Concert (7): The Promised Day Arrives
The day of the promise had finally come. It was the opening night of BARD's Now I'm Here concert tour, the event Iris had been counting down to with bated breath.
Whoosh! Iris swept back the curtains, letting the morning sun bathe her entire body.
"Mm!" She threw open the window, and fresh morning air flooded deep into her lungs.
"Morning wake-up call. Not bad at all, maybe?"
Anyone who knew the real Arisugawa Iris would scoff at such a bold declaration.
"Whatever. It'll probably fizzle out after three days anyway."
She chuckled to herself, amused by her own absurdity. Surprisingly self-aware, she was.
Knock knock. A rap came from behind her, and Iris tilted her head.
The other servants rarely approached Iris's room. So at this hour, there was only one person it could be.
"Miss, did you cough?" Kiriko's formal greeting came from beyond the door.
"I'm coming in."
Her tone carried zero expectation. Iris was probably still lost in dreamland—or stubbornly tangled in her blankets, refusing to emerge.
"Time to get up, Miss. It's morning. Today’s the BARD concert you've been dying for... Huh?"
Kiriko opened the door and blinked in confusion. Iris's room, which stayed pitch-black even in midsummer thanks to blackout curtains regardless of morning or night, now had a faint glow of light.
The servant lifted her bowed head.
"Good morning, Kiriko!" Iris winked cheerfully.
Kiriko's eyes went wide at the sight of Iris's pristine face, free of even a speck of sleep crust. Her mouth fell open in classic shock.
"Oh my, the sun must have risen in the west today. The miss crawling out of bed on her own..."
"What're you saying! I'm actually super diligent, you know?"
"The Arisugawa estate doesn't keep dogs, though..."
"Kiriko?"
"Ahem! Shall I prepare breakfast right away?"
"...Nah."
Iris shot a glare at Kiriko for her all-too-blunt dog joke, then shook her head.
"I'm eating with friends this morning."
"You mean Miss Rena?"
"I have friends besides Rena-chan now, you know?"
"Doesn't change that they're all Light Music Club members, does it?"
"Ugh!"
"And obviously, the ones you're meeting this morning are Miss Rena and Sakuya, right?"
"Koff!"
Iris clutched her chest dramatically, pretending to spit blood at Kiriko's nagging. It stung to be treated like a total loner by the help.
"Hm. Sakuya, at least. That's a relief."
"A relief? Why?"
"Nothing at all."
Kiriko brushed it off and jotted the schedule into her notepad. It truly was a blessing in disguise.
If it had been Tae-il she'd be meeting this early, that would've been a real disaster.
No matter how stern Zenjiro was, he'd show his displeasure if his daughter went out to meet a boy first thing in the morning. Tae-il's part-time job had, in a way, saved not just Iris but Kiriko too.
Finishing her notes, Kiriko tucked the notepad back into her breast pocket.
"Shall we prepare for your bath now?"
"Yeah."
Iris stretched her stiff body and ruffled her tousled hair.
"Heading to Rena-chan's first, so get things ready ahead of time?"
"I'll wait at the front gate."
"Thanks."
Kiriko bowed and retreated stealthily.
Confirming she was gone, Iris pulled out her smartphone and checked the group chat.
Iris snickered at Rena's feisty resistance.
"Hehe, so cute."
Honjo Rena—what would've been an extinct species if not for her adorable tsundere edge masking that fiery temper.
"Fufu."
She licked her lips, plotting a big hug for later.
"Gotta wash up quick and pick up Rena-chan!"
Whistling a tune that would terrify the subject herself, Iris hummed away.
Rena, three hours from drowning in Iris's embrace.
There was one classic cliché straight out of manga: the sheltered rich girl’s slummin’ it adventure, led by the protagonist.
The pure, worldly-naive young lady gets dragged into everyday experiences by the hero. Most folks brush it off as pure comedy fodder.
Sakuraba Sakuya agreed.
Not every upper-crust life was the opulent fantasy from fiction, after all.
But more than that...
Sakuya, who dreamed of becoming a mangaka and had honed her analytical eye for stories, saw deeper. These cookie-cutter episodes weren't just gags.
The rich girl slum experience is straight-up flag groundwork.
It plants the idea in the greenhouse flower that escaping her cozy confines for the rough wilds isn't so bad—especially with the protagonist by her side. It turns dependency into a trap: With him around, even outside the cage, you're safe.
Even if she's not crushing yet, it sets up the perfect bonding opportunity. Basically, it's the nail in the coffin for that romance flag.
"But seriously..."
Sakuya never dreamed she would inherit that pivotal role instead of Tae-il.
"Uwaaah! Thought I was gonna suffocate!"
"Ahaha."
Sakuya gave a wry smile at Iris, panting with her tongue lolling out like a heatstroked dog.
Sakuya had noticed it ages ago: Iris looked like a goddess but acted like a total himbo, which spelled trouble in so many ways.
"Hoo..."
Rena followed, slumping exhausted onto the bench. Sweat beaded her forehead—clear sign of how rough it had been.
"You okay, Rena?"
"Yeah..."
Her words said fine, but her pale face screamed otherwise. She looked downright ill, like she needed a break.
Sakuya considered grabbing some meds.
"Want me to hit the convenience store for drinks?"
"Please..."
"Ah, Sakuya, me too...!"
"Got it. Your usual ion drinks and milk tea, right?"
They both nodded.
"Be right back."
Sakuya set off for the store, feeling eyes on her every time her long legs strode forward. She glanced around.
The massive Shinyokohama Station concourse rivaled any major hub, swarming with all sorts.
Crowded...
It was the weekend. Not everyone was commuting.
Passersby ducking in from the heat. Train commuters. Shinkansen groups off to far-flung trips. Hotel guests. Salarymen hustling on weekend shifts. Friend groups out for fun. And lutes gathering early for BARD's concert.
"Impressive."
Sakuya took in the BARD-logo tees everywhere, marveling. Their eyes burned with passion. What magic made BARD ignite such diverse crowds? Curiosity swelled her own hype.
The live clips on Itube didn't click for me—why the frenzy? Hope I don't crash from overhyped expectations.
"420 yen total."
"Here."
She paid at the oddly cramped konbini amid the vast station and headed back.
"Catch."
Sakuya tossed bottles to Iris, who was giving knee-pillow to the seated Rena.
"Thanks."
Iris snatched them mid-air effortlessly.
"Nice reflexes. Tae-il probably would've fumbled."
"Pfft!"
Sakuya sat beside the giggling Iris, covering her mouth.
"How's she holding up? Looks worse than before."
"I'll be fine after rest..."
Rena mumbled weakly.
"Hate public transit so much..."
"Haha."
"Rena-chan got motion sick, huh."
"Motion sick?"
"Not from the train..."
No way it'd be just the train— she'd have barfed on the bus to Gunma with Tae-il otherwise.
Rena's nausea stemmed from the environment.
"Too... many people..."
The ride in had been hellish rush-hour crush.
Famous idol concerts always gridlocked transit nearby. That's why Tae-il suggested trains or buses over driving.
But for Rena, with zilch public transit experience, it backfired spectacularly.
"Seriously..."
She whined.
The rich rarely rode the rails. Rena wasn't filthy rich, but as Iris's childhood friend, she'd soaked up that elite vibe—habits, mindset skewed upscale.
They say you resemble your besties. Awkward with crowds? Same deal.
Iris managed thanks to her build; the crush was gross but bearable. Not Rena.
"Never thought my puny size would hurt this bad..."
Rush-hour jolts flung her tiny frame every which way by inertia. No choice but to cling to Iris and Sakuya like a kid.
Iris's sly smiles each time? Pure humiliation fuel.
And trains being sardine cans, she inevitably buried into someone despite herself.
Strangers? No way—rude, and her mild germaphobia recoiled.
So she leaned on the familiar duo. Sakuya yielded space for the others, leaving Iris as the default pillow.
Her face smashed into those ample breasts multiple times thanks to her height. Rena muttered powerlessly.
"Goddamn udders..."
Breasts. What the hell made guys and gals alike worship those fatty lumps?
Rena glared bitterly at Iris's bountiful chest, lamenting.
"Oh yeah, meds?"
"Brought motion sickness and headache pills. Which one?"
"Whatever..."
Rena closed her eyes. Every word from Iris made them jiggle, chipping away at her self-esteem.
Staring at those massive peaks blocking her face, Rena's tear ducts activated on their own. Tears of the heart.