puzzled looks on their faces, Shiori briefly explained:

"The shutter is that eyelid-like device on a camera that opens to let light inside. Back at the time where digital cameras didn't exist, the physical film was a transparent cell covered in light-sensitive chemicals that darkened according to how much radiation hit them. Many piled-up layers of differently colored chemicals composed a colored image. Even before that, the first few cameras used a paper immersed in a special solution and sprinkled with composites made mainly of silver. The silvery dust slowly darkened as light excited its particles, so well-illuminated areas of an image grew darker. It created a negative image, which was then transferred to another paper on a dark-room to develop the final black and white picture. The finer the grains of that silvery composite, the better the resolution of the photo. The "pixel" count idea derives from it: the more pixels an image have, the higher its resolution. Only problem was that finer silvery grains also grew darker faster than bigger grains, so if the exposition time wasn't correct, a photographer could end up with a pitch-black picture. And since it was made of silver, it was costly, so to waste shots was not an option. Also, it wasn't an automatic process: the person needed to know how much time he or she would hold the shutter open, because photos could take minutes, even hours to form depending on how the light-sensitive emulsion of the film was made. Compared to today's almost instantaneous pictures, it was a hassle to take photos when it was invented."

Turning back to the images on Naoko's cellphone, Shiori said:

"Digital cameras still follow this principle. You can adjust the sensitivity of the image and the amount of time the shutter will stay open. Professional cameras can also analyze the lighting and automatically adjust these parameters and the results are almost always acceptable, but depending on the photographer's intention, he or she will need to manually change these parameters among others, like the zoom and the optical field distance. Hm..." looking at a few photos, Shiori got a suspicion, "Naoko-Chan, just a question: was there another person taking pictures? It looks as if there were least two photographers on your last show."

At first Naoko denied it, but suddenly she realized, astonished:

"No, there was just one. That pro... No, wait! My producer also took some pictures too! He had bought a professional camera and decided to bring it along! I was too concentrated on performing to notice, but I'm pretty sure he must've taken a few shots too. But... but he was also using a professional camera, like I said! How... could you possibly know there were two people taking photos, Shiori-Chan?! Can you tell it just because of the angles and stuff like that?!"

"Hm... well, yes, the positioning and angles give it away too, but not only that," Shiori elaborated, "A couple of images seem to have been taken by a tall person standing up, so those photos aim directly at Naoko-Chan's face on the stage, while the rest of it was taken from a lower perspective, a few even from crouching positions, making you look taller and more imposing. So yes, it's possible to know there was a tall person who doesn't seem to know too much about framing and such which I take is your producer, right? Meanwhile, there was also a short person who used better compositions, angles and such. But I noticed there were two people taking pictures because that tall person's photos saturate a lot the audience and reduce a little the clarity of the stage, normalizing the light intensity and giving the images a slightly pale tone. This occurs when you let a camera automatically choose parameters when you're on a very dark place with only a few bright sources of light concentrated on a point. Depending on the automatic parameters, the camera will try to level light saturation on the image, making the dark brighter and the brightness a little darker. This tall person was most likely taking shots with the camera on automatic settings. Most of the photos of this show on your fan club gallery, however, come from a shorter person whose camera's parameters were probably manually set. The audience looks darker but still visible and the limelight looks brighter. It gives the images a more realistic feel and preserves the original colors of the objects."

Miwa and Naoko were dumbfounded by Shiori's analysis. Unaware of the dazed faces of the two, the girl wearing glasses continued observing the photos:

"Despite Naoko-Chan being unimpressed by that photographer's images, he's clearly a good professional. I think what you said that felt lacking on his work while comparing his photos to mine was that he had to capture not only the moment, but also the feeling of the moment. It's a show, after all. Frankly, it must be a hard job. It's not a mountain or a tree. People are always hard subjects to capture correctly. Maybe if he waited for moments where you were in the middle of some movement... But, no, wait. Depending on the exposition time it could create blurs. Hm... Yeah, makes sense he only shot when you appeared still. Even so, maybe he could've reduced slightly the exposition time and increased the light sensitivity a little to compensate. Or maybe if he took a few distant photos, the motion blur effect would be minimal because the only person moving quickly there was Naoko-Chan. The audience was mostly still. So he could've tried to quickly move the camera while taking a few pictures, and the motion blur of the stage lights would've created the impression of movement while also covering Naoko-Chan's blur. Well, if there were little motion blurs it'd probably compose nicely too..."

So absorbed in her reflections, Shiori's words were gradually turned to whispers and finally muted. The rest of her analysis probably occurred on her mind during a few moments. Suddenly remembering she was not alone, the startled girl returned Naoko's smartphone while embarrassedly asking for forgiveness for getting carried away. Miwa and Naoko exchanged baffled looks, and the idol elatedly inquired:

"With such skills did Shiori-Chan ever consider working as a freelance photographer? You could treat it as a part-time job! An arubaito you could even do only during weekends or something, so as not to compromise your studies. It'd net you some money and a few works to put on your curriculum and on your portfolio, too!"

Thankful, Shiori responded with her blushing face lowered:

"Thanks! I... yes, I sometimes I dream of becoming... a photojournalist, actually. I want to try working for a magazine or something, someday. Certainly not covering wars like Naoko-Chan said, I might add! But it's very hard to become a paid professional. Like I said: people takes photos on their cellphones and think it's good enough. It's hard to imagine I'd even be accepted by a newspaper or a news website someday, I don't think anyone would pay me right now."

By the way Miwa looked to Naoko, it's clear she had an idea, and her friend understood it. Agreeing with a nod, Naoko declared:

"Hey, Shiori-Chan, would you like to work on a show of mine? I could talk with my producer! Oh, but I'd not ask you to do that as a friend, it'd be a paid freelance job, of course!"

Surprised, Shiori covered her mouth with her left hand.

"B-but Naoko-Chan, I... I've never worked as a photographer before! I... don't even know how to photograph an event like the photographer your producer hired did!"

"What about all you said?" Miwa intervened, "And all the photos you showed us? They're gorgeous! Shiori-Chan seems to know how to do it!"

"Those things I said were just speculations of mine..." Shiori admitted, "I've never been to a real show to know how I'd do it. It requires excellent reflexes to do the things I said he should do, and if you take as an example my performance on any Physical Education class, Miwa-Chan will see I'm not one for reflexes! And the photos I showed were mostly about nature, with only a few exceptions!"

Not letting Shiori downplay her own skills so easily, Miwa insisted:

"But many of your photos showed you have the ability to take photos of a show! It requires precise timing to snap an image of two birds on a tree or a man walking down the street getting reflected on a window like the way you did! Shiori-Chan may have poor reflexes for sports, but it requires quick thinking to snap the photos you did!"

"Not really," Shiori replied, "I was lucky about those two birds. As for the homeless person, I saw him walking down the street a mile away and positioned myself to take the photo at the right instant. It took preparation, not reflex, to do most of my photos."

Siding with Miwa, Naoko suggested:

"How about Shiori-Chan give a shot at it? On my shows I always perform the same dances I do over and over again at the theater after the Drama club sessions. If you know my choreographies, maybe you'll be able to prepare accordingly to take photos at the right moment during a real show! And you can also prepare beforehand for it too. Really, I'll have many opportunities to present myself during the Golden Week starting tomorrow, so Shiori-Chan will have, like, many days to think about positioning and stuff, rather than ten seconds max like you probably had when you took most of the pictures you showed us! If you want, you can take a few shots during my rehearsal today and evaluate if you'd like to work with me at a show! Oh... but, of course, provided it's not too much of a hassle for you to take your camera. If it is... well... maybe you can photograph me on Wednesday."

Looking thrilled but also afraid, the girl wearing glasses inquired:

"That's no hassle at all for me to go grab my camera! But... what if my lack of experience photographing shows make me take bad photos of Naoko-Chan? You'll probably get mad at me... and you won't have good photos to exhibit on your fan club website!"

Taking her smartphone again, Naoko looked for the images Aratani had taken during her first and second gigs while responding:

"Any bad photo Shiori-Chan takes will still be much better than the ones my producer takes! Here, look at that again. And if he could hardly see he was so bad at snapping pictures until I told him that, I doubt he'll know even if you take bad photos. But what's more: Shiori-Chan knows how to take enticing photos! Come on, you even knew my producer is a tall guy based on the angle he took those images while standing up! I believe you can at least try it! We can send the pictures you took on my rehearsal to my producer and let him decide" After a few seconds letting the girl ponder about the opportunity, Naoko included something she'd just realized, "If you work with us, not only will you be paid and can start your professional portfolio, but your photos will also appear on my fan club and be credited to you! I know there are currently not a lot of people there, but at least they will all have an opportunity to visit Shiori-Chan's personal gallery if we put a link there! This way your other photos can also be seen by a few people, and who knows if they won't comment on it and share it with others?!"

Raising her hopeful eyes from the phone's screen and facing Naoko from over her glasses, Shiori-Chan stared her for a moment, contemplating something while looking surprised. A deeply thankful smile gradually shone over her otherwise shy face.

During the Drama club meeting Chiasa was awestruck by how close Shiori and Naoko had gotten. They were almost polar opposites, one extremely timid and the other outgoing like no one else. The girl wearing glasses didn't look sad anymore, on the contrary: despite her usual introverted face being somewhat stoic, she seemed happy every time she looked at Naoko. Her paralyzing fear of the idol was replaced by a heartwarming and welcoming attitude she didn't had with anyone else on the club. Though her social anxiety was still present, being close to her new cheerful and supportive friend seemed to give the bashful girl courage.

Shiori was previously concealed behind one of the toughest antisocial shells Naoko had ever seen a person rise, but it was worth the effort to pierce it. Formerly a completely secluded girl, Shiori hadn't developed many social skills and quite a couple of her interests were things a person could only do alone, but despite this she quickly became exceedingly loyal and thankful to Naoko and Miwa. Once she lost her fear to speak her mind to the two and be judged, she proved to be quite interesting. She knew an awful lot about a few of things like photography, movies and literature, while at the same time being completely clueless to many others, mostly related so social interactions.

Also she'd never been to a show and in spite of living in Tokyo since she's born she had no idea about the many opportunities to have fun there. Even Naoko, who'd only arrived a month ago or so, already knew more about things to do on the capital than her. Still, Shiori was eager to learn about it with her and Miwa, and even accepted to do things she feared like hanging out with other people if it meant to be with her friends and possibly enjoy herself. Right from the get-go Naoko invited her and Miwa to go to movies, a karaoke, a gaming parlor, a gig she performed, an ice-cream shop, a ramen shop, the shopping mall on the I.S.S.G.'s headquarters, an amusement park, a regular and not so amusing park, the Tokyo Tower and other famous landmarks, ice-skating on a rink, exploring a few prefectures, visiting her own dorm room and more. While Shiori was painfully unaware of the many entertainment options that surrounded her, Naoko was able to make even a trip through subway to a random location sound exciting.

After the Drama club meeting was over Shiori asked if she could go out and come back in a hour or so to watch the second half of Naoko's rehearsal, and Chiasa was so amazed by the girl's disposition that she decided to stay on that day despite having been released from that obligation by the performer. Katsuro also decided to stay, though following Chiasa's instructions, he left twenty minutes or so before the end of the practice session. Hearing Naoko would practice a few new songs, other students also opted to stay.

Naoko had four new songs to practice. She wasn't expecting to use them on the presentations during the Golden Week since she'd not have enough time to rehearse them well, but she had to practice them nevertheless. Wearing a white dress with bluish green details, complete with a two-tiered pleated skirt that Aratani bought her on Saturday along with a few other clothes, she felt great. Her attire was more consistent with her cheerful personality and upbeat songs than the dark and red outfit she previously wore. Aside from her white gloves and platform boots, she wore her black tiara with sky-blue ribbons and quite a few new accessories, all golden: a pair of pressure earrings with fake blue gemstones, a thin necklace and a wristband on her free arm, the right one. Hopefully it'd net her a few extra points during the Golden Week, and even after it they looked stunning on her and would certainly improve her Aesthetics scores and her modifiers by a bit.

Her only concern was the pressure earring: during rehearsals they fell twice when she shook her head particularly fast. They helped her increasing multipliers by quite a margin, but only if they stayed during the whole presentation, so she had to be careful. The other objects only netted a few small modifiers because they were a nuisance to dance with. Still, not too bad once she got used to them.
Chapter XII – Behind the Lenses

Shiori returned for the second half of the rehearsal, huffing as if she'd run for quite a bit. Stunned for a moment watching the already dazzling Naoko perform in such an exuberant dress, the girl proceeded to take something from inside a handbag she carried. It was a big, square camera with a five inch long, cylindrical zooming system of lenses. It looked quite heavy and hard to handle, but somehow the small girl manipulated it. Having gone all the way to her home by subway to grab it, she looked intimidated by the almost thirty people watching the rehearsal. Naoko, perceiving that, asked the audience to excuse Shiori so she could also practice taking a few pictures.

For one hour Shiori walked all around the auditorium and the stage snapping photos, looking at them on the screen of the camera, saving or deleting them – mostly deleting – and trying again. Some things seemed to work, others didn't. She constantly altered parameters and the zoom of her camera and looked for better angles. The girl crouched, walked close to Naoko, then went far away and experimented with numerous shots. Not rarely she took off her glasses to look through the reticle, her eyes as focused as her lenses. By the end of the rehearsal she had saved around forty photos out of several hundred, maybe a thousand, that she had taken. After Naoko changed back to her school uniform the timid girl showed her the pictures.

Like Naoko had imagined, Shiori did an amazing job. Her first few saved photos were already good, but the last twenty or so were real eye-candies. Shiori loved to use tilted angles to give an impression of movement to her photos and also to fit more elements on the image. Her compositions with the audience were particularly incredible in Naoko's opinion. Also, unlike the professional photographer on her last show, Shiori actually attempted to transmit energy through her images through many effects. Motion blurs, lighting blooms and the use of obstacles like the heads of spectators to hide light spots so she could make Naoko the only bright and moving element in the photo were part of her experiments. Naoko's accessories were saturated with light and formed sparkling, golden trails where they were moved on a few shots. The white of her clothes shone obfuscating on others, contrasting with the regal blackness of her lustrous hairs. Sure, she had numerous tries at the same four choreographies, a luxury the professional cameraman from Naoko's previous Saturday's exhibition didn't have, but still the images taken by the glasses-wearing, shy girl looked better. At least that was Naoko's view.

Chiasa and many others were also curious about the photos, and were surprised to discover Shiori was a rather competent photographer. The girl was reluctant to show her work at first, but Naoko calmed her down and assured her everyone would like it. And they did, praising her for the quality and originality of a few angles. It's hard to believe people that studied with her for many years were oblivious of her skills.

When they left Shiori was overjoyed. She even went as far as to actively starting conversations, like talking about the process of editing photos and admiring her friend's prettiness, her gorgeous attire and her performing abilities. The girl departed hastily to her home as Naoko did the same, and later on that same night she uploaded the images on a password-protected area of her online gallery and sent the link and the access number to the idol as promised. Naoko immediately called Aratani, explaining him about her friend and sending him the photos. At first her producer sounded understandably skeptical about Naoko's proposition to drop the expensive professional cameraman for one show and give her own friend a chance, but when he saw the images the man was impressed. It was at least as good as the specialist's pictures, and the motion effects made some images even better. Sure, the pro was used to photographing weddings and parties, not really shows, but Shiori wasn't an expert on it either. What's more: she was only sixteen.

"I really hope Naoko-Chan isn't pulling my leg here," Aratani said, "But if the friend you did today is as good as it seems, I'm interested in knowing her. Let's do it this way: you come here by eight a.m. tomorrow like we've scheduled. I registered you on two auditions, so you have double the chance to present yourself tomorrow. I'll do this during all the Golden Week, by the way, just to maximize our chances. If you qualify for a gig, I'll call that Shiori-San girl to talk and ask her to show me what she's capable of. If she's okay, we give her a chance. Fine by you?"

"For me, yes," Naoko agreed, "I just want to point out she'd never worked as a freelancer before. I trust her to be good, but she probably doesn't have a fee in her mind, so please understand that, Produ-San. She's good, though! You can see it by her images. Please be fair with her. Oh, and another thing: she's very timid, Produ-San. Please don't judge her by her talking capability, but by her photographing skills, okay?"

"I will. A silent photographer is exactly what we want." Aratani approved, "As for the fee, I've a list of professional photographers and their hourly pays here. If she's really on par with them when it comes to skills, I'll try to find an agreeable fee along with her, don't worry."

Their talk continued on Tuesday as Naoko arrived in the office, running upstairs with thundering steps like usual. This time, though, it was because she was a few minutes late. Puffing, she apologized for the tardiness:

"I'm very sorry, Produ-San! I wasn't prepared for how crowded the trains were! I'm so used to coming here at weekends I completely forgot the trains would be so full at this time on a Tuesday! I'm sorry!"

Her producer coolly dismissed it, saying their first appointment of the day was fifty minutes away and correcting her.

"The trains aren't crowded because it's Tuesday, Naoko-Chan, but because today's April twenty-ninth. Golden Week's just getting started, baby! Get used to it. Lots of people are going away on trips right now, but many others will be using the railroads due to the many attractions happening around the city, especially for lines connecting hot spots. If we tried to go to the Idol Star System Generation's headquarters through train or subway to Shibuya Station, for example, we'd probably face some crowds too. Just be careful with it, okay?"

Turning back to his computer, the man showed Naoko the online gallery of Shiori.

"Got to admit, Naoko-Chan: your friend has some talent. The only thing that irks me is how there're no comments and almost no user visualizations on her page. If she hadn't taken pictures of you on the rehearsal and you hadn't guaranteed me she was the one doing it, I'd think it's a ruse. Even for a naturally talented person with a keen, image-oriented mind, I think it'd take at least a few years of training to get this good."

"She told me her father gave her the old semi-professional camera she uses over a decade ago," Naoko replied, and Aratani was astonished, "But if your friend is only sixteen, over a decade ago means she was, what, five, four?! The heck?! What'd a girl that age want to do with a semi-pro camera?!"

"Beats me," Naoko replied, "Ask her yourself."

"I will, provided Naoko-Chan qualifies at a gig today," Aratani guaranteed, "No pressure, okay? We have the whole week to net us a show or two. And you'll have two chances on each day too, so just keep your chill like you always do. You already know the drill and, save for one gig next Tuesday which is a little different in terms of rules, the rest is standard fare. I'll go over the rules for that Tuesday show when the time comes, okay?"

"Acknowledged!" the girl firmly replied, "Ah, Produ-San! Just a question: If I qualify on both auditions does it mean I'll be able to perform two shows in one day?!"

Smiling, the man leaned back on his chair and faced her inquisitively:

"I love your high spirits, Naoko-Chan, but aren't we getting a little ahead of ourselves here? I'm not saying you can't qualify on both, but even if you do, we'll probably have to give a pass on one of them to the next girl on the line. Don't worry, it happens frequently and there's no penalty for doing so. The problem here's that while the shows aren't at the same time, the two happen on different places around the city. One starts at six and goes until seven p.m., and the other starts at seven and is one hour and a half long. So there's no way for us to be on both, it'd take at least an hour to commute. More if we have any problems along the way."

Lowering her face, Naoko mused about it for a while, and recalled:

"On both shows I did I ranked fifth, the last possible position. Thus, I was also the first to present myself. If I got one of the last few positions on the first audition and the first or second on the other, I'd present on the first gig before six thirty and probably after eight p.m. on the last show! If it happens, can we do both, Produ-San?! This way we get more money, more points for a class promotion and Shiori-Chan gets to work double-time!"

Looking slightly unbelieving, Aratani mentioned:

"While there is no problem to drop away right after you're selected on an audition, not showing up on a gig you promised to do is a serious fault that can result in major penalties for us. I'd rather we choose one show, or better yet, not even attempt the second audition if Naoko-Chan gets qualified on the first." Seeing the girl got a little down, the man sighed, "...But I think it's okay, as long as Naoko-Chan ranks fifth or fourth on the first gig and, say, second or first on the last one. Still, don't go trying to hold yourself back on your first attempt just because of it! If you hold back and lose, you can be shaken and also fail on the second audition. Like I said, it's not a problem since we have a whole week of opportunities, but it's best to secure a show if you can than try to claim two and end up with none. Okay?"

Thinking for a moment, Naoko agreed, on a condition:

"Alright, but promise me one thing, Produ-San? Try to schedule gigs with some difference in time so as to give us leeway if I classify on both! Is it okay?"

Scratching his head, the man replied:

"Fine, I'll try to do that. But you'll also have to promise me one thing, Naoko-Chan: that you'll not get sad of affected if you do not classify on an audition, or on a few of them. We're doubling our chances of success on this week, but it also means we're doubling our chances of failure, and let me tell you this now: no one's perfect. Don't push yourself too hard and don't feel bad if you lose, okay? I'm not trying to get you down here, it's just a fact. Everyone loses sometimes. Even Water idols – heck, even Star idols – have already lost multiple times. Umeko-San lost on that show we watched back when you came to the capital, remember? And it doesn't mean she's not good. Don't feel bad about it, okay? It will occur eventually. It happens to everyone. Surely I'd like you to always win and I believe Naoko-Chan is an amazing girl and an amazing idol, but let's face the truth: even the best sometimes loses. To keep your head cool and move on is part of your job. Alright?"

At first Naoko laughed it out, saying Aratani was being too pessimistic, but the man insisted, looking serious. Naoko finally decided to give it some real thought. That was true: Umeko had lost that day, and it certainly didn't mean she was a bad idol. She was outstanding! It happened to everyone, she guessed. Sooner or later it'd happen to her too. At first that thought was scaring, but as she contemplated it, to lose here and there would probably be a part of her career. As long as she didn't lose every single audition, like the homeless people's protector Megumi did, it'd be okay. And to hear her own producer say that, if anyone the man who she thought would expect her to win every single time if possible, was reassuring. Aratani would certainly prefer she always won of course, but unlike her he was realistic. And that was very encouraging.

Seeing Naoko agree with a thankful nod and a smile, Aratani wittily pleaded while taking a contract from a pile of papers and handing it to her:

"That's my girl. Oh, just one more thing before we depart for another round of fun by taking photos for ads: please try to refrain this time from finding more idols to help, okay? Or at least find a way to help them yourself instead of expecting me to do it, alright?"

Naoko did a comically annoyed face. Turning back to the contract, she read it like usual. It's from an air company looking for a girl to pose as a flight attendant for a few outdoors and internet ads. Naoko had no idea how would anyone believe a sixteen year-old girl would be accepted as a flight attendant. If anything, she'd think about _not_ booking flights with that air company that employed underage workers – both for ethical reasons and because she'd hate to find out the pilot to be only nineteen, for example –, but maybe they thought she looked mature enough for the job.

Whatever was the case, it came from the same advertisement agency that photographed her splashing blueberry juice on her face for that isotonic drinks company. Aratani thought they liked her. And the price tag, eight hundred thousand Yen, was the highest the girl had seen on a contract so far. Then again, those air companies had lots of money to spend, stingy as they were with the cheap food they gave to their passengers in comparison to how much they charged customers. Even so, the money sum was so high Naoko read the contract carefully looking for pitfalls like always, but once again it's in the clear.

It surprised her a little that she still bothered looking for traps, and the girls meditated for a moment about why was that the case. It took her a moment to remember she once mistrusted Aratani for all the horrible stories she'd heard in her childhood about idol agencies. It looked like it was ages ago, even though she'd only started working with her producer for a few weeks now. All the things she'd done until then had practically dispelled her fears. It's almost certainly not a scam, he'd bought her many clothes, paid expensive hairstylists and classes, brought her to a huge building for auditions and got her to perform on fancy venues for up to two hundred people. Not to mention the ads she did. She hadn't really tried to find her ads on the internet, thought, but she's confident about it. The only remaining fear was if she's going to be paid or if the man would flee with the money. A paranoid thing to think, but all those cardboard boxes around the office kind of gave the impression he could move away at any moment.

If her math was right, she had amassed three hundred thousand Yen for her agency on the first contract, plus seventy five grand on the second, sixty on the third, forty five on the forth, sixty five on the fifth and eighty grand on the one she'd be doing now. Coupled with her two gigs, both paying around two hundred thousand Yen, already deducting I.S.S.G.'s fees, and she'd already accrued three million, nine hundred and fifty thousand Yen to The Paragon Idol agency. And that's not even counting what she could get if she qualified on other gigs during the Golden Week. Even deducting taxes, that's still a fabulous sum for the first month of operations. Aratani would be paying her fifteen percent of it, which so far amounted to almost six hundred thousand Yen. It's an amazing payment, though thanks to the scam played years ago on Momoko, the older sister of Masahiro, she was afraid something similar could still happen. Or maybe Aratani could simply run away with the money or something.

It's an illogical assumption, Naoko knew it very well. Things were going so well the only rational thing to do would be to keep at it. Maybe her fears were supported by the fact that most of this money came from contracts Aratani found for her, not by gigs she'd performed, which made Naoko feel like she relied on him more than he needed her. That was nonsense, however, since without her he'd not have a girl to perform the ads. Unless he found another girl...

Naoko quickly dismissed that thought. The man seemed very nice to her and appeared to like her just as much as she came to like him. Also, according to her contract he had until the fifth day of each month to pay her the profits of the previous period, meaning he still had until next Monday, six days away, to keep the promise. As such, so far there was nothing to be afraid of. She really wanted to believe there'd be no problems with it. Sure, she needed the money to pay her school accommodation and because she was already out of the little amount she had saved from her allowances during her life and was living on what her grandparents thankfully gave her, but perhaps most of her wish to get paid soon was to be able to fully trust Aratani and take her childhood fears related to Masahiro's older sister Momoko out of her mind permanently.

Noticing the girl stood awfully long glaring blankly to the contract, her producer's chill voice brought her back to reality asking "Is something wrong, Naoko-Chan?"

"Ah? Ah! No! Nothing wrong. Sorry." Naoko replied, shaking her head and turning back to the contract at hand. A few minutes later the two were already making their way to the advertisement agency for some more photos. Naoko was given a flight attendant outfit that felt a little too tight on the chest. Still, she withstood it, smiled and tried to act like a smart young woman about four years older than she really was, who could be employed by an air company without labor issues regarding minors working there and who also knew something about airplanes to begin with. The flight ad seemed out of time given many people had already bought their passages to fly during the Golden Week, but Aratani told her those photos were actually early, given it'd only be used for the summer vacations, a few months away.

After that Naoko was taken to the I.S.S.G. building for the auditions. The first one, for a presentation at a small art festival to be done at a two-story rooftop gallery of a building, where up to three hundred and fifty people could fit in, located in a district called Roppongi, famous for its night life, was surprisingly easy considering there were almost forty contestants. True to what Aratani had said, the outfit Naoko was previously wearing was keeping her scores down. Once the girl received that overhaul to her outfit, Naoko ranked third. It was one position beyond what she expected, and her producer was already very content with the results. Still, the girl convinced him to let her try the second audition, for an even bigger presentation at a club.

That one was among the most wanted events for Dark class idols on that day. The seven top idols would qualify, but there were also around eighty competitors. Aratani reminded her that if she didn't qualify on the second or first position there'd be no way they'd be able to accept both shows. And if she qualified on that second gig, whatever the position, it'd be worth it to accept this one instead of the first show.

Among the contestants she saw a few vaguely familiar faces. One was Ruby, that amazingly technical but impassionate idol who wore black and red attire, a blood-colored wig and a black tiara inlaid with a big, real ruby. Also, the small and delicate idol of that huge behemoth of a producer who Naoko and Aratani made fun of during their first audition was also present. Unlike other gig tests where many competitors seemed pretty average, on this there were many good idols. Sure, around two thirds showed some sort of fear from stages, but still were not to be trifled with.

It took almost one hour and a half for Naoko to be called upstage. Not even her jokes with Aratani could last for so long, and the girl began to worry. To make matters worse, the other competitors were pretty good, hence attempting a high-quality gig like that – at least for a Dark class competition. A few presentations, like that of Ruby, were so good in technical terms that they're a bit intimidating. And when Naoko finally stepped on the stage, there were almost one hundred and seventy people on the auditorium staring at her coldly and only Aratani on the back to silently cheer for her. Pressure was at all-time high levels on that auditorium.

Breathing deeply, Naoko held the microphone, stepped between the boundaries demarcated on the floor and gave a nod for the sound operator to start the song. It was one of the four songs she'd learn a few weeks before and practiced to exhaustion, so she already knew it by heart. At first it was alright and she was able to wave to the judges, blink and pose, but on a swift shake of her head one of the pressure earrings escaped and fell. That had already occurred a few times during practices, but never on a real presentation. She could see the judges turning down their faces to the papers they held and jolt down something while a few competitors on the audience, especially Ruby, smiled slightly.

Naoko's first instinct was to grab the earring, but that mixed up her mind and made her delay for a few seconds. Though not really stopping to sing, she lost focus of her choreography. Losing her smile, she looked visibly frustrated for a moment, and only then, remembering she was still on the stage, she continued. She completed her presentation without any other problems, but as soon as she returned to Aratani, she looked furious. Tossing the earrings for him to catch, she vented off:

"That was a stupid idea to wear these stupid earrings! I knew it! I knew they would fall exactly at the worst possible time!"

Instructing her to speak in a lower volume, Aratani replied:

"When things like that happen, don't stress out, Naoko-Chan. You'll only lose more points by acting frustrated."

"But I was frustrated! The other girls are so good here, this mistake probably cost me this gig!" the girl replied, but the man calmed her down with a chill voice, "Listen, Naoko-Chan: we already have a gig for today, okay? Even if this mistake costs us this audition, it's no big deal. Remember your promise earlier? About not letting a loss get to you?"

Looking shocked for a second, the girl commented:

"What, is Produ-San a fortune teller or something? It's as if you foresaw this coming!"

Smiling coolly, the man stood up by her side. Caringly putting her earrings back on the ears of the distressed girl, he serenely explained:

"No, I'm no fortune teller, but I knew this would happen eventually. Like I said before, Naoko-Chan is an excellent idol, but let's be realistic: this is just your first month while other girls here can have a year or more of experience. Also, the Golden Week presents some of the best opportunities for all classes, so it's only natural that the best girls flock to the best gigs. And this is one of the two best shows of today. Competition is fierce. Furthermore..." finishing attaching the pressure earrings, the man looked into her eyes with a soothing and content face, "when I bought this pair of earrings for you, I knew they could fall off. That's the reason why they alone give us a six percent bonus modifier. It's a gamble to wear those – if you really want, we can drop them of your attire and find something more secure for you to wear. Problem solved! It's as simple as this. For all these reasons I was expecting things like that to happen. In fact, today's a good day for you to lose for the first time, if there's ever a thing like that, because even if you don't qualify on this audition, today's mission is more than accomplished. You already qualified on the previous one, so I was kind of hoping you lost on one of the two just for you to see it's not the end of the world. Remember: no unreal expectations. So put your shining smile back on, diamond girl. You look even better that way. Naoko-Chan shouldn't be so angry. Just learn with this mistake to never again let a falling piece of your garment bother you and let's keep going, okay?"

Aratani's chill attitude gradually calmed her down. They even left the auditorium for a quick snack. When the results were in, Naoko had only managed to achieve the fourteenth place, due to a negative impact on her Dancing, Aesthetics and Devotion scores. Also, the loss of a modifier due to the falling of a piece of wear made her lose some positions, certainly.

Still, when she saw the ranking list on the screen, it wasn't as bad as she thought it'd be. Her imagination, yet again, projected a scenario for when she lost that was much worse than reality. For some reason she imagined she'd get scolded or lectured and feel worthless.

Even so, many producers around the room looked frustrated. A few even started complaining with their idols, and quite a few girls did the same in response, or started to cry. The way a few of them were treated by their producers, like ungrateful or incompetent girls, was upsetting for Naoko. At least they had real reasons to be afraid of stepping on a stage. All the tension around, however, started to affect her too.

Naoko apprehensively glanced over to Aratani as his eyes ran through the list until they found her name on the fourteenth slot. The man turned to the girl with his usual cool but hard to decipher mien and stared at her for a few moments. Naoko, feeling his evaluating gaze, held the eye contact however she could, though some anxiety started to boil up inside her. Her producer, after a moment pondering something, finally showed a serene smile, stating:

"Look at that. That wasn't bad at all! If my calculations are correct, if it wasn't for that fumble and Naoko-Chan's unnecessarily harsh reaction to losing her earrings you'd probably have finished on the eighth position. Perhaps even seventh! For a girl with one month of experience to rank among the top ten on one of the most sought after competition of a Golden Week day, even though we're talking about Dark class competitions here, would be amazing! Even at fourteenth position it's still impressive, I think. Let's take these earrings off of your stage attire until you're more experienced to use it and let's go." Thinking for a second, he added, "It's a little past three p.m. and yet we still have to wait a lot. We'll meet your friend by four thirty and your show only starts at six. I still want to go back to the office to change clothes before meeting that Shiori girl, but it still gives us plenty of time. What do you say we grab something to eat and find anything to do in the meantime?"

The anxiety on her chest dissolved instantly and a thankful smile formed naturally on her face. Aratani, nodding, mentioned:

"See? Much better. Now, Naoko-Chan, answer me one thing: are you afraid of heights?"

Though answering truthfully, that she wasn't, the girl didn't understand why at first. She changed back to her everyday clothes and took off all accessories except for her right glove so she could hide the two broken nails, and went back to meet Aratani. They left back to the ground floor, but instead of proceeding to the food court of the shopping mall like usual, Aratani directed her to a particular elevator among many, one that was glass-covered and sported a panoramic view of the outside of the building. Only when they entered and her producer pressed one of the topmost floor buttons the girl realized what the man had in mind.

Along with many people also going to the restaurant and hotel areas at the top of the skyscraper, Naoko watched the city floor slowly get away as they ascended to the clouds. From over the shoulders of many people Naoko's starry eyes saw the view get better and better. Not only she wasn't scared, she's amazed by the sight. As the elevator came to a halt at Aratani's chosen floor, the two left it into a huge terraced area. Naoko's hair was lifted by the fresh winds as the girl, along with her producer, walked closer to the parapet. He delicately took her earrings off and let her run.

Five piled-up and progressively smaller terraces, each one huge and circular, crowned the structure. Beyond them all that was left were the dizzyingly height antennae that pierced the heavens. Even though Naoko was not afraid of heights, she laughed out while nervously noticing she's unable to look up to the tip of the highest antenna without being scared of falling on their back or something.

The terraces surrounded restaurants and a luxuriant hotel, and beyond the parapet there were three other lines of defense to prevent people from falling or jumping off, just in case someone wanted to try. Even so, the impression Naoko had when she touched the rails was that she's inches away from falling for what looked like kilometers away from the ground.

She'd already flew by airplane, so theoretically she'd already been to higher altitudes, but that was the first time she's on such a huge building's upper floors. From that vantage point she could see how huge Tokyo really was, spreading as far as she could see into the horizon. There was no end to the many buildings, railroads, parks and streets down there, and a handful of other towers that were even bigger than the I.S.S.G.'s three hundred and some meters tall headquarter, dotted on the distance. There were even special, ground-affixed scopes that people could use, provided they inserted a coin, to see particularly distant landmarks. Under blue skies, with only some rainy clouds brewing away on the skyline, it's a sight to behold. To think she's absolutely unable to count the buildings she saw, each one small as an ant, and that almost each one had hundreds or thousands of people inside, or were a business of some kind, was mind blowing.

By her side, Aratani contemplated the sight with a distant look just like her. When Naoko was finally able to break free from the spellbinding panorama, she commented:

"The view from up here at night, with all the lights of the city, must be also breathtaking!"

Nodding, the man agreed:

"It is. Also, the sunset is incredible to watch from here."

Breathing deeply, Naoko held her flowing hairs to prevent them from obstructing her view and joyfully reflected:

"And to think I was so angry down there because an earring fell. He he... Looking at how tiny I am compared to this huge world kind of puts things into perspective! I wonder if I could see my dorm room! Twelve square meters is big enough to be seen from up here, right?!"

Initially surprised by the maturity of Naoko's musings, Aratani was blown away by her sudden change of gears to tongue-in-cheek mode. Grinning, he teased:

"Of course. Hey, I think I found it. Isn't your dorm on that place over there? I can see a stupid manga hanging on the window. Must be yours, right? Why don't you read it from here?"

"Why don't I send Produ-San flying down there so he can grab it for me?!" the girl acidly remarked. Getting away from the rail, Naoko suggested, "Let's go eat something already. After that Produ-San will buy me ice-cream so I can eat while watching the scenery, right?!"

"Knowing Naoko-Chan, you mean I'll buy you ice-cream so you can accidentally drop it on the head of an unsuspecting passerby on the streets down there while watching the scenery," pestering, Aratani corrected her "Yeah, sure, why not?"

"I'm not clumsy! Why do you say that?" Naoko asked, challengingly, "Did you ever see me drop anything before?"

"I saw you drop an earring less than two hours ago," Aratani playfully replied with a teasing smile on his face, obviously trying to mess with her. Forcing a frown, the amused girl immediately replied while seeing him laugh, "Why, you! That was your stupid idea! I... argh, you get on my nerves! I'll give Produ-San three seconds of leeway! Better start running, because if I catch Produ-San you're the next thing I'm going to drop!"

With apprehensive steps the brown shoes she took time to polish finally reached plane ground after climbing a set of stairs. The busy walk was large and surrounded by signs that would surely become illuminated by night. Lots of people, many young ones, walked around, giving Shiori shivers. The timid girl, holding a big bag, nervously scanned her surroundings while her glasses reflected the dazzling blue skies.

She'd already been there once when she was a child because that was a famous spot, but she hardly remembered anything about it. The tall buildings around and the incessant foot traffic was unnerving. She couldn't blame them, though: she was close to one of the exits of the busy Shibuya Station – there were five, if she remembered correctly – from where many train and subway lines could be accessed. Shiori herself had used it to commute, so even though her anxiety for meeting Naoko and her producer was only worsened by the ridiculous amounts of people that passed by, they weren't at fault. She could, however, wish not so many men and women stood still there, usually taking pictures around a large, old but well-kept bronze statue of a sitting dog. Loyal Dog Hachiko's statue was a major attraction, even in a ward so full of other landmarks like Shibuya, so people were not doing anything wrong per se by hanging around there. Still, her social anxiety would appreciate if they left while she waited. And since she'd arrived five minutes earlier than scheduled, she'd be counting seconds for a while.

Thankfully it didn't took more than one hundred and twenty seven seconds for her to notice a stunning girl cheerfully walking down the street and standing out in the crowd due to her enthralling looks, her height increased by lace-up white platform boots and her looks augmented by her mesmerizing attire, with gloves, mini shorts and a vest-blouse that looked best fit for a catwalk. That bombshell walked unbeknownst to the glances of the people around that she attracted in a way Shiori just dreamed she could do herself. As a kid in an amusement park made of candies, she spun to look around as if she danced, and enthusiastically talked with a handsome man, tall and slim, with dark and stylish hair and sporting on his confident, content and cool face a pair of shades, and tiny diamond studs for earrings. He also wore an incredible, glossy suit with a flaming decal on one arm and carried a black handbag. The pair was quite eye-catching and hard to miss.

"Cats?! Why would Produ-San like cats? Cats suck!" Naoko joked, "Dogs are way better! Oh, that's it, right?! Is that Hachiko's statue?!"

The girl ran closer. Inspecting it carefully, she tossed her cellphone to the man for him to take a few pictures of her while she excitedly posed and said:

"Take Hachiko as an example: faithfully waiting for his owner on the same spot and hour every day for almost a decade even though the man had died! Now that's companionship! Loyalty! True love! If Hachiko was a cat it wouldn't even have waited for his owner to arrive on the station usually, much less after one or two days waiting and noticing he didn't come back!"

"*Sigh*... Yeah, I know the story. Okay Naoko-Chan, you won this round, can you please drop the subject already?" her producer asked, tossing her cellphone back to her, "Favorite animals are personal preferences: you can't expect to change someone's preferences with arguments, no matter how plausible they are."

"Okay... but cats still suck when compared to dogs, remember this," the girl added, "I have a cat back at home! I know how these creatures can be boring and selfish sometim..." Her eyes gleamed when noticing a shy approaching girl, "Oh! Shiori-Chan! Over here!"

With her heart pounding, the timid girl, who'd already seen Naoko way before she's seen, embarrassedly walked closer to her cheerful, waving friend. Holding her blue and white bag with both hands in front of her body, Shiori was paralyzed as she saw Naoko's producer turn his head in her direction, reflecting her diminutive form on his sunglasses. The man, smiling slightly, completely turned his body to face her, and the bashful girl, feeling her mouth dry up, nervously bowed deeply as she came to a halt. Trying to remember what she planned to say when they met, the girl tensely introduced herself:

"G-g-good afternoon! I... I'm A-Akitomi Shiori! I... am Y-Yano N-Naoko's c-classmate! P-pleased t-to make you acquaintance a-and... thank you... for the opportunity! Please be n-nice to me!"

The amount of stuttering on her sentences made her even more anxious. She wanted to appear calm and show she was reliable, but the man most likely had noticed she was very afraid. As she stood up again, though, the producer seemed unfaltering. Naoko, smiling, did the other introduction:

"Produ-San, she's my friend Shiori-Chan, who photographed those amazing pictures! Shiori-Chan, this man is Aratani Kouta, my producer!"

As usual in a formal situation he once again stated what was already said, though doing so with a chill attitude that was both soothing and welcoming:

"As Naoko-Chan said, my name's Aratani Kouta. I'm your classmate's producer. It's a pleasure to meet you, Akitomi-San. Naoko-Chan spoke highly of your skills."

Shiori nervously blushed, dismissing it with a humble speech:

"N-Naoko-Chan is far too kind. I'm... just... an average girl. I-I'll do my best, though! B-but I... ah..." her voice became lower and lower until it couldn't be heard. Naoko, jumping to her side, energetically stated, "Produ-San, I told you Shiori-Chan is a little timid, but she's an excellent photographer despite what she might say! She took those pictures of me during the rehearsal yesterday, and also all those images on her gallery!"

Flushed, Shiori looked deeply thankful. Aratani, nodding, politely requested:

"I believe in what you say, Naoko-Chan. However, may I ask Akitomi-San for a little demonstration of her skills? I don't want to be rude or demanding, I'm just... curious. Someone of your age to be able to take photos like the ones I've seen is... uncanny."

Startled, Shiori whispered a scared "Y-Yes!" Getting very anxious, she tremblingly rested her bag on the floor and embarrassedly took a big camera from inside of it. Naoko, noticing her friend was very afraid and that her hands shook, stood between the two and faced Shiori with a tranquilizing smile. Seeing herself reflected on the tense girl's glasses, Naoko affirmed:

"Shiori-Chan, remember when you photographed me inside the school theater? Everyone was taken aback by your ability! That was nice, wasn't it? Well, that was what you're capable of, I know it! Trust me, okay? Come on, let's have fun!"

The timid girl stared at her gladly. Not giving Shiori a moment to think, Naoko held her friend's two wrists and conducted her closer to the bronze statue stalwartly over-watching the station's entrance. Naoko didn't have a care in the world for the other people nearby and with a positive attitude left Shiori to stand close to the waiting, loyal depiction of an Akita dog, a large breed with thick fur and triangular ears somewhat reminiscent of a wolf.

Shiori glanced around to the passersby. It was distressing to see so many people look at them since there was a gorgeous girl being photographed with a semi-professional camera that looked arguably professional for untrained eyes, but quickly remembered she'd also have to do that on a show and was expected to control her fears. Breathing deeply, she focused on her posing and smiling friend, brought her camera close to her glasses so she wouldn't see anything else and started to take pictures.

At first she was desperate, but the clicking sound of her camera and the process of finding angles, adjusting the zoom, experimenting with the parameters, evaluating the results and trying again soon emptied her mind of other worries. Naoko soon started to walk around so Shiori could capture images of her from other sceneries. She went under the shadows of buildings, descended the stairs of the station for a high-amplitude shot and energetically jumped around. Naoko did so to keep Shiori busy and away from Aratani, but the timid girl had to constantly adjust her camera for the various situations. It not only served as a good test Naoko unknowingly did, but also helped her friend concentrate. Furthermore the girl was so lively that Shiori had to look for ways to show her high spirits and quick movements on her photos.

But she had thought about that since the rehearsal: of how to use the lighting of the stage to create flares, of how she could create better motion blurs, of experimental close-field shots to distort the background and so on. Her perfectionist mind was insatiable and she had done almost another thousand shots just to test her ideas.

She could see people inconspicuously looked at them all the same, but seeing her friend pose without embarrassment made Shiori strangely at peace. Right, the passersby weren't looking at the girl with glasses, but at the idol. Shiori just happened to be around, yet another witness to her marvelous classmate. It used to incommode her, but now she's immensely glad to have Naoko by her side. Or the other way around, whatever. Reminding how much she envied and thought bad things about her friend filled her with shame.

Sure, it's not possible to be completely free of envy. Naoko was not only stunning, but also positive and fun. Shiori would love to be like her, but Naoko was not to blame if the girl with glasses was small, timid and ugly – or so she thought she's ugly, despite Naoko actually stating she's cute. Anyway, Shiori was more than happy for the opportunity her friend gave her. For trusting on Shiori when even Shiori didn't trust herself. For being friendly and welcoming, things the shy girl would hardly be if she was that beautiful, she thought. Unfortunately Shiori wasn't born with qualities that conferred her a spot in front of the lenses, but for once she's glad to be part of something. To feel respected and liked, even if no one looked at her. Even if Shiori was just the unmemorable person behind the lenses, that's her way to manifest her talent, given her limitations. She wasn't pretty and could only dream about it, but to hold a camera was not bad in real life. That made her feel comfortable.

Aratani was impressed to see that bashful girl in unassuming clothes, as formal as a high-school student could afford to look, change the way she acted out of the blue. After a few minutes her initial tension reduced, and she took off her glasses, crouched, turned the camera vertically and walked around trying to find good positions. At Naoko's request she even took a few cityscape shots, and the idol asked a passerby to take a photo of the two together, close to the committed dog's statue. Shiori smiling shyly and Naoko radiantly occupying most of the space on the picture, stretching her arms out and making "V"s with her index and middle fingers. Eventually they returned once Shiori felt confident about a few of her photos.

The girl nervously handed her old camera to Aratani, and the man, taking off his sunglasses, evaluated it for a bit. The glasses-wearing girl anxiously waited, though her beaming friend stood by her side, appearing confident. After some meditation, Aratani turned his attention to the increasingly concerned small girl and coolly commented with an impressed face:

"I won't lie to you: when Naoko-Chan asked me to consider exchanging a professional photographer for a friend of hers, who also happened to be a sixteen year-old girl, I was a little reticent at first. But I'm impressed! Not only these photos look on par with what I'd expect from a professional, there's something on them that just makes me like it better. I don't know... they somehow capture the energy and the erratic movements of you upbeat, spontaneous and inconsistent friend!"

Jumping happily, Naoko praised her timid but excited friend:

"Yay! You're the best, Shiori-Chan! Congrats!" Suddenly turning cold and sharp for a moment, albeit in a mocking way, she added, "Who are you calling "inconsistent", Produ-San?!"

"See what I say?" the man teasingly kept talking with Shiori as if Naoko wasn't there to begin with, "I'm really impressed. May I ask, out of curiosity, how did Akitomi-San learned to photograph this way?"

Shiori, blushing, replied with a less tense voice than before:

"I... got this camera from my father when I was five. And I... used it quite a bit. Naoko-Chan knows I'm not... a very sociable person. I only ever had one other friend before Naoko-Chan and our class president, so... I had only a few hobbies and distractions. Photography being the main one."

"But... isn't it a strange present for a five-years-old girl? Not to mention unwieldy." Aratani curiously noted, and Shiori nodded, revealing a little embarrassedly "Yes, at the time I could barely hold it correctly. It was the same as trying to hold a stove." Turning to Naoko, she continued, "But my father gave it to me because I refused to wear glasses. I don't really need it, my visual problem is very light, but I use it just so it doesn't progress. At that time I couldn't understand it, though, so my father gave me the camera he used so I could learn to like lenses. And I did, thanks to it."

"The camera he used?" Naoko inquired, and Shiori confirmed:

"Yes. Currently he's a businessman, but at that time he worked for a newspaper." Anxiously glancing over to Aratani, Shiori declared, "I know it's a very old camera, almost fifteen year-old, but I take care to keep it updated and as well-maintained as possible! Sure, it doesn't have many functions modern cameras do and I need to use external memory devices due to the built-in memory being very limited by current standards, but I can attest it can still create high-quality photos on its maximum resolution! And I only use it on max res!"

The man calmed her down with a warming smile, and said while opening the handbag he brought, taking a professional camera from inside of it:

"I saw it. I'd never say those photos were taken by a decade and a half old camera, it looks pretty decent even nowadays. I had also bought a camera a few days ago and decided to bring it with me to also take a few shots during the show. Want to take a look?"

The girl carefully held the new, professional camera. It came with no telescopic lenses, but its built-in optical equipment was already good enough for photos up to ten meters or so. The device was very sophisticated and the girl took some time curiously trying to understand each mechanism without touching them. Aratani, noticing her carefulness, allowed:

"There's no need to be shy, Akitomi-San can take a few shots if she wants."

"C-Can I?" the timid girl eagerly questioned just to be sure. Receiving a green light, she started to excitedly investigate each parameter of the camera, taking pictures of the same scene over and over to learn what each configuration did. Shiori didn't even bother with automatic settings. In a few minutes she had discovered what the many functionalities of the object were and looked amazed with it. From simple filming and planning the taking of automatic sequences of many photos in a second to manual setups to force ambient light occlusion to create sharper contrasts between light and shadow, the alteration of the angle of internal mirrors to create distortions on the flow of light for the production of vibrant rays along light sources and more. Compared to her barebones old camera it was a marvel.

The producer, handing Shiori back her camera when she was done experimenting, said:

"I see your own camera has a lot of sentimental value to Akitomi-San and you're used to it. It appears to be a sturdy, potent and reliable camera too, so feel free to use it. I'll be using my camera during the show, but if you want to take a few photos with it, maybe by the end of it, just ask me. I'll be more than happy to lend it to you."

"Ah... Yes!" Shiori promptly nodded with a firm countenance, "Thank you Aratani-San!"

"Don't mention it," the easygoing man responded. He called the two over to a small ice-cream shop, the closest food venue that had seats and wasn't a restaurant or a bar. The producer asked if the girls wanted something, and though Shiori politely refused, Naoko joyfully convinced her to accept it. As such he bought two ice-creams, a vanilla and a lemon pie one, and chose a distant table. His face got a little more serious, though still pretty relaxed, he changed topics while taking a small suitcase from inside the handbag:

"Okay, I admit I liked your talent, Akitomi-San. I'm interested in hiring you. Only one question remains: your payment. Do you have an hourly fee in mind?"

The shy teenager almost choke on her vanilla ice-cream. She looked down, getting even paler than she already was, and started to mumble something unintelligible. Naoko watched her worriedly, wanting to calm her but not knowing exactly what to do while Shiori whispered desperately, being unable to admit she hadn't thought about it:.

"I... Let me see... A-An... h-hourly fee is... Maybe... I can... Well..."

Aratani, taking a few papers off of his suitcase, said in a reassuring voice:

"Okay, don't worry. I know that despite having skills of a pro you're a schoolgirl who has never worked as a freelance photographer before. Naoko told me that, and that maybe Akitomi-San could use some help deciding a fee. If she's fine with it, so am I, so don't trouble yourself over it. Everyone needs a chance to begin somewhere, after all. Here, take a look at this."

He handed her a seven-page list with names, contacts and an hourly fee price, generally ranging from fifteen to thirty thousand Yen, but a few asking even more. Naoko, glancing over it, helped her astounded friend by holding her ice-cream while Shiori looked at the extensive list. Aratani explained:

"That's a list I have of a few professional and experienced photographers. Since Akitomi-San proved to have skills and some sort of natural talent to it, I'm willing to pay something around these numbers and bet on you for Naoko-Chan's show. It starts one hour and fifteen minutes from now. She will present herself one hour and forty minutes from now, however, but we'll need to depart soon if we're to get there on time for her to get changed and all. Still, we have ten or so minutes to spare, so I'll leave you two girls to discuss without me here to intimidate anyone. I'll be right outside, call me when you've made your mind on a fee. Now, if you excuse me."

The man walked out of the venue, leaving Shiori dazed. Looking at the list, she bemusedly whispered:

"N-Naoko-Chan, your producer... is immensely kind and generous! I... this list... The lowest values are almost fifteen thousand Yen per hour! I... would never charge so much! I... I don't really want to charge anything. This opportunity is already much more than I could hope for, and will help me get some experience and...!"

"Shiori-Chan, don't downplay your skills!" Naoko interrupted her, "My producer liked you, I can see it, but he's not doing this just because I asked him to, and certainly not just to help you. He believes in your skill! Don't just think about how this job will help you, but how it will help me and him too! We need a good photographer, and Shiori-Chan happens to be even better than the expensive guy we hired before! So quit with the humbleness and let's choose a number!"

Excited, the timid girl blushed looking at the list. Whispering, she suggested:

"Perhaps... I don't know... I was thinking about three... thousand Yen. Maybe?" As she turned to Naoko, she found her unimpressed face, "I mean, Naoko-Chan, these are professionals! They have years of experience!"

"And Shiori-Chan has more than a decade too. Shiori-Chan dedicated two-thirds of her life to it and started to take pictures when she was five frigging years-old! She knows how to do blurs and tricks with a fifteen year-old semi-professional camera, when the last expert merely snapped still shots even with the newest model of a fancy professional camera and whatnot. If I were to say, you deserved to be paid even more than that guy was! I don't know how much he was charging, but let's settle your fee at... say... twenty-five thousand?"

"Eh?! N-No!" Shiori begged. Naoko, laughing, commented, "You know, you remind me of myself when I first saw a contract. One thing Aratani-San taught me is that in this idol business even the most poorly-paid contracts are still worth a lot. And don't worry, this show alone will net my agency many, many times the amount we're talking about here."

Astonished, Shiori stammered:

"B-but... I-I... I c-can't! It's... too much!!"

"Uh... fine," Naoko accepted, getting up "I won't say twenty-five thousand. Twenty it is, then." Handing her ice-cream back, the girl departed posthaste, leaving Shiori desperately trying to hold it with her shaking hands while she called with a child-like voice for her friend to come back. In fact, Naoko did after a brief moment, but with her was Aratani. Shiori froze when seeing the man scratching his head. As he opened his mouth to say something, Naoko bluntly added:

"She's asking for two thirds of what you just said that guy charged us, and she knows how to give emotion and action to her photos! Worst-case scenario she'll still snap pictures almost as well as him, and I trust it'll be better! And she needs only one chance! And if we're the ones who get the public to know a talented prodigy like her it's bound for us to reap some good rewards from it later! And if Produ-San doesn't accept twenty, I'm going to rip your eyeballs off!"

The man quickly closed his mouth and took a contract off of his suitcase. Ironically, he stated while writing down a few things on the blank spaces in it:

"Valid arguments, especially the last one. You should consider working part-time as her producer too, Naoko-Chan." He passed Shiori the contract, who commented vacillatingly while reading it, "I... I still think three thousand Yen is... more than acceptable..."

"And I still think that you should shut up and sign it before I rip your eyeballs off too!" Naoko promptly ordered before tenderly adding "Please!" with a lovely smile, and Shiori quickly read the one page contract and complied. Aratani, taking the paper back and stamping it with a personal seal as usual, teased her:

"I agree with the psychopath girl here that three thousand Yen is too little, Akitomi-San, but... Wow, Naoko-Chan. Way to be persuasive, girl. Your lady-like customs and your finesse are truly things of legends."
Chapter XIII – Of Goddesses, Angels and Mortals

A red flash in the night sky, followed by a green and a yellow one, caught her attention. With deadened, grave booms a shower of sparkles fell graciously above the park, quickly disappearing. Hissing, other fireworks swindled up to the dark skies, forming stunning ephemeral flowers made of fire and light that bloomed and faded away in a second.

Taking a moment to appreciate the unexpected spectacle through the gaps on the treetops, Megumi faintly smiled. The heavy cardboard box she carried, however, weighted on her arms and called her back. She walked the last steps around a blue, plastic tent and laid the burden on the grass. Around her many tents, boxes and random stockpiled objects were briefly and repetitively illuminated by the pyrotechnics. It was a big encampment on an arborized and remote portion of a large park. Well, as remote as possible, at least. Despite being large, there were so many goers during the day that passersby inevitably came near the camp, and only kept some distance so as not to get too close to the dozens of homeless people living there. A few of them, hearing the explosions, came out of the tents and the cardboard boxes inside which they were tucked to appreciate the show.

"Takahashi-San!" she called out while opening the box she previously carried and taking a few cans. The face of a startled man sprouted from the closest tent's entrance, and immediately came out. Mr. Takahashi was forty-six, despite his dried skin and unshaven stubbles of a beard making him appear older. He also had a clean, if slightly untidy, light brown haircut.

Smiling as he saw her, the man quickly approached to receive the cans while warmly welcoming her as he usually did, through her respectful but witty nickname:

"Ah, Megami-San!" Turning to his tent, he called, "Hey, Gina! Megumi-San is here!"

Megumi's nickname was "Megami", which meant "goddess". He didn't meant it seriously because no one would be disrespectful enough to refer to any deity using the plain "San" suffix, but rather would use the much more honorific "Sama" one. It was a joke an old acquaintance of her, also a homeless man, had created with her name. According to him, because she was so beautiful, selflessly helped the poor and could usually be seen in a Shinto temple. It was on that jinja – a somewhat general term of any shrine in contrast to many other more specific words for other kinds of temples – that she and other volunteers received and storage donations.

Soon after the man came out, he was followed by an eager girl who smiled radiantly as she saw Megumi and the fireworks. Wearing old clothes and a cap, Mr. Takahashi looked as destitute as possible, though in terms of homeless people he was actually fortunate: he had a tent, some spare clothes and two sleeping bags where he and his eleven years-old daughter slept. He even had an old suit, like some homeless people around.

It was a rarity to see kids around, but not really because they had sons or daughters. Rather, their children were either grown-ups or had been kept by their exes. Most of the people around were men, many holding college diplomas, who lost their jobs or accrued large debts. Hence they frequently were abandoned by their spouses and cast on the streets. Mr. Takahashi was just a little more unfortunate than the rest to have an ex-wife who married again and decided not to bring home the daughter of her previous husband.

Compared to him, little Gina's clothes were somewhat new. She had the same light-brown hairs of her father, though hers was straighter, partially due to being better kept. Looking back to the newly-arrived woman, Takahashi said while receiving a few cans of food with a deep bow:

"Oh, thank you, Megumi-San! You're an angel. Wait, wait, Megumi-San, let me just put these inside and I'll help you with this box."

"Don't worry, Takahashi-San, I..." Megumi started to say, but the emphatic man was resolute, talking louder than usual to be heard over the fireworks, "No, no, please! This box must weight how much? Ten kilograms? Fifteen? I hope you didn't bring this all by yourself all the way from the temple! I'll help you, it's the least I can do!"

As he came out of his tent again, Gina was hugging the smiling woman and talking to her. Takahashi, lifting the heavy box, commented:

"Huff... Megumi-San, if you keep carrying things like this your back will be over before you're thirty!"

"Don't worry, Takahashi-San," the girl replied while caressing Gina's hairs, "People are being very generous on their donations during this Golden Week and we expect even more donations when some customary donors who're still to visit the temple return from their travels. By next week we'll probably buy a few handcarts to help with the transportation of goods."

As Megumi walked to the next tent alongside the small girl, the man who followed her joked, his voice strained by the weight of the box:

"Just as Megami-San appears, fireworks start cracking! You're improving on your entrances!" Blushing, Megumi humbly asked, "Please, Takahashi-San, don't say that! I know it's a nickname meant to be respectful, but you know I'm a little embarrassed when you use it."

"That's the fun part about it!" the man gleefully retorted and started to laugh whole-heartedly. Albeit not being fond of it, Megumi would never push them to stop it. Those people had so few things to laugh about that she'd never spoil their fun. Notwithstanding the hardships and the disdain with which they're treated by so many, some of them had easy smiles for trivial things. It flabbergasted her. Though not really content with their situation, some of them somehow knew how to find joy in the smallest of things. She always found that inspiring. Takahashi was one of them. She knew he was far less gleeful when not close to his daughter, but he did his best to show Gina a smile and a positive attitude. People who lost everything and were left to wander the streets had hard times to be reintroduced to society despite most of them not drinking or only doing so on the coldest of nights. Except for it and tobacco, other drugs were usually not consumed either, but even then it's hard for a man in his forties or fifties who've been fired and got unemployed for years to ever find new chances. Still, that was no excuse for Takahashi-San to get down in the dumps in front of his daughter: hope was the most precious commodity they had and they did everything they could to protect it.

Megumi's group of volunteers had even managed to help the few kids from that and other homeless camps to attend school. Their classmates frequently shunned them, sometimes creating lifelong traumas, so life wasn't easy nonetheless, but at least they had a chance to succeed in life.

Going from tent to tent, passing through the cardboard box houses, she and Mr. Takahashi distributed the canned food while appreciating the fireworks that came from elsewhere in the park. A fifty-some man grumbled those people could give them that money instead of burning it away, but even if Megumi believed that too, she tried to keep if light-hearted in front of Gina:

"Maybe, but why don't we just be happy that they're doing something which we can also appreciate from here? Don't these fireworks make you happy too, Tanaka-San?"

"Humph," the gloomy man interjected, "Food would make me happier."

"But we have food here, Tanaka-San!" the little girl Gina radiantly reminded him. The cranky man, only then noticing her around, forced a half-smile, "Yeah. You're right..."

As a boy around eight saw her, the only other kid that also lived on that camp, also came running to Megumi. After distributing all the food, she called both aside. Modest as she was, she hated to show any homeless person her cellphone or other objects she thought they couldn't afford, even though most of them also had smartphones. But on that occasion there was no way around it. Holding the object, Megumi humbly asked while unmuting it. It was something she did out of respect every time she entered the grounds of the Shinto temple, but she sometimes forgot to unmute it during the day:

"Gina-Chan, Ryouta-Kun, can you two help me? I need to choose a few songs that capture the feelings of those who live in this campsite. I'm a little lost, though. Do Gina-Chan and Ryouta-Kun know any songs that, when you listen to it, recalls you two of here?"

Just as she looked at her cellphone's screen she's informed she'd received a few new messages during the day that were added to the ones she hadn't read from the day before. Megumi was usually too tired when she returned home to even bother with her cellphone if she did things like forgetting it muted during the day.

She knew asking for songs that represented a place was a hard task for kids their age, but Megumi was at a loss for finding lyrics she'd like to perform. The children enthusiastically tried to remember a few songs, but were hardly successful, given they only knew a few and even so, couldn't recall the names of many of them. Also, the songs they mentioned were merely popular hits that had nothing to do with the life on the streets. Ryouta, noticing they were unable to help, suggested they called a man named Taniguchi Susumu, one of the encamped homeless people.

"Taniguchi-San used to work with songs, right?" the boy asked, and Gina, surprised, agreed, "Oh, that's right! He was an electronic engineer at that big company he sometimes talks about! I think Taniguchi-San didn't work just with audio equipment, but even so if he had to test sound equipment he must know a lot of songs!"

"Ah... no, please don't bother Taniguchi-San. Thanks for the help, but don't worry kids," Megumi tried to persuade them not to call any of the adults, but as Gina asked why, the young woman had no response to that and merely mumbled, "It's... ah... because it's nothing important and Taniguchi-San must be tired from the hard day. Don't worry, I just needed a few songs for... just to show to a few friends, that's all."

The two kids, saying he'd be happy to help, dragged Megumi back to the camp. While she waited for the two to run around asking for him, Megumi sighed and turned back to her phone. One of the messages from the previous day was from Naoko, showing her a thought-provoking image of a couple eating at a chic venue while a homeless man could be seen reflected on the partially opened mirrored window. Naoko had merely mentioned it's a photo taken by a friend of hers who she'd just discovered to be an amazing photographer, and said that the instant she saw that image, Naoko remembered about Megumi.

That picture was not only very good, but also touched Megumi deeply. The contrast between rich and poor was heartbreaking. Naoko's friend seemed to have not only talent, but also a keen eye for social injustices! She took a moment to appreciate that picture that filled her with desire to fight for changes. Apologizing for the tardy response, Megumi answered Naoko's message praising her classmate.

Almost immediately she received a reply. Naoko looked beaming, telling her she'd just performed on a small art gallery of sorts for more than three hundred people and was exhilarated. She commented her friend was a very shy girl, but her pictures could have just as well been exposed on that two-floored saloon on the top of a building and no one would've noticed it came from a high-school girl. She said her friend had photographed her show and the photos looked superb, despite the camerawoman being too timid and humble to admit it.

Suddenly, Megumi had the idea to question Naoko what song did that image evoked, revealing her she was still trying to find a few songs to practice. While she waited for a response the girl looked at a few other photos of that girl on the website gallery Naoko invited her to look. Shiori was the name of the photographer, judging from her profile, and apparently she was quite gifted at her trade. Megumi had to look some of her photos closer to be sure they weren't paintings, so precise were the moments the pictures were taken. Shiori also loved rainy, snowy and depressive sceneries, apparently, though the way she photographed the many of the pictures she had on those situations made them seem stunning. It was very poetic.

The loud return of the children accompanied by a thirty-some man looking confused startled Megumi. Mr. Taniguchi said the kids said she could use his help, though they hadn't been able to explain him how exactly. Thus, he asked how he could be of assistance. The girl humbly apologized for disturbing him and explained she questioned the two about a song that could capture the feel of the camp and their lives, but they decided to look for Taniguchi-San against her desire in hopes he knew a lot about music, given his work experience. The man, still puzzled, explained he used to be but an electronic engineer who just happened to work on a company that produced audio equipment among other products. As such, he apologized for not being very knowledgeable about songs, specifically, but that he'd try his best.

Naoko's reply soon arrived. Megumi was reticent to hold her phone in front of Taniguchi-San even though the man also had one, but it was worth it. Naoko sent a picture of her, her producer and Shiori on an after-work drinking celebration – involving non-alcoholic blueberry isotonic drinks – on a street full of light signboards, and said Shiori was very thankful for the praises. The girl wearing glasses had suggested two songs, both coming from heart-tearing movies. Like her many pictures under rain or snow suggested, she seemed quite familiar with sad flicks and songs. Still, Naoko mentioned she would send a message to her singing and dancing instructors next morning to see if they had any contributions, especially upbeat ones.

"Look! A friend of mine sent two suggestions!" Megumi joyfully stated, and turned her attention to the man by her side, "Let's hear it! Can Taniguchi-San tell me what he thinks about it and whether or not those songs reminded him of his life here at the camp?"

The man, still confused, agreed:

"Yes, if it's going to help Megumi-San. Though... can I humbly ask what this is about? I see Megumi-San has friends helping her too, so I take it's some sort of project you have? I can ask the others for help if I get what Megumi-San needs. I'm sure they'll happily contribute."

The girl hesitated, meditating on what to say. Uneasy, and being unable to downright lie, like she always was, she half-truthfully responded:

"Please don't bother the others. It's... kind of a surprise. I'm... trying to find a way to raise awareness about the situation of those who live on the streets so that people can help you all more. Not only with donations, I mean, but also agreeing to employ you all and so on. I... just need a few songs that can reflect the life on an encampment and the daily struggles, willpower to go on, these kinds of things. This friend of mine is also helping me with it. You can say it's sort of a project, yes. But I don't want to give false expectations to the others, this project has more chances to go wrong than right..."

The man nodded in agreement, but the two kids abruptly asked why. Though they said they would try to help her however they could, all Megumi wanted was to drop that subject. Still, not answering would be far too rude for a caring girl like her. She was unable to lie too, and even half-truths would give her away there. She even thought about simply asking them not to worry and move on, but she also kind of wanted some help. The homeless people were like a second family for her, she trusted them more than she believed in most other people.

It was a horrible feeling for Megumi to stand out among those she loved. She felt almost like if having a job, and a prestigious one at that, was a betrayal, though she couldn't quite comprehend why. It made her heart race and some sort of odd fear take ahold of her.

"Okay..." the girl, in an even more humble manner than usual, finally gave in. Looking especially to the two kids, she asked, "But please don't tell the others! I'll do it someday if my idea works. The thing is..." the girl vacillated for a long time, her heart pounding. For whatever reason she was afraid of telling them the truth, but at the same time, she knew they deserved it. And since she'd already started there was no going back. Acting awfully modest, she explained, "A few months ago... five or so, I... was looking for a job to pay my studies and help you all out somehow. Promoting the cause, you know. Then I came across... an..." her voice was almost gone, as if she was too embarrassed to say, "an idol agency and was accepted. And..."

"Megami-San is an idol?! Yay!" Gina interrupted her, amazed. Her eyes sparkled like fire. The boy questioned, "Idols are those famous people that sing, right? She's famous!"

Seeing the kids looked extremely excited, Megumi quickly stated:

"It's not like that! In fact, not only am I not famous, but I was already fired!"

´While Mr. Taniguchi looked impressed, his face showed he sort of expected Megumi to be able to pull off an idol career. He was more shocked when she revealed she'd been fired, and asked the reason for it. As such, she explained the whole situation, about her successive failures and about how Naoko and Aratani expected to help her, provided she somehow overcame her fears and had a few songs to dance by Saturday.

While the man meditated about it, the kids were still enthralled by the discovery. Unabashedly, Gina asked:

"Why didn't Megumi-San tell us that before?! We could've helped! Or..." the girl looked a bit sad, "doesn't Megumi-San think we can help her?"

The young woman was too ashamed to answer, so Mr. Taniguchi, understanding the situation better than Megumi could hope for, did so for her:

"Kids, Megumi-San is a very humble person. Don't you two see she even dislikes showing her cellphone even though most of us also have smartphones, and never wears anything fancy, hardly ever speaks about accomplishments of her, looks embarrassed to say she was already accepted on a university and that she graduated from high-school... things like that? Some of us don't have the opportunities she has, and she worries about making someone feel sad or envious about it. She hides a few things from us because she cares so much for our feelings, and because she's very modest. For her to say she's accepted at an idol agency and that she has a bright future ahead would be very difficult for her, even though she'd partially help us too by shining on the stages."

Facing the blushing girl, Taniguchi said:

"In reality, not only we'd never feel sad about it, we'd be extremely happy to know a kind-hearted person such as you is receiving the good things she deserves. It's not even about you helping us by publicizing our situation, it's about us seeing a person we're very fond of being successful. You know, it also renews my belief in karma, and I take it'd do the same to the others. Even though we can hardly repay you for all you've done for us during all those years, somehow the universe acts on our behalf." Turning back to the kids, he pleaded, "Everyone who knows Megumi-San knows she's that way, there's no need for her or for anyone to explicitly state that. Don't feel bad for her hiding that from us, she didn't do this because she doesn't believe we can help. In fact, she asked for our help when she needed it the most, meaning she trusts us a lot. She's just humble. Please understand that."

Two warm tears rolled from Megumi's eyes as she heard those comforting things that weren't completely clear even to her. Her eyes sparkled as if she'd understood something, though she said nothing about what could it be. Even so, to know other people actually comprehended her so much, despite that she hardly ever spoke about herself, was all she could ever wish for. Sometimes she forgot she was helping people forty, fifty or more years-old, people who had lived far more than her and were wiser.

Taniguchi looked a little worried, however. He asked:

"Though does Megumi-San really only have three more days to overcome her fears of stages and practice in order to save her job?" Seeing her nod anxiously, he thought for a while. Ultimately, Taniguchi proposed, "I know Megumi-San doesn't want to instill false hopes on the others, but if she had an audience to hear her while practicing, it could get her used to it, right?"

As a shadow of comprehension and embarrassment crossed Megumi's eyes, Taniguchi hurried to conclude his suggestion and his reasons:

"It's not much, but what if we explained the situation to the others and asked for help? The park is big, we could find some isolated place among the trees for you to practice, and then we could group everyone who wanted to hear you singing and dancing. I'm sure they'd have some fun, and we'd be rooting for you. It'd be a nice distraction for us all, too. We'd just need a radio. It's not a good mockup of a fancy show, but..."

Gina and Ryouta looked exhilarated. Megumi, blushing, said reluctantly:

"Oh, no, it'd be perfect, Taniguchi-San! It's just that... I'd be too embarrassed!"

"But that's precisely why these fake presentations would be for," the man reminded her, "If they knew it, no one here would want Megumi-San to lose her job. We all know how bad that is, and how much you deserve to be famous, to have money to study and to make your dreams come true. Everyone would want to help, and a few shows would make us happy too. Not to mention we all understand how things can go in ways we don't want them to, that's how life works. Don't worry about instilling false hopes on anyone, if we explain you have only one chance and that it's very hard to succeed they will understand if things don't work out. If Megumi-San did her best, that's all that matters. And trust me, no one would feel sad seeing you succeed. Of course, I won't force you to do something you don't want, but we only have three days left. If Megumi-San wants to try and practice in front of an audience, we can help her, even if just a bit. Just give me a word."

Moved, the girl swept the water on her eyes. Taniguchi's offer and the children's eager faces appeased her anxieties. With her voice faltering due to the emotion, she bowed deeply and for a long time. Embarrassed, she humbly replied:

"Y-You're... right. Thank you, Taniguchi-San! I... I'll... I'll do it! I'll... do my very best! Not for fame or money, but for you, Gina-Chan, Ryouta-Kun and everyone else. Please... help me!"

Her singing and dancing instructors' replies came before her break, so Naoko sent Megumi the names of the five songs she managed to obtain on the first opportunity she got. She only knew one of those, an old blues song that she didn't even remember about. It was perfect, though. It talked about hardships and thus wasn't all that cheerful, but had a positive lookout on it depending on how the listener wanted to understand it. As usual, Naoko only knew it because it was featured in the opening act of a movie of a famous anime – the other four songs were probably not, hence why Naoko didn't know about those.

As for the song she knew about wasn't really about homeless people, but rather about an unlucky person that struggled to live in an uncaring world and who, despite becoming somewhat uncaring too, fought to preserve his or her humanity and keep the person's dreams alive. Sato-Sensei, who recommended it, warned her it was a relatively hard song to dance, though. Insidiously so, because the rhythm wasn't agitated, but the usual choreography relied on "expressive elements", something Naoko hadn't learned yet. Basically, it was a song full to the brim with emotion, and if the idol wasn't able to look convincing when singing and dancing it, her scores would plummet.

It made Naoko a little worried, and she warned Megumi about it. She would probably create her own choreography, but it's good for her to know what judges would be expecting. Her friend soon replied, thanking her and telling she was very excited (and nervous) for the upcoming days. Megumi told Naoko she got the help of a group of homeless people among the various camps she helped, and that given that warning, she decided to pay with her own money for one dancing class so she could get some practice and an official choreography chart instead of trying to come up with steps all by herself. She could only afford one class, but she'd at least have a real dance routine. Coupled with an improvised location to rehearse and a small audience to help her get used to it, it's her best bet.

She told her she was apprehensive, but that a few things a person said on the Tuesday night gave her something to think about. She didn't go into details, but Megumi said she started to comprehend what her fears were, or so she hoped. Glad to hear it, Naoko happily sent her the phone number of her dancing instructor in case she needed a suggestion of an excellent teacher.

When Naoko finished texting Megumi, she was startled by the presence of Shiori by her side in the classroom. The timid girl was so silent that she could easily move without attracting attention.

"Waaa! How did you got here?!" Naoko inquired, admired. Jaunt, she joked, "I knew it! Shiori-Chan is all quiet and observant because she is secretly a kunoichi! That's amazing! Shiori-Chan is a veteran war photographer, spirit-exorcist kunoichi!"

"Kunoichi" was a somewhat modern term referring to a female ninja. Shiori giggled as Naoko, taking her lunchbox, started to create an exaggerated story where Shiori was a ninja who used the flash of her camera to cover her lightning-fast assassination techniques and her secret, centuries-old ninja powers to manipulate the shadows created by the obfuscating light to slay her unsuspecting victims. Because no one would suspect of a short, cute girl wearing glasses! And that explained how Shiori was so fast to get away from Physical Education classes! But on P.E. she just pretended to be clumsy so as not to raise suspicion, when in fact she'd be capable of climbing the Tokyo Tower in less than ten seconds by running up on the external walls, all the while fighting cyborg samurai sent to protect her mark.

Naoko's humorous narrations of how awesome Shiori "secretly" was got not only the timid girl, but also Miwa and everyone around laughing. From the informally elected the second prettiest girl of the class, Sayuri, and many other girls all the way to the two secluded boys who typically talked about games, Akio and Hiroto, many came closer to listen as usual. Since Naoko made so many allusions to Shiori's supposed abilities to use photographic cameras to kill, a few people around started to ask if there was a reason for such emphasis on pictures. Naoko and Miwa explained Shiori was actually a talented camerawoman. Takumi, the only other classmate who was also member of the Drama club, vouched for it, confirming he had personally seen her take amazing pictures of Naoko during her rehearsals.

It didn't take long for people to ask to see her photos, and though Shiori was extremely shy about it, Miwa and Naoko proudly invited them to see her gallery. As people found out about it, they were shocked.

Sayuri, looking at her own smartphone, inquired:

"Shiori-Chan, I study with you for about five years now! How come I never knew about your skills before?! Is this a postcard you did or something? Do you work as a photographer?"

Remembering about the work the timid girl would do alongside Naoko, Miwa curiously inquired about it, and despite Shiori being initially too embarrassed by all the attention she received to say anything coherent, Naoko did that for her. She showed on her fan club the incredible photos her friend had taken from Naoko's last show. Some people praised the idol for the amazingly-looking two-story rooftop modern art museum of sorts where the show was held and by how gorgeous she was on her attire full of laces and frills, but Naoko, though loving the compliments, managed to smoothly conduct the conversation back to the photographer.

During that break and the subsequent lunch Shiori was the center of all attentions. Though embarrassed, the shy girl was overjoyed. Timidly she answered questions and narrated the events of the last night surrounding the show on the art gallery penthouse. Even though she was very pumped, she naturally wasn't all that skilled to hold a crowd's attention, so Naoko sometimes complemented the information with her own witty remarks, but in general Shiori did most of the talking. Stuttering at first, her tension decreased gradually as she found out the others enjoyed her tales about it. She had no shortage of compliments for Naoko and her producer either. She looked as thankful as humanly possible while recounting:

"After all of that heart-pumping spectacle, I was going to rush back home to send them the photos as soon as possible, but Aratani-San calmly suggested we took a stroll around the vicinities. He said it was important to commemorate victories and gave us a few isotonic drinks Naoko-Chan had received as a gift from an advertising agency because of an ad she made. And then we walked around. The ward of Roppongi is awesome! There are so many interesting venues and it's so scenic! Of course, we couldn't get in most of those places. Clubs, show houses, saloons housing private parties, izakaya... we weren't allowed," she explained in a matter of fact way. It wasn't hard to understand, really. An Izakaya, for example, is a Japanese kind of bar, so schoolgirls wouldn't be allowed in places that sold alcoholic beverages, as well as most other places she mentioned. The bashful girl continued, "Still, it was outstanding! Naoko's producer showed us around and even treated us to a nice coffee shop. He's an amazing person, like I said. Funny, kind, generous, cool, confident, hard-working... I'd never get to know places like that if it wasn't for Naoko-Chan and Aratani-San! It was like a dream! We even took a few photos from our stroll."

Shiori eagerly directed them to her gallery and showed a few images, from the one she and Naoko appeared side by side on a sunny afternoon in Shibuya to a few others, already at night, alongside Aratani and amidst dazzling signboards and lights, or chilling by a table on a fancy café. It was a memorable night for Naoko to perform such a nice show with a friend by her side, but Shiori treasured those memories and photos as if it has been the best evening of her life. It made Naoko very content, and the class president also looked so. Moreover, the demure and sweet behavior of the short girl when she was happy was so adorable she received many compliments from Naoko, Miwa, Sayuri and the other girls around. It made her blush, only furthering it. Naoko couldn't help but to hug her as if Shiori was a cute doll or a kitty.

"Aw, Shiori-Chan, you're so lovable when you're flushed!" Naoko yelled while petting the hairs of the embarrassedly smiling girl she held tightly, "And your glasses make you even cuter! You're like a plushy! A lovely kunoichi plushy! I want a Shiori-Chan plushy! One holding a little camera! Anyone here knows how to sew a plushy?! I pay good money for it!"

The hilarious way Naoko acted wasn't even intentionally funny: she was just easily carried away by cute things and people. And despite being afraid of teddy bears, she had no problems with plush toys for unknown reasons as long as they looked human and adorable. Her pettings and comments that drew attention to her friend's cute side got Sayuri and every girl who wasn't either timid or serious to also surround Shiori to suffocate her in hugs. Even Miwa, who was a little too mature for that, looked amused while watching the scene.

Many boys observed that group hug of girls with far more wishful faces, though no one dared to get close. That is, until the short class clown Sadao thought it'd be funny to jokingly join the hug too. It started a commotion full of wrathful shouts. His uninvited presence ended the group hug, but not before the circle ended his mocking smile, his hairstyle, his clothes and his face with approximately half a trillion slaps coming from all directions during the course of a few seconds. It left Naoko impressed, though: for the first time Sadao was right about thinking something he did would be kind of funny. It really was kind of funny to hit him like a punching bag alongside a dozen other friends with slaps, textbooks, lunchboxes, bags, chairs, head-butts, elbow blows, knee strikes, uppercuts, kicks, roundhouse kicks and whatever. Solid entertainment and excellent multiplayer, a nine and a half out of ten kind of fun. Her only gripe was the absence of plungers like they had in the Drama club along with a few missing in action but appreciated items such as baseball bats, crowbars and iron pipes in the class. No doubt a grave overlook by the designers of it, but hopefully by the next installment of retaliation of stupid Sadao's idiotic attempts to be comical that problem would've been solved.

Shiori was the only one on the group not to partake in the attack on Sadao. She found Miwa's eyes, and the class president, smiling, enquired:

"Don't you want to join the others a little and smack the clown too, Shiori-Chan? Don't worry, he has some nerve to hug girls from behind like that, he deserves a lesson. I'll pretend I was just counting atoms on the ceiling or something while it all happened."

The timid girl shook her hands in front of her chest, thanking Miwa for the "opportunity" but politely refusing it with a tense smile.

Commenting with the others afterwards, Naoko would actually buy a game called "Retaliation of Stupid Sadao's Idiotic Attempts to be Comical", making people loosen up and laugh. Along with Shiori's plushy, that was yet another product based on her class that she'd undoubtedly purchase. Someone should really consider making a profit out of class 2-5. Oh, and also 2-1, because Rin was there and Naoko would love to have a Rin plushy too.

Shiori kept her high spirits during the entire Drama club and throughout Naoko's rehearsal. She had decided to stay by Naoko's side even if she'd be going back home already by night. Even so, that was the last day of April, and with it, the last day of extended classes, meaning the club would start by twelve thirty instead of three p.m. and also end two and a half hours earlier than before. Starting next meeting she'd be going back under sunlight even if she stayed during the entire two hour practice session. Naoko rehearsed mostly her new songs, though she sang her old ones twice just to be sure she'd not forget them.

Once it was over and the girl unmuted her smartphone, she found out she'd received a message from Megumi thanking her for the contact of her dancing instructor. Megumi said she'd just left her two hour class and was completely exhausted. Despite being expensive, it was totally worth it and she now had four detailed lists of choreographies to practice. After she told instructor Sato that Naoko had referred her, the teacher commented Naoko used to do four hours of dancing classes every weekend along with four more of other subjects, leaving Megumi baffled. She said all she wanted to do after such a strenuous class was to go to sleep, but she had to practice it and also had a mockup presentation for some homeless people. Naoko's example inspired her to push herself, and revealed that despite being very afraid of the upcoming fake show, she had some ideas along the day about what was the cause of her fears.

Her messages were sent over an hour before, so Naoko quickly replied she was happy for her and that she was sorry for maybe answering it a little late. Still, she briefly explained how she did on her rehearsals at the Drama club. If Megumi thought about her practice sessions in front of an audience as a show maybe she'd get afraid, but as long as she told everyone she was just practicing and that people should be supportive to her mistakes because of it things would flow smoother. That was what Naoko did to feel at peace to rehearse for the first time in front of a few people, and after she got used to it she was able to present to progressively larger audiences, just like Aratani once told her she would.

To know Megumi was working hard, just like the twins, was also inspiring. Naoko almost wished she had more time to hone her skills. Still, thinking about that, she could notice she gradually got better at it. Doing her rehearsals and her homework from her classes, including visualizations of shows and auditions, was helping her evolve.

Suddenly remembering about visualizations, the girl excitedly sent Megumi another brief message explaining and suggesting that technique. Maybe if the girl got used to it she could train even when her body was too tired to move. It'd not help with her fears, but was useful to memorize steps. Satisfied, Naoko changed back and walked out. Surprisingly, Shiori was still waiting for her, almost half an hour after the end of the rehearsal.

"Shiori-Chan, why are you still here?" Naoko asked, startled, "I mean, thanks! But you don't need to watch my rehearsals if you don't want to, much less watch it until the end. And you certainly don't need to go through the trouble to wait for me for so long!"

"It was no trouble, I wanted to wait!" Shiori replied. Smiling slightly, which to her was actually a big smile considering her shyness, the girl followed Naoko out, saying, "I was looking at my gallery while I waited. I've never seen so many people visit it and comment! Also, I... still had no time to thank Naoko-Chan properly for all she did for me. I wanted... to do it now."

Grinning back, Naoko jokingly refused to accept it:

"No, no need for it! Besides, I'm pretty sure there was already a cute kunoichi with glasses and a camera yesterday who stood at least a few minutes thanking me and my producer when departing. She looked just like Shiori-Chan, by the way!"

Giggling, the timid girl maintained:

"I don't know about the kunoichi part, but I'm sure it was me thanking you two back then. Only I still haven't thanked you for today. For... what you did for me back on the class today. I was so nervous at first, with all those people talking to me! I don't comprehend how Naoko-Chan is able to be so calm during a show, when I can barely endure the attention of my classmates, most of whom I know for years now! But that was... an amazing experience, just like yesterday! It was fun! You and Miwa are doing so much for me I... don't even know how to begin repaying!"

In a large step Naoko stopped in front of Shiori and, with a broad, cheerful smile replied while holding the index finger of one of her hands pointed up close to her own face for a few seconds:

"Like I said, there's no need to thank us! We didn't do anything Shiori-Chan didn't already deserved, so it's not like we're helping you, as much as we just want you to be happy and with us! We're friends, after all! But if you so insist to repay us somehow, how about you attend a karaoke party or something like that with us?! Starting tomorrow we won't have those pesky extra classes that plagued my schedules on April, so we'll be free by noon! And since Miwa also have free time now, after her brother got to some private classes, we can all start going out! The three of us, and we can also invite other people too! For example, another friend of mine who showed me a cool karaoke venue from 2-1 called Rin, and also Sayuri-Chan, Hisako-Chan and the other girls from our class that were talking to you! How about it?!"

Staring at her for a while, Shiori enthusiastically accepted:

"Ah... yes! Thanks!"

As the two continued walking, however, Shiori still looked a bit anxious, looking at her feet as if she was thinking about complicated matters. Naoko, noticing it, pointed it out:

"Shiori-Chan still seems troubled about something."

The girl wearing glasses, clenching her fists, walked in silence for a while until they got near the entrance gates. Stopping before it, she looked tense. Staring at the floor with an ashamed face, she mustered courage and apprehensively revealed with a low, stammering voice:

"I... was thinking in the Drama club meeting... about that time we... I got embarrassed and couldn't talk with you... And I w-want to a-apologize... for... something. I... I need to! P-please... don't get mad at m-me!"

Naoko, noticing her friend looked serious and getting curious and worried herself, turned back and halted. Shiori, anxiously, continued:

"When I still didn't know you... I thought... I thought Naoko-Chan was... well..." her eyes glimpsed toward her friend anxiously, "Y-you see... N-Naoko-Chan is stunning and... very sociable, and happy, and... and talented, and I... well, I'm... not. I-I mean, except about the happy part! I was not, now I am!"

"What are you talking about?" Naoko, getting a little concerned, replied, "Shiori-Chan is extremely talented! Everyone praised you about it today! And you're cute!"

Blushing for a moment, Shiori was grateful:

"T-thank you! B-but anyway, I... don't... have even one percent of the beauty Naoko-Chan has! And I'm not as sociable and all. So when I saw you for the first time, quickly being the center of attention of our class, being an idol and all... things I c-could only dream of, I..." she tightened her fists so much she could almost make her palms bleed and spoke everything in rapid sequence, "I was envious of you! I... thought a girl like you, so good at sports and at talking and at everything and being so beautiful was... Please don't laugh or get mad at me, but I though it to be very unfair! I always thought things like that when looking at girls like Miwa-Chan and Sayuri-Chan. Compared to me, you and them... well, there's no fair comparison here. And for whatever reason I thought... at first, before knowing you,... that Naoko-Chan could only be a conceited girl... and when you got in the Drama club and Aratani-San talked with Chiasa-Senpai to get you the main role on the play, I thought... that on top of being conceited, you could very easily have all you wanted and do whatever you pleased, having your way with our class, and having every boy at your feet, and getting main roles, and..." The girl was so tense she got to the verge of crying, "And I was so envious of you, I thought it was so unfair that you had so many qualities and I had none... that I... I..." her voice reduced to almost a whisper, "Please don't be mad... but at that time I... hated Naoko-Chan. And I was so afraid you somehow disliked me like I disliked you at that time, and that you decided to... do something, like arguing with me like you did with that gang boy Daiki on that video back then... and I knew you'd be able to do whatever you pleased with me, because you even managed to break in a few days a school gang everyone feared for an year, that I... froze at that time during the Drama club meeting, when I had to talk to you."

Taking away her glasses and sweeping away the water on her eyes before they're shed, Shiori kept unburdening herself from thoughts she condemned:

"I was so wrong! I severely misjudged Naoko-Chan! You, along with Miwa and a friend I had until a few years back... back when we were friends, at least... are among the kindest people I've ever met! I hate myself for not having seen that sooner and j-judging Naoko-Chan poorly back then! I envied you and thought you were snobbish even t-though you didn't look it, and I was afraid of you, and... You said you and Miwa shouldn't be repaid because you two only did for me what I deserved, but that's not true! I... didn't deserve your friendship!" Even sweeping her eyes, she couldn't stop tears from overflowing. With her timid voice affected by the crying, her stuttering due to the shyness became a convoluted mess, "I-I'm s-sorry! I'm s-so s-sorry, N-Naoko-Chan! S-so, s-so s-sorry! P-please d-don't get m-mad at m-me! I b-beg y-you! I... I... was s-so wrong... ab-b-bout y-you! I-I'm s-so ashamed!"

Shiori begged for forgiveness while hiding her face between her hands until her voice was too hard to decipher even to herself. Crying copiously, the girl was so angry with herself she couldn't control her tears. Still holding her glasses while covering her face, Shiori unknowingly started to force the frame and bend it slightly. Naoko quickly took it away from her hands before it broke and, with a compassionate and positive voice stated:

"When Shiori-Chan said she had to apologize for something, I thought it's about something wrong she did today or yesterday. Come on, don't scare me like that!"

"B-but it was w-wrong!" the girl painstakingly replied, "I... c-can't stand r-recalling I once t-thought those t-things anymore! N-Naoko-Chan is t-the k-kindest p-person t-there is and c-caring f-for people like m-me, w-who was so f-frivolous to you! And y-you didn't even need t-to put up with all I... d-did!"

Scratching her right cheek, Naoko merrily told:

"To be frank, I'm used to it! I was very lucky Miwa-Chan is such a nice person and introduced me to our class so quickly! I usually have a hard time with girls I don't know, they somehow always think something bad about me and take a while to accept me, so no biggie! Shiori-Chan doesn't need to apologize for things she thought about me before we met! That's nonsense!"

Uncovering her embarrassed face, Shiori stared at Naoko with thankful but unbelieving eyes. Calming down, she eventually asked, fearfully:

"Naoko-Chan... isn't mad at me, then?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" Naoko inquired with a radiant smile and joked, "If anything, I should be glad for Shiori-Chan thinking I'm so pretty and powerful I could have my way at anything! Yeah, that'd be awesome if it was real! I only wish I was like you think I am!"

"But Naoko-Chan is stunning!" Shiori insisted, recovering the firmness of her low speech, "And you can get many things if you want! No boy would deny anything from you! Within reason, at least. And people really like you! You can even get in front of an audience and captivate everyone easily!"

Laughing whole-heartedly, Naoko playfully commented:

"I don't know why society is so against receiving compliments, it just feels so good! I could hear Shiori-Chan say those things all night long! Thanks a bunch! Though, like I said, that's an exaggeration because many girls act with me just like you said you did, and no one can have his or her way however he or she wants. Even talking about shows, previously I had to prove myself to judges in an audition, and I even got refused on one yesterday! So it's not like I have my way everywhere. Also, Shiori-Chan disregards herself too much at the same time! You're one of the kindest, sweetest persons I've ever met once you show your true self! You ran back home just to take your camera on Monday's rehearsal, wanted to charge a ridiculously low amount to work on that gig, waited a lot for me today and cared to tell me those things that would've never occurred to me otherwise! And you are arguably much more talented than me! On a different area of expertise, but you are! Also, Shiori-Chan woos me like I've never heard when talking about my prettiness, but you're very cute too!"

Smiling while cleaning away her face, Shiori gratefully retorted:

"Thanks, Naoko-Chan! You... have no idea how much that means to me." Chuckling, she added, "Though you don't need to be modest or try to cheer me up saying I'm cute! I'm already as happy as I think I can be, knowing you can forgive me!"

Puzzled, Naoko replied, "But I'm not trying to cheer Shiori-Chan up when I say she's cute! It's true! In your own way, you are adorable! Or do you think I was lying when I said I wanted a plushy of you back in class today?"

"Hm... y...yes. I... did, actually," Shiori commented, though rapidly complementing it, "But I knew Naoko-Chan and the others meant well and wanted to see me happy with the jokes! So it's okay!"

"What? No!" Naoko denied it, "We were being serious! Well, I was joking on the part of you being a kunoichi, yes. At least I expect you not to be it, or I'm in trouble for revealing your ninja secrets! But it's true what me, Miwa-Chan, Sayuri-Chan and the others said about you being cute! Have you ever looked at the mirror? You're tiny and girly. You're reserved too, and that's fine! Shiori-Chan is very cute, I tell you! "

With a smile, the shy girl modestly, or maybe disbelievingly, maintained her self-deprecating speech, though not really caring and looking glad for her friend's words:

"Naoko-Chan is very cute. Miwa-Chan is very cute. Sayuri-Chan too. You three are really the three prettiest girls of our class, and Naoko-Chan is certainly one of the prettiest student of our school. Maybe the prettiest! I think you are, at least. Me? I know how I look. I'm flat! I'm short. I wear glasses, my hair will never be as good as yours, I'm shy... and I'm flat! Boys evade me but flock to Naoko-Chan, do you need any more proof than that? When you three surrounded me today along with the other girls, I was stunned! I thought it'd never happen! I... I could feel my nerves twitching! Ha ha... I-I don't think I'd be able to endure the spotlight of anything."

Faced with Shiori's laugh, shy and nervous, Naoko smiled. Mostly because her friend seemed to expect it and because she looked arguably adorable when acting a little tense. Still, what she said wasn't funny, despite Shiori's nonchalant attitude towards it.

"Shiori-Chan is confusing being "pretty" and being "cute", I think," Naoko ultimately replied, "You look petite! I genuinely think you're cute, and that there are boys out there who likes girls like you more than they like any other type. But even so, the hell with them! You remind me a little of Rin-Chan from 2-1. She's certainly not "flat" as you describe yourself, but she's also short. I know she's blond and outspoken and I think she's striking, but even she fears boys. As such, she doesn't have contact with them. And so they can never show how much they appreciate her! Shiori-Chan also evaded people up until now, so it's hard for anyone to know you and tell you how much they like you! They won't be able to get close to you even wanting!"

"Well, I guess," Shiori hesitantly answered, "but beauty is not something you need to know a person to notice you like her, isn't it?"

Scratching an eyebrow, Naoko quieted down thinking about something to say.

"Perhaps you're right... but let's think it from another perspective. If I was as introverted as you were before we met, never talking to anyone and having no friends, do you think boys would be so enthusiastic about trying to talk to me?"

After thinking for just a second, Shiori said "yes", which made Naoko appear lost.

"That's not how it works, Shiori-Chan! Truthfully, I don't think they do as much as Shiori-Chan says, but they're not a very good indicator of how cute or pretty you are until they feel comfortable showing it. Sure, they're usually more upfront than women, that's just a cultural thing. They're kind of forced to take initiative while women are also slightly forced to wait like dummies. Though since the one who takes the initiative is usually the one who can get rejected, it's not as easy as some of them make it look like. No matter what you are, being rejected and even shunned hurts. Because of it, you can't bet that every boy will be so upfront. For example, even though I am arguably more extroverted then you, if I were to wait for those two otaku boys from class, Akio-Kun and Hiroto-Kun, to come talk to me I'd die of old age waiting! But once you know them and they feel comfortable around you, they do show how much they like you. Trust me on this, Shiori-Chan. I know quite a few boys and I can attest they're not as different as girls as we tend to think. Not on many aspects, at least."

Shiori seemed ready to try and debunk her argumentation, but since Naoko asked the timid girl to believe on her friend's experience, she closed her mouth. Naoko confidently said:

"I think Shiori-Chan needs to concern herself more with being more open to social interactions than with her prettiness. Sure, if she wants I can help her with her hair or suggesting creams for the skin and so on. In fact, it'd be really nice if we went shopping for some clothes for you someday too! This way people can notice you more, but that's secondary to you developing a more positive... hm... ability to... be sociable." Thinking for a moment, she rephrased her sentence, "Okay, not really. Shiori-Chan is introverted, I don't think there's a way around it. It'd look as if you tried too hard to appear sociable. But being introverted is fine! It gives you some personality, fits you nicely! I can't imagine Shiori-Chan acting like me, for example, it'd not cut it! But being introverted doesn't mean you need to... like, to fend off people all the time like you did before! That's not being an introverted, that's being defensive! I'm not introverted, but on a few rare occasions I also become defensive and I know it! It repels people! Also, Rin-Chan is the same thing: she's extroverted too, but repels boys because of her fear even though she wanted to get close to them. She repels them unwillingly by freezing up. It's funny, it's like a person feigning to be dead to make an attacking bear lose interest and go away! So you can see even an extroverted person can have social anxieties, and if that's the case, why can't an introverted person has social skills? It's not like they're going to be using them a lot, but hey, they don't need to fear others just because they think it's nicer to be alone most of the time!"

Noticing she was encouraging Shiori, Naoko jokingly commented and proposed:

"Aratani-San mocks my wanting to cheer up and help others overcome fears and problems, saying it usually falls down on his shoulders to finish the job. Now that I think about it, I did kind of fell the need to help Miwa-Chan and Rin-Chan, along with a few idols in training I met: Harumi-Chan and Sakura-Chan, who are twins, and that girl I told you about, Megumi-San, who likes to help homeless people. Well... I kind of bickered on other people's lives a bit too, like on that school gang you reminded me about and on those two boys from class. And with my hairstylist. And... well, a few... Hm, I wonder why I do all of this... But never mind! I like it, so it's fine. And it usually works! I have an idea! How about I introduce you to Rin-Chan?! She is a funny girl and you two have social anxieties, I think you two can support and learn a lot with each other! And it's a new friend! Shiori-Chan can slowly overcome her anxieties if she really puts her heart to it, and believe me: if you manage to do it and become less defensive, everyone will be surprised to see how awesome you truly is, just like our classmates did earlier today!"

Smiling radiantly, Naoko waved her arms while walking around:

"I tell you, you're already adorable, you just don't know it. You don't need to change your appearance, all the boys and people in general need is that you let them get closer to you and they'll see the cute, hardworking, reliable, talented and nice girl Shiori-Chan really is! And those who understand the value of those things will come to like you a lot, like Miwa-Chan and I did! That was what happened today on class! Isn't it? Sayuri-Chan and the others discovered something about who you really are and were amazed by it! It was something they would probably have done years ago if you had shown them who you really are before, but we can't go back in time, so it doesn't matter anymore. Let's do it now!"

Her shy friend opened a small but deeply grateful smile. She tried to say something, however since her flooding positive emotions prevented her voice from being heard, she opted to manifest what she wanted to say through nonverbal communication and bowed thankfully.

Naoko introduced Shiori to Rin on the break of the following day, Thursday. Shiori was naturally very timid, moreover around people she didn't know, and got even more so after discovering the upbeat Rin was another dazzling girl. Even then, Naoko and Miwa's presence gave her the courage to try it, and she was gladly surprised to see Rin was an amazingly easy person to talk to, very playful and carefree. In fact, the glasses-wearing girl didn't say much at all, but Rin somehow managed to entertain herself and her new acquaintance, and even find the few things Shiori said amusing. She was easily excitable and joyful.

Naoko teasingly drew a senior boy from the Drama club who was walking by for a quick chat just to prove Shiori that Rin was petrified around males, because the timid girl would never believe otherwise that such an extroverted, good-looking, energetic and happy person could be fazed by anyone. A classmate of Rin that accompanied her also attested she was mortified when near any boy, even the most unattractive or awkward of them, just in case the perplexed Shiori didn't trust her own eyes.

The first day of May came and the extra classes were finally over. Since Naoko's karate lessons only begun at six p.m. and they were free by noon, she finally had time to commemorate Miwa's free time after her brother accepted his private classes. It was a late but well-deserved commemoration. As such, Naoko suggested they all lunched together and partied afterwards for a bit. Because of her brother's club activities, he always left his school by three p.m., so Miwa only had to leave in order to take him back home for his classes and she'd be free again until five p.m. Unfortunately, Shiori was also part of the Poetry and Literature club, which, like the Drama one, had its schedule altered by the end of the supplementary classes period and started by twelve thirty. Still, she decided to give it a pass for one day, especially seeing that Rin was also invited. The blond girl had private classes starting four p.m. on all days but Friday – when it started by seven p.m. – and Saturday, but until then she was free. Miwa also invited Rin's classroom friend, an average-height girl called Nobuko, with somewhat unmemorable features and a calm nature that balanced out Rin's borderline crazy cheerfulness.

Naoko also wanted to invite the girls from her own class, but seeing Shiori was already intimidated by the presence of two new people, she and Miwa settled to just calling two of them: Sayuri and a girl called Mari. While they weren't exactly closest friends, Mari sat between Naoko and Miwa on the class and, like Sayuri, always took part on the conversations. Sayuri not only always drew closer to hear Naoko talk and laugh of her jokes, but the stunning girl with the hime haircut sat close to Shiori by the windows, so Miwa and Naoko agreed it would be nice for the two to get along well. Furthermore, Mari and Sayuri had no club activities that day, unlike other girls, so they were free to attend to the commemoration.

The seven girls lunched together on a restaurant in front of a park, two blocks away from the school. Shiori was very scared at first, both by the new people and because of the intimidating presence of four stunning students: Naoko, Rin, Miwa and Sayuri. The shy girl had some serious inferiority complex, her friends could see, but believing in Naoko's vision for her, she persisted and did her best to relax and enjoy the opportunity. While she talked sparingly, the girl with glasses was not the only one who did so: her classmates Sayuri and Mari, and Rin's classmate Nobuko, also preferred to listen and laugh than to talk. Even Miwa, after an initial speech, heard more than talked. Naoko and Rin were a match made in heaven when it came to conversations, especially humorous ones. Each one was hilarious by herself, but the spontaneous duo was pure comedy gold. It was strange, because they hardly tried to be funny and merely talked a lot about anything, but somehow the pair was capable of making even the most mundane chats seem amusing. It was a rollercoaster ride, really, because not all subjects were funny, but the girls' naturally humorous remarks combined for unexpected twists.

Of all the conversation topics, a few were at least useful to Rin and Naoko, like the blond girl merrily bringing up her father had already talked with his boss about Naoko's invitational show. Contrary to the idol's initial fears that her friend's father could be pulling her leg on that matter, she seemed confident he had at least tried his best. Also, Rin appeared exhilarated about the speedrunning subject, saying she had gotten the hang of watching those videos. First she looked for an average person playing the game, even if just for a while, and then watched the speedrunner do the same. While she wasn't particularly attracted to video games, something about those speedrunning events always made her happy. She thought it was the fact that most of them weren't about competition, but rather about doing charity in an entertaining way.

About charity, Naoko started to talk about Megumi, a girl whose objectives left everyone baffled. Rin was especially moved with Megumi's desire to help homeless people and her determination to hone her skills and overcome her fears. Shiori was called by Naoko to talk about her suggestions for songs based on one of her photos Naoko sent to her idol friend. From there they talked about Shiori's skills and the show she worked at, went back to the idol business with a recounting of Harumi and Sakura – making everyone almost laugh their lungs out due to how Naoko narrated her encounter with the twins' senile producer –, went back to the serious Black December Days talk of Aratani while the sisters were near, proceeded to include the Golden Week on the talk and more. Naoko commented that on her previous school the Golden Week was used for Field Trips and asked if they weren't going anywhere, but Miwa reassured her by saying they would eventually.

The class president explained that contrary to what most other schools did, theirs usually didn't take advantage of the Golden Week for trips, but rather the Marine Day, always celebrated on the third Monday of July. The holiday, in honor of the ocean and its importance for humanity as well as for Japan's economy, was right before the first semester's exams (thought each of the three parts that composed a school year was called a "semester", they were actually divided in groups of four months each). Many schools left this holiday for last minute studies from the students, but theirs discouraged that practice, understanding it as a lazy alternative that ultimately led to a lack of knowledge and an abuse of cheap subterfuges to try and succeed in life – not unlike a gamble. At the same time that they expected students to learn all year long and not memorize information before the tests, they also understood those who've done what was expected of them during the semesters required a break before the exams so as to recharge their energies.

Bottom line was: good students would have time to chill out while bad students would be in trouble and ultimately be weeded out. This way the school preserved its reputation of academic excellence and of having many alumni graduating in prestigious universities. It wasn't clearly stated, but it was expected their students to face on equal footing the opposition for getting accepted on the best institutes out there, including the Toudai – the University of Tokyo – and the other former Imperial Universities.

Part of the reputation from their school came not only from the high quality and the equally high level of expectations, but also due to the subtle ways by which they forced the students to keep up to their learning schedules, like using Marine Day and the whole weekend that preceded it for field trips. Usually beach trips. Naoko mentioned, to comedic results, that she thought it was abusive to ask students to actually study, but that she was glad about having three leisure days before the exams even though she was a schoolgirl who sometimes resorted to last minute recaps.

After lunching the group followed Rin to the karaoke parlor she had previously visited along with Naoko. The increase in the number of people made the blond girl once again shy away from the microphone, but Naoko was already aware of how her friend reacted to that situation and invited her to sing along a few songs. It was still disconcerting to her how Rin overreacted on the most casual situations. She acted just like Naoko during an audition if Aratani wasn't present, only auditions were part of her job and were important competitions. She couldn't afford to lose too many of them. But Rin acted like that on a karaoke party, fearing others would judge and mock her, even though she clearly wanted to relax and party.

Every time it was Naoko's turn she called Rin to sing along. Since there were four girls taking turns to sing and Naoko was just one of them, it took her almost an hour, half of the time they had, to make her understand no one was going to evaluate her performance of mistreat her even if she sang like a squirrel. Naoko proved that by singing one song in the most atrocious, high-pitched and ridiculous way possible, making everyone laugh. The blond girl was afraid of others laughing at her, but since the idol did it herself and the others still liked her just as much Rin loosened up and recovered her cheery nature. From there on the celebration became much better. The two girls were so cheerful their turn was eagerly awaited by the others. Naoko improvised dancing steps her clumsy friend tried to follow, Rin talked about squirrels during the presentation, the pair chose on the catalog songs no one has ever heard before and tried to sing it how the imagined it should be and more.

Naoko even had the brilliant idea of "singing" one song in a way a deaf person would understand: through mimic. Of course, deaf people used proper gesture language to communicate instead of mimic and, anyway, no one would ever be able to understand what the duet confusingly meant by ludicrously waving their arms to haphazardly try and simulate the words of the lyric. Each girl created gestures of her own without any synchronism, adding to the amusement of the audience. Rin also decided to choose a song in a language they didn't even know which one was, but since the rhythm of the melody felt a little Arabian they decided to "sing" their gibberish as if they were songstress from old Persia. It looked as cringeworthy as it was hilarious and the spectators laughed the air out of their lungs numerous times.

While Shiori didn't sing for the most part, she was amused. Miwa, who took turns with Sayuri and her classmates Mari, as well as with the nonsensical duet, even invited Shiori to sing together but the shy girl politely refused. It was only when Naoko rallied everyone to sing together that Shiori and Rin's friend Nobuko took part. It was the most convoluted and comical song they heard. From there Shiori even sang once along with Rin while Naoko, who should also be singing, preferred to joke about the images on the screen. Despite the agitated rhythm and frenetic pace of the song, the screen depicted green fields, serene landscapes with trees, birds relaxing on ponds and so on. Shiori and Rin, along with the others, laughed so much they sometimes couldn't even pronounce the lyrics.

Rin was awestruck by discovering she had no fears when she was being playful, though she didn't know why. Maybe because she felt it was harder for a playful person to be rejected, although in that state even if she was, she found it wasn't such a big deal. That was something for her to think about, but this discovery was surprisingly similar to the one Naoko found when her producer started joking on her first audition to calm her. This alone made the blond girl enthusiastic, despite only Naoko understanding what she meant with that.

Since Miwa had to take her brother home and Rin had to go to her own private classes the celebration came to an end sooner than the girls wanted. Even then, the 2-5 class president would be free afterwards until 5 p.m., so Naoko decided to extend the commemoration and invited Miwa and Shiori to her dorm once the others were gone. The glasses girl hesitated for a while, but ultimately accepted along with Miwa. The three accompanied the class president to take her younger brother on his school, and the boy was ecstatic to see Naoko again. She and Shiori parted midway to the dorms, with Miwa following suit soon after.

Naoko hadn't planned this through and the space on her dorm was very cramped, but her friends found it very cozy. There wasn't much to do there with people who didn't like video games, but they somehow found things to do for almost two hours. Miwa and Shiori agreed they'd love to live by themselves like that. Both had siblings and could only dream to have a dorm room all to themselves. Chats about the lovely minibar and kitchen became conversations about what dishes each girl knew how to cook, and Shiori left her friends surprised by numbering a big quantity of types of food she could prepare, even more than the class president.

Showing her tiny room, Naoko also displayed her friends a few accessories and trinkets with interesting backstories she had, including her dreaded golden earrings. In doing so and while talking about idol stuff, she found the old CDs her mother asked her to bring along to the capital, and without really paying attention to them, handed to her friends to have a look.

It triggered a conversation about Naoko's future plans, though the girl had no idea about what she'd like to do for a living. Even if her idol career was successful, she'd still have to retire from it one decade from now tops, she thought, and the girl still had no clear idea about what she'd like to do for a university degree, only that she'd want to do it. Miwa only had a vague idea about what she'd like to study in college too, something related to sciences. But that was as vague as it sounded.

Shiori was the only one who had a plan, more or less: picture-taking was something she could work with for all her life unlike being an idol, and maybe freelancing or working full-time on a mag or something. Her first contract with Naoko's agency, The Paragon Idol, motivated her to keep her dreams up, though she also had no idea if she'd actually work as a reporter. Her father was a journalist in the past and had many bad things to say about the stressful profession: long work hours, bad payments, constant necessity to keep up to date with everything, a few dangerous situations and so on. To like talking to people and knowing how to do it was a must and another problem for Shiori. On a whole the three still had a few years to decide, so it wasn't a big deal, but not knowing what to do concerned them, and especially Miwa, the one who brought up the subject. This bugged Naoko for the rest of the day.

On their way out Naoko introduced Miwa, who apparently liked to tend to plants, to janitor Yamamoto, saying he could always be seen at night gardening, and the two had a brief but excited conversation about the subject. The man was initially flustered that Naoko had noticed him doing that – he said students rarely paid attention to what he did – but was happy to see Miwa liked plants and even had a few potted bonsai and herbs. Yamamoto disliked the art of bonsai, for he said he thought it was a cruelty to trim a tree and prevent it from growing to become what Mother Nature created it to be, but any student who liked gardening had his approval nevertheless and he even spared a few seeds and tips to the visiting girl.

Naoko was left a little worried by Miwa's subject on the future, and though she knew it was too much to ask a sixteen year-old girl what she'd expect to be working on ten years from then, the thought didn't leave her mind. Thinking about what she'd like to do for a living once she retired as an idol seemed ridiculous for someone who'd just started to work but Miwa had a point nevertheless. Her worries didn't last long, though: like always, Naoko brought one of the manga volumes Rin lent her to read on the almost one hour trip to her dojo. The instant she resumed reading the story about a girl working as a stock broker, it piqued her interest on the subject once again. Surely it couldn't be as easy as a manga made it seem, but there're people working like that in real life! They probably weren't teenager billionaires, but still.

So interested she got, she finished reading the whole volume she'd brought on the way back and started imagining what would it require for her to learn more about operating stocks. It wasn't anymore a forceful and tense contemplation about what to do in the future, but rather something that looked really interesting and exciting. At least learning about the stock market wouldn't hurt, even if it was just for her to discover it was far too complex and not very nice in reality. At least she'd know about one job she wouldn't want to perform. And there was even a chance she found something amusing, challenging and rewarding to do!

She took mental notes to look for information about stocks on the internet and perhaps even people who could teach her. Not on that day, though: she was exhausted from her training and as soon as she returned home all she thought about was having a shower. Only then she started to organize her room, putting all the trinkets and things she'd shown her friends back to where they belonged.

Her few CDs had been neatly organized by her friends in a small stack over her futon. Naoko grabbed them and proceeded to arrange each one on a shelf. At first however she stored them seemed good enough since she only wanted to take them out of the way, but one of them caught her attention due to the girls on the cover and their attires. Because of it, Naoko briefly took every CD back and paid more attention to each one, curious to see how idols' outfits were a decade ago.

She only had CDs of two bands: Skip/Beat Indigo and Cross Sakura no More. As far as she could tell, those were two of the most famous idol bands back in the days. She vaguely remembered listening to those when she was six or seven years-old, but couldn't really recall any song. All she reminded was having a pink bunny toy radio that actually worked and that her father presented her one day. She used it to listen to those CDs, but since she was a kid and not a careful one a few of the media had scratches all around. Most of the album covers had seemingly random images on it, only one depicting the actual idols. Still, the other images followed a pattern: all albums of Cross Sakura no More were dark, with black backgrounds, whereas the CDs from Skip/Beat Indigo presented vibrant covers, full of colorful and cheerful vibes, even though the blue, pink and yellow colors were always predominant.

Every cover of the CDs was in reality a small booklet which could be detached from the hard plastic protection and read. They presented all the lyrics of the songs along with disclaimers, copyright information and so on. A nice addition was that every booklet also presented the pictures of every idol along with a brief text about them. Whereas in Skip/Beat Indigo albums the texts were very tongue-in-cheek and light-hearted, the ones on Cross Sakura no More CDs were more serious and informative, not unlike a brief résumé of the girls. Every booklet also had a poster folded inside, which showed all the idols of the band. Since Skip/Beat Indigo was composed of seven girls and Cross Sakura no More had twelve, it was possible to fit everyone in a photo.

The pictures were surprisingly artistic and every poster showed the logo of the band. In case of the dark, metal-like one from Cross Sakura no More, the "Cross" was actually not spelled but instead was a big red batsu, a big "X" on the back of the name. Despite the symbol of the band being a sakura, a cherry tree with twelve branches full of black petals instead of pink ones, the huge red X was surprisingly more well-known. She vaguely recalled that the "cross" part of the name of the band was sometimes omitted by people, something that made her upset when she was six or so. She liked both bands so much that she didn't admit her parents to not say "Cross". And they had to pronounce it in English, "Cross", instead of the Japanese "Batsu", because that was how the name was pronounced during shows aired on television.

In Japan, batsu was used as a negative symbol in opposition to a circle, or "maru", whereas on quite a few Western countries the "X" symbol didn't mean anything or wasn't as strictly used for wrong things. On some, it could have the meaning of "versus" depending on the context, but overall it was more of a letter than anything else. The Maru and Batsu opposition in Japan was very clear. So much that circles and crosses were used everywhere, from hand gestures to classical video game controller buttons. Maru indicated something was correct, good, positive, acceptable or confirmed whereas Batsu meant the contrary. For this reason, when she was six, Naoko didn't like when anyone Read the "X Sakura no More" name of that band as "Batsu Sakura no More". No one could tell her that one of her favorite bands was wrong or something! Looking back, her parents probably disliked to say "Cross" because it sounded exactly the same as the verb "Korosu", which meant "to kill" in Japanese, but at that time Naoko didn't think about it.

All of these reasons made the already dark-looking band seem like bad news, but even though the twelve girls were always clad in black the songs had no bad language or anything. Naoko just didn't understand anything they said, but Naoko recalled her father and mother approved the lyrics, though reticently, and so she imagined there couldn't be anything too extreme there.

The only album to feature the idols on the cover was one of Skip/Beat Indigo. Taking a closer look at that image, the seven girls wore intricate sky-blue dresses that even a decade after would still be perfectly acceptable for idols to wear. Naoko was surprised to discover that, but even this paled in comparison to the wonderment that struck her when she finally took a moment to observe the women in question. The one on the center had an amazing blond hair, long and straight. The color was so bright it looked like gold, or rather, a light shade of it.

While Naoko had no recollections of the songs or the faces of those people, that straight, gorgeous golden hair sparked a few long-forgotten memories. She imprecisely recalled that beautiful and cheery show on a band shell on a sunlit park that she watched on her TV when she was young. The one that she also remembered when Aratani exhibited a song of Umeko during the beginning of her career. Naoko had a few fragmented remembrances of an idol with a stunning hair that sparkled like gold under the sun while she danced. It even made her want to be blond when she was a kid. She couldn't remember any other idol, but that blond one remained on her memory.

Dumbfound, she started her computer to play that CD while she closely observed its booklet. On the first and second pages not dedicated to disclaimers and summary there were pictures of the girls along with their names, a few useless info and a few texts. To her surprise, one of the seven names was Ogasawara Umeko, side by side to an energetic-looking, happy girl with voluminous, shiny and pretty, wavy brown hair. On that booklet it said she was the newest addition to the Skip/Beat Indigo band and was seventeen. The oldest one, being twenty-five years-old, was that blond idol, though she hardly looked like more than eighteen. According to the CD her name was Kifune Risa. Her text merely stated useless data like their blood types and the things she liked, as everyone else – apparently AB- Risa loved shrimps. On the other hand, B+ Umeko preferred chocolates.

When Naoko opened the poster, she had the strongest sensation of nostalgia she'd felt in a long time. The seven girls, smiling and close together, were shown in a picture. It had an upbeat feel to it, like good friends hanging around together. Naoko had recollections of herself looking at that poster before. Spreading it on the living room floor to appreciate it, dreaming of having close friends like that one day. The way the idols were portrayed, it was like they had so much fun together that it could pass for a friends-only costume party instead of an idol band.

True to what she imagined one of the songs of that CD was the same Aratani had presented her, the one with soloes of all the girls, where Umeko's voice at the beginning of her career sounded so funny. Kifune Risa's dulcet voice was certainly the most impressive of all at that time, though she was twenty-five back then. If it was possible to put that Risa side by side with the twenty-five years-old Umeko that Naoko heard on the live show she watched with her producer it'd be a tough call, though Naoko believed Umeko was better by a hair. Then again, Risa had most likely retired nine years before. Supposing she had a ten years career, she had started working as an idol almost two decades before, so Naoko had no idea how was the training idols had at that time. She wanted to bet probably not as good as the classes and lessons from a decade or two after, so it was possible Risa's voice could've been even better than Umeko's if she had at that time the training available on current days. That would've been fabulous. Though Naoko could be wrong, since she had no idea when Risa started to work as an idol.

Curious about it, she looked for information about Risa on the internet. Surprisingly it wasn't hard to find. As she soon discovered right on the first article she read, the blond girl was one of the most well-known idols of her time and had worked on the most successful bands there was back then. The "Black and Golden Idol", as she was called, had many phases on her career and was regarded to have described a full loop, going from a carefree and childish nature to a more sober, acidic and dark one, and finishing it as a cheerful idol on a more mature version of how she started.

She began working on that trade when she was fourteen and retired a few days after turning twenty-six. A few years later critics would say she was an idol ahead of her time just like her mentor. Her mentor, an older idol who was regarded as a genius on her profession, was apparently an eccentric woman called Misawa Tomoko, known as the creator of something called "Stances". Stances were used by many idols decades after, and if Naoko wasn't wrong her dancing instructor had mentioned Stances once, saying it was such an advanced technique, and that it leaned heavily on the psychology of the idol rather than on her dancing skills, that she'd not teach her that.

According to the text, Risa had parted ways with the already innovative Misawa Tomoko's Stance school and opted for a freestyle approach to dancing and singing. It was criticized at that time, but numerous fans loved her for it, saying she always looked genuine like no one else. Critics eventually came to admire her for her honesty. While she was considered a caring, positive and easygoing person, Risa's career was full of episodes where her frankness and courage to stand by her beliefs put her in trouble but also earned her the admiration of others. Four of the most famous incidents surrounding her were her rupture with her mentor; the announcement that she had a boyfriend, back in a time no idol did that; a scandal started when she revealed a list of five unscrupulous, fake producers who either had schemes to trick girls into paying them large sums of money for nothing or, even worse, enslaved them by contracts into semi-licit businesses that had nothing to do with the stages; and her fight, along with eleven other idols, against dangerous politics and an episodic sharp increase in documented rape cases.

That last part got Naoko's attention more than anything. It was awfully familiar, and true to her hunch, when she searched about the Black December Days incident Aratani had told her about, Kifune Risa's name was in the list. She was one of the so-called Dark Angels, the twelve idols who had started the movement fourteen years before, back when Risa was almost twenty. The "angel" designation was common back then when referring to idols, and the dark part alluded to the black schoolgirl-like outfits of the original members.

Naoko's jaw dropped even more when she discovered the band that promoted Black December Days was actually called Cross Sakura no More. At the time of the incident the girls weren't formally part of an idol group. Despite having a red X on its logo which was read as "Cross", it had the same meaning as the batsu that Naoko was so adamant about when her parents mentioned, back in her childhood. It symbolized an opposition or a command to stop something that was wrong – the things the twelve idols fought against back then. The real logo of the band, however, was limited to the black sakura. According to the texts Naoko found, the sakura trees, a symbol of spring and of childhood, had black petals on the emblem to represent the tainted or destroyed lives of people, especially young ones, back then. More specifically, it alluded to a single victim: a schoolgirl who was raped and murdered, prompting her schoolmates to protest wearing black. This act inspired the "Dark Angels" idols and the sole producer who believed in them, Nagai Seiji, to promote the first show, so that victim became a symbol that encompassed every person who was molested at that time.

The text mentioned the Cross Sakura no More band existed for the next four years, though all the idols were also part of other bands. It happened because Cross Sakura no More shows only occurred three times a year, following a school-like calendar: once during spring break, another during summer break and the last one happening on the Sunday after December eighth. Still, not all of the Dark Angels attended to every show, and the band was eventually discontinued. It even received a spiritual successor, a band called Eclipse Day Stars, with two of the twelve Dark Angels along with ten new girls. At that time, though, the blond idol Risa was already part of the Skip/Beat Indigo band.

Naoko immediately opened all the booklets of the Cross Sakura no More albums she had. Among the twelve members there were two blond girls, though one had an almost caramel-like hair. Risa was there, though she looked even younger and had a serious face. Her hair, at that time, was also shorter, a little past her shoulders. On one poster Naoko could see Risa, along with the other eleven Dark Angels, wearing the signature pitch-black schoolgirl uniform and dark makeups. They all arranged themselves around a stairway of a school, a few standing, others sitting on the steps and two on the handrails. They all acted much more seriously, to the point where only one smiled.

Curiously, those CDs of that dark band were all from a time when Naoko was two, three or four years-old. She couldn't recall, but she imagined their parents would never buy her albums of that band at that age. She also didn't recall listening to those until she was around six. Playing one, she finally understood, a decade later, the meanings of those songs that back in her childhood just sounded cool, albeit impossible to decipher. The rhythm was heavy, full of thumping beats and screaming electric guitars mixed with a few traditional instruments like flutes. It was spine-chilling, and the lyrics made heavy use of critics and metaphors.

One song in particular, one of the most famous of the band, was called "Cherry Popping Night". At that time Naoko took the lyric for its face value and innocently believed it talked about a cherry that didn't want to be popped and asked for help, but ultimately was captured and burst while the other fruits did nothing to protect her. And it was quite a "happy" song too: the girls sang it like they told a child a bedtime story, full of merry voices and even laughs. Understanding they were being very sarcastic and getting the true meaning of it made Naoko blush, reminding she used to naively sing it around her parents. Hearing it when she was capable of understanding the connotation of it, it was not only the opposite of a happy song, but was also incredibly disturbing.

Even fourteen years after that lyric, along with all the others, was still powerful and shocking. If it was done on the present it'd still be an avant-garde and risky endeavor. That band was something else. It was no wonder Aratani said those idols broke many taboos with what they did: even now Naoko couldn't imagine herself singing an acid song full of criticism, with cynical child-like voices and acting, with a lyric that versed about sexual harassment and impunity. And to do so when everyone wanted to pretend nothing wrong was happening, all the while facing warmongering politicians, including the Minister of Defense... Those twelve girls and their producer were really treading on thin ice back then.

Inspecting the CDs, Naoko eventually found a small tag on the Cross Sakura no More albums she had with the name "Fuchigami Momoko" on them. Her eyes gradually shone with understanding as fragmented memories surfaced. Momoko, the older sister of Masahiro, was and eight years older than Naoko. She also loved idols and was the girl who fell on a scam that made Naoko so wary of idol agencies. When the Black December Days occurred Naoko was only two, but Momoko was already ten. All those CDs were hers. She lent them to Naoko when she was six, one day when the kid, visiting Masahiro, heard the songs coming from the teenager's room. Momoko, who at that time was fourteen and loved idols, was so pleased that Naoko liked it that she lent her a few CDs that were never returned. Naoko liked the songs, but liked Risa's hair even more. She finally fell in love with the blond idol's hair when she saw her, already around twenty-four or twenty-five and a member of Skip/Beat Indigo, singing on the TV. From there her parents bought her Skip/Beat Indigo CDs, which were albums full of cheerful and upbeat songs. Recovering those memories, Naoko took a moment to think about how ironic was that Momoko was both the person who introduced her to idol songs and who unwillingly made her fearful of the idol industry.

To think Umeko was once a member of the same band as a legendary idol such as Risa was awe-inspiring. If at a given time Risa was the oldest member and Umeko was the youngest she had probably learned a lot with her senpai. Naoko couldn't even imagine how awesome it'd be to work alongside an amazing person such as Risa. While the Skip/Beat Indigo's booklet texts mentioned nothing useful about her, her brief biography on the Cross Sakura no More booklets included many fights she had prior to Black December Days. Usually she fought for animal rights, curiously: be it to stop the whale hunting that endangered species or against the production of clothes using pelts of imperiled animals or furs of those that were small and, thus, required numerous sacrifices to create a single article, like minks.

Judging from the texts many of the other Dark Angels had their own battles too: humanitarian assistance to victims of the sequence of natural disasters that struck the country during that time, support to foundations that researched diseases or helped people suffering from malnourishment around the world, fights for environmental protection, feminist movements and so on. About seven of them were already involved in other battles in the past. No wonder they decided to act during that crisis.

All of that reminded Naoko of Megumi. She wondered if the girl who looked after homeless people would do the same as those twelve idols if she had the chance. Still, after so many discoveries and recollections Naoko needed some time to chill. She carefully organized those old CDs on an easy to access shelf, since they were not a pile of unwanted things anymore. They were surprisingly important for the history of the idol industry and also very nostalgic, bringing her back to the scenic and exciting Shimabara she lived in during her childhood.

Once she was done arranging her CDs, she texted Megumi to ask her how her practice was going and if she had already overcome her fears. The answer, however, only arrived on the following morning. Even before that, while Naoko was going to bed, she received a brief message stating:

"Good evening, Naoko-Chan. Aratani here. Got called about a small-sized invitational show for you! Naoko-Chan won't believe it! It'll be tomorrow, Friday, starting at eight p.m. Sorry for telling you just now, I just received it myself. Practice your eight songs, you'll be performing every single one! Is it possible for you and Shiori-San to be in the office tomorrow by six thirty?"

Her producer seemed a little too enthusiastic about a small show like he said it himself, but since it was an invitational gig, maybe it meant Rin's father had really talked to his boss. She felt a little bad for doubting that man she didn't even know, but the news made Naoko happy.

On Friday morning Megumi replied her messages saying she was getting more anxious about the show by each passing day, though she was also starting to get the hang of presenting herself to a crowd. At first she was almost unable to sing and dance, but it had gradually changed. She told she had learned about her fears of appearing to be superior to the others, and at first it seemed to work. She was at ease presenting herself to the homeless people by reminding herself that being on a stage didn't make anyone better than the others. But her fears eventually took another form that she still wasn't aware of, and last night she had nightmares that kept her awaken. She had already sent the documents to Aratani, but was worried about being once again taken by fright during the audition.

That essentially nullified the good news Naoko had received the previous night and she couldn't stop thinking about Megumi. So much that she almost forgot to ask Shiori to come with her to the agency later that day. Naoko's mind was so full of thoughts that when Rin radiantly called her from across the racetracks Naoko was startled. The blond girl excitedly told her that her father had managed to convince his higher-ups to schedule a show on a company party later that day, and the girl was ecstatic with the opportunity to watch Naoko perform. She'd even skip private classes that day just for the show, so she was exultant. It dispelled Naoko's concerns, though only for a while. Rin noticed her friend looked a bit disheartened and, losing a little of her joyous behavior commented hesitantly:

"Naoko-Chan doesn't seem content. Did Rin-Chan do something wrong about the show?"

Naoko immediately denied it, and apologized:

"What? No! That's not it! I'm sorry for looking down, it has nothing to do with the show! I'm thankful for it and I'm looking forward to it! Producer-San mentioned it'll start by eight p.m. and I'll be there! Oh, and Shiori-Chan will come too, to take pictures, so we'll all meet there! Thanks, Rin-Chan!"

"But if it's not a problem with the show, does Naoko-Chan have other problems?" Rin asked, looking concerned. Naoko explained:

"No, I don't have any problems... It's Megumi-San. You know, the idol I mentioned that helps homeless people. She sent me a few messages about how were her practices going. And... well, take a look yourself."

Naoko handed her cellphone to her friend and Rin read the message thread. By the time she finished doing so the Athletics club coach called everyone to begin the activities, so the two only resumed their conversation once the training was over. Going back to the locker room, Rin worriedly stated:

"I was thinking about Megumi-San during the whole training. I want Megumi-San to overcome her fears so she can become a famous idol and help people! I like Megumi-San since Naoko-Chan told me about her!" Looking a little down, she added, "If only Rin knew what nightmare Megumi-San was having, she could try to help her too by interpreting it..."

When Naoko remembered her friend was able to read between the lines of dreams she turned her surprised face to Rin as quick as lightning.

"That's it! Rin-Chan, do you think you could decipher her nightmare like you did to my dream?! Would that help her?!"

"I could try!" Rin excitedly answered, flapping her arms on the side of her body in excitement like a cute penguin or something, "Rin is not the one who deciphers the dreams, she merely helps the dreamer understand it herself, but if Rin could speak to Megumi-San, maybe we could interpret it together. Rin used to interpret her own nightmares for a long time, and nightmares usually bear urgent information. It'd probably inform Megumi-San about what her Unconscious mind is trying to tell her!"

The two girls eagerly tried to find some way of talking to Megumi. It'd be a pain to talk through text messages, and since Rin had to ask numerous questions and hear the answers it was better if they could chat personally. As such Naoko texted Megumi about the idea the two had, explaining about Rin and her ability to interpret dreams, and proposed a talk between the two of them. As usual, Megumi's phone was probably turned off because she didn't answer immediately and the two girls were left even more worried. Rin suggested Naoko to tell Megumi to call on Rin's phone whenever she could, especially at night when the girl was free, and Naoko promptly texted it to the idol along with the blond girl's phone number. She also mentioned the two would be on the same place after eight p.m. due to a show, so if Megumi called any one of them, provided Naoko wasn't on the stage at the time, they could join the conversation.

The girl had little time to think about it since right after the Athletics club training she had a two hour rehearsal. After, rushing back to her dorm the girl took a bath and rested for a bit before getting ready to depart. She stored two of her classic CDs on her purse, one from Skip/Beat Indigo and another from the Cross Sakura no More band, so she could show them to her producer and talk about all the new things she had discovered about Umeko and the Black December Days. Or, rather, about discovering she unknowingly had a few CDs about all those things they had talked about before.

Naoko met Shiori in front of the train station and the two made their way to Aratani's office. Shiori, despite still being introverted and listening more than she speaking, wasn't as shy anymore around her and looked very excited about being together with her friend on another show. The girl still wore formal and boring clothes, though. Very plain and uninteresting. Naoko urged Shiori to go shopping with her as soon as possible and her friend agreed, reluctantly but also gratefully.

As the two arrived in front of the small building where the agency was located Shiori praised the nice, luminous signboard over the windows of the uppermost floor. Its neon lines shone bright at the beginning of the evening. The timid girl almost fainted climbing the steep stairs while holding the heavy handbag she used to carry her camera, though, and when she arrived at the office, was taken aback by the amount of furniture and boxes, shelves and things that cramped the space. Though she was polite enough not to say anything, Aratani, already wearing his fancy and flaming-decaled suit, could read her shocked face from miles away.

As Naoko "greeted" him by demanding an elevator in place of those stairs again, he promptly apologized while standing up behind his desk:

"Ah, Naoko-Chan! Shiori-San! Please, come in. I'm sorry for the mess, it's still the first month of operation of this agency and there are a lot of objects from the owner of the room I rent that are still scattered here. Inconveniently, I might add. Though this was a good first month for business, and as such I'll rent some space in a warehouse and have everything stored away as soon as the Golden Week is over. Then we'll have a presentable office. I apologize for the inconvenience until then."

"It's... fine..." Shiori replied in pauses, hard to say if it was because of the large stairs or the shock. Aratani, though cool as always, looked very excited and invited the two to take a sit by his desk. "Do you girls want some tea or water before we start? Please feel free to say so."

Though both refused, Aratani noticed Shiori could use some water and politely insisted. Once the pale, dizzy girl had drink and recovered from the strenuous exercise, the man said with a cool smile:

"Well, Naoko-Chan, I don't even know where to begin. I'm flabbergasted."

"You look chill as ever," the girl joked, and the man replied on equal footing, "That's my flabbergasted face, can't you tell? See, Shiori-Chan, I'll have to briefly talk to Naoko-Chan about some business-related things, but since you're friend please feel free to stay and I'll..."

The glasses girl promptly stood up, humbly excusing herself:

"No, please! I don't want to disturb Aratani-San and Naoko-Chan's business conversation in any way! I'll just wait outside, don't worry!"

Though Aratani didn't want to sound like he was expelling her, he was thankful for the girl's thoughtful attitude. He mentioned it'd only take a few minutes and handed her the freelance photographer's hiring contract for her to read, even though it was the same as before. The girl was surprised to the point of seeming horrified when she looked at it while going out of the room. Blushing heavily, the girl indecisively and slightly raised the hand holding the contract, as if she was talking to a teacher in school. Shiori stuttered

"I-I'm s-sorry to interrupt! But... A-Aratani-San! H-here is... written s-sixty thousand Yen?!"

The man, raising his eyes nodded.

"Shiori-San's hourly payment is twenty thousand, right? The show will have two hours and a half in total, but since every professional only work with full hours and charges thirty minutes as a full price, you'll be hired for three hours. Is it okay?"

Before the stunned girl could reply, Naoko worriedly broke in the conversation:

"Two hours and a half?! I hope I'm not the only one singing there! I only have eight songs ready, it takes twenty five minutes max!"

"Well, more like two hours and forty two minutes, according to the schedule. But don't worry," Aratani reassured her, "Despite the contractual name of the event being "Yano Naoko's Invitational Exhibition" there're four other idols auditioned for the gig. And not any idol! I'll go over the details in a second, but essentially they required every girl to have ten songs ready to perform. Since you're being invited, they made an exception for you. You'll only perform the eight songs I told them you could, though it'll be good when we have at least ten songs to perform, for situations like this."

Though Naoko was placated, Shiori looked even more distressed by hearing it, protesting in a whispering, reluctant voice:

"B-but if Naoko-Chan is only going to present herself for twenty-five minutes, I... I can't take a three hour payment, Aratani-San! It'd be unfair with you and Naoko-Chan!"

Trying to pacify both girls as if juggling the conversations, the man calmly retorted:

"I appreciate your concern, but I expect you can take a few extra photos of Naoko-Chan alongside her friend, ah... Rin-San, is it? Rin-San's father was the man who managed to make this show happen, so if we can take a few snaps along with him it'd be amazing. And, to be fair, I prefer to pay you for all the time you spend with us. It's a private show of a company, I only managed to get you in because I signed Shiori-Chan as part of my staff. Even if it was an open gig with tickets being sold, you'd not have to buy one. As such, I am contractually bound to you. If you stay with us for almost three hours and I only pay you for one hour, you could sue me for..." Stopping for a moment, he rephrased his explanation, "I'm not insinuating Shiori-Chan would do such a thing, but you could sue me for underpaying you. It's your right to do so."

"I-I'd never...!" red-faced, Shiori started to deny it vehemently, but Aratani interrupted her with a reassuring voice, "I know you wouldn't, I trust you. But it's your right to do so. And I don't know if Naoko-Chan has told you this before, but I'm a lawyer. I'd be a bad lawyer if I didn't follow the laws. You're not cheating us by receiving this payment, I'd be the one cheating you if I didn't pay you accordingly. Of course, you could leave after the first hour, so I only paid you twenty thousand, but..."

"I'll do it!" Shiori immediately accepted, though Aratani kept talking:

"...but I'm sure Naoko-Chan will prefer to have you along. Unlike other gigs, she's not allowed to leave after her performance is over, and since she'll be the first to perform because she's the one with the lowest idol class there, she'll be waiting for two hours while the other idols perform. Really, Shiori-Chan, don't worry, your fee is totally acceptable. Just take a look at your contract to see if it's okay. It's the same as before, I just altered the numbers, but still."

Once he was sure the shaky and pale Shiori was comfortable on the couch on the corridor staring blankly at the paper, Aratani closed the door and turned a sudden smile to Naoko. While he sat down on his chair again and looked for another contract on the shelves of his desk, he commented:

"Naoko-Chan, remember when you mentioned your friend's father would be trying to talk to his boss about inviting you to a show? That she told you about her father's company having "a few" parties in which "a few" people attended to? That you asked me how much would it cost for a company that you though would have around sixty or seventy employees to hire some idols to entertain them? Well, take a look at this."

He handed Naoko a four pages contract, which the girl started to read. Right at the beginning there was an identification of the contractor, a famous banking corporation. Its logo bore four red rhombuses, a sort of a diamond-shaped figure, concentrically aligned. There were also a few lines in the well-detailed contract she'd not seen in previous documents, though nothing out of the ordinary. That was, until she made to the part of the payment: five million.

She immediately checked to see if there was a watermark and a logo of the I.S.S.G. on the contract and read it quickly to see if there was anything compromising on it. It was perfectly acceptable, however: she was just being hired to sing and dance eight songs on a specific place and date – for three thousand and two hundred people –, and nothing else. Though trying to look serious, Naoko started laughing. Turning her eyes up to Aratani, who looked just as "flabbergasted" as he mentioned he was (though he really appeared as calm and confident as ever), the girl couldn't hold her incredulity:

"What kind of joke is this?"

The man, smiling coolly, turned back to his computer while agreeing:

"That was exactly what I thought when I received the contract."

"You told me in the messages yesterday it was a small show! How come you say a three thousand and two hundred people audience makes up for a small show?!"

Looking a little confused, the man explained:

"But I already told Naoko-Chan about it when I said you needed ten show points to be able to proceed to the next class. Shows range from one to five stars. One star is called a "tiny" gig. Two stars is a "small" one and so on. That's a small show because there are more than three thousand spectators and less than fifteen thousand. Still, it's a two star show!" Looking back to his computer, he stated, "So as I was saying, I was surprised by that invitation. Especially because Naoko-Chan had clearly told me her friend said "a few" people. So also I made "a few" researches on my on about the name of the man who signed for the company. Before I go on, answer me a rhetorical question: does Naoko-Chan know the full name of your friend, Rin-San?"

Naoko took a while to remember Rin's family name, but ultimately said:

"Uehara Rin. Why? You said it was a rhetorical question for what reason"

Nodding, Aratani replied:

"That's correct, your friend is called Uehara Rin. She is registered in your fan club website, so I could check her information. Now have a look about what I found about the man who signed for the company, Uehara Akira. One of the names on the last page of the contract you have in your hands, if you care to check."

He turned the screen to Naoko. In it there was a list of division managers of a famous banking corporation, and the name of that man figured among it. Seeing Naoko was baffled, her producer facepalmed himself.

"Do you remember those two hundred or so suit-clad people who mysteriously registered on your fan-page all at once a few weeks ago? I checked out the date at which they subscribed, and they all did so a few hours later, or one or two days after your friend, Rin-San, signed as your fan. I checked some names, and those people in suits are all employees of the biggest banking corporation in Japan, which just so happens to be the company signing this contract. Also, "curiously", the same company where her father works as a division manager, a position second only to the directors of the corporation. Furthermore, Uehara Akira is, as far as I could get, some sort of financial division manager, meaning he's the man who accounts for the bank's profits and expenditures. Thus, he answers for the jobs of more than one hundred thousand people over dozens of countries and, of course, for the core business of a bank. So... yeah. To mistake an idol band's name for a Russian weapon is one thing, but to be unaware of possibly obvious facts about her own friend is... daunting, to say the least. Congratulations, I'll award you the trophy of "most clueless person I've ever met", Naoko-Chan. Don't be humble, you deserve it."

The girl was so staggered she didn't even slap her producer's arm for him being ironic. Amazed, Naoko recalled:

"If Rin is the daughter of... wait, is she rich?! She doesn't look like it! I swear! I'm not clueless, stupid Produ-San! I'll introduce you to her today if I can! There was no way I'd know it just by looking at her, and I'm sure you won't be able to tell she's rich too! Thought... now that I think about it, that'd explain how she had a piano in her house." Thinking about it, she added gradually, "And a private piano teacher... Oh, yeah, and... the others, because she also mentioned currently having seven private teachers that explain her things she'd yet to study on school," She scratched her head. Seeing Aratani stared her with a very unimpressed face, Naoko explained, "But it's not like all of her teacher teach her things about school! Every year she has one who..." Naoko stopped talking for a moment, once she realized what she was about to say, "...Every year Rin-Chan can choose a subject of her choice to study. Psychology, Philosophy, German, French... But I thought it was just because her family was so strict about her! Like, her father didn't allow Rin-Chan to come with... Ah, I get it now why her father didn't allow her to come with us to any show before he know us... So, where was I? German, French... Oh, right! She was also fluent in English, as I could see from the speedrun videos I showed her, but that's another subject. Erm..." Giving up, the girl nodded, "Okay, Produ-San wins. I'm slightly clueless. I could've noticed it sooner if I had stopped to think a little about it... Though I still maintain she doesn't look remotely like a rich girl..."

Sighing, Aratani replied:

"Now that you told me all those things I was going to tease you asking how many people you know that has a piano, speaks German, English and French and has seven private teachers, but I'll hold of my judgment until I meet your friend. I'd like to remind you that your school was created for the elite, and though certainly not everyone there is rich, many are. Even for a non-rich person, like maybe Shiori-San, her family is still probably making many sacrifices so she can study at such a prestigious institute. This might tell you something about your schoolmates. Anyway, let me explain you about one thing on the show tonight: it's certainly not a Dark-class idol show. Naoko-Chan will be out of her league there, so don't feel bad, okay? Judging by the amazing payment I believe the audition was opened for Intermediate League idols. I'll be very surprised if the biggest banking corporation of the country auditioned for Minor League idols."

"What about Major League ones?" Naoko inquired, though Aratani shook his head negatively and explained, "Major League idols seldom accept such invitations. To them a show for three thousand spectators who aren't even fans is extremely underwhelming. But Intermediate League idols exist for this purpose, I think. Anyway, since it's technically an Intermediate League show, you'll probably have access to a private dressing room along with the communal one. Once your presentation is over please refrain from changing back to your everyday clothes until the show is over, a little before eleven p.m., alright? I'll see if you can hang around, but you'll probably be required to stay inside the dressing rooms. Maybe it'll be okay to be right outside it, but close to the door, if you stay close to your friend Rin-San since no one will be crazy to tell the daughter of the man who hired that show that she was breaking small rules. Also, since it'll be kind of late, I'll personally drive you and Shiori-Chan back home once it's over." He looked back to the door, "Speaking about Shiori-San, can Naoko-Chan please read and sign your contract and call your friend in? I suspect we already made her wait a lot."

Turning her face back to the contract, Naoko reread it quickly just to be sure there was nothing wrong and signed it. That alone was already more than what she'd amassed during the entirety of April, so the month of May was already well out of the red right on its second day. When she finally walked to the door and called Shiori, the timid girl looked troubled. Shyly, she called Naoko outside and, preoccupied, apologized in whispers:

"Ah, Naoko-Chan... I... I'm deeply sorry!" Standing up and bowing, she continued to say in hush sounds, " I-I'm... sorry for... for taking so... much money away from your agency! I'm extremely ashamed of being paid so much for essentially working half an hour! I'm sorry! You and Aratani-San are far too generous, I-I can't accept so much! It... maybe Naoko-Chan or Aratani-San will need it! But I... I... don't know how to... say it to your producer. Can... Naoko-Chan help me with it?"

Shocked, Naoko almost laughed. Only then she comprehended just how absurd the situation was. Sixty thousand Yen was really a lot, especially for half an hour of work and two hours idling, but Naoko had also signed a five million Yen contract to do basically the same thing. Of course, eighty-five percent of this amount would be pocketed by her agency, but fifteen percent of it still meant seventy-five grand. Basically, it was paid for her to sing and dance for the same thirty minutes or so. It was such an insane sum that the first thing that came to her mind was that it was too good to be true.

Something was certainly not right there. Though her contract had nothing odd, she feared about being fooled somehow, and this time it'd not be just her who could fall for a trick, but Shiori too. Still, Aratani sent to Naoko's e-mail the scanned files of every contract she had signed so far. Though the girl had never paid too much attention to it, that could be used as proof if anything wrong happened, couldn't it? Aratani knew about laws, so he'd probably not mess it up. It either was a fake pile of documents that meant nothing to him, or the man was as honest as she came to believe.

While she was worried about Shiori's payment, she noticed her concerned face was distressing her timid friend even more. Snapping out of her troubled state, Naoko smiled radiantly. Pinching Shiori's cheeks she reassured her of a few things she wasn't even sure herself:

"Aw, don't look at me with those wide-open eyes! It's just too tempting to pinch your cute face! Shiori-Chan worries too much! You deserve every bit of money you're receiving! This is an idol business, for crying out loud! Shiori-Chan is not working at a grocery store, the idol industry involves a lot of money! Also, your photos and whatever videos you can make of me will be the main way people outside shows currently have of knowing me and maybe becoming my fans! It's very important! Also, more fans means more money to my agency, so it's not like you're taking money away from us, your work can easily pay off tenfold in the long run! Don't worry, Shiori-Chan, my producer knows what he's doing. Now start smiling because otherwise you'll make me feel bad and I'll have a harder time cheering up the audience! I need your support just as much as your photos!"

Though continuing to look overawed and worried, the small and shy girl forced herself to smile timidly.
Chapter XIV – Companionship

About fifty minutes after leaving the office and hearing many instructions on the way, they arrived at an enormous show house at the Ikebukuro district. Being a part of the Toshima special ward in the heart of Tokyo, Ikebukuro was a district full of commercial buildings. Due to the amount of salarymen and OLs - office ladies – around, stores, bars and entertainment venues abounded too. The show house was spectacular, with a ceiling that looked incredibly high. There was a richly illuminated central bar and numerous red couches near the walls. A large balcony full of tables surrounded the area. About half of the house was composed mostly of a big dancing floor, and an amazing stage was positioned right in front of it. Though it was still smaller than the stage on Naoko's school, it was by far the biggest she'd ever presented herself during a real show.

Aratani flashed an invitation to a security guard and drove into the restricted parking area. They accessed the building through the backdoor, and this time there was no kitchen close to the dressing rooms. A security guard asked for the three to wait and left for a moment, returning with a key to a private dressing room that he handed to Naoko. He showed the way to a corridor full of doors, and explained the farthest one conducted to the communal room where idols could mingle. The communal room had its access restricted to idols only, but the girl was free to invite her producer and photographer, along with whoever she wanted, inside her private room. Also, while they asked that she refrained from going inside the show area, he said if she'd like anything to eat or to drink – as long as it was non-alcoholic and figured in the house menu – all she needed to do was call any staff.

After the muscular security guard left, Aratani also excused himself briefly. Naoko called Shiori to her private dressing room and eagerly unlocked the door. Though the space was small, it was amazing to actually have a private dressing room. There was a big mirror, a velvety couch, a plant pot, a small minibar loaded with water bottles, a TV, a dresser, a plushy white carpet and a few other objects. There was even a small restroom attached. It was so beautiful she could easily live there. As such, it felt strange not to take away her footwear when going in. Her platforms sank into the fluffy carpet as the girl walked in. Stunned, she took a moment to appreciate it all.

"It's amazing!" she finally said, spinning around with open arms. Throwing herself on the couch and kicking away her platform boots and stockings so she could feel the carpet's fuzzy texture, Naoko let herself sink in the softness of the couch and be enveloped by plushy objects. Turning to her astounded friend who coyly observed the room from the outside, she called:

"Hey, Shiori-Chan! Come on! You need to feel this sofa! Take a seat, have a drink! What do we have here?" Laying on the settee and extending her arms to the minibar, she opened it, "Hm-hm... Ack! Water! Huh... want some mineral water?" Without standing up, she noticed a small book on top of it and took it, "Oh, hey, look! It's the menu! Want something to eat, Shiori-Chan? They have sushi... Oh, scrap the sushi, they have French fries! How awesome is that?! Come on in!"

Walking stiffly and being afraid to touch anything, Shiori looked intimidated. Noticing it, Naoko closed the menu and, from a lying position, inquired, "What happened, Shiori-Chan? You look uncomfortable. Is something wrong?"

"Ah? Ah... no. I'm fine!" the intimidated girl forced a smile, all the while standing still in front of the closed door as if she was also a tiny security guard. Confused, Naoko invited her to sit on the couch, which her friend reluctantly did. However, she sat on the edge of it, almost falling off.

"Okay, that's odd," Naoko evaluated, "What's going on? Are you afraid of fluffy stuff? If that's the case Shiori-Chan would fear her own plushy?!"

Laughing a little, Shiori denied it. Hesitantly, she explained with a faint voice:

"It's just that... I probably shouldn't be here, right? I-I mean, Naoko-Chan is the idol here! This is your room! I'm... taking up space here. I should at least be working!"

Noticing Shiori was acting distressed since she was informed about how much she was going to be paid, and knowing the timid girl's self-esteem wasn't particularly high, it wasn't hard to understand Shiori felt she was earning much more than she should, didn't believe her talent was worth so much and possibly tried to compensate the burden she thought she's putting on the idol's shoulders by taking the least amount of space possible. She looked like she wanted to disappear. Naoko, smiling brightly, hugged her suddenly surprised friend and pulled her back to the soft couch. Watching her blush heavily and freeze like a statue, Naoko laughed.

"Are you still worried about your payment?" Seeing Shiori embarrassedly nod after a moment, the idol proceeded, "Come on, Shiori-Chan! Loosen up! We're on such a nice place, right before a show for more than three thousand people that's being paid by a banking corporation! It's a multi-million business! You won't be taking more than a tiny share of how much my agency is making with this, I swear! And it's nice that you're being well-paid at the same time! You're not just a photographer, you're my friend! It's nice to have you by my side here! I don't want to be alone before a show for thousands of people, I'll start to get nervous! If you help me calm down it'll already be totally worth it! Otherwise I won't be able to perform and I'll flop this opportunity! So can you stop worrying and help me chill out, please?"

Though Shiori couldn't move her head because Naoko's face was right over her left shoulder, the blushing girl stared at her from the side of her glasses. Finally looking calmer, as if understanding her presence there was not only welcome but could really be worth so much, she smiled. Nodding, she agreed, but her sentence was cut short by the door suddenly opening.

"The house is...!" Aratani excitedly barged in, surprising Naoko almost lied down, belly down on the couch, hugging her friend tightly while Shiori blushed heavily. Clearing his throat, the man grinned, "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything. Please go on, I'll call you when the show is about to start."

It took Naoko a second to understand what he meant. Abruptly letting go of her friend, the girl screamed "You idiot, that's not what you're thinking!" while grabbing a foot of her platform boots and throwing on her producer.

Shiori left for a while so Naoko could get changed, even though she did so in the connected private restroom, and after that the idol took a peek on the communal dressing room. It was a nice lounge with upholstered seats, a central table, a refrigerator and so on. There was a large window from where it was possible to see the stage from a side view. The window was apparently mirrored on the outside, taking from an office lady who discreetly reapplied her makeup while looking at it. Naoko waved to her but the woman didn't react. The place was amazing, though no other idol was present. From that location Naoko could see just how big and crowded was the show house.

There were only adults, obviously. Most looked like they'd just left the office, and being it Friday night before a four days holiday, they looked exultant. Many men and women had red faces due to alcohol ingestion, and a few already looked tipsy. There were a few thousand silhouettes there, a scary sight. Still, the vast majority of people seemed to be having so much fun, and the place looked so amazing, with focused lights and luminous lines all around piercing the dark atmosphere, that Naoko got immediately pumped up. Seeing that purple lights made all white clothes appear fluorescent, there're numerous shining spots among the audience itself, further adding to the stimuli overdose. She almost wanted to be there partying with all those people. Working on banks appeared to be fun! Or at least the parties after work did.

Since the other idols appeared to be holed up on their private dressing rooms the communal room felt like a large private space. Naoko only didn't stand there longer because Shiori and her producer weren't allowed inside. It was a shame. Also, even the corridor seemed livelier than the communal room. She could see two men in strange attires, one wearing a cowboy hat along with his suit and the other being bald and walking around in a silver tuxedo that made he look more like a comedian than an idol producer.

She returned to her room and waited along with Shiori for a few more minutes. When she was leaving her cellphone rang from inside the purse she had left there. Megumi apologized for not responding earlier since she always muted her smartphone while inside temple grounds and thanked Naoko for her help. She asked if Rin was close-by, but Naoko explained she still didn't know and apologized for not being able to talk because she was going to perform. She asked the apologetic girl to call back in half an hour and, muting her cellphone, Naoko left it inside her purse and walked off with Shiori.

Stepping on the stage was the hardest part. She had to wait while a fifty or sixty-some, already gray-haired man made a speech about excellent results on the previous fiscal year and thanked everyone for their hard workings. Wishing a good Golden Week for all, both those who'd have vacations and those who'd not, he handed the microphone under thunderous applauses to an announcer who excitedly called out:

"And now, for our special presentation to celebrate this special night, please receive the first of tonight's performers, hailing from the Idol Star System Generation... Yano Naoko!"

The girl froze for a second as she saw the announcer happily walk in her direction handing her the mic and a deafening burst of applauses erupting. From her back Aratani discreetly squeezed her on one side of her stomach, over a kidney. That soft spot, when pressed however lightly, made most people she knew flinch and laugh, and she was not different. Laughing reflexively just as she got ahold of the microphone, the girl climbed the stage with a genuine smile on her face. At the same time she wanted to punch her producer for startling her like that, she loved him for helping her that way.

Grinning, it was easy for her to loudly and energetically greet the audience, introduce herself again like Aratani instructed her on the way there and start singing. A huge screen behind her showed the same image she'd used for her last audition, since her attire was the same with the exception of her big, golden earrings, and then proceeded to project psychedelic images according to the song rhythm.

She had four songs she'd already trained extremely well and four others which she'd already gotten the hang of, but still weren't so easily performed. Aratani had carefully organized her songs so that the first, second, fifth and eight songs were those she was most familiar with. This way she'd have the easiest possible start for her show and close it well too. The one in the middle would hopefully help in case she had problems with the third and fourth songs too. There was some science behind choosing the order of the songs, it seemed, and her producer nailed it.

At first the girl felt intimidated by the huge audience, but Shiori's company before the show had calmed her down, and the vast amount of people having fun there pumped her up. Coupled with her stunning and unexpected laughing and upbeat entrance, she felt as ready as humanly possible to tackle her songs. The first one was among her favorites, too, and she could perform it blindly, so she had a smooth start that helped a lot.

Thankfully she could perform it blindly, too, because as her song started to follow a crescendo, the illumination on the place also became even brighter and more erratic. It ultimately went from obfuscating to a sudden, frenetic sequence of flashes during the first chorus. The girl had never experienced it before. Her voice surrounded her, coming from all sides from the outside and with a tiny delay that made it even more surreal. The sequence of flashes illuminated not only her, but the entire show house. Each flash was not unlike the ones that Shiori sometimes used, but it shone everywhere, lighting countless figures and their fluorescent white pieces of clothing. Between each flash there was an equally timed instant of pure darkness, so Naoko's eyes could see just for a fraction of a second, didn't see on the next and so on. Instead of watching the fluid, continuous motion of people it was just as if she watched a series of pictures shown in rapid sequence. It was disorienting, but enthralling.

For the first time in her life she felt as if time had reduced to a crawl. Even though her voice continued to come out of her throat, making it vibrate, the stimuli overdose was bigger than ever. Her mind expected her moves to flow naturally, so she felt like moving her arms and legs in such a way that the next time she saw them, they'd be more or less on the same place she'd last seen them, but it made her movements slow. She forced herself not to be distracted and relied on her training instead of her eyes to dance. It was a fantastic experience that almost made her laugh during the song. She'd never thought it'd be possible to feel as if time was half as fast, but it was. Along with the powerful sound waves that came from the speakers and the rhythmic sound of the music that pierced everyone and send echoes inside their bodies, resonating with the frenetic flashes, it felt an outlandish, confusing but indescribably good situation. So much that when the chorus was over and the flashes stopped, going back to the usual lighting, Naoko was disappointed it lasted so little. It felt like an eternity, but a brief one at that.

The chorus was repeated two more times on that song, though, so she still had a lot of opportunities to have fun since the lighting system was programmed to execute the same setup every time. When her first song was over Naoko was already ecstatic. The audience, though hardly speaking, seemed to be enjoying it just as much. Many people already being tipsy, they laughed and waved their arms. There was even a man that Naoko watched falling down during the disorienting flashes, either because of the lights or due to too much alcohol, but that looked funny.

She started to give more attention to the audience, including to the people on the balcony that surrounded the show hall. The first two songs went so well they prepared her for the next set, the ones she'd never performed on a real show before. Thankfully the lighting helped out by not messing too hard with her senses, because she needed them. It was confusing to hear her voice coming from the speakers with a slight delay, it messed up her head about when to perform each move. She had to constantly concentrate on what she sang and not on what she heard, all the while remembering to pose, walk around, look at the crowd and so on. It was almost like on her first rehearsal ever, trying to juggle many balls in her mind: she usually dropped a few but kept going.

Since the songs were divided in two groups, the melodies of a group played non-stop, forcing her to quickly try to recognize which one it was. Her producer had mentioned the order of the songs on their way there, but Naoko couldn't really remember all. Until the fourth song the audience just danced, sang along or waved arms, but hadn't applauded yet due to the lack of an opening. When the first half of the show was done, though, Naoko was given thirty seconds to regain her breath, and at that time loud applauses echoed all around the house. It was staggering to hear three thousand and some people clapping for her.

Well, not everyone was listening to her songs, she imagined. The hall was constructed in such a way that the acoustic was a little strange. Sounds from the show weren't evenly distributed across the room, but instead the half closer to the stage received deafening volumes of sound. Meanwhile, the back (or, rather, the front of the show house, since it was the part closer to the main entrance) wasn't so noisy. People could still hear the show, but could also talk with each other if they wanted. That's because all speakers were turned toward the dancing floor, close to the stage. Still, Naoko wanted to think everyone there was applauding her. It seemed more appropriate.

She had a nice respite on the fifth song, one she knew very well, before performing the next pair. She was having a blast, like singing on a karaoke for a lot of people, and since everyone appeared to be enjoying her show – or at least the thousand-some people close enough to the stage that she could see – her initial tension was long past. When she started to perform her last song all she could feel was remorse for not knowing how to execute two more, completing the ten Aratani mentioned the other idols would sing.

It was an extraordinary experience. Every time she stepped on a stage for a real gig was so fun it was almost addicting. This time she could clearly perceive how dumb were her initial fears whenever she had to go on a stage. Ultimately, as her eighth song came to an end, explosive applauses followed. Everywhere she looked to there were smartly-dressed people clapping. They didn't look the sort who'd love an idol show, but even so everyone she could see on the darkness across the blinding limelight appeared to have enjoyed it.

Thanking everyone profusely, Naoko left the stage overflowing with happiness. Her only desire was to run around screaming, so thrilled she was. Accompanied by Shiori and Aratani she walked back to her room. On the corridor in front of it she passed by a cute girl who she initially thought was Shiori, if not for the fact that the girl was wearing a gorgeous, sparkling blue and ice-white dress and didn't wear glasses. Still, she had the same petite body type and her face, though prettier, was not that different. She also looked a little introverted. Either this or she was just afraid of the show, but since she walked with small but confident steps, it appeared she was just a little timid. Even her black hair, though more lustrous, stylized and well-kept, was short and resembled Shiori's hair a little. As the girl passed by her, Naoko couldn't stop looking at her. It made the short idol discreetly look back with electric blue eyes, too blue not to be covered by a pair of contact lenses. Only then Naoko noticed she'd been staring a little too intently to the girl.

Energetically, Naoko smiled broadly and warmly wished the first thing that came to her adrenaline rush infused mind:

"Hey! Good luck there! The audience is incredible tonight! I'm rooting for you!"

At first the girl looked a bit reticent, but as if comprehending Naoko was genuinely being friendly, she opened up a small smile. It once again reminded Naoko a lot the shy way Shiori smiled. As the idol passed by her, she gratefully replied with a charming but child-like voice, "Thank you!"

The girl left with a somewhat surprised and content face, albeit her introverted ways made it seem a bit underwhelming. Naoko could bet, however, that girl expressed herself in subtle ways just like Shiori, and that a slight smile actually meant a lot coming from her. It was just an impression, though. She could be confusing things, due to how similar she thought that idol to be when compared to her friend, but she's very curious. She'd like to see her perform just to check if she really acted like the photographer.

As the girl in the sparkling cute and frilly dress of ice-like colors left, Naoko stopped and followed her with her eyes. Aratani, teasingly, casually commented:

"I can see now that she really is your type of girl." Naoko promptly punched him in the stomach, making him laugh while in a little bit of pain.

"Next time Produ-San insinuate this I'll punch lower!"

"So why're you staring at that girl?" he asked, regaining his coolness.

"Didn't you see? She looked almost like Shiori-Chan!"

The timid photographer was surprised to hear that, and looked clueless as if she hadn't notice. Aratani, however, merely agreed in a joking way:

"I know, right? She's similar to your friend, who you're hugging twenty-some minutes ago, and that was why I said she was you type of girl."

Aratani immediately jumped back to evade a punch and ran away laughing. Facing the direction where the man had ran away, into the show area from where they've come, Naoko grinded her teeth and commented to her blushing friend:

"He pisses me off! Humph! Never mind him, I'll punch him when he least expects. Didn't you see that girl, Shiori-Chan?"

The photographer timidly replied, "I was looking at the pictures I took...", showing the camera on her hands. Naoko promptly told her to go take a peek at that idol while she turned the sound on her cellphone back on, and Shiori left. As she looked at her smartphone there were a few calls from Rin. Remembering she was the daughter of some important person made Naoko hesitate for a bit, she wasn't used to think about her friend that way. But Rin was so funny and carefree, and had so many strange quirks that made her adorable, that Naoko clung to the mental representation of the Rin she knew and liked. Unmuting it, she called back and the thrilled voice of her friend sounded from the other side among loud noises.

"Naoko-Chan?! It was sooooo amazing! It was awesome! Rin was watching from near the stage! Did Naoko-Chan saw Rin?! I think Naoko-Chan saw Rin! Oh, it was the best thing I... Where's Naoko-Chan? Can we meet?! It's better than to talk on the phone! Rin is close to the bar!"

"Ah... Rin-Chan? I'm not allowed to leave the dressing room areas. But you can come here if you want!"

"Aw!" Rin looked disappointed for a second, but immediately recovered her cheerful, eager and overjoyed tone, "Wait, can Rin really go in there?! Rin has never been on a backstage dressing room! How is it?!"

"You'll see it for yourself!" Naoko excitedly responded, "Find the entrance by the right side of the stage, I'll talk to the security guards to let you in!"

She did so and stood close to the show room doors. Shiori returned, looking baffled. Still, she pointed out humbly:

"That idol... Does Naoko-Chan really think she's similar to me? I... guess she's only a little taller than me and her hair is also dark and short... and she's a bit serious maybe... but she's very pretty! She's completely different from me!"

"Shiori-Chan, she's not that different!" Naoko insisted. She was about to argument many things, but she noticed a golden-haired, upbeat girl getting closer. She wore a fancy white and green dress with black details, but also a funky, multicolored pair of spring-like bracelets that completely ruined her otherwise chic visual. Jumping with excitement, Rin ran between the security guards and hugged Naoko, talking loudly and frenetically:

"Oh, that was incre~dible, Naoko-Cha~n! I've never seen such a cool show! Rin has never watched a real show for that matter, but still! It was a~wesome! I loved your songs! Oh, I want to watch more of Naoko-Chan's shows!" Standing back, the agitated girl spoke with starry eyes while waving her arms, "And that part when the lights started flashing, Rin felt like the world was moving so slow! Rin was all "whaaaat iiiiiis haaaappeeeniiing?!" Hahaha! It was wonderful! I loved it!"

Rin kept talking excitedly for some time until she noticed Shiori nearby.

"Shiori-Chan! Are you here too?! Oh, you took pictures, right?! What did you think about Naoko-Chan's performance?! You've already watched other shows, right?!"

Shiori timidly agreed it had been an incredible presentation, though Naoko immediately interrupted the conversation to ask:

"Rin-Chan, can you give us your opinion on something before I show you the dressing room? Go have a look at the idol who is performing right now and tell me if she reminds you of someone?" With gleaming eyes, Rin excitedly ran off for a moment. She returned briefly with an astounded face, exclaiming, "Shiori-Chan, is that your sister?! Is she an idol too?!"

Commemorating, Naoko rapidly turned to the blushing girl wearing glasses and said:

"A-ha! See?! I told Shiori-Chan that she looks just like that idol!" Turning to Rin, she explained, "Shiori-Chan thinks she's ugly and didn't believe me a few days ago when I said she was very cute, so I'm showing her there's even an idol who resembles her!"

Flapping her arms energetically and cheerfully, Rin agreed:

"Shiori-Chan is very cute! Why'd she think otherwise? If you took off your glasses, have a showier haircut and wore blue contact lenses you'd be just like your sister!"

"Ah... she's... not my sister," Shiori embarrassedly said while smiling, though looking down to the floor, "But... thanks. I... still think I'm not nearly as pretty, but..."

Naoko's smartphone started to ring, Seeing it was Megumi calling, the girl quickly asked Shiori to take a few pictures of that idol and come back and, looking to Rin, showed the name of the person calling on the screen. Rin's eyes sparkled with even more enthusiasm than they already had. Naoko answered the phone, and this time she said she could talk. On the corridor the sounds of the show could still be heard, though, so Naoko said:

"Rin-Chan is with me too, so that's an excellent time to talk! Just wait a second, I'll just go back to my dressing room because it's quieter there. Just a sec."

"Oh, that's good, actually, because I was really needing a break," Megumi stated, "I'm practicing right now, but I'll ask the people around for a pause in the meantime."

She brought Rin to her private dressing room, and the blond girl had the same rapturous reactions Naoko also did. She asked if she could sit on the couch, and when Naoko said she could do whatever she wanted, Rin went overdrive. She looked herself in the mirror, tried to get into the minibar, laid down on the sofa and rolled on the plushy carpet before settling down.

Naoko activated the stereo speakers mode of her phone so the two could hear Megumi and talk to her. Rin started to explain about her studies in Psychology and how dreams could be ways her mind had to satisfy otherwise unmet wishes and needs, and that understanding them could be a way to comprehend what was going on deep down in her Unconscious mind. That nightmares were special kinds of dreams where the mind tried to express, in its own way, things that disturbed the dreamer in hope that a solution could be found or merely as a cathartic experience. Rin told her she used to have recurrent nightmares, and that once their meaning was understood they ceased to exist, all the while the girl gained insight about her fears.

Megumi sounded fascinated and started to narrate her dream. Shiori arrived during it and Naoko invited her to participate by listening to how a nightmare was interpreted. Megumi was embarrassed not only to ask for help, but to reveal her seemingly shameful nightmare at first, but Naoko reassured her it'd help on her audition the next day. Also, Rin sounded so amazed by Megumi's desire to help homeless people that she promised not to judge her and to do all she could to see her dream decoded. As such Megumi reluctantly but gratefully started to tell it.

It involved the girl walking around the city with three coins she knew she had. People who also had coins strolled pleasantly, but those who didn't suffered miserably, being scorned and kicked while begging on their knees for a coin. As Megumi passed by a man she apparently knew, she wished him a good evening, even though it was still day. When she noticed that mistake, it was as if the entire world had turned for a moment against her, as if she'd committed an unspeakable act. One of her coins magically disappeared from her pocket, preventing the world from attacking her, and the girl got a little worried. She started looking around for it, in hopes she'd just dropped it, even though she knew the coin was lost forever.

Her search brought her to an alley full of mendicants. Their skins were rotten or burned and they seemed to suffer from severe cases of malnutrition, so much that they looked like skeletons. Seeing her, they started begging around her feet, and the girl was so horrified she ran away, stepping on their bodies to do so.

She was so scared that, using another of her coins, the vegetarian girl bought a large steak to eat just so she'd never look famished and terrifying as those people did. As she ate, she noticed the attendant looked sad and completely destitute and miserable. Upon closer inspection she noticed a huge chunk of the flesh of his arm was missing. As the girl turned back to her steak, she finally understood her food was the part of the man's arm that was missing. Horrified, she ran away, but skeletal people started chasing her.

Those who had coins easily kicked those who didn't or rammed them with cars and were protected, but Megumi didn't want to hurt anyone. As such, she threw her last coin back in hope the skeletons grabbed it and let her free, but in doing so her flesh also started to whittle away. The next thing she knew, she was also crawling on the floor of a dark alley along with many destitute people, being kicked by those who had coins while she begged for one and looked like a skeleton herself.

She woke up in tears, as Megumi explained, and ran to the bathroom to fearfully look at the mirror just to be sure she hadn't turned to a famished ghoul. She could barely sleep again after that nightmare. Every time she thought about lying down again, it felt as if she was a corpse lying forgotten on a cold alley, and whenever she thought about eating something all she could think about was of a bowl full of rice, with a pair of hashi stuck on it. Traditional Japanese funerals involved offerings of food, and to stick chopsticks on it was only seen during such circumstances. Not only was it morbid to stick hashi on the food, to think about it was a clear sign thoughts about death permeated the girl's mind. She was sleepless since then, very tired, and asked for forgiveness for telling those things:

"I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told this silly nightmare. Please... forget it, it's nothing. Please don't think anything bad about me, I'm not crazy! I... I just had a bad dream."

Though Naoko and Shiori silently stood quiet, looking horrified, Rin was so serene and cheerful it was as if she was used to those kinds of disturbing things. She merely stated, enthusiastically:

"No, there's nothing wrong with it! Of course Megumi-San is not crazy! Her nightmare is totally acceptable! The Unconsciousness have no sense of morality like the Consciousness and only does what's deemed to be the best for it, so don't fear your nightmare, it's telling you something important! Something that your mind thinks it's good for you! Let's try understanding it, then! Yay, that's so exciting! Okay, okay. Megumi-San mentioned she had three coins, right? What things come to your mind when you think about "coins", Megumi-San?"

"Coins?" the girl confusedly replied, "Well... I think about money."

"Money?" Rin retorted, "Go on. Tell everything that comes to your mind, no matter how silly or wrong it seemed! It's the only way to help you, so you have to trust Rin, okay?"

After a brief pause, Megumi humbly agreed, though sounding a little frightened:

"Okay. Thanks, Rin-San. Let me see... "Money"? Well... Money... What do I think when I think about money, is that it? Well... I think... I don't know... Yen... Dollar, Euro... I think about gold... Those three coins appeared to be made of gold. Is that it?" Listening to Rin saying she had to keep talking whatever came to her mind, Megumi sighed and tried again, "Okay. Coins. Money. Gold. What I think? I... Well... Okay, I... don't like money too much. The concept of money, I mean. It's... unfair. When I think about it, what is money but a piece of paper, or metal, or a shell... Shells were used as money in the past if I'm not mistaken, did you know?! That's just to say money is... nothing, really. We exchange it for a lot of things, like food and houses, things that actually have value, but money is... valueless, I think. We just perceive value on it. How much value does a shell have for us, for example? None, but at some point in time it did. So money a kind of... placeholder, I think. You don't need to bring an ox to a market to exchange it for rice, you can just buy it with money. Even gold is... It's kind of funny it... is a sort of thing used to be traded. Hm... it has no value per se... Is that it?"

"Excellent!" Rin exclaimed, startling everyone, "So those coins were something you had that had no value by themselves, but which you traded for things that had, right? Think about how you used those coins on your nightmare and talk about it."

Rin's method was hard for Naoko to understand, but little by little her associative questions and Megumi's puzzled answers combined and started to make sense of the nightmare. Apparently Megumi did things that had no value to her in order to obtain things she valued. When she thought about the first use of her coins it didn't occur to her. It made sense for the food and when she tossed it to escape from the skeletons, though, but her first lost coin had been the hardest one to understand. It took her almost fifteen minutes just to notice she hadn't properly spent the coin, but that it was consumed anyway when she committed a mistake. To wish "good evening" to a person instead of a "good morning" was a very minor mistake, but Megumi couldn't understand it.

Thinking about the subject of mistakes, Naoko felt she could contribute a little after the idol's long silence, and after a sudden insight:

"Wait! Megumi-San? Didn't you mention once you were scared to death about failing? When we first met you told me you had failed your producer numerous times, and that you feared failing. I remember you even asked me if I wasn't afraid of failing! Isn't it a kind of mistake? Like... fearing to make mistakes that ultimately led you to failing the auditions?"

Megumi was taken aback by the thought. She agreed it made sense. She was afraid of failing, and in the dream she had committed a very minor mistake but was left completely lost after it. So lost she stumbled upon a dark alley full of rotting people. Her mistake was very minor, but she felt the world would turn against her. She remembered the first coin magically disappeared as if to spare her from other people's wraths. Everything else that occurred on her dream was a reaction to that initial, trivial mistake.

While Rin and Megumi tried to crack the dream, Naoko excused herself and left to take some fresh air. All that talk was making her dizzy. Since she couldn't go out of the building and also couldn't go into the show area she walked to the communal dressing room. As she imagined, there was no one there, but through the large window she could enjoy the performance of that idol who looked like a prettier Shiori. True, Shiori was already very cute in Naoko's opinion, that idol was just prettier. She had a stunning face and her dark, glossy hair, though short and somewhat simple in style, was a perfect match for her. She wore a small tiara above her head that also looked cute.

At first Naoko just noticed the similarities between her and her friend, but soon something occurred to her. That idol actually danced pretty well. It was hard to describe. She wasn't very technical. In fact, she looked like the opposite of Ruby, that girl who danced perfectly like a robot but appeared to have no soul. The blue and white dressed idol knew an incredibly large array of moves, to the point where she didn't repeat a single pose or choreographic movement. All the while, it felt so natural and free-flowing that one move seamlessly connected to the next, then to a pose, then to whatever.

It was totally different from the idols she'd seen so far. Maybe with the exception of a few Water-class idols like Umeko and Vyper, that girl with blue contact lenses had the best dancing abilities Naoko had seen until then. Well, it was hard to say because it was very subjective, and that girl didn't do anything extreme. She just danced freely, but her moves impressed Naoko.

Dark-class idols she'd seen on every audition usually danced in similar ways. They had different choreographies, but all looked like memorized steps. Even Naoko only did that: she danced following her choreography. Seeing other idols perform, it was clear they did movements they'd practiced before. That blue-eyed idol was different somehow. Her dance seemed more genuine than most other idols Naoko had watched. It was as if she had no choreography and did the movements on the fly. Not unlike Naoko during her tests to get accepted at her agency, only that idol who resembled Shiori actually knew a lot of movements and poses. It probably wasn't the case and she most likely had a choreography to follow, because she'd classified on an audition that certainly required a previously routed choreography. Still, that idol's moves were very atypical. Her voice was sweet, and despite acting – or being – a little shy and not looking a lot to the audience, her dance felt simply honest. Not exaggerated, not executed like a robot or anything. It was elegant, simple, free-flowing and frank. Also, it was well-executed.

The girl moved as if hypnotized, completely absorbed on her song and dance. Naoko could feel some kind of passion on each move, though it was hard to explain how exactly. That girl appeared to be enjoying her show, though unlike Naoko she didn't seem to be affected by the audience. Her enjoyment appeared to be simply on moving. Dancing and singing. It almost looked like if the audience went away that idol would perform just as well. Still, she looked caring and her cute demeanor and heartfelt songs were enthralling, sustaining the crowd's focus. Also, the girl hardly ever committed a mistake. Unlike Ruby, who committed few mistakes because she was a perfectionist, that blue-eyed idol was just in tune with her song and did the moves that looked right for that situation. It was different, but outstanding.

It was hard to imagine where she could have learned to dance like that. Coupled with her last song, "Washed Away Steps on Sunset Sands", about a person going out for a walk on a beach under light rain during the sunset and forgetting her or his problems, Naoko could clearly picture a person merrily walking freely over the sands on a deserted beach. The way that idol danced was so free, full of spins and gracious movements, that it felt relaxing and heartwarming as a brisk walk by the shoreline during dusk.

Seriously impressed, Naoko listened carefully across the glass to her farewell words when that girl's performance was over. In that, like usual, she asked people to support her on future shows and mentioned her name, which was what Naoko wanted to hear. Yukimura Ayumi was it.

When Ayumi left the stage, warmly applauded by the audience, Naoko walked to the door of the communal room to see her coming back from the other side of the corridor. There was already another idol waiting by the door of her personal dressing room, wearing a rosy-red and white attire with a miniskirt, over the knee red boots and long gloves coupled with a big, pointy black headgear that looked like a witch's hat. As her silver suit-clad producer called her from afar before going into the show room, the girl tensely walked down the corridor to follow him. Just as the blue-eyed girl Ayumi was turning alongside a gray-suited, forty-some man, the red, black and white witch also did the same and the two bumped into each other. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but the idol to present next was extremely nervous already.

Looking irritated, the witch-like idol angrily ordered:

"Watch out, last place! Can't you see where you're walking?!"

Infuriated, the tricolor witch left. The introverted Ayumi, who until then was talking somewhat happily with her producer, lowered her eyes. Seeing she'd lost the joy from her successful show, the forty-some man near her rested his hand caringly on her shoulder for a little bit. He had no frills unlike most other producers. His gray suit was well-made but unassuming, just a red tie and black shoes breaking the otherwise monochromatic outfit. His hair was short and a few gray strands sprouted around. His forehead was marked by what appeared to be lines produced by worrying too much, though his face was serene. His height was average and Naoko, wearing platform boots, was a little taller than him. He looked like a decent folk, as reserved as his idol.

"Forget her, Ayumi-Chan," he suggested, "She's just nervous because she's going to perform next. Don't let her words get to you."

Though nodding, Ayumi looked down, asking "I know. She has her reasons. But does she really have to say such harsh words? I... could've helped her calm down if she wasn't angry with me". That girl had been far too kind, in Naoko's opinion. If someone blamed Naoko for bumping into her and bossed her around while calling her "last place" she'd probably start a heated discussion. Worst-case scenario, if that bitch didn't tone down and apologized, Naoko would scatter all her teeth on the floor. That scene made her blood boil, though she was too distant to intervene in time. Still, it felt so wrong that something had to be done. Ayumi not only reminded her of Shiori, though ever cuter and much prettier, but she also acted a little like her timid friend, merely accepting defeat and looking disheartened. That unfair situation also made Naoko's heart hurt. Though, like Aratani had taught her, it made no sense to keep reminding a person of her problems if she couldn't solve them.

She quickly though about things she liked on that girl. Ayumi looked like Shiori. Her mild behavior was ill-suited for fights, but made her all the more adorable. She was incredibly pretty in a petite way. Her dress was gorgeous. Oh, her dancing skills! That was seriously amazing! Naoko would love to know where that girl learned to dance like that. So yes, apparently she had a few conversation topics with her.

Crestfallen, Ayumi started taking away one of her contact lenses, revealing a dark eye behind. As she walked in dismay toward her private room alongside her mildly-mannered producer, Naoko drew closer. With a warm smile she caught the attention of the two.

"Hello," Naoko greeted the startled and somewhat intimidated girl, "I... overheard it. I mean, your show! Not that thing that just happened! I..." Stopping for a second, Naoko sighed, "Okay, I also heard that thing that happened with that stupid girl. Sorry, I... just couldn't ignore it. But I think your producer is right! Forget her, she doesn't deserve your attention! What I meant to say is that I watched part of your show from the communal dressing room. I'm impressed! Really! You dance exceptionally well! I've never seen someone dance so... freely! Congratulations!"

Ayumi's dark, real eye was illuminated by gladness. She briefly recalled with a cute, childish voice, though used in quite a mature way, albeit a little whisperingly:

"You're that kind idol who wished me good luck before the show, isn't it? Thanks for your kindness." She bowed down slightly, and her producer, smiling gratefully, did the same. Ayumi, looking slightly hesitant, introduced herself, "Huh... I-I'm... Yukimura Ayumi."

Smiling radiantly, Naoko replied:

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yukimura-San! I'm Yano Naoko! Please call me Naoko!"

"Naoko-San..." Ayumi turned back to her producer, "Yano Naoko... The name is in the event's header, isn't it?" Facing back the tall girl, she asked, "You're the idol who was invited by this banking corporation? It's thanks to you that this event occurred, then?"

Embarrassed, Naoko smiled, explaining:

"Well, partially, anyway." Ayumi bowed down respectfully, promptly saying "Thanks for this wondrous opportunity, Ya... I mean, Naoko-San!"

"Thank you very much," Ayumi's producer also said, grateful.

"Ah... please, there's no need to be so formal! There's no need for the "San" part either if you don't want." Naoko replied, "In fact, if you want to thank someone, thank my friend Rin-Chan. it's because of Rin-Chan this show happened. She studies with me and wanted to watch my show, but her father, a sort of director from this banking corporation, preferred to invite us to a show of his company first before her daughter goes out with people she doesn't know." Looking excited, Naoko added, "Ayu... err, Yukimura-San?"

"Please, if Naoko-S... Naoko-C-Chan?" Ayumi said hesitantly. Seeing Naoko accepted it happily, the tense girl relaxed and said, "If Naoko-Chan is fine with being called like that... please, call me by my first name too. No need for formalities either."

Grinning, Naoko accepted it contently:

"Ayumi-Chan, then? Okay! Hey, Ayumi-Chan, do you want to meet my friends? There's Rin-Chan and also a girl called Shiori-Chan who's my friend and an excellent photographer! I think she looks a little bit like you too! Though she doesn't think so. They're on my private dressing room!"

Ayumi looked back to her producer, partially hesitantly and partially hopeful. The man, smiling gratefully to Naoko, nodded and extended his hand, asking:

"Just give me your contact lenses, Ayumi-Chan." As she handed her it, the man asked for a second and walked back to Ayumi's private room, coming back from it with a pair of discreet glasses, which he handed to her, "Here, Ayumi-San. Have fun. Please, Yano-San, take good care of Ayumi-Chan. I'll be on the hall and will be back to catch you, Ayumi-Chan, once the show is over, okay? If you need anything please call me."

As the hopeful and enthusiastic looking man left, Naoko, with her mouth agape, faced Ayumi, now wearing glasses. Surprised, she commented:

"That's amazing! With glasses you look even more like my friend Shiori-Chan! Sure, your glasses are more stylish, but still! Here, I'll show her to you! Please tell me what you really think about it, okay?"

Ayumi timidly nodded. Naoko walked her to her door, but listening to a few nonsensical things coming from inside as Rin excitedly mumbled about dream-like stuff, Naoko took a step back. Facing the confused idol wearing glasses, she smiled nervously.

"Hum... Before we go in, I'd just like to tell you one thing about what's going on inside, just so you don't be scared, okay?" Seeing Ayumi suddenly got scared, Naoko tried to calm her down opening the door briefly to show her, "No, no, don't worry, there's nothing odd going on! See?" Closing the door so the sound didn't interfere, she explained about Rin's talk with Megumi over interpreting a nightmare. She had to tell Ayumi who was Megumi, her fight for the homeless people and how they all met. In doing so Naoko mentioned Aratani, who helped Megumi having a second chance, and from there proceeded to chat about how her producer jokingly criticized her for helping other idols, talking about Sakura and Harumi too. When Naoko finished her "brief" explanation, almost fifteen more minutes had passed.

Somewhat like Shiori, Ayumi also seemed a patient, attentive and interested listener. She said almost nothing while Naoko went on with her mumblings, and by the end of it, when she apologized for talking so much, Ayumi joyfully and frankly retorted:

"No, there's no need for apologies! It's refreshing to see a person like Naoko-Chan, who cares about the others. I... I constantly have this talk with my producer, Onda Hisoka-San, for the last two years about how idols are being selfish nowadays. Well... Naoko-Chan saw it first-hand. That girl bumped into me and said... quite bitter things. I..." Staring at a wall, she revealed, "I was actually thinking about... stop working as an idol. Well, not really... stop, you know? I need my work, and I'd not let Onda-San down, but... there are times when all I want is to... stop. Or rather, that people could be nice to each other! Does Naoko-Chan feel the same?"

Nodding, the girl agreed:

"I do. Well, I've only been to a few shows, really, so I can't say how things truly are. But from what little I've already seen, idols usually act in very unfriendly ways towards each other. The dressing rooms are always tense places. It's nice to have a private room, actually!"

"Isn't it?" Ayumi asked, smiling, "It didn't solve the problem of the unhealthy disputes and animosity, especially during auditions, but it makes shows a little more doable! I remember dreaming to reach the Intermediate League as quickly as possible so I could be alone! Well... that didn't help as much as I thought it would, but still. But they say the idols on the Major Leagues are actually friendly toward each other! That's my new goal! Naoko-Chan said she'd only a few shows and seemed happy with having a private room, was Naoko-Chan recently promoted to the Intermediate League too?"

Freezing, Naoko lost her words. Smiling nervously, she reluctantly said:

"Ah... no, I... am not... so far yet. Ayumi-San is in the Intermediate League?"

Staring at Naoko with a surprised face, Ayumi said:

"Ah... yes. I was just recently promoted to the Wood class. I... thought this was an Intermediate League gig and they didn't mix leagues, but since it's an invitational gig, I think... there are no rules against the invited person being from another league? But... is Naoko-Chan an Earth idol or something?"

Scratching her hair, Naoko tensely denied it:

"You see... Would Ayumi-Chan think less of me if I said I'm... ah... a Dark-class idol?"

Ayumi looked staggered and paused for a moment. Trying to read Naoko's nervous face to see if she could be joking, the girl looked a little disappointed, though only for a moment. Thinking for a second, Ayumi smiled faintly again and said:

"I'd never think less of a girl who is kind to others. If you're just being nice to me, I could think Naoko-Chan was acting on second thoughts, but if you really helped those twins you said and that girl who also cares for homeless people, it brings me joy. To see there's a virtuous group of girls who can be kind to others getting started fills me with hope that one day we'll all be on the same league! Please hurry up and be promoted, okay? Just so I know, would you mind answering me how many show points do you currently have and for how long have you been a Dark-class idol, Naoko-Chan?"

"Supposing this is a two-star show, I believe I have five points right now," the girl answered, "As for the time... I was accepted on my agency around the end of the first week of April. About a month ago, a few days less than it maybe."

With eyes wide-open Ayumi inquired:

"Wait... Did you started tackling auditions one month ago, after a period of training, or did Naoko-Chan really got hired on your agency as an idol a month ago?"

"I got hired on April," Naoko answered with a smile. Stunned, Ayumi interrogated, "B-but did Naoko-Chan have any previous training? Was she an idol on another agency under a different name, or a part of a band, before getting hired on your current one?"

"No. In fact I never wanted to be an idol up until a month ago," Naoko revealed. Astonished, Ayumi calculated, "Wait. If you keep that up... Naoko-Chan can reach the Wood class is way less than a year! Well, that's assuming you win the cups, but the Minor League cups all have multiple entries every weekend. That's amazing! I'm considered a fast-blooming idol because I made into the Intermediate League in about two years! I started when I turned fifteen, and now I just turned seventeen. That is rare to occur, about one every twenty idols who reach the Intermediate League do so in two years or less. Most take up to four years. If Naoko-Chan is so good, maybe... maybe we can actually meet on the Intermediate League!" Looking excited, the introverted girl asked, "Please, Naoko-Chan, do your best, okay? If you or your friends need any advice or help, feel free to ask me. I'd love to have kind people like you around, that's what I want the most!"

Naoko had to remind herself Ayumi was not Shiori to prevent her hands from pinching her soft cheeks as the girl asked it with such a cute, hopeful face. Happily agreeing, Naoko finally opened the door to her private dressing room. At that time the crazy conversation seemed to already be over and Rin just talked with a deeply grateful Megumi. As Naoko invited Ayumi in, the shy girl's eyes from behind her glasses ran through the people inside and immediately stopped on Shiori. The two shocked girls with glasses stared at each other for a few seconds. Rin, amazed, cut her chat with Megumi and yelled enthusiastically:

"It's Shiori-Chan's sister! Wow, you two are actually twins!"

Chaos reigned for a while, with Rin asking Shiori why she'd never mentioned a twin sister, Shiori denying having one and Megumi asking through the phone what was going on. Naoko interrupted the confusing talk explaining to Megumi that Rin was talking about an idol who Naoko had invited in and who looked similar to Shiori, despite not being actually related by blood. Agreeing, Ayumi stated:

"Yes, I'm impressed! We look very much alike, don't we?"

Blushing, Shiori spoke in an even shyer and lower voice:

"A-ha... Thank you, but... I don't deserve such a compliment. Y-You're... way prettier than me. Way, way prettier!" Naoko turned her eyes to Ayumi and explained, "This is Shiori-Chan. She's an amazing photographer, you need to see her pictures! Also she's quite humble and don't believe when we say she's cute. Not even when seeing a girl who is similar to her and is actually a stunning idol."

Of course there were differences. Ayumi really was very attractive and more beautiful than Shiori, though not as much as Naoko's classmate made it sound. Both looked very cute, and despite having a voice with child-like properties just like the photographer, the idol's voice was much more melodic and pleasing. On the other hand, the idol surely wasn't able to handle a camera like Shiori. Ayumi was about two inches taller, but she was also one year older. She seemed to have a slightly more curvaceous lower half, though her chest looked only marginally less flat than Shiori's. Their eye colors weren't the same too, with Ayumi's being much darker, though that was hardly noticeable. Comparing their glasses, though, Shiori said she could easily see from afar, while Ayumi's myopia was not so mild. In fact, the idol said she had headaches whenever she wasn't wearing glasses or contact lenses, and could hardly read characters smaller than one inch high beyond arm's reach. Ayumi also seemed somewhat less shy than Shiori, though compared to any other idol Naoko had met so far she was as introverted as she could be. In fact, she was very introverted, just not all that timid.

Naoko introduced her friends, including Megumi on the phone, and then presented Ayumi to everyone. Megumi, with her usual humble voice, apologized for taking up so much of everyone's time and said she had to go, though not before thanking Rin, and everyone else, profusely for her help. Naoko asked Shiori and Ayumi to stand close to each other so she could take a picture to send Megumi. Since Rin cheerfully also wanted to appear, she ended up snapping the three and send the girl the photos so she could finally see the faces of her friends, including her newest one, Ayumi. Naoko then proceeded to talk with them, and though both Shiori and Ayumi preferred to listen than to talk, Rin's funny presence evened it out.

When Ayumi bowed down, thanking Rin for the show opportunity, the blond girl looked almost shocked.

"No need to thank Rin! It was Ayumi-Chan's merit to be here! Rin just wanted to see Naoko-Chan perform, and introduce her to Rin's father..." The starry-eyed girl looked stunned. Jumping away from the couch, the energetic girl eagerly told, "Rin forgot Rin was going to introduce Naoko-Chan to Rin's father! This way Rin's father will know Naoko-Chan is a nice person and will let Rin go out with her to watch more shows! Please, everyone, come with me and Naoko-Chan too!"

"Oh, wait! Naoko asked while taking her smartphone and calling her producer, "Aratani-San will probably like to meet your father too. Speaking of which, damn it Rin-Chan! When you talked about this event you said "a few" people attended to "a few" parties of your father's company! I was imagining it..." Once Aratani answered she briefly interrupted her conversation, "Oh, wait. Excuse me for a second. Hello? Produ-San? Yeah, it's me. Rin-Chan is here on my private room and she's going to introduce everyone to her father. Want to come too? Right, see you in a moment." Turning back to Rin, she continued, "So, as I was saying, Rin-Chan said there'd be a few people! I was thinking around sixty, not three thousand! Why didn't you say your father was a big shot at a big banking corporation?! My producer just told me so today after he did his own research and I looked dumb for not knowing it about my own friend!"

A little down, Rin answered uncharacteristically slowly:

"Rin... doesn't like to talk about her family too much. Rin... had a few people get close to Rin in the past just because of Rin's father. Rin likes Naoko-Chan because she's a good friend! Rin likes Naoko-Chan a lot! Naoko-Chan helps Rin with Rin's fears of boys, and with her fear of competing, and she is funny and teaches Rin cool things! I... just wanted things to... continue that way. Rin... didn't want to hide anything! She was going to tell Naoko-Chan about it! She just..."

"Okay, I get it, there's no need to say anything else," Smiling warmly, Naoko responded. She pulled the tense Rin closer to a tight hug that made the blond girl laugh and recover her carefree and joyous ways. Almost instantly the door opened up abruptly and Aratani, looking a little breathless, said, "Sorry it took so long, I came as fas..."

The man stopped as he saw Naoko hugging yet another girl in the presence of Shiori and an idol who looked like the photographer. Sighing, the man turned his back and closed the door behind him, saying, "Screw that, I'll get a bear to forget my jealousy."

While Naoko left the room quickly to give chase to her producer, Rin happily offered:

"Ayumi-Chan? You're Naoko-Chan's friend too, isn't it? Rin also wants to be your friend! If Rin helps Naoko-Chan, Rin also wants to help you! I don't know how exactly knowing my father helps people, but apparently it does, and Rin likes to help her friends! Ayumi-Chan is an idol too, right? So it means Ayumi-Chan has a producer too, doesn't she? Want to call your producer too? I can introduce him just like I'll do for Naoko-Chan's producer, Aratani-San!"

During most of the time she was there, Ayumi had either a surprised or a grateful countenance and at that time it was no different. She thanked Rin for the offer, and afterwards the two checked out a few photos Shiori had taken from Naoko's performance while they waited for the idol and the two producers arrive. Naoko took special joy in getting everyone to know each other, leaving only Ayumi's producer to be introduced by the Intermediate League idol:

"This is my producer, Onda Hisoka. He's one of the two producers on my agency and takes care of me along with three other girls."

They weren't supposed to leave the backstage area, but Rin talked to her father and the idols were allowed to go into the show hall once they changed back to non-stage clothes. Ideally it was to prevent people from recognizing them and, thus, not disturbing other girls' show, but Naoko's everyday garments were only somewhat less eye-catching than her costume for performances. Ayumi's everyday clothes, on the other hand, were as common and casual as anyone else, just a plain t-shirt and a skirt.

In doing so, her arms and legs, who previously were covered by long stockings and gloves, were exposed, revealing a few dark bruises. Ayumi didn't even notice it, but Naoko did and promptly inquired:

"What are those?! Ayumi-Chan seems to have been attacked by a lion!"

Her producer also checked out the contusions, but he didn't seem surprised. The girl, however, appeared not to be expecting that question. For a moment she looked helplessly lost, but, forcing a smile, she whispered embarrassedly while looking to the floor:

"Oh, this? I... I can be a little clumsy sometimes..."

Shocked, Naoko commented, "A little clumsy? But you danced so well and without the slightest mistake!" to which Ayumi, looking even more uncomfortable and lost, maintained, "Ah... while I'm dancing... I just don't bump into anything, somehow. That's all."

Thinking back, Naoko remembered the girl had bumped into another idol some time before, and Ayumi's producer, who probably knew her well, didn't seem too fazed. In fact, he said in agreement:

"Ayumi-Chan is very skilled when it comes to dancing, and I personally don't see her bumping into things, but she is short-sighted. From what she tells me, she can't use her glasses all the time due to some sort of nauseating effect of them, but when she doesn't wear glasses or contact lenses she has problems with her surroundings. Also, she has migraines whenever she doesn't wear them for long. So no, she's not as clumsy as she says, but whenever she's not wearing glasses, she may just as well be. That's what she says, anyway. I hardly ever see her without glasses, though."

The girl smiled thankfully to her producer while trying to pull her t-shirt's sleeves as much as possible to hide a bruise. Naoko, noticing the beautiful girl was very uncomfortable with the three visible purple marks, calmed her by taking away her right hand gloves and exposing two bandaged fingers.

"Don't worry, Ayumi-Chan! It's not looking bad! And everyone has their bad moments. I also have a bruise or two, along with two broken nails."

Breathing more easily, the timid girl stopped to discreetly try to hide her bruises and asked what happened, prompting Naoko to talk about her friend Miwa, her younger brother and all that happened involving the boy and the car accident he almost caused. She showed her fan club page on her cellphone to the astounded girl and her surprised producer, where Aratani had displayed the newspaper articles and that famous idol magazine's excerpt about the event.

While they talked about Naoko's heroic – or foolhardy – actions, the other girls had their own chats. In comparison to Ayumi's everyday clothes, Rin was better dressed than her. In such a low-profile outfit Ayumi resembled even more Shiori, that even her producer, Mr. Onda, acknowledged that. Shiori tried to minimize the similarities despite looking glad for such an honorable connection, but downplayed herself so much in comparison to Ayumi during one of the times she said "I don't deserve such praise, I'd never equate to her prettiness" Rin briskly broke into the conversation:

"Rin never noticed Shiori-Chan was so much like Rin! Rin hates to compete and always says things like "Rin would never equate to Rin's opponent" just so Rin don feel afraid of losing! It never works, but Rin likes to do it anyway! Yay, Shiori-Chan is afraid of other people's high expectations for her too! We think alike! We're practically sisters too! I'd like to have Shiori-Chan and Ayumi-Chan as sisters! Can Rin try your glasses to see if Rin looks like you two?!"

Watching Rin excitedly try Shiori's thin glasses, then Ayumi's high degree one, and attempting to find her father without being able to see anything, Aratani turned to Naoko, whispering:

"I see what Naoko-Chan meant when she said Rin-San doesn't act like a rich girl. What you didn't mention is that she doesn't act like a girl at all." Seeing Rin bump into lots of people and asking Ayumi, who also couldn't see anything without her glasses, to guide her by her hand, Aratani grinned, "You know what? I like her this way. Cheery, spontaneous and inconsequential like someone I know. Though it's a little worrisome too. What're they teaching girls nowadays?"

They took a while to find Rin's father since the girl, with a myopic guide and without being able to see anything, had the brilliant idea of trying to navigate the room through her other senses. Mostly by sound. Unfortunately they were in the middle of a show. Eventually she gave the glasses back to Ayumi and, for a full minute, stood blinking to try and adapt her eyes back. Even Naoko found the blond, slender and well-dressed man in his forties on the balcony before his own daughter did. Partially because he was one of the only blond men in the room. He had a striking figure, especially his face. When smiling he opened his eyes the same way his daughter did, though thankfully he didn't act like a happy, carefree person like the cute energy reactor that was Rin. Contrary to the upbeat girl, he looked slightly tired, though it didn't prevent him from talking animatedly with a few other people.

As he saw his blinking, excited daughter approaching the man excused himself from the circle and turned to Rin, who happily greeted:

"Vater-San! I brought my friends to introduce to you!"

Smiling briefly to everybody, the man turned his attention back to Rin:

"What happened to your eyes?" The blinking girl responded with a smile, while already introducing everyone, "Ah, I asked to see how it was to wear Shiori-Chan's glasses! Shiori-Chan studies at the same class as Naoko-Chan and is an incredible photographer! But Shiori-Chan's glasses make almost no difference, so I asked to wear Ayumi-Chan's glasses instead! They're so nice, it makes everything look blurry and the lights bloom! She's an idol! She's the one who wore blue contact lenses and that amazing blue dress! Naoko-Chan is also an idol! She's the one I talk about! She's incredible! Did father-San saw how she danced?! And that man is her producer, Aratani-San! Oh, and that is Onda-San, Ayumi-Chan's producer! Everyone, this is vater-San!"

Since Rin, in her excitement, made a poor job of introducing everyone, each person made their own presentations. Rin's father was apparently used to his daughter flopping introductions, and bowed all the slightest while saying:

"It's a pleasure to make you all acquaintances. I'm Uehara Akira, Rin's father." Turning to Naoko, he continued, "Rin speaks highly of you, Yano-San. That you are an esteemed friend, a born athlete, help her a great deal and is quite popular. She was anxious to watch a show of yours, and quite frankly, I was curious to meet you in person too."

"Rin is very kind, I merely..." Naoko was about to start talking modestly when Rin eagerly interrupted her with compliments, "Naoko-Chan is kinder! Up until a while back we were talking with another idol, Megumi-Chan, who helps homeless people! Naoko-Chan was helping her overcome her fear of stages and I tried to help her too by interpreting a nightmare she had! I believe she understood quite a few things and will do well! Aratani-San also decided to help her by subscribing Megumi-Chan on another audition after she failed seven attempts! But she's very good, she sang a little on the phone! Also she sings for homeless people and helps a Shinto temple obtaining donations! She wants to be an idol not only for money for her university, but also to promote homeless people's cause! I'm sure she can win if she overcomes her fears, and Naoko-Chan and Aratani-San decided to give her another chance because she's humble and nice and cool and deserves it! Aratani-San even paid her subscription fee for her and dedicated time to register her!"

Probably also used to his daughter's slightly disorganized and quick speech, the man listened carefully and then turned to Aratani, commenting:

"You two make a good team, I see. I'm happy to know of a man who acts for other goals besides money, and also to hear Yano-San helps other people besides my daughter."

Somewhat sarcastically, Aratani replied:

"Uehara-San has no idea how much Naoko-Chan likes to help others. Before Megumi-San, she decided to help twin idols with a confused producer. She even proposed creating a group of idols to help each other out. I'm surprised, actually, that Naoko-Chan made a new friend, Ayumi-San, without helping her."

Naoko laughed embarrassedly while looking to Ayumi, who timidly corrected him with a low voice that almost couldn't be heard due to the songs being performed:

"In reality, she was kind to me when I needed the most today, after being ill-treated by a colleague. She cheered me up and introduced me to all these wonderful people, something no one did to me during the two years I worked as an idol. It's a very happy occasion for me! I never had an idol who I could call a friend, so in a sense Naoko-Chan's kindness has indeed helped me."

Aratani glanced to his idol with half-closed eyes. With a victorious smile, Naoko recalled:

"On the bright side, this time I did so without cramping Aratani-San's appointment book with things to do for other people! And you can't say the idol group was a bad idea!"

Ayumi and her producer Onda seemed curious about that, though the man could easily get the information about it with his idol. As such, Naoko elaborated the deal to Ayumi, with Rin and Shiori joining the conversation. While she explained about the idea of having friends supporting each other during auditions, partying together, helping one another when needed and perhaps even making a band for Non-Ranked gigs, the two producers and Rin's father got together to exchange business cards and talk about their own topics of interest.

The group Naoko mentioned was not even operational yet since Megumi, Sakura and Harumi hadn't even met before, but Ayumi seemed so interested that Naoko extended her an invitation. At the same time, she asked:

"Ayumi-Chan? Can I ask you just one thing? You said your agency has two producers and that Onda-San produces three other idols besides you, right? But you also said you've no other idol to call a friend? What about the girls who work with you?"

Ayumi silenced for a moment, looking down. She hesitantly revealed:

"There are currently seven idol at my agency, but they hardly speak to each other. There are only two girls who get along with each other, but nothing else. I hear it happens on other agencies as well. More idols mean more girls competing for their producer's attention and the resources of the company. We're no friends, we're more like rivals who compete for our producers, for publicity contracts, for the schedules of lessons, even for accessories to wear, which are mostly shared among everyone on my agency. It's horrible. It's not uncommon for girls to root against each other, even if it means that idols from other agencies would win the competition. I hate when my agency peers mock me or each other after a loss. It's when we need support the most. Think about the worst dressing room reunion with idols that disrespect each other before a gig you ever had so far. A good, peaceful day at my agency is probably like that."

Shaking her head, she stated with a heavy heart that made her paced child-like voice sound oddly mature:

"I don't... want to be an idol anymore, to be frank. Too much drama and petty rivalries. My producer agrees. Before, he was a television producer. Basically a writer who has a saying on how things will work out on the show. He says he left his old job because he couldn't stand disputes among the casts anymore. We... discussed this many times before, and for two times now I tried to get away, but Onda-San talked me out of that. He says his plan is to open his own agency once I have enough fans, and he'd produce just me. Queen idols are usually either Major League ones or Minor League idols from newly-founded agencies. I want to become a Major League idol as quickly as possible so Onda-San can create his own agency and take me with him. He's an honest man and has proved it numerous times, I believe he means what he says and will keep his promise if I manage to hold on until then."

Firmly raising a fist, Naoko encouraged the idol with glasses while smiling:

"Count on me to support you until then! Ayumi-Chan is very talented, as I could take by watching you perform, and far too kind with disrespectful people! She doesn't deserve to be surrounded by petty rivalries and to have no one to rely on!" Lowering her hand, she warned, "I just want to remind you that our group has never met before and is composed just by Dark-class idols until now. Granted, we expect to help each other to rise through the classes as quickly as possible too, but currently we're still in probation. Also, Megumi-San's career rests on how well she performs tomorrow, so as much as I hate to admit it, we can lose her if she fails. So... I don't want to discourage Ayumi-Chan, but our group is still more of a project than anything else. Still, if you don't mind it, I'm sure everyone will be as happy as me to have you with us!"

The flashing lights from the stage and the show house's ceiling reflected erratically on the girl's glasses, preventing Naoko from seeing her eyes clearly. As such, while she stood silent it was hard to fathom what the introverted girl could be thinking. Ultimately, she nodded as if agreeing with her own thoughts and, bowing, requested:

"I understand it, Naoko-Chan, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for the invitation! Please let me meet you friends. If they accept me, I'd love to be a part of the group!" Standing up, she commented, "Naoko-Chan also said Megumi-San's career rests on an audition occurring tomorrow, right? Well, I know I'll be there on the I.S.S.G.'s headquarter tomorrow for an audition too. If it's not at the same time, I'd be more than happy to cheer for such a kind girl. Which makes me think: maybe it's a good time to join the group for the first time, isn't it?"

Rin excitedly turned her hopeful face to Naoko, and Shiori, despite the shyness, couldn't hide the curiosity too. Smiling, Naoko nodded. Looking for her smartphone around her purse full of CDs, eyeliner and makeup kits, bandages and other items, she exchanged contact information with Ayumi and texted her friends about the girl and her idea. It was already past ten p.m., so she wasn't expecting replies, but Megumi sent them the timetable of her audition and humbly thanked them for the amazing support. Harumi also replied, saying she was eager to meet Ayumi. She said her sister was already asleep, but that she would talk with Sakura first thing in the morning.

From there on the girls used their spare time to take photos, talk and laugh while sitting on a table on the balcony and eating. Naoko also noticed that while the other Intermediate League idols performed much better show than any Dark-class one, no one danced as freely as Ayumi. Inquired, the introverted girl explained she just had a good teacher, a man who knew a lot about dances. According to her, instead of practicing a preplanned choreography, she listened to a song many times and danced how she felt was best for the rhythm and lyric. Of course she had studied many music styles and their usual dancing steps before she came to that, and she was still learning. Once she found movements that suited the song, according to her tastes, she presented it to her instructor for an evaluation.

He corrected what needed to be corrected and polished it, though he rarely dismissed parts of her choreography, saying a dance was a personal form of expression. What he usually did was to show her other possible dancing steps. Once the girl was happy with the results she and her master wrote the choreography down to use it on a presentation. Though creating a custom choreography was not for everybody and a few judges frowned upon it, it usually had excellent results and set Ayumi apart from the competition. That was, in her words, a trump card that let her, a newly promoted Wood idol, to be on par with a few Fire-class idols during auditions, though she knew she had to improve her Crowd Control skills.

It was easy to see that. The other idols, though very skilled and charismatic, appeared to follow their dancing routines, while it was the choreography that seemed to adjust to Ayumi's tastes, body proportions and personality. Her stage character was given special care, with songs that made sense for her. She also mentioned she had two copyrighted songs invented by herself with her personality in mind, one of which being the lyric about a person walking on a beach by dusk under light rain that Naoko considered to be so relaxing and well performed. Two songs weren't enough to produce her own CD just yet, but she told her she expected to have many more by the end of the year, now that she had reached the Intermediate League and had access to better, bigger shows that paid many times more than any she'd seen on the Minor League. Thus, her producer could hire a composer to create her songs.

Naoko was taken aback by Ayumi's composition capacity. That song, "Washed Away Steps on Sunset Sands", didn't sound as if it's written by any amateur. Of course, it wasn't as deep as, say, "Point of No Return: 5 Seconds for Tomorrow", that song the Water idol Umeko sang about a graduating person thinking back about what he or she would do differently during their school years if it's possible, but Ayumi's lyrics were still pleasant. It's also curious that the song about a walk on the beach also had light rain as one of its elements, curiously something that recurred on Shiori's photo's too. Luckily the other copyrighted track Ayumi had created had nothing to do with rain or snow, or Naoko would create even more links between the composer and the photographer. Ayumi showed her song to her friends on her phone. Called "Peach-Colored Pure Shaved Ice", it was a bass-intense, positive song versing about the pure, innocent and idealized mutual love of two teenagers who were afraid of telling each other that they liked one another. It had a little angst at some points, but overall it's cheerful and had a happy ending.

It's good and, as Naoko mentioned, she could imagine that lyric playing during a few anime intros or outros if Onda managed to license it. This got Ayumi thinking, since the girl was not very used to promoting her own work and also was not very interested in cartoons in general. That was still a good idea, nevertheless – one she'd discuss with Onda. That could even get her producer's schedule a little more filled with appointments related to Ayumi instead of things for the other idols of the house. As she mentioned, her producer had three other idols to produce beside her, Earth and one Sea-class girl. The other producer had also a Wood-class idol, along with one Fire and one Sky-class idol. Ayumi was not the highest-ranked idol of her agency, but was the most promising, being the fastest girl when it came to class promoting and was four years younger than the Fire-class idol from the Rainbow Ribbon Track Agency.

As Rin curiously questioned about the process of writing a song, Ayumi tried to make sense of it but ultimately found herself unable to express it in words. She merely did that, though she didn't know how. As she came to tell, she was used to do it since she's a kid, since someone used songs to make her communicate herself, but as she started to talk about that the girl silenced and opted to change subjects. She inquired Shiori about the process of taking photos, and the shy photographer enthused about cameras, angles and a few technical details. Taking pictures like Shiori did was an art just like music, so in a sense both girls had their own ways of expressing themselves through their respective arts, as Naoko came to point out.

The party was so fun that the girls wanted it to last forever. And despite having the presentation of idols after a quarter to eleven, the event itself was really going to continue until dawn. Still, the Aratani eventually called Naoko and Shiori to go, reminding the idol she'd have another pair of auditions the next day. Onda also did the same for Ayumi, and Rin's father started to say goodbye to his employees and co-workers.

Times like that should never end, Naoko thought, but it was nice to know she'd be seeing the cute and introverted but also friendly Ayumi again on the next day. Everyone seemed happy, from Aratani and Onda, who met new business partners and got along rather well between themselves, to Rin, who was thrilled by her first show and Shiori, admired to see people actually though a girl similar to her to be attractive and cute. Ayumi seemed especially content, not only for finding a group of nice and friendly idols, but also for her new friends who weren't idols.

As for Naoko, that night had been astounding for so many reasons it could go on forever and she'd not protest. Though she was anxious for tomorrow too: the sooner it came, the sooner Megumi could perform and everyone's doubts would come to an end. One way or another.
Chapter XV – Proof of Valor

There was no need to rush since Naoko had arrived almost ten minutes earlier than expected, so she took her time to climb the stairs and avoiding shaking the building with her steps. As she reached the final floor and walked to the office, she heard Aratani's voice on the inside, apparently talking in an informal way she wasn't used to hear coming from him:

"Course it's for you, dumbass. Why'd I give something to you if it wasn't meant for you? Do you think I'm stupid?"

The way he talked had no angriness, thought it prevented Naoko from walking in. The girl halted, holding the doorknob without really intending to open it. Another man's voice, probably around the same age as Aratani, sounded on the inside, though it was a little more high-pitched and hoarse, not to mention he seemed tired. It also spoke informally, though with some strange mannerisms that made that person sound like he was used to communicating informally all the time, unlike Aratani:

"Man, why that? You know you don't need to gimme that, man."

Aratani immediately replied:

"Uh... in case you didn't notice, I'm renting your two rooms. So I'm pretty sure I actually need to give you that."

The man Naoko didn't know sounded more like a punk than a landlord, really. At first the girl didn't understand the part about the two rooms, though there was another door on that corridor, in front of the bathrooms, that was always closed. It intrigued her, though the conversation took precedence. The landlord sounded shocked. After a moment of silence, he protested once again:

"Man... No, man, that's... That's way more than this place's worth. Especially with all this trash around, man. I'm... I-I can't, man. I-I know what y'trying to do and I appreciate it, man. I truly do! But you're my bro! I can't take that much from you! You may need it! Do you really expect me to take it?"

"No, man," Aratani retorted, coolly, "I expect you to go fuck yourself and stop being a pussy, and _then_ take it. 'Cause... you see, I'm not retarded like you, man. I know how to operate businesses and I know how much I need to keep going and expanding. You, on the other hand, clearly don't, so shut the fuck up and take it before I shove it up your ass like you deserve."

Backtracking, Naoko sat down on the nearest couch and concentrated on hearing that conversation. They talked like friends. Close friends. So close they could badmouth each other as if it was a common thing. The unknown man, sighing, sounded extremely grateful:

"I... don't know what to say, man. Thanks. Really, thanks a lot." His voice started to tremble, "I don't deserve it, man. I'll... pay you somehow, I swear, man. Somehow I will. I... I know I... You're always the one doing things for me, man. Not fair, man. Not fair. I..."

"Yeah, right. Don't fret over it," Aratani's voice was as tranquil as ever, "Just keep your word, man. If you just stop fucking things up eventually you'll be okay."

Despite his cool attitude he seemed serious on that one. Asking herself what her producer meant by that, Naoko held her breath instinctively, expecting to hear some sort of explanation. It was too much to ask, though, since the two men obviously knew what they were talking about and left it unspoken. Instead, the man Naoko didn't know, the strange landlord, promised:

"Oh, I will, man! I swear. I'm already doing it. Doing fine. I'll pay the interest up with the money and chip the big chunk, man. I stopped wasting it. And wasting my life. Don't worry, man. I'm okay now."

After a long silence, Aratani answered:

"Good to hear that. But if you're not fucked up anymore, why're you looking like shit?"

It was so unreal to hear her producer talking that way that Naoko almost couldn't believe it was the same man she knew. Then again, despite the way he talked he still sounded genuinely concerned about another person, which seemed something he'd do.

"I'm still having some problems to sleep, okay?" the unknown man replied, "But it's getting better. A month ago I couldn't even keep still. But now look at that, man! Still as fuck. Before my hands shook like hell, like this, but now? Now I can even masturbate without risking to break little Shoichi here! That's an improvement, you can't deny, man."

Naoko regretted eavesdropping that conversation, though that man also sounded a little funny. Aratani, however, was funnier in his acid reply:

"You've the guts to call that an improvement. That's the least anyone would expect, man! Shut up and go find a job, you lazy bum. Now that'll be an improvement."

"I'm looking for work, man!" the guest replied, "It's not easy to find, but I'm on it. Of course, I'm not going to find anything as fancy as you, producer-San!" Changing subjects, the unemployed landlord asked with a drained voice but an excited tone, "So, how's business, man? Doing well, it appears!"

Naoko leaned closer to the door, her curiosity piqued. Aratani replied:

"Yeah, going smoothly. Better than I expected for a first month, really. Though not thanks to you, man. Did you already find a place to throw all your trash in or do you really expect me to pay to storage your stuff? Dude, I'm telling you: I'm going to pay to storage it for one month, if you don't find a job and rent a place where you can put this trash by then I'm throwing it out."

"I told you, man! Burn it all up!" the unattached guest said, though Aratani protested, "What's your problem, man? These are all important stuff! Someday it will be worth a fortune and save your sorry ass to keep these things. Stop being lazy and find a way to store it up yourself."

It never occurred to the girl what could be inside all those boxes, though the moment Aratani said it could be worth a fortune Naoko had to practice her self-control not to break the door open and inspect the contents immediately. Praying for a clearer statement didn't helped either, since the landlord, with his usually informal way, already knew the context and instead inquired:

"Why the fuck did you bring up this subject just now, man? What does it have to do with how your business is going?"

"Man, are you stupid or what?" Aratani retorted, "That's an idol agency, not a dumping ground! Do you think any woman would like to come to a place like this? Unlike you, they have standards, man. Especially the kind who can become an idol."

The unknown person sounded teasing:

"He-he, but they can't resist Kouta's smooth talk, eh? How's the girl?"

Naoko's heart skipped a beat. Getting concerned, she glued her ear to the door to hear Aratani's negative reply:

"She's my idol, not my girlfriend, dumbass. And she's sixteen. Got to have some respect, man. I know you've no idea what this word mean, but trust me, respect is important. Heck, she's the one who have respect here! She's far too forgiving. If I was a talented, cheerful bombshell you know what I'd say to a producer with a messy office like this? "Fuck you, I'm out of here." Something like this. In fact, that was almost what happened the first time we met. I still feel sorry for her every time she has to come to a disordered room like this. Thankfully, like I said, she's a talented bombshell. The girl is amazing. Crazy as fuck, but that's part of her show too. 'Cause of it, business was so good for a first month that I can even afford to dispatch your shit to a limbo somewhere by next week and make this place look nice for once."

Blushing, Naoko looked down to her body for a little while and, grateful for the words, smiled faintly even though she tried not to. The unknown man, stopping with the teasing and sounding honest once again, said:

"I'm happy for you, man. You've a heart of gold, bro. If anyone deserves to be successful, it is you, man. Hope things go well for your agency, man. I'll try to set things straight on my end too so you don't need to pick up my slack ever again, man. I'll find a place. I'm sorry for the trouble, dude. I won't worry you anymore, man. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, okay? Also, mark my words: I'll pay this tab off someday if I can!"

After a small pause, Aratani sounded again, chill as always:

"Cool, man, you do that. Now get out of here. My idol is arriving at any minute now."

"Ouch, man!" the unknown person jested, "What, is Kouta ashamed of old pal Shoichi?"

Like Naoko imagined, the two knew each other well like old friends. Because of it Aratani instantly replied, half-joking:

"Hell yeah. Man, you smell like shit, look like shit and seem tired as fuck. I can't even say how many days you don't take a bath, man. You're that bad. She'll think I'm inviting beggars to the office. She has another crazy friend who'd probably like it, but my idol's not one for homeless guys, thankfully. Get lost, man. Come back next month for the rent and until then keep off my lawn."

Laughs could be heard on the inside. Naoko, feeling anxious, sat straight and tried to look as if she hadn't overheard any conversation. Still, the instant the door opened she couldn't help but take an overly curious peek at the person accompanying Aratani. The unemployed landlord seemed more like an unemployed man than a landlord, really. His hair, albeit short, was not so short that could be kept untidy like it was without anyone noticing. It was of a light brown color, like his goatee. He wore a small pair of glasses, though since the circular lenses were tinted in a slightly reddish caramel tone, it was probably more for style and sunlight protection than anything else. Indoors the man even looked from over the lenses sometimes. He was around the same height as Naoko when the girl was wearing her platform boots, around one meter and seventy five or six centimeters tall. He was above average, though still lower than Aratani, but maybe because of his shorter stature he also appeared a little beefier. Not that it meant much, because Aratani was well-fit but somewhat slender, but still. Around his tired brown eyes, dark circles were clearly seen. Naoko`s hypersensitive nose could smell tobacco and sake all over his old looking gray suit coat, haphazardly put together with a black shirt, blue pants and brown shoes. His lips were cracked and his skin was badly kept, making him look older than he probably was. Naoko imagined he'd be around Aratani's age if it wasn't for those things. He walked in large strides and flailed his arms widely in a way that made he seem a bit arrogant, though it was probably unintended because his face didn't seem conceited. Also, he didn't look a beggar like her producer jested him to be, though he did appear a bit happy-go-lucky. Maybe that's why he also looked somewhat funny.

He smiled with one side of the mouth in a similar fashion as Aratani sometimes did. It turned into a surprised face, however, when he laid his eyes on the girl waiting in the corridor.

"Wow. Hum... hello," the man, after recovering from the unexpected presence, greeted her with a hoarse voice and a small bow. Naoko, probably looking a bit scared of the two noticing she had overheard the conversation, smiled back and nodded somewhat edgily. Aratani's eyes, finding the girl sitting close to the door and looking slightly tense, sparkled with some sort of comprehension, though the man opted to ask:

"Ah, Naoko-Chan? Already here?"

"Uh... yes, I... arrived a bit earlier," she replied, "I was going in but I noticed you're talking and... hum..."

Unfazed, her producer turned to his old friend and, in a cool but not overly informal way anymore, introduced the two:

"She's Yano Naoko, the idol I produce. Naoko-Chan, this is Mitsui Shoichi. He's... the proprietor of this floor and rents it for the agency."

Their conversation showed the two were not merely business partners and it seemed a bit fishy for Aratani to not mention the rest. It made Naoko uneasy, though the girl played along and politely greeted that Mitsui Shoichi fellow. He, also respectfully, replied, though he sounded like a person who wasn't used to talk politely and spoke as if he felt it was odd to say such things:

"Ah. It's... a pleasure to meet you... Yano-San. I hope you and... Aratani-San... get along well." In a more frank way, he leaned a little closer and secretly remarked somewhat wittily with a half-smile, "He's a great man. Stubborn like an untrained mule, but great. Just give him a little whack if he starts to get too headstrong, sometimes he needs it."

When Mitsui wasn't being odd in his polite demeanor he actually seemed like a funny guy. His unexpected advice made Naoko smile honestly. Aratani, turning a sour face to the landowner, drolly retorted:

"Thanks for your useless counsel, but she already does that."

Mitsui turned his attention to the girl, and for a moment Naoko lost her smile, fearing Aratani's humorous reply could trigger some sort of unwanted reprimand from his old friend, but the landlord instead joked:

"Good girl! Keep that up." Mitsui turned to Aratani, "You found a girl in her right mind! I'm sure you deserve every smack she gives you."

"I only deserve half of them, now get lost before you compromise me even more," Aratani retorted amusingly. Naoko was too surprised to laugh, but the friendly bickers of the two were entertaining. At first Naoko was concerned Mitsui would seem like bad news, but beyond his arguably badly-kept exterior he seemed a humorous and cool man. Once he was gone Aratani invited her inside the office, and this time the girl couldn't help but notice all those cardboard boxes that, along with a sofa, a few shelves and other unused furniture, cramped the space.

"How long was Naoko-Chan waiting?" Aratani asked while closing the door. Seeing the girl looked a bit surprised and deviated her eyes from the boxes, thinking about an answer before saying she had been there for about five minutes, the man became suspicious. He inquired, "Naoko-Chan, please tell me the truth: did you overheard something?"

The girl stared at her producer for a while, trying to evaluate if he would get angry. In doing so, however, the man got the answer he was asking for. A little troubled, he sighed while thinking back on what they have talked about.

"I'm sorry, Produ-San," Naoko apologized, getting concerned. "I didn't want to, but I just stumbled upon you two talking and I thought it'd be rude to come in... but I... got a little curious too. And... you two speak so loud that... even from the corridor I... Well, I think it was rude all the same... I'm sorry!"

The man, looking to the ceiling and scratching his neck during a moment of silence, said:

"It's okay. I'm the one who should apologize, I think."

Confused and worried, the girl inquired why, to what her producer told:

"Well... I don't know how much you heard of the conversation, but... me and Mitsui usually use some... ah... improper language, I think. I... didn't want Naoko-Chan to hear me talking that way."

Relieved, Naoko dismissed it with a smile:

"Ah, that? Don't worry, Produ-San! I told you I had many male friends. I'm used to how boys... err... and some young men talk to each other when they are close friends." Taking the opportunity, she questioned, "You two know each other for a long time, right?"

Lost in thoughts for a few seconds, Aratani at last confirmed in a less than enthusiastic way:

"Yes. For about twenty years now. I met him when I was six, I think."

"Twenty years?!" Naoko inquired, surprised, "No wonder Produ-San talks so freely with Mitsui-San and vice-versa! So he's not just a landlord, right?"

Nodding, the man quickly changed subjects:

"I asked him to come over an hour ago, but that blasted Shoichi... Well, whatever. What did Naoko-Chan overhear of that conversation, anyway?"

The girl lost her upbeat face. In a slightly worried tone, she reluctantly asked:

"About... since when you paid him the rent and... he said it was... too much... and that this place wasn't worth so much... I-Is Produ-San angry with me?"

Sighing, the man retorted:

"No. "Produ-San" is angry with himself. Naoko-Chan is not at fault here." Looking to his feet, the man thought for quite a while about the conversation, "I think I owe Naoko-Chan an explanation about a few things, right?"

Though Naoko replied negatively, the man noticed just how curious she was. Appearing tired in advance of everything he would have to explain, he decided to preemptively do so in the most succinct way he could:

"See, Naoko-Chan, I'll briefly summarize things for you: Mitsui is an old acquaintance of mine. He's... having some problems in recent times, so I'm helping him."

"The thing about him being unemployed and you renting his rooms for more than what they are worth?" Naoko inquired, and Aratani, looking uncomfortable, hesitantly replied, in an honestly concerned way "Well, that's... most of it, anyway. What I want you to know is that, despite really paying more than what this place is worth, it's a temporary matter I hope to solve soon. Also, it's not so much that'd put in danger the finances of the company. I'd never spend more than I can afford, and I have carefully put aside your payment and some money for improving the agency and investing in you. It's a self-sacrifice for a friend after all, Naoko-Chan doesn't need to pay for my choices too. Naoko-Chan surely deserves more than what I have been able to offer until now, but..."

That was the first time the man talked about her payment, filling the girl with a warm sensation. Even that lost its impact, though, compared to how strangely Aratani acted. The man looked visibly irritated with himself for the first time Naoko could remember. Turning to a cardboard box nearby so he didn't have to face the girl, the vexed producer assured:

"I... I'm trying. I will improve this agency and your standing. Slowly but surely. I... only wish I could do it quicker." Lightly kicking a box, the upset man swore, "The Golden Week will go on until Tuesday and will occupy most of my time, but the first thing I'll do Wednesday will be to send all this trash away and tidy up this place. From there I'll invest in promoting Naoko-Chan the way a girl who scores in her first month half of the amount of show points required for advancing to the next class deserves. I... am sorry for unjustly not having done so already."

Mitsui, who knew Aratani for two decades according to the producer, had mentioned more than once the tall man had a heart of gold, and despite Naoko having already seen glimpses of it, it was the first time she could remember seeing him caring so much and appearing so distressed for a supposedly unjust act of his own. Not to mention a minute before he'd said to Mitsui, "If I was a talented, cheerful bombshell you know what I'd say to a producer with a messy office like this? "Fuck you, I'm out of here" Something like this." Naoko could see that said a lot about her producer and how well he regarded her. He seemed sour and worried. His pensive eyes rested distantly on the box he'd kicked.

Both of Naoko's white gloves held one of the man's hands, making Aratani suddenly snap out of his thoughts. He found the girl smiling warmly to him. Trying to find a good position among so many boxes and furniture, Naoko set his mind at rest:

"It's okay. Really. I can see Produ-San is doing his best! That's all I need." Letting her curiosity guide her, she added, "Though it'll do you no good to kick something that can be worth a fortune, now, will it?" Her eyes gleamed, "Is it, like... something illegal? I won't tell anyone! I swear!"

For a moment her producer seemed surprised. Winding out, the man grinned, teasing her:

"So Naoko-Chan heard it too, huh? Nah, it's no problem. You'd be so disappointed to know what I'm kicking you'd probably do it too. Too bad you don't know."

Since it sounded like nothing important, the curious girl had no qualms to wittily insist:

"Your talented, cheerful bombshell of an idol demands to know what it is!"

In disbelief, Aratani looked a little embarrassed. Vexed, he crossed his arms and joked:

"I hate you, girl."

Smiling triumphantly, Naoko replied:

"Also, talented and cheerful bombshell demands you to compliment her again so she can record it on her smartphone and use it as her ringtone!"

Not expecting that retribution, he laughed out whole-heartedly, saying:

"Touché. I guess we're even now." Teasingly, he talked to himself, "Let me see, should I show to the talented, cheerful bombshell with a Pandora complex the contents of the boxes or not? Hum... Maybe not..."

With a cute and gracious smile, Naoko slowly and menacingly raised a flaming fist, helping her producer quickly make up his mind. The man walked back to his desk and grabbed his car key. Using it as a knife, he cut the silver duct tape that held one box shut. Throwing the key back on his desk, he opened it, and Naoko immediately leaned in curiously.

From inside the box Aratani took of one unframed canvas and then another. Below the two there were more, all piled up. Each presented a partially abstract image. One appeared to be of a cottage by the sea. Dusk, dark-red skies contrasted with the navy-blue ocean and the black soil. The other appeared to be a daytime painting, though gray clouds covered an equally gray city. The buildings seemed to curve over the street as teeth. Red vines, flowers and lush trees invaded the seemingly abandoned city as if an "unnatural nature", as the name of the painting on its back suggested, reclaimed the territory. The canvas that was on top of the pile in the box presented a black background over which thin white lines depicted a pacific seaside village. On the horizon, though, crimson clouds and a hurricane neighbored, as if approaching.

Those pictures seemed either gloomy or foreboding, and sported the same signing. With the exception of the devastated city reclaimed by nature, the other two had a peaceful atmosphere that, nevertheless, felt ominous as if that calmness merely preceded a storm. The brush strokes on the two dark images were convoluted and short, while on the gray one they looked long and somewhat melancholic. The images were somewhat abstract, but not entirely. It's more of a trait from the skies and the background than from the main objects of each scene, with the chaotic brush strokes making the images look blurred. Naoko knew nothing about paintings, but she liked those. They were disturbing in a sense, but also reminded her of a few apocalyptic worlds in video games and other media, which was a perk to Naoko. Aratani didn't look so impressed, though, observing the canvases with reminiscent eyes.

"Are these the things Produ-San said someday would be worth a fortune? Paintings?" Naoko inquired, not disappointed but seeming a little unimpressed once she found out what it was. Her producer, taking his time to observe the paintings without appearing to appreciate it too much, agreed slowly, "Yes. Almost every box is full of those. The works of a madman."

He returned the canvases to the box and turned to face Naoko, who was a little frightened.

"A madman?" she asked, "W-who painted it? Don't tell me... It was Mitsui-San!" Seeing Aratani nod, the girl looked even more disturbed, "Is Mitsui-San... a crazy person?"

Her producer dismissed his own words with a forced but entertaining half-smile.

"Only a little more than me, I suppose. Though art is a thing created by disturbed minds. Any kind will do, as long as it's not a commercial thing, like those formulaic action and romance Western movies, for example. I mean, look at these paintings. It's not something a sane mind would enjoy, though I suspect that's the reason collectors of art likes those things."

Calmer, Naoko could go back to enjoy it and commented

"Don't scare me like that, Produ-San! For a moment I thought Mitsui-San was an insane psycho or something! Also, just so you know I kind of liked those paintings!"

Aratani, smiling sarcastically, reaffirmed:

"Like I said, not something a sane mind would enjoy. Coming from a girl who likes virtual drugs such as video games, my point remains unchallenged."

Forgetting to praise Mitsui's skills and ask about how he learned to paint like that, Aratani practically forced her to hit him. The man, after protecting himself from the onslaught of slaps, finally found time to return to his chair, saying while massaging his arm:

"I never thought about it before, but now I kind of get why the use of the "bombshell" word. Because messing around with you carelessly hurts a lot. You madwoman."

Having fun until the last sentence, Naoko abruptly raised an arm, but her producer quickly changed subjects:

"Okay, okay, let's talk about something else, shall we?" The man appeared to suddenly remember something serious. He turned to his computer and printed a few pages of what looked like a contract, but instead of handing it to the girl, he stored it on his suitcase, hence making Naoko looked puzzled.

"Sorry, Naoko-Chan, but that's not for you this time. This is Megumi-San's subscription documents." Looking at his wristwatch, he added while opening a shelf behind his desk and taking something from there which he promptly pocketed, "Speaking of Megumi-San, we better get going, else we're going to lose her audition. Which is a shame, because I still need to tell you about the two "Hidden Categories", as they call it. Well, I'll do it some other time since it can take a while. For now just do your best and keep up the good work as always, alright?"

They met her on the lobby close to the reception desk manned by that gibberish-speaking secretary that everyone, with the exception of Naoko, appeared to understand perfectly. Megumi sat on a luxurious white couch near a row of huge windows when Naoko and her producer arrived, and despite looking tense, she at least didn't seem frightened. She carried a handbag with her costume and a makeup kit, among other things, and opened a grateful smile as she saw the two coming.

"Megumi-San!" Naoko cheerfully greeted her, "Sorry for the tardiness!"

"What tardiness?" Megumi replied, standing up and looking at her cellphone for a second, "You're a few minutes early. I'm the one who arrived a bit too early. I was... a little impatient."

The girl's anxiety seemed to have reduced a little by their arrival, though she still looked nervous. Trying not to demonstrate her worries about Megumi acting less serenely than she'd like to see her, Naoko briskly asked:

"So, how are you holding up? About the conversation last night, how was it? Did Rin-Chan manage to help Megumi-San even if just a bit?"

Megumi vigorously nodded, and with a bow the girl humbly thanked her:

"It helped a lot! Thanks to Rin-Chan I had a great night of sleep and I think I'm finally ready to do an audition! I can't thank Naoko-Chan enough for getting me in contact with her friend, her nightmare interpretation was astounding!" Megumi blushed, "I was a little skeptical at first, but I was stunned! It was even a bit scary to hear her say all those things about me that made total sense, but even I didn't know about! I discovered a lot about myself"

"What kinds of things?" Naoko curiously asked, " I'm sorry for having left in the middle of the interpretation. I... had a few things to do, but I'm curious as to what you discovered!"

Megumi looked a bit embarrassed, especially because there was a line of girls and producers not far from there. To further add to her difficulty to talk about her discoveries, Naoko received a message from Ayumi asking for forgiveness but stating she was in an audition that was going to finish a few minutes later than expected. And as Naoko turned back to Megumi, two identical girls approached. If not for their hairstyle and because one seemed more outgoing and energetic while the other appeared exhausted, Megumi wouldn't be able to differentiate the two. Naoko, smiling, greeted the two happily and introduced Sakura and Harumi to Megumi and vice-versa. The more outspoken of the twins, Sakura, immediately announced:

"Sorry we were almost late, but I heard if we tossed a coin on each of the four ponds around the headquarters and a fifth on the final pond by the entrance it gives good luck, so me and Harumi ran around flinging coins! I hope it helps Megumi-San!"

Harumi, looking exhausted, said:

"I still think the tradition goes that only the person who tosses the coins receive the good luck benefits, and I'm pretty sure splitting up to cover two ponds each doesn't equate to a full run according to the ritual. But trying to talk sense into Sakura's head is harder than to just play along and run around attracting unwanted attention. I just hope it helps Megumi-San too."

"You two shouldn't have gone to so much trouble just for me! Thanks for your support, Sakura-San and Harumi-San!" Megumi gladly thanked the two. The modest girl had barely enough time to appreciate the twins` efforts before Sakura commented:

"Naoko-Chan told us about Megumi-San! That she helps people and needs to perform well today to keep her dreams afloat! Since our producer was sleeping in the office like always we came to root for you on your last chance!"

Harumi gave her sister a cold stare. Sakura, noticing she'd done something wrong, asked "What? What did I do?!", to what Harumi, sighing, replied in a vexed and caustic way:

"Sakura, remember what I told you about not pressuring Megumi-San? Turns out you're doing it wrong."

The tall idol laughed. Shaking her head, she eased their minds:

"Thank you for your concern, but don't worry Harumi-San. It's okay, Sakura-San is right. And I'm ready for it. As ready as I could get in a week, at least."

Sakura, pestering her sister, showed her tongue to Harumi and proceeded to say:

"When Naoko-Chan told us about Megumi-San and her fear of stages, I created a picture of you in my head. But I never imagined Megumi-San would look so beautiful! Megumi-San is tall and gorgeous! I'd fear nothing on a stage if I was as stunning as Megumi-San!"

"Oh, that's uncalled for! Thank you for your generous words, but I'm not so pretty!" Megumi humbly replied, "And Sakura-San and Harumi-San are outstandingly beautiful!"

Though the twins seemed thankful, something bugged Sakura, who eagerly stated:

"I don't know about Harumi, but I'm sure she agrees with me that Megumi-San doesn't need to use honorifics with us! I hope we can be friends!"

"Oh... Well, in this case... hum... thanks, Sakura-Chan... and Harumi-Chan!" Megumi embarrassedly corrected herself, seeing Harumi nodding in acceptance, and humbly returned the kindness, "I hope we can be friends too! If that's the case, there's no need to use honorifics for me too. It goes for you too, Naoko-Chan! Sorry for not telling you this sooner, I intended to say that to you yesterday but I was so concentrated on my nightmare that it slipped my mind. Sorry."

"No problem! Can I call you Megumi-Chan then?! Yay!" Naoko commemorated briefly before excitedly returning to the first subject, "Megumi-Chan was talking about your nightmare and the things you discovered through the dream interpretation process! Though I can understand if Megumi-Chan doesn't want to talk about it! Rin-Chan already did it to me once, and I know it's probably very personal and some things are hard to say! Don't feel pressured to do it!"

"What nightmare?! What about that dream interpreting thing?!" Sakura enthusiastically inquired, "Now I'm curious! Tell me! Tell me!"

While Sakura looked as excited as Naoko, Harumi and Aratani exchanged cool looks, as if they maturely could relate to each other's situation. The collected girl acidly remarked:

"Sakura, remember what I told you about not pressuring Megumi-San? Turns out you're _still_ doing it wrong."

Harumi's stark contrast to her sister and the bickering between the two made Megumi laugh. Aratani invited her to the line in order to get her confirmation for the oncoming audition, though, so she had to postpone the explanation until after that. Megumi produced from her handbag a contract of her own and presented it to the gibberish-speaking secretary. As she was heading to the photography and dressing room a hurried girl wearing electric-blue contact lenses approached from the corridor that led to the many auditoriums. Ayumi was already wearing a black and blue tiara and frilled dress that vaguely resembled the shape of a maid costume, with over the knee white stockings that hid her few bruises, gloves and shining shoes. Behind her, coming at a slower pace, her producer, Mr. Onda, carried a bag and a case of some sort of musical instrument in the shape of an electric guitar.

"Naoko-Chan!" Ayumi called, puffing, "I'm glad I found you all!" Turning to everyone, the girl blushed. Ashamed, she bowed and said in a whispering voice, "I'm sorry... I'm very late. The audition I applied to had two last minute contestants... and I... had to wait for the results! I want to root for Megumi-San too, but I almost didn't find you all! I'm very sorry!"

With the exception of Aratani and Naoko, the others were surprised by the unexpected approach. Since Megumi had to go change and take a photo for the credited intro in case she ranked among the top five, introductions from Naoko were quick:

"Megumi-Chan, before you go get ready, I want you to meet Yukimura Ayumi. I think we all briefly talked together on the phone back on the show last night. She's a Wood-class idol I met yesterday, and she wanted to know everyone and join the group! Ayumi-Chan, this is Kobayashi Megumi-Chan! And they're Harumi-Chan and Sakura-Chan! Oh, and that man who's coming with an electric guitar case is Ayumi-Chan's producer, Onda Hisoka-San!"

"It's actually a bass," Ayumi commented, and bowed to everyone, saying, "I won't take any more time from you, Kobayashi-San. We can talk later at the auditorium, but for now it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Looking surprised, Megumi bowed back, humbly replying:

"The pleasure is all mine, Yukimura-San!"

"Please, call me Ayumi!" the introverted girl with the mesmerizing blue contact lenses asked with a low but friendly voice, to what Megumi seemed as glad as she was uncomfortable, modestly replying, "Oh, my! I hardly think it's appropriate for someone like me to call a Wood-class idol this way! It's an honor, A... A... Ayumi-San!"

Perceiving the twins also looked impressed, Ayumi shook her head.

"I just reached the Intermediate League recently, until last month I was still a Minor League idol. To be quite frank, I still think myself as one. Maybe it's wishful thinking..."

"Why?!" Sakura promptly inquired before anyone even had time to react, and Ayumi said in an even lower, secretively voice that, though childish in tone, seemed rather mature, "Well... Naoko-Chan can attest to what I say, but... in the Minor League idols are usually averse to each other, though they generally act through cold stares and icy acts. In the Intermediate League idols are much more... openly ruthless. They bad-mouth and mistreat each other. I'm... not a big fan of it." Looking at Naoko, she commented, "It... happened again on the audition. Another unfriendly reaction from a girl just because I had a few problems unplugging my bass from the speakers and took a few seconds longer than usual. It's... not nice..."

The girl looked sad for a second and the mood of the group turned blue.

"Shucks," Sakura mumbled, "And I thought it'd be nice to get class promotions..."

Looking around to the slightly downcast faces – with the exception of Harumi, who merely kept the serious countenance she was more often than not seen expressing –, Naoko quickly cut the bad atmosphere with an upbeat smile and reassured everyone:

"Hey, that's exactly why we need to be together! As a group we can cheer each other up and keep things nice even when there are negative people around! That's why Ayumi-Chan wanted to know Megumi-Chan, Harumi-Chan and Sakura-Chan in the first place!" Lighting smiles around, Naoko stated, "Megumi-Chan, you'll be late if you don't hurry! We'll meet you in the auditorium and we'll talk more there!"

Thanking Ayumi, Naoko and everyone, the girl left on a rush. With the joyous mood restored, Sakura promptly enthused about Ayumi's bass, asking her if she used it onstage, and the idol nodded, saying:

"An instrument adds a whole new level of complexity to any performance. It generally hurts your Dancing score, but can increase your Singing and Devotion ones by a large margin too, provided you know what you're doing! And it adds many bonuses. It's not uncommon to see Intermediate League idols playing instruments, especially when they didn't want or can't resort to dancing. Also there are special events that require it. Thankfully Onda-San got me on classes of an instrument of my choice from the very beginning! I can't stress enough how much it can pay off in the long run, I'd probably not have qualified on this audition I just did if it wasn't for me playing one of the two songs using an instrument. On auditions involving two or more songs where they use only the best scores of all performances, to play an instrument on one shows judges you know what you're doing. Not to mention it can help if you girls want to get in a band! I strongly recommend that everyone learn to play an instrument. With the exception of... drums and big things that restrict movement too much, or flutes and instruments that don't let you sing while playing, anything goes. Though I think there are even special rules for making drums, flutes and the like all viable options during special events despite the impossibility to dance or sing while playing those, so any will do, I think."

Even Aratani took note of it and started a conversation with Onda about the subject while Naoko, Harumi and Sakura talked about what instruments each one would like to know how to play. Naoko and Sakura were captivated by electric guitars, while Harumi preferred less eye-catchy objects, though she had no idea what she'd like to play if she could. In fact, even drums, which were big, would be fine since she wouldn't have to dance and could hide behind something. They walked to the entrance of the assorted auditorium while inconclusively naming instruments to see if any sounded as cool as a bass or an electric guitar.

The talk continued after a brief pause once Megumi arrived. Wearing her lilac sailor suit with white ankle booties and a sky-blue long wig, the tall lady looked even more mesmerizing than usual. Every idol Naoko had seen so far looked at least very beautiful, and yet Megumi's appearance could put four out of every five girls on that room to shame. Though beauty was subjective, Naoko herself wasn't used to being surpassed in terms of prettiness, and still her friend was a good match for her. She could imagine opinions would be divided if people had to choose who, among the two, was the prettiest. Still, unlike Naoko, Megumi acted a bit awkward, blushing and walking embarrassedly even though she was probably used to wearing that outfit. She was just too humble for her own good.

Naoko decided to make another round of presentations once everyone was rounded together at the back of the auditorium, to put everyone on par with everything, like Megumi's charity acts, Ayumi's uncanny dancing abilities and the twins perseverance in face of the hardships created by their clueless, old producer. While Aratani and Onda discussed in hushes whatever it was, the girls whispered about instruments, hobbies, how it was to be in the Intermediate League or to help homeless people and so on. Since every idol and her producer in the room sat in pairs separated from one another, the seven people group at the back of the auditorium caused some curiosity. Not to mention it was probably a little intimidating for some of the other contestants to see so many possible competitors being friendly and getting together nicely like that. As if they were part of an alliance or a band.

While they waited for Megumi's turn Naoko talked about how Aratani always calmed her down before auditions and, mentioning their talks, made even the girls who already knew it laugh. They decided to support each other by attending to one another's auditions whenever possible doing similar things. It was unfortunate that they couldn't currently do the same for Ayumi, since as the girl explained, once Dark idols were promoted to the Sea class they received a medal-like necklace. It was shaped like the I.S.S.G.'s logo, the five-pronged yellow star with a tail-like shape of overlapped, progressively smaller planets. The necklace had seven indentations on its outline. Every time they progressed to a new class they were awarded a small, star-shaped crystal that had to be attached to the corresponding slot. Each class awarded a crystal of a different color. The name of the idol was engraved on the back of the medal, along with her blood type, date of birth and slots for the dates the person was admitted on the I.S.S.G and when she retired.

While Dark-class idols had no such pendant, showing it was a requirement for any accompanying idol to get into an audition she wasn't going to participate. Only idols belonging to equal or higher Leagues of the ones being auditioned could get into a test, so no one could attend to an audition of Ayumi until they got promoted to the Intermediate League. It wasn't nice because Ayumi seemed to need the company badly, but at least they could still exchange text messages and help her in other ways.

It only occurred to Naoko that Megumi hadn't explained what she discovered with Rin's dream interpretation when one of the three judges called, "Next contestant, Kobayashi Megumi". The group silenced all whisperings and turned their eyes to the girl with the sparkling blue wig. Megumi stood up, breathing deeply.

Whatever could be stirring on Megumi's mind was unfathomable. The girl looked nervous, though not nearly as much as she seemed the first time Naoko saw her. Still, despite all the camaraderie, she knew very well it was her last chance to prove herself as an idol. Many people came together to support her on that final attempt, so it was to be expected she felt the pressure despite all the fun and relaxation she had before the audition.

So far Naoko had been the one performing, so she had no idea how it was to wait and watch someone else. In her mind it should be easier to just see others perform than to actually feel the pressure of having to sing and dance. But as she saw Megumi walking away Naoko felt a horrible sensation, worse than when she had to do it herself. She, along with the other girls, smiled and bid her good luck, saying Megumi should perform for their friends on the back instead of the judges. Aratani, though, reminded her she had to look and pose to them if she wanted a good Devotion score, and Ayumi hinted she should act out of her heart rather than worry what the judges were thinking. Everyone wanted to give last minute tips, though there was no time left.

Naoko hoped her face appeared encouraging, because deep inside she had terrible emotions. Her entire body started to itch and nerve-wrecking anxiety she didn't feel even on her own auditions consumed her. To Naoko's shock, she noticed how much she preferred to perform than to watch. Surprisingly, it made her less anxious. Maybe because if she was the one on the stage, she was in control of the situation. She was the one singing and dancing, and she knew herself. She trusted herself. Rooting for others was insidiously enervating and disturbing for her, despite wanting to believe in her friend's skills.

Taking the microphone, Megumi treaded slowly to the center of the stage and stood with her eyes closed for a minute. It was a relaxing technique, not different in appearance from a prayer – in fact, Naoko didn't even know if Megumi wasn't praying – but it made her look nervous. Thankfully her song wasn't a happy one, so she didn't suddenly shine a forced smile to the judges out of the blue. Instead, her countenance became resolute and she firmly nodded to the sound operator. A somewhat melancholic blues song, with a firm beat and long notes that was accompanied by a dry but emotional lyric started. It was one of the songs Naoko's dancing instructor, Sato-Sensei, had suggested. She had also warned about that in spite of being light on choreographic movements, it required precise and heartfelt execution to be believable. If it was properly performed it should be impressive and the lack of a complex choreography was possibly favored by Megumi due to the little amount of time she had to practice, but it was a two-edged sword at the same time. Her score relied on a good, emotional performance. There wasn't much else Megumi could do in the allotted time she had and the lyric was probably rich enough to make the girl feel comfortable to sing it, in a sense speaking about the hardships homeless people endured and their struggles to keep their hopes. But just as much as the diehard character in the lyric, by choosing that song to perform on her final chance Megumi was also living on a prayer.

Aratani discreetly started filming with his cellphone. Onda casually whispered:

"Aratani-San, I know you're probably aware of it, but it's prohibited to film auditions. I won't act against you on this, I just want to let you know."

With a cool countenance, Naoko's producer replied:

"Thanks, Onda-San. Yes, I know it's prohibited. But this rule was made so that what's essentially an evaluated rehearsal don't be seen by the general public in order to protect the idols' images. I'm not going to publicize it, though. I just need to show Megumi-San how much she improved and have some proof to show her producer if she succeeds. Megumi-San urgently needs some self-confidence after such a losing streak and for the same reason her producer will probably need confidence in her idol too."

"Ah," Onda nodded, "I understand. Well thought."

The melody unfolded for some time before a split second of silence that cued the beginning of the vocal performance. With long eyes as if to the horizon Megumi started singing. Her voice was steady, and it became clear by the way she sang with a heavy heart that at least some of the tension she appeared to feel was in fact an emotional component of the music rather than personal anxiety. Her voice started a bit low, though, but it was very melodic. Choreography aside, her movements were a bit shy and some felt mechanical, not a good thing for such a song, but the girl at least sang like she cared for more than just sounding good.

Truth be told, her attire was pink and white while her song was dramatic, even a bit sad. Aratani commented it with Naoko in whispers, and only then the girl could notice it.

"It completely slipped my mind that she only had her previous, cheerful outfit," Aratani commented, not really concerned but not joking either. Naoko got something else to worry about after perceiving it, and since Sakura whispered to her wanting to know what appeared to disquiet her, the girl spread to her friends what Aratani had said. Ayumi, pondering while analyzing the girl dancing with blue eyes, whispered:

"That's right. Megumi-Chan needed another attire. Her wig feels... okay at best and her white booties are acceptable, though a more sober dress would help her a lot. And since her choreography is simple to begin with and she is dancing a little shyly, her Dancing score will most likely not be very high."

"Especially because she dances slowly," Ayumi's producer, Onda, complemented, "she could use extra accessories. As long as it's not too flashy, which would contradict with her song about a poor person, she would receive multipliers that could certainly help."

Naoko and the other girls looked preoccupied, Aratani saw. The man, however, kept a serene semblance and continued analyzing her performance. Despite the inconsistencies, Megumi sang beautifully. She had a dulcet voice. Too bad it had narrow vocal amplitude toward even higher pitches than she already had, as if the girl was not used to speak with variations – meaning, feelings, especially the ones that could make the voice higher, like happiness and fear. Luckily that song didn't require sudden changes, though it did have periods of sustained singing, which Megumi had some difficulties to perform without losing the breath. It was a slow song, but not an easy one for a greenhorn idol to present. Her interpretation had a touching personal flair that felt just right, however, as if memories or emotions stirred in her heart as she sang it. If that lyric about a person trying to survive and keep his or her humanity evoked memories to Megumi or not was hard to say, but it appeared so and transmitted a powerful message.

In a sense, Megumi reminded Naoko of Umeko. Not of the radiant teenage Umeko she had listened on the old CDs she had on her purse and had forgotten to show Aratani, but of the mature, adult Umeko she watched live on the first show she saw. Though Umeko was obviously more used to the stage and had a better trained voice, songs tailored for her and so on, Megumi was not so different in that she also relied heavily on her singing performance. It was also very memorable, though her dancing was half-forgotten. The girl also didn't look too much to the judges and only did three timid poses even though she carried herself with extreme grace, even holding the mic with just two fingers and her thumb. It's very elegant. For such a stunning lady who didn't look timid, it was underwhelming and got Naoko even more worried.

Despite the flaws, one thing impressed Naoko: Megumi stood valiantly on the stage until the very end. For a girl who just a week before had started crying and fled the place, it was a drastic change. She still had quite a ways to improve, but she'd done so much it'd be simply wrong if she didn't qualify. That week was probably exhausting for her. Mentally so, at least. Naoko couldn't even imagine how hard it should be to have a countdown for overcoming a fear, one she had no clue about, until she had to go back to be evaluated again on a process that had already become traumatizing.

As she sang, even if a bit lower than she should, Megumi looked so absorbed in her song that she appeared to know what she was doing. As if she'd been singing it for weeks, not just three days. Her chorus lines were especially spine chilling, and helped her raise her voice somewhat, making her exhibition much better. It was unfortunate the chorus came so late in the song, but Naoko hoped the judges understood her low voice until then as a build-up for the climax. They weren't fools, of course, but Naoko was desperate for anything that could count points in favor of her friend. She deserved it.

She had many flaws the judges could probably see, but the most important thing, her personal fight against her terrors and for her dreams of studying and helping people in need, was unfortunately impossible to notice just by looking at her. Naoko felt it was almost unfair, since that knowledge made her presentation that much more incredible. Just to see Megumi not turning tail, but facing her fears alone on that stage was touching.

Her song came to a long and moving closure. She probably had a few tardy dancing responses due to her focus on singing, but she at least nailed the last cue. Her voice silenced the same instant the melody did and the tall girl froze, marking the end of her presentation before moving again. It had been a flawed but emotional and captivating one. She stepped out of the stage and walked back to her friends, looking a bit dizzy but showing a sudden smile. Looking finally relaxed, she arrived on the group and her friends immediately applauded her. They didn't make noises so as not to call even more unwanted attention, but they showed by their effusive movements how much they appreciated her presentation.

"How was it?" Megumi anxiously asked, and Ayumi nodded with a smile. Harumi also acknowledged silently. Probably they didn't want to talk about the flaws, but nonetheless appeared to have enjoyed the presentation. Sakura, for once, let Naoko manifest herself first, probably afraid of saying something wrong, and that hesitation made Megumi's smile falter a little. Naoko retorted in high spirits:

"It was amazing! We were talking here about a few... huh... things we thought you could improve, but overall? I loved it! Really!"

Not exactly worried, but a little less enthusiastic than before, Megumi whispered:

"But... I committed some mistakes, didn't I? I can see in the eyes of everyone..."

All apologetic faces turned to Naoko as if her friends expected her to ease Megumi's burden in the stead of the others who were incapable of doing so. Naoko confidently replied:

"Well, yes, there were a few things Megumi-Chan could've done... differently. So? Nobody is perfect! And you just had three days to practice! Who cares? More importantly, Megumi-San performed the entire song without running away! You overcame your fears! Wasn't that the thing that prevented you from becoming an idol? Now you can perform! The rest is just a matter of practice! Your producer ought to receive you back now!"

She saw every other girl honestly nod in agreement. Thinking about that for an instant, Megumi's smile brightened up. Appearing tranquil again, the girl finally sat down, sighing in relief. Looking suddenly tired but happy, she humbly acknowledged:

"I... think I did, didn't I? Thanks to all of you! Oh, and the homeless people who helped me too by listening to my improvised rehearsals at the park!" Closing her eyes and sinking in her cushioned seat, she said in a progressively lower voice, "I don't know about my producer receiving me back just because I managed to sing a full song, since that's the bare minimum anyone expects of any idol, but I'm glad I met you all. It was amazing to sing without being subjugated by my fears. It felt good. I just hope I did well enough, I'd like to do it again. Now all that's left is to wait for the results..."

Her voice came to an end and the girl soon slipped into a dreamless sleep. Despite having said she had a nightmare-free night, she looked tired by all she did that week. Respecting her, everyone quieted down for almost an hour. In the meantime Ayumi walked away to change back to her everyday clothes and put her glasses back on in place of the contact lenses, and Naoko, Sakura and Harumi sat a few chairs away to whisper about musical instruments again. It was only after every girl had presented herself and the judges reviewed their tallies to compute the final results that Sakura eagerly woke up Megumi. The girl, though startled, seemed rejuvenated by the nap and, like everyone else, focused on the big screen.

There were forty-three contestants in that audition, a number certainly inflated due to the Golden Week, though two had been disqualified by not showing up. Since the tally was divided in groups of ten, the first screen showed the names of the two ineligible girls and the last place. Then it proceeded to present the results for the thirty-first place until the fortieth, and to everyone's happiness Megumi's name wasn't among them. The result screen, with red outlines and a navy-blue background where silver stars constantly moved around, presented the next ten names, written over round-edged gray slots, and Megumi also wasn't among them. Each page flipped was a small victory silently cheered by the group. Just Megumi, too humble and concentrated, didn't react, her eyes hardly blinking.

The screen changed to the eleventh until the twentieth position, and everyone's hopeful faces were petrified. The inscription "Kobayashi Megumi" was among them, listed in the thirteenth place. Her Singing score was ranked fourth and the Memorability one ranked third, though her Aesthetics earned her just eleventh place and her Dancing, twelfth. Her Devotion score was ranked twenty-first and almost single-handedly ruined her results.

No one cared anymore to see the five names in blue slots occupying the qualifying positions on the page that followed. The group, in silence, turned to Megumi, who kept looking at the screen with a blank stare. Her face slowly became disappointed, and though she tried not to show, she appeared hurt, as if by shame. The girl lowered her face and looked her friends from the sides of her eyes. Seeing her, who had persevered so much, look that way made Naoko's heart also hurt.

Opening her mouth, Megumi appeared to want to say something, but nothing came out. She just leaned forward, holding the back of the seat in front of her. Though she seemed almost as if she was already expecting that, her face grew sadder by each passing second.

No one dared to move or to be the first to talk. Naoko felt horrible for being unable to do anything, and the silence just increased the pressure on her friend, though the more she thought about what she could do, the more she discarded ideas without coming up with anything to say. That has been her last chance, after all. Whatever she could say wouldn't change reality.

After the shock, Megumi sighed. Clasping her hands uncomfortably over her belly, she gave an embarrassed look to all the concerned people there. Aratani seemed the only person who kept a cool face, maybe as if he already expected that result too. No one seemed angry or humiliated her like she probably came to expect, but the sad faces of those around her hurt her nevertheless. The girl, in the limited space between the rows of seats, stood up, being promptly mimicked by the others. She humbly bowed an awful lot and, with an almost muted voice that sounded serene but unsteady, thanked:

"I... can't express... my gratitude for... for everything... all of you... did to me. I..." her disappointed, albeit calm, façade started to dismantle as the girl grew ashamed and her eyes got full of water, "I'm... deeply sorry... for the trouble... I caused to... everyone. I'm... sorry... for..." her voice finally broke and lost its balance "I'm sorry... for failing you all!"

As tears started to roll down and scramble her makeup, the girl abruptly turned and meant to run away. Not even Aratani, who appeared so cool, seemed to expect that. He tried to say something, but it was Naoko who, with lightning-fast reflexes, grabbed her friend's hand before she could gain speed.

"Wait, Megumi-Chan!" she begged, "If you run away we won't be able to help y...! Well... not really "help"... but please don't go! Let's talk!"

Unable to even turn to face Naoko, the other girls and the two concerned producers, Megumi swept her tears ashamedly and hid her face behind her forearm while saying:

"I can't p-possibly ask for any more help! I f-failed again! Please, Naoko-Chan, let me..."

Shaking her head negatively and refusing to let her go, Naoko insisted:

"You didn't fail, Megumi-Chan! You performed your whole song! You even ranked fourth in singing and third in Memorability!"

Sakura, leaping the row of chairs in front of her and running around to flank Megumi and cut her escape route, rapidly agreed to Naoko while also carefully sweeping a tear from Megumi's face:

"And that's even with a bad choice of costume! We're talking about how a pink outfit would screw you over if you sing a sad song like that!"

"Uh-huh! Uh-huh!" Harumi mumbled approvingly and gravely recalled, "And Megumi-Chan only had three days to practice! And she rehearsed in a park for homeless people? That's hardly an adequate circumstance, but like Naoko-Chan said, you performed remarkably well even then!"

Ashamed, Megumi stopped fighting to get free and, hiding her face with her free hand, murmured, her voice affected by the crying:

"I d-didn't perform well!"

With her cute voice tender but her speech direct and analytic, Ayumi rationally reasoned:

"I know Megumi-Chan will find it hard to believe that we're not simply making things up to cheer you up, but everything said so far is true. Look at your Aesthetics score: it was probably maintained by your personal charm and the integrity of your outfit at the end of your rather slow-paced presentation, because your costume is really a poor choice for an emotional blues. Also, you have probably just one modifier, your wig, counting on your favor. Since your dance is slow and your choreography not overly complex, you could wear many accessories to improve your modifiers. It'd certainly make your Aesthetics score go up by a lot. The bonuses would surely help all the other categories too. Also, you sang too low for more than half of your performance and still managed to earn fourth place in Singing, because it was so good. And if you just looked to the judges and posed a few times to each your Devotion would not hold you back! I know because I also have problems with the Devotion category. Overall, for a girl who just learned this choreography three days ago, who had barely any adequate rehearsals and who just a week ago fled from stages, it was a huge success! And that's not a lie. Just calm down and think about it for a second. Megumi-Chan will see she had practically performed a miracle instead of a song."

Staring at the glasses of the gentle Wood class idol as if looking for traces that she didn't mean what she said, Megumi's breath gradually returned to normal even if tears continued to pour. Onda exchanged looks with Aratani, as if asking him something with the eyes. Naoko's producer appeared confident for some reason, but as he breathed to start talking his own idol asked before him:

"Megumi-Chan, what is there more to prove? You can talk with your producer! Like I said before, you already overcame your fears! Now it's just a matter of refining your technique! We all can testify to her that you've changed! Oh, Aratani-San even reco..."

The man immediately jumped a seat and extended his wide arm to shut her mouth before Naoko's loud speech could be heard by other people. Turning to Megumi, the confident man coolly revealed in whispers:

"Naoko talks too loudly about prohibited things, but yes, I recorded your performance to show you and you producer. It may come in handy."

Megumi, with teary eyes, was embarrassed but grateful, and modestly interrogated:

"Aratani-San s-shouldn't have done such r-risky things for me. Hum... Aratani-San? Onda-San? Please... can you two... answer a q-question truthfully? As producers, w-would... any of you... accept back an... an idol... who f-failed, fled from the seven first tries... she had, j-just because of s-some... ah... small improvement on her... last c-contest?"

Though the girl spoke lowly of herself, her eyes were wishful. The two men exchanged brief looks and Aratani politely gestured to his colleague do the honors, which Onda did:

"I would. Megumi-San, producing an idol is not a simple task and is certainly not a precise science either. When we, producers, people who studied and invested in such a profession, choose an idol, we're well aware there are no guarantees she will succeed. We look for hints that a girl would be a good idol and opt to invest or not in her. And you visibly possess many qualities. We can look at the video of your audition and I'll point it to you. Like I said, your producer chose you because she believed in you, but she most likely knew even the best girls are not guaranteed to succeed. She may be frustrated, but I think she doesn't hold a grudge against you. Still, with such an investment your producer probably did in you, it'd be good to see it pay off, even after many tries. There are idols who start slowly and develop into meteoric careers. Furthermore, Megumi-San had no "small" improvement. Going from seven consecutive no contests to thirteenth place while also getting third in Memorability and fourth in Singing with a song you had just three days to practice is a big feat. Your friends are right in what they say."

Aratani, nodding to his peer, complemented:

"Well said. I make Onda-San's words mine. The question is not if your producer would accept you back. Rather, if Megumi-San had faith in her skills and knew for certain she could improve even more and pay back the investment done by your producer, would she like to be accepted back?"

Megumi, with dried up tears but reddened eyes circled by ruined makeup, affirmed without too much of a delay:

"I would, Aratani-San. I thought about it all this week. I... would like it. I... liked to perform on this audition. I know it's not a show, but... before, I tried to look cheerful, and it just felt wrong. I tried to be like I thought my producer would like me to be, I think, but deep inside I feared... having to pretend being someone I was not, in a place full of rivals. But now... I know I could sing songs that speak true to me all along, and Naoko-Chan... and you, Aratani-San... and everyone... stand by me. I don't feel alone anymore. I also understood what made me so frightened of stages, thanks to Rin-Chan. If only I knew everything I now know and had all of you, wonderful people, by my side back then..." the girl's lips started to tremble as she humbly lowered her head, "Though I don't have that faith in myself. I'm not sure I'd be able to pay my producer back even if I asked her for another chance based on a small improvement. It's... best not to bother her... and maybe fail her again."

Sighing, the girl looked sadder than ever as she spoke to the other girls:

"I'm happy, however, to see Naoko-Chan, Ayumi-Chan, Harumi-Chan and Sakura-Chan have bright futures ahead of them," tears rolled down again, though the girl kept her caring smile and humble attitude unchanged, "I... only w-wish... I c-could keep... being friends... with..."

Moved, Naoko and Sakura each got a hold of one of her hands while immediately stating, each their own way, that they'd keep being friends no matter what. That got Megumi smiling, though her face was heartrendingly miserable.

"It is a big improvement Megumi-San had in just a week," Aratani retorted with a chill attitude, "You have talent, girl. I could've thought beforehand that you only had one outfit that was ill suited for your songs and your personality after that change of heart you had. Part of the fault for your failure is mine too. But..."

"No, don't say that, Aratani-San!" Megumi interrupted him, drying up her tears, "Naoko-Chan is your idol! You had no obligations with me!"

Everyone's eyes returned to the tall man, who calmly resumed his speech:

"Megumi-San is partially right, but the instant I decided to help you as a producer, I had to act like one. It was a lack of foresight from my part. Still, I was thinking about your situation for some time, and I thought it'd be to expect too much from any girl that she got everything right on her first attempt. Or, at least, the "first" attempt after so many changes. Take Naoko-Chan as an example: I'm giving her two chances on each Golden Week day. It paid off the last time, because an earring fell from her and she flopped her first try on Tuesday. We learned with our mistakes and corrected it, and on that same day she performed again and qualified. And I thought, "Well, I'm giving my own idol, who is fairly confident in her skills, two tries, so why not do the same for Megumi-San?" Turns out I had your documents with me, so..."

Under everyone's staggered eyes, the man unhurriedly produced from his suitcase the contract Naoko saw him print earlier that day on his office and handed it to Megumi. Shocked, the girl's hands started to shake involuntarily as she got a hold of the papers. Her stunned face gradually got twisted by sudden and overwhelming emotions. The girl extended the contract far away so that abrupt tear that rolled down didn't destroy it. Harumi, Sakura, Ayumi and Naoko, recovering from their astonishment, were electrified. Even the usually more placid girls reacted in overjoyed jumps, while Sakura and Naoko hugged everyone else, including the baffled Megumi, and, jumping up and down, started yelling happily inside the mostly emptied auditorium.

The two producers rapidly hushed the group down before the three judges who waited there for the contestants of the next audition protested.

"Yaaay! Did you know it, Naoko-Chan?!" Ayumi asked, and her friend replied overjoyed, "No! I saw my producer printing it before we left the office and I could've noticed something was odd when Megumi-Chan handed her own contract to that unintelligible secretary, but I didn't pay attention back then!" With an angry face, even though she was in reality more than happy, she asked, "Produ-San, why didn't you tell us sooner?! We're suffering here! Wanted to be a last-minute hero or something, you idiot?!"

With a half-smile, the man directed everyone to the waiting hall outside, under the sunlight that came from the large windows, and replied jokingly:

"What can I say? I like to make surprises and to torture girls a little with delusions," on a more serious tone, he explained, "No. I just didn't want Megumi-San to know she'd have another chance if she performed well enough because it's important for her to do her best on her first attempt. If not, we might've missed clues as to what could be changed. Thanks to it, I can show her how she performed on her best shot and she'll hopefully see what everyone else can see already: that she improved a lot and have potential. I'm sorry for putting you, Megumi-San, through all of this, but trust me, it was a necessary experience."

The crying girl was too embarrassed and shocked to speak, but she smiled and bowed to express gratitude. Onda, looking impressed, congratulated him:

"That's incredibly generous of you, Aratani-San. I'm speechless."

"Humph. I won't be humble this time, it really was slightly generous," Aratani agreed, appearing a bit distressed, "Mostly because I did her subscription today. There weren't many auditions with vacancies left. In fact there was only one, the least interesting of them all. The thing is: during the Golden Week I am registering Naoko-Chan to two auditions each day: a very disputed one and another, to a less attractive gig, just so she can fall back to an easier audition, with less idols and hopefully less prepared girls, if she doesn't manage to qualify on the first one. Turns out Megumi-San's final chance is also Naoko-Chan's second try. There was no other option but to do it. Problem is, they're not only going to be performing against one another, but one can force the other out of the qualifying zone."

All the girls partially lost their smiles. Suddenly concerned, Megumi glanced at Naoko and stared at the contract in her shaky hands. Her expression changed and the girl, crying even more ashamedly than before, extended the papers back to Aratani.

"I... I can't... p-perform... against N-Naoko-Chan! I... am sorry! I know Aratani-San p-paid for it and m-means well, and had a lot of t-trouble just for me, but... I'd n-never... try to... to defeat y-your own idol... and my f-friend! N-Not that I'd b-be able to... but...!

Aratani stared seriously at the copiously crying girl and folded his arms, not taking the sheets back. Naoko, resting a hand on Megumi's shoulder, reassured her with a radiant smile:

"Hey, Megumi-Chan, don't worry! Like Aratani-San said, it's also my second try. If I can qualify on my first attempt there's no need for me to attend to another audition! And even if I have to, there are five qualifying slots, not just one, right, Produ-San?"

"Yes," he agreed, "So it's not the end of the world. Truth be said, I acted on a request from Naoko-Chan and chose for her two shows with a three hour difference, so if she could qualify on both, she'd have enough time to attend both and get two show points." He saw Naoko frown on his disheartening explanation that made Megumi feel bad again, but the man calmed her down with a confident face and proceeded, "Unlike what Naoko-Chan is probably thinking, taking by her cold stare, I'm not telling this to you so as to sap your motivation, Megumi-San, but because I know you're a smart girl. You'll eventually figure this out, and if you do so before your performance it can spell doom to your second attempt. Also, I'd like to point out it's not the end of the world if you defeat Naoko-Chan. She has five star points on her first month as an idol, something I personally never heard about before. Probably it has already occurred previously, but I'm not aware of any girl who did this feat. Not without having previously being part of a band or having experience on stages. She's just that good, and I'm willing to bet it won't be a loss that'll change that. If anything, it'll show you just how good you really are Megumi-San. Maybe it'll even teach Naoko-Chan not to go easy on you, if she does it!"

Unfolding his arms, Aratani used them on sporadic, confident gestures.

"She'll have three other days, six attempts, just during the Golden Week to recoup this loss, while as for you, Megumi-San, I regret to inform I have no tricks left up my sleeve. Now it really is your last chance to prove your valor as an idol and secure your job. I say even though you're not the idol I produce, your situation is far direr than Naoko-Chan's, so trust me on performing today again. Not doing so would be more hazardous to Naoko-Chan than defeating her. And, as she previously said, there are five qualifying slots and a bunch of lesser idols disputing this arguably not all that appetizing audition. If we do the necessary changes, maybe you, who for good or for worse already have five months of previous training, can win. Maybe you two can even perform on that show tonight together. You should seriously consider giving this last chance a shot."

With wet eyes reflecting the sun that came from the windows by the lobby they had returned to, Megumi exchanged looks with her hopeful and encouraging friends. She stood silent for a moment, thinking while looking at the contract on her shaking hands. Naoko, noticing her friend still had a heavy heart, reminded her:

"Don't just think about me and Aratani-San, Megumi-Chan! Think about your dreams! What about your university degree and those homeless people that count on you?"

Megumi's pupils suddenly contracted as her eyes opened larger.

"And that's not all!" Sakura invaded the conversation, "What about us all?! We also want Megumi-Chan to continue with us! I mean, we will keep being friends no matter what, but come on! There are things we can only do as idols! Like... attending to auditions and shows together and stuff!"

Harumi exchanged agreeing looks with her sister and declared:

"Sakura is right. We already have plans for our group, and to lose someone right from the start is not nice. Not to mention you'd be going against Naoko-Chan and Aratani-San's will and wasting everyone's efforts by not accepting to perform on that last audition and doing your best. Naoko-Chan, Aratani-San, Ayumi-Chan, Onda-San, your homeless friends, this Rin-Chan you say, even me and my sister's coins to the lucky ponds, which arguably is far less helpful than everyone else's efforts. Everything will go to waste."

"Not to mention you own producer's trust and efforts," Ayumi recalled with her introverted, low voice, "She believes in you, Megumi-Chan. She deserves to see your best shot. To know she wasn't wrong believing in you. I believe she wasn't. Look how hard you tried to overcome your fears and practiced this week. Naoko-Chan said you even spent your hard-earned money on one dancing class, all you could afford. If anyone deserves to be an idol is you. We, your friends, need you. I.S.S.G. also needs more idols like you, kind and humble. Even our society needs to have positive references like Megumi-San, a person with morals. Today you may be the one being helped, but only time can tell how things will unfold. Maybe someday Megumi-Chan will be a famous idol and be the one supporting those in need. Better than you already do, even. You know better than anyone here that everyone needs help, and to receive it is no shame. Not if, with it, you find your way in life and pass the kindness you received to others one day."

Megumi's hands slowly got steadier while her mind stormed. Tears rolled copiously, but the girl progressively grew used to the idea. Finally making up her mind under peer pressure and agreement with all that was said, Megumi faced her friends with pure humbleness and gratitude. She bowed far more than it was usual to do among friends and acquaintances, her tears falling to the marble-like, white and shining floor.

"Everyone... thanks! I swear... I'll do my best and repay... everyone... however I can!"

Her vow reminded Naoko an awful lot of Aratani's friend, Mitsui Shoichi, and his similar promise to the producer. Despite his magnanimity, while everyone was so glad the man didn't even look moved, oddly. In fact, his face was pondering, almost as if he asked himself if he'd done the right thing. It was only when Naoko smiled gladly to him that the producer came out of his slightly gloomy and uncharacteristic behavior. Sighing, he said:

"Come on, Naoko-Chan. Let's get in line before we're late for your own audition. And you come with us, Megumi-San. After Naoko's audition we'll have lunch, discuss your first performance and go buy a new outfit for you."

Megumi looked suddenly bothered. She hesitantly followed the two along with the others, though she commented:

"I... would love to, but... I... have barely any money left for myself... I... spent my last few pennies on that Dancing class. Which was totally worthy, I might add!"

Knowing very well how it was to be next to penniless since she was on that same situation, Naoko glanced to her producer just to evaluate what he seemed to think. Though she kind of came to expect it, it was also surprising and uplifting to see Aratani react as if he already expected that. In spite of looking for some reason a wee bit sour, just like he acted when talking about his long-time friend Mitsui, Aratani said:

"I was aware of it. It turns out Megumi-San promised me fifty hundred Yen in return if she won an audition, so I might just use some of it in advancement to buy you an outfit."

"But...!" Megumi raised embarrassed eyes, "But if Aratani-San registered me in two auditions, supposing each cost a ten-thousand Yen fee, and you're going to buy me stage-quality clothes on top of that, Aratani-San will most likely receive nothing in return even if I win! Not to mention I can... maybe... not... not win... I'll do my best, I know, but...! That's unacceptable!"

Aratani handed the gibberish-talking secretary Naoko's documents and, turning to find the group's respectful countenances facing him, he replied:

"Tough luck. You know what's unacceptable, Megumi-Chan? You sing heartbreaking songs wearing a cheerful, pink sailor suit and having no modifiers counting for you. That will only net you another loss. If we're serious about you having any real chances of winning, we'll need to make some investments. And I'm serious about winning here." Turning to the secretary and thanking her, he added, "It is just like Ayumi-San said: today you're being helped, but if we play our cards right tomorrow you may be the one doing the same for us or for someone else. Just don't think too hard about the clothes thing or you'll lose your focus and doom our venture."

He gestured to Naoko to go to the dressing room, which the amazed girl promptly acknowledged. Harumi interrupted her, however, apologizing:

"Are you going get changed and photographed, Naoko-Chan? I'm sorry, but Sakura and I need to go. We actually escaped from our office since our class only starts after noon and we wanted to root for Megumi-Chan! Sorry, everyone. I just want to say that you're amazing, Aratani-San! And Megumi-Chan, we'll be rooting for you!"

"Please do your best, Megumi-Chan! Hope you win! Be sure to call us and say how things turned out!" Sakura energetically wished, exchanging contact information with Megumi and Ayumi. She and Harumi departed hurriedly and Naoko did the same, in the opposite direction. As she did, she heard he childish voice of Ayumi speaking timidly but confidently:

"Aratani-San, I'm... moved by you and Naoko-Chan's sacrifices. I can't let you foot Megumi-Chan's clothes bill. Please, let me pay it. I want to help her too."

Ayumi's idea was that she paid Megumi's tab with her own money, though in the end it was Onda who did it, also out of respect for Aratani's endeavor. Megumi didn't want it, but there was no other way. Because of that, initially the humble girl tried to choose inexpensive clothes so as not to burden everyone, but the two producers quickly noticed that and rectified the situation, reminding her that cheap outfits would be a waste of money since they'd not net her a victory.

It occurred after Naoko's audition. Ayumi apparently had no reason to stay, though she also didn't have any appointments until five p.m., and her show would only start by seven. Her producer inquired if she didn't want him to drive her back home and pick her up by four so she could get some rest, but the introverted girl, with a sudden reaction that looked strange coming from her, asked:

"No, please Onda-San!" Looking to the startled people around, she added in a lower and slower voice, "I want to see this through...and cheer for Megumi-Chan. Please."

The man said he had some appointments at the office concerning the other idols and had to excuse himself, but agreed to come back in two hours and a half to buy Megumi her clothes and root for her too. Like that he departed. So did Megumi, to the toilet to clean up her makeup.

Naoko's first audition had more than seventy contestants, though the girl was hardly impressed. After having performed for more than three thousand people the night before she was as calm and resolute as possible, and did remarkably well. In fact, her dancing and singing were among the best there, and that perfectionist girl, Ruby, was nowhere to be found. The other contestants were good, but Naoko was smooth as silk on that one and her cheerful personality, uninhibited by any fear, was mesmerizing. She danced without any care in the world and had fun, going from one side of the stage to the other. Her producer from the back seemed to wave to her, motioning his arms in the form of a square as if trying to say something, though. It was almost at the end of her song that she noticed there were white demarcations in the big stage from where she wasn't supposed to leave.

As Aratani later explained, leaving boundaries counted as if the idol had fell from the stage, which nullified all modifiers she had and added a moderate negative one. Even then Naoko managed to rank fifteenth place. In his calculations, if it weren't for her distraction she would've probably ranked third or so on that disputed audition. The girl, a little disappointed but not really fazed, just like her producer, scratched her head, explaining:

"I think I got carried away by yesterday's show on a large stage and... I kinda forgot I could be auditioned for performing on a two by two stall again... I'm sorry, Produ-San."

Though not happy, the man let it slip with a nonchalant advice:

"At least we know you could've qualified on one of today's main events. Just, for goodness' sake, keep your attention and be careful not to commit the same mistake again, Naoko-Chan. You can't expect me to remind you of everything I've already told you before every audition."

"I'm sorry. I'll be more mindful from now on, Produ-San," Naoko promised, and her producer dropped the subject. The girl felt stupid, though, because Megumi looked even more tense, as if Naoko's loss at the first audition restarted her worries about her friend failing at the second one too. With the help of Ayumi, Naoko eased Megumi's concerns for some time, while they walked around the shopping area and waited in the food court lines. In the end, though, it was once again Aratani who helped Megumi calm down by unexpectedly joking, calling her a bird once again due to the type of food the vegetarian girl chose to eat, rich in grains.

While they were lunching, Aratani showed Megumi the video of her audition on his smartphone, surprising her. Though she didn't want to admit, Naoko could see her friend was content about the way she performed. They started then to go over each of Megumi's flaws and what was good. Ayumi's help was especially insightful and precious. Naoko was so astonished by her friend's knowledge that she casually asked how many auditions she had already been to, and was staggered by the response.

According to Ayumi she had already performed ninety-six auditions and an almost equal number of shows along the two years she had worked as an idol. That included the ten show points she was required to promote from Dark class, the fifteen show points demanded to be promoted from Sea class to Sky class, the twenty required to reach Earth class and, finally, the twenty-five points used to advance to the Wood class in the Intermediate League. The three class-promoting cups she had been part of were also computed in the seventy points she had amassed until reaching the Intermediate League. With the exception of the Dark-class, which had no cups and merely required a special event for promotion, the other classes' cups counted towards the point tally, so for example, in order to reach Sky class a Sea class idol was required fifteen show points, though she only needed fourteen to be accepted in a cup, since if she won, the subsequent show would add the final point.

Including the two shows she had performed as a Wood idol, both being a two-points gig, she had ninety-six tries and nailed seventy-two of them. Aratani was staggered by what he evaluated as a superb streak.

"Usually a good idol is expected to qualify on around thirty-five to forty percent of the auditions she is registered to. Anything beyond fifty percent is excellent. Seventy-five percent, Ayumi-Chan's mark so far, is... outstanding."

"I can imagine. But how much outstanding, exactly?" Naoko questioned, making some calculations "Ayumi-Chan said once that one every twenty idols reach the Intermediate League before two years of performing, and if each year has around fifty-two weeks, it leaves us with one hundred and four weeks. I know they usually have a few months of training before starting to compete, but they also have Saturdays and Sundays on each week, along with the Golden Week, a few holidays and summer break, and whatever. So let's consider they have about one hundred tries during the first two years. To obtain seventy points to go from Dark to Wood class, one every twenty idols, or about five percent, need to win around three fourths of all auditions they perform? Is that it?"

Aratani looked confused and turned to Ayumi, who shyly explained:

"Huh... not really. I didn't say one every twenty idols reach the Intermediate League before two years of performing. I said one every twenty idols _who_ reach the Intermediate League, do so before two years of performing. There are many idols who never reach it, though."

Only then agreeing, Aratani said:

"Now it makes sense. Yes, Ayumi-San is correct. You see, there are around twenty-nine thousand idols currently working on the Idol Star System Generation, if I'm not mistaken."

"Twenty-nine thousand?!" Naoko repeated baffled, and Megumi agreed, surprised.

"Yes," Aratani replied while accessing a few documents on a restricted area of the I.S.S.G.'s website through his phone, "I believe the number of all-time subscriptions is well over fifty thousand, though many give up and a few who already worked on bands before the I.S.S.G. retired along the years. Twenty-nine thousand is, I think, the current number, give or take a few hundreds. Though around fourteen thousand of those are Dark-class idols. In reality, an active idol account doesn't mean the girl attends auditions regularly, or at all. Some are still in training, some just try their lucks on auditions sporadically and so on. Some, like Sakura and Harumi, were just hired by confused or unprofessional producers. Who knows what goes on. The thing is, there're..." he looked at the documents on his phone, "fourteen thousand, five hundred and forty two idols currently at the "Dark class". It's almost more than every other classes summed up. Compare it to the one thousand, two hundred and eighty five idols on the two classes of the Intermediate League."

Naoko asked to see that document. It was a spreadsheet with data for investors. In it there were many financial information that reminded her again of her out of the blue idea to start investing money in stocks, but for the time being she concentrated on the list. There were eight thousand, two hundred and twenty one Sea class idols; three thousand, five hundred and eighty six Sky idols; one thousand, and seven hundred and three Earth idols, composing the Minor League, which had thirteen thousand, five hundred and ten girls; in the Intermediate League there were eight hundred and fifteen Wood class idols, like Ayumi, and four hundred and seventy Fire class idols. On the Major League there were just two hundred and forty seven Metal class idols and fifty-two Water idols. The number was a little bigger because there were five Star idols counted as part of the Major League. Overall, there were Twenty-nine thousand, six hundred and forty one girls and women currently active in I.S.S.G., about half of those full-fledged idols and the rest in probation period.

With incredulous eyes, Naoko inquired:

"B-But... how is it possible?! Where do all these idols come from?! I... I've never seen so many girls here! Even our Dark-class Golden Week auditions have, like, forty, sixty or eighty people each! I know there are many auditoriums and auditions happen for a dozen hours or so on each, but... it's still strange!"

"Naoko-Chan needs to take into account that these numbers encompass all the idols registered and actively working for I.S.S.G. in the world," Aratani reminded her, "Well, it means just Japan, really, but despite this building being the headquarter of the conglomerate, there are other I.S.S.G.'s centers besides this one. Aside from Tokyo I'm sure there's at least one in Kyoto. There is one somewhere in Hokkaido too, though I don't know exactly where, and there might be more. So despite the Tokyo headquarter being the largest of them, no, Naoko-Chan is not going to find all idols here. More than half of them are located elsewhere, I think." Turning to Ayumi, he questioned, "Hum, does Ayumi-San remember why were we talking about all of this in the first place? Naoko-Chan's curiosity frequently derails my trains of thought."

"Yes," Ayumi responded with her usual low voice, almost a whisper, "It was about her question as to how rare was it for an idol to obtain a seventy-five percent qualifying streak."

"Oh, right! Thank you, Ayumi-San," Aratani said, "As we were saying, one every twenty idols who reach the Intermediate League do so in less than two years. It means about five percent of the number of Wood idols, roughly speaking. Around forty idols. The math is more complex than just seeing how much forty idols represent in the almost thirty thousand total, but since the proportion of people among classes is more or less constant seeing I.S.S.G. control it by the number of cups it creates, it's a good start. Divide forty by the amount of idols belonging to each class up to the Wood one, around twenty-eight thousand, and Naoko-Chan will have an idea of how rare it is to find a girl like Ayumi-San. And that's just saying she managed to do this in two years. We're not actually talking about her seventy-five percent success tally, since a girl could just as well take part in two auditions every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for two years, flop eighty percent of them or so and still manage to do it. No one does it because they need to practice and other things, but it's a possibility. Now do you understand why I'm so surprised?"

As Naoko and Megumi stared breathlessly at her, Ayumi blushed, looking down to her dish through her glasses and smiling faintly while thanking Aratani in whispers. The man joked:

"I'm pretty sure we talked about all of this just to answer Naoko-Chan's question of how could Ayumi-San know so much and do such a good analysis of Megumi-San's performance, right? Thanks Naoko-Chan, I love when your curiosity costs us five minutes due to sidetracking."

Sarcastically, Naoko replied in high-spirits

"You're welcome! In any case Produ-San saved time! If you hadn't answered it, my fist would've cost you ten minutes due to being knocked out cold! Let's get back to business then?"

Ayumi's experience and analytical mind proved to be invaluable for helping Megumi not only find her mistakes in the video, but also learn ways to correct it. Her low voice, her lack of eye contact with the judges and the lack of poses, her actions on the stage prior to the beginning of the song, her shy movements, the bad tempo for a few choreographic cues, her stiffness and lack of mobility on the stage, the lack of facial expressions and other topics were addressed. Ayumi also praised her voice and interpretation, her personal beauty, her heartfelt actions, her sincerity when singing about hardships and other things just so Megumi kept in mind she also did things right and had positive characteristics backing her up.

As helpful as it had been, Naoko only got truly excited when it was time to go shopping with Ayumi and Megumi. Once Onda returned they walked around the mall for almost an hour, rushing inside stores and splitting up to see each article of clothe before their audition started. The group discussed what would look best in Megumi while also keeping true to her identity and her songs. It had to be something mature, so bright colors were out with the exception on white. Her white booties were not too extravagant and felt elegant, so they're spared. Since the girl sang about poor people it'd be in bad taste to give her fancy jewelries and overly chic clothes. Megumi was a gorgeous and graceful girl, but she was also very humble.

Dark colors were probably favored, though Megumi said she wasn't very comfortable with black when Naoko suggested a pair of pants instead of skirts or shorts. Everyone agreed, though Megumi humbly commented the pants Naoko chose were black leather ones. Not only the color felt oppressive, but Megumi was also a vegetarian because, in her words, she abhorred animal killings – with the exception of insects. She respected them for their roles in nature, but was so afraid of them she had no problems if someone else killed an insect as long as it wasn't a butterfly and the bug had "attacked" her first. She still disliked people who went out of their way to kill bugs, though.

Naoko thought about a dark gray instead, but it just looked wrong. It was Ayumi who suggested the best alternative: brown. At first Naoko was reticent because no one she knew liked brown, but the way Ayumi put together a costume it just felt perfect for Megumi. The coffee-colored, low waistline-cut tight pants she chose looked mature and stunning with Megumi's white footwear, and Ayumi chose a faux leather white belt to go along. Megumi's only gripe was that the pants were a little too tight, even though it fit her perfectly. The group lost some time until they understood what the modest girl embarrassedly tried to say: it wasn't a matter of the pants being uncomfortable, but that it molded too well around her backsides. Naoko laughed when she understood it and pestered her directly and unabashedly:

"Seriously, the "problem" is that these pants accentuate Megumi-Chan's marvelous rear?"

"Don't say that, please!" Megumi embarrassedly pleaded, blushing and hiding her back against a wall. Naoko, smiling, remembered:

"You act just like me the first time I went shopping with Aratani-San. Relax, Megumi-Chan! There's nothing to be ashamed of! Worst-case scenario Megumi-Chan will receive bonus points for flashing the well-fit behinds of your pants unwantedly to the judges!"

Ayumi quickly intervened, stating "Naoko-Chan is not helping Megumi-Chan feel better!" before Naoko's jokes made Megumi flee ashamedly. The idol with glasses suggested Megumi tied a small veil on her waistline, and Naoko promptly agreed:

"Oh, that's an amazing idea, Ayumi-Chan! This way Megumi-Chan's outstanding ass won't..." stopping to laugh from Megumi's red-face, Naoko toned it down, "I'm just teasing you! But it's a good idea, really! We can make it partially hide her back but not completely and it'll also give some sort of elegance and mystery!" In whispers, she added to Ayumi, "Also, a little sexiness, probably, but it's better she doesn't hear it."

"I heard it!" Megumi, discomfited, announced. Naoko, with half-closed eyes, jokingly whispered to Ayumi again, now fully aware her flushed friend could hear it, "Take note: her booty and bosom are not her only well-developed physical characteristics, she also has well above-average hearing."

Despite that Naoko pestered her friend a few more times before getting done with it and Megumi reacting to compliments as if she was being tortured, not unlike Naoko herself sometimes did when the person praising her wasn't joking, the shopping spree was a lot of fun for the three girls. They got her a white and moss-green veil that they adjusted so that it covered just a little more than the left half of her backside. Naoko then suggested a sophisticated sleeveless white mini-shirt that left the navel exposed and Megumi responded as if she thought her friend was joking, though this time she wasn't. Along with a brown denim vest-blouse, small and made to be kept open at all times, Naoko's suggestion impressed and pleased everyone. Even Megumi acknowledged it was a very pretty combination, though it was a little too daring for her. That time, though, the producers and Ayumi stood by Naoko, and the glasses girl appeased her.

Megumi looked hopeless at first, but she closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.

"I guess... that's one of the things my nightmare was telling me. Hum... I... I'll... try..."

It reminded Naoko she still didn't know about Rin's dream interpretation results and asked her friend again to tell her once she was done. Megumi changed to her new attire in the dressing room and came out of it with red cheeks but a determined face. She looked superb. In fact, she looked even better with her real hair, medium-length and of a lustrous black with a half fringe, complete with a few spikes, than she'd probably do with her blue wig. It felt more genuine and, to someone who tried to look as mature as her personality already was, it was simply perfect.

Megumi promised Naoko and Ayumi to explain the interpretation Rin did for her nightmare once they returned to the auditorium, since there were too many people around the shopping and the girl was a little ashamed. Speaking of which, once they bought her the mini-shirt and the vest blouse Megumi walked back to the dressing room as if to revert back to her plain, everyday clothes, but Aratani quickly called her back and requested the humble girl kept wearing her stage outfit while in the shopping mall. It was the same tactic he used with Naoko and she endorsed it. Though Megumi was very reticent, it helped her get used to it.

To complement it they bought a pair of short, brown gloves and a dark tea-colored beret. Since her choreography was slow and had no gravity-defying tricks, it was safe to buy her a pair of simple, pressure earrings made of brass. They also got her a small copper necklace and a thin armband of the same material. A white wristband completed her looks. To all of those who accompanied her, it looked fabulous, though Megumi still walked awkwardly, as if leaning forward a little. Ayumi noticed it and inquired:

"Megumi-Chan, you're hunching a little. Why is...?"

Though Megumi initially denied it, it became clear to Ayumi why was that so. The mini-shirt Naoko chose accentuated Megumi's breasts. At least in comparison to other girls her age, her bust was large and the shirt had some cleavage. It was further highlighted by the necklace. The girl embarrassedly apologized for not having said anything before buying those things since she didn't want to seem ungrateful. Still, she looked so concerned with it that the others feared she could fall back to her timid acting. Despite that, those items were already bought, so they thought about an alternative.

While everyone was suggesting buying another shirt, Onda, while talking with Aratani, had an idea. Both men wore ties. It was a formal and mature piece of dress, and could somewhat cover Megumi's gap between her breasts. It was hardly a permanent choice, but they had little time to think about anything else. Megumi tried a few ties Ayumi and Naoko chose and finally opted for a small, dark-green and chocolate-colored one. She'd much rather prefer a long tie that also covered her belly button, but that was not among the choices she was given. Still, it eased her mind somewhat. They took her necklace away due to it and Naoko improvised an anklet for Megumi with it.

Her outfit had cost way more than the thirty thousand Yen Aratani was supposed to receive as a profit if the girl won the audition, though it was paid entirely by Onda. Since the parsimonious Megumi troubled herself with the amount of money spent on clothes, when there're so many hungry people out there, and with how much her attire weighted on Onda's budget, Ayumi calmed her by stating with a childish voice full of mature, sound advices:

"Worry not, Megumi-Chan. Wood-class gigs pay at least a few millions of Yen each, so that is no trouble at all. I also understand your point about spending this much in just one outfit when there are hungry people around the world, but once again, I beg that you concentrate on your task. Currently you need it to perform, and hopefully in the future you'll be able to help those people in need much more effectively than you'd do now by giving them a few tens of thousands Yen worth of food. One step at a time, don't lose faith on your dreams now, Megumi-Chan."

Ayumi was a very intelligent person, it seemed. Her arguments were reasonable and, despite being introverted, or maybe exactly because of it, she was very attentive to subtle reactions other people sent off unintentionally. This added to her empathetic ability. She had quite the convincing prowess, and meant well the way she used it. She soothed Megumi's uneasy mind and paved the way for Naoko to change subjects, reminding her she had yet to talk about her nightmare, as long as she wanted to, and the discoveries she made thanks to Rin. Megumi finally did so after they returned to the floor full of auditoriums and Naoko helped her friend reapply her makeup.
Chapter XVI – Sacrifices

Naoko was among the first few contestants, so Megumi postponed it until her friend had performed, instead revealing her nightmare's story to Ayumi so she could understand the interpretation Rin did. There were thirty-two entries and, because of when Aratani signed his idol up for that, Naoko was the fourth to perform while Megumi, being only registered on that morning, was the second to last. It gave them plenty of time to talk after Naoko's impressive presentation. The contestants were already not all that good to begin with and the girl increased the pressure on her opponents with a solid performance, as good as the first of the day, only without going out of bounds. She excitedly thanked Megumi and Ayumi's praises, showed gratitude to Aratani's thumbs up and Onda's congratulating words and immediately inquired her friend about the nightmare.

Megumi thought for a second and began retelling:

"What I'm about to say is... odd even to me, though somehow it makes total sense and helped me overcome my fear of stages. Just... please, please do not to judge me for it. It's a... very cold-hearted message from my mind, I think, but... Well, here I go. So, Naoko-Chan and Ayumi-Chan remember my nightmare, right? I had three coins, committed a mistake of saying "good evening" instead of "good morning" to a person and lost one coin after the world seemed to turn against me, then I fled, found malnutrition-stricken and burnt people in a dark alley, got surrounded by crawling skeleton-like people, ran away from there stepping over their bodies, lost another coin asking for food, discovered I was eating... human flesh, ran away, tossed my last coin to a crowd of pursuers and before I knew I became a famished skeletal person like everyone else. So far so good? Right. Rin-Chan and I made numerous conjectures as to what everything could mean. I had to tell her many... things that happened to me in the past. I'll try to summarize it."

Recording how the interpretation went, Megumi tried to put it in order:

"You see, I... my family esteemed me a lot. We're slightly poor and my parents had to work a lot to make a living. I saw how hard they worked. The first time I noticed it I was eight, I think. I asked for an expensive phone for my birthday. My parents seemed worried, though until then I had no comprehension of how much an average person has to work to live. I always got everything I wanted, not only from my parents but from everyone else, so I didn't know how to value things. I got another phone, somewhat cheaper than the one I asked for, and for a week I complained about it. I don't even remember what I said, but in my memory it was harsh. Today I know how much my complaints about it must've saddened my parents, because I remember my father, on a given day, said nothing and simply left the dining room while I whined, so as not to hear me anymore. I got infuriated and, after some time criticizing his attitude to my mother, I followed him to his bedroom." Megumi's eyes got gradually ashamed and miserable, "When I entered, I surprised him crying. I've... never seen him crying before."

Though Megumi's whispers were so low her friends could barely hear her, she still looked embarrassed and constantly glanced to Aratani and Onda to see if they weren't listening. Naoko and Ayumi already looked startled and sad by hearing just the beginning of her tale, as if resonating with Megumi's feelings. Though her voice waved as if crying internally, Megumi maintained her face more or less serene, albeit ashamed:

"Only then, when I made my father unwillingly explain me what made him cry, that I discovered how hard it was for my parents to make a living. Every coin they received was used to pay bills, buy us food and give us a modest shelter. They couldn't afford to buy me even the cheapest cellphone, but they spent most of their savings to buy me a nice one. It wasn't the one I wanted, but it was expensive nonetheless. After that I started noticing how much they, and everyone else, sacrificed themselves for me, and how I ungratefully never thanked anyone for anything."

Staring at the ceiling, Megumi elaborated ashamedly:

"If I asked a store owner I knew for ice cream he gave it to me. If a boy picked on me in school I immediately slapped him like fictional girls I admired from movies and shows. I could slap them as much as I wanted as long as they had picked on me first and someone would still reprimand them instead of me. And boys usually picked on me. Now I know it was their way of getting my attention, but back then I had no such comprehension. Worst of all is that I could practically do whatever I wanted and was still praised for it. And since I was... a little smart, I think – I always had very good grades – and the director of my school liked me as a second father, he always protected me even when I was clearly wrong. As for my family... Like I said, we barely made a living, but I was treated like a princess. I was very snobbish, not because I was cruel, but because I was clueless. I didn't know the meaning of suffering. I acted as if everyone else was nicely treated by others just as I was. To say... that I'm embarrassed by who I was is an understatement."

The girl silenced for some time, as if trying to control her emotions. Naoko, surprised, respectfully said:

"If Megumi-Chan wasn't the one telling me this, I'd never believe that you're once like that. Megumi-Chan is perhaps the humblest person I've ever met!"

Smiling, Megumi modestly responded:

"Thanks, Naoko-Chan. I hardly deserve your words, but thanks. If I... changed to who I am now, it was due to that incident with my father. Well, that and another one. I got desperate by discovering my parents could go bankrupt if they didn't get enough money every month, so I tried to find ways to help. I didn't know any way to make money, though. Then, one day I discovered people made wishes in temples by spending money, and some even threw coins away. I knew those coins were for wishes, but at that time I didn't know the importance of that act. I... knew it was wrong to... take coins away from a temple, but..."

Facing her staggered friends, Megumi looked down to her legs, appearing in peace with this vexing memory at least, and nodded.

"Yes, I did that. A few times. I took only a few each time so as not to raise suspicion, and waited for an opportunity while pretending to pray. That temple was between my home and the school I studied at, so I passed in front of it every day. Hence, it wasn't all that odd for my parents if I lost half an hour along the way. I had planned every detail of it. I was that mischievous. I didn't tell anyone, but I saved the coins on a secret stash so if my parents ever needed it I could give them. I was very afraid of being discovered doing it, but that also taught me how hard it was to gain even small change."

Megumi glanced to her friend just to see if they're too shocked, but she imagined by their expressions she could at least go on a little more:

"One afternoon, while I waited for an opportunity to steal more coins, I saw an old woman, the last person on the offering area of the temple, start crying as she wished upon a coin. She took a small, carefully framed picture of a man from her purse and showed it to the altar, but in doing so the poor woman dropped it in such a way that it fell behind the ornamented offering area and she couldn't take it back. I watched the old lady, who apparently couldn't even fold her legs, trying to reclaim it for some time. I didn't want to be noticed, but her pain seemed so much that I eventually came to help her. She was extremely grateful and treated me like an emissary of the spirits who came to her aid. It was the first time I remember I felt really bad for being held in such high regards, when in fact I was just a petty thief back then."

Though her friends respectfully shared her pain visibly in their faces, Megumi smiled fondly of her memories instead.

"She started talking to me as if I was an embodiment of those she prayed for. The old lady had a few... problems, as in... her head, but at that time I didn't know it. She told me her only son, an honest and hardworking man according to her, had lost his job a few years before and was abandoned by his wife. After all the happiness he gave her, she wiped him clean of what little he had left and he was forced to live on the streets. When she told me that, I was furious by such injustice. The old lady said that she tried to convince him to go back to his mother's house, but her son refused every attempt. She revealed she was a poor widow and was desperate to give her son another chance in life. She begged me to intercede in his favor while showing me his photo and ardently gave me the coin she had wished upon, instead of tossing it in the coin offering shrine."

Unintentionally Megumi stared at the open palm of her glove as if she could still see the shining object resting on top of it.

"That coin weighted on me, a thief being confused with a divine entity. I understood the significance of every wish that was bestowed upon all those coins I stole, and the responsibility of helping to ease the pain of that woman and her son felt so overwhelming I cried all night long. Though I thought I needed that money for my parents, the next day I brought my stash to the temple and, when no one was watching, returned every single one of them."

Closing her hand and turning her palm down, Megumi continued:

"Then life came back to normal. For months I pretended I never had that experience, though I was constantly afraid my parents would be evicted from home and starve. I was more concerned about them than I was for me, because for some reason I felt nothing bad could happen to me. I counted my blessings, and they're many. People still treated me like a princess, and I could still get free ice cream, slap boys from my school and so on if I wanted. But I also discovered myself for the first time not wanting to do those things."

With a more serious mien Megumi declared:

"I liked the store owner, and when I discovered he didn't magically produced all the ice cream he gave me, but had to buy if from someone else, I got suddenly afraid he got bankrupt. The first time I slapped a boy after that fateful meeting with that old lady I remembered her talking about her son. More precisely, about his ex-wife, who after being treated with love for years, stole all his possessions when he got unemployed and dumped him. That was very unfair and she was awfully ungrateful... just like I was with my father when he bought me that phone. And many other things before that. I was also ungrateful with everyone else. The instant I slapped that boy for something so trivial I can't even remember the reason, I already knew what would happen: the teacher would blame him for doing something much bigger than he really did just because I overreacted like always. Since I always did that and teachers protected me, the boys didn't even bother trying to explain themselves anymore, so they're promptly punished. And it really happened. That time I talked with my father that night and asked why so many boys picked on me for apparently no reason, and he explained me: boys at that age didn't know how to get the attention of girls they liked, and commonly resorted to pestering to get their attention. Especially if they're scared of rejection and weren't used to get the attention of others, the way I was. When I realized they meant the opposite of what they did I recognized how unfair I was. I got afraid one day I became a cold-hearted woman just like the ex-wife of the son of that old lady. I stopped hitting boys."

Hear that was especially heartwarming for Naoko, who always had many male friends, was fond of boys in general and knew well how girls could be as cruel to them as they said boys were to girls. Megumi's retelling of her change of heart got Naoko and Ayumi hooked to her story. The humble idol, looking at the performing competitors at the stage without really seeing them, continued in whispers:

"Little by little I changed my old habits. Of course, I stopped stealing, but that old lady told everyone in the temple about me as if I was some messenger from spiritual worlds beyond, and people got an interest in me. A few even remembered seeing me "praying" a few times before, which got old people from my neighborhood proud of what they thought to be a religious and correct child. I started to be invited to talk every time I passed in front of the shrine, which was every day. I was very embarrassed, but I accepted to talk. Old people seemed to need someone to hear them, and I felt so guilty it was my way of trying to repay them. As usual, they grew fond of me, started complimenting me and bringing me candies and other small tokens of affection. Before I changed, I would've gladly accepted all that, but after I did, it felt wrong. I didn't deserve what others thought about me, though the only way I found of alleviating my guilty was to pay them back for their kindness. In doing so, however, people liked me even more, praised me even more, it made me feel even more guilty of stealing and of being so ungrateful, and I tried even harder to keep up to everyone's expectations. Rin-Chan helped me notice that I was trapped in guilty. I still am, I think, though now I know it."

Turning her face to her friends, her eyes got slightly sad again.

"My guilt drastically increased months after I met that old woman. From time to time I saw her there, and every time I did I felt bad for her. Her son was still unemployed and living under the stars. She looked more desperate by each passing day. She had given me that coin, believing I could do miracles, and her wish was yet to be fulfilled. One day I was invited to talk to the old people at the temple like usual and someone invited me to pray for her soul. When I asked why they told me she had died." Sighing, Megumi closed her eyes and lowered her face so that the brim of her beret covered them, "Not just died. She had... committed suicide. She... jumped in front of a car so that her son got the insurance money from her death. It was... all that was left for that poor woman to do for her only son."

Taking off one of her gloves, Megumi carefully removed the water from her eyes before it overflowed and ruined her makeup made by Naoko. With their mouth agape, her friends exchanged shocked looks, though Megumi had her face lowered and thankfully couldn't see it.

"They told me that old woman had brain cancer and not only couldn't pay for decent treatment, but there was little hope of recovery and only a few months left for her to live, according to the doctors. It contributed for her to do what she did, but... in my mind... it was clearly my fault too. I wasn't... able to keep up to her expectations and... make the wish from that coin she gave me... come true. I... was devastated. From that point onwards I dedicated my life to preventing things like that from happening ever again. Of course... I was frustrated by reality. Bad things happen all the time. It's as Aratani-San one said: I can't help everyone all the time. But even knowing that, I can't help myself but trying anyway. Everything that spells suffering for others pains me to no end. Even if it is against non-human animals."

"So that's why Megumi-Chan is a vegetarian?" Naoko rhetorically asked, obviously knowing it was, though to her surprise Megumi said, "Hum... In part. Actually, while I do condone animal killings, I... admit I like meat. And in nature animals eat other animals. I hate how human beings imprison and murder poor animals for food, but... well, let's say I sometimes slip back to eating meat. I'm not very good at being a vegetarian. In reality I'm vegetarian mostly because of another... thing that occurred... but that's another story. The thing is, the older I got, the more I could do for others, the more I was praised and the guiltier I felt. Thus, the more I tried to do for others again. I developed... what Rin-Chan called "a keen sense for the sufferings and the shortages of other people", and I couldn't have summarized it better."

Turning to her friends, she commented:

"When Naoko-Chan compliments me, I know you mean well, but it just reminds me of all the people who are not as fortunate as me. Some people never get any praise and no one seems to care for them, while I am lucky enough to have many people flattering me and doing everything they can to see me happy. It is unfair. I feel bad for others. I... feel embarrassed when someone says I'm pretty... because that's one of those blessings I did nothing to deserve. Unless you believe in accumulating graces along many lives, but although I believe in a few religious things, I tend not to explain things I see based on that. To me some people were simply fortunate and others not, but to be complimented on something I didn't do anything to deserve is... I feel it's just like when I got my cellphone without deserving it. It's... a double-edged thing. I know I can... hurt people, unwillingly or not... and it... scares me a little. It's... odd. I don't know if I'm being confusing here."

While Ayumi silently listened, Naoko couldn't keep herself from agreeing:

"In this sense we're similar, though for different reasons. But I can relate to that. My father used to censor me for the compliments I received from others. They're generally based on appearance or on my personality, both of which things I have little control over. So... I used to feel bad for being complimented, and was praised even when trying to hide myself under casual and low-profile clothes. In fact, I'm only fine now because I'm here in Tokyo. I feel if I go back home like this, in platform boots, with a fancy white dress and such, I'll probably feel terrible again. Aratani-San used to mock my taste of clothes back when we met. Not to mention... I can understand when you say your prettiness can unwillingly bring pain to others. It's a twisted logic, but I know how it is to feel bad about having a supposedly positive trait."

Ayumi's eyes seemed reflexive as ice and distant for a moment. The girl came back from deep thoughts but preferred not to manifest them, instead waiting for Megumi to proceed, which she did humbly and concernedly:

"I'm thankful it's relatable. Not everyone is capable of understanding it, unfortunately or not. Some say it just false modesty and concealed vanity. To make it worse, some compliments I receive are... over the top." Hesitating, she explained, "One homeless person that used to go to the temple I frequent went as far as to nickname me... err... "Megami". According to him, based on my appearance, kindness and because I was always seen on a temple. Now many homeless people I visit when I distribute the donations the shrine receives call me that way. I get it's something of a joke and shows respect and gratitude... and I know they think deep down it should make me happy. I just... can't feel it. They don't know how much pressure I feel when the call me "Goddess". It's as if I... revived that day that old woman put the coin she wished upon between my hands instead of in the offering area. I feel like it's a praise that comes with an expectation I'll never be able to... to... Well, you get it. I'm no goddess, I'm as mortal as the people that call me that. And just as powerless too."

She put her glove back on and looked at her hands. With a serious face, she humbly told:

"I knew I seek power when I looked for an idol position. Being famous, having money, having a legion of fans... it holds social power, no matter if I didn't want to admit it. Though I thought I sought this power for others. Just for others." She clenched her fists, looking burdened, "However, as always, I was wrong. Rin-Chan, through my nightmare, showed me that. I didn't seek this power for others. I did so for myself."

This time Megumi shocked her friends so much that even Ayumi, who was quiet until then, questioned, "What?! For... you? B-but... Megumi-Chan, what about... all you said about the homeless people?!"

Megumi glimpsed to her friend with a pair of tired eyes from below the beret brim.

"I care for them. I care for them more than I care for myself. That's the problem: I care for everyone else more than I care for myself. That's what that nightmare was telling me," she breathed loudly, her face not really sad but disappointed, "Since I was eight I'm constantly worried about others. All I do is calculated so as not to hurt anybody and help everyone I can so I don't feel guilty. It so overwhelming that my mind is not at peace even when I sleep. If I receive a compliment I feel bad for every person in the world who wouldn't have the same luck as me to earn that praise. When I help others, all I want is that this guilt go away."

Her eyes got progressively filled with sorrow and disgust from whatever was occurring inside her mind.

"The guilt of being... who I am. Of not having the problems other people have. Of knowing I can be ungrateful like I was in the past and people would still like me. Of knowing they would still want to be around me, and trying to push them away would only make them suffer even more. In my nightmare, it was represented by me being surrounded by people in a dark alley. As they crawled around me, I got so horrified by the weak, destitute beggars I ran away, even if it meant trampling some of them. I just want this maddening guilt to end. But it never fades away. I always wished something happened and all the problems of the world were solved... but, as my nightmare and Rin-Chan showed me, it is just because if no one else had problems, I wouldn't feel guilty anymore. I can't even begin to describe how much I worry about it. I even... I hate to admit it, but Rin-Chan helped me realize I went as far as to... to envy those who can ignore the suffering of others. In the end, to live a life trying to appease everyone is... maddening. For more than half of my life, no matter how short it'd been so far, I lived as if... caged. Restrained by guilty. Trapped in madness. I want power to help others, yes, but ultimately all I want with that is relief. I want to be free from my guilt."

Megumi slid slightly in her seat and took away her beret to run her fingers through her silky and lustrous black hair. This unconscious act was noticed by her concerned friends because the girl forcefully clasped a tuft as if she wanted to pluck it out from her head along with her problems. Naoko tenderly held her friend's hand and caressed it. Her fingers slowly loosened up and Naoko was able to take Megumi's hand away from her hair while the girl ashamedly stated:

"I would trade all the money and fame of the world for being once again at peace. Not like I was when I was a kid, though! I was irresponsible, unfair and unthankful. No, I... know I learned many valuable things through these years. To respect others, to work hard, to be loyal, to... be thankful... and not being arrogant... Many things I wish to keep. But... I just wanted it to stop. If I wasn't so thankless and insensitive back then I wouldn't have forced my family to buy me an expensive cellphone and nothing would've happened. Now I live every day of my life as if any wish other people have that I leave unfulfilled will ultimately lead someone to... jump in front of a car or something because I'm incapable of helping others and paying them back for their kindness, adding to my guilt. I'm sorry... Naoko-Chan, Ayumi-Chan... for having caused so much trouble to all of you." Megumi's face looked very sad and ashamed, "Trouble is all I ever cause to others, anyway."

Ayumi and Naoko rapidly exchanged concerned looks, and the girl with glasses objected:

"That is not true, Megumi-Chan. Like you said, no matter what others think about you, you're just human. You can only do so much for others."

"Ayumi-Chan is right! Megumi-Chan is too harsh with herself!" Naoko added, "You can't blame yourself for being unable to do everything other people think you need to do or to be! I know it's not fair what happened to that old woman's son and it's awfully sad the fate she had, but you can't carry this burden! You're no goddess, no angel, no nothing! You're not what she thought you were and you don't have to pretend you are! My father expected me to be different somehow and that alone already made me have horrible arguments in my house, it must truly be maddening to be expected by everyone to help them all! What, are people really that stupid to throw all of their burdens on the back of a girl?"

Megumi relaxed her countenance. Sitting straight again, she denied it with a smile:

"No. People aren't like that. I'm sorry if I made it sound like others are constantly expecting things from me. I thought that to be the case until I talked with Rin-Chan, but then she showed me it is actually me. I'm the one who thinks that's the case. I'm the one who thinks I need to surpass everyone's expectations so as to pay for the kindness I feel I undeservedly receive from the others. The problem is not in the people around me. It is all mine."

While Ayumi's eyes glowed with a sudden comprehension that appeared to ease her mind, Naoko continued looking troubled and asked:

"Did... Rin-Chan really told you this? That the problem is yours?"

Noticing Naoko seemed frustrated when mentioning her friend, Megumi explained:

"It's not like that, Naoko-Chan. The way you say it, it's as if what you understood from Rin-Chan's words was that it didn't matter everyone expected things from me, it's my problem. In fact it's the other way around: I feel guilty and do things for others. Eventually people come to understand I do whatever I can for them and come to expect it, but I'm the one creating this bad habit on the others. Sure, they look at me and maybe think I'm... good in some sense, but it is I who constantly try to look for whatever the others think of positive about me, feel I don't deserve those thoughts, feel ashamed for receiving something I don't deserve, try my best to deserve it and, in doing so, end up trying to surpass expectations other people probably didn't even have to begin with, though they come to have after I do something for them. Those expectations and the undeserving kindness are all in my head! You see, Rin-Chan's explanation gave me what I searched for a long time: a way out of this craziness! Because if I'm the one responsible for feeding the expectations of others, I can also stop doing it and be free! I was my worst enemy, possibly the only one, this whole time! I was the one leading myself astray."

Only then, with comprehension sparkling in her eyes, Naoko understood what Rin meant. Ayumi, who appeared to have grasped it a while back, went further:

"So let me see if I understood. Megumi-Chan feared being highly regarded by others because she transformed it into guilty of undeserved merit and kindness and created expectations for yourself in order to "pay back" the gentleness you received. That expectation weighted on you and you feared not being able to accomplish it. This fear was the one that prevented you from performing on stages. Is it?"

Ayumi's keen mind left Naoko awestruck. Megumi, also surprised, confirmed:

"Ayumi-Chan managed to summarize it in a way even I wasn't! I got to say Ayumi-Chan is exceptionally intelligent! Yes, that's exactly it. Picture it: if I felt encumbered by expectations I imagined one person could have, multiply it by the number of people looking at me on a stage. Also, judges were really evaluating me, so I thought I had to surpass their high expectations, and the way I should do so was by defeating every other contestant. At the same time I felt it would make them suffer, so I felt like it was an extremely egotistical thing to do. I had to win, but at the same time I couldn't win. It was a deadlock that appeared impossible to overcome. Rin-Chan solved it with ease, though, by pointing that my nightmare told me this stalemate came from my own expectations for myself. I was the one feeling unworthy. Hence, I felt I never deserved anything good the others could possibly think about me, and tried to pay them back for their undeserved generosity, least I could imaginarily provoke bad things like my parents starving or that old lady killing herself."

Thinking about it for a second, Megumi inquired:

"Though I said the results of the interpretation, I didn't say nothing about my nightmare, now that I recall, right? I and Rin-Chan discussed it a lot and there are many nuances to each element in my dream, but I'll keep to the most important aspects. Briefly it goes like this: I had those three coins, which represented my remaining energy, will to act, sanity, time or whatever important thing I had depending on the context. When I committed a mistake by wishing that person a good evening rather than a good morning, the world seemed to become scary for a second to represent how I see people every time I feel I failed them or didn't meet expectations. As if the man gave me something good by knowing and liking me and I dismissed him or responded poorly to him. An undeserved kindness, if you will. I lost a coin because, like the coins of the temple, I wished that wasn't true and wasted my energy finding ways to set things right. I lost, like usual, so much time worrying that, in my nightmare, I got distracted looking around for the coin I knew I had lost forever. As if I'm constantly trying to find ways to correct those mistakes from my past, even though I know I'll never be eight years-old again. Time just passed and will never come back, so I'm on a fool's errand by trying to correct the past rather than my current situation."

While Naoko was as intrigued as Ayumi appeared to be, it seemed absurd that a small part of a nightmare could have so many details. It's hard to say if the mind was really as mysterious and powerful like that, capable of crafting amazing stories without the person even being fully aware of it, or it was just Rin's imagination that was too fertile. Anyway, if it made sense to Megumi, and it appeared so, Naoko was more than happy to go with it.

"I lost time and found myself in a dark alley full of charred and famished people that surrounded me, crawling around. Their charred appearances suggested they were so desperate they could go as far as to cook one another to eat. I already said it represented me thinking so many people adored me no matter what I did, and I could hurt them if I was not careful, but at the same time they were so hungry they could even try to eat me. That represented how I portrayed the expectations of others that drained me of my energies. To flee from those expectations I had to hurt people, though only because I was the one who committed the mistake of going into the dark alley in the first place. I was the one who created those expectations and put myself at a dead end every time."

Putting her beret back, the humble girl shook her head slightly so as to force horrible reminiscences away and continued explaining:

"I paid another coin for a steak. Now, I'm a vegetarian. I love meat, but I try not to eat it because of a thing that happened a few years ago involving poor animals. Let's just say I feel bad just remembering it. It... was my fault. Rin-Chan even went as far as to say I most likely have some other issues that manifest in the form of food. I want to be a nutritionist, after all. In her opinion it has something to do with me wanting to nourish people, though she said it was hard to say since she'd just met me and dropped that reflection. I thought it was intriguing, though! I still want to talk to Rin-Chan again about this and other things! But I digress. In my nightmare I discovered the steak was a part of the sad attendant's arm I paid for in hopes I never came to be like those impoverished people. It meant someone always had to pay something for my delusions. I wasn't the benefactress I painted myself to be since I expected something in return from every person I helped."

Megumi stopped, blushing and appearing too embarrassed to say what it was, so Ayumi, pondering, answered it for her friend:

"Devotion," Naoko, raising an eyebrow, inquired, "Devotion? By giving her a piece of the person's own arm? Why? If you said you're talking about that strange I.S.S.G.'s category when you were fleeing from the skeletons I'd comprehend. Like, Crowd Control... and stomping monsters... err... people that attacked her. Things like that. This would've made more sense to me."

"I... don't follow this logic," Ayumi retorted shyly, and Naoko dismissed it, "Never mind that, "Crowd Control" is used in video game jargon to talk about attacks, techniques or ways someone, almost always the player, has to destroy mobs of enemies or force them to do things you want. Forget it. So, what's with the devotion thing with the steak guy? Is what Ayumi-Chan said correct, Megumi-Chan?"

Ashamedly, Megumi confirmed:

"Y-yes. It is. What that man did was an offering. He gave his own flesh in exchange for something. It's... hum..."

The girl quieted down again. Ayumi, one more time, got the humble and embarrassed girl covered, explaining the meaning of that:

"Remember Megumi's nickname is "Megami"? A "Goddess" receives offerings from mortals to intercede for them. She probably had expectations, did whatever that was and expected some kind of retribution from the others, as if they were to devote something to her in return."

Seeing Naoko's confused and startled face, Megumi was quick to whisper:

"That was the way my mind found to tell me that the noble reasons I had for helping others also included something I wanted in return! Rin-Chan explained me people's minds don't care if what they think is immoral, if it gets the message delivered, so be it! So I... huh... I'm ashamed of this, but it showed me important things. Also, it's meat, something I love but force myself not to eat. O-of course, not human flesh! Just other kinds of meat! In my nightmare it represents desires I have, but which I don't manifest, and those desires are for that retribution the others would give to me after I "paid" them with my attempts to surpass the expectations I thought they had. This retribution I seek is peace of mind. I sacrifice myself for others, though deep down I want them to do the same for me. To make it look like everything is alright so I don't feel guilty anymore, even if in reality things are not alright and they're suffering." Megumi looked down, "I... told Naoko-Chan and Ayumi-Chan it was a cold-hearted message..."

Completely lost, Naoko reluctantly almost agreed, but Ayumi timidly contested it:

"I... may not be you and my diverging opinion may not matter on this subject, but I don't think it as a cold-hearted message. From what little I gather, Megumi-Chan's mind is not telling her to expect things from others, but rather warning her that's the way she is currently acting. Truthfully, Megumi-Chan's nightmare seems to be scary exactly because of things you're doing wrong. You are the one creating those atrocities, just like you said you're the one producing the expectations that ultimately make your life painful, am I correct? To me it almost feels like your mind is not advocating that you do these things, on the contrary. It's trying to scare you away from these habits and show you, in a roundabout way, that your acts, though good, have bad consequences. I could be wrong here, though. Even then, I don't think a message telling you to expect others to give you some respite from your worries is a cold-hearted one."

Flushed but glad, Megumi smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Ayumi-Chan. Your words... are really appreciated. That was what Rin-Chan told me too, though I'm still trying to fully comprehend it. What I can say is that the message on the last part of my nightmare appeared more uplifting, informative and less cold-hearted to me despite the appearance it got there being terrifying, so I like it better. Basically when I fled from the restaurant, a group of poor, famished people tried to rush me. I could face them without a problem, but I didn't want to hurt them, so I ran and tossed my last coin so as to prevent them from reaching me, but in doing so I became one of them. A person without coins that begged and was kicked around by those who had. Horrible imagery, but the meaning of it is that if I keep doing what I do, believing I need to repay others for kindness I don't think I deserve and expecting me to do impossible things for everyone, I'll eventually lose my time, my will, my way in life, my hope... everything. I'll be the one wishing for a miracle."

"How is that supposed to be uplifting?!" Naoko asked in disbelief. It unwantedly made her friends laugh, and Megumi joyfully admitted:

"Naoko-Chan has a point! Though, in reality, the uplifting aspect of it is that it's a warning of things that aren't real... yet, at least. Things I can change. I was afraid of facing those people fearing it would hurt them, but they didn't represent people. Rather, they represent my fears and my expectations. I'm afraid of hurting others by not attending to their expectations, but in fact it is not theirs. It is mine. Comprehending I am the one who creates my phantoms eased my fear of stages, and I think once I fully understand why I don't feel worthy of being positively regarded by others I think I'll be free! Of course I still want to see others be happy, but if I'm free I might be able to do so in a healthier way."

For some time the trio ceased the talk, as if the conversation was over. Naoko found all of that to be fascinating, though very complicated. She needed some time to chill out. Ayumi, on the other hand, contemplated the mystery for a long time and eventually spoke in whispers out of nowhere:

"Perhaps it's not a matter of feeling unworthy of praise and esteem. Perhaps you fear the lack of limits imposed by people who liked and admired Megumi-Chan. You said you were treated like a princess and could do anything, right? Perhaps you fear the lack of limits would make you hurt people you also like. Just like you did to your family, who love you, but did everything you wanted to the point of spending their savings on a cellphone for you. Maybe Megumi-Chan fears not being responsible enough to enjoy the freedom the other give to you without misusing it?"

At first Naoko officially gave up understanding it, but she surprisingly comprehended the part about Megumi being treated like a princess when she was a kid. Even now the girl said she knew that if she did some bad things people would still stay by her side. It made sense that she feared she could hurt those she loved. It was the way she acted to Aratani and everyone who helped her. While Megumi was still trying to figure it all out Naoko immediately replied:

"Wow, Ayumi-Chan! It makes sense! It's like how she fears to fail Aratani-San, me, you, Onda-San and everyone who supports her! Who supports her... Hey! It is also the way she talks about her own producer, now that I think about it! Doesn't Megumi-Chan constantly says her producer was too kind to give her seven attempts? Maybe she thinks this supposed lack of... How did you put it? Lack of limits! Maybe she fears this supposed lack of limits is what can make her hurt those she like if she isn't careful enough!"

Little by little Megumi's eyes shifted from confusion to a state of enlightenment. The girl, in whispers, murmured to herself, pondering:

"Perhaps... if I fear to hurt people I love like I did to my father back then, when I unknowingly asked something he couldn't afford to buy... but he bought me what he could... then it'd be reasonable for me to fear a lack of limits..."

"Wait!" Ayumi startled her friends with a sharp interruption, "Megumi-Chan, I just noticed it: you said you unknowingly required your father something he couldn't do and he sacrificed his savings to purchase what he could. Isn't that exactly the same as you did and still do? Someone gives you a coin expecting something impossible, and still you burden yourself trying to find a way to do that! Your producer gives you a chance at being an idol and you expect nothing less than winning every audition without making anyone sad. Aren't you... like..."

"Repeating the same mistakes from my parents!" Megumi comprehended it abruptly. She automatically stood up from her chair as if she'd received an electric shock from her seat. Bringing her gloved right hand to her forehead, the girl spoke to herself in whispers as if she didn't even notice she was still on an auditorium, "I... remember that after I discovered I could've bankrupted my family I decided I'd do anything to repay my debt to them! I think it was the first time I ever considered having a debt! From there I started worrying about the store owner's debt and the ones I had with the boys and... That's it! I was trying to do to my family and to those I loved the same sacrifices my parents did to me at that time!... In the nightmare I think Rin-Chan and I found something about my reticence of becoming like those skeletal people, a group who groveled around other people's feet, meaning they did every whim the others wanted! I was afraid of becoming that, but my parents and many other people did that to me, and in repaying them... in "giving coins"... I ended up just like them at the end of the nightmare! In fact, I do the same mistakes my parents did by trying to do more than they could!"

She stood almost a minute in silence, thinking while still standing, before resuming her whispers:

"And that part of the meat... about something I want, but that I don't let myself do because it can hurt others? That's what I fear, isn't it? I want things from others, like I wanted that cellphone, but my parents practically had to... to pay with sweat and blood, to spend what they couldn't, like... if they really paid with their flesh for it! The attendant looked very sad too, just like... my father after I complained about my gift so much! Maybe... maybe I'm even punishing myself for making my father cry like that! What is unquestionable is that I'm mirroring with others that same lack of limits my parents, in the best of intentions, did to me! Only now I'm the one trying to please everyone around me by doing the most outrageous expectations my mind can muster up! It's as if... I... Hum... It's as if I expected to prove them I'm sorry by... or maybe I'm trying to learn to impose limits to myself that weren't imposed by the others... Or... Well, anyway, I'm forcing myself to do impossible things for the others when they haven't even requested so much, and being ashamed by failing. As if I... was stuck being a guilty kid..."

The girl suddenly noticed she was standing and her two friends along with their producers stared at her, quietly respecting her meditation. Blushing, Megumi sat down in a hurry, thankful for not having been interrupted but almost even more thankful for sitting on the last row of seats, by the wall on the back of the auditorium. Just the idol at the stage could possibly have seen her, but Megumi was too excited with her discovery to care about that.

Right until the last minute before being called to the stage she was silent and reflexive. Naoko started to worry her friend would not be focused for her presentation. She only briefly asked once to Megumi "Do you think you're okay to climb on the stage?" and her friend confidently nodded before returning to her contemplation, so Naoko had nothing to do but trust her. At least Megumi looked radiant and entertained in her deep thoughts.

"Next contestant, Kobayashi Megumi," a man in his late forties, wearing a wine-colored tuxedo, announced through the microphone from his seat by the judge's table. The girl raised her face, her eyes staring the auditorium as if she had just waked from a dream. She stood up calmly. At first it seemed like she wasn't even interested in the audition anymore, as if she was happy and had already obtained what she wanted, though it only lasted for a moment. Naoko looked troubled and Ayumi quietly observed her tall friend stand up. Megumi, reading their faces, smiled and, with an appreciative and humble attitude, but for the first time not unnecessarily humble, she tranquilized them:

"Ayumi-Chan and Naoko-Chan seem worried. Please don't. I'm readier than ever. This conversation didn't ruin my focus, I swear. It helped me get rid of useless obstacles in my mind, or at least start to do it! Your help was immense! I'll do my best – what is humanly possible for me to do – to show it to you all." Bowing, she added in a higher voice so that Aratani and Onda could also hear her, "Thank you, everyone."

Her reaction eased Naoko's worries somehow, though she couldn't quite explain why. As Megumi treaded down the ramp that conducted to the stage, Naoko glanced over to Ayumi. Nodding as if understanding something, the Wood idol stared back to her friend, noticing the confusion in her face.

"I'm happy that Megumi-Chan looks glad, but did Ayumi-Chan get what happened for her to be this way?" Naoko quizzed, looking lost, "From what I can understand she just discovered she committed the same mistakes her parents did. Her parents didn't impose limits to her so she has to impose them to herself and didn't learn to do it to others. So?"

"It's more than that," with a serene countenance Ayumi responded, turning her head to the stage while the lights of the room shimmered on her glasses, "From what I can grasp, Megumi-Chan understood she was probably punishing herself for what she did to her parents. It wasn't just about making her father cry: she really believed if she asked too many things her parents would do what she wanted and end up bankrupt and starving. As such, she'd also suffer. It's as if her spontaneity and desires could doom herself along with the others. So she didn't impose limits to do what others asked as a way to unknowingly repent for that, and as a way to limit herself."

Seeing the girl step on the stage and hold the microphone calmly but firmly, standing a few seconds in silence as if organizing her mind, Ayumi hurried to explain the rest:

"Either this or she looked for ways to show herself she had learned to be responsible and that the fear of destroying those she loved was no longer an issue. It's not just a matter of "learning" to impose limits to expectations of others, or the expectations she thought others would have for her. Maybe all she wanted was a definitive proof of her valor as a person who can help others instead of ruining their lives. Megumi-Chan seems this concerned about the power she has, for whatever reason, over many. To be called a goddess, even if by joke, probably shows how much some people let her influence them. It scared her until now. From what I feel, she understood the expectations she imposed to herself were limits she artificially created for her so she didn't go over the top and ruined someone's life, or her own."

As her song started and Aratani got back to capturing videos discreetly, Ayumi stopped talking, though Naoko was still puzzled and, drawing closer to her friend, whispered:

"Let's suppose that's the case. That her parents loved her so much, that she was very sociable, that her arguably stunning appearance captivated everyone to the point where many wouldn't dare to do something she disliked just so they could continue to be by her side or that for whatever reason people don't limit her behaviors. So she understood that if she's not responsible she can hurt others because people are far too lenient and don't fend for themselves. I still don't get why she seems suddenly so... peaceful."

Evaluating Megumi's performance while thinking about Naoko's question, Ayumi said:

"My theory is that she's appeased because she understood what's the reason for her to unwillingly create those expectations that burdened her: to limit herself in order not to hurt others. Those limiting expectations were her creations, but she couldn't even tell it: for a long time she thought it was something that came from the others. In a sense her mind conjured what she always wanted: limits coming from the others. Only it was nothing more than an illusion, and one she outgrew. The thing is, Megumi-Chan is not an eight year-old anymore. She said that. Those years of penance matured her into a respectful, caring and humble lady. It's already part of her now, she'll not go back to being a spoilt and insensible princess."

Ayumi turned her face to Naoko, so close they were in order to whisper as low as possible that her glasses almost rubbed her friend's nose:

"From what I can tell, she understood it. Hence, there's no need for her mind to keep fabricating limiting fantasies now that she's responsible and knows how not to ruin the lives of others. If she comprehended all of this like I think she did, her fear of herself, the one Megumi-Chan said to be her worst enemy, most likely subsided. Because of it she's no longer burdened by fabricated limiting beliefs and expectations."

Turning again to the performing girl, Ayumi concluded:

"What she said to thank us before leaving, about doing her best, what is humanly possible anyway, most likely mean that her head stopped creating false limits in the form of expectations since her fears of herself were mitigated. That's what Megumi-Chan wanted, from what I gather: to unchain herself and go beyond the limits her fears forced her to create. I think she found her freedom, or at least started to find it."

Naoko didn't know if she was more amazed by Megumi's serendipity and realization or by Ayumi's empathy and razor-sharp intellect. Apparently only her and Rin could make sense in the mess of nightmarish revelations and cast light on overly convoluted mental processes of a person they still barely knew. Of course Ayumi relied on the information Rin had already unearthed, but the way she gave it a logical explanation as if assembling apparently disconnected pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to compose a beautiful image was awe-inspiring. Naoko thought about asking her how she could have such a brilliant mind, but Megumi's performance was already half way through and deserved some attention.

It made Naoko feel happy, but a little useless. She could only be thankful to have met Ayumi. Without her help Megumi would most likely not have reached the conclusions she did since Naoko alone would be clueless as to what was happening. In reality, if she hasn't met either Ayumi or Rin things would've probably not have turned the way they did. In a sense it was just like Miwa and Shiori: without Miwa Naoko would've probably never have become friends with Shiori – or with practically anyone else, for that matter. And since Shiori was the main reason Naoko got so interested in Ayumi at first, without the photographer by her side she would've probably never have met Ayumi too. Not to mention if it wasn't for Harumi and Sakura, Naoko would've most likely never have dreamed about creating a group of friends to support each other in the idol industry, and Ayumi would probably not be watching Megumi's performance at that occasion.

This thought sent shivers down Naoko's spine. If anything had been different, if even one person hadn't been met, the consequences could've been disastrous, just like pulling a card from the bottom of a house of cards. While Rin and Ayumi had managed to piece together the mental jigsaw puzzle of Megumi, Naoko gradually came to understand she had also played an important part in that process by aligning a true human constellation. If any star was missing the final shape would probably be incomplete. Moved, she realized she hadn't been so useless to that miracle after all.

And it looked like a miracle. Megumi, who just one week before was paralyzed on a stage and ran away in tears, seemed another person entirely. She projected her voice unabashedly in such a way that even without a microphone her friends would've listened to her from the back of the room. She stared back at the judges without evading eye contact, and though her song wasn't cheerful enough to justify smiles, she posed, nodded and gestured to the examination board. Her choreography, while simple in terms of movements, was unrestrictedly heartfelt.

She sang that blues as if telling a story. An encouraging story of a somewhat poor person who, despite hardships of a scary world, struggled to survive, even if committing some mistakes in the process. A person who fought to keep his or her humanity and dreams alive while pursuing happiness. Naoko only then came to realize that song Megumi insisted on singing didn't just illustrate the reality of the homeless people. Maybe not even knowing, Megumi was singing about herself too. Perhaps that was the reason why she sang a song she had learned just a few days before as if had always been a favorite of her through her entire life.

Her execution was incredible, and while her dancing was simple, it had meaning. Along with Naoko and a few others, the girl was among the prettiest idols in that auditorium, but that seemed secondary to the emotional message she professed.

Truth to be said, her mind still seemed full of thoughts that hadn't settled down, so she lost a few dancing cues. In a simple choreography with not so many moves, to flop even one was a big problem, and the girl, still not used to stages, looked stiff on it. Her arms seemed free, though her legs didn't move as much and were too close to one another, though it appeared to be more due to habit than to shyness. Her voice also started to tremble at the end, as if she was about to cry while singing the last chorus. Her movements were also not very well-trained, though it was comprehensible: she had just three days of practice, and only a few hours on each night to practice, tops.

The only real problem was that, during one movement, her shaky hand, too moved not to tremble, dropped the microphone, making a loud noise. That was because Megumi held it with unspeakable elegance, though only using two fingers and her thumb, as if tenderly holding a flower. The girl humbly caught it back and continued singing normally, unfazed. It was a serious flaw that would most likely produce a penalty and almost caused Naoko a heart attack, though Megumi's calm reaction to it alleviated the mistake somehow. Not enough to calm her friends – even Aratani instinctively raised from his seat as that happened – but it minimized the fault a bit.

Though she still had a lot to improve, her face was serene and confidence oozed out of her. Despite a few flaws, including one major mistake, Megumi was a sight to behold. Her maturity was evident and had a magnetic charm. Naoko knew she would be devastated if that mic drop cost her friend the qualification, though somehow Megumi seemed not to appear too concerned. She was doing her best, after all. That was all she could do and she was happy by it. Though it would be sad if it happened, her smooth reaction filled Naoko with joy. That was the proof Naoko wanted to see that her friend was okay. She hadn't reacted in a frightened or embarrassed way. Megumi had truly overcome her fears and broken free of her shackles. Her stage persona wasn't even a mask, but her genuine self, still in need of practice but having transcended the limits that kept it from shining for half of her life.

As it came to a conclusion, the girl bowed to the judges and walked out of the stage with large, free steps, looking deeply moved by her song but otherwise untroubled. Detecting anxiety in the faces of the producers and her friends, she looked down and bowed, apologizing:

"I'm sorry for dropping the microphone. My fingers were shaking." She smiled for a moment, "I did my best! Though I don't know if it'll be enough."

Aratani, still holding his phone and playing the video he just captured to see if it worked, commented, a bit worried but not as much as the others:

"If Megumi-San didn't drop the mic I'd say it would have been more than enough for you to qualify. It'll probably cost you many points and a penalty, though, so I don't know if you'll make it among the first five places, but even then, I don't think that's a big concern anymore. Your performance was solid per se. Coupled with the fact that you're performing a song and a choreography you had little time to practice, wearing an outfit you're still uncomfortable in and having apparently many things on your head right now, it's safe to assume your producer will be proud of you and will want you back. Of course, if you still qualified it'd seal the deal, no questions asked, and it'll be a pity if you don't just because of a mistake you can practice not to commit. For heaven's sake, girl, don't you ever hold a microphone with just the tips of two fingers and your thumb, especially when doing a movement! I'm still a bit shocked that it happened, but I don't think your producer will reject you just because of a mistake. I don't know her, so I could be wrong, and after failing seven times with her, to do so two more times is... a bit preoccupying, so I can't guarantee anything, but since you showed so much progress I imagine she'd... give you another chance. Whatever's the case, that's for her to decide, we did our job here and already got what we needed. Good work, Megumi-San."

His arguments soothed the others somewhat. Naoko and Ayumi were still a bit concerned about the lack of guarantees that Megumi would be accepted back after yet another disqualification, though. That wasn't the case with Megumi, however: she was particularly glad to hear that she still had a chance to recover her job, almost to the point of making her cry. Even the faintest spark of hope kept her aflame. And since Megumi was the second to last contestant, she had little time to be anxious.

After one last performance the judges started discussing in whispers. Naoko felt a painful void in her stomach. She barely remembered she was also a contestant at that audition, she took her qualification for granted among so many mediocre opponents that all she cared about was to see how Megumi fared. Though she had a bad fumble, her performance had been so incredible that, compared to most of the other idols, there was still a small chance she qualified, or so everyone wanted to think.

After another torturing minute, the final table of results was displayed on the screen. Megumi wasn't among the last positions and neither between the twenty-first to thirtieth place, which was to be expected. As the page shifted to the next ten names, to everyone's excitement Megumi still wasn't there, meaning she could only be ranked among the top ten. While a few girls and producers around the room stood up and started walking away, not wanting to see the names of the winners, unconsciously everyone on the last row of seats leaned forward a bit, in expectation for the oncoming page. Naoko sat at the edge of her seat, almost falling from it, her eyes peeled. She even removed her dark-lustered fringe away so it didn't disturb her.

The final tab was ultimately revealed and everyone's eyes moved to the five blue-colored slots at the top of the page. Naoko's full name crowned it, though figuring on the first position for the first time ever felt incredibly meaningless. Megumi's name appeared on the sixth place, only two points above the seventh out of the five hundred total points she could net.

While it was a superb result given the circumstances, everyone's expectations were quenched. They seemed a little disappointed, though not with Megumi. Rather, by seeing her get so close to winning and having performed excellently for the most part, only to be kept off of the top five. Naoko turned her frustrated eyes to her friend, almost expecting her to need some consolation. Megumi lowered her head to face her crossed legs, appearing a little ashamed, but at the same time she nodded as if agreeing to something on her mind.

"Megumi-Chan?" concerned, Naoko called her compassionately, though she didn't know what to say. Ayumi, trying to seem positive, bashfully said, "Hum... congratulations!"

Raising her head, Megumi smiled, though a little forcefully.

"Thank you, Ayumi-Chan, though Naoko-Chan deserves to be congratulated much more than I do. Congratulations on your first place, Naoko-Chan!"

Trying to look grateful despite only feeling worried, Naoko replied:

"Thanks. But Ayumi-Chan is right in congratulating you! If it wasn't for that mistake, Megumi-Chan would've also been high up in the table! How cool is that?! Megumi-Chan more than proved she can be an excellent idol, right? Her producer will accept her back, right?!"

Naoko looked around to see if others agreed. Onda, even looking a bit reticent, concurred:

"I'm fairly sure her producer would. Megumi showed she has the potential to win. With some practice and correcting a few mistakes, I'm fairly sure Megumi's producer will see she could become a successful idol."

"How much "fairly sure" represents in a one hundred percent scale of certainty, exactly?" Naoko questioned, disconcerting Onda. The producer, scratching his head, replied, "Hum... I can't say for sure since I'm not acquainted with Megumi's producer. About... ninety percent sure? Eighty, ninety percent? I can't say for certain, but when Megumi-Chan talks with her producer and shows her that video, I'm confident things will turn out well."

Naoko looked even more concerned. She couldn't figure out how would Megumi, who had so many problems asking others for favors, would be able to convince her producer to let her keep her job. While Naoko agreed Megumi had improved, she still had not proved herself completely. Sixth place was still not good enough if only the top five qualified. For all she cared, Megumi only had a streak of nine defeats. That was not a good argument. Sure, she had achieved thirteenth place on the previous audition and sixth now, so she had an upward trend, but trends weren't hard, cold facts. What if instead of relying on possibilities of success her producer instead analyzed her one hundred percent loss tally, a perfect score of nine out of nine defeats? No shows were performed and, worst of all, mistakes still happened due to her emotions. Before she cried and ran away. Now she looked like she was on the verge of crying and her hands left the microphone.

Knowing Megumi was not the most persuasive person in the world and frequently settled for less than she could or admitted defeat before she should, Naoko's imagination started fabricating worst-case scenarios. What if Megumi was unable to explain that her shaking hands on the current audition was due to different factors than the seven times she trembled and cried of fear on the stage? What if, though explaining, Megumi wasn't convincing? That girl could easily acknowledge if her producer said even one that she was still fired, throwing away all of her efforts.

While Naoko looked nervous, Megumi was elated and declared:

"Those are excellent odds! I would never dream about having another chance like this. I cannot stress enough how grateful I am, everyone! Thanks, many thanks!"

Megumi bowed the same instant Naoko, disturbed, replied:

"Eighty percent?! Does Megumi-Chan think these are excellent odds?! That's almost a flip of a coin! Give or take a few percent..."

Grinning, Aratani teased her:

"That's rich. Why am I never recording when Naoko-Chan speaks these kinds of things? This is prime material for laughs. I think I'll make a poster of you and quote that phrase on it. "Eighty percent is almost a flip of a coin! – Yano Naoko". I just expect no fan... no one sees it."

"I was being dramatic, in case you can't tell," Naoko rebuked and Aratani retorted jokingly, "Say that to posterity."

"Argh! Forget I said that! Listen, what I mean is, it is not guaranteed Megumi is going to continue being an idol, right? "Fairly sure" is not the same as "sure"! I mean, I know she performed amazingly and improved a lot, but let's be realistic here: she didn't qualify! Her feelings made her shake and almost cried! I know this time it occurred for different reasons, but say _that_ to her producer! On the video before this one Megumi looked a bit shy on the stage too. And before that, she used to run away from her performances! I know she got much better, but... Can't we help her? I don't know, can't we... go talk with her producer along with her... or something?"

Even Megumi wasn't concerned like Naoko and tried to tranquilize her:

"Don't worry, Naoko-Chan. There's no need for you or anyone else to do even more than what everyone already did to me. Onda-San is right, odds are good. I mean, my producer spent a lot of money on me already, so another loss won't do me too much good, but... that's part of life! That's why Onda-San said there's no guarantee, though I think she will also need to spend money on other idols she hires too, if she does it. And if she still thinks I'm not trustworthy enough... That's fine, too, I deserved it."

Getting so concerned Naoko almost looked angry, she pointed it out to everyone:

"See?! That's the reason we still need to help Megumi-Chan! Maybe she won't... be convincing enough! Maybe she... will... like, accept what her producer tells her instead of trying to persuade her! Come on, everyone! How many times did Megumi-Chan's humbleness make her settle for less than she deserved?! She didn't want us to buy clothes for her a few hours ago! To defend our point of view is a thing I, Onda-San, Aratani-San and Ayumi-Chan might take for granted, but remember Megumi-Chan actually tried numerous times to persuade us to do things that were actually bad for her! She tries her best not to trouble anyone, and I know she changed and all... but come on, you can't expect a person to change so radically in just a week! Her changes are impressive when we look at how she performs on a stage, but she still said that if her producer doesn't think she's trustworthy, so be it, she deserved and so on! Doesn't it serve as proof that she still doesn't fight for what is right, but rather for what won't cause others trouble?!"

Looking to Megumi, who seemed embarrassed, Naoko caringly proceeded:

"I believe she will correct this quickly now that she had a change of heart, but that might still take some time, and we don't have any time left! That's her last day as an idol unless she convinces her producer otherwise! How can everyone expect her to do so all by herself?! She still doesn't have the confidence and didn't yet... ah... find in her mind... the reasons that keep her from being assertive... or something, like she did to her fears of stages! She's much better, I know, but to be assertive and fight for your point of view is not something you learn overnight, it takes time! If we don't help her one last time, there's still a possibility, no matter how small, that things go wrong due to Megumi-Chan's lack of experience in standing for what's best for her, even if it means troubling others."

Noticing she was worrying others, Naoko toned it down a bit:

"I don't want to be pessimistic here and I believe in Megumi-Chan, but... I just don't want to lose her, and I'm sure Harumi-Chan and Sakura-Chan would also be sad! Sorry for worrying, but to me even a one percent chance of Megumi-Chan not getting her job secured is still unacceptable. Can't we go talk to her producer with her? I mean... as long as Megumi-Chan isn't offended that we do..."

Everyone got quiet. Megumi, ashamed, gently and humbly asked while bowing slightly:

"I'm sorry... for worrying you so much, Naoko-Chan...

Seeing Megumi's reaction after all Naoko said got Ayumi concerned. She slowly opined:

"I... hate to admit it... but I can see some logic in Naoko-Chan's arguments. I still agree that Megumi-Chan's producer would most likely accept her back, but not without some persuasion. And... I think we have a tiny problem when it comes to Megumi-Chan's influencing skill... or lack thereof. Sorry for the bluntness, Megumi-Chan... I genuinely believe you're on the right path to developing it too, I just... can't see it happening in an hour or two. I still think the facts speak for themselves... though the facts can be interpreted differently depending on the listener. Naoko-Chan is correct to say a person can either see her improvements or that Megumi-Chan has nine defeats, and depending on how's her producer, especially if she had already found another idol to produce... some argumentation might be required."

Though they were technically criticizing a flaw of her, generally something people never did, Megumi could see her concerned friends pointed that just to justify their apprehensions and convince their producers to give her one last nudge they imagined her to believe. It was embarrassing that the humble girl's lack of persuasive skills inspired so little confidence on others that they felt the urge to help her even then. As she thought about politely refusing it, however, Megumi noticed that would only strengthen Naoko's argument that she refused to trouble others even if it meant problems for her. That actually made Megumi see that Naoko could be right: her lack of assertiveness could still ruin everything – her dreams, her chance to study at university, even wasting all the efforts of others –, even if the chances were small. Of course, Ayumi also said something true: it all depended on whether or not her producer already had another idol candidate in sight. For these reasons she embarrassedly didn't manifest herself.

The two producers exchanged calm but progressively concerned looks. Onda said in a low voice, in theory only for Aratani, though the girls could hear it somewhat:

"I'm sorry. I... Ayumi-Chan needs to leave in a few minutes or she'll be late for an appointment by five p.m. Though... I can see what Naoko-San is saying. Hum... What does Aratani-San think about it? Do you think... there's need for worry?"

Scratching his head, Aratani uncertainly replied:

"Chances that something goes wrong are really small. I... don't think Megumi-San can screw this up... though Naoko-Chan does have a point when she says that Megumi-San has nine loses and not a single win and Ayumi-San also raised a valid point when recalling Megumi-San's producer can already have other candidates. This could make her less welcoming to persuasion. I think Megumi-San's improvements far outweigh all, though I understand one needs to be a bit convincing to pull it off. We could... Wait, no we couldn't."

"What?" Onda questioned, but Aratani dismissed it, "It's nothing. It occurred to me we could try to contact Megumi-San's producer and talk to her by phone from wherever we are, but that's hardly suitable. The problem is, Naoko-Chan also has her show by six p.m., so we can't delay here for too long and I don't know if Megumi-San's producer would be able to arrive here in less than half an hour. That is, supposing she would even accept talking with us, technically rival producers she had never met. For all she knows, we could easily be trying to persuade her into accepting Megumi-San back, a girl she still don't know that has changed so much and had two more defeats, just in order to jeopardize her business. It... seems hardly fit that we interfere..."

Onda agreed, crossing his arms while thinking:

"Aratani-San is right. Unless Megumi-San calls her producer and we just happen to be around because our idols are friends with her. I could come back... though Ayumi-Chan has a show by seven p.m. on the other side of the city too... Or maybe... we could... call Megumi-San's producer to a meeting elsewhere, where we could attend to... Though I don't know if her producer will be able, and willing, to go there. Or maybe... after the shows... No, wait, it'll be too late. I forgot that's Megumi-San's last day and her producer needs at least some time at her office to cancel the resignation order. Hum..."

The two men seemed a bit lost. Though they weren't as concerned as Naoko was and Ayumi came to be, maybe believing her producer would see a point in maintaining her even if the girl said nothing in her defense, that'd depend on Megumi's producer temperament, budget, if she had other options of girls, if she's irritated with Megumi or not – had she made it clear to her or not – and other factors. A few could be guessed by Megumi, but others not.

While the two men discussed the subject, Ayumi turned to calm down and encourage Megumi, leaving Naoko with nothing to do but to listen to both conversations. The girl, sighing, faced the big screen that showed the results. Though her name was in first place for the first time, it felt like a void victory. It was so frustrating that Megumi had dropped the microphone that Naoko had to concentrate not to get angry with her friend. She knew Megumi wasn't at fault there, no one had told her before to grip the mic more firmly. Megumi was so elegant and delicate in her way of moving that Naoko felt it was a natural thing just like everyone else. She couldn't complain about a thing even Naoko didn't notice before. It's just that seeing Megumi's name so close to the leaders was maddening. If she had performed just a little bit better – even better, that was – she could've got fifth place and wouldn't have to discuss anything with her producer. Her job, like Aratani said, would be secured, no questions asked.

That wasn't Megumi's fault alone, though. Naoko had also committed a big mistake on her first audition, so she couldn't complain. If she hadn't done that, she would've ranked among the top five on her first audition and could even choose not to participate on the second one. She knew Aratani had chosen two shows with spaced-out starting hours so she could've performed both, but if Naoko had one gig to do she could simply forego the second audition. If her name wasn't there, Megumi would've been ranked fifth.

For some time the girl's eyes contemplated the screen with a blank stare. Out of the blue an idea suddenly sparked on her mind and Naoko's body shook as if electrocuted. Glancing at Megumi, that was still talking with Ayumi, Naoko walked to the two producers. Her starry eyes immediately silenced their conversation and they turned to hear the girl. In secretive whispers, she questioned:

"Sorry to interrupt, but something have just occurred me! Produ-San, Onda-San, what would it happen if one of the idols on the top five decided not to perform on that show? Would there be any problems for her? Because Produ-San once told me it wouldn't! Also, what would happen to the sixth place?!"

The same instant she had finished asking her first question the two producers had already understood what was she thinking about. Onda turned a serious stare to Aratani, who kept a cool expression, though not a happy one. The man slowly replied:

"Naoko-Chan, you're going a bit too far. Megumi-San can still get her job without..."

"I... I know forfeiting an audition also means losing money!" Naoko interrupted him, protesting, "But, Produ-San, look! I got first place here! I could've also qualified on the audition before if I hadn't committed a mistake! I committed a mistake just like Megumi-Chan, b-but I can win other auditions! Megumi-Chan needs this much more than I do now! If she qualifies she won't have to try and persuade her producer, so there's no risk that all of her efforts... all of our efforts – all of your efforts, Produ-San – be in vain! I'll... I'll practice even harder! I... I'll win the next auditions! We're not going to need the money we'll lose here! Please! Will you be nervous with me?" She suddenly remembered something that could be used as an argument and her tone changed, "I heard Produ-San this morning! You also did some sacrifices for your friend! Mitsui Shoichi! I know Mitsui-San is a long-time friend and I just met Megumi-Chan a week ago, but... your sacrifices are also far bigger! And... it's just my first month working for you, and I already got five show points! I'll get a few more by the end of the Golden Week! I swear! I'll do all I can for it! Please! Would you be mad at me?"

Onda respectfully took a subtle step back to give Naoko and her producer some space to discuss that matter. Aratani looked a bit more serious than normal, though the instant Naoko mentioned his friend Mitsui, the man closed his eyes and massaged them with the tips of his fingers. Sighing, the producer glanced to Onda, who nodded and left for a while. Only then Aratani responded in whispers:

"Naoko, I want you to understand one thing: while I consider the things I do to Shoichi to be correct, they're also extremely dumb things. Even I know it's dumb. That's not what I expect people to do. Especially you, Naoko-Chan. Now, as for your questions, no, there's no problem in foregoing it as long as you do it quickly, and also no, I wouldn't be mad at you. That's... very noble of you to relinquish your prize to help your friend. Just..."

Aratani though about his words for a while. Slight traces of grief surfaced on his expression, and he carefully pleaded:

"Just don't... take me for an example on this matter, Naoko-Chan. Nothing... nothing good will come from... imitating the way I act when it comes to friendships. Well, it's not really "nothing", but... If anything, that should teach you what not to do. And you're doing something that I'd do for a friend, which means it's a dumb decision. If you don't let Megumi-San fight her own battles she'll never be independent and, ultimately, happy. I get you mean well, and that this will secure her job as an idol... so I'm... okay with it. Not... happy, but okay. Just promise me you won't overdo it from now on."

Aratani's traces of anguish and his atypical self-deprecating talk when it came to friendships startled Naoko, especially because he and Mitsui seemed to be true friends. Time was running short, though, as the contestants of the audition that would start in a few minutes gradually came in the auditorium, so Naoko had no time to ask for explanations. Concerned, she promised:

"I swear I won't overdo it anymore! I'm sorry for always asking favors of you to help others, Produ-San! Is... is Aratani-San really alright with it? If you aren't I can... let it go... I suppose... Maybe... Megumi-San will..."

The man, resuming her cool posture, reacted in a half-joking way:

"I said I'm okay. Go ahead. You can't expect me to be smiling right now after my idol decides to give a show and two hundred thousand Yen to another competitor, but that's chump change compared to what she's capable of netting, so I'm okay. Just don't make a habit out of it, remember your promise and also that you said you'd practice even harder and win more auditions." Naoko, smiling, nodded vehemently, so Aratani, gesturing to the judge's table, whispered, "Right. If that's the case, go then. Make me proud, diamond girl."

Radiantly, Naoko bowed gratefully and ran down the ramp. Aratani commented to the surprised producer of Ayumi, close by, before following her, though at a leisurely pace:

"I know there's a lot of money and reputation to be gained here and I knew what I was getting into before signing up for this. But why did our job have to involve women? Why couldn't it rely on something easier to work with, like alligators, sharks, landmines or something?"

Naoko's quick movements got the attention of Ayumi. Since the girl with glasses stopped talking and followed her friend with her eyes, Megumi turned to see what caught her attention. Naoko ran to the table where the three judges sat, in front of the stage, and was followed by her producer. The girl bowed respectfully and talked briefly with the judges. They turned to the approaching man and asked him something, to which the producer, showing his credentials, nodded and signed a paper. Though curious, Megumi and Ayumi couldn't hear, from the back of the auditorium, what they talked about. All they could see was that Naoko seemed exultant. The three spoke briefly with one another and, finally, one of the judges turned to his computer.

After a small delay, Naoko's name on the top of the big screen was crossed out by a red line and the color of her slot turned to yellow. At the same time, the gray one in the sixth place, containing Megumi's name, became blue like that of the other four qualified idols.

Ayumi incredulously stared at the huge screen, almost didn't hearing Megumi's startled and confused and somewhat rhetorical inquiry:

"W-what happened?! What did Naoko-Chan do?!"

As if she couldn't believe in her eyes, Ayumi murmured slowly in a shocked and deeply moved voice:

"She... waived her claim to a spot on the show! That... makes Megumi-Chan qualified!"

Abruptly, Ayumi remembered something and urged her friend:

"Quick, Megumi-Chan, go to the judges and seal the deal! Otherwise they'll call your producer, who doesn't even know you won! If she claim she's not knowing about you taking part in this audition, they'll contact the seventh place and so on!"

Megumi was stunned. Hesitantly, she objected:

"But I didn't win! Naoko-Chan is..."

Seeing from afar that one of the judges picked up his phone, Ayumi immediately grabbed Megumi's hand and rushed to the examining board's table while explaining in a hurried low voice:

"Naoko-Chan has already relinquished her claim! There's nothing we can do about it, but she forewent one of the five positions on the show that are obligatorily to be filled so you can qualify so don't waste the opportunity she gave you! Go!"

Ayumi pushed Megumi in front of the judge holding his smartphone while shouting "'Kobayashi Megumi is here!" Naoko and Aratani walked away so as not to raise suspicion of favoritism. Not that it'd matter since it's a winner's right to waive her prize if she desired without owning explanations to anyone, but still it could be frowned upon.

Ayumi glanced astounded in the direction of Naoko, though both kept a low profile at that time. The girl with glasses stayed behind Megumi to support her while the producer and his idol left through the door and waited outside. One of the judges, lowering his phone, inquired:

"Are you Kobayashi Megumi? Please show me your I.D."

The girl was paralyzed. Ayumi gestured for Megumi to comply, and she reluctantly presented an identity document, to which the judge asked:

"A contestant has just waived her place, so following the ranking, sixth place Kobayashi-San is formally invited to fill in the position. Is this acceptable?"

Megumi clenched her fists behind the table. Ayumi, from a position the judges couldn't see, discreetly but emphatically gestured her friend to accept. Though Megumi looked like she wanted to say "no", she lowered her face even more, hiding her eyes under the brim of her beret, and unwillingly replied a brief and unenthusiastically "Yes". The judge turned to his computer and, with quick and efficient movements, typed a few things before finally announcing:

"It is done. As always, an automatic message has been sent to the contacts of your agency, but please inform your producer too."

The girl stood immobile for a moment. Without raising her eyes she questioned:

"Do I need to sign something?"

"No," the judge replied, "Only waiving idols and producers need to sign a document that records their decisions. By registering you to any audition your producer otherwise agreed for you and for him or her to abide by the rules and acknowledged your participation in the specified show in the hypothesis you qualify on the respective audition."

With a sad and embarrassed voice Megumi thanked the judges and bowed, leaving alongside Ayumi before her tears could be seen by the examining board staff. As she left the auditorium her makeup was already ruined again, prompting Naoko, who waited close by, to look sour. Aratani, smiling, told her with a triumphant and jesting tone:

"Ha. I win. Don't worry, though, I'm a nice person. Naoko-Chan doesn't have to pay me now, I'll deduct the money from your payment."

"I hate you," the girl retorted, and added while looking Onda leaving the room and approaching, "Even you, Megumi-Chan! I trusted you'd at least be thankful, but you go and cry, destroy your makeup and make me lose a bet! It's not about the one hundred Yen, of course. You made me lose to Produ-San! He's going to mock me for a whole week..."

"A whole month, you mean," Aratani corrected her, "Naoko-Chan really thought she'd forego her place in favor of Megumi-Chan and she'd not cry? You expect too much from Birdie."

"She changed!" Naoko insisted, "She wasn't crying on the stage, so I thought she'd be different now, okay?! At least... not crying."

The bickering made Ayumi laugh while holding her own tears. She seemed as incredulous as she was happy and amazed. Megumi unfortunately gave the impression of being far too concerned to do the same. Once the two stopped teasing one another she bowed reverently, tears dropping to the ground. With an extremely humble and embarrassed look, she declared:

"I was once again a burden for you all! I don't deserve the sacrifice Naoko-Chan made for me! Why did you do it?!"

With crossed arms, Aratani casually commented:

"Ah, damn it! I should've betted on that too! I knew she'd say that, those exact words were in my head!

"No, they weren't. You lie." Naoko responded in the same casual way. Her producer insisted they were, the girl demanded proof of that, he retorted she was the one who needed to prove him he didn't think that and the two started squabbling once again.

Megumi's voice got furious, though it appeared to be a rage aimed at herself more than anyone, and her eyes, once she straightened up her posture again, were full of worry and tears.

"This is serious, you two! I'm trying to say that... that I... am sorry... for once again... forcing people to... s-sacrifice themselves... for me!" she lowered her head, "Why... does I never stop?! Why can't I..."

Ayumi caringly rested her hand on Megumi's shoulder.

"Yeah, we all know what Megumi-Chan wants to say," Naoko replied excitedly, "I have two choices here: let a touching moment happen, full of tears and friendship and talks about personal sacrifices and vows to pay each other's favors back and all... or I could ruin it. Wouldn't it be a shame if someone ruined the moving climax of our efforts for the past week?"

Naoko looked around in silence for a second. Meeting her producer's cool eyes, they exchanged brief looks. Suddenly, the two laughed.

"Since I am who I am, I'll ruin the mood! Yay! Because why not?" Naoko excitedly decided, "Please remember that: one, we know it wasn't your fault and that I decided to do it on my own; two, that Aratani-San agreed and that the money we waived won't make any difference because, three, I'm more than capable of winning auditions, like I did with this one. I would've also won the audition before if I hadn't committed a mistake, which reminds that, four, we all commit mistakes every now and then. Five, my job is secured, yours wasn't, and because, six, you're my friend, we'll return to the fifth point to say that you needed this more than me. Seventh, you can pay me up someday, somehow, and by doing so at least all the efforts everyone put in you are guaranteed to bear fruits. And eight, I thought about everything you told me and Ayumi while leaving and I thought you would react a little emotively – though not crying – because of the things that happened in your life, so I'll say it just once:"

Naoko drew closer and whispered in Megumi's ears:

"Stop acting as if I've jumped in front of a car to give you insurance."

Stepping away from the shocked girl, Naoko continued in high-spirits:

"I know sacrifices are a big thing for you due to your life, that your mental limits were created because people did sacrifices for you and all, but try to be rational here, Megumi-Chan! Don't make this into a limiting thingy in your head, think about how it frees you by securing your job! Now you won't need money from other people anymore, so no more cellphone drama! What's more, now you can repay your family, the homeless people and everyone that made sacrifices for you! Now Megumi-Chan can live by her own means! Also, don't think too hard about what happened here: it's a much smaller act than the things that happened in your life before, something that has no repercussions to me or Produ-San, I think. I'm happy, he's happy, everyone's happy, so that settles it! Now you be happy too, call your producer, explain her you two are going to a show and put an end to all of this. I'll call Harumi-Chan and Sakura-Chan in the meantime, pretending I'm doing it just to make them happy when in fact I also want to be busy so Megumi-Chan won't keep being sorry for me and all and have no excuse not to call her producer. Pardon my leave, ladies and gentlemen!"

Naoko called Sakura the same moment she stopped talking. While she knew Megumi would still insist a bit somehow, her friend looked like she caught the message. Megumi stared blankly at her and Aratani for some time, pondering on all she heard. Seeing Naoko was fine and Ayumi smiled encouraging, she breathed loudly through her noses. Taking away her gloves and her beret, she wiped the tears and, exchanging looks with Naoko while she radiantly spoke on the phone, smiled brightly and thankfully. Taking her own smartphone, Megumi dialed a number and, with Ayumi by her side to support her, said vacillatingly and moved:

"Hello? Yoshida-San? Hum... Hi. It's me. Megumi. I... Am I interrupting something? Can we talk for a second?... Hum, the thing is... It's been a long week and I have a lot to tell you. About... many friends that helped me, but I'm just calling to say... that I... thanks to these friends... I overcame my fears of stages... and I qualified in an audition... Yes, it's true. Please look for an automatic message sent by I.S.S.G. I... What? Oh, sure, I'll wait." After a long pause, longer than the others she'd made until then to listen to someone replying, Megumi blushed, "Is it okay if I... go to your office?... Uh-huh, I understand. Alright, I'll be waiting here in the food court then... I'm happy too... I'll tell Yoshida-San everything, I promise... I'll do it... You too, Yoshida-San. Bye."

As she returned her smartphone back to her pocket, tears of happiness Megumi had been holding back finally rolled down, washing away what was left of her makeup.

As Naoko lowered her cellphone, Megumi abruptly hugged her unexpectedly from her side. Squeezing her tightly, she asked with a deeply moved and joyous voice:

"I w-won't let N-Naoko-Chan's anticlimactic intentions r-ruin the m-moment!"

Startled, Naoko burst into laughter, being accompanied by Megumi. The woman in brown and white attire laughed while tears rolled away from her eyes. Onda looked to Ayumi, who also couldn't hold her cry and a smile, despite staying a few feet away, and nodded to her, saying:

"We need to go, but I think we can spare a minute. Go on. I'll wait."

The introverted girl thanked him with a bow and, step by step, walked closer to her two friends. Noticing her, Megumi opened one of her arms and pulled her closer. Crying and smiling in silence, Ayumi uncomfortably looked for a position close to the two tall girls that wouldn't feel strange. The Wood idol was the smallest of the trio, around eight inches lower than Naoko when she wore platforms, and as such Ayumi's head was around the same height as the other girls' busts. It's not easy to find a hugging position that didn't feel awkward, but ultimately she settled down close to their shoulders. Looking up to them, Ayumi joked too, though still crying:

"I'll h-help Megumi-Chan uph-hold the c-climatic p-properties of the m-moment too!"

Laughing, Naoko protested in an over-the-top villainous tone:

"I'll never let you sobbing girls ruin my plans of destroying the mood!" Making the two laugh, she insisted, "Well, thankfully I didn't bet in your ability to not cry, Ayumi-Chan! I can more or less understand why Megumi-Chan is crying, but why you too, Ayumi-Chan?"

Moved, the short girl closed her eyes, whispering with a waving voice:

"N-Naoko-Chan's act t-to help M-Megumi-Chan was... too b-beautiful! I... never im-magined I'd w-witness such n-noble g-gesture! It... r-renews my h-hope in the I.S.S.G.! And... Megumi-Chan's reaction, n-not wanting to ac-ccept it while s-so many girls here w-would do so in a sec is... I... I always... d-dreamed of having f-friend like N-Naoko-Chan... and Megumi-Chan!"

Megumi, leaning her head over Ayumi's, declared:

"N-Naoko-Chan is... a b-better friend t-than I c-could ever h-hope for, b-but Ayumi-Chan's h-help was also inv-valuable! T-Thanks, you t-two!"

Naoko's eyes began to water. The girl, closing it quickly and blinking rapidly, retorted in a jokingly irritated and exaggerated way:

"T-Touching moments, my only weak spot! Nooo! How dare you two ruin my plan to ruin the mood?!"

That made her friends laugh again, their tears of happiness warmly rolling down their faces. Megumi, turning her head to lean on Naoko's, said:

"N-No, Naoko-Chan, y-you succeeded in r-ruining it, w-we're just enjoying w-what's l-left of it!" Rubbing her cheek on Naoko's hair, she whispered on a more serious tone, "T-Thanks for all y-you've d-done to me, everyone. I won't f-forget it."
Season One Finale – Dawn of a New Day

The sound of thundering steps on the corridor finally silenced. It didn't last long, though, as the door energetically broke wide open. The small room was a little less crumped than the first time she went there, or maybe it's just that she started to get familiarized with the many shelves full of trash, unused furniture and a small thin TV piled up one over the other and cardboard boxes. The Sunday morning sun soaked the ambient, shining through the glass and making it sparkle. It's almost as if there're spangles all over the windows. Unfortunately, it's just the dust accumulated on the inside making the sunlight go wild, but it's beautiful nonetheless.

"I'm here!", Naoko announced from the door, her otherwise mesmerizing voice sounding a lot like a duck quacking. Mixing a slight greeting bow with a movement to gasp for air, she took a moment to catch her breath. Finally, she added on a somewhat mocking way, "Still waiting for an elevator".

Smiling by the sight of the girl, Aratani stood up and calmly welcomed her:

"Good morning, right? Come in." In a lower tone, he replied, "Naoko-Chan came running upstairs, didn't you?"

"Nope," she retorted, closing the door behind her, "Not this time. Well... just a little. But your nest is still unnecessarily hard to reach. Seriously, you should consider stop being stingy and putting an elevator here."

Aratani sat at the edge of his desk with his lustrous black shoes still on the grayish-blue carpeted floor. Cool and light-heartedly, he retorted in the same half-joking way:

"And you should consider stop being such a sedentary and start exercising. This way in a few years you're going to dance for two minutes and then faint on the stage. Not to say if your health is already this deteriorated at such a young age, you're in for a life with your best buddy, the oxygen cylinder, before you turn forty."

"Ha ha, you're such a comical guy, Produ-San, you," she responded, smiling genuinely albeit acting as if it wasn't funny. Slightly more serious, although not at all more formal, she said "I actually do exercise: I met Rin-Chan at the Athletics club, after all! Also I practice karate every Tuesday and Thursday after school! But be it there, on stage or wherever, I never have to climb walls like those stairs."

Surprised, Aratani, in a more serious tone, asked:

"You're kidding, right?"

Immediately the girl crossed her arms and casually pointed, exaggerating on the details for the comical absurdity of it:

"Your room is on the third floor of a building twelve, maybe fifteen meters deep and your stairs go up nonstop, not only once changing direction. It climbs about ten meters and is around those fifteen long. And I'm the one joking here? Imagine how funny it'll be when you finally get someone to visit you and this person has cardiac problems."

"No, no, I..." her producer started to explain himself. Thinking for a second, he briefly commented "Yeah, now that you mention it, I think not everyone would be able to climb those stairs, although since I'm not the owner of the building, an elevator is out of question."

Looking curious, he continued:

"I'm just surprised you practice martial arts. You never told me."

"It's on the schedule, just look at my agenda," Naoko mentioned. Aratani, with a negative gesture, declared, "No, your schedule just mentions the hours you're occupied, I didn't bother to write what you do at what hour. I'm your producer, not your stalker."

Assuming a more sober attitude, her producer directed her to his desk. Taking a small envelope from the middle of that mess, he handed it to the girl. Naoko's jet black eyes sparkled with interest. Taken as if by surprise, she cautiously asked:

"What's this? Is it for me?"

The young man, astonished, answered:

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when Naoko-Chan would act in a proper way! It's... kinda strange. And underwhelming. As much as I hate to admit, you're better with your carefree and happy personality, I suppose."

With her eyes half open and a vexed countenance, she retorted:

"Get lost. I'm not being polite, it's just that I didn't believe up until now that you'd pay me anything at all."

Her producer, with a sour expression, told himself:

"Ouch. Well, I asked for it, now, didn't I?"

"You bet you did!", the girl agreed. Bowing nevertheless, she grasped the package with both hands enveloped by her small, white gloves, feeling a rectangular volume weighting inside it. Rapidly glancing over to her producer to see if it's alright to open it, she sat down and haphazardly broke the seal. A lump of dozens of bills waited inside, more than she would've guessed. Her witty, almost caustic attitude melted away as she stood momentarily looking the thick pile of cash. It's nowhere near a fortune so far, but around six hundred thousand Yen was much more than enough to pay her rent and school, eat, invest and much more. It was an amazing sum. Her blank stare, partially covered by a curtain of her slick and lustrous hair as black as the moonless night, gave her the impression the man couldn't see her face. But as she came back to herself and found him quietly watching her with a somewhat heavy expression, she flushed.

Standing up again, still slightly shocked, Naoko expressed her gratitude while bowing somewhat more than usual – even though the "usual" was little more than just a nod:

"Thank you, Aratani-San. I..." Noticing inside herself a wish to ask for forgiveness instead of thanking him, she stopped mid-sentence. When she stood straight again, her producer joked:

"I'm so generous I even deducted that one hundred Yen just so Naoko-Chan doesn't need to worry herself! I hope you learned never to bet against me ever again. Especially concerning expecting too much from Megumi-San. Though if you want to give me even more money, be my guest."

Naoko's serious expression altered for a second while she acidly replied:

"I hope Produ-San swallows this one hundred Yen coin and choke on it."

The man grinned, though for some reason Naoko turned back to looking abnormally serious. It slowly made her producer also adopt a cool but somewhat stern countenance. Aratani, with an unreadable expression, asked her slowly, in a way that was hard to tell if he was disappointed, sad, angry or just acting more severe than normal:

"Since you do not bother pulling punches, I'll also be blunt here, so please forgive if I'm rude. I need to know. Naoko-Chan, when we first met I measured correctly your cheerful personality, I think. In these couple of weeks we've been together you proved to be just the upbeat, happy-go-lucky and honest, sometimes borderline insulting, but kind-hearted girl I took you for the second I first laid my eyes on you. But also during the initial conversation you took a nosedive and became so defensive that I almost though I'd gauged you wrongly. If I remember correctly, it seemed as if you though I was joking, or maybe that I wasn't capable of keeping my word. I need you to be as frank as you usually are. Tell me: did you really believe in me as a producer from the beginning? Do you believe me now?"

Seeing her producer so serious made her heart skip a beat and her stomach hurt as if squeezed by ice claws. Instinctively she stepped back to open up space and turned partially sideways, in a way that the hair fringe that fell slight over the right side of her face could cover her evasive sight.

"So that's how other people feel when I'm direct with them?" she replied with a forced smile, only then noticing she was being evasive, a thing she always hated. Breathing deeply, she turned toward the waiting man, his expression unshaken, and paused for a moment.

"Like you once told me," Aratani insisted, "don't mind sugarcoating your words, I'm not going to eat them. Just give me the truth, that's all I want."

Hesitating for a moment, Naoko finally shook her head in understanding and responded:

"Okay. The truth." Looking down to her feet, becoming more self-aware of her body position and of how the three inches of her white platforms made the floor seem more distant than she remembered, she continued, "Actually... at first I didn't... I didn't believe too much." Raising her head gradually, noticing that even with the advantage of her boots, she was still a few inches lower than her producer, she confided, "But it wasn't really because of you. Sure, when you first think of an idol agency, you generally imagine something a little more... glamorous than this. But it's not that I didn't believe in _you_. I just didn't believe in agencies in general. Actually, I think I just accepted to do such a crazy thing as to move here because of you."

"One of the first times we met you said that you're craving to move away from your parents' home," the man remembered. "That it's your main reason to try this new life. That you didn't even think of trying to be an idol before, and that it's just a way to get away from home."

"Yes, to move to Tokyo, yes," she confirmed, "but not to believe in a promise of fame and fortune. Sure, nobody knows me yet, but at least now I know you're not a scam."

Thinking for a second, her producer murmured, tucking his hands in his pockets:

"So you though I was a scam at the beginning, huh? I was under the impression you thought something like that."

"Not because of you!" Naoko insisted, drawing the attention of his eyes that were wavering down. Putting the envelope she was still holding inside a small, purple purse, she closed it, rested the object over the desk and, with her hands free, she began to talk using both her voice and body movements to emphasize her point. "Maybe I never explained why I came here in first place, and why I accepted to believe in you. Do we have some time?"

Looking at the clock over the door ticking eight and twelve, the man nodded, mentioning:

"Our first appointment is only ten thirty. We've plenty of time."

"Alright," she said, regaining part of her natural smile. "Listen up."

After taking a deep breath Naoko started telling Aratani why she came to Tokyo a month before. Of how she couldn't stand her parent's anymore, something he already knew, and how she came to live a few days with her uncle Kenji.

"At first I thought I wouldn't make it. I kind of dislike Uncle Kenji." Naoko said, and Aratani asked her why, "Well... My family goes something like this: my mother has only one brother and he, along with his and her parents, live far away, in Hokkaido. I only ever saw my mother's brother and parents four or five times in my life, I think. To me they don't even exist. My father's parent's, however, also live in Shimabara and I constantly saw them until last month. My father is the older sibling. After him there is my uncle Kenji, in whose place I stayed a month ago, and an even younger sister. My aunt Manami is... a bit crazy. At least that's what my father says. I hardly see her too, she lives in Okinawa I think. I personally don't think she's crazy, but... I don't know her very well, too. So the only real family I know well besides my parents is my grandfather, my grandmother and this uncle of mine, four years younger than my father."

The girl's eyes looked distant and Naoko's voice had a faint trace of rancor.

"My problems with Uncle Kenji are tied to my grandfather. He has many health problems. Not just due to his age. He... He was a policeman back in the days. He only got one injury, but it's a serious one. He was shot in his chest once." Seeing Aratani was very surprised, Naoko commented, "He once told me it was his own gun that... backfired... or something. That he handled it improperly. The only thing I know is that my grandfather always speaks the truth, but that was the only time I knew for certain that he was lying. I don't know what happened, even my father didn't say anything when I asked him, but I know my grandfather didn't just accidentally shot himself like he claimed. From what my grandmother says he was always very careful. Since he was a policeman, I think he was shot by a bandit or something. Oh! Speaking of him I need to buy my grandparents a present with my first payment! It's good that you made me talk about it! My grandpa always supported me, after all. No matter. The thing is, that wound messed him up. He has health problems until today, and needs a lot of attention."

Staring at Aratani, she explained with increased resentment in her voice:

"My uncle lived in Shimabara until six years ago, I think. When my grandfather's health problems worsened and we needed my uncle's help the most, he simply departed to Tokyo. At first he said he would find a job that paid more so he could help us financially, but he only sent us money five times or so and not nearly as much as my parents needed to pay for my grandfather's many treatments. Also, he only visited us, like... three times during all those years. My uncle simply abandoned his own father when he needed it the most. It fell on my parent's shoulders the responsibility of taking care of my grandfather. I dislike a few characteristics of my father, but if there's one trait of him that is beyond reproach, is his loyalty. He's a very serious man and hardly ever smile, but he always paid for my grandfather's treatments without complaining and stood by his side on hospitals and when my grandpa needed it. My father has a few flaws but is not one to abandon people in need, much less his own family, and taught me to value loyalty and sacrifices. What I did for Megumi-Chan yesterday? Blame my father for it."

Aratani's expression was extremely serious. Naoko, breathing deeply, tried to look less gloomy and bright up the place:

"Well, I won't bother Produ-San with this. Let's just say that I don't like my uncle that much. My father tries to be on good terms with him but as for me... well, Produ-San knows me. One time he came back to Shimabara, around four years ago or so, I argued with Uncle Kenji and... I broke a plate on his head. He was on my house, after all, and I hated him for forsaking his own father. My father forced me to apologize and... well, I did... but later I also argued with my father. So when I came to Tokyo, I was a bit hesitant to live a few days with my uncle, though it was pretty pleasant actually. Of course I tried my best to be a good guest, but I thought there'd still be animosity in the air. Even I was surprised by how nice things turned out!"

Naoko changed subjects and alleviated the bad atmosphere by talking about her days in Tokyo until she met Aratani. Of her first impressions of him and of how she got worried when she discovered that he was an idol producer.

Remembering the day they first met, her producer, lying down on his chair with both feet over his desk, interrupted Naoko's raconteur spree:

"Yeah, I was under the impression you spaced out the moment you heard we were an idol agency, but at that time I was so pressed to find a good talent to promote that I refrained from asking what was the problem." Smiling, he added, "Not to say I was too afraid to lose such a rare diamond in rough like you over any argument to care, diamond girl."

Looking at his sly face, straight and unfaltering while complimenting her, Naoko laughed.

"I'd pretend to be shocked if I wasn't well aware of your womanizer's traits. Keep them to yourself, you perv, the only one you're going to get to know this way is a police officer."

"You try to compliment the talent of a woman with no ulterior motives and she immediately raises shields against you," Aratani mentioned, jestingly looking hurt. Going back to his cool self, he inquired, "Alright, Naoko-Chan. Get to the point. What was the deal? Why did you think I'd betray you?"

Losing herself in memories, her eyes clouded. The girl continued her narrative, explaining him about Fuchigami Momoko, the older sister of her childhood friend Masahiro. Momoko was the girl who "lent" Naoko the CDs she had of old idol bands Skip/Beat Indigo and Cross Sakura no More, and also the one who, due to her dream of becoming an idol, was scammed into paying large sums to a fake idol agency. Her suffering was what caused Naoko to fear agencies. Despite that, Naoko told Aratani of how she actually liked him a lot when they met and got some small confidence in the man by the time they talked on the streets, while she was leaving. That inspired her to research about The Paragon Idol agency, the I.S.S.G., to call back, accept his proposal for a test and caused everything that occurred afterwards. It took Naoko a long time to finish her retelling of those events, so keen on details she was.

"And that's it," Naoko concluded. "Like I said, at first I didn't believe in you too much, but it wasn't really because of you. I just didn't believe in agencies in general, due to my friend's sister, Momoko-San, and her story. I accepted the risks just because of you. Since our first meeting I believed in you, Produ-San, or at least did my best to, and I'm glad for it now. This payment was the last piece I needed to overcome my fears! Produ-San's the best!"

Looking straight to the ceiling fan, Aratani looked more serious than usual. Snapping out of it just to thank her, he got lost again in his head. Soon after Naoko finished explaining her side of how they came to know each other, the young man finally spoke his mind:

"I didn't know about that incident with Momoko-San. But yes, although the Idol Star System existed for about eleven years now, the company itself only became a supervising organ of sorts about seven years before, after the acquisition and fusion of two giants of the idol industry. The resulting company, the I.S.S.G., kept the star system-based ranking of the buyer one, but with their combined influence and negotiations with other lesser corporations they were able to create a cartel-like corporation that almost monopolized every single aspect of the market chain, from the agencies and rights acquisition to promotion, production of goods and distribution, and more. The agencies who wanted their female idols to have any screen time and voice, and thus, any chance to be actually lucrative, had to submit. It was a legal and political struggle fought more often than not behind the scenes, and there were a lot of criticisms from the media and other interested parties. They control the female side of the industry, which is also the larger one, to their whims and there are a lot of things that are left to be desired, but... listening to Momoko-San's story, I'm for once glad we have the I.S.S.G. If it existed back when she got conned maybe her story would've been different."

Taking his feet off the desk, he asked in an irritated intonation:

"But to think there are people capable of such things... How are she and her family now?"

Looking diagonally and up while remembering and inattentively touching her lips with her index finger during the idle moments, Naoko finally answered, uncertain:

"To tell you the truth, I don't really know. I mean, she's fine, but it's been a while since I last heard from her. She doesn't live with her parents anymore. I'm aware she got into a good university, but I can't recall the course. Architecture, I think. But she was doing well in her job. After all, she became really perfectionist and non-reliant on others, like I said."

"That's... a relief," Aratani said while leaning in, although his frowning told he wasn't all that relieved, "Though that incident really stained her trust on other people, right?"

Looking at the concerned and not just a little revolted face of her producer, Naoko rapidly poked his forehead, sending him crashing to his chair's backrest. She gleefully said:

"Don't go all 'justice hero' on me now, Produ-San. What, will you be Momoko-San's lawyer?"

Unwinding, the man exhaled heavily.

"Yeah. You're right. I got a little carried away." Staring at her, he insisted, "But, Naoko-Chan? Don't you seem a little too serene? I mean, to be unable to trust other people is a serious matter."

"She's not a little girl anymore. She'll be fine," she replied confidently. "If I were to worry about someone, it'd be about her brother, but even then, he'll be okay. They're alright now."

"What of her brother?" Aratani asked, and the girl, in a way that showed she dismissed it as unimportant, mentioned, "It's nothing. Just that when I went bid him goodbye and explained him I was coming to Tokyo he got sad. Like, 'not getting out of his house for anything' kind of sad. Although he was already introspective to begin with. If it wasn't for me pestering him during all these years he'd probably not get out of his house as much as he did anyway. And to be sad, that's to be expected, we were door neighbors since we're babies. I was sad too. He'll get over it. Like I said, _if_ I were to worry, it'd be about him, but in practice there's nothing to worry."

With a fixed look to a random point in his desk, Aratani murmured:

"Hm... I wonder." Finally lighting up, he completed, "But you're the one who knows him. If you say he'll be fine, that wraps it up. Just stay in touch with him, OK? I can feel him. I, for one, would want _this_ kind of trouble not to forget me if I was him."

Glaring deep into his cool, unassuming eyes, Naoko slowly stated:

"You did it again, didn't you, you slime ball?"

"Did what?" her producer, clearly trying to push her buttons just for fun, replied serenely.

"You passed a line on me again! Don't you dare deny it, you dirty fox!" she explained, playing along and appearing offended just so that he could get his deserved retribution.

"Me? I'd never do such a thing," he answered, all the while letting a tiny grin slip. Naoko, standing up lightning-fast, leaned in and slapped him from across the desk mumbling unintelligible words, while her producer, laughing from her inability to hit him, simply protected himself with his forearm. After some time he looked at her with a serious face and pointed out innocently, "Hey, Naoko-Chan? You can thank me later for letting you know this: your hair's a mess."

"Ahhh!" she screamed, starting a fruitless assault one slap at a word, "It's your fault! And you know it! And... stop... laughing... at... me! You... get... on... my... nerves!"

After some time she eventually stopped, puffing. When she finished it, Aratani looked at the clock.

"Well, once again I planned on explaining to you the two Hidden Categories, and once again we got sidetracked. A lot. But it was nice to know you can finally trust me, Naoko-Chan. Or do you have anything else troubling you?"

The girl thought about it for a moment, but ultimately responded:

"Nothing that comes to mind, but if something comes up I'll tell Produ-San. This time I will! I promise!"

Nodding, the man confidently stated:

"Please do. Meanwhile, let's get to work, because today some idol that lost one hundred Yen on a bet told me she was going to do her best to win an audition, if I'm not mistaken."

"Something like that, though this same idol wants to step up her game and win two auditions this time," Naoko retorted, and proposed, "Two hundred Yen I'll do it!"

"You bluff," Aratani retorted with a cool expression, and the girl confidently retorted, "Pay to play. Afraid?"

"Me? Afraid? Ha. I just care for Naoko-Chan and want her to stop betting before she gets poor, but if her addiction doesn't let her, I think I can take a few more coins to me." Taking something from a shelf in his desk and putting it in his pocket, he grabbed the car keys and stood up, "Come on, I'll take you to a bank so you can deposit your money before you lose it all on other bets and then we're going to the I.S.S.G.'s headquarter. No classes for you on this sunny Sunday, diamond girl. You're going to shine bright on the stages."

Unfolding her legs, Naoko took her purse and, smiling radiantly, stood up too, replying, "I'm on it!" They left the room full of boxes, passed by the locked door and the restrooms by the corridor and down the stairs to the street, from where they accessed the subterranean garage through a small door on the opposite side of the building. As Aratani turned the engines on and drove close to the ramp that led to the exit, he mentioned casually:

"Oh, just a reminder: try not to find other idols to help this time, okay?"

As the automated garage door slowly rose, letting the sunshine flood in, Naoko teased him:

"I'll try... though I won't make any promises!"

"I thought you'd say so," Aratani replied, driving up the ramp and out of the building, taking a right while Naoko pestered him in high-spirits, "No, you didn't!"

"What's up with you today, girl? You're even more obnoxious than usual! Did your period just started or you just hit your head when you woke up?" Aratani inquired with a faint smile, promptly having his arm slapped. Naoko, looking out of her sun-drenched window jokingly answered with a menacing tone, "No, but don't worry, Produ-San! When my period start I'll let you know. You can be sure of it!"

The conversation and the light bickering kept on as the car rode into a traffic-heavy avenue and slowly disappeared among the sunny streets and shadows cast by the buildings that extended as far as the eyes could see, touching the deep blue skies at the horizon.

To be continued...
A word from the author

Thank you for reading this book! If you enjoyed it, would you please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer? Also, if you look forward to the next volumes, you can find information about the author, the Idol Star System Generation series and upcoming books along with paperback versions and more on the following links:

**Blog:** <https://idolstarsg.com/>

**Smashwords Author Page:** <https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Pepitomoren>

Thank you for your interest and your support! It means a lot to me.

See you next volume!

R. P. Mor
