Just another quiet evening, the laughs of fellow school mates ready to get themselves back to their homes or other activities with their friends and the sound of many clubs preparing themselves for their club activities, but as always the sound of my fingers typing themselves away on the keyboard of my laptop filled the student council room.
"Mmm... With me now being a member of μ's I feel like I have more work cut out for me."
Yes it was not too long ago that thanks to the efforts of Kousaka Honoka and the members of μ's that I finally lightened up to the idea that we could all save Otonokizaka as the School Idol group, μ's. Even if the life of a School Idol is a small hint of the life of a true idol, I still feel like the responsibility carried upon all of our shoulders is a little much, but as always the optimistic aura carried around by μ's always gives me a reassurance that everything will be perfectly fine.
"And anyways, in the eyes of the others I am the "Cute and Clever Erichika" right?"
Geh, I can't believe I said that out loud...
Brushing my bangs away from my forehead I then do a light sigh while staring at the outside of the student council room's window.
The vivid orange that the evening sun gave off to the Earth was majestic but also the feeling of your face to be greeted by the gentle wind could almost make anybody go into a peaceful nap.
"Ah, how nice would it be to have a nap but I have to finish this report before I leave so I guess I could hold that off."
Sometimes I worry myself that my duty as the Student Council president will conflict with my activities as a member of μ's but I can't allow myself to be in that mindset. I don't want to disappoint anybody and most of all I would hate it if our efforts to save Otonokizaka would fail.
Slapping my cheeks, I pump myself up so that I can get this report finished and head home immediately. Since the more time I give myself at home, the more time I can give myself a proper rest so that I can flourish in all my activities.
"There~"
Giving myself a pat on the back for finally finishing the report I had to make for student council, I then close my laptop and get ready to leave.
"Hmm?"
My joy of finally achieving my ticket of going home was greeted by a clumsy deed, which was very unfitting of myself.
"Ha... I forgot my bag in the club room..."
Well it's not a terrible thing but for far as I know everyone else would have gone home during this time so it would be quite likely that the club room would be locked and I would have to wait tomorrow to grab my bag.
"But carrying around my laptop by hand would be a little..."
Yeah and not to mention I had homework to do for tonight and being tardy on work is something that I don't want ruining the image that I have gotten from everyone all this time.
Grabbing all my belongings and locking the student council room, I then head to μ's club room hoping either it's not locked or someone is still there, wait actually it would be better if no one was there since it would be nice if no one saw me making a clumsy mistake like this.
"Ha, especially someone like Umi or Niko..."
Umi is just somebody you wish to never disappoint, Niko would probably make fun of me for making such a clumsy mistake and that would be annoying as hell.
Well if I had to choose the person who would be in the club room to witness such a clumsy mistake I would choose Kotori, since well she's a very understanding person and at least she's not like most of the energetic or serious members of μ's
"Not like that would happen though..."
Doing a large sigh I know for sure that it's going to be Niko since she is the President of the Idol Research Club and she practically owns the club room.
As I reach the door of the club room, I take in a deep breath preparing myself for an endless amount of annoying laughs to be brought upon my clumsy mistake by the devilish Yazawa Niko.
Seeing if the door to the club room is unlocked, I can only hope that someone forgot to lock the door or the worst result Niko is just waiting to inflict her teasing upon me...
Turning the knob only hoping that no one is there, I then see the person that is inside is not my worst fear but the person I hoped that would actually be there?...
"Ah, Eri-chan did you need something?"
I am then greeted by the warm smile of Minami Kotori.
"Whoa, way to go fate."
Kotori gazing at me with a confused expression I then realize I said that out loud.
But no really, way to go fate. Like it actually would have been better if no one was here to witness my clumsy mistake but if it's Kotori I can be reassured that she will not notice anything and I can peacefully move on with my life.
"Ah Eri-chan, did you come back to grab your bag?"
UGH! Even if it was meant to be harmless seeing Kotori ask me that with her usual smiling expression I feel like this is worst than having Niko make fun of me...
"Yeah... I forgot it when we finished our meeting... Such a clumsy thing to do for a person like me huh?"
Getting a little depressed because of Kotori finding out my clumsy mistake I now feel like the image of the "Cute and Clever Erichika" that Kotori has had of me ever since meeting me along with the others has been shattered.
But the response that Kotori gives me is surprising.
"Don't worry Eri-chan, I understand that you're a busy person so you probably forgot it because you needed to do your Student Council work as soon as the meeting was over right?"
Minami Kotori, she's considered a bit of an airhead but the most kind kindhearted member of μ's, always caring for the feelings of others, even sometimes putting those feelings in front of hers... I am truly glad that she was the one to witness such a clumsy mistake like this.
Doing a small sigh of relief along with a small smile I then take a glance at the club room's table, all I see is a bunch of fabric and cloth along with some sewing tools.
"Kotori what are you doing?"
From what I saw and what I know about Kotori, she is the Costume designer of μ's, for all this time she's been designing and creating all the costumes μ's has worn for all of their performances, and even the very first costume I got to wear when I performed with μ's for the first time. I knew that it was the dream of a lot of girls to become idols and go up on stage and wear cute costumes but I remembered the warmth and the feeling that was in the costume I wore. I knew that Kotori put all her feelings when creating the costumes we wore but now that I see her in the process of making it... I guess I'm a little curious.
"Ah, I was just getting ready to make some costumes that I designed not too long ago for out next performance! Umm... Would you like to watch?"
Kotori asks me with a bit of eagerness in her expression.
I guess no one is really around to watch Kotori do the process of creating our costumes. I already became curious myself of how she does it but more of all... I want to witness the feeling she puts into doing it.
"I would love to!"
"Thank you!"
Kotori and I both shared warm smiles to one another during that moment, grabbing myself a seat but also making sure to once and for all fix my clumsy mistake by grabbing my bag and putting away all my belongings, Kotori does a small giggle a little embarrassed I then finally take a seat and watch Kotori grab a cloth and needle, she then began to sew.
The very sight of how Kotori was carefully sewing with the needle and thread through the piece of fabric, the peacefulness and care that I saw on her face was very calming but also nostalgic...
"Umm... Eri-chan?"
"Mmm?"
"Is there something I'm doing wrong? Since you've been staring at me with so much focus..."
Kotori blushes in embarrassment while putting down her needle and thread.
Damn I never knew that I was staring at her THAT intently but I just can't shake off this feeling of nostalgia. The care and feeling that Kotori was putting while sewing it was almost like...
"A-ah sorry... It's just that I used to quilt a lot when I was child with my grandmother when we were living in Russia... so I guess the reason I was staring at you like that was because of... nostalgia..."
Well that was half the reason, even if sewing isn't fully the same as quilting, the two are relatives, and it's just that the care and warmth that I saw on Kotori's face reminded me of the times when I was living with my Grandmother in Russia, and the times when she and me quilted...
"I see..."
I then see Kotori pondering a bit.
Damn I knew it, even if I had a reason like that I guess it is really awkward to stare so intently at a person huh?
"Ah! Eri-chan!"
In immediate excitement Kotori claps her hands together and does a cheerful giggle.
"Want to sew with me?"
A little surprised by Kotori's request, I'm a little hesitant but what is my hesitation for? Sure quilting and sewing are not completely the same but if you have the basics to doing one of them I believe you could do the other... Well I guess it's time for me to put my so called title of the "Cool and Cute Erichika" to the test!
"Sure!"
I say with a cheerful smile to Kotori.
But honestly I'm hoping that my theory that sewing and quilting are like close relatives is true, since it would be very embarrassing if Kotori saw me being so foolish but I'm also hoping that it is really true since... It would be nice to share this kind of moment with anybody.
I don't really know how much time has passed but I feel like it's been a while. All I know for sure is that I have immersed myself with pulling my needle through the thread, and I don't even bring it upon myself that my theory that quilting and sewing are like close relatives since all the movements that I make come naturally, and this moment just exactly feels like the times I would quilt with my grandmother...
Sadly my immersion into nostalgia would make me unaware of so many other things, like the person who was in front of me.
"Ow!"
I am immediately then pulled back into reality when I hear Kotori releasing a voice of pain.
"Kotori are you all right?!"
Getting up from my seat to see if Kotori's all right, I see that she has pinched herself with her needle, which is a little surprising since it's a little unexpected that Kotori would ever hurt herself while sewing.
"Yeah, I'm fine... It's just a small cut..."
Kotori says with a small giggle.
I know that giggle is just to laugh it off but even if it is a small cut she's bleeding I have to do something...
"But you're bleeding!"
"Ah... don't worry I'll go grab a bandage..."
Even back then when I was quilting with my grandmother back in Russia, I accidentally cut myself because my mind would wander off, and she always had a method to take care of the small cuts I always got.
"Kotori wait!"
"Huh, what is it Eri-chan?"
Grabbing Kotori's attention, I then take her hand a place her injured finger into my mouth.
"E-E-E-E-ERI-CHAN?!"
Ha ha ha... Even I would be shocked if someone did this to me, but I actually feel a little guilty to why Kotori got injured since if maybe if I wasn't here to disturb her this wouldn't have happened...
Finally I take out Kotori's injured finger from my mouth I do a small smile along with a sigh,
"My grandmother always did that whenever I pinched myself whenever we were quilting but I'll grab a bandage to cover up the cut."
Once I get up I can see Kotori nodding with a red face.
Agh... I knew that was too awkward but still...
Grabbing a bandage from one of the shelves in the club room, I then apply the bandage to Kotori's injured finger pat on it with a smile "There you go, good as new!"
"T-thank you... Eri-chan..."
I can still see that Kotori is very flustered..
"Kotori, I'm really sorry!"
Bowing my head in apology, Kotori is immediately surprised by my sudden apology.
"Eri-chan? Why are you apologizing?"
"It's my fault why you got injured... If I was not here I wouldn't have disturbed you and you wouldn't have gotten injured..."
It's true, Kotori always worked alone while preparing are costumes, sure sometimes Niko would help her but eventually Kotori would be left alone to take care of the rest and she would have nobody to disturb her so this was my fault...
"It's not Eri-chan."
I can then feel Kotori's hand patting my head.
"Kotori?"
"It's actually my fault why I got injured, since well... When you were sewing it was so beautiful that I kinda got immersed into that image..."
What?... Really? I was sewing that nicely that even Kotori got immersed into it?... Oh no... Now I can feel my face becoming red with embarrassment and not only me, I can see that Kotori is also very embarrassed from saying all of that...
"Thank you so much Kotori... It makes me really happy to hear that. Because honestly I loved the time we sewed together since it reminded me of the times I would quilt with my grandmother in Russia. So I guess, thanks for letting me relive a precious memory."
There's no need to stay in this awkward atmosphere, if Kotori really meant what she said that would mean I never forgot how it felt like to quilt with my grandmother. Ha ha ha, even if it wasn't really quilting I felt that.
I can then see the usual cheerful expression that Kotori always had returning.
"No problem, Eri-chan!"
The two of us then finish up with the pieces we were sewing, after some time passed Kotori then decided that she would finish the rest by herself. Agreeing I then finally get ready to leave.
"Thank you for helping me Eri-chan!"
Kotori says to me cheerfully.
I then nod and give her a smile.
"We're fellow members aren't we? Also thanks to that experience I got to relieve precious memories..."
Well obviously I would help Kotori, she is a fellow μ's member, so basically whenever she needs help I'll always be there to help her.
"Fellow members huh..."
I then hear Kotori mumbling something, not sure what it was I then ask her.
"Hmm? Did you say something Kotori?"
Kotori shakes her head flustered and laughs cheerfully,
"N-no it was nothing! Anyways see you tomorrow Eri-chan!"
Nodding a little confused because of Kotori's answer I then do a small smile.
"Sure thing! See you tomorrow Kotori!"
The two of us waving goodbye, I then leave the club room heading back home.
But still I ponder over what Kotori said back there, but when I saw her mumbling those words she looked a little sad...
"Maybe I should help Kotori out a little more..."
Yes, I should since Kotori usually does everything alone, but even though I should still be there to help her since I am her fellow member but also hopefully her friend...
Doing a small giggle I then pump myself up.
"Also because I am the "Cute and Clever Erichika!"
Ugh, I still can't believe that I get pumped up from that, but don't worry hopefully one day me and Kotori can become more than fellow members, since it's thanks to her that I got to relive such a precious memory and also...
"She's kinda cute when she gets flustered..."
Doing a small giggle after remembering the sight of a red faced flustered Kotori. I then finally head home just like I would have done if I didn't do the clumsy mistake of leaving my school bag in the club room, but maybe it's thanks to that clumsy mistake that it would create the birth of something that I would have never thought that would have exist if it wasn't for it...