First Audition Round 1 (4)
[Next contestant, please come on out~]
After Rena, a few more participants came and went before Alfa murmured softly. As expected from a major audition, there were quite a few entrants. But most of them were boring. Well, you can't expect tons of entertaining people out of a few hundred. Because of that, I was already exhausted, and the judges didn't look much different.
If things were that easy, there'd be more passers than failures. That couldn't happen in an audition—it'd just inflate the judges' standards over time.
At Alfa's words, the next participant stepped forward. A crisp white dress shirt with a blue ribbon. Eyes like clear blue skies, hair tied in twin tails that contrasted cutely with her otherwise calm demeanor. It was a charming avatar.
[Um... Hello. I'm Rie.]
Her quiet but clear voice gently caressed my ears. Rie bowed politely. It was finally her turn—the one I'd been waiting for so desperately.
I crushed the beer can in my hand. Too much strength. Right now, I was probably as nervous as she was.
So far, only one had passed: Rena. Everyone else failed. That had to ramp up the tension for Rie even more. But it also meant talent was scarce. Of course, less than half were left. Still, no first-round passes for a while was a good sign, situationally speaking.
No wonder Alfa was regretting not using her candy on someone earlier.
Alfa spoke in an even tone.
[Yes. Please introduce yourself.]
Rie took a deep breath and gripped her mic tightly. At least that's how it looked to me. She stayed silent for a few seconds, then opened her mouth.
[M-my name is Rie. I came here to become a virtual idol. Please take care of me.]
[...That's it?]
[Um... N-no, not yet.]
Yeah, if she'd stopped there, her audition would've been over. I let out a brief sigh of relief. Still, it was better than I'd expected. By my guess, she'd have bitten her tongue mid-sentence or stuttered from nerves by now.
I teared up a bit, overlapping with the efforts I knew she'd put in. Of course, no one else would know that.
She spoke again.
[...I'm currently attending university. If I become an idol... I'll put everything on hold and devote myself to it.]
[Pardon?]
Rie's sudden acceleration. Alfa seemed speechless at the abrupt real-life dropout declaration, then burst out laughing. I chuckled too at her ridiculous self-intro.
Rie had chosen to crash into the audition with raw honesty. Then again, scripting words or forcing a concept wouldn't suit her. And that unexpected burst actually nailed her character.
[Uh... Great resolve. That's it! You need at least that much grit. Shall we hear your song?]
[Yes...!]
Rie's song began. Her voice followed the faint melody, lighting the path ahead. I knew it: her road so far might've been lonely and bleak, but she truly loved streaming. Otherwise, she couldn't have kept at it so diligently. And she always tried. She'd planned content to entertain, read aloud on stream to build her voice. This song was the fruit of that effort.
It wasn't pro-singer level. But there was undeniable polish in Rie's singing—the sound of someone who's sung it a hundred times, too familiar with the tune.
Maybe that's when I fell for her more. All the reasons I scouted small-time streamers were embodied in her: hardworking, diligent, pushing forward without yielding despite no results.
I was just enjoying the song when the backing track cut off. I smacked my lips in regret.
The problem was, only I could fully appreciate her growth. To others, it was just a decent song. The judges huddled briefly, then picked up the mic.
[Uh, that was good. No standout concept, so song choice didn't matter much... But since you're on the quiet side, picking a calm song was a solid plus.]
Rie nodded slightly at Alfa's words.
[What I'm curious about is this: You know your personality isn't that distinctive, right? How do you plan to overcome it?]
Alfa's point was valid. Overly quirky concepts could backfire, but zero personality was another issue.
Rie pondered, lowering the mic from her lips. Then she spoke.
[I'll... work hard. Someone told me my strength is effort...]
[Who?]
[...M-my parents.]
[...Pfft... Uh, good. I pass you.]
[Everyone, we're not picking perfect people here. It's an academy. We're raising virtual idols. Nurturing—growth potential. That's the point of this audition. If we want perfect, no one passes today. Got it?]
Instead of the frozen Rie at Alfa's pass announcement, I threw my arms up and yelled. Maybe the goal line would show. I was even happier than her.
Next was Uta. She clutched her forehead, deliberating. I'd already clasped my hands like a priest praying to god.
[Well... My focus is singing, and I've always looked for character in the vocals... Timing and pitch were perfect—clear effort. But that timid vibe... I doubt it'll improve. Great song, great effort... Sorry. I fail you.]
...What?
The mic went to Guru.
[My turn! Like Uta said, the shyness stands out. My biggest regret: not using that cute avatar's charm. If you worked hard, why not show some energy matching it?]
Wait, hold up. Guru's energetic tone aside, that meant...
[Sorry! I fail you too.]
Fail. Two fails. Honestly, unexpected. I'd thought those two were looser than Alfa—pass seemed obvious. The joy from moments ago vanished, leaving gloom.
Rie's shoulders slumped, and so did mine. Regretful. But at least it introduced her to people. One pass beat zero.
I gripped my mouse, fiddling with a comfort song. Knew I'd use it someday, but sending it felt mocking now. Kinda sucks...
...Regretful? Honestly, I'd thought a fail wouldn't matter. I could just watch her streams as is. For a hakko-only fan like me, that might even be better. Academy success would rocket her to mid-tier at least.
Still, I wanted to see her grow. Become an idol, make people smile, shake off nerves, and stream energetically.
Memories flashed from her viewerless days.
Those moments wouldn't return with big audiences. Cheering her now was contradictory.
Yet I...
...believed she'd be rewarded someday. That's why.
This time, I wanted her to get it. Screw my selfishness. Just seeing my favorite streamer happy—that's enough.
Suddenly, golden light burst from the judges' table.
[Well, that leaves me no choice.]
Alfa was the source.
Alfa grabbed the mic.
[I hesitated a lot. Use it or not. Hoard it too much, it turns to shit. What if I can't use it later? Waste. First-round passes are too few anyway. She has clear potential. Work hard from now on. Taking a leave of absence shows resolve. Though... I can't force that.]
[Woo! Congrats!]
Alfa set down the mic; Guru waved enthusiastically. Rie froze with wide eyes at the sudden turn, then clutched the mic with both hands.
[I'll... work hard...]
Her trembling voice. Applauding judges. I wiped my eyes, just like Rie.
Looks like it's a celebration song, not comfort, after all.