Cheers To Commotion

The lights of the Tokyo Dome sparkled like a thousand falling stars. Each light stick waved together. Mutsuki’s voice rang out, clear, sweet, and strong.

♪"I give my heart to you, so you must follow me. I sing, you dance. I sing, you follow!"♪

The crowd swayed, hands waving, smiles on every face. At first, it was just excitement. Then it grew stronger. His magic seeped through, subtle and pervasive. It entered the minds of thousands, creating a trance. A wave of obedience rolled over the crowd, something Mutsuki could barely manage.

Mutsuki blinked.

Chaos erupted in front of him with his family.

‘He can’t be trusted! That boy!’ his uncle shouted. ‘He’s far too reckless.’

‘He’s our talent! With proper training, he can get a job with the government!’ his frustrated mother responded.

‘No! How many close calls are we going to ignore? He needs to be sent away!’ another relative yelled.

♪"Dance with me! Feel me! Be mine!"♪

Mutsuki’s head spun. The roar of the Dome, his family’s voices, and the crowd’s chant all merged into an unending storm.

Mutsuki blinked.

Screaming children of all sizes floated in the air.

♪"Give me your heart! Your soul! Your everything!"♪

Mutsuki blinked again.

One moment, he was an idol loved by thousands. The next, he was in a room with eight tiny eyes fixed on him.

A raccoon dog danced on a table. A fox changed forms three times in ten seconds. A kappa puffed up like a queen. A tengu sulked in the corner. A Maneki Neko cleaned up a spill on the floor. An Oni quivered under a table. A small werewolf lounged like he owned the room. And a little boy hugged his leg so tightly it nearly hurt.

♪"I sing for you! You follow me! You dance, you follow!"♪

Mutsuki closed his eyes.

‘MUTSUKI! I follow! MUTSUKI! I follow! MUTSUKI! I follow!’

‘What excuse are we giving the Prime Minister this time? He’s a disaster! Just look at him! Parading around in women’s clothes, showing off that vampire curse! He’s a shame to the whole family. He needs to be punished!’

‘I’m flying, Sensei! Watch me!’

♪"I give my heart to you, so you must follow me. I sing, you dance. I sing, you follow!"♪

‘Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!‘

‘Start living like a normal person now, Mutsuki! Enough idol nonsense! You can’t hide behind your laziness anymore! You’re lucky our family runs Japan’s Magical Bureau! How many mass hypnotisms have we covered up? How many magical slip-ups have we erased? That’s enough!’

‘Mon, no! Don’t hit Gon! You, Akashi! Stop tackling Honey!’

♪“My magic, my soul, my everything! I hand to you!"♪

Mutsuki began seeing everything at once.

The screaming Dome. The screaming family. The screaming children. Round and round and round.

♪"I give, I give, I give you all of me!"♪

All the sounds swirled into a tornado that threatened to pull Mutsuki under. He clutched his head and whispered to himself, ‘It shouldn’t be like this… I just wanted my magic to bring happiness…’

♪“Sing with me, dance with me, never let me go!”♪

Every beat of the song twisted reality. Papers flew in midair, chairs floated, glow sticks hovered like fireflies. His family’s shouting mixed with the children’s chaos, pushing him closer to collapse. He struggled to keep the rhythm, to stay upright. The Dome shook, caught in a trance deeper than joy. The crowd moved as one, a perfect wave, a canvas for Mutsuki’s outpouring magic.

♪"I give my heart to you, so you must follow me. I sing, you dance. I sing, you follow!"♪

A gentle touch on his cheek brought him back.

‘You okay?’

A beautiful shrine maiden stood in front of him. Her voice was soft and steady, her hands warm. Just her presence created a calm space amid the chaos. Like a barrier formed just for the two of them.

Mutsuki stared at her, confused. The students froze in their antics, their little mouths wide open in surprise. The faint magic pulsing from him faded. The Dome’s chanting, the relatives’ yelling, and his own song on repeat slowly became distant echoes.

The eager gazes of the fans and family shifted to the curious stares of children. The pressure and tension turned into anticipation and chaotic joy.

‘Sensei, we made this snowman for you,’ three children said together. The kappa in the middle held it up securely, while the kitsune and tanuki on either side cast a spell to make the snowman move.

Mutsuki breathed out and let go. A smile slowly spread across his face as he turned back to the girl, meeting her gaze.

‘I’ll be okay now.’