Chapter 2: Respect

Since nobody was trying to talk with him, that meant that there was no reason for him to stay in the school a little longer. He didn't even make a friend on his first day of school, so why should he stay there? Waiting? Or should he wish for God to send an angel in human-form down from heaven even if he didn't believe in God even a bit?

He let out a heavy sigh while packing up his books and the stationery, "Let's just go home, so I can go to sleep earlier today," he mumbled, though it was only his excuse to himself. He had never even slept early anyway. He always spent the night on his phone on the bed until the middle of the night. Though, he did watch some educational videos and not something useless.

Thus, it was the end of his day on his first day at school, and nothing much happened. It was why he looked like he wanted to go out of school in a hurry. But when he was about to pass the school's gate, someone approached him,

"Hey, here~," she said with a soft yet cheerful voice. And maybe it was the softest voice he had ever heard since his mom. Though, it was his fault that he never talked to any girl anyway.

When he turned his head a little, he found that someone was about to throw a drink box at him with a smile.

But even if the girl threw the box after Kira turned his head, Kira didn't expect that someone would give him a drink box and that was the reason he was a little surprised. He even threw his handbag on his shoulder to the ground because he tried to catch the box. Fortunately, he caught it with only the tip of his fingers as a sign that he barely caught it.

"That was close~," his voice shook slightly. Kira glanced his eyes at the girl who threw the drink box toward him and he was a little bit shocked as his gaze landed on the girl. Because it was the girl and the only girl he knew at the school but not because they had already known each other, but because both of them were sitting next to each other in class.

She was none other than Hoshi Suta, the girl, who kept smiling after getting laughs from the whole class and even thanked them. The girl who made Kira bewitched by her smile. Not because she is a cute girl or beautiful girl -even though Kira found her cute and pretty-, but it was because he knew what lies behind her smile. He didn't know about her story, but still, he knew the meaning of her smile since he guessed it over and over again. And he reached the conclusion that the smile was something to cover for herself. Though... For Kira, that was not important for him.

"Thanks for today!" the blue-haired woman said while flicking her long and soft-looking hair a little. Not to forget her cute little behavior as she tilted her head a little.

"Hoshi Suta? For what?" Kira turned to ask her.

"Wow, you remembered my name!" She smiled widely.

"Of course,"

"Was that because my dream sounds childish and funny?"

Visible. The anxiety, and discomfort from Suta's behavior with her lowering her head in slight embarrassment and the voice of her which was shaking filled with fright. All of them were visible to Kira.

At first, Kira didn't expect the laugh from the other students would waver her determination in her heart. But what did Kira find now? The happy and cheerful-looking girl's heart was now filled with fright, uneasiness, and shame due to her childish dream without even getting mentioned by Kira.

'Look. That was bullying after all,' Kira thought.

But Kira didn't want to be the same as the others. He preferred to have a boring life his entire life rather than have fun with all the bullies, so at least, at the end of his life, he wouldn't have any regret and did as many good deeds as he could.

"No, please don't misunderstand it. I think your dream is beautiful. Not everyone can become an Idol, you know? And also when your dream got laughed at, no... In fact... I don't know why you smiled, but... I think your behavior is something wonderful and cool. You have my respect"

There were no lies in Kira's words at all. It was visible in how serious he looked when he said that sentence to Suta. And Suta realized that too, that is why when she heard those words and how serious Kira looks, Suta smiled once again,

"In order to become an Idol that everyone likes, I will smile no matter what happens to me! I will smile widely and shine brightly in front of everyone! That's why I won't be hurt by something trivial like that."

Kira buried himself in his thoughts. Was that really what people said trivial this day? Wasn't laughing at someone to the point of breaking their will and mentality the same as bullying and humiliation? Or was that just his hunch?

"But... Aren't Idols also human? Aren't idols allowed to express their feelings too? Bring out all the expressions and emotions that are felt. Feelings of annoyance and sadness must also be felt by an Idol. Or are Idols just a liar out there hiding their pain from themselves? Sorry, I don't know anything much about Idol. But still what I know about them, is that the word term 'Idol' can't be achieved by someone random just because they are good at singing or dancing. Idols should be examples for the public. But, is that too much for Idols to express their feelings? As I said, Idols are human. And humans can't live with only one emotion... Well, not if you aren't a human, though."

Hearing all of Kira's words, Hoshi Suta widened her eyes. She had never thought that someone she met for the first time could pierce her heart with his word and even make her goosebumps all over her skin,

"Actually... I am not a human~ So, what if I said something like that?" She tried to make the intense and serious atmosphere around them lighter with a joke.

"Wow, I am surprised."

"Hey, at least, if you said something like that, don't show that kind of flat and plain expression. And your tone is no different!" she nagged him. But, Kira didn't care at all, he looked away as if he wanted to ignore her words.

After a while, Suta lowered her head and took a deep breath. As if she was thinking until her brain was exhausted, Suta frowned while groaning a little.

Looking at how desperate Suta was, Kira thought that she was possessed by ghosts and he was about to call an exorcist nearby from his phone. But after a while, Suta exhaled and made Kira become calmer because he didn't need to spend money on the exorcist.

"You are sharp, hey... um... Your name..."

"Kousei Kira."

"K-KILLER?"

"Stop with the jokes with someone else's name, that was disrespectful."

Suta giggled and tried to cover her mouth with her little hand, "I am sorry. I am sorry. It is just your name sounds like Killer with our Japanese accent"

Kira looked away with a grudge at his mother because it was her fault, to begin with, to give a silly name to him.

"Kousei... Kira... Hey, wasn't that our name sounds similar? My name is Hoshi Suta! Means, Star of the Star! And you too, Kousei Kira! The Star that keeps shining! Kira is the word from Gira-Gira, right? The one that means shining or sparkling"

Kira looked away once again, and now was with embarrassment because how could someone he met for the first time guess the meaning of his name correctly? Was that because both his mother and Hoshi Suta are female so they will have Woman intuition?

"I think, Kousei Kira. We are fated to meet each other! So, I have already decided!" she continued her words.

But that made Kira confused until the frown on his forehead was visible and his head tilted a little, "Decided?"

"I need your help to make me become an Idol, like a manager! Yes! You are my manager from now o-,"

"Oh, that is impossible" Kira cut her words with him shaking his head and giving a gesture with her hand for a sign that he declined the favor from Suta.

"So fast!!!" Suta was shocked. "At least, give it a little thought!"

Kira bent over his body to take his handbag which fell on the ground. While trying to place his handbag on his shoulder once again, Kira said, "I don't want to be the reason for someone's success or failure. I prefer my own."

Kira was about to leave Suta after that. But just like other people who are about to excuse themselves before splitting up, Kira raised his hand, "So, thanks for the drink. I will go for n-" His words got cut. But not with a word from Suta, but with her smile instead.

"But, I chose you not because I want you to make me successful."

For Kira, that reason alone was not enough for him why she chose him over other professionals or people with more experience. "That makes no sense, then why don't you just pick some random dude?"

"Are you crazy? That makes no sense! I need someone reliable, you know? What if the one I met was someone sloppy? I don't want that!"

Kira got annoyed because instead of getting an answer, he just got questioned by another nonsense remark from Suta. Precisely that, Kira tried to reverse Suta's remark one more time, "That should be my words"

Suta shook her head cheerfully, "No. No. That is different. Eh? Wait! That is irrelevant! Anyhow, you will be the manager. Point!" she said while taking another box from her bag and drank it as if she didn't care what was the answer going to be. Because no matter what, she will force him until he accepts Suta's invitation.

"I refuse," Kira said.

"Then... I refuse your refusal." Kira's reply was replied to by Suta calmly. It was shown in how calmly she sipped her drink with the straw. Not to mention, Suta looked so pure that made Kira thinks that she looked a little cute based on how pure she was. But all of that was not the problem right now.

"Alright, I agree,"

Hearing those words, of course, Suta couldn't be happier and it looked as if her face radiated a very bright light that could make Kira's eyes and determination burn by it.

"Eh? Really?" Suta asked.

"I agree to refuse you,"

Suta's heart broke and the sound of it could be heard by the other students in the school. But not Kira, because Kira already closed his ears and even heart so he won't care about her at all no matter what.

"A-ANYWAAAY! You will be my manager!"

"Wow, so persistent. I think you will make a wonderful and great Idol" The sarcasm finally came out of Kira's mouth because of Suta's tenacity when she persistently tried to recruit Kira to become her manager.

But of course, Kira still insisted to decline the offer and left her after that, even though she kept following him over and over again just like a stalker. Until her behavior was seen by others. people on the street. Not only that, even a police officer came to her to ask what was her intention.

"You really are persistent, Hoshi..." Kira was annoyed because he was the one who explained it to the police officer after Suta asked him for help.

"Hehe..." she giggled which made Kira even more annoyed. "But persistence is not enough to become an Idol. That is why I want you to observe me and all of my activities to help me. Because I believe in you!"

"Believe? Didn't we just meet today?"

Suta smiled while taking her smartphone from her uniform's pocket. "I don't know. I think that is what you call fate, right? Just like after I heard about your name" her smile widened so that Kira could see her gums and her teeth. And at that point, he knew that she fully trusted him even if it was their first encounter.

A small hum could be heard and Kira knew that it was from Suta since she looked cheerful with her little jump showing how excited she was. "Here, let's exchange our contacts!" she said while giving her phone to him. "And let's meet on weekend to begin my activity"

Suta was looking up because Kira was a little taller than her even though it was not that much. Suta alone was 165 cm and Kira was 175 cm. But still, there was a height difference that made Suta do that.

Kira, who was taller than Suta, was looking down and trying to make eye contact with her. And he knew that at this point, she won't give up. That is why a heavy sigh came out of Kira's mouth to let his annoyance at how ambitious she was for a loner like him. And after a while, he took his phone also, "But... what if I didn't come?"

She took his phone and finally exchanged their contact. "I know you will," she said. Kira was speechless. Because when he looked at her, he found the face of her looked like she fully trusted him. The face of her looked like she hoped that Kira will come.

'If you show me that expression... How could I refuse again, Idiot.' he thought.

After a while, she gave his phone back and what made Kira even more speechless, Suta suddenly said, "...Because, you are someone reliable. I can see that in you"

Once again he tried to imagine the figure of an Idol from Suta, and he found it. Because according to Kira, the tenacity and enthusiasm that radiated from Suta, how cheerful and cute his face was, and also how pure his heart was, Kira thought that Suta was a figure that was enough like an Idol.

"Ah, and I want to let you know, Manager. I will succeed even without you. Your job is only to monitor me. Understand? I am Hoshi Suta! And I will be the best Idol in Japan!"

Those words that came out from Suta's mouth flew beautifully in the air, resonated in Kira's heart, and stuck there forever. Thus, he knew at that moment was when he respected Suta even more.

"People are looking at you, Idiot."

"Ah, SNAP!!!!"

<TO BE CONTINUED>