Love Under The Spotlight | Oshi no Ko [Hoshino Aqua x OC]

Chapter 31

"Do you hear that?" Luke asked, bewildered. "It's just the VIPs but the crowd is so loud already,"

"Yeah, I heard the French were amazing at setting up a good ambiance but I didn't know it was to this extent," Leo replied.

Months have passed since the release of 'Underground Groove' and TrIII has embarked on a world tour. After twelve dates in Asia, five in North America, two in South America, and two in Oceania, they were now on their last date of the European leg which had four dates. The time between each date was quite slim so they did not really have the time to enjoy the city they were in and flying around the world was quite tiring. An arena tour was already very exhausting for Himeka and it had been naive of her to think a world tour would be similar. It was a lot more time and energy-consuming. To that some artists were performing for more than eighty dates around the world... she respected them even more.

Of course, Himeka loved meeting with her fans around the world, but she simply wished the dates were a little more space. However, since the label also had to think about the members' respective careers, they could not afford to have them on a six-month-long tour so they had to perform twenty-five dates in a bit more than three months. It was not a healthy rhythm of life, especially since she had been working non-stop. She did not mind too much, music was her calling, and she wanted to spend her life on stage, though her parents and friends did express some concern. On the other end, she was in a moment in her career that she had to exploit as much as she could. With the release of 'Catharsis', the photoshoot for Ginza Magazine, and now this world tour with TrIII, she was at a height she might never reach again. It was now or never. She could still rest later.

As Luke and Leo were conversing about the crowd, the makeup artists just finished doing Himeka's makeup. The idol stood up and began stretching her shoulders which had been hurting her for the past few days. But it should be fine for the last concert. Being on the road, or perhaps on the plane was the best way to put it, was both thrilling and exhausting. She should be more mindful of her diet and sleep schedule. Her body was also her work tool and she was still growing, so it was important to control her body and perform in a healthy way rather than focus on being perfect all the time. Performing was not just about dancing and singing, the stress of the moment also needed to be taken into consideration.

Himeka snapped back to reality when her phone that was on the vanity began buzzing. She took it and was a little surprised to see Kana's ID. "Hi, Kana-chan, what's up? Isn't it past three in the morning in Tokyo?" she asked as she walked out of the dressing room.

"Uh... yes, but I couldn't sleep so I figured I'd call you," Kana said. "You still have time before the start of the show, right?"

"Yeah, there's an hour left. Do you wanna talk about something?"

"Well... I have been thinking about something lately and I would use some insight from you," Kana said.

"What is it?"

"Have you ever thought of quitting being an idol?"

Himeka did not answer immediately. She was quite surprised by the question, to say the least. "Yes, I did cross my mind several times when I was a trainee," she then admitted. "And I thought about it a lot during my hiatus as well,"

"What made you change your mind?"

Himeka leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling. "I have a goal I wish to achieve and I can't give up until it becomes reality. It'd feel bittersweet if I gave up now. I wouldn't been fulfilled,"

"A goal...," Kana repeated.

"What about you, Kana-chan? Why do you want to quit?"

"What?! No- I don't want to quit at all! It was just a thought in my head!"