Ten Years Ago 

“Everyone, are you having fun today?” Aina shouted into her microphone. 

She pointed it at the audience, the other girls around her putting a hand to their ears as they waited for a response.

As expected, they were met with a loud cheer from the crowd in front of them. 

“I’m so glad!” Aina said.

She was only 17, but after months of hard work, she was making her appearance at Mount Fortune’s debut company concert. The other six girls on stage with her were close friends she had made along the way, but beating them to get the center position felt so satisfying. 

The outfit she was wearing was a typical green idol dress accented with lots of sparkles and ruffles. Her chestnut-brown hair was in a high ponytail, while a silver tiara was pinned to the top of her head. Her sparkling silver dance heels and white gloves completed the look. 

Aina raised her microphone again to her mouth. “Please listen to our title song.”

“Royal Heart!” the other girls said with her. 

At the front-most row of the concert hall’s balcony, Aina’s younger sister watched with wide eyes as her sister demanded the attention of everyone in attendance. Every girl on stage looked like a princess, but the girl in the center had an air surrounding her as she sang and danced as if she was the noblest of them all. 

She looked to see what her older brother was thinking, but he was fast asleep in his chair. The young girl turned to look up at her mother, tugging on her sleeve with the hand that wasn’t holding a penlight. “Mama, mama!”

Their mother crouched down so they could both meet eye to eye. Her daughter’s shiny golden hair was combed perfectly straight, held neatly by a navy blue headband. “What is it dear?”

Her light-blue eyes were practically shining. “I want to be an idol too!”

Her mother smiled at her as she gave her a pat on the head. “Maybe when you’re older. I don’t think many seven-year-olds are idols.”

The young girl pouted. “I want to start now!” 

“Come here,” her mother picked her up so she could get a better view of the audience and the stage. “Look at all of this, the screaming fans, everyone watching you.” Turning to see her mother’s face, Aina’s little sister saw that she suddenly looked serious. “Think about how late your sister comes home at night, missing out on school and meeting with all of her friends. Is this really what you want to do?”

“It makes you happy to see her sing, doesn’t it?”

A small smile formed on their mother’s face. “That’s right.” 

“Then I want to perform too!”

The audience cheered as the chorus ended and Aina blew a kiss at them. Her younger sister looked away from their mom and back to the stage, waving around her penlight with no care for rhythm or having the correct color to match her favorite girl. 

“Alright Reina,” her mother started to say, although she doubted that anyone was listening. “We can talk to your father about becoming an idol once the concert ends.”