Everyone Has Talent. If Only We Could Realize It - Volume 1 Chapter 5.3

All-Direction Lost Child Catalog

“Ufufu, being positive is nice, isn’t it? I wish I could have some of that… Ahh, misfortune, misfortune. When will I ever find happiness?”

Sighing with her cheek propped up by her hand next to me is a mature beauty with a sorrowful expression and a boldly revealing outfit, Ebina Hamako.

She’s a jazz violinist of worldwide renown, hailed as the savior of Japan’s dwindling jazz violin scene. However, she’s also known for her low self-esteem, famously reaching her mental limit one day and leaving behind the words, “What Jeanne? Save me instead!”

“Ah, yes. But, probably, the kids here are not here for us but… maybe for Kun Kurso, right?”

“Hmm! That… is possible! It’s frustrating, but he’s the heartthrob idol of the moment. Can’t beat Kurso-kun.”

“Ahaha… You two are exaggerating. I’m still on my way up.”

Responding smoothly and taking a sip from his porcelain cup was the gentle and handsome semi-long, silver-haired Kurso Reirou, wearing a black glove on only his left hand.

Despite being younger than the other two judges, his career clearly made him deserving of his place alongside them. He started as a child actor at seven, blossomed as a vocalist for a major male idol unit at thirteen, announced his unit’s disbandment and independence at a tenth-anniversary concert at twenty-three, and has been working under his own agency until now at twenty-seven. He captivates fans with his overwhelming dance and vocal performances in his music career, and in his talent career, he’s appeared in numerous dramas, movies, commercials, and has over ten million subscribers on WAYTUBE. He’s an active superstar gaining fans in Southeast Asia and North America.

With such a good personality too, he’s almost too perfect. There are men envious enough to wish he’d suffer from severe athlete’s foot or at least have smelly feet. I understand the feeling.

And so, the lineup was as such.

It’s no wonder students gathered in the auditorium to catch a glimpse of the superstar.

Whether it’s the nervousness from the gazes of bigshots or the exam itself, the students taking the exam also seemed somewhat restless.

Among them, only two appeared calm.

One was Shibuya Erio.

Ignoring the judges, she checked her sound with headphones while looking at her smartphone.

Probably confirming the flow and lyrics before the actual performance.

Her expression was nothing but serious, a testament to the correct sense of tension.

And the other, my sister, Ikebukuro Shiika.

“Brother, it’s terrible.”

“What’s wrong, Shiika? Are you nervous?”

“I just found a slug, and it’s limp.”

“Give it to me before the actual performance starts. I’ll return it to its original place.”

I snatch the leaf with the slug from Shiika’s hand.

Lured out by the hint of rain and picked up by a human, the slug was brought to the completely unexpected environment of the auditorium. No wonder it’s limp.

Even so, I’m impressed that my sister would find and cherish a slug outside.

Before an important exam. Before a crucial battle.

In a situation where no one would blame you for rushing to the bathroom with nervous diarrhea, her pace is incomparable.

(Well, it’s not like Shiika would be nervous.)

After all, she doesn’t know a single celebrity from TV or WAYTUBE.

No matter how famous someone is, to those unaware of their existence, they’re just another person.

The WAYTUBE videos Shiika watches are compilations of funny animal scenes, documentaries introducing the mysteries of nature, illustrated philosophy, or physics simulations in 3D—content far removed from human nuances.

For a normal singer, such lack of input could lead to a decline in musical expressiveness.

But for Shiika, who has had no choice but to continuously confront various sounds since birth, this distance from content is just right.

Then, the chime rang. The lights in the auditorium dimmed like before a movie screening, spreading a tense atmosphere, and the somehow giddy audience fell silent as if doused with water.

“It’s time. Can you go by yourself?”

“Yeah. I’m off.”

“Alright. Take care.”

After briefly exchanging words, Shiika stood up from her chair with a bounce and walked towards the stage.

Left in the audience seats were me and the slug. And──.

“It’s finally starting.”

“You’re rooting for Shibuya, right? Your ‘perfect collab partner’, huh?”

“Would you let it go already… Of course, I’m rooting for Shiika.”

“I can’t trust you.”

“Shiika is a friend! Shibuya Erio is a business partner! Both are important, but if I had to choose one to save from a trolley problem, I’d choose Shibuya Erio without hesitation!”

“Is that really something to say…?”

Next to me was Akihabara Mana, who always had interesting reactions when probing about the betrayal collab.

And next to her, another key person observing the situation.

“Whom are you rooting for? ──Komae.”

“Rakuto, you’re kind of mean, aren’t you?”

“I don’t mind.”

“People say that, huh. Really, you have a nice personality.”

Smiling bitterly as if exasperated was the red-haired handsome, Komae Noakiya, the man likely at the root of the dispute between Shiika and Shibuya.

For two girls to fight over whether to stop providing songs from Komae, what a troublesome man. If this was a love triangle involving Shiika, as her brother, I would have unleashed merciless cleansing knuckles, but since it’s a creative matter, there’s still some room for leniency.

You dodged a bullet, playboy.

“Honestly, I have mixed feelings. I want to keep providing songs to Shiika-chan and want her to win.”

“I bet.”

“But thinking about what happens after Erio-chan loses, it gets a bit complicated.”

“After she loses? It’s just a collab with Shiika after that.”

“If only it were that simple…”

Komae said ambiguously, lowering his gaze slightly. He looked around and then lowered his voice as he looked back at me.

“If she’s defeated in front of everyone, it’ll damage her brand. The medal of being the top performer in her grade that she’s built up will be revoked.”

“That makes sense.”

“What do you think will happen to a girl who’s fallen from her queen’s throne?”

“I don’t know. I’m not familiar with girl communities. With those followers, wouldn’t they support each other with love and care?”

“If only that were the case… But those girls, even if they’re at the bottom of Ryoran High School, when compared to regular people, they have insanely high pride.”

“So you mean they secretly disdain Shibuya? And they’ll kick her when she’s down?”

“That’s likely.”

Komae stated firmly.

“Of course, they’ll keep a friendly face outwardly. But while pretending to encourage kindly, they might hit her where it hurts, or subtly insult her so she feels uneasy without concrete proof… And then, somehow, at the same time, the anti-comments will accelerate.”

“You’re quite certain. Do you have any evidence?”

“None. I just know. ──That’s what the girls at this school are like.”

Komae said coldly.

A flirtatious playboy. Beneath that façade, a glimpse of his raw interior was exposed.

I felt one question about Komae was resolved.

Despite appearing like a playboy with extensive experience with women, his reaction to Shiika felt too innocent. Perhaps Komae doesn’t have much romantic experience after all.

By honing himself to aim for stardom and competing with others, attracting many girls’ attention, he might have ended up seeing things he didn’t want to see.

Perhaps his attraction to Shiika isn’t romantic but rather an admiration for her transparency, which is different from other girls.

Komae himself might not realize it, but if he’s truly in love, it’s──.

“Erio-chan is just a fool.”

“You’d get another earful if she heard that.”

“Because that’s the only way to put it. She mistakes the girls around her for friends, proudly showcasing her abilities and achievements. She believes they’re comrades who share her joy.”

“She can’t be that naïve, surely.”

“Look, there. The girl filming the stage with her smartphone, you see her?”

“Yeah… I recognize her face from the classroom. One of Shibuya’s followers.”

“That smartphone is Erio-chan’s.”

“Eh?”

“She casually lends her smartphone to friends. Like when recording dance lessons, taking photos at Instagram-worthy spots, or visiting trendy cafes. She easily lends her smartphone for them to take pictures. She probably asked them to record her shining moment in today’s mid-term exam.”

“Why go through the trouble? Even if they’re just filming for her, they could use their friends’ smartphones.”

“Erio-chan’s smartphone has a high-performance camera. Since she earns the most, she can afford such things… And because it takes the best pictures, that’s why.”

“And she lends it out so easily… Nowadays, a smartphone is more private than a wallet.”

“Right. That’s why Erio-chan is a fool.”

Komae’s gaze turned pitying towards the stage. Among the ten chairs on stage, one was occupied by Shibuya Erio, waiting for her turn.

“Naively trusting those around her, she’s just a boar charging ahead. It’s fine as long as she’s leading. But if she hits a wall and falls… in no time, she’ll become prey for the hyenas.”

“…Hmm, I see.”

“Sorry. This has nothing to do with you, Rakuto. Erio-chan has been hostile towards me before. I’m not asking you to sympathize now.”

“Well, I couldn’t care less about Shibuya’s true nature anyway.”

“Forget what I just said.”

“It’s so irrelevant, I’m not even bothered.”

“Eh?”

Komae blinked, seemingly puzzled.

I spoke clearly.