My Crown: Reimagined [IDOLiSH7 Fanfiction]

06: My Jealousy

"What's going on?"

On the day of the collaboration concert, Iori entered the prep room only to find the rest of I6 members and TRIGGER crowding over a huge flower bouquet. It contained a card with a message, but without a name.

"I'll be watching you today."

"The message is kind of creepy, but the bouquet is beautifully arranged," Sougo commented while admiring the beauty of fresh flowers.

"I wonder who it is from." Ryuu, just like the others, could not think of anyone who would send a flower with this peculiar message. Instead, the boys began to imagine that this bouquet was from the people they loved or dreamed of. Mitsuki imagined that the bouquet was from the legendary idol Zero. Tamaki hoped that the flowers were from his long-lost sister, Aya.

Iori touched the card and flipped it to the back. It looked like a plain card with a black back on the surface. Iori moved it around slightly so that the room light would shine on it. There, on the back, a crown symbol appeared. A crown, though it looked different, was Kujou Riku's idol symbol. Even if Iori hadn't done so, he knew for a fact that this bouquet came from Kujou Riku. It couldn't be anyone else when Riku always sent him congratulatory messages, even if they sounded robotic. He knew Riku was terrible at putting his feelings into words. Iori was grateful that the solo idol went through the trouble of getting a meaningful gift and writing down his own words.

Thank you, Kujou-san. Determined, Iori was sure to use that strength to create the ultimate entertainment for everyone.

———####################################————

"Natsu Shiyoze!"

"Oi, oi!"

When the song started, TRIGGER members ran to the different edges of the stage, encouraging the audience to shout "oi" along with them. Gaku gave the audience around him a thumbs-up. Ryuu waved to the fans on the other side. Tenn winked, earning a loud scream from the young women. Riku felt like he had been transported into another world entirely. That wink was everything, even when it wasn't just directed at him alone. It showed that Tenn acknowledged the people in front of him, that he wanted to tell people that he was thankful they were there for him.

Riku shook. He didn't think watching a concert could have this much of an impact on his heart. When he first saw TRIGGER on stage the day after he got to Japan, he did not feel a thing. No, back then, he probably shut himself off from that dazzling world. Now that Riku began to open his heart, he began to see the world in a different colour and shade. His heart was throbbing so fast he could hardly stand still. This must be 'excitement'. Ah. Riku wondered how Tsukumo could say that idols did not care about the fans when they were clearly living for them.

Seconds later, I6 ran towards the front of the stage and joined TRIGGER in singing, dancing, and interacting with each other and the audience. Their presence was dazzling, so dazzling that Riku wanted to stand under the spotlight with them. Perhaps this was the reason people loved I6. Unlike Kujou Riku, they weren't making people watch them. They connected with them by dancing and singing with them, creating smiles on people's faces. Because the boys weren't perfect and because they were very much like ordinary humans, the fans felt they could relate to them. An idol didn't need to be an unreachable figure to stand out from the crowd.

———####################################————

"So how was it? That concert you were dying to see." Tsukumo Ryo asked while driving Riku back to his apartment.

The idol didn't reply, only staring off into the distance.

"Was it not fun?" Ryo glanced at Riku one more time, ready to mock the boy's lack of emotions. Instead, he was surprised by the sight before him. "Oya? Someone's crying."