Walk a few minutes from the downtown area, and the neon signs and the hustle and bustle disappear, and you enter a residential area. Amid this residential neighborhood is an oddly stylish-looking building that stands out conspicuously.
Ryouran High School—official name, Ryouran Private High School.
In this space, outlined by redbrick walls, you can hear the students cheerfully chattering like twittering birds.
It was currently lunchtime. The most concentrated chatter can be found in the student cafeteria, I’d say, which is just a short distance away from the main school building.
“…So I’ve called everyone here today for an emergency meeting.”
We were sitting outside on the terrace. Under the sun, my friends were gathered around me, and I cut right to the chase with a very solemn expression on my face.
“The topic of discussion is…the final exam’s requirements are seriously crazy. This is what I’d like to discuss.”
“Dancing… Urgh.”
Shiika was the first to speak.
Despite being usually quiet, she was quick to voice her dislikes.
“I agree with Shiika! We’re in the Music Department, and I’m a composer! What do they mean dance is an essential element?!”
The next to voice her mind was Mana Akihabara. At Ryouran High, attended mostly by fashionable, gorgeous, and attractive students, Mana stood out because of her plain and ordinary face.
Perhaps it’s because of the boyish way she speaks… Even me, a guy who has little experience chatting with girls my age, has no problem talking with her.
“You haven’t actually composed anything, though, have you?”
“Sh-shut up. You’re one to talk, Gakuto. You don’t do anything!”
“How dare you. No appreciation for those who work behind the scenes. If you keep being arrogant, as soon as you debut in the entertainment world, gossip will be flying about you online.”
“No appreciation for those who work behind the scenes? You’re the one who doesn’t appreciate all the housework I do for you!”
“Yo, thanks, hey, I’m always grateful. I got mad respect for you. Yeah!”
“What the hell is that fake-sounding rap about?!”
Akiba, still furious, shoved a piece of fried shrimp into her mouth.
The typical scene at a lunchtime meeting. Today, as usual, Akiba was enjoying all the spoils the cafeteria had to offer, indulging in a rich and luxurious lunch. Was it impressive how Akiba had managed to improve her standard of living despite her extreme mediocrity, or was it a sign of her arrogance?
Shiika and I were sitting before bowls of cheap udon. The fact that we’d been able to add deep-fried tofu and squid tempura was for me a source of pride.
We’ve started pulling in some good numbers when streaming, so our living stipend was surely due to increase, too. But as an ordinary person, a civvy, I know numbers can be fickle. It was possible the view count could drop anytime, so I couldn’t loosen our purse strings.
“Tch, you really are an unpopular loser of a guy. Gakuto, you should learn a thing or two from Komae’s host-like power.”
“Heh… Well, it’s true. I’m not like Gakuto. I know how to provide a pleasing service.”
Nokia Komae. The minute he was brought into the conversation, he jumped right in. A handsome redhead. A pickup artist who uses his good looks for his own gains and proudly whispers sweet nothings to girls. In tune with his identity, he now brought his face uncomfortably close to Akiba’s.
“Don’t worry, Mana. I’ll be here, watching as you develop your talents through your hard work. ☆”
“Th-thanks…”
Corny lines. And the way he’s always winking.
He’s got that host technique. And with that handsome face so close to Akiba’s, she was blushing like a young maiden.
“Komae, you’re being creepy.”
Correction. Akiba was turned-off.
“Guh! That’s mean! I was just doing my usual routine!”
“Hmm, but when it’s focused on me, it feels worse than I expected. It’s like, ‘What the heck does this guy think he’s doing, and does he realize this is a public space?’ Honestly, I’ve got secondhand embarrassment.”
“Well, it works on ordinary girls! The girls in this group are way too guarded!”
Apparently, Akiba’s blushes weren’t out of her own embarrassment but out of secondhand embarrassment.
Komae looked shocked, as if someone had knocked a ladder out from under him. I put a hand on his shoulder and smiled.
“What do you think you’re doing, hitting on girls when Shiika’s sitting right there? I thought you said you were serious about my sister. Well?”
“H-hold on, Gakuto. You’ve got it all wrong. And can you not say things like that right in front of Shiika?”
“Be quiet. You may have a pretty face, but don’t get cheeky.”
“This treatment is just too much!” Komae protested with teary eyes.
Just seeing him look that way gave me extra appetite for my udon. Ahhh, why is food so good?
Just then, I heard a sigh.
The girl sitting beside Komae twirled her spaghetti around her fork, looking disgusted.
“Can you two stop wasting our time talking nonsense? I feel like you’re way, WAY off topic.”
Erio Shibuya. A fashionable girl who’s the personification of a stylish person.
She wore her uniform with stylish modifications. Her lightened hair had subtle highlights, a key feature of her look, and the earrings she wore looked great on her. She knew how to capitalize on her beautiful face, and one glance at her reassured you that she was perfectly placed as the top student of the performing arts discipline.
“The topic is…the final exam.”
“Yes! Exactly that! The dance thing!”
Shibuya had gotten us back on track, so I continued our discussion right away.
At first glance, Erio Shibuya looked frivolous and flashy, but she was more professional than anyone else we knew when it came to music and performing arts activities.
At a meeting like this, she was the type to take things seriously.
“Honestly, I just don’t get what they mean. We’re in the Music Department. Why should we be evaluated on our dance skills?”
The specifics of the final examination posted on the portal site were as follows:
The Final Examination
1. Our school does not conduct final examinations for each class individually. All grades will take the examination of their respective department.
2. The exam period is from July 14 to July 21.
3. The specifics of the examination for each department are as follows:
Music Department
Post a video of a performance that combines original music and dance, and earn a specific number of views and likes.
Dance Department
Post a video of a performance that combines original music and dance, and earn a specific number of views and likes.
TV Talent Department
Post a music video in which you appear, and earn a specific number of views and likes.
Content Creator Department
Direct a music video and post it, and earn a specific number of views and likes.
Fashion Department
Provide costumes for a music video that earns a specific number of views and likes.
4. You may form teams and collaborate on a single video. However, the total number of views and likes will be divided among the team members, and points will be awarded accordingly.
Teams can decide among themselves on how to allocate the numbers of views and likes, but if a decision is not made by the designated date and time, the amount will be divided equally and points awarded accordingly.