Prologue: The Idol Who Saved My Life (and Wallet)

I was this close to giving up on everything.

College life had chewed me up, spat me out, and then tap-danced on my remains. Between the endless exams, overpriced cafeteria food, and my bank account looking like a barren desert, I felt like I was living in a perpetual state of "barely surviving."

One night, after a particularly brutal group project meeting where I was, once again, the only one who did any real work, I stumbled home feeling like a soggy rice cracker. I flopped onto my bed, dramatically face-planting into my pillow, and let out a groan so guttural it probably summoned a demon or two.

That's when it happened.

As I scrolled aimlessly through my dusty old phone, my thumb, guided by fate (or maybe sheer exhaustion), clicked on a random video.

A sparkly, sugary voice burst through my cracked speakers.

"Good evening, Sparkies! It's your Miu-chan here!"

I blinked.

On my screen was a girl — no, an angel — with fluffy pastel hair, big sparkling eyes, and a smile so bright it could light up the whole campus during a blackout. She wore a ridiculously cute outfit covered in glittery stars, and her voice was like pure, concentrated serotonin.

Miu.

The center of the rising idol group Sugar⭐Spark!

I don't know what possessed me, but I ended up binge-watching their entire concert archive that night. And their interviews. And their behind-the-scenes videos. I even found a fan compilation called "Miu Being the Cutest Bean for 10 Minutes Straight."

Somewhere between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., something strange happened.

I started smiling.

For the first time in weeks — no, months — the tight knot of stress, loneliness, and burnout inside me loosened just a little.

It sounds ridiculous, but this bubbly idol girl, bouncing around onstage with the energy of a caffeinated hamster, saved me.

Saved my heart.

Saved my sanity.

Saved my rapidly spiraling bank account, too, because I was this close to rage-ordering a giant chocolate cake and five new plushies out of pure despair.

Instead, I fell into the glittery, chaotic world of Sugar⭐Spark!, and more specifically, became a full-blown, card-carrying, poster-collecting simp for Miu.

I even made a secret shrine on my dorm wall. Just a tiny one. (Okay, fine, it covered half the wall. Details.)

Her cheerful voice became my alarm clock. Her live performances became my comfort food. Her dorky laugh became the background music of my life.

And honestly?

If it wasn't for Miu, I might have dropped out by now.

Fast forward a few months later, and life had somewhat stabilized. I mean, sure, I was still broke and barely functioning, but now I had hope. I had a reason to drag my tired butt to class every day: the promise of a new Miu video waiting for me at the end of it.

Little did I know…

The universe wasn't done playing with me yet.

Because the very idol I adored, the very idol who lifted me out of my pit of despair, the very Miu whose poster I kissed every morning for good luck—

Was a lot closer than I ever imagined.

Like, literally sleeping in the next room.

Like, literally hogging the bathroom every morning and leaving laundry everywhere.

Like, literally my grumpy, messy, antisocial roommate — Riku Aizawa.

And that's where the real chaos began.

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