It’s the morning after Idol Lumina day, and I sit in class with my head buried in my arms. I grumble quietly, stomach still twisting from how that lesson ended.

  Clara’s hand fell limp—out of nowhere.

  That wasn’t some random glitch. Her augments must’ve shut off because they thought her AC was too low. But… that only happens to people with low AC. It shouldn’t happen to someone like Clara. It can’t.

  My stomach knots tighter, and for a second I really think I’m going to be sick.

  I shove my face deeper into my arms, trying to shut out everything around me. Professor Hisame is late, so at least no one’s going to call me out for looking miserable.

  But… why is she late? I got here on time—early, even—and she just wasn’t here. If the display board wasn’t flashing “I’m going to be late, do not leave early!” we probably would’ve thought class was canceled.

  The rest of the room doesn’t care. Everyone’s taking advantage of the free time—roaming around, chatting, studying like nothing’s wrong.

  A crowd has gathered in the back, all swarming around one crying girl.

  “C’mon Emi, let us see that picture!” one girl pleads.

  “Yeah, I wanna see it too!” another beams. “The way Clara hugged you after you cried—she’s so sweet!”

  Even Kanna is there, tapping her foot impatiently. “Just show us already!”

  Their voices blur together—bright, excited, completely clueless.

  But how can they be this happy? Am I really the only one who saw what happened to Clara?

  What if she’d been standing when her augments shut down? Is that why her handler kept insisting she sit down and rest?

  Questions spin through my head until I feel dizzy.

  If Clara—Arcadia’s number one Idol—collapsed in front of an entire classroom…

  No. I can’t even imagine it.

  But wait… what about Reina?

  Reina is a whole year older than Clara. Her AC should be decreasing even faster.

  A weak groan slips out of me as I sink into my arms.

  “You okay, Bunny-chan?” Tama murmurs beside me, patting my back. “Are you sick?”

  “Ugh—yes…” I manage.

  “R-really?!” Her eyes widen. “Do you need me to take you to the nurse?”

  I groan again and shake my head. “No. Not that kind of sick.”

  “Oh! I get it!” Tama sighs in relief. “If you’re homesick, I’m sure the school will let us visit your family over the weekend!”

  That’s not it either—but if I go along with it, maybe she’ll stop worrying.

  I nod, forcing a tiny smile, when a familiar voice cuts through the room.

  “I already showed you! Why do you want me to send it to you too~?!” Emi cries.

  Tama and I both look over. Emi’s practically curled in on herself as a group crowds around her like a pack of drones closing in for the perfect shot.

  “Please~!” one girl begs, shoving her HoloNode toward Emi’s wrist. “C’mon, if you send it to me I’ll be your friend!”

  Emi recoils, hugging her arm tight against her chest. “I—I don’t want friends! Just leave me alone~!”

  Tama and I exchange a look and she nods, already pulling her chair back. “Don’t worry, I got this—”

  But before she can even stand—

  “Alright everyone, take your seats!”

  Every head snaps toward the front as Professor Hisame strides in through the teacher’s entrance. The door clicks shut behind her like the punctuation mark on a threat.

  The swarm of girls instantly disperses—except for the one sitting next to Emi.

  She leans in close and whispers, “Hey—if you send it to me, I’ll make sure everyone leaves you alone.”

  Emi peeks up at her, eyes swollen and trembling. “O-okay~… just… please don’t post it online…”

  “I promise!” the girl chirps, far too cheerful, before tapping her HoloNode against Emi’s.

  She smiles, satisfied, and slips back to her seat.

  I sigh under my breath. There’s no way that picture is staying off the Holonet for long.

  Hisame claps once—sharp, commanding. The room snaps to silence.

  “Okay. I have an important announcement for you all, but first I want to revisit yesterday’s lesson.”

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  She begins pacing the front of the classroom, arms folded neatly behind her back.

  “What were you supposed to learn from our interview with Clara?”

  One girl raises her hand timidly. “We… were supposed to learn something?”

  Another shrugs. “Yeah, it just seemed like a normal interview until we got kicked out for some reason.”

  The class murmurs in agreement.

  Oh… I knew it.

  No one else noticed. They really think we were kicked out for wasting Clara’s time.

  “Well then…” Her tone shifts smoothly, slipping into professional neutrality. “The lesson was about the dangers of using Overdrive. It may seem like a flashy move you can activate whenever you like, but even an Idol like Clara admits it’s dangerous. She was only able to use it safely because of her high AC.”

  Wait—what?

  Is that it? Is she really just… moving on?

  My chest tightens as I sit up straighter, heart thudding. I catch Hisame’s gaze lingering on me—just for a moment too long.

  Then she gives a small, deliberate nod.

  She knows.

  My chest still feels tight, but I nod back anyway.

  Hisame gives the smallest smile before turning back to the class.

  Hisame ejects the wand from her wrist and catches it smoothly in one motion.

  “Now then—for the announcement,” she says, already moving on. “Today, some of you will be going on your very first mission.”

  For a heartbeat, the room goes quiet.

  Then the whispers start. A few girls gasp, others lean forward, excitement building in uneven waves.

  Our first mission? On the third day of school?

  That’s… unheard of.

  I glance sideways at Tama. She’s practically bouncing in her seat, eyes sparkling like she just won the lottery. Honestly, she looks more excited than anyone else here.

  Hisame lifts a hand to her mouth. “Ahem.”

  The room quiets—mostly.

  “Some of you may have already heard about the Hazumono Colony’s collapse,” she continues, calm and precise, “and the radio blackout affecting the two frontier colonies beyond it.”

  My chest tightens.

  “Most second- and third-year Idols have already been deployed to protect those colonies,” Hisame says, pacing as she speaks. “However, that still leaves the task of restoring communications to you, first-years.”

  She flicks her wrist. The display board shifts, filling with an aerial view of a massive freight yard.

  Rows of train cars stretch across the screen, loaded down with equipment. Cranes looming overhead. Workers in bright vests move between cars, boarding, securing cargo, preparing for departure.

  “These trains are carrying prebuilt relay towers and line equipment,” Hisame explains. “Along with specialized construction crews tasked with installing them. Your mission is simple: escort the train and protect the workers while they restore Arcadia’s connection to the frontier.”

  A hand shoots up.

  “So—wait,” a girl asks, “are we going to be the only class protecting these trains?”

  Hisame doesn’t hesitate. “No. Other classes will be deploying teams as well.” She pauses. “Which means only five of you will be assigned to this mission.”

  Instant chaos. Hands fly into the air. Girls shout over one another, begging, pleading, already imagining the headlines.

  But the noise feels distant.

  There’s too much happening all at once.

  Clara. Reina. Hazumono. This mission.

  My thoughts knot together until I can barely breathe.

  I should probably sit this one out. It’s not like they’re desperate for volunteers.

  “Alright, alright—everyone calm down!” Hisame claps her hands, the sharp sound cutting straight through the noise. When the room finally settles, she continues, “I know you’re all eager to get your names out there. However, this is an emergency operation—which means media coverage will be low.”

  …What?

  Almost instantly, hands begin to drop.

  One by one, the excitement drains from the room. Even Tama deflates, slumping back into her seat with a small, disappointed sigh.

  Just like that, the class gives up.

  From shouting and begging to dead silence in seconds.

  “Hmph!” a voice snaps, breaking the quiet. The girl tossing her bright pink hair with an exaggerated flick. “What’s the point of going on missions if we’re not even going to be filmed?”

  I lift my head from the desk and spot Kanna, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed.

  My face twists in disgust.

  Being an Idol isn’t just about cameras and applause. It’s about protecting people. About giving them hope when everything else falls apart.

  Just like Reina did.

  My stomach still churns, nerves buzzing under my skin—but if no one else wants this mission… then someone has to.

  Before I can talk myself out of it, my arm shoots into the air.

  “Professor Hisame,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel, “I’d like to go on this mission.”

  Hisame looks at me, then nods. There’s a faint spark of approval in her eyes.

  “Ha!” Kanna scoffs, spinning in her chair to face me. “Of course you would. A pointless mission like this—something low-risk where all you’ll be doing is babysitting a bunch of greasy men.”

  Maybe she’s right about it being low-risk—but that doesn’t make it meaningless.

  “I don’t care!” I snap back, my words spilling out before I can stop them. “I became an Idol to give people hope. So if just being there helps those workers believe they’ll make it home safely, then that’s enough for me!”

  For a split second, the room is quiet.

  Then—

  “Hell yeah! That’s the spirit, Bunny-chan!” Tama whoops, slinging an arm around my neck. She grins wide before thumping a thumb against her chest and looking at Hisame. “You can count me in too, teach! I can’t let Bunny-chan have all the fun out there!”

  I glance up at Tama—then down at the arm slung comfortably around my shoulders. My heart skips, and a small smile slips out before I can stop it.

  Kanna notices.

  She gasps, eyes flicking between the two of us, then scowls hard and turns back around in her chair with an exaggerated huff.

  “Great,” Hisame says, clapping her hands once. “That gives us two. We still need three more.”

  Her gaze sweeps across the classroom, sharp and assessing—until it lands on Kanna.

  “Tch.” Kanna clicks her tongue and shoots her hand into the air. “I’ll go too.”

  Tama grins. “Heh. What happened to this being a pointless mission?”

  “Hmph. I just don’t want Rika embarrassing our class,” Kanna snaps back. She swivels toward the girl beside her. “Come on, Isuka. We need to make sure this mission is done properly.”

  Isuka meets her glare without flinching and gives a small nod. “If you say so, Miss Koleida.”

  “Ugh—!” Kanna whips around, face flushing. “I told you to stop calling me that! It’s Kanna!” She exhales sharply. “Whatever. She’s coming too.”

  Hisame nods, then pauses, considering. “That leaves one final spot.” Her eyes shift toward the far corner of the room. “Emi. You’ll be joining this team.”

  “Wh—what?!” Emi squeaks, recoiling in her seat.

  “This mission requires a support unit,” Hisame says evenly. “And your technical expertise may prove useful.”

  Emi’s hands tremble as she lifts them in protest, but Hisame ignores her.

  She steps forward, planting herself at the center of the room. One final clap—loud, commanding.

  “Now that the team has been selected,” she says, “we’re ready to move.”

  Tama squeezes me closer, giving me a playful shake. I can’t help smiling.

  This is our first real mission. Not for training. Not for show.

  For people who actually need us.

  I still don’t fully understand why Kanna changed her mind—but I can’t let that distract me now.

  “Tama Arata. Kanna Koleida. Emi Minobe. Isuka Isen. Rika Kisuragi.” Hisame straightens, folding her arms neatly behind her back. “This mission may not look glamorous,” she says, voice steady. “But you are responsible for the future of humanity.”

  She pauses.

  My heart thuds once—hard.

  What I saw yesterday… what happened to Clara…

  I don’t have time to dwell on it now. People are counting on us. And I will protect them.

  Hisame inhales once, then delivers her final instruction.

  “Don’t mess it up.”

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