"1, 2, 3, hey! 1, 2, 3, hey!"

The cheerful instrumental song fills the room. Clack, clack, clack! The five members of Yosakoi Club dances, shaking their naruko in harmony with the music. The music is ending and they finished it with a quick, small jump. Clack!

"Hey, that wasn't so bad!" Hana yells excitedly.

"Naru-chan, you've gained so much confidence," Tami praises her with a smile as she turns the music player off.

Naru blushes. "But I don't know if I can be that much confident when there are so many people watching."

"You'll be okay, Naru!" Hana assures her, still cheerfully, then embraces her although she's a little wet with sweats.

"Hana-chan!" Naru says, struggling a little as her face gets even more red.

"Is something the matter?" Machi says, approaching Yaya who quietly sits on the sofa.

Yaya shakes her head. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like it is," Machi replies. "Well, whatever it is, you have to remember that you have friends whom you can talk to and that they will listen to you."

"That feeling itself is enough," Yaya says, smiling.

"You won't be able to focus on practicing if you're still that worried," Machi reminds her. "So you better finish that problem."

Yaya just replies her senior with a smile.
***

"Kayatan, is something wrong?" Minami walks closer to her.

"Eh?"

"Yeah, you seem down since you got back earlier," Mayu adds up.

Kaya curves a smile. "It's nothing."

"Kaya," Yoppi says with a tone Kaya can't really describe, but she knows that means she wants explanation.

"It's really nothing," Kaya waves her hand. "It's just…"
***

"Yes, we're doing okay here, auntie," Kaya-nee says with a smile, though her aunt can't see that, of course.

"How's school?" her aunt asks on the phone.

"Well, the finals are closing in. And right after it, the school festival. Yaya and Kaya both will participate with their clubs."

"Oh, I see. Then, how about you? What are you doing with yourself?"

"I have my job and all…," Kaya-nee's voice slowly becomes a whisper. She takes a deep breath. "I'm fine, auntie."

"If you say so. Stay well, Kaya."

Kaya-nee puts her phone on the table. The house has gotten pretty quiet with just her in it. She thought she'd hidden it pretty well, but they aren't triplets for nothing. Yaya and Kaya can always feel it when something's wrong with her. And so can she, when something's wrong with her sisters.

She gets to her feet, walking a short distance to the room she shares with her two sisters and pull out a folded paper from her bag. She unfolds in and finds that blurry picture from some time ago, when her friend, Shotomaru first got his buoy. While staring at her late friend's face, her fingers trace another paper inside the bag. The audition offer she rejected.

"Do you think… I've done the right thing?"