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Tendoji Sarina felt as if she had a very, very long dream.
In the dream, she, suffering from a terminal illness, fell in love with an underground idol named Hoshino Ai.
Initially, she stumbled upon a live performance video of Hoshino Ai at a Livehouse, filmed by other fans, on YouTube. Subsequently, as she consciously searched, she learned a great deal about the underground idol named Hoshino Ai.
Gradually, Tendoji Sarina grew to love Hoshino Ai, who seemed full of energy, always sparkled on stage, and possessed a unique charm that could attract others' attention, becoming her dedicated fan.
Being able to witness Hoshino Ai's growth as an underground idol from scratch, from low to high, Tendoji Sarina also felt a sense of shared honor.
The other party's relentless efforts also gave the girl motivation to actively continue her treatment.
To make others also like the idol she supported, Tendoji Sarina actively recommended her to others, but others were not interested in her recommendations, merely thinking she was like a child showing off her favorite toy, and they would just smile at her words, full of sincere and passionate emotion.
Only Dr. Amamiya, who had once helped her, although not her primary doctor (Amamiya Gorou was an obstetrician, who met Sarina during his internship), was able to listen calmly and seriously to what she said, and genuinely express his views.
The final result was that Dr. Amamiya, like herself, also became a dedicated fan of Hoshino Ai.
The two often looked for Hoshino Ai's videos and news together, discussed her affairs together, wrote letters to her, and occasionally received postcards from her agency. They also agreed that once Tendoji Sarina's condition improved, they would go to the Livehouse where Hoshino Ai often appeared to watch her live performance together.
Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.
Hoshino Ai's popularity gradually increased, even occasionally appearing on television, even if not as the main character, but merely as green foliage to set off other flowers. Still, it signaled that she had already broken through the barriers of an underground idol and was about to become a true active idol—in fact, during this period, Hoshino Ai's popularity was already higher than some active idols.
However, not long after, someone, in full view of the public, suddenly pulled out a kitchen knife at a handshake event after a Live performance and murdered Hoshino Ai.
It was said that the assailant was an extreme fan of another idol, who had lost important performance resources to Hoshino Ai. She had cried about it in a fan group, which was originally just a means to gain sympathy and solidify her fanbase, but it was interpreted by the extreme fan as evidence of Hoshino Ai suppressing her, ultimately leading to the tragedy.
Although the assailant was quickly subdued by security and Hoshino Ai was immediately rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, it was all too late.
Ultimately, this rising star, halfway through her ascent, disappeared completely like a meteor, leaving a brilliant trace across the night sky.
After Hoshino Ai's death, Tendoji Sarina felt as if a corner of her world had collapsed.
Her condition began to deteriorate without warning. The girl's body was constantly tormented by pain, not just a superficial ache, but a piercing pain that seemed to burrow into every inch of her bone marrow, as if her bones were being carved and her heart gouged out.
Dr. Amamiya's departure from the hospital after his internship ended was the final straw that broke the camel's back. Although he later returned at her request, by then Tendoji Sarina's body had deteriorated to the point where it would not be surprising if she died at any moment.
Later, the girl slept day and night, constantly in a state of daze and semi-consciousness.
When that all-consuming pain swept over her not long ago, Tendoji Sarina had a premonition, or rather, a realization:
I am probably truly about to die.
The story should have ended abruptly here.
But everything was not over yet.
When Tendoji Sarina came to her senses, she found herself floating in a pitch-black void.
Loneliness, fear, despair… all the negative emotions made the girl curl up into a tiny ball. Her consciousness was not particularly clear, and still in a muddled state, she wished for everything to pass quickly, even if it meant facing death, it would be better than this endless torment.
But at that moment, a pearl-colored light appeared in the dark space.
Hoshino Ai emerged from the light.
Is this an illusion before I die? Tendoji Sarina thought.
The other party, like an older sister, pulled the girl and talked a lot. When Sarina was a little more awake, she even sang her best songs with her, and then quietly listened to Sarina pour out her sadness and sorrow.
They were like two intimate friends who had never met but knew each other incredibly well, simply depending on each other like that.
After an unknown amount of time, Hoshino Ai finally spoke to her seriously about many things.
But all of this disappeared with the chaotic memory, like a dream. Only one thing Tendoji Sarina remembered incredibly clearly.
"My life ends here, but Sarina, you are different. Don't worry, everything will be alright—"
Hoshino Ai's pearl-colored body gradually disintegrated, turning into countless sparkling, stardust-like particles and vanishing: "Your life has just begun. I remember you once wrote in a letter that you wanted to become an idol like me, right? If so… then you must become the most amazing idol, stand on the Budokan and Tokyo Dome for me, and help me see if the view from the highest point is as beautiful and magnificent as we wrote in our letters!"
When Tendoji Sarina awoke from her slumber, she found Dr. Amamiya leaning over her bed, muttering something about 'frogs' in his sleep.
After waking Dr. Amamiya, he excitedly told her that she had been unconscious for several days and then took the girl for a physical examination.
The result was surprising: the girl's seemingly terminal illness had inexplicably healed during these few days of unconsciousness.
This discovery shocked the medical community in Japan. Many people studied her for a long time but could not find the cause of her recovery, ultimately attributing it to a special case of individual constitution.
Of course, the girl was far from healthy—her body was incredibly weak, and her muscles had atrophied due to prolonged inactivity, requiring long-term rehabilitation—but just as the idol she supported in her dream had said, everything was going to get better.
There was also a small interlude: one day, while tidying up, Sarina discovered that several cherished posters and photos of Hoshino Ai were missing. After searching everywhere without success, she could only give up, utterly bewildered.
As for the girl, after recovering, she adopted the stage name Hoshino Ruby, became an idol with the strong support of Dr. Amamiya Gorou, and through her own efforts and a bit of luck, gradually made her way to the Budokan, becoming a true super idol—that is another story.
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