Hello, Love Livers (or … whatever we LL lovers would love to call ourselves?)! I am just yet another new people in this fandom and after browsing through this canon in this site, I decided to contribute a piece of work that has been in my mind after finishing the anime.
That being said, this story is heavily inspired from the ending of the anime (sort of) and revolve around the three original members of μ's. This story is mainly going to be about them growing up into their young adult lives as they learn about things that both of the anime and game don't cover yet, and their struggles as they do so. Of course, as you can see from the genre and summary, there would be romance around them (both yuri and hetero, with the latter being the endgame). Still, both of the romance would be mostly subtle at best and the male OCs are already fleshed out in the drafts so that they're pretty far from self-insert and gary stus, they would have a lot of flaws/cons compared to their pros, which would be covered in the later chapters. However, this story is going to be mostly about the friendship of Honoka, Kotori, and Umi. That much I can promise you.
Also, props to chromate, another author who wrote for this site, who inspired and encouraged me to actually post this story to public by their well-written story 'Strawberry Swing'. If you haven't read it, I suggest you to take a look at it. It's still ongoing, but it definitely has one of the best prologues with original character centric in Love Live universe.
Summary: To grow up, everyone need to let go of their pasts and move on with their lives. As Honoka, Kotori and Umi do so, dozens of trials lie bare before them. But is letting go of their precious memories the kind of growing up that they have always wanted?
Genre: Friendship, SoL, Romance, a little bit of Humor and Drama.
Characters: Kotori, Umi, and Honoka as the main characters, and the other members of μ's and OCs as the secondary characters.
Pairings: Light HonoKotoUmi, as well as light OC/Honoka, OC/Kotori, and OC/Umi.
Disclaimer: I don't own Love Live. Cover image fully credited to Nicca (pixiv id 1732903).
I – The Things They Cherished
"Honoka, please do this one as well."
"H-Hweeeh…"
A loud thud and two piles of books were stacked on the desk of the Otonokizaka's Student Council room. In front of them was none other than the distrait president, who immediately slumped her head down as soon as the incident happened before her.
"Umi-chaaaan…" her soft voice creaked in a whine. "I can't do this anymoreeeee…."
In response to that, the blue haired vice-president Umi Sonoda narrowed her eyes. "No means no, Honoka. You are not going to goof off and you will definitely not until those documents are done."
Honoka's wail was getting louder at that one stern statement from her friend, she was possibly close to crying her suffering out, even. Her final hope for salvation from this torture was only by addressing her other childhood friend from the side. "Kotori-chaaaaan…"
It had been almost three months post Eli's, Nozomi's, and Nico's graduation and μ's had more or less 'retired' from their idol life. At first, the six remaining members barely wanted to do anything in particular without the attendance of the three seniors in the academy, but after a week or so, all of them seemed to be over their BSODs and decided to move on with their lives.
Honoka, more especially, was the one who recovered first. It was actually mostly thanks to her as well that the girls could walk again. Her cheerfulness and spirits were her biggest blessing for her friends. She was still not the best when it came to fulfilling her responsibility as the student council president, however, as one could witness from this very scene.
"Now, now, Umi-chan," Kotori, the light-brown haired girl rose from her seat as she awkwardly laughed a bit. "I think Honoka-chan deserves to rest a bit. She has finished a lot of documents, after all."
If there was one thing that Umi wouldn't back down at, it was at things like this. "You're spoiling Honoka a bit too much, Kotori. She can't go back from her own responsibilities."
"I-I guess so…?" As much as Kotori would love to back Honoka up, she had more or less expected such strict answer from her strict friend. She still felt sorry for Honoka, though.
"Huweeeee…."
Umi could only let out a sigh at the whining Honoka. In a way, Umi admitted deep down that while she might be a little too hard on Honoka, this had to be done. Umi had always wanted her close friend to grow responsible, as she was right in the age where life was only going to get harder from this point on. She definitely didn't want Honoka to be someone that could only depend from others when it came to things like this.
"Honestly…" the blue haired girl rubbed a palm against her forehead, before she looked back at her watch. As she did that, a realization seemed to dawn on her. "Ah, I have to go to the archery club now. Honoka, be sure to-"
"It's not fair-! It's not fair!" Like a small kid whose dolls were taken from her, Honoka slammed her arms against the desk repetitively. "Umi-chan's trying to run away from the job!"
"I am not trying to run away!" Umi protested back with tone similar to Honoka's. "I have to focus because the archery competition is drawing near!"
"It's still not fair!"
"No, it is fair, Honoka! Just like you have the responsibilities of a student council president, I do have my own share of responsibilities as the member of the archery club!"
Their childish bickers were getting more and more… childish as it dragged on. Kotori, as the only witness of the event couldn't even do anything. She wanted to stop them, but she didn't feel any spot that she could just invade like that. The only thing that she could do from the side was watching, sweatdropping a big, single drop at this.
Fortunately for Kotori's mentality, after around a good one minute, they stopped their little quibble, with Umi as the one who backed down first.
"Enough of this," she made a single 'Hmph' as she walked to grab her bow from the corner of the room. "I can't let the others wait for me any longer. Go finish the documents, Honoka."
There was no word coming from Honoka's lips, although she did make a big pout at her vice president's order.
It was not like Umi ran away from her student council's work, at all. This Sunday (read: tomorrow) was going to be one of the biggest competitions in the club's schedule. Thanks to the hard work of the members, they had been granted the chance to go the national to show their worth in archery. Besides, that was also the last chance for Umi to take part in such event as she was in her last year of high school.
Instinctively, Umi's body seemed to freeze up at the thought. Her shiny amber eyes seemed to lose its glitter and her fingers were getting weak. So weak that she couldn't bring herself to grip on the bow.
The… last…
Much to Umi's dismay, her sudden change in behavior did not go unnoticed by Kotori. "Umi-chan? What's wrong?"
"Oh? Umm…" Umi managed to get away from her sudden reverie the moment her name was mentioned. "…Time sure do flies fast, don't they?"
Her out of nowhere, poem-like words managed to make both Kotori and Honoka quirk their eyebrow in mixture of curiosity and confusion. Umi herself paused for a moment to grab her archery equipment before she opened her lips again.
"We're third years already, and less than ten months, we're going to…"
It was all it took to put the whole thing in the room to a halt. Indeed, the three of them had reached the last year of their high school life. Within another year, they were required to stop looking back and carry on with their new young-adult lives. There would be no need for them to wear Otonokizaka's uniform anymore. There would be no need for them to come to the school in the morning. There would be no need for them to study for upcoming tests.
…And there would be no need for them to practice by the rooftop anymore, nor there would be any need to get spirited enough to join in a competitive Love Live.
There would no need for them to be together with μ's anymore.
The drastic change in Kotori's and Honoka's expression was enough to make Umi realize that she had touched the wrong topic. It was hard for her to do this, but Umi was forcing herself to smile reassuringly at her best friends. "That was so sentimental of me, I am sorry. Please just forget that I've ever said that, you two."
Umi's forced smile, like she had expected, didn't make the situation any brighter. Still, Umi kept her smile intact as she shouldered her bow. "Well then, I'll be going now. See you two later."
Without both Kotori and Honoka paying any attention to her, Umi walked to the door, slowly opening it before she walked past it and closed it again politely.
That sound of the door closing was the last sound that echoed in the council's chamber for the next five minutes. Honoka, who was actually about to do the papers in front of her, seemed to lose her will to do so and Kotori could only focus her eyes against the blue sky that was visible through the window, lost in her own thought.
"One… year, huh?"
Honoka was the first one to break the voiceless situation by letting out loud her mumble. Kotori didn't turn her attention at her, but she had heard the basic gist of what her friend had muttered.
"…Mmm…"
"I wonder…" Honoka continued with the equal soft tone just a moment after she had heard Kotori's response. "…Did Eli-chan, Nozomi-chan, and Nico-chan… think about this thing as well back there…?"
"Perhaps…" Kotori absentmindedly replied. "…They did…"
Suddenly, even lifting with their arm to even do something was so hard. Both of Kotori and Honoka, but especially the former, couldn't even bring themselves to think what kind of future would befall before them with lesser μ's members around. μ's was like their second family, where they felt like they could do everything as long as they were around. Honoka had long acknowledged that the precious memories with μ's would someday end and she had once prepared her heart and body that she would accept the just fact, but in the end, the thought of living without μ's around would be too saddening.
"Honoka-chan."
Honoka had been too engrossed in her imagination of living such a void life that she didn't notice that Kotori was now standing in front of her, who soon grabbed her hands together with her own, two slender hands.
"Let's be positive, okay? We could still meet each other even though we graduated, right? With Umi-chan, Hanayo-chan, Maki-chan, Rin-chan, and even Eli-chan, Nozomi-chan, and Nico-chan..." as she responded, Kotori showered Honoka with the best smile that she could muster. "I think what Umi-chan tried to tell us was that we shouldn't be scared, regardless of what kind of future we are in, okay?"
If Honoka's eyes weren't watery yet, they were definitely wet now. She made a quick attempt to wipe them off, however, before she replied to Kotori's reassurance with a small nod of agreement. Content with that answer, Kotori pulled her hands back, still keeping her smile at Honoka.
"…Thank you, Kotori-chan," one last sweep from her finger, and Honoka's eyes were as good as dry again. "I'm glad that you are here."
"You're welcome, Honoka-chan," Kotori sweetly replied as she walked back to her seat. "I will always be here for you."
With that, Honoka seemed to regain her optimistic pace, and before long, she was more than energized to return to the paperworks.
That was it for the ever-so optimistic Honoka. But for the stepford-smiler Kotori Minami, it impacted harder than what she showed on the surface. Thank goddess Umi wasn't in the room anymore, or she would have probably caught up with her stiff expression.
…My…Future…
Putting one hand under her cheek to hold the weight of her head on it, Kotori averted her eyes to look at the afternoon sky, lost in thought once again.
Just like Umi had said earlier, time did fly so fast. Otonokizaka's school gate was already closed, and the school clubs as well as student council members had gone home. Most people had already gone for dinner and taken a bath, preparing themselves to face the upcoming tomorrow.
This 'most' didn't include the three founding member of μ's, of course.
The first thing that could be heard from Sonoda's dojo was the creaking sound of arrow clashing against the formation of rocks and destroying itself. Counting the one that just happened, it had been six times in chain that Umi missed to shot her arrow to the target. For some unknown reason, Umi couldn't concentrate even in the littlest in her practice and instead, her mind would bring her back to what had happened this afternoon.
What she had said back there in the council room was the biggest stupidity that she had ever done in her life. Everything seemed to fall apart just after that. Who would have thought? Her most precious memories of being together with μ's would be destroyed by the upcoming harsh reality called 'growing up'. Soon, she would probably be separated from Kotori, Honoka, and the rest of them. She had not, was not, and would never be ready to face that kind of truth.
The worse thing was that Umi herself was the one who pulled the trigger. She was the one who stated the word, and she knew that she might had left unnecessary thinking for both Honoka and Kotori.
"…Some person you are, Umi Sonoda."
The blue haired girl muttered to herself before she shook her head to erase the thought away. Umi realized that she was the only one to take the blame, but still, keeping her thoughts around it would not bring her anywhere, especially when she had a competition tomorrow. For now, she needed to concentrate.
…
Inside her own room, Kotori was not faring any better. The thought of walking a different path as Umi's and Honoka's was too disheartening. She had once faced with this kind problem against Eli, Nozomi, and Nico, but she could soon keep her composure back as that was mostly because Kotori herself wasn't the one to leave.
But one more year, and she would be the one to leave.
"I don't want to…" she mumbled to no one in particular while hugging her pillow close. "I want to be with Umi-chan… Honoka-chan… and the others…"
That was quite a wishful thinking, granted. Still, no matter how much she wanted her life to be like this, the earth would never stop rotating just for her sake, and time would keep on ticking. Kotori needed to grow and adapt, her future waited for her.
Absentmindedly, she grabbed her cellphone from her side as she blankly stared at the screen. There, there was only one big text and two buttons, one with green background and one with red background. The text itself was saying 'Honoka-chan' in hiragana and the two buttons were for dialing and cancelling such action respectively.
Kotori wanted a shoulder to lean on. She wanted some enlightenment for her situation, in any form possible. She couldn't possibly burden the second years, as well as her seniors, with this problem and she would definitely not interrupt Umi-chan, since she was to attend an archery competition tomorrow. Honoka-chan's would be the one that fit the bill the most, but…
…But calling Honoka-chan would only repeat what had happened in the council room.
In the end, her fingers didn't find the will to move to touch the green button on the screen.
…
What Kotori had done was probably the right thing. For if she had managed to call Honoka, there would be no response coming from the other end.
The once μ's leader was lying restlessly on her bed with her left forearm covering both of her eyes. Although Honoka wasn't asleep yet, but for once, she had lost her entire will to sleep.
"…A life… without Kotori-chan… and Umi-chan…"
It hurts a lot just even just by imagining it.
Perhaps… Just perhaps… If she put a lot of thought in that, there would be a way in the future where she, Umi, and Kotori could smile together again, face to face.
Actually, the draft for the prologue was a lot longer than this, but should I do so, there is literally no other point of the storyline where I can end the chapter well.
What I tried to cover in this chapter is the emotional strain and imagination of leaving your best friends away, in which the three main characters reacted differently at. This chapter might be a little too dramatic and perhaps even a little rushed. Worry not though for after this chapter, the genre shift would be drastic. Starting next chapter, everything's going to be more slice of lice and lighthearted.
I hope the premise would interest you guys enough. Reviews, favorites, and/or follows would be fantastic!