0.3: The Beginning Of A New Dream (Rewrite)

April 2035- Light Town Central Stadium

A girl with long flowing blonde hair in two large buns wearing an off-shoulder pale pink dress covered in flower patterns stood backstage.

A week had passed since the second year of high school started. Currently, sixteen-year-old Kanehera Yumeko was backstage before her solo concert. She scrolled through her phone as she waited for the signal to go on stage. The venue was small, but that didn't concern her as long as she had a place to sing. Her attention, however, wasn't on her live concert but the articles she was reading on her phone.

{Terashima Lila still hasn't been found? }

They were various online articles. All these news were about the disappearance of the number one idol, Terashima Lila.

A follow-up article was added.

{Rumour has it that she'll be entering the Dream Stars tournament in disguise.}

Yumeko paused when she read that section. 'Is it possible?' She hear that Lila-chan intended to enter the competition. But why would she be in disguise?

'Lila-chan, where is she right now?' No matter how much she thought about it, Yumeko didn't understand why the girl suddenly disappeared.

The promise from a year ago remained firm in her head. Lila-chan will keep it, right?

Yumeko wanted to sing and talk about her dreams with Lila again. She also wished to consult her problems with her. To Kanehera Yumeko, Terashima Lila's existence was valuable. In her whole life, the only one that helped her was Lila-chan. The only one who accepted the 'idol' her.

Her brother, Kanehera Kouta, didn't like it when she became an idol. After meeting Lila, she avoided him a lot. One could say that that was the reason for their disputes. The two of them fought over her decision to become an idol.

It was not because he didn't believe that she could do it. No, it wa because he understood her better than she understood herself. Despite all her dreams and aspirations, she did not have a fixed goal. Even after achieving her dream of singing and performing concerts, she still felt like she was missing something. She did not know what it was. 

While she could sing freely and perform on shows, she still wasn't sure what she wanted. If she could get a glimpse, then perhaps, she will get closer to Lila.

Getting to meet her number one idol, the person she respected, Yumeko felt lucky. That was because she accompanied Mikami-kun at that time. Most girls her age wouldn't be able to get that chance.

Lila was astonished when she first met her brother and her. She found that her idol did not expect to encounter any fans.

Regardless, it pleasantly surprised Yumeko at how easy it was to talk to her star. But that didn't stop her from being nervous and fumbling with her words.

During the entire time, Lila spoke without reservation, and with such happiness. Even now, Yumeko could remember the words her idol had said to her.

'Yumeko-chan! I love singing with you. It makes me feel happy.'

Such simple words, and yet it was enough for her. 

Lila-chan said such words. Even to someone like her, who made so many mistakes and harbored dark secrets, Yumeko felt like she had tricked Lila-chan. She took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.

...

A few hours later (Light Academy courtyard)

Light Academy was an academic school that mainly focused on students who wanted to become doctors. However, in the last three years, the institution received extra funding and created a music section of the academy. 

Yumeko decided to return to school after her work was over. After the live concert, she had worked several other jobs, hence it was late when she arrived. Quite some time had passed since she was this busy, but Yumeko did not mind it.

"Maika-san was in the audience today," Ruka commented.

This girl was her best friend, Kobayashi Ruka. A girl with mid-length green colored hair.

Unlike her, Ruka focused more on sports than her idol activities. But even then, that has changed as of late. While the two of them were polar opposites, it didn't take them long before they became good friends. 

Right after she was finished with work, they headed back to school together. However, classes were still ongoing, so they lounged around in the courtyard.

"Really?!!!" Yumeko exclaimed.

"Yeah, but she left hurriedly. I think that your performance was amazing! You're better now than before."

Yumeko thanked her friend, but a deep sigh passed her lips. Her situation was improving lately, but she thought otherwise.

For a long time, she had made it her mission to convince the girl named Yamamoto Maika, who was considered as Light Academy's top idol, to create a unit with Ruka and her. However, Maika-san tapped her fingers on the table impatiently and rejected her coldly every time.

"Cheer up. I'm sure you can do it. I'm stubborn as a rock, and yet you persuaded me."

"I know. It's just..." Yumeko played with her drink, "...hard not to be faint-hearted. It's almost time for the major unit tournaments. We have to officially be in a unit for at least a month."

The 'major unit' tournaments she referred to were a series of group contests that ranged from groups of two to ten people. Each competition took place from next month to the start of next year—half a year's worth of tournaments.

Ruka nodded, "True, there's hardly any time left. If we pass the Dream Stars audition round, we will be busier than ever."

The Dream Stars tournament was an international tournament not limited to 'idols,' but professional singers could enter it too. Though Yumeko never differentiated the two and saw them as the same thing, many people didn't. Even then, only the top of the top and the most talented ones entered. Amongst the people who entered, the numbers were reduced each round until there was a winner. The winner will obtain a legendary title in the entertainment industry. That title will serve as a starting point to becoming a 'legend.'

Though she still doubted her skills, her main concern regarding the tournament was -- "The Dream Star auditions, huh?" Yumeko muttered.

"What's the matter? You seem daunted."

"I just thought that since Karashima-senpai is a judge, wouldn't he automatically disqualify me?"

Karashima Haruka was two years her senior and also the person she formerly cared about.

Whenever she thought of him, her chest tightens up from the pain. She would remember what happened then—the event she wanted to erase from her memories forever.

Ruka reassured her, "Now, now, even with the hate between you two. He wouldn't go that far."

"You think so? The other day, he was trying to get me in trouble with the head office."

"No, no, that's because you were breaking curfew without a letter of notice."

"Then, what about last week when I was reading in the library?" Yumeko asked.

"No, no, you were fooling around, and ended up distracting the first years who were studying."

"Gah."

"Admit it. He doesn't stick his nose in your business unless you've done something wrong."

Yumeko pouted, "I still don't like him."

"I've always wanted to ask you why. But now, I'm sort of afraid, seeing such obvious hostility."

At that question, she paused before she muttered quietly. "It's not like… I want to dislike him."

"Did you say something?"

"No."

It was not that she wanted to dislike him. However, between being hated by him and having to dislike him, she would choose the latter. Ever since then, he had knowingly been inflicting a lot of pain on her. Others who knew about it didn't think it was a coincidence. But how could that be?

Yumeko found it strange that every single female friend she was close enough to become best friends with ended up falling for him and then abandoning her. It was not as if she was clueless about how that guy looked like. If it wasn't for that person, she would have fallen for Karashima-san too.

She felt stressed out. Thankfully, Ruka's attention was heavily invested in her sports, and the circle of friends she had now believed that they weren't worthy enough to approach such guys, anyway. Yumeko felt like she still needed to look into it, eventually. If it wasn't a coincidence, then she ought to do something about it.

Ruka broke the silence and spoke up, "Yumeko, when is that new student coming? She's supposed to be your new roommate. Maybe we can prepare a welcoming party for her."

When the words finally registered in her head, her eyes widened. New room!?!?!

"Ahh! I forgot!" Yumeko exclaimed as she bolted up from her chair and hurriedly stuffed her belongings into her bag. She cursed under her breath. How stupid could she be? Her brother said that her new roommate would be coming today.

"Seriously?"

"I—I know I said that we'd practice. But I better get going. Onii-chan will kill me if I don't show up." Yumeko dashed off.

To think that she would get a new roommate and a new friend. She wondered what kind of girl she was. Would this girl also end up harboring feelings for that guy? Once again, would she feel betrayed and abandoned? 

A part of her was afraid. She knew that if she couldn't get over her fears of betrayal and abandonment, she could never become a talented idol, just like that person.

____________________________________________

Light Academy - Entrance -

A certain man with long shoulder-length curly maroon colored hair finally escaped from the group of reporters as he headed in the opposite direction. "So much for the class," he muttered.

His name was Karashima Haruka, age eighteen, and he would be nineteen in a few months. Despite his age, he had yet to graduate from high school; it did not bother him that much. He became a renowned judge and was famous in the music industry. If he only held the status, he doubted people would respect and bother him often. It was simply because of hisposition in the Entertainment Board. 

An important position, huh? It was more like he had them dancing in the palm of his hands at times. That should be why they fear him.

Haruka pulled out his phone and looked at his calendar - a bunch of appointments with female names highlighted. It was going to be a long day today too. People referred to him as a womanizer, but they did not understand him. He never saw women who have no value to the boss.

Despite what people would say, he was a man who would become loyal to the person he loves. He didn't realize that until he fell in love with that girl.

A deep sigh escaped his lips as he recalled how he was ambushed so early in the morning. "Damn those guys. How annoying," he murmured.

He had no clues where she could have gone. But that hadn't stopped him from searching for her. Since the time he heard the news that she went missing, he had been restless. The media probably picked up on the news, and that was why they bothered him more than usual.

Haruka walked down the empty path, which led up to the entrance of the school. He figured that he would leave for a bit after checking to see if there was any luck with the investigation. She did come here, right?

Her departure was two weeks ago. She should be here by now. That girl, she didn't change her mind at the last second, right?

Where did she go?

Lila, where is she?

He wanted to see her.

He recalled the conversation they had a few months back and sighed. 

-----

....

4 Months Ago, December 2034. Universal S Theme Park, Ferris Wheel.

"Here, I've attached them," Haruka said.

Lila's eyes brightened as she thanked him. She lifted her phone against his. "We are matching." Lila beamed happily.

His gaze softened at the girl's reaction. She was always clumsy and naive, but he liked that about her. "Looks like it, huh? I don't normally get things like this, though."

"Eh, you don't? Aren't you always surrounded by girls?"

Haruka sighed and explained. "Well, that's true. Those girls don't want anything except to sleep with me. Even if I were to ditch them, they wouldn't care. Even if something happened, I'd either be erased from existence in their memory or given half-hearted words of sympathy. As for presents, those gifts were given with awful intentions - sex or forming a connection. That's why I must thank you. Even if you're giving it with an intention, it's a sincere one. Something like this makes me happy."

Lila's cheeks flushed red, which didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Haruka-kun, earlier you said that when you looked at it, it would remind you of me. It's the same for me. When I look at this, it'll remind me of you."

"I see."

"Ah, when is your birthday, Haruka-kun? I need to make sure to get you a present then."

"It's fine. I rarely celebrate it. Besides, I think it passed already."

"I see... in that case, we will have to celebrate next... next year, huh?" Lila trailed off. He watched as her gaze fell on the glass windows, onto the bright moon. Her expression turned tender, and he suddenly felt nervous.

"After this day ends, there will be three more days left before the end of the year. New Year's always come by so quickly, and people are already referring the event of three days ago as last year. People change, and time goes by in the blink of an eye. For me, that's a problem. With these short days, people are quick to change and forget the most simple things. How can people treasure or learn anything if the days are so fleeting?" She trailed off, "But after spending such a short amount of time with you, I've learned to treasure every moment we spent together."

It was stupid of him to get nervous. This girl would never reject him. Haruka extended his hand out, "Can you sit next to me?"

Lila nodded and walked over.

"No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you. If by chance you get there when it's my birthday, I'll tell you on that day and we can go on another date."

"And if I don't come?"

"I'll wait, no matter how long."

----

Present Day

Haruka's gaze landed on the phone strap of his phone, and he exhaled deeply. He was the one who said that he would wait no matter how long. However, he was the one getting impatient.

Since he returned, his behavior was odd. Even if he slept with other girls, it was not the same as before — the same with going on dates.

Whenever he went out with other girls, he was reminded of how Lila looked so happy and cheerful about the matching phone straps and going to many places with him.

A date like that, where he could learn so much about the other partner, wasn't wrong. It was the first time he thought like that about girls and realized what truly made him contented.

Happy.

When he was with her, he could genuinely say that he was happy.