Um... hi guys? You remember me? The person who said they were gonna upload frequently? Um yeah, about that... anyways, I'm uploading this right now, and chapter 9 will come later tonight, it's almost done. Sorry for updating like... once a year. Anyways! Have fun and thank you for reading. 3
The next morning when Edo woke up, she pushed the covers off with confidence and headed to the kitchen to prepare a smoothie. She was ready to strut into the fashion show hall and show that Ryou Marufuji who was the boss. Plasma could feel Edo's energy surging and the spirit happily mused on how much more confident Edo was now after having practiced with her friends. Swallowing the smoothie in one big gulp, Edo sighed in content and then pumped her fist.
"Alright, let's do this, Edo." She whispered to herself before going to get her bag with her supplies and then zooming out the door.
Once outside the fashion show building, Edo twisted her appearance changer ring and entered. Plasma appeared on her shoulder, pumping its own fists. Both of them were psyched, and fully ready to go in and prove that they were the stars of the fashion show. Or at the very least, that they knew what they were doing.
"Okay, Plasma," Edo whispered. "Are you ready for this?" Plasma nodded eagerly, and Edo grinned at her partner before giving her a small high five. Edo stopped for a second, took a deep breath, and pulled back her shoulder blades, giving her a much more confident walk. Then she started walking again. She could feel how other idols were staring at her, but she didn't pay them any mind. That is, until she walked straight into Ryou Marufuji. His eyes hardened.
"What's going on here?" He asked, voice sulky. Edo looked up at him, before crossing her arms.
"I'm here to blow your mind." She responded cockily. Ryou raised an eyebrow and looked at her in disbelief.
"You? Blow my mind?" He asked, scoffing. Edo didn't give him the satisfaction of reacting, remaining calm and still.
"Yes, I'm here to prove to you that I can indeed steal the spotlight." Edo responded. Ryou looked as cold and bored as ever, but unknown to Edo, on the inside, he was intrigued.
So, she thinks she can impress me? Go ahead, sweetheart, give it your best shot, He thought, grinning internally to himself. Looking down at the smaller girl, he felt a surge of pity, he was truly about to ruin her dreams, wasn't he? Not like she cared about ruining mine, Ryou surly reminded himself, and shook his head slowly to shake off the thoughts. To Edo, this only seemed as if he was trying to be dismissive.
"You don't have to believe me," Edo said, before she took a step to the side. Ryou turned his head to look at her; she grinned. "It'll make it all the more fun when I do end up proving you wrong." She chuckled and walked away, waving to him as she left. Ryou turned around to look at her back and scoffed.
Good luck, Edo, He thought, snickering at the thought of the girl's disappointed face. Meanwhile, a handful of onlooking idols gossiped quietly amongst themselves.
I really handled that well, Edo thought, proudly walking into the changing rooms. Plasma nodded as well, proud of its partner. Edo sat down on one of the benches and sighed.
"Now I just have to pull that special appeal off." She said, casually staring at her nails. She turned to face Plasma. "Think you can help me with that one, Plasma?" She asked. Plasma nodded and jumped around slightly on her shoulder. Edo smiled. "Thank you." Plasma shook its head and continued bouncing around, letting Edo return to her own thoughts. She certainly was quite nervous, after all. Despite her overwhelming confidence in front of Ryou, she wasn't really sure she could pull off a special appeal. To be honest, she didn't even fully know what pulling off a special appeal meant. She remembered Fubuki telling her that pulling off a special appeal feels like going on a rollercoaster. First there was a build-up, that was one's dancing and singing; the effort put in there. After that came the downhill part and the adrenaline rush, meaning the special appeal. The photo one sees at the end is then representation of the performance as a whole, and the energy you managed to spread. That sounded cool and all, but Edo wasn't really sure what it meant. Besides, Fubuki had been a cool-type idol back in her days, and surely there was a difference between the energies of each idol? Shaking her head, Edo tried to focus once more. She turned her head towards the clock, only to see that it was just about time for her to head to the runway entrance. Standing up, she brushed some imaginary dirt off her skirt and ran out, Plasma holding on tightly to her hair.
Edo stood in front of the Duel Idol machine, and softly placed her basic coord she had worn for the Beginner's Live Show in the respective boxes. The machine started to glow and she stepped into it. Once she stepped out of the machine, she was on the runway. She took a few seconds to look around at the stage and marvel. The stage itself was a long runway, the floor was a gradient purple-blue with large pastel blue stars. Behind her was a large screen, purple with bubbles and white and yellow stars, where it said Fashion Show in large letters. Lots of lights were surrounding the runway in order to make sure that everyone's outfits could be properly seen. She looked in front of her, to see several girls, all seemingly nervous. Edo took a deep breath. She was definitely nervous too, but she was on a mission she couldn't fail. She looked around to see if she could spot Ryou, but he was nowhere to be seen; she scoffed. How was she supposed to prove him wrong if he wasn't even watching her? Was he that sure she would fail? She bit her lip, before shaking her head. There was no way she'd lose her right to walk on the runway. She'd never give that up. Unknown to Edo, Plasma was grinning. The lights went dark and a loud announcer started to speak.
"Everyone! Thank you for coming to this fashion show today! Our idols are all very excited to be here and impress you. Are you ready to be dazzled?" Edo could just imagine the announcer winking. "Well then, I won't keep you waiting anymore. Alright, everyone, have fun!" As the announcer said his last words, all the idols joined in, making the crowd cheer loudly. The lights went back on, and music started playing in the background. In front of her, other idols started walking. Edo put a confident smirk on her face, and got ready to show Ryou that she was better than he thought. While the audience clapped and screamed, the idols in front of her pulled off poses at the front of the runway in hopes of stealing the spotlight. By the time Edo was halfway towards the front, nobody had yet to steal it. She bobbed her head along to the music as she calculated exactly how she would pose at the front. Five more idols. Edo grinned. Four more idols. Edo's hips swayed from side to side. Three more idols. She felt the adrenaline rush through her body. Two more idols. Her fingers were tingling, and so were her feet. One more idol. She wanted to open her mouth to scream as she felt the pit in her stomach. No more idols; showtime. Edo stepped forward, but as she did so she felt the adrenaline rush and anxiety combine together. She took a step, but instead of walking on the ground, she felt her body float up in the air. She turned to her side to see Plasma, who grinned at her, making her realize what was happening. Edo closed her eyes as Plasma flew around her, creating circles of plasma beams while the world around her turned purple. In her hand, a purple rose appeared which she placed in between her lips while purple plasma drops rained down over her.
"Plasma Shower." She said calmly, and as she turned around to walk back towards the backstage, a spotlight shone specifically on her, signifying that she had stolen the spotlight. She felt a grin burst on her face, but she forced her face muscles to relax so that she could keep up her composure.
"Oh, oh my god! That's a special appeal right there!" The announcer cried out in shock as the audience went wild. Edo did her best to prevent herself from leaping into skipping on the spot, but it was difficult.
Screw you, Ryou Marufuji. I told you I could do it! She proudly thought as she sashayed back across the catwalk, all eyes on her.
Once she came out into the hall, she found Ryou waiting for her, arms crossed. She smirked at him as she walked up.
"So, where are my cards?" She grinned, crossing her own arms in an attempt to mimic him. He shook his head, eyes closed as he sighed.
"A deal is a deal. I guess." He said and handed over the cards to her. While she was distracted by the cards, Ryou slowly opened one eye to gauge the reaction. As Edo looked at the cards her eyes seemed to brighten up and she looked so cheerful, Ryou was taken by surprise. Despite how he was acting, he had been extremely impressed by Edo's performance. Not only had she done a special appeal, she'd done a special individual appeal. Looking down at the girl, he felt a smile start to form on his face. That is, until he realized what was going on and he forced the smile away. No, you idiot! He thought. What are you thinking? This girl ruined your career… While deep in thought, he didn't see Edo's eyebrows furrowing.
"This is a coord isn't it?" She asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. He nodded.
"Yes, it's the Swallowtail Red Coord." He responded curtly. He really hadn't expected her to win, so in the end, he was a little salty about having to give her the coord. Silence filled up the space between them. Edo looked up at Ryou's stone cold face.
"You really didn't think I would win, did you?" She asked, after a few seconds had passed. Ryou let out an annoyed sigh.
"No, I really didn't." He responded, making Edo grin.
"Well I did," She said, cockily. "So next time, don't make a bet like that." She finished; arms crossed once more. He shook his head, a slight smile forming before it instantly disappeared.
"For your information, Edo, it'll take more than that to impress me." He said, turning on his heel, knowing he had gotten the last word based on her reaction.
"Hey! You idiot, you can't say it like that!" She yelled after him, face red and flushed. As he walked away, a smirk grew on his face.
Nice try, sweetheart. Ryou thought. I'll see you around.
When the time for training came the next day, Edo was pumped. She had managed to win a rare Swallowtail Chaser coord! By the time she arrived at the training hall (she had been a little late, after all), Asuka and Johan were already there. Although, to her surprise, Fubuki was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey! Over here!" Johan cheered, waving her entire arms at Edo, who waved back more subtly. Edo walked up to the two other girls who looked at her with expecting eyes, as if wanting to know how the show went. She tried to hold her grin back, but she couldn't, and both Asuka and Johan's eyes widened before they started jumping up and down. Edo laughed, a little embarrassed, and pulled out the cards.
"This…! It's a rare Swallowtail Chaser coord!" Asuka exclaimed. Edo nodded happily.
"Yes! I'm so happy!" Edo smiled. Johan, on the other hand, looked confused.
"What's Swallowtail Chaser?" She asked. Asuka gestured for Edo to do it, since it was her favourite brand, after all. Edo cleared her throat as a drawing board appeared behind her, shocking Johan once more.
"Swallowtail Chaser is a sexy-type brand. Their clothing has lots of prints and patterns, often some kind of stripes or fur, as well as their classic butterfly which can often be found in most of their designs. It's a fairly new brand, but it's really become big, and I love it! I'd love to meet the designer…" Edo sighed dreamily. Johan's eyes widened; this was the first time she had seen the other girl act in such a way.
"So why don't you just go and meet them then?" Johan asked, oblivious. Edo sighed and shook her head.
"First of all, it's not that easy, Johan. And even if I could somehow arrange a meeting, nobody really knows who the top designer is anyways." Edo said, shoulders slumping. Asuka patted Edo on the shoulder.
"It's okay, Edo. I'm sure you'll get to meet them at some point." Asuka said, smiling softly. Edo nodded.
"You're right." She said, to which Asuka tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"As always!" She teased, bowing deeply, making both Johan and Edo laugh.
"But seriously, Edo! It's amazing that you managed to get these cards!" Johan said. "I'm so proud of you." She added, smiling. Edo blushed.
"It's because of you and Asuka that I even managed to do it in the first place, you know…" Edo mumbled, turning her head to the side.
"Humble, are we?" Asuka chuckled. Edo's eyes widened and she started stuttering, causing Johan to giggle.
"I really do mean it though, Asuka. I don't think I could have done it if it weren't for you guys supporting me…" Edo mumbled, causing Johan to jump on her with a hug. "H-Hey…!" Edo stuttered again, but Johan held on tightly.
"We love you Edo!" Johan cheered. Suddenly, she let go of Edo, but grabbed both her and Asuka's hands instead. "Now let's go celebrate with coffee!"
As usual, Johan ordered the drink with the highest sugar content on the menu, and slurped it up in seconds, making Edo and Asuka chuckle at her antics.
"So! How was the fashion show, what happened?" Asuka asked, chin resting on her palm as she glanced at Edo. Edo sighed proudly and crossed her arms, a confident smirk on her face.
"I met Marufuji and kicked his ass again." Was all she said, making both Asuka and Johan gasp loudly.
"No way!" Johan said, mouth dropping several miles. Edo nodded and did a peace sign, an open mouth grin on her face.
"Wait, wait, slow down Edo, you need to explain this." Asuka said, ever the voice of reason. Edo grabbed her smoothie and took a sip of it, before putting it down on the table, arms crossed once more.
"Well, I showed up, saw Marufuji, he insulted me, challenged me with a bet, I won, I was disappointed, he gave me a coord, and here we are." Edo said, as if it was all a simple sequence of events. They didn't have to know how stressed she really was. Asuka shook her head.
"Christ, how do you keep running into him?" Asuka asked, shaking her head, to which Edo simply shrugged and drank some more of her smoothie. Johan slammed her palms on the table a few times.
"What did he even say to you?" She asked, obviously concerned, which would have brought a smile to Edo's face, but unfortunately, she had to relive some insults. She swirled her smoothie bottle a few times, elbow on the table.
"Eh, he just called me a coward and a newbie, nothing too big." She said, casually shrugging. "He kind of tricked me into a bet as well, I suppose." She added.
"What kind of bet?" Johan asked.
"He said if I couldn't steal the spotlight, I wouldn't be allowed to enter a fashion show ever again." As if casually dropping a bomb on the girls, she smiled. Johan and Asuka both stood up, knocking down their chairs.
"What?!" They exclaimed, in chorus. Asuka slapped the table, one fingers wagging at Edo, as if lecturing a child.
"Why did you agree to that?!" Asuka asked, clearly exasperated. Edo simply shrugged.
"He insulted me."
"And you put your ability to walk on the runaway on the line?!"
"So what if I did?"
"Then you're an idiot, Edo!"
"Huh?! What did you say?!"
"I said you're an idiot!"
"I'm not an idiot!"
"You are!"
"I'm not!"
As the two argued back and forth, Johan felt herself almost zone out. What kind of confidence was required to accept a bet like that? Was Edo ever insecure?
"Hey, Edo?" Johan asked, instantly interrupting the bickering between Edo and Asuka. They both turned to look at her.
"What?" Edo asked, voice slightly hoarse.
"How did you even have the confidence to accept that bet?" Johan asked, voice low, eyes facing her empty cup. Edo and Asuka glanced at each other, their earlier argument almost completely forgotten at Johan's tone of voice; they recognized insecurity when they saw it. Both sat down.
"I know that I can walk the runway, Johan. I've been doing it for a long time, I used to put on fashion shows for my dad when I was little." Edo responded, but Johan's gaze didn't lift. After a few seconds of silence, Edo opened her mouth again. "When Marufuji taunted me, I couldn't hold back my anger, and I let my pride take over my common sense. When I realized what I'd done, I got really scared. At first, I felt paralyzed, I didn't know what to do." She paused, checking to see if Johan was paying attention. "But then I went to see you guys, and we trained. After that, I felt so much better, because I knew that even if I lost that bet, you guys would always be there for me." Edo reached out to grab Johan's hand and squeezed it. Johan looked up slightly, peaking at Edo through her bangs. Asuka smiled at the both of them, incredibly impressed at how maturely Edo was handling the situation. It seemed like the other really cared about Johan.
"So… you accepted the bet, even knowing you might lose?" Johan asked. Edo nodded.
"Yeah. In retrospective, it was a pretty dumb idea, wasn't it?" Edo laughed nervously and glanced at Asuka, who nodded but chuckled a little. Johan nodded.
"It wasn't super smart, no." She said, voice finally a little louder.
"What I'm trying to say is, as long as I'm with you guys, I'll always have confidence." Edo said. Johan blushed a little, a smile growing on her face. Asuka nudged Edo in the arm.
"Good to know you love us." Asuka winked, making Edo blush.
"Sh-shut up." Edo stuttered, flustered.
"We love you too, Edo." Johan smiled, feeling a little better. If even Edo was scared sometimes, maybe there was hope for Johan after all.
The next day at training, Edo proudly presented her new coord to Fubuki.
"Look what I won!" Edo proclaimed. Fubuki's eyes widened and she gasped.
"Oh! How did you get those, Edo?" Fubuki asked, eyes curiously glancing at the coord.
"I stole the spotlight at the fashion show I went to!" Edo smiled, leaving out as many details as she possibly could. Fubuki's brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed.
"I didn't think beginner fashion shows gave out coords for stealing the spotlight." She said. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the floor. "What are you hiding from me?" Edo gulped and nervously looked back at Johan and Asuka, who sent her nervous thumbs ups. Edo, in an uncharacteristic show of nervousness, glanced to the side and twiddled her thumbs.
"Um… I got them from Marufuji?" She muttered. Fubuki's eyes widened slightly, but only for a split second, making the girls question if it even happened at all. After an awkward pause, Fubuki coughed and turned around.
"Well, we need to start rehearsing for your next Live Show, the first seasonal Live Show of the year, the Spring Lady Live Show!" Fubuki said, cheerfully. Edo, Asuka and Johan exchanged glances but they didn't say anything. Johan raised her hand.
"Question!" She said and Fubuki turned back around.
"Bingo, what is it, JoJo?" She responded, finger pointed at Johan.
"When is the Spring Lady Live Show?"
"Oh, it's another few months away, don't worry, JoJo. We have time to perfect your dancing this time!" Fubuki laughed, a tinge of stress in her voice. Asuka and Edo laughed.
"Hey! I did just fine on the last one, right?" Johan asked, but the laughing didn't stop. "Right? Right?"
Yay! Edo won her fashion show and the bet with Ryou! Thank god, right? It would be a shame if she wasn't allowed to continue. Anyways! Like I said at the top, thank you so much for reading, and I'll get chapter 9 out later tonight. I only have a few more words to write. See you guys in the next chapter!
/Madolche Anjelly