Click—eeeeeeeeeeek.

  I easy the door open and step into my new room.

  It’s… small. L-shaped, with a bathroom near the entrance and a compact kitchen tucked into the opposite corner. At the far end sits a twin bed under a window that looks out into the night sky.

  In the kitchen there’s a microwave, portable stove, sink, and plenty of cabinets and counter space. A small table with two chairs sits beside it.

  I skip past the room’s Lumipad, leaving everything dark, and get undressed.

  Slipping into my nightgown, I toss my uniform over one of the kitchen chairs and slump face-first onto the bed.

  With a hiss, my legs detach and hit the floor with a heavy clunk.

  “Nnnhhhhaaaaahhhh~!” I groan, finally catching a moment to rest.

  Moonlight spills through the window, and the faint buzz of camera drones hums beyond the walls.

  I flip onto my back and stare at the ceiling—smooth and flat, light rods running along the edges of the walls.

  Perfect for pinning up posters.

  I raise my wrist and flick open my holo-screen. Scrolling through the HoloNet, the first thing I do is search Reina’s name.

  The top post is a promotional video—the one she starred in less than an hour ago.

  I tap it and watch, every angle perfectly framed. Her speech is brief, nothing I haven’t heard before.

  They do this every year—pick a veteran Idol, record a video like this in front of the first-years.

  A little gesture to ease us into the idea of being constantly watched.

  When the video ends, I scroll down. A merch link glows beneath it—a poster of Reina in that same pose. She’s nude, but only her augments and the scars across her back are visible.

  She looks over her shoulder, calm and unflinching. The long streaks of scar tissue trace her body like painted lines.

  But her scars aren’t ugly—they’re proof she’s given everything she has. That mix of beauty and pain squeezes my chest until I can barely breathe.

  “Hmmh~ I want this poster!” I moan, my face heating up.

  It feels weird, looking at this kind of thing.

  Reina’s naked, yet she doesn’t look embarrassed. She looks… used to it. Like this is just part of her life now.

  I roll onto my side, tugging the blanket over me.

  But… maybe this kind of content isn’t that bad.

  The lewd camera angles. The so-called syncbait fans always talk about.

  If Reina’s okay with being in it, maybe it’s fine if I embrace this part of the culture too.

  I search her name again, but there isn’t much more.

  Maybe…

  There’s some of someone else?

  I pull up my holo-screen again and search Tama Arata.

  Dozens of clips fill the display—most of them action footage. Her fighting the Flying Raptor, sprinting from the Buzzard Drone.

  But the top results are different—the scene of her in the shower scene and a close-up of her butt.

  The thumbnail is shot from low, the camera tilted just beneath the hem of her bodysuit where it rides up her hip.

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  I remember this one. It’s when she’d joked about having a wedgie.

  My pulse starts hammering. I drag a thumb across the air, zooming the thumbnail just a little closer.

  The screen’s glow paints my face pink. I can see my reflection layered over Tama’s frozen body, the two images blurring together.

  I know I shouldn’t… but what’s the harm? Everyone else watches these, right?

  Sweat beads across my neck. My chest tightens.

  My finger hovers over the play icon.

  Closer… closer—

  Tnk! Tnk! Tnk!

  “Bunny-chan~!”

  “Ah!” I yelp, tumbling out of bed at the sound of Tama’s muffled voice shouting through the glass.

  I whip around and see her sharp-toothed grin flashing at me from behind the window.

  “T-t-Tama?!” My heart nearly launches out of my chest.

  “Let me in—it’s cold out here!” she calls, banging on the glass again.

  I scramble to reattach my legs, clamber over the bed, and yank the window open.

  Tama tumbles inside wearing an oversized T-shirt and her combat legs, the metal feet hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

  “H-how did you even get up here?! We’re on the twentieth floor!”

  “Well, I didn’t start from the bottom,” she laughs. “I climbed up from the plaza!”

  “Th-the plaza?”

  I lean out and peer down. An open-air platform glows a few stories below. She must’ve scaled the support beams to reach me.

  When I turn back, she’s already wandering the room, admiring everything.

  “Wow, nice place,” she teases. “It’s exactly like mine—but I like yours more.”

  “W-what are you even doing here?!” I stammer, heat still burning in my cheeks.

  Her eyes flick to the holo-screen still glowing in my hand. A sly grin spreads across her face. “Oh my~ did I catch you watching something dirty?”

  “N-no!” I blurt, snapping the holo-screen off and hiding my hands behind my back. “J-just tell me why you’re here!”

  “Teach told me to get you,” she says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “She’s having a late-night class on the plaza.”

  I blink, glancing toward the window. “Did she also tell you to climb up to my window?”

  “Nope!” Tama laughs, grabbing my wrist with that reckless grin. “C’mon—let’s go!”

  Before I can protest, she’s already dragging me out the door and shoving me toward the elevator.

  Once inside, she starts humming some cheerful tune, swaying side to side as if this is perfectly normal.

  The moment the doors slide open, she yanks on my arm again, still humming as she pulls me down the hall.

  We step into the plaza with the rest of our class.

  It’s huge—suspended fifteen stories above the ground, framed by the six towers of the first-year dorms. A rectangular opening cuts through the center, letting moonlight pour down the tiers below. Railings trace the edges, and tall lampposts bathe everything in a cold white glow.

  Camera drones drift overhead as we line up before Professor Hisame, who waits near the open center.

  I scan the crowd, searching for the others.

  Emi hides near the back, half-shrinking behind taller girls. Kanna and Isuka stand front and center like they’re waiting to be awarded medals.

  But Ari and Maika—nowhere. Did something happen to them?

  “Ahem!” Hisame’s voice cracks across the plaza.

  Drones drift closer, lenses adjusting to frame every angle.

  “Congratulations, all of you,” she begins, clapping once—loud enough to echo off the towers. “Every one of you passed today’s orientation mission. And thanks to your teamwork, our class became the first this semester to record a zero-percent mission casualty rate.”

  A wave of light cheers and polite applause spreads through the crowd—girls smiling and bumping shoulders in delight.

  “However,” Hisame continues, her tone sharpening, “some of you may have noticed two of your classmates are missing tonight.”

  That’s right… where’s Ari and Maika?

  I hold my breath, waiting for her to continue. She lets the silence drag until the whispers swell around us.

  “Maika Kurogane and Arisa Arakana have been dropped from my class.”

  Gasps ripple through the formation. Girls turn to one another, faces flickering with confusion and fear. Even the camera drones whir louder, their lights jittering between targets.

  The professor raises a hand, and everyone goes silent.

  “Kurogane and Arakana failed their mission and recklessly put their own lives at risk—forcing their classmates to rescue them,” Hisame says, her tone clipped and precise. “They would be dead if luck hadn’t favored them toda. And I will not teach anyone who relies on luck to survive.”

  A quiet gasp spreads through the crowd.

  Kanna lowers her head, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Pathetic,” she mutters.

  I shoot her a glare but turn my eyes back to the professor as she continues.

  “They are an example,” Hisame says, voice rising. “From this point on, I expect more from every one of you.” Her gaze locks on me for a beat before sweeping the rest of the class. “If any of you show a lack of discipline or fail to perform at your absolute peak, I will not hesitate to drop you as well.”

  The words land heavy in my chest, but why do they feel aimed at me? Is it because I didn’t have my augments tuned properly? Or… is it because I stepped in to save them?

  Whatever the reason, it’s clear I don’t just have the world’s eyes on me anymore—now my teacher’s watching too.

  “You may return to your rooms,” Hisame orders. “From this moment forward, any failure will result in harsh punishment.”

  So my entire career as an Idol is on the line now?

  No… I’ve worked too hard for this—two long years of training just for a chance to get into this school.

  Don’t worry, Professor.

  I won’t just give you my best…

  I’ll give you everything I’ve got—and more.

  I lift my head and meet her gaze, eyes burning with determination. She notices. A faint smile crosses her face before she stomps her heel against the concrete—sharp and metallic.

  “You are all dismissed!”

  The sound echoes through the plaza, final and absolute.

  To Be Continued

  A pretty wild first day for Rika and her squad — and I’m so damn glad you stuck around to the end.

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