[CH.7] Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss
Alice patted her cheeks, trying to banish this thought from her mind.
She couldn't possibly have romantic feelings for her senior, absolutely not!
.....
On this chilly night, the few spectators in the square gathered around the stage.
The performance was moving quickly. Rather than a traditional show, it felt more like a talent show evening. Almost every performance had its share of mistakes, the dance troupe's senior couldn't catch the handkerchief, and third-rate performers were off-key.
The dance performance by the young street dance group even turned into a competition to see who could fall in a more entertaining way, provoking bursts of laughter from the audience below.
Only the fading celebrity specially invited by the organizers had some real talent, but unfortunately, they left the stage hastily after delivering a few jokes.
Alice, hiding behind the stage, watched this performance that resembled a farce, and her anxiety grew.
What if she messed up when it was her turn to perform? Although Alice had practiced diligently before, watching others make mistakes inevitably made her nervous.
This was Alice's first stage performance as a magical girl, and she didn't want to be ridiculed by the audience.
Checking the system interface, Alice looked at her attribute: [Idol: 3] and worried.
If she upgraded her idol attribute, wouldn't she be better suited for the role of an idol?
Every attribute that magical girls possessed could be upgraded to a maximum level of 7. Upgrading only required spending points equal to the desired level. For example, to upgrade [Idol: 3] to [Idol: 5], she would need to spend 3 points; upgrading [Love and Justice: 1] would only require 1 point.
She currently had 8 love points left, which meant she could upgrade [Idol: 3] to [Idol: 5], leaving 1 point remaining.
But that would be too extravagant, considering that every love point was worth 1000 yuan. Alice's family had just gone through a difficult time and needed money urgently. She couldn't afford to invest too much in this inexplicable attribute. Moreover, there was no guarantee that raising the idol level wouldn't lead to embarrassment.
But what if...
Alice made up her mind and spent 3 love points to upgrade the idol attribute to level 4.
In an instant, her previous worries were banished from her mind, replaced by an unprecedented confidence that filled her entire body.
It was a feeling without self-doubt, like a potent elixir that calmed Alice's nervousness. At this moment, she felt incredibly powerful, as if she could succeed at anything, and was excited about her upcoming stage performance.
"I will definitely do my best!"
However, confidence came and went quickly, like the tides. As the overflowing self-assuredness receded, it left behind deep self-doubt.
"Fundamentally, I'm a boy. Is it really necessary to sing and dance in front of others in a girl's image? Even if it's for work, if I enjoy it, will people think I'm weird...?"
Alice, feeling embarrassed, wanted to bash her head against the railing. She held onto the nearby support, her grip so strong that it even distorted the metal. The entire support creaked, and the stage backdrop swayed slightly.
She shouted inwardly:
"Calm down, Han Huayang! You are Alice now, the Magical Girl Alice! You are the embodiment of love and justice, destined to be an idol to people. It's just a performance. It's no different from being a virtual streamer. Someday, you will break free from the contract and return to yourself."
She calmed down a little. Alice took a deep breath, allowing her focus to diffuse, relaxing her mind.
It was her turn to go on stage next, and no matter what, she had to make her entrance in the best condition.
.....
After the host's introduction, Alice confidently stepped onto the stage.
A cool breeze tousled her hair, and her radiant silver locks sparkled like diamonds under the spotlight, giving her the appearance of being filtered with brilliance.
The crowd that had just been noisy and laughing instantly fell silent. Everyone knew she was a Magical Girl. Only Magical Girls had their own built-in special effects.
As she looked down at the crowd gathered below the stage, Alice instinctively tugged at her skirt.
Her heart was pounding, and a fine sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead. If it weren't for the boost from her recently upgraded idol attribute, Alice would have been overwhelmed by panic.
She clenched her small fist, giving herself a pep talk, and flashed a bright, sunny smile to the audience below.
"I am Alice, the Spirit Contract Magical Girl of Love and Justice, using the magic of love to heal hearts. Magical Girl, transformation!"
Her awkward yet energetic lines came out effortlessly. A lively melody played as Alice performed the dance she had practiced diligently for a long time – "Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."
Even though it was a dance she had learned from someone else, Alice had still spent a long time mastering it.
Previously, she had never been exposed to dance, let alone any experience performing on stage. Alice had only learned to dance reluctantly under her senior's patient guidance just three days ago, relying solely on her imitation ability from the idol attribute.
Now, with her idol attribute points increased, Alice's physical coordination had also improved. The awkward dance steps that had tripped her up before now flowed naturally, as if she had been born to dance.
In her graceful dance, Alice effortlessly showcased her charm to the audience, even her expressions radiated grace.
While her dance might not have been perfect, compared to the previous performers, Alice's performance was akin to a fairy descending from heaven. The audience below were left in awe of her dance.
"Alice! Alice!"
Someone in the audience shouted Alice's name and cheered for her with a flag.
Alice had only recently made her debut and didn't have a large fanbase yet, so the fact that this person was present at such a small community performance indicated just how much they loved Alice.
Alice on stage also noticed the presence of this fan. She glanced at the edge of her line of sight, seeing a young man with dyed golden hair and a slim and sharp appearance.
As her gaze drifted past him, Alice's mind went blank.
It was Sun Zhe, her roommate who shared the apartment with Han Huayang. He was a seasoned gaming enthusiast and an outspoken anime and magical girl fan. He had an extraordinary interest in cute girls, especially magical girls.
From the neck up, Sun Zhe looked like the kind of handsome playboy who was adept at picking up girls, and he could easily be called a hottie.
However, he was wearing a support shirt with Alice's image on it and held a glow stick, shouting and jumping to support Alice, making him stand out from the surrounding audience.
When did this guy show up there? When did Sun Zhe become a fan of Alice?
Han Huayang had not told anyone about her ability to transform into a magical girl. If others found out that the sweet and cute Alice was actually a guy in disguise, her idol image would completely collapse.
If Sun Zhe discovered that his favorite idol was actually his roommate, he would definitely be greatly shocked... Perhaps he would never believe in magical girls again...
No, more likely, the result would be him directly pushing Han Huayang down.
In any case, it was best to avoid letting Sun Zhe know that she was his roommate. He seemed way too noisy, after all.
"Alice! Alice!"
Sun Zhe's voice kept drifting into Alice's ears.
Her annoyance gradually built up. That guy Sun Zhe was really annoying. He was the only one in the entire audience cheering like that. Couldn't he just blend in with the atmosphere around him?
Alice complained in her heart, but the attributes of being an idol forced her to maintain her smile. No matter what she thought inside, it was most important to showcase her charm to the audience.
Her purpose for participating in tonight's performance was to showcase her abilities as an idol. Although there weren't many audience members at this community stage, it was still a rare opportunity for Alice to gain exposure and practice.
Alice continued with her dance, giving her all to maintain her performance.
As the music approached its climax, the performance came to an end.
Alice's dance received thunderous applause. Everyone was moved by her smooth and graceful dance, and the men in the audience couldn't help but replay in their minds the swaying of Alice's skirt during the dance.
After the applause died down, Alice expressed her gratitude to everyone present and was about to promote her idol activities again.
Suddenly, Sun Zhe in the audience shouted loudly, "Alice! I love you!"
【Love Points +1】
The unexpected confession left Alice stunned in her tracks. The system had just popped up a notification that she had gained 1 love point. Could it be that Sun Zhe was serious?
As a male, having her roommate fall in love with her, and being confessed to in such a public manner, was incredibly embarrassing.
Under normal circumstances, Alice might have interacted with Sun Zhe as an enthusiastic fan. But she had the Magical Girl system, and she could easily distinguish between casual remarks and sincere confessions.
Sun Zhe genuinely liked Alice.
"Thank you, everyone. As a Magical Girl, I will continue to work hard in the future."
Alice smiled awkwardly and began reintroducing her idol activities.
"I am the Magical Girl of Love and Justice..."
"Alice! I love you!"
Once again, Alice's speech was interrupted. Fury welled up in her heart, and her cheeks turned red with anger, but she maintained her polite smile.
Alice clenched her teeth and prepared to make a third attempt at promoting herself.
"Alice! I—"
"Anyway! Thank you all again for your support. I hope you can pay more attention to me. More support will give me more strength, and I will definitely use your love to protect this city."
Alice hastily finished her words and dashed off the stage.
This was no longer just awkward, it was infuriating. As a guy, she had never realized how annoying her roommate Sun Zhe could be.
Was this what they called a brainless fan? Couldn't he grasp the situation at all?
Although Alice didn't have many fans at this stage, she had already realized the danger of a certain type of fan through Sun Zhe's behavior.
She made a silent decision in her heart: She absolutely could not let her male identity be exposed.
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