It was one thing to be a pop idol. That alone came with its own set of responsibilities that ranged from how one presented themselves to how one addressed their audience.

It was another to be a pop idol while also attending school at the behest of your benefactor. Living the classic double life filled an already complicated schedule even more. Add into that being part of the local cardfighting group and it gave her already crowded schedule a workout.

But to have all that while also being something that at best would be considered a myth or supernatural, while at worst being considered a monster?

This was something Kourin Tatsunagi never would've dreamt she would deal with.

Back when she was 'recruited' by Takuto, a myriad of things had been lost to her, not the least of which was any memory of what sort of life she lived before becoming a member of the pop group/Vanguard Team Ultra Rare.

At the time, such a thing seemed trivial when the boy revealed his intentions, and showed them the greater powers of Cray, known as Psyqualia. Now though, as the blond idol found herself literally melting on the floor, she had wished she'd asked for certain portions of her memory back. This was not how she was expecting to spend her day off.

It had taken some heavy concentration, and more than a little time spent panicking than she'd like to admit, but at last Kourin managed to pull herself together. Quite literally so, though it was almost lost again with the knowledge that she would have to tell Suiko and Rekka about this.

It would be impossible to hide such a dramatic change from her fellow teammates, and it was with great trepidation that she addressed her problem towards them. Surprisingly enough, news of her recent transformation failed to bring forth the reactions she had expected from her Ultra Rare partners.

She had expected disgust, shame, anger or maybe even pity.

What she didn't expect was their casual reaffirmation of her 'condition', as she called it.

"Of course you're like that!" Rekka said, voice filled with that teasingly sweet tone she used. "Why do you think Takuto chose us?"

That answer had stumped the poor girl, rendering her speechless, and Suiko was quick to reassure her co- star.

"She means to say we each have a similar talent. Takuto wanted guardians that could defend themselves against more than just cardfighters."

It took a moment for Kourin to find her voice again, and when she did, she voiced the question that was buzzing through her head once Rekka finished talking.

"You two… are like this too…?"

"Well, not exactly…" Suiko trailed off, closing her eyes and breathing out, as if to calm herself. But when she opened her eyes, two separate pairs opened up with them.

To say Kourin was taken aback was a small understatement. Her legs shook like they were made of jelly, and indeed, that almost was the case. The pop idol lost her footing, her leg liquifying briefly before she reasserted control.

"Perhaps it would be better if you sat down. Rekka? Would you mind getting us something to drink?"

"On it!" Rekka chirped before darting away. Suiko gingerly helped her distressed companion into a seat. Rekka came back shortly after, carrying a tray with three cups of coffee. "You actually picked a good time to have a break down. I already had a fresh pot going."

"Careful, Rekka," Suiko playfully chided. "You'll lose your cute idol credibility if you drink so much coffee."

"Why do you think I brought so much cream?" She gestured to the large bowl of liquid coffee cups, and excessive amount for even three people. "I gotta look cute in everything I do! Besides, it's hard work being so cute and keeping myself in check all the time. I need a pick me up!"

"How…?" Kourin finally wondered aloud after the two paused to sip their drinks. "How am I only discovering this now?"

"You've had a lot on your mind these past few months," The aqua marine haired idol replied. "From Aichi's fall into Psyqualia, to training with Kai. Even during the Circuit, you were busy trying to give Aichi a leg up. During all this time, you've had your mind focused on a goal. Your body probably sensed your true form to be a hinderance to that goal, and automatically repressed it.

"Or maybe you had some control over it before…" She trailed off, letting the statement hang in the air for a moment. "Either way, you seem to have it under control now. What caused you to lose control like that?"

"I guess like you said, I've been busy. Between the play we pulled off and the overtime Idol work, I've been drained…" Kourin looked at her arm, rubbing it with her other hand to test its condition.

"Perhaps that's all it is. A lapse in concentration. Once you get your energy back, you won't need to worry about any more incidents."

"But what if I do? This won't be the last time idol work has me buried in work. What if the others find out? They've accepted me as I am, but I'm not sure they'd be willing to be friends with…"

"A monster?" Suiko said softly.

Kourin flinched, and the blue-haired idol had to rub her shoulders to stop her from shaking.

"Whatever happens, you're still Kourin, inside and out. They've accepted you for who you are, and while this may take some time for them to get used to; they'll accept it too, all the same."

Her words brought a small smile to the blond girl's face, her worry receding and shaking stopping.

"So, when are ya gonna tell Aichi?" Rekka chirped again, rejoining the conversation.

Kourin slumped again, a new worry beginning to nag at her. Suiko shot a glare at her co-star and the younger member held up her hands placatingly. "Well, she'll need to tell them right? And after we all did so much for that play too!"

"Rekka, that's hardly a reason for you to-"

"No, she's right." Kourin stood up and downed her coffee in one gulp. "The sooner I tell them, the better."

Kourin looked up at the shop sign, her destination set.

Card Capital.

The official hangout spot to the fighters with which she would consider herself friends with.

The idol had thought long and hard over how to breach the subject with her teammates. Suiko and Rekka had been easy, and she realized that she had been, and probably still was, overreacting on how they would treat her. But this group was different. They saw her in a completely different light, and she was afraid on how this development would change that.

Still, she found her resolve. Her teammates had a right to know.

In truth, there were only a few whose opinions really mattered coming out of this. She truly could not care what Shingo thought of her development, and the thought that he might be repulsed seemed oddly pleasing to her.

On the other hand, she couldn't picture Naoki being overly mad. Especially if she explained that it snuck up on her too. The boy wore his emotions on his sleeve far too often.

Her stomach turned a little at the thought of Aichi rejecting her, but she knew that was the anxiety talking. Barring his run with Psyqualia, the boy didn't have a hateful bone in his body. At worst, things might become awkward, but she knew he'd consider her a friend through it all.

The last person… Misaki…

Just her name made the idol's stomach flip and her throat dry up. To have Misaki distance herself like that or to not be able to fall into their comfortable back and froths with one another ate at her. True, they had a very rocky beginning, but after the school play, after Misaki stood up for her through her missed practices and even later appearance, she could not imagine not having that closeness with her.

She was glad that it looked like a slow day. The store was empty, save for Misaki herself and her cat companion. The door chime rung lightly and Misaki turned her head to face Kourin, a small smile instinctively coming to her face.

"Oh, Kourin. It's good to see you."

Kourin nodded back, feeling a now familiar smile come to her as well. "Slow day, I take it?"

"Yeah, the boys are taking this week to study for their tests. It's hard to believe they get anything done."

The two stood in silence for a few moments before Misaki raised a brow at the normally stoic idol. "Is something on your mind?"

Kourin sighed and nodded, calming herself as she prepared to break the news. "Something… came up."

Immediately, concern lit up in the lavender haired girl's eyes as she turned to face her friend.

No turning back now. Kourin had her full attention.

Before coming over, she had run through a billion scenarios in her head, each ranging from a skittish apology, which she immediately disregarded, or just bluntly saying what had happened.

Instead, she raised her arm and willed it to lose the solidity that kept it together. The appendage melted, turning to water on the store floor, and her sleeve dangled loose and wet.

"That," Kourin finally said. "That happened. I lost my concentration and found out I'm… this." She clenched her fist and shut her eyes, unable to face the judgmental stare on her closest friend. Unable to witness the astonished look of horror on her face, unable to-

"Oh, is that all?" Came after a sigh of relief. "I almost thought something serious happened again."

-to face the complete indifference to her condition as if she were the last to know, again.

"W-What?"

"I thought it was obvious, at least to those that actually cared to look." Misaki shrugged nonchalantly. "Suiko's a spider and Rekka's a harpy. Why do you think I was so apprehensive about you getting so close to Aichi?"

For a third time today, the idol was stunned speechless. Misaki continued her small ramble, about how AL4's own Asaka was a similarly disguised snake woman, but it fell on deaf ears.

She wasn't sure what happened, or when she became overthrown with emotion. The next thing either girl knew was being wrapped within a watery embrace, Kourin's upper body attached by what looked like transparent water as she reached over the counter to embrace her teammate. She took comfort in that she could still feel the warmth of the other girl's body and still perceive her smell as well. None of it ruined by her watery form.

"Thank you…"

"Anytime…" Misaki said after a while. "Now could you reform yourself and hug me solidly? You're dripping yourself on the merchandise."