Heart racing, sweating rapidly, breathing heavily, Sachiko danced along to the music, carefully moving her body along to the music.
It was late. She had been doing this for hours.
The music came to a stop. She held her pose.
Then, she fell to her knees, panting heavily to catch her breath. She glanced over to her phone next to her bag and relaxed slightly. She took off her weights.
"That's enough for tonight," she muttered, falling onto her back. Taking a moment.
It had only been a year yet the floorboards in the practice room were already worn away. Not that Sachiko was surprised.
Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure why she kept to such a strict schedule nowadays. She didn't exactly have to. She had fully bloomed, after all...
Not that there was much else to do, though.
The door creaked open.
"Sachiko-chan?"
Sachiko stood back up, picking up her phone and quickly reviewing her messages. Then she smiled at the girl in the doorway: Oshiro Yui.
"I'm just about finished," Sachiko said, wrapping a cold towel around her neck.
"Mhm. It's getting late."
"I noticed."
"Well," Yui beamed, "I can't wait for your performance! I'm sure it'll be like something out of a fairytale!"
"Of course it will be," Sachiko said, "Are you forgetting who the top idol in Japan is?"
"You're amazing. Just like Mai-chan and Yoyo-chan and Asuka-chan and -"
Sachiko let out a small laugh. "That's a lot of people."
"I know a lot of amazing people. Speaking of which, I promised I'd meet with Emirin once I got back - see you!" Yui chimed, dashing off. Sachiko waved, then turned to her phone.
She tapped the screen, then held the phone to her ear.
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"Midnight are totally amazing~," Saki gushed, "But Shimura-senpai is... she's so... she's so pretty!"
A day had passed since Tsubaki's performance. Usagi, Hikaru, Claire, Saki and Minori were sitting together at breakfast, recalling the prior day's events.
Minori turned to Saki, whose head was rested in her hand, her cheeks bright pink.
"You're acting weird again."
"I'm not! Don't you agree that she's pretty?"
Minori placed a finger to her lip. "We both have purple hair."
"I know that."
"So does that make me pretty?"
Saki's expression flushed red and she turned away. "I mean, I guess..."
Claire giggled. "Shimura-senpai's performance was better than I expected."
"She was a member of Midnight, of course she was," Minori refuted and Hikaru twirled a twintail.
"I still don't know about Midnight..." she muttered, "Even though everyone always talks about them."
"Me neither," Usagi agreed, raising her hand, "I only know eclipse."
"I didn't know it was possible to know one unit and not the other," Claire commented, "But I guess eclipse's name has been mentioned a lot recently so I suppose it makes sense."
"Do you like them too?" Minori asked.
"I'm not the biggest fan but I still admire them," Claire said, "That goes for both units."
"Aww~."
"Eclipse is my favourite group," Usagi said, "They're really the best!"
"Yet you still don't know anything about them," Saki said, "Such as Midnight being the unit Mai-chan lead."
Usagi's expression blanked.
"...Isn't that the unit Hinode-senpai used to be in?"
"Yes."
"Huh."
"See what I mean?" Saki asked, "Not that it matters though. If you like them, you like them."
"I think I want to know more, though," Usagi said, "Maybe knowing more will make Aikatsu even more fun!"
"Maybe~," Saki mused, "Anyway, lessons start soon. We should go." With that, she got up and walked away.
"Ah, wait, Saki-chan!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
"That's it for today. Good work today, Kazami-san."
"Good work today from you too," Usagi said, bowing. She had just wrapped up recording for a small commercial. Not for the biggest or fanciest brand ever, nor was the advert a particularly long one. But work was work, so the others wouldn't let her decline even if she wanted to.
Well, it was fun recording anyway.
Usagi got dressed back into her uniform and packed her bag, then left, walking down the corridor and waving her goodbyes to the staff.
As she passed by a door, she caught something out of the corner of her eye.
Someone with long, dark hair.
She moved with incredible grace and beauty. Even if she could only see her back, Usagi could tell she was probably stunning.
Someone like... someone like Sachiko from eclipse.
...Now that Usagi thought about it, didn't Sachiko also have similar looking hair?
A new possibility having revealed itself to her, Usagi's eyes sparkled as she observed this mystery girl's actions. Not a single hair was out of place and even small actions were performed with utmost precision. Even her spoken voice was beautiful and soothing to listen to.
"...Are there no replacements?"
"Nobody that can be called in with such little notice."
"I see... that's worrying."
"We might have to delay the recording a few days until Kawaguchi-san recovers or we can find a replacement."
The girl Usagi admired tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyebrows furrowed.
Then, she turned to Usagi.
"You."
"Eep!" Usagi yelped, quickly hiding behind the wall. Standing there.
Tense.
Slowly, she peeked her head through to take another glance.
Pink eyes. Just like Hanabusa Sachiko.
Usagi laughed airily. "Nothing to see here. Definitely no first-years watching you... byeandsorry!"
"Wait."
Usagi froze, daring to make eye contact with the girl.
She smiled. "Do you have any more work today?"
"Work? I do... I don't. I don't have any - have any work at all!" Another forced laugh.
"No plans either?"
"Aside from watching anime - ah that sounds dumb - with Hikaru-chan which I'm sureshecanreschedulehopefully I... should be free."
"How would you like to act with me?"
"H-huh?"
"We're filming a promotional video here but one of our extras didn't turn up. Would you be willing to take their place?"
Usagi ran her fingers through her hair rapidly. Then, she slowly nodded. "S-sure...! If that's okay." She paused. "Can I - can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Are you Hanabusa Sachiko...?"
"...Correct. I am."
"Really?!" Usagi asked, returning to her usual energy. "I'm a huge fan! You're one of my favourite idols!"
Sachiko smiled, yet it was difficult to read her expression nonetheless. "Is that so? Well, I'll be relying on you today. Please do your best."
With that, Sachiko turned back to the producers and the other extras started up a conversation amongst themselves. Usagi beamed, bouncing on the spot.
"Kazami-san?"
She stopped, turning to the staff member. "Y-yes?"
"During recording, we need you to join the background dancers and do their routine. Here's the routine." She flashed her phone screen to Usagi, showing her a video of a girl dancing. "Does that seem manageable?"
"It should be," Usagi replied, "Thank you."
"There should be a spare costume over there. Good luck."
Watching the video, Usagi took note of the moves she had to do. They seemed mostly simple and the routine wasn't that long. It didn't seem like it'd be that difficult at all.
"Alright!" She pumped her fist in the air. "This should be fun! First, I should... costume, costume."
She walked to the changing room, where a few white dresses were hung up, with a flower crown on the dressing table. A more simple version of the breathtaking outfit Sachiko wore. Usagi smiled to herself. Sachiko made the outfit look stunning like she was a goddess of flowers or something. Maybe Usagi could look that way too...!
"Hey hey, Sachiko-chan, we match!" the Usagi of her imagination cheered. Sachiko smiled.
"So we do. You look beautiful, Usagi-chan," the Sachiko of her imagination said, "An eclipse wouldn't be an eclipse without the earth. Would you like to be the earth to our sun and moon? As a three-person unit, I'm sure we'll shine brighter than ever before."
Usagi's expression lit up.
"I'd love to! Thank you so much, Sachiko-chan!!"
Smiling widely, Usagi jumped up and down on the spot. "I'll do it! I'll do it!" She exclaimed, then turned to the racks of dresses, looking for her size.
"With this, I'll transform into an idol so beautiful that not even Sachiko-chan will resist being my friend!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
"Ehh, it didn't look as cute in the end," Usagi pouted. Despite being such a similar outfit, Usagi looked much more childish, lacking much of the grace Sachiko had. "I guess I'll just have to impress Sachiko-chan in another way."
So, she started quickly running through the dance. It was simple, with just a few light movements. Nothing compared to what she had done before!
"Ah, you're good~."
Usagi quickly turned to the source of the voice, where a girl with brown hair and light brown eyes stood, clapping.
"I'm Hibino Kanade," the girl said, "A first-year at Rosebud Academy. One of the extras."
"I'm Kazami Usagi, from Celestial Academy! Nice to meet you."
The two shook hands, smiling. Then, Kanade turned to the mirror, swishing her skirt around. "I still haven't gotten the hang of the dance yet - I'm a little jealous of you."
"You haven't?"
Kanade shook her head. "I'm not very good at dancing. Because of that I primarily have a vocal role here but... even the minimal dancing I have is difficult to memorise."
"You're singing here? That's amazing!"
Kanade's eyes lit up slightly and she nodded. "Mhm! I love singing - I'm so glad I managed to get into this school so I can sing all I want. But the training is really strict... I've already injured myself multiple times, aha."
"Really?!"
"Yeah. They're harsh at Rosebud Academy but that's what breeds the best results. And yet I'm still not great at dancing." She smiled sadly. "Kazami-san, is it okay if you help me out a little?"
"I don't mind," Usagi said, "What part are you struggling with?"
"Towards the end. You that kind of complicated part, where you..." she ran through the last part, where main different moves were in quick succession. It was clumsy but easy enough for Usagi to decipher.
"I'm not great at explaining, but you should try-!"
So, the two ran through it together a couple of times, correcting each other as they went.
"And I think that's enough!" Usagi cheered.
"Already?"
"Yeah. Now we can have fun and not fail either."
Kanade giggled.
"Huh?"
"Celestial Academy is so different from Rosebud. We'd never stop so early here."
"There's no point in overworking ourselves so much."
"I guess~."
The two looked over to Sachiko, who was on the other side of the room, practising her routine.
"You sure like Sachiko-chan, don't you?" Kanade asked.
"How do you know?"
"You mentioned as you joined," Kanade said, "Everyone kind of heard."
"...Heh?"
"You weren't exactly quiet."
Usagi turned red, then she shook her head rapidly. She patted her cheeks and smiled confidently. "Well, I love Sachiko-chan a lot, so I don't mind if the world knows that!"
Kanade giggled once again.
"So, what's it like attending the same school as Sachiko-chan?"
"Huh? Well... she's pretty amazing. Everyone admires her," Kanade said, "Even just seeing a glimpse of her is like a sign of good luck for the rest of the day. She and the rest of the Rosebuds are incredible idols we all look up to."
"...But you don't see her a lot?"
"Not really. It's a pretty big school."
"...Oh. I guess maybe it's good I didn't go. I'd be disappointed if I didn't see her a lot."
Then, the director walked forward, clapping her hands. "Everyone! Let's start recording!"
Usagi turned to Kanade, grinning. Kanade smiled back.
"Let's do our best!"
The idols gathered in their positions. Sachiko in the middle, with an even amount of idols on each side. The performance started, with the small dance beginning.
Then, Sachiko started to sing and Usagi tried her best to stay focused. Sachiko's voice was stunning - strong and powerful, yet not sounding forceful.
Then, Kanade and two other idols started singing and Usagi couldn't help but quickly catch a glance at them.
She... didn't expect Kanade's voice to be so strong...
Was everyone in Rosebud Academy so amazing?
"And cut! The sync between dancers is off so we'll try again in ten."
"Okay!" The idols chirped back, bowing. Then, Usagi ran her hands through her hair.
"Kazami-san?"
Usagi quickly turned around, to where Sachiko was standing. The top idol pushed a strand of her hair back, then sent Usagi a sharp look.
"Y-yes?"
"You seemed distracted during the recording."
"D-did I?" Usagi asked, "I promise I'll stay on track the next time. I was just amazed by everyone's amazing vocals...!"
"Is that so?" Sachiko asked, her expression as vague as ever.
"It is! You were really amazing, like your voice is from the heavens or something-!"
"Can I ask you something?"
Usagi blinked. "H-huh? Go ahead...!"
Maybe this was her chance. Maybe Sachiko would say 'Wow Usagi-chan I feel so flattered. I've never met such a kind girl please be part of eclipse from now on!" or something.
Heart racing, Usagi kept eye contact with Sachiko, waiting to hear the question.
"Why do you Aikatsu?"
For a split second, it felt as if everything around them froze. "...Why I do Aikatsu?"
"Do you Aikatsu because you enjoy it? Because you want your feelings to resound on stage? Or is it just a way for your favourite idols to recognise you? A way to get closer to them?" Sachiko asked, "I don't know what you're like usually but right now, you come across as half-hearted. The stage is a competitive place with no room for people like that." Sachiko turned away, walking off. "Just something to keep in mind. Good luck."
Usagi wasn't sure how long she stood still.
...Half-hearted...?
She gave a small, weak, smile.
Compared to everyone else...
She clenched her fist.
She'd have to work harder.
"Alright, try two!"
Once again, they ran through the routine. As much as Usagi's heart was pounding, as amazing as being in the presence of so many talented idols was...!
She tried to stay focused. She had to.
Or else, or else...
Sachiko would look disappointed at her again.
And... everyone else would be disappointed too, probably.
Hikaru, Claire, Saki, maybe even Minori.
She didn't want to let them down!
She'd have to try her best! At least this once...
"And cut! That was a vast improvement from last time - good work everyone!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
"I can't believe you managed to get tickets for Hanabusa Sachiko's concert!" Minori exclaimed as the five walked into a concert hall a few days later. Saki smirked.
"I have my methods~."
"Saki-chan's always been great at getting tickets according to Ella-chan. It must be part of her powers, right?"
"Y-yeah. I mean, maybe! I mean... who knows really?" Saki gave a shaky yet haughty laugh and Usagi giggled.
"Well, I can't wait! Sachiko-chan's incredible after all!"
She still hadn't told the others about what happened yet.
They didn't need to know.
Besides... Usagi still thought Sachiko shone really brightly. She probably had a point too.
She... just wished they got to talk a bit more.
"I haven't seen one of her stages before," Hikaru said, "I wonder what she's like."
"Right now, she's the top idol in Japan," Claire added, "It's sure to be amazing.:
"It will be!" Usagi chirped, a skip in her step. "I'm certain!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
Backstage, Sachiko held her cards.
Sunset Jewellery's newest Premium Rare: the Goddess Dawn Coord.
She held those cards close to her.
"Hanabusa Sachiko, setting the stage on fire!"
Welcome to the masquerade
Mask your feelings, don't let them show
A romantic night
I wonder what new discoveries will be made
Sachiko's aura appeared, covering the entire stage. Even stronger than the Celestial Star's. Her smile was brighter than it was usually known for being, too.
Dress up
Make up
Become your ideal you
Hide your imperfections
Then you can take to the stage
Work hard
Dream hard
Don't let your goal out of your sight
Reach out for your unique light...!
The light reveals your flaws
The light could ruin everything
So why am I running to it?
Sachiko performed Sexy Live.
Welcome to the masquerade
Mask your feelings don't let them show
Weakness is wrong,
Don't let it show
Hide it all away!
But is that really right?
Through the mask away, embrace the light
Weakness is a different kind of strength
Your hard work will be worth it
Aim for your goal
One day you'll shine so bright...!
She performed Premium Gemstone Alight.
Welcome to the masquerade
Everyone has their secrets
You're not as alone as you seem
Reach for your dream!
As the audience roared in applause, Usagi's heart raced once again
She outstretched her arm, attempting to reach Sachiko.
She wondered...
...she wondered what it'd be like to stand on that stage.
She wondered how hard Sachiko had to work to get there...
...It was... almost a scary thought.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
A/N: i wrote the second half sith a headache at midnight :c
Has anyone watched Primagi yet?? it has a hamster voice by Hikisaka Rie so... recommend lol
I'm tired so I'll make this short. Thank you for reading!
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───