Idol Reincarnation Academy: 765 Pro Assembles at School! - Hollow Sound ~Haruka, Fading Away~

The morning air felt different. Shouta pushed open the heavy door of Crossroad. The live house in front of the station. The day before the school festival — their last full run-through. The air clung to his skin, a mix of air conditioning and the faint scent of sweat. "Shouta-kun, good morning!" Haruka waved from up on the stage. Her fluffy, shoulder-length brown hair caught the light and glowed golden. When she smiled, her eyes curved into crescent moons. That smile eased the tightness in Shouta's chest, if only a little. "Morning, Haruka-san. You're early." "Ehehe, it's our last practice, so I got all fired up!" She adjusted the mic stand and gave a little hop. "...You're late." A sulky voice stabbed into Shouta's back. He turned to find Miki standing with her arms crossed. Long hair the color of bright, almost-golden brown. Her big, pale-blue eyes fixed on him. "Miki-chan, sorry. We're still before the meeting time, though?" "I was waiting. Isn't that enough?" Miki slid up beside him. Close enough that their shoulders almost touched. Shouta shifted a step to the side. "Uh, so, today we're all singing together, right...?" "I know. Center alternates between me and Haruka." Miki glanced up at Haruka on the stage. "...We made a promise, after all." Haruka smiled down at Miki. "Whatever. I just gave in. Because you insisted." Miki turned her face away. Shouta felt a small measure of relief at the air between them. The center position dispute. Until just yesterday, the two had been arguing fiercely. Haruka's "I want us all to sing together" versus Miki's "It has to be center or nothing." But last night, Haruka had called him. 'I talked to Miki-chan. And she said she wants to sing together. So, the first song I'll be center, the second song Miki-chan will be center. And for the last song, we'll all line up and sing together!' Haruka's voice over the phone had sounded genuinely happy. "Alright. Let's get started." Shouta sat in the front row of the audience seats. On stage, Haruka, Miki, Yayoi, Iori, Ritsuko, Yukiho, Makoto, Ami, Mami, Takane, Hibiki. Eleven girls took their positions. Chihaya was absent again today. Shouta thought of the name on the roster — Kisaragi Chihaya. He still hadn't met her once. "I wonder if Chihaya-chan isn't coming again today." Haruka murmured quietly. "...It can't be helped. That girl has chosen to sing alone." Iori said, flipping her hair back. "But it's so lonely..." Yayoi said softly, her brows drooping. "It's okay! Our song will reach Chihaya-chan too, I'm sure of it!" Haruka said brightly, as if to encourage everyone. "That's right! Today's our last practice, so let's give it everything!" Shouta stood up and clapped his hands. "Right! Okay, let's run through the whole set!" The music began to play. Eleven voices layered onto Crossroad's small stage. Haruka's voice was bright like the sun. Miki's voice shone sharp like a star. Yayoi's voice was energetic like a puppy. Iori's voice was noble and clear. Shouta closed his eyes and listened to their song. (Amazing. This is really amazing.) Eleven voices became a single light and surged into Shouta's chest. (This song, at the school festival. On the gymnasium stage. In front of five hundred people.) Shouta's chest swelled with anticipation. The first song ended. "That was great! Really great!" Shouta applauded. "Next, the second song! Center is Miki-chan!" Haruka yielded the center position to Miki. "...Listen to my song properly, okay?" Miki pointed at Shouta. "I'm listening!" The second song began. Miki's voice made the air in Crossroad tremble. Clear, powerful, and yet somehow sorrowful. Today too, Shouta heard the sound of loneliness deep within Miki's singing. (Why is Miki-chan's song so...) His chest tightened. The second song ended. "...How was it?" Miki looked down at Shouta, slightly out of breath. "The best. I got goosebumps." "Hmph. Of course." Miki smiled, satisfied. "Okay, next is the last song! The one we all sing in a line together!" Haruka called out to everyone. The eleven of them lined up across the stage. "I really love this song. And when we all sing it together, I love it even more." Haruka gripped her mic again. The music began quietly. Piano notes. Haruka started to sing. "—♪" That was the moment. Haruka's body lurched. "Haruka-san!?" Shouta shot to his feet on reflex. The mic slipped from Haruka's hand. Clang. It hit the floor with a loud noise. "Haruka-chan!?" "Hey, what's wrong with you!?" Haruka clutched at her throat. "...My voice..." Haruka's voice cut out mid-sentence. Shouta sprinted up onto the stage. "Haruka-san! Are you okay!?" He put a hand on her shoulder. Her body was terribly cold. "...Shouta...kun..." Haruka looked up at his face. Her eyes weren't focusing. "Huh...?" Her fingertips were transparent. Shouta couldn't believe his eyes. He could see the scenery behind her through the fingers of her right hand. "Th-this can't be..." Noise exploded deep in his ears. A scream with no audience. A cry that reached no one. The noise was eating away at Haruka's body. "Haruka! Haruka!!" Shouta held her tight. Haruka's body was fading. "No... no, Haruka!!" His scream echoed through Crossroad. Haruka's consciousness was already gone. "No... no way..." Yayoi burst into tears. "What is this... what's going on!?" Iori's voice was shaking. "Haruka-chan! Haruka-chan!" Hibiki kept calling Haruka's name. "...It's the Noise." Shouta said in a strangled voice. "The Noise is trying to... erase Haruka-san." Miki stood frozen at the edge of the stage. Her face was deathly pale. "...It's my fault." Miki's lips moved faintly. "Because I insisted on center. Because I cornered Haruka." Tears spilled from Miki's pale-blue eyes. "That's not true! It's not your fault, Miki-chan!" Shouta looked at Miki. "But... if I hadn't said those things..." Miki collapsed where she stood. "I'm sorry... Haruka... I'm sorry..." Miki's sobs echoed through the quiet venue. That was when it happened. The door of Crossroad was thrown open violently. "...I thought so." Onigawara Tesshin stood there. Forty-five years old. The teacher in charge of the school festival committee. Salt-and-pepper hair, stubble, deeply carved features. In his hand, a black case. "Onigawara-sensei..." Onigawara looked at Haruka in Shouta's arms. "So the Noise had progressed this far." He opened the case. Inside, small earphones were lined up in rows. "Silent Rings. Earphones developed by the Tuning Bureau that resist the Noise. If you wear these, the Noise's effect can be halved." Onigawara picked one up. "...Halved. Only." "Halved. But better than nothing. If her awakening progresses any further, she'll disappear. All of you, put these on. That's an order." Onigawara's voice was cold. "Wait! If she wears this, will Haruka-san be saved!?" Shouta pressed him. "The progression of the Noise can be slowed. But it's not a fundamental solution." "Then it's meaningless!" "This isn't a problem you can solve with feelings. This is the only way to suppress the Noise." Onigawara held the ring out to Shouta. "...I don't want to." Miki raised her head. Her tear-streaked face looked up at Onigawara. "What?" "If I wear this... I feel like my song won't reach anyone anymore." Miki's voice was trembling. "I don't want to lose my ability to sing." For the first time, Miki spoke her own weakness aloud. "...Do you understand what you're saying? If we don't suppress the Noise, Haruka will disappear." "I know. But... but!" Miki looked at Shouta. "Shouta-kun... what should I do...?" Shouta couldn't answer. He wanted to save Haruka. But he couldn't take away Miki's song either. "...I don't want to either." Iori stepped forward. "I can't trust a word you say. Besides, this is our problem. You have no right to order us around." "I don't... I don't want to wear it either." Yayoi said quietly, wiping her tears. "I want to believe in Haruka-chan's song too. So I don't want this." "...Understood." Onigawara closed the case. "Then suppress the Noise on your own responsibility. If the Noise explodes on the day of the school festival, civilians will be harmed. When that happens, the Tuning Bureau will force a reversion. Be prepared." With only that, Onigawara left Crossroad. Silence. "...Let's take her to the hospital." Shouta lifted Haruka in his arms. Her body was light as a feather. * * * The hospital corridor smelled of antiseptic. Shouta sat on the bench in front of the treatment room. The doctor had said there were "no physical abnormalities." But Shouta knew. Haruka's body was still faintly transparent. "...Shouta-kun." Miki sat down beside him. "Is Haruka going to be okay...?" "...I don't know. But I'm sure she will." Shouta clenched his fists on his knees. "Hey, you know." Miki began to speak quietly. "I keep thinking it's my fault. Because I insisted on center. Because I cornered Haruka. That's why this happened." "Miki-chan..." "I said terrible things to Haruka. 'Don't you think you're the best?' 'Center is special.' ...But Haruka just wanted us all to sing together." Miki's voice shook. "I listened to Haruka's song. It was so warm, so gentle. Completely different from mine. My song is a song for singing alone. Haruka's song is a song for singing with everyone. ...I was jealous of that." Miki rested her head on Shouta's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Haruka... I'm sorry..." Miki's tears soaked into Shouta's uniform. Shouta couldn't say anything. All he could do was sit beside her. * * * That night. Shouta sat on his bed in his room. On his phone screen, Haruka's number. But he couldn't call. Haruka was sleeping at the hospital now. (What can I even do?) Shouta looked at his hands. That lightness when he'd held Haruka. That sight of her transparent fingertips. (Is she going to disappear? Is Haruka-san going to be gone?) A cold feeling spread through his chest. That was when it happened. His phone buzzed. An unknown number. Shouta hesitated for a moment, then pressed the call button. "...Hello?" "Amagase Shouta-kun." A calm woman's voice. "I'm Otonashi Chō of the Tuning Bureau. I'll be direct." Shouta gripped his phone. "If we completely erase your past-life memories, Amami Haruka's Noise will stop. She will be saved." "...My past-life... memories?" Shouta's voice trembled. "I don't have anything like that..." "If you want to protect those girls, choose. Let go of your past life, or lose them. The deadline is before tomorrow's school festival performance." "Wait, please! I don't know anything! What is a past life!? I'm just..." "The answer lies within you. ...Now then, make a good choice." The call ended. Tone, tone, tone. Shouta couldn't move, still gripping his phone. (Erase my past-life memories?) (And then Haruka-san will be saved?) (But my memories... what even are they?) Shouta clutched his head. He understood nothing. Not what his past life was, not what erasing his memories would mean. But he wanted to save Haruka. That feeling alone was certain. Outside the window, it began to rain. * * * Shouta bolted out of the house. Without an umbrella, he ran through the rain. The cold rain pelted his body. (The Hill of Silence.) As he ran, the name came back to him. A small forest at the northern edge of Nijigaoka City. A place where reincarnators gather unconsciously. Haruka had said once, 'Hey, you know, when I go to the Hill of Silence, I feel like I can hear everyone's voices.' Shouta ran. His breath ran short. His legs hurt. But he didn't stop. By the time he reached the Hill of Silence, his clothes were soaked through. Inside the forest was darker than daytime. The sound of rain beat against the leaves. "...Haruka-san!"

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Episode 5

Name: Idol Reincarnation Academy: 765 Pro Assembles at School!
Author: Novelia

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