"Here!" yelled Chisato placing on the clubroom table a box of goodies. "I made all of this myself!"

"Whoa!" marveled Kanon opening the box. "Cupcakes! I didn't know you were good at making sweets, too!"

"Heheh. I'm becoming quite the ideal person, ar'nt I?"

Kanon went ahead took a bite, and then touched her cheek in supreme delight. "Mmmm! This is so good! I can hang myself now without any regrets!"

"You're being weird…" mumbled Sumire.

In the meantime, Ren, steepling confidently at the head of the table with the window to her back, was just taking her time. "Why not take a bite, too, Sumire-chan? But be careful not to eat too much or your stomach will be upset."

Kanon had already taken a second cupcake. "Yummy… Chi-chan, you're so good. Why not just work for our café?"

"Nah. It's actually a lot of work the first time. If you put me in an actual kitchen, I just might break my neck."

Suddenly, a knife swished down onto the box, and Sumire got herself one. "Could you make raspberry next time?" She took the cake and popped it into her mouth.

For that Monday's club meeting, the School Idol Club discussed their first concert outside of school, but they couldn't get into the nitty-gritty just yet… because first off, Ren proposed a certain approach.

"Did you just say 'Love Live?!' " chorused the three of them.

"Uh-huh! Of course. We're school idols, after all."

"But…" muttered Kanon.

"Seriously, what's with those faces?" sighed Ren. "You're both Love Live fans, of course it should be worth it having a shot at the contest itself."

"You clearly don't know the difference between a fan and a performer, Madam," said Kanon. "Isn't it enough for people to know our school at least has a resident girl group?"

"Says the one who's both a fan and a performer. If you're a school idol there's no way you're avoiding the Love live."

"…"

"We should dream big. I can't be the one having grand plans for my school when its flagship girl group is shying away from the big league."

Sumire scoffed. "The level of singing will be different for that, mind you. We might as well take some extra lessons."

"As I see it," said Ren, losing yourself in your music is the most basic lesson, and after that, Sumire-chan, we can refine our performances." Shrug. "I don't know about you, but I think it will work for me."

"Ahem," cut in Chisato. "I see the both of you have valid points. I myself am undecided about the whole thing, so let's ask the opinion of the one who's got the most experience onstage." And she nudged Sumire.

OP Song

Bouken Type A, B, C!

Lyrics: Aki Hata

Composition and Arrangement: Tatsuya Kurauchi

.

#11. We're Going to the Love Live?!

"I'll pass."

"What?!"

"A child star is different from a school idol."

"No way. Didn't you even have a school idol channel?"

"This is my first time working as a regular member of a group."

"What could be the difference? A child star and school idol both sing and dance, right?"

"Tch. I see you have a shallow understanding of showbiz." Yawn. "Kuu-chan should be back from the anime club by now. She loves schoooool idols, right? She should more experience with them than any of us here. Her view is more relevant. I'll follow hers, and then you follow mine."

A little later Kuku did arrive. "Sorry, guys," she said of the anime club. "I told them I can't go full time, but I said I'd cosplay for them every now and then."

When asked about the whole Love Live issue, she positively exploded. "Sugooooooiiiiiii! We're gonna be really real school idols!" And she whirled around in ecstacy.

Ren shrugged smugly. "There you have it."

Kanon growled in frustration and said to Chisato, "I knew I lost this round the minute she mentioned Kuu-chan."

Next up was composing an original song, as the contest required. Ren stared meaningfully at Kanon for a second, but when she couldn't so much as look back at her, she announced, "I have made a composition and lyrics, but of course, but I must let you hear it first so you can give suggestions for change. If needed."

After listening to Ren perform it acapella, one song about one's own symphony, as well as a second more upbeat piece, they were all stunned. Even Sumire couldn't comment for a moment. Chisato and Kuku applauded, much to Ren's surprise. "It's wonderful!" said Kanon.

"Uh, guys…?" said Ren. "I was asking for your feedback. Do we have to change anything? Music? Lyrics?"

"No no no no!" said Kuku. "It's perfect, desu!" Chisato only nodded vigorously.

"Are you sure? I feel a little uncomfortable, honestly." She turned to their resident critic, Sumire, who only went ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pretty much concurring with their judgment. Ren could only groan.

"I guess I should only make an instrumental next time."

"What's missing is a title, though," added Sumire.

The girls were deflated for a bit. "I don't have any clear ideas for a title," lamented Kanon.

"Wait!" beamed Chisato. "I got cool English song titles for inspiration!" She quickly took out of her pocket some CD labels. "Here's one. 'Sing and Smile!' And... Um... Hm? Ahem! 'Smile… Smile…. Ship… Start.' Er… Did I say it right?"

"We can't come up with English titles that easily," grumbled Kanon, "especially long ones."

"I know!" said Kuku. "Let's just make it 'Sweet and Smile-Sing and Sister-Ship Service-Start Sadistic Surprise!' Pretty cool, zuraa~"

"It's surprisingly sadistic!" seconded Chisato happily, completely sold.

"Are you trying to sell a light novel?" growled Sumire. "Riviera's not a bookstore!"

Kanon sighed. "But I think I can name the second song. It's so catchy. It makes my heart dance. Therefore…"

"Dancing Heart!" Chisato quickly suggested.

"Can't we add anything to it?" said Sumire. "It's too prosaic."

"What? It's still too dull for you? Grrrr…. Alright! Dancing Heart… Dancing Heart… Dancing Heart… Grrrrr…. Grrrr… La la la la! Dancing Heart La La La! Now quit bugging me, my brain's overheating already."

"We'll take it," smiled Ren. "Sometimes, the simplest and most honest feelings make the best names. I'll also make sure to add 'Dancing Heart' and 'La la la' somewhere in the song."

With that, the meeting concluded, and everybody went out to get some snacks before retiring for the evening… only Kuku, actually, as Chisato and Kanon have to help out at their respective businesses, and Sumire, has her own business of editing an earlier video for vlogging.

"¿Hola?" came the answer from the other end of the line.

"Is it 'hello,' or is it 'hey' this time?" asked Chisato.

"Of course it's 'hello.' "

Chisato reached out for some lightly salted potato sticks as she lay on her tummy with a masseuse. "You listening to μ's?"

"An hour ago, I think," said Kanon answering some exercises with her headphones on. "I'm just having some lo-fi right now with the Math stuff today. I can even hear you when I put the phone on the loudspeaker."

"…"

"You're chewing something? Are you eating in bed again?"

Chisato smirked. It won't do to tell her buddy where exactly she is right now without being pestered out of envy. She can't let her savings go to waste right now because of a spoiled massage.

"Maybe you aren't home yet? Where are you?"

Really now… "Someplace we'll both visit sometime when I get an allowance next month. It's a surprise."

"Moh…"

Sweet giggle. "So you're finally done with your song?"

Kanon smiled fondly and stared into thin air. "Well, yes. It's not exactly finished, but I feel I can sing it already."

"That's really good news. We got to add to our original song lineup."

"It's still a little awkward, honestly."

"When you already did a concert in front of, what was that? Ten? Twenty?"

"Wah! D-Did Kuu-chan tell you?!"

"Come on. Did you even tell her not to tell anyone? She was proud of you, girl!"

So that's what she had felt. She hid in her room until well after they were gone, and the following day Kuku seemed to have forgotten everything. "Did… Did she also say that I… well…?"

"What is it?"

"Uh, no! N-Never mind!" Huff.

Snicker. "Let's just fall back on aerobics again if you're not really up to the task. It's the Love Live we're talking about now. If you can't hold your own on your own before twenty people, how will you handle the Dome all alone?"

The thought alone made her shudder. "No, of course not! You'll be with me onstage, right?"

"Girl… There will be segments when you have to go solo and there's nobody else there. You gotta manage that. Alright?"

"Maybe I'll just drag you down."

"You can be stubborn sometimes, you know that?"

"Eheheh… Am I?"

"Masaka… Are you even studying well right now whilst you're losing your cool talking to me?"

"Don't worry, I'm about to finish up, anyway."

"Heh. You're seriously amazing, Non-chi. You multitask, you make me and Sumire-chan cooperate even when we're still hating each other's guts. And now you just took a huge step out of your comfort zone. At this point there is absolutely no question if you can, only if you will."

"…"

"Just remember the big things you did and do them again. And again. And again. It's nothing but practice. That's how it is at dance rehearsal, isn't it?"

"…"

"Haven't you realized?"

Kanon chewed thoughtfully on her pencil. The lo-fi track went on playing. It seemed as if Chisato's words and her own thoughts were blending into the music. "That's actually pretty interesting. Say, what if I give in to Maman for a change? She's been insisting that I sing for the customers. Maybe I'll tell her I can do it if it's people from our school. And… if there's only five of them, eheheh…"

"Not a bad place to start." Just then she flinched from the massage and turned to the masseuse. "Hey, easy there, it hurts."

"Chi-chan?" said Kanon anxiously. "Are you in trouble? T-Tell me where you are!"

"Hah? No, it's nothing, it's just… Well, it's kind of an exercise, don't mind me. I won't bother you anymore, OK? See 'ya at school." And she hung up with a relieved sigh.

スーパースターズ! GO!

The next training at Ren's was about a week before the audition. They were going to practice singing both songs in case the panel chose one over the other. But first, their voices needed to be checked, improved if need be.

"Haaaaaah."

Ren smiled at Kuu-chan. She was beginning to hold the really high notes. "Alright," she said, "one more time. From the lowest. Follow the keys."

She pressed the lowest key. Suddenly she noticed Kuu-chan gulp. "Anything the matter, Kuu-chan?"

"Eheheh... I kinda trained too much with the high notes. I forgot how to sing the low ones."

Bright, sunny laugh. "I should have made our practice a little more balanced. Alright, from the top..."

After a little more practice, it was Chisato's turn. While the two were absorbed at the piano Kuku spied something in Ren's breast pocket. With a deft hand she snatched it away, much to everyone's surprise.

"I got it!"

The girls flocked to Kuku and tried to see the photo she was holding up in the air. "What is it?" demanded Sumire. "Is it some outfit I never heard of?!"

I was so careless! thought Ren to herself. Think! Keep your cool. Try to douse their interest with something else. Unfortunately for her, she was thinking a little to deliberately to be fast enough. "Uwah!" said Kanon at the pouting girl arrayed in a rocker's outfit, with matching multicolored wig. "Who's this wild bay-behhhh? I like her already!"

"Urrrgh…" whimpered Ren taking away the photo, "she's my cousin." Before anyone could react further, she held up a finger at them and declared in a powerful voice, "Part and parcel of being a school idol is visualizing. She pointed at the window to draw their attention there. "Do you hear it? We're entering the Love Live now. Everybody is cheering for us!"

They closed their eyes and let the words sink in.

"They're shouting at the top of their lungs!"

"Yeah…" breathed Chisato.

"They are yelling our names. They are yelling 'Riviera!' Soon, their excitement overwhelms them to the point where they have nothing else to voice out but incoherent cheering.

"They have gone insane from celebrating us."

Insert Song

Watashi no Symphony (preview ver.)

Third song by Liella (Watashi o Kanaeru Monogatari Edition)

Released April 7, 2021.

The school grounds resounded with the acclamation of the whole student body gathered there. The girls shouted with them. They all had the same feeling—the excitement of going to the Love Live audition which was going to be held at one later that afternoon, and this mini-concert was the school's little sendoff.

"I'm so glad we were able to give them a taste of our music before we go!" said Chisato to Kanon a bit later amidst the uproar.

"I'm sure there'll be a handful who'll try to get into the venue. Welp, guess we'll just have to sing louder, maybe they'll hear from the outside."

They had a hearty lunch at the chamber and then proceeded to the building where the auditions were to be held. Much of the preparation they spent looking over and trying their costumes, which Sumire had handpicked for the occasion.

"Suugoiiiii!" fawned Kuku over and over.

"Sumire-chan never ceases to amaze me, honestly!" said Kanon.

Sumire, who should have been declaiming or snickering at this moment, was delightedly subdued by Kanon's compliments, especially remembering how she got over her costume complex. "Ren-chan helped me out, you know…"

In the precious half-hour before their turn, Ren gathered them for a quick briefing. "I believe we should treat this affair casually, and show it. We have practiced quite a bit, we can afford to do that. It's better than being thrown off in the littlest details from nervousness. The judges will notice it."

"You say that," objected Kuku, "but the place is different. The people are different. Everything is different. There's no way it won't affect us."

"Well, that's what this audition is about. Confidence. If you can't give it first off, you can't advance."

"You never sang in a mall before?" Chisato said to Kuku. "It's just like that. There are strangers around, and we're in a more public space…"

At that moment they realized something. "Wah, we should have included it in our practice! A mini-mall show. It would have helped us in facing down the panel!"

Ren shrugged. "It's our first try. Even if we don't make it, we'll just come back."

"But the school's counting on us!" said Kanon. "What will they feel if we come home empty-handed?"

"We apologize and become the underdogs," dismissed Ren. "They will love us for it even more. We will be worse off if we didn't grow immediately. Treat this as experience. A fun experience."

The three girls only looked unconvinced and Sumire just sighed. "You got a point, Matsuura, but why waste time? The Love Live is annual, right? We'll only have three tries in all before we graduate. We shouldn't be casual, there must be something different about this performance. But instead of anxiety, let's give it our best right away. Besides," she added eyeing some of the other candidates passing by, "we don't exactly know who we're up against."

They watched on as a queue began to form. Their batch was up next. Taking their place at the head of line was a curious pair. Their costumes didn't stand out that much, but they strode ahead in a relaxed but supremely confident air that Ren had just told Riviera to assume. They weren't the only one to notice. The pair elicited quite a few gazes and whispers. But the one thing that stood out the most was…

"Ren-chan," said Kanon, "are… are those really elf-ears?"

She was talking about the blonde of the two. She did sport those pointed ears that was a trope of fantasy films. But far from making her weird, it complemented her lithe physique, quite well it must be said. Before any more questions could be raised about them, however, they disappeared through the curtains.

Little by little the queue broke up into a small crowd peer through the curtains to see the pair in action. The Riviera girls looked at each other and nodded in agreement before going to take their place with the crowd. By the time they arrived the two were already performing.

Insert Song:

CHASE!

Nijigasaki High School Idol Club's debut album TOKIMEKI Runners

Lyrics and Composition: Suzuki Ereca and JOE; Arrangement: tasuku.

.

Kanon was stunned at the performance. It was a rainstorm that blew in her face, but she could not avert her eyes even as her drenched hair clung to her face.

At the end of it, nobody could speak. They all made way as the two left the stage. Nobody could speak—except a still-overwhelmed Kanon, whose lips moved before she could fully realize.

"Isn't that… Isn't that a cover?"

"…"

"Aren't we supposed to use original songs?"

One of them smiled and said, "The committee had allowed the use of other songs for auditions, so long as it had been performed at the Love Live.

"We chose this piece as a tribute to our mentor.

"Miss Nana Yuki."

Everybody waited until the two have disappeared before slowly melting into murmurs and drifting apart. Sumire quickly pulled Kanon aside by the arm to where the rest of the girls have gathered.

"Why didn't anyone tell us?" complained Sumire. There was no reply from them. "The panel will judge us more stringently than if we simply interpreted another song. I could have made a thousand different covers if it was another song!"

"…"

"We can't let ourselves be pushed around, guys. Let's rock this building to its foundations!"

Ren smiled. "We have already started as we did. Let's stick to our own style."

"…"

"I'll let go of my casualness, if you let go of your anger. Are you fine with that?

"Minna," she finally addressed the group, "let's pump a little more life into this performance."

Riviera made the cut.

Predictably, the following week there was a hero's welcome all over the campus. There were congratulatory banners everywhere, and people greeted the girls at all the classroom and clubroom doors they passed by. Snacks and sweets flowed as each class put out their own parties to celebrate the success of their school.

At their own clubroom, however, despite the pizza and other stuff on the table, the mood was serious as the four girls—Ren was yet to arrive—discussed the preparations for the next round of the contest. To their shock, regarding the letter Chisato held out for everyone to see, this year's tournament will have only two stages: a preliminary round to choose three contenders per region, after which they'll go directly to the nationals.

"This is insane," said Chisato.

"They whittled down the contestants from four to three," remarked Sumire. "This will be a tougher selection process. And then, after that, it will be a gigantic all-out fight at the Dome. I'm a hundred percent sure it will be at the Dome."

"The Dome…" breathed Kuku in awe.

Kanon was speechless. So even Sumire looked stumped by this turn of events? The thought of performing at such a place so soon short-circuited Kanon's brain for a moment.

"What's with that expression?" grumbled Sumire. "You expect a Japan-wide event to be held in play park?"

"I don't know," said Chisato, "maybe we bit off a little bit more than we chew."

"Then why did we even step into the Love Live at all?! It's a given—" Just then she recalled something. Ren said they were just gaining experience. Everyone else in the group half-expected they were going to lose that time; it was their first try. To have even just attempted the Love Live can be seen by their new school as an achievement; it was already a strong enough statement that their idol group had that level of quality this early. But this was never good enough for Sumire. If someone of her background was associated with something that flopped…

Wait…

Associated…?

It was also a little weird to her that this clutch of rookies should pass an audition, for a stricter contest, along with that strange pair who clearly displayed a professional level of performance. They danced like pros, vocalized like pros, carried themselves like pros, walked like pros…

And weren't they under a talent agency or something? I'm sure I have also seen them before on a mag somewhere… Duplex Deluxe, was it?

Back at the auditions, Sumire had excused herself for the toilet whilst they awaited the results. After going to the washroom, she was startled by the two contestants themselves standing at the doorway. Did they track her down and wait outside? What did they want?

"Congratulations," said the tall one. Her pointy-eared companion only cat-smiled.

Heh? Did we make the cut?

"You passed the auditions. You will be moving on with us to the preliminaries."

Wha… So they did make it… but why was she first getting news of their success from a rival group? And why did they pick Riviera?

"Your presence was a lot of help, Yazawa-san. Your buddies must be feeling really lucky to have you around."

And they turned away. The sound of their footsteps was carefully measured, deliberate. There must be a purpose to their approach. What exactly was it about her? Far as she knew, everyone in the group got to the same level of ability after receiving the same training.

And then… it struck her.

"Sumire-chan?" said Kanon. "Are you alright?"

Sumire turned to stare at her, still in disbelief. "S-Sumire-chan… Don't look at me like that… You're scaring me."

At that moment, the door opened, and in went Ren. She took her place at the table and placed yet another letter on it, right before their astonished eyes. It was from an advertising firm.

ED Song

i-n-g, I TRY!

Lyrics: Aki Hata; Composition and Arrangement: Takeshi Masuda

Next Time! #12. Duplex Deluxe