Work Text:
Listen to Diamond
When it started…
A wee child just barely five years old so absorbed in the colorful lights and upbeat music coming from the television, everything around her was drowned out from her senses. From the glass screen, the image of the singer’s performance was reflected in the young girl’s bright blue eyes as she watched intently. Her eyes were open wide in amazement, as the idol danced and sang away on a gigantic stage, surrounded by a sea of adoring fans that were chanting and singing along to the music.
The thrumming beat of the song trapped the child’s body in a rhythmic bounce, it’s melodic hymn engraving every note into her mind, all of the awe inspiring lyrics capturing a rapidly beating heart. That performance put something into the little girl’s mind. An idea more grand her imaginary adventures in her bedroom, a new budding seedling of hope and curiosity, one dream that exists beyond the moments of her sleep.
This little girl wants to be just like the person she saw on television. To be just like someone who is able to move the hearts and touch the souls of those that witnesses their art. She wants to sing beautiful strings of captivating lyrics, wants to move her body in perfect tandem to the melody, wants to bring the same feeling of overwhelming happiness and boundless energy to everyone that stumbles upon her music. She wants to be a singer when she grows up.
And the name of the ambitious child?
Ahri.
Ahri, the untouchable Queen of Pop.
A week after her fifteenth birthday…
Standing in the middle of a large dance practice room, dressed in a casual outfit that allows the ease of movements, waiting for the signal for her to begin her audition.
“Calm down Ahri. Calm down. You’ve got this.”
Ahri chants to herself.
Although this isn’t her first audition it is the first at her dream company.
The countless auditions before this at other companies were total busts, where she was told she didn't have the talent to be an idol. To say that she did not take those hurtful comments to heart would be a lie, those words hurt her more than anything else she’s experienced. But it’s those negative remarks she received that pushed her to work even harder to surpass her limits.
And all her efforts have led her to this point, will she make the cut or will she fail to pass the auditions again. Nothing is for certain and the burning desire within the pits of her stomach causes her crystal blue eyes to shine.
Though the color of her eyes are akin to the calmness of the clear sky, the flame of desire and determination swirling beneath that guise of tranquility is visible.
When Ahri hears her name being called, she walks forward to the center of the practice room. Her footsteps are steady, her breathing is stable. She’s ready to prove her worth, determined to show the world that she can be a star.
Five years later…
“Good work today!”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Have a good rest.”
The famous pop star thanked her staff members for their work on the concert as she made her way backstage to the dressing room, in need of a change of clothes and good rest. Ahri just got off the stage after another successful concert with a stadium packed to the brim with her fans.
Back then, she couldn’t believe she passed the auditions and was accepted into her dream company. Once the contracts were signed and she officially became a trainee of the company, her passion was at its peak. Every day she would train under the dance tutors and vocal trainers to improve her skills, often spending extra time polishing up on what she learned.
Ahri’s everyday life turned into sixteen hours of training sessions and very little time for anything else. Because of travel times between the company and the provided dorms, the time spent talking to relevant people, Ahri would at most get three to four hours of sleep a day. Sometimes even less due to schedules being shifted around and clashing with the times she would rest.
However after two years of that being her daily, she was called by the CEO of her company for a discussion. Ahri was worried that maybe she’s done something wrong or that she wasn’t performing as expected but her worries were washed away when the CEO told her that she would be debuting in a month.
The trainee from that time was extremely elated to hear that her dreams are finally coming true yet right now, as Ahri sits in her dressing room while the makeup artists are removing her makeup, she feels unsatisfied. The concert, her popularity, the album sales, and the love from her fans should be making her feel as though she’s at the top of the world. But as Ahri’s eyes focus on her reflection in the mirror, she sees the emptiness of her heart.
Things are going well for her, she’s the most successful pop idol in the world right now, everyone wants to be her. So why is she feeling this way all of a sudden? Or rather has she always felt this way and only realized it now. Ahri’s mind is trying to find an answer to this as her body moves on autopilot to change out of her sweaty stage outfit since the makeup artists are done.
From the dressing room all the way back to her dorm, Ahri’s mind couldn’t stop thinking about the emptiness inside of her. It’s impossible that she has started to hate being an idol because it is quite the opposite. She loves what she is doing now, she’s still able to smile and put her one hundred percent into everything she does, but this void within her is growing bigger by the second.
A year later…
[BREAKING NEWS!] What happened to Ahri, pop star sensation of the decade?! The world famous pop star Ahri has retired! Leaving her fans confused without an explanation as to why she left the industry.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah.”
“You are quite heartless aren’t you?”
“You do know me better than I know myself. After all, you trained with me for that two years before I debuted.”
“Darling, we parted ways before you even debuted so it really isn’t even two full years.”
“C’mon Eve, you wanted to leave the company in the first place.”
“Well, I’ve been there for longer than you have and they didn’t even so much as have any plans of debuting me so I left.”
“For the better really.”
“That we can both agree and disagree on. Anyways, ready to get going?”
“Yeah, let’s start this journey of self discovery!”
“My, how eager.”
“Just don’t drive too fast please.”
“No promises.”