Chapter 57: Chapter 56: Elina, the Future Idol.

Takeshi found Ophélia at the main exit before Elina arrived.

He explained that today they would be accompanying her to the shrine, that it was part of the student council’s coordination, and that there was nothing to worry about.

Ophélia looked at him for a moment before nodding without asking any further questions. That was one of the things Takeshi had noticed about her: when she decided to accept something, she accepted it without insisting on details she hadn’t been given.

They waited for two minutes at the entrance, and Elina arrived on the third.

Takeshi saw her appear from the side hallway, and the first thing he noticed was her hair. It was completely pink, not dyed, but natural. Her eyes were a shade of purple that wasn’t common either. She walked quickly, with an energy that didn’t seem tied to any specific urgency.

He checked her stats automatically.

[ELINA COLE]

[Life: 100%]

[Sanity: 100%]

[Trust: 80%]

’She really is comfortable around people...’

"Takeshi!"

Elina exclaimed once she reached a distance where the volume was reasonable. Then she looked at Ophélia.

"So this is the new student? Hi, I’m Elina, I’m on the student council and I’m also in the idol club, but that’s separate, although honestly the two things connect a lot if you think about it, because the council gives you visibility, and visibility is important when you want to build an entertainment career, but I can explain that part later. What’s your name?"

Ophélia processed the flood of information for a second.

"Ophélia..."

She barely managed to answer before Elina continued.

"That’s such a pretty name! It sounds like something from another world, right? I feel like it has something special to it, like there’s a story behind it."

Elina was already walking toward the exit while she talked.

"Shall we go? Takeshi told me we needed to head to the northern shrine. I kinda know the way. I went once with my mom when I was little, although back then I didn’t really understand what shrines were for, and now I get it more, but I’m still not an expert."

Takeshi and Ophélia exchanged a brief glance before following Elina out onto the street.

The walk to the shrine took around twenty minutes on foot. Takeshi spent the entire time trying to keep up with the pace of Elina’s words without being able to fully process the content of every sentence.

Elina talked about the weather, about a test she had that week, about a food place that had opened near the school, about the school uniform and why the design could be improved with small adjustments she had already thought through in detail, about a song she was practicing for a future performance, and at least four additional topics Takeshi failed to follow consecutively.

At no point did she leave a pause long enough for anyone to respond with more than a confirming sound.

Meanwhile, Ophélia walked beside Elina with an attention that seemed genuinely analytical. At one point, Elina asked whether Ophélia liked music, and Ophélia answered that she hadn’t had much exposure to modern music, but that she found it interesting.

Elina took that answer and talked about music for four uninterrupted minutes.

Ophélia kept looking at her with the same level of attention.

Takeshi walked one step behind the two of them, periodically checking the surroundings. The shadows of the buildings, the alleys between structures, the spaces where someone could move without being seen from the main street.

He found nothing out of the ordinary, and the trip continued without incident, which was exactly what he needed to happen.

When they arrived at the shrine, the priest was at the entrance and recognized Ophélia immediately. She said goodbye to Takeshi with a brief gesture before looking at Elina.

"It was interesting meeting you."

Said Ophélia.

"Same here! I hope tomorrow at school we can talk more. I have a lot of things to tell you about how social groups work in high school because it looks like you’re still learning the system, and I can help you with that, seriously, it’s basically my specialty."

Elina smiled at her.

"See you tomorrow!"

Ophélia entered the shrine, and the door closed.

Elina turned toward Takeshi with the same energy she had maintained throughout the entire walk.

"All done."

She commented.

"Should we head back?"

Takeshi nodded, and they started walking back.

The silence lasted approximately forty seconds.

"Hey, Takeshi, can I call you Takeshi or do you prefer something more formal? I prefer first names. Last names feel way too distant, and I’m not really the kind of person who works well with distance. It makes me uncomfortable. I think closeness makes everything flow better."

"The truth is..."

She didn’t wait for a response.

"I was really excited to meet you, you know? Merwyn talks about you during council meetings."

Takeshi processed that information.

"What does she say?"

"That you’re useful."

Elina said it completely naturally.

"Merwyn doesn’t say many good things about people in general, so when she says something positive, it’s because she genuinely means it, even if it’s just one sentence."

She paused for two seconds, which was the longest pause she had made all afternoon.

"I’ve known her for quite a while now. Well, since I joined the council, anyway. I learned how to read between the lines with the things she says."

"And how did you end up on the council?"

Takeshi asked.

"Merwyn contacted me."

Elina answered.

"She said I had a profile that would be useful for the council. I thought it was going to be event organization or communications, which is what I normally do, but it turns out what interested her specifically was my social skills."

She made a gesture with her hand.

"She said the council needed someone who could talk to anyone in any context without it feeling forced, and that I had that naturally."

"And do you?"

Takeshi asked.

Elina looked at him as though the question were mildly absurd.

"Of course I do, duh. I’ve always been like this, ever since I was little. My mom says that before I even learned how to talk properly, I was already trying to have conversations with anyone who came near me."

She said it proudly.

"I like talking to people. It comes naturally to me, so I don’t really understand why other people struggle with it so much."

Takeshi didn’t answer that because he didn’t have time to.

"Anyway..."

Elina continued.

"My main goal isn’t the council. The council is useful because it gives you visibility and connections, but what I really want is to become an idol."

She said it with completely direct conviction.

"I already have the group put together. There are five of us—well, four plus me. We’re still in the early stages, but we already have a name and a setlist, so now we’re looking for performance opportunities."

"What’s the group called?"

Takeshi asked, because it was the natural next question and because, if he didn’t ask something every once in a while, the conversation would become completely one-sided.

"Crystalyne."

She pronounced it with emphasis on the second syllable.

"It was my idea. At first the others wanted something different, but in the end they agreed because it sounded good and was easy to remember."

She paused.

"One day I’m gonna introduce you to the others. They’re on the council too—well, two of them are. The other two aren’t, but they’ll still be around the school, so you’ll run into them eventually."

Takeshi nodded.

Elina kept talking.

She talked about their performance plans, about a scheduling problem they were trying to solve, about the kind of music they made, and about why that specific genre was the right one for the market they wanted to reach.

Takeshi walked, nodded at the right moments, and periodically checked the surroundings.

When they reached the street where his apartment was located, Elina stopped.

"I’ll leave you here."

She said.

"I live the other way."

She smiled at him with the same energy she had started the afternoon with.

"It was nice meeting you, and if you ever need help with anything related to the council or whatever else, just let me know. Seriously, I don’t mind."

"Alright."

Takeshi answered.

"Thanks for accompanying us today."

"That’s what I’m here for."

Elina was already turning to leave.

"See you tomorrow!"

She walked away down the street with the same quick pace she had arrived at the school exit with, and in less than a minute she turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

Takeshi remained standing on the sidewalk for a moment.

Elina had talked nonstop for a total of forty minutes.

She was the most talkative person he had met in that world.

She had promised to introduce him to the other members of her group, and Takeshi only had one question.

’Are all the student council members like this?’