107. μ's

When Honoka Kosaka saw the empty auditorium just moments ago, countless thoughts flooded her mind.

The relentless daily physical training, the dance practices, the underclassmen and friends who supported and helped them, and just yesterday, praying to the gods under the cover of night and a canopy of twinkling stars alongside Kotori Minami and Umi Sonoda...

Everything swirled and churned in her mind. And yet, the scene before her now seemed to mock all her efforts as worthless, as if all her sacrifices had yielded no reward.

*Should I... have never chosen to become an idol in the first place?* The school idols of UTX were so dazzlingly bright. Was she being too greedy for wanting to shine like them? Was saving the school simply beyond the reach of an ordinary high school girl like herself?

Just as Honoka was sinking into self-pity, Jiang Yu pushed the door open. He looked travel-worn, as if he had journeyed a long distance just to finally reach this place.

Surprised, Honoka felt a tiny spark of hope ignite within her. With a self-deprecating smile, she raised her head and muttered to herself, "Of course... Success in this world is never easily won..."

Then, the self-mockery faded into a warm, gentle smile. Honoka took a step forward and spoke firmly, though her voice still trembled slightly, "Let's go! Let's sing! With everything we've got!"

If we don't try our hardest, how will we ever know if we can shine?

If we don't try our hardest, how will we ever know if we can save the school?

If we don't try our hardest, and instead lose heart at the very first setback, how will we ever know if our efforts were truly in vain?

Umi Sonoda stared in astonishment at the rejuvenated Honoka, murmuring, "Honoka... you..."

As for Kotori Minami, ever since Jiang Yu walked in, she seemed to no longer care about the empty hall. She had simply been waiting for Honoka to make her decision.

Honoka looked out at the empty auditorium, then at Maki Nishikino, who had entered behind Jiang Yu, and Hanayo Koizumi, who came panting in shortly after. Her expression hardened with resolve, and she said in an unquestionable tone, "Because... isn't this exactly what we've worked so hard for until today?!"

"Yes!" Kotori and Umi nodded vigorously in unison, smiles returning to their faces.

Seeing the three girls miraculously regain their spirits, Jiang Yu chose not to overthink it. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he strained his throat—which flared with a tearing pain whenever he spoke loudly—and shouted words of encouragement to the three girls: "μ's—go for it—!"

The supporting trio (forgive me, I can never remember their names) looked at Honoka and the others who were ready to perform. They exchanged smiles and set to work on their respective duties.

The auditorium suddenly went dark. The three girls stood with their backs to the audience seats, and the amateur lighting crew skillfully bathed them in spotlights. As the intro of the music began to play, the girls started their performance.

"I say...
Hey, hey, hey, START:DASH!!
Hey, hey, hey, START:DASH!!
Even a newborn fledgling
Will one day spread its wings
And fly high with those broad, strong wings
..."

Watching the girls immediately lock into their performance and hearing Kotori's familiar, clear voice—sweet as a lark's song—Jiang Yu gradually let go of his worries and began to enjoy the music.

Still... how should he judge it? The three girls actually had good vocal foundations. Of course, their technique was somewhat flawed, but the lyrics and composition were excellent. It was just... the dancing...

Having been bombarded by various girl groups in his past life—especially that one hypnotic dance that had completely taken over the Bilibili music section—Jiang Yu didn't really know what to say about this choreography.

To put it politely, the choreography of Kotori and the others was a bit too amateurish. To put it bluntly, some of the dance moves looked rather cringe-inducing to Jiang Yu. Still, he was no expert and couldn't offer any constructive feedback. Besides, perhaps this level of dancing was already enough for the school idol scene?

Shaking his head to clear the slight dizziness that was returning, Jiang Yu set his thoughts aside for the moment, choosing instead to quietly appreciate their slightly unpolished yet incredibly charming and infectious performance.

...

Hanayo Koizumi's lips parted slightly as she watched the three on stage with shining eyes. A mix of longing, envy, and shyness swirled in her gaze, creating a captivating expression that spoke volumes and laid bare the innermost desires of her heart.

At the very least, Rin Hoshizora, who had run in out of curiosity looking for Hanayo, noticed how much her friend yearned to be up there performing on stage. She finally understood why Hanayo had suddenly pulled her hand away earlier when Rin was dragging her toward the track and field club, running off here all by herself.

*Does Hanayo... want to be an idol too? Just like those three upperclassmen shining so brightly on stage.*

Rin watched the three girls leaping and dancing on stage, and before she knew it, she too was mesmerized.

...

Although Maki Nishikino kept telling herself she was merely a guide, her feet honestly led her into the auditorium anyway. She watched the three upperclassmen transform from lost and bewildered to confident and ready, starting their performance. Hearing the melody she had composed for them echoing in her ears, her heart swelled with a complex mix of emotions.

Perhaps she felt proud that her own composition was being performed in public; perhaps she was envious of those three girls, who looked so radiant chasing their dreams; or perhaps she, too, yearned to stand on stage like them, shining through the music she loved and giving strength to the hearts of others.

Maki stole a few glances at Jiang Yu, who seemed to be listening intently to the performance. Her already restless heart fluttered even more.

*What does he think of my music? Will he approve of it?*

*Does he know that the reason I agreed to compose the song for the upperclassmen was because he provoked me last weekend?*

Recalling how Jiang Yu had played such a beautiful melody on the piano right in front of her, Maki—usually so brimming with self-confidence—felt her heart start to race... cough, she felt a nervous flutter in her chest.

...

After school, during club activity hours, Eli Ayase finished up her student council duties. Looking out at the setting sun, she couldn't help but recall the girls who had come to her early in the morning a few days ago, requesting to use the school auditorium.

She remembered the serious look on the leading girl's face. Her orange hair seemed to glow softly in the morning sun, and the determination in her blue eyes forced Eli to believe that she was not joking at all, but submitting a very earnest request.

"We're holding a concert! The three of us have formed a school idol group, and we plan to hold our First Live in the school auditorium."

That was the girl's unhesitating reply when Eli had asked, "What do you plan on doing?" Meanwhile, her two companions—one the daughter of the chairwoman, the other a member of the archery club—seemed rather embarrassed by her bluntness.

Naturally, Eli did not support their idea. As the student council president, her mind was entirely consumed with saving the school her grandmother had once attended, putting all her effort into preventing its closure under the student council's name.

Just as she was about to persuade them to give up and was making some headway, she was interrupted by her close friend and student council vice president, Nozomi Tojo.

In response to Eli's objections, Nozomi walked to the window and said with a smile, "These three are just here to get permission to use the auditorium, right? Since it's not an official club activity, the student council shouldn't have the authority to interfere with the content of their activities, right?"

Facing her friend, who was always so mysterious, Eli didn't know what to say. In the end, she had no choice but to approve Honoka and the others' application.

Only after the three left, pleasantly surprised and overjoyed, did Eli have the chance to ask Nozomi why she had done that. She was met only with a mysterious smile and a cryptic response: "The cards told me to!"

And today was the day of their performance, wasn't it? Eli's fingers tapped idly on the desk as she seemed to come to a decision.

Thus, when Eli walked into the control room of the school auditorium, she saw Honoka and the other two performing dance moves that looked rather unpolished to her eyes. The song playing in her ears seemed to have just reached the chorus.

"...
Just drowning in sadness
And crying all alone is so boring
Surely (surely) your (dream's)
Power (is exactly) the power that moves you forward
I believe in this so strongly... so let us START!!
..."

Eli frowned, but for a split second, her mind drifted: *Is this... the school idol group they formed?*

...

Leaning against the wall by the auditorium entrance, Nozomi listened to the singing echoing from within and couldn't help but smile.

There was no mistake; this was definitely the right path. Because that was what the cards had told her. Whether it was μ's, Elichika, or the school, this was the optimal solution.

"You'll have to pick up the pace, you know, μ's? Elichika isn't someone who can be easily convinced or changed..."

Still... that boy seemed to be outside the cards' predictions. Nozomi thought of Jiang Yu, whom Maki had just brought to the auditorium, and a slight doubt crept into her mind about whether the cards' prediction was truly the absolute best outcome.

But wasn't a future full of variables the most interesting thing of all? At this thought, Nozomi looked out at the sky, which was slowly being painted orange-red by the setting sun, and her smile grew even brighter.

...

For a third-year student preparing for exams, still not graduating from the fantasy of being a school idol would be quite pathetic, wouldn't it? Especially if she had experienced a massive failure in this area before. If she still harbored love and fantasies for school idols despite all that, should she be called a child who refused to grow up, or should she be praised for her sheer persistence?

As the president of the Otonokizaka Academy Idol Club, Nico Yazawa kept a close eye on any idol-related topics in the school. Ever since she saw the announcement that a few students had formed a school idol group named "μ's," Nico had been tracking their every move.

Today was the First Live of this school idol group called "μ's." Not quite sure what her own motives were, Nico had slipped into the auditorium anyway. Looking at the sparse audience, she let out a smile that was hard to define as either gloating or bitter, thinking to herself, *That's why I said becoming an idol is no simple matter!*

However, when the girls—whom she considered complete amateurs—began to perform, Nico found that their performance was much better than she had anticipated.

Even when faced with such a devastating blow, they hadn't thought of giving up the performance. Likewise, they didn't lower their standards just because the audience was practically nonexistent. Each of them was giving their absolute all to complete this Live.

"...
With a heart like a sky clearing after rain
Amidst rising expectations
Those past failures
Will eventually become memories
Tomorrow will bloom
Bursting with hope
A joyful melody turns into notes, blossoming from our lips
..."

Their voices remained full of passion, and their dance steps were still coordinated with effort, as if the lack of recognition had no effect on them whatsoever.

Listening to their singing, Nico fell into a daze. *If back then, everyone had just held on... what would we look like now?*

...

After the final "Hey, hey, hey, START:DASH!!" ended, the three girls on stage stopped their movements, panting, and stood in a line, preparing to bow.

Looking at the three girls who embodied determination, dreams, courage, vitality, and all the warm, shining aspects of human nature, Jiang Yu couldn't help but smile. The flaws in their lyrics and dance moves suddenly seemed entirely trivial.

No matter the time or place, no matter the dimension, and no matter which world line or parallel universe, people would always treat those who tried their hardest with kindness, wouldn't they?

And so, Jiang Yu took the lead and began to clap. Only then did the others in the auditorium realize what was happening and follow his lead.

Suddenly, a scattering of applause rang out in the auditorium. But to Honoka and the other two, it sounded no less deafening than a clap of thunder. It represented the very first recognition and encouragement these three school idols had received from the outside world.

Heartfelt smiles broke across the faces of the three members of μ's. For the first time, they felt that their decision to become school idols was absolutely right.

Only after trying your hardest do you realize that effort is indeed something that will never betray you.

Only after trying your hardest do you realize that as long as you put your heart into it, anything is possible.

Only after trying your hardest do you realize that you, too, can shine on stage.

Watching this scene unfold, Eli Ayase slowly walked out of the control room. Stopping halfway down the stairs, she felt the gazes of the three girls on stage lock onto her. In a cold voice, she asked, "What do you plan to do now?"