Chapter 31 Shirasaki Kanade's Past (3)

Shirasaki Kanade’s Past (3)

Kanade’s PoV

This happened about a year ago.

A story about what happened after I became an idol.

I was appearing on Luminous Stars’ weekly TV show.

The studio for that show was always filled with tension, and all ten members sat waiting in their assigned seats.

The atmosphere was different because the formation for the new song was about to be announced.

It would decide whether we sang in the back row, the front row, or even in the center position.

In Luminous Stars, positions were changed for each song, so there was always an unusual tension during the announcement.

This time, the ten members would form a reverse triangle, arranged in rows of 4, 3, 2, and 1 from back to front.

The host began announcing the positions, and the spotlight shone on each member one by one. Names were called from the back row forward, with applause and cheers growing louder as each stepped forward.

The four in the back, the three in the middle, and the one in the front were announced, leaving only Amane-chan and me. The moment was approaching when it would be decided which of us would be chosen as the center.

“Next, the position on the front left is…”

The host deliberately paused for effect.

Meanwhile, my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of my chest.

“Sakuraba Amane.”

When the host announced, Amane-chan gracefully stepped forward, and warm applause filled the studio for her.

Then, everyone’s eyes focused on me. It was time for the final announcement.

“And the center of the new song, standing in this position is… Shirasaki Kanade!”

Following the host’s voice, the studio was engulfed in a wave of excitement.

Realizing that my dream had come true, my vision blurred slightly.

“From now on, as a member of Luminous Stars, I’ll do my best to be loved by everyone. Please continue to support me!”

I declared firmly towards the camera, truly happy that all my efforts had paid off. At that moment, I was genuinely overjoyed.

Once the excitement of being chosen as the center subsided, a heavy sense of pressure began to creep over me. The studio lights were blinding, and the cameras kept focusing on me. This was my new role—the face of Luminous Stars. One wrong step, and everyone’s hard work could go to waste. The thought sent chills down my spine.

After the thrill of the show wore off, a wave of fatigue suddenly hit me in the dressing room.

“Why is Kanade the center and not me? I really don’t get it!”

“Now, now, calm down.”

I heard those voices from afar.

It was a girl who joined Luminous Stars at the same time as me.

I think she sees me as a rival and has a strong desire to be the center.

I wonder if it was really okay for me to be the center.

As I was thinking that, someone called out to me from behind.

“Kanade-chan.”

“…Amane-chan, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong, you ask? That’s my line~. You look so down even though you’re the new center.”

Apparently, my anxiety was written all over my face.

“Yeah, I wonder if it was really okay for me to be the center…”

“Hmm… Of course it’s fine.”

Amane-chan patted my back encouragingly as she said that.

“Kanade-chan, it’s pretty cheeky of you not to just be happy about it~!”

Amane-chan teased me, playfully trying to pinch my cheeks and make a funny face.

“Wait, stop, Amane-chan!”

As we were doing that…

“Oh my, what’s going on here~? A senior bullying her junior~?”

Aoi-chan, the captain of Luminous Stars, came from behind.

“No, it’s not like that, Aoi-chan. Kanade-chan isn’t happy about being the center.”

“I see. Kanade-chan, haven’t you been working hard all this time to become the center?”

“Y-yeah, but…”

“Actually, I always thought Kanade-chan would definitely become the center someday.”

“Eh?”

I reflexively said that in response to her unexpected words.

“I’ve known for a while that Kanade-chan has been working hard. So why not take pride in it and be happy?”

Those words pierced my heart deeply.

Oh, right. It’s okay for me to be genuinely happy.

The tears I had been holding back began to flow uncontrollably.

“Ugh, ugh…”

I buried my face in Aoi-chan’s chest and cried. She held me tightly—

Then, the following week at school.

With the excitement of being chosen as the center, I was walking down the school corridor, eager to tell Amagi-kun first.

He probably already knows, but I wonder what his reaction will be if I tell him directly.

Just imagining that moment made my steps light and my heart soar.

But what awaited me was something that betrayed those feelings.

When I spotted Amagi-kun, he was at the school entrance.

“Amagi-kun…”

Just as I was about to call out to him, a girl appeared beside him.

“Souta, want to stop somewhere on the way home today?”

The girl’s cheerful voice echoed through the entrance.

My feet stopped, and words got stuck in my throat.

As I watched Amagi-kun turn to the girl and respond with a smile, a strange feeling washed over me.