She sung and danced her way across the stage, flipping and dipping and diving and spinning and jiving. She was completely grooving out, and her energy was infectious. One young girl in the crowd stared up at her with wide, adoring eyes, and as soon as the concert was over, she slipped away to speak to the shiny, starry starlet up close and personal!
"Are you… Rinku Aimoto?!" It was a question, but Rinku could tell from the tone of the voice that the asker already knew the answer.
Rinku turned around with a wide smile, ready to greet her newest friend-to-be. "Yes, I am! Hello there, new friend!"
"Woah! I'm friends with the Great Rinku Aimoto already?! Haha, yeah! Level up!" The girl in front of Rinku punched the air. "I'm Michiru Kaibara, by the way, and I'm like your biggest fan!" Confidence mixed with awe in Michiru's voice. Then she tried to act professional by sticking out a hand for Rinku to shake, but Rinku launched into her arms for a tight embrace, a bear hug.
"Oh, well then that's just great, isn't it?! You love music TOO?! The more the merrier! The more the HAPPIER!"
Michiru, meanwhile, was on cloud nine. Ohhhh! A hug?! From THE Rinku Aimoto?! She looked seconds away from fainting. N-no! Must! Stay! Awake! For Rinku! Gotta hear… what else… she has to say!
Their conversation quickly drifted from Rinku to music, and Michiru found yet another reason to admire and adore the young vocalist.
She's so humble! Even though she was the leader, creator, voice, and face of Hapiara—which was popular in and of itself—Rinku did not see herself as a celebrity, rather, she wanted all the glory and honor to go to music itself, not just her as the humble conduit for the music.
In the beginning, Michiru's words spilled out in a rush. "I- I- I can't believe I'm actually talking to you! You're such a huge inspiration to me! I'm a DJ, and I dream of creating music that can make people feel the way your songs make me feel! And I wanna be like an awesome anime protagonist just like YOU someday! You're just so cool and awesome and HYPE!" And I wanna be just like that too, someday!
Rinku's smile widened at Michiru's enthusiasm. "Awww! That makes me so happy! In fact…"
Michiru gasped in delighted realization. "HAPPY AROUND!" Both girls cried out in unison, jumping up and spinning, fingers in the air.
OMGGGG I got to do the HAPPY AROUND battle cry with her! Michiru squealed internally.
Rinku squealed externally. "Wow! That was so fun! You're so good at that! In fact… It makes me want to do it again! HAPPY AROUND!"
Woah… Her energy is unparalleled! Michiru was impressed as Rinku was so overcome with joy that, for a second time, she launched into the air.
ooo
Oh, yeah, baby! Michiru Kaibara has leveled up again! Michiru rested on her laurels, seated smugly beside Rinku Aimoto at Café Vinyl. It was surreal to think that just a year ago, she was a faceless, nameless nobody in the crowd. Now she was a DJ and unit leader in her own right!
Sitting with the big dogs! She glanced proudly at the other musician devouring her food beside her, then the café bell tinkled as the door opened again. Instinctively, Michiru and Rinku looked over their shoulders. Rinku cried out in delight while Michiru cried out in surprise.
A pink-haired girl stood uncertainly in the doorway. She flinched when she heard her name shouted so aggressively, but she recognized the voices at once, and was grateful that it made it easier to find their table.
"Hey, Miyu!" Rinku remained seated, but she waved warmly at the other vocalist as she tentatively, shyly made her way over.
"Miyu Sakurada! Of Lyrilily fame!" By contrast, Michiru hopped up, approaching Miyu with wide, sparkling eyes, talking a mile a minute. "Now it's a Protag Party! A Delightful Protag Party! Speaking of, can I get your autograph? I forgot to ask during Operation: Beckoning Cat!"
It didn't matter that Michiru could've visited Miyu any time she wanted, since they were both friends who lived in the same town. It didn't matter that half of Michiru's own unit attended the same school as Miyu. Michiru still treated her like some far-off celebrity. Again, Miyu chuckled demurely, looking down. This sort of attention always made her feel awkward and uncomfortable, even though she knew it came from a good place.
Really, I am nothing special… Just a singer who got lucky. If not for the rest of my unit, who knows who or where I would I be?
At the same time, Michiru turned back to the table to go rooting through her backpack excitedly. What she came back with was an official, licensed, D4DJ Groovy Mix (TM) pen. While she excitedly shoved it—and a scrap of old homework—at Miyu, Rinku watched them both with a serene smile, her red eyes locking with Miyu's pink ones. She was part of the reason Miyu was slowly learning to give out autographs. The two performed together once in the past, and Miyu was surprised by how quickly Rinku responded to every fan request for a photo or an autograph.
Rinku never struck me as one to bask in the spotlight! Miyu thought as Rinku eagerly signed a line of autographs in just four seconds.
"Oh, it's not that!" Rinku would shrug cheerfully once they were alone in the dressing room again. "I don't see it as a celebration of me so much as it's a celebration of the music! I only sign my name because it makes people happy, but I see it as "signing the music" instead." In other words, she didn't do it for the self-glorification, but to help complete someone's Hapiara experience. It would be callous, would it not, for Rinku to decline autographs and photographs, even if she thought she was doing it for the sake of remaining humble. True humility was meeting others where they were at, not retaining some stoic distance because the person's own mind told them they were better off that way. At least in Rinku's opinion.
Miyu found herself enlightened that day, and even though it was still hard for her to accept the praise and attention sometimes, she knew that Rinku had a point that it wasn't always for her even if it was about her. Sometimes, they just had to let the fans have fun fanning and geeking out. And how funny it was to Miyu, she and Rinku were both second-year high schoolers (one year older than Michiru), yet sometimes Miyu felt the younger one between herself and Rinku. While Miyu grew up very sheltered, rarely leaving home or school or church, Rinku grew up on the plains of Africa, surrounded by people and animals from all over the world, science and culture colliding in a perfect melting pot.
That was also what made her so energetic and exuberant. She was small and thin, but she could race through the trees with the best of them, practically a monkey with how quickly and constantly she moved. Michiru had even had the same thought when she watched Rinku's concern from one year prior, how the girl was able to endlessly flip and dance and spin and dive and jive around stage without ever seeming to tire. Such was the power of an OP, all-too-perfect anime protagonist! And that was exactly why Michiru hung around her as often as she could.
Rinku's got like… that protag power where people are just DRAWN to you, no matter who they are. I want some of that to rub off on me, please! She scooted closer to Rinku, crossing her fingers under the table. At the same time, Miyu took the chair opposite Rinku. Unlike Michiru, she had no desire to become the "next gen protag". If it happened, it was merely a result of her luck, rather than an active ambition she had. But it really spoke to the true power of the true protag that she was able to influence and draw in so many people around her, no matter how different they were.
But funny enough, even though the entire rest of the world might've acknowledged Rinku's protagonist status, the only one who seemed completely unaware of it was… Rinku herself.
"Awwww, I love you guys!" She wrapped one arm around a delighted Michiru, and one around a surprised Miyu, then easily lifted both of them off their feet as she embraced them as tight as her little monkey arms would let her. Happy… AROUND!
AN: I just realized 3 of my OCs have this dynamic: the energetic/heroic protag, the "realist" protag (to balance out the energetic), and the fangirl that looks up to them, especially the energetic/heroic one. Then I was like "Wait a minute. Rinku. Miyu. Michiru… OMG! LOL!"