I became a girl group idol for my sister.

Seeing the other person's slightly trembling shoulders, Miyamoto reached out and gently grasped their hand. Feeling the still trembling little thing in his palm, Miyamoto whispered, "Don't worry, it's okay. Even if there is something wrong, we can treat it sooner after it's found out."

"I...I'm so scared, senpai..." After Miyamoto Se spoke up, Nanase Touka finally couldn't hold back anymore. She whispered, "I only have my grandfather left, and I'm so afraid he'll leave me...just like my parents..."

"Don't worry, your grandfather doesn't usually show any particularly obvious signs, which generally means there's nothing seriously wrong. Even if there are, they're all within a manageable range."

"It's better to be safe than sorry, senpai..." Nanase Fuyuka said softly, still so helpless. To her, that "what if" was the most terrifying thing: "My mom and dad, they should have been... perfectly fine, they should have been able to live happily... but because of that 'what if,' something happened... and it was because of me..."

"because of you?"

Miyamoto frowned slightly. If Nanase Touka was indeed responsible for this, the psychological pressure she would be under would be immense, and she might really need to see a professional psychologist.

“I’ve never gotten along well with the people in my class since I was little…and I don’t have many friends. I usually stay at home except when I’m at school, but even so, my parents have always loved me very much…”

Nanase Touka began to speak slowly, as if she had found an outlet, and revealed all the secrets in her heart.

Although she still had some doubts, Miyamoto Se did not ask anything. Instead, she simply hummed in agreement and temporarily positioned herself as a listener.

Gradually, Nanase Touka, whom Miyamoto had vaguely guessed but had never been able to confirm, finally unveiled her true identity.

A third-grade student at a primary school.

To showcase students' development in all aspects, the school is holding a class performance competition.

"Next is the song selection for the class performance. Let me see..." The teacher, with a serious expression, looked at the list in her hand, then at the students below. Seeing the expectant looks in the children's eyes, she said, "I'll just pick the people directly: Akami Yuri, Taguchi Hitomi, Kobukawa, and Yotsaki Kyoko..."

As the selected individuals were being discussed, the people below began to discuss among themselves.

"Are these all regular members of the singing department?"

"Yeah, we'll definitely choose from the vocal department, and for the lead singer, we'll definitely choose the best one!"

"Is that the lead singer?"

"Stop talking nonsense! I just love talking about the lead singer!"

While a group of children were discussing among themselves, the teacher announced the last person's name.

"This time, the lead singer is... Nanase Fuyuka."

Everyone froze, looking towards the corner, and then they saw the girl holding the book in her hand also looking up at the teacher on the podium with a blank expression.

"Nanase, you're in charge of singing this time. This is related to the evaluation of the outstanding class, so you need to be careful."

Initially stunned by her selection, the girl quickly accepted the fact and smiled happily.

"Yes, I understand, teacher!"

This is a happy thing. She loves to sing. Although she has never joined a singing club, singing has always been one of her strengths.

She wondered when the teacher must have spotted her singing in the corner, otherwise why would she have been chosen?

But soon she noticed something was different.

"Have you heard? They chose someone named Nanase for Class B, and I heard she's not even in the vocal club!"

"I heard that the best vocalists were originally in Class B, and I was a little worried. But now it seems there's nothing to worry about. But is that teacher out of their mind? Why would they choose someone who isn't from the vocal club?"

"I've heard that there's only one possibility when something like this happens: someone gave a gift or used some underhanded means to get selected. It's extremely unfair."

"What kind of TV series are you watching?"

"I saw it! Aren't those villains in TV dramas just like that? They give each other gifts, and in the end, they get defeated by the protagonist!"

Nanase Fuyuka, who had just returned from the restroom, heard these words. Her expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and she was unsure whether to leave through the corner or wait a while.

She wanted to go up and say that she hadn't done such a thing, but she couldn't bring herself to take the step.

After a while, the two people left, and she walked out and headed towards the classroom.

As soon as she entered the classroom, many people looked at her, and then one by one they turned their heads away, seemingly unwilling to pay attention to her.

When I arrived at my seat, everything was in disarray, and there were words written in chalk on the table.

[Get out, you malicious competitor!]

Staring at those words, Nanase Touka was stunned. Many people secretly glanced at her, seemingly wanting to see her reaction. After a while, she grabbed her things and rushed out.

"Hey, class is starting! Don't run around in the hallway!" The teacher, who was about to enter, saw this and shouted, but the girl who had run away showed no intention of stopping. She just wanted to leave this place and didn't want to stay for even a second longer.

The teacher entered the classroom, glanced at Nanase Touka's seat, and frowned slightly at the words on it: "Who did this?"

No one dared to speak.

She nodded. Then she said, "Nobody admitted it, right? Very well, then we'll all be punished together." The teacher didn't say much and directly gave her decision: "Everyone will stay behind to clean today. Also, if anyone is willing to tell me who did it, they can tell me quietly, and I can let them not have to do their homework tomorrow."

"teacher……"

At that moment, someone raised their hand. It was a boy who stood up timidly. Seeing him, the teacher smiled and asked, "Are you planning to report this directly?"

"No, no..." He shook his head, and under the tense gazes of the group, he whispered, "I did it."

Many people breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, their eyes filled with gratitude as they looked at the boy. Clearly, he was taking the blame.

The teacher looked at the person for a while, then glanced around. She could tell there was something wrong, but things had gotten to this point and were becoming difficult to handle. Finally, with a grim expression, she said, "Very well, since you've confessed, you'll stay here to clean today. Everyone else can go home at the normal time!"

Then, when get out of class ended and the teacher left the classroom, the classroom was filled with cheers.

They are welcoming their heroes.

……

"Teacher, I'm so sorry, but Dongxia doesn't want to be the lead singer this time."

Inside the office, a young mother is talking with a teacher.

She looked very similar to Nanase Touka, but older, around twenty years old.

"But she sings very well, and I think she should go on stage for the honor of the class," the teacher advised. "Besides, it would be good for her future development."

"I'm sorry, but I care more about my daughter's feelings than about class honor. She's in a lot of pain because of this, so I don't want her to continue to suffer this pressure. Let's leave it at that. It's her wish not to go, and I support her."

The young mother refused the other party's request, her tone resolute:

Seeing that the other party was so determined and had no intention of changing her mind, the teacher had no choice but to nod and say, "Alright then, in that case, I will remove her name from the lead singer list. However, this means that she will not be given priority consideration for any related activities in the future."

The young mother's face showed anger.

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm just stating a fact. After all, arranging activities and rehearsing take time. We can't waste too much time on things like today. Those kids work very hard for the honor of the class."

……

The girl at the door waited anxiously, but when the door opened and she saw her mother come out and give her an OK sign, Nanase Touka finally smiled.

Things should be getting better, right? As long as I don't become the lead singer, no one will do anything to me, right?

This idea popped into my head, but it was quickly shattered by reality.

"we won!"

"The teacher is changing the lead singer!"

"A guy who uses underhanded methods will never have any real skills!"

The cheers from his classmates sounded extremely jarring. There were still words written on the desk, but this time they were written in a more hidden place—inside the desk.

[Useless trash, get out of here!]

The teacher who came in saw this scene, but she didn't say anything. She simply asked the students to quiet down and prepare for class.

Nanase Touka wanted to leave, but was stopped by someone.

"Nanase, it's class time now, what do you think you're doing?" The teacher frowned at her, showing no kindness whatsoever. She glanced outside and said, "Don't you have any sense of self-discipline as a student? Go stand in the hallway as punishment!"

This remark elicited soft chuckles from many people, and after a moment of silence, the girl slowly walked into the corridor and stood there quietly.

The empty corridor, for some reason, made her feel more relaxed than the classroom that was full of people.

For a reclusive person, becoming even more reclusive doesn't seem difficult, especially under pressure from the external environment.

As long as you don't let yourself come into contact with the outside world, then the outside world won't harm you.

That seems to be the case.

Time flew by and it was now 2016. The girl, who rarely showed a smile at home, quietly waited for tomorrow to arrive. Tomorrow was the 8th, her 12th birthday.

Her parents, who have always been busy with work, are rushing back today to celebrate her birthday tomorrow.

Although she usually lives alone at home, she still feels that this is the most comfortable place for her.

Until the moment the phone rang.

"Excuse me, are you Ms. Nanase?"

A slightly anxious voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Yes, that's me," Nanase Touka said softly. She really couldn't stand talking to strangers.

"May I ask who Mr. Nanase Hayato and Ms. Nanase Akira are to you?"

"They are my parents. May I ask... what happened?" Nanase Touka felt a bad feeling rising in her heart. This phone call came so suddenly, as if it was a premonition of something.

"I am so sorry, your parents were in a car accident. Although the hospital did their best to save them, they ultimately could not be saved. Please accept my condolences..."