Everyone Has Talent. If Only We Could Realize It - Volume 1 Chapter 4.1

Confrontation

The school gate served as a boundary line. I could physically feel how the quantity and quality of attention directed towards Shiika by those around us changed distinctly.

Although we went unnoticed by anyone while walking from the station to this point, the moment we crossed the school gate threshold, we were met with the kind of attention usually reserved for celebrities.

It wasn’t known to the general public, but within the tight-knit community of Ryouran High School, it was widely recognized. I convinced myself that must be the case.

Standing out too much wasn’t desirable. However, to maintain good grades and feed myself, it was unavoidable.

I sighed with a sense of resignation.

“This is what the scenery looks like the day after hitting a million views. How does it feel, celebrity?”

“Ugh… growl, growl…”

The celebrity in question, Shiika, was experiencing a rare activation of her shyness, clinging to my back and growling like a wary dog.

Her long bangs dangled down, completely covering her eyes. I could sense her iron will to not let the gazes of those staring at her enter her field of vision.

“Moreover, there’s even a rumor going around that ‘she’s actually a social butterfly.’ You might even get people coming up to you trying to be friendly.”

Shiika had sung the song “Study Party Candy,” provided by Komae, in a lively and cheerful manner, matching the song’s tone. Due to her makeup and expressive singing, it seems some people mistook that as Shiika’s natural character, as evident from the comments section.

Several students, who had been watching us from a distance since earlier, seemed restless and looked like they might approach us at any moment.

“Don’t come… don’t come…”

Peeking through the gaps in her long bangs like a vengeful spirit, Shiika seemed to be attempting to cast a curse.

“Maybe getting used to it would be quicker?”

“Impossible…”

Shiika vehemently shook her head, her long hair flailing, and tightened her grip around my back.

It was a severe case.

She was relatively okay initially upon enrollment, likely because the moderate level of disregard kept the attention on her low, and the excitement of being in a school filled with various sounds prevailed.

Even when she confronted Shibuya in the music studio, it was a moment of engaging with music, which allowed her to ignore the surrounding gazes.

She’s utterly incapable of handling attention during ordinary, calm moments. That’s just who Ikebukuro Shiika is.

However, whether Shiika wishes it or not, standing out in this school naturally draws attention. Great acclaim comes with great restrictions. As this form of equivalent exchange exists, Shiika has no choice but to get used to it.

Well, most notably, my position exists precisely because Shiika is hopelessly bad at handling these situations.

The only job I can do is to become Shiika’s shield in times like this.

“Relying on you as a wall. Growl, growl…”

“Hei hei. Well, I’ll do my best, princess.”

As a brother’s duty, I’ll protect my sister from any trouble. Bring it on.

However, my resolve shattered the moment we entered the classroom.

I had a bad feeling when I heard loud arguing voices leaking into the hallway, and my suspicion turned to certainty when we opened the door.

“Say it! Why did you team up with that person, you traitor!”

“I’m free to provide my music to whomever I want!”

Shibuya Erio and Komae Noakiya were in the midst of a heated argument.

Shibuya, as if to prevent Komae from escaping, had cornered him against the wall and was glaring menacingly, gripping his collar.

It didn’t seem like anyone else was coordinating with her to attack Komae. The rest of the students were simply stunned by the scene unfolding before them.

“You could’ve chosen someone else, not her! You saw it too, right? That girl who ridiculed me!?”

“I don’t care. I gave my song to a good singer. That’s all there is to it!”

“Ugh… How dare you act all high and mighty. Without you, I’m…!?”

Shibuya halted her words, swallowing them back as she noticed Shiika and me entering the classroom, glaring at us sharply. I braced myself for a barrage of insults, but though she showed us a look filled with hatred, she said nothing and turned her gaze back to Komae.

“Are you saying you’re cutting ties with me?”

“Huh? No, I didn’t say that. How did you even get to that conclusion?”

“It sounds like it, doesn’t it!?”

“Hey, hey, please calm down. Why is a universally acknowledged genius artist like you losing your cool like this?”

“Shut up…!”

Shibuya raised her voice and pushed Komae away before fleeing the classroom.

“Erio-chan!? Wait, hey!”

As his extended hand grasped at thin air, Komae sighed, letting his shoulders slump. He scratched his cheek awkwardly, reverting to his flirty demeanor, and apologized to his classmates for the commotion, “Sorry for causing a scene~.”

While watching him, Shiika and I took our seats next to Akiha, who had arrived earlier.

As expected, Akiha, having witnessed the lovers’ quarrel, grimaced and spoke up.

“That’s not what you want to see first thing in the morning.”

“Exactly.”

“Jealousy is ugly, huh? Shibuya Erio must be panicking after seeing Shiika hit a million views.”

“Is it jealousy over Shiika’s views? Not jealousy related to Komae?”

I asked, surprised.

Akiha nodded.

“If it were just about flirting, she’d have been angry from the moment he started hitting on girls. Contributing to Shiika’s numbers must be what she can’t stand the most.”

“Huh. You’d think a million views would be easy for Shibuya.”

“Shibuya Erio understands the true value of this new song.”

“The true value… what do you mean?”

“This million views were unfortunately not as viral as they could have been.”

Saying that, Akiha showed me her smartphone screen, the One-Eight Live app open.

#StudyPartyCandy was trending, with numerous users posting videos or streaming.

Many girls had created dance choreography to match the song and were dancing along. Akiha pointed to one of the thumbnails.

“That’s the top student from Ryouran High School’s Dance Department, going by the name ‘Agave,’ that’s Otsuka. Remember I mentioned her name to you?”

“The hip-hop dancer you told me about, right?”

“Yeah. She’s quite liberal in hip-hop, keen on incorporating external cultures. Seems like she liked the song, and it’s become quite popular in the Dance Department.”

“Huh. So in a way, hitting a million views is thanks to Otsuka?”

“Exactly. The song and Shiika’s presence must have spread rapidly, at least within the school.”

That exaggerated way of speaking clicked with me.

I voiced the hypothesis that flashed through my mind.

“So, it hasn’t spread to One-Eight Live’s regular users yet… is that it?”

“Correct. If it had spread that far, even ten million views wouldn’t have been a dream. But even though it’s called ‘going viral,’ it’s still limited to within Ryouran High School and circles closely related to the school.”

“I was thrilled about hitting a million views, but it wasn’t a complete victory, huh…”

“Conversely, it means we were a step away from ten million. That’s why Shibuya Erio is panicking. She’s afraid of losing her number one spot.”

“Feeling the pressure from being on the receiving end of a challenge… As the one being envied, it’s really not a fun position.”

I wish people wouldn’t direct so much hostility towards my sister. She’s delicate enough as it is.

I wonder if Shiika’s okay. Turning my attention to my sister sitting next to me.

“…”

Silently, she was intently staring at the classroom entrance.

It was a slightly different mode from her earlier shyness. There was no trace of fear from being the focus of attention; she seemed to be concentrating on something.

“Are you okay?”

Just to be sure, I asked, and Shiika nodded.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“I’m fine, huh? Doesn’t sound like everything’s fine.”

“Yeah.”

She promptly responded.

“Shibuya… Eri, was it?”

“Erio, but whatever.”

“Yeah. Eri’s voice just now was the most beautiful.”

“The yelling just now? Her voice when she was blaming Komae?”

“Yeah. That voice. More natural than any of Eri’s singing.”

“Her yelling being natural, what kind of talent is that?”

“Hmm. It’s not the yelling that’s important──”

“Homeroom is starting. Today, I have an important announcement, so listen carefully.”

Just when Shiika seemed about to explain, the homeroom teacher entered the classroom.

Although our conversation was interrupted mid-way, there was nothing we could do. We stopped our chat and faced forward.

The homeroom teacher, looking weary with dark circles under her eyes, wrote “Midterm Exams” on the blackboard before leaning on the lectern. Even though Shibuya wasn’t present in the classroom, she showed no sign of concern and began speaking.

“As announced on the school’s portal site, we’ll have midterm exams in two weeks. Compared to regular schools’ midterms, ours are much easier, so don’t stress too much about it. For detailed rules, check the site. That’s all.”

The homeroom teacher’s explanation concluded. It seems there was no additional information beyond what was written on the site.

Indeed, even with some students absent, there appeared to be no issues.

(However…)

Running around trying to achieve high view counts, just when I thought we were starting to get recognized, the classroom atmosphere turned tense. And now, midterm exams are coming up.

(School life sure is busy.)

I couldn’t help but sigh.