becoming an idol is a pipe dream

“An idol?” Repeated to myself.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been standing in front of the karaoke bar. Hanako was long gone. I forced myself to walk home, my mind still spinning from her words.

Idol? That wasn’t a job. Becoming an idol was just a pipe dream for middle school girls.

I shook my head as I unlocked my door. 

I must have misheard her, I told myself.

Even though I knew I didn’t.

* * *

The thought of Hanako wouldn’t leave my head, but I had to study. That calculus test was the most important thing right now.

Right?

I blinked and rubbed my eyes, watching the numbers in the textbook move around like ants.

Someone snapped their fingers in front of my face.

“Yo, Daiki!”

I looked up from the jumbled numbers to face my friend, Hiro.

He was a handsome jock sort of guy. With red spikey hair and a tanned complexion from spending endless hours playing basketball and baseball - we were polar opposites.

“You good, bro?” He asked.

“Fine,” I sighed.

Hiro leaned in, staring into my eyes. “Hmm,” He said flatly before jerking back and raising his finger as if he just thought of something genius. “Nope! Something is up - I can tell.”

There was no hiding my emotions from him. He was my childhood best friend, after all, we had been inseparable since the first day of preschool. It didn’t matter that I was an academic and he was an athlete.

The only reason he even made it into University was because of a baseball scholarship. Even he knew that.

So, that’s why I was here trying to carry him through basic calculus.

Too bad I couldn’t even concentrate on the problems typed out before me.

I sighed. “Fine, you’re right.” I conceded.

Hiro winked. “I knew it!” He said. “Is it that girl from the karaoke place?”

I sputtered, nearly falling out of my seat. “What?” I gasped. The blood was rising in my face, turning my cheeks red. I could feel myself start to sweat. “No!”

Hiro wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Yeah, ok.”

“How do you know about that?” I hissed, holding up the textbook and leaning over the desk so we wouldn’t disturb the other people in the library.

My friend’s face went blank as if he couldn’t believe what I said. “Wow,” He blew out a soft whistle. “You really don’t remember last Friday night, do you?”

“No. Unlike you, I can’t drink an elephant’s worth of beer.”

How did he drink so much anyways? Weren’t athletes supposed to care about their health?

A student near us shot us a dirty look that said “You guys are being too loud!”.

Hiro hid a laugh with a fake cough, leaning down under my textbook barrier.

“Anyways,” He whispered. “Yeah, after a few beers, you couldn’t stop talking about some cute pink-haired girl a few booths over. I offered to go talk to her but you wouldn’t let me.”

“Well, at least my drunkenness didn’t impair my better judgment.”

“Yeah, well…” Hiro trailed off, looking away.

“What?” I said through gritted teeth. I grabbed him by the collar and made him look at me. “What. Did. You. Do?” I demanded.

“I may or may not have slipped your phone number under her door on the way to the washroom.” Hiro laughed nervously, scratching at his cheek.

“Whaattt?!”

* * *

And now I was kicked out of the library for a week.

Hiro had left me to go to baseball practice and I had to find somewhere new to study.

I sighed, shielding my eyes from the afternoon sun. The exam was tomorrow. I had no time for this crap. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed at him.

I started the long commute home. I guess I’d have to study in my hot, stuffy apartment instead of the library.

I zoned out as I walked to the station, barely looking up as I boarded my usual train. Unfortunately, it was much busier than I was used to. because I usually avoided the evening rush hour. I could barely breathe, crammed among all the salary men on their way home.

I glanced at them, noticing their tired eyes and rumpled suits.

Was that my future?

No way, I was enrolled at one of the best universities in Japan. I was going to get a great job at a top company and continue my quest to be the very best high achiever.

A flash of dark blue and pink caught my attention.

Across the train from me were three girls in their school outfits. All three were looking at something on the middle girl’s phone. They were speaking excitedly about something in hushed voices. Typical high school girl excitement.

But that wasn’t what caught my attention.

The uniform was the same as Hanako’s.

A violin case rested between the middle girl’s polished shoes. It said Tokyo Girls Arts Academy.

So that’s where Hanako went to school.

Damn! I had nearly lasted an hour without thinking about her. The heat crept up my cheeks again.

I wondered if she had even noticed Hiro slip my phone number into her booth. He was so drunk - maybe he had sent it to the wrong one? Maybe she had already left? Maybe some stranger had my phone number.

Why was the thought of Hanako having it the most terrifying of all?

So, she wants to be an idol, huh? I thought as I watched the three girls get off the train.

I wondered if she realized that the average person had a 0.1% chance of ever making it as an idol and even if she did - was that even a job? Singing, posing for pictures, and shaking the hands of weird idol otakus.

I shuddered at the thought.

Someone with her talent. Someone with her beauty. Yeah, she probably had a better chance than most, but … Becoming an idol was just a pipe dream.

As I stepped off the train, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.

It was from an unknown number.

<<Is this Daiki?>>

I stared at the number for a moment. Annoyed commuters pushed around me as I stood dumbly in the middle of the train platform. I was like a rock directing the flow of a raging river.

<<Yeah? Who is this?>>

Hardly a moment passed before the reply came in.

<<It’s Hanako… (˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ ) I need you right away! Something terrible has happened!>>