"A showcase?"
Claire nodded. The usual group were sitting under one of the gazebos, enjoying the hot weather late July often brought with it.
"Hinomori-san's debuting her Summer collection soon. With me being her new muse, she wanted to put me as the focus this time," Claire explained, reaching into her pocket and taking out the watch she always carried with herself - one Saki almost immediately turned her attention to. Usagi and Minori's eyes both lit up.
"That's amazing!" They exclaimed in unison.
"A lot of people will be watching, won't they?" Hikaru asked, "If you're at the front and centre..." she smiled. "You're incredible, Claire-chan."
"The brand isn't that popular yet," Claire said, holding the watch to her heart. "The crowd will still be bigger than any other I've come to before but... if all goes to plan, I'll get even more people interested in the brand."
"Soon everyone's going to be begging to get to wear the brand Suzukawa Claire wears," Usagi said, "Everyone will be jealous because you'll be so dazzling - definitely!"
"Mhm. That's the goal." Claire placed the watch pendant to her heart.
Tick tock, tick tock...
"I'll do it! I'll become an idol; I'll- I'll make your dreams come true!"
"No matter what, I'll make sure this showcase is a success."
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───
"You are very proud, Leo, and you deserve to be. But don't let your pride keep you from seeking the help you need regarding such important issues..." Claire read out loud from her horoscope book. She sighed.
"I'll be fine," she muttered, standing up. "I just have to be careful."
The music started playing and Claire danced along, her focus unbreakable.
Sitting on the other side of the room, Usagi and Hikaru watched with sparkling eyes.
"She's so amazing...!" Usagi exclaimed. Hikaru nodded.
"She's nearly perfected every move," Hikaru noted, "She almost seems like a professional."
"Already?"
"Even though she's only in her first year of middle school..."
"She's incredible."
"... She did mention that she did ballet in elementary school once. I guess that's why she's so ahead of us."
Usagi twirled a strand of hair. "I think you'll catch up to her soon."
"...Huh?"
"Even though you don't know about idols, you work hard so you're already super good. In a few months, you'll be super super super good, I think!"
"Thank you," Hikaru said, blushing.
"And then, I'll be your biggest fan, chanting and waving my penlights from the audience. Like... woo! Woo!" She did a small demonstration, jumping to her feet and skipping around the area as she did so.
Hikaru frowned.
"...Biggest fan?"
Usagi froze. "I-I-I mean...! I'll still be an idol of course! Me and my bunny girl unit will be cheering you on as big fans only - only to destroy you after!"
"Oh." Hikaru gave a small smile. "Sorry for assuming."
"No no, it's fine! I was confusing anyway!" Usagi waved her hands, then turned back to Claire "...Once, Saki-chan told me she thought Claire-chan was hiding something. And sometimes I wonder if maybe Saki-chan was right after all."
"...What do you mean?"
"I don't know. I just wonder about Claire-chan sometimes. Just like how I wondered about you too. Or how I wonder about Minori-chan.".
"You don't wonder about Hanasato-san?"
"Saki-chan?" Usagi asked, "There's nothing to wonder about. Why?"
"...She's the one I wonder the most about."
There was a second. Then, Usagi grinned, sitting back down and taking Hikaru's hands.
"If you want to become friends with Saki-chan, I'm sure you can do it!"
"Huh?"
"I'll even help you! Just let me know when, okay?"
"E-eh? Usagi-chan...!"
The music came to an end and Claire stopped. She placed her hands on her knees, panting for air. Then, she took a drink of water and turned to the other two.
"Good work today, Claire-chan!" Usagi cheered and Hikaru nodded.
"You were better than ever."
"Really?" Claire asked, smiling faintly. "Thank you."
"Is that it for today?" Usagi asked.
"...One more time."
"You said that the past few times."
"I mean it this time. I just want to make sure this showcase ends up perfect."
"You care a lot, don't you?" Hikaru asked, handing Claire a towel to wipe herself down. Claire accepted it with a smile.
"I was rude to Hinomori-san in the past before. I want to make it up to her."
"Haven't you already made it up to her if you're her muse?" Usagi asked.
"I still feel bad. Besides, I made a promise to someone."
"A promise?" Usagi asked, then she turned to Hikaru with bright eyes. "I wonder who it's with?"
"Maybe..." Her eyes lit up. "Maybe she's in a forbidden romance with a boy. They go out in secret then... bzzt, one day they get caught by the boy's parents. 'We can't have you going out with this commoner girl! Go and find someone more worthy of our name!'. So, the two soulmates made a promise. One day, Claire-chan would become a top idol with lots of money, so the boy's parents would accept their marriage." She closed her eyes and blushed. "How romantic...!"
Usagi nodded. "Or maybe Hinomori-san just promised her a lot of sweets!"
"...Maybe. But I think I like my idea more."
"Eh? Sweets are way better than romance!"
"Huh?"
"If I had a boyfriend or girlfriend or anything I'd trade them for sweets in a heartbeat."
Claire giggled.
"All I need is friends," Usagi said, "I don't care about love at all."
"Well then, would you mind helping a friend out and practising with me?" Claire asked. "Hikaru-chan too."
"Sure!"
"I don't mind," Hikaru said, "But isn't it a solo performance...?"
"With others practising alongside me I should be able to pin down some minor issues," Claire said, "If that's okay with you."
"Sure, sure!"
"But first..." she walked over to the edge of the room and picked up some weights. She tied them onto herself then smiled confidently. "Let's start!"
The serene music started up once again. A calm yet emotional song, with beautiful choreography which moved the heart.
Yet, this time... Claire seemed a little... agitated.
I don't want to look back
Why do I keep looking back?
It's always the same...
She made a wrong step and-
"Claire-chan!" Hikaru yelled, catching her friend.
"...I'm sorry, Hikaru-chan," Claire said, "Usagi-chan too. I messed up on the one I invited you to join."
Usagi opened her mouth, ready to protest Claire's thoughts.
"The stage is a competitive place with no room for half-hearted people."
She closed her mouth.
"It's okay," Hikaru said, "It's best to rest now."
"...You're right."
They sat down in awkward silence as Claire took off the weights. She stared at them, the same agitated expression on her face.
"...It's getting late," Claire said. "Maybe we should go back to our dorms."
"You'll be okay, right?" Usagi asked.
"I'll rest up tonight. I won't let this get in the way of my progress."
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───
The next day, Claire had a photoshoot session to advertise the event.
"And done! You were perfect out there today, Suzukawa-san!"
"Thank you very much."
After getting changed, Claire walked down the corridor of the studio. It was quiet - most other people were still working after all.
Quietness allowed Claire to get lost in her thoughts easily, though.
There were a lot of different things depending on this performance. The performance she had been reaching for - the performance she had been scared of for a while now. If she failed, she'd be letting countless people down...
"Claire?"
She stopped in her tracks and turned to the source of the voice. "Hajime?" She asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Working. You know, just like last time."
"...Did you get fired from that other place?"
"No," he insisted, "It's... complicated."
She cracked a smile.
"Heyyy, what's so funny?"
"Nothing~."
"Well, it's nice to see you too."
"I never said I wasn't happy to see you."
"You sure didn't look like it," Hajime refuted, "Are you okay?"
"I've just had a couple of things on my mind."
"Like...?"
"...Things."
Hajime furrowed his brows. "Hey, the cafeteria should be relatively quiet. Want to go there and talk things out?"
"Huh?"
"I'll pay for anything you want."
"You will?"
"I just got paid the other day and I'm feeling pretty generous~."
"Hajime..."
"Whaaat?"
She smirked. "I'll take you up on that offer then if you're sure."
"Of course I am! Who do you take me for?!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───
"Alright! I got Nezumi-chan to character rank 30 - which means feather title!" Hajime grinned, holding his phone up in the air.
"Congratulations~," Claire said, looking at the menu.
"You should play this game. It's really fun and the characters are really well written."
"I'm sure they are."
"So you will?"
"I don't have time and I don't like the idea of gacha games."
"You can make time. And as for the gacha... it's not that bad."
"How many times have you cried on Kirakiratter about rate-up being a lie?"
"...Good point. But it's still really good!"
"I'll consider it," Claire said, "Anyway, I'd like this." she pointed at the menu. "And this and this and this."
"...That's a lot of things..."
"I did warn you."
Hajime furrowed his brows, thinking. "Well, I'm a gentleman and you're a lady, so I guess I have no choice but to treat you. Just this once."
Claire smirked, resting her chin in her hand. "What's the occasion?"
"You said you had stuff on your mind. I want to help out in whatever way I can."
Claire paused and looked down. "That was sweeter than I expected," she muttered, "...I feel a little bad now."
"It's fine. I am quite rich now, after all. Twelve thousand yen richer than I was yesterday."
She chuckled. "And how much of that are you going to spend on gacha?"
"None of it! I'm quite strictly free-to-play you know," he argued. His expression softened. "So, what is it? What's wrong?"
Claire sighed. "I've been asked to star in Infinity Cosmos' showcase. I've been practising a lot yet... I keep messing up recently."
"How much have you practised?"
"A lot!"
"I'm not accusing you of not trying," Hajime said. He paused. "Remember the play we were part of at school when we were eight? The one where you passed out."
Claire's face flushed red. "I was nervous-!"
"Staying up the entire night before practising your lines didn't exactly help, did it?" Hajime asked, "Or the time you twisted your ankle right before your first ballet showcase."
"I didn't know what I was doing back then."
"Luna-san knew what she was doing, didn't she?"
"...I'm mainly practising my dance. Not my vocals."
"It can still happen. You can hurt yourself. Or strain your body and end up with a sloppier performance," Hajime warned, "The chances of anything permanent happening may be slim but..."
"Thank you," Claire said, "For worrying about me. But I'll be fine. I... don't want to let her down more than I already have."
"Let her down?"
"The brand."
"She's upset about that?"
"She says it's fine but... I'm worried. Twilight Fortune meant a lot to her, after all."
"It meant a lot to her."
"It did. So-"
"You don't understand, do you?"
"Understand what?"
"To her."
"It did. It meant a lot to her."
"And what is she not?"
"...An idol anymore?"
"Not what I meant, but sure, let's go with that. And what are you?"
"An idol? But she used to be an idol so her thoughts are still important - even if she wasn't-"
"Again, you don't understand."
"You're being confusing."
"You're not her. It mattered to her but it doesn't matter to you."
"It matters a little."
"But less to you than Infinity Cosmos does. Don't feel guilty about choosing the one you like more. You have nothing to make up to her."
"..."
"Have you told the others yet?"
"The others?"
"Your friends. Do they know why you became an idol?"
"...Not yet."
"Tell them."
"Huh? But-!"
"I want you to see how they react," he said, "You trust them, right?"
"...I do."
He grinned. "If you need me to beat them up, let me know."
She smiled. "Like you could beat up anyone I couldn't. Besides, they're my friends."
A few back and forths later, Hajime finally went off to order the food and Claire looked at her watch pendant.
Her friends...
...It had been a long time since she was able to say that about anyone except Hajime.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───
Around an hour later, Claire walked back into the school building. Through the main building, even past the practice rooms, and back outside to where the gazebos were. A group of four girls were chatting, then a redhead looked up and waved.
"Claire-chan!"
Claire smiled and walked over. "Good afternoon."
"How was work?" Hikaru asked.
"It went well. I just got a little caught up in something," Claire explained. She sat down and took a deep breath. "Can I talk to you all about something?"
"Go ahead."
"You all know my sister, right?"
"Suzukawa Luna. A famous idol who used Twilight Fortune as her brand. She was in the unit Clockwork with two other big idols, Kokoa Matsuri and Mochizuki Kira, until one day she disappeared from the scene and the unit disbanded," Saki recalled, "An idol with a lot of potential."
"Do any of you know why she quit?"
"No one does," Minori said, "Except... you do, don't you?"
Claire nodded.
"She had a brand showcase just like mine. Even though she was gaining popularity, Twilight Fortune wasn't all that known back then. Nanatsuki-senpai's KiraTube channel was only just starting and Onee-chan was the only major idol using it at the time. So, she decided to make this her best performance ever so people would finally pay attention to the brand she loved so much. She worked really hard - particularly on her vocals, which she was weak with. She practised again and again, until..."
"Claire?"
A younger Claire looked up from her book of horoscopes. Her mother looked back, her expression tense. "What's wrong?"
"It's your sister. She... she collapsed."
Claire's eyes widened and she dropped the book.
"Onee-chan...?"
Claire held back tears.
"...She lost her voice."
The five were in stunned silence and tears silently fell down Claire's face.
Shakily, Claire took Luna's hands. "If you can't... if you can't sing anymore... I'll do it! I'll become an idol; I'll- I'll make your dreams come true for you!" She tried to hold back her tears. "I promise!"
"Suzukawa Luna..." Saki whispered.
"...Lost her voice?" Minori continued.
"So I promised her," Claire continued, those feelings she wished she could just leave behind rushing back. "I-I promised her that I'd fulfil her dreams. And I don't - I don't regret it. As much as I hated her for doing Aikatsu back then, it's fun and I'm glad I had the chance to try it out. I'm glad I got to meet you all too! But... fulfilling her dreams means making this brand showcase a success. So I'll work hard. I'll work as hard as I can until-"
"...What if the same happens to you?" Hikaru asked, "You've been working hard after all..."
Claire took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She held the pendant to her racing heart. "Hajime was worried about that too. But if I don't work hard, I'll break that important promise."
"Claire-chan..."
"You like Aikatsu, don't you?" Usagi asked.
Claire nodded, trying to wipe her tears.
"Hard work, and loving both Aikatsu and your sister... if you have those, you'll be fine," Usagi said, "I'm not sure how Aikatsu works, but I love your voice, Claire-chan. Please don't throw it away just for one performance."
"I love your voice too," Hikaru said, "I... want to hear it more."
"You're a super amazing idol anyway, so you don't need to destroy your body just to put on a good performance. So there's no reason to. It's not fun - take it from someone who knows." Minori agreed.
"Don't underestimate yourself," Saki said, "Few idols can make such a big splash after they first debut. You'll succeed regardless."
Claire teared up once again. "Everyone..."
"Me and Hikaru-chan are going to start a new anime tonight. Want to join?"
"Usagi...!" Saki hissed and Usagi grinned.
"It'll help you relax, won't it? It's about singers, called something like... Colourful World or something? Anyway, it's always fun watching with everyone. You should join, Claire-chan!"
Claire gave a small giggle.
Colourful World, wasn't that...?
"I'd love to."
"Yay!"
"Hey, isn't this a bit sudden?" Saki asked and Usagi shrugged.
"Do you want things to stay sad?"
"Well, no, but-!"
"Oh, are you jealous? You two are invited too, then!"
"That's not what I-!"
"Can Susie-chan come too?"
"Sure!"
"Yay!"
"I don't know if our dorm's big enough for that many people at one..."
"We'll figure something out~."
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───
The day of the showcase arrived and, thankfully, Claire's voice and body were still intact. She held her Premium Rare coord close to her heart.
"Onee-chan, are you watching?
...I hope this performance can make you smile again."
"Suzukawa Claire, like a shooting star!"
A symphony fills the sky
One question won't leave my mind
I just want to know why
My world's so colourless now
A pendulum never stops swinging
It's always changing, evolving
I wish I could be like that too
I feel trapped like this
Claire's aura appeared, the strongest it had yet. She truly captured the essence of the song.
I want to break free!
I want to soar across the sky
Like a shooting star!
I don't want to look back
Why do I keep looking back?
It's always the same...
The pendulum sways from side to side
The stars are hiding from the sky
I want to become the me of your dreams
I want to make your dreams come true!
She performed Premium Fleeting Miracle.
I'm sorry if I'm not the me of your dreams...
I'm sorry if your dreams aren't coming true...
And the song came to a serene end, with Claire clasping her hands together in a graceful pose.
The audience erupted into applause and Claire waved to the audience.
"Thank you, Hajime. Thank you, everyone!" she thought, smiling brightly.
Even though it wasn't her original life plan... standing on stage like this wasn't bad.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───
A/N: Yeah Hajime yeah I'm sure you have """Nezumi"""'s feather title don't you. I'm sure you have her limor literally any other 4* of her too >:(((((((((((((
(I wrote this chapter believing I'd get one of "nezumi" (kohane azusawa, my pfp) for anniversary but... nope. lol. so I'm salty at this oc I made who has better luck than me >:(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()
Regardless, I hope you liked this chapter! And Claire's backstory - I was a little worried it'd come off as Tsubaki 2.0 but I think I managed to avoid that???
Thank you for reading!!
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .◇. * :☾ ° . ───