The girl lowered her gaze, rendered speechless by Uika's question. Was this really the same person who, moments ago, was earnestly contemplating her life's future?
Nevertheless, she answered truthfully:
"Due to long-term living on this island, your skin's a bit rough, probably from constant exposure to salty sea breezes. And there's a faint hint of saltiness about you, too. But these issues can easily be fixed with some skincare routines. Putting that aside, though, you're pretty attractive—at least, in my opinion."
"Hehe…" Uika laughed bashfully, scratching her head. Honestly, if it weren't for the earlier conversation where Uika had shown genuine caution and introspection, the girl might have directly discouraged her from going to Tokyo—especially with the vague ambition of starting a band to survive there.
"You really know a lot, though… Are you also some kind of ojou-sama?"
The second question already? It seemed to the girl that Uika had more interest in her personally than in her advice.
"My mother works in related circles, so I picked up a thing or two."
"Oh, I see."
After these two questions, Uika returned to the topic at hand. She asked more detailed questions, especially regarding unfamiliar terms like "talent agencies", which the girl patiently explained one by one.
By the time Uika had carefully memorized everything, the hour had grown late. Most beachgoers had already left, and the girl was preparing to return to her lodgings.
"Thank you so much for your help!" Uika expressed her gratitude with a small bow. According to island custom, the proper way to thank someone would've been inviting them home for a hearty meal—and indeed, Uika felt the girl deserved exactly that for all she had done.
But unfortunately, the girl decisively declined.
Seeing Uika's disappointment written plainly across her face, like a crestfallen golden retriever, the girl sighed softly.
"One last piece of advice: practice controlling your expressions. Good acting skills will greatly help you as an idol, and adopting an appealing character can get you more attention."
"A persona?" Uika asked, puzzled. Living on an island, she barely watched variety shows and knew nothing about such things.
"Simply put, at the very least, don't let your emotions show too easily on your face. In Tokyo—especially in entertainment circles—it'll serve you well."
The girl proceeded to explain some techniques for facial expression control, but when Uika tried them, her face contorted awkwardly, becoming something close to intentionally making funny faces—even her naturally pretty features couldn't save her.
"It's so hard… but I'll practice seriously." By now, Uika had developed significant trust in the girl. If she recommended it, surely there was good reason.
"There's no rush. Start by observing the everyday expressions of people around you. It helps a lot," the girl advised from personal experience. It was hard to imagine exactly what she'd experienced to master these things at such a young age. "At first, learn to maintain a neutral expression. After that, practice various expressions. If your expressions don't feel natural or suitable, don't use them publicly."
"Natural expressions…" Suddenly needing to act—even just acting like her usual self—felt surprisingly difficult.
"Like this."
Instinctively, Uika looked toward the girl.
A soft, gentle smile bloomed on the girl's face—like ice melting into a clear stream, like opening the windows of a dark cottage to bright daylight, or the first breeze of evening lifting a silver moon into view…
Knowing her usual cold demeanor, this smile came as a stunning surprise. Even without the contrast, it was beautiful enough to treasure, something worth preserving forever in memory.
Uika stared, momentarily stunned.
But the moment lasted only seconds. The girl's face swiftly returned to its usual indifferent expression, so abruptly that Uika barely had time to register its loss.
"Well then, I'm leaving."
Just before walking away, the girl turned back, seemingly remembering something, and offered Uika a phone number.
"This is my mother's number. If you make it to Tokyo someday, you can call her. Recommending you or something like that would be easy enough for her."
Uika instinctively memorized the number as it was spoken—but her brow furrowed when she heard what followed.
"Like before, this is just an option I'm giving you," the girl said without allowing Uika room to refuse. "What you choose is entirely up to you."
With nothing further, the girl departed silently.
As Uika repeated the number to herself, she ultimately decided to properly write it down and save it into her old phone later.
Although she wouldn't use this number for favors… at least this meant she and the mysterious girl had a connection now—no longer just strangers who'd vanish forever from each other's lives.
"Ah." Uika softly exclaimed.
Only now did she realize she'd never asked the girl for her name.
...
Misumi Uika was leaving the island.
After hearing Uika's thoughts—and verifying carefully that she'd truly considered everything and indeed possessed real talent—her parents readily agreed to support her decision.
"Uika, we've told you before: no matter what you choose to do, we'll always support you."
Since summer vacation was ending and Uika would soon begin her first year of junior high, the family decided she would immediately enroll in a Tokyo school. Their years of savings had been for her sake; now was the time to use them.
After packing, Uika tried once more to find that peculiar girl before departing—at least to learn her name.
But even after searching nearly every corner of the beach, she couldn't find that aloof figure anywhere. Instead, on the fruitless walk home, she heard some news—a child had apparently nearly drowned in the sea, thankfully rescued by someone nearby.
Although Uika had the phone number given by the girl, she didn't intend to use it for something like this. It was a pity, but perhaps someday they'd meet again by chance.
After arriving in Tokyo, Uika chose to enroll at Hanasakigawa, known for its relatively liberal atmosphere. Though she reconnected with Sakiko, she didn't immediately ask her about forming a band.
If she did ask, Sakiko would surely agree without hesitation—but Uika felt she'd already received too much help from her. Instead, she hoped that after seeing Uika's true strength, Sakiko would invite her on her own.
Living frugally on the monthly allowance sent by her family, Uika paid for private lessons and study materials, diligently practicing. She even began performing alone near various live houses as a street musician.
Then, one day, a talent scout finally noticed Misumi Uika—skilled, diligent, and exceptionally pretty—as she performed on a Tokyo street.
Step by step, everything was finally falling into place.