One day, enough was enough. Nico would have to make Nozomi spill the beans whether anyone approved or not. Nobody had ever stopped Nico before on a mission, and nobody ever would!
Honestly, u's was so lucky to have someone who spoke their mind like her. Unlike the others who were patiently wanted to wait for Nozomi's return.
That afternoon Nico waited for the perfect opportunity when most of u's had left the clubroom empty. Except her main target—the one she hoped would be her partner in crime. Yes, he one person that would sympathize with Nozomi the most.
"You know, she isn't fine at all," Nico said. She rearranged a pile of albums stacked in front of her. Time to get down to business. "Isn't it strange Nozomi keeps leaving before practice?"
Eli had just about put her foot over the threshold. Nico had reeled her in—hook, line, and sinker. She slowly turned around to take a deep breath.
Yeah, Nico thought with smugness, this is a matter for third years to clean up. The others don't have to worry about this. We know Nozomi the best!She was proud of herself for her immense patience this far, and she was pat herself on the shoulder later with some new idol PVs at home. Even if she wanted to whack Nozomi in the head for worrying them all. We can handle this and Nozomi will back to normal soon.
"I figured she wanted to time to herself," Eli admitted. She gripped the stack of documents in her hand a little more tightly, bending the edges of the bottom half just a little too much. "But she's doing it so much lately, I can't understand where she's going."
Finally, some recongition! "It's pulling down u's and everything we're working towards!" Nico scowled. Nozomi would confess to whatever was bugging her, or else there would be a punishment. "Has she told you anything?"
Eli winced, troubled to even have to answer that question.
"No, not really. I even try to call her at home after practice on my cell and she won't answer no matter how many times I ring. Morning or in the evening after practice." Eli focused on a pin-up on the wall of upcoming events. "Once I called back immediately because I thought I heard her voice. It was her voicemail."
Something about having to say that her best friend had not even bothered to include her in whatever it was... Eli's voice wavered. To not trust Eli with whatever had brought Nozomi's usually smiling expression down so much...
Nico could clearly see the tinges of pain on Eli's face thinking about what that meant for their trust. Somewhere deep down, Nico found displeasure in even bringing it up in the first place, but she squashed those feelings with another pound of her fist on the tabletop.
"And don't you care, not even making her answer!?" It was harsh, but Nico had to ask. Why this bothered Nico so much... no, she had no idea! She really didn't!
Eli's lips set in a hard line. Losing her cool for just a moment, she actually stomped her foot on the floor.
"Of course I'm worried about Nozomi!" Eli snapped. "I'm always the one she can count on the most and she doesn't. Sometimes, though—sometimes," she took another deep breath, and the clear ironing out her words before she spoke came loud and clear, "she wants to do what she wants to alone. I don't want to push her if she doesn't want it."
A logical and well-prepared argument… more or less. But Nico did not buy it. The albums clacked and clacked on top of each other as Nico sorted through them in a skyscraper. It was a tower, maybe Tokyo Tower—a tower waiting to fall.
Nico huffed. "Whatever, she's just making u's worry. She's not focus on practicing at all, and I don't care about excuses," Nico shot back. "If she won't tell us, there's nothing we can do. I'm not going to accept that halfheartedness."
Nico did not bother to look Eli in the eye after that comment. She pretended to be completely busy with her own thing. Moments later, the sound of Eli's footsteps receding down the hallway told Nico all she needed to know. Once again, like always, she was all alone.
It was alright. Eli would give Nozomi her personal space, but Nico could not let an idol desert them like this. How would u's rise to fame and glory if Nozomi was not doing her part to chip in and learn?
Wishy-washy attitudes were not how idols got to the top charts. Like the Idol Research Club, she would monitor Nozomi's behavior like a mother hen. She would have to correct this ill-fated mistake on her idol career, because Nozomi would not drag her down to the depths of burning, unsavory failure.
Eli would not join her as a partner in crime. So be it.
Detective Nico was on the case!
Later that day right after school and thinking over it again, Nico was at the end of her rope. She was done waiting. So, to put the matter to bed, she would badger Nozomi until she confessed her sinful acts against idol kind.
Despite her efforts, Nico could not find Nozomi in the school building. High or low, the perceptive and cheerful girl was missing. Nozomi should have had no reason to skip out on —she should have been right there somewhere, diligently talking to her teacher about homework.
But...
Wait!
Nico spotted purple ponytails bob behind a wall towards the nearest staircase. Nozomi would not get away!
Nico dashed down the hallway. Normally she would put the whole track team to shame with her speed but today she found herself panting by the time she reached Nozomi. Hesitating, Nozomi had just took her first step on the stairway.
"You!" NIco pointed. She gasped before straightening. "And where do you think you're going, huh!?" Pant. "You're not getting away from me so easily!"
Nozomi turned around slowly. Confusion crossed her face, and she held her notebooks closer to her chest. "What do you mean, Nicocchi?"
Nico leapt so close to Nozomi their faces were practically inches away.
"You, me, let's talk. You're not coming to practices," Nico said with the upmost meager patience. "Answers. Why?"
Something unidentifiable and dark crossed Nozomi's face at the mention of whatever it was that kept her so busy. But it was not anger—up close, a deep-seated sort of sadness even flickered in green eyes now before dissipating.
Nico planted her hands on her hips. She was not about to be bulldozed over on the account Nozomi was depressed.
"Oh, I understand!" Nozomi brightened without any warning. And before Nico could do anything to stop her evil tyranny, Nozomi was behind Nico. Her fingers twitched excitedly. "You've been naughty, and you want me to give you a breast massage to teach you a lesson."
Nico froze. Her heart stopped beating in her chest, and she shuddered like ice was dropped down her spine. Pure and stark terror radiated down to her core.
"Eh!" Nico scrambled forward, hoping she would be fast enough. "I didn't say anything about that, you per... ahhh!"
Nico screamed. She thrashed in Nozomi's grasp as large hands descended on her humiliatingly flat-as-board chest. Nozomi still managed to make something out of that by cupping and squeezing each inch of skin.
Having enough, Nico pushed Nozomi back into the staircase rail. She balled her fists just to get her point across, eyes dark with threat.
"I told you to stop it! I'm trying to talk to you seriously about this, and—" Nico found herself trailing off mid-sentence.
Not much could rattle Nozomi. Every time Nico saw her, she was always smiling and trying to make others happy. But what expression was tugging on her lips—yes, that was anger, like the first fresh and raw droplets of spring rain sprinkling past the sun. Her jaw was set, her eyes narrowed at NIco.
Bewildered for intelligible words, Nico leaned against the staircase.
Nozomi was scary when she was upset.
"Okay, I'll leave you alone," Nozomi replied. Without waiting, she turned on her heel to walk back down the hallway, the opposite way she had meant to go.
Nico blankly stared, speechless. Nozomi had not only stopped teasing her... but almost yelled in her own special way.
What was Nozomi even thinking?
"Nozomi...?" Nico asked the ceiling cautiously. Strangely, for Nozomi to leave her all alone like this just…
What was the emotion?
Hurt?
No, Nico was positively a-okay being alone. She had been alone for most of her life when mama worked late and her sisters went to bed. And when nobody talked to her in the idol club. But... but...
Nico touched her cheek. She pressed her fingertips into the soft and warm skin, trying to search, extract something that was not there, a wish or disblief that blossomed from the heart and ached.
NIco did not understand where that horrible feeling stemmed from. She could not find the mark that might as well have been a handprint on her cheek.
Did Nozomi do that on purpose, or... Nico suddenly caught onto the the string of a floating idea like the string of a kite in the breeze. It dawned on her like sun to the first mountain top. Did she do that to distract me from the truth?
