—Four Years Later—

  Taking the first step toward my future, I look up at the massive building rising before me.

  Glass and steel sweep into elegant arches and domes, curving together like something out of a dream. The whole structure gleams sky-blue in the morning light, streaked with silver and gold accents. Above the main entrance, carved across the arch in delicate bold lettering, are the words: Arcadian Idol Institute.

  I’ve been staring so long, frozen in awe, I almost forget to breathe—until I notice the other girls filing past me into the building.

  “I can’t believe I got accepted!”

  “Right? I was so scared I wasn’t going to make it!”

  “My parents were so proud when I told them!”

  Their voices spill over each other, bright and electric, every smile wide enough to light the whole plaza.

  I lift my wrist, staring into little module set in my augment—my HoloNode. As it glows, it lets out a soft shimmer that projects a holo-screen into the air with letter already glowing in its display.

  Arcadia Idol Institute – Admissions Department

  Makers of Dreams. Protectors of Tomorrow.

  To Miss Rika Kisuragi,

  After a full review of your training evaluations and compatibility assessments, the Arcadia Idol Institute is honored to inform you of your acceptance into the First-Year Idol Development Program…

  …The Arcadia Idol Institute welcomes you among the chosen few entrusted to stand as both warriors and symbols of hope for humanity. We look forward to seeing the Star you will become.

  With honor,

  Director Takeshi Hoshikawa

  Just reading it again makes tiny birds flutter in my chest. A squeal almost slips out, but I clap my hands over my mouth before anyone hears.

  Deep breath. Confident face. Don’t look like a total dork.

  I stride toward the doors, the crowd already thinning. By the time I step inside, awe sweeps over me all over again.

  The lobby is enormous, its ceiling arching high above two blooming sakura trees planted on either side of the entrance. The walls shimmer with pale gray-blue metal, etched in zigzagging patterns that catch the light like rippling water.

  I shake my head hard, trying to snap out of it. The other girls are already funneling toward the main auditorium. I hurry after them, but—

  Tsst! Sprang!

  Sparks leap from my leg augment as the joint kicks out of place. My balance vanishes and the floor rushes up towards me—

  “Woah there!”

  I jerk to a stop midair, yanked upright by the collar of my uniform.

  “Someone’s a little too excited,” a voice teases, bubbling with laughter as I’m set back on my feet.

  I spin around to find her—a girl with short blonde hair underlayered with a soft blue hue. Her eyes are shut tight, grin stretched wide, sharp teeth flashing like a shark showing off. When she finally opens her lids—

  My breath catches.

  Her irises shimmer like jewels: a wash of pale blue, tinged pink along the bottom, fading into a vibrant purple at the top.

  “You okay now?” she teases, grinning as wide as ever. “Not gonna trip again—are we, Bunny-Chan?”

  Heat floods my cheeks. “B-Bunny-Chan?!” I stammer. “Wh-where did that nickname come from?!”

  She giggles and points straight at my head. “’Cause your radar augments look just like bunny ears!”

  My hands fly up before I can stop myself. Cold metal brushes against my scalp as I trace the frame of my antennae.

  “They do not!” I protest, voice shrinking into a meek squeak.

  She slings an arm around my shoulder and yanks me close, eyes sparkling. “And I love the color you picked for your hair and eyes! Wheat blonde and sapphire blue—classic combo! I almost went with the same, but y’know, I had to add some extra flavor~”

  She winks at me and I squirm out of her grip, taking a quick step back. “Uh, actually… this is my natural hair and eye color. I don’t have any augments to change them.”

  Her eyes fly wide, a little gasp escaping her lips. “All natural? Wow, you’re some kind of unicorn!” Another laugh tumbles out of her. “Bunny-Chan really is the perfect name for you!”

  I duck my head, cheeks burning hotter. “C-can you not call me that? My name’s Rika Kisuragi…”

  She tilts her head, confused. “Why? You’re using Idol Corps SB Spring Legs. Every girl who wears those is usually going for some kinda bunny theme.”

  My gaze drops to my legs, pale blue and trimmed with gold like my arms and antennae. And… okay, fine, with their oversized spring pistons they do kind of look like a rabbit’s. But that’s not why I chose them. They were the best match for my combat style, not some theme.

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  She studies me up and down, then smirks. “Speaking of which, why are you already wearing combat augments? Our first mission isn’t until later.”

  Another wave of embarrassment squeezes my chest tight. I fidget with my fingers, staring at the floor. “Uh… well… the thing is…” My throat locks, then everything bursts out in a rush. “My family was too poor to buy any more augments! This single set was all they could afford!”

  Her expression goes blank for half a second. Then—pfft!—she bursts into laughter.

  I squeeze my eyes shut, groaning. Great. First day and I’ve already made myself into a joke. Of course I won’t fit in here…

  But then—clunk. A heavy metallic hand drops on my shoulder.

  “Don’t worry!” she says, grinning so wide her shark-teeth gleam. “The school’ll cover you. Now that you’re officially an Idol, they’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need.”

  Relief floods me, my doubts breaking apart. Then I catch the glint of amusement in her eyes.

  “Wait a second…” she murmurs, lips curling as her eyes light up. “That means you got in without any financial backing. That’s actually really impressive! I got all kinds of scholarships because I was scouted for having an S-rank AC.”

  My head jerks up. “Wait—your Augment Compatibility is S-rank?”

  “That’s right!” She grins, flexing her augments proudly. “I basically hit the lottery and became an Idol without even trying! And because of that, all my augments are custom-built by Leviathan Heavy Industries.”

  Her augments gleam in sleek black plating, lined with sharp gold accents. Every joint looks sturdy and powerful, built to withstand anything. The Leviathan logo is stamped clear on the backs of her hands and along the edges of her thigh connectors—like badges of pride.

  Then something clicks in my head, and I tilt my head curiously. “But… doesn’t Leviathan mostly make augments for construction workers?”

  “Yup!” she says, practically bouncing. “That’s exactly why I picked them! My dad uses Leviathan gear all the time for his construction business, so they were more than happy to sponsor me!”

  “Wow…” The word slips out before I can stop it.

  She’s just… dazzling. The way she grins, the way her voice carries—so confident, like she was born untouchable. There’s this air about her, like nothing in the world could ever knock her down. If I hadn’t gotten into AII, I know she would have become my next obsession. I can’t help it—her energy, her beauty—it pulls me in. My cheeks burn hotter the longer I stare, wide-eyed, completely caught in her orbit.

  I shake myself back to reality before I melt into the floor. “O-oh, wait—I don’t think I even got your name.”

  She blinks, then laughs again, a sound that sends my heart fluttering. “The name’s Tama! Tama Arata!”

  “Ahem!” A voice booms across the lobby. “Welcome, everyone, to the Arcadian Idol Institute!”

  I blink around in surprise. At some point, the entire crowd of students had already cleared out. Only the two of us are left.

  “Oh no—we’re late for orientation!” I yelp, flustered.

  Tama just smiles, slipping her hand into mine. “Then we’d better hurry, Bunny-Chan!”

  Before I can protest, she tugs me along with unstoppable momentum, dragging me toward the auditorium like we’ve been best friends forever.

  We ease the auditorium doors open and slip inside, hugging the wall as quietly as we can.

  The room drops away into a massive funnel, all eyes drawn to the glowing stage at the bottom. Terraced steps ring the space in wide layers, packed shoulder to shoulder with Idols.

  Tama guides me into one of the middle rows, leading me to a vacant spot. Even though we’re not rushing anymore, her hand stays clasped in mine—warm, even through the mix of metal and rubber.

  I glance out over the crowd, and my breath catches. Thousands of girls, all in their crisp uniforms, augments gleaming under the lights. Every one of them different, every set unique. And these are just their out-of-combat augments.

  I look down at my own—bulky combat gear strapped awkwardly to my body. Compared to them, I feel ridiculous. My stomach twists.

  Before I can say anything, Tama gives my hand a sudden squeeze. Just a quick, firm press.

  “Hey,” she whispers. “No need to be nervous. You’re gonna do just fine.”

  I blush and quickly dart my gaze away, forcing my attention to the stage.

  At the center, a tall man in a white coat stands before the mic. He looks older than I expected—probably mid-forties—with streaks of gray through his brown hair and a rough stubble shadowing his jaw.

  “…To be accepted here is the highest honor our city can bestow,” his voice rolls across the room, steady and warm. “You are humanity’s pride. You are the spark of hope the world looks to when the darkness presses in…”

  I freeze. Shoot—I missed most of the speech. Fumbling with my HoloNode, I flick open the screen and pull up the transcript. The first lines flash in glowing text:

  “Welcome, everyone, to the Arcadian Idol Institute… My name is Takeshi Hoshikawa, Director of Idol Development…”

  My gaze snaps back up to the man on stage. Wait… Hoshikawa?

  I blink hard, there was no way. But the longer I stare, the clearer it becomes. The Director is unmistakably him—Professor Hoshikawa.

  My heart leaps. He was Reina’s teacher—the man who appeared on the broadcast four years ago.

  But… he looks so much older now. His once-vibrant brown hair is streaked with silver. The sharp, clean-shaven look he used to have is gone, replaced with rough stubble and the weary shadows under his eyes. He looks like the weight of the whole Institute settled on his shoulders in just a few years.

  I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, a wide grin spreading across my face. I was a little disappointed not to be assigned to him as my professor—but him being my Director is even better. The Director has a hand in all the promising Idols here.

  If I shine, if I prove myself, I could end up training under him. Just like Reina did.

  The thought alone makes me squeal inside, my whole body buzzing with giddy anticipation.

  “Uh… Bunny-Chan?” Tama mumbles, poking me in the cheek.

  “Eep!” I squeak, nearly jumping out of my skin. “Y-yeah, Tama?”

  She chuckles, tilting her head with that ever-present grin. “You still with me? Everyone’s clearing out, it’s time to head to class.”

  “Class—?!” My eyes shoot wide as I glance around. The auditorium is already emptying, waves of girls filing out in neat lines. “Oh no—I missed the entire speech?!”

  Tama giggles and tugs me along. “Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. C’mon, let’s hurry!”

  I groan, bookmarking the speech transcript as Tama drags me out of the auditorium.

  Following the flow of students outside, we step into the Arcadian Idol Institute’s main plaza. The entire academy is like a city within a city—its sprawling district wrapped in gleaming towers and gardens. The plaza itself feels like a monument to glory—gold statues of famous Idols striking heroic poses in their combat augments, framed by walls of flowers and fountains that shimmer under the sun.

  I remember walking through here the first time, completely stunned. Even now, I can’t stop staring. Every statue, every glint of gold—it all feels like a dream made real. If Tama wasn’t still holding my hand, I might’ve gotten lost in it.

  We finally reach the first-year academic building, and Tama releases my hand once we step inside.

  She glances at the glowing holo-screen on her wrist. “Welp, looks like my class is on one of the upper floors.” She turns to me, grinning. “How about you? I wanna know how far I’ll have to walk to visit you between classes.”

  I open my own holo-screen and flip back to my acceptance letter. My eyes catch on the assignment line. “Huh—Yoko Hisame?” I murmur aloud.

  Tama’s eyes widen instantly, followed by a sharp gasp. “Wait… you mean we’re in the same class?!”

  “W-we are?!” I blink, just as surprised as she is.

  “It’s like we were meant to be friends!” she squeals, bouncing on her heels. “How lucky is that, Bunny-Chan?”

  “Very lucky!” I can’t help but laugh with her.

  I don’t know what it is about Tama, but her energy is completely infectious. I came here terrified and tense, but somehow, every time she smiles, the weight on my chest just… lifts. Maybe I really am lucky to have met her.

  She holds out her hand with that same sunshine grin. “Come on, we’d better head to class together! Wouldn’t want to be late on our first day!”

  Her smile is so warm it feels like it reaches right through my chest.

  “Yeah, we’d better,” I reply softly.

  I take her hand again, and together we head toward the elevators. But as we walk, a small thought tugs at the back of my mind—persistent, uneasy.

  Yoko Hisame…

  Why does that name sound so familiar?