"Um... Please have so..."
Yoshino placed tea in front of Kurebayashi Subaru and spoke in a stiff, tiny voice.
"Mm, thank you."
Subaru thanked Yoshino. Yoshino nodded in a little panic, then hugged the tray and left the living room.
"Phew... That was so nerve racking..."
Yoshino slowly let out a breath. At the sa ti, the rabbit puppet Yoshinon encouraged her.
"Good, good. You did great, Yoshino-chan."
"Mm... Thank you..."
At that mont, Mukuro and Natsumi, who had been secretly watching from the hallway, ca over.
"Yoshino, who is this person? For what purpose does she et with Obaa-chan?"
"Never seen her before... Obaa-chan's secret daughter? A scam group? No, wait, is she a teacher here for a ho visit? Yeah... I know. I understand. They're finally telling to drop out of school, aren't they? I'm just a worthless thing with less presence than an insect. Every ti I enter the classroom, everyone looks at like, 'Why is she here?' Just being in class pollutes the air..."
"Mm. Natsumi-san has sunk again. Muku rub-rub~"
As if cheering Natsumi up, Mukuro began rubbing her cheeks.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
"N-no... She isn't a teacher... She is soone Miku onee-san knows..."
Yoshino hurriedly explained.
"Miku's?"
"She seems to be Miku-chan's forr manager. She ca to persuade Miku to return to being an idol."
"Ah! Co to think of it, she used to be an idol. Though I can't really imagine it."
After escaping Mukuro's hands, Natsumi sighed in disbelief. Then, after sneaking a glance into the living room, she asked curiously,
"Speaking of which, why are only the manager and Obaa-chan in the living room? Where is Miku herself?"
"She is currently fortifying the castle of her own room and refusing to open the gates."
"Seriously...? Is this so kind of bad on?"
Hearing that the fearless Miku had actually shut herself in, Natsumi looked utterly baffled. Her gaze toward Kurebayashi Subaru in the living room gained a hint of awe.
...
"What an adorable family."
Noticing the three girls gathered outside the living room, Subaru gave a bitter smile.
"Um, I'm sorry... for suddenly disturbing you."
"It's all right... Don't mind it."
Yumi gently shook her head. She took a small sip of tea and asked kindly,
"Kurebayashi-san... if I rember right? You said you were Miku's forr manager, yes?"
"Mm, yes. Until two years ago, I was in charge of arranging Miku's idol activities. Ah——this is my business card."
Subaru nodded. As if to prove her identity, she handed her business card to Yumi midway through speaking.
"You don't have to be so nervous. I'm not doubting you." Yumi smiled and shook her head. "This old woman is already quite old, so I'm not used to that stiff workplace-style talk. No need to be so formal. Just think of it as coming here for tea and chatting with an old lady to pass the ti."
"All right——sorry for making you laugh."
Subaru slowly breathed out, took a sip of tea, and used the chance to calm herself.
"Um... Tsukino-san. Did Miku really lose her mories of the past?"
After hesitating for a mont, Subaru still voiced her question.
"Mm... When I adopted her, she already no longer rembered anything before her hospitalization."
"I see. No wonder she reacted that way when we t."
Hearing Yumi's answer, Subaru looked both relieved and disappointed.
"But I think she should know her own identity. I heard that when she was in the hospital, she used the internet to search her own na... So she has so resistance toward the job of being an idol."
"I see. If she learned about her own past that way while having amnesia, it would indeed leave a scar."
Hearing that, Subaru sowhat understood why Miku had rejected her so strongly earlier.
In fact, as soone in the industry, she knew quite a few people who had retired from the idol world because they could not stand having their privacy exposed.
"Kurebayashi-san, this ti you ca to find Miku because you want her to return and continue being an idol, right? Perhaps you signed so kind of contract, but judging from that child's current condition..."
"No, no! You misunderstand, Tsukino-san. For a natural disaster that could not be resisted, the contract cannot possibly bind her. And even if it did, I would not force Miku to beco an idol."
Subaru hurriedly waved her hands to clear up the misunderstanding and answered with a bitter expression.
"eting Miku this ti was purely by chance. After that great disaster two years ago, Miku lost contact with us. I used many ways to look for her, but there was no news at all. I thought she must have, together with her parents..."
At that point, Subaru's voice choked slightly. After calming herself, she took a deep breath and continued.
"So, when I saw that she was safe, I was truly happy."
"I see..."
"Of course, Tsukino-san, I won't deny that I have selfish feelings in this too. After all, I am not only Miku's forr manager, but also her fan. If she could return, nothing would be better. If she does not want to, then I only hope she can live happily."
After saying that, Subaru bowed to Yumi.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Tsukino-san. Please continue taking care of Miku from now on."
——————————
"Ugh——seriously. Why did Obaa-chan let that person in?"
At that mont, in her room, Miku was upset that Yumi Obaa-chan had let Kurebayashi Subaru into the house without asking. She puffed up her cheeks, hugged a pillow, and rolled left and right on the bed.
Although Miku also admitted that shutting soone outside without asking anything was very rude, emotionally speaking, she still hoped Obaa-chan would favor her more and chase the other person away directly.
To Miku, Subaru's appearance was like an uninvited guest disturbing her peaceful and happy life, making her feel irritated.
"I don't want to be an idol. You have to waste so much ti training, the work is exhausting and hard, and people can dig up gossip and personal information about you so easily."
As if speaking to herself, Miku hugged the pillow and muttered.
Tick, tick——the second hand moved in the quiet room. After rolling around on the bed with nothing to do for a while, Miku started to feel restless.
"What are Obaa-chan and that manager talking about..."
Miku began to imagine uneasily.
She had heard that scouts who poached talent were all slick tongued and loved making empty promises to trick girls into becoming idols. Yumi Obaa-chan was a very good person, but she was old and could get confused easily. Maybe, if she was careless for just a mont, that manager would use sweet words to bewitch her and sell Miku off into idol work.
Thinking of that, Miku suddenly widened her eyes, realizing a very serious problem.
(Wait. Co to think of it, Yoshino and the others should be coming back soon too. If that woman discovers them, that would be terrible.)
If she saw so many innocent, adorable, peerless beauties at once, that woman nad Kurebayashi Subaru would definitely be unable to suppress her true nature. She would beco filled with wicked desire and drag them into the hellish pit known as the "idol world", then abuse her authority as a manager to give all kinds of orders and make them serve her like pets.
Why was Miku so certain?
Because if it were Miku, she would do exactly that. (TL:bruh)
(Isn't this letting a wolf into the house?!)
Realizing this, Miku imdiately flipped off the bed like a carp, opened the door, and hurried downstairs toward the living room.
"Stop! I absolutely will not allow you to do anything wicked to my hare... family——Huh?"
Seeing that only Yumi Obaa-chan was in the living room, slowly drinking tea, Miku tilted her head in confusion.
"Ah... Miku, you ca. Yoshino brewed so tea. Would you like so?"
Tsukino Yumi drank her tea and looked at Miku with kind eyes.
"Um... Obaa-chan. Where is that manager? Are Yoshino and the others okay?"
"Mm? Yoshino and the others went back to their rooms to do howork. As for Kurebayashi-san, she left not long ago."
"Hmph... I see."
Miku muttered with a complicated expression.
It should have been exactly what she wanted, but for so reason, Miku felt a strange disappointnt in her heart.
"Sorry, Miku... Should I have asked her to stay a little longer?"
As if noticing Miku's expression, Yumi asked with concern.
"Not! Not at all!"
Miku hurriedly waved her hands in denial.
"She must have co to ask to beco an idol anyway! I don't know why the old beca an idol, but I'm very satisfied with my current life and have no intention of changing it at all. I can't stand soone suddenly coming in and making decisions on their own! Actually, I feel much more relaxed now that she's gone."
However, after saying it, even Miku herself felt that sothing was off. The words sounded like she was trying to hide sothing.
"Miku... It isn't good to tell that kind of lie..."
Sure enough, Yumi shook her head with a bitter smile.
"Kurebayashi-san... will not co again."
"...Eh?"
Miku froze.
"She said... If the current you truly hates being an idol so much, then forcing you would have no aning. Seeing that you are safe is already enough to make her feel at ease."
"Hmph... Is that so?"
Hearing that, Miku puffed her cheeks unhappily.
For so reason, even though it was the answer she had wished for, her heart felt unpleasant. She could not quite accept it.
(Although I don't want to be pestered, being given up on so easily also feels really annoying.)
"What is that supposed to an? Is she trying to say that the amnesiac has no future as an idol and would only be cannon fodder?"
"I think that is different from what you imagine." Yumi shook her head in denial. "That person only hopes that you can sing happily on stage."
"Happily... Was the old happy as an idol?"
Yumi Obaa-chan's words lightly touched a string deep in Miku's heart. But on the surface, Miku remained unmoved, propping her cheek up with an uninterested look.
"Miku, why do you not want to be an idol?"
"Why..."
Yumi Obaa-chan's question left Miku speechless.
After leaving the hospital, Miku, because of her age, transferred directly into the third year of high school. Perhaps because she had lost her mories, she could not understand the lessons at all. Everything went in one ear and out the other. After forcing herself to work hard for one day, Miku understood that people had things they were good at and things they were not, and gave up very cleanly.
After that, her days were, how should one say it? Aimless? Or simply drifting along?
While her classmates were worrying about their futures and signing up for cram schools to study seriously for entrance exams, Miku lived carefree. As soon as school ended, she went straight ho to be affectionate with Tohka and the others, or went to lower-year classrooms to flirt with cute underclassn and spend elegant afternoon tea ti with them. She did not think about future plans at all.
Honestly, Miku did not think she was wrong at all, and she was very satisfied with her current life. If she could live like this forever, she would choose to remain as she was without hesitation.
But the ironic thing was that Izayoi Miku knew better than anyone that nothing in the world was that convenient.
As long as ti kept moving, people were destined to grow. As long as people kept growing, change was impossible to avoid.
"If Miku truly hates idols, Obaa-chan will not insist. If Miku wants to live calmly as an ordinary girl, Obaa-chan thinks that is fine too. But I do not want Miku to treat herself with such a vague attitude. If you do that, then in the future... you will definitely regret it."
After hesitating for a long ti, Miku finally answered haltingly.
"It's not that I... don't want to beco an idol just because I think it is hard, easy to expose my privacy, and full of trouble. After all, many jobs cannot go smoothly forever. But I don't understand. What value does an idol have? What reason is there to keep going even after facing so many unpleasant things?"
Because you used to be a top idol and have great singing talent, go beco an idol.
Because you don't really have any other choices, go beco an idol.
Perhaps having such worries was itself a luxury, but Miku hated making a decision for such shallow reasons.
"I see..." Yumi nodded in understanding and said, "Then, why not actually watch it before reaching an answer?"
"Watch?"
Under Miku's confused gaze, Tsukino Yumi Obaa-chan handed sothing to her.
It was a Blu-ray case. On the cover was a violet-haired girl wearing a gorgeous stage dress, and on it, written in marker, was her signature——Izayoi Miku.
"This is... ?"
Miku asked blankly.
"Mm. It is a disc Kurebayashi-san left behind. It seems to be one of your previous works."
Yumi nodded.
"Fine... Since I have the chance anyway, I'll watch it."
Miku pressed her lips together. Her eyes held curiosity and fear. After an intense battle inside her heart, she slowly nodded.
Opening the case and placing the disc into the player in the living room, Miku took a few steps back and sat beside Yumi Obaa-chan.
While waiting for the machine to read the disc, Miku unconsciously clenched the folds of Yumi Obaa-chan's clothes.
[Everyone~ Thank you for coming here today.]
A sweet voice entered her ears.
On the screen, the forr "Miku" stood on a stage lit by spotlights. Facing the eyes of thousands upon thousands of audience mbers, she showed a fearless smile.
And as if responding to her passion, the venue erupted in a wave of cheers.
"This is ..."
Miku said in disbelief.
[Then, first song——"Monochro"!]
Following Miku's signal, the music began to flow across the stage. What followed was a bright, cheerful singing voice.
As if painting a black-and-white photograph with rainbow colors, Izayoi Miku sang with everything she had.
Forgetting her fear and unease, Miku stared at the self on the screen without blinking.
She was enjoying that stage from the bottom of her heart.
Miku reached that conclusion almost imdiately. It was not because she was "Izayoi Miku" that she understood. It was because "Izayoi Miku" had conveyed that feeling without holding anything back.
Why?
Miku could not help wondering. She had thought that after being frad in a false scandal by paparazzi, slandered by others, and doubted by her own fans, there was no way she could smile so purely, so happily.
"Kurebayashi-san told that you once said this before."
Slowly closing her eyes, Yumi spoke as if recalling a mory.
"...An idol is soone who brings courage, dreams, and hope to fans."
"Courage, dreams, and hope..."
Miku softly tasted those words.
If it had been a few minutes ago, perhaps she would have dismissed such innocent words. But after actually feeling the passion and emotion conveyed by "Miku", Miku truly felt the weight contained in them.
It was as if a fire had been lit in her heart, burning fiercely. Her rising emotions seed to search for an outlet, surging through her body.
Honestly, Miku wanted to sing now.
Not here. Not in a karaoke room.
She wanted to sing out loud on a stage as wide as the one where "she" stood on the television.
"Obaa-chan, I don't understand. I don't understand why the past , even after suffering so many blows, still refused to retreat, still faced everything head-on, still sang and shine on stage. I only know that the current does not have that strength."
Miku confessed honestly.
"Mm... I know."
"If soone maliciously slanders , if fans insult and abandon , if no one is willing to listen to sing anymore, then I probably won't be able to bear it."
"Mm. I know."
"So, will you be my audience? Even if it is only to support , will you watch from below the stage and listen to sing until the end?"
"Silly child. You do not have to feel so uneasy. Even if you do not say it, as long as you beco an idol, Obaa-chan will definitely go to your concert. Obaa-chan, you see, is your fan."
Yumi stroked Miku's head and said gently.
"Only... Obaa-chan is old. In a few years, I might not be able to go listen to your concerts anymore."
"Ugh——don't say such unlucky things. Obaa-chan, you're such a good person. You'll definitely live to be a hundred."
Hearing that, Miku first puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction, then broke into a bright smile.
"Don't worry! Even if Obaa-chan's legs beco inconvenient in the future, I will hold a special concert just for you. After all, I'm your granddaughter."
"Oh... Then I truly look forward to it."
"Mm. What a moving heavenly voice."
"Wait? The person singing on TV is Miku? No way... Is this fake?"
"Amazing... Miku-san."
"Mm? When did Miku appear on TV?"
At so point, everyone seed to have been drawn into the living room by "Miku's" singing.
Miku felt a tiny bit jealous of everyone's praise. She understood that the person everyone was talking about was not her, but the forr her.
So——
"Everyone, I have an important announcent to make!"
Standing in front of the television, Miku lifted her head and chest and declared,
"I——Izayoi Miku, have decided to beco an idol!"
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