She shone so bright! Ozora is truly the only one that can bring my dresses to life. She is the one I was looking for, the idol that is my inspiration. It wasn't Hoshimiya, as I so much wanted to believe. Ozora is my muse, the one that freed me from all the times I was stuck.
Only because of her I was able to turn into a top designer, only because of her Dreamy Crown gained popularity so fast and only because of her I was able to finish my three premium dresses. After all, I made them for her to wear. Three different princesses that showed three different characteristics of Ozora: Odette's grace that Ozora shows during her performances, Ozora's heart is asleep as Aurora in the 'Sleeping Beauty' and the kindness of Thumbelina is part of Ozora's soul.
The noise of a door opening brought me back from my thoughts. When I looked up I was saw my favorite idol "Thank you for the hard work!" she was smiling at so brightly that made my heart skip a beat. Keep it cool Sena! She is an idol and love is forbidden to them, I scolded myself. Which made me recall the hard and long path that Ozora had gone through to become who she is today. And how she made me fall in love with her, a little bit more each day "Sena-san!" she exclaimed happily, when she noticed my precense, and practically skipped towards me.
-That was a nice concert- I praised her.
'That was a nice concert'. Really Senathat's the best you can do?! No wonder why you can't make a princess like her fall for you. After all, you are just a beast. I thought sadly but kept my smile on the outside, so I wouldn't worry Ozora.
"It was thanks to this dress that I could put on such a good performance" she told me as she showed me the premium dress that I designed. Her words warmed my heart, more than anything had ever done before (even more than being Amahane's student) but at the same time it angered me greatly "I can't thank you enough for creating such a wonderful dress".
"A designer and an idol are a team. If both of us use the very limit of our power, we'll be able to fly even higher" I tried to express my emotions to her and how much important she was with this simple words.
"I don't think so Sena-san" Ozora told me, with a sad smile, watching her Aikatsu cards "I am sure that I was only able to shine this bright because I was wearing your dress" I was going to say something but her next words froze me "Because I felt that I had you with me, giving me your support and protection... like a prince" she blushed so much that her face looked like a tomato. Of course, for me she was adorably beautiful like that "Eto... I... Just forget...".
She stopped stuttering when I grabbed her hand and dragged her with me towards the train station. We were silent all the way, even during the first minutes of our travel, until I decided to break this silence "I would have spent months into the search of the right berries to finish the Odette Swan Coord. There even was the possibility that I wouldn't find them" I stopped looking at the scenery from the window and turned to look into the surprise eyes of Ozora "However, you found them in a day and gave me the energy necessary to keep on going. YOU made me a top designer. Then I couldn't stop thinking about you and your amazing personality or the way you seemed awake but your heart was asleep".
"My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much" she pouted puffing her cheeks angrily, making her look even cuter.
"No, it's not" I replied and pulled her closer to me, from the hand I had never stopped grabbing "You haven't freed your heart yet, Ozor... Akari" the blush returned to her cheek and I watched proudly as my favorite idol couldn't stop looking into my eyes "You haven't let your heart love completely, afraid of what you might encounter" I forced myself to continue talking cause if I didn't, I would end up kissing her "That's why I couldn't stop until I had finished my Sleeping Aurora Coord, designed especially for you" I let my hand caress her cheek sweetly "And then I was stuck with no idea about what to do for this new premium dress. I had searched for inspiration in every story I could remember... but none served. Then I saw you talking about Thumbelina's story and smiling over some tulips... and that was all I needed to create this coord" Ozora's eyes widened even more than before, as if she couldn't believe what an impact she left in people. Silly girl. You are more important than you can imagine, I thought to myself "I was so fixed on following Amahane-sensei's steps, that I forgot that Hoshimiya wasn't the one I designed all my dresses for. It was you all along, Akari. I needed my sensei and Hoshimiya to pointed it out for me, but I finally discovered it".
"Sena-san..." I cut her off.
"Sena. When we are alone I want you to call me Sena" I could practically hear her heart and mine beat so fast, that it seemed we had just ran a marathon. Luckily for me, the train stopped moving "It's our stop, Akari" I told her, before dragging her around again. We walked, hand in hand, silently until they reached Dreamy Crown's workshop. When they got inside, Sena prepared them tea and some biscuits as well. Finally, when he sat down, he continued talking "I know about the idol's rule but I won't stay silent and let you bad talk yourself, Akari. You are my muse, the one that helps me keep on going when I think there is nothing more I can do. In other words Akari... I love you" That's it! I said it, was the thought running through my mind "If any of the two of us can't do anything without the other is me...".
"That's not right!" Akari interrupted me. She looked angry but sounded very sad "I had gone this far because of you Sena-sa... Sena" my heart skipped a beat at hearing her sweet mouth speak my name "At the beginning I was only an imitation of Hoshimiya-senpai. I wanted to be just like her and even when I began to find myself, I still chose the path that I thought senpai would go through. But then I saw your dress above the one of Angely Sugar's in Halloween... and I knew I had to wear it. You were my first original and personal choice, Sena. Since then I had been working hard trying to find myself and I had Dreamy Crown with me all along. Always giving my one hundred twenty percent, so I can be qualified to wear your premium dresses. And each time I am nervous for an audition or performance, everything goes away when I am wearing the clothes you designed. That's because you put your own dreams on them, you transmit to the idols the dedication you have to become the first top designer and that gives us the push we need to not give up" I was speechless by her words. I would have never imagined that my clothes gave those emotions to the ones wearing it... but I couldn't be any more glad than now "But I also found myself depending on them, on you, on the security that came from them... and before I knew it I had fallen in love with you" YES! I screamed inside my head "But idols have forbidden being in love, Sena".
"No one has to know about it" I replied rapidly, trying not to show how desperate I was. By the look in Akari's face, she didn't notice.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked me curiously and so innocently, that I almost felt bad for wanting to corrupt her... almost.
"We keep our relationship a secret" I answered leaning down.
"Relationship?" she gasped.
"Yes, relationship" I repeated before sealing the deal with a kiss.