I'm just sitting typing out lyrics while my matcha tea cools. It's so easy to resent anything or anyone who tells you what you can't do. Here are my notes what can I work with? Ugh, I can't rhyme to save my life I better text Tsugu when I get the chance.

I'm at Tomoe's house and we're sitting in her kitchen. The stools stand around Tomoe's kitchen island. Green houseplants hang down from their floating pots near the window. I just stare at my Utowa eyelash curler then look at Ako on her phone sitting on a plush bench in a small booth part of Tomoe's kitchen.

Ako tells me, "I'm playing this game with these 5 cheer teams and this one team went out to eat pancakes and you would not believe what happens! The backspot wanted to take a picture with the ocean in the background but her friends didn't want to then she was like fine I won't show you the pics! But you know she's going to post them anyway though that was pretty mean of her friends."

I'm just now finding this out? "Yeah those games can get pretty weird."

She closes her eyes and puts her chin up in that I'm gonna say something cool way. "Hu hu hu! Goddess of darkness, I summon thee to bless me on these gacha pulls!"

Ako's eyes fill with hope as she stares at her phone lying on the table. "Please!"

She sighs loudly, her shoulders slump, her eyes water and voice gets mopey, "All dupes, 9 2 stars and 1 3 star." Ako rests her head on the table. She's so disappointed even I'm feeling it.

Tomoe pats her back, "Aww cheer up sis those things are based on luck."

Poor Ako. "Oof, sorry Ako you deserve better. What do you like about that game anyway?"

Ako sits straight, smiling at me, still sounding a bit sad and disappointed but cheering up. "Oh my gosh Ran do you have any idea how cool the cheer mixes are?"

She shows me her phone and yeah, the girl on the card art's pose does not look comfortable."

Tomoe sounds pretty annoyed, "Kay hat the hell is that?"

Ako looks up, sounding calmer but more worried. "Umm, this is one of my rare 4 stars from a 10 pull gacha from an earlier event."

Tomoe shakes her head slowly. "So sis how do you feel about her weird uncomfortable looking pose?"

"Hmm, I can't say I like it but the shape and colors on the uniform are so cool!"

Ako looks up to Tomoe. She looks worried but it's probably has to do with that game she plays with Rinko. "Umm, sis? Sorry I forgot to tell you can you please forgive me?"

"What did you do this time?"

Ako puffs her cheeks putting her hands on her hips. I can see how being asked that can feel crappy especially coming from your own sister but we know you Ako. Yeah she's mad. "Why does it have to be something I did? I wanted to say our aunt is coming over on Friday!"

Oh, that's when we have the festival. How are we getting out of this one?

Tomoe strokes her chin, "Hmm, you know Ako, between you and me I can't stand her. She always criticizes how I dress and what I like and asks me if I'm seeing anyone or if there's a nice boy I like and I just can't deal with that."

"But why sis?"

She sits down and grabs a pad and pencil. "Oh I don't know, maybe they're only asking to decide how they're going to treat me as if being single or in a band is an excuse to withhold respect from someone. So yeah, you can be stuck with her if you want. Her and mom will be happier without us getting in their way anyway and do you really want to hear her share embarrassing stories about us? And hear mom badmouth us and our aunt badmouth our cousins because of some pointless humility act? You gotta love Japan sometimes."

Hmm, I know. "You know how they really want us to get into a good school? We'll tell mom it's for school. We aren't lying anyway since we can put our music on our applications as extracurriculars."

Tomoe strokes her chin, "Hmm, you know that's a great idea. I'll text mom. We should get going, we're covering Eilish's Bury a Friend at practice right?"

"Yeah. At least it's not that Attack on Titan cover."

Tomoe playfully rolls her eyes, "Oh don't even get me started on that. I bet Himari wanted to spite me. It's a really tough song on a drummer you know. Oh are you coming with us?"

Ako hops off the stool. "Are you kidding I can't miss practice or Yukina senpai will delete me from her Insta."

We rush through Circle's door and Yukina and Sayo stare at Ako and Sayo says. "Looks like you're on time, this time."

Yukina says in that cool yet determined way. "Ako, we have to be at our best."

"Aww but you say that for every show!"

Sayo crosses her arms tilting her head. "Exactly. You are a member of Roselia so you must strive for the highest technical excellence."

She shoots Tomoe a mean look.

Tomoe's eyes dart left and right then tells Sayo. "What? We just have something we want to tell everyone not treat the festival like a competition."

Yukina looks into her phone and adjusts her shirt collar a little. "If you say so."

She tosses her hair back smiling in that way I can't stand.

Lisa walks over, "We don't want to be late for practice Yukina."

She then tells us, "You know how they…" Sayo narrows her eyes a little at Lisa. "I mean we take our music seriously. And tell Moca to stop leaving me on open."

Yukina tells Ako, "Let's go Ako."

Sayo looks down and tells her, "You still need quite a bit of practice to catch up to the rest of us. That goes for your friend Rinko too."

Ako hops and skips walking with them sounding peppy. "I'll let her know and I'll drum until..." Aww she slumps her shoulders dragging her feet, "Hey!"

Yukina and Sayo look at each other over Ako's head giggling with their hands over their mouths.

I sip on my small matcha ice blended. "Moca probably did something and Lisa just wants to help."

Tomoe sighs and takes an iced tea out of a vending machine. "Knowing Moca she'll eventually answer. I get Ako wants to be cool and everything but why does she accept being treated like that?"

"Oh, they're just competitive. Yukina's not usually that bad, but she takes her stress out on Ako and Rinko and it's really no fair to them."

Marina's behind the counter and tells us, "Afterglow is booked to practice in half an hour though you might want to text Moca just to be sure."

I take out my phone and, "AH!"

I look everywhere and everyone else is staring at me. I catch my breath and it's just Moca trying to be funny again.

"Moca's ready."

We all wait then practice.

Tsugu's synthwork just doesn't feel right.

I tell her, "Tsugu, your synthwork is too bright. We're practicing to show how we feel about school sucking. Think about all those aggravating entitled customers who hold up the line and hit on you."

Tsugu nods, with determination in her eyes she adjusts a few knobs and sliders. "I will get the mood right for this song."

We continue rehearsing and I adjust my voice. The sadness and darkness bloom forth from our booth, then anger.

We stop playing and Himari looks like she's going to cry, "That song was so sad."

Moca glances at her, "Was Moca's guitar playing that moving?"

"Moca! We all added this. If anything it was Tsugu's synthwork

Moca teases Himari, "Would Himari kill for Moca?"

Himari touches her fingers and looks down, "Umm, Moca why do you."

"He he he. Moca knows."

Tsugu's clap rings across the booth. "Now we practiced what we wrote."

After 3 minutes my guitar winds down.

The top of my head rests against the wall and I sigh. "How could I mess this up it was my idea."

Moca laughs. "Maybe Moca should sing this one?"

"You know if you really want to we can try it. We still have a few more minutes booked."

"Nah, Moca's good."

Tomoe smiles rolling her eyes. "She's standing up sleeping again. Think we should ditch her?"

"If it were Himari instead then sure."

Himari whines, "Hey that's not funny you guys!"

"Himari, hon, we wouldn't really leave you behind." Tomoe reassures her.

"Ugh, 50 questions patrol is here." What's Tomoe's aunt doing here?

She grabs my wrist wrapping her fingers around it. "You're so thin. Tomoe, you have to take her out."

Yeah like all those sugar calories earlier weren't enough. And can you please let go of me?

Moca tells me, "Moca's store has lots of yummy filling food."

Lisa laughs, "Just don't fall asleep bringing out the pizza. Better enjoy it, Amazon might buy out where we work and change everything."

Tomoe ask her aunt. "So what brings you here?"

"You told me you had to practice your music and Ako told me this is where you guys practice."

She's scanning Tomoe up and down. This is gonna go well.

"Tomoe, don't you feel like you look a bit too, you know, edgy?"

I can tell Tomoe's resisting the urge to just sigh and walk away. Because expressing how you really feel is always rude then we're told stuff like huffing or rolling our eyes is rude. And they wonder why we're on our phones all the time.

Tomoe tells her, "You mean clothes me and my friends picked out together and agreed matches our band's sound?"

"Don't you think being in a rock band is like kind of unladylike? Why can't you guys be more like them."

I look where she's looking then Hina dramatically waves her arm smiling at us and wave my hand a little.

Tomoe tells her aunt, "You mean the Pastel Palettes? You've got to be kidding me."

"Guys like girls like that."

"What makes you think I care what guys think? We could open for Camp Cope someday."

I see Misaki and widen my eyes and do a big fake smile and she walks over.

"Hey, we're ready whenever you are."

"We'll join you."

Her aunt crosses her arms laughing when Misaki goes inside. "You don't fool me."

We walk back to Tomoe's house after Ako's done practicing. On the way I tell the aunt. "Listen, Tomoe's aunt, we really need to practice for the festival. It's about something we really care about and it'll look good on our applications."

"I understand. College is very competitive so you'll need all the credit you can get. Though you should really consider a makeover."

Tomoe whispers to me, "See what I have to deal with?"

Ako asks her aunt, "Can we all go to the mall together tomorrow?"

"Don't you have school?"

"Yes, but, I want us to get along as a family."

Her aunt says, "Oh, your sister will learn someday."

"She's a really amazing sister as she is and, and she inspires me to drum. Yukina senpai even said I have potential! Please let's go shopping together?"

"We'll see."

Back at Tomoe's house me and Tomoe watch a cartoon with bright talking animals. I like this show, everyone unconditionally likes each other and is a great escape from our sad superficial world. Though we'll have to change it soon or Tomoe's aunt will judge us and tell everyone.

I joke with Tomoe, "If you tell Himari about this I'm gonna deny it."

She smiles in that our secret stays with us way. "I will too. I don't think Ako will mind either, she's too busy drawing. Did you hear my aunt? Oh you should be an idol! Ugh, I'd rather die than dress like that."

"You and me both. From what Aya tells us their managers control their lives like you wouldn't believe."

We get up and see what Ako's doing. Is this fanart from that manga she always talks about? It's actually pretty good."

Tomoe tells her, "Ako, sis, if you're going to shade you should make a new layer and adjust the hue a bit towards the cooler end. That way your shading doesn't mess up the rest of your drawing and it just looks better."

"Thanks sis."