We had made steady preparations for the idol stage.
However, there was not much I could do, and I had to do what I could behind the scenes.
On the other hand, Lexia-san and the other girls have been practicing more and more, and I think they have become really great school idols.
And today was the day they were to show the results of all their practice on stage.
"I never thought they would actually finish it!"
"Was that a joke?"
I met up with Kitaraku-senpai before the show… and I was appalled when he said that out of the blue.
"No, no, I was serious! But it is true that I thought it would be very tough. But you guys really pulled it off. That's fantastic!"
"Y-yes…"
While I was happy that Lexia-san and the others seemed to have been recognized for their hard work, I also had the indescribable feeling that if I knew it was a reckless goal, I would've wanted a little more leeway.
And above all──.
"As this project progressed, I thought I had gained some understanding of senpai, but…"
"Hmm? That's nice to hear!"
He was a man who loved to have fun, and he would spare no effort to do so.
Moreover, the scale of what he wanted to do was always large, and this time, too, it was an idol stage involving Star Productions.
However, it was quite irregular for a professional entertainment production to cooperate with a school idol stage that was not planned by the production itself but by amateur students.
Of course, from my point of view, Lexia-san and the others are attractive, and I can say with confidence that they will be successful from a commercial point of view, but I don't know if that is the same from a professional point of view.
In such a situation, thanks to the efforts of Kitaraku-senpai, we were treated unbelievably well when we were provided with splendid costumes and, above all, even a song by the famous singer-songwriter Kanade Utamori.
In other words, we couldn't have asked for better support…
"I never thought the stage could be this big…"
The stage wasn't very big, but it was certainly big enough for a newcomer… and a school idol to stand on for the first time.
The stage that had been prepared was much larger than expected.
"Hahahaha…! That's because it was the memorable first stage! I couldn't have been more fired up!"
"T-that may be so, but I'm not sure if the audience will show up…"
For me, seeing how hard Lexia-san and the others have been working, I'd like to see a lot of audiences, but no one knows how this will turn out for sure.
But…
"You don't have to worry about that!"
"Eh?"
I didn't understand why the president could say that. But──.
"Well, the doors are finally opening!"
At the same time as the president's voice, a large number of the audience poured into the venue! And when I looked closely, I saw that many of them were junior high school students.
What in the world is this…?
"The project itself was originally initiated in order to increase the number of people interested in Ousei Academy. We've been working with the president of Star Productions and others, and we've been conducting promotional activities mainly at junior high schools in the area."
"I-I see."
Is that why there are so many young visitors?
I was surprised that he had thought that far ahead…
As I was surprised at the energy of Kitaraku-senpai, Lexia-san and the others came to the side of the stage where we were standing.
"T-there are so many people here…"
"Are we going to perform in front of this many people…?"
"I'm getting nervous…"
The number of people in front of them was so overwhelming that Kaede, Luna, and Merl almost lost their confidence.
"Don't worry! I've seen how hard you all have been working, and I'm sure… you'll succeed!"
This was my true intention.
It was out of my control whether or not the audience would show up, but I knew that if so many people showed up, I could be sure they would be satisfied.
Then…
"Yuuya-sama is right!"
Lexia-san stood in front of Kaede and the others and puffed out her chest.
"We've worked hard, and we'll be fine!"
"Le-Lexia, Yuti, aren't you nervous? We're going to sing and dance in front of all these people, you know?"
"I'm used to it."
Certainly, Lexia-san, being a princess, was in a position to face many people's eyes, and I wonder if she is fine with this level of situation…
If so, how about Yuti?
"Normal. I just do what I've practiced, so the audience doesn't matter."
"Y-you mean you don't care about them…?"
I-I see… It was a very Yuti-like reason.
And then, Lexia-san smiled when she heard Yuti's words.
"As Yuti said, just show what you have been practicing. You don't have to think about showing anything more than that. You've been giving it your all since you started practicing, haven't you?"
"That's…"
"The only difference is that we have fun! Because you never know what this project will be like in the future, right? This may be the last time. So, let's enjoy this situation with all our might and without regrets!"
"T-that's right…!"
"Fufu… Thanks to Lexia-san, I'm feeling much more relaxed now."
Everyone seemed to have changed from nervous expressions to lively smiles.
Kitaraku-senpai, who was watching the situation, grinned.
"Yes, yes, it's really wonderful! Don't you think this is the real thrill behind the scenes?"
"──You're absolutely right."
"Ueh! P-President-san! A cameraman?"
"Yuuya-kun, it's been a while."
I reacted to the voice I suddenly heard, and there was the president of Star Productions standing there with a cameraman.
"W-what are you doing here?"
"It's a project we're helping out with, so it's only natural that we'd be here to see it. Besides, if we get some good footage behind the scenes, we might be able to use it for another project, don't you think?"
"I-I see…"
"Sigh… But, it was a little surprising to find out that the person with whom we were working closely was you."
Then, Kitaraku-senpai, who had given the impression of being pushy until now, told us so, as if a little taken aback.
"Eh, is this the person you're in close contact with, Kitaraku-senpai?"
"Yes, that's right. If we were to suddenly get up close and personal with the girls who are going to be our school idols this time, we would make them shrivel up, wouldn't we? Then, don't you think it would be best if we could get close to them and capture them on camera at the right time?"
"T-that's…"
"Above all, I believe Kitaraku-kun has the potential to be a great idol!"
"Hahahaha! It's an honor to have the president of an entertainment agency say so! But there's still something else I want to do, so please save that talk for another time!"
"Ara, I've been rejected."
W-what can I say? Kitaraku-senpai is really amazing…
As I was thinking about this, the stage was finally set to begin.
"──Everyone, let's go!"
Everyone responded energetically to Lexia-san's final call, and they ran out onto the stage.
The girls looked more radiant than anyone else as they stood in the spotlight on stage for the first time.
The audience was captivated by the sight of the girls and was instantly drawn into the performance.
The girls captured the hearts of the audience with their singing and dancing.
"Amazing…"
One of the audience members muttered, and as if caught by the sound of their voices, more and more people began to cheer, and by the end, the entire venue was in a frenzy.
──The first idol stage was thus a success.