AMBiTiON/Story/Ch. 1

## Chapter 1 - Starry Eyed Recruit

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Wow, that was stupid.

Not that she didn't want to form a band, just that whatever THAT was yesterday could only be classified as extraordinarily extra.

A day passed since Chihiro made the vow, and nothing happened. She now sat in her chair, just after the dismissal bell rang, her gaze aimlessly wandering around the classroom, scouting out someone to be a recruit… Nope, that one looks too stupid to know how to do anything. That girl by the blackboard, too quiet. And whoever that is over there… Definitely not. Definitely, definitely not.

If she didn't do anything now, Chihiro figured she'd drop this whole band goal in less than a second.

At the doorway of her classroom, class 1-C, stood a girl with periwinkle hair chatting with four other, infinitely less recognizable girls Chihiro had not learned the names of. Even from the girl's profile, she immediately identified the purple-haired one with slightly tan skin as Aki Hoshime, also known as the prized smart kid of the first years, if not the entirety of Hanasakigawa. Goody two-shoes, do-no-wrong, child prodigy, loved-by-everyone, Hoshime-sama. With that being said, probably also turns into the devil's spawn once she's off the teachers' radar. Chihiro once overheard one of those clique members mention how, if Hoshime-san wanted to, she could just skip school with no repercussions. It begged the question, "why does she not do that?", but Chihiro didn't care enough to try and sympathize with such a high-and-mighty, fake snake. Yet, she couldn't help but be bitterly envious around that perfect princess, and listened in on their conversation.

"Rehearsing today?" Chihiro heard Hoshime-san ask the four.
"Yup." One of them - a raspberry-red-haired girl - responded, "I mean, we don't usually do anything for the band, but Micchan came up with a song idea, so." She gestured to the introvert-looking girl with glasses, apparently nicknamed 'Micchan'. Not that it mattered, since Chihiro didn't even know her real name.

Another one of the four piped up, a girl with choppy dark brown hair. "Since you're not in the band, I guess there's not much point in you coming with. Plus, aren't you always busy after school?" she gave an apologetic smile, "So, uh, sorry Aki."

Hoshime-san looked disappointed, but no one in the group of four seemed to realize. "Yeah," she smiled back, "I get it - wouldn't be much help anyways.

Soon the four girls waved goodbye to Hoshime-san and left the room together. As the violet-haired girl was getting ready to leave as well, Chihiro had to wonder, 'Did Hoshime-san want to be in their band as well?'

Then a thought struck her. If she wanted to start a band, and Hoshime-san wanted to join one, can't Chihiro create the band with her?

The idea hit her like a bucket of cold water as she imagined the live shows they could have… shining, glittering as the world around them became a sea of glow sticks and a sun of the spotlights beaming upon her, showing the world her strength as she shimmered onstage… Until another cold bucket of water was poured onto her as she realized, 'Why would some probably-snobby girl like Hoshime-san care about the stuff a bunch of nobodies are doing?' Chihiro most likely just imagined her disappointment. Plus, if anything, the one shimmering onstage would be Hoshime-san. Chihiro would simply be the velvet cushion for that precious jewel of a girl.

Not to mention that somehow, imagining herself being the centre of attention felt so wrong...

Regardless, if she somehow managed to recruit Hoshime-san, perhaps she could take advantage of that girl's natural talent at everything. It would make Chihiro's job much easier. In the end, why would she get attached to some girl like that?

She was planning her course of action when she heard a voice suddenly approach her. "Did you need something, Satou-san?"

Chihiro froze up as her brain returned to reality and saw none other than Hoshime-san. "You were looking at me, so I thought you needed me." The girl said, and Chihiro only now recalled herself spacing out as she stared at Hoshime-san and daydreamed.

"O-Oh…" Chihiro stuttered. What could she say now? If she brushed it off, Hoshime-san would think she was being creepy. Chihiro never liked popular people like Hoshime-san, but she didn't want to get on her bad side, either. She'd never want to be Chihiro's friend now!

But Chihiro hastily reasoned with herself. Since Hoshime-san initiated the conversation anyway, why not just ask her about forming the band?

It did seem a little overambitious to go for Hoshime-san, as that girl probably looked down on lowly, friendless background character B's like Chihiro - not even background character A. But, what else could she talk about?

"S-Say, Hoshime-san," Chihiro nervously began, "I saw you talking to, uh, those four girls about their band. You looked kinda…" she searched for the right word to use, "well, disappointed."

Hoshime-san looked surprised for a moment, and Chihiro immediately regretted pointing that out, but the girl just let a slightly embarrassed smile show on her face.

"Oh, you noticed?" She admitted. "Yeah, if I have to be honest, I was just kinda upset. What about it?"

Chihiro panicked again as she stumbled on her possible words, not expecting such a direct prompt for her to speak. "Um, well…" She was hoping to invite Hoshime-san to her band more eloquently, but there was no time to think. "I've been considering starting a band, and I was wondering if you wanted to j-join…"

Uh oh. That was way too straightforward! Why didn't Chihiro look for a better transition? No way would she accept that offer now…!

"Really?"

The last thing Chihiro expected after that was a starry-eyed Hoshime-san curiously and excitedly staring her down like a dog hearing the word "walk". However, she matched that description perfectly.

Chihiro blinked in shock. "Y-Yes, really."

"Why, sure ah'll join!" Hoshime-san's crystal blue eyes brightened further, something Chihiro didn't think was possible at the moment. "Then, Satou-san, should I have yer phone number too?"

They quickly traded contact information, before Hoshime-san announced that she had to go to volleyball practice. 'Sure,' thought Chihiro, 'I expected someone like her to be so busy.'

"Oh, one more thing..." Chihiro started. "Um… Do you want to eat lunch with me tomorrow?"

That request sounded so lame, but it didn't seem to bother Hoshime-san. This time though, she hesitated before replying, "... Okay!"

And with that, the purple-haired girl left, her ponytail swaying after her. Chihiro silently stared at her, finally accepting everything that just happened as real.

Only then did Chihiro notice she had been holding a breath she didn't even know about. The new air she breathed in was almost suffocating. It didn't matter; she was so glad.

Chihiro finally got up from her chair when she realized her foot had fallen asleep at some point from her sitting there for so long, not standing up once since last period started. It didn't matter; she was so, so glad.

Stepping outside of the school, the warm sunshine smiled at Chihiro, as if in congratulations for her success. A conversation like that would be mundane to a normal person - Hoshime-san, for example - but to Chihiro it felt like the most successful she had ever been in her life.

With angry needles poking at her still-asleep foot, Chihiro looked up at the great blue skies and thanked the clouds for granting her wish. But if she wanted to form a band, then it wasn't over yet. Now though, she felt less nervous about it all.

She was so, so, so glad.

Maybe it was finally her time to shine.

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