𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑, 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 ;; 𝑜𝓈𝒽𝒾 𝓃𝑜 𝓀𝑜

* ℛᵁᴮᵞ ℋᴼˢᴴᴵᴺᴼ → 𝒯ᴼ ℬᴱ 𝒶ᴺ ℐᴰᴼᴸ *

𝒩ᴼᵂ 𝒫ᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : ❝ 𝒢ᴼ 𝒢ᴵᴺᴬ ❞ 𝒷ᵞ 𝒮ᶻᴬ
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
ɪ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɴᴏʙᴏᴅʏ, ᴛʀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪsᴛᴜʀʙ, ɪ ᴍɪɴᴅ ᴍʏ ʙᴜsɪɴᴇss

ɪғ ʀᴜʙʏ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ anything in the past few days, it was that dancing was hard. Ichigo finally decided to get them a private room to start training her after a lot of convincing, and even though he was her adoptive father, that didn't mean he was easy on her.

"Lift your arms more!" he directed. "Raise your voice, and don't stutter!"

Ruby tried to follow what he said the best she could. They were practicing with one of B-Komachi's old songs, one that she adored when she was still Sarina, but it was a lot harder being the idol instead of the listener. Her voice kept wobbling, her dance moves were stiff, and her face was covered with sweat.

When she was listening to the song, she was sad when it ended, but when she was the one singing and dancing to it, it couldn't end fast enough. It felt like an eternity before it did. By then, she felt like she could pass out.

As she chugged some water from a water bottle she brought, Ichigo told her, "For your first practice, you're not half bad. Plenty idols start off worse than you. Your singing while dancing could use some work, and you also have to improve the less-sweating aspect. But, if you did anything well, it's keeping that constant smile."

Even though she was still panting, Ruby smiled. "Idols...are meant to be cute..."

"There are some exceptions, but most of them are. You want to be cute, don't you? Keep smiling."

Ruby made her smile wider. Maybe she should go back to being a doctor. It was way more easier than being...this.

But no. Masaya told her he would only give her the information she wanted on Ai if she joined Idol's Beginning. She had to be well-known. Since Ichigo's expertise was on idols, then an idol she would be.

Ichigo looked her over. "If you keep up good work, we might be able to have you be good enough to start your first music video."

Ruby sighed. "I suck at writing..."

"You don't have to write it. We can get someone else to do it for you. But don't get any ideas yet; if you can't sing or dance, you won't be an idol. From the top."

Ruby held back another sigh as she took her place again. When the music started, she performed the dance moves and sung the lyrics, both she memorized thanks to Sarina listening to the song constantly. Ichigo gave her pointers throughout it, but he never said anything about her smile. It was cute, it was constant, and, most importantly, it was Ruby—or how she wanted the audience to see her.

. . .

ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʟᴍɪɴɢ of Sweet Today and recently becoming an idol, Ruby forgot about Yoto High School. But since she and Aqua got accepted, it was finally time for their first official day.