Everyone Has Talent. If Only We Could Realize It - Volume 1 Chapter 1.4

Episode 1: Admission

“Well, if you sing a little well in such places, you might get recognized. Or if you have a particularly good face… Oh, she’s waking up.”

“…Mmm… Nyuu…”

Perhaps due to the noisy classroom, Shika, who had been slumped over, trembled slightly and slowly lifted her face.

As everyone eagerly awaited to see the face of the girl rumored to have been scouted, inconsiderate gazes were cast from all around.

Unaware she had become the center of attention, Shika, with her defenselessly sleepy face, let out a big yawn.

“Umm… Brother, good morning…”

“Oh, morning… Your hair is a mess.”

“Mm?”

Tilting her head, Shika patted her own head. No matter how much she pressed down her hair with her hands, as soon as she let go, her cowlicks sprang back up.

It felt as if the balloon of expectation that had inflated in the classroom suddenly deflated.

“So, the one scouted was just some country girl who’s a bit good at singing locally…”

The atmosphere conveyed a belittling sentiment. It seems there are always some misfit scouts who can’t deliver impressive results every year.

And frankly, I had no objections. That’s expected.

Because when Shika lifted her face, her hair, which hadn’t seen a beauty salon, was utterly disheveled from being grown out carelessly, and her face and eye shape were slightly distorted due to resting on her arm, with red eyes and even traces of drool—a combo exposing the fullest extent of an unflattering state. Still, I would consider her cute, but in this classroom filled with high aesthetic standards, she seemed to be underrated.

Alright, disperse. The students’ interest seemed to have waned, and their gazes scattered.

I didn’t mind. I didn’t want to be the center of attention, so this treatment was rather fitting.

“Gakuto. And, Shika.”

Akiha tapped me on the shoulder.

“We’re comrades. Let’s look out for each other, partner.”

She gave a thumbs-up, declaring us partners arbitrarily.

…Does that mean we’re the loners? Well, it’s true, but still…

*

“Whoaaa! Sooo tired!”

“Good job, brother.”

Around 2 PM. After leaving school and taking the train, we got off at our local station, and I let out a sigh of exhaustion, like a torrent of pent-up fatigue.

Despite the extremely short schedule of the entrance ceremony and a brief homeroom in the morning, a heavy fatigue clung to my entire body as if bound by lead weights.

It was my first time back at school, my first time commuting by train in a while, my first time having conversations in a while. Everything was too much of a “first time” for a while. It’s like how someone who’s out of shape feels muscle pain after suddenly sprinting full-speed. It’s the mental version of that. Honestly, it’s super tough.

Especially, self-introductions were the hardest. I really wish they’d stop making it turn-based. The feeling of everyone’s gaze focusing on me when it’s my turn is always tough. I, who want to live as a background character, feel like dying whenever I’m put in the spotlight like that.

I thought I managed to introduce myself, but I have no idea how it sounded to others. Ah, ah… um, uh, Ike… buku… ro… yeah… That’s how my voice probably trembled. I hope not. I’d rather die.

Standing before the pedestrian crossing waiting for the green light, I seriously felt like jumping into traffic. It was good that Shika was beside me. I definitely wouldn’t dive into traffic in front of my sister.

“By the way, Shika. You did your self-introduction surprisingly smoothly.”

“Practiced. Perfect. Booyah.”

“Seriously? ‘I’m Ikebukuro Shika. Nice to meet you. No questions, please.’ You practiced that three-liner? Too genius.”

“And, thanks to my bangs. Hard to see, which is good.”

“Ah. That.”

Shika’s long-overgrown bangs, which had settled somewhat over time.

Despite hiding her pretty face, they were actually her personal defense mechanism.

She sees “colors” in sounds.

These “colors” are the visual representations of emotions and various forces embedded in the sounds. Sounds played with negative emotions bear incredibly ugly and murky colors.

In middle school, unable to endure those “colors,” Shika vanished from the classroom and became shut in.

Her overly long bangs obscure her vision, making the world slightly harder to see.

It might be inconvenient, but for Shika, it makes life a bit easier to navigate.

The signal turned green. I checked both ways to ensure the cars had stopped, then quickly pulled Shika’s hand to cross.

Shika, prone to distraction, has a habit of stopping suddenly and zoning out, so going out with her always keeps me on edge. In short, she’s almost like someone needing constant care. Apart from music, she really can’t do much.

Once we were safely on the sidewalk, I let out a sigh of relief. As we walked down the sparsely populated street, passing by a local park, I noticed some middle school boys seemingly recording a video on their smartphones. That reminded me.

“By the way, what about ‘that’ thing the teacher mentioned?”

“‘That’?”

“Ryoran High School’s school rules. Every student must create an account on ‘One-Eight Live’ and do something with it.”

“One-Eight Live… Ah.”

“You forgot? Come on, sis. Our living expenses depend on your grades.”

“Don’t feel like it…”

“I get it! But! For a stable source of income, please!”

I prostrated myself on the asphalt. The spring sun had made the ground lukewarmly warm. Good thing it wasn’t summer. Though, I wouldn’t be prostrating outside in the summer anyway.

After that classroom episode that laid bare the class hierarchy and the hellish self-introduction session, our homeroom teacher, who had a somewhat indifferent and lazy demeanor, explained the extraordinary and unthinkable rules of Ryoran High School.

Private Ryoran High School Student Regulations

1. 1. 1. 1. All students must acquire and operate a One-Eight Live account.
            Even those with private accounts must start anew with a freshly created one.

1. 1. 1. 1.  Students must engage in video posting and streaming activities with the account created in 1.
            The content and frequency of activities are free, excluding cases against public order and morals.
            The content is free to choose, but breaking the rules will result in a ban like any regular user, so be cautious with what you post.

1. 1. 1. 1. The living expenses provided monthly will be determined based on the account’s performance.
            Performance is judged comprehensively based on the number of views, likes, and the amount of virtual gifts received that month.
            The algorithm for determining performance is confidential and inquiries will not be entertained.

1. 1. 1. 1.  Follow the rules and enjoy expressing yourself!

“That Tenouzu guy hid the important stuff. Sure, he said living expenses would be provided based on grades, but who could’ve guessed those ‘grades’ were tied to streaming activities… Even for an entertainment school, who could’ve expected that? Unbelievable!”

While I’m okay because Akiha and I combine our grades, wouldn’t normal students be broken by this?

Or maybe the students aiming to be top entertainers can easily handle it?

Either way, it’s a harsh system.

As Shika tilted her head, looking at the school rules memo displayed on my smartphone, she asked,

“Streaming… like WAYTUBE?”

“Something like that. The difference is, it has more fans and creators from the general young population and women, and it’s basically a culture of showing your face.”

“Can’t use ‘Seeker’?”

“No.”

“…Then, please, brother, do something.”

“Can’t.”

I don’t have that kind of authority. If I did, I wouldn’t be going to school.

“Besides, you can’t use ‘Seeker’ anyway.”

“Eh?”

“You’re attending school as Ikebukuro Shika, right? And the account you create as a student is visible to all other students. If it gets out that ‘Seeker’ is you, wouldn’t that ruin the free space we’ve worked so hard to create?”

“I don’t want that.”

“Right? I understand not wanting to show your face, but we can’t switch out our stomachs. I’ll handle all the trouble, okay? Please!”

“… Reluctantly.”

“You’ll do it?!”

“Sushi.”

“Eh?”

“I want to eat sushi. Not the conveyor belt kind. If you take me to eat that, I’ll do it.”

“Uh… When did I teach you such adult bargaining tactics!? Who’s been filling your head with this stuff!? Whoever it is, may they never find a girlfriend in their life! A curse!”

“Imitating my brother.”

“Aaaaaah, curse-san, STOP, cancel my request!!”

Turns out, I was the root of all evil…

I slumped my shoulders in defeat. Glancing at Shika’s face with just my eyes, her pure, untainted, innocent eyes shone with anticipation.

“Excited. Sushi, excited.”

“…Alright! Let’s go! Sushi!”

“Yay.”

I was always weak against my sister’s requests.

Well, it’s fine. With Shika’s singing ability, we should be able to get at least the minimum numbers even without the name “Seeker.” Our living expenses are practically guaranteed, be it conveyor belt sushi or not, bring it on.

tln : shika is hardly talk and using less vocabulary. its just she’s more like Mashiro from Sakurasou.