AN: I'm back! And, with another story! hehe

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Love Live except for my OC's, mind you.


3rd POV

Nozomi was a person who believed in fate. She believed that everything that happens in this world is destined to happen. Like when how muse started, how she met everyone, especially Eli, the one who saved her from her solitude. Although, if there's one thing she didn't believe, it will be how her feelings developed overtime and turned into something more.

Saying that she likes Eli is more than just an understatement. She loves Eli, her colleague, her first real friend, her best friend, and her savior. She never wanted to believe that fate created these feelings for that blonde-haired quarter russian.

Right now, no matter how much it's eating her from the inside, Nozomi kept her feelings bottled up inside her. She never wanted to risk things and lose her most important person just because of her selfishness. So, now, she willed herself to be contented with how the way things are. She believed that if nothing ever happened between them, then, they were never meant for each other to begin with.

So, here she was, on her way to the Idol Research Club room. As she was about to turn the knob and enter, she heard voices coming from the room.

"What! Eli-chan is seeing someone?!" Nozomi recognized the voice. It was Rin.

"Shhh! Be quiet damn it! What if someone hears you?! We can't have them spreading rumors like that." Nico's voice was hushed, but Nozomi can still understand what she said.

"Besides, we don't know anything yet about the guy she met up at the cafe. What if we just misunderstood the situation here? It would cause a riot." Maki stated.

'A guy?' Nozomi felt daggers stabbing her heart.

"Today's bread is as good as usual!" Honoka said while eating her bread.

"Way to ruin the conversation Honoka." Nico sighed. "Well, this discussion must not get out from this room, is that understood? Until we know the details, let's just keep quiet, alright?"

"Hai" Everyone in the room, mainly Maki and Rin said. Honoka looked at them, confused?

"About what?"

Maki and Nico sighed. Nozomi, on the other hand, masked her pain with a cheerful smile and entered the room.

Nico, who was seated at her usual spot in the table, looked at Nozomi.

"Oh, Nozomi. You're early. Eli's not with you?" Nico inquired.

"Oh, Elicchi? She told me to tell you that she's going home early. She said she's going to take care of some things." Nozomi frowned, but quickly hid it with a thinking expression. "Nani? Did Nicochi miss Elicchi? I didn't know you liked her like that." She teased.

"Can't I ask where my members are? She is after all, a member of this club and muse. Of course I'd ask. And isn't she usually with you?" Nico stated.

"Hmm. Point taken" Nozomi took her seat besides Rin. After a few minutes, Kotori, Umi, and Hanayo arrived.

"Now that everyone's here, let- wait, where's Eli?" Umi asked.

"Nozomi said she left early to take care of some things." Maki answered.

"Oh. Okay. Let's start practicing now. Nozomi, I'll be your partner for the moment." Nozomi gave a nod and everyone headed to the rooftop.

After practice, they decided to head to Akiba for an ice cream. While they were passing by on some shops, Hanayo let out a scream. Everyone stopped walking and turned to Hanayo. Hanayo's finger was pointed elsewhere. Rin looked at where Hanayo was pointing and let out a shocked gasp when she saw what Hanayo was pointing at. Everyone followed suit. What they saw was beyond them.

Eli was there, in a cafe, accompanied by a guy with black hair. From an outsider's view, the two seemed like they are on a date. The guy was talking while Eli was giggling.

Nozomi felt a pang in her chest.

Not being able to stand the view any longer, Nozomi decided to call out for her friends and go home.

"Minna, let's go home. We shouldn't be bothering them"

Honoka, Rin, Hanayo, and Nico let out a groan.

"Nozomi-chan, did you know this?" Rin asked.

"Sorry, but no. Elicchi never mentioned anyone to me."

"And we shouldn't be stalking on them like this. Now, let's go home." Umi ordered them.

"But, Umi-chan-" Honoka was cut off by Maki

"Honoka, we should probably go home. It's rude to intrude into someone's business. Let's just wait for Eli to tell us herself. Let's go." She turned around and left. Everyone followed, but not without sparing a last glance and a picture by Hanayo. They went to the shrine and made their wishes before splitting up. Maki, Rin, and Hanayo to the left. Nico, Umi, and Honoka to the right. Kotori decided to accompany Nozomi for a while.

The whole trip home was silent, until Kotori decided to break it.

"Ne, Nozomi-chan?"

"Yes?" Nozomi answered.

"Do you, uhmm, like Eli-chan?" Kotori asked shyly. Nozomi was caught off guard by the question, but decided to answer.

"Of course. She is my best friend, after all." Nozomi's gaze remained forward.

"No, not like that! I mean, as in something more than a friend."

Nozomi stopped walking. Kotori stopped and turned around. "Well?"

"No, of course not." a lie.

Kotori sighed and pouted. "Mou, Nozomi-chan. No need to hide things like these, at least from me. Well, I can understand why you would hide things like these. But trust me, I get that feeling."

Nozomi's eyes widened. "W-what do you mean? You're in love with Elicchi as well?"

"Ah, no! W-well, it's someone from muse..." Kotori shyly averted her gaze and fidgeted.

Nozomi put her thinking pose. "Well, If I wasn't mistaken, was it Umi-chan?"

Kotori flinched and stared at her, wide-eyed. Nozomi giggled. Kotori sighed. "Yes. It's Umi-chan." She said while blushing. "But that's not what we're talking about. You're in love with Eli-chan, right? Won't you do something about it?"

Nozomi gave her a sad smile. She started walking to the direction of Kotori's house while gesturing Kotori to walk with her.

"You know, Kotori-chan. I always believed in fate. Meeting with everyone with muse, befriending Elicchi 3 years ago, I always believed that it was fated." Nozomi sighed. "If nothing ever happens between Elicchi and I, then that means we're never meant to be together."

They arrived at the front of Kotori's house. Kotori frowned at her. "But, Nozomi-chan. If you don't make your move, nothing will ever happen between you two." Nozomi just smiled at her and shook her head. She bid her farewell and walked towards her apartment.

Kotori stared at the direction Nozomi went. "Nozomi-chan..."


Aaaaand that's that minna! I will work on chapter two after I'm done with the next chapter of my other fic 'Against our Destiny'

I will display the sheer awesomeness of my OC's here mwehehehehe *gets hit with a half-filled water bottle* ouch! That hurts! That was a joke, alright!

Bye peeps

Jun Sakamoto,

Signing Out~