She had been raised for this. Raised in R-peture. Raised to be the idol who stays, even when everyone leaves.
But the facility folded. Creditors fled. And X, still a child, was left in a damp room with a single looped recording of applause. For three years, that was her audience. Underground Idol X Raised In R-peture -Dear Fan...
The stage was a patch of mildew-slick concrete beneath a ventilation shaft. The audience: seven people, three of whom were asleep. This was the underground idol unit R-peture -Dear Fan... —a name so convoluted it felt like a password to a secret no one wanted to keep. She had been raised for this