Glamour!? A stray idol appears!

[velvetcrush]

Who: Kaori (Open)
Where: The school entrance -> school hallways -> outside the faculty office
What: Kaori has to start school sometime.
When: The first school day after Watchman shenanigans.



Kaori's barely flickering optimism plummeted as she made her way up the steps into the main school building. The school was a dump. Were all normal high schools this rundown? Her nose wrinkled slightly in distaste. It was nothing like the sleek, modern school run by her former agency back in Osaka. It may have been small but it wasn't anything like this. Ayase had said that classes were different in normal schools, too, a thought that made her nervously twist a curl around her finger. A school you had to attend all day every day was an alien enough concept to her but she'd adjust, right? Right.

Still, her footsteps slowed then stopped completely outside the main building. Oh, god, what if there were fans here? What if there were fans in her class? What if her teachers were fans? What if they asked questions? Maybe Kaori could have gotten away with wearing sunglasses or a hat for her first day. Ayase said she was already pushing it by adding lace to her boring school uniform and not doing something about her hair. Kaori had put her foot down on that point. She was not dyeing her hair back or getting it straightened.
Ever.

You're stalling, Kaori berated herself, eyeing the school like it was a stage and she was about to go on for her first solo.

However, acknowledging this fact didn't inspire her to just go into the building the way she'd hoped it would.

Comments

[grinandbear]

"I see..." Akito looked away, a bit 'guiltily'. "We're almost there. It's right around that corner."

After a moment, Akito feigned thought, as though debating whether to say anything, but then said, "Part of the reason I was so surprised was because there's actually another idol attending here. She's a first year, Ami Tanigawa. For what it's worth, I think she's been able to have as normal a school life as much as an active idol can. I imagine you'll be able to find some normality here too."

[velvetcrush]

Of course, she knew who Tanigawa Ami was, she had been in the idol business since she was thirteen and even if she hadn't, she was really famous. A lot more famous than the ex-captain of a ten member girl band. Sure, Glimmer was popular and she stood out but she wasn't a solo act like Tanigawa Ami was or her own mother had been.

Well, if someone like her could have a normal school life, certainly Kaori could, too. Unless there were fans of her parents here somewhere. Fans of her mother were unlikely. She'd only released a few songs and all of them sucked. Her father, on the other hand, was all over the place and still active in the business to boot. But still, Tanigawa Ami...

"I could use this," she murmured to herself, a genuinely pleased smile curving her lips. Then she cleared her throat.

"So, um, Terumi-san, do you have any hobbies? Interests? Any deep dark secrets you want to share?" Her tone was flippant but she actually seemed vaguely interested in his answers.

[grinandbear]

So could Akito, perhaps. It was something worth filing away for now.

"Me? Hmmm, a little of all the above?" Akito laughed. "I like things like film or performance based media, games, and experimenting. As for deep dark secrets..." Akito smiled. "Well. Like one person said, 'mystery's important because the truth's almost always dull'. Not to mention," he looked a bit 'sheepish', "any secrets I have would be boring."

[velvetcrush]

"Mystery's overrated. There's a lot of interesting things you can see right in front of you," she replied with characteristic bluntness. It wasn't until after she'd already said it that she realized she was being kind of rude.

"I like experiments, too," she added quickly, almost as if she were attempting to reconcile already. "Science and philosophy, mostly. Personally, I think the truth's far more interesting than any fiction could be."

Hair flip.

[grinandbear]

"Oh, I agree," Akito replied. "It's always better to keep an open mind about, well, everything. You miss out on too much otherwise. And without truth, there's little point showing much interest in mystery unless you're fond of mystery for the sake of mystery.

"I see. I'm more into the social type but as I said, it's always better to think openly."

[velvetcrush]

"Social experiments, huh? Sounds fun," she remarked, darting around the corner. Kaori marched up to the faculty office door, knocking loudly, continuing to chatter at Akito over her shoulder. "A little flexibility and imagination can go a long way."

[grinandbear]

"Oh, they are. There's a lot you can come up with and do with that much and the right person or persons," Akito replied, deciding at the last moment not to add a 'teasing' not to it. He wasn't unaware of how their conversation might sound to anyone else.

"Will you be alright from here?

[velvetcrush]

On the other hand, Kaori seemed utterly oblivious to any accidental suggestiveness. She simply called back.

"I'll be fine. Thanks again, Terumi-san."

[grinandbear]

"I see. Well, remember what I said. If you need anymore help, don't be afraid to ask." He turned to leave and then, as though remembering at the last moment, added with a 'warm' smile, "I hope you enjoy your time here, Kousaki-san."

[velvetcrush]

"Thanks," she repeated, sounded a little distracted as she knocked on the door again.