"Onee-sama! Wait up!"
It honestly amazed the black witch how easily the purple witch found herself surrounded by her many adoring fans. At the same time, it fascinated her as well.
If I was to be an idol like Onee-sama... Would people flock around me as much as they do to her? Well, that would be one hell of an experiment...
Yuki smiled, watching Onpu laugh out of the center of the crowd and soon clenched her fists and held them up as if to say 'let's just go for it'.
Alright... I may not be that talented... But let's just see how far this stubborn streak of mine can take me! Now that will be interesting~! I wanna try it out right away!
Unknowist to her, the purple idol perked up to stare at her ever spirited blond fangirl. She frowned, a flicker of uncertainty dashing across her features in that single moment.
Truth to be told... I honestly don't have the slightest clue about the people around me or even the other girls that I have somehow managed to befriend that... I know that I'm always saying things like that, but it really is true... And it's probably because I really admire her, but I really do want to get to know Onpu-onee-sama and I'd like to be on the same level as her as well if it could be helped...
Yuki ginned, obviously psyched about her newest idea. The black witch soon giggled, blissfully unaware of the warning wary looks that the girl she admired so much was shooting her.
I'd like that.
I really would.
I'd really like that.
The black witch soon perked up to face Onpu the second the purple witch looked away, and she just sighed.
Though, you know... For some reason...
"Watching Onee-sama right now..." She spoke out loud without thinking. "It reminds me of this thing my mother told me."
Something about treading and a little something about sticks.
"Tread softly and carry a large stick", right?
...Man, that doesn't make any sense at all. That's so weird.
Make a little wish koron dari mayottari suru keredo
(Make a little wish, I was stumbling and losing my way on my journey)
(Footage: Yuki pops up with a grin in her blond form before turning into her ebony-haired form, and she soon gives the audience a sad smile.)
Anata ga ite kureru kara
(But since you were there)
(Footage: She soon reaches out happily towards the screen and gestures for someone to follow her.)
Watashi wa egao de imasu genki desu
(I was able to continue smiling and stay happy)
(Footage: The rest of the Ojamajos pop into the screen around her and they soon crowd around and grin, Yuki holding up a cheerful peace sign. A heart soon grows from the center and expands to fill the screen as the Ojamajos' majoshikons circle around where the Tomo-DACHI logo pops up.)
Ah SEROFAN no umi wo koe mori wo koe
(Ah, beyond the cellophane sea and forest...)
(Footage: Moriko is seen shielding her eyes from the sun while tending the flowers, Akemi and Kurumi helping, each of them holding a vase of gardenias, beaming at the other. Aiko and Onpu quickly join them, respectively holding blue and white hydrangea with wide grins.)
Gin no kaze wo nukete tarinai mono sagashiteta
(The silver wind was searching for two who were lacking something)
(Footage: Hazuki brushes back some of her hair in the wind, Momoko beside her with her hands on her shoulders as Hana rushes on them from behind and tackle them in glee. As they're all laughing, Doremi and Yuki are seen watching with confused expressions before turning to smile at each other.)
Ah JIORAMA no machi de tada naiteta no
(Ah, I was just crying in our city that there's nothing more than a diorama)
(Footage: Yuki is now seen wiping her eyes from a side view and holds her heart close, a memory of Doremi's smile on the side, making the black witch perk up.)
Ano hi sashidasareta atatakai te ni au made
(Looking for your warm hand, you held it out to me that day)
(Footage: Yuki reaches out desperately and grasps onto someone's hand, and a raindrop falls on the top of her hand as the image becomes some sort of silhouette.)
Yureru tsukihi no naka de manazashi wo kanjiteta wa
(In the ever-swaying years, it felt as if you were gazing at me)
(Footage: In the FLATS 5 household, Saiki looks curiously out the window as if someone had called him and is quickly pulled back by Akatsuki, who seems to be urging him to do something with the other wizards. Saiki simply blushes, a little embarrassed.)
Ne himitsu no kagi wo yatto yatto mitsuketa no
(And then I had finally, finally found that secret in the sky)
(Footage: Kazuki stretches outside and suddenly rushes inside to pull Majoren out with him, his other three friends following in confusion. The navy-haired boy seems to be exclaiming something and points to the sky and the boys all gasp in pleasant surprise as Majoren giggles and we skip to a back view where we see that a star has sprung up in the sunset-colored sky.)
Make a little wish remon iro no tsuki no shizuku atsumete
(Make a little wish; gather the lemon-colored drops of the moon)
(Footage: Yuki spins around as she transforms into witch form to fly around playfully, waving at the screen all the while. The other witches soon join her, including an exasperated Majorika with Lala and a beaming Meme. They all wave and soon poof away.)
Atana no yuku sonomichi wo yasashiku terashiteitai
(I want to tenderly walk down the same pathway you're walking down)
(Footage: Yuki steps onto a light path with a shadowed background and soon dashes down as she is seen waving towards someone with pure happiness as we pan up as she smiles brightly.)
Make a little wish chiisakute mo
(Make a little wish, even if it's small)
(Footage: A sparkle falls down as Yuki catches it, and she smiles tenderly as we fade to a closer view of her face.)
Dekiru koto ga nai kara
(If you say you can't do anything)
(Footage: Doremi shakes her head, mouthing the words 'don't ever give up' as she smiles and vanishes.)
Anata ga ite kureru kara
(But since you were there)
(Footage: Yuki is seen again smiling as we pan out from around her, showing all the other magic users around her standing on the edge of a grassy hill, all seeming peaceful.)
Watashi wa egao de imasu genki desu
(I was able to keep smiling and staying happy)
(Footage: The blond smiles brightly as she turns to Doremi-tachi, who all simply nod and then to Saiki, who simply sighs as the rest of the FLATS 5 grin, earning her to close her eyes with a wide grin herself and faces the screen, and clasps her hands together in a prayer, mouthing some unknown wish. She then slowly opens her eyes to look up again and closes her eyes in joy as the song fades.)
X~x
Hm... A repeat it seems of Tooru's experience in Sharp... Only with Yuki instead so it's bound to be different, I suppose. There are definitely going to be lots of singing in this one!
This one will hopefully be fun to write so please do bear with me, yes? Okay! Let's go!
Props to the Full Moon O Sagashite manga... I love Tanemura's works~
Oh yes, the two songs that Yuki sings is "All In Good Time" by Mami Kawada...the other is already known. Yay.
X~x
Ojamajo Doremi Tomo-DACHI:
Lessons in Friendship –
Tread Softly! Another Road Towards Stardom!
Lesson: Your stubbornness can sometimes get you far but you must remember to not make TOO much of a loud struggle! Get in there, calmly and coolly! Don't lose your temper because then it will look just bad~!
"Saiki-kun? Can I come over today?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Why are you always asking me that anyway?" Saiki was annoyed. Thoroughly annoyed. Yuki was just as annoyed but she just puffed her cheeks and puckered her lips. "Yuki-chan, don't you think it's a little inappropriate for you to keep on visiting when you're supposed to be worried about your grades and the Mahou-Dou? We've all already got settled in for the most part so there's really no point in your continuous visiting..."
"I could do the laundry."
"Immediately denied." The black-haired wizard made an 'X' with his arms. "I don't like you touching our clothes."
"W-Well how about me just simply cooking for you, Saiki-kun?"
"You'll blow up the kitchen."
"What? No I won't!"
"It happened last week, Yuki-chan."
"H-How was I supposed to know some things aren't microwavable? Either way, it wasn't supposed to blow up! J-Just sizzle like a firecracker..."
Saiki raised an eyebrow. Yuki immediately began backtracking. "N-Not that I wanted it to or anything... It was totally an accident that I didn't mean to make! It was so not an experiment at all, oh no sir!"
"...Yuki-chan?"
"Y-Yes, my dear Saiki-kun?"
"You're an idiot."
"...I-I know."
"And as such, your destructive behavior is to be kept as far away from onii-chan as possible." The younger prince shot her a harsh look, making her instinctively shiver. "Understood, Yuki-chan?"
"Y-Yes..." The black witch bowed her head, sighing. "Forgive me, Saiki-kun. B-But I really wanted..."
Saiki opened his mouth to say something but soon decided against it, sighing himself. "When has someone ever cared about what you wanted...?" he muttered in a soft, detached voice. "It's pointless, isn't it...?"
"That's mean." Yuki stared at him, obviously a little confused. "Saiki-kun, were you just remembering...?"
"Please excuse me. I'll see you tomorrow, Yuki-chan." He patted her once on the shoulder before he walked away, making the black witch blush.
Saiki-kun... Surely... He must have gone through a lot of pain... The way he said those things, was he really directing it towards me or...?
She quickly shook her head, her lips trembling at the thought.
No... I shouldn't think about that...
X~x
"Eh? Is onee-sama not here again today?"
Yuki's shoulders slumped. The rest of the girls, Kurumi excluded because she was off somewhere all just nodded sadly.
"It was this new record deal..." Doremi explained, shrugging. "It's going to keep her there for a while... Kurumi-chan's going to be bringing her all schoolwork up until the filming for her next movie begins... Kurumi-chan says that she likes the new director."
"Kurumi-chan likes a lot of people though..." Moriko grumbled, obviously annoyed. "I mean, Akemi-chan's had a few hundred ballet recitals... Thankfully, the paparazzi don't harass her or anything... I wouldn't want a crime for a few murders on my head or anything like that..."
"H-Honestly, Moriko-chan!" Akemi yelped, flushing darkly. "I-I'm still nowhere near gifted enough to be considered amazing..."
"Are you sure about that?" Hazuki giggled, making the crystal witch's blush darken. "That show we saw last week says otherwise, Akemi-chan..."
"Hmm... Aki-mai was really amazing and pretty..." Yuki pursed her lips in thought. "But I wonder about onee-sama... I really wanted to go shopping with her today too... Though it now looks like I can't... That's sad..."
"You could always go shopping with her some other day... In fact, I wouldn't mind going shopping with you, Yuki-chan."
"Thanks for that, Momo-chan. I may take you up on that some day." The black witch smiled, a little warmed by the kind offer though she refused vehemently to acknowledge it. "But I miss Onpu-onee-sama, it has simply been much too long since we spent time together and that's a little unfair if you ask me!"
"Hana-chan wants to see Onpu too..." Hana babbled on, already throwing a childish fit. "H-Hana-chan misses Onpu~!"
"Hana-chan..." Doremi groaned just as a new voice spoke up.
"So why don't we all just go visit her then?"
Everyone stared at Kurumi who just walked up, having shut her flip-phone with a smile. "Yamasaki-san called and I'm expected to be back at the studio where Onpu-chan also happens to be for a few photo shoots... We can check to see how Onpu-chan how is in the meantime. Yamasaki-san can take all of us."
"But will the car be big enough? There are a lot of us..." Aiko spoke up her worries, sighing.
"Akemi-chan and I will watch the store, it's no problem." Moriko took her friend's hand as if to confirm it. "Don't worry about it, okay?"
"A-Ah... Yes... Moriko-chan and I will watch it definitely." Akemi smiled shyly. "So don't worry about us, okay? We'll just watch the shop while everyone else is gone..."
"I'll stay behind too..." Hazuki stated, smiling slightly. "I don't mind."
"In that case, I'll stay with Hazuki-chan..." Aiko responded, sighing. "But Momo-chan and Hana-chan can definitely go if they want to."
"Okay!" both girls happily exclaimed at the same, grinning. "We'll be fine!"
"That's fine." Kurumi grinned. "We definitely have enough room... We can even drive Onpu-chan somewhere later if she lets us... Maybe, though..."
"What's up, Kurumi-chan?" Yuki wondered, curious as the gray witch just grinned rather sheepishly, making the black witch blink twitch. "Eh? What is it?"
"Yuki-chan... You wouldn't mind sitting in the front seat between Yamasaki-san and I, right?"
Silence.
"...WHAT?"
X~x
This... This is really awkward...
The black witch tried not to squirm from being sandwiched between her modeling look-alike as well as the nice man who took care of Sayoko Kurumi in the first place.
I... I have never been in this sort of position before... She thought, her blush deepening at the idea without even really knowing why. This is so embarrassing... How can Kurumi-chan take any of this? If I was sitting next to Saiki-kun, it would probably be fine but in this case!
"Feeling comfortable, mon ami?"
...No... I'm not, not at all...
"I-I'll get use to it, Kurumi-chan..." Yuki groaned, still squirming so that she could find a more comfortable position. At least she wasn't getting squished or anything similar to that, not to mention her much more womanly look-alike seemed perfectly calm so the black witch supposed that it wasn't really that bad though it still felt pretty darn discomforting.
Maybe if I was stuck between two people I feel more comfortable around? She mentally wondered, pursing her lips in thoughts. It's probably just because I feel nervous around Yamasaki-san since I have to be respectful towards him and Kurumi-chan's just... Well, she's Kurumi-chan so of course it wouldn't feel normal to be so close towards her! It's all perfectly normal... At least, I sure hope that it is...
"That's good." Kurumi smiled brightly, wrapping an arm around the black witch's shoulders and pulling her even closer. "You don't feel sheepish right? Yuki-chan being shy doesn't sound right unless it's around Saiki-kun or something... So relax. It's not like anything will happen or something along those lines... No need to worry, right, Yuki-chan."
"Oh... That's right, Kurumi-chan." She does have a point... I guess Kurumi-chan isn't so bad after all... Though I still don't really like this feeling... Not at all...
"Of course, of course!"
Yuki could only sigh.
"The car's as big as Onpu-chan's..." Momoko noted, looking fascinated. "I'm impressed."
Hana just giggled. "Hana-chan's going with Doremi, Yuki, Momo, and Kurumi to see Onpu~! Hana-chan's going~!"
"Hana-chan, calm down..." Doremi laughed. "It's not like you haven't visited Onpu-chan before you know..."
"Still, Doremi~! There has only been so many times were Hana-chan was able to hang out with Yuki and with Kurumi as well~!"
"Honestly..." Kurumi laughed, blushing slightly. "I'm flattered... You girls are all so lucky... I don't really see as many people as pure and sincere as Hana-chan..."
"Eh?" The white witch looked confused, blinking as she cocked her head to the side. "What does Kurumi-mama mean by that?"
Yamasaki perked up in confusion. "Mama, huh? Kurumi, your friends and their adorable little quirks just never end, do they?"
"Yes, yes!" the gray witch agreed readily, nodding as Yuki stared at her in confusion. "They really are kawaii, non?"
"K-Kawaii? Don't you mean just cute?" The black witch laughed a bit nervously. "You're really something else, Kurumi-chan..."
"Hmm... How many times have I been told that exactly?"
...Urk... She seems to have figured it out...
Figured what out, exactly? The world may never know.
"K-Kurumi-chan... That's just because you're really one of a kind... There aren't many Westerners here..."
"Yuki-chan, this is Japan. Just about every country in the world is west of here."
"I-I mean the European West!"
"That still doesn't narrow it down that much at all, Yuki-chan! You could be talking about Germany or Greece for all I know! Not that I haven't been to either of those places..."
Yuki's eye twitched.
"K-Kurumi-chan... Where haven't you been?"
"That's a secret, Yuki-chan!"
"But still, it's not right to brag about things like that."
Kurumi frowned at the thought, pouting slightly. "I-I can't help myself at times, you know? I don't mean to brag... I just get lost from time to time and I forget where I am... I can't help it if I always end up drifting off somewhere..."
Yuki perked up at that. "Like how I always get lost when I head out the front door?"
"N-Not really, Yuki-chan..."
Yamasaki just smiled.
"So where's Onpu-onee-sama anyway? I don't see her no matter where I look!"
"Yuki-chan, heard of a thing called patience. Have some, okay?"
"Geez... You have too much patience, Kurumi-chan... At least, I certainly think that you do..."
"Oh good grief..."
"It's big." Hana stated with wide, amazed eyes. "So cool~!"
Momoko was starry-eyed as well. "S-So, it's so professional~!"
"Something tells me this will be an interesting day to say the least," Yuki sighed, making Doremi perk up.
"What do you mean by that, Yuki-chan?"
"I-It's nothing at all, Doremi-chan. Nan demo nai."
"R-Really?"
The black witch just smiled and nodded, making the pink witch blink.
Whenever I ask Yuki-chan a question like that... She's always quick to smile... It's a little discomforting but she seems fine... I think...
"Come on, let's go in." Kurumi had already flipped on her sunglasses, sighing as well. "The heat is driving me crazy out here."
The other girls just agreed and the gray witch's guardian simply led them all inside.
"O-NEE-SA-MA~!"
Onpu immediately spun around in shock, her eyes wide as her mother looked surprised. "W-Who...?"
"ONPU-ONEE-SAMA~!" The purple witch was soon tackled to the ground by a happy black witch, making her perk up. "Onpu-onee-sama, I found you!"
"Yu... Yuki-chan, is that you?"
"Yuki-chan, mou! Don't run off like that, you'll just get lost and that won't be good at all!"
Onpu blinked as she helped her clingy fangirl up, spotting the rest of the blonde's party approaching them. "Oh, Kurumi-chan, Doremi-chan, Momo-chan, Hana-chan too..."
"O-Oh my...!" Segawa Miho gasped at the sight of Yamasaki approaching with them. "Y-You're..."
"Yamasaki Rikuto, it's nice to meet you," he stated politely, introducing himself like a true gentlemen. "I'll take it that you're Segawa-san, correct? Kurumi has told me about your daughter."
Kurumi tugged impatiently at her guardian like a spoiled child, groaning. "Yamasaki-san! Those matters are trivial!"
"I was right!" Miho exclaimed, clearly amazed. "I've heard of your work before, Yamasaki-san and I must say that I'm impressed with all of your works~! My husband and I are big fans. You certainly live up to your parents' expectations."
"Works? Yamasaki-san is just Kurumi-chan's manager, right?" Onpu asked, a little confused.
"Actually, Yamasaki-san used to be a famous director," Kurumi informed her, winking. "He's a prodigy and comes from a family of professionals! I've seen his movies and they're really well-made, too!"
"Wow, just like Hazuki-chan's dad..." Doremi gasped in amazement while Rikuto smiled sadly and shook his head, ruffling Sayoko's black hair.
"I retired as soon as I took custody over Kurumi though... Now, I am simply her manager and that's that."
"Oh, I've heard of Kurumi-chan's parents as well... They were huge in showbiz, especially her mother." Miho smiled sadly. "It's a shame what happened..."
"A shame?" Doremi repeated in confusion while the gray witch just sighed, yanking impatiently once again on Yamasaki's shirt. "Hey Kurumi-chan, what does she mean by that? Your parents..."
"You don't wonder why it is I stay with Yamasaki-san all the time? My parents died in an accident, remember?" Kurumi shook her head, looking bored with the idea. "It was a long time ago, but I can't expect to remember what age I was... Didn't I already explain all of this, Doremi-chan?"
She might have, but... "Excuse me, Kurumi-chan..." The pink witch bowed her head shamefully, sighing. "I-I forgot about that..."
"It can't be helped..." Rikuto placed a hand on the black-haired model's shoulder with a sigh of his own. "But Kurumi and I get by just fine, so it's alright."
"Absolutely!" Kurumi chirped, winking. "Some things are not able to be helped anyway, so it's best to move on~!"
Yuki blinked, frowning.
I bet Kurumi-chan's use to all sorts of people pitying her... I can't say I blame her... She probably thinks the whole 'no parents' thing is really cliché... Which is true by the way, it's so very, very true.
She sighed, shaking her head. Oh well... I can still act normally around her in the very least... That's all that matters in this silly story.
"Kurumi, I need to get going, alright?"
"Sure thing, Yamasaki-san. I'll see you soon."
Silence.
Hmm... This must mean Kurumi-chan doesn't want to talk about it anymore... Okay! That's fine!
"Are you Shinoya Yuki-chan by the way?" Yuki perked up, turning to Onpu's mother in curiosity. "Onpu-chan told me about you... You're so cute!"
The black witch blushed at that and just giggled, striking a pose. "Shinoya Yuki desu! It's nice to meet you! Onee-sama and I are good, good friends!"
"Onee-sama, huh?" Onpu blushed slightly at Yuki's thoughtless term of endearment for her and just sighed. "How interesting..."
"Mama, Yuki-chan's a bit eccentric, you know."
"I see, I see."
The fake blond took this time to cling to her 'older sister's arm, happily rubbing her cheek against the purple witch's shoulder. "Of course, of course, of course..."
"Onpu-chan, sorry if we were interrupting anything," Momoko stated while Hana decided to tackle Kurumi into a bone-crushing embrace, crying about how sorry she felt for the gray witch, earning Sayoko to just smile sadly and roll her eyes. "Yuki-chan just really wanted to visit you is all."
"Is this okay?" Doremi asked, shrugging. "Kurumi-chan's the one who offered to drive us all here anyway..."
"I don't regret a thing!" the gray witch exclaimed, poking the white witch's cheek cheerfully as she did so. "As a matter of fact, I regret nothing!"
Onpu could only sigh.
Wow... Being with these girls is a lot more exciting than anything I've ever acted in before... I bet Kurumi-chan wouldn't hesitate to agree on that either... I really love these girls... They are all something else, especially since Yuki-chan, Moriko-chan, Akemi-chan, and Kurumi-chan all decided to join...
"Ne Onpu-onee-sama!"
"Hmm?" The purple witch turned to face Yuki, smiling a bit in confusion. "What is it, Yuki-chan?"
"Is the idol life hard?"
Onpu blinked in surprise. "Eh... Why do you ask?"
"Well... I've been thinking about this for about maybe ten seconds now... But you sing just because you love to, right?" The black witch began counting on her fingers. "I think being famous would be fun, so I would like to try it as well... Plus, it may help with my confidence a bit well... What do you think, Onpu-onee-sama?"
"Yuki-chan, there's more to it than that." The purple witch smiled sadly, holding up a finger as she explained. "There are many lessons that you have to take on becoming an idol. You don't want to be like Tooru-kun, now do you?"
"What does Tooru-kun have to do with anything?" Yuki asked before she paused. "I can imagine it'll be rough... But if I'm stubborn enough, I'm sure to do well, right?"
"It has to do with talent as well. Yuki-chan, if you want things to be done easier than that'll take more than just a magic spell. Besides, being an idol isn't something you should just decide to do on a simple whim..." Onpu sighed. "You're my friend, Yuki-chan so I'm only being honest. When it comes to showbiz, you have to be serious."
The black witch was silent. "Talent... I understand that... But, I would like to try it out for a little while if it can be helped. Is that okay, Onpu-onee-sama?"
"Are you really serious?"
Yuki nodded. "I'll just think of Saiki-kun and I'm as serious as I can get! After all, I happen to be an archer, you know!"
Onpu frowned at that. I wonder if Yuki-chan really means it... And it is true that she's stubborn... But surely she'll take this seriously... There are times, after all, where Yuki-chan does her absolute best... And that is especially when Saiki-kun is involved.
"Yuki-chan, it's not that easy!" Kurumi scolded, waving her finger at the black witch. "Don't think this is something you can get through on guts alone~! You said you understand but remember! Talent is what plays a huge part in the whole enchilada!"
The black witch perked up, making an 'hmm' sound. "I guess that means I have to audition to determine whether or not I have any talent..."
"Huh?"
"Ne, Onpu-onee-sama's mom, do you know if they're holding auditions for being an idol?" Yuki asked in curiosity, making Miho perk up.
"Now that you mention it, I think just down the hall, there should be..."
"Thank you!" The blond girl dashed out and down the hall, surprising the rest of the girls.
"Oh, Yuki!" Hana exclaimed in surprise as Doremi just ran after her, gasping.
"Y-Yuki-chan, hold up!"
The rest of them followed after the pink witch just as the black witch came up, twirling a pin with a number on it.
"Now THAT wasn't too hard~!"
"E-Eh...? You already signed up already?" Momoko asked, surprised. "How did you...?"
"There are a lot of other dreamers so I just took a number... My number is nineteen!" She showed them the pin with the clear bold 'nineteen' printed on it with a smug grin. "I may be up next so wish me luck, alright!"
"Yuki-chan, be careful..." Onpu just sighed, making Doremi and Kurumi both perk up and look towards the purple witch in confusion and curiosity.
Onpu-chan...?
"No need to worry, onee-sama! I'll be fine!" Yuki exclaimed spiritedly while Segawa Miho smiled sadly.
"Yuki-chan..."
"You don't need to worry about me either, Segawa-san!" The black witch beamed. "I just want to audition is all so it's okay!"
She pulled an Onpu Fanclub membership card with the number four printed on it.
"As a faithful member of Onpu-onee-sama's cute fanclub, I mark my words that I will do my absolute best and work my hardest!"
"Yuki~!" Hana squealed, her eyes starstruck. "Wow~!"
"Just don't make too much of a name for yourself okay, Yuki-chan?" Kurumi smiled ruefully. "It's like the old historic saying in the states... Tread softly and carry a large stick."
"Isn't it 'speak softly and carry a big stick'?" Momoko asked, slightly confused as the gray witch flinched.
"Well, it has the same meaning! You can't just trample in there and expect people to respect you or anything like that, Yuki-chan! You have to be quiet but still let people know that you're a force to be reckoned with!"
Yuki blinked, perplexed and lost. "Are you sure you're even using the quote right, Kurumi-chan?"
Aw, Kurumi-chan's being all strange and foreign again... Or is the correct word exotic? Oh well, either way, she's not really making much sense at this point...
Kurumi shook her head, flustered. "That's beside the point! You get what I'm saying, don't you Yuki-chan?"
The black witch just nodded twice.
"Good... So I don't have to explain myself."
She nodded again.
"Yuki-chan, honestly..."
"What, Kurumi-chan? I said I understood, didn't I?"
"I-It's not just that..." Kurumi sucked in her breath. "I still am not quite sure about being so lenient... After all, talent's not just something you gotta have... It has to be really, really good talent if you know what I mean."
"What if I don't know what you mean, Kurumi-chan?" Yuki cocked her head to the side and giggled a bit. "You're just so weird sometimes... And at those sometimes, I really have no idea how to understand what you are talking about..."
The gray witch frowned at that. Is it really that hard to understand? Or is she just saying that? Perhaps I overestimated Yuki-chan a bit... Although I wouldn't like to normally think like that or anything... It could just be her own insecurities shining through, too... Even Yuki-chan will have moments like that, won't she?
"Ah... Just forget it, Yuki-chan. It's nothing."
I guess it just is one of those things that you just can't help at all...
"...?" The black witch frowned. Kurumi-chan is just so confusing... I don't know what to say now... This is weird. I'm not use to not knowing what to say...
Kurumi just giggled. Yuki-chan's confused face is just too cute...
"Um, Onpu-chan. We have to get going." Miho spoke up, making her daughter perk up in surprise before turning around and nodding.
"Yes, mama."
"O-Oh, I'll go with you, Onpu-chan!" Momoko called out in surprise while Hana perked up.
"Hana-chan too! Yuki, fight!"
"Got it!" Yuki laughed as they all left, not noticing the wary glance that her idol had casted her before leaving the room with her mother. "Alright! Let's get to work!"
"Hey, Yuki-chan... Are you really sure about this?" Doremi asked just as Kurumi gasped dramatically.
"Oh my! My photo shoot! I'll miss it at this rate! Come Doremi-chan, I need a scapegoat!"
"W-What?"
"Yuki-chan, we wish you luck!" the gray witch exclaimed as she grabbed the protesting red head's arm, giving Yuki a quick salute before she rushed off, dragging a complaining pink witch behind her.
The black witch blinked twice before looking at her numbered pin, blushing lightly.
If I do become famous... I'd like Saiki-kun to take me seriously... That would be really nice...
She smiled, holding the pin close with a sigh.
Yes...
"K-Kurumi-chan, wait! I wanted to stay back and support Yuki-chan! You don't really need me around, do you? Let go!"
Kurumi stopped in her tracks, confusing the pink witch as she slipped out of the gray witch's grip with a sigh.
"Really, Kurumi-chan... I don't understand at all."
"It's hard to understand, isn't it, Doremi-chan? I don't blame you."
"Huh?" Doremi's eyes were practically question marks. "What?"
The gray witch merely laughed with her hands on her hips although she didn't turn to look the other red-haired female in the eyes. "It's a little hard to explain."
The pink witch soon frowned, pouting very slightly. That's Kurumi-chan, always being so confusing that you can hardly ever understand what she's really saying... Somehow, even though she looks like Yuki-chan only still different... It's always so weird and awkward talking to her... It's like there's some sort of barrier between us, and it isn't the occasional language barrier she puts up when she decides to start talking in French...
But... Now that I think about it...
Yuki's smiling face flashed in her mind, and the red head's magenta eyes widened in surprise.
Rarely... It feels as if there's a barrier around Yuki-chan as well... Even though I hardly notice it... There is no denying that it is there, nonetheless...
"Hey, Kurumi-chan... Do you remember the festival that Hana-chan and Yuki-chan forced us to attend?"
You not only told me a few things about Saiki-kun, but of Yuki-chan as well... And I can't remember what they were so I just need to ask just exactly what you meant... Can you really understand people that well, Kurumi-chan? This isn't show business... This is real life, isn't it?
"Oh yes, we had some sort of conversation." Kurumi paused, making a 'huh' sound as she realized something. I hardly ever talk to any of the girls now that I think about it... In fact, I mostly just watch from a distance... Even Moriko-chan and Akemi-chan, despite their troubles with people, at least make an effort to hold conversation... And...
...Yuki-chan makes a rather huge effort as well...
She blinked, feeling the ticking of a nearby clock with each passing second.
Do I even attempt the same? I may not be use to these girls, but they are more than just acquaintances and there's always the saying that we 'are all friends here'... Did Onpu-chan have the same problem as I do? I don't even consider them friends... Not really, at least. But what are friends, really? People you laugh and cry with? People who stick with you through the tough times? But... But...
The gray witch pursed her lips, sighing heavily at the thought.
No... Anyone could do that and you still wouldn't have to consider them as friends or anything like that... Friends are... They are... They are people that you trust, laugh and cry with, and people that are supposed to stick with you no matter what but still have enough sense to point out the right direction when you lose your way...
Sayoko soon smiled, shaking her head very lightly.
All of them... Won't they do that for each other either way? Even for strangers... Doremi-chan, especially... I'm always hearing about how kind-hearted she really is... We're all lucky, really to know so many noble and trustworthy people...
"Hey, Kurumi-chan? Um, about that 'conversation' that we had... You remember it, right?"
"I recollect bits and bits from my memory, Doremi-chan." Kurumi turned to her, her smile now sad. "What is it that you wish to know this time?"
Of course... I'm still having difficulty believe although I do understand it... It's honestly a little troublesome despite everything that's been going on lately... It's so very strange and mysterious...
"You see... I'm honestly a little curiously about you, Kurumi-chan." Doremi licked her lips, her throat feeling oddly dry in this particular moment. "Yamasaki-san is your only parental guardian right? What happened to your parents exactly? And why would Yamasaki-san take responsibility instead of any distant relative...?"
"For some reason, you saying that Doremi-chan makes me believe that Yamasaki-san 'taking responsibility' is something along the lines of getting married... Not that the age difference is too big of a problem, it's simply that I'm not sixteen quite yet." Kurumi laughed as the red head turned flustered. "Kidding, kidding. Please do go on, Doremi-chan."
"I-I was just asking why Yamasaki-san's your guardian... Don't you have any aunts or uncles or even grandparents to take custody instead? I mean, he's just so young... It's hard to believe that he's the one caring for you..."
"Oh come on, my Yamasaki-san may still be a bachelor but he's pretty darn responsible enough to take care of a child. In fact, he's perfectly fine as my guardian." The gray witch winked. "And both of my parents had no siblings... That and my grandparents died long before I was born... Any other possible relatives would be somewhere across the globe... I don't know. I didn't come from a very big family... My mother actually was born in Paris, but there's also slight Irish on my father's side... I don't know."
So she is partially European after all... Doremi couldn't help but sigh. "And Yamasaki-san..."
"He was friends with my parents and I knew him long before they passed on. After all, I always secretly thought of him as my older brother too..." Kurumi simply shrugged. "After the accident happened, Yamasaki-san protected me and cared for me like his own daughter. I heard that it was really hard on him because while he was talented, many people found it hard to believe that he was really practical enough to care for a child... For that, I am always grateful towards him... I really do love Yamasaki-san... He's much more to me than just my manager... He is... My dearest, most precious family."
The pink witch blinked and the gray witch just giggled, grabbing the red head's hand and dragging her off yet again.
"But that's enough with that; come on, Doremi-chan! We have so much work to do!"
"W-Wait Kurumi-chan, what work?"
(Eyecatch: Yuki is seen fiddling with all sorts of cards, and the Ojamajos soon look behind her as she pulls up a card, and laugh. The card reveals to be an image of a smiling Yuki and Onpu back to back with mikes.)
Okay, here I go!
Yuki opened the door slowly, gulping.
Wow... There are still people going... I better get going...too.
She hopped into the room, seating next to a random brunette and poked her shoulder.
"Excuse me, how do these auditions work?" Yuki asked, making the other girl blink in surprise.
"It's simple, they call us up. The judges briefly interview us and then we sing a sample of any song we choose. It's not hard."
"Oh, I see. By the way, I'm Shinoya Yuki!" the black witch exclaimed, proudly pounding her chest before sticking out her hand to the brunette with her hair tied up in a large emerald green ribbon with matching eyes. "And you are?"
"Ur... My name is Kyoumi. Rinaru Kyoumi."
"So you are Kyoumi...chan? Well, it is nice to meet you, Kyoumi-chan! No wait, that's too long... Should I call you Kyou-chan?"
"N-No, just Kyoumi is fine!" Rinaru protested, flustered. "But honestly Shinoya-san... You need to act serious; these are the auditions after all so you need to be... You need to be focused. Why are you acting so childish...? How old are you?"
"I'm a seventh grader." Rinaru perked up in surprise. "I go to Misora Junior High."
"You... Do you even have any connections to any companies, Shinoya-san?"
"Connections? Well, some of my friends are in show business... Urr..." The black witch blinked, taking a thinking position. "I just thought if I was stubborn enough as well as just perseverant... I thought that I..."
Kyoumi frowned. "Have you had any sort of lessons though, Shinoya-san?"
"Weird, onee-sama asked me the same thing... Not really, but being an idol is just about singing and loving to sing, right?"
"N-Not really... Something tells me that you are quite naïve when it comes to show business, Shinoya-san."
"Eh? And what gives you the right to say that, Kyoumi-chan?"
"Ehehe... I've had particular lessons for this... See, my father... He's rather aristocratic so he expects the best from me... I do love singing though, but..." Kyoumi soon sighed, leaning against the wall. "Excuse me, I didn't mean to babble on like that..."
"I've heard others say I have that sort of effect on people though I never really understood myself..." The black witch sighed, leaning on the wall as well. "It's really weird...and really bothersome since it's a two-way... One-way is fine, fine, fine~!"
"...Huh?" The brunette looked at her, clearly lost as Shinoya groaned.
"Haven't you noticed that I have a tendency to talk so much that I might as well spill my entire life story? Like this morning, I had a blueberry muffin for breakfast but stole a strawberry one when my okaa-sama wasn't looking!"
"I-I just met you though Shinoya-san... And why would you be bothered about stealing a muffin during breakfast?"
Yuki blinked as if realizing that for the first time and just smiled, laughing ruefully.
"Is that so? Well, I wish you luck, Kyoumi-chan."
"Uh... Same here...?"
"Number twelve!"
Kyoumi perked up. "Oh, that's me. Shinoya-san, later then?"
The black witch just nodded and Rinaru quickly dashed out of there and as soon as she did, Yuki slid to the floor, hugging her knees.
Now that I think about it... I'm only serious when I know Saiki-kun will benefit... Or at least our relationship benefitting would be nice too... But otherwise, I pay little to no attention to anything... Saiki-kun...
"...Yuki-chan?"
"Y-Yes, my dear Saiki-kun?"
"You're an idiot."
"...I-I know."
I know all of that, Saiki-kun... I also realize that there are certain things that you can't just expect to happen even if you are stubborn enough... But if I do know that, then why am I still...?
The black witch soon sighed and blew on the hair in front of her face.
This is just so unbelievable... And it's a little hard to understand... Onee-sama...
"Number nineteen! Where's number nineteen?"
The blond girl perked up at that, checking her pin for the number nineteen and soon smiled.
That's me.
"Mama, can I take a quick break? Would you mind if I did?"
"Oh, uh... Onpu-chan..."
"It'll only take a minute!"
Onpu quickly closed the door behind her, ignoring her mother's protests as she sighed, the only thing going through her mind over and over again being...
"I've been thinking about this for about maybe ten seconds now... But you sing just because you love to, right?"
"But you sing just because you love to, right?"
"You sing just because you love to, right?"
Is that really why I became an idol...? Because I love to sing? And here I thought it was just because I thought I would be fulfilling Mama's dream for her... But I do love to sing... And I do love being an idol... Yuki-chan however, on the other hand... What else could possibly be enough incentive for her to decide to set out for stardom?
She saw the black witch cheerfully laughing in her mind's eye.
Other than her admiration... I can understand her rather childish dream... But... When I first voiced my desire to be an idol, I just...
"Mama! I want to be an idol!"
I thought I understood why it was that I said that out loud all those years ago... I only work hard because I want to... Yuki-chan's the same, isn't she?
"If I just get by with my sheer stubbornness, then I'm sure to do well!"
No... More like, she works hard because she thinks she has to.
The purple witch stepped away from the door and down the hall, frowning at the thought.
I don't know what could have happened in Yuki-chan's life to make her think like that... But I can already tell that I certainly don't like it. Yuki-chan's always been such a cheerful girl, too... Though if you really pay attention to how she is when she practices archery... And even whenever she's trying to win over Saiki-kun... It's easy enough to see that she does her best and even beyond if she can manage it...
Onpu looked up, blinking.
"The more I try to understand Yuki-chan though... The more confused I get... Strange, as she always seems to be open enough to where her thoughts are practically printed on her forehead..."
And what was that that Kurumi-chan and Momo-chan said? Tread softly with a large stick? That's a political statement from America though so what use could it have...
"Onpu-chan!"
"Onpu~!"
"Momo-chan, Hana-chan!" the purple witch gasped at seeing the yellow and white witches running up to her, looking relieved.
"Onpu-chan, are you done with your work already?" Momoko asked brightly, beaming. "I think Yuki-chan's still at the auditions though who knows where Kurumi-chan and Doremi-chan could be..."
"Hana-chan wants to hear Yuki sing~! Can she?"
"Actually I'm on a very short break right now..." Segawa trailed off before she realized something and gulped, suddenly taking Asuka's shoulder. "Ne Momo-chan... Do you know where the auditions are by any chance? I seem to have forgotten... And I'd like to hear Yuki-chan really sing for once... All I've really listened to is her humming whenever she's stuck sweeping the shop."
"I don't really know either, so I'm sorry..."
"Hana-chan knows the way!" Hana's hand flew up as she leapt with excitement before snatching up the purple witch's hand and dashing away. "Come Onpu~!"
"W-Wait, Hana-chan! Don't just take off like that!" Momoko gasped before speeding after the two girls as well. "Hold it, Hana-chan! Onpu-chan!"
Man... Whenever Hana-chan has a burst of energy... I can't help but wonder if someone snuck her pudding in the morning...
The yellow witch blinked but didn't pause in her running.
...It was probably Yuki-chan.
"So you are a student from Misora Junior High... This is rare..."
"Um... It's nice to meet all of you."
Yuki swallowed back saliva and shivered. Sure, she had more reason to be shy when she was supposed to hit a bull's-eye for the sake of the kyūdō club so long ago... But that was for Natsu and Tachibana's sake... That and not to mention the only reason why she mustered up courage was because Saiki showed up and wished her best of luck.
And the black witch was smart enough to know that that sure as hell wasn't going to happen now. So she was alone. With these four elderly kind enough-looking judges.
Great. Wonderful. Just perfect.
I hate my life sometimes. But I asked for this, didn't I? So why exactly am I so anxious now? Maybe because this is really my first time at auditioning for anything... Oh, man... Geez...
"Is there any reason why you would like to become an idol, Shinoya Yuki-kun?"
"Um... Well, I love singing for starters so I think being an idol would be good for me!"
I can't say it was something I decided on a whim...
"Ah, I see." The first judge wrote this down. "Please begin."
Yuki nodded shyly and held up the mike.
Okay... Here I go...
The song began.
"Usure nakatta omoi daki
Sore de mo koko made aruite kita"
(I have been carrying feelings that haven't faded
But even so, I've walked this far)
Hana continued dragging the purple witch down the hall with Momoko quick behind her. Onpu soon perked up as they made their way to the judging room.
Is that... Yuki-chan's singing? She sounds really tense and really nervous... She won't win high points at all, singing like that...
"Hana-chan, Momo-chan, excuse me," she muttered, pushing open the door.
"Susumetenai you de toki no nami ni
Hakobareta negai no sukoshi fureta"
(It seems we haven't advanced in the wave of time
We've barely touched the wish that it brought)
Yuki's voice trembled as she sung, shutting her eyes tightly.
Darn it... Even thinking of Saiki-kun right now... I can't raise my voice and my singing sounds so messy... There's no way that I'll be able to sing properly at this rate...
Her fingers tightened on the mike.
What's a song that I can sing easily without any trouble? Man... If onee-sama was here...
Momoko and Hana blinked as they watched, the yellow witch speaking up with slight surprise.
"Yuki-chan does sing well but she sounds really nervous... Is she okay?"
Onpu gulped. "She must have stage fright..."
I've seen this sort of thing in Morino Karen-chan before... And I can't just cast a spell to take her fear away... Yuki-chan... What will she do anyway?
"Tooi kioku o tadoru kou ja nakatta koto de
Kagayaiteta kigashite mabushikatta ano hi o koe..."
(Traveling distant memories, knowing it wasn't this way
Overcoming the brilliant day, I felt like I was shining)
Yuki's voice soon trailed off and the judges perked up.
"Oh, miss Shinoya? You do realize that there's still a little bit more of the song left? It won't look good if you stop now... But will you also please do raise your voice a little? It's too soft..."
"Um... About that..."
The three watchers all looked surprised and Onpu frowned.
Yuki-chan...
The black witch made an 'X' with her arms, laughing nervously.
"C-Can I please just sing something else? I love this song, but I want to sing another one..."
"Another one?" the judges looked nervously amongst themselves and they all sighed. "Well, Shinoya-kun, what is it that you want to sing?"
"Eeto... Um... There's this song that I heard from someone I really admire... Is it okay if I sing a song by Segawa Onpu-chan?"
The judges all perked up in surprise while Onpu's eyes widened.
A song by me...? Yuki-chan...
"Well... Sure thing, Shinoya-kun. Just finish your sample this time, okay?"
The black witch nodded eagerly.
"Understood! I will!" she exclaimed before skipping off to her CD Player, taking out the CD before taking out one of Onpu's CDs and placing it inside, smiling all the while.
Maybe if it's onee-sama's song... I'll be able to sing this... I'll get over my stage fright and show onee-sama that I can be serious... Alright...
Shinoya casted a quick prayer before closing it and turned it on by pressing the button. She then walked back to the front and held up her microphone as she began snapping her fingers and tapping her foot.
Everyone else patiently waited.
Yuki just winked.
Here I go!
"We can do anything if we do it together
Kitto deaeru yo
Can do! Nanika ga kawari hajimaru
Atarashii watashi ni"
(We can do anything if we do it together
Surely we'll meet by chance
Can do! Whatever is changing is starting
Into a new me)
Everyone perked up and Hana's eyes sparkled.
"Wow~! It really is Onpu's song!"
"But Yuki-chan mentioned that her favorite was Half Point, right?" Momoko asked as she and Hana both smiled at a surprised Onpu. "I think there may be a reason why she chose 'We Can Do' instead, huh Onpu-chan?"
"I guess..." the purple witch responded before she just smiled. "But Yuki-chan isn't quite serious just yet... She has a lot to learn, first of all..."
"Huh?" The two blondes were confused at that and Hana just sighed.
"Hana-chan... Hana-chan thinks that there's a lot to think about when it comes to Yuki..."
"Same here," Asuka could only agree.
"Tokikake no DAIARII
Tameiki wo tsuiteru
Kokoro no kotoba mitsukaranakute"
(In my time-traveling diary,
I imprint a sigh
I couldn't find the words from my heart)
The judges wrote down their notes and Yuki perked up but continued singing, her smile widening.
"Daisuki na RIBON demo
Chiguhagu shiteru kibun ne
Itsumo mitai ni waraenai"
(I wear my favorite ribbon, but
My mood is mismatched
I always look like I can't smile)
Kurumi looked up from where she was, sighing.
I think Yuki-chan may be on right now... I wonder how she's doing...
She glanced towards where Doremi was napping in her chair before the gray witch just smiled before giggling. "Doremi-chan... Shouldn't you be worrying about Yuki-chan as well? Even though I dragged you here out of my own selfish desire..."
Some things just never change, no matter what the situations and the conditions are... It's strange and even a little mysterious... But after being near all these girls and realizing all these new things that I never bothered to notice before... I guess it's as always, something that just can't be helped.
"Yuki-chan, if you are on right now..." Sayoko spoke up to no one in particular, her smile slowly widening. "Then I wish you the best of luck so just do your best, kay?"
"Motto gyutto
Te no hira tsunaida nara
Ame agari no niji ni aeru yo ne"
(More, squeeze
If we hold hands
We'll see the rainbow after the rain)
Everyone else had already closed their eyes by this point, just focusing on the black witch's song alone.
If I was to be an idol like Onee-sama... Would people flock around me as much as they do to her? Well, I sure do wonder...
Yuki held out her hand, her eyelids lowering as she continued singing.
Truth to be told... I honestly don't have the slightest clue about the people around me or even the other girls that I have somehow managed to befriend that... I know that I'm always saying things like that, but it really is true... And it's probably because I really admire her, but I really do want to get to know Onpu-onee-sama and I'd like to be on the same level as her as well if it could be helped... And I really would like that... It would be nice...
"We can do anything if we do it together
Minna issho nara
Can do! Namida mo yuuki ni Kawaru
Egao ni naru yo"
(We can do anything if we do it together
If everyone's together
Can do! Tears will change into courage
They'll turn into smiles)
Onpu smiled very slightly.
Yuki-chan actually can sing well... But there is still a special talent that she lacks... The talent to always be able to sing from your heart and allow your feelings to shine through your song... Even though her feelings are there and clear... They are also lacking in her heart... Somehow, it's easy to tell now that she's singing...
She soon frowned at the thought.
How could I have not noticed any of that before? I really do wonder about Yuki-chan sometimes... And there are rare occurrences where the feelings I have about her aren't really that good... It's very strange...
"We can do anything if we do it together
Kitto deaeru yo
Can do! Nanika ga kawari hajimaru
Atarashii watashi ni"
(We can do anything if we do it together
Surely we'll meet by chance
Can do! Whatever is changing is starting
Into a new me)
The song stopped and Yuki perked up as the judges were clapping.
"Very good. It was better than your last attempt though we still have many things to look into Shinoya-kun. You can check to see if you've made it to callbacks later today if you stay long enough..."
"I-I will," the black witch responded before retrieving her CD from the CD player, placing it delicately back into the case. "Er... Thank you for your time..."
I could have done better... But I did do well and for that I am slightly grateful... I wonder if I followed the threading and sticks line... I don't really know if I did...
She headed for the door, noting that it was now empty.
Hm... I don't know why I think that it's a little odd...
The black witch left the room in silence, unaware of the three pairs of eyes that were still watching her from around the corner.
"Yuki-chan looks down even though she did so well..." Momoko observed while Hana frowned. "For some reason too, no one was able to approach her either... It's really strange... I don't even know what to do..."
Onpu then took out a hat and stuck it on, adding a pair of sunglasses.
"Um... Onpu-chan, what are you...?"
"Mind me as I go incognito for a minute."
With that the purple witch dashed off, making Hana just beam.
"He~ Onpu-mama really is dedicated, isn't she?"
The yellow witch could only smile and nod.
"Yeah... Come on Hana-chan, let's go find Doremi-chan and Kurumi-chan."
"Okay!"
"I wonder if Kyoumi-chan did better than I did... I bet she did." Yuki puffed her cheeks in annoyance but shook her head disdainfully. "Oh well, what's done is done, right?"
"You're taking this well, aren't you, Yuki-chan?"
The black witch perked up as she spotted the somewhat disguised Onpu smiling sadly at her before seating herself beside the black witch as the blond turned away with her narrowed eyes.
"I have slight stage fright, onee-sama. I can't talk or sing in front of teachers or adults or an expectant crowd... I should have thought of that before..." she trailed off before closing her eyes. "I messed up... I'm just glad Saiki-kun didn't see that... If he had, I probably would have broken down by now..."
And I'm not supposed to cry or anything like that... Man... This is so troublesome... When it was just me and just Saiki-kun... The only person I had to worry about was Akatsuki-kun... And he was easy enough to get along with... But everyone else... I can't be just close to them... I don't like this life...
"It's alright, Yuki-chan," the purple witch muttered though she was underestimating the true turmoil of the normally sunny blonde's inner emotions. "But you did do well..."
"Well enough to be chosen for callbacks though, onee-sama?"
Onpu just smiled.
"You... Your voice was just a little too quiet and it sounded as if you were holding back some of your feelings. You shouldn't ever falter like that... Are you truly singing from your heart, Yuki-chan?"
Silence. Yuki's eyes slowly widened and she just frowned, nearly pouting.
I can't do that... Those feelings are reserved for Saiki-kun only. They're not pure as they should be though so I'm forced to keep them locked up so they don't harm anyone, not to mention I have to keep them away so that...
Saiki flashed in her mind and her eyes shut.
So that Saiki-kun wouldn't end up hating me even more than he already does... My relationship is already treading on thin ice now so I have to tread softly so that it doesn't crack... I guess there are other things that I have to 'tread softly' on as well... And the fact that I'm just now realizing all of this now... Well, it makes me feel a little bad, yeah... But also...
"Yuki-chan, is something wrong?"
"No, not really."
Well, it makes things just a little bit easier... It's normal to falter, even for stubborn people.
The black witch just giggled. "Ne, onee-sama, if I do become an idol... Can you give me all those lessons you told me about?"
Onpu smiled in return, laughing a little. "I might be able to set you up with some, Yuki-chan."
"You're the best, onee-sama! I really admire you, you know!"
The purple witch blushed at that, sighing.
Oh, Yuki-chan...
"Nineteen... Nineteen... Nineteen... Nineteen..."
Yuki's finger scanned the list before she simply sighed.
Ah... I expected this...
"Yuki-chan!" Doremi called behind her, causing the black witch to turn to see her, Kurumi, Momoko, and Hana running up towards her. "Yuki-chan, did you do well?"
"Doremi-chan, everyone! Nice to see you made it..." Yuki smiled, her smile a bit forced. "Actually though, I didn't make it."
"Oh, Yuki-chan..." Momoko began, frowning. "I'm sorry..."
"For what? This just means that I have to try better next time so no need to worry, okay?" Shinoya waved her hand. "Besides..." Yuki glanced at the callbacks list, noticing the number twelve on it. "Someone serious made it, I think."
Kyoumi-chan made it, that is. I'm happy for her... But I don't think I'll be able to say that to her face...
"So... What do you want to do now, Yuki-chan? My work here is already done... So I can call Yamasaki-san to take us back to the Mahou-Dou... But is that really alright?" Kurumi frowned. "You really did do well, I assume..."
"Hana-chan actually liked Yuki's song!"
"Eh? Hana-chan, how did you hear my...?"
"Ah~!" Momoko covered Hana's mouth, laughing nervously. "That is, Hana-chan probably meant that she bets that your song was really good, Yuki-chan! Don't fret over it!"
She can't know that Onpu-chan, Hana-chan, and I all watched her audition without her knowing! That wouldn't be good!
"Oh... I see." Yuki smiled lightly before facing Kurumi. "Kurumi-chan, please do call Yamasaki-san. I slack enough at the Mahou-Dou as it is and I don't want Majorika to be yelling at me anytime in the future..."
"Roger!" The gray witch gave a cute salute before she took out her phone and proceeded to dial her manager and guardian's number. Doremi then approached the black witch, still looking worried.
"Are you really alright, Yuki-chan?"
"Don't worry, Doremi-chan! I'm fine!" Yuki playfully elbowed the pink witch's ribs. "Sheesh, just have some faith in me already! I'm not a delicate flower or anything!"
I'm also not a stone wall... But I think I can live with that...
"Besides..." She turned to one of the televisions, seeing Onpu laughing on screen with a reporter, her smile subconsciously widening. "There's already someone... Who I really realized truly loves her work..."
"Huh?"
"Forget it, Doremi-chan."
But this way... I think I've learned to admire Onpu-onee-sama a bit more... Just a little.
-Lesson Learned-
Se no
Demo sonna n ja dame
(One, two
But, that's no good)
(Footage: A close up to Yuki's lips as she mouths 'se no' starts us off and we quickly skip to a scene on her back as we scan up as she twirls around and holds up a playful scolding finger with a wink.
Mou sonna n ja hora
(Look, it won't work)
(Footage: She skids in the scene and takes a thinking position as if wondering 'am I forgetting something?'.)
Kokoro wa shinka suru yo
(Our hearts will keep evolving)
(Footage: Yuki rushes into her room and picks up a framed picture in a rush, staring at it.)
Motto motto
(More and more)
(Footage: There's a flash of the picture which is a group photograph of her and the girls before we flash back to Yuki as she looks confused but quickly smiles. It then skips to a scene of her running up to meet with the Ojamajos as she's waving cheerfully and then to another scene where she walks into class with Doremi and waves cheerfully at Saiki only for him to ignore her, earning Yuki to look surprised before just puffing her cheeks in annoyance.)
Kotoba ni sureba kiechau kankei nara
(If words will ruin our relationship)
(Footage: Yuki's seen working on an assignment in class at a fast pace only to glance up quickly at Saiki.)
Kotoba o keseba ii yatte
(Then we don't need them)
(Footage: Saiki returns the glance in confusion only for her to hastily drop her gaze.)
Omotteta osoreteta
(I thought so, and I was scared)
(Footage: Yuki pops up in thinking position again before folding her arms and shivering as if in fear.)
Dakedo are nanka chigau kamo
(But wait, maybe that's not quite right)
(Footage: She then perks up and starts shaking her head like mad and soon flails her arms about in a rush.)
Senri no michi mo ippo kara
(A journey of a thousand miles start with a single step)
(Footage: It then shows her trying to take a small step only to trip into the dirt.)
Ishi no you ni katai sonna ishi de
(So I'll go on a resolution as firm as stone)
(Footage: Yuki lifts her head in annoyance from the ground only to quickly stand up and pump her fist in confidence and determination.)
Chiri mo tsumoreba yamato nadeshiko
(So if I bring together enough dust, will I get the ideal woman?)
(Footage: Random images of the Ojamajos start popping up with floral frames.)
Shi nuki de iya shinuki de
(Without the "shi" – no, even if it kills me!)
(Footage: Yuki pops up in front of the pictures shaking her head and holds up her clenched fist as if to say 'to hell with it'.)
Fuwa fuwari fuwa fuwaru
(Softly, gently)
(Footage: It shows the black witch dancing with a sunny background, small images of Doremi, Hazuki, Aiko, Onpu, and Momoko randomly popping up in order on the side.)
Anata ga namae o yobu
(You're calling my name)
(Footage: Yuki looks dreamy and twirls around, hearts appearing out of nowhere as she cheers for what seems to be nothing.)
sore dake de chuu e ukabu
(And just with that I float up into space)
(Footage: She then faints and her spirit leaves, appearing to have died of happiness.)
Fuwa fuwaru fuwa fuwari
(Softly, gently)
(Footage: Yuki holds her hand up in a prayer and sighs happily, small images of Hana, Moriko, Akemi, and Kurumi randomly popping up on her other side.)
Anata ga waratte iru
(You're laughing)
(Footage: Yuki's eyes are seen sparkling in happiness.)
Sore dake de
(And just like that)
(Footage: Her Saiki doll is seen tossed into the air.)
Egao ni naru
(A smile comes to my face)
(Footage: Yuki soon catches it and nuzzles the plush adoringly before just smiling brightly and childishly at the screen.)
Kami sama arigatou
(God-sama, I thank you)
(Footage: Yuki opens her clenched hands and beams, soon laughing.)
Unmei no itazura demo
(Even if it's a prank of fate)
(Footage: She's seen running towards the girls as we see Doremi waving cheerfully.)
Meguriaeta koto ga
(Because meeting you)
(Footage: There's a flash of Yuki showing a victory sign before winking and then blowing a kiss, giggling gleefully.)
shiawase na no
(Still makes me happy)
(Footage: The black witch is seen with the other girls again and they all appear to be having a good time.)
Demo sonna n ja dame
(But that's no good)
(Footage: Yuki waves her finger in a scolding manner and scoffs playfully.
Mou sonna n ja hora
(Look, this won't work at all)
(Footage: She holds up some sort of fabric and throws it away, panicking)
Kokoro wa shinka suru yo
(Our hearts will keep on evolving)
(Footage: Yuki holds her hands over her heart and smiles gently.)
Motto motto
(More and more)
(Footage: Pictures of the Ojamajos soon decorated the frame as Yuki perks up and beams at the image of Doremi's smiling face.)
Sou sonna n ja yada
(Yup, I don't want it like that)
(Footage: Yuki has her hands on her hips in annoyance before folding her arms and just booing.)
Nee sonna n ja mada
(Hey, that'll come later)
(Footage: She waves her hand crazily in a rush before blushing in embarrassment.)
Watashi no koto mitete ne
(I just want you to look at me)
(Footage: In a close up, she glances up slowly, still flustered. She soon grins and holds a finger up to her lips.)
zutto zutto
(Forever and ever)
(Footage: Her lips purse into a kiss before stretching into a smile and Yuki just laughs, now see with all the girls crowded around her.)
Next time on Ojamajo Doremi Tomo-DACHI:
Doremi: Just the other day, we found a girl in our class named Tsukino Kotone-chan crying in the bathroom!
Moriko: What, what happened?
Kurumi: I think it's because a boy named Erizawa Yuta keeps teasing her...
Hazuki: That's terrible!
Akemi: Will she be alright?
Onpu: Tsukino-san... I heard someone in our class say she's colorblind...
Aiko: Really? Is she?
Momoko: She's confirmed it herself...
Hana: Hana-chan feels sorry for Tsukino-san... Does she need a hug, perhaps?
Doremi: Either way... Erizawa-kun really needs to leave Kotone-chan alone...
Aiko: Ain't he a fan of yours, Kurumi-chan?
Kurumi: Hmm?
Yuki: Un... UNFORGIVABLE~!
Everyone else: E-Eh? Yuki-chan...
Yuki: If there's one thing Shinoya Yuki hates, it's seeing poor sweet cute girls like Kotone-chan crying because of lowlife jerks like Erizawa! That's it! He's going down!
Doremi: Yuki-chan... Violence isn't a way to solve this sort of issue...
Yuki: Well to hell with these sorts of difficulties!
Hana: Eh?
Other girls: Yuki-chan... Please control your language...
Doremi: Next time on Ojamajo Doremi Tomo-DACHI!
Yuki: The next lesson! "Let's Paint It With The Colors Of Friendship!"! And remember, friendship comes before everything and always treasure it!
Kurumi: Making friends isn't easy, but don't give up!