"I know. You're strong, after all."
"You are too. So make sure to recover quickly so we can have fun together soon, 'kay?"
"I will. Thank you, Minorin."
After the two said their goodbyes, Saki hung up and leaned back into a lying position. Hikaru gave a small smile.
"She's working hard for your sake."
"I know. I'm grateful," Saki said, her voice hoarse but quiet. "I'm grateful to you too. For keeping me company and all."
"It's nothing. I just happened to have a day off."
"...Still. Thank you."
For a couple of seconds, Hikaru stayed quiet, smiling. Saki closed her eyes, resting some more.
Then, Hikaru bit her lip and the happy facade she had been putting on broke. After being lost in her thoughts for so long whilst Saki slept, she had started... dwelling on a certain type of introspection.
"You really should be thanking everyone else instead..." she muttered under her breath. "I'm not remarkable at all."
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Hikaru walked through the corridors of the building, her eyes on the floor. She was a first-year at Celestial Academy, a school training young girls up into becoming the best idols they could be. It wasn't uncommon for students at this academy to attract great success, acquiring quite a reputation. Just a couple of months ago, Hikaru had managed to win a competition among the first years, even performing two special appeals!
And then...
She stagnated somewhat.
Not that she was struggling particularly! She was still performing well and had even become part of a unit with her best friends. So, it wasn't like she could complain. She knew that. She knew that.
She hovered her hand over the door handle. Then, after taking a deep breath, she opened it.
"Good morning," she greeted the group of adults.
"Good morning, Hikaru-chan," an adult woman said, smiling. "It's a pleasure to have you here."
"The pleasure's all mine."
Hikaru had walked into a board meeting, with approximately twenty adults were sitting around a table. On the whiteboard behind the woman was a mindmap, along with a small doodle of a brand of soda. The very same brand this group was assigned to advertise - the same brand Hikaru was representing.
"Aside from the TV advertisement, we've all agreed it would be effective if you would perform at a release party," the woman explained. "It'd heighten your fans' interest in the brand even more."
"I'd be honoured," Hikaru said.
"Excellent! We've even had our team think up some ideas for a performance - Nagomi-san, take it away."
Another woman, an younger one, stood up this time. "These past few months, the boundaries of Aikatsu have been pushed further and further. So, it'd be in our best interest to push them even further to gain traction for our brand," she explained, pulling up a powerpoint. "Therefore, our team has come up with a blueprint for your performance." The powerpoint slide had a doodle of Hikaru on the Sunny Dawn Stage. "As usual, you'll be performing Polka-Dot Symphony, wearing Vivid Splash's Pop Canvas coord."
Hikaru nodded.
"During your performance, you'll perform Pop Live, then Vivid Palette. And then-"
The slide changed, showing Hikaru jumping up with Vivid Colours.
"-You'll perform a unique special appeal made specifically for this advertisement campaign."
Hikaru tensed up.
Three special appeals?
"By performing three special appeals, you'll easily get both yourself and the event trending on Kirakiratter - a win-win situation," another employee added. "Of course, it will be difficult, but we never hid this would be an ambitious project."
Another employee chimed in. "We understand if you don't want to, but performing these three appeals would help our company greatly."
Hikaru looked down, grabbing her arm. She tightened her grip slightly.
"...I'll do it," she quietly said. "I'll... do my best. You can rely on me."
"Excellent. Thank you."
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Hikaru bounced up and down on the trampoline, trying to steady her breathing. Sweat was dripping down her face - taking this into account alongside her messy hair, it was clear she had been at this for a while.
Claire clapped her hands.
"One!"
Hikaru jumped up higher, making a blowing motion as if she was inflating a balloon. The motions of Pop Live, the generic pop type special appeal. Then, she returned to her previous smaller bounces.
"Two!"
She did another larger jump, twirling in the air. However, this time, she seemed... a little late. She frowned but continued forward, going back to the small bounces.
"Three!"
This time, Hikaru tried to pull an extravagant pose midair, giving an aura of excitement and hype.
However...
She fell, landing on her side.
"Hikaru-chan?" Claire asked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," she said, pulling herself back up into a sitting position. She steadied her breathing once again. "Give me a second before I try again."
So she did.
And she tried again.
And again.
That night, Hikaru returned to her dorm, looking to the floor. She still... hadn't made much progress at all...
"It's rare to see you like this," Usagi commented as the two sat, drinking tea together. Hikaru pursed her lips together.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. If you're sad, you're sad. Nothing wrong with that." She paused. "I think."
Hikaru gave a small, halfhearted giggle. "Hey, Usagi-chan, what would you do if you took up a job and then realised... you couldn't really do it...?"
"...Huh?"
"Like..." She bit her lip, then sighed heavily. "They want me to do three special appeals in one performance," Hikaru muttered, "but I'm not sure I can..."
"I'm sure you can!"
Hikaru jumped, spilling some of her tea.
"Ack - was I too loud again?! Sorry, sorry, I'll help with that!" She jumped out of her bed, running into the bathroom and bringing toilet paper back to clean up before it could stain.
"...Are you sure I'll be able to?"
"Hm?" Usagi looked up, then grinned. "I'm totally sure. You were the first out of us to manage to perform two, right? It's been a couple of months since then too."
"I think that was a fluke."
"There's no way it was. We've all continued to perform two appeals even now."
"Still..."
"If it's you, I'm sure you can do it."
"But... what if I mess up?"
"You won't. I'm sure top idols can do five. In their sleep." Usagi paused, furrowing her eyebrows. "...Probably."
"...That Celestial Trial is soon, right?" Hikaru asked. "Do you think I'd need to do three to win?"
"No clue, but probably."
Hikaru gave a small smile. "I wonder how top idols do it."
"Me too." Usagi paused again, then her eyes lit up. "Let's ask onee-chan!"
"O-Onee-chan?" Hikaru asked, eyes wide again. "Your... sister?"
"I'm a single child but I like to call her that. But she's a super amazing idol and she knows a lot about the system and-" She paused again. "I think I bothered her last time."
"But if she's an amazing idol she probably knows how to perform three special appeals."
"I'm sure of it. She can probably do more, even."
Hikaru's expression turned serious and she placed her hand on her heart.
"If it'll help me become a better idol... I'd like to meet her."
"I'll message her on Kirakiratter, then!" Usagi exclaimed. "Are you free tomorrow?"
Hikaru nodded and Usagi grinned.
"Great! Let's go then."
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The next day, the two members of Tsukizumi City were walking through the streets, Usagi humming 'Promise' as she went.
"You really like that song, don't you?"
"Of course! It's eclipse's song - the song that changed my life." Usagi beamed. "To think, without it, we wouldn't even be friends. Oh, you should watch the performance one day! Even if it won't be as special as it would be in person, you'll still love it." Hikaru's expression faltered slightly and Usagi shook her head. "I-I mean! I'm sure there are many performances that we'll be able to see in person that will be almost as legendary! Like, I'm not sure we'll ever see anything as amazing as eclipse both blooming at the same time again but like maybe we'll get to see a solo idol bloom! Or something!"
"I can't help but wonder about blooming."
"Right?"
"I wonder how you bloom," Hikaru continued, "If you have to do something special. Since not even Akiyama-senpai has bloomed yet..."
"That is kinda weird," Usagi noted. "Onee-chan might know though? Since she's bloomed and all and she's an Aikatsu engineer." By now, their apartment was in view.
"Who exactly is your onee-chan?" Hikaru asked as Usagi rang the doorbell. "The person you're describing sounds nearly impossible.."
"Amamiya Mai-senpai!" Usagi exclaimed and Hikaru quickly darted behind her, hiding. "Eh? Hikaru-chan?" She asked, looking behind her. The door opened and Usagi's attention snapped over.
"Usagi-chan? It's nice to see you."
"Hiyori-san! This is-"
"...Who is?"
"Well, erm...! This... might take a while."
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Amamiya Mai's room was... pretty different from what Usagi had expected. It was certainly cute, with pastel colours. Along with many, many, many books, lined everywhere. There was a laptop on her desk, along with photos. Many photos, such as ones of Midnight, ones of eclipse and one with a younger Mai and a woman with hot pink hair (who Usagi could only assume was her mother). There was even an Aikatsu binder, neatly propped up. Next to it was a worn-out red ribbon, which looked cute in Usagi's thoughts.
And...
Many, many, many, many, many pieces of paper scattered around. Along with post-it notes hung up on the wall connected in a frenzied attempt to... do... something...
To be honest, Usagi was a little concerned.
But Mai was a cool, responsible upperclassman along with the top idol. She was probably just... having a bad day.
Yeah, that must be it.
Besides, it wasn't like Usagi's room back home was much better.
However, even if Usagi could try and ignore the state of the room, it was much more difficult to ignore Hikaru clinging onto Usagi's shoulders, still hiding.
She scratched her head, laughing airily.
"So... what brings you here?" Mai asked, readjusting her glasses.
"We were gonna ask you about special appeals and stuff," Usagi said. "But I guess I forgot to mention you were a top idol and now she's kinda scared."
"...Ah," Mai said. "About special appeals... I've been meaning to ask you about those too."
"Huh? You have?"
Mai nodded. "I've been thinking a lot about everything that's happened whilst I was abroad," she explained. "I've been trying to piece things together and, well." She quickly glanced at the post-it notes on the wall. "Sorry for the mess. But... I've just been thinking. It doesn't make sense."
"...It doesn't?" Hikaru asked, peeking over Usagi's shoulder. Mai gave a small wave and smiled.
"Don't you find doing special appeals difficult?" Mai asked. "Actually - no, I'm pretty sure I've asked this before, haven't I?" She yawned. "Sorry, my thoughts have been a mess, I'm just -" She sighed. "Sorry. What I mean is, you said doing multiple appeals came naturally to you, right?"
Usagi nodded.
"So... would you say you have natural talent regarding special appeals?"
Usagi couldn't shake her head faster if she tried.
"I'm not naturally talented at anything. I'm pretty sure I fell on my face doing special appeals before." She laughed awkwardly.
Mai narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't make sense."
"I guess I just improved a lot? Oh, but Hikaru-chan was the first out of our friends to perform multiple appeals so you should ask her."
"Eep!"
After a second, Hikaru slowly crawled out from behind Usagi. Hesitantly, she sat next to her, combing her hands through her hair.
"I... I kind of just... felt like I could do it..." Hikaru muttered. "I don't know why... I felt like it was much easier."
"Did you do anything before that performance?"
"It was my first time with a Premium Rare. So, I worked hard."
"Did you practice special appeals specifically?"
"A bit. But I wouldn't say any more than everything else..."
Mai quickly scribbled something down. "So you both had similar experiences..."
They nodded. "Mhm."
"I wonder... when was this?"
"I got my Premium Rare in August."
Usagi nodded again. "Back then, Akiyama-senpai had just debuted. We decided to hold a competition in school to make sure we stayed topical."
"...Just after Akiyama's performance, huh," Mai muttered.
"...Amamiya-senpai," Hikaru started, "Do you think it'd be possible for me to perform three appeals?"
"...Three?"
Hikaru nodded. "It's been a while since I first did two in one performance. The brand I'm working with is relying on me to do three..."
Mai stayed quiet for a second.
"...It might be possible."
"Really?"
Mai nodded. "It'll be difficult. But... there's still a chance. It's Aikatsu; there's always a chance." She gave a small smile. "But it'll be difficult. I don't want to lie and say you'd be likely to succeed but... well, it's possible. It's really up to you to decide whether it's worth it or not."
"...It's unlikely, then," Hikaru noted.
Mai clutched onto the ribbon on her wrist. "I'm sorry for not giving you the answer you wanted to hear. Failure... hurts. It really hurts. But it's important if you want to improve."
Looking down at the floor, Hikaru glanced at all the scribbles. Usagi watched with interest, unable to tell just exactly what was going through Hikaru's head.
"I've decided what I'm going to do," she quietly declared. "Thank you, Amamiya-san."
Mai gave a small smile in return. "I hope everything works out for you."
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"You want to change plans?"
Hikaru nodded. "I'm sorry. But I don't think I'd be able to achieve three special appeals... I'd rather play it safe than mess up and ruin everything."
"If that's what you want, I guess that's fine," the organiser said. "Give it your best out there anyway, okay?"
"I will."
Hikaru turned to the machine, cards in her hand. The Pop Canvas coord had a suitably fitting pop-art style, colourful and bold.
"I'm sorry," She whispered to her cards. "I know this is the coward's way out but..."
If she failed here, in a big event, that'd certainly damage her chances of work...
And...
She closed her eyes, imagining her family. They were all relying on her.
She had already failed in the unit cup. She couldn't afford to fail again. For her siblings. For her mother.
Even if that meant staying unremarkable, she was willing to take that risk...
Right?
"I'll do my best for them... I'll put on a fun performance that I won't fail. Azusawa Hikaru, lighting up the sky!"
Let's take a journey
A journey through a brand new place
There's not much there yet
Like an empty bookcase
Hey, you might feel worried
But this is where your personality can shine
Where your song can resonate
Make the world your own design
Hikaru's aura appeared, somewhat large. She had a clear voice, conveying what she wanted to convey to the audience.
Don't hold back
Make your vision real
Show it off to the world
Through your song...!
So let's sing~!
She performed Pop Live.
This polka dot symphony
Will resonate through the land
Show your creativity
It's soft and warm
So just take this chance
It'll be okay - I promise
Even if you fail
I'll be here for you
Courage will come eventually
Closing the performance she performed Vivid Palette. The audience cheered in response, applauding her for her great efforts.
"She's really cute! I wonder if she'd be available to advertise my stationery line someday."
"She executed those two special appeals with such skill. I'm impressed; I'll have to keep an eye on her."
Hikaru's smile was somewhat bittersweet. In the end, she managed to pull it off. She had exactly the best response she could have expected.
Yet...
Somehow, her heart wasn't racing like it usually was after a performance.
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As Hikaru re-entered the school grounds, she couldn't bring herself to smile.
Despite all of the work she put into the performance, she almost regretted it ...She wondered if her siblings could possibly tell.
"Amazing work out there, Hikaru-chan," Claire said as Hikaru sat down with her friends. "All of your practising special appeals paid off."
"...Mhm... Thanks." She looked up, scanning the group and noticing a lack of a certain someone. "Is Minori-chan busy?"
"I haven't seen her since I got back from work," Saki said. "Knowing her she's probably with Susie-ch-"
"Everyone!" a familiar voice yelled. The four perked up, turning to the source. Minori was running over, waving her arm in the air. "Guess what I just managed to do?"
"Something good?" Usagi asked and Minori nodded.
"I managed to book a collaboration stage between Bubblegum*Asterism and Serendipity at this year's Christmas party!"
The Bubblegum*Asterism's expressions lit up.
"Really? That sounds like so much fun!" Usagi exclaimed.
"It'll be our first time performing as a five. That sounds incredible."
"The Christmas stage - there's a rumour that any idol who performs there eventually reaches stardom," Claire said. "You've heard of it, right, Saki-chan?" She turned to Saki, who was scrolling her phone. "Is something wrong?"
"Hm?" Saki asked, looking up. She quickly flashed a smile. "I'm more than okay. Was just looking through some comments on Kirakiratter - people have a lot to say about Serendipity lately. We're such a hot topic BubbleAsu are gonna have to work extra hard if you don't want us to outshine you on stage."
"We're a hot topic? What are people saying?"
"You know... like, you're really popular recently, Minorin. Good job."
"Am I?! That's amazing!"
As the conversation progressed to another topic, Saki glanced at her phone again, her smile disappearing.
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"I kinda wish Minori would steal Saki's jobs more often lol. She's much cuter."
"Saki used to be that cute - cuter even. But the second she gained fans for it she dropped the act :/ i feel a little betrayed tbh."
"oh lol. what a fake."
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A/N: Thank you for reading! Hikaru is precious;u;
Christmas chapter is gonna be a ton of fun no angst at all. why would there be angst it's Christmas (in March I'm sorry I didn't get the timing right in any of the seasons in the end lmao)
anywaayyyy lol. look forward to it :>
OH ALSO just in case people didn't notice. mai didn't clean up at all ASIDE FROM her plushies. she gets embarrassed too easily about something so tame www
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