I was… kind of shocked.
I'd just met Kaede-chan… Shiba-kun's little sister. The way she grabbed my hand, all bright and excited, her eyes sparkling like she'd just discovered a secret world. The way she asked about Forsaken, like she already knew it was her brother behind it.
I remembered that rooftop… the way Shiba-kun talked about his family, like it hurt to even breathe the words. Kaede-chan… she saved him. And yet… she also pushed him away. Told him she hates him.
I can't tell him I know her. Actually… I shouldn't even be thinking about this right now.
It doesn't matter right now.
What matters is that Shiba-kun decided to come on the school trip.
I was looking forward to it.
But until then...
Our Golden Week tour's starting soon… going all over Japan with SIX STAR. The girls, the music, the stages, the fans… that's where my focus should be right now.
"Aika?"
Asakura Nonoka's voice pulled me back.
I blinked, realizing I'd stopped halfway through the move. The mirrors in front of us showed six girls in matching track pants and tank tops, hair in messy ponytails, faces flushed from running the chorus again.
The bass thumped through the floorboards, shaking my sneakers with every beat. "Shine bright, don't look back—SIX STAR forever!"
Everyone else was still in sync, while I stood there a beat too late.
The practice room felt hot and stuffy. Music faded from the speakers, sneakers squeaked on the floor, and someone cursed quietly while reaching for a water bottle.
Nono wiped sweat from her forehead and walked over, blue hair swaying, just a little.
"You okay?" she asked, not too loud.
"You've been spacing out the whole practice. That's not like you."
That was Nono. Our unofficial mom.
I blinked, my attention snapping back to the room—the heat, the lights, the mirrors staring back at me. I forced a practiced smile.
"Yeah… I'm fine," I said, grabbing my towel. "I was just thinking about the tour setlist. Golden Week's close. I don't wanna mess up the transitions."
Nono tilted her head slightly, clearly not fully convinced.
She'd always been like that. The oldest, the one who noticed everything.
"If it's the setlist, we can run it again," she said calmly. "But if it's something else…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
Instead, she handed me a water bottle.
The plastic was cold in my hand.
I took a sip, the cold water grounding me a little.
The practice room suddenly felt smaller, the mirrors throwing our reflections back at us—Kurumi stretching in the corner, Minami giggling with Yui over something on her phone, Saya quietly going over the steps again.
Nono watched me, not pushing, but not letting it go either.
"It's nothing," I said finally, screwing the cap back on the bottle. "I'm just tired. Let's run the chorus one more time."
She nodded, but her expression didn't soften.
"Okay. But if you need to talk… you know we're all in this together, right?"
I forced another smile.
"Right."
The music started again, bass vibrating through the floor. I stepped into position, singing and moving with the others, but my mind wasn't fully there.
"Let's take a break," Kurumi said lazily, yawning. "I'm kinda beat."
"You're not beat, you're just always lazy, Kuku-chi~," Yui smirked.
"And you're always using that annoying nickname," Kurumi shot back, flatly.
"Actually, we should take a break," Nono said lightly. She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, like she knew I was the one who needed it most.
Kurumi glanced at me for a split second. Sharp, deliberate.
I caught it, and for a second, it felt… off. Like she was seeing something she shouldn't—or maybe something I didn't want her to.
We weren't exactly friends. Not rude to each other, just… out of sync, I guess.
"Hear that, Kuku-chi?~ You can laze around now," Yui giggled.
Kurumi, clearly annoyed, tackled her onto the couch and started tickling her mercilessly.
For a moment, the room was just filled with Yui's laughter.
"Ku, haha, stop! Hahaha—"
"Nah. This is what you get for giving me dumb nicknames," Kurumi shot back, smirking.
The four of us just watched, a little lost.
"Ara… Kuru and Yui should just get a room~," Saya teased, clearly amused.
Kurumi froze mid-tickle, one hand still pinning Yui's wrist, the other hovering over her side. She slowly turned toward Saya, eyes narrowing into sharp slits.
"Excuse me?" Kurumi said, dangerously sweet.
Yui, breathless and red-faced, let out a weak giggle. "S-Saya-chan, you're so mean—"
"Mean?" Saya tilted her head, innocent as ever. "I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. You two are basically glued together every practice."
Kurumi released Yui's wrist but didn't move off her lap. She leaned down, face inches from Yui's, smirking wider.
"You hear that, Yui-chan? Saya thinks we should get a room."
Her voice dropped to a mock whisper.
"Should we listen to her?"
Yui squeaked, going from pink to tomato-red. "Ku-chan—!"
We all exchanged looks.
Minami covered her mouth to hide a laugh. Saya simply raised an eyebrow.
Nono sighed like the tired mom she was, already reaching for her phone to order food and defuse whatever mess was about to blow up.
Kurumi finally rolled off Yui, but not before flicking her nose.
"Next time you call me Kuku-chi," she said, standing up and stretching lazily, "I'm not stopping at tickling."
Yui pushed herself up, hair a mess, still half-laughing. "You're the worst."
"And you're still alive," Kurumi shot back, reaching out a hand.
Yui took it.
Kurumi pulled her up a little too fast. Yui stumbled forward, bumping into her chest for a heartbeat.
They froze.
For a second, the room went quiet.
Then Kurumi clicked her tongue, ruffled Yui's hair like nothing happened, and stepped back.
"Practice is over," she said lightly. "I'm starving."
"I ordered food," Nono said, half-deadpan.
And just like that, the tension snapped, and we all burst into laughter.
Later, I slipped outside to clear my head.
Kurumi was leaning against the tour bus, a cigarette between her fingers, looking way too relaxed for someone who'd just started a mini war in the practice room.
Of course.
I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"Do you ever act like you actually care?," I asked quietly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
Kurumi paused with the cigarette between her fingers. The tip glowed for a second, then dimmed.
She didn't answer right away.
For some reason, that annoyed me more than if she snapped back.
Then she looked at me. Not fully—just sideways. Her usual lazy smirk wasn't there.
"…Seriously?" she murmured. "That's rich, coming from you."
Then, Kurumi gazed straight at me. She didn't blink.
Her eyes felt weirdly cold, like she was trying to read something off my face.
"What's wrong, center-chan?" she said casually. "You've been off your game lately. Did you finally fall for someone or what?"
F-fall for someone?
Do I… like Shiba-kun that way?
…Wait, Shiba-kun? No way.
Why did he even pop into my head?
I met Kurumi's gaze for a second, forcing my expression to stay calm.
"Don't be stupid," I said lightly, turning toward the bus door. "I'm just tired, with the tour prep and stuff..."
Kurumi's smirk flicked across her face—sharp, almost mean—for a second before fading into something colder, tired.
"Tired, huh? Sure, Ai-chan. Whatever you say."
She flicked her cigarette away, watching the ember die on the asphalt.
"It's not like I don't take shit seriously. I just don't do the whole 'perfect princess' act like you. Some of us can't afford to pretend everything's fine all the time."
Her voice stayed low, casual, but the jab landed exactly where it was meant to.
"Some of us can't afford the whole rebellious act you pull," I muttered quietly, eyes on her retreating back.
By the next morning, we were packed onto the bus, heading straight for Tokyo.
The tour bus rumbled down the highway, city lights streaking past the windows like blurry gold and neon. I pressed my forehead against the cold glass, watching Tokyo get closer, the skyline sharp and glowing.
The girls were scattered around—Kurumi slouched in the back, earbuds in, scrolling her phone with that "I hate this but I'm here" face. Yui and Minami were giggling over something on Minami's screen, and Saya just sat there watching everyone like she was already done with us. Nono was dozing in her seat, notebook full of notes and snack wrappers clutched to her chest.
I smirked to myself. This was us—no cameras, no filters, just SIX STAR being messy and loud.
Kurumi glanced up, caught my eye, and gave that quick half-smirk of hers. Not mean this time. Almost something like… approval? Maybe. I didn't ask.
The bus hummed, engine vibrating under my seat. Tokyo was almost here. Zepp Arena. Our first stop.
The lights, the crowd, the bass shaking the floors under thousands of screaming fans. My hands itched to start moving, to step into the center line and own it.
And even though my body was tired and my mind still half-occupied with everything else, I felt it—the spark that always came before the music. That little shot of adrenaline that made me forget the mess outside the bus, the arguments, the stress.
I let it wash over me.
This was it.
We were SIX STAR.
And tonight, the stage was ours.