Arc 3 Ep-10

 The month has changed, and at last second term of middle school has begun.

Because it is compulsory education, the amount of work from the production is being adjusted, so I attend school normally.

The current students must be overjoyed.

Even though it is only on days when school is held, they can see a currently popular idol almost every day.

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"Good morning! Mikuri-chan!!"

"Good morning, Kayanuma-san."

"Good morning."

On the way to school or inside the school, until I reach the classroom, surprisingly few people call out to me. However, once they become classmates, as soon as I enter the classroom, they call out to me in a friendly manner.

Honestly, I feel a little bothered, but I am a celebrity. With a faint smile on my boasted beautiful face, I properly return the greeting.

Since they are middle school students, the number is not that large, but even so, they must have voted for me in the popularity poll.

Especially the boys who are right in the middle of puberty.

"I watched the Reitaisai. Congratulations!"

"Second place is amazing!"

"Thank you. I was also surprised that I ranked higher than I expected."

"…………"

I make my smile shine even brighter than before, and the faces of several boys who came close to my seat turn red.

For the time being, they are in the upper class caste and qualify as sunny characters, but even so, they have no immunity to the smile of an ultra-beautiful girl.

"I was worried that you might become so busy with work that you wouldn't be able to come to school anymore."

"Yeah yeah. Since you're a main member of a popular idol group, I thought your schedule would be completely filled with work."

"Hmm. Last year it seems Rina-san was like that, but they are considering things for me and Nozomi-chan until we graduate from middle school."

"…Rina-san, Nozomi-chan… When I hear those names, I really feel like you're truly an idol."

The ones who spoke in place of the boys were girls who are also in the upper class caste and sunny character category.

All of them are cute, but they are at a level that normally exists in other classes and other grades as well.

Originally, one might think they would feel jealous and treat me poorly, but apparently when it reaches my level, such emotions disappear.

Perhaps because I am a celebrity, they think I am a person from a completely different world from ordinary people like themselves.

"So then, you can attend school normally?"

"Yes. There will probably be days when I can't come because of work, but the days I can come should be more numerous."

Compared to my first year as an idol, the number of times I have to miss school due to work will surely increase.

Even so, in terms of the ratio of days I attend versus days I rest, the former should still be more.

"That's good… or is it? For an idol, it seems better to be busier with work, though."

"Well, I think spending days doing only work from middle school would be questionable too. It will probably get busy once I become a high school student."

"I see."

*ding dong dang dong*

At this point, the pre-bell chime rings throughout the classroom. I think the homeroom teacher will come soon, but the surrounding classmates show no sign of returning to their seats.

However, that is only natural.

Our school is an extremely ordinary public middle school that you can find anywhere.

It is a place where students from ordinary general households, or even below that, are enrolled.

If it were higher than that, they would often go to private schools through middle school entrance exams.

For someone like me, an ultra-beautiful girl idol, to be in such a place and studying in the same classroom must be an almost miraculous probability.

Of course it is natural for them to want to get as close to me as possible, even a little.

"…You guys, hurry up and sit down~. There's an opening ceremony, you know."

"Yes~"

"…See you later, Mikuri-chan."

When the homeroom teacher enters the classroom and speaks to them, the students who were around me finally return to their own seats.

To the boys who call out to me while moving, I show a smile in place of a reply.

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"—The longest second term is about to begin. This is a term with various events—"

Why are principals' speeches so long at times like this?

And why does unbearable sleepiness creep up on me?

Perhaps they are using some sleep-inducing spell like La〇ho or Su〇ple.

[T/N- La〇ho → This is ラリホー (Rarihō / Laliho), the iconic sleep spell from the Dragon Quest series.

Su〇ple → This is スープル (Sūpuru), the sleep spell from the Final Fantasy series (especially older titles like FF1–FF3).]

Well, the cause is probably that I am tired from idol work and lessons. I end up thinking such stupid things with my foggy head. However, I cannot fall asleep in this situation.

Honestly, my level of attention from all the students in the school is higher than the principal's.

Of course, it is not blatant staring. 

It is the kind of glancing glances, especially from the boys, pretending "I'm not looking."

Naturally, I am aware that I am being watched, and most women are sensitive to such glances.

While receiving that kind of attention, showing a blunder would be unacceptable for an idol, so I desperately stay awake.

Of course, I keep a faint smile on my face the whole time.

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After struggling with sleepiness and finishing the opening ceremony without showing any sign of it, I return to the classroom.

After that, there are only various announcements, and that's it. As expected on the first day of the second term, there are no classes.

"—Well then, that's all for today, but there is school tomorrow too. Don't take it easy thinking it's still summer vacation mood."

"I know."

"I have to finish my homework when I get home…"

"If it had been shifted by one day, we would have had a break right away."

Since tomorrow is Friday and enduring just one day means the weekend break, the classroom does not have much of an atmosphere of nostalgically missing summer vacation.

If the first day had been Monday, a gloomy mood would surely have been felt from students here and there.

After the homeroom teacher leaves, there are also students in the classroom discussing where to go play afterward.

I suppose those people have already finished their summer vacation homework.

If this had been before summer vacation, they probably would have invited me with words, but now that the Reitaisai is over, it is different.

Even before, I never participated, so they must understand that.

"…Ah, Kayanuma-san. Are you going to the agency now?"

When I finish packing my things and stand up, a girl from the group that was having that discussion calls out to me.

"Yes. I have to memorize a lot about the new group."

"I see. That sounds tough."

"Mikuri-chan, do your best."

"Thank you. See you tomorrow."

With a smile on my rare beautiful face, I enchant my classmates. The idol business, which is a popularity trade, is tough.