Volume 3: Finally, Into the Flowering Story
April.
A crisp wind, still tinged with the remnants of winter, flutters restlessly outside the train.
With each passing station, the scenery takes on more shades of gray, and the train fills with more and more commuters in business suits.
Their destination—Okutama.
Though once known for its rich nature, in this world, Okutama has become something far different. Ever since the Yvelshaska Spear fell upon its land, the resulting crater spurred rapid urban development. Now, it stands as Japan’s foremost fortress city.
With frequent Toukatsu raids, it remains a dangerous place.
Yet, it has far surpassed even Shibuya and Shinjuku in scale—a vast metropolis unlike any other.
「Man, I’m nervous…」
Sitting directly across from Aoi was Kazama Kiriya, fidgeting as he checked his phone notifications over and over again.
Beside him, Hiodoshi Setsuna sighed as she slouched in her seat.
Both were clad in the gray blazers of Seisetsu, paired with blue slacks—colors evoking a cool, refreshing image.
「I only chose Seisetsu ‘cause my parents pushed for it… but I don’t if I can keep up…」
Setsuna exhaled another sigh, looking uncertain.
She and Kiriya had been scouted, their Variant Radiant Divine Arms abilities deemed exceptionally powerful.
Aoi already knew from the original novel’s narration that this kind of recruitment happened.
But now, experiencing it firsthand, he fully grasped how extraordinary it was to be accepted into Seisetsu on a recommendation.
It was the most elite academy in the country.
That being said, many of those admitted through recruitment ended up dropping out—
Mostly because they had never trained rigorously before.
The academy’s brutal regimen weeded out those who couldn’t keep up.
In fact, just surviving until graduation was enough to land someone a documentary feature.
As for the rest of Aoi’s old otaku friends?
Some lacked compatibility with Radiant Divine Arms, while others simply couldn’t make the cut despite their efforts.
All of them ended up in ordinary high schools.
「Man, I heard Seisetsu’s training is brutal. Think you’ll survive?」
「Look who’s talking! You’re bouncing your leg like crazy!」
While the two panicked and bickered, a quiet figure sat beside Aoi.
Akari.
Her crimson eyes gazed out the window, calm and composed.
Aoi glanced at her profile—elegant, refined.
She really had inherited only the best traits from their parents.
Unlike him, she belonged to a completely different social circle in middle school.
This was her first time meeting Kiriya and Setsuna.
「Aoi, are you nervous?」
She spoke without turning away from the window.
Aoi—his body leaned forward, fingers repeatedly tightening and loosening around his clasped hands.
His heartbeat was louder than the train’s announcements.
It was finally happening.
In just a few more minutes, he would arrive at the stage where brilliant youths flourished.
He had chased after this dream for two years.
And even before that—since childhood—he had idolized this place.
Most of all—she was there.
Tension coiled around his body.
His limbs felt heavy, as if a great tree had taken root in his back.
His thoughts raced, so fast they blurred—fragments burning out before they could fully form.
「C’mon, man. What’s a CJC quarterfinalist so scared of?」
「Seriously. If you don’t pull it together, we’re gonna freak out even more.」
「Is it—」
Hearing that, Akari reacted as well.
Setsuna blinked, then awkwardly corrected herself.
Their trivial exchange was somewhat endearing, but Aoi had no room to enjoy it.
「No… this is just, uh… a bad case of lovesickness, I guess.」
And just like that, he let it slip.
The two sitting across from him, both with minimal real-world romance experience, looked at him with complicated expressions.
「Huh? First time I’ve heard of this.」
「Weren’t you all about training? What kind of timing is this for lovesickness?」
「Apparently, someone he’s liked for a long time is going to Seisetsu, too.」
Akari, without hesitation, exposed everything.
Her expression had the faintest hint of pouting.
Kiriya, ever the anime fanatic, turned slightly pink and averted his gaze.
Setsuna, on the other hand, looked intrigued.
「So? What’s she like? Someone you know?」
「Only met her once. But I’ve, uh, read a lot about her.」
「? Like, you follow her on social media?」
「…Something like that. Never actually spoken to her, though.」
「……Wait. Are you, like, stalking this girl?」
「Absolutely not.」
No way in hell was he going to say I read about her in a book.
As Setsuna narrowed her eyes in suspicion, Kiriya suddenly snapped his fingers.
「I got it! It’s gotta be Houjou Sena, right?」
「…Ahh～」
Completely wrong.
But the name was familiar enough that Aoi reacted accordingly.
Houjou Sena.
Leader of a six-member idol group, unrivaled in this world’s entertainment industry.
Normally, she was airheaded and whimsical.
But on stage, when performing her group’s cool, sultry songs, she had a striking, bewitching presence that captivated many.
Even Akari was glued to the screen whenever they appeared on TV.
And Aoi knew exactly why—
Houjou Sena was one of the heroines of this story.
A ridiculously high-spec girl who just so happened to be the protagonist’s childhood friend.
And from the very start of the story, she was head over heels for him.
Knowing how unshakable that love was, Aoi couldn’t help but feel bad for any other guy who likes her.
For the record, all six members of her idol group eventually make an appearance, and—naturally—every single one of them falls for the protagonist.
Yet another frustrating element of the story.
「That’s your crush, not mine.」
「I don’t care about real-life idols.」
「Oh, really? I know you bought all their CDs. Don’t tell me you’re going to Seisetsu just for her?」
「—Ugh.」
Kiriya flinched, his eyebrows twitching.
Setsuna smirked in triumph.
Thinking back, the world of this story had always been full of conversations like this—small, mundane exchanges between ordinary people, shaping the background of the protagonist’s grand tale.
That thought alone filled Aoi with a strange warmth.
『Now approaching National Seisetsu Academy. National—』
He took a deep breath, pressing a hand to his chest.
It was finally beginning.
The ultimate battle training academy—
A place where passion and youthful ambition burned fiercely.
And now, it was his turn.
To leap onto this brilliant stage—and dance.
「…I finally made it.」
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