Side Chapter 1: Idol life is harsh

Lately, I've been feeling like my existence as a man is lacking.

In fact, it's quite deficient, and I find myself spending a lot of time immersed in girl-related activities. My dorm is next to Tsubasa's since we're part of the same unit, which makes it easier for Shinji to contact us, but our mornings are often consumed by breakfast with everyone.

Hibiki frequently exercises and trains with Genjuro, but she struggles to wake up in the mornings. Often, she starts her workout half-asleep, while Chris, who tends to be lazy, barely wakes up in time for breakfast.

Since there's no show or program involving us this morning, we're all heading to school. Tsubasa sometimes stays at her family home, and when she does, she typically arrives in a limousine, fitting her "Ojou-sama" character. I rarely go to school as a male, but fortunately, Genjuro can provide excuses for me.

I'm still adjusting to the attention from other students, which isn't surprising considering my rising idol status. Some even refer to me as a genius, especially since Tsubasa chose me as her partner after Kanade's death. After that, Tsubasa went solo, but I wonder if we'll become a trio when Maria joins the group later.

Occasionally, brave students ask for my autograph, while few approach Tsubasa due to her cold demeanor. The lucky ones usually approach her only when we are eating together.

Most of the time, school feels like a place I attended in a past life, except for the singing and instrument lessons. Dance is an additional subject but is secondary to singing and instruments.

While my average scores as Mamoru in both singing and instruments are decent, as Mei, my scores are higher in the first grade. Tsubasa, in third grade, often has a busy schedule filled with lessons, but we both receive special treatment as idols.

Surprisingly, Chris is in second grade, while Hibiki, Miku, and I are in the first grade. Hibiki's scores are among the lowest, and she often relies on Miku for help, though I assist her occasionally since we're in the same class.

During lunch, I typically eat with my group, but if Tsubasa joins us, I'll sit with her instead. Hibiki finds it overwhelming when we all eat at the same table, which is why Tsubasa often sits with them when I come to school as a male.

Thinking back, I realize I only attend school as Mamoru once or twice a week, so it's surprising I haven't been kicked out yet.

After school, Shinji usually picks up Tsubasa and me, as most of our idol activities occur afterward, according to his schedule, though there are rare important events that sometimes cause us to skip school.

"So, that's today's schedule."

"I see. Mei, how was the idol life?"

"I feel like I've lost my male self every time we do this."

"Is that so? I don't know what that feels like, but let's do our best since the next task is rather challenging."

Yes, the next task is modeling for a new clothing brand. What I don't understand is why they want me involved, as I thought most of the modeling would go to Tsubasa, who has much more experience than I do. I often get scolded for my poses being off, my smile being awkward, and other issues.

When I asked Shinji about it, he said they want some new faces as well. I can see that the clothing is designed to highlight my chest, which is larger than Tsubasa's, only rivaled by Maria's. However, from what I understand, Maria might be too expensive for them.

Surprisingly, Maria is already an idol, which is interesting considering she is still under the Fine group, and they haven't rebelled yet. But I think it's only a matter of time, especially since the end of the first season and the start of the second season are quite close.

Now, I need to confirm with Fine whether Maria's sister, Serena, is alive or not, as it significantly changes the situation.

If Serena has died, the original route will continue, where Maria claims she is Fine to the world and declares war, masking her true goal of saving the rest of the Fine subjects in the group. However, I haven't played the game, so I'm uncertain about what happens if Serena is still alive.

I also wonder if I should tell Tsubasa about this, especially since I’m here. The concert should originally be a duet between Maria and Tsubasa, but my presence might turn it into a trio instead.

"We're here."

"Are you ready, Mei?"

"Even if I said no, we're still going to do it, right?"

Now we've arrived at our next event after modeling, which is a talk show. I am sure it will be challenging, especially with a host who asks all sorts of questions, even direct ones. For example, one of their questions was:

"How do you feel about being Kanade's alternative?"

Oh boy, that question was full of landmines! I'm sure Tsubasa is really angry about it, especially since she stomped her foot hard in the changing room. I’m glad she isn’t in her Symphogear; otherwise, the floor might have broken. Still, I’m surprised because I thought she was used to it by now. When I asked her why she was upset, she said:

"Well, Mei is Mei. She is not Kanade's alternative or replacement. She is the one I approve to stand by my side, and I will not tolerate anyone who belittles that."

Wow, she really changes when she's upset. If I were a good girl, I might fall in love with her all over again, but sorry, my favorite is still Hibiki, with Kirika in second place. Maria is a close third, but after the third season, she's basically the same as Tsubasa.

Tonight's singing was the usual routine, but it was challenging to sing three songs back-to-back. At least it wasn’t like my first concert; I’m getting used to it, though I hope they let me rest for a bit.

"Thank you for your hard work, you two. How was it?"

"It was fun, I guess. It reminded me of the time I spent with Kanade."

"Tiring."

"I see, then good for you, Tsubasa. As for you, Mei, should we postpone the training?"

"Of course not! The training was my main reason for doing this in the first place."

Suddenly, Tsubasa started patting my head. When I glanced at her, she giggled and smiled at me.

"I wonder if this is what Kanade feels like when she sees me working hard."

"Well, I'm younger than you, Tsubasa. Do you want me to call you Onee-chan while we’re at it?"

"Hmm... that doesn't sound bad. Since I’m the only daughter and Kanade always brags about her little sister, I kind of want to know what it feels like to have one."

"Wait, Kanade has a little sister?"

"Yes, she always brags about it, but she never says who she is. When we looked at the records, there was no mention of a living little sister, so she either died before joining us or she picked up some kid."

"This is Kanade we’re talking about, Ogawa. There’s a high chance she just picked up an abandoned kid without a second thought."

"Now that you mention it, she always visits an orphanage. I wonder if that has any relation to it."

Well, that was new information. Maybe it was revealed in the game, since the anime barely provides any details about Kanade aside from Tsubasa's flashbacks. So, she has a sister, huh...

It feels ominous that there’s a chance Kanade's sister is out there somewhere. Why don’t we know anything about it, aside from what Tsubasa and Shinji said about Kanade bragging?

But now that all the idol stuff is done, I was about to turn back into my male form and go to sleep when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Tsubasa, which was surprising.

"What is it? I was about to go to sleep."

"Well, you see, Kanade explained how good it feels to sleep with your sister, and I got curious since it was mentioned in the car."

"Sometimes I wonder if you're older than me... But sure, let’s sleep together."

While I could sleep as a man with her, it felt awkward. In the end, I slept in my Mei form, but it still felt slightly unpleasant as always.

Tsubasa slowly opened her eyes and gazed at Mei, who was sleeping, and she recalled their first meeting.

At that time, she was still struggling with the loss of Kanade. She continued to pursue her idol career, clinging to it as one of the few connections she had left with Kanade.

Then, Mei appeared—stronger than Tsubasa, yet reminding her of Kanade in some ways. However, Mei also had a stubbornness that was somewhat similar to Chris, and Tsubasa could see traces of herself in Mei as she sat alone.

While Mei was indeed her partner, that connection was still in the future. The thought of being thrown into the past where Kanade didn't recognize her was painful, and it made Tsubasa want to care for Mei. This was one of the reasons she agreed to Ogawa's idea for them to join the idol group together.

Recently, Tsubasa noticed changes within herself. Earlier, she had almost become angry when a host mentioned that Mei was a replacement for Kanade. Thankfully, Mei had calmed her down, but now, reflecting on it, Tsubasa realized how childish her reaction had been.

While Kanade would always hold a special place in her heart, Tsubasa was starting to treasure Mei just as much. Was it jealousy of Kanade bragging about her sister that fueled this? She wasn't sure, but one thing was clear: she was beginning to move on. In fact, she felt she had a lot to say to Kanade. According to Mei, they would meet Kanade in one of the parallel worlds, so Tsubasa could only wait for that time to come.

For now, she wanted to enjoy her time with Mei, so that when she met Kanade again, she could brag about her little sister. Yet, she was worried about one thing.

Berserk. Mei and Hibiki were more susceptible to it, and if left unchecked, Mei could wreak havoc. That’s why Mei had asked the three of them to hold her and absorb the energy. She had seen Hibiki's condition, and it looked painful since she was on the verge of death.

They still needed to confront Mei, which didn’t excite Tsubasa. Seeing Hibiki so close to death reminded her of Kanade, but she knew that nothing she said would change Mei's mind. All she could do was her best alongside Hibiki and Chris.

Still, she cherished their time together, especially watching Mei trying to act in public—it always made her smile, like witnessing something incredibly cute.

Maybe it was time to add some merchandise to her room alongside Kanade's. Though it felt like a betrayal, she convinced herself that this once should be fine.

With that thought, she gently hugged Mei and drifted back to sleep.

Now, she was with Hibiki and Chris, while Mei looked at the three of them in her Symphogear.

"So, are you three ready?"

The trio was about to face their toughest challenge: trying to keep Mei from entering Berserk and losing control.