You had made plans to head to the library after classes to finally gain some time to sort out your cyclone of thoughts. Yet here you were, surrounded by too many unfamiliar faces to count whilst silently sitting under the boisterous cachinnation that reverberated throughout the lunch table.

"(L/n)-san!" One of the female students called out to you, her face bright with interest. "I heard about the upcoming event for your parent's business," she said. "I'm super excited for it! I'll be sure to get there as early as possible! Hey, can you tell us more about it?"

You smiled. "It's a secret," you responded, tone light and playful. Well, it was more like you don't have the faintest clue what they were on about.

When classes ended, you were tackled by a group of students who implored you to sit with them for lunch. Before you could even take your next breath, you were dragged away and brought here. Being the new kid and the daughter of a well respected pastry business gathered quite the attention to your presence.

You were going to have a field day trying to remember whose family owned which business. You wanted to groan at the thought of all the research you were going to have to do later on. Is this game on hard mode or something? Is there a way to change the setting?

"Uhm, excuse me...but is it okay if I sit here?"

As if someone had abruptly flipped the off switch on a loud music box, everyone's chatter came to an instantaneous halt at the sound of the voice. All eyes directed their attention to the blonde female who was innocently standing, a nervous yet kind smile on her features.

[Character found: Aimi Mitsu]

Basic Information:

The heroine of the story. A timid and sweet girl from a family with an average income. Due to her exceptional skill in performing arts, she managed to acquire a scholarship for the school.

Being one of the few students in the school to come from a relatively normal family, she became a popular topic for gossip. Some bad, some unintentionally offensive, and some simply curious.

At the thick silence that heavied the air, the poor girl seemed like she was about to collapse from the tension. Everyone on your table exchanged conflicted glances as if they've met with the most complicated decision of a lifetime. You could tell that they were silently hoping that someone else would speak up and break the apprehensive atmosphere.

"Sure, there's a spot next to me," you spoke and you patted the free seat next to you.

All the distress from the girl's face washed away and a smile of relief graced her lips. "Thank you!" she cheerfully beamed, gratitude twinkling in her blue eyes.

As she walked over to you, eyes followed her as if she were some newly discovered specimen. Some students nearby you whispered their thanks for your quick thinking that pulled them out of the awkward scenario.

Slowly, conversations began rising again and the volume level began picking up. Thankfully, it was much milder compared to before. You held a light discussion with a few girls nearby and tried your best to act like you weren't abruptly dropped into this world less than twelve hours ago.

From the corner of your eye, you could see Aimi eating her lunch in silence. Gaze resembling a curious child, she observed everyone quietly. Anyone can tell that she looked out of place, afterall, it must be intimidating being surrounded by students from well known backgrounds.

I wonder why she chose to sit on this table then? There were many other tables she would have joined that had a much more welcoming environment. Yours was probably the loudest and most intimidating.

You noticed her staring at you so you turned around and met her gaze. Her eyes were round in shape, giving her a youthful and innocent look and while she had short eyelashes, it complimented her simple and innocent appearance.

Flustered at the eye contact, the female gave you a quick shy smile before averting her gaze elsewhere.

A little amused, you chuckled lightly. "Aimi-san, right?"

The female straightened her back in surprise before meekly responding, "Y-yes?"

"Would you like to be friends?" Getting close to the heroine can be both good and bad. The beneficial factor is that you may be able to obtain some useful information on the male leads through her. The downside is that if you were too close to her, you wouldn't be surprised if they decided to kill you. "Since you were late, you missed my introduction. I'm (L/n) (Y/n)."

"Aimi Mitsu, but you already know that," she said with a sheepish smile.

"By the way." You pointed to yourself, gesturing to your hair. "That's a cute look on you."

Aimi's blonde hair was tied into two cute low ponytails were decorated with a pastel blue ribbon. Stray strands of hair framed her rounded face beautifully, the slight messiness of it only added to her loveable charms.

"Really?" Aimi lightly touched the ribbon on her hair, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. "I'm glad you think so––"

"Ah! Aimi-san!"

Your ears perked up at the voice. You weren't entirely confident in your guess on who called out to Aimi, however, one quick glance at the reactions of the female students on the table confirmed your assumption.

Heading specifically towards Aimi was Utari, the very male who captured the attention of the entire female population of your school within less than a day. Everyone's attention immediately snapped towards the approaching idol. The entire table was at lost for words before everyone chaotically realised that the Uatri Kashi was heading towards them.

"U-Utari-kun! Have a seat here!"

"I'm a huge fan of your music!"

"Would you take a photo with me?"

"Oh my god, even the way he walks is beautiful."

You observed everyone with an amused look, you found it entertaining to see the table thrown in such a frenzy with such little effort from one individual. While you were doing that, Aimi watched everyone with an oblivious gaze. Puzzlement evident on her soft features before she uttered a sentence meek yet shocking enough for everyone to stop in their tracks.

"Uhm...I apologise if this comes off as rude, but who is he?"

Everyone's jaws practically dropped several feets underground and a volcano of collective gasps erupted from the females. Utari looked at Aimi with a surprised expression at her bold question before holding back a chuckle.

"You don't know who he is?!" A girl whipped out several magazines from her bag and shoved it in Aimi's face from across the table. "Utari Kashi! Everyone knows him! Even if you don't know exactly who he is, you must've at least heard of him!"

"Even my grandmother knows who he is!"

"I'm pretty sure my pet goldfish does too!"

"If given the chance, my boyfriend would totally ditch me for him! I mean, I don't blame him––"

Everyone threw buckets of information about the idol in Aimi's face. One girl basically recited his entire biography and you weren't sure to be terrified or impressed. You sunk in your seat, pretending that you didn't just learn about him several hours beforehand.

Adminst the commotion, you caught Utari's gaze. The male smiled and gave you a knowing look in return.

"If you expose me," you mouthed. "I will end your entire career."

The male gave you an okay sign followed along with a wink. "I gotchu," he mouthed back playfully. "Anyways, Aimi-san, can I ask you a question?" the male inquired.

"What is it?"

The idol casually took a seat beside the female and locked eyes with her. A melodic hum parted from him as a charismatic smile graced his lips. "Would you go on a date with me?"

You thought things couldn't get worse, but you were so wrong.

As soon as those words left the idol's lips, the entire table flared in a fiery ball of complete and utter shock. It was so shocking that said shock resulted in silence engulfing up the entire cafeteria. No one uttered a word and all eyes zoned in onto your table. Everyone was watching as if it were some tv drama.

Aimi's eyes fluttered, her lips parted but no words left her, and her eyes expressed the same profound confusion everyone else had. Even you found yourself intrigued and surprised at the male's bold advancements.

Utari, however, waited in anticipation with a patient smile. You weren't sure if he was oblivious of the attention his words attracted or he was very good at ignoring it.

[New Feature: Chapter Information]

⇨ Continue?

You tilted your head a little to the right in confusion as you stared at your device. Chapter information?

"Uhm..." You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. "I guess I'll continue...?"

[Chapter information]

Arriving late to class, Utari Kashi abruptly enters homeroom. During his sudden appearance, he interrupts Aimi Mitsu's self introduction.

Feeling guilty that he ruined the new girl's introduction due to his carelessness, he invited her out on a date to make up for it. However, Aimi told him that she would only go out with him in one condition, that he invited everyone else on the table. The gesture made many of the female students thank Aimi, for that they were granted a chance to spend time with their favorite idol.

You blinked at your phone. "This information is useless."

???

You seem unsatisfied with the information provided.

12:45

(L/n) (Y/n)

Yes???? How am I supposed to prevent deaths with information like this? I already knew what happened at the beginning? I was literally there!

12:45

???

Oh, dear. It seems like I've forgotten to explain this function.

12:45

(L/n) (Y/n)

???????????????

12:46

???

^^;;

12:46

???

I'll get to explaining then.

After you reach a certain point of a story, you'll be granted with the option to unlock a segment of the future and some background information on the past. Depending on when you decide to unlock it, the information provided will either prove useful or useless.

Oh, and you only have one chance per chapter.

12:48

You bit down your lip to suppress a cry of frustration. Then, didn't you just waste that one chance of yours? You weren't even informed of it in the first place!

???

Don't worry, I'll give you another shot at it. It's just the first chapter, afterall. I'll go a little easy on you ^^

12:48

"How kind of you," you muttered sarcastically before putting your phone away. Still, it is pretty useful. I just need to be strategic when I decide to use it. Your attention was caught when a storm of whispers filtered into the cafeteria and you snapped your attention back to Aimi and Utari.

"A date...?" Aimi's head cutely lulled to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I guess I was a little too straightforward then," Utari chuckled, the euphonious sound causing all the students to cry in happiness at the pleasantry of it. "I felt bad about ruining your self introduction to the class," he explained. "I'd like to make it up to you."

With his reasoning for his bold question now revealed, collective sighs of relief came from many students.

"Aw, he felt guilty for such a simple mistake!"

"Right? Isn't his kindness out of this world?"

"I wasn't even listening to the girl's introduction anyway."

"Ah~ I want to go on a date with him! No fair!"

However, aside from scattered comments of relief, there were still many glares of envy that targeted Aimi. You felt bad for the female, it wasn't like she had asked to be put in such a situation.

"Uhm..." Aimi trailed off, voice growing almost inaudible towards the end before shakily making eye contact at Utari. "Okay," she said, voice growing a little more confident. "I'll go on a date with you on one condition."

"Oh?" Utari tilted his head, his grey-blue eyes twinkled in curiosity. "What is the condition?"

"You invite everyone else here as well."

While everyone was drenched in more shock, you simply leaned back and watched it all unfold. It was a weird feeling knowing the future, but you had to admit that it was a little cool. Everyone's attention is off me. I should try to go to the library now. As you were about to stand up, a sharp voice halted your actions.

"Don't get too full of yourself."

Interrupting everyone's excited chatter was a curt voice, tone peremptory and irritated. A female student approached the table, one hand on her hip as her sharp green eyes narrowed directly at Aimi.

"What do you mean?" Aimi replied.

A scoff escaped the student's red lips. "It's irritating," she said. "Honestly, just because someone asked you on a date, you believe that you suddenly fit in here? Don't––hey! What are you doing?"

You blinked and sent a sheepish smile. While the unfamiliar student was repremending Aimi for reasons you weren't sure, you stood up and began leaving the table. To be fair, you were trying your best to be quiet about it, but your chair caused a loud screeching noise. "I'm...leaving?"

"What?" the girl spluttered. "You can't just do that!"

"Oh." You took a step forward. "It seems like I can though."

A few chuckles came from students, which only amplified the female's agitation. Gritting her teeth, she strided over to you. "You––" cutting her words short, the student tripped over what looked to be a student's bag that was left carelessly out in the open.

The female fell forward and you instinctively caught her, staggering back a little at the impact of her fall. "...Are you trying to seduce me?" you chuckled.

Without a second thought, the girl pushed herself off you. A furious red tint splashed across her face as she gave you an exasperated look. "What!? What kind of––"

You pointed to your chest. "This was where you fell," you said. "If you just wanted to confess, just say so. You're not too bad looking yourself."

Her hair was long and straight that tumbled into curls at the ends. It was a velvety dark brown shade that faded into a lighter brown, the lighter hue resembled the shade of fallen autumn leaves. Lips were a dark scarlet color and there was a beauty mark on the right side under those lips.

The female narrowed her dark green forest eyes at you. "What are you––" The girl was at a loss for words. Her face contorted into one of humiliation as the chuckles from the students began growing louder.

She would look so much prettier with a smile. You sighed, you wanted to say that, but it would only increase her already growing resentment towards you.

"Forget it!" With a frustrated huff, the girl turned away and left. You simply stood there, not knowing how to respond.

That was a strange encounter. You furrowed your eyebrows. She must have some importance to confront the heroine like this. You sighed and sat down, giving up on heading to the library. Lunch was already coming to an end at this point anyway.

A concentrated look crossed your expression. "Could it be..." Your eyes glanced over to the student. She had settled back on her table and the look of irritatation was still on her face. Her friends did their best to comfort her but she simply ignored them. "I should keep a close eye on her," you mumbled to yourself.

Afterall, from what you can infer, the chances are that she was the one that was going to die by Utari hands were pretty high.



===



"This is the spot, right?" you mumbled, glancing up from your phone and comparing the digital image to the spot in front of you. Earlier today, at the request of the heroine, Utari had arranged for a karaoke hang out a few hours afterschool. Despite it being a super sudden arrangement, nobody had any problems with it.

Well, you did.

Your 100th plan of finally getting some rest was immediately obliterated. You wanted to desperately ditch the outing, but when you found out that the student that confronted Aimi during lunch was going to be there, you knew that you had to go.

You had a feeling that you would get lost on your way to the place, so you made sure to set aside extra time to find the area. On the bright side, you weren't late. The downside, you were too early as you severely underestimated how easy it was to find the place.

"I guess I'll just wait." You pulled out your phone, hoping to not look like a pitiful loner in front of strangers. "Researching some songs sounds like a good idea."

Unfortunately for you, you didn't know what type of songs to know. Simply searching up 'trending songs of 20XX' gave you hundreds of options, and you didn't have the motivation or time to go through those options.

Utari Kashi...He's popular, right? I'll just find some songs by him.

You selected a random song and placed earphones in. Leaning against a wall, you closed your eyes and basked in the melody.

His music had a lively and upbeat tempo, the type that would cause you to unknowingly tap your feet to its rhythm, hum silently to yourself at the catchy chorus, and would be the source of the wide smile on your face. His clear and powerful voice granted you a rapturous feeling of ecstasy, you now realised just how much talent he had. At such a young age as well, no wonder he has so many fans.

Feeling a sense of elation after hearing such a pleasant tune, you hummed happily to yourself as you scrolled down Utari's channel, searching for another song to listen to. As you were about to click on another video, you halted at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Seems like we're a little early, huh?"

Instinctively, you paused at the sound of the voice. No doubt it was Utari, and it seemed like he was conversing with someone. Quietly, you hid yourself behind a large pole. If you were careful enough, you could peek a little and catch a glimpse without being caught.

"I guess so..." a female voice replied in which you recognised to be Aimi's.

"Aimi-san, why did you want everyone else to come along?" Utari asked with a smile.

The female averted her eyes off to the side before saying, "I don't mean to sound rude, but I felt too nervous at the thought of a date alone with you." She gave him a small smile. "If you're up for it, maybe next time?"

Utari gave her an understanding nod before beaming brightly at her. "I'll take you up on that offer."

There was a short silence in the air before Aimi cleared her throat. "Utari-kun, why did you choose to become an idol?"

The blue-haired male fluttered his eyes in surprise at the sudden question before releasing a chuckle. "Because I like to sing," he answered simply. "I like to think of it as another way to get my emotions across to others."

"...Are you sure?"

Utari's smile didn't falter, but there was a brief pause in his response. "Of course!"

Aimi gave him a slow nod. "You sure smile a lot, huh?" she said.

"Ah, is it annoying?"

"No." Aimi shook her head. "But, just don't feel the need to force it. Feel free to act however when you're around me."

Woah. Am I experiencing the romance already? You wanted to desperately lean over more to catch a better view at what was going on, but you managed to refrain yourself from doing so.

"...I'll keep that in mind," Utari said, tone noticeably much more milder before he reverted back to enthusiastic self again. "Well! How about we enter now? The others should be arriving anytime soon."

"That sounds good."

Ah, they were done talking.

Wait.

They were done talking.

They are heading your way.

Fuck.

Panicking, your mind raced and your thoughts were jumbled on what to do. Run? No, that would make you look even more suspicious. Confess and just tell the truth? What if Utari kills you right then and there for intruding on his private moment with the heroine?

Ah! You had an idea.

You quickly chose a random song, turned up the volume as high as you could, stuffed your phone in your pocket, and closed your eyes. You acted as natural as possible as if you were in your own world.

"(L-L/n)-san?"

You could faintly hear your name being called out by Aimi. However, you kept your eyes closed and face relaxed and pretended that you didn't hear her.

"(L/n)-san~" This time it was Utari's voice.

You felt someone remove your earphones away from you and you fluttered your eyes open to see that it was Utari who did it. The male gave you an amused smile at your confused expression.

"H-how long were you here for?" Aimi asked, voice wavering a little. Most likely she was worried at the fact that you had overheard their previous conversation. If Utari had the same concerns, he sure as heck did a good job at hiding it behind his usual smile.

"A while," you replied before giving your best oblivious expression. "Why? Did I miss something?"

"Nothing much." Utari was quick to reply and you caught Aimi breathing a soft sigh of relief. "Be sure to be more careful when listening to music like this. Someone might do something to you when you're not paying attention."

You stuck your tongue out at him. "I'll fight off anyone who tries something on me."

"How scary." Utari chuckled. "Now, let's head inside!"

===

Your eyebrows knitted together, your eyes practically unblinking as you poured years worth of concentration as you studied the song book in your hands. You did your best to block out the onslaught of singing, laughter, and chatter that clamorously reverberated throughout the room.

The room was pitch black with neon coloured lights obnoxiously beaming expeditiously as well as several dim glows from various phone screens. Drinks and scattered snacks were messily littered across the table and couches were crammed with people. Luckily for you, no one wanted to hang out in the corner so you had your good share of privacy.

Eventually, you closed the book with a defeated sigh. You decided that you'll improvise some excuse when it's your turn to sing.

Of course, the room Utari booked was the most spacious and luxurious one in the building. However, despite it having so much space, the place was stuffed with students. You didn't blame them. Who would give up the opportunity to attend a gathering with a famous idol?

"Not enjoying yourself?"

You jolted slightly in surprise when Utari suddenly took a seat next to you. He didn't do anything but look at you with expected eyes as if he was waiting for you to say something. You felt like you were suddenly told to improvise in a school presentation that you had no preparation for. So, you blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"How would you react if I said that I didn't know any of the songs in this book?"

The male fluttered his eyes in surprise as if he hadn't expected such a response from you. However, as always, he was quick to bury that momentary flicker of the unwanted displayal of emotion. "Are you saying this to spend more time with me?"

"Uh, is it working?"

Utari chuckled. "Well~" His blue eyes quickly glanced over the area. "Yup! It worked. Plus, as a singer, I am left with no choice but to educate you."

You gaped. "Wait no––"

Utari swiftly snatched the book off your lap, a playful smile mischievously dancing on his lips. "Ah! Let's start with this artist."

"Please, we just had school. I don't wanna learn––"

"Here!" Utari exclaimed excitedly. When he turned and met your gaze, you swore you saw sparkles twinkling around him. Was he that eager to talk about music? "This book has some good taste! This particular artist's music has a unique blend of traditional and modern Japanese. Hearing it through your device is one thing, but seeing their live performance is something else! You have to get into their stuff. Actually, after this I'll send you some of my favourites."

He seemed so passionate that you didn't have the heart to interrupt him.

"I absolutely love how their songs connect with one another, as if telling a story," he said. "I would find myself listening to each one, trying to connect the pieces and writing down pages after pages of theories. They're a big inspiration of mine."

The male then paused, a glimmer of realisation crossed his expression and he chuckled sheepishly. "Whoops, I've been rambling, haven't I?"

You smiled and shook your head. "Nah, keep going. You do you," you said. "It's fun to listen to."

The way his eyes would light up with such a lively look burning in them, how his smile would grow wider every time he reminisced about a song, and how he acts bashful after realising how much he had talked. Utari, despite being a famous idol, his reactions and behaviour resembled a normal and regular student.

"I'm glad, but I'll stop here," Utari said before settling the book on the table. His lips then pursed in contemplation before he looked over to you again. Shuffling closer, he leaned in, his face drawing nearer to yours. "(L/n)-san."

"Yes?" You raised an eyebrow. You wanted to push your head further back to increase the distance between the two of you, but there was a wall that restricted such actions.

Sensing your discomfort, Utari then suddenly pulled back, laughing gently to himself. "You're pretty fun to be around."

"I know." Oh heck, wait. "I mean, yes. No, wait––" You inhaled in a sharp breath before giving the idol a stern stare. "You can't just pull that on me and not expect me to trip over my own words."

"Sorry, sorry," Utari responded. He sounded anything but sorry, in fact, he was more amused.

You simply gave him a tired look before sighing and averting your attention elsewhere, hoping that he would take it as a sign that the conversation has ended.

"(L/n)-san?" Utari called out. In the corner of your eye, you could see that a small pout had formed on his lips. "Are you––"

"Utari?" Aimi's voice interrupted the idol and had captured your attention. The female student had a smile on her face and two microphones in her hand. She extended one hand out, offering it to him. "Remember? You promised a duet with me."

"That's right!" The male eagerly sat up, stretching his arms before looking over to you. "Make sure to listen in closely, a casual live performance from me is pretty rare." He sent you a quick wave before joining Aimi.

You could already feel the eyes of envy piercing the heroine while she handed Utari the microphone. You wondered if it was also your job to protect her from dying by the hands of envious students.

Aimi was having trouble keeping up with the lyrics the rap verses came up. Utari simply laughed while she shot him a frustrated yet cute pout. Many were too immersed in Utari's singing to have time to feel jealousy towards Aimi, however, you caught sight of a certain individual that was fuming in rage.

It was that brunette from lunch. She had her arms crossed, head high, and a vicious glare that even unnerved you from a distance. Under the loud karaoke music, you could faintly pick up the words from her friends.

"Kasumi-san, I think we should leave them alone..."

"Yeah! It's okay, we'll think of something to embarrass that new girl tomorrow."

"How about we––"

"Shut up," the girl, who you heard her friends address her as 'Kasumi', snapped. Coldly brushing off the concerns thrown her way, she marched up towards Aimi and Utari. A few curious eyes followed Kasumi, but everyone's attention was still pinned on Utari and Aimi's singing. You, on the other hand, had a foreboding feeling clutching your heart. You remained on guard, keeping a vigilant eye on the female.

Then, as if a pair of sharp scissors had lacerated through the noise in the air. An abrupt and oppressive silence eroded the once lively atmosphere.

Kasumi had unplugged the karaoke machine.

Mutters swept amongst the students and Kasumi didn't pay a lick of attention to the stares of disapproval that were sent her way. She dropped the cord and glared at Aimi. You blocked out her words as you quickly directed your attention over to Utari.

Your breath hitched at what you saw.

Though Utari's face bore one of surprise, the look in his eyes expressed something else entirely. His greyish blue eyes looked as if there was a vicious storm brewing inside, a restraint rage that was trapped in his kind eyes as a glint glimmered in his pupils that could even be identified as murderous.

You had no idea someone as free spirited as him could have such a look in his eyes. What makes it worse was that no one had noticed it. You knew you had to do something, anything! But your thoughts were racing through your mind so frantically you couldn't piece together something to do.

Utari took a step forward, standing in front of Aimi as if protecting her. "Kasumi-san was it?" he asked sweetly, voice dripping with a deadly poison unbeknownst to others.

You saw Kasumi's body begin to tense, eyes expressing a creeping regret at her own actions. "Yeah?" she replied, voice still strong and arrogant. However, she was slowly taking steps back.

Amidst your internal panic that was coursing through your, as you glanced around the room, an idea stuck out to you. Immediately taking action, your hands haphazardly dug into your bag and you grabbed out a portable charger. You then rushed to where Kasumi sat and grabbed her unattended phone. You could tell her friends wanted to protest, but one distressed look from you made them shut up.

"Kasumi-san!" you called out, just barely being able to hide the trepidation in your voice. "You can borrow mine."

The girl snapped her head towards you. "What? What do you––"

"You needed a place to charge your phone right?" you asked. "Here." You connected her phone with your portable, mentally sighing in relief that her phone was actually on low battery. You had no idea how you could've played it off if it were on full percentage.

You walked up to her and placed the items in her hands before discreetly leaning over and whispering in her ear. "Play along," you said. It wasn't a request, it was a direct command.

You turned over to Aimi and Utari. "Sorry for the trouble," you said. "She must've accidentally unplugged the karaoke machine when finding a place to plug in her charger, it's pretty dark afterall."

More whispers arose from the scene that just took place. You had to admit, it was very hard to keep up a natural act in front of such a large crowd with numerous judgemental eyes staring right at you. You shakily averted your gaze towards Utari, hoping for the chilling look in his eyes to dwindle.

However, what you saw next was anything but that.

"(L/n)-san..." Utari began. He had a smile on his face, but that only amplified the chills that were sent down your spine. The male's next words were simple and innocent, yet his tone was filled with a suppressed anger that felt as if it would explode at any given moment.

"...What exactly do you think you're doing?"