The Pop Star's Debut

The party was waiting on the fringes of the village waiting for Horo and the 'complication' he spoke of. Luna was starting to shadow box as she imagined that the issue Horo was bringing would make her want to beat him up. 

"He sure is taking his sweet ass time. Can we leave without him~?" 

Nyx called out from the nearby tree that she had climbed out of sheer boredom. Her legs dangled as she draped herself over a sturdy branch.

Before Luna could reply, movement from the village entrance caught their attention. A tall figure strode confidently toward them, his silver hair catching the sunlight.

Horo.

But he wasn't alone.

A stunning woman with cherry-red hair and streaks of silver walked beside him, wings neatly folded at her back. Her presence was striking—too striking to ignore.

The party went silent.

Then—

"…Who's the hottie?" 

Nyx asked, tilting her head as interest sparkled in her eyes. .

Horo's lips twitched. 

"This is the, uh, 'complication' I mentioned."

Lily blinked, then puffed up her cheeks in slight annoyance. "Well, well, well… Didn't know you had it in you, Horo. Good work I guess…"

Sonata cleared her throat and offered a small smile. 

"Nice to meet you all."

Luna's eyes flicked between her and Horo before realization dawned. A slow grin spread across her face. 

"Wait. Wait. Are you telling me—?"

Horo sighed. 

"No. Whatever you're thinking—no."

Nyx grinned. 

"Oh, So she is single and I can take a shot~?."

Horo groaned.

Before things could spiral further, Leo stepped forward, cutting through the chatter. 

"Alright, enough of that. Nice to meet you, Sonata. I'm Leo." 

He held out his hand, offering a friendly introduction.

Sonata hesitated for only a moment before shaking it. 

"Thank you… I didn't expect all of Adam—I mean, Horo's friends to be pretty girls…"

Silence.

Then, everyone except Leo and Sonata burst into laughter.

"Pffft~! Leo's a boy, Sonata!" Nyx cackled, almost falling out of the tree.

Sonata went rigid, her face turning red. Meanwhile, Horo was laughing so hard that actual tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

Leo sighed, resisting the urge to bury his face in his hands.

Great. Another one.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I-I" 

Sonata began to panic and the innocent look in her eyes made it impossible for Leo to stay mad at her. With a heavy sigh, he forced an awkward smile. 

"Don't worry about it Sonata… I should be getting used to this treatment at this point. Why don't you tell us a bit more about yourself."

"O-Oh. O-Okayy. Ahem. My name is Sonata, I am a Level 5 Bard and uhh. My real name is Aria Eversong, I am 18 years old…"

Leo's eyes widened as he took a mental note. 

'Bard? That isn't treated as a basic class though. How did she get it?'

While Luna, Lily, and Nyx all tilted their heads at the same time.

"…Wait. So you're an Eversong?" Luna asked.

Lily was scrutinizing Sonata's face as she remarked. 

"Yeah she's gotta be. She looks so much like Ari!" 

Leo blinked. 

"What? Is that a big deal? "

Nyx nodded as if everything suddenly made sense. 

"Ohhh, right! That explains it. You two really do look alike. Are you the older or younger cousin?"

Sonata opened her mouth but froze, glancing at Horo in confusion. Horo, still recovering from his laughter, wiped his eyes and grinned at her. 

"Go on, you can tell them. They won't snitch..I think"

Horo's gaze locked onto Nyx, who merely rolled her eyes at him before focusing back on Sonata. 

"…Ari has no cousin…Technically Ari doesn't exist," Sonata said hesitantly.

"You dare to tell me that my favorite singer is not real? I have bought so much of their merch. You better take that back!"

Sonata had a sheepish smile on her face as she admitted. 

"Ari is me…At least my public persona" 

Silence.

Then Lily gasped dramatically, her hands flying to her face. 

"Wait. Wait. WAIT. Ari… is a girl!?"

Luna blinked. 

"Huh. Didn't see that coming."

Nyx snickered. 

"Well, that explains why she's so damn cute."

Leo, still lost, just stared at everyone.

 "Can someone please explain what's going on!?"

"So Sonata is kind of a big deal. Rising Pop Star. Wet dream of thousands of girls. You know, The usual." 

Nyx's explanation was simple but Leo couldn't help but feel he was missing something. Leo was still trying to process everything when Lily suddenly jumped up, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Wait, wait! You're really Ari? The Ari?!" 

she exclaimed, practically bouncing in place. 

"Oh my gods, I can't believe it! I love your music! I've bought all your albums! You're amazing!"

Sonata, still a little taken aback, scratched the back of her head. 

"Uhh, thank you?"

Lily's face lit up with joy as she rushed over to Sonata, practically vibrating with energy. 

"I knew it! You look just like Ari, but I didn't want to assume. You're a huge inspiration, you have no idea! Can I get a picture with you? Please?"

Sonata blinked, unsure of how to handle the sudden burst of enthusiasm, but Horo stepped in with a grin.

"Lily, give her a break. She just got here."

Lily paused, her excitement momentarily cooling, but then she waved it off with a giggle, her annoyance with Horo vanishing like smoke in the wind, long forgotten. 

"Alright, alright, I'll let her breathe. But I'm definitely getting that picture later!"

Luna crossed her arms, glancing over at Sonata with a raised eyebrow. "So... no cousin, huh? Is there a reason for that?" 

Sonata looked nervous about it and was hesitant to reply.

"Yeah..It's just…" 

Luna sighed, shaking her head before saying softly. 

"Forget it. You don't have to say it if you don't want to. You can tell us whenever you are ready."

Out of the corner of her eye, Luna saw Horo shooting her an appreciative nod and smile. She snorted her head and turned her head. 

Seeing Luna back down, Sonata's gaze brightened as she hugged Luna in thanks. 

"Huh…?!" 

Luna was caught off guard by the unexpected hug and it seemed Sonata herself was surprised as well. She looked like she was about to start apologizing again when Leo cut in. 

"Okay. We don't have all day. Let's party up and head to the forest and find some stuff to hunt and level up."

Sonata gulped nervously at the thought of fighting but Horo put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. 

"You're a support. We will protect you"

Sonata's gaze softened as she felt slightly more relaxed with his words. 

"You mean Leo will protect her don't you? He is the closest thing we have to a tank after all." 

Lily's words made Horo's eye twitch a bit. Turning his head he saw Lily staring back at him with a hint of anger in her eyes again. 

'What…What did I do wrong?'

'For a snake embroiled in schemes, you are utterly hopeless at understanding the hearts of maidens..'

'Shut it Arachne!'

After a few more minutes of walking, the party found themselves at the border of the forest. Sonata gulped nervously as she held her hands together in a prayer of sorts. 

It was time to test what she was made of.