Chapter 105

Two…I dunno. I guess I was a little jealous of her. That kind of thing. But before I could answer, Hibiya continued in a half shout, half sob: “So…swear we’ll meet again, all right?! Promise me!” …Promise, huh? Fair enough. “…Sure. I promise.” We went through the gate. A familiar sight greeted me as we briskly walked onto the school grounds. As we did, I thought over things one more time. The last time I was there, in the midst of my epic moping session, I found myself looking up to “normal” teens getting to actually live out their golden years. Now though, as I walked along, I felt like I was there. That I was finally doing it. There was none of the bright sunlight I basked in on that day, but there, standing in the middle of school grounds, I bet I was shining just as brightly. The sounds of people I just barely heard in the wind earlier were now perfectly clear in the air. I could tell that my pulse was quickening at the noise. It was the first time Shintaro tasked me with such a major role before. I had to give this everything I had. Taking a deep breath, I focused. Already, I could feel the backs of my eyes growing warmer, like they were burning up. This whole town was already infected. We had no way of knowing who was friend and who was foe. …So the solution was clear. Let’s just get everybody over here. With that many eyes gathered together on one focal point…any would-be villains would have to be a lot more careful about what they tried. The noise was growing into a rabble. I knew that thousands, tens of thousands, even, were advancing upon the school. It was the first time I ever used my “captivating eyes,” the skill I hated so much this entire time, with all my strength. The next thing I knew, the whole area was shining a beautiful gold. The moon, once hidden in the clouds, was now massive in the sky, shining with everything it had. Pretty fancy lighting for my final stage show. I sure couldn’t hold back now. I was ready to captivate this town, this nation, this world. I wouldn’t allow them to so much as blink. I took another breath and shouted high into the sky: “Momo Kisaragi, sixteen years old! —And I’m a pop idol!”