And thus, we begin Act I. This arc will deal with the setup of the school idols and their setting and my character's integration into the setting as a whole, as well as the building blocks to my character's goal for the arc.

Also, after 30 April 2023, changes to the overall planning for the story have been made, and I HIGHLY recommend you go back to the A/N at the start of the story and read it to see what changed. You might miss context in the story or be confused if you don't. For those who started the story after this date, you're already good to go, so just keep on trucking.

The theme song for this chapter is Take Back Your Life by Disturbed.

Act I: Making a Name
 Part 1: Take Back Your Life

January 15, 2021 7:27 AM ‒ John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Columbus, OH, United States of America

I impatiently tap my foot against the marble floor of the airport lobby, waiting to be sent through the TSA line to check in with customs for my flight to Japan. After almost a year of waiting for some sign of the start of Love Live, I had finally bitten the bullet and decided to take my chances by moving to Japan. The past several months had gone by in a blur, between consolidating my financial assets, buying what would become my house in Japan, enrolling in and subsequently wrecking the program meant to test new students in Japan, figuring out my passport situation, paying my housekeeper enough to keep the place clean while I was gone for the next five years until her contract expired, and then getting my last will and testament in order should something happen to me before that time came.

That last part really sucked. I did not expect to be talking to financial and real estate advisors for three whole days figuring out how to write out my will. But if things continue to get any worse in the world, I'd much rather have one on hand in case I become the next victim. That reminder makes me unconsciously scratch my chin from under my mask. True to what I had expected, COVID had struck and hit the world very hard, though paradoxically, some countries fared significantly better than others. Japan came off the start of the pandemic mostly fine if my research was to be believed, despite an outbreak at the turn of last year that briefly sent the government into a panic. Meanwhile, over here in the US, things were much worse, which made my decision to move now that much easier. Shortly after 2020 had started, I'd stopped attending community service entirely, already seeing reports on the news about the sweeping catastrophe about to hit the country. Not a moment too late either, as half of my fellow volunteers had caught it at their next event the week afterward.

One thing I hated about standing in airports, though, was if you had to have layover. I was forced to deal with a flight plan that had to make two stops on the way to Tokyo, one in Düsseldorf, Germany and one in Doha, Qatar, totaling almost eleven hours of layover. However, that was better in my mind than paying for a direct flight to Tokyo, which at the time I was buying my ticket had cost nearly three thousand dollars. Even with my newfound, well-strategized wealth, I was not about to pay that much for a plane ticket unless it was roundtrip. Also having to pay four times more than that in moving expenses, including the grand piano I had bought halfway through 2020 and started learning how to play. Not relevant to the discussion was just how worried I was that something was going to happen to it in transit.

The line moves forward, and I finally reach the ticket station. I pull out my phone and show the agent my boarding pass and give him my state ID and passport, which I had already prepared. He takes a moment to consider my information, running it through the system before nodding and handing it back to me. "Step over to the metal detectors. Remove any metal, belts, jackets, and shoes and place them on the belt and follow the instructions to pass through the metal detector. Have a good day."

"You as well," I return the acknowledgment as I step forward and prepare to pass through the metal detector. I take off my decorative belt and put my keys, belt, shoes, phone, wallet, jacket, and carryon into two trays and set them on the belt, and they're soon on their way to the X-ray scanner as the agent on the other side of the detector directs me in. I run through the routine on autopilot, a benefit of my experiences flying frequently in my early twenties in my previous life, and soon enough, I'm on the other side of the detector re-equipping my various gear and accessories.

Once I'm all ready to go, I start on my way toward my airline gate, checking my smartwatch and noting I've still got another twenty-five minutes before my flight gets here. I adjust the tie on my suit and sit down in front of my gate, idling for a couple minutes before I decide to head to one of the general counters nearby to pick up some food and a book to read. Why am I wearing a suit in an airport, you ask? Great question, and I'm about to demonstrate exactly that.

I walk to the counter, politely greeting the cashier with a smile and asking after her day, then getting an idea of what the counter has to offer. Once I've figured that out, I grab a small chicken apple cranberry salad for now and a spicy mustard wrap for the flight itself, along with the latest publication of Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, which I'm surprised the counter even has. I return to the counter, and as I'm about to tap my card to make the purchase, the cashier stops me. "Here," she says, "let me scan my employee code for you, sir."

"Oh, thank you very much, madam," I thank her gratefully as she swipes her tag across the keypad. The total updates to half its usual value, and once she returns to the counter, I tap my card and thank her for her assistance and wish her a good rest of her day. She blushes lightly and waves as I step away from the counter and return back to my seat.

That. That right there is why if you have a good personality, it's a good idea to be wearing a suit if you happen to be taking a flight. Things like that don't always happen, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to be rewarded for being self-conscious about how you look and how you present yourself to others every now and again.

I open my salad, taking the time to eat as I open the journal and begin reading. Hmm… seems from what I can see here that quantum computing and quantum physics is in about the same state here that it was in this time back on my world. Heh, they're gonna be really shocked once they find out you can manipulate light on a sub-wavelength level and actually discover a use for time crystals… Not like I'd say anything about that particular knowledge though. I'd probably be locked in a government black site and experimented on for the rest of my then-short life, because saying something about technology that blatantly doesn't exist yet is pretty much a dead giveaway for time travel. Or rebirth in my case, but again, knowledge.

A few minutes of looking over the journal and finishing my salad later, I hear the gate for my flight called, and I head up to the front. For the first time in either of my lives, I'd decided to experience first-class now that I could reasonably afford it, though I'm sure a lot of people were wondering how a sixteen-year-old kid could get into first-class. Maybe they thought I was an influencer or something; I couldn't care less. I take my phone out, open up my flight app, and scan my boarding pass at the ticket counter, before walking down the gangway toward the plane. I politely decline the attendant who wants to take my bags, instead putting them up myself ‒ I'd grown so comfortable at this point with handling my own equipment and baggage that I'd much rather do it myself even when presented the option of allowing someone else to do it for me.

I sit down in my seat and open my journal, reading more about the scientific exploits of late. Eventually, after about fifteen minutes, everyone had boarded the plane, and I buckle in my seatbelt, setting my book in the crook of the seat so it stays still. The plane taxis toward the runway, and a couple minutes later, we're ushered onto the runway. As we get ready to takeoff, I remember to take out my phone and quickly turn on airplane mode.

Ah, my favorite part of taking a flight, I muse as the G-forces caused by the drastic acceleration force me back in my seat and my heart beats faster. I feel the sudden shift in smoothness as the plane gains enough speed to lift off the ground, and I relax in my seat, closing my eyes with a wistful smile. I had enjoyed the privilege of flying rather frequently when I was in my early twenties in my previous life, but I don't think about those times much anymore because they were also the part of my life where I spent years aimlessly making money, wasting it on frivolous things, distracting myself from my less-than-stellar home life, and generally taking advice from people who didn't have a damn clue what they were talking about. Those were the days before I discovered – too late, it seemed – what exactly my dream was.

After the announcement comes on the radio saying the flight time will be eight hours and two minutes, I decide to wait for cruising altitude so I can grab my specialized sleeping mask so I can settle in to get some sleep. Let's see… it's 8:17 AM here now, and Düsseldorf is six hours ahead of Columbus, so if my math is right, we'll be landing around 10:25 PM local time. Then it's a seven-hour layover before the flight from Düsseldorf to Doha… Nope, not even gonna think about it, the wasted time is already giving me a headache.

Plan settled, I wait until cruising altitude is reached, then use the restroom, grab my sleeping mask, and settle in for a relaxing nap. The fact these seats can recline like my car used to is really nice…

I yawn as I step off the plane docked in Doha and into the rather lavish airport terminal. It's now been more than a day since I left the United States, hopefully for good. The flight from Düsseldorf to Doha took just under six hours after taking off at 6:45 AM, plus the one hour jump in time zones, so it's now about two in the afternoon here. Now I have a four-hour layover while I wait for my flight to Tokyo.

Seeing as how I'd already taken a nap, there's no way I'm getting any further sleep before the flight to Tokyo starts, so I go to grab myself a green tea from one of the convenience corners nearby. Luckily, since I don't have to deal with ADHD like I had in my previous life, I don't have to deal with a hormonal imbalance causing overeating tendencies, so I don't need to eat anything quite yet, the wrap I'd eaten during the flight to Doha having sated my appetite.

I walk into the store and turn on the charm once again as I grab two bottles of the tea from the cooler next to the register. I wait for my turn to come and greet the man operating the register, inquiring after his day in a casual attempt at conversation. The lack of response tells me he either is not in a good mood today or knows my game. I'm guessing it's the latter rather than the former, so I drop the fluff and return to my normal self as I pay for the tea and depart with a quick farewell.

Unfortunately, I had almost dropped one of my teas in my haste to get back to my seat before some asshole decided to take my luggage and move it – I was used to such a thing happening because it had happened on several flights I'd taken in my previous life – and wasn't paying attention. Turning quickly to try grabbing it before it can fly completely out of my reach, I end up bumping into someone, knocking them to the ground.

I gasp and turn to the girl I've just pushed over, immediately forgetting about my tea as I unbutton my suit and kneel down. "I'm so sorry, ma'am, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Are you alright?"

The girl shakes her head for a moment before seeing my hand and hesitantly taking it. "I-I'm okay, I think. I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going either." I pull her up, looking her over to see if there's any damage, and sigh in relief when I see none. "What were you in such a hurry for anyway?"

I sigh. "I'm used to getting up to go buy something at an airport, coming back ten minutes later and finding some asshat's taken my spot and thrown my luggage off into some random corner." I pick up the tea, which had rolled back to my feet, and inspect the bottle for any leaks. Finding none, I dust it off and stick it in my inner coat pocket, making sure it's secure so it can't fly off again due to me being an idiot. "Again, I'm very sorry."

"It's alright, I think. I can't say I've ever had that happen to me, though this is the first time I've flown by myself." The girl turns to me, and I'm briefly struck by her deep blue eyes, before I internally shake myself out of my stupor. Now's not the time to get distracted. "What about you? You, err… You don't look much older than me, if you don't mind me inquiring."

"Eh, it's fine," I say, waving off the inquiry and quickly coming up with something believable. "I've flown a few times with my father back when he was still around, and people who chose not to respect other peoples' belongings would always do things like that, so I'm used to having to rush back to my seat whenever I leave to make sure things haven't been moved or stolen." I turn around and begin heading out, but not before parting ways with a quick farewell. "Good luck on your journey!"

"Thank you, and you as well!" I hear as I turn around and start speedwalking back to my– someone else's seat. I growl in annoyance as I see a portly man with a large haulable sitting in the seat that I was sitting in, my bags sitting off to the side next to the charging station. I walk up, grabbing my things and preparing to move, but not before tossing a bit of mean-spirited advice the guy's way. "You see someone's shit sitting in a chair, pick a different chair."

I turn around to find a new seat, only to be stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turn around, seeing the man glare at me with a shaking fist. Great, it's one of these narcissistic assholes. You call them out on their shit, and they get all pissed like you're the one that did something wrong. I roughly shrug the hand off my shoulder. "No one said you could touch me."

"Think I give a fuck about that, brat? Learn to respect your elders before they put you in your place," the man growls in English in the exact tone of voice that I'd expect from one of them.

"Learn to respect everyone else before they put you in yours. I have a limited amount of respect to give, and no one gets it until they've earned it. Maybe be more considerate of your fellow man, douchebag." I start turning around but find the guy's fist flying at me in short order. Instincts kick in and I grab the guy's arm, pulling him toward me with all my might and swiping at his knee with my other foot. I put all my strength into the throw, and the man ends up on the ground in front of me, coughing and wheezing to get back the air I've just knocked out of his lungs. "Security!" I yell out in both English and Japanese before the man has a chance to do anything.

A man comes running over in Doha's airport security uniform. "Sir, what happened?"

I point to the man on the floor. "This man moved my items and took my seat without permission while I was away making a purchase, and then attempted to assault me when I called him out on his behavior."

The security officer nods, and calls into his radio in a language I can't understand, before turning back to me. "Thank you for the report, sir, we'll make sure this man is taken into custody and dealt with appropriately."

"Much obliged, officer. Thank you for your service," I respond and give the man a quick bow as he moves to apprehend the man on the floor, who now seems to realize what's happening and starts loudly trying to struggle, to no avail. I sigh and pick up my bags, moving toward one of the back row seats and sitting down.

After an hour and a half of scrolling through my phone, I hear a voice above me. "M-May I sit here, mister?"

I look up from my phone to find the young lady who I'd helped back up back at the store. "Oh, hello again. Sure, I don't think anyone else is sitting here."

The girl gratefully nods and sits beside me, sitting her bags down on the floor in front of her. I take a moment to observe her mannerisms and appearance, before coming to a shocking realization. Wait a minute… Brown hair tied into two low braids… relatively tall… deep blue eyes… isn't this Emma from Nijigasaki?! I hold my tongue on that, instead asking the obvious question despite already knowing the answer. "So, what draws you to Japan?"

Emma turns to me, surprise in her eyes. "Wait, h-how do you know I'm going to Japan?"

I point at the gate sign. "Because it seems we're both waiting for the same plane."

"Oh, r-right," she laughs. Wow, she really is nervous. Not as much as some of the people I've met in my life but still manageable. She turns back to me. "I, err… I'm not sure I should say."

I can instantly see the fear in her eyes. Fear of judgement, the same fear I dealt with as a kid and a teenager… So long ago… "You don't have to share if you don't want to, but I won't judge if you decide to. I'll even tell you why I'm heading there so that way you don't feel too nervous – I'm moving to Japan because I want to study to be a professional musician one day. I also want to immerse myself in the culture, traditions, and overall atmosphere of Japan. It's a place I've always wanted to live."

"That's actually pretty cool. But, wait… you're moving to Japan?"

I nod. "Yeah, nothing wrong with that. Besides, there's nothing left for me in the United States– that's where I was born and lived until now. I've seen how the economy has been, especially since the pandemic began, and… I don't think they're going to recover with how business has been, so it's time to get out while I have the chance."

Emma hums to herself. "Well, it might sound weird, but… I'm coming to Japan because I want to… I want to be a school idol!" Her voice rises in pitch as she speaks, until a couple of other people are looking at us. I meet eyes with them and jerk my head to tell them nonverbally to mind their own business.

Once done with that, I turn back to her, smiling gently to show that I'm not judging her. "I think that's perfectly fine. I did hear about school idols a bit while I was researching Japan's education system before I decided to move. I've been a big fan of music, and being able to captivate an audience and motivate them to improve their lives… That's a power few in this world possess, so I think it's very admirable. Plus, even with Japan being majority STEM-related jobs and such, entertainment still plays a fairly big role in society and the overall economy, so if you do well enough, I'm sure you'd have an agency or five barking at your heels by the time you graduate."

I can tell Emma was worried about my potential reaction because I watch as her posture visibly deflates, and she closes her eyes, a smile of relief on her face. "That's good. I was worried you… you were going to judge me…"

"Nonsense," I casually wave her off. "I hate people who do that. People are so much more than they appear on the surface, so not giving people chances to earn your respect is as bad as, if not worse than, outright ignoring them."

Emma smiles as she hears that. "If you don't mind my asking, do you know what school you're going to? I assume you'll be living somewhere in Tokyo, right?"

I nod. "My current target is Nijigasaki Academy, though I've got a couple others lined up in case that pick goes south."

Emma frowns. "Wait, isn't that an all-girls high school?"

I nod again. "It is, but it's not about the girls. I've seen some of the academic studies done in Japan, and many of them say Nijigasaki ranks damn near the top in all categories. Course variety, rigor of study, overall education quality, you name it, they're on the list. I'm not about to back down from a challenge when I see one."

Emma puts a hand to her chin. "Okay, but… how do you plan to get in? You'd have to have some impressive achievements in order to cause such a…. commotion and get in."

I nod. "Mainly my academic and eSports background. I pretty much obliterated the scales for education in the United States – I had to start teaching myself by looking on the Internet by the time I was six because I knew things my teachers couldn't possibly understand. By the time I was ten, my dad had hired a personal tutor all the way from Japan to continue pushing my education. I don't say this ironically or egotistically, but I am literally the smartest high school student in all of the U.S., bar none. I have to go elsewhere to further my professional development because the systems in the U.S. simply aren't enough to challenge me anymore. And while I could have started at college early, tuition rates where I lived were… not great, so I wasn't keen on taking that route."

Emma thinks to herself for a moment. "Okay, but… why couldn't you have just skipped grades and advanced to the things you needed to learn at your level?"

I quickly respond. "Mainly bullying and harassment. People in America are idiots for the most part. To most kids our age, there's apparently such a thing as 'too smart'. I'm not about to debate that, but I knew what would happen if I skipped too many grades, so I purposefully did what I needed to so I could stay consistently at the top while also hiding my actual ceiling from the people around me to prevent that outcome from coming to pass."

Emma nods, albeit hesitantly. "Okay… You mentioned eSports though. You know Japan has a very competitive gaming ecosystem, right?"

I nod. "Of course. But I have insider knowledge that says that while the game I intend on competing in doesn't yet have a presence in Japan, it's about to. And I was already being targeted by big organizations in NA before I hit competitive age, so once the league does go live in Japan, I'm pretty much going to be the top prospect."

Emma hums, thinking to herself. "I guess that's fair. But what about getting permission?"

I nod once again. "I've already scheduled a meeting with MEXT next month to discuss all this and show them what I bring to the table."

Emma looks at me, confused. "Wait, what's MEXT?"

"The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. They're the governmental body that oversees the educational structure and curriculum in Japan."

Emma's confusion turns to surprise. "Wow, you really do have all this planned out, don't you?"

"Of course. Better to be overprepared than underprepared."

Emma thinks to herself for a second. "I… I guess the reason I was so surprised is because I actually intend on going to Nijigasaki, and I don't imagine you're going to fit in easily."

I laugh, and Emma looks at me in confusion. "If I actually cared about what people who aren't worth my time think about me, I'd have died in my cradle. Let them believe what they will and let them be afraid of change. I'm not…" I look down at the ground morosely for a moment. "I can't be," I whisper.

"What was that?"

I look up to find Emma looking at me in concern. "Oh, nothing of note. Anyway, the people who are willing to accept the change are the people I'll more than likely get along with. That's all I need. I've spent so long proving people wrong about me that it's basically all I'm good for anymore, so at this point it'll just be another notch in the belt."

Emma seems like she wants to make a comment, but she shakes her head slightly, as if to refocus herself. As a gesture of goodwill, I extend a hand to her. "Damien, by the way. Just in case we do end up being schoolmates."

Emma responds after a moment of consideration, taking my hand and shaking it gently. "Emma. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise." The formal introductions out of the way, I internally breathe a sigh of relief. I tend to just spit out names without thinking, so it would have looked very weird if I hadn't been able to keep that in check. A moment later, I hear the PA system turn on, the receptionist in front of our gate announcing the impending boarding of the plane. "Well, looks like it's time to get on now."

"Right," Emma says as I grab my bags and stand up, preparing to enter the line. "W-Wait a second, you're in first class?!"

"Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that. Were it not for the inheritance I got when my father passed on, I wouldn't be here right now. Probably still be stuck in the US watching them fall apart around me." I quietly whisper, before I enter the line and scan my boarding pass.

I quickly board the plane, politely refusing service for my bags and opting to carry and store them myself. I sit down for a few minutes, eventually noticing Emma pass by. While I wait for the plane to finish boarding, I check my watch. Hmm, it's about three-thirty right now. It's a ten-hour flight to Tokyo from here, plus the six-hour time difference… Dammit, that means we'll be landing basically at six AM. I'm gonna have to sleep on the plane again, otherwise there's absolutely no way I'm gonna be ready for that time jump.

I quickly come up with a plan as the plane finishes boarding, and we begin the takeoff process. About fifteen minutes later, once we hit cruising altitude, I call the flight attendant over to me. "I want to move back and give my seat to someone more deserving of the luxury. That something we can do since I'm the one offering?"

The flight attendant looks unsure. "If you'll give me a moment, I'll ask the captain if that's allowed." I nod, and she goes to the front of the cabin to talk to the captain. After a couple minutes, she comes back. "The captain says if you're sure about giving up your seat, you can do with it what you will."

"I am, thank you. I'll handle my own bags, so could you please help whoever gets my spot move theirs up?" I ask the flight attendant.

She nods. "Sure, sir."

I unbuckle my seatbelt and get up, grabbing my bags and walking to the curtain separating first-class from the rest of the cabin. The flight attendant opens the curtain for me, and in less than a second, all eyes are on me, including Emma's. She seems to be surprised.

I clear my throat and start my 'sales pitch'. "Alright, I want everyone who's going to Tokyo on their own and cannot afford first-class to raise their hand." I use gestures and sign language to help communicate this since I already know there are people of multiple nationalities on the plane. A moment later, about fifteen hands have been raised. I nod. "Alright, first person to stand up completely out of their seat gets mine, no questions asked." I use sign language and gestures to communicate this once again, and a moment later, a visibly pregnant woman in her early thirties manages to narrowly beat out a lanky teenager. I quietly point her out to the flight attendant, and start walking until I'm behind her row, and the attendant quickly helps her with her bags. Once the woman has been moved up to the front, I store my bags, take out my sleeping mask, and slide into the seat the woman had left behind which to my surprise is right next to Emma's. "Hello again, Emma."

Emma chuckles nervously as I buckle the seatbelt, undoing my suit jacket and settling in. "Hello again, Damien. Umm, if I might ask… why did you give up your seat?"

"Too stuffy in there. I had booked first-class for all three parts of my journey, but I got sick of it after the first two. Having stuffy people in the front constantly asking why you're so young and in an area that they think is only supposed to be for the upper class made the benefits of being there rather dull, so after I got to Doha, I decided I was just gonna go back to sitting in coach. Besides, I'm rather used to coach anyway so I don't think I'll be going back."

"Okay, but… why the suit, then?"

I grin. "Appearances can be deceiving."

Emma pauses for a second, then snorts, smiling. "Okay, that's actually pretty good. I can't say anything about that one."

"I know, right? Definitely helps to keep some people from treating you like dirt." I lean my seat back just slightly. "Well, it's nine and a half hours before we land in Tokyo and it'll be early morning once we land, I suggest you try to get some sleep while you can to help stave off the worst of the jet lag."

Emma nods. "I was planning on it. I have a lot of things I have to do once we get off."

"Same. 'Night then." The quick greetings and conversation done, I put my earbuds in, start a soft piano melody on loop, and settle my sleeping mask over my eyes, relaxing in the chair and doing my best to get to sleep.

January 17, 2021 5:38 AM – Skies over Japan

The rough voice of the captain comes through the speakers of the plane and interrupts the short nap I was taking, advising the passengers to buckle in and prepare for landing. I grumble as I sit up and take off my sleeping mask, stuffing it in my pocket as I rub my eyes in a vain effort to wake up. I hadn't gotten the best sleep – I had been asleep for about six hours when the plane hit abnormally high turbulence, forcing me awake violently. Luckily, that had only lasted about five minutes, but that's the tensest five minutes I've had to live through this entire lifetime so far.

I turn my head to the side to see Emma yawning and stretching out next to me. "Morning," I greet her tiredly.

She glances over to the side in surprise before remembering it's just me. "Good morning… is what I wish I could say."

I chuckle and nod. "Preach it. I'm not a morning person at all, I'm much more a night owl."

Emma nods. "I need a coffee right now."

"Green tea for me, but I feel the sentiment nonetheless." I stretch up in my seat and yawn, reclining the seat back to its default position. "I can't wait to get off the plane and start getting my things moved into my house."

Emma seems lost in thought for a moment. "I forgot to ask, but where exactly are you going to be living in Tokyo?"

"I'm living in a complex in Odaiba, about a mile from Nijigasaki campus. They had a penthouse suite that no one was actually using for its intended purpose, so I reached an agreement with them and bought it out."

"Aren't suites like that always in demand though?"

I laugh. "Right, you think I bought just that suite. My fault for explaining poorly. No, the building was about to be vacated and demolished, and a bunch of people were about to lose their living situations. Instead, I bought the rights to the property and gave them enough money to do what they want with the lower levels to keep the business afloat so long as I keep the penthouse and no one who doesn't deserve it gets kicked out. Having 'fuck you money' is actually really useful when you have good things to do with it."

Emma frowns slightly. "I'm… not going to repeat that word, but what exactly does that phrase mean?"

I pull open my phone and open the relevant browser tab after finally switching the phone out of airplane mode. "Reading from the Urban Dictionary website, quote: 'fuck you money: the exact amount of money required to tell an individual or organization to go fuck themselves without facing repercussions.'"

Emma snorts, covering her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her mirth. "That sounds like a… rather vain way of describing financial freedom."

"Maybe, but apt nonetheless." The plane finishes docking, and the rows start getting up. "Guess it's finally time to get off. Multiverse knows I'm gonna need a proper nap after I get done with everything I have to do today."

Emma chuckles. "I know how you feel, I imagine you have to move things into your home too?"

I groan overdramatically. "Don't remind me, please, it's only gonna give me a headache."

Emma chuckles again as we get up and start making our way out. As we step off the gangway and start heading on our way out of the airport, we chat for a few more minutes until we're out in the open air. I turn to Emma, making a small bow. "Well, I'll be on my way. If all goes well, I'll see you at school, Emma."

Emma nods and smiles. "Of course! Don't stress over those boxes too much." We both laugh and I wave as I turn to walk down the arrival curb way. I see the small cab I had scheduled for myself and wave to them to get their attention, and a moment later, the chauffeur pulls up. I give them a quick greeting and pay the fare back to Odaiba and settle in as we start the journey.

I pull out my phone and turn on all the usual things, and frown as I see five missed calls from an unknown number. Probably nothing of concern. I scroll through the news feeds for the morning as the cab leaves the airport and starts making its way toward Odaiba. Once finished looking at the news for the day, I decide to check on the status of the other big idol groups that should have already gained prestige by this time. I type in μ's and hit search, only to come up with the nine goddesses of Greek mythology that the group got its name from.

"…what?" I clear the search and instead look for Aquors, only to come up with nothing. The phone slips from my hand and hits the floor of the car as I stare forward in numb shock.

"…WHAT?!"