Idol Reincarnation Academy: 765 Pro Assembles at School!
Shota Amagase, a first-year middle schooler who dreams of the entertainment world, is running late on the first day of the new semester. He bumps into a girl in uniform around the corner. With fluffy brown hair, she hurriedly apologizes. The next moment, Shota realizes: she looks exactly like the famous idol Haruka Amami. Actually, she IS her.
The truth: the idols of 765 Production have reincarnated as ordinary students at Nijigasaki Academy. Haruka, Chihaya, Yayoi, Iori, Azusa, Ritsuko, Yukiho
Idol Reincarnation Academy: 765 Pro Assembles at School! - Who Is the Center!? ~Miki Joins the Fray, and the Shadow Behind the School Building~
The air in the entrance hall carried the morning's dampness.
Amagase Shouta pulled his indoor shoes from the locker and stifled a small yawn. Day five since the transfer. He should have been used to the school's atmosphere by now, but today, for some reason, something stirred uneasily in his chest.
(That rain from yesterday's still hanging around, huh.)
He slipped his feet into the slightly damp shoes.
That was when it happened.
"Hey."
A voice came from behind him.
Very close. Close enough that breath brushed the back of his neck. Shouta felt his heart leap.
"Whoa!?"
He spun around to find a girl standing there, her long, light brown hair—nearly blonde—swaying softly. Her large, pale blue eyes were fixed on his face.
"You the producer guy everyone's talking about?"
Shouta lost his words for a moment.
(Producer guy...? Me?)
Without waiting for an answer, the girl stepped closer.
"Hmm. You've got an interesting face."
Shouta instinctively took a step back.
"Uh, um... who are you?"
"I'm Hoshii Miki. Starting today, I'll help you with your stage."
She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Wha—? A stage? You mean the school festival?"
"Yep. You're Amagase Shouta, right? The producer guy?"
Miki fell into step beside him and started walking. Shouta hurried after her.
"H-hey, you can't just decide that on your own... and how do you even know my name!?"
"No reason. Anyone could find out if they looked."
She glanced up at him.
"Besides, you know who I am, don't you?"
Shouta's heart skipped.
(Know her...?)
He did recognize her face. Ever since he'd seen her name on the class roster, something had been nagging at him. Hoshii Miki. The thirteenth—no, someone separate from Chihaya. Another presence entirely.
"...Maybe I do."
When he answered honestly, Miki's lips curved ever so slightly.
"Hmm. Figures."
She gently looped her arm through his.
"H-hey!?"
"What? I like being next to you."
She said it as if it were obvious. Shouta's heart was pounding loud enough to hear.
(Too close, too close, too close! What is with this girl!?)
"U-um, Miki-san!?"
"Just Miki's fine."
"Uh, then Miki-chan... no, -san..."
"Ahaha, what was that? You sound like you're going 'awawa.'"
She laughed, delighted.
"You're funny. I like you."
Face burning, Shouta tried to pull away from her arm.
"Whoa—hey, can you let go!? People are gonna see!"
"So what? It's not like you lose anything."
"Yes I do! My peace of mind!"
His shout was swallowed by the morning clamor.
* * *
Lunch break.
Shouta brought Miki to Haruka's classroom. Miki, as always, stuck close to his side.
"Ah, Shouta-kun! And..."
Haruka waved from the classroom doorway. Her round, amber eyes blinked at Miki.
"Haruka-san, this is Hoshii Miki-chan. See, she was on the roster."
"Miki-chan! Nice to meet you, I'm Amami Haruka!"
Haruka's face lit up.
"Yeah. So you're Haruka. I'm Miki."
Miki stared at her.
"Miki-chan, that's great! Let's sing together!"
Haruka reached for Miki's hand. In that instant, Miki smoothly pulled hers away.
"Yeah. But here's the thing."
She smiled brightly.
"I won't do it unless I'm center."
The air in the classroom froze solid.
"...What?"
Haruka's smile stiffened.
"If I'm center, the stage'll sparkle way more, you know?"
Miki said it like it was a given.
"But... we promised we'd all sing together..."
Haruka murmured quietly.
Shouta stepped between them.
"H-hey, we can still talk this out—"
"The producer guy should stay quiet."
Miki cut him off flat.
Shouta shut his mouth.
(Uh oh... this is bad.)
Haruka looked down.
"I don't mind not being center. As long as we can all sing together..."
Her voice was trembling.
Miki's eyes narrowed.
"Why do you back down there!?"
Her voice rang through the classroom.
"Center is where the best singer stands! Don't you think you're the best!?"
"I just... I just want to sing with everyone. It doesn't matter who's center."
Haruka lifted her head. Her eyes were wet.
"Of course it matters! Center is special! Don't you get even that!?"
Miki pressed in on her.
"I don't get it! I don't understand why you're so fixated on center! If we all sing together, isn't that enough!?"
Haruka raised her voice too.
Shouta could only watch the two of them argue.
(Both their voices... they're shaking.)
He could hear it.
Behind Haruka's voice—a wish to be with someone.
Behind Miki's voice—a loneliness that wanted to be found by no one.
For different reasons, both their voices trembled.
"...Hey, both of you, let's calm down a bit?"
He put on his best smile and stood between them.
"We can talk about the center thing another time, okay? Today, let's just be happy Miki-chan came."
Haruka looked at his face and gave a small nod.
"...Yeah. Sorry, Miki-chan. I was happy, I just..."
Miki turned her face away.
"Whatever. I'll just do things my way."
With that, she tugged on Shouta's arm.
"Shouta-kun, let's go. Show me the next classroom."
"Wha—hey, Miki-chan!?"
He was dragged out of the classroom.
When he looked back, Haruka was waving a small wave.
Her smile looked just a little lonely.
* * *
After school.
They had come to the live house by the station—"Crossroads."
On the small stage at the back of the venue, Miki sang. Haruka stood at the edge of the stage, watching her intently. Shouta sat in the front row, listening to them both.
Miki's voice filled the room.
It was, without question, a captivating voice.
Clear, powerful—the kind that grabs a listener's heart and won't let go.
(Amazing... she's really good.)
Shouta thought so honestly.
But at the same time, his ears picked up something beneath her singing.
(...A lonely sound.)
Behind Miki's voice, a scream that reached no one trembled faintly.
I want someone to find me. I want someone to hear me.
But I don't want anyone to find me. I don't want anyone to know.
Two contradictory feelings warred within her song.
Miki finished.
Haruka clapped. Shouta hurried to clap too.
"Miki-chan, that was amazing! Such a beautiful voice!"
Haruka sounded genuinely moved.
Miki gave a little snort.
"Of course. I'm a girl who stands at center."
Shouta looked at her face.
Her smile seemed full of confidence.
But he could tell.
(...That smile just now—it clouded over, just for a second.)
"Miki-chan, your song... it has a really lonely sound."
The words had left his mouth before he realized.
Miki's smile froze.
"Huh? Lonely? My song?"
She tried to laugh. But the smile was strained.
"A-ah, no, that's not what I meant! I meant you're good! Like, um..."
He scrambled to cover it.
"Miki-chan's always been like that."
Haruka said quietly.
"Ever since elementary school, whenever she sang with others, she was always at center, fighting all alone."
"Haruka, don't say unnecessary stuff."
Miki's voice was sharp.
"But it's different now. We can all sing together."
Haruka looked straight into Miki's eyes.
"...All together, what does that even mean."
Miki looked down.
"I just want people to hear my song."
Her voice trembled faintly.
Shouta noticed her true feelings, but no words came.
(Miki-chan's been fighting all alone.)
(Standing at center was the only way she could protect herself.)
Something in his chest tightened with a sharp ache.
* * *
On the way home from practice.
Shouta had gone back to the school building to retrieve something he'd forgotten.
The school at dusk was quiet.
He grabbed his things from the classroom and headed quickly for the entrance hall.
That was when he passed near the emergency stairs behind the building.
"...An individual has been confirmed with an awakening response faster than predicted values."
A low male voice came from the shadows.
Shouta stopped.
(Awakening response...?)
He hid behind cover and held his breath.
"On the day of the school festival, we will execute forced reversion."
Forced reversion.
The words stabbed into Shouta's ears.
"...Are you really going to do it? They're still children."
It was Mr. Onigawara's voice.
Shouta's heart began to pound.
"It's the Tuning Bureau's decision. If noise explodes in front of an audience, civilians will be harmed. The reversion is necessary to protect them as well."
"But..."
"This is settled. You just need to watch over them."
Footsteps receded into the distance.
Shouta stayed hidden, unable to move.
(Forced reversion... noise... Tuning Bureau...)
He didn't understand what the words meant.
But one thing he knew for certain.
They were going to be erased. By something.
His fingertips trembled.
The wall his hand touched was cold.
* * *
That night.
Shouta sat on his bed, gripping his phone.
Haruka's number glowed on the screen.
With trembling fingers, he pressed call.
One ring. Two rings.
"Hello, Shouta-kun?"
Haruka's bright voice came through the receiver.
"Ah, Haruka-san. Sorry for calling so late."
"No, not at all! What's up?"
He chose his words carefully.
"Haruka, listen... are you really okay with the stage?"
On the other end, Haruka went quiet for a moment.
"I'm fine! We're all going to sing together!"
She answered brightly, just like always.
"But you're not pushing yourself?"
He pressed further.
Silence again.
"Shouta-kun, you're so kind. Like a producer."
She gave a small laugh.
Something in his chest gave a faint pang.
(Like a producer...)
The words felt strangely familiar.
"...Haruka-san."
"Thanks."
Her voice trembled faintly through the phone.
"Goodnight, Shouta-kun."
The call ended.
Shouta sat there, phone in hand, unable to move.
Haruka's smile might have been an act.
The suspicion spread coldly through his heart.
And that phrase he'd heard behind the school building—forced reversion.
For the first time in his life, Shouta felt true fear.
Outside the window, the darkness of night spread in silence.
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