The day had finally come.
Kaede and Mirei stood at the school gate, their hearts racing with a mix of excitement and nerves. Their first day as trainees was about to begin, and neither of them could quite believe it. They had spent the entire weekend preparing—signing contracts, talking with their parents, and imagining what their new lives would be like. Now, the real work was about to start.
"Ready?" Mirei asked, flashing her usual bright smile.
Kaede nodded, her stomach twisting in knots. "As ready as I'll ever be."
The two of them made their way to the subway station. The agency was about 30 minutes away, located in a part of the city they weren't familiar with. As the train sped through the underground tunnels, Kaede couldn't help but wonder how this experience would change them. Would they be able to keep up with the intense training? Would they make it into the final group?
Mirei, sitting next to her, hummed to herself as she tapped her foot along to the rhythm of a song playing in her head. It was typical Mirei—bubbly, confident, and ready to take on the world.
When they finally arrived at the agency building, Kaede's breath caught in her throat. The place was huge, with sleek glass windows and a modern design that made it stand out from the surrounding buildings. The large sign outside read "Starlight Entertainment," and it gleamed in the afternoon sun.
They exchanged a nervous glance before walking through the entrance. Inside, a staff member greeted them with a smile and directed them to a room where the orientation was being held. The room was already filled with other girls—around 20 of them, all between the ages of 14 and 19. Some were chatting nervously, while others sat in silence, their eyes focused on the front of the room where a large screen was set up.
Kaede could feel the nervous energy in the air. She scanned the room, noticing that most of the girls looked just as anxious as she felt. Mirei, of course, didn't seem fazed at all. She immediately started talking to a couple of the girls, her friendly and outgoing nature shining through as always.
They handed in their signed contracts to the staff, their parents' signatures affirming their support for this massive step forward. Once the paperwork was done, the orientation began.
The agency representative, a sharp-looking woman in her 30s, stood at the front of the room. Her presence was commanding, and the room fell silent as she began to speak.
"Welcome, everyone, to Starlight Entertainment. You've been selected as our newest group of trainees, and today marks the beginning of your journey to potentially becoming idols. Over the next few years, you'll be undergoing rigorous training in singing, dancing, and performance. This agency is currently working on a project for an idol group we hope to debut in about two years. Some of you here today may become the members of that group. We don't know how many members the group will have yet—that will depend on your progress. But make no mistake, this will be a difficult and demanding process."
Kaede swallowed hard, her nerves increasing with every word. Two years of training? It felt like such a long time, and yet, it wasn't long enough to prepare for something as big as debuting in an idol group.
"We expect nothing less than your full effort and dedication," the woman continued. "Those who can't keep up will be cut. But those who make it to the end will have the chance to become stars."
The orientation continued for about an hour. They were introduced to the staff, including their singing and dance teachers, who all looked both intimidating and supportive in their own way. Kaede found herself nervously glancing at Mirei, who seemed unfazed by the daunting expectations being laid out before them.
Once the formal orientation ended, the trainees were given some time to get to know each other. Mirei, ever the social butterfly, quickly struck up conversations with several of the other girls, laughing and chatting like they'd been friends for years. Kaede, on the other hand, felt a bit lost. She stood on the sidelines, watching the interactions unfold, unsure of how to jump in.
Suddenly, a girl approached her. She had long, shiny black hair and delicate, pretty features that made her stand out even among the other girls.
"Excuse me," the girl said with a smile, "are you the 'handsome waitress' from the café near Aoyama girls high school?"
Kaede blinked, surprised and a little embarrassed. She recognized the girl vaguely, but it wasn't until now that she remembered—this was the girl who had been a regular at the café where Kaede worked part-time.
"Uh… yeah, that's me," Kaede replied, feeling her face heat up.
The girl giggled and held out her hand. "I thought so! I'm Yukina Yamada. Let's be friends, okay?"
Kaede hesitated for a second, still feeling a little flustered, but then smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Kaede. It's nice to meet you."
Yukina was bubbly and cheerful, radiating the same kind of energy that Mirei did. As they talked, Yukina mentioned how Kaede had made quite an impression on some of the other girls in the café. "You're pretty popular, you know," Yukina teased, making Kaede blush even more.
"Popular? Me?" Kaede laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I think you've got the wrong idea."
Just then, Mirei noticed Kaede talking to Yukina and bounced over to join them. "Kaede! Making friends already?" she teased, nudging Kaede playfully.
Kaede smiled, feeling a little less out of place with Mirei by her side. Yukina introduced herself to Mirei, and the three of them chatted for a bit, sharing their excitement and nerves about the upcoming training.
Yukina, it turned out, was 16, and like Mirei, had a natural charisma that made her easy to talk to. Kaede found herself relaxing more as they continued chatting, realizing that maybe this trainee life wouldn't be so bad after all—at least, not if she had friends like Mirei and Yukina by her side.
After their brief meet-and-greet session, the trainees were ushered into a large practice room where their first dance lesson awaited them. The room had mirrored walls and a glossy wooden floor, with a sound system set up to play music for their dance routines. The instructor wasted no time in getting them started, and soon they were all learning the basic choreography.
Kaede found herself sweating and struggling to keep up at times, but she powered through, determined not to fall behind. Mirei, of course, picked up the moves quickly, her natural rhythm and confidence shining through even in the first practice session.
By the time their first day of training ended at 7 p.m., Kaede was exhausted. Her muscles ached from the intense dancing, and her head was spinning from all the new information they had learned. But despite the fatigue, there was a sense of satisfaction and excitement bubbling beneath the surface.
"You want to grab some dinner?" Mirei asked as they left the practice room.
Kaede nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. "Yeah, I'm starving."
They decided to grab dinner before heading home, chatting excitedly about their first day as trainees. It had only just begun, but Kaede could already feel that this was the start of something incredible. As long as she had Mirei by her side, she knew she could face whatever challenges came their way.
And so, with the weight of the first day behind them and the promise of a long, hard road ahead, Kaede couldn't help but feel hopeful.