YAAAASSSSS REVIEWS! I'm so glad you liked my last chapter... I feel so loved! And I love you guys too!
Thoughts.
Singing = boy
Singing = girl
Singing = both
Enjoy!
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Don't Loose Faith Just Yet
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The Perfect Note gained great success, though anyone could easily guess it was more because of Ranmaru's appearance than the story itself.
I wasn't surprised that many theories about Ranmaru and I being an actual couple went around, nor was I surprised when the guys went all 'gloom and doom' at the kiss scene –which was funny as hell, might I had.
They're sweet.
The première went really well, but many were apparently disappointed about not seeing me come wearing a dress, or at least a skirt. When the interviewer asked about it, I replied with a 'you won't catch me dead in a dress, trust me', making him laugh and Ranmaru sigh heavily behind me.
Now a month later, I was doing some work with the full of STARISH, something we hadn't done in quite a while. The day before, Haruka had left on a trip with QUARTET NIGHT so as to write their Triple S song, but the other guys didn't really reacted in a good way, if I was honest.
"What? Haruka went on a trip to write their entry song!?" exclaimed Cecil.
"Yup, saw her just before she left" I confirmed yet again.
"QUARTET NIGHT is finally making their move, then" stated Masato.
"Yeah"
… what? What are they talking about?
"I wish we could work on our song" said sadly Syo, looking down.
"But the Director hasn't contacted us yet" replied Natsuki.
"I know that! But…"
"Sheesh, what's up with you guys?" I looked at each of them. "Don't you remember our deal? If we managed a revolution, then he'd give us the chance to participate in the SSS"
"But-"
"If we haven't managed that much, then we don't deserve to"
The short blond snapped his mouth shut at my sadly accurate statement.
"But… we're doing our best, right?" however asked Cecil.
"Of course" assured Otoya.
"Maybe we're still lacking something" thought Tokiya. "Our only option is to put all of our efforts into what we can do"
"Yes, a journey of a thousand leagues starts with one step" quoted Masato. "We have to keep moving forward little by little"
"Yes, I want to move forward!" agreed eagerly Cecil.
The door of our lodge suddenly opened.
"We're ready for you, STARISH!"
"Coming!"
The door closed, and I jumped on my feet, patting the Prince's head.
"We've come this far already. Don't give up just yet" I grinned down at him.
He smiled back, and the others got up too, before we headed out.
If it doesn't work… well, at least we'll all have learned a lot on the way here. It won't have been for naught, no matter what happens.
When we came out of the building, we were instantly attacked by a bunch of paparazzi. Some guards in the entry went to push the crowd aside so as to let us reach the limousine, and I sprawled myself on one of the couches once safely inside.
"What the hell is up with these people!?"
Cecil shrugged, pushing my legs up to sit. I let them fall back on his own without a care in the world. Otoya half-lifted me up, taking his own seat, and I let my head fall back on his lap. Too used to my antics by now, they just rolled with it.
"I think I know what's happening" said Ren, sitting in front, his eyes on his phone.
"What?"
For only answer, he smirked and showed me the screen. I read the article, my eyes widening more at each word.
"Fuck!"
"I won't be caught dead wearing a dress, trust me."
Damn it, did they have to take it so literally!?
"You shouldn't have provoked them" Tokiya shook his head with a sigh.
"Provoked them!? I just said that, and now they've open a fucking manhunt!"
Masato flicked my forehead in a silent scolding of my language, but I paid him no mind, too horrified to talk.
A bounty for the one who comes back with a picture of me in a dress. These people have no lives whatsoever!
"Well, whatever" I then huffed, crossing my arms. "I don't even own a dress anyway, so no way it'll work. They'll get tired of it soon enough"
The guys exchanged glances, half-amused, half-unconvinced, but didn't brought it up for the rest of the ride back.
"These people are crazy!"
I threw my bag on the couch.
"Oi!"
I blinked, halting in my mad dash, and realized Syo was resting there. I smiled sheepishly as he threw me back my bag with a slight scowl.
"Sorry…"
He was about to say something, but stopped when he took in my somewhat disheveled appearance and my slightly labored breathing.
"What, Devil's after you?"
"Almost" I groaned. "They followed me to the gate, and I barely managed to make it alive, can you imagine!?"
He stared for a few seconds, before his lips twitched. Then, apparently unable to stop himself, he started laughing.
"Ugh!"
He kept on laughing as I stomped out of the salon, more than ready to punch something, preferably one of those annoying paparazzi.
I read over my fan-mail, torn between annoyance, resignation and amusement. It would seem the girls also wanted to see me in a dress, for God-knows-what reason, and half had asked me to comply with the crazy journalists. The other half were gushing about The Perfect Note and spouting some nonsense about 'ships', 'canons', and 'fanfictions'.
In the end, curiosity got the better of me. Taking my laptop, I searched those mysterious fanfictions oh-so-many had mentioned.
I get the feeling that I'm making a biiiig mistake.
"GUYS! GUYS, LOOK AT WHAT I FOUND!"
They looked up, curious, as I burst in the kitchen where they had all gathered for lunch. Panting, horrified yet trying as hard as I could to keep my laughter in check, I placed my laptop on the table.
"What is it, Ary-chan?" asked curiously Natsuki.
"Do you know what fanfictions are?" I asked seriously.
"Fan… fictions?" repeated Cecil, tilting his head in wonder.
I nodded, pointing at my screen, and they leaned closer to read.
"They're stories written by people and posted on different sites on the internet. However, the stories are actually real ones, but modified by the fans, hence the name 'fanfictions'. They can pretty much write anything they want and, when I say everything, I mean everything" I explained quickly.
"What-"
"They've made up couples! With you guys!"
"What do you mean, Kitten?" Ren checked my screen in wonder.
"Well, I'm paired up with pretty much each of you" I mused. "Also all the members of QUARTET NIGHT. And those three from HEAVENS. And some random people they call 'OC's. And-"
"Wait a second… are these… WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!?"
At Syo's horrified cry, I checked what he had discovered. This time, I was the one laughing as he turned red, though if it was from embarrassment or anger, I wouldn't be able to say.
"That's what I wanted to tell you" I stopped laughing, but my grin wouldn't go away. "While I'm paired up with everyone, you are too. Otoya and Tokiya are a big hit, and so are Natsuki and Syo, and also Masato and Ren. I think I also found a love triangle between Cecil, Syo and Ren…"
They groaned in disgust at that, sending me into another fit of laughter.
"What do they do with their lives?" poor Otoya was as red as his hair.
"The real question is: do they even have one?" replied Masato, him as white as a ghost.
"Ary, why…?" asked moaned Syo in despair.
"Blame the fans, not me" I retorted, getting back my computer. "Eh? That's funny, they have things like 'fluff' or 'lemons' too. Wonder about the last one…"
I clicked to check, and started reading.
…
…
…
"ARGH! MY EYES! MY EYES ARE BURNING! MY SOUL HAS BEEN TAINTED! UGH!"
Two days had passed since the paparazzi frenzy started, and they still hadn't calmed down. I couldn't take a step outside without being assaulted by flashes and mikes from all sides, and someone had leaked out my job's location, so getting in was even harder.
This is just a freaking dress, why did they have to take this as a challenge!?
"Ary!"
With a relieved sigh, I spun on my heels and ran to Kaiden while the doors closed behind me, stopping the paparazzi from entering.
"Kai! I'm so glad to see you!"
The man and I had kept in touch since the café. He often sent me different pictures that I hung on the wall on my side of the room, and we met up once in a while to catch up or just hang out. We hadn't gotten another job together yet, but it was fun nonetheless.
Today was one of those days. Seeing as the medias wouldn't leave me alone, we had agreed to meet at his job where a nice café was opened for the employees.
"I'm really sorry about that" I repeated for the nth time.
"Ary, trust me, it's no trouble" he assured with a smile.
It seemed strained, though, and I easily guessed something was wrong.
"What's going on?"
His eyes widened slightly as we took a table, before he chuckled and shook his head, relaxing a little.
"Should have known you'd see it right away" he mumbled.
I frowned, growing worried. He took a deep breath, glanced nervously around.
"Okay. I… I don't really know how to say this, but… damn. Ary, I don't want things to change between us. No matter what I say, please…"
Please don't confess, please don't confess, please don't confess-
"Alright… Ary" I straightened, the mantra repeating in my mind. "I'm gay"
I stilled for a second.
Of all the things to say…
I let out an unusual squeal of delight, startling him.
"This is so cute! I can't believe you thought I'd judge that, of all things, but… Say, say, do you have a boyfriend yet? If so, I wanna meet him!"
He started laughing. It was amused, disbelieving, relieved. Apparently, he had been stressed about my reaction if he told me.
"Here I was, afraid to say anything, and the first thing you ask is if I have a boyfriend" he seemed unable to believe it. "You really are one of a kind, Ary"
"Kai, I'm your friend" I rolled my eyes. "And you know me, right? I'm not one to judge people. Appearances, sexual orientations, religions… if you're happy, then who am I to tell you how to live your life?"
"Wise words, not exactly understood by all, unfortunately" he sighed, before smiling. "I'm just glad to have gotten that off my chest. Also, to answer your question: yes, I do have a boyfriend"
"SO CUTE! Where is he? What's his phone number? I wanna call him and see if we can arrange a meeting, gotta make sure he won't pull some crap on you and all-"
"As if I'd do that" scoffed a familiar voice behind me.
Startled, I turned my head so fast I heard my vertebrae crack a little, and gaped as a blue-haired man smiled down at me.
"Yo"
"K-Kite!? No way! You're gay!? Wait, how come you kept hitting on Anita and me?"
"Boredom" he shrugged, before squealing and engulfing Kaiden in a tight hug. "Aw! And here he was, all scared to tell you! Isn't the the most cute, and talented, and beautiful, and bright, and-"
"K-Kite, stop it!"
I watched as the two interacted, the photographer all red while the actor gushed about his cuteness, and I felt my heart flutter happily at the sight.
"Well, as long as you don't do something stupid to mess things up, I'll let you date him" I nodded to the older one.
"Waa, don't you trust me?" he pouted childishly.
"I do, by Kai's my favorite" I shrugged. "Also, do you want anything? I'll pay. Take it as a gift for the new couple… wait, for how long have you two been together anyway?"
"Two weeks now" Kaiden looked down, cheeks flaming.
This is amazing. They're both such different people when together! Or is it actually who they really are?
I smiled softly as Kite planted a kiss on the youngest cheek.
Well, whatever. If they're happy like that, then I'm really happy too. I hope it'll last, though I don't have much doubts about it.
I left the building in a much better mood than when I arrived. The paparazzi had been warded off sooner, allowing me to step out without being attacked by the animalistic journalists.
And now, to my second rendezvous.
Kaiden wasn't the only friend out of the Agency I kept in touch with. Ever since the fashion show for which I had performed Scars To Your Beautiful, I had met up with the shy Amy once a month.
Her treatment was going well. She was back to a normal weight, had much more color than before, and she was also smiling more often.
When I arrived to our usual meeting place, I found her already waiting.
"A-Ary!" she beamed at me when I plopped down next to her. "I-I heard about what's happening with the paparazzi… t-they aren't giving you t-too much trouble?"
"Nan, I manage" I waved it off. "But I do have to ask: what the hell is up with this? I mean, it's just a stupid dress, isn't it? Why is everyone so hung up on it?"
She thought for a second, before offering an hesitant smile.
"W-well, you became really popular, you know? Loads of girls have t-taken you as role model. T-the thing is, they'll try to be the m-more like you possible because of it, so you w-wearing a dress isn't only some sort of mystery, it's also a-a way for medias to promote their o-own sense of beauty… I-I don't know if it makes any sense, but-"
The girl rambled a little, but I wasn't listening, thinking about what she said.
I've apparently become a more influential figure than I thought. They're trying to use my image to promote their stupid sense of 'beauty' and therefore not only getting those girls to by the products, but also destroying all the work I've done so far. If they manage –though they won't-, the girls would go back to thinking that appearance is everything. Boys, too, though I'm not really sure I've affected those that much…
I clenched my fist, and jumped on my feet.
"I can't allow this"
Amy stopped talking, surprised, before she smiled again and took my hand.
"I-I can't wait to hear you"
I offered a grin, a quick apology for cutting our meeting short along with a promise to make it up to her soon, and also thanked her for clearing things up. Then, I called back a taxi, impatient to go back to the Agency.
I had a new song to work on.
"Ary-chan's working really hard, isn't she?" wondered Natsuki.
At that, all the members of STARISH glanced at the girl. She was hanging upside down to the balcony outside, apparently able to write things down in her notebook despite the position. She was focused, not letting anything break her concentration.
"She told me she had to 'make them understand'" quoted Syo with a shrug. "Though I have no idea what or who she was talking about"
"Well, we'll know soon enough" replied Ren with a lazy smirk. "Kitten's all fired up, she won't take much longer"
They all knew his words to be true. Once the black-haired girl put her mind to something, she didn't let go easily.
Outside, Arya was still writing.
I grinned at Ringo-sensei, who offered a thumbs up on the other side of the glass, understanding the cue. He tapped Ryuya-sensei's shoulder, who nodded my way before turning on the machines.
A second later, music echoed in my ears.
Otoya had been kind enough to lend me a hand, recording himself while he played the melody with his guitar. The montage was done, and today was the day I was recording live my new solo.
Just hope it'll be enough.
Put your make up on
Get your nails done
Curl your hair
Run the extra mile
Keep it slim
So they like you…
Do they like you?
All these standards… these damn expectations… always the same old tune, running in the heads of those girls who have nothing else to believe.
Get your sexy on
Don't be shy, girl
Take it off
This is what you want, to belong
So they like you
Do you like you?
They have to understand. I'm trying, but they have to make their way too, on their own. They can't always depend on what others will think or say.
You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try
Youuuuu don't have to try
Ooooo, oooooo, oooooo...
If they do as asked, then what? It's their life, isn't it? They should think about themselves before thinking of others, be selfish and all that jazz. In the end, they can decide whether to stand their ground, or live and die this way.
Get your shopping on,
At the mall,
Max your credit cards
You don't have to choose,
Buy it all
So they like you
Do they like you?
Wait a second,
Why should you care, what they think of you
When you're all alone, by yourself
Do you like you?
Do you like you?
In the end, it's not even only about appearances. People should be free of judgment, of stereotypes. Boy or girl, black or white, straight or gay, Christian or Islamist or Atheist or-or…
You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing
Let them live their lives. If they're happy, then what's the problem? There isn't, that's what.
You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to bend until you break
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try
But I'm getting off tracks. For now, just do whatever you want. Be whatever you want. Say and think and act because you are your own, fantastic, beautiful person.
Take your make up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror, at yourself
Don't you like you?
Cause I like you
No matter what people will say.
After a few more seconds, the music stopped and the recording ended. Instantly, the door flew open and I was engulfed in a tight embrace by Ringo-sensei, who started spinning me around like some sort of rag doll.
"Waa! Ary-chan, that was amazing! You make such beautiful songs! Ah, if only more Idols did the same, the world would be a much better place already!"
"R-Ringo-sensei! Put me down!"
As he apologized, I couldn't help but wonder if himself had gotten trouble in the past, being a cross-dresser and all. The Idol life was weird, after all. In a way, we were allowed much extravagances. On the other side, though, we had a set image. Once it was chosen, we couldn't get out of it.
In the end, I guess Idols have expectations too, uh?
But it didn't worry me that much. I knew what I was worth, and so did my friends, and that's all that truly mattered to me, society be damned.
Come at me all you want… I'll take you on each time.
"Our shoot starts at 1:00 PM, right?" asked Syo.
"Yes"
Two days after the released of Try, the journalists had calmed down. If it was because of my song or because they got tired, I wouldn't know, but my performance had been greatly received nonetheless.
"Let's go over the show before the rehearsal" proposed Tokiya.
I was about to answer when four familiar figures appeared at the other end of the hallway, heading our way.
"Oh? QUARTET NIGHT is back" I remarked.
At my announce, the rest of the boys reported their attention on the newcomers.
"Oh, Rei-chan!" greeted happily Otoya. "You're back from your trip!"
I frowned slightly when I saw the weird faces they were making. Well, for Reiji, at least. His expression was unusually serious.
A moment later, I realized Haruka was missing.
God no.
Instantly, I was before the brunet, eyes wide.
"Where's Haruka? Why isn't she with you? Did something happened? Is she okay?"
A flash of surprise shone in his eyes, before he slightly shook his head and kept on walking. The other three followed, and they passed us without another glance.
Sheesh, talk about cold. Though at least she's okay, apparently.
"She's not coming back"
At Ranmaru's sudden reply, I couldn't find the words to answer. The other guys seemed just as taken aback as I was.
"She's not coming back?" however repeated Tokiya.
"What do you mean?" added Masato.
They stopped walking in a very synchronized movement –to think they practiced it before- and Ai glanced back our way.
"You haven't been entered yet, have you?" he asked, though it was obviously a rhetorical question.
We all stiffened at that.
"You won't be performing with us after all" Camus pursued plainly.
"But we haven't given up!" then retorted firmly Natsuki.
"We'll be at the entry concert, just you wait!" assured Syo.
"I wouldn't be so sure"
With that, Reiji pulled out a disk from his jacket with a suddenly smug expression, and threw it our way. Easily catching it, I glanced down at it in wonder.
Could it be…
"Your entry song?" I blinked at them.
"Hmm" confirmed the brunet. "We wrote it with her. It's the greatest song"
"The greatest song…" echoed Ren as all leaned over my shoulders to check out the disk in my hands.
"She's the one who said she didn't want to come back" informed Ai.
"No way…"
"Why?" frowned Cecil.
"You don't know?" replied Reiji, somewhat tauntingly. "If you don't, we might have to take her away from you"
With that, they walked away, obviously down. Rolling my eyes at the dramatics, I threw the disk at Otoya, before turning to face the seven boys.
"This is bullshit"
My remark startled them out of their thoughts.
"What-"
"Little one, Haruka is a part of this agency" I lifted a finger. "She can't not come back. She has a contract to honor. Little two, she loves all of us dearly. She wouldn't just up and leave like that, without a call, a message, an explanation. She's not that kind of person, and you should all know it better than anyone else. Little three… what the actual fuck? Take her away? That sounded so creepy…"
My words didn't seem to fully reach, but they did perked up at my explanation. Then, we headed back to our primary destination. I wasn't that much bothered by the situation, I knew Haruka probably only wanted to work a little more in peace and quiet before coming back. She must have had gotten some inspiration and decided to prolonged her stay. However, the guys didn't seem to understand.
Then again, as the saying goes: love makes you blind. Or something like that.
We listened to the demo given to us by Reiji sooner, all already suited up for our photo shoot –I had grown better for modeling, but I avoided it whenever I could-, and I could only watch with slight exasperation as the guys grew more and more stiff as the song went on.
The song is amazing, nothing less would have been expected from joined work between Haruka and those four. However, this isn't a reason to back down now, not after everything we did to get where we are.
The demo ended, leaving a tense silence in the room.
"This is QUARTET NIGHT's Triple S entry song" finally stated Otoya.
"I-It's amazing…" Syo gritted his teeth a little.
"The music was practically glowing" pointed out Cecil.
"Their appeal came together to create an unprecedented harmony" agreed Natsuki.
"This is the song the little lamb wrote…" Ren trailed off.
"It's perfect" Masato sighed. "Everyone would deem it worthy of a Triple S entry"
"Hm"
"I had no idea Haruka had this side to her" mumbled the Prince. "D-do you think the fact that we haven't entered the Triple S is related to Haruka's refusal to return?"
Instantly, I whacked him behind the head, daring him to repeat that.
Haruka isn't that kind of person. Don't think so lowly of her after spouting your nonsense about love and all that jazz.
"Of course not" assured Otoya, backing me up.
"Haru-chan believed more than anyone that we'd be entered" added Natsuki.
"Don't worry, she'll be back soon" promised Syo.
"Y-you're right…"
"Let's focus on the work before us" suggested Masato.
"Hai" instantly agreed Tokiya. "We have to keep moving forward"
"Aa"
"You're right"
"Yeah"
"We should focus on doing what we can" nodded Otoya.
"You're right" Cecil perked up. "I'll do my best"
There suddenly was a knock on the door.
"STARISH, get ready!"
"She has believed in STARISH ever since it was created" I then said, sauntering to the door.
I glanced back to them, smiling.
"So let's believe in her too, okay?"
That seemed to do the trick, for determination settled in their eyes. Satisfied, I then opened the door, and we all headed for our interview.
"Thank you for waiting" the animator bowed. "Here's STARISH!"
As the crowd started cheering, the animator laughed.
"You're as popular as ever, it would seem"
"Arigato gozaimasu"
"So, your Cross-Unit Project was a huge success" he went straight to the point, turning first to Natsuki and Otoya. "That rock musical must have been tough, ne?"
"Yeah" Otoya scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"At first, we had no idea what to do" smiled Natsuki. "Both Otoya-kun and I were at loss"
"But we tried a lot of different things" continued the redhead. "Thanks to everyone's support, we enjoyed performing onstage"
The animator nodded as the public cheered a little, then passed to the trio just behind me.
"We sang the theme song of a new smart phone" recalled Ren. "We had to suggest a concept for the commercial"
"That was really hard" confirmed Syo. "Our disagreements turned into arguments"
"You two were so stubborn" hummed Cecil, making me smile.
"You're one to talk" retorted the short blond.
"The other members were really worried about us" pursued calmly the flirt.
"But because we took the job so seriously, we were satisfied with the results" affirmed the Prince.
"Ary, Tokiya, and Hijirikawa had a tough time, too" then pointed Syo.
Geez, snitch on us, would you?
"We lost sight of the big picture because of the pressure" then admitted Tokiya.
"We were stuck for a while, but the others had faith in us and helped in whatever way they could" I added with a grin.
"We were able to enjoy the music festival because of the support from our friends" nodded Masato with a slight smile.
"The Cross-Unit experience gave us confidence, and taught us the importance of friendship" announced the black-haired boy.
"We only finished the job because, as Ary said, we had faith in each other" the short-tempered blond patted my head.
"We're also grateful to the staff we worked with" thanked Otoya.
"And more of all, to all the fans that kept encouraging us all along" I beamed at the crowd, making them cheer again. "So, STARISH hopes you'll keep on…"
"Believing in us!" we all concluded.
This time, the public's applauds made the room shake.
Wow, they really do love us, don't they?
We got up and bowed, before making our exit.
I truly am grateful, though. STARISH wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them either.
"It's strange, you know? I feel like our hearts are finally one" said softly Tokiya.
I smiled, balancing my legs over the edge of the balcony I was sitting on. To my right was Natsuki, and to my left was Cecil, the others spreading on each side.
After the job, we had come back to the Agency. It was getting late and, after a quick lunch, we had gathered outside to watch the sun go down.
"You're wrong" corrected Cecil. "We've always been one. Haruka brought us together"
"She did, didn't she?" I hummed, closing my eyes to enjoy the warmth of the sun caressing my face.
There was a short laugh from Ren.
"She's only been away for a week, but I miss her already" he remarked.
"I want to see her more than ever" affirmed Natsuki.
"Me too" Cecil joined in.
There was a moment of silence, and I shook my head in disbelief.
These guys…
"You know… Nanami's always been a hard worker" remarked suddenly the redhead.
"Yes" confirmed Masato. "She inspires those around her to want to work hard, too"
"Once, she gathered the lyrics someone had tore up" Syo shot a sly smirk Ren's way.
"That's our cherished memory" shrugged Ren, harboring the same smirk.
"She's exceptionally clumsy, but also exceptionally pure" pursued the short blond.
"That's why being with her feels so comfortable" stated Natsuki.
"Before I knew it, being away from her became unthinkable" smiled Tokiya.
"After meeting Haruka, I learned the importance of friends" beamed Cecil. "All because of her and the songs she writes"
These guys…
I snorted, earning wondering glances from the others. I brought a knee to my chest, staring into the flaming horizon with a grin tugging at my lips.
"You guys are all so whipped, it's almost painful to watch" I mused. "But in a way, I can understand. She's the one who helped me back on my feet when I came to the Academy, along with all of you guys. I'm really thankful to her, and to all of you"
Natsuki ruffled my hair, smiling warmly down at me.
"Let's definitely perform at the Triple S entry concert" he said.
"We will show Nanami the Triple S opening ceremony's stage" assured Masato.
"We won't let QUARTET NIGHT take Nanami" Syo pumped his fist.
"With her song, we'll stand on the entry concert's stage" promised Ren.
"Yes, definitely" agreed Tokiya.
"We can fly because she believes in us" Cecil echoed my words from sooner. "Her songs will take us to even greater heights"
Okay, I think I've reached my drama-cheesy quota of the month.
Stretching, I jumped back on the balcony and headed for the door, before tilting my head their way.
"Guys, you coming?"
"Coming?" repeated dumbly Otoya.
"Well, you want to see Nanami, don't you?" I raised an eyebrow.
At that, they all smiled back at me.
Haruka… you really are loved by everyone, aren't you? Even I have fallen under your spell- wait, that sounded wrong.
…
Maa, whatever. Not like anyone can read my thoughts or anything.
We were all running.
The sky was now dark, but illuminated by thousands of stars. The path was cleared by the moon's light, and our steps echoed in the silence of the night.
My feet nearly slipped, but I didn't stop. I had the grand idea to run on one of the little wall of rock bordering the road, and when Syo told me I wouldn't be able to do it… well, I never was one to refuse a challenge.
If I win, he'll get me dango. If I loose… damn it, why did he have to bring the cat ears up again?
But I would win this one.
So, back on tracks: we were all running. Haruka was currently on her way back and, after a little project of ours was done, we had decided to come to her first.
Then, we all stopped in one movement when Haruka finally appeared. When she raised her head to us, her eyes widened, and she dropped her bag in surprise.
Silence ensued.
"Nanami" Otoya soon broke it. "Welcome back"
As the rest of us echoed his words, her face broke into a big smile. She shot me a sideway look, and I just shrugged.
They were acting like kicked puppies without you, so I brought them.
The thing was, I had been the one to warn them of Haruka's return. She had texted me sooner to announce she'd come back late, so that I would leave the door of our room unlocked, and I had relayed the message to the boys afterwards.
Well, here we go, I guess.
I love your smile so much I could cry
When we're apart
I realize how much I'm made up of you
A sharp sadness in my chest
The pain lets me know
Maps to the future
And symphonies pursuing our dreams
Don't shine without the dreams we weave together
Miss you because you're here
We are STARISH
As always thank you
The miracle of being born in the same age
Turning a cosmically tiny fraction of the brightness of our meeting
Into song
Again, silence befall upon us as our voices soon rejoiced with the stars above.
"Nanami"
"Haru-chan"
"Nanami!"
"Milady"
"Nanami"
"Nanami-san"
"Haruka"
Donkey! Wait, wrong movie.
"Write a song with us?" I asked with a smile.
"We want to perform at the Triple S entry concert" Syo stepped in firmly.
"We must perform one of your songs" added Tokiya, almost pleadingly.
"Please, Haruka!" completed Cecil. "Write us a Triple S entry song!"
She kept gaping at us for a few seconds, before our words finally managed to get through, and her eyes widened slightly.
"I-I actually already wrote a Triple S entry song for you" she then admitted, pulling out a few papers from her bag.
Well I'll be damned. You go, girl!
"What?"
"You… did?" gasped Syo, taken aback.
"Really, Haruka?"
"Yes. I… I felt compelled to write your song" she smiled.
She handed Tokiya the papers, and we all leaned forward to get a closer look.
"This is… our Triple S entry song" the black-haired boy repeated.
"Incredible…" whispered Otoya.
"Fantastic!"
"Haruka, you're amazing" I gaped at the music sheets.
"This is the best, Milady"
"It's perfect, Nanami!"
"Way to go, Haru-chan!"
"This song is packed full of our goddesses' love" mused Cecil.
I grabbed my stone at that, well forced to admit the same. It was practically thrumming in my palm.
"Guys…" she seemed to happy to hear us.
"I want to sing this song right now" admitted Otoya.
"Well, that makes eight of us, I believe" I grinned.
We all nodded, on the same length of thoughts.
"Let's write some lyrics immediately" proposed Tokiya.
"W-what? Right now?" repeated Haruka.
"Of course!"
"Strike while the iron is hot"
"Will you help us, Milady?"
"Of course" she instantly agreed. "Let me help you shine!"
If anyone else said that, it'd be really, really weird. How she can say these things so seriously, I do wonder.
"Yosh!" I pumped my fist in the air. "Let's do this, guys!"
"Thank you, Haru-chan" beamed Natsuki.
"For writing a song for us" completed Cecil.
Unable to stop myself anymore, I ran to her and latched my arms around her neck. She stumbled a little, surprised, before hugging back.
"Thank you, Haruka" I whispered.
She giggled softly.
"Anytime, Ary"
I was working on the lyrics with Tokiya, Masato and Syo. Otoya was with Haruka working on the music arrangement, and Natsuki, Cecil and Ren were already starting on the choreography.
I shook my head, focusing back on my own work.
This is going to be awesome.
The sun was shining high up in the sky. The door of the salon opened, letting enter Ringo, who placed his hands on his hips.
"How long are you going to…" he trailed off at the sight greeting him.
They were all sleeping. Otoya was in a sitting position against the piano, his guitar in his arms. Ren and Natsuki had fallen asleep back to back, Cecil lying on the floor just next to them. Masato was half-lying on a couch, his head on the armrest, Syo had his own head in his arms, against a the table, and Tokiya had his arms crossed, his head dropped on his chest. As for Arya, she had her own head on his lap and her legs on Syo's back.
Curious as to what this could possibly mean, the cross-dressing Idol went to the table to get a look at the numerous papers lingering on it, and his eyes widened when they realized what exactly the music sheets contained. Then, he sighed fondly and shook his head with a smile.
"Sheesh. How long are you going to sleep!? Wake up!"
Syo yelped, Otoya let out a small cry of surprise, and the others simply snapped their eyes opened or straightened their less than comfortable positions.
"What's going on?" asked Masato, his voice hoarse.
Slowly, they all got back on their feet.
"I'm tired" mumbled Cecil, rubbing his eyes.
"Good morning…" Natsuki still had his eyes closed.
"Morning…" repeated tiredly Ren.
"You scared me" Otoya still seemed a little out of it.
"It's already morning" realized Masato.
"The night passed by so quickly" sighed Syo, replacing his hat.
"… guys?"
At Tokiya's voice, they all turned to the couch, finding him still seated down with the black-haired girl still asleep on his lap. She was lightly snoring, now curled up like a cat and apparently not about to move.
"… well, she got a free day" remarked Cecil with a shrug.
So, careful as not to wake her up, they helped freeing Tokiya –which wasn't an easy task, seeing how she tightly she clutched to his jacket- and Syo laid a blanket over her with a slight shake of his head.
Then, they noticed Haruka, much in the same state and sleeping on the piano. Natsuki smiled, bringing his finger to his lips in a silencing gesture.
Then, Ringo more or less kicked them out.
"Hurry, or you'll be late for work!"
Instantly, most of them were half-running, half-stumbling into the hallway and towards the exit, unaware of QUARTET NIGHT silencing watching them act with some curiosity. When the pink-haired man left, they went to check the salon from which the seven boys had ran out in such a frenzy.
They instantly spotted the Composer, sleeping soundly on the piano with a pink blanket covering her shoulders. They stared for a moment.
"You were serious, right?"
"Uh?" Reiji tilted his head at Ai's question.
"About taking Haruka from them" the boy precised.
"Of course" nodded the brunet. "I'm always serious. Still… I'm jealous. No one asked her to do it, yet she wrote a song for them because she believed in them…"
There was a burst of wind from one of the open windows, and a few music sheets flew to Reiji's feet. Curious, he picked them up, and read over the few lines.
His eyes widened.
"This is-"
"MESSAGE!"
They jumped at the sudden electronic announcement, and looked at the couch on the side from where it came from, only to find a sleeping Arya, all snuggled into another blanket.
On the table next to her, her phone's screen was bright.
Unable to stop himself, Reiji picked it up. If it was about a job, he'd wake her up. She couldn't afford being late now, of all times, after all.
What he found wasn't about a job.
"Your father is dead. You have been mentioned in his heritage. Come back home at once to settle the details,
Miranda Idonys Cruz"
There was a moment of stillness for the four members of QUARTET NIGHT.
"Well… damn" finally breathed out Ranmaru.
Well damn indeed.
Wow, that was an hectic chapter. Much has happened, hasn't it? The first song is Try by 'Colbie Caillat', but I don't know the name of the second song, the one they sang in the real episode.
First! I think I explained well what the hell was up with the dress obsession, but here: many, many girls now listen to her songs, and her words have become quite influencial. Thus, if she suddenly decided to drop everything and become a bimbo lacking too many cells up there, they wouldn't question her and just follow in her footsteps. This isn't what Arya want, obviously, hence why she reaffirmed her position using Try.
This leads us to the second meaning: just like appearances, the beliefs, the sexual orientations, the genres, the skin color, and all of the others... none of them matter. Everyone one is unique and, if we were all the same, then there'd be no point in living. We'd just be clones, and that'd be it. So, don't let anyone shame you, people! Differences are important, and so are you!
Third! Ah, the gay friend... I don't know, I love gays. I've got my GBF too. Myself am not lesbian, but bisexual. Yosh! Long live the bis!
Fourth! There wasn't anything important about the fanfictions discovery. I just thought that, in the modern world where anime and such existed, so would fanfictions. And let's be honest, it was funny.
Fifth! So, her father... well, you'll learn soon enough where I'm going with this.
SEE YOU ALL NEXT CHAPTER!