After the eventful Halloween, November quickly came around. Whilst busy, many students found themselves waiting for the upcoming, more exciting events to knock on their door.
"I wonder if anything interesting is on~," Hinata said. She, Tsubaki and Mai sat in the cafeteria, eating breakfast. Neither of the three had much lined up that day, so aside from lessons and their daily practise sessions, there wasn't much for them to do. Hinata looked on her phone, scrolling for something to do. It didn't take long for her bored expression to be replaced with excitement.
"Oooh, they're having an interview with the Silver Wing right now," she said, and turned to the other two, "Wanna watch it?"
Tsubaki's eyes widened, but neither took notice of this. Instead, Mai nodded. "You two and Sachiko talk about her so much, yet I don't know much at all about her... so I'd love to learn!"
Hinata grinned.
"Sachiko knew about her...?" Tsubaki asked, slightly pale. Mai nodded.
"Mhm! That's how I met you - she mistook you for her. Said something like 'it's just a Tsubasa lookalike'," she placed a finger to her lip, "That is her name, right?"
Before Tsubaki could reply, Hinata answered herself. "Yep! She just doesn't like to be referred to it during work. Something about not wanting to mix her personal life and work life," she explained.
"That makes sense."
With that explanation over, Hinata put the video on.
"This is the first time you've been back to Japan in a while, right?" the host asked, and Tsubaki turned even paler. She muttered something that Mai couldn't make out under her breath.
"Not exactly," the Silver Wing admitted. She had long, dark purple hair, and a graceful aura. Her skin was slightly tan too, and she was tall... despite the difference in composure and darker hair, Hinata wasn't kidding when she said Tsubaki resembled her. "I briefly returned at the end of May. This is my first official visit back, though - my family and I decided it'd be nice to spend my birthday back home, with everyone else."
"I see. I'm sure the viewers would like to know if you got up to anything interesting in your May visit."
"Well, I didn't stay long. I didn't want to make a big deal of things. The most noteworthy thing I did was go see Prism Tiara's spring showcase."
Tsubaki, who had been drinking, forgot how to drink in that moment, and began to cough.
"Tsubaki?!" Mai's eyes immediately darted over to her best friend. Concerned, she tried her best to support her.
It took a moment for Tsubaki to recover. "I'm okay," she reassured. "I... I didn't expect that. She came and I didn't know?"
"It sounded like she was going incognito. I doubt any of the staff even knew, especially when most people only know her stage name."
"I don't see why they'd tell you anyway. That being the debut of your first Premium Rare was enough pressure," Hinata added.
Tsubaki opened her mouth, about to say something... but she closed it before she could.
"I hope she enjoyed it," she eventually said, quieter than usual. "I admire her a lot. Only so many times somebody can compare me to her before I got curious and looked her up. It didn't take long for me to be dazzled by her... I wonder if I made her feel the same way."
Mai readjusted her ribbon, then looked to Tsubaki. "I'm sorry if this is out of nowhere, but the special someone you want to beat... is it her?"
A brief silence.
Tsubaki nodded. "It is."
"I can't wait to see everyone again - I've missed all of my fans here," the Silver Wing continued, "thank you for all of your support!"
"Before you go, any last words?"
"To some of the viewers out there, I'll be visiting somewhere special on a special day soon. I can't wait to meet you all."
The host smiled. "I'm sure they're all excited. Thank you for your time, Silver Wing-chan, and happy early birthday!"
"Thank you very much."
Hinata turned the programme off. "Somewhere special; I wonder where that is."
"Maybe the mall?" Mai suggested. "Or the park she used to play at when she was younger. Or... her old school?"
"I'm not sure," Tsubaki muttered. She considered herself an expert when it came to the Silver Wing; her biggest fan even! Yet she had no clue about any of this.
It was... frustrating, to say the least.
"Well..." Hinata picked her phone up again, "I'm going to look for auditions."
"Oh, I'll join you," Mai said, taking out her phone, "I don't have anything lined up for the next week, after all."
"Me neither~"
Meanwhile, Tsubaki continued to zone out, her head replaying that interview and trying to figure out what everything she said had meant. Why hadn't she said anything?! Why didn't she know?!
Ping.
Tsubaki's eyes widened; her heart began to race. Even if she was late, Tsubaki wouldn't mind if this was some kind of message about everything, but her spirits quickly deflated. For whatever reason, the headmistress was requesting her. With a sigh, Tsubaki picked up her bag and made her way to the office, ignoring the confused glances from her two best friends.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
Tsubaki walked out of class, playing with her loose strand of hair. Twirling it around and around, thinking about everything... she perfectly understood why the headmistress thought this would be a good idea, and it was a chance to finally prove herself. She just wasn't sure if she was ready. If she'd ever be ready.
"Tsubaki!!!" A familiar voice cried out, causing Tsubaki to sigh fondly. She stopped playing with her hair and turned to face the source of the sound. Hinata was speed-walking down the corridor, dragging Mai along behind her.
"What do you want?" Tsubaki asked, unintentionally coming off colder than planned.
"We're joining a duo audition together, to be image girls of a jewellery brand. The audition requires that we wear Prism Tiara coords, so I will gift you the rare experience of having me ask you for help!"
"I suppose I can help with that," Tsubaki said. Freeing herself from Hinata, Mai smiled brightly at Tsubaki. Then, it faltered.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, causing Tsubaki's eyes to dart to the ground.
"It's complicated." She paused, debating whether it'd be worth it to tell the truth. Eventually, she settled on yes. "You know what Tsubasa said earlier? Somewhere special on a special day?"
"Did you figure out what she meant?"
"Yeah. Somewhere special on a special day. Celestial Academy on her birthday. Guess who they want to perform for her?"
Mai's face lit up once again. "I'm so happy for you!"
Tsubaki raised an eyebrow. "You are?"
"I am! You get to show her just how bright you shine. That's an amazing chance!"
"She's right, you know," Hinata interrupted, smirking. "Imagine adding the Silver Wing to your fanbase!!" She paused, thinking about what Tsubaki had said. "Wait, did you just say she's coming here?!"
Tsubaki nodded. "I have no clue why, but she is."
"Imagine if she decided to attend here!" Hinata exclaimed, "She'd be in our year too, right? We could be classmates with a real-life celebrity!"
"I doubt that," Tsubaki said, quickly shooting down Hinata's hopes. "She's never really been interested in Aikatsu. The only reason she released that song was because she was told it would boost her sales."
"Where did you hear that? I must have missed out on some kind of interview..." she gasped, "What if I accidentally missed an entire issue of a magazine?! There's so much information I might have missed out!!"
Tsubaki gave the most convincing smile she could manage. "I'll try and get it to you later if I can remember which one it was."
"You're my saviour...!"
Tsubaki chuckled. "Back to the point, you two wanted help with Prism Tiara coords, right?"
"We'd really appreciate your help," Mai said.
"Well..." she pulled out her phone, looking through Prism Tiara's collection. "For Hina, the bright colours of the Showtime Wink coord could work well. The deep pink complements her well. As for Mai... the Crystal Clear Coord has softer colours than most other Prism Tiara coords. It'd help ease the stark contrast between her usual style and this."
"They're so pretty..."
"It's perfect!" Hinata's eyes sparkled.
"I'm hoping to meet with the top designer soon, so I'll pick those up then." She put her phone back in her bag. "It is surprising though. I thought Hina was forever loyal to Exciting Topaz."
Hinata readjusted her hairband. "I am! I just think you shine brightly whenever you wear Prism Tiara's coords. I guess you changed my mind on the brand a little."
"When Tsubaki-chan is confident... her clothes sparkle!"
Tsubaki smiled. "Thanks. It means a lot."
Mai and Hinata smiled too.
"Hina-chan and I already decided to go running... want to join us?"
"Of course!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
When Tsubaki walked into Prism Tiara's office, she felt almost as nervous as she did that first time. Masato was the only person who knew just how much weight this held... she hoped he'd agree. Upon entrance, she quickly made sure to grab those two cards, then made her way to the top floor. As always, the long elevator ride was the perfect time to reflect. Masato had said Prism Tiara's idols shone on their own merit... surely this would be the perfect time to showcase that? The elevator halted, and she exited. She made her way in.
"Good morning," she greeted.
"Good morning, Shimura-san," he said, "I heard the news."
"Then I'm sure you know what I'm about to ask next."
"You want a Premium Rare, correct?"
"I do."
Masato smirked. "You know, a Premium Rare is a truly special kind of coord. You already own one, isn't that enough for you?"
Tsubaki tightened her grip on her bag. He wasn't exactly wrong; it was rare for first-years to even own one. Yet...
"It isn't."
Masato gave her one of those looks, prompting her to continue.
"Prism Tiara gives me confidence. Whenever I'm confident, I sparkle; that's what she said to me. I want to show her - I want to show everyone the brightest version of me there is! I want to reach new heights. I want Prism Tiara to reach new heights. Heights never reached before! I want us to spread our wings, and I need your assistance for that. So please consider my request." She bowed, her eyes squeezed shut.
Please, please, please...!
"I'll see what I can do," Masato said, "but in return, you have to show me the brightest version of yourself there is. If not, this will be your last."
Tsubaki's face lit up. It may have added more pressure to the performance, but... he hadn't rejected her! "I won't disappoint you!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
Over the next few days, Tsubaki practised at every opportunity she had. There was a lot on the line here - she had to make sure nothing could go wrong. She had to make sure she had the lyrics down, the dance, make sure her vocals were good, that she was confident and having fun. If any of those were less than satisfactory things could go awfully. She'd spend all of her free time in the gymnasium or a lesson room, going over the dance one more time. She'd listen to the song every night before she went to bed.
Whilst more relaxed about it, Mai and Hinata worked hard too.
"I think... we should take into account what type of gemstones too," Mai said. They had heard they might have to design their own jewellery for the audition, and whilst they weren't exactly sure if this was true, it'd be good practise nonetheless. "Maybe we should try incorporating our birthstones, to make it more personal. My birthday is in March, so mine is the aquamarine. Yours is July, right? So yours is the ruby."
"Ooh, nice idea," Hinata agreed.
"Kotone-chan's in August, so she's the peridot. Tsubaki's November, so the topaz..." she paused, "Her birthday is soon."
Hinata's eyes widened. "I haven't gotten her anything yet...!"
"Me neither," Mai admitted. She rested her chin in her hand. Something about Tsubaki's birthday made her feel off, but she wasn't sure what...
"So I should try using the ruby," Hinata said, returning to the original conversation, "I wonder if it'd look good on me though. Maybe it clashes."
"I don't think they'll actually make it, so you'll be fine," Mai said, "But you can always try adding more to balance the colours out. Or maybe if you have a favourite gemstone you could use that instead."
Hinata nodded, making mental notes.
Once they were finished discussing, the two made their way back to the first-year dorms. It was getting late, after all. Taking a slight detour upon Mai's request, the two passed the lesson rooms, where Tsubaki was. Mai stopped in her tracks, peeking in. Tsubaki was working so hard, redoing every single wrong step. She didn't even notice Mai stopping, nor did she notice when Mai walked away.
"Hina-chan?"
Hinata turned to face Mai.
"How much do you know about Tsubasa-san?"
"Not much," Hinata answered, "Again, she's a secretive person. All we know is her first name and birthday, the first being revealed by accident. Why?"
Mai clutched her sleeve. "I just... had this suspicion."
Hinata looked at Mai curiously.
"I'm sure it's just me overthinking though."
"Ah, I see." By this point, the two had reached the dorms. "Well, goodnight then!" Hinata waved, grinning, but Mai's grip tightened.
"Wait!"
Hinata stopped.
"I know the audition is tomorrow, so we should sleep but... do you know how to find Tsubasa-san's first magazine appearances?"
"Ah, well..." she crossed her arms. "I'm not sure how easy it'll be. It was a niche magazine, and apparently, they were told to halt production of her first issues, before she started using her stage name."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Most people are convinced it's because of the stage name, but they say there's another reason. Her parents and ultimately the company were unhappy with something... I don't know though. Maybe you should look into it more."
"I will. Thank you, Hina-chan." She waved. "See you tomorrow."
"See you!"
The wait for Tsubaki to come back was agonising. She came back at least an hour after Mai had - even she seemed surprised that Mai was still awake.
"Mai?"
Mai cut straight to the point. "Do you know how to find Tsubasa-san's first magazine appearances?"
"Huh?"
"Hina-chan didn't, so I thought you were my best chance of finding them."
"Where did that come from...?" Tsubaki asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did Hina say something weird?"
"I'm just curious," Mai replied. It wasn't exactly a lie.
"Well..." Tsubaki quickly tapped on her phone a couple of times, then showed it to Mai. A photo of the Silver Wing by herself (though the photo was cut in half, Mai noted), in a coord from Millennia Wings. She was significantly younger than her current age and had longer hair. Yet, she still had the elegant aura she was so well known for. Despite being obviously inexperienced, she shone.
"This is all that's left," Tsubaki explained. "They added the rest of the models in a reprint, but the Silver Wing didn't properly debut until the next issue."
"So this photo was wasted..."
"She wasn't happy with it. I don't know why, but she's always been like that. She's always had high expectations for herself."
"Kind of like you then," Mai said, "You always push yourself."
"If I don't surpass my limits, then I'm failing," Tsubaki muttered, her voice barely audible. She wasn't even sure if Mai had heard.
Concern flashed in Mai's eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," Tsubaki said, "I'm just tired."
Mai wasn't convinced but...
"Promise to take care of yourself," Mai said. "You won't be doing anyone a favour if you overexert yourself."
It took a second too long for Tsubaki to answer.
"I promise."
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
The next day had come, and the audition had finally approached. The audition had various stages, such as a posing competition to see how well contestants could show off their chosen jewellery. Hinata had taken part in this portion, using the skills she had gained from her few modelling jobs. Having brung a fresh feeling to the brand, she easily got the two through the second round.
Said second round was just what the two had expected: a design round. Mai showed the judges her design, discussing the use of birthstones and how they helped make the entire design more personal. She then went to talk about how the aquamarine was associated with tranquillity and harmony, so she designed with those two words in mind. With that, the two got into the final round, the performance.
"That was impressive," Hinata commented, causing Mai to smile shyly.
"I like to think I learned a thing or two from watching papa design when I was younger."
The two took out their cards, and Mai awkwardly giggled. "I'm a little nervous. I've never performed in a song like this before."
"Same," Hinata said, "But we'll be fine! We'll be so fine that we'll win and make Tsubaki proud!"
Make Tsubaki proud... Mai smiled a little more confidently this time. If they would raise Tsubaki's spirits even just a little, it'd be a success in her opinion.
The two ran towards the fitting room.
"Amamiya Mai, singing with love!"
"Shining with vibrant dreams!"
The two walked onto the stage, pulling the most confident poses they could. The music started up.
I hope these days with you
Never end
Whenever we're together
We shine...!
Sometimes a little magic is all you need
To become the person you want to be
With some new lipgloss, and a fresh pair of heels
My ideal self is revealed
As the two slowly began to become more absorbed into the song, their auras appeared.
I'll smile with confidence!
I can't stop yet!
Let the show begin...!
These days on the stage are Never • Ending!
The song and coords began to bring out a new side of the two... a more professional and confident side! The kind of feeling only Prism Tiara could produce.
I hope these days with you never end
Whenever we're together, we shine
I hope these days with you never end
Experiences with you are just divine
I hope these days with you never end!
(Even when the curtain closes, it's not the end!)
I hope these days with you never end!
They'll never end!
I'll never give up!
As the song ended, the two performed the special appeal Jewel Painting.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
From a lesson room, Tsubaki gave a smile as she watched the performance.
Then, she went back to practising.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
"The Silver Wing," the headmistress said to Nanami Kaori that night, "I think her appearance will awaken something."
Kaori smiled. "I think she will. I'm sure Shimura-san's performance will be something special too."
"Of course. Please continue to guide her; I'm sure she could benefit from knowing her teacher can relate to her struggle."
"Of course."
The headmistress' eyes drifted to look outside the window. She stood up and opened the curtains. It was a starry night.
"Shimura Tsubasa... I wonder what kind of change your visit will cause to our academy's sky."
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───
A/N: AAAAAAAAAA I'm so excited for next chapter it's not even funny. Please look forward to it :)
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♤. * :☾ ° . ───