Prologue

A strikingly beautiful girl gazes into the bathroom mirror.

Judging by the uniform-like clothes she’s wearing, she’s likely a middle schooler.

Her beauty is adorned with a gentle smile—an expression so captivating that it’s no exaggeration to say any man would be entranced by it.

Her hair reaches halfway down her back, a jet-black color reminiscent of a crow’s feathers, embodying the ideal image of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

The girl seems to be checking her appearance, and once satisfied, she flashes a radiant smile and says:

“Alright! No issues. I’m cute today too♪”

“Mikuri, your dad’s already waiting!”

“Got it, Mom. I’m ready!”

Moving from the bathroom to the front door, an older couple—presumably her parents—are waiting. The woman is dressed casually, while the man is in attire suitable for going out, holding a set of car keys.

“Mikuri, you’re late.”

“Yeah, sorry, Dad♪”

“…Well, as long as we don’t hit too much traffic, we’ll be fine.”

It’s clear this man is her father, and his demeanor suggests he’s quite soft on his daughter.

“Well then, off you go. It’s okay if it doesn’t work out, you know?”

“Ugh, Mom, you’re still against it, aren’t you?”

“Come on, we’ve talked this through enough already. Let’s get going.”

“Alright. See you later, Mom!”

“Take care…”

After bidding her mother goodbye, the girl passes through the front door her father holds open.

“Ugh, it’s cold!”

“Get in the car quick.”

“Okay.”

She tosses her bag into the second row of a typical minivan and slides into the passenger seat. Her father takes the driver’s seat, starts the engine, and the navigation screen lights up with a TV broadcast.

“You know where we’re going?”

“Don’t worry, it’s programmed into the nav.”

“Cool, no problems then.”

“Yep. Alright, let’s hit the road!”

“Yeah, to the final audition venue!”

The two share a laugh, hyping each other up. As the car pulls out of the driveway and onto the road, a news program on the navigation screen begins reporting an incident:

“—death has been confirmed. The deceased is Atsushi Saida, 14 years old, who was on their way home—”