1

Yuki-tan capped off her performance with a pose pointing at the sky, inciting fervor from the crowd. Along with a wink, she provided the perfect photo opportunity for the people in front.

Even Kazuki, who still was not completely swayed into becoming the next big Yuki-tan fan, cannot help but admit that the performance was a great one.

She had all the confidence that idols were known for.

"Not bad."

Having overheard him despite the raucous cheering all around, his little sister chimed in.

"Isn't she great, Big Bro? I told you seeing her live would change things!"

"Well, I'm still not a fan of idol culture, but as I said, it's not bad at all."

"Why'd you gotta keep the cool guy act? Just accept it!" said Shiki, still bouncing with energy.

"And that's Heart-Thumping Party! Did you have fun, everyone?"

Thanks to the sound system, Yuki-tan's voice, one full of vigor, resounded through the crowd of hundreds, and the fanbase replied with a resounding "yeah!"

"Yaay!" The idol clapped in joy and finished with a curtsy. She cleared her throat before making the next announcement. "Now, I have some good news, bad news, and exciting news!"

As the crowd settled down in anticipation, she began. "The bad news is that this mini-live is over with that second song, sorry!"

Clapping her hands and holding her head down in a bow amidst the "Ooooh" and "Awwww" of the fans, she proceeded to the next set of news.

"As for the good news, we will be starting the raffle event now. Who wants an autograph from everybody's favorite idol?! Today can be your lucky day!~"

Just like that, the mood turn around completely. She had the entire crowd in her fingertips. Kazuki wondered if that is just really the power of an idol.

"But before that, let me get to the exciting news first...."

Yuki-tan stepped back, and the background to the stage parted. Like a curtain masterfully placed in a stage play, it split and gave way to a giant monitor rising from somewhere underneath the stage. As it reached its intended position, it lit up, and the crowd was greeted by a picture of a white cat mascot.

It smiled and waved at the audience along with Yuki-tan before the words "YUKI-TAN FIRST SOLO LIVE COMING SOON" flashed to much fanfare.

Kazuki felt his ears explode from the sheer eruption that was the reaction that the announcement elicited.

"You read that right! In three months, I will be holding my first solo live, sponsored by our friends, the Ishida Conglomerate!"

Before Yuki-tan can continue, she turned to the lavender-haired woman on the edge of the stage doing hand signals. Kazuki recognized her as the one calling the shots when the stage was being set. All of a sudden, Yuki-tan yelped and covered her mouth.

"Ooops! Looks like I shouldn't have leaked the announcement yet," she put her hand on her hair, and she looked distressed about the mess up. "Manager, at least look at everyone! Look at their smiles!"

In response, the lavender-haired woman shook her head before stepping off the stage.

"W-well, now that that's taken care of..." Yuki-tan nervously chuckled. "Let's get to the segment you're all waiting for. It's raffle time, everyone!"

Just like that, with a fist pump, she turned the awkward mood on its heels and reignited the energy of the crowd with her antics.

"Alright, so here's how it's gonna go," she resumed. "One at a time, I'll pick a number, and our lucky winner will get to have some stage time for me to personally hand over five of these limited art edition of my upcoming single."

She quickly followed it up and winked. "After a quick interview, of course."

The monitor behind her flashed into a visual of the new CD to much applause. Then, she took out her first copy of the CD from a bag that's placed behind her.

While she was talking, a staff member had already stepped onto the stage with a box probably full of raffle entries. It apparently was just a classic raffle draw.

As her hand entered the box, a wave of cold air swept through the crowd as they awaited with all the anxiety they can muster.

She finally pulled out the first number to much fanfare, and in a flash, the area was filled with people yelling random number, presumably theirs.

"Our first lucky winner would be..." She squinted, playing the crowd even more and building some suspense. "Number 39!"

Her announcement barely registered to Kazuki, and he only snapped into the reality that his number was drawn by the loud shouts of his sister.

"Here! Here! Here!"

She shouted with all her might, jumping up and down, trying her hardest to jump over the wall of tall people in front of her while simultaneously pointing at her brother.

"You gotta be kidding me!"

That voice came from Shiki, who stared in disbelief.

Yuki-tan was quick to react, and she quickly pointed a finger at Kazuki. "Number 39, please come up on stage!"

Kazuki was dumbfounded and stuttered in place. What were the odds, really?

He had one number.

One number out of so many.

Before he could mentally compute the odds of him getting the first limited edition CD, he was pushed forward by his overly supportive sister.

With this amount of luck, Kazuki pondered if he should have used it on rolling into a super rare unit in one of his many mobile games. At least that would have been something that he was emotionally invested in...

He felt a mix of gazes, some supportive while some piercing like daggers as he slid and slipped his way through the crowd of people. He cannot help but feel awkward with all those eyes fixed on him, but he knew that the worst was yet to come.

After all, he had practically no idea who Yuki-tan was besides the fact that she's this up-and-coming idol. If he got dragged into an interview or a quiz bee on stage, he would be destroyed.

So many things can go wrong, and he only braced himself with each nervous step he took.

The pressure from the gazes intensified once his feet took their first steps on the stage.

Now mere inches away from the famous idol, he saw Yuki-tan greet him with a smile, and she gave him a short cutesy salute.

"Hi there, lucky winner number one! Say, why not introduce yourself to your eager friends out there?"

The next thing Kazuki realized was how the mic was pushed in front of his face, and he let the awkward silence that followed sink in.

"Arata. Kazuki Arata."

That was all he can say as he looked at the idol in front of him.

She was a completely different person up close. Forget her cute appearances on TV or from afar. Right now, standing mere inches away from her, Kazuki took full notice of her silky smooth skin, her brilliant and starry eyes, her cute curves behind, as well as her ample bust... that were obviously padded.

So this is an idol.

She was the complete package, an angel that would make anyone swoon for her with her looks and the lively personality that she just displayed. Kazuki cannot help but feel overwhelmed, and he found himself at a loss for words.

At the back of his head, he felt that it was a shame that he's not a fan of her. Yuki-tan really carried an innocent and charismatic air that would make anyone want to support her and root for her.

"What a cool name! Something all befitting the cool persona you have, huh? Come on, you're probably one of those loner guys that are quite socially awkward in school but are actually really cool inside."

She's not exactly wrong?

"Here, the limited edition is yours!"

Yuki-tan stretched her hand out, with the CD all ready to be grasped. Kazuki, snapping out his slight trance, reached out, only to find the CD pulled back and snatched away from him.

The idol had a smile on her face, one that reeked of slyness and a teasing temperament. "But first, I want to know a bit more about you. I promised an interview, right?"

Uh-oh.

"Just a simple question, hehe. I want to know about your favorite Yuki-tan song. For such a lucky fan like you, there must be one at least. Right?"

Now caught in a stupor of panic, Kazuki took a deep breath. He inched closer to the mic while his brain began processing multiple titles.

He cannot think of any, and he just stammered and thought of some group of words off the top of his head.

What does a Yuki-tan song title sound like again?

"F-fantastic Heartthrob?" he fumbled.

The crowd went completely silent. It was as if Hell froze over.

Then the groans came.

Expectedly, he was met with groans and a Yuki-tan with furrowed eyebrows. She mouthed a "what" in what he thought was shock and confusion.

Kazuki tried mouthing an apology, but he felt that he was promptly ignored with the shocked idol now mouthing even more words. With her hand gestures, Kazuki felt that she was someone giving him hints, and he started feeling the weight of the world grow heavier and heavier with each passing moment.

"Magic Tomorrow?"

Kazuki swallowed hard, having dug himself into an even deeper hole by trying to salvage the situation. He tried drowning out the few laughs and sarcastic comments that can be overheard from the audience.

"Nice try, nice try!" chuckled Yuki-tan, trying her best to disperse the situation. "Hehe, looks like a case of the jitters. I mean, when you're in front of your favorite idol for the first time that happens."

However, just when Kazuki thought that it was all done, he felt his sleeve being pulled, and Yuki-tan spun him away from the crowd. She also turned her back on the crowd, and with the two of them now facing the monitor, she whispered to him.

"Hey, what are you doing? You can't just come in and embarrass me like that after all I did. After all my effort, that is what you do?"

"I-I'm sorry, I can't help it."

Kazuki genuinely felt sorry for the idol.

"You know, you could just say the title of any song and be done with it. I swear, if it was anyone else that I drew, it would not have been this awkward."

"Actually... I'm not a fan. Sorry to break it to you, Yuki-tan. I just tagged along with my sister, and—"

"Then what are you doing with that raffle entry?!" blurted Yuki-tan. Despite having the mic held behind her back, her sudden outburst was loud enough that the speakers caught some of it.

Kazuki found himself gazing into the big eyes of the idol who froze in shock. Meanwhile, some murmuring can be heard as well as some Ooooooh's echoing.

"Not a fan my ass," Yuki-tan continued. "How could you not be one after my show a while ago? Look at all of them!"

She pointed at the fans while still having her back turned at them.

Now, it was Kazuki's turn to react with shock. He felt that he had been given a glimpse at a side of the idol that she did a masterful job of hiding in the public.

Just what kind of ego do you have?

He held back those thoughts and simply backed off. He stepped back, creating some distance from the girl, who responded in kind. However, on her face was an expression of disappointment and disgust.

It was a very tense situation for Kazuki when he doubled over in surprise.

It was as if a jolt of electricity struck him, and having felt this multiples times, he already knew what it was.

At the onset of the situation, Kazuki started looking around in a frantic manner.

It was nowhere around the crowd area, and it was nowhere near the stage. However, it cannot be too far away.

A Fragment had opened.

Perhaps it had manifested in one of the back alleys in South Quinn Street.

He immediately turned his eyes to the direction where Hikari and Shiki were.

"E-excuse me!" he hurriedly said through the mic. He wanted to apologize to Yuki-tan, but that would have to wait.

As his eyes met hers once more, he saw it happen.

It could just be his imagination, but for a moment, Yuki-tan's disappointed expression turned into one of shock and anxiety. Her narrowed eyes of disdain widened, and she seemed to be stuck by something. It all lasted for a few seconds before she returned to her angry expression.

Without another thought, he leapt off the stage from the side and ran. He paid no heed to whatever retort Yuki-tan had for him. None of those registered in his ears, and so did none of the jeers and the trash talk he got from the understandably mad fans that he now had to power through.

The presence of a Fragment nearby could only mean bad news. With this many people gathered here, it would be a feast for Nullities. Then, the words of the hooded figure echoed back in his mind.

Knowing about the identity of Nullities gave Kazuki a newfound perspective as he realized how much negative emotion from all these people now gathered together in one place.

If the Fragment were to start affecting this area, the results would be disastrous.

After pushing and shoving his way past people, he finally found himself at the back of the line.

"Hey, you, what do you think you're doing, Arata?"

Shiki now stood in his way, perhaps incensed, perhaps disappointed.

Whatever it is didn't matter for Kazuki, who simply barked orders without taking a look at his friend.

"Shiki, take care of Hikari!"

"Big Bro!"

"Hikari, I'll be right back. You stay put!"

He felt that it was unfair to give his caring sister a similar treatment, but time is of essence. He would have a lot of explaining to do, but the worst part of it is that neither of the two would understand the level of danger they could soon be in.

With his feet carrying him as fast as they could, he powered past the few authorities that tried to stop him.

He shoved and pushed, and he eventually broke free. Even the fact that he knocked some decorations over did not faze him one bit.

He kept going, and the noise from the crowd eventually drowned out, giving way to the more casual chit-chat of the rest of South Quinn Street's guests and passers-by. It was here that the sensations grew all the more.

He knew he was near one of the entrances to the Fragment.

It has been a crazy day for him, and he was not so sure if he could handle another go inside Mu mere hours after the duel against a fellow Awakener.

Regardless, his run soon came to a stop as he found himself standing in front of a dead end.

The veiled portal he had located stood idly against the dead end, a rather obscure place sandwiched between the hobby shop Avarice and an establishment next to it.

Stepping forward, he prepared to enter Mu once more.

Then, her image flew by his mind.

Yes. He was sure that the other Awakener in town would be on the case, the very same Awakener he envisioned just now. After being told to stay put, Kazuki wondered how his next meeting with the transfer student would be like.

Not that it matters now. Whether she shows up or not will not change the fact that this Fragment has to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Readying himself, Kazuki ran straight into the veiled portal.