So Chapter 1, here it is. First things first, I just wanted to get something out the way.
For anything related to the university system that comes up, I will be using a more western system, as that is what I am more familiar with, though not entirely. I'm not really sure if universities and colleges work differently in Japan so I just wanted you all to know this.
Second thing is just in case I didn't explain the ages and university years clearly enough, it goes like this:
Nozomi, Nico - 22 (4th year)
Eli - 21 (4th year)
Honoka, Kotori, Umi - 21 (3rd year)
Hanayo, Maki - 20 (2nd year)
Rin - 19 (2nd year)
I based their ages on their actual birthdays so I'm pretty sure this should be right. Anyways, just wanted to make sure that everything was cleared up before I started getting complaints. Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 1
The Reunion
As Eli walked to the courtyard after all of her classes ended, she couldn't help but think about how peaceful the first day of classes had been. The first trimester of her fourth year was finally beginning.
After graduating, Eli had decided to study business management and economics, wanting a job in enterprising. It just seemed best for her. On top of aiming for a bachelor degree in commerce, she also was getting a minor in accounting.
But like a calm before a storm, everything was tranquil until she saw her friends, all gathered around a bench underneath a large tree. Not to say they were chaotic of sorts, they just tended to be...rather loud and outgoing in their own unique way.
When Eli reached the group, she couldn't but smile a bit as she saw the defeated looks of Honoka and Nico, the two slumped over the benches. Though she already had it figured out, she couldn't help but ask Nozomi what happened.
Nozomi always had a talent for art. She always did have a sense for the more spiritual things. That's probably why Nozomi had went for an arts major. However, she had also decided to have economics as her minor, though she would never tell Eli why.
In response to the question asked, Nozomi just gave her a small look of pity towards their two lifeless looking friends before turning to the blond.
"You know how it is, first day of classes and all." Eli also looked at her friends in pity, completely understanding what Nozomi meant. Honoka and Nico had never been the...brightest.
Honoka had decided to become a teacher, believe it or not. She said she had wanted to inspire students to follow their dreams, like she had with μ. So she had decided to major in secondary education and was now starting her third year.
On the other hand, Nico has always wanted to go into the idol business as an actual idol. However, as she talked it over with several different people, she realized that she'd need a backup plan. Even if Nico did become an idol, it probably wouldn't be a long lasting career. After all, who's ever seen an idol older that 30? So deciding to major in economics and accounting in her second year, Nico planned to hopefully start a talent agency whenever her own idol career ended.
Eli watched a certain ash brown-haired girl make her way to benches and gently tap her childhood friend's shoulder.
"Honoka-chan, are you okay?" Kotori asked in a somewhat worried voice.
As expected, Kotori had decided to major in what she has loved doing for the longest time. She decided to major in fashion design and thanks to the experience creating μ's several idol outfits, she was actually near the top of her classes.
Honoka looked up at her childhood friend, eyes filled with tears. She let out a cry before wrapping her arms dramatically around Kotori.
"Kotori-chan!"
Kotori gently patted Honoka's back. She couldn't but smile a bit at her friend's antics. "There, there."
Beside them, the third member of the childhood friend trio just sighed.
"Honestly Honoka, I have warned you several times that university is not as easy as you think. We are in our third year now."
Umi, while not really needing any sort of further education because of her family dojo, had decided to major in english. After all, she had found a love for writing ever since she joined μ and started songwriting. Luckily, her family supported her decision to continue her education and so here she was.
The orange-haired girl quickly dropped her dramatic crying before looking somewhat sheepish. With a hand scratching the back of her head, Honoka let out a small nervous laugh before being glared at by Umi. Trying to avoid looking into the blue haired girl's eyes, Honoka quickly changed the topic.
"Hey Nico-chan, you still alive?"
No movement.
"Don't worry. Nico-chi will be back to being her normal self in no time. Her mind is just overloaded after slacking off all break."
Nico's eyebrow twitched at Nozomi's comment.
"Who said I was slacking off?"
Nozomi smiled. "See?"
Eli chuckled before she took a quick look at everyone, realizing that not all of their group was present yet.
"Where's Hanayo and Rin?" She asked her friends.
It was Umi who answered.
"They said they would meet up with us in a bit. Apparently, the two wished to explore some of the different clubs this year." Nodding, Eli continued talking with her friends.
Rin had truly surprised all of them with her major. After boosting her grades up greatly in her third year of high school, Rin had decided to major in animal science, hoping to become a veterinarian. It was a tough field and yet Rin, while not at the top of her classes, had managed relatively good marks.
Thus why the idiot trio had became the idiot duo, much to chagrin of Honoka and Nico.
Hanayo, while unusual, was not as unexpected. Based on her love for white rice, she had decided to go into the culinary arts as a major. On top of that, she also had a minor in hospitality management. It seemed that Hanyo wanted to eventually open a family restaurant of her own, with the main dish being white rice.
After a couple minutes, true to their word, everyone turned around when they heard two people calling out to them, only to see Rin half dragging her friend and running towards them.
"Rin-chan! Hanayo-chan!" Honoka leaped towards them and hugged the two tightly. The group was now all together. Yet Eli couldn't help but think 'Now there's only one person missing.' But she dismissed the thought before turning her attention back to her friends.
She watched as the three women giggled and stepped out of the hug. Honoka moved beside her two childhood friends as Hanayo and Rin added themselves into the group.
"So how were the clubs this year? Any interesting ones?" Kotori asked the new arrivals. Rin let out a big smile.
"Yup! They all seem amazing-nya! There's a lot of other clubs we want to try seeing before we decide to join any though."
"Well I'm sure you'll have a lot time to look around more. After all, you two are staying in the dorms together this year, right?" Eli knew that the two had decided to move in the dorms together, similar to how she and Nozomi had also done in their first year. Though now they had a small apartment not too far away from the university.
'Earning money for that place had been hell, though.' Eli thought as she shivered, recalling the bad memories of her balancing several part time jobs with her studies, always getting little to no sleep. According to Honoka, she looked like a vampire, and not the hot sparkly kind. Unlike her and Nozomi, Honoka, Umi, and Kotori all lived fairly close to the university, letting them commute by walking. While blunt and somewhat rude, Eli knew the statement was true. Finally though, between Eli's several part time jobs and Nozomi's own share of work, the two were able to buy a small apartment that they now called home.
"Yes. Since our homes are kinda far from here, we figured it would be easier for both of us if we just stayed in the dorms." Hanayo said as she slightly blushed, confirming what Eli had said. Rin only grinned brightly.
Eli looked at Hanayo. She sure hoped that the sweet girl won't have to go through the same thing she did.
So, the conversation continued. They all talked about how their classes had been and told some stories from over the break. Somehow Honoka had managed trip on literally nothing while she was dramatically reenacting the story she was trying - and failing- to tell.
Eli laughed with everyone else as Umi and Kotori helped their friend back up, not entirely hiding their smiles either.
"You know, it's moments like these that make me feel like we're back in high school. The nine of us on the rooftop, just having fun." Honoka said cheerfully. But despite the happy tone, the air around the group suddenly went cold.
All of them suddenly turned their heads in different directions, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else. Honoka's own eyes widened as she realized what she just said.
"I guess it's not really the nine of us anymore, huh?" There was an unusual hint of sadness in her voice as she spoke. "Sorry."
Yes, it was no longer the nine of them. A year and three months ago, one of the members of their group had suddenly vanished from all of their lives. No message, no letter, just gone. They had all tried to find her in their own ways, but found nothing. Even the house had been sold to another owner. In the end, all of them were forced to give up and move on with their lives.
This left a bitter taste in their mouths as they couldn't help but feel all these conflicting emotions: worry guilt, sadness, anger, and unfortunately, betrayal. It was a touchy subject and they all had an unspoken rule to not bring it up.
Before anyone could say anything else though, loud shrieking and high-pitched screams filled the air. Previously being school idols, the eight females were very familiar with these unnatural sounding yells. These were not yells of horror or fear. No, these were fangirl screams.
Looking towards the source of these sounds, the former school idols saw a crowd of females surrounding someone, though they were unsure of who. Looking more closely, Eli could've sworn she saw a glimpse of a familiar shade of red hair, but she quickly pushed the thought out of her head. 'That can't be possible.' she thought. After all, she had been gone for over a year now.
Nico, on the other hand, wasn't thinking as reasonably as the her friend. She also glimpsed a bit of the recognizable red hair. As soon as her brain registered what she just saw, she dashed right into the crowd.
The others looked at her in shock as the Nico ran to what could possibly be her demise. They knew what fans - particularly fangirls - were capable of.
"Nico-chi?!" "Nico-chan?!" "Nico?!" Eli and the others all called out as they watched the black haired girl disappear in the crowd.
Nico was sure of what she saw.
She wouldn't mistake that red hair for anything else in the world.
She couldn't believe it when her underclassmen had told her that the remaining member of their group had 'disappeared'. She doesn't really remember much of what Hanayo and Rin said after that. Nico was too shocked at the news that she was gone, not a single word to anyone of where she was going. Not a single word to her.
Well, not on her watch. If Nico's gut feeling was right (and it usually is...more or less half the time...), she just knew that the person at the center of this mob had a lot of explaining to do.
Fate seemed to be smiling upon on her as she swiftly made her way closer to the front with little resistance. Perhaps always sneaking out to all those idol events and being quite the fangirl herself was starting to pay off in its own way. Eventually, Nico finally reached the front, only to be pushed right into the middle of the crowd.
Landing on her knees and hands, Nico and rubbed the back of her head and slowly opened her eyes, only to see a pair of black flats. When she looked up to see who they belonged to, her mouth opened and closed several times in disbelief, before just deciding to stay with her jaw down.
It seemed her gut was right after all. Standing in front of her was the one and only, Maki Nishikino.
