1

"Just what do you think you're doing here at this time, all alone... Yuki-tan?"

As those words left his mouth, Kazuki clearly saw the green-haired girl wince. He saw her mouth moving and heard some stammering, but no comprehensible sound came from her.

"Yu-yuki-tan? What? Ahaha."

Ignoring the girl whose arms flailed wildly, Kazuki heaved a sigh before shaking his head slowly.

"Just answer my question. What is someone like you doing here all alone?"

He narrowed his eyes and gave the idol a better look, and he felt a sharp expression piercing through him with each passing second.

It was at this time that she also quit putting up the innocent façade, and the expression on her face turned sour. Like a switch being flipped, the innocent voice transformed into the one he had heard at the Imperial Tracks event – causing unpleasant memories to resurface.

"Geez! I'm just here for some karaoke, okay? Nothing suspicious or anything, just karaoke!"

"You could have been in big trouble just a few minutes ago," he answered, recalling the scene a while ago. "By any chance, are you sneaking out of your home or something? All for karaoke? Alone?"

"Argghh! Who are you? My da-"

Even in the midst of her fiery words, she caught herself and stared at Kazuki before finishing her sentence. It was a sight that puzzled Kazuki, and he can only look back at the idol blankly.

"Perhaps you mean, "Dad?" asked Kazuki in as innocent a voice as he can muster.

To which Yuki-tan put her hands on her waist and pouted.

"Hmph! Never mind that. Now, if you'll excuse me."

She turned to go the other way before Kazuki reached out.

"Oh, and by the way—"

Unfortunately, she turned right back. Kazuki was unable to stop himself in time, and his hand found a soft body part... and it's not her arm.

Even though he pulled his arm back immediately, the damage had already been done. He mouthed "I'm sorry," but he now stared at a pair of teary eyes filled with righteous anger. The next thing he felt was the full force of a right hand hitting him across his cheek.

"Idiot! Pervert! Asshole!"

Kazuki tried his best to calm her down in order to prevent a commotion, but even he panicked at the sight of the girl wildly stomping and swinging her arms in the otherwise quiet alley.

"Geez, why does it have to be you of all people, too? First, you ruined my Imperial Tracks event, and now this. Arrrgghh!"

She scratched her head, and Kazuki still drew blanks on how to diffuse the situation. He was still in the process of thinking before a sharp stomp pierced his left foot, causing him to let out a surprised shout of his own.

"Get out of my sight! I'll make your life a living Hell! Remember that!" yelled Yuki-tan before she ran off, leaving Kazuki behind with a second slap for a farewell.

Her figure took only a few seconds to disappear into the rest of the shadowy alley.

"What did I just witness?"

Dumbfounded, Kazuki was unable to react in time and stop her like he originally intended. It turned into a disastrous situation that he once thought only happens in anime and manga. He silently cursed his own social awkwardness while letting the events sink in.

He only wished Yuki-tan the best as he picked himself up and began his walk back. That encounter had drained him of any more motivation to continue staying here.

He was also not sure whether he would be willing to narrate everything to his two female companions.

2

"Feeling better now, Arata?"

Head buried under his arms, Kazuki lifted his head the moment his seatmate called him. He did not voice a reply, instead opting to give a nod.

"You're hiding something from me again, aren't you?" frowned Amagi. "Now, I feel that I should have just sided with Uehara and not let you go off on your own."

"It's nothing too big, Amagi. I'm fine."

The truth was he's not completely fine. Seriously, how much of a coincidence could it be? Out of all the people he had to run into that weekend, it was that idol that gave him one unforgettable experience... for all the wrong reasons.

People had generally moved on from the embarrassing incident at Imperial Tracks, but as soon as that happened, he just had to get into another uncomfortable situation with her. Over the weekend, Kazuki had instances when he questioned whether he or Yuki-tan was the trouble magnet.

Needless to say, he cannot share the full details to his two fellow Awakeners. He was at least sure that had he told the complete version of the story instead of the modified one he did, he would be facing more than a pair of disapproving looks as they headed back home that night.

"Hmmm?"

Seeing Amagi with furrowed eyebrows did not give Kazuki any reassurance, but that's what it was.

"Anyway, are you ready to meet our new classmate?"

"What? That's today?"

It was not surprising for him to forget things that he did not care about. All he knew was that every year, Fuyusato Academy opened its doors to exchange students for a couple of weeks to be temporary transfer students while sending some of its own students in exchange.

"Speaking of, I haven't seen Yamada today, when he's always early," he said, looking over at an empty seat at the middle of the classroom. "Guess he's 2-C's representative this year."

Amagi nodded.

"Yeah. Fujiwara and Misawa have been talking to me about it all over the weekend. Apparently, it was already leaked who their exchange student is going to be."

"You got any idea who ours will be?"

As the brunette was shaking her head, their homeroom adviser, Mr. Tsuda, made his way to his desk. With his usual getup and signature pile of paper, he stood in front of the desk and cleared his throat, quieting the class.

"Okay, guys. Do you remember what day it is today?"

"Monday?"

The teacher pushed his glasses up and frowned at the one student who answered with what was technically not wrong. Without saying another word, he turned his back to the class and began neatly jotting down letters on the blackboard.

With big letters having written on the board, he turned to the class.

"Unlike what our kind sir here answered, today is the start of Fuyusato's Student Exchange Program. So for two weeks, you will be having a new classmate. Now, I'm not really the demanding type of teacher, so all I want is for everyone to play nice, follow the rules, and get along, okay?"

"Okay, introductions are done, and please welcome your new temporary classmate," finished Mr. Tsuda.

Looking past the door, he beckoned a person to come in. "Meet your new classmates, Kimura."

Murmurs began and only grew louder as the girl entered the classroom. She walked slowly, in a way that seemingly maintained a timid aura from Kazuki's perspective. The whole room then looked on in anticipation.

The moment the bespectacled girl stepped to the center of the room, she quickly flicked her head up and beamed a huge smile at the class. With one hand above her eyebrows and the rest of her body curved in an impromptu pose, she stuck a tongue out and winked.

"Yui Kimura here! Nice to meet you, everyone!"

Amidst the cheering from mostly the boys, the whole thing felt like a scene that Kazuki had seen before.

Of course he had seen this scene, only in a different approach. Not too long ago, class 2-C just had a new addition in the form of Sayaka Uehara, who had integrated herself pretty well by this point.

Compared to the composed aura that Uehara had, the green-haired girl felt like she had excess energy wanting to escape from her delicate body. The switch from solemn to energetic also felt like a switch had been flipped, and Kazuki felt that this girl is in some way a master actress as the girl's hair, tied low and hanging on one side, swung from side to side.

Suddenly, Kazuki felt himself being assaulted by a nagging feeling. He recognized those eyes and the overall aura of the person in front of the class.

"Wait a minute..."

"Ehh? Don't recognize me? Then maybe this can help," said the green-haired girl, who began digging into her bag for something. She hurriedly brought out a wig, put it on, and stuck a pose again.

"It's me, everyone's favorite idol, Yuki-tan!"

Kazuki preemptively closed his eyes and tried to blot out the resulting series of roars that threatened to consume him.

"I-I-it's really her!" yelled Shiki. "Yuki-tan in the flesh! Wooooo!"

He can hear a chain of cheers and claps that even Mr. Tsuda had trouble quelling.

"Haha, you guys have your Yuki-ON! apps with you? I intentionally kept this a secret so that I can surprise all of you. Now go blog about it and spread the word!" she then looked at Mr. Tsuda before continuing. "After classes, of course."

The rest of the surroundings was a spiral of confusion for Kazuki, who found it hard to distinguish voices that piled onto each other, whether it be asking her questions or simply shouting praises at her. Nevertheless, he had one thought in his mind.

What a troublemaker... She's really shameless!

"Now, where should I seat?" wondered Kimura loudly in a cute voice. Her eyes scanned the classroom and looked at some of the empty seats scattered throughout.

Her eyes met Kazuki, and it prompted him to immediately turn away.

Too late.

"Ah! Kazuki Arata is here?" she put her hands over her mouth, which along with her widened eyes, elicited a quick response from most of the class. She skipped her way past the desks and stood over Kazuki, conveniently standing between him and Amagi.

"It must be destiny that brought us together once again. I've been looking for you ever since you ran away from me at Imperial Tracks."

"Give me a break..." mouthed Kazuki before he felt a grip on his shirt.

"I'm here because I have completely fallen for you!"

A wave of "Haaaaa?!" swept across the entire classroom at such a bold and casual declaration.

"Hey, what are you saying?" asked Kazuki, a strong sense of irritation evident in his voice. He then quickly set his sights on Amagi, who was left speechless. On the other end of the classroom, Uehara also had a lowkey hostile expression on her face as her eyes were locked onto the new student.

"Okay, it's decided. I'll be going out with Arata from now on!" happily declared Kimura.

"What?! That's crazy!" shouted a boy from another side of the classroom.

"Arata, you traitor!"

Kazuki can recognize Shiki's voice any day of the week.

Pretty soon, the whole class was in an uproar as Kimura wrapped her arms around Kazuki's. She leaned close with an affectionate expression on her face as Kazuki felt the heat from the stares everywhere.

Not knowing what to do, Kazuki just pulled his arm away, drawing a shriek from the green-haired classmate.

"H-hey, is that how you act towards the hottest idol in town?" angrily spoke Kimura.

It would have been fine if it ended right there, but the sequence apparently triggered a chain of events, and the uproar in the classroom continued. However, from one of excitement, Kazuki can feel the mood of the entire class turn into one of scorn.

"Oi, who do you think you are, treating the Shiroki idol like that? You're lucky already that she's fallen for you and all!"

"Really? How rude of you!"

"Apologize!"

Among the male voices of scorn came a female voice from another corner of the room. "Ehh, I expected nothing more from Arata. Remember, this is the guy who led that clique and ran the poor boy out in middle school."

"Really? I didn't know that?" replied another classmate, a male one with a delicate voice.

"Yeah, he even dragged people like Ishida into it. I feel so sorry for Nakagami. Be glad you weren't here in middle school to see all that."

Voices, from both male and female classmates, all continued to torment Kazuki, who silently prayed that things would just simmer down. He eventually recognized those voices and who they belonged to, and something that he had forgotten for the past couple of months finally came back to haunt him.

The classmates who had mostly ignored him still held contempt towards him.

He had long accepted that fact, but after not being reminded of it for months, with the exception of Reijy Ishida's remarks, the whole situation hurt more than he would like.

Instead of focusing on the rest of the classmates, he instead turned and stared at the green-haired girl in the eye.

He did not know what had gotten into the head of this girl who supposedly hated him for the previous incidents. Suddenly, she's being all lovey-dovey, and Kazuki knew that this is one girl that he could not refuse.

He knew that in school, ultra-charismatic people have this sort of invincibility aura attached to them. As if they could do no wrong, and whatever criticisms they get from anyone will be received as the person not knowing his place.

Reijy Ishida had used this to his advantage. One of the possible heirs to the biggest group of companies in the city is one thing, but straight up the hottest idol in Shiroki City currently?

The moment his eyes met Kimura's, he realized that this devious girl knew about this fact, too.

A glint in her eyes was the only sign of the much manipulative side of the idol that only he knew about.

Thankfully, the tension eased and popped harmlessly at the loud sound of clapping.

"Okay, that's enough. What did I tell you, class?" said an exasperated Mr. Tsuda. "I see that things have gotten quite lively, but it's time for class, so please take your seat, Kimura."

He pointed at an empty seat near the corner of the classroom before proceeding to formally start the day.

3

"Haaah, today's a good day. I wonder how he's feeling right now. Judging from what I know of him, probably terrible."

Looking at the sights through the windows of her private car, Kimura hummed the melody of her latest single with a smile. Seated beside her was her manager Reiya Utara, who showed no signs of emotion despite clearly hearing those words.

Temporarily ignoring her manager, Kimura stared at the roads and the parks that the private vehicle passed through. Her thoughts jumped from one topic of interest to another, until she imagined her big event less than one week from now. Then, her mind flashed back to the scene and the commotion that she caused in her self-introduction today.

"Ahh, it's just so lovely seeing everyone in class give him those glares. That would tell him not to mess with the great Yuki-tan. Who does he think he is, really? Acting all cool and telling me off."

The smile on her face just grew while her eyes stared at a freshly-opened a box of chocolates. Taking a heart-shaped one on her fingers, she chomped down on it and set the box by her seatmate.

"I'm just glad that you had the time of your life out there," said the lavender-haired adult before refusing the chocolates. "Who gave that to you?"

"Ah, you finally talked. I was wondering when you'll start asking me about my day like you always do. Well, a student who introduced himself as Seiji Shiki went out his way to buy me this. He's a big fan, too. It makes me so happy."

The green-haired girl then opened her bag and took out a picture of a girl with a yellow ponytail and a multi-colored jacket. She had her head tilted, with a finger pressed against her lips in a cute expression.

"Hey, look at this, Manager. He even kept a picture from one of my first live shows and asked me to sign it! He even gave me a duplicate."

To which, Utara nodded and grinned.

"That's it?" Kimura started off disappointed but quickly forgot about it when she opened her own phone and flicked the screen to open to her social media profile. "Maybe I should keep bugging Arata again tomorrow."

She can't stop herself from giggling while typing down some status updates. Her fingers shook from excitement as she hurriedly blasted her long message.

"And now to sync these with Yuki-ON!"

The car had come to a stop in front of a traffic light, and she slouched against her seat. Her sights returned to the outdoors, where the city's sceneries have changed into buildings placed side by side.

It was a place that she happily called home for the last two years. She did not have any recollection of what happened beyond those, but it did not matter.

Why should the brightest and greatest idol of the future care about the past when all her eyes should be on the future? It's the bright and happy message that Yuki-tan always encouraged in her songs, and she knew that in order to be the best she can be on stage, she had to live her character.

It was not pleasant putting on those masks for people, but given how it allowed her to relish in praise and adoration from fans and peers, she did not find it completely terrible. She adored the spotlight, and with her fans defending her from everything, she felt that she had an impenetrable shield.

Except for one.

It was with that one person that she was able to drop her guard, relax, and let out her true personality underneath. She did not know why she reacted that way to that one person or why exactly he rubbed her the wrong way. Could it be his attitude or the way he talks?

Still, imagine no-reacting a once in a lifetime chance to be in the presence of the hottest idol in town. Others would be killing for that opportunity.

Setting those thoughts aside, Kimura checked back at her phone.

"Oh, look at those reacts fly in. This is great, Manager."

She excitedly tugged at the sleeve of her manager's suit while browsing through the reactions and comments on her post.

The normally stoic expression on her manager turned into a smile. "I'm glad for you."

Kimura continuously slid through all the reacts, her eyes darting from one comment to another. Such was the magic of the Yuki-ON! app. The praises just kept coming.

However...

"Huh?"

Her eyebrows furrowed, and her excited smile transformed into a scowl.

Reading that message, the remaining traces of happiness on her face disappeared.