[30] New Allies

As I sprinted through the hallways, my lungs burned and my heart raced. Class 1-F, where the hell was Class 1-F?

And then I saw her.

Waist-length dark-green hair, eyes that seemed to hold a thousand secrets. She walked with a grace that made the drab school hallway feel like a runway. And she looked just as lost as I was.

"Hey," I called out, jogging up to her. "You wouldn't happen to know where Class 1-F is, would you?"

She turned, her gaze locking with mine.

"Akira Hoshino. From 'Sweet Today.'"

"Uh, yeah. That's me."

"Frill Shiranui. I'm looking for Class 1-F too."

Frill Shiranui. Of course. I'd spent hours researching the rising stars of the acting world, and her name had been at the top of every list. Drama, comedy, action - there wasn't a genre she couldn't conquer. And here she was, standing in front of me, as lost as I was.

"Guess we're in the same boat, then," I said. "Late on the first day. Not exactly a great start."

Frill shrugged. "It happens. We'll find it."

And just like that, we were a team. We set off down the hallway, scanning the doors for any sign of our elusive classroom.

"So," I ventured, breaking the silence, "what brings you to Youtou High? I thought you were based in Kyoto."

Frill's gaze slid over to me, appraising. "Change of scenery," she said simply.

We turned a corner, and there it was. Class 1-F, the characters etched into the frosted glass of the door.

"Looks like this is us," I said, reaching for the handle.

But Frill's hand shot out, stopping me.

"Wait," she said, her voice low. "Before we go in there, I just want to say... I'm glad I ran into you, Akira Hoshino."

"You are?"

She nodded. "It's not often I meet someone who understands. The life we live, the roles we play. It can be... isolating."

"I know what you mean. But, that's why having people that know and love the real you is important."

Frill's eyebrows knitted together. "The real me? What do you mean by that?"

I blinked. "You know, the person behind the roles. The Frill Shiranui who exists when the cameras stop rolling."

She tilted her head, studying me like I was a particularly puzzling script. "Is there a difference?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it again, unsure how to proceed. Was she fucking with me?

"Of course there's a difference," I said finally. "We're actors. We play characters. But those characters aren't us."

Frill's lips curved into a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Interesting perspective. So who is the real Akira Hoshino, then?"

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. Who was I, really? The charming lead from "Sweet Today"? The rising star splashed across magazine covers? Or was I still that scared kid from my past life, desperately trying to reinvent himself?

"I'm... still figuring that out," I admitted.

Frill nodded, as if my answer confirmed something for her. "We should go in," she said, nodding towards the door. "They're waiting for us."

I slid the door open, and the chatter inside the classroom died instantly. Every head swiveled towards us, eyes widening as they took in the sight of Frill and me standing in the doorway.

Frill stepped forward, her voice smooth and confident. "My apologies, I had to go on live TV for a promotional tour this morning. I really wish I could have been there for the entrance ceremony."

The silence stretched for a beat, then exploded into hushed whispers.

"Holy shit, it's true."

"Frill Shiranui and Akira Hoshino?"

"In our class?"

"No way..."

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of their stares. The teacher, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, cleared her throat.

"Ah, Shiranui-san, Hoshino-san. We've been expecting you. Please, come in and introduce yourselves to the class."

Frill glided to the front of the room and I followed.

"I'm Frill Shiranui," she said, bowing slightly. "I look forward to learning alongside all of you."

"I'm Akira Hoshino. It's nice to meet you all. I hope we can have a great year together."

More whispers rippled through the class.

"He's even hotter in person."

"Did you see the last episode of 'Sweet Today'?"

"I can't believe they're really here..."

The teacher clapped her hands. "Alright, settle down. Shiranui-san, Hoshino-san, please take the empty seats in the back."

As we made our way down the aisle, I caught snippets of conversation.

"...heard they're dating..."

"...wonder if they'll do a school drama next..."

"...bet they think they're better than us..."

I slid into my seat, hyper-aware of the eyes still following our every move. Frill sat down next to me, looking completely unfazed.

"Now," the teacher said, "let's continue with our lesson. Open your syllabus to page 6."

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of syllabi and first-day procedures. When the lunch bell rang, I breathed a sigh of relief. I needed to find Marin, to ground myself in something real and familiar.

As I stood to leave, Frill's voice stopped me. "Akira."

I turned to face her. "Yeah?"

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your answer earlier. About the real you. It was... unexpected."

"How so?"

Frill's gaze was intense, searching. "Most people in our position would have given some rehearsed speech about staying true to themselves. But you admitted you're still figuring it out. That's... refreshing."

I shrugged. "Just being honest."

"Honesty," Frill mused. "That's a rare commodity in our world."

"It doesn't have to be," I countered.

Frill's eyes locked onto mine. "Would you like to have lunch together, Akira?"

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, why not?" I pulled out my phone and fired off a quick text to Marin: 'Hey, when's your lunch break?'

As we made our way to the courtyard, my phone buzzed with Marin's reply: 'In an hour. First years and second years have different schedules for the performing arts program. Have fun!'

Damn. I'd been looking forward to seeing Marin, but I guess it would have to wait.

Frill and I found a quiet spot under a cherry blossom tree. The petals drifted lazily in the breeze, creating a surreal atmosphere.

"So," I said, unwrapping my bento, "what do you like to do when you're not acting or singing?"

Frill tilted her head, considering the question. "I practice my lines. I study different acting techniques. I watch performances to analyze them."

I raised an eyebrow. "I meant outside of work. You know, hobbies?"

She blinked at me. "I don't understand. Why would I need hobbies outside of my craft?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but movement caught my eye. Aqua was walking towards us, his hands shoved in his pockets. A few meters behind him were two girls - one with striking ruby-red eyes and long blonde hair, the other with pink hair and a curvaceous figure.

"Hey, Aqua," I called out, raising a hand in greeting.

Aqua's eyes widened slightly. "Akira? I didn't know you'd be going to school here."

I shrugged. "Yeah, it's a recent development. These your friends?"

The blonde girl bounced forward. "Hi! I'm Ruby, Aqua's twin sister. It's so cool to meet you in person Akira!"

I smiled, caught off guard by her enthusiasm. "Nice to meet you too, Ruby."

The pink-haired girl stepped forward, a lazy smile on her face. "Howdy," she drawled. "I'm Minami. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

I blinked, surprised by the Southern twang in her voice. "Uh, likewise. I'm Akira Hoshino. I think we're in the same class?"

Minami nodded. "That we are. Quite the stir you caused this mornin', showin' up late with Miss Frill here."

Frill, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "It wasn't intentional. We both had prior commitments."

Ruby's eyes darted between Frill and me. "Are you two... you know... together?"

I choked on my rice. "What? No! We just met today."

Aqua rolled his eyes. "Don't mind Ruby. She has an overactive imagination when it comes to romance."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean everyone else does."

Aqua cleared his throat, his eyes darting between Frill and me. "Actually, I came here to introduce Ruby to Frill. And, uh, Akira, if you've got a minute, there's something I wanted to discuss."

I nodded, curiosity piqued. "Sure, I've got time."

Ruby's eyes lit up as she turned to Frill. "I'm such a huge fan of your work! Your performance in 'Midnight Sonata' was absolutely breathtaking."

Frill's lips curved into a small smile. "Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

As Ruby launched into an enthusiastic breakdown of Frill's filmography, Aqua jerked his head to the side, indicating we should step away. I followed him a few paces from the group, out of earshot.

"So," Aqua said, his voice low, "have you decided? About the show?"

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Yeah, I'm in. You?"

Aqua nodded, his expression unreadable. "Same here."

"Cool," I said, fishing my phone out of my pocket. "We should probably exchange numbers, then. You know, for coordination and stuff."

"Huh. Weird coincidence, us having the same last name."

Aqua's eyes snapped to mine. "Yeah. Weird."

I knew why Aqua was doing the show. It wasn't for the exposure or the paycheck. It was for information about Ai, the legendary idol who'd died years ago. I didn't know what his connection to her was, but I could tell it was personal.

"Hey," Aqua said, his voice hesitant, "what's your take on Ai? As an idol, I mean."

I blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Honestly? I don't really have one. There wasn't much room for idols when I was growing up in an orphanage."

Aqua's eyebrows shot up. "Orphanage?"

I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "Yeah. Not exactly the most glamorous backstory for a rising star, huh?"

Aqua studied me for a long moment, his gaze intense. "No, I suppose not."