The Live
"The two of you have absolutely nothing to worry about!" Nico practically screamed at who she was talking to and huffed angrily when she was met with no response. She groaned noisily before dragging Maki, who was coincidentally walking by, over.
"What are you doing?" The redhead grumbled and Nico shot her an exasperated look.
"These two seriously don't understand that there is nothing going on between Eli and Umi." Nico elaborated in frustration before continuing, "Help me out, will you?" Maki inwardly groaned when Nico gave her the puppy eyes; it was something she could never resist ever since they had started dating weeks ago and Nico made sure to take advantage of it.
"She's right; the two of you are fretting over something nonexistent." Maki reassured although the two girls noticed the irritation in her eyes.
Kotori only frowned while Nozomi kept quiet, looking over to the stage. Eli and Umi were currently performing "Storm in Lover", their voices filled with incredible passion as they swayed their hips to the beat. The crowd chanting their shipping name didn't do any better. It took Maki and Nico seconds to realize that the two didn't believe them at all so they groaned loudly.
"Oh my god, look they're not even dancing with each other or some shit! They're just standing next to each other!" Nico exclaimed in annoyance and Maki nodded her head in agreement.
"They don't even look at each other at all. The two of you are seriously just over thinking things." Maki added and the other two girls let out a deep sigh.
"I don't know why, but I keep thinking that Umi-chan wrote this song for Eli-chan. The two have gotten closer after the song was created after all. Sometimes I would even catch her blushing at something Eli-chan said whenever they talk." Kotori confessed, her frown growing deeper while Nozomi bit her lip anxiously. The older girl took one last glace at the stage before turning to Maki and Nico.
"Not to mention, Elichi keeps giving me these mixed signs. One second she would flirt with me and the next she's next to Umi talking about whatever. And she refuses to tell me what they were talking about." Nozomi grumbled and they were surprised that they could hear her over the loud music. At this response, Maki and Nico both slapped themselves on the face, thinking about how dumb Eli and Umi were. It was their entire fault—if they hadn't acted shady and clarified their actions then this mess wouldn't have happened.
"Trust me; you two really have nothing to worry about. Whatever they were talking about is not what you think it is and if you doubt me just pay closer attention to them the next time they talk to you." Nico said once again, giving the two comforting hugs before turning to Maki, "Let's go practice. Kotori and Umi will be up soon then Eli and Nozomi. We'll be going after them."
The two girls heard Maki mumble something before seeing the redhead take the shorter girl's hand, walking in the direction of the dressing rooms. There was one for each of the members since the venue they were at was fairly big and the backstage was even more spacious.
"Make sure to lock the door!" Nozomi called out and ducked, giggling when Nico had miraculously gotten a pair of shoes to throw at her. Kotori giggled with her and the two looked at each other in comfort and understanding, a warm smile forming on their faces.
"I hope we're not interrupting anything." The two heard a deep voice and broke off their stare, looking at who had spoken.
Kotori blushed when she saw Umi, lightly sweating in the sort of revealing costume she made. Umi was slightly panting, which wasn't a surprise since the song she sang made use of her more powerful vocals. Kotori also noticed the hurt expression come and go from her best friend's face, which made her wonder where her anxiousness originated from. This time Kotori took the hint, which she never would have gotten if it weren't for Nico and Maki's insistent reassurance, and gave the blue-haired girl a gentle smile before grabbing her hand.
"You should change for our performance, Umi-chan. Let's hurry!" Kotori responded, purposely not answering Umi's question. She didn't let Umi reply as she dragged her over to the dressing rooms were and Nozomi would've been confused if she hadn't seen the mischievous glint in Kotori's eyes.
"K-Kotori!" Umi managed to protest when they went inside Umi's dressing room, making Kotori giggle once more.
"What's the matter Umi-chan?" Kotori asked, her amber eyes twinkling brightly as she quietly locked the door behind them. Umi didn't seem to notice since she was too focused on what just happened.
"You did not answer my question." Umi replied, rubbing her wrist with a frown.
"That's because it was a silly one." Kotori answered honestly and moved closer to the blue-haired girl with an apologetic smile. She gently grabbed Umi's wrist and rubbed it comfortingly, making the older girl blush.
"Sorry about that. I didn't think I grabbed you that hard." Kotori continued before pulling the girl once again but softly this time, "Come on, you really need to change. We'll be up in a couple minutes."
However, Umi found herself speechless when Kotori went inside with her. The ashen-haired girl innocently handed her the outfit she was supposed to change to, which was a tight deep blue dress that revealed part of her back and was designed with white floral print. At seeing the startled expression on Umi's face, Kotori tilted her head slightly with well-hidden mischief.
"What's wrong Umi-chan?" Kotori moved closer when Umi didn't respond.
"Uh, I, uh, well, uh." Umi stuttered before closing her eyes and turning her head away, "I thought the point of having our own dressing rooms was for privacy." Kotori giggled at Umi's uncomfortable reaction.
"I know. Now come on and get changed!"
"How can I when you are here?!" Umi replied, opening her eyes and looking at Kotori in disbelief.
"Well, we're girls so that doesn't matter," Kotori responded softly and giggled again when Umi's face turned a darker shade of red, "but if you're too embarrassed I'll turn around." Kotori let out an amused smile when she saw Umi nod silently and turned around. Kotori was already in her outfit, which was a matching white tight dress with green floral print that also revealed her back, so she didn't need to change. However, Umi seemed to be taking too much time so Kotori turned around only to muffle a gasp.
Umi seemed to be struggling with the strap at the top but that wasn't the point. It was seeing the archer's fit arms and beautiful back flex that made Kotori's heart beat faster; she knew the older girl had a lean figure after all the exercise she did for both the idol group and archery but she had never seen it so exposed. Meanwhile, Umi didn't hear Kotori sneaking closer because her eyes were closed in frustration. It was only when she felt Kotori's fingers on top of her own that she opened her eyes and took in a sharp breath.
Umi drifted her bronze eyes to the mirror in front of her, seeing Kotori tying her dress. She let out an audible gulp when she saw Kotori's face, which was lightly red from embarrassment. Umi bit her lip when her chocolate eyes met amber ones, which were darkened with desire.
"Umi-chan…" Umi felt Kotori hug her from behind and stiffened up. Her heart was pounding so fast that she thought that it was about to burst.
"Umi-chan…" Umi heard the tantalizing whisper and leaned her forehead against the wall, feeling weak all of a sudden. Unexpectedly, soft lips were on her back and Umi let out a small moan when they started to move.
"Umi-chan, onegai…"
Umi couldn't handle it anymore. She turned around and pulled the Kotori into her arms before pressing her lips against hers. She lowered her hands down to Kotori's waist while Kotori snaked her hands around Umi's neck, tangling them with her blue locks. Kotori tilted her head and pressed harder, making Umi's back hit the wall behind her. When she felt Umi's hands roam around her back, she let out a soft moan; she felt as if the lyricist's fingers left a path of fire in its wake. The two continued their passionate kiss until they heard a knock on the door.
"Sonoda-san! Minami-san! The two of you will be up in about two minutes!"
Much to her chagrin, Umi pulled away. However, she didn't let go of Kotori, who resorted to leaning her head on Umi's shoulder because she was blushing madly from embarrassment.
"We should get going—" Kotori started but stopped when she felt Umi's finger lift her chin up.
"Not yet. I want this to be clear," Umi said with a light blush and Kotori's eyes widened. Umi then used her free hand to grab one of Kotori's before brushing her lips on them like a prince.
"I have been wanting to say this for a while now and I was planning for a more opportune moment but with what just happened right now, I might as well say it. I love you Kotori, and I have been feeling this way ever since the day you almost left."
Kotori eyes widened and she felt as if she was going to burst with happiness. She pulled Umi into a tight embrace, nuzzling her head at the crook of her neck before pulling back and giving her a short but sweet kiss.
"Umi-chan, I'm so sorry about what happened then; it pained me so much to tell you and I'm glad Honoka-chan was able to convince me not to leave. She told me back then not to leave because the two of you would become devastated and I know that that's the last thing I want you to be feeling. I'm so happy right now, Umi-chan, because I love you so much."
Umi's eyes softened with adoration, loving how blissful Kotori looked at the moment. She took hold of one of her hands again and used the other to caress Kotori's cheek, gazing at the bright amber eyes that she loved dearly but suddenly widened her eyes.
"I-It is shameless that we kissed before our first date…" Umi stuttered as she took in what just happened, making Kotori giggle, "so shall we go out for dinner tomorrow?" Oh, so she could still be smooth; how surprising.
"I would love to Umi-chan." Kotori answered and brushed her nose with Umi's, feeling giddy when she saw how red the other girl was. She pulled Umi into another kiss and she felt Umi's strong arms wrap around her waist again. She was about to move her hands up to run them through Umi's hair but they were interrupted once again.
"Sonoda-san! Minami-san! Please get to the stage as soon as you can!"
The two immediately broke apart, realizing that they still had to perform. This time, Umi was the one pulling Kotori, gently but swiftly maneuvering themselves to get to the stage and once they did, they were immediately ushered to take their positions. Umi took one last glace at Kotori, giving the girl a small smile who in turn gave her a warm one. The two then moved to look at the audience who brightened up the stage with blue and gray lightsticks.
The last thing they heard before the music started was the deafening chant of the crowd roaring one word: KotoUmi.
Seconds after Kotori and Umi had left, Nozomi saw Eli's eyebrow rise from the corner of her eye, making her giggle lightly. She caught the jealous look Eli had on this time and like Kotori, it was only because of Nico and Maki's persistence in reassuring her that the blonde didn't think of Umi like that. So, Nozomi walked over to where Eli was and wrapped her hands around her arm, knowing that the blonde would get embarrassed.
"N-Nozomi!" Eli protested but her voice died down when she saw the purple-haired girl's pout.
"You're silly if you think something is going on between me and Kotori." Nozomi answered the unasked question, grinning when the blonde blushed in embarrassment. She knew she hit the nail spot on.
"The two of you were looking at each other with—"
"Understanding, Elichi." Nozomi interrupted, laughing when the blonde turned even redder. "You should go change too. Come on, let's go."
Nozomi led Eli over to where their dressing room was. While Eli was changing, Nozomi thought it would be best if she made the next move. She gained some confidence after seeing the jealous look on her best friend's face and knew that she should use it before it went away.
"Why were you worried?" Nozomi inquired and she heard the rustling from behind the curtains stop before it started moving again. She knew that Eli's response to this would be the answer to whether the blonde liked her or not.
"I, I was just wondering if Kotori was the one on your mind." Nozomi heard Eli's unusually timid voice and giggled lightly. Not caring if the blonde was still half naked, Nozomi pushed open the curtains quickly and swiftly went inside, making her best friend protest loudly.
"N-Nozomi, what the—" Eli promptly shut up when she felt Nozomi's fingers on her lips, motioning for her to be quiet. Eli blushed hard when she realized that her shirt was still half on, and her face became more flushed when Nozomi decided to button it up for her.
"If you really want to know who's on my mind," Nozomi whispered in a sultry manner, pushing herself closer to Eli, "then I'll tell you." After she buttoned up Eli's blouse, she snaked her arms around her neck, moving her lips to Eli's ear.
"It's you."
Eli froze completely. After a moment, she blinked rapidly and moved to pinch herself, making Nozomi giggle softly at her antics. However, Eli stopped doing whatever she was doing when she felt Nozomi's lips brush her neck.
"What about you, Elichi?" The devious girl asked softly and Eli looked down, taking an audible gulp. It was probably the worst idea she had since she accidentally tried to eat that plastic chocolate in front of Nozomi years ago.
Eli saw Nozomi's playful green eyes and that her blouse had a couple buttons unbuttoned, exposing the milky flesh she had wanted to explore since she realized her feelings for her best friend. Her eyes drifted up to the lips she had been dreaming of, her thoughts filled with how soft it would feel against hers. It was only when said lips formed into a smirk that Eli realized what Nozomi was getting at. Wanting to turn things around, Eli gave the girl a smirk of her own before twisting herself so that their positions were reversed; Nozomi had her back to the wall while Eli pushed against her.
Nozomi's eyes widened in shock as she let out a quiet gasp. She just wanted to tease Eli, thinking that the girl would become embarrassed as usual. She didn't think that pushing the blonde's buttons would actually lead to her being honest. There was also the fact that Eli would flirt with her every now and then; she thought that Eli would have be able to handle her actions.
"Seducing me, are you? You're a naughty girl, Nozomi." Eli responded, her tone noticeably deeper than usual. Nozomi bit her lip at the sound; it sounded extremely sensual and absolutely sexy.
"Looks like you're lucky however, since the person who has been on my mind these past months is you too." Eli confessed with a soft voice and Nozomi's eyes widened. She looked up and saw Eli's blue eyes filled with honesty and desire. Not wanting to wait any longer, she reached up and slammed her lips against Eli's, moaning softly when the other forced her tongue into her mouth. Eli snaked her hands around Nozomi's waist, pushing herself closer to the shorter girl while tilting her head to get deeper access into her mouth making Nozomi let out a particularly loud moan, especially when Eli moved downwards to bite her bottom lip before moving back up to kiss her again. Every emotion they bottled up—frustration, passion, desire—was incorporated into the kiss. The two were about to go further but were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Ayase-san! Sonoda-san and Minami-san will be going up soon! Please get ready as soon as possible!"
Despite the disruption, they didn't separate. Eli made no move to get off from her position, choosing to lean her forehead on Nozomi's and stare lovingly at the emerald eyes she adored while Nozomi smiled gently at the realization that her love really was reciprocated. It was only when Nico started banging on their door and screaming that they separated and went outside.
"The two of you sure took your time." Nico grumbled and Nozomi snickered while Eli blushed lightly.
"I don't want to hear that from the one who has a hickey on her neck." Nozomi replied with a teasing smile and Nico's eyes went in alarm before she hit Maki on the head. The redhead immediately nursed the area where the blow struck and glared at the shorter girl.
"What the hell—"
"Don't what the hell me! I told you not to leave a mark!"
"And I didn't!"
Nico's eyes widened in shock and she turned to Nozomi, who was still snickering at the two. Maki groaned, immediately realizing what was going on and started to walk away.
"You guys suck."
"Nice going big tits, now Maki-chan is angry." Nico grumbled before turning around to catch up to the redhead and ignored the glare from Eli.
"You can always kiss and make up!" Nozomi called out and ducked, laughing when Nico had thrown some clothes at her.
"Calm down now." Eli told Nozomi and held her hand, "Kotori and Umi are starting."
True to Eli's word, "Anemone Heart" started to play and the crowd cheered relentlessly as the two performed. What the crowd didn't notice, however, was how tense Umi was. Or the sneaky glances the two gave each other. Or how they weren't following their choreography. The two backstage only noticed because they had seen their rehearsal; Kotori and Umi were definitely not supposed to be looking at each other at this point of the song. It didn't matter to the audience, who roared their approval and thought it was part of the routine.
"Hey, isn't Kotori supposed to be looking at the audience? Wait a second; they aren't supposed to be holding their hands out to each other at this part at all! When was that ever part of the choreography?" A voice commented in disbelief, making Nozomi and Eli turn around. They saw Honoka's confused face and giggled.
"Yeah but I'm guessing something happened in the dressing room." Nozomi replied with a wink and laughed when Honoka's face turned into one of realization.
"Ah, I see. Well I'm happy for them! My two dumb best friends finally got together and—wait, is that a hickey on Umi's back? Oh my god, their lips are all messed up too!" Honoka started energetically but froze in horror at the observation she just made. Eli and Nozomi whipped their heads back to see that Honoka wasn't lying; there was a noticeable red blotch on Umi's back which would only show if she moved too much. In addition, their lips were bruised enough for someone to notice if they stared long enough.
"Oh my god, I knew they had some sexual tension but I didn't think they would actually try to do something before their performance to actually create sexual tension! That's it; I am giving everyone a lecture after this live. First, I find Maki and Nico making out shamelessly in one of the dressing rooms with the door unlocked. Now, Umi has this huge ass hickey on her back while she and Kotori have bruised lips, which could make a devastating scandal if anyone noticed. I trust that the two of you were mature and responsible, right?" Honoka rambled on before directing her last question to her seniors. When she saw their blush, she facepalmed herself and gave the two a stern look, uncharacteristically acting like a leader.
"If there's any marks, cover it up."
"We didn't do anything to that extent!" Eli raised her hands in defense and Honoka looked at her skeptically. "I'm saying the truth!" She looked at Nozomi with pleading eyes and the girl responded with her usual gentle smile.
"She's telling the truth, Honoka-chan. After all," Nozomi started before she let out a sly grin, "once we start, we wouldn't be able to stop."
Eli blushed deeply before hiding her face with her hands, groaning loudly. Honoka, who was only against questionable activities during live performances or meetings, cheered Nozomi on and gave her a high-five. Eli just groaned once more at the two, wondering why Honoka was even reacting that way.
"Nozomi, you're so embarrassing."
"Only for you, Elichi."
"Nozomi, seriously. Stop saying things like that; it's embarrassing."
"Why not Elichi? We're dating after all, right? Unless that kiss meant nothing to you."
"N-No Nozomi, it's not like that!"
"And this is why Nico-chan doesn't hang out with you two. I completely understand now." Honoka interrupted and Eli blushed in embarrassment. Eli made a move to speak but was interrupted by a member of the stage crew, who were all too busy to pay any attention to the idols themselves.
"Ayase-san, Toujou-san! You will be up in five minutes!"
Honoka giggled and snapped a picture of Eli's awkward face before skipping away, humming a song. Nozomi yelled out to the leader to send her the picture and she responded with the 'okay' sign, her index finger curving to reach her thumb. Nozomi gave the girl a thumbs-up before turning around, giggling at Eli's red face.
"Why are you so embarrassed? It was the truth after all." Nozomi asked, her green eyes twinkling in amusement.
"I, I don't know." Eli admitted, making the shorter girl raise her eyebrow in curiosity. "When it comes to you, I can't help but get embarrassed easily." Her response made Nozomi smile softly and she reached out to give the blonde a hug, directing one of Eli's hands to where her heart was.
"Feel that? My heart is beating so fast that I feel like it's going to burst. And it's all because of you." Nozomi whispered gently and she felt the taller girl bury her head in the crook of her neck.
"Mhm, I feel it." She responded and Nozomi felt her soft lips brush against her neck. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Is there something wrong?" A deep voice interrupted and the two broke off their embrace. "The two of you will be going up soon, you should get ready."
"We're fine. We were just talking." Nozomi answered before giving Umi a smirk, "What about you, Umi-chan? Throughout your performance, all I could do was wonder how that mark got on your back. Or how your lips got into that state."
Umi's widened in horror while Kotori giggled innocently. Nozomi reached over and Kotori accepted the high five while Eli looked at the younger girl with shock; she didn't even consider the possibility that this pure girl had devious intentions.
"K-Kotori!" Umi protested and Kotori pouted.
"It's not okay? I couldn't help myself; not when I saw how sexy Umi-chan was."
"So who's on top?" Nozomi teased with a sly grin and Umi blushed deeply. Kotori only put her hand under her chin, taking the question seriously.
"I guess I am for now, unless Umi-chan is the type who has a switch that makes her into an animal or something. What about you, Nozomi-chan?"
"I am not an animal—"
"Hm, I would say probably Elichi although she does get embarrassed easily~"
Umi's loud protests were ignored as Kotori and Nozomi continued their conversation. Eli's face just turned redder, shocked of the new revelations she had come upon on this day. Thankfully for the two conservative girls, the staff had to usher Nozomi and Eli onto the stage for their performance, cutting the conversation short.
"We should talk about this later, Nozomi-chan!"
"How about Friday? Let's get Nicochi and Hanayo to come too!"
"Deal!"
Kotori smiled joyfully as Nozomi and Eli took their places on the platform and leaned against Umi's shoulder. She giggled when she saw Umi's embarrassed face before giving her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek.
"Cheer up, Umi-chan. Nozomi-chan and I were just teasing the two of you."
"It is still very shameful to talk about!" Umi replied, making Kotori pout. Umi immediately regretted her words, not liking that expression on Kotori's face even though it looked cute. She moved to hold Kotori's hand, which made the girl look at her in confusion.
"I, I just want to take things slow." Umi admitted, ignoring the fact that her cheeks were flaming red and that she was getting lost in Kotori's amber eyes, "Someone like you deserves the best."
"Umi-chan…" Kotori whispered, a warm smile forming on her cheeks and she laid her head on Umi's shoulder. She resisted the temptation to kiss the blue-haired girl on the spot; it would have created a scandal despite the fact that there weren't a lot of people paying attention to them. Well, the staff already knew of how close the second years were so they didn't question their current state.
Music suddenly started and the two watched their upperclassmen perform. They felt their hearts ache at the lyrics, realizing how relatable it was. It was like the song had said: the only thing they could do was painfully gaze at each other in public especially since they were idols. What touched their hearts even more was the routine that Eli and Nozomi did; the way they reached their hands out to each other while singing, the way that they looked at each other as if they truly were in pain, and the way that they caressed each other for the shortest moment before breaking away—the song was the epitome of forbidden love. Despite this, the crowd voiced their overwhelming support, cheering the two on with energetic roars.
Umi faintly heard shuffling behind her so she turned around to see Rin and Hanayo. Hanayo was tearing up, whispering about how truly heartrending the song was when it was sung live and Rin could only comfort the girl by hugging her. She felt herself smile softly at the scene, thinking about how pure the two girls were.
Umi then let her eyes drift around the backstage before she felt them widen slightly in shock. Nico was also tearing up and Maki was next to the girl, her face uncertain of what to do but the unmistakable expression of concern present on her face. She hadn't realized that the two were together and was about to question Kotori about it but was interrupted by Honoka, who was on the other side of the backstage.
Honoka was waving energetically at Umi to get her attention and grinned widely when she did. Umi raised her eyebrow, her body language asking what the other girl had wanted. Honoka responded with another wide grin of her own before motioning Umi to pose. Umi blushed at what Honoka was getting at and tensed up, making Kotori look at her lover questioningly. Umi looked back and couldn't help but get lost in her amber eyes once again. Her sharp stare was replaced with a gentle, loving one and Umi couldn't stop moving her face closer to Kotori's; it was as if her body had a mind of its own. Umi lowered her head, closing her eyes in the process while Kotori leaned up, the faintest of a smile on her face. And right when the two's lips connected, Honoka took a picture, grinning happily at her best friends.
And luckily for the three second years, everyone was too caught up with Eli and Nozomi's breathtaking performance to notice a single thing.
AN: The reason why RinPana didn't get a duet was because I think the live performance for "Love Wing Bell" makes up for it. Shikaco, the character voice for Hanayo, literally walks Rippi, the voice actor for Rin, down the aisle and it's the cutest thing in the world. As for the performances, they are all related to the actual live ones.
Those who want nsfw, it'll be in the next chapter. I teased you guys a lil here haha sorry
As always, any criticisms are much appreciated!