Returning Transcendent Opens an Idol Agency

Chapter 214: Hana Homura – When life gives you lemons…

Hana looked around at the crowd. “Wow… This is super amazing!” She let out a bright smile and said, “I knew that there were a lot of people watching us, but seeing all of you in person… I’m a bit nervous.”

A low rumble echoed. Supportive words and cheers that couldn’t be understood due to the filter. Even so, the hearts and flowers flying her way made it clear that everyone was supporting Hana.

She laughed and let out a small wave. “Thank you everyone for coming out tonight! And thank you everyone for all of your support!”

Hana reached up her hands. As she did, a golden mic stand materialized in front of her, letting out orange sparks. She grabbed the mic, adjusting it a bit, and then looked up at the crowd. “Um… I don’t know what to say. I mean… to think that I would be standing here in front of all of you…” She slowly turned her head, watching everyone. “It’s something beyond even my wildest dreams.”

More hearts flew towards the stage. At the same time, so did dozens of orange roses.

Hana laughed. But then her usual bright smile and demeanor dimmed a bit. “Mister John and Mister Titor said it already, but… you all really changed my life. Our lives. Before all of this… we weren’t doing really well. You know? Before I met Mister John… My mother was sick. Really sick. And we didn’t have much we could do to make things better, so I…” She trailed off and shook her head.

Hana sniffed and brushed her eyes. “N-No.” She smiled through the tears and said, “It’s alright. I’m not sad. I’m happy. Happy to live this dream every day. To laugh and sing and dance for everyone and spend the day together. But… I don’t really know how to say thank you. So… I’ll just sing.”

Hana glanced at the floating window off to her side, showing the chat, and she smiled. “…Thank you. Then…” She turned her face back forward, looking out at the crowd.

The camera drone moved, panning the screen to focus on her.

Hana nodded and said, “This song is originally a sad one. A story, just like my life before meeting everyone. But now…” She shook her head and smiled. “Just like how you changed my story… Let’s change this story too. Here I go.”

The stage shimmered. When it did, golden lights emerged, floating around like fireflies.

Hana closed her eyes. Silence… and then she started to sing.

[Play Lemon Kenshi Yonezu kobasolo cover]

“It was just a dream, a fantasy. That’s all I thought I had. Life was dark, so I’d always run to where I wasn’t sad.”

A piano and guitar started playing, mixing with Hana’s voice. And then percussion started, a simple drum beat with the occasional chime. After that, the stage shimmered again, turning into a small and run-down house. There, a younger version of Hana sat at a worn-out kitchen table, idly swinging her legs while reading a tattered Shoujo manga.

“Tragic memories and misery a past I can’t forget. Even so I wouldn’t give up what I have now or regret.”

The setting behind Hana didn’t change, but the scenes did. Time passed in a blur, showing the younger Hana at various places and doing various things. Sometimes by herself. Sometimes with a young woman that looked a lot like her, but was always worn-out. ‘Mama Hana.’

Hana looked up, her gaze becoming distant as she continued to sing. “There were days where all that I could do was curl up and cry. There were times I would have to just smile and say I was fine.”

The background changed, turning to a cramped bedroom with a crumpled mattress. There, the younger Hana laid curled up with a rag, shivering in the cold.

And then that changed to her greeting her mother at the door, forcing a smile as she saw Mama Hana’s fatigue.

Hana shook her head and then looked out at the crowd, letting out a soft smile. “Drowning in the dark, grabbed my past, I would have just faded. But with you right by my side I know that I’ll always be alright.”

“Tears I have when I think of then, disappear now that you’re my friends. All these words that I have to say, I’ll sing them all right now.”

A brief pause. Hana took the moment and pulled the mic off the stand, holding it in both hands. Then, with a bright smile, she continued singing. “On that day my heart was filled with colors, like the sun shining through gloomy weather. So no longer will I ever think that I don’t matter anymore.”

The golden lights in the air shifted, flowing towards the younger Hana. Her eyes widened and she looked around, reaching out towards them. And when she grabbed the light, the scene changed again.

Hana’s streaming room. The gray concrete space that had the bare necessities. But instead of the usual perspective, looking in to the back, it was from the back looking out. As if someone was standing in the back of the room, looking to where Hana usually did when she streamed.

“I know now that life is more than sorrow. Happiness can reach you in due time. So just keep your head up and move on til you’ve found light like me. And if you can’t do that then let me shine through your misery.”

The background shimmered, and then it showed another Hana. Past Hana, streaming to everyone. Scenes of her dancing, doing karaoke, playing games, laughing at the chat… It was a look behind the curtain to her perspective.

But then it stopped. The past Hana shut off her streaming equipment and sat there in the dark for a moment, staring at a dark screen.

“Though there may be days where I just think that nothing here is right. Though I doubt if I have earned anything that I have now.”

Past Hana curled up in her chair, lowering her head. At that time, the real Hana turned back.

“When I think like that, I just look back and recall this one fact: Everyone’s cheering me on so this path just cannot be wrong.”

Past Hana’s phone buzzed on the desk beside her. And when she picked it up, the background shimmered. When it cleared up, countless lights appeared behind Hana, matching what Past Hana saw on her phone.

Green, blue, yellow, orange, pink, red… Superchats and comments, flying through the chat.

Reading that, Past Hana turned around. When she did, the scene changed back to the usual perspective of her streams. At the same time, she walked up beside the real Hana.

Hana looked at her past self and smiled before looking forward.

“‘Ohana da yo!’ Yes! We’re all family. So just lean on me as you once let me. Let these gloomy days and gray sky fade away as we all meet today.”

The past Hana waved. But then she started fading out, along with the room. Because of that, the stage returned, showing the crowd and the distant audience in the back.

“Even when you doubt yourself like I do, know that I’ll always be here for you. That’s a promise I will make sure that will always remain true. Because I know how hard life can be, so let me help you too.”

Hana held out her hand to the crowd, her bright smile turning soft. “Days that always seem so fun. Words and love that makes a sun. Shining bright into my life, let’s enjoy that brilliant light.”

The dim hall lit up. Not because of floodlights, but because the ceiling changed, turning into a bright blue sky. Like a beautiful summer day, with only a few stray clouds floating about with the golden sun.

“Even if some days you might be down. I’ll help you turn it around. Because it’s the least that I can do. So then let’s just all be happy.”

Lights filled up the screen behind Hana. Floating windows showing her past streams, Hana always smiling and cheerful within them.

Hana stepped forward to the edge of the stage and then placed her right hand over her heart. “On that day my heart was filled with colors, like the sun shining through gloomy weather. So no longer will I ever think that I don’t matter anymore.”

The floating windows behind Hana changed, turning into floating chat boxes. Superchats flying past, countless messages showing everyone’s support.

Standing in front of all of that, Hana held out her left hand and sang. “Know that even if life gives you lemons, you can always make some lemonade. And then share it with all of those who want you right here today. And if no one’s like that in your life, well I’ll be here okay?”

The stage shimmered again. The camera panned back, and then showed a silhouetted person sitting in a dark room, huddled in front of a computer with their head lowered. And on that screen was Hana, holding out her hand.

“Because to me you are everything that I would ever need.”

The person raised their head, looking at the screen.

Hana smiled and then placed her hand back over her heart. “So then if you ever get lost know that I will light your way.”

The scene flickered. Darkness, welling up and covering everything in black. But the screen remained lit, showing Hana.

The music slowly trailed off. As it did, the camera started zooming back in on Hana. And when it did, she let out a bright smile and said, “Don’t forget, alright? I’ll be with you in the dark.”

And then everything turned black. The screen, shutting off.

Silence.

And then roaring applause filled the air. At the same time, the darkness vanished as a tide of orange hearts and bouquets of colorful flowers flew towards the stage.

The floodlights turned back on, showing Hana standing in front of her mic stand on the stage.

Staring at everything that was going on, Hana’s orange eyes glimmered with tears. But she didn’t cry. Instead, she let out a bright smile and gave a deep bow. “Thank you everyone! Thank you for letting me be part of your family!”

_________

It was just a dream, a fantasy. That’s all I thought I had.

Life was dark, so I’d always run to where I wasn’t sad.

Tragic memories and misery a past I can’t forget.

Even so I wouldn’t give up what I have now or regret.

There were days where all that I could do was curl up and cry.

There were times I would have to just smile and say I was fine.

Drowning in the dark, grabbed my past, I would have just faded.

But with you right by my side I know that I’ll always be alright.

Tears I have when I think of then, disappear now that you’re my friends.

All these words that I have to say, I’ll sing all right now.

On that day my heart was filled with colors, like the sun shining through gloomy weather.

So no longer will I ever think that I don’t matter anymore.

I know now that life is more than sorrow. Happiness can reach you in due time.

So just keep your head up and move on til you’ve found light like me.

And if you can’t do that then let me shine through your misery.

Though there may be days where I just think that nothing here is right.

Though I doubt if I have earned anything that I have now.

When I think like that, I just look back and recall this one fact:

Everyone’s cheering me on so this path just cannot be wrong.

With a smile I’ll say hello! Cheer you up now with all I know.

Because all that you’ve given me I’ll give back to you.

‘Ohana da yo!’ Yes! We’re all family. So just lean on me as you once let me.

Let these gloomy days and gray sky fade away as we all meet today.

Even when you doubt yourself like I do, know that I’ll always be here for you.

That’s a promise I will make sure that will always remain true.

Because I know how hard life can be, so let me help you too.

Days that always seem so fun. Words and love that makes a sun.

Shining bright into my life, let’s enjoy that brilliant light.

Even if some days you might be down. I’ll help you turn it around.

Because it’s the least that I can do. So then let’s just all be happy.

On that day my heart was filled with colors, like the sun shining through gloomy weather.

So no longer will I ever think that I don’t matter anymore.

Know that even if life gives you lemons, you can always make some lemonade.

And then share it with all of those who want you right here today.

And if no one’s like that in your life, well I’ll be here okay?

Because to me you are everything that I would ever need.

So then if you ever get lost know that I will light your way.