The front door clicked gently shut behind Chieri as she stepped out into the morning light. The sky was clear and soft, the kind of blue that seemed painted with gentle strokes. A breeze tousled her hair as she adjusted the strap of her school bag and set off down the road.
She was humming, the tune from last night's tutorial still fresh in her mind.
"What a good day~" she sang under her breath, spinning playfully on her heel before skipping ahead. Her movements were light, like her mood.
'That dance tutorial was so helpful! I think I can finish the choreography within this week!' she thought excitedly.
A determined smile crept across her lips as she remembered the small, clumsy victories from her practice session—the spins that finally didn't send her crashing, the steps that no longer tangled her feet.
'I practiced some singing too~' She placed a hand lightly on her chest as if checking whether the voice she found last night was still there.
'Let's ask Mayu and Haru to listen to my singing today~'
Her shoes tapped rhythmically on the pavement as the school came into view, students pouring through the gates like a stream. The air was filled with morning chatter, a few crows calling from the rooftops, and the distant hum of a delivery truck.
She passed the entrance, still humming, and made her way up the stairs to her classroom. Her fingers ran briefly along the cool railing before she pushed open the sliding door.
The room was already alive with murmurs and laughter. She stepped in, expecting to find her seat in peace.
But halfway across the classroom, she paused.
Near her desk, a group of girls were huddled together, eyes wide and hands half-covering their mouths in giddy secrecy. Their voices were lowered, but their excitement made them louder than they probably meant to be.
"Eh? Is it true?!"
"I'm telling you! It's true!"
Chieri blinked. Her footsteps slowed. She tilted her head slightly, curiosity prickling at her. Still humming softly to herself, she moved toward her seat—but this time, her ears perked.
"Lei?? That solo singer? She's retiring already?" one of them whispered, disbelief dripping from her voice.
"She's still so young! I can't believe she's retiring already…"
Lei…? Chieri's brows lifted just a little. The name sounded familiar, but distant—like a brand she'd heard mentioned or a melody she couldn't quite place. Wasn't she… a ballad singer? No… wait, she sings pop, right? Or maybe R&B?
She kept her pace steady, pretending to casually walk by. But her steps grew slower and slower as the whispering became more juicy.
"Yeah, but you know…" one of the girls said, her voice heavy with secrets.
"Yes?" the other girls leaned in.
So did Chieri.
Her bag shifted against her back as she tilted slightly to the side, placing herself just close enough to catch the next line without seeming suspicious.
"My cousin apparently has some connection to Lei... and since the concert is free and exclusive—"
"WHAT?!" another girl blurted out, loud enough to draw the attention of two students at the window.
"They got early access to the ticket website!"
"What?! Omg! Let's go to her concert!"
"We have to get the free tickets before the official release of the website!"
Chieri's eyes widened a little. Free concert? Exclusive access? A famous singer retiring? It sounded like a rare once-in-a-lifetime moment. Even if she didn't know Lei very well, she suddenly felt like she had to go—just to see what the fuss was about.
And that was when she cleared her throat—deliberately loud.
The group of girls jumped, spinning around in unison to find Chieri standing there, her hands gently clasped behind her back, her expression unreadable.
For a moment, she stared at them as if weighing their worth.
Then she smiled—sweetly.
Too sweetly.
"Give the website link to me. Please?" she said, her voice soft but her eyes glinting.
The girls exchanged nervous glances. One of them gulped. Another fumbled for her phone.
"Y-yes, of course, Taira-san…"
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"So?" Mayu asked, glancing sideways at Chieri as she took another long sip from her boxed juice drink. The straw made a soft slurping noise. She sat on the edge of the bench, legs lazily crossed, while Haru quietly nibbled on her sandwich beside her, eyes half-lidded and expression unreadable as always.
Chieri's eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels. "I practiced a song last night~ Wanna hear?" she asked, her voice full of excitement and childlike pride.
Mayu paused mid-sip.
She stared at Chieri, one brow twitching ever so slightly. Her eyes searched Chieri's eager face. For a moment, she didn't say anything. She just… stared. Hesitation filled her gaze.
'Say no,say no' Mayu silently pleaded to the universe.
But Chieri's glittering eyes only grew more intense.
Finally, Mayu groaned and let her shoulders sag in defeat. "...Fine," she muttered, as if accepting a doomed fate.
Without warning, Chieri stood up dramatically. Mayu looked up at her with narrowed eyes.
"1! 2! 3!" Chieri clapped her hands with flair—and then, without any backing track or warning—
She began to sing.
"My love~ Don't go so hard on yourself~ We will meet again~"
The pitch wobbled like a seesaw.
"Oh baby baby you, baby baby you~"
Her voice cracked at the "you," squeaking like a door hinge.
Mayu froze mid-sip.
Then—
"PFFFT—!!"
She choked violently on her juice, slapping her chest as she coughed and wheezed, the box crumpling in her hand.
Beside her, Haru jolted and made a strange squeaking noise as she too began coughing violently, sandwich crumbs flying as she struggled to breathe.
But Chieri, too absorbed in her performance, was utterly unaware.
"Whyyyyyy~ Do you have to be~~ Like this~"
She raised her arms dramatically toward the sky, as if she were singing in a concert hall.
"I never ask yo—"
Her words were abruptly muffled as Mayu shot up and slapped a hand over Chieri's mouth.
"Stop. Singing." she said flatly, her voice hoarse from coughing.
Chieri blinked.
Mayu, gasping for air, clutched her throat. "It's so bad!" she croaked, still trying to recover. "I think… I just bruised my lungs…"
Haru gave a weak applause, still coughing behind her sandwich.
Chieri slowly pulled Mayu's hand from her face. "…Was I that bad?"
Mayu stared at her. "I thought a cat was dying. No offense."
Chieri pouted, cheeks puffed. "A mean way to say 'you have potential,' but okay…"
Chieri plopped back down beside Mayu with a satisfied hum, brushing imaginary dust off her skirt like a true performer finishing her grand finale. Mayu, still recovering from the trauma to her ears and lungs, slumped into her seat and grabbed a napkin, wiping the juice off her lips with a groan.
Then—Chieri suddenly perked up again.
"By the way," she said, voice lilting with curiosity.
Mayu glanced at her warily. Haru, ever silent, turned her eyes toward Chieri too, biting off the edge of her sandwich.
"Do you know who Lei is?" Chieri asked, leaning forward slightly.
Both Mayu and Haru blinked.
They looked at each other first—like a silent game of 'do you know?'—before turning back to Chieri.
"Who?" Mayu asked, unimpressed.
"A singer," Chieri said, puffing her chest proudly. "I got three free tickets for her last concert~"
That caught their attention.
Mayu raised a brow. "Last concert?"
"Mhm!" Chieri nodded enthusiastically. "She's retiring! Can you believe it? So this is, like, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing!"
With a sneaky grin, she scooted closer to Mayu—maybe a bit too close—and leaned in, hands clasped together like she was about to ask something sacred.
"Why don't you guys go with me?" Chieri said sweetly, blinking her eyes with exaggerated innocence and a hopeful smile spreading on her lips.
"But I…" Mayu hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around her empty juice box. Her voice wavered with a mixture of doubt and hesitation.
She turned slowly to her side, eyes pleading silently—Help me—as she looked at Haru.
Haru blinked, completely clueless. Her mouth was still full, and she stared back with wide eyes like a deer in headlights.
Mayu sighed, defeated. She turned back to Chieri, who was still staring at her expectantly, her legs bouncing with anticipation.
"I'll go… I guess?" Mayu mumbled, her voice unsure.
In an instant, Chieri's eyes lit up like fireworks. "That's it! You are a loyal friend!" she beamed, reaching out to pat Mayu's shoulder with enough energy to nearly knock her off balance.
But she wasn't done yet.
Chieri then turned her head toward Haru, eyes sparkling again with hope, clearly waiting for the final answer she needed.
Haru stiffened.
Her mouth stopped chewing as the weight of Chieri's gaze landed on her. Her eyes darted to the left, then to the right, trying to dodge the incoming pressure. But she could feel it—Chieri's stare tightening around her like an invisible net.
There was no escape.
Finally, Haru gave in.
She looked directly at Chieri with the tiniest sigh of surrender and gave a polite, awkward smile. "I'll go too…" she said softly.
Chieri's grin widened so fast it was as if she'd just won a jackpot.
"It's decided then!" she chirped, jumping to her feet with a skip in her step. "This Saturday!!"
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"Isn't this… too big?" Mayu asked as she gazed up at the concert venue's towering structure. Her brows lifted slightly, taking in the massive LED screen displaying Lei's name in bold, elegant font.
"I didn't know the venue was this big…" Chieri breathed, her eyes wide in amazement. She turned slowly in place, trying to take in every detail—from the waving banners to the sea of excited fans swarming toward the gates.
Haru didn't say anything at first, but her eyes shimmered with quiet curiosity. She tilted her head slightly as she studied the intricate exterior of the building—the way the light hit the metal framework, the hum of energy that pulsed in the air.
Suddenly, Chieri jolted slightly. "We have to line up first!" she said quickly. Spotting the forming queue, she reached out and grabbed both Mayu's and Haru's wrists.
"Hey—wait!" Mayu called out, stumbling forward as Chieri pulled her along. Haru blinked in surprise but followed without complaint.
They joined the line just as more and more people flooded the area. There were voices all around—fans chatting excitedly about Lei, others checking their tickets and wristbands. The buzz was almost overwhelming, but Chieri looked more thrilled than anything.
After a long, shuffling wait and a brief security check, they were finally allowed inside.
Their footsteps echoed against the floor as they walked into the grand venue hall. The lighting was dim but warm, casting a golden hue over the rows of red-cushioned seats. The stage ahead glittered beneath ornate chandeliers and shifting lights, a rich blend of red and gold that gave the whole place a surreal, dreamlike quality.
They found their seats near the middle row—close enough to see the stage clearly but far enough for the full view. Chieri was practically bouncing as she sat down, her hands gripping the edge of her seat.
"Woah…" she whispered, looking around. "This is amazing!…"
Mayu sat down beside her, her eyes scanning the grand interior. It was her first time attending a concert—let alone one by a famous celebrity. Though she wasn't the type to get starstruck easily, she couldn't deny the flutter of curiosity in her chest. It felt… strange, being here.
"Is it not starting yet?" Chieri asked, glancing at the empty stage.
"Probably not," Mayu replied, shifting in her seat. "Maybe she's still preparing or waiting for the hall to fill up."
As if on cue, the ambient lights dimmed slightly.
And then—
Without any announcement or flashing introduction, a woman began to walk onto the stage.
Mayu turned her head casually toward the movement.
The woman's hair was long and wavy, a soft, flowing cascade of blonde that shimmered like honey under the stage lights. Her steps were graceful, confident, as if she belonged there—no, as if the stage had been built for her.
Her crimson eyes scanned the room quietly, emotion unreadable.
Her name is Lei.
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To be continued