Idol Douluo

The first pale rays of dawn streaked the sky when Mei slipped from her bed.

Her limbs protested – last night's performance, the crowd's energy, the sheer output through her Starlight Stage had taken a toll – but discipline was an old, unforgiving master.

She pulled on simple exercise clothes, the fabric cool against her skin.

'Meiiiii,' Ai's voice whined in her mind, materializing as a sleepy, translucent chibi figure rubbing its eyes.

 'The birds aren't even properly awake! Can't you at least sleep in once? Call it… a self-care day! Your fans would understand!'

Mei paused by the window, watching the quiet academy grounds.

A faint, automatic smile touched her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. The words that tumbled out weren't hers; they were echoes, drilled deep into her psyche over a decade of relentless training:

"Idols must be fit and ready at all times."

"Idols must be flawless."

The phrases hung in the cool morning air, crisp and unyielding.

Ai's digital chirpiness vanished instantly. Her holographic form flickered, the usual playful pout dissolving into something far softer and infinitely sadder.

She didn't argue. She just watched Mei with large, luminous eyes filled with a quiet, aching pity – a look Mei, already turning towards the door, completely missed.

The cold dawn air bit at Mei's cheeks as she began her run. Each footfall on the dew-dampened grass was a metronome of habit.

The rhythmic burn in her lungs, the stretch in her muscles, the gradual warmth battling the chill – it was grounding.

The rising sun painted the world in hues of gold and pink, warming her skin as she pushed through her final stretches near the tranquil academy lake. For a moment, amidst the exertion, there was a simple, physical peace.

Breathing steadily, she summoned her interface. The familiar blue glow materialized before her.

"Mei's Idol Status"

Current Status:

Age: 7 

Spirit: Starlight Stage

Soul Power: 17

Fans: 401

Idol God Trial: 0/9 <>

A genuine warmth, different from the sun's, spread through her chest. Four hundred and one. Faces from the market crowd flashed in her mind – the granny, the blacksmith, the tough mercenaries smiling.

Progress. Steady, tangible progress. Her finger tapped the pulsing trial link.

~ Idol God Trial ~

1. Gather 100,000 fans (401/100,000)

2. [LOCKED] (◕‿◕)✧

The sheer scale of 100,000 was daunting, a mountain barely glimpsed from the base. Yet, looking at the '401', a spark of fierce determination ignited. 

Small steps. Every fan matters. She closed the window, the digital light dissolving into the morning glow.

As her eyes readjusted to the natural light, movement caught her attention. A shadowed figure stood beneath the gnarled branches of an ancient oak tree near the lake's edge, slightly apart from the waking academy paths.

Stillness. Watching.

Curiosity, sharp and sudden, pricked at Mei. Who would be out here at this hour besides her? And why observe her?

She smoothed her exercise outfit, the disciplined idol posture snapping back into place almost unconsciously, and walked towards the tree, the dew-wet grass whispering against her shoes.

Ten paces away, the figure resolved from the shadows and the dawn's slanting light.

Tang San.

He stood calmly, his dark eyes fixed on her with an unnerving intensity that hadn't been there during yesterday's lunch or even amidst the crowd at her performance.

It was the look of someone who had solved a complex puzzle and was waiting to confirm the answer.

Mei stopped, her breath catching slightly. This wasn't a casual morning encounter. This felt deliberate. 

Why is he here? The disciplined calm she'd maintained during her run flickered, replaced by a prickle of apprehension and the ghost of Ai's earlier, unspoken concern.

Just then, Tang San turned around, trying to find who was spying on him. He then found Mei spying on him quite openly. 

Mei stopped walking and had an expression as a deer that had been caught.

He then stepped forward, the usual polite reserve replaced by a barely contained energy. This was his chance to ask Mei directly

"Good morning, Mei," he greeted, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of urgency that belied the simple words.

He didn't waste time on pleasantries. The question that had burned within him all night spilled out, low and direct, cutting through the morning stillness: "Are you... were you reincarnated here? Like me?"

Mei's breath hitched audibly. The disciplined poise she'd maintained shattered. Her pink eyes widened, shock flashing across her face like lightning, followed instantly by a wave of sheer, icy panic.

Her hand flew unconsciously to her chest, fingers tightening on the fabric of her exercise tunic. 

He knows. Welp, that happened. Ai's holographic form said nonchalantly, like it wasn't a big dealbefore vanishing again. 'Told ya he was sus.'

The serene lake, the rising sun, the birdsong – it all receded. Her deepest secret was laid bare. She stared at him, mind racing.

Denial was pointless. Her expression screamed guilt. And the look on his face… wasn't accusation. It was hope. A desperate, lonely hope she recognized deep within herself. Panic warred with dawning understanding.

After a heartbeat stretching into eternity, Mei gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. It was a terrified, reluctant admission. "How...?" she whispered, the single word thick with shock.

Seeing her confirmation, profound relief and exhilaration washed over Tang San. Years of isolation momentarily lifted. His stoic expression softened into wonder. She is. She truly is.

Mei found her voice, laced with desperate urgency. She stepped closer, dropping to a fierce whisper.

"Tang San... promise me. Promise you won't tell anyone. Not Xiao Wu, not Wang Shen, no one. This... stays between us." Her pink eyes pleaded, fear stark within them.

"Please. If people knew... if they thought I was a monster, or a fraud..." The consequences – losing her idol dream, suspicion, persecution – were unimaginable.

Tang San met her gaze steadily, intensity replaced by solemn understanding. He knew the weight. "You have my word, Mei," he vowed, voice low and firm, carrying Tang Sect discipline. "This secret is yours. I guard it as my own." The unspoken implication hung heavy: I have one too.

He paused, the moment monumental. Then, with simplicity carrying the weight of his displaced existence, he added, "Because... I was also reincarnated. My name, in my past life, was Tang San. I was... a disciple of the Tang Sect." He offered his core truth in return for hers.

Mei was stunned. Silence fell, thick with the enormity of the shared revelation.

'Damn! I was right!' Ai's voice burst into Mei's mind, a mix of shock and triumph. 'Should've made a bet! ...Wait, do goddesses even need money? Meh, point is, I called it!'

A small, incredulous laugh escaped Mei. "Hah. I guess her guess was correct."

Tang San blinked, confused. "Who guessed correctly?"

"Oh, Ai," Mei explained, gesturing vaguely near her ear. "She's the Goddess who sent me here. Been guiding me as a spirit ever since."

Tang San stared. "...Oh. I see." Comprehension dawned, followed swiftly by utter disbelief. "THE WHAT?!" His voice cracked, composure shattered. A Goddess? Guiding her? Sent her here?

Mei tilted her head, genuinely puzzled by his extreme reaction. "The Goddess that sent me here. Didn't you meet one? Doesn't your guiding spirit follow you?"

She said it so casually, like discussing the weather, that it left Tang San utterly speechless, gaping at her as if she'd grown a second head.

The revelation of shared reincarnation had been earth-shattering.