interlude one: hanako

<<You’re coming with me to the open mic night today, right?>>

<< Wouldn’t miss it for the world!>>

Hanako smiled at her phone. Who would have thought that random guy would have been so supportive of her? She could barely remember the last time she felt so happy.

<< (◐ω◑) >>

Her dreamy trance was broken by the train bell signaling the next stop.

Ding, ding, dong!

Hanako wriggled between the morning commuters, through the train doors, and onto the platform. Morning rush hour was difficult when you were only 155cm tall.

She kept her head down while she walked to school. School - her second least favorite place in the world.

Hanako always arrived early so she could avoid the masses of other students.

Tokyo Girls Arts Academy was a small private high school tucked away in the southern end of the Toshima Ward. There wasn't much green space besides a few small gardens because it was a school that focused on music, art, and drama. It boasted a massive auditorium, state-of-the-art facilities such as recording rooms, and all the digital media technology that an artist would dream of. The tuition was expensive, and anyone with a creative bone in their body would envy those who were enrolled.

Tokyo Girls Arts Academy

Hanako looked up at the sign. It was her prison. Everything about it reminded her of what she had lost - yet, she kept going.

It was what her mother would have wanted.

3-2

Hanako slipped into her classroom. It was empty, and the lights were still off. She took her spot at the back of the classroom and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through social media, checking in on her favorite idols, reading every comment, and liking every post.

They were her heroes. True idols in every sense of the word. They were loved by their fans, adored, cute, happy - everything she was not. Everything she strived to be. To find her place amongst them and show her talents to the world. To find love and acceptance.

At seventeen, she needed to be discovered soon. She needed to make it happen. It was the only thing she wanted in this world.

<<Do your best today, Hanako! :) >>

It was a text from Daiki. His emoji game was weak, but his words always meant a lot. She smiled to herself.

<<You too! ♪(･ω･)ﾉ >>

* * *

The beginning of the day went fine - even though the school was arts-focused, they still had standard classes for the first half of the day. After lunch, everyone would split up into their specialties.

Hanako’s stomach growled.

The other girls in their class had already broken off into their friend groups, showing off cute and creative bentos and gossiping about boys.

Hanako unwrapped her bento - only rice and some crab sticks. She ate hurriedly so no one would comment on her pathetic lunch.

“Hey, Mizuno,” Someone said rudely. Acrylic nails tapped over the top of her desk.

Hanako looked up slowly, bracing herself for whatever was coming next.

It was a girl with shining blond hair and big boobs that she made a cornerstone of her whole personality. Her pink lip gloss glittered almost as much as her fake nails. She looked and acted like a superstar. She could make any boy eat out of her hand with a simple flutter of her perfect eyelashes.

“I’m talking to you,” She snarled.

She was known around the school as one of the most talented students. She’d already gotten a few acting jobs and magazine photoshoots.

Hina. Or Hina-hime, as her fans called her.

“What do you want?” Hanako asked.

“I heard from someone that you were walking around with a boy on Tuesday,” She said, her eyes glimmering.

“Gossip,” I said.

“Not gossip if it’s true,” Hina said.

“Why do you care?” Hanako asked, picking up her bag, intending to get out of there as soon as possible.

Hina’s other friends blocked Hanako’s exit.

“A university boy,” Hina added.

Hanako blushed. “He’s just a friend.”

“Well, obviously,” Hina scoffed. “No one would be that desperate to go on a date with you.”

Hanako shouldered past the girls surrounding her like hungry vultures. “Leave me alone.”

“How much is he paying you to sleep with him?” Hina’s words sliced like knives.

Feeling tears brimming in her eyes, Hanako rushed to the door and fled to the washroom. She shut herself in a stall, pulling up her legs and resting her feet against the door.

A familiar place for her.

Hina had hated her since first year, but it wasn’t until this year that the bullying had become almost unbearable. Now that Hina was sort of famous, she and her followers felt like they ruled the classroom.

Hanako was their favorite punching bag.

Teachers always brushed it off, calling it normal teenage jealousy. No one cared about feelings here. It was about performance. It was about being the best. The best singer, the best actress, the best dancer, the best artist, the best musician. That was what we were all paying for.

Hanako didn’t care about being the best anymore. She just wanted to live her dream of being an idol, no matter what anyone said.

Today, she was nothing but a target.

But, tonight, Hanako would sing at the karaoke place. She would be adored. She would be loved.

And, even if just for a moment, she would forget.