“You gave the one and only advantage you have on the looks department away?” my brother says whacking his head against the table.
“But we both have the look, it should be equal shouldn’t it.” I protest.
“No, you dumbass. The ugly face brings someone from ugly to okay, while the cute face brings them from cute to mega cute. Do you remember what face you had to use?”
“Ugly” Sid calls out, catching both of us off guard, thinking ‘he’s here?’.
“So I am basically screwed?” I ask in despair.
I'll never be able to catch up to her. Long lost, forever in her shadow. I just jump on the couch burying my face into the couch, lost forever am I.
“No you are not.” my brother says, consideringly.
“Can you elaborate please?” calls Sid.
Is he eavesdropping from the walls?
“It was an inevitable thing that was going to be done. But preferably down the track. When I was doing research I learnt a lot about Amano. And if things go as expected you will be forced to team up with Hayate and Sayaki in a three way Idol group. So you were gonna be giving her the look in order for your group anyway” my brother says, pulling out a carrot from the fridge and eating it.
“But aren't three person Idol groups really competitive?”
“That's the whole point, to see if you crumbled against stars of the Idol industry.” my brother says casually. Well I guess he doesn't have to do it, or has never done it. My brother seems to notice my look of doubt.
“If you knew anything you would know that Mayaki, Hayate, and Tayaki, All went down this route.” well he did know how to motivate me.
“Back to the point, however, you have lost your center position. And you cannot change that unless you injure your opponent, which she is your friend? So I assume that's out of the picture? The reason for the rookie concerts is just to help you get good enough to be selected by the leaders of the 8 separate groups. So it’s time to start trying to make connections with members of these groups, make yourself noticeable.”
“I think I have already noticed by the prodigy Cylei”
“You mean crazy C-, nevermind ”
“Okay here is the list of people, they may be slightly outdated.” my brother says laying the book down showing a bunch of names with pictures and description.
“Why would it be outdated”
“The information was from weird unknown sources.”
Well I guess that clarifies some things.
“Okay I think your target should be this girl, in terms of getting to know her.” my brother points to a cute girl with dark black hair in a high ponytail. Her face is quite petite and that of a child with a little button nose. Hataya’s photo makes her look really young, wait and the girl next to her is Mayaki. She actually doesn’t really look that special. So this is a quite outdated picture thing.
“Isia Irinsta”
“Why choose her?”
“Well the book says that she is kind, and helpful.”
“But is she good?”
“She was Osiki’s number 1 rival, throughout their haydays.”
Is Osiki good to be compared with? My brother seems to be picking up on my lack of knowledge of who Osiki is and gives me a frown.
“You don’t know who Osiki is?”
“No I met her, but I've never seen her perform”
“Well they were the Tayaki and Hataya equivalents.”
Tayaki and Hataya equivalents? Does Mayaki not fit within the picture, was there someone like Mayaki before the Mayaki. Okay I was probably getting caught too much up with the crappy details.
“Will I be able to even get a conversation with her?”
“You should” he says unconfidently. “Nah you will be fine, just ask for help, and then she will see all your flaws and never leave you alone until you have perfected them.”
I look down at her face, how am I meant to get this girl to help me?”
…
Well that was quite easy.
I am currently on my fifth hour of practice, after my CX training had just finished with this girl.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, THIS LEG IS BEING A SPASTIC.” she yells why slapping my left leg with a bamboo stick.
She is little, probably doesn’t come up to my shoulder, she is friendly and seems kind when you talk to her, but as soon as I started practicing her mind got switched out with a monster.
“MY BRAIN DID NOT GET SWITCHED OUT WITH A MONSTERS, YOU ARE WORST THAN A HEADLESS FISH .”
Please have mercy on me.
…
“That was really good and well done.” she says smiling after we finish. Her voice seemed to change again to a nice cute small person voice.
“Well you didn’t seem very pleased” I say miserably looking down.
“Oh did I, I am so sorry, I just get a little pumped up whenever we start training.”
She calls that a little pumped up?
she said in a shy sorrowful voice. I don’t think I can stay mad for very long.
“Oh looks like your friends waiting, " she says pointing at Hayate who was waiting outside the hall. I suspect she went home and came back. “I’ll see you monday” she says smiling, but also like she is forcing me to come monday, I smile scaredly as I say my goodbyes.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“Hi Hayate, sorry I have been too busy to talk this week” I say as I walk towards her.
“That’s fine, I’m sorry for taking your spot” she says shyly. I just laugh it off, but the other half of me wants to make her feel guilty.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have given you the book.”
“I didn’t realize the book was so powerful. It’s almost like magic. When I was practicing in the park, a whole bunch of people started asking to go out with me, some of them even had partners.”
“yeh, powerful stuff”
“Where did your brother find this stuff?”
“The dark web, apparently websites that shouldn't even exist, and some that never even did.” Hayate seems a little confused by what I just said, and It doesn’t make sense so she should be extremely confused.
“You know I honestly feel bad for that Cylei girl.”
“Why? Wasn’t she quite mean to everyone?”
“Don’t you see, she did it for our benefit, a charade she put on to motivate us.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why wouldn't I be “
“That does make decent sense. Now I feel bad for hating her. We should thank her, maybe get her a big present or something.” we both nod in agreement, it is settled.
“Also you should join in with practicing with Iria, she is really friendly.”
“Are you sure, I don’t want to intrude? But that would be great getting personal lessons from her.”
I secretly laugh to myself, you will join me in the pain.
…
“Why, why?” Hayate calls crying, she is currently covered in bruises, less than me because her technique is better.
“You monster, why did you invite me?” she begs on her knees, pulling my shirt.
“Good practice. Also Have you decided on a present for Cylei?” I ask trying to put her mind off the torture that we just endured.
“I couldn’t think of anything, what about we get her premium hazelnut chocolates from Lecures.” Since we have no other ideas, we decided to go to the chocolate shop.
…
“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT, ARE YOU A BLOODY TURTLE ABOUT TO EAT RASBERRY PIE.”
Okay I do not understand her insults at all, but looking at Hayate it obviously is doing something. We are in the middle of practicing this painfully hard routine, apparently we aren’t expressing enough, also she says that our basics are so crap that we will never get to the important stuff.
“IT’S MEANT TO BE LIKE THIS.”
She says kicking her leg while doing the same move that looks surprisingly different.
“NOW YOU DO SANAKA,”
I do the same move, in the mirror it looks completely different, the technique is the same, my movements should resemble closely, but she just looks like an Idol, like she is kind of floating.
”YOU HAVE DECLARED WAR”
I knew it was bad but it’s not that bad that you need to declare war against me.
however this was not from Iria but from Cylei who had just barged through the door, her hair was currently defying gravity, her eyes were red. I wonder if I can borrow those contact lenses some time.
“But we got you chocolates from Lecures chocolate, hazelnut to be exact.” Hayate asks frighteningly. Hayate just not understand, this is obviously all an act to motivate us, she will probably make up some crappy reason why it’s an insult.
“You really were that evil to research the worst moment of my life!” she yells out of breath from all the running to get here. But Bingo I called it.
“What research?”
“Don’t play coy with me. You knew that when I was just a little 13 year old I had asked out the boy I liked. Where I had been rejected after trying to give him hazelnut chocolates from Lecure’s.” she says with a tear running down her eyes.
“I'M AM GOING TO MAKE YOUR LIFE-” however she stopped mid way through, her glowing eyes turned normal all of a sudden her hair flopping down. Contacts that can go from red to clear, wow I do need some of those.
“Cylei, from the group 3 second row position 3.” says Iria, scarily.
“Yes ma'am.” now she had done it, calling her ma’am.
The ground seemed to shake, then words started to come from an eternal abyss from under the ground.
“MA’AM!! TEN HOURS PRACTICE STARTS NOW”
Please no, God why.
“No I don’t wanna” Cylei says running away, however it’s already too late, Iria is standing at the door in front of her.
How many hours has it been? 4 or something. She is even making us do the routines at 2 times speed. Cylei is really a good dancer, she does make me and Hayate look really bad. Iria is actually even doing it with us, just to make sure we keep on pace. And whacking us with a bamboo stick whenever we get out of time. Unlike us sweating and in pain she looks like this is just casual
“Ahah, so this is how you guys are improving.” a new person has entered the room. This time it’s Sayaki.
“You won’t best me,” she says, joining in. I considered warning her not to join, but I don’t think she would listen. So now for some reason Sayaki has joined in with the torture session. I’m considering trying to make a break for it.
“DON’T THINK ABOUT IT”
How did she know?
“I ALWAYS KNOW”
Sayaki seems to be really determined, however me and Hayate are not looking good, both of our moves are purely propelled on by the fear of this girl behind us.
We hear a creak as a new person walks through the door.
“Okay everyone can stop now.” everyone now collapses on to the floor.
Iria now walks over to the person who opened the door, this time it is a blonde pale girl, she is what you would call beautiful in nearly every aspect, she looks calm and well balanced.
“Hello Ama” Iria says kindly, walking over to the girl named Aria.
“Look at you, you got your old club back.” she says smiling.
“These MAGGOTS aren’t half as good” she says softly except for the word Maggot.
“You say that, but you always thought they were completely hopeless also.”
“Did I”
“It always used to go, Mayaki was pretty average at everything, Hayate was cute and a good singer, but her dancing was average so her confidence was lacking. And Tayaki was an egotistical tyrant, who was actually good at everything except dealing with people.”
“Did I” Iria asked in a cute voice.
“But you did also say. Mayaki has a strange ability, somehow it seems almost as if the world revolves around her. She draws everyone into her life, like the main character of a movie. It’s something that neither I nor anyone has, maybe you could say that was how Osiki was when she was younger.”
“I don’t remember saying that.”
“Maybe I’m delusional.” she says now turning to us.
“Hello juniors, and Cylei.” She gave Cylei a dirty look, just shows how well Cylei’s act is working and how dedicated she is.
“Hello “ we all mumble back.
“You three are just like them. Don’t you think.” she says smiling.
“Like who”
“The power puff girls.” she says as if it’s an obvious matter of fact.
“Which one am I?” Hayate asks. Don’t egg her on to continue this craziness.
“You are bubbles. Because you are cute. And likable.”
“And I am Blossom?” Sayaki interjects. Don't you also egg her on.
“Very good Correct.” Sayaki shoots me a look of triumph, crap does that mean I am Buttercup, not the tomboy.
“Because you are a bossy stress head.” Sayaki’s smile is wiped off in an instant.
“And you are a buttercup.” no she has moved on towards me.
“Because you are irrational, well that’s it really.” Why aren’t I similar to any good traits?
“And you are like Mojo Dojo, for being a complete overconfident lull brain twat. “ I tell her, in the flames of anger.
“YOU DO NOT INSULT MY FRIEND” is the last thing I heard as a thump ringed out around the room.