Prologue 2: Doesn't Matter, Got In

Nico headed in to UTX before the surly snob changed her unpredictable mind. Really, when Nico was so tiny already, why had that girl felt the need to make her feel a centimeter high? Maki obviously literally had everything in life; maybe that's why she regarded even a small change in her plans as some sort of national tragedy. Not only was she rich, sought after by the best schools, given the best possible tutoring, never lacking for anything, completely spoiled, she'd been born with much more than her share of beauty, talent, and intelligence. Nico, by contrast, had never had any luck at all, had nothing, and had to work painfully to get even the little she had. You'd think someone like Nishikino would take pity on someone like Nico and, at the very least, leave her alone, instead of adding to her problems. Nico had to take herself in hand; instead of asking her usual question, why me, what did I do? She needed to simply say — she's a spoiled brat and when she doesn't get her way, she's a cruel, insulting bitch. However unheroic it might be, that thought did make Nico cheer up.

How would spoiled Maki-hime-ojousama handle having Nico's life? She asked herself rhetorically. Well. Even if Maki was suddenly rendered poor and fatherless tomorrow, there was all the benefits of her stable home, nurturing upbringing, and expensive education. And her parents and tutors had trained her in so many things she was very employable. And there was the fact that she was absolutely perfectly beautiful — outside, of course. Even if she got rendered homeless, and had to work in the water trade, she'd become one of those escorts that spend the night with Diet members or movie stars for ¥300,000. Nico would have to get one of those phone apps and claim to be a beginning junior high schooler and call a bunch of middle-aged men "Papa" in a bunch of love hotels. She occasionally had dramatic flights of thought like this; it wasn't like Japan would let a poor widow and her children go hungry or anything — it wasn't America. But what if someone in her family had a grievous illness costing a couple of million yen a year, or their mom couldn't work and they got evicted and their family broken up, and ... Anyway, the point was, she couldn't defeat someone like Nishikino even in her fantasies.

Since that was so very depressing, she focused on the path ahead, as she usually did after indulging in depressing thoughts. She (and ARISE) had done it! She was heading to UTX with a scholarship! She knew that she would have to bear down even more, become even more organized and efficient. To reward herself, she planned to schedule a visit by her family to see UTX and show off to them. It would be good for them to see why Nico couldn't always be home as much, what she was working for.

Against her will, the little jibe about her liking girls poked its way into her thoughts. What on Earth, Nico wondered, was that about? Where did that come from? She didn't think she had, you know, stared at her or anything. She did notice the girl's beauty, but anyone would. If anything, far from being attracted to her, that'd just made Nico more resentful, as it fell out. Besides, Nico literally was too busy for any such nonsense, as she'd replied, unfortunately stammering a bit. But she knew of several girls who had romances in high school, mostly as practice or play, and it wasn't like anyone cared, except very conservative, uptight girls — well, there you go. At worst, Nico might have let Maki's pleasant appearance lure her into thinking she was nicer than she turned out to be. Then again, in the crunch, Nishikino had held the keys to UTX and she'd let Nico in. Remember that, forget the rest. An idol, of all people, couldn't afford to make any enemies.

And, okay, when she'd heard Nishikino playing and singing her OWN SONGS at Otonokizaka, and heard she might be coming there, she HAD had a fantasy of befriending her through Rin and Hanayo, having her compose songs for Nico's trio. And as such, she had talked with Rin and Hanayo about Nishikino (they were both enthusiastic to have someone already at Ototnokizaka befriend them). And as she heard about her winning piano competitions, and one songwriting competition, she thought to herself "As expected of Nico's Maki-chan" and glowed a little more in anticipation. Why would someone friends with sweet girls like Rin and Hanayo not want to write for a successful trio that was putting their school on the map? Okay, admittedly, only in a small way. But still.

And apparently, without thinking about it, she'd accidentally let all those thoughts come out when she thanked Nishikino. So, really, a lot of that was on her. She had just admired Nishikino so much. Nico wrote all the songs for their trio and it was very difficult, so they mostly sang professional acts' songs with their own choreography. Nishikino was much better, more fluid musically. Less derivative. Then again, she didn't have to do the training, choreography, most of the arrangements, make snacks for the group, etc. Nor juggle that with hours a day of child-care. It wasn't that Ageha and Mimi - who performed with Nico - and even Rin and Yuzu, their ghost members — didn't do anything, but Nico was the determined one that did three times as much as anyone else. It was how she inspired A-chan and Mimi to keep going even after severe disappointments, and contrary to their inclinations.

Okay, back to the present. Nico kept a cheerful aspect. She went to the headmistress, showed her the note (it was a little scrawled and terse, but the headmistress just laughed and said, knowing the person in question, that was why it was authentic). And just like that, she was at UTX. Now she had to buy a uniform. When ARISE had floated the idea that Nico should either transfer to UTX for her senior year, or, unfortunately limit her collaborations with ARISE, Nico had put a moratorium on all spending, including sweets and idol paraphernalia Thus, she had enough money to buy it out of hand without putting the burden on her mother. She produced the cash, and as befitted UTX, went to the school uniform area and was fitted. She even changed into it!

And lo and behold, there was Tsubasa.

"Nico!" she said, "You did it?" Then, looking at how Nico was dressed, she affirmed, "You did!"

She then got a serious expression. "Nico, now that we're colleagues, I have to say, first, you won't be able to be part of our next performance. Worse, you're going to have to really work hard. I know you already do, but even if you know our songs, you don't know their choreography. Erena and Anju volunteered to split up and teach you, and you need to schedule with them now. And we don't want you slacking on your own work, either. One reason we wanted you was that you did your own songs and choreography. Unfortunately, you need to do that, too. Think of this as starting over, and hopefully, the fact that we wanted you so much that we pulled strings to get you should inspire you, like you were when you started your group. We really don't want you helping the duet Ageha and Mimi-chan are doing, but if it helps you write, fine. Just limit yourself so you can get our songs done, first. Oh good, I see Erena - Hi, Erena! - You need to go over and meet with her and Anju - UTX has a coffee place and thank goodness the students here aren't so starstruck they'll bother you guys. Okay, bye, I am meeting with someone at a new venue, Congratulations, Nico!" and with that she kissed Nico on the cheek and ran off. So that's how she really was: Nico felt like a whirlwind had just blasted her in the face.

Really, Nico needed to learn to live in the moment without assuming the universe was just waiting for her to be happy about something to pounce on her. The unpleasant encounter with Nishikino was fading a little. If she'd wanted to make Nico cry, she wasn't trying hard enough.

She remembered, probably would for the rest of her life, her trio's first performance. After all the people who said they'd go see them, after all the fliers she handed out, after people seeing them practice in out-of-the-way corners of the school, the lights went up (assisted by Rin and Yuzu), and the entire school auditorium was empty. Nico had cried — it couldn't be helped — but then she set her chin and continued. That shamed Ageha and Mimi into continuing with her. By the time they were done, a couple dozen people (apparently drawn by the sound) had come in, so it wasn't like they never got a tiny audience.

Anyway, it was pretty clear that the four other members of the Idol Research Club had about had it with Nico, and with school idols. Nico insisted on coming back after a curtain drop and bowing. When the curtain went down again, she turned to Ageha and Mimi ... and begged. Before this, Nico had been egotistical, driving, and demanding. She'd exhorted A-chan and Mimi by saying they needed to work harder to be idol-quality. All of that was over. She talked about her life. How this was all she'd ever had. How idols had been her lifeline. How she was carrying on a tradition for her dead father. She broke down in tears and went on her knees and begged them to give her another chance. She'd do anything, change anything they wanted, make them the center in turn and stay on the sides. After a while, Ageha and Mimi had been embarrassed. Mimi hugged Nico and assured her they'd give her another chance. After that, practices were more easy-going. Even Nico started having fun. The next time they performed, at an outdoor setting in Akihabara arranged through Yuzu's friends, they got such a good response live and from video put up on Nico Nico that Otonokizaka students took notice. The lucky few who'd seen their only performance praised them after the fact.

If Nishikino or anyone wanted to crush her, they'd have to at least reach that level, she thought. Otherwise, they were amateurs playing in the professional leagues. Back to happy thoughts.

Thinking back to the early Aidolukenbu days, as Tsubasa had mentioned, she realized that she had befriended a second Rin. She decided to call the younger one "Neko-Rin" although that might seem too much like Nekorin. Really, what was Nishikino bitching about? Did she really not want friends? It was obvious to Nico from the way they behaved — at a respectful distance — during their encounter that they loved Maki and wanted her to go to school with them badly. So, she probably would get a better recommendation to universities, she got to be with what looked like her only friends, and UTX was getting what it wanted, namely Nico. Well, the important part of UTX, that is. Okay, Nico, for some reason, you're still obsessing.