Setting: After Yua's appearance in the anime

Character(s): Yua Sakurai, Utau Hoshina

We are Buono!: Our Songs

As a model, Yua Sakurai's work consisted mainly of photo-shoots. There were also the fashion shows and the occasional rare television or press appearance, but Yua's work as a model typically did not take up much more time than being a student athlete would have. This was especially so because she was young, too.

After Yua reunited with Amu, however, the pink-haired girl had taught her a lesson. She had taught Yua to embrace her heart's melody, to sing it, maybe even scream it out.

It was thanks to this message that Amu had given her that Yua got the courage to tell her manager she was finally ready to release her first song.

It had been called "Secret Princess" and she had released it as an indies single: a simple cover, only the song and its instrumental, nothing complex.

This was the beginning of her life as an idol.

Yua had extra work to do for the release of "Secret Princess," things that normal models didn't have to do, because normal models didn't release music. By releasing "Secret Princess," Yua had crossed over from being a simple model, to being a real idol.

There was a difference, oh was there a difference.

As an idol, one could do the work of an idol, only without the fashion show aspect. Idols, however, also had work to do with learning songs that the songwriters wrote for them, recording the songs, learning the choreography for the songs, performing the songs on music shows, going on concert tours, acting in stage plays, going on variety television shows, appearing in television dramas, appearing in movies, rehearsing for all of these things, and maybe even voice acting.

It was no wonder popular idols returned home at ungodly hours of the night. Being an idol took a lot more time commitment.

Yua, however, was just starting out. She wouldn't appear in dramas, variety shows, movies, or voice act just yet. Factor that in with the fact that she was still young, and a minor, and Yua didn't have to worry about being overworked like the popular idols just yet.

Even so, Yua knew that if she decided to release a second indies single, another would follow, and then another, and then a fourth until she had a major debut and released her first major single and album.

She would be no one-hit wonder. The reason? She was popular for an indies artist, especially with the following she had from others her age as well as the lolicons from when she was a model. While this popularity as an indies artist didn't even come close to comparing with the popular idols, it still meant that she had a higher chance of having a major debut than other indies artists.

If that happened, she would no longer be just a model, or just a model with some music. She would be an idol, and she would have to be dedicated to being more than just a face for people to admire, but also a voice, a personality.

It was frightening.

But it was the reality Yua was facing right now.

Her manager had told her that "Secret Princess" had managed to sell around 2,000 copies in its first week, and ranked 4th on the indies single charts. This was good for a debut indies single, and more than they had expected. With this, her manager had told her that she could release a second indies single.

All Yua had to do was say yes, and her life as an idol would begin.

It was frightening; however, and she was having second thoughts, doubts.

Was this truly the right path for her? What if things didn't work out? What would happen then?

It was questions like these that Yua was asking in her head.

This was why she found herself talking with Utau Hoshina, a well known idol who was friends with Amu.

Yua sat politely on one end of a couch with her knees drawn up to her chest, having taken off her shoes so as to not ruin the couch. Cecil, her guardian character, sat on her head of orange curls. Utau sat casually on an armchair in the lounge, drinking tea with Il and El floating about, chasing each other.

"I'm just scared," Yua said to Utau anxiously. "Releasing a second indies single would be starting a whole new chapter of my life." She wrapped her arms more firmly around her knees. "I'm having doubts..."

Il scoffed in the middle of her chase with El and retorted, "Well, duh! Of course you're having doubts, everyone does!"

El floated at top speed across the room as she added in a kinder yet carefree tone despite the adrenaline from flying away from Il, "Besides, didn't Amu-chan get you to sing again? I don't see what the problem is..."

Utau remained stoic as she asked Cecil in her no-nonsense tone, "Shouldn't you be the one encouraging her?"

Cecil gave a small smile and replied, "I've done my fair share, she needs advice from a senior." As Yua's guardian character, it was up to Cecil to help Yua become her true self, but she could only do so much on her own.

Yua blushed in embarrassment as she said, "Well, if you say it like that..."

Utau raised an eyebrow and asked, "Advice?" She smirked and then put her tea down and said, "Well, then. I'll give you advice."

Utau sat up straight and turned to face Yua in her armchair and said, "Now is your time for take off. You can't start anything new so long as you keep on worrying. You've already taken the first step with 'Secret Princess.' Another indies single, preferably with an anime tie-in, and then a collab single with me and then you should be ready for a major debut."

"You think so?" Yua asked, awed that such a popular idol was giving her such advice. She was, however, still apprehensive, but, deep down, she knew she was ready for this. It was just a matter of getting a drive to begin.

Cecil nodded in agreement to Utau's statement, "Something is waiting, and it's up to decide to knock on the door to the world, so to speak."

"Yeah," Utau added, "Besides, you've got the right mindset in the sense that you'd be doing this because you want to sing, not for the money or the fame. You'll get lost in the maze of this entertainment world if you're only looking to succeed."

Yua bit her lip and asked, "But, what if I fail?"

Il scoffed again, and stopped to float by Utau's shoulder as she retorted, "Did you hear anything Utau just said? It doesn't matter! Even if you fail, you'll still have the energy to try again, so stop worrying and just aim for the sky!"

"Yup, yup" El added, twirling in the air now that Il had stopped tormenting her. "Our hearts are reaching for your warm hand~, and all of your friends will smile from your song!"

Utau nodded as she said, "Everyone has their own path. Singing is yours, let the wind blow you there. If you continue to sing, you'll have a whole new outlook on everything, even on your childhood, and how pure those days were."

Yua closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, and then let it out.

"I can imagine it now," Cecil spoke from above Yua. "Someone's eyes will surely smile, when they imagine the future that we'll be singing about in our songs, our songs that are born when you're almost who you want to be."

Slowly, Yua found her courage. She could do this, even if she'd fail she'd continue. Singing was what she wanted to do, and she'll do it, because it was the path she was meant to take. Yua nodded, and opened her eyes, a confidence planted by Amu being brought out from Utau's words as she replied, "You're right. It starts here, the sky and the wind and our songs are on my lips. I just have to sing them."

Utau finally gave a small, proud smile as she said, "That's the spirit."

With her new career as an idol ahead of her, Yua knew that as long as she followed the path of her dreams, she would become that much closer to becoming her true self. Her songs, no, the songs shared by both her and Cecil, were resting in her chest, and just waiting to be sung.

She would release that second indies single, and she would embrace her heart's melody. She would sing their songs, scream out her heart in her songs.

Our songs.