Aikatsu Era!

S1 E1: A Fresh Start

Reyna Harusame 春雨 レイナ

This is it. This is the moment I'm going to perform onstage. This is my life-changer.

Before I get there, I might as well introduce myself and how I got myself into this situation.

It has been around three weeks since I moved to Japan from New York. My parents are both ethnically Japanese and were raised and grew up here. After they got married, they decided to migrate to New York so that my dad can work in his music business.

At some point, I was born. I grew up in New York and studied there until I reached second-year middle school. During school breaks, my parents and I would visit our relatives in Japan. I am able to speak both English and Japanese because of my upbringing, but I'm a lot more confident in English.

Two months ago, my parents made the decision to move back to Japan. Although I miss New York a bit, I know I would be able to survive in Japan. At least I hope I will.

The moment we got to Tokyo, my parents tried looking for a school suitable for me. It was my mom's idea for us to live with my maternal grandfather, so we didn't have to worry about where to live.

One Saturday, Mom suggested that I walk around the neighbourhood and familiarise myself with the area. So I did as she said. Outside the house, I plugged my earphones into my phone and listened to music as I wandered around.

The town had a number of restaurants and cafes, as well as a public library. People were gathered together in different areas. Wow, there were a lot more people than I expected.

Then I walked past a school building. Azuma Gakuen. One of the best schools in the region. A lot of students are able to get into prestigious colleges and universities. And that was the number one choice my parents had for me.

But I felt really reluctant about entering that school. I was just getting used to living in Japan. Adapting to the education system would take a while. And the students there are skilled at anything they study. I suck at Japanese and my Math is rather poor.

Not wanting to think too much about school, I decided to have a snack at one of the cafes I saw earlier. Despite the amount of customers, I managed to get myself a seat.

As I waited for my meal, a few girls my age were gathering around a television I hadn't noticed earlier. Soon, I was one with the crowd.

Song: Hirari/Hitori/Kirari ~ 2wingS ver from Aikatsu! Photo on stage!

(Ayame = Ichigo, Hatsuko = Seira)

"Oh my gosh!" said one of the girls in amazement. "It's Capella!"

"They're the unit from Pearl Star Academy, aren't they?"

"I love them so much! I wanna go to Pearl Star too!"

Pearl Star Academy. I wrote a memo on my phone so I could search it up later. The most important thing at the moment was Capella's performance.

I managed to learn the names of the members: Akizora Ayame and Kosaka Hatsuko. I watched them dance in synchronisation and sing in harmony. They made everything seem so easy. But obviously, it takes lots of time and stamina to pull a spectacular show.

I wasn't as hyped as the other viewers, but I have to admit I was more enthralled than expected. The moment I finished my meal, I rushed home so I could do my research on Pearl Star Academy.