"Tsubasa! Hey!"

"Oh. Honoka. What's up?"

"I saw your live yesterday! You guys were awesome!"

"O-oh. Thank you."

Tsubasa hadn't exactly been expecting this. Getting praise from her rival was unusual. Then again, Honoka wasn't usual to begin with.

"I wanna be just as good as you are!" Honoka stated.

Tsubasa found herself freezing at those words, her mind unable to comprehend it. Honoka... saw her that way? As a role model? As... someone to look up to?

She couldn't believe it. She was someone's role model? No... no... she couldn't be.

"I... I'm sorry, I don't think you want to look up to me." Tsubasa quickly turned away, "Goodbye."

"H-huh? Hey! Tsubasa! Wait up!" Honoka didn't understand her reaction at all.

Tsubasa was grabbed and stopped. Honoka wasn't letting her go that easily.

"Why shouldn't I look up to you? You're an awesome idol! I wanna be like you."

"Because... I'm not who you think I am..." Tsubasa mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"I... I'm not a real girl..."

"Huh?" Honoka was very confused.

"You shouldn't look up to me. No one would respect me if they knew I'm trans."

"Oh. That's what you mean? But you are a real girl!" Honoka protested.

"Stop saying that. I'm not. I'll never be one..."

Honoka hugged her tightly, "You are a girl. And you're still who I look up to. Nothing is going to change. I don't want another role model."

"Honoka..." Tsubasa started crying.

"E-eh? Did I do something wrong?"

"No... I'm... I'm happy..." Tsubasa tried to wipe away her tears, "I... I never had someone look up to me before."

"But you're awesome! How could you not have people look up to you?" Honoka didn't believe her.

"Well... I don't count anyone who... doesn't know I'm trans..."

"Oh... you've told people before?"

Tsubasa nodded, "I don't want to deceive anyone..."

"You aren't though. You aren't deceiving people." Honoka frowned.

"I'm not?"

"They aren't being deceived. You don't owe them anything. They don't deserve to know anything about you."

"I've... always been told I should tell people that look up to me..."

"Well, that's wrong. You don't have to."

"Honoka? Thank you... I'm really glad to have you as a friend." Tsubasa turned around to face her.

"And I'm happy to call you my friend too." Honoka smiled at her, "If anyone is giving you trouble, let me know. I'll help you deal with them."

"I really don't deserve you..."

"Of course you do." Honoka pouted, "You deserve people who accept you."

"Thank you..."