Setting: Season 1, after episode 44 and before episode 47.
Characters: Utau Hoshina
Buono!Buono!: It Shines (キラキラ)
Utau Hoshina walked toward her new office, the one where she and her manager would begin their work to get Utau famous again, even if under an independent label. Utau's blonde hair was hidden beneath a peach-colored beret, and her clothes were primarily black and white. Il and El were floating by her shoulder, bickering and chatting.
It had been less than a week since Amu, Tadase, and those other kids had helped her and Yukari Sanjo escape Easter. Now that she left Easter, one of the biggest music companies in the entire country, her career as a singer seemed to be hopeless.
But, somehow, Utau was still happy.
And, now that she thought about it, she had no idea why that was.
"Utau!" the blonde pop singer snapped out of her thoughts to see that Il was talking to her. "Does Ayaka's costume look more like Dark Jewel or Amulet Diamond?"
The faint smile on Utau's face, one that she hadn't noticed, was replaced with a look of brief confusion. Trying to think of what Il meant, Utau paused for a moment before asking to make sure, "Ayaka, the one from that band with the short skirts?" When Il nodded, Utau thought for a moment, recalling the outfit and then finally said, "Amulet Diamond, why?"
"HA! I told you~" El shouted, pointing at Il in triumph. "Now you have to let me dress you up like Ayaka~"
Il grumbled profanities under her breath angrily as Utau chuckled at the scene, arriving at her and Yukari's new office as they did so. She stopped in front of the building, gazing it over. The building was far from the luxurious skyscraper that was Easter, but it was smaller and better.
What was it that she was thinking about again?
Oh, right.
Utau mentally cleared her throat before wondering just why she was happy. Looking at her new studio, a genuine smile crossed her face as she remembered.
It was because she was doing what she liked to do, singing. Even if the public would never accept her again, it didn't matter, none of that did. Utau was at her strongest and happiest when she was singing, and that wasn't anything that the general public or even her superiors could change.
Utau was woken from her thoughts when she felt a tapping at her shoulder. Moving her head she spotted Il poking her shoulder, "Hey, why are you so quiet?"
Utau faced forward once more and entered the building as she vaguely replied, "Just thinking."
"Is it about the recording today~?" El asked.
Utau showed her identification to the staff before walking over to the elevators. She then pressed the up button, and waited for the elevator to arrive as she replied, "Kind of. I'm thinking more about my singing career in general. Hey, wasn't it you who said that I should believe in my dreams?"
El grinned goofily as she said, "Yup~!"
Il scoffed, quipping, "Well, that's no reason to be all boring about it, Utau." As the elevator door opened, they stepped inside, Il saying, "You've always believed in your dreams, and wanted to use your own strength to achieve it. No reason to stop now."
El pressed the button for the fourth floor as she added, "Yup~! After all, you were the one who said as a kid, 'People who work hard with a big dream shine.'"
Utau smiled again, saying matter-of-factly "I did say that, didn't I? I was some kid back then…"
El spun in circles in joy as she said, "Yea~ all sparkling with your big dreams of becoming a singer~!"
Il had her arms crossed and remarked, "Kind of like Amu's annoying little sister."
Utau chuckled and said, "Well, I'm still like that in a way, right? There's no way that I could live through reality without a dream." The incident with Easter was behind them, it was time to record their new song.
El gave a cheeky smile as she shouted, "Today's only just begun!"
The elevator doors opened.