Kaede was just an ordinary high school girl—or at least, that's what she told herself every morning. Tall for her age, with a lean, athletic build and short-cropped hair, she was often mistaken for a guy. Some days, she didn't mind it, but more often than not, it made life difficult. Her tomboyish appearance, coupled with her preference for oversized hoodies and sneakers, had earned her a reputation that made her a target.
She remembered the first time the guys in her class started bullying her. It wasn't just because she looked different; it was because she wasn't afraid to be herself. They mocked her for being too masculine, made crude jokes, and laughed at how she didn't fit the "girly" mold. It got worse when one of the more popular boys tried to pick a fight with her, claiming she was "pretending to be tough." Kaede, who had no interest in playing by anyone else's rules, stood her ground. But even after that, the whispers and taunts followed her through the hallways like shadows.
Still, she pressed on. She always did. She didn't care what people thought of her—at least, that's what she wanted to believe.
Everything changed one day when she stumbled upon the idol group Celestial.
It was after one particularly rough day at school. Kaede had been shoved around, called names, and left feeling lower than she ever had before. She was walking home, head down, trying to shake off the feeling of defeat when she heard a song playing from a nearby store. The upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics pulled her in. Without thinking, she wandered closer, her eyes landing on the brightly lit television screen in the shop window.
There they were—Celestial, a five-member idol group, shining like the stars they were named after. They moved in perfect synchronization, their voices blending in flawless harmony. But it wasn't just the music that caught Kaede's attention. It was her. The girl standing in the center, exuding a bold and confident aura, was none other than the group's leader—Mirei.
Mirei wasn't just a typical idol. She was different. Despite her sassy and playful on-stage persona, her face was the softest, the cutest of them all. Her delicate features contrasted with her confident presence, creating an aura that Kaede couldn't look away from. Mirei was everything Kaede wasn't—radiant, beloved, and unapologetically herself. She was the kind of girl Kaede secretly wished she could be: strong, admired, and untouchable.
From that moment on, Kaede became a devoted fan of Celestial. She collected their albums, memorized their lyrics, and watched every interview she could find online. She went to their concerts, sometimes standing for hours just to get a glimpse of Mirei in person. And when she finally saved up enough to attend one of their fan meetings, she got to speak to Mirei for the first time. Even though it was only a brief exchange, with hundreds of other fans waiting their turn, it felt like the world had stopped when Mirei looked at her and smiled.
That smile—it was everything.
In the quiet moments, Kaede found herself thinking about Mirei more than she would admit to anyone. It wasn't just admiration. It was something deeper, something she didn't know how to put into words. She had a crush, and she knew it. Mirei had become her escape, her light in the darkness. Whenever school life got too hard, whenever the bullying got too much to bear, Kaede would immerse herself in Celestial. It was her way of coping, of finding happiness in a world that seemed determined to tear her down.
But nothing could have prepared Kaede for what happened that night.
It was a typical evening. Kaede had gone to the grocery store, grabbing some snacks for a late-night study session. She had her headphones in, Celestial's latest album playing on repeat as usual. The streets were busy, but it was the usual Tokyo rush. The noise of the city was a familiar background, comforting in its chaos. She was just about to cross the street when something on the big screen above caught her attention.
Breaking News.
The words flashed in bold red letters, demanding everyone's attention. Kaede pulled out her earbuds, her heart suddenly heavy in her chest. The news anchor's voice was somber, and she could feel the shift in the air around her. People stopped in their tracks, staring up at the screen.
"The leader of the popular idol group Celestial, Mirei Shinohara, was found dead in her apartment earlier this evening. Authorities have confirmed the cause of death as suicide. She was 21."
Kaede's world froze.
No. No. No. This can't be real.
Her heart pounded in her chest, her vision blurring as tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't breathe. The ground seemed to shift beneath her feet. Mirei… gone? It didn't make sense. It couldn't make sense. How could someone so full of life, someone who had brought so much joy to her and countless others, be gone? Kaede's mind raced, trying to find some logical explanation, some way to deny what she had just heard. But the more she stared at the screen, the more the truth began to sink in.
Mirei was dead.
Kaede stumbled back, her hands trembling. The city around her buzzed with murmurs and shocked gasps, but all she could hear was the ringing in her ears. Everything became a blur. She couldn't think, couldn't feel anything but the crushing weight of grief that was swallowing her whole.
And then, everything went black.
Kaede wasn't sure how long she was out, but when she opened her eyes, she wasn't in the street anymore. She blinked, sitting up slowly, her head spinning as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. It was a classroom—her classroom. But that didn't make sense. She had been outside, hadn't she? How did she end up here?
Just as she was about to stand up, she froze.
Sitting in front of her, at the desk next to hers, was a girl. Her back was to Kaede, but that bob, brown hair, that unmistakable posture—it couldn't be. Slowly, the girl turned around, and Kaede's heart nearly stopped.
It was Mirei.
Mirei, alive and well, sitting in her classroom as if nothing had happened. She smiled at Kaede, her soft voice breaking the silence.
"Kaede… are you okay?"
Kaede's mind spun. What the heck was happening?