"Gakisan" Risa turned around and saw the silhouette of Kamei Eri approach her. "Why are you still here? It's freezing out here. Come on...come back to the house with me".
"Kame.." Risa replied. "I thought you should've been in bed by now"
"Though I've always had this sleepy-head-turtle image back in my Musume days, I'd like to think I've changed, Gakisan" Eri sat down next to the bean. "A lot...it all thanks to you". She turned and looked at Risa.. "Now I'd like you to stop avoiding my question, if you don't mind"
"This lighthouse meant a lot to me, Eri" Risa explained.
"Really? Why?"
"This was where Aichan and I had our first kiss" Risa had a faraway look in her eyes.
"Ehhh..." the turtle mumbled. "You never told us that before"
"Well, that was a LONG time ago...back before you Rokkies joined the group" Risa replied.
"Sou desu ka"
"It was on a night like this, nearing the end of summer and we're about to welcome Fall. She thought it would be a good idea to invite me here to Fukui after the favour I did showing her around Yokohama" Risa hugged herself, a reminder of the cold entered her mind as she recalled the magical moment. "Ever since then, this place...Fukui, and the Takahashi house,... I just couldn't let go of them or leave them behind"
"Is that why you never even once visited Aichan's grave since the day she was buried?" Eri said gently.
Risa swallowed a lump in her throat, staying silent.. and Eri realized she had stepped on a landmine.
"I'm sorry I asked, Gakisan...If it bothers you so much, please forget I even asked"
"No...don't be. I guess, looking back..I was so afraid to let go, afraid that once I leave this house, this place...all those memories I've had with her will be gone..forgotten forever" Risa's voice was trembling as she said those words.
"Listen.." Eri began. "I felt really horrible at what I saw unfolding tonight. But Makochan didn't really meant for it to go that way...the whole thing...It just didn't come out right" Eri looked down, almost feeling guilty. "And...I'm really ashamed of what we did to you"
"You didn't do anything, Eri" Risa tried hard to carve out a small smile.."Maybe there is truth in what Makochin and Sayu said"
"But you wouldn't ignore or treat Eripon badly right? I know you wouldn't drag her down in perpetual despair like what Sayu claimed"
"Of course I wouldn't...not in a million years" Risa defended herself. "...but Eri...whatever that I did...I just can't get anything right..I just realized how much a failure I am when it comes to parenting" Risa revealed, looking up to the moon hanging high above the two of them, her mind drifting away.
"You know that's not true" Eri began. "I saw what you did for Eripon on Mikuni beach..you could've walked away, but you didnt...you faced the issue head-on in reminding her of her idol status and how not to screw up. That's tough love, Gakisan...the same tough love you gave us when you assumed your role as subleader. Sure, most of us kouhais didnt like it at first, but they've learnt to appreciate it after a while...and they will know and take it as a learning experience to grow..Eripon will eventually see it that way someday"
"In case you've forgotten, Kame...parenting and being a subleader are two very different ball-games altogether" Risa looked at the turtle.
"Maybe so..."Eri paused, gathering her thoughts. "But even when Aichan graduated, she left behind a legacy of a Morning Musume AND Hello Project which is really like a close-knit family, so very different from previous generations... Its almost like you two are the paternal and maternal figures to us...so can you imagine how proud Erina was when her former leader and subleader brought her into their lives, even if as their stand-in Mom and Dad" Eri looked at Risa and found tears welling up in the bean's eyes. "So you see...how different is that from parenting?"
"I guess" Risa replied.
"Just tell me one thing, Gakisan...one thing that I HAVE to know...please" Eri clasped her hands together, begging the Gokkie member.
"What is it?"
"Did you REALLY see Aichan out here? Did you really talk to her?" When Eri noticed that Risa was rolling her eyes in the dim moonlight, she groaned.
"I'm not answering that question...because I'm NOT CRAZY, Eri"
"I know...I know...but Gakisan.." Eri held the bean's forearm. "I wanna know if what you see is just in your mind...or did you..ahem...REALLY talk to her"
Risa held both her hands on her hips. "Why do you wanna know?"
"Cos I wanna talk to her too...if she appears next time" Eri blushed.
"You're weird, you know that?" Risa complained, getting up and dusting the sand off her jeans, turning in the direction of the TakaGaki house.
For some reason, Ikuta Erina could not bring herself to sleep. Pulling the blanket up, she draped it over Fukumura Mizuki sleeping next to her. Then she noticed the door opening.
The shadow of a familiar figure came into the room. When it approached close enough for her to see who it was, Erina gasped. "Takahashi-san"
"Shh!" Ai put a finger to her lips as she grinned. "Wanna go for a ride? C'mon...it'll be fun" Ai motioned to the Kyuuki member to get dressed.
The two raced down quietly down the stairway and headed out past the door.
"C'mon...I'll race you...loser buys ice-cream, alright?" Ai grabbed one of the mountain-bikes and sped out on to the dirt track towards the main road. Erina, her heart pumping with adrenaline and joy, dashed to grab the other bike and pedaled furiously to catch up on her former leader.
When she finally caught up with Ai, she called out to the older. "Aichan...I missed you"
"I missed you too! So how about it? Let's race up that small hill before the fishing jetty..." Ai said as she pointed the sign on top of the resting place on the hill.
The two pedaled up the slope and on the down-slope, Ai challenged. "OK...no hands!" looking at Eripon.. "C'mon...do it...it's fun!"
"I feel the wind, Aichan...it's almost like I'm flying!"
"You are, Erina! You are!" Ai yelled back.
"Aichan!"
"What?!" Ai replied.
"I love you!" Erina said.
Ai then looked at Erina, their eyes met as the Gokkie leader gave the younger the sweetest smile. "I love you too, my dear.I'll always love you"
Then Erina saw lights coming from around the tight bend, and before she could grab the handle-bars on her bike, the truck rammed right through her.
"NOOO!" Erina screamed out loud. "Takahashi-san.." the Kyuuki started crying when Mizuki woke up and came to her side, hugging her generation-mate tightly.
"It's ok, Eri..it's just a dream...it's just a dream"
As Erina gradually calmed down, the lights on the hallway switched on and before she knew it, the elder members were already standing at the doorway.
"Eripon?" Sayu the MM leader came over and sat on her bed. "Are you ok? You just had a nightmare, dear..c'mon..let's go downstairs and I'll fix you some Cookies and tea ok?"
While waiting for the musume leader to make tea, Makoto and Asami observed the kyuuki from afar.
"Erina..." Asami broke the silence. "Is there anything you wanna talk to us about?"
"Tadaima..." Kamei Eri and Niigaki Risa opened the door, entering the house.
"What's wrong?" Risa asked when she noticed the suddenly-charged awkward atmosphere. "Erina? Is there something wrong?"
"She just experienced a nightmare, Risa" Asami explained, looking at Makoto, who was trying to keep herself out of the conversation.
Two minutes passed before Erina could barely speak again. When she finally did break the quiet wall of silence, her voice surprised all her senpais.
Erina looked intently at Risa.
"Niigaki-san..." She said softly, her tone gentle. "I think..." she stammered. "I think I want to stay with Michishige-san".
Risa sank down onto the dining room chair.
"Are you... sure?" She held the kyuuki member's shoulder with both her hands. "Is this what you really want? Or did they get to you?"
Erina paused. "I think it's...best if I came over to stay with Michishige-san..I... I still love you, Niigaki-san. But I need to get on with my life too"
Risa's dam holding her tears at bay fell apart and they fell freely down her cheeks. "If that's what you want, Erina" Risa said, her voice trembling as she choked on her tears. "You have my blessings"
Makoto, Asami, and the other members of the Musume family gathered around, their faces surprised but saddened at the episode unfolding before them.
"But before you go... I want to spend some time with you tomorrow..for the last time...is that ok?" Risa said.
Erina cried as she hugged her guardian. "I would have it no other way, Niigaki-san...I would have it no other way...because I'll always love you!"
