Another Ako chapter! Don't worry, the next will be on Koharu...
Also, hello everyone? I know people are reading this but no one is reviewing. I am expecting at lea st 5 reviews per chapter these days
Special thanks to christinetorres0825 for reviewing!
I do not own Aikatsu Stars!
~0~
The girls had just finished their day of work, and were chatting in the locker room.
Mahiru smiled at Koharu, "Oh Koharu, is that the shirt you got the other day?"
Koharu nodded, "Yea, I thought I would wear it."
Laura grinned in approval at her, "Well I think it suits you."
"Right?" Yume agreed. She sighed happily, "Ah, that was so much fun! We should go again!"
"Yume," Koharu began, "we spent a lot of money, we shouldn't spend more."
Yume moaned, "I know, my wallet is way lighter."
Ako scoffed, "This is what happens when you go overboard."
"Well I only did that because we found some great deals and clothes!" Yume defended. "Also because Mahiru has a great sense of style."
Mahiru grinned, "Thank you. I enjoyed our time together as well. We should do it again."
Yume opened her mouth to agree, but Mahiru cut her off.
"Not now, I want to wear some of my new things before I get more," Mahiru said.
"Oh right," Yume giggled, "That makes sense."
Laura rolled her eyes, "Geez."
Suddenly, the door to the locker room opened, and peeked in an older girl with long blonde hair. She smiled, "Oh good, you're all dressed!" She fully entered.
"Hime!" Yume greeted happily.
"Good work today," Hime praised them. "As reward for your hard work with us," she said while pulling out an envelope, "M4 has provided tickets for you all to attend their concert this weekend."
The girl's eyes widened, but Ako was the first to leap forward, "We accept!" She shouted.
Hime laughed, handing the envelope to Ako. She then turned, waving over her shoulder, "See you girls later."
Ako swooned as she pulled out the tickets hugging them close.
Yume stared at her, "Ako sure likes M4…"
Mahiru, Laura, and Koharu deadpanned at Yume.
"S-So," Laura stuttered, changing the conversation, "are we going to go together?"
Koharu smiled, "That sounds like a good idea."
Mahiru nodded, "We can get ready at my house."
Yume glanced at her, "Are you sure?"
Mahiru nodded, "Yea. Since Asahi will be out all day with concert preparations, it won't be a worry."
Koharu clapped her hands together, "That does sound like fun!"
Yume nodded, "Definitely!"
"Okay then," Laura confirmed, "When is the concert? We should go over to Mahiru's place a few hours early."
Mahiru nodded, turning to Ako, who was in her own little world, "Ako?"
Ako jumped, spinning towards them, "What!"
Yume raised an eyebrow, "Are you okay? We were asking when the concert is happening."
Ako cleared her throat, "Oh yes. Saturday at six pm." She read.
Mahiru nodded, "So how does two pm sound?"
"That should be enough time," Laura agreed.
Mahiru pulled her bag over her shoulder, heading for the exit, "Great. I'll text you all the address later."
Yume, Laura, and Koharu followed after her.
"Yea!" Yume cried as she stepped out of the room, "See you guys Saturday at two!"
Ako blinked, "Saturday at two? For what?"
She quickly realized that she was left behind, and then stumbled to grab her things and follow, "Wait-!" Ako gasped in a hurry, only to trip up with her bag and fall to the ground with a low moan.
~0~
M4 was on the stage, performing their number one song, Our Miracle.
While keeping up the moves and lyrics they practiced so many times, they were also performing and gazing out to the fans.
Kanata's gaze roamed the crowd, until it suddenly spotted a particular color of red. His eyes attracted to it, and he felt mirth seeing the cat like girl screaming her lungs out.
He knew that she was going to regret that over the next few days.
The group finished their performance, and went backstage for a quick outfit change.
Wiping his sweat off with a clean towel, Subaru glanced at Kanata, "You did good today."
Kanata raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Asahi nodded, wiping off his neck, "Yea! Like, you were really into it suddenly!"
"I agree," Nozomu chirped in, "It seemed like you flipped a switch on."
Subaru patted Kanata on the shoulder, "Well whatever it was, keep it up." Addressing the others too, he said, "Let's get ready for the next song."
"Okay."
~0~
To be honest, Ako's throat has a little sore. She probably did overdo her screaming at M4's concert. But it wasn't her fault. She was just really close to the stage, and her Subaru was right there.
Granted, he did come to the cafe she worked at a lot, but it's not like he was singing there.
Ako shook her head silently, going back to work. With a sore throat, she was speaking less than usual.
Luckily, no one noticed her behavior. Or maybe they realized why, since they all witnessed her fangirling during the show.
"Saotome," a voice shook her out of her thoughts. Tsubasa stared down at her, "Go pass these outside."
Ako nodded, taking the stack of fliers, "Yes ma'am."
Because of her throat, she passed out the papers by approaching pedestrians and speaking a little softer than usual. She hoped Tsubasa wouldn't notice.
As she handed a flier to a young lady, she heard the chime to the cafe door open. Ako turned to it, to either greet or thank the customer.
She stopped at the sight. Subaru and Nozomu were already through the door, but Asahi spotted her before entering.
He waved, "Heya Ako!"
Ako smiled politely, replying softly, "Hello. Thank you for coming."
Asahi winked as he entered the cafe, "Of course we'll come! See ya!"
Ako smiled and turned to the street again, but noticed the last member standing in front of her. She scowled, "What do you want?"
Kanata laughed, "Looks like someone has a sore throat."
Ako stiffened, yelling loudly, "I don't have a-!" She stopped, a cough erupting from her throat. She clutched her throat with her free hand at the pain, her eyes scrunching shut.
Kanata snickered, "Sure." He grabbed the door handle and opened it, tossing his gaze back to Ako, "Drink some tea with honey."
Ako glared at him as he disappeared behind the door. She was going to say something, but her throat was hurting too much for her to say anything. "I don't need your advice," She mumbled, barely audible.
She sighed, realizing that she wouldn't be able to continue passing out papers. She entered the cafe again, locating Tsubasa. Ako handed the papers back, speaking quietly, "My throat hurts too much. Sorry."
Tsubasa gazed over her with a worried look, then sighed. "Go home, Saotome. Rest up."
Ako's eyes widened and she lowered her gaze, but nodded.
After Tsubasa dismissed her, Ako went to change her clothes and then go back home to rest for the day, when a sudden thought hit her.
"How did he know I was there?" Ako whispered quietly to herself. She stopped pulling her sock on, thinking about it. She shook her head, realizing that M4 had given them the tickets. Of course it was unlikely that he wouldn't know about her attendance.
With that, she resumed fixing her clothes and went home for some relaxation.
~0~
The next day Ako went back to the cafe, she was feeling much better. With enough rest and warm drinks, her throat healed.
She went to greet her next customers, a boy and a girl who were holding hand, "Welcome masters! Please follow me."
The couple followed her as she led them to a table with two seats. They sat across from each other, and the girl smiled up at Ako, "It's our one year anniversary!"
Ako blinked in surprise at the information.
The boy jumped, "Kana! You don't have to tell everyone!"
The girl, Kana, giggled, "Relax, she's cute." She turned to look at Ako, "I bet you have a boyfriend too, don't you?" She winked.
Ako's face bloomed red, "I-I- um, don't actually."
The girl's smile fell, but she quickly regained it, "I see. Then you probably have a crush on someone."
Thoughts of Subaru flooded her mind. Ako turned a deeper shade of red, stuttering, "N-No!"
The boy sighed, "Can you stop messing with her?" He glanced at Ako, "I'm sorry."
Ako sighed in relief, shaking her head, "It's okay… what can I get you today?"
"What do you suggest?" Kana replied promptly with a smile.
Ako smiled, "A Honeybee Kiss Cake and August Marina sweet tea."
The two looked over the menu, agreeing.
"We'll take two of each, then," The boy said.
Ako nodded, taking their desired flavors and then taking it back to the kitchen. She left the order to get ready, and in the meantime, went to greet the incoming customers.
"Welcome masters!" She called cheerfully at the sound of footsteps.
"Oh… hi," a wonderfully familiar voice called.
Ako's eyes shot open, joy flooding through her. There stood Subaru in front of her! She finally got to serve him! Although, the rest of M4 was lurking behind him.
"F-Follow me!" Ako chirped, playing with her long bangs nervously.
She led them to a nice table, letting them settle down. Ako smiled, looking down at Subaru specifically, "What can I get you today?" She asked in her sweetest voice, her hands folded in front of her.
"Actually," Subaru began, "all I want is for you to go out with me!"
"Yes! I will!" Ako cried happily, as she jumped into Subaru's arms.
"-get Yume here instead?"
Ako froze, her mind pulling away from her fantasy and back into reality, "Wh-what?" Ako stuttered, not hearing most of the question.
She noticed Nozomu and Asahi staring at Subaru in confusion, but kept her eyes on Subaru, who was the one talking.
Subaru raised an eyebrow at her, "I asked if we could get Yume here instead."
Ako felt her heart crack. It must have shown on her face, since she felt the gazes of the other three boys on her. She turned her eyes to the ground, forcing out a smile, "S-Sure. I'll just go get her." She ducked down to give a quick bow, then rushed off. Her eyes pricked, and she felt like crying. However, she held it back, as she went to pass the task onto Yume.
~0~
Nozomu, Asahi, and Kanata stared at the retreating girl.
Asahi was the first to snap out of his daze. He spun towards Subaru, sat across from him, with a glare, "What was that?"
Subaru blinked at his harsh tone, "What was what?"
"You! Just telling her to leave like that!" Asahi shouted.
Subaru leaned away, "I didn't tell her to leave! I just asked for-"
"Someone else," Nozomu cut in. "It was rude and mean."
Subaru gawked at him, "You too?"
Asahi nodded, "That's 'cause it's true! She looked so excited, too!"
Subaru crossed his arms defensively, "Oh come on. No she wasn't." He glanced at their silent member, "Right Kanata?"
Instead of defending him like he had expected, Kanata turned his head away, replying, "According to my observations, Asahi and Nozomu are correct. Your words discouraged her."
"Huh?" Subaru frowned, "From what?"
Asahi groaned, suddenly slamming his hands onto the table and standing up, "I can't sit with you."
Subaru gaped up at him, "What? Why not?"
Nozomu stood up next, following Asahi silently.
"Nozomu?" Subaru cried, "What the heck, you guys?"
Kanata stood up last, casting a glance at Subaru, "For someone so oriented with their fans, you sure let them down."
Subaru scrunched his eyebrows together, "Huh?" He gawked again, watching as the three of them went to another table with a pink haired girl.
Just then, Yume scurried over to the table, "Hey, sorry-" She stopped short, noticing him alone. "Where are the others?"
Subaru glanced down at his hands, then sighed. He stood up, "They went over there."
Yume blinked, "You're not staying?"
Subaru shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "I just remembered that I stuff to do. Bye."
Yume stopped, watching him leave, "Okay…"
~0~
Ako excused herself to the restroom, where tears had been spilled.
However, she quickly recollected herself, figuring that she had to work now and worry later.
As she wiped her face clear, the bathroom door opened, Yume peeking in, "Ako? Are you okay? You've been in for a while…"
Ako shook her head, "No, I'm fine. Sorry."
Yume nodded silently, "Well Subaru left for some reason, and the others took another table with Laura." She shrugged, "I have no idea what happened."
Ako blinked, also confused, "Uh, okay, I guess."
Yume shrugged her shoulders, "Ah well, let's just keep working."
"Sure," Ako agreed, following Yume out the bathroom.
~0~
Ako slowly trudged down the sidewalk, on her way home. She made it through the rest of the day, but now she felt terrible again. Her eyes started burning again. She needed to sit down.
She found the park she visited weeks ago, so she entered it, finding a spot on a clear bench.
It was her fault. Obviously Subaru didn't like the way she was. She must've been rude! That's why Subaru asked for Yume instead.
As tears streamed down her cheeks, Ako buried her face into her hands, slouching over her lap pathetically.
She heard footsteps approach her, so she glanced up through her watery eyes. The blurry image showed a figure with green hair and glasses. Ako fell back into her hands.
"He didn't mean it."
Ako shook her head, rubbing her eyes with her palms, which proved futile as more fell from them, "No. It was my fault. If I wasn't so… forward. And so rude." A small sob tore from her throat, "Subaru likes Yume, right? Maybe I should try to be more like her. The way I am… obviously isn't good enough."
Suddenly, her arm was yanked away from her face. She gasped, looking up at Kanata who grabbed her wrist and was staring at her with a serious expression closely, "Shut up." Ako was speechless as he continued, "You don't have to change for anyone."
Ako's eyes watered again, after the temporary pause of shock, "Then what am I supposed to do?" She looked down.
"Find someone who likes you for you," Kanata said.
Ako felt a shiver run down her back, and she snapped her gaze back up to Kanata angrily, "Yea? Who would like a cat like girl with an attitude like me?" She bit out.
Kanata opened his mouth, "I-!" He stopped, dropping Ako's arm that he was still holding and taking a few steps back, away from her face. He shoved his hands into his pockets, looking away, "...don't know."
Ako felt her blood boil, "Some help you are, you jerk! Leave me alone!" She yelled at him, turning away. She returned to her fetal position, trying to calm her sobs. Kanata's words had done nothing but make her feel more insecure.
She calmed down finally, minutes later. Ako pulled out several tissues to clear her face from her purse, then looked up. She stiffened when she noticed Kanata seated on the bench with her. Then she realized that she hadn't heard him leave because she was too distraught to notice. Ako turned her head away, "Why are you still here?"
He was silent for a moment before responding, "I don't have anything better to do."
Ako froze at his words. Something in her chest jumped. She shoved it down, instead biting out, "Your presence doesn't make me feel better." She stood up with her bag, ready to leave.
Kanata huffed lightly, "Maybe I'm just here to watch the sunset. It's not like you own the park."
Ako swallowed hard and plopped back onto the bench. They sat in silence, staring up at the clear sky. She felt guilt and embarrassment creep up on her nerves.
She swallowed hard, lowering her head to cradle it in her hands. "I'm a terrible person," she muttered.
"You are," Kanata replied. Ako stiffened, about to retort, when he continued, "but at least you know it."
Ako narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth. However, before she got any words out, her phone buzzed, interrupted again. She checked the message, it was from Yume. 'Are you coming on Friday with us? It won't be the same without you!'
She blinked at the message. Then she remembered, the girls were talking about hanging out on Friday again, but she hadn't given them a response yet.
"I don't doubt that someone does like you in any way."
Ako's breath hitched and her eyes flew up. Her friends, or even just Yume, liked her. Her hands lifted the phone up slowly, holding it close to her chest. "I…"
Kanata smirked, even though Ako wasn't looking his way, "And maybe you'll find someone who loves you like how you love Subaru."
"I…" Ako stuttered again, her eyes watering. She closed them, nodding her head, "Yea." A wide smile spread on her face, the feeling of love from her friends washing over her. Standing up again, Ako straightened her clothes out, "I think it's about time I go."
She took two steps forward, then stopped, remembering Kanata, "Well, it's not like I needed any help, but if I did I would probably say thank you." She spoke haughtily, not turning her face.
"Oh?" Kanata said, "Then it's a good thing it didn't happen."
Ako covered her mouth, prevent her laughter to escape. With that, she pulled ahead, leaving behind Kanata on the bench and her and thoughts in the wind.
~0~
Fun fact- the scene of Subaru asking for Yume is basically the scene that I wrote this story for! XD
I had such a hard time with the last scene. Shout out to my bff irl for helping me out so much!
I have written like 2 lines all week -_- uggh im trying to write more but im bad at managing my time ^^"
Thanks for reading and be sure! to! leave a review!
