Chapter 98: "The Little Star"

…

A Saturday night.

The lights are at their brightest.

Hundreds of people are gathered in this place.

The chatter and murmurs abound, and the excitement is palpable in the air.

The colored lights dance around the venue.

In the center of this crowd, there's a small stage.

Everyone is looking at it eagerly, waiting for someone to step up.

The LED screens on the walls and the stage display flashing images of stars and various colorful shapes.

Then it happens.

*Boom*

Suddenly, the place is plunged into darkness.

Then, like a light at the end of the tunnel, a spotlight turns on, announcing the arrival of the awaited one.

It was none other than the Wandering Musician.

Even though his appearance changes with each performance, anyone who has attended one of his shows could recognize him instantly.

Upon seeing him, many in the crowd took out their phones and started recording or live-streaming.

Seeing the crowd's reaction, the idol on the stage smiled.

With a melodic voice, he introduced himself.

Tadano: "Hello everyone, I see you've responded to my call… I'm truly moved. However, the one who will dazzle you today won't be me but my little apprentice." said the man on the stage. With a snap of his fingers, a charming young girl emerged from behind him.

The crowd gasped in surprise.

Her striking blue-violet hair caught their attention.

The young girl was wearing a striking pink dress with a collar full of red ruffles, as well as a pair of red gloves. An adorable bunny brooch tied with a red ribbon held a tuft of her hair in a small ponytail on top.

Around her neck was a brooch with a white jade heart.

The young girl energetically greeted the crowd with her melodious voice.

The moment she spoke, everyone in the place focused their attention on her.

No one knew why, but the young girl had something that made it impossible to look away from her.

Ai: "Hello to everyone here… I'm very happy to be here," she said energetically, waving her hands and flitting around the stage, trying to greet as many as she could.

Her actions endeared her to the crowd, and they couldn't help but smile at the young girl.

On her face, the pair of star-shaped eyes glistened with a mysterious shine that enchanted anyone who saw her.

At some point, the Wandering Musician had disappeared from the stage, but the crowd's attention was so focused on the young girl that no one noticed.

Ai: "Well, guys, I'm happy that so many of you came, but I know you didn't come to see me, right?" she said, pouting cutely, which elicited more than one chuckle from the crowd.

Ai: "But there's no need to worry, I'll prove my worth as an idol just like my master. What do you say if I do it right now?" she asked, her spirits rising.

Ai's attitude was contagious, and soon the crowd was eager to see what Ai would do.

Ai: "Alright, to make this more immersive, each of you was given a colored stick when you entered the venue, do you still have it with you?" the young girl asked sweetly.

After her words, everyone in the crowd started rummaging around and found what was asked for.

Like primary school children responding to their teacher, they all said,

Crowd: "Yes, we have it."

They didn't know why they acted this way, but it seemed fun to them.

This was reinforced by the young girl's joyful smile upon receiving their affirmation.

Ai: "Great, DJ-San, I'm counting on you for the song," she said, pointing to the DJ with a dazzling smile.

The DJ, who had also been caught up in Ai's charm, didn't react until the young girl pointed at him.

Blushing slightly with embarrassment, he quickly nodded.

Ai: "Perfect… so everyone. Are you ready?" the young girl asked.

Crowd: "We're ready," they roared in affirmation.

The young girl laughed, and then everything went silent.

The spotlight illuminated her, and the only thing everyone could see was her. Then it began.

[BGM RENAI CIRCULATION – Kana Hanazawa]

Ai: "One∼ two! But that's a no-no… See that's already… Getting our hearts moving on… Further and further."

With those few words, Hoshino Ai's journey to stardom began.

Everyone seemed hypnotized by her voice.

So sweet.

So charming.

It filled your heart with honey and sugar.

It's not known who, but someone in the crowd started moving the colored sticks to the rhythm of the song.

Gradually, people joined in.

At first, it was a few, but it slowly spread like a viral infection.

Quickly, everyone in the venue cheered on this little star on the stage.

And no wonder, the young girl's gestures and movements filled the crowd with joy.

Her sweet smile and dazzling eyes.

Wherever she looked, the crowd got excited.

At one point, Ai waved her hand like a wave, and the crowd imitated her.

The screens added a vivid touch to the place.

Some emitted lights and cute shapes in tune with the song, while others displayed the lyrics.

Then the finale arrived.

The crowd joyfully chanted along with Ai.

Ai: "But that's a no-no…"

Crowd: "No-no…"

Ai: "See that's already…"

Crowd: "Already…"

Ai: "Getting our hearts moving on… Further and further."

Crowd: "Further and further..."

Ai: "Yup, that's a no-go…"

Crowd: "No-go…"

Ai: "Hey, that's a bit too early…"

Crowd: "Early…"

Ai: "Don't take your eyes off me… Never and ever…"

Crowd: "Never and ever…"

After the final chorus, the ovations didn't wait.

The excited shouts of the crowd filled the place.

The smiling Ai on the stage waved her arms while happily thanking everyone who cheered for her.

If someone looked at the comments on the live stream, they would be surprised.

There were so many that you could barely see the screen.

And they were all full of praise for this charming young girl.

A young man in the shadows smiled with satisfaction upon seeing the reaction of the present and online audience.

Tadano: "Hahaha, as expected of the brain-burning song number 1 from my previous life. It was only once, but it already showed its amazing power. It's expected that in the coming days, this song will be everywhere. Haha, your popularity will soar like a rocket, my little star," murmured the young man as he watched the young girl on stage.

Once she finished thanking everyone, Ai seemed to realize something and, with a somewhat embarrassed expression and a timid voice, spoke.

Ai: "Hehe, it seems I was so excited that I forgot the introductions…" she said, playfully hitting her head with her fist and sticking out her tongue.

Her cute act, which melted hearts, made more than one person in the crowd sigh.

Ai: "Alright everyone, listen up, okay? I'll say it loud and clear∼ My name is Hoshino Ai, and I hope to be the brightest light in your heart∼" she said in a sweet voice while giving the crowd a cute wink.

After a few seconds of silence, everyone chanted Ai's name.

Ai's smile only widened as she felt the affection from her audience.

This was what she always longed for in her heart, and now it was hers.

It was all given by that person she truly appreciated.

Before she could say another word, a familiar hand rested on her head and ruffled her hair energetically.

It was then that the crowd remembered the person they originally came to see.

And they saw him there, ruffling the young girl's hair.

It was like seeing a proud father with his daughter.

Ai: "Master…" said the young girl.

Tadano: "What's with that face? It's your moment, right? So why don't we make it more energetic?" said the young man, and with a snap of his fingers, several more spotlights turned on, pointing towards the stage.

Tadano: "DJ, it's time! Full volume!!!" said the young man with wild, colorful hair while pointing at the DJ.

The DJ, very excited, nodded and played the track.

Quickly, the sound of the synthesizer and electronic instruments filled the place.

With a playful smile, the young man pushed the young girl to the front of the stage while whispering something in her ear that the crowd couldn't hear.

The pair of six-pointed stars gleamed with renewed brightness, and with great vigor, she addressed the crowd.

Ai: "Alright, then let's begin!" said the young girl jubilantly.

[BGM GOKURAKU JODO – GARNIDELIA]

The young man quickly positioned himself behind Ai and started dancing to the rhythm of the music. The crowd roared with excitement as they recognized the steps and the melody.

Ai: "When the moonlight climbs the sky… And red lanterns are lit… at the sign of festival music… a butterfly extends an invitation…"

The young girl's voice seemed to transport everyone to a joyful and energetic festival full of singing and dancing. The crowd quickly danced to the rhythm, closely following the steps of the Wandering Musician behind Ai. At this point, who in Japan doesn't know the choreography to this song?

It was a viral phenomenon throughout Japan from the moment it appeared, with hundreds of people trying to imitate it. Although not everyone could do it, those who managed were widely praised, turning this into a common challenge on social media. This further viralized the song and the choreography. Now, hearing this song from this rising idol, everyone wanted to cheer her on, creating a strange phenomenon. The crowd divided into two groups. Those who could perform the choreography imitated it, and those who couldn't waved their glow sticks to the rhythm of the music. All of this was broadcasted on the internet through multiple cameras placed in the venue. The whole place became very lively.

The performance of the Wandering Musician and Ai lasted about 2 hours, and when Ai left the stage, the crowd saw her off with cheers and applause. Ai didn't leave without first introducing the giant behind her.

Ai: "Before I go, I want to thank and also introduce those who made all of this possible… Strawberry Productions, please give a big round of applause to the vice director of the company that made all this possible, Saitou Ichigo-san," said the young girl as a blond man stepped onto the stage. 

Next, Ichigo exposed the company to the public eye while Ai stood by, occasionally joking to make the presentation more enjoyable. When everything was said and done, both of them said goodbye. The Wandering Musician had disappeared at some point, which didn't surprise the crowd who were used to his spontaneous disappearances.

*Backstage*

Ai was lying on the couch. Her expression was tired, but the smile on her face never disappeared. When the door opened, Tadano entered, having returned to normal.

Tadano: "Oh? Is my little star melting now?" he asked with a playful smile.

Ai: "Tadano-nii, it's very tiring… Ai is very exhausted… Ai wants to be pampered!" said the young girl in a spoiled tone, stretching her little hands towards the young man, expecting cuddles and praise.

Tadano approached the young girl and lifted her up as if she were a small animal to be taken care of. Having him in front of her and within reach, Ai quickly clung to the young man like an octopus. She rubbed her face against his joyfully while letting out purrs of happiness. Tadano could only smile helplessly at Ai's behavior and let her do whatever she wanted.

Not long after, Ichigo and Miyako also entered the room, a bit surprised to see the pair in the room. Ai energetically greeted them with a radiant smile, with no concern about being seen in this situation. She even seemed to give a triumphant smile to Miyako, something that went unnoticed by the two men in the room. Quickly recovering and deciding to ignore the elephant in the room, Ichigo spoke.

Ichigo: "It was an amazing performance, Aniki. This will undoubtedly catapult Ai's popularity to the skies! Not to mention the song you gave her… damn, even now I find myself humming it unconsciously from time to time," said the man excitedly.

Miyako: "The club's sales also skyrocketed, as well as calls for future bookings. My father is very happy and promises Ai several performances if she keeps up this good pace. On a side note, we've already received a few calls inquiring about Ai…" said the woman with a friendly smile.

Tadano: "Wow, that was fast. The company's numbers have only been up for a few hours, and we already have offers… That's great, right, Ai-chan?" said the young man to the girl in his arms. The girl nodded happily and hugged the young man tighter.

Before Miyako or Ichigo could say anything, the door opened again, revealing Agari and Yamai. Seeing Yamai, Ai quickly let go of Tadano and happily ran towards the brown-haired young woman.

Ai: "Ren-nee!" she said happily, hugging Yamai.

Yamai smiled at seeing her little one's behavior and patted her head with a kind smile.

Yamai: "You were great out there, my little one…" she said with a smile.

Ai: "Yes! Ai gave a great performance! Ai captured everyone's hearts! Ai is amazing!" she said smugly, puffing out her small chest with pride. Yamai couldn't help but laugh at Ai's arrogant behavior.

Tadano: "How was the reception?" he asked.

Agari: "According to the statistics we have gathered, it was very good. Comments and subscriptions have been increasing. Without a doubt, helping Ai with the influence of the Wandering Musician was a smart move. Many people who follow him now also follow Ai, and her numbers continue to grow with each passing minute," said the young woman in a professional tone, adjusting her glasses and glancing at some papers as well as her phone.

Tadano: "Great… and how's the editing and publication of Ai's music video?" he asked.

Yamai: "That's ready. The editing was finished this afternoon, and it was published not long after her performance ended. As for the live version, the editing is in process and is expected to be ready in one or two hours," said the young woman while holding Ai in her arms as if she were a small animal. Ai seemed very happy and obediently stayed in Yamai's arms.

Tadano: "Perfect… this performance was a complete success. Why don't we go celebrate?" asked the young man with a big smile on his face.

Everyone raised their hands in affirmation.

Author's Note: "Hello everyone, a bit late, but here's a rather long chapter haha. I was going to split it into two, but I decided to leave it whole. I hope you like it! If you're wondering how Ai's performance might look, I based it on Kana's live performance. You can search for 'HYPE ENCORE!!! for Kana Hanazawa - Renai Circulation | Live Concert in Blue Avenue, Yokohama City' on YouTube. With that said, remember to drink plenty of water and know that I love you all. Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."

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