Chapter 53 – The School Idol Festival (Part 3)
Ritsu's POV
Woah…that was Sumire just now, right? Singing and dancing with three other girls…two of them were even official idols! That's insane!
And come to think of it…Azusa was up there too earlier. Playing her guitar while another idol sang a… rather interesting song . Can't believe someone actually translated that one into Japanese…
…
P-Point is…how do those two know a bunch of idols? And how are they a part of this School Idol Festival that's going on? It's such a bizarre thing to do. Probably as bizarre as…
*PLUCK*
"Ow! Geez, Konata! Easy with the hair!"
"Sorry…this would be easy if you would quit moving."
"Well, I can't help it. These songs playing at this festival are pretty catchy." I then went silent for a bit. "Plus…I am still nervous about this."
"There's a first time for everything, Ritsu. Now, stay still. I'm about to shampoo your hair."
"*sigh* Fine, fine."
It's been a few days since I decided to fully let my hair down. As an attempt to look more like a female in the eyes of other people. Since then, I've been trying to understand the whole concept of "doing your hair". With little to no success, honestly.
So, I decided to ask for some help on this. Problem is…I don't know anyone who can be girly when it comes to hair. Well, besides Mio. But she's in a whole different city right now. So, asking her is out of the question.
Plus, she'll probably scold me for not knowing such basic girl stuff…
So, I went with the next best thing…Konata Izumi. She isn't girly in the slightest (in fact, she's more tomboyish than me). But her hair is as long as Mio's. So, she probably knows how to take care of it.
…
I hope.
"By the way…what made you want to watch this School Idol Festival thing going on?" I asked Konata.
"Ah, well...it was advertized all over LINE, so I figured why not. Gives me something to do instead of moping around crying all day again."
"Again, huh?" I then went silent for a bit. "H-Hey...sorry it didn't work out with Kagami. You two were really close and all..."
"I-It's fine, really." Konata's mood grew depressed. "After all...I broke up with her. Didn't want to drag her down the shit spiral that is my life."
"Huh..."
To clarify what Konata meant by that...her life isn't as "happy-go-lucky" as she makes it out to be. She's gone through some DEEP troubles...it honestly amazes me that she's been hiding it for so long.
It definitely makes my situation look like child's play...
"A-Anyway..." Konata changed the topic. "...Everyone's really talking about this Idol Festival online. Yui's even there live and in-person."
"Yui? Huh…" I went silent for a bit. "…Now that I think about it, she didn't have much planned for the summer. Just spend time with her girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Konata gained a smirk on her face.
"It's not Azusa."
"Aw, what? And I was really betting on that ship. You and Mio were a close second, you know."
"I'm not gay, damnit." I said in an irritated tone.
"Anyway, Ritsu…I'm shocked that you're wanting to go the girly route all of a sudden. You didn't seem bothered with being a tomboy before."
"Yeah, well…I've done a lot of thinking recently. Mainly after being told by someone that they thought I was a boy…"
"O-Ouch…" Konata gained a sweatdrop.
"…So, if people don't see me as a girl, then I'm gonna change their perception of me. And one of the issues is my hair. Apparently, exposed forehead is more masculine than feminine."
"Huh. Well…it seems to be working. You kinda look like Yui, at least."
"You know, I kinda thought the same thing." I said with an unsure look of my own.
"Alright! Thank you both Usagi-chan and Kōri-chan for that awesome performance! And a big round of applause for the two helpers, too! We're taking another short break…but next up is an idol you all know super well! Stay tuned, folks!"
"Another break, huh? Then that gives me some time to rush through your hair. We're shifting into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, Ritsu!"
"M-Maximum overdrive? Wh-What do you mea- Ow! Ow, ow, ow, OW! K-Konata, stop! Y-You're going too…OW~!" I started crying in pain after Konata started scratching my hair at a rapid-as-hell pace.
I-Is it too late to change my mind about this?!
Mio's POV
"*sigh* Man, the baths here are amazing…" I said to myself after coming out of the public bath here at this sports resort place. It's been a few days since I came here to help out Furutani-san with her soccer team's training camp. And I gotta say, it's pretty fun. I get to experience live soccer practices in person and I get to hang out with friends. Even with ones I didn't expect to be here.
It's definitely one of the better summers I've had in a while. And that's really saying something coming from me.
"Hey, Mio. There you are." I heard Furutani-san's voice. I then saw her, along with Sasaki-san, Saeki-san, and Sugiura-san huddled up around a laptop in the resort's café.
"Hey, guys. What's up?" I asked.
"A friend of ours sent us a link for this School Idol Festival going on in Odaiba and the final performer's about to come on." Furutani-san said.
"We saw her as a backup dancer for two idols named Usagi-chan and Kōri-chan earlier." Sugiura-san added. "So, it looks like she's helping out during the whole thing."
"I see…"
"You know, I think I saw Nakano-san earlier, too." Saeki-san said. "She even had her guitar with her."
"Huh? Azusa's there?" I asked in shock as I joined the group around the computer. "She said she had nothing to do for the summer. Why would she be there?"
"Who knows. But it looked like she was having fun."
"Huh…"
"Ooh! The final performance is about to start!" Sasaki-san cheered. "They said it was a brand-new idol making her official debut in this festival. Probably why they saved it for last."
"I see. Well, I guess I could check it out. Maybe I could get ideas for our songs." I actually did show interest in this debuting idol. Singing and dancing in front of a large crowd like that is definitely for someone with nerves of steel.
But little did I know…I would know this first-time idol girl. And it would be the BIGGEST surprise of my entire life.
I just hope I can handle it…
Mugi's POV
"And…DONE! Your idol outfit is finished, Mugi!" You-san said after making some final touches to my outfit.
"Really now? I'm still a little nervous about it."
"Come on, Mugi. It's fine." Chika-san said. "When it comes to outfits, You's the best in the business. You've got nothing to worry about."
"Well…okay, then. Let me see it."
I stood in front of the mirror and took a good look at my first-ever idol outfit. What I saw was…on a whole new level, honestly.
I wore a black dress with two pink bows and a light-blue bow on the left side of it and a white frill at the bottom…underneath a pink & white jacket that was a size too big. But I'll let it sly for now.
There was a pink & purple pattered stocking on my left leg and two white leg bands on my right leg. There was also a purple band-aid there. Not sure why, though. And I had on a pair of black & purple shoes.
My hair was made into a ponytail once more. But this time it was partially dyed a light-purple color and was topped off with a purple butterfly hairpin. And around my neck was a pair of white wireless headphones. Though, I'm not sure if they actually work or not.
But the whole overall view of this outfit was…
"W…Woah…"
"Onee-chan, you look amazing!" Sumire cheered in excitement.
"I…I really do, actually. This is probably the cutest I've ever looked. Even with all the purple."
"I figured that purple would look the best on you." You-san said. "It's a difficult color to pull off…but I think you have what it takes, Mugi."
"I see." I then went back to looking at the mirror. "Well…it does look good on me."
Definitely better than that previous outfit…
"Arigatō! Kimitachi wa saikōdesu!" At the same time that I was getting this outfit on, Honoka was doing her performance. And from the sound of it, she had just finished.
"Thank you ever so much for your special performance, μ-chan! Your appearance in this festival will truly be remembered!" We heard Yu-san's voice. "We're taking one last break for now…but when we get back, it's the GRAND FINALE! A first-time idol making her grand debut will close out our 1st Annual Nijigasaki High School Idol Festival! See you all in the final act!"
So, I'm next, huh? In just a few minutes, I'm going to appear to all of Japan as an idol. This is definitely the tensest moment of my life…
"Phew…that was exhilarating." Honoka said as she, Azusa-chan, Yu-san, and Dezaki-san joined us backstage. It was then that she saw my outfit. "Woah! Mugi, you look AMAZING!"
"That is like the CUTEST idol outfit I've ever seen!" Yu-san cheered. "It's like a high-end dress for a fashion designer!"
"You really did a great job on it, You." Azusa-chan said to her. "She's like a completely different person."
"Hahaha! When it comes to making cute outfits in a flash, I'm rivaled by no one! This is the kind of stuff I practice for!"
"*giggle* With that kind of talent, you'll make a good wife, You." Riko-san said.
"Wh-What?! Wh-What are you…R-Riko, that's WAY too much!" You-san yelled with a huge blush on her face.
You know, it's kinda weird that she hides her girly side…
"Well, now that your outfit's all done, all that's left is your debut song." Yu-san said. "Do you have one ready, Mugi?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah…" I then took out a sheet of paper from my pocket. "…I actually spent the past two days writing lyrics. I'm not really good at it, but this is what I came up with."
"Hmm…I see…these aren't half-bad, Mugi. Pretty impressive that you wrote these in just two days. Usually, it takes at least a week."
"Well…I was in a bit of a rush."
"Yes, but even then…these are really impressive." Riko-san said as she was looking over the sheet.
"These might be even better than Mio-senpai's lyrics." Azusa-chan added.
"R-Really? W-Wow, thanks…" I said while rubbing the back of my head. Rather embarrassed by the small praise.
"So, that's the outfit, the song, everything else is being set up right now…we're just about ready for your debut performance, Mugi." Yu-san said.
"Well, in that case…can I go to the bathroom real quick? It would be bad if something were to happen during the performance and all."
"Yeah, I get ya. Just hurry back. We're live again in 10 minutes."
"It won't that long…hopefully." I said as I began walking away from the group.
I honestly wanted to be alone for a bit before I go out there and change my future from this point onward. I know I've said this MULTIPLE times already…but I'm really nervous about doing this. And calming down in just minutes before I perform isn't exactly an easy thing to do.
…
But if there's one thing that could help, it's…
"*sigh* I really wish Miharu was here…"
*CLICK*
"H-Huh?"
"Wow, Mugi. I've seen you dress all fancy-like before…but this one is truly une fille riche et magnifique!"
"M-Miharu?!"
"Shh!" Miharu then covered my mouth. "I snuck on stage and nobody knows yet. Try to keep it down a little, will ya?"
"Wh-What are you doing here?! I thought you were in Harajuku with Ui-chan and Zoé-chan!"
"Well…things just kinda happened."
"Things happened?"
"Long story short…I won tickets here thanks to a Slurpee and found out from Azusa that you're becoming an idol. Knowing you, I figured you would be nervous as hell about such a thing. So…I snuck backstage to find you. And wish you good luck face-to-face. Just to make you feel better."
"Miharu…" I stood there in total shock nearly about to cry. To know that Miharu was THIS determined to come see me before I go on…knowing that there's a high chance that she'll get caught…it truly made me happy. It just proves that no matter what happens, we'll always be there to support each other.
It makes me glad that I've finally met my half-sister…
"Mugi! You're on!"
"Crap, I gotta go!" I yelled out. "I guess it's finally time to make my official debut as Melody the J-Pop Idol."
"Well, then…Je vous souhaite bonne chance, Melody." Miharu said with a smile and a thumbs up.
…
...
…
"*giggle* Je te rendrai fière de moi, Miharu." I replied with a smile of my own.
"Ladies and gentleman! Boys and girls! The moment is finally here!" I heard Yu-san say over the microphone as I stood behind the curtain. "To close out the 1st Annual Nijigasaki High School Idol Festival, we have a very special event for you all! Making her official GRAND debut here at the festival, give it up for the brand-new idol…Melody!"
Okay…here I go!
Without giving it any more thought, I rushed through the curtain and onto the stage before it even had the chance to fully open. Revealing the fully packed crowd in front of me. Cheering for the final performance of the festival.
"Hello, everyone! Are you all having fun?!"
*CROWD CHEERS*
"My name is Melody! A brand-new idol taking my first steps in the industry right here at the School Idol Festival! Isn't that great~?!"
*CROWD CHEERS*
"*giggle* Well, thank you! Then let's have this festival go out with a BANG! Here we go~!"
(Quick Note: To follow along with the song, search up the following on YouTube: Kiratto Start – Kiratto Pri-Chan Opening Theme ver. 1 )
Hajimeyō wakuwaku wo furimaite
Watashi iro no channeru
Tsukucchaō
Oki ni iri totteoki no kōde shite
Genki na sumairu
Apīru shiyō
Ninki mono ni naritai tokimeki
Itsumo kakushite ita no
Min'na no forō ga areba muteki
Dakara habatakō
Kiratto akogare kirakira kanaeru chansu dayo
Yume wo sakaserareru purichan
Sekaijū wo happī de tsunageyō
Mahō yori suteki na
Raibu ga hajimaru yo
Imechen mo nachuraru mo jiyū dane
Watashi ryū no tanoshimi
Mitsukedasō
Patishie mo moderu ni mo nareru kana?
Sunao na kimochi de
Imēji shiyō
Choppiri senobi shitara
Koronde
Watashi rashiku waratte
Forowā appu de kekka ōrai
Mae wo muitekō
Dokitto kagayaku dokidoki dare ni demo aru kara
Sō min'na purichan aidoru
Itsumo sutā no debyū wo matte iru
Takusan no forowā ga egao mitsumeteru yo
As the song continued to play…my body feeling the ultimate form of excitement from singing and dancing in front of all these people…I felt a light tap on my shoulder. And turned around to see an even bigger surprise.
"H-Ho…μ-chan?!"
"You seem to be having fun. Mind if WE join in?" Honoka said as she and the other idols stood on stage.
"R-Really?!"
"It's the final performance. So, let's make it one to remember!" Ayumu-san said.
"We'll make your grand debut the very Rubesty, Melody-chan!" Ruby-san cheered.
"Heh…I supposed I could help out a fellow rival." Kasumi-san said. "Besides…a debut song this catchy is SO empty without the cute and loveable Kasumin in it! *giggle*"
"Everyone…" I said with a huge smile on my face. Then turned back to the cheering crowd in front of us. "You hear that, everyone?! All 5 of us idols are going to make this festival the BEST you've ever seen! Sā, hajimaru zo!"
*CROWD CHEERS LOUDER*
Kiratto akogare kirakira kanaeru chansu dayo
Yume wo sakaserareru purichan
Sekaijū wo happī de tsunageyō
Shinjite yatte miyō
Kiratto chansu wo kirakira ryōte de dakishimeyō
Unmei no botan wo oshite
Mita koto mo nai mirakuru getto shiyō
Mahō yori suteki na
Raibu ga hajimaru yo
*INTENSE CHEERING*
"Wow! Melody-chan's amazing! Truly amazing!"
"Isn't she the same girl who went viral at the Okinawa Music Festival?! Their voices sound equally beautiful!"
"If she truly became an idol, then I'm following her 100%!"
"Melody-chan! Melody-chan! Melody-chan! Melody-chan!"
As everyone in the immediate area began cheering my name…extremely happy for that performance of a lifetime…I began gaining excitement of my own. Giggling to myself as I stood up and walked closer to the edge of the stage.
"Arigatō! Min'na! Minasan, hontōni saikōdeshita! Je vous aime tous!"
Ritsu's POV
"N-No…freaking…way…"
"M…M-My eyes weren't screwing with me, right? That WAS Mugi just now, wasn't it?!" Konata asked as she was in as big of a shock as I was right now.
"N-No doubt about it. Wh-Which means…"
…
…
…
"H-HOLY CRAP! MUGI'S AN IDOL!" We both shouted in HUGE tones of disbelief and excitement.
Mio's POV
"N-No…freaking…WAY! KOTOBUKI-SAN'S AN IDOL!" Sasaki-san cheered in extreme excitement after we had just finished watching our friend/classmate sing and dance at this idol festival.
"I never would've thought she would do something like this!" Saeki-san said. "This is COMPLETELY out of left field from her!"
"So, Mugi's an idol…looks like Yui has some serious competition now…" Sugiura-san mumbled to herself.
"Wow…she's really good." Furutani-san said. "I didn't think Mugi was such a great singer."
"Y-Yeah…m-me neither." Was all I replied with.
Her voice is like that of an angel! Truly the best voice I've ever heard! If she's so good that she became an idol…
…
Then…maybe Mugi can teach me a few pointers…
Mugi's POV
"Mahō yori suteki na
Raibu ga hajimaru yo"
"W-Wow, Yui-chan…that's the third time you've sang that song in its entirety. You must really love it, huh?" I said to her as we were all eating a late dinner at the ramen house in Ariake. Just about an hour after the festival had ended.
"Can you blame me, Mugi-chan? That was the best song I've ever heard! It's so catchy and vibey…I'll sure have it stuck in my head for weeks on end!"
"Is that really a good thing?"
"Well, if Yui enjoys it to this extent, then I think it's a win." Himeko-chan said.
"I guess. But you know, the song is rather short. I've read somewhere that idol songs are usually longer…"
"Come on, Mugi. Don't discredit yourself." Kagami-chan said. "For a first time idol, you were really good. One of the best out there, really."
"Th-Thanks, Kagami-chan…though, I am shocked to see you here. I didn't think you were into idols and such."
"Well…kinda-sorta not really. When Miharu won those tickets, she invited me and my friend to tag along. So, I couldn't really turn down a free trip, you know."
"I see." I then turned around behind me. "And this "friend" of yours…"
"…and then they had the AUDACITY to veto my proposal! Can you believe that bullcrap?!" Kirin-san yelled as she was talking with Miharu and Kasumi-san about something…rather bold.
"Wait, so…can you really piss six feet in the air STRAIGHT UP and not get wet?" Miharu asked. "That sounds difficult."
"Duh. That's why it's called Challenge Pissing!"
"Yeah, but even then…" Kasumi-san said. "…it feels completely one-sided in the boy's favor. They can just point their dicks up and easily do it, no problem. Us girls have the disadvantage."
"Well, I was going to test out some handicaps like a handstand or something. But then SOMEBODY went ahead and rallied both the Discipline Committee and the Principal against me!" Kirin-san then turned right back at us. Specifically staring down Kagami-chan in the eye.
"Kirin…as long as I'm the active Vice-President of Ryōō High School, Challenge Pissing will NEVER become a thing!"
"Hmph. You know you're such a killjoy, Kagami."
…
"So, is she always like that?" I asked Kagami-chan.
"*sigh* Yeah…that's her normal personality."
"Geez…"
"You sure have your work cut out, Kagami-san…" Himeko-chan said with a sweatdrop.
*RINGTONE CHIME*
"Here's another message." I said as I held up my phone. Ever since the festival ended, I've been getting nonstop messages of pure shock from friends both back home and beyond. Ricchan, Mio-chan, Ui-chan, Jun-chan, Nodoka-chan…Konata-chan, Tsukasa-chan, Chinatsu-chan, Akari-chan…
I had to temporarily block Sakurako-chan because she kept spamming her messages…
And now…
""WOWIE, TSUMUGI-CHAN! That was like SO totally tubular! Congratulations on becoming an idol! I'LL TOTALLY FOLLOW YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" Hey, what does tubular mean?"
"Some 80s slang from America." Kagami-chan said. "Why, was that Patty just now?"
"Yeah. She also said congratulations and that she'll follow me as an idol for the rest of her life. Knowing her, that can be a little concerning."
"I'm sure the others will keep her under control. Hopefully."
"Hopefully" is not gonna cut it… I gained a mental sweatdrop.
"Alright, everyone. Listen up." Yu-san said as she gained everyone's attention. "*clears throat* First off…I just wanna say that thanks to you all, the first-ever School Idol Festival was a HUGE success! From the people helping out with production, to the positive cheers from the audience…and especially the idols themselves. All five of you were totally amazing out there."
"Y-Yu, come on. Quit sucking up." Ayumu-san said with a light blush on her face from the praise she got.
"Well, naturally. There was never any doubt from the cute and loveable Kasumin." Kasumi-san said in a somewhat cocky tone.
"It was really fun." Ruby-san said. "Especially since my older sister saw me perform. Best moment of my life. *giggle*"
"I guess I do owe it to Chika for bringing me here at the last minute." Honoka said. "I had a pretty fun time here."
"Well, I gotta say…it was a whole new experience for me." I said. "But I truly did enjoy myself out there. Becoming an idol wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."
"Well, I'm glad you think that, Mugi." Yu-san said. "Because I have some exciting news."
"Exciting?" We all asked.
"Even though this wasn't a competition, I placed a poll online to see which idol the crowd believed was the best in the whole show." Yu-san then showed us the poll from her computer. "And check it out! Mugi was the top victor by a HUGE landslide!"
"S-Seriously?! I was the fan-favorite?!" I yelled out in shock.
"What?! You mean I seriously lost to Mugi?!" Kasumi-san yelled in anger.
"You Rickrolled the entire audience while wearing a thong. Of course, you lost." Riko-san said.
"Hmph. Well, they were DEFINITELY cheering for me."
They were cheering because they saw a VERY SPECIAL part of you…
"Congratulations, Onee-chan!" Sumire cheered.
"You were really good out there, Mugi-senpai." Azusa-chan added.
"See, Mugi? I told you people would love you out there." Honoka said as she was sitting next to me.
"Yeah…I guess you did. All of those people cheering for me as I sang and danced on that stage…it was definitely a rush of excitement that I never felt before in my life. My heart's still rapidly beating from it all."
"*giggle* Glad you're still pumped about it."
"U-Um…K-Kotobuki-san…"
"Huh? What's wrong, Mikuru-chan?" I asked as the high-anxiety girl stood in front of me.
"W-Well…I-I was just wondering if I…I-I…"
"Come on, Mikuru. You can do it." Tamura-san said.
"I…c-can I…C-CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?! MELODY-CHAN!" Mikuru-chan then held out a notebook in her hands as she bowed franticly.
"A-An autograph?!" I yelled out before going silent for a bit. "*giggle* Sure thing, Mikuru-chan." I then took the notebook and marker and gave out my very first autograph. Signing it with my very own signature and added my icon, too. "Here you go."
"W-Wow…th-the autograph of an idol. Th-Thank you ever so much, Kotobuki-san. I-I shall treasure it forever."
"Happy to hear that, Mikuru-chan." I said with a smile.
"And so, with all of that said…I officially declare the first-ever School Idol Festival to be over!" Yu-san cheered. "Everyone! Raise a glass!"
"Kanpai!" Everyone else cheered.
W-Wait…kanpai?! Oh, no! If this is a repeat of last time, then Miharu's gonna…
"À votre santé! Chin-chin!"
*MULTIPLE SPITTAKES OCCUR*
Aw, crap! She said it!
"*cough* *cough* *cough* Wh-What the hell?!" You-san yelled with a full blush on her face.
"pfft! BAAAHAHAHAHA! O-Oh, my God, Miharu! You got some GUTS, girl!" Kirin-san yelled as she broke into total laughter.
"Seriously, Miharu-senpai? I thought we went over this." Azusa-chan said with a huge exasperated look.
"What? My Japanese still ain't great. I had to say something."
"Of all words, why did it have to be THAT one?!" Kagami-chan and Riko-san yelled in complete anger.
"So, uh…why did she just yell out "penis" like that?" Honoka asked me.
"It's…Italian. For some reason." I replied with a huge sweatdrop.
Nothing much happened for the rest of the night. As tomorrow we were all heading back to our homes for the last remaining days of summer break. Most likely won't be doing anything until the 2nd term starts. And I'm glad that there's nothing left to do.
Because after the summer I just had…I need a freaking break.
Author's Note: Mugi has officially debuted as Melody-chan! And now being her new unexpected career path as one of the top idols in all of Japan!
And with that, the Summer Break arc is complete! Beginning next chapter, it's back to school and back to normal chapters. With a very interesting plot point in the near future.
So, this will be the last time non K-ON! characters will appear in the story. Well, aside from Honoka. She's the only person that will serve a purpose throughout the rest of the story. But it'll be a while before she reappears again.
And finally…the song Mugi sang is from an anime that I'm currently watching: Kiratto Pri-chan (there's a star in the title, but it's not going to show on here). It's catchy and I had no other song to use. So, here it is. Also, some changes were made to chapter 48. Give it a re-read, if you can.
Thanks for reading. Later.