Kawaii princess's Arc

Chapter 6 of 54

The two ice figures still stood in the yard at dawn, the gap between them unchanged. Kawaii Princess knew silence could end her run as fast as a no. She needed the head scout to see her song was finished, hers, and ready for the broadcast stage. She raised a tall stone pillar beside the practice hall. Carved arms held her ice chimes high, and her melody's notes were etched into the polished base. Anyone passing could read the song and hear it ring. She called it her claim, plain for every district to copy and hum. Across the yard, a low wooden platform appeared overnight, railings tipped with pale bone markers pointing at her monument. The head scout's watch post. Kawaii Princess walked to it and left a sealed letter on the rail — a frost-cracked wax seal pressed over blank parchment. No words. Just an invitation to answer. She bowed once and stepped back. By midday, the seal was broken. The parchment was gone, and in its place sat a single carved token shaped like her crown, placed between the two ice figures — closing the gap. She was not eliminated. She was through to the next round, and now the whole city would be watching what she did next.