Arc-2 Ep-43

On the afternoon of the second Sunday in August, the long-awaited Reitaisai finally arrived.

“──The song you just heard was ‘The Light of the Galaxy Is Eternal.’”

“Man, when all of Sistema Solare performs it together, this song really is a masterpiece~”

“Rina-rin~!! I love you~!!”

“Tomomi-chan!!”

“Mikuri~~~!! I love you!!”

Just like the year-end comprehensive concert, it opened with all forty-eight members performing Sistema Solare’s signature piece, “The Light of the Galaxy Is Eternal.”

When the song ended, thunderous applause and cheers poured down on us. Voices called out for each individual member, but the cheers directed at me were nearly on par with those for our two major aces, Rina-san and Tomomi-san.

Thanks to the drama and the commercials, my popularity within Sistema Solare seemed to have risen to the highest tier as well.

“...Well then, here we go.”

“Yes, the season has once again come around this year!”

“Then—”

““The Fifth Sistema Solare Reitaisai begins now!!””

The opening declaration was delivered by the same middle-aged male announcer and late-twenties actress who served as MCs last year. Last year I only watched the seniors sing and dance from backstage, but this year I was one of the participants.

I stood on the same stage to sing, and then received the MCs’ opening declaration amid overwhelming cheers and applause. Of course, my formation position during the performance was not a prominent one, and even the spot I moved to during the MC lineup ended up near the edge, but that couldn’t be helped.

Until the results of this popularity poll were announced, I was still just a low-ranking rookie.

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Since three members were retiring this time, the remaining forty-five were competing for the rankings. First came the announcement of those from twenty-second place and below — the members who would not enter an internal unit and would not be given a nickname.

According to the prediction sites, both Nozomi-chan and I were expected to be ranked significantly higher, while Chie-chan was considered borderline at best for earning a nickname. The other five would likely have their names called in due order.

“...Then, for the Fifth Sistema Solare Reitaisai popularity poll, thirty-ninth place is!?”

“Thirty-ninth place is!?”

“...Sixth-generation member, Mami Ichihara-san!”

“Ooooh!”

While I stood at the back of the stage smiling but letting my mind drift, the first sixth-generation name announced was Mami-san’s. She was positioned on the opposite end from me. She gave a polite bow, stepped into the spotlight, and walked toward the center of the stage.

“Please come this way. First, a few words?”

“Yes. ...Hello. I’m sixth-generation member Ichihara Mami. First of all, thank you very much for voting—”

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The popularity poll announcements continued smoothly. At this ranking level, the members were not yet widely known, so the conversations with the MCs were brief and the pace stayed brisk.

Naturally, several sixth-generation names were called during this time. After Mami-san at thirty-ninth came Sakiko-san at thirty-seventh.

Then Yuuna-san at thirty-first, followed immediately by our sixth-generation leader, Shion-san, at thirtieth. Vice-leader Sayaka-san placed twenty-sixth, which was more or less consistent with the prediction sites.

Now all that remained was to see when Chie-chan’s name would be called. Prediction sites had said her chances of making it into the top twenty-one and receiving a nickname were slim, though not nonexistent.

“...Then, for the Fifth Sistema Solare Reitaisai popularity poll, twenty-third place is!?”

“Twenty-third place is!?”

“...Sixth-generation member, Chie Sekiguchi-san!”

“““...On three — Chie-cha~n!!!”””

Unfortunately, her name was called here. The girl beside me smiled softly and said only a few words.

“Well then, I’ll be off.”

“Yeah. Good luck.”

There was no trace of the Chie-chan who had panicked at last year’s Reitaisai as she walked toward the center in her standard Sistema Solare costume. Watching her small back, I found myself thinking she had truly grown — with the gaze of a father.

No, I mean, if you added my age from my previous life, it wouldn’t be strange at all to have a daughter around Chie-chan’s age. I never married, but I had dated several women seriously enough.

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“──I’ll work hard so that next year I can aim for an even higher rank, so please continue to support me!”

“Yes, thank you very much! That was sixth-generation member Chie Sekiguchi-san!!”

She gave one last deep bow, lifted her head several seconds later, and maintaining the same posture, stepped backward. Reaching the location marked during rehearsal, she spun neatly on her heel and returned to my side.

“Good work.”

“Thank you very much, Mikuri-san.”

With this, the only sixth-generation members whose names had not yet been called were Nozomi-chan and me. Having two out of eight enter the nickname group in our first popularity poll was not bad, though not particularly outstanding either.

The fifth generation had three out of eight make the top twenty-one. Although, excluding Rina-san, the other two were from Seven Satellite, and one of those two had already been called.

I was thinking how difficult it must be to go from having a nickname to joining the mini-live group, just as the very last member without a nickname was about to be announced onstage.

“...Then, this will be the final announcement for the first half of the popularity poll results.”

“Twenty-second place is frustrating, but I hope she uses it as motivation to work even harder. ...Please go ahead with the announcement!”

“...For the Fifth Sistema Solare Reitaisai popularity poll, twenty-second place is!?”

“Twenty-second place is!?”

“...First-generation member, Callisto — Kae Higashiyama-san!”