Well, here it is; my first fanfiction! It's not too long and focuses primarily on Eli Ayase. I may add more chapters that go into more detail on the other members of µ's, but for now, I hope you enjoy!
"So, Nicochi, why were you in such a rush to get everyone here so suddenly?" Nozomi asked the now exhausted Nico Yazawa. She had just run across the school screaming at the top of her lungs for all μ's members to go to the club room, immediately.
"Yeah, you'd better have a good excuse for dragging us here on such short notice," Maki grumbled.
"Would you all stop," Nico stopped to catch her breath, "complaining and listen to me for a bit?" she retorted. After waiting a few seconds to see if she would finally receive her desired silence, she began to talk once more.
"You see, after our performance in Akihabara, our popularity has grown exponentially, and due to this, we've attracted the attention of many large companies,"
"Nico-chan seems to have actually planned what she was going to say, for once," Eli whispered into Nozomi's ear, much to the latter's amusement.
"You all remember our encounters with those merch companies, right? Well, it seems that another organisation wants to use our group as part of their mobile game!"
"WHAAT?!"
A few months later
And that's how we all ended up trialling this new app for our smartphones, "School Idol Festival". When I first told Alisa about it, she seemed concerned at first, and she asked me if accepting the offer was the right choice for the group. But after learning that Yukiho and she would also be featured as supporting characters, and even have to record their voices for certain parts that would be added at a later date, her apprehension was replaced instantaneously with excitement.
The entirety of the School Idol Club was given a demo version, so we could see if we really wanted to go through with their plans. While watching the short trailer the company had put together, it seemed that the most captivating gameplay was limited to rhythmically tapping rings over the faces of μ's. However, it looked surprisingly fun. Combined with the fact that the song playing in the background was START:DASH!, which was sadly the only choice of song, for the time being, it really felt like a game made for μ's.
I had to start the app by selecting a member of μ's to act as our centre. All nine of us were there, well, our faces were, and the recordings we created for it 2 weeks ago were used in the background. The game prompted me to choose my favourite girl, so naturally, my finger began to drift towards Nozomi, but something inside of me told me that I had to select Honoka. After being stuck with such a trivial matter, I told myself that I was not conceited, yet I still selected myself. There I was, Eli Ayase, in the Otonokizaka High School uniform. It definitely felt a bit odd seeing myself on my phone, as well as hearing my own voice encourage me. However, I let the queerness aside and continued on through.
I was then taken to a few short sequences featuring μ's explaining themselves, which also seemed a bit peculiar considering I was a member of the actual group. I was then faced with a tutorial for the game, explaining how to successfully perform a Live Show. To my surprise, the only recognisable face during this "Live Show" sequence was my own, and I was placed at the bottom of the screen, with four other girls to both my sides in an ascending arc that I did not recognise in the slightest. Despite having a group that technically wasn't μ's, I still found myself enjoying the simple pleasure of tapping the coloured rings. Before long I found myself practising the members of my group with each other (though the premise of losing one member was still confusing), idolising my team of girls at any possible time and scouting for new members. However, I still had yet to scout another member of μ's.
It was at that moment of realisation that I saw something I hadn't noticed before, the "Honor Student Scouting". To the side, I saw the portraits of various members of μ's, all in different outfits, some of which we had worn, and some that were completely new. I was so focused on the rest of the app that I hadn't been paying my full attention to certain aspects. I began to read the rules for "Honor Scouting", and learnt I either needed a "Scouting Ticket" or five "Love Gems" to scout for one member. Noticing that I lacked a Scouting Ticket, I checked the top bar to see if I had any Love Gems. Sure enough, I had fourteen in stock, but after realising that I could scout eleven members for only fifty Love Gems, elementary school mathematics told me I should save up before scouting (I wonder who won't, though…).
Curious to see what else I missed in my excitement, I returned to the home menu to see what else I could find. I found a tab titled "Goals", and saw that if I achieved a "Full Combo" on an easy song, I would receive a Scouting Ticket. Well, my target was set, and so began my sleepless night.
"Sis, wake up! Sis!"
"Huh? Yes Nozomi, I'd like another parfait…." Wait, that's not Nozomi I'm hearing…
"Sis! Wake up! You're over an hour late for morning practice, and at this rate, you'll be late for school!" Alisa's commanding voice filled my head, and I wearily glanced over at the wall clock. It's already quarter to 8!
"I'm up, Alisa… Go on without me, I'll be fine…" I hope...
"Are you sure?" I nodded. "Alright then, I'll be off. But please stay safe, okay?" She sounded sceptical about my abilities. After all, it isn't like me to wake up so late.
"Don't worry about me," I tried to say in my normal voice, in an attempt to reassure Alisa.
"Okay then… Bye!" I really hope she doesn't worry about me too much.
I wrapped up my date with Nozomi and stepped into the shower. Hastily, I slipped into my blazer and skirt, tied up my hair and grabbed a chocolate bar for energy (I'll buy something at the cafeteria later) before heading for the door. As I turned around to shut the door, I was greeted by no one else but Nozomi Toujou.
"It's not like you to miss practice, Elichi," Nozomi said as she walked with me to school. "Everyone was so worried about you. We were waiting at the shrine, and when you didn't turn up, I left the session early to look for you." I felt a pang of guilt at the thought of her coming to my apartment to see if I was fine when in reality I had just slept in due to that app. However, it also warmed my heart slightly knowing just how much she cared about me.
"I'm sorry for forcing you out of your way like that…"
"Oh, don't be!" Nozomi replied with a smile on her face. "But," she said in a more serious tone, "I am still concerned about why you missed practice today,"
"Haha…" I blushed heavily while trying to think of a way to answer without severely damaging my dignity as a third-year. "You know that game that we all got yesterday?... Nozomi-chan? What's so funny?"
"You! Eli Ayase! Of all people to get addicted to it! HAHAHAHAH!" I blushed even more than before, which I actually found impressive considering how red I was before. "Why I can't wait for the Broadcasting Club to learn about this, how the ex-School Council President is obsessed with her own game! I'm sure you stayed up all night just to play, didn't you!" Nozomi was struggling to stand upright by now, and I felt like I wanted the ground to swallow me up right then and there. Regardless, I found myself smirking ever so slightly. Perhaps it was her referring to me by my full name or her sudden change in choice of words and attitude. No matter what the cause, I believed that nothing could ruin our moment together.
Eli and Nozomi had reached the school grounds. They began walking towards their lockers, when, as if out of nowhere, a certain blue-haired girl stood up from a nearby bench. She walked silently, towards the two seniors, all while her anger was building up beneath her usually cool persona. "Eli-chan," she said calmly. As if a gun was primed to her head, and in a way one was, Eli suddenly stopped and became aware of the imminent danger she was in. Nozomi had also calmed down by this point.
"Could you please explain once more you weren't at practice this morning?"
Umi's amicable gaze suddenly broke. As she clenched her fist by her hip and let out a small grunt, Eli and Nozomi began to back away from her. They were both well acquainted with this side of her, and Eli especially knew how much damage an enraged Umi could cause. All of a sudden, Umi outstretched her arm and extended her index finger straight towards a terrified Eli.
"Eli Ayase!" Umi laughed. She had finally gone insane after hearing the ridiculous truth behind one the members she actually admired in μ's slacking off, and she was fully aware of it. "I demand you repeat why you weren't at practice this morning!"
After no reply was uttered from the blonde, spare a few gasps and a futile attempt to make peace with the tyrant, Umi cackled as she fell to her knees.
As if an angel had been sent down from the heavens to spare Eli, a naturally unfazed Maki Nishikino appeared in front of her, shortly followed by the rest of μ's.
"We were waiting for Nozomi-chan to return from over there," the crimson-haired girl said while gesturing to the bench she was just at. "We were worried about you, you know…" Maki continued while fiddling with her hair.
"Aww, Maki-chan can be caring if she wants to be-nya!" Rin piped in cheerfully. Eli, meanwhile, was glad the reason for her absence this morning was dropped from the conversation.
"Shut up, you," Rin backed away from Maki, looking quite sullen. "Well, the important thing is that you're safe. Regardless, we all need to get to class, so I'll be leaving now," Maki promptly disappeared, as awkwardly as ever.
"It's good to see that you're well, Eli-chan," Hanayo said. "I guess I'll see you later, then. Come now, Rin,"
"Ah, thank you, Hanayo-chan. See you!" Hanayo, with a fully recovered Rin in tow, began to run after Maki. Eli was about to leave with Nozomi herself until Kotori began to speak.
"Oh, Umi-chan. Whatever will we do about you?"
"I don't know…" Honoka added. "It's not really safe to leave her out here…" The other three girls nodded in agreement.
"Maybe it's just best to take her to the infirmary," Nozomi suggested. "Let her rest. After all," she said with a naughty glare in her eyes, "she must have been quite shocked after learning that her Senpai would commit an all-nighter dedicated to a mobile app,"
Everyone but Eli and Umi, who at one point had apparently lost consciousness and fell onto her side, seemed to laugh at Nozomi's blunt statement.
"All right then! Let's go, Kotori-chan!"
"Yes, let's!"
After Nozomi and Eli had helped hoist Umi's body onto the hopefully able shoulders of Kotori and Honoka, they parted ways, as classes were to start very soon, and Eli hadn't even stopped by her locker. Shortly after they had started walking, Eli felt that something was a bit off.
"Nozomi-chan. Did anything feel, somewhat out of place?"
"You mean anything other than you losing your respect as a leader due to a mobile game?" Eli blushed once more. "Now that you mention it, something didn't feel quite right. It's almost as if something was missing…"
After walking for a bit longer without thinking of an answer, the truth hit them simultaneously.
"You're not thinking what I'm thinking of, are you Elichi?"
"I think the correct word for this situation would be who,"
Almost as quickly as they realised it, their suspicions were confirmed by a figure suddenly jumping out from a nearby bush.
"Nico-Nico-ni! Super Idol Nico Yazawa at your service! Nico!" She had a video camera in one hand, and a beaming grin on her face. "Geez Eli-chan, to think that you would do something like that. How scandalous."
"Nico-chan," Eli replied weakly, "please tell me you didn't record all of that,"
"Oh, I sure did! From the moment you stepped out of your house up to this very second. I'm sure it'll double our popularity! To see the "cute and clever Elichika" in such a state; the video will go viral! Well," Nico remarked while pressing a button on her camera, "like you two I have to get to class. See you!"
As Nico skipped merrily into the distance, Nozomi was left with a mentally destroyed Eli. "Hey, it'll all be fine. Nicochi isn't evil, and it might do you some good for our fans to learn about this side of you. Let them know the real you, you know?" Nozomi shot Eli one of her earnest smiles, not one that would signify that she knows a secret, or that she had something mischievous planned, but a genuine smile of happiness. Nozomi opened up for a hug, and Eli embraced her tightly.
"Thank you, Nozomi,"
A/N: So, how was it? Please review, it would really help me out in my early days as a writer. Would you like to see this fic continued with the other chapters based around the other members of µ's, or would you rather something else? In any case, thank you for reading!
While I was busy enjoying Nozomi to myself, I was brought back to reality by the sound of the school bell ringing.
"Ah well, I was doomed to be late today regardless,"
"Don't say that," Nozomi replied while she pulled out a card from her deck of tarot cards and flashed it at my face.
"Wheel of Fortune, huh? With a bit of luck, we may be able to get to class before our teacher. Come on," I said, taking Nozomi by the hand. "Let's hurry!"