Third Round

(Sun Yao)

The sun has already set.

The stadium, which can hold 50,000 people, was packed with enthusiastic spectators.

The final Supernova Idol Festival is about to begin!

She had already finished her makeup and was looking down to give her performance outfit a final check.

"The visibility is a bit poor... but it should be fine, right?"

"This is a big problem! If you look down, all you can see are two lumps of flesh!"

"Huh? Leaf? Yezi?!"

But Yezi appeared silently behind me and pushed me to stand in front of the dressing mirror.

"You're short, so the corset needs to be tightened a bit more to accentuate your figure. Otherwise, your upper body will look a bit short and stocky... Just bear with it!"

As he said this, he started tugging at the belt around my lower back.

"Ooh ooh!"

He tightened his belt quite forcefully, and his waist and abdomen felt a little uncomfortable from the constriction, but he did look much thinner than before... Now I can finally understand the feelings of those girls who torture themselves for the sake of beauty.

I complained, "Where have you been all afternoon?"

"Didn't Sirius tell you? I went to the city to run errands for her."

"So what? You're my manager! Why do you always ignore me like this!"

My tone was like I was pleading...

No, that's just being cute!

"Silly boy, I did all this so I could stay by your side forever."

I couldn't understand his answer.

"For me?"

"Yes, I plan to become the Association's liaison officer. If I can successfully join, I'll be your assigned liaison officer. Wouldn't that be great?"

"Huh! Really?"

When I was a magical girl, he was my liaison.

When I was an idol, he was also my manager;

When I am myself, can he become my Yezi?

"Hehehe!"

But Yezi patted my head.

"Why are you grinning like an idiot again? At least try to act smarter on stage!"

I'm not stupid... at least I consider myself fairly smart.

Only in front of Yezi would I be willing to show this naiveté; it was a unique kind of trust, how could he not understand?

"Yezi, after the idol season ends... I have something I want to tell you..."

"What do you want to say? Why are you being so hesitant?"

Even though I've already said that, Yezi still doesn't seem to understand and keeps asking questions.

He really doesn't understand girls' feelings at all.

"We said we'd talk about it after it's over!"

Pushing aside the Yezi, I ran towards Miss Halley, who was standing at the door ready to go on stage.

"Ceruno, let's both do our best!"

"Yes! I want to meet Miss Halley in the finals!"

"What a good child."

Miss Halley patted my head with a smile, but as she raised her hand, a large expanse of skin was exposed from her armpit to her side, leaving me momentarily at a loss for where to look.

She wore only a deep purple gauze robe, and her face was partially veiled, which complemented her slightly purple eyes.

Although it's called a robe, her performance outfit is incredibly revealing, with a bare back, a deep V-neck in the front, and almost completely open sides. Taking a step reveals her slender, shapely legs. The fabric's coverage is comparable to the bikini she wore in Hawaii...

Sexy.

But not everyone can pull off this kind of sexiness. If it were me, I'd probably underperform because of my shyness.

Miss Halley, however, remained calm, which freed up space for her wings and tail to move around.

I asked, "Miss Hallley, are you planning to wear this to the dance?"

She spun around in front of me.

Hands clad in soft gauze sleeves descended from her distinct collarbones, across her prominent Twins peaks, and explored all the way to her flat interior.

Then, she casually put her hands on her hips.

"Of course! Because that's how a dancer should dress!"

"Miss Halley is amazing, always so confident... I wish I had someone like you..."

"Shh."

She gestured for me to be quiet.

"Don't say things like that; you're just discouraging yourself."

On the stage, the judges were already seated, including Sirius and the old man they had met before.

"That old gentleman is here too? I remember his surname is Han..."

"That old gentleman is Han Shuo. Although he is nominally retired, he is still a powerful figure in the domestic entertainment industry, and the resources he controls are beyond your imagination... Today, this stage is our opportunity. Ceruno, give it your all and perform well. As long as you can get the judges' attention, even if you don't win the championship, your Future will still be bright."

That's what Miss Halley said.

Does that mean that just being able to play is enough to win?

"Perhaps that's true, but I want the championship!"

This is a promise I made to myself.

"Is that so? Is this your determination?"

Miss Halley sighed and composed herself, abandoning her usual relaxed demeanor.

"Unfortunately, there can only be one laurel wreath, so... I will defeat you!"

Giving it your all is only natural.

Miss Halley is amazing, but I don't want to lose!

Action!!

After the host's boasting and introductions, the four contestants, including myself, were assigned to stand in specific positions at the four corners of the stage.

Next.

The enormous stage began to deform.

The massive main stage unfolds in a cross shape, eventually dividing into four smaller stages on all four sides. Dozens of drones are densely packed in the air, filming from every angle, so there can be no moment's relaxation...

Yes, I can't go backstage to rest today!

A square platform remains in the middle of the split stage; that is Miss Achernar's personal broadcasting studio.

However, the three judges' seats were also moved there, making the small square room seem less out of place.

All I need to do is stand on my own platform with a smile on my face.

The performance order is: Flow Princess, me, Miss Halley, and Miss Dusk Raven.

The third judge responsible for scoring the third and fourth rounds, besides Sirius and Mr. Han Shuo, is... wait!

Why is Miss SpiCa sitting there?

Or perhaps as a magical girl?

I can't understand it, and I wasn't notified in advance. I thought it would be that magical girl idol from the previous two rounds.

"Ahem, Ceruno."

A cough came through the in-ear monitor; it sounded like Miss Yin Wei's voice.

She really is everywhere...

"Because the Supernova Idol Festival selects magical girl idols, Mr. Han Shuo is in charge of evaluating the 'idol' part, while Director SpiCa was invited by Sirius to evaluate the 'magical girl' part."

Is it the magical girl part?

That 'Flow Princess' and Miss Halley...

Miss Yin Wei continued, "That's what they say, but Director SpiCa is just here to make up the numbers. She doesn't have Sirius's ability to see through the Star Crystal at a glance, so under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be able to see through Liu and Halley's identities."

She might not be able to...

But 'Flow Princess'...

The animal-eared beauty on stage blurred into a Gaussian blur.

Faced with SpiCa, which is like a natural enemy, the flow has become so frightened that its software has become unstable.