Unforgivable

Setting: At the psychologist

Doctor: Just for my understanding, what is the order of pillars? Did you decide to ruin your bonds from the least important to the most important?

Pandora: More or less, yes.

Doctor: And why even include your fans? Aren’t they just random strangers to you who happen to like your music?

Pandora: Being a high school idol means that you build your relationship with a local community. The smaller it is, the more personal it can get.

Doctor: How many people are we talking about?

Pandora: During the cultural festivals, usually around 500 people gather on my concerts.

Doctor: How do you feel when you perform in front of them?

Pandora: Empowered. Full of energy. Like I can do anything in the world.

The Doctor takes notes.

Doctor: Mhm. So the question still remains, why do you think you are so important to them that you need to destroy your bond?

Pandora: I get letters. Tens of letters stating that my music gives them hope and will to live. Many of my fans confessed to thinking about suicide and that I am the only one who makes them keep going. What do you think will happen when they find out the reason they kept fighting has given up on life?

Doctor: I see. A bothersome situation indeed… The first pillar to be actually hundreds of individuals that you needed to collectively off-put. How did you even manage to do that?

Pandora: Hihi.

Pandora giggles as if really proud and satisfied.

Setting: At Pandora’s high school, 9th June 2022

Pandora and Alyssa walk in the hallways of their school.

Alyssa: The preparations for the cultural festival go well!

Pandora: Yes! I am so looking forward to it~!

The students around them carefully watch Pandora as she walks by. Once she passes them, the murmur starts among the students.

Female student #1: Did you hear? Pandora had a plastic surgery!!

Female student #2: No way! I mean, she does look perfect, so maybe that’s the reason behind it!

Female student #1: Yeah but still it’s just a rumor. Although… wouldn’t it be, like, funny? The perfect idol, Pandora, having gone through the surgery? That’d mean everything about her is fake! Ahahah!

Female student #2: If I remember correctly, she was gone for a couple of weeks in the first year, they said she was really sick but what if she needed to just heal after the surgery?

Pandora notices that the girls speak about her but pretends not to see it and so she continues to walk with Alyssa with a gentle smile on her face. Another group of students start a murmur.

Male student #1: Oh man, Pandora is so pretty! During this cultural festival, I’m gonna ask her out!

Male student #2: Yeah, keep dreaming, lol.

Male student #3: Guys, didn’t you hear? Somebody saw her with a boyfriend!

Male student #1: A boyfriend? No way, idols can’t have a romantic relationship! It would destroy their career!

Male student #2: Why do you wanna ask her out then?

Male student #1: Well, that’s…

Male student #3: But still, she’s not like a real big name idol, so I guess it’s okay for her.

Male student #1: No! It’s not okay! If she wants to make it big, she shouldn’t have a boyfriend! At least, not if it’s not me!

Alyssa and Pandora come to a class room where a meeting of the festival organizers is held. At the desk, a girl with a tag on her uniform stating ‘president’ talks to other members. The Student Council President is a real beauty. She has short purple hair and big purple eyes. The vibe she gives off is kind of strong, as if this was a peak of hunanity's confidence. She notices Pandora and Alyssa as they enter the room. Her eyes sparkle upon seeing Pandora.

Student Council President: Oh, you’re here, girls! Pandora, everything ready for your concert? We’re counting on you!

Pandora: You bet! I’m fired up! Hehehe.

Student Council President: Good! Alyssa, did you take care of the posters?

Alyssa: Of course! Everything is in the place! I am a marketing coordinator, after all!

Student Council President: Amazing! I’ve got a feeling that this will be the most memorable cultural festival ever!

Alyssa: And also the best concert ever! Right, Pandora??

A delinquent looking male student from the back of the classroom makes a snarky remark, putting his feet on the desk.

Organizing ‘delinquent’ student: Of course the concert’s gonna be fire. Your daddy will take care of it like always.

Alyssa: What was that, Shinzo?!

Shinzo: I’m not talking to you. Why don’t you tell us why the principal has always been hyping up your concert more than any other program on the festival? Surely it wasn’t because your daddy is an influential politician, was it?

Pandora: (Frowns) I don’t know what you’re talking about. My dad has nothing to with this school. He often skips the parent-to-teacher meetings so that nobody can accuse him of… well, of what you just did.

Shinzo: Yeah, yeah. They basically made you a celebrity and yet you have the nerve to deny it in front of everybody.

Student Council President: Shinzo, stop! Do you have a proof for that?

Shinzo: I don’t. There are some juicy rumors going on lately. The rumors spread quickly. But you don’t have to have a proof in your hands in order for something to be true. And the truth will always show itself!

Student Council President: If you don’t have a proof, stop accusing Pandora or her family of such atrocities! And this goes for all of you! Don’t believe or spread any rumors about Pand- I mean, about anybody! As your student council president, I won’t allow it!

She gradually increases the tone of her voice.

The whole classroom: Yes, president!

Student Council President: Now, Shinzo. Apologize to Pandora!

The Student Council President looks fired up and irritated by this point.

Shinzo: Alright, alright. I’m sorry, … (he changes his facial expression to a smirk) …plastic nose.

Alyssa: Shinzo!! You’re such a jerk!

Pandora: Ahahah, it’s okay, baby! I don’t know what your problem is, Shinzo, but I guarantee, this beautiful face of mine was never plastically enhanced. What you see is a true natural beauty. Hihi.

Pandora winks at Shinzo and offers a warm smile.

Shinzo: Don’t be so full of yourself.

Setting: At the psychologist, back to present

Doctor: That Shinzo guy truly hates you, doesn’t he. He might be a role model for your pillars.

Pandora: He’s a rather… interesting guy. Anyways, with the preparations for Cultural Festival being almost done, the main event was about to commence on Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

Setting: Pandora’s high school, Cultural Festival, 11th June 2022

Pandora is performing one of her songs on the stage, approximately 500 people gathered to witness her concert. People have blue and red neon concert sticks in their hands, slamming them in the air to the rhythm of Pandora’s song. Alyssa and the Student Council President watch from the backstage. Pandora finishes the song.

Pandora: (singing) “You always keep finding me so easily, I won’t back up anymore.

Rip me apart and eat me from the inside, you know I’m all yours.

I belong to you.

I’m out of my mind! I’m what??”

As Pandora sings, she asks the crowd to sing along, expecting the crowd to sing back and fill in her lyrics.

The Crowd: (chanting) “Out of your mind!!”

Pandora: I’m what??

The Crowd: (chanting) “Out of your mind!!”

Pandora: (singing) “I dare you to stop! Don’t, even if I scream.

I shall be punished by this darkness and by you.

I’m out of my mind! But don’t mind me at all.”

The song ends and the crowd goes wild with a big applause.

Pandora: Thank you very much!! I truly appreciate you!! Now. Did everybody get the sealed envelope at the entrance?

The Crowd: Yeah!!!

The crowd raises their hands to the air, holding a pink envelope. The envelope says “To my beloved fans, Pandora”.

The Student Council President: What’s that?

Alyssa: Pandora asked me to distribute this to all fans who come to this concert. And as a marketing coordinator, I did my job! Hehe.

The Student Council President: And what is in the envelope?

Alyssa: I don’t know. Pandora just said it is a gift from her to her fans, she asked me to tell them not to look inside until during this moment. Isn’t that exciting?! I saved one of the envelopes for me, too~! Oh, and here, this one’s for you! (Alyssa hands over another envelope to President.)

Pandora: My beloved darlings! Thanks to you, I am always full of energy! I feel so loved!! So I thought I would share my love with you. This is my ultimate gift to you! My purest proof of love! OPEN THE ENVELOPES!

The crowd goes wild. As they all open the envelope, the crowd slowly but surely starts to quiet down. A horrified look on their faces appears. In the fantasy-like sequence, Pandora is looking at her stone statue holding a microphone. She shows a picture to the statue. The pillar underneath starts cracking and Pandora now has difficulties standing next to the statue.

Alyssa: What’s going on?

Pandora: This is the bond we will share forever! Isn’t it magnificent? (She realizes something is off.) W-wait… what is this atmosphere?

A male student from the crowd #1: How could you do this to us?

The male student’s eyes are filled with tears. The girl from the first row shows the inside of the envelope, she reveals there was a photograph. She shows it to Pandora who is looking at her from the stage.

A female student from the crowd: Is this your ‘ultimate’ proof of love?

Pandora looks at the photograph and she starts crying.

Pandora: N-no, that’s not…!

A male student from the crowd #2: So the rumors were actually true…

Alyssa is looking at the photograph in the backstage. She looks pale and starts sweating. On the photograph, there is Pandora kissing with Vulcan. President grits her teeth; rage is building up in her face as she starts trembling.

Alyssa: Wait, this can’t be! What happened? Pandora would never want to show this to her fans! Did somebody swap the envelopes?!

The crowd starts booing. They yell things like “You’re a traitor” and “I bet all the other rumors about you are true as well!” or “I’ll never forgive you!”, “I’m never coming to your concert again!”.

Pandora stands on the stage, crying. In her fantasy, the pillar below her crumbles down entirely, making the chains holding her stone statue break and thus the statue falls down from the platform.

Back in reality, she runs off to the backstage and hugs Alyssa. Both of them start crying heavily as they embrace each other.

The Student Council President: P-Pandora… (President stands next to them looking confused and full of ranging emotions.)

Setting: At the psychologist, back to present

Pandora: For true fans that care about an idol, there are many things that are delicate, including the family background and plastic surgery. But to actually have a romantic relationship… is unforgivable. And the best part of it is that a seed of destruction was already planted in several people, including Alyssa.

CHAPTER 3: END