the idols race for love, are you ready? | book one | utapri

chapter eight

ａ   ｓｅｃｏｎｄ   ｉｄｏｌ

『 your p.o.v 』

          Early the next morning, I walked side by side with Natsuki to the teachers lounge before school, the halls only just now beginning to fill with students. The tall blonde beside me looked slightly nervous, uneasy even. I offered him a reassuring smile as we turned down another hallway. "It'll be fine Natsuki, the worst they can say is no."

          "I know, I just don't want to drag you into my problems..." He mumbled dejectedly.

          "Hey, I'm the one who offered to compose for you in the first place so it's fine. Besides, none of this is you're fault to begin with so they have no reason to get upset with you anyways." I said thoughtfully, the teachers lounge coming into view at the far end of the hallway now. "Your composer isn't working with you and that's a problem. You've done everything you can to get him to work with you and he still refuses. He's the one in the wrong, not you."

          Natsuki finally cracked a smile, albeit an uneasy one. "Thanks ___, you always know just what to say to put my mind at ease."

          I couldn't help but laugh some. "You don't have to thank me, it's the least I can do for a friend."

          The rest of the walk to the teachers lounge was spent in a comfortable silence, a few of the students wandering the halls this early into the morning staring at us as we walked by.

          The rumors about myself have only begun circulating more and more and I'm sure all of my friends know what's being said. If Haruka heard enough to actually ask me about it, then, there's no way Natsuki and Otoya don't know about them. I'm just thankful that neither of them have brought that subject up just yet. Now Ringo and Ryuuya are a whole other problem I have to figure out how to deal with because if the entire school is spreading these rumors, then those two will soon hear about them as well if they haven't already. And, when they know for sure what's going on here, they're going to tell Reiji and then he's going to get all protective over me and I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up at the school and everything just to make a point.

          I'm thankful for how protective Reiji is over myself, but he shouldn't spend so much of his time concerned over my well being. I'm fine despite these stupid rumors. I can deal with them on my own and I know that if I need help, I have my friends I can look to for that support. Reiji needs to focus on his career and let me worry about myself like I've always done. I'm thankful for him, but he needs to put himself first and me second.

          With soft knocks on the already pushed open door, I peered inside the large teachers lounge and smiled when my eyes landed on Ringo and Ryuuya discussing lesson plans, a couple other idol and composer teachers littered around the room also preparing for today's lessons. "Ringo, Ryuuya, could we talk to you two for a second?" I asked, already walking in with Natsuki following timidly behind myself.

          Ringo's smile instantly lit up the room as he looked to me and then to Natsuki. "___! It's rare that I see you at all nowadays, what's the special occasion?"

          "I was wondering," I started to say once Natsuki and I were standing in front of where our teachers are currently sitting, "if it would be possible for me to compose Natsuki's song instead of his current composer."

          The pink haired idols bright blue eyes widened at that before his brows furrowed together some in confusion. "Why would you want to do that?"

          "You're working with Kurusu Syo are you not?" Ryuuya then spoke up. "You should focus on your song with him instead of getting into the matters of other students- especially students from other classes."