With those words, the class rep gave the signal. The curtains slowly rose, and as our trio of performers was unveiled, the loudest, most raucous roar yet shook the gymnasium. I really mean it—it literally felt like everyone’s voices were shaking the building to its foundation, but even so, the impact that the performers’ appearance had on me was still far greater. I mean, like...come on! I was looking down on a stage with three perfect, heaven-sent girls clad in the most floofy, adorable, almost holy-looking dresses I’d ever seen!
“Are you ready?! Then let me hear you shout!” Yuna, who was standing at stage left, shouted in the most energetic, endearing way possible. Her dress was pink, and she couldn’t have looked more like a cute little fairy if she’d tried. She was the shortest of the trio, but her stage presence was as big as they came. In fact, word in my internal rumor mill had it that she was the most trendsetting, leader-like character among their group!
“We hope you all enjoy the show, everyone!” Rinka called out from stage right. Her attitude was as cool and confident as could be, and her blue dress was perfectly designed to draw out every bit of her dignified presence, putting her best qualities right at the forefront. Her figure and proportions were downright perfect, and while her outfit matched that girly side of her fantastically, it also brought a sort of appeal that Yuna lacked into sharp focus, causing the audience—and especially the girls in the audience—to cry out in appreciation!
“The three of us...will sing with everything we have,” said the performer who stood in the center of the formation. She was not the genuine idol Maki Amagi, a performer capable of drawing the audience’s attention by virtue of her name alone. No, she was Makina Oda, plain and simple. Her dress was simple as well, made from a pure white fabric and designed in a way that brought out the absolute best of that material in all its shimmering glory.
Makina was... How to even put it...? She looked majestic, I guess. She didn’t so much as flinch in the face of the audience’s cheers. It almost felt like she and the space around her existed in a whole separate reality of their own. I can’t find the right words to describe it, but, like...her aura was just ridiculously amazing, basically. Makina always had a certain something that made her feel special, but this was something altogether different. It was like she was a totally different person.
Yuna, Rinka, and Makina stood on the stage, each shining away with their own unique appeal...and I was completely charmed in an instant! I was so profoundly grateful to have had the chance to see this show—in fact, I was grateful to have been born, period!!!
Oh, and our costume designers are all geniuses! I already heard that they did everything they could to stretch their budget to its limits to make all those outfits from scratch, and boy, did it ever pay off! There’s nothing cheap-looking about them whatsoever!
“All right, it’s time for our first song!” Yuna called out.
That seemed to be the signal to kick things off, and the band started to play. They’d picked a song that even I was familiar with—a massive hit from an idol group that had been used a bunch in commercials recently. And of course, as the music began, Yuna, Rinka, and Makina started to dance.
Oh, wow, they’re all so cute... And wait, Yuna and Rinka are both really good at singing?! They have the choreography down pat too! They must’ve practiced so hard! You’re doing great! Keep it up! You’re awesome!
The two of them were sharing the stage with Makina. It didn’t feel like she was outdoing or overwhelming them at all as they danced in perfect synchrony. Oh, and sang in perfect harmony too!
Ah, Yuna just winked! And Rinka’s smile’s so perfect! Wait, what was that that Makina just did?! How does that move even work?! Oh, wow! Oh, wow wow wow!!!
My vocabulary for these things was already lacking at the best of times, and in the face of their performance, it was completely overwhelmed. Yuna, Rinka, and Makina were all just... Just amazing! So cute! Super awesome!
Meanwhile, the crowd below us roared with approval.
“Yunaaa!” someone shouted.
“You rule, Rinka!”
“Makiii!”
Every time I heard someone in the audience shout out one of their names, it made me so happy, you’d think they were praising me—and the audience down below was only the start.
“Who are those two...? Are they really amateurs?!” Mio muttered in astonishment, just as I’d hoped she would! Yuna and Rinka’s moves had left her completely baffled!
You see that?! Now you understand why everyone’s so obsessed with them! If you want to go all talent scout on them, now’s your... A-Actually, never mind! Don’t do that! We wouldn’t have any time to spend together anymore if that happened!
“But...” Mio continued. Her pause lasted a very long time. “I don’t think so. Not good enough.”
“Huh?” Wait, you don’t think what? Is this still about scouting them? What’s not good enough?! Do you have a problem with those two or something?!
“Maki’s movements are way stiffer than usual.”
“Wait... Makina’s?”
“She’s not nervous, is she...? No, that can’t be it. I don’t even know what that would look like. Maybe she’s sick? Or maybe...” Mio muttered. She was so absorbed by her analysis that she clearly wasn’t listening to me at all anymore.
To be totally honest, I couldn’t see it. Makina didn’t look stiff to me at all. In fact, her singing and dancing were both so good, it was really easy to understand why she was such a popular idol these days. But...now that Mio had pointed it out, I also had to admit that there were a few little things that stood out to me. For some reason, every once in a while, something about Makina’s expression made it seem like she was having a tough time.
No... We shouldn’t be nitpicking like this. I mean, just look at the crowd! They love it, right? Everyone’s so into the show! Mio’s just overthinking things...and now I am too.