In my class, there was an idol. She was a beautiful girl who captivated everyone’s attention. The Madonna of the school, a flower out of reach.

The analogy of a school idol is often used, but she was something more. 

Because she was a real idol.

After school in the classroom.

Outside the hallway windows, students were packed tightly together. Their gazes were all fixed in one direction, each holding a smartphone. Following their line of sight, it was directed at Shirasaki Kanade, who was cleaning.

She was a member of the nationally famous idol group, Luminous Stars.

Normally, she would be busy, but at this moment, she was holding a broom and sweeping the floor just like an ordinary student. The scene was like an unreal dream.

“Shirasaki-san is incredibly popular…,” I muttered involuntarily. 

Her silver hair gleamed in the light, and her blue eyes were focused on the floor. Recently, at the young age of 16, she was chosen as the center of Luminous Stars, and her popularity was immense. Her Instagram followers exceeded 700,000, and each photo or video she posted received thousands to tens of thousands of likes and comments.

At handshake events, long lines formed with people wanting to meet her, and tickets would instantly sell out. The TV programs and commercials she appeared in recorded high viewership ratings, and her influence was increasing day by day.

Shirasaki Kanade was truly the epitome of a modern idol. It was a mystery how she, with her busy schedule, still managed to balance being a student and an idol. Suddenly, I approached her as she was cleaning.

“Shirasaki-san, I’ll do the cleaning. You must have work to do.”

Shirasaki-san looked surprised when she noticed me, but quickly returned to her usual gentle smile.

“Thank you. In that case, I’ll leave it to you.”

Shirasaki-san handed me the mop, and I accepted it.

“You’re as kind as ever, Amagi-kun.”

Leaving those words behind, Shirasaki-san left the classroom.

“Souta, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be nice to girls other than me.”

Along with the voice, I suddenly felt a cold gaze from behind. Turning around, I saw Aoyama Chiharu standing there, her long brown hair swaying. She was my childhood friend and girlfriend since last year. She was usually cheerful, but now she seemed a little angry.

“Shirasaki-san is our classmate, and I thought it would be good to help her out. Besides, by taking over the cleaning, we get to be alone together like this.”

Because Shirasaki-san had left the classroom, all the onlookers who were there before were gone, and now it was just the two of us.

“Ah, so that’s it. Then it’s okay.”

Chiharu responded while fiddling with her phone. She was a little—or rather, very—jealous by nature. She was the type who couldn’t be satisfied unless she was number one in everything, and she liked to be treated specially. I reflected that it might have been a mistake to take over Shirasaki-san’s cleaning out of goodwill.

“Speaking of which, I want to go on a date, are you free this weekend?”

“Sorry, I have a part-time job this weekend.”

“Oh, okay. How about the week after next?”

“I think I had plans that day too…”

It had been like this lately. Chiharu seemed busy recently, and we hadn’t been able to go on dates. We were childhood friends and started dating last year. But, it felt like we were spending less time together these days. I tried to understand Chiharu’s busyness, but I still wanted to spend time with her.

This was my biggest worry right now. In the end, we cleaned that day, but we ended up parting ways when Chiharu said she had plans with friends after school.

!next

On a weekend afternoon, I sat by the window in a café. There was a cup of hot coffee in front of me, but I didn’t even have the energy to enjoy its aroma, and I just stared blankly out the window. The café was filled with the cheerful chatter and laughter of people.

“How can I get along with Chiharu like we used to…?”

I kept asking myself. Recently, the time I spent with Chiharu has decreased. Our schedules with part-time jobs and other commitments overlapped, making it difficult to even go on dates.

“Maybe, should I talk to her properly…?”

Thinking that, I took out my phone and looked at Chiharu’s picture. It was a photo of us smiling together, taken on a date some time ago. Back then, everything seemed to be going so well.

Maybe my anxiety towards Chiharu stemmed from my own weakness. But, I couldn’t stay like this. I had to do something. As I was trying to take a break at the cafe, I suddenly caught sight of familiar long brown hair swaying in my line of sight.

“Wait, is that Chiharu…?”

My eyes weren’t mistaken. Chiharu was walking with someone, smiling. And next to her was a noticeable guy with short red hair and a good physique. Akagi-senpai. He was a famous upperclassman at our school.

He was active in the youth soccer team and was also a forward for the Japanese national team in his age group. With his presence and charisma, almost everyone at school knew him. They were chatting amicably while carrying several shopping bags.

Chiharu’s happy smile pierced my heart. I never imagined that Chiharu would be with Akagi-senpai.

“Chiharu… why?”

I muttered without thinking.

!next

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