Chapter 1

“Hey guys! Lemme introduce myself, whether you know me or not! I’m Trickstar’s brightest star, Akehoshi Subaru… ☆”

“I’m so happy to see everyone here today!”

“Ahaha, you guys are cheering so loud! Thanks for all the support—We’re gonna put on a show that’ll live up to all this hype, so get ready!”

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

(Hm, Akehoshi went and riled everyone up in one go. Though it might be because of the idol group that went before us; I’m not sure.)

(But even the guests that didn’t seem interested in us are actually looking our way, probably because of Akehoshi.)

(We’re comrades, so there’s no point in getting frustrated that he’s stolen the crowd’s attention… But as an idol, I can’t help it.)

(All right, then I’ll get everyone to look at me instead. Sorry, Akehoshi, but their attention belongs to me now.)

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

Hey guys, you’re friends—Quit trying to one-up each other. I can’t strike a balance with you guys out in front of me.

Hmph. Isara, aren’t you frustrated by the way everyone is looking at Akehoshi? I know I am.

Haha, you’ve got a cool exterior, but you’re so fiery underneath~ But like I said before, it’s making it hard to balance you guys out.

Of course, I do like this role—I’m a jack of all trades. So I’ll make sure our lives always smooth sailing ♪

I know. You’ve always got our backs. …But you know you’re an idol too, right? We’re supposed to be performing so that people will see us.

…Mm, this is bad. If things keep going like this, Akehoshi is really going to steal the show. I’ll have to up my game.

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

(Wow, Hidaka-kun sure is amazing. Everyone was looking at Akehoshi-kun, but he just snatched their attention away just like that.)

(But Akehoshi-kun won’t give up so easily. The more they sing together, the more they dance together, the more they shine…)

(They each have their own unique flourish, so it makes sense why people are so attracted to them.)

(Ah… From here, I can see everyone’s faces so well. They all look so happy… ♪)

(Oh, Anzu-chan’s sitting right up front.)

(Fufu, she’s waving around a fan with “Trickstar” on it like crazy. It reminds me of Summer Live.)

(There aren’t as many people as there were for Summer Live, but still it’s incredible how many people showed up.)

(And most of them are really into us, too.)

(It might not be an exaggeration to say that just like how Summer Live was Eve’s show, Sunflower Live is Trickstar’s show.)

(There’s no way we won’t be the best idols here!)

Hey Makoto, you okay? We’re just about done with our setlist, so soon we’ll be dancing to the Sunflower Live theme.

The beginning part is hard… I mean, you’ll be the center for this dance.

And that’s the position that draws all the attention. I’ll be right next to you so everyone’s eyes won’t be on just you.

Thanks, Isara-kun. But I’m fine. I know it’s a little weird for me, but I’m actually in the mood for all that attention right now.

Probably because there’s so many people who love our singing and dancing.

Hey, look! There’s some people wearing the shirts we made!

Whoa… Ahaha, Ritsu’s wearing one, too. He must’ve got it while we were on stage, even though he said he only wanted the bromide and picture frame.

Actually, who’s managing the store right now? We didn’t make any preparations for that, did we?

Mm… I can see it a little bit through the crowd. It looks like Hibiki-senpai.

I guess he’s helping out with our booth while Sakasaki mans the cotton candy stall then? I’ll have to thank him once the show’s over.

Yeah. We were the ones who were supposed to be helping the enemy, but he turned that right back around on us.

Oh, it’s almost my part. I’m off, Isara-kun. I’ll make sure I shine as bright as everyone else!

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

(Wow, he’s even more animated now than he was during practice. Subaru’s better at dancing, but Makoto’s pulling his own weight, too.)

(Everyone in the audience is drawn to him. He said he’d shine just as bright as everyone else, but right now I think he’s the brightest one up here.)

(Not even the sun can hold a candle to him—He’s so bright, I can’t look directly at him.)

(…I admire it, but I just can’t help feeling a biiit frustrated, too. Just like Hokuto said, I’m an idol too. I need that attention so I can shine…!)

(And I’m a damn good dancer. So watch this: I’m gonna steal the spotlight right out from under him!)

“Hey everyone, thanks for coming to our live today! We’re Trickstar!”

“We’re the idols who’re gonna keep growing so we can shine brighter than anyone. So keep your eyes on us, okay?”

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”