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"Honestly, I feel like I'll get a good response," Ruby told her friends in an empty classroom. "I didn't meet the application requirements last time, and I've been waiting two years for this audition!"
"Yeah, I'm sure you'll get it," one of her friends told her. "You're cute, plus you're a good dancer."
Ruby smiled at the praise.
Her friend continued, "Though, your singing is a bit..."
"A bit what?" Ruby asked.
"If anyone has enough appeal to make up for that shortcoming, it's you, Ruby," her friend clarified.
"Shortcoming...?" Ruby repeated, her eyes darkening for a second.
Then she said, "Okay, I get that my sister is better at singing than I am... But anyway, I'll definitely be successful with this idol audition!"
As she looked out the window at the setting sun, she thought, Then, one day, I'll be a top idol like Mom was.
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My name is Ruby Hoshino.
I have two secrets I can't tell, even my friends.
One's that my mother is the legendary idol Ai, who was killed by a fanatical stalker ten some years ago.
The other is this: I have memories from my previous life.
I was of poor health from the time I was born, and I spent the majority of my life in the hospital.
Being an idol otaku was about my only source of enjoyment.
In particular, I was super into Ai of B Komachi.
Even at the moment my life's flame was extinguished, Ai singing was echoing through my head.
But the next time I woke, I had been reborn as Ai's child.
Those few years until Ai... until Mom died were a treasure to me.
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One day Ruby was eating some snacks in the kitchen, when she suddenly exclaimed, "I'm gonna be like Mom!"
Just then, a notebook was slapped on her head. "Talking about your dreams is fine, but high school entrance exams are fast approaching," Luna reminded her, her purple eyes glimmering with amusement.
Ruby slapped the book away. "You don't get it, onee-chan," she said. "I am gonna be an idol! High schools with performing arts departments focus on the interview. They only look at academic ability in passing."
Then she said happily, "If I become an idol, I won't need to study for entrance exams - two birds with one stone!"
"Don't gamble your life based on that little factoid," Aqua cut in, walking into the room with his backpack. Ruby's face changed immediately to a look of annoyance.
Aqua continued, "You know, I don't mind if you dream of being an idol, but don't have illusions of being an idol. Essentially, their salary is low, they retire before reaching 30, and their daily lives are under constant scrutiny by fans. Only a small percentage survive in the industry after graduating, and in the end most take up another line of work. There are very few jobs where the cost is disproportionate to the return."
"What's your point?" Ruby asked, her eyes flashing.
Looking at him, she said, "Isn't life about doing what you want with it?! You'll never be able to do a thing if you worry about cost and return!"
She thought back to her former life and continued, "Some people go their whole lives unable to really do anything, you know? That's not for me!"
Ruby turned back and crossed her arms. Silence ensued for the next minute.
"Do as you like," Aqua finally said. "I'm heading to the director's place."
"Again?" Luna asked.
"I have something to do," Aqua replied walking to the door. Luna watched him walk away with a strange look on her face, then turned around and went back to her bedroom. Ruby looked down at the table.
Our brother changed after Mom died.
He always has a gloomy face and never seems to be having fun.
It seems like he's been up to something ever since he became an apprentice of the director, but he won't tell me what it is.
It also seems that Luna knows what he's doing, but she refuses to tell me either.
And he's not the only one who ended up changing.
My sister decided to dye her purple hair blonde to match ours, or so she says.
I secretly think that it's because she couldn't bear to look at herself in the mirror since she's starting to physically look more like Mom each passing day.
Also, Ichigo-san fell out of contact after the incident, after which Miyako-san took over the agency.
B Komachi, having lost their star, Ai, disbanded after two years.
Strawberry Productions no longer has an idol department, instead expanding operations into managing internet personalities.
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While she and Luna was sitting on the couch eating a snack, Ruby suddenly suggested, "Hey, how about putting together another idol group?"
"Don't say that so lightly," Miyako said while staring intently at her computer screen. Then she leaned back in her chair. "I'd like to if I could, you know."
Ruby looked at her and put a bite of muffin into her mouth.
Miyako continued, "The dream that Ai showed us was an experience I can't easily forget. But, that needs to be thought of as having essentially won the lottery. The longer I do this job, the clearer it becomes to me... Miracles like that don't happen twice. The reality is things just don't go that smoothly. Besides..."
Ruby looked confused. "Besides what?" she asked.
"Never mind..." Miyako said, propping her head up with her hand. "Aren't you expecting a call about the results of your audition soon? If you pass, the regulations state you're to become affiliated with them, right? They're a better-established agency than we are."
"Well, I guess that's true..." Ruby agreed, picking another bite out of the muffin she was eating.
Just then, her phone rang. The caller was titled "Audition."
"Speak of the devil..." Luna said as Ruby hopped up and picked up her phone. Then she rushed to the side of the room and answered the phone.
"Yes?" Ruby asked energetically.
"Is this Ruby Hoshino-san speaking?" asked the person on the other end.
"Yes, Hoshino here!" Ruby answered.
Miyako and Luna watched her as she said, "Okay... Okay..."
Ruby suddenly jolted up, her eyes dark. "Oh, I see..." she said shakily. "Arigato gozaimasu."
"Well then, we will be awaiting your application next time around," the person said.
Ruby said nothing as she clicked the end call button. Her head dipped down and she didn't turn around.
"Ruby..." Luna started, sensing she was upset.
Tears pooled in Ruby's eyes and started to roll down her cheeks. Her hands started to shake as her grip on her phone tightened.
"I didn't make it," Ruby bit out, sobbing. Tears kept rolling down her face as Luna went over and hugged her.
"That's reality for you," Miyako told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "There are lots of politics involved, and you can't even expect your ability to be judged fairly."
"Not everyone can have it go as well as it did for Ai."
...
Onii-chan...
I understand that you don't want Ruby to follow Ai's path.
But did you really have to go that far?
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Sign: Gotanda Studio, Gotanda
"Arigato, Director," Aqua said as he put his phone in his pocket.
The director put his own phone down, puffed some smoke out of his cigarette, and looked down at the script in his hand. Then he said, "The fact that you can fool you own sister shows you've got real acting chops. What're you gonna do if she gets a call from them for real?"
Unfazed, Aqua flipped through the papers he was holding as he said, "I already sent them a short text from Ruby's phone saying she was withdrawing. Plus, I blocked their number in her settings. I've dotted the i's and crossed the t's."
"I just don't get it," the director said as he snuffed out his cigarette. "Why're you going to such lengths to crush your sister's dreams? That girl is quite a beauty - she actually has a chance of making it."
"Look, you don't need to spell it out. I'm not going to let her become an idol," Aqua replied. The star in his eye darkened to midnight black as he turned and faced the director.
"I won't let her tread in Ai's steps. You can count on that."
The director sighed. "Quite the sister complex there," he said. "You're overprotective to a fault."
It's better that it's I alone.
I alone... will see that is taken care of.
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