Chapter 4: Everyday Life with the Ultimate Idol


Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Ultimates of all ages, wesst1 back again once again.

I'm really glad that you all seemed to enjoy the previous chapter, I was a little worried it wouldn't be well received, but none of you are here to read about how insecure I can be about what I write, you're here to read this chapter.

Before you begin this chapter, there is a story I highly recommend that you all look into if you haven't already. "Be More Proactive This Time Around, Luckster" by jean010. For those who haven't read it yet, it is an excellent Naegi time travel story. I always check my email for news of updates and you will too by the time you get caught up on it.

Ah Sayaka, what is our favorite Luckster going to help you with? Will love blossom or a crush fizzle out? Why the hell am I asking a fictional character these questions when I'm writing the story and already know the answers?

Answers to all these questions and possibly more, right now.


Present Day

After he closed the distance between himself and his musically inclined friends, Naegi asked, "So, what was it you two were talking about?"

"Mioda-senpai wants us to form a group," Maizono told him.

"It would be a-maz-ing, amazing. Ibuki and Sayaka-chan could turn the whole world of music upside-down," Mioda said.

"I can't really disagree with that," Naegi said as he nodded.

"I can't either, but we practice two very different styles, reconciling them would be difficult enough, but what has me worried is how audiences would respond to a new type of sound," Maizono explained.

"That's a fair point too. A never before heard genre of music may not be well received at first," Naegi agreed.

"Makoto-chan, tell Sayaka-chan that Ibuki is right," Mioda half-whined half-pleaded.

"Well Mioda-senpai, I don't think that you're wrong, but I don't know if now is the right time to be experimenting with new types of music. You and Maizono-san have been through a lot these past few months," Naegi explained, attempting to pacify the Ultimate Musician.

That's true, I had to reevaluate what being an idol means to me and just what type of idol I wanted to be. But now, I really am the idol everyone admires, and it was all thanks to you Naegi-kun, Maizono thought.


Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm Kitchen

Third Day of Classes-After Breakfast

Naegi had just finished cleaning up after breakfast, thanking whatever higher power was out there that he did not have to hand wash everything. Owari-senpai eats enough for both Class 77-B and Class 78 put together. I should probably be grateful that I was able to keep my hand when I gave Senpai those thirds she asked for. I guess being an athlete means she can burn it off quickly, but still, Naegi thought, as he walked out of the kitchen to collect his things for class.

"Asahina-san can be just as ravenous, provided donuts or ramen are involved," a sweet, familiar voice said.

"True, and it's not that I don't appreciate a healthy appetite, but we're only a few days in and I'm already questioning if I can keep up," Naegi responded before realizing that the owner of that voice had somehow read his thoughts. Wide-eyed and confused, Naegi looked over and saw Maizono Sayaka approaching him with a smile on her face.

The way she moves is positively mesmerizing. No matter how you slice it, she's really beautiful. Almost like a doll or something, Naegi thought.

"I'm not a doll, you know. I'm alive!" Maizono suddenly said, startling Naegi.

"How are you doing that?" Naegi asked, impressed.

"I'm an esper," Maizono told him with a serious look on her face.

"What?!" Naegi exclaimed in shock.

"I'm just kidding, I just have really good intuition," Maizono explained with a laugh.

"So that comment earlier…," Naegi started.

"You seem tired and looked like you were thinking about something and we've only just had breakfast. It couldn't have been anything else. The rest really was just my intuition," Maizono explained.

"That's some impressive intuition," Naegi said. Really, what else could he say to that. Changing the subject, Naegi asked, "Were you waiting for me, Maizono-san?"

"Yes. I thought we could walk to class together," Maizono answered.

Blushing, Naegi said, "I think I'd like that." Soon the two set out from the dorm to the main building of the school side-by-side.

They walked in silence a short distance before Naegi spoke up, "Maizono-san, I know I thanked you already, but I just want to say thanks again for speaking up for me on the first day."

"Don't mention it, I was more than happy to do it," Maizono said with a smile. "Like I said, I remember you from Blackroot Junior High. Class 2 if I'm not mistaken," she added.

"That's right. You were in Class 4. I'm surprised you even remember me, back then you were already both the school's idol and a celebrity," Naegi admitted.

"Gee Naegi-kun, you make me sound like some snob," Maizono said, sounding put out.

"No, I just meant that-," Naegi started before Maizono's laughter interrupted him.

"I'm just kidding, Naegi-kun. But I still don't understand why you would think I wouldn't remember you," Maizono said.

"It's just you were so popular and I'm so normal. I never really stood out," Naegi explained.

"That's not true. In fact-," Maizono started before the two were interrupted by a loud, authoritative voice.

"Naegi-kun, Maizono-san, cease dawdling and take your seats before Sensei arrives!" Ishimaru yelled. The two were so focused on the conversation that they had apparently reached their classroom without realizing it.

"I guess we'll talk later," Naegi said. He was really curious about what it was Maizono was going to say.

"Yeah, we'll certainly have plenty of opportunities," Maizono cheerfully responded as the two entered their classroom and took their seats just as Ishimaru had instructed.


Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm Kitchen

Third Day-After Classes

"What to make? What to make?" Naegi asked himself as he looked through the available ingredients trying to decide what to make for dinner. Spying a grater and some nagaimo Naegi thought he had found his answer until…

"Okonomiyaki for everyone seems a little ambitious, don't you think Naegi-kun?" a sweet, melodious voice asked.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Naegi conceded. Eyes widening at the realization that he was no longer alone, Naegi turned and exclaimed, "Maizono-san?!"

After laughing at Naegi's expense, Maizono greeted him properly, "Hello Naegi-kun."

"I'm sorry Maizono-san, I didn't hear you come in," Naegi apologized. Something suddenly occurred to him, "Maizono-san was I thinking out loud, I don't remember saying I was that thinking of making okonomiyaki."

"I'm an esper," Maizono said as if it were the most natural response in the world.

"'Just kidding,' right?" Naegi asked, hoping to beat her to the punch.

With a straight face, Maizono answered, "What if I wasn't kidding."

"Huh?" was Naegi's intelligent reply.

"I'm just kidding, I swear I just have really good intuition. However, you were looking at the grater and the nagaimo like you had an epiphany of some kind though," Maizono told him.

"Like I said this morning, that is some good intuition. Especially since you got the dish right," Naegi said.

"You don't need to go overboard, I'm sure everyone will appreciate whatever it is you make for dinner," Maizono told him.

"Maybe, I guess cooking for this many people and the situation as a whole makes me feel like I need to go the extra mile," Naegi responded.

"I guess I can understand," Maizono said, acknowledging the awkwardness of Naegi's living situation.

"I mean I guess hot pot or curry rice would be good," Naegi said more to himself than Maizono.

"I like hot pot, sukiyaki sounds great in fact," Maizono said.

"Okay, it's a little late but to celebrate our new school year we will be having sukiyaki for dinner," Naegi said as he started collecting what he needed.

"Do you want help?" Maizono asked. "I may not look like it but I am a good cook."

"Really? Do you have a specialty?" Naegi asked.

"Yep, chili oil," Maizono said with a smile.

"The condiment?" Naegi asked.

"Just kidding. About the chili oil I mean, I can cook," Maizono clarified, laughing.

Naegi let out a few low chuckles of his own before saying, "I appreciate the offer Maizono-san, but I did agree to handle the meals and chores. I'd at least like to make it through the first week before asking for help if that makes sense."

"I suppose it does, you think the other girls will doubt your sincerity or commitment if you have help right?" Maizono asked.

"That intuition of yours is fearsome, that's it exactly," Naegi confirmed. He then said, "I wouldn't mind a little bit of company though, if you want to stay and talk."

"Sure, I'd be more than happy to," she said, and from the tone in her voice Naegi could tell she meant that. Maizono soon continued, "I never thought I'd get a chance to really talk to you like this. All through junior high, you never talked to me. In fact, you never even looked at me."

"Like I said this morning; you were already popular and a celebrity. I couldn't just go around staring at you," Naegi explained. Then once Maizono's words had completely registered he asked, "Wait, how do you know I never looked at you?"

"Because I looked at you all the time," she answered.

"Huh?"

"I was always looking for an opportunity to talk to you," she clarified.

"You...wanted to talk to me?"

"But since I always had so many people around me, we ended up graduating without saying a word," Maizono said in disappointment before she continued, "And honestly, that was one of my biggest regrets."

"But…why me?" Naegi asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Do you remember during our first year of junior high, that huge bird wandered into the school pond?" Maizono asked him. "It was like out of a fairy tale. The turtle once every million years, the bird once every thousand."

"The crane, right? It just walked right into the pond." Naegi remembered.

"That's right! It was so big; the teacher had no idea what to do." Then she smiled. "But you led it into the forest behind the school. You helped it find its way out."

"Well yeah, but only because I was already in charge of taking care of animals at school. They made me do it," Naegi explained.

"I don't know, I think it would have been enough to lead it out of the pond. And the look on your face back then said you cared a lot about its well-being," Maizono countered.

"Well like I said I was in charge of the animals, but I think anyone in my position would have done the same," Naegi said, thinking Maizono was making too big a deal out of one act of kindness.

"I wonder about that. But-," Maizono started.

"But, what?" Naegi pressed.

"I should have said thank you then, but….is it okay if I do it now?" Maizono inquired.

"Thank me?" Naegi repeated in confusion.

"I'm that crane, you see," Maizono declared. She continued, "I've come to return the favor. Here, let me make you a cloak."

The look on Naegi's face at that statement was priceless.

Having had her fun, Maizono said, "Just kidding!"

"Y-Yeah, I kinda figured," Naegi responded, finally starting to get used to Maizono's sense of humor.

"Honestly though, I was so impressed," Maizono continued, "That's why I wanted to talk to you, even just once. I never imagined this would be how I got my chance."

"Yeah, being classmates would have been one thing, but this feels like something out of a manga or anime or even a sitcom," Naegi said, starting to laugh. When he didn't hear Maizono joining in he turned and saw a pout on her face. Realizing he may have ruined the moment, Naegi started to apologize, "I'm sorry Maizono, I know you were serious, I just thought that-." He stopped once Maizono's mask broke and she started giggling.

"I'm sorry, Naegi-kun I couldn't resist. You're right I was serious but you're also right that this situation is just so ridiculous," Maizono said once she calmed down. She then continued, "Yamada-kun may have been right, you do seem like a harem manga protagonist."

"I don't know if I'd go that far," Naegi said, blushing.

"Really because once the girls warm up to you you'll meet most of the criteria: You live with a bunch of girls; you're taking care of them; you're always so kind-," Maizono started.

"I don't think girls are going to start fighting over me though, Maizono-san," Naegi countered.

They better not, Maizono thought angrily, she had been having fun but the idea of other girls being attracted to Naegi did not appeal to her. Pushing that anger down and putting on a smile, she then said, "I'm just kidding, Naegi-kun. You're just so fun to tease."

"If you say so Maizono-san," Naegi said shaking his head. He then said, "Maizono-san could you tell everyone dinner will be ready in…give me twenty minutes."

"Okay, I'll go get everyone," Maizono said as she left the kitchen. As she left she thought, All kidding aside, as much as I want the other girls to like Naegi-kun, I don't want them to like him too much. I suppose if they do I can handle it. I hate doing it, but I've ruined other girls before. It will be easier than with other idols. In this case all iIneed is a few catty remarks here, a few rumors there, and their reputation is beyond saving. When those thoughts started to make her feel sick, Maizono tried to brush them aside, It was all for the dream. As long as I'm number one it's all worth it. If I have to play dirty; if I have to pose in revealing clothes even if I'm underage; I'm the Ultimate Idol and the dream will continue. This is a different dream, a different goal, but as long as I succeed it's worth it. Maizono had managed to settle herself down somewhat, but there was still a slight hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach and a nagging feeling in the back of her head; both of which had become all too familiar recently.


Hope's Peak Academy-Courtyard

Second Week of Classes-Wednesday

As Naegi made his way back to the dorm, he was remembering a conversation that he had with Komaru the last time they spoke. The topic: Maizono Sayaka's autograph. "I guess we've all had time to settle in; it is the second week of classes," he reasoned. As luck would have it, he noticed Maizono close by and in the middle of a conversation with Kuwata Leon.

Naegi had made it a point to try to get to know his classmates as best he could and Kuwata was someone he had been able to connect with right away. The Ultimate Baseball Star had found Naegi's living situation a source of entertainment at first but recently he was showing another emotion that Naegi could not quite place whenever the topic of Naegi's relationship with the girls came up.

Seeing the two conversing, Naegi thought that they could be discussing one of two things: Kuwata's attraction to Maizono, or Kuwata's desire to pursue a career in music. Now, Naegi liked Kuwata, but he doubted that Kuwata was serious about either. If Kuwata's comments about a girl he spoke to at a hair salon were any indication, Kuwata was too focused on appearances and not the actual girl. Funnily enough, the story of the girl at the salon was also why Naegi doubted Kuwata's commitment to a music career, she had told Kuwata she only dated musicians. That was not the deciding factor in Kuwata's decision, that was the sole reason for it. Kuwata had claimed he came to Hope's Peak to become the Ultimate Musician, and to his credit, discovering that Mioda Ibuki already held the title did not discourage him as much as one would have thought. Even with that knowledge, Naegi was still convinced Kuwata would drop the idea of being a musician when a prettier girl caught his eye and said she only dated athletes. But Naegi was not here to question Kuwata's motives, he was here to ask Maizono for an autograph for Komaru.

"Maizono-san! Kuwata-kun!" Naegi called out.

"Ah, Naegi-kun!" Maizono responded happily.

"Hey Naegi," Kuwata said.

"Maizono-san, I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

"What is it?" Maizono asked.

"Well, my sister is a huge fan, a Sayaker, if you ask her, and when I told her that we were classmates she asked if I could get your autograph," Naegi explained.

"Absolutely, in fact, I can give you an autographed photo to give her. We just need to go back to my room," Maizono said as she grabbed his hand.

"Right now?" Naegi asked, surprised.

"I still have some questions," Kuwata said, both indignant and jealous.

"I'm sorry Kuwata-kun, but my knowledge of Punk is very limited. You might have better luck asking Mioda-senpai," Maizono explained as she led Naegi by the hand back to the dorm.

"But she already said that-," Kuwata tried to say before the two were out of earshot. This wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. When he had gone to Mioda earlier, he ran his plan past her and even offered her the lead guitarist spot in his as of yet unformed band, she rejected him outright. And just now, Naegi shows up and Maizono dropped everything to give him an autographed photo.

On the first day, when it had been discovered that Naegi would be living at the girl's dorm, Kuwata had been the first one to laugh. He certainly wasn't laughing now. Between how close Naegi had become with Ikusaba; all the times he and Mioda would "play"; just now with Maizono; and Kuwata had even noticed that Enoshima had a hard time keeping her eyes off of Naegi. Now, one question was plaguing Kuwata's mind.

"What does he have that I don't?" Kuwata asked no one particular.


A Few Minutes Later

Hope's Peak Academy-Girl's Dorm

Maizono still had Naegi by the hand as she moved a little too quickly towards her room. The other girls that the two passed seemed to have varying opinions on the sight of the two: most wondered what was going on; Saionji and Koizumi looked as though their concerns about Naegi had been vindicated; and Ikusaba had shot Maizono the iciest glare that the idol had ever seen.

Naegi had missed all of that, his focus was on the idol pulling him along. "Maizono-san, you could have finished up with Kuwata-kun. When I said my sister wanted an autograph, I didn't mean right this minute," Naegi explained. Even though he wasn't sure he had done anything wrong, he made a mental note to apologize to Kuwata-kun later.

"It's fine. I wanted to do this before I forgot," Maizono explained. I also wanted out of that conversation. Kuwata-kun is nice enough, but Mioda-senpai was right about how draining he can be when you see how unmotivated and uncommitted he really is, Maizono thought, remembering a conversation she had early on with Mioda who was uncharacteristically lethargic after discussing the topic of a music career with Kuwata.

"Do you usually keep a stack of autographed photos close by?" Naegi asked. He had heard of celebrities doing such a thing before, but he had never believed it was a real thing, even if it did sound convenient.

"It is convenient, I usually keep them for things like concerts and hand shake events, but I thought I might run into a few fans here," Maizono explained, once again reading Naegi perfectly. "I'm sorry, that sounds conceited doesn't it?" Maizono asked as soon as her explanation registered with her.

"Not at all, you're the Ultimate Idol, the idol that everyone admires, I think you would have more than a few fans at Hope's Peak Academy," Naegi assured her.

"That's sweet of you to say Naegi-kun," Maizono said as they reached their destination. Naegi, remembering that this was Maizono's room, realized that there was a slight problem.

"Maizono-san, I don't think I can go in there," he said pointing at her door.

"Huh? Oh. Oh!" Maizono said as she realized the implications of Naegi entering her room given his situation. "Sorry, Naegi-kun I forgot. Oh, and the others saw me dragging you here. Don't worry, I'll explain everything to them," Maizono told him.

"Thank you, Maizono-san. I don't mean to cause problems, but I need to be very careful about how I act right now. Although, since I plan to mail the photo to Komaru I could just make sure everyone sees the photo while I address the envelope. Provided I do that right away," Naegi reasoned.

Maizono had gone into her room, leaving her door wide open while she went through her things. "You really shouldn't have to though," she said. Once she found what she was looking for she took the photo over to her room's desk to sign it and continued, "I'd still feel better if I told explained what was going on myself." Once she finished, she took the photo and handed it to Naegi.

"I appreciate that Maizono-san," Naegi said. Reading the message Naegi said, "'To Naegi Komaru. Never give up on your dreams! I'm always rooting for you! -Maizono Sayaka.' That's beautiful Maizono-san, she'll really appreciate it."

"Does Komaru-chan already have a dream she's chasing?" Maizono asked.

"Yeah, she wants to be a mangaka," Naegi told her. Looking off to the side he then said, "I kind of envy her."

"Why is that?" Maizono asked.

"Well Ikusaba-san and I were talking about this not that long ago; I still don't know what it is I want to do," Naegi admitted.

Feeling more than a little jealous of the Ultimate Soldier, Maizono still managed to smile and ask, "Is that so?"

Sensing something was wrong but not sure what, Naegi simply continued, hoping that it would work itself out, "Yeah, she said she wanted to chase a new dream but wasn't sure what. I told her I have the same problem." Then deciding that it would be a good opportunity to learn about his classmate, Naegi asked, "What about you Maizono-san? Has your dream always been to be an idol?"

A smile formed on her lips as she began, "Pretty much. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a star. Let me start at the beginning. I grew up without a mother, you know, and my dad worked really late every night. I was always home alone. I was just a kid, you know? So, I was really lonely."

Naegi simply nodded, he could certainly understand.

"But that all changed when I saw an idol on TV for the first time. She was so pretty, like a princess. And she could sing, and dance, but more than anything else, there was her smile. Looking at her smile, I could feel my loneliness melting away. I decided that's what I wanted to be someday. I wanted to give that kind of encouragement to others. Eventually, that became my dream."

Naegi smiled, Maizono's motivation sounded so pure. She really deserves to be the Ultimate Idol, he thought. What Maizono said next though made him worry.

"I did whatever it took to reach that dream. I mean it. Even some things that," she paused before saying, "weren't so pleasant."

"Oh God, you didn't have to…" Naegi started, trying to think of how to ask the question and afraid of the answer.

Maizono hardly needed her intuition to know what Naegi was thinking and frantically said, "No, no, no, no no! Nothing that bad, but some of my photo shoots have me in outfits that showed off more skin than I was comfortable with at the time. Sadly, gravure modeling comes with the territory. Thankfully, junior idol merchandise is highly regulated even if it is on legally ambiguous grounds, so we were okay on that front."

"Okay," Naegi said as he calmed down. Once he had calmed down completely, he said, "I guess when the sweet and pure Maizono Sayaka says she had to do things that 'weren't so pleasant' it just sounds really bad."

Sweet and pure, that's the image isn't it. But I'm not always sweet and the methods I use against rival groups are hardly pure, Maizono thought sadly. She pushed those thoughts aside and continued, "I honestly believed that as long as you kept chasing your dreams, someday they may come true. But to do that, you can't take your eyes off that dream, not even for a second. Even if sometimes it's a bad dream…whether you're awake or asleep, to make your dream a reality, you have to keep your gaze fixed on it no matter that world, if you lose focus for even a split second, you get left behind. You have to keep on swimming against the current, without even taking time to breathe. That's the kind of world my dream lives in."

"Is it really that tough? Is it no fun at all?" Naegi asked.

"Oh no, don't get the wrong idea. It's super fun! But that's exactly what scares me," Maizono said.

"I'm not sure I understand," Naegi admitted.

"Well, I enjoy every single day I wake up and get to do what I do. Everyone in our group is amazing. We're rivals in a way, but they all mean so much to me. We've performing together since we were young, so they're all like family to me. Without them, I would've given up on my dream a long time ago. To work together, and fulfill our dreams together, has brought me so much happiness," Maizono explained with a smile.

But then the smile soon disappeared as she said, "But that's the thing that scares me the most. If the world gets tired of us, then what happens? What happens to us? Then the dream dies, those wonderful days come to an end, and everyone goes their separate ways." All the backstabbing, the planted rumors, the girls whose reputations that I've helped to ruin, it would all become worthless, Maizono thought grimly.

Noticing that Maizono was upset, Naegi attempted to get her attention, "Maizono-san?"

"So that's the reason I decided to come to Hope's Peak," Maizono said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Naegi asked.

"Well...they say that if you graduate from here, success is basically guaranteed. Which means I could keep on performing with my best friends, forever and ever," She explained. That's right: if the dream is alive then there is no reason to feel guilty. Everything wass worth it, she thought, not that she entirely believed it.

"So what kind of idol do you want to be?" Naegi asked.

"Huh?" Maizono asked, confused.

"Sorry, maybe it would be more accurate to ask, 'What kind of star do you want to be?'" Naegi clarified.

Maizono still looked confused.

"What I mean is groups like Arashi are still idols even in their mid-thirties. And some idols from the golden age in the 1980's like Matsuda Seiko are still active. But some idols go on to become models, singers, or actors and actresses since their time as idols gave them experience in all of those areas," Naegi explained. I really hope you don't become an AV idol Maizono-san, Naegi thought, hoping that this would be one time Maizono couldn't read him.

"Well…" Maizono started. To be honest, she had been so focused on her current career that she hadn't thought about what was next for her or her group. Staying an idol group would mean that they would always be together but for the first time Maizono began to question whether or not that was realistic. If Hope's Peak guaranteed success that might be possible for her but what about the others? Her fears seemed closer to becoming a reality than before.

Sensing her distress Naegi said, "I'm sorry, Maizono-san, I didn't mean to upset you with that question. Like I said earlier, you are the idol everyone admires, and when you said you had always wanted to be a star I got curious about what was next for someone who has already come so far. But it's okay if you don't tell me. It's fine if you aren't sure yourself, you have time."

"Yeah, you're right. You're right," Maizono said, calming down. She knew Naegi didn't mean to upset her. She also knew it was a legitimate question, but she wanted to enjoy her time as an idol for as long as she could without worrying about what came next.

"Well, thank you for the photo Maizono-san, Komaru will love it," Naegi said. As he headed to his room for an envelope and a pen, he turned and said, "Maizono-san, it might not mean much coming from me, but I don't believe that anyone will get tired of you. And even if you and your friends go your separate ways as stars, from what you described your bonds aren't so fragile that those wonderful days will ever really end. They'll continue because you are like family; because just as that idol from your childhood inspired you, you've done so to countless others, your fans and the next generation of idols alike, so you shouldn't worry."

Maizono simply said, "Thank you Naegi-kun." But as beautiful as she thought what Naegi said was, she still thought, I'm sorry Naegi-kun. I appreciate what you said but that's not how it works in my world.


Hope's Peak Academy-Outside the Main Building

Second Week of Classes-Friday

It was lunch break for the students of Hope's Peak and Maizono was on her phone. Her group's manager, a woman named Oumi Kanami, had called her to inform her of an upcoming interview that an up-and-coming junior idol was giving that evening and said it would be a good opportunity for opposition research.

"Yes ma'am, I'll be sure to watch," Maizono said.

"Have you finished that new song?" Oumi asked.

"Not yet ma'am, I seem to be having some trouble," Maizono reluctantly answered. The truth was she had no idea what kind of song to write.

"Sayaka we don't have a lot of time. That interview you and the girls have scheduled is next weekend and it was agreed that there would be a live performance with a brand new song before the end of the show."

"I know ma'am. I don't know what's wrong, I've never had trouble with this before," Maizono said. She knew what her manager was going to say next and she was not looking forward to hearing it.

"Well you need to figure it out if you want to stay on top. The other groups won't just wait for you to finish a song."

"I know ma'am, it will be done in time to rehearse for the show," Maizono assure the older woman.

"I'll see what I can find out about this new girl."

That caused Maizono to shudder. Watching interviews was one thing, learning about new idols always motivated her to work harder. Her manager's opposition research made Maizono uncomfortable in ways she didn't know were possible before becoming an idol. Oumi would find dirt, usually about a secret boyfriend; it would get leaked to the media; pictures would surface and even if the rival idol's career survived it would be badly damaged. If there was one thing about being an idol that Maizono hated it was this. Even the most innocent gestures of affection were considered a scandal in this line of work. She couldn't understand it; people fall in love; she was sure even the most hardcore fans understood that. If she was being honest, lately even she…

As if responding to those thoughts, a certain luckster appeared and greeted her, "Oh, hey Maizono-san."

Maizono waved to respond, but there was one problem. Her manager had heard Naegi's voice.

"Sayaka, who is that? Please say you don't have a boyfriend. If this gets out then-," Oumi started to say frantically.

Cutting her off, Maizono explained, "That was my classmate. Another ultimate. Naegi Makoto, the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78 if you need to look him up."

"Oh. Oh alright. Thank God for that," Oumi said.

"I'll get the song done by tomorrow and I'll be sure to watch the interview this evening," Maizono said.

"Good, we can start rehearsing tomorrow afternoon then. You know the time and the place," Oumi said hanging up.

Maizono let out a sigh. She wasn't lying when she told Naegi being an idol was fun, but he was right, it was tough.

"Whoever that was on the other end of that call, I hope I didn't upset them too badly," Naegi said as he got closer.

"That was my manager, Oumi-san, and I think she'll be fine. She thought I had a secret boyfriend and started to panic," Maizono explained.

"Oh, I wondered why you told them my name and title. I couldn't make out the words, but your manager did sound upset," Naegi said.

Noticing Naegi's slightly disheveled appearance and that he was sweating Maizono asked, "Are you alright Naegi-kun?

"Huh?" Naegi asked back before he looked at his clothes and said, "Oh that, after I finished lunch Mioda-senpai came over and wanted to play tag."

Noticing how happy Naegi looked when he was talking about Mioda caused that jealous feeling that had been inspired by Naegi's relationship with Ikusaba to resurface. Pushing that aside, Maizono decided that there was something that she needed to ask. "Listen, may I ask you just one question?"

"There's no need to be so formal Maizono-san. What's the question?"

"Well, it's not something I can just blurt out," Maizono admitted. "Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked.

That threw Naegi for a loop, "Wh-What?!"

"Huh? Are you embarrassed?" Maizono asked. "Does that mean you do?" A slightly disappointed look was etched on her face as she asked.

When Naegi saw that look he managed to calm down and say, "I don't have a girlfriend Maizono-san. Like I told Enoshima-san, romance isn't something someone in my situation can indulge in being a boy in the girls' dorm and all."

"Enoshima-san?" Maizono questioned. The jealousy had come back and much worse than before; if Enoshima Junko had taken an interest in Naegi then Maizono may have a real problem.

Figuring he should explain, Naegi said, "Ikusaba-san and I had been watching Red vs. Blue together. Enoshima-san said she wanted something to tease us about and I reminded her of my situation." Well, that's true enough, Naegi thought, remembering his promise to Ikusaba.

"Oh," Maizono said, she calmed down thinking that she didn't need to worry about Enoshima, but she still didn't like the idea of Ikusaba spending too much time with Naegi. "Then….do you at least have a crush on someone?" she asked hesitantly.

Caught off guard again, Naegi exclaimed, "J-Just wait a second! What's going on here? Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"I was just curious, so I thought I'd ask," Maizono explained with a smile. "Is that bad?"

"It's not that it's bad…." Naegi said, a bright blush on his face.

The two were silent for a moment before Maizono spoke up again, "So? Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Huh? What?"

"No, not what. Aren't you going to ask if I have a boyfriend or not?" Maizono asked.

"Well since you said your manager was panicking at the thought of you having a secret boyfriend, I'd guess not. Although, I doubt you'd have trouble finding one," Naegi said honestly. He had no doubt that Maizono could have any man she set her sights on.

"That's sweet of you to say, but the truth is I'm way too busy for things like that," Maizono said blushing.

"Then do you have a crush on someone?" Naegi asked. Turnabout is fair play Maizono-san, Naegi thought. He may have to miss out on romance for the time being, but everything else that made high school memorable was fair game.

"Hmm, I wonder…." Maizono said with a smile on her face. "Let's just say…there's someone I'm interested in," she finished as she stared right into his eyes, her cheeks red.

Wow, she turned that around quick, I guess I can't beat her when it comes to teasing, Naegi thought.

"I'm not just teasing, there is someone I'm interested in," Maizono said, displaying her amazing intuition again.

Not just teasing, huh. So, it could be me or it could be someone else. Probably someone else, Naegi thought. "Well Maizono-san, I guess we're in the same position. If we have crushes, we'll need to stick to subtle ways of getting our feelings across for now," Naegi said.

Maizono knew that Naegi was semi-serious but a lightbulb still went off in Maizono's head when Naegi had finished, "Naegi-kun, I think that you've just helped me write a new song."

To that, Naegi's intelligent response was, "Huh?"


That Evening

Girls' Dorm Common Area

Getting the remote had not been easy, but Maizono had gained allies in Mioda and Yukizome when she said that she had to watch something for her idol work. Maizono, Naegi, and some of the girls were now watching the program that Maizono's manager had mentioned. About halfway through, the host began introducing the junior idol.

"And now, we have a very special guest. Here to hippity-hop straight into our hearts, going by the stage name Rippyon, Momose Riyu!"

A young girl, no older than twelve-years-old, with pink hair in pigtails and pink eyes. She wore a white blouse that puffed up at the shoulders and a red skirt with red suspenders. What stood out the most about her, and what made her introduction make sense, was her hairband with white rabbit ears on it and her white rabbit purse.

"Hello everyone, it Momose Riyu. Let's hippity-hop straight into your hearts!" the girl, Momose greeted.

The first thing that Maizono noticed, and that everyone else noticed, was that this girl was adorable. She would have no problem making it as an idol.

"Riyu-chan, may I call you Riyu-chan?" the host asked.

"Oh yes. I must say it is an honor to be on your show," Momose said with a bright smile.

"So polite. Riyu-chan, let me start with the obvious question: What made you want to be an idol?"

"Well, I think that all girls want to be idols at some point. As for me, I saw other idols singing and sparkling on my TV and wanted nothing more than to stand by their sides. Although it wasn't until my older sister got tickets to see my favorite idol live and in concert that I made my decision."

"Would you mind telling us who this mystery idol is?"

"I don't want to embarrass her, but I will say that all junior idols admire her. I need to work even harder so that I sparkle and shine just as much as she does. One day I hope to meet her face to face and thank her for what she did for me."

The interview continued but the sound was soon drowned out by a voice of one of the dorm's more problematic residents.

"She's so sugary sweet you'd probably get cavities just being around her," Enoshima said.

"That might be a bit excessive, don't you think Enoshima-san?" Naegi asked.

"My sister's hyperbole aside I have to agree, she does seem like a sweet and kind little thing," Ikusaba stated.

Maizono had been silent since the interview had begun. She was so focused on Momose that she didn't hear the others until Mioda tapped her shoulder.

"Is Sayaka-chan alright?" Mioda asked.

"I'm fine Senpai, just-," Maizono started before Enoshima interrupted her.

"She just thinks that her position as top idol is in danger as long as Rippyon is an idol. You should probably nip this in the bud as soon as you can Maizono-san," Enoshima said. She still had yet to come up with a plan to cause Naegi despair, so she would have to settle for his friends for now. The Ultimate B-List Celebrity is on the fence right now, but all she needs is a little push and she'll destroy that girl's career. She can lie to herself all she wants but she hates that she's help ruin so many other potential idols. Making her hate her own career, I wish I could taste that kind of despair for myself. If I get proof that she did those things then there's no limit to what I can do with her afterwards, Enoshima thought.

One look at her sister was all it took for Ikusaba to know what Enoshima was thinking. She wouldn't say she and Maizono were close, but she wouldn't let Enoshima drive anyone to despair. That said, she wasn't sure what to do about it. Talking someone back from the brink wasn't something she was good at. Thankfully there was someone who was next to her who was. Although the thought of it made her jealous, she knew that she could leave Maizono to Naegi.

Maizono, who had gone silent again when Enoshima interrupted her. The truth was she was afraid that some new idol would replace her one day, and there was a chance that Momose Riyu was that idol. Could she do go through with it this time? Could she help to ruin someone as young as Momose Riyu? The others had been full-fledged idols, not junior idols. With these thoughts swimming around in her head, she got up and went outside.

"Sayaka-chan seemed pretty out of it," Mioda said.

"Naegi-kun, maybe you should talk to her," Ikusaba suggested.

"Yeah, I'll go see if she's alright," Naegi said as he got up and followed Maizono. When he found her, she was hugging herself with an expression that Naegi knew didn't belong on anyone's face. Naegi didn't have Maizono's intuition, but if he had to guess, he would say that was a look of someone contemplating doing something they knew that they would regret. It was then that he remembered the words Maizono had said when he got that autograph for Komaru. I did whatever it took to reach that dream. I mean it. Even some things that weren't so pleasant. Recalling Ikusaba's warning about Enoshima's talent and considering Enoshima's recent words, Naegi was forced to consider something: Would Maizono-san really do something to sabotage Momose's career? Did she do that to anyone else? No, Maizono-san isn't that kind of person.

Managing to push those thoughts aside for now, Naegi asked, "Maizono-san, are you okay?" Surprised, Maizono turned to look at Naegi. The look on her face from before was gone but Naegi still thought that she seemed upset.

Forcing a smile onto her face, Maizono said, "I'm fine, Naegi-kun, thanks for asking."

"Are you sure? You looked like you were thinking about something unpleasant until just now?"

"I was," Maizono admitted, knowing she couldn't hide this from Naegi.

"Is it about Momose-san?" Naegi asked.

"Yes. She's so cute and she carried herself so well in that interview. What if-," she began.

"Your fans aren't going to switch to another idol Maizono-san," Naegi assured her.

"You don't know that!" Maizono practically screamed.

Naegi didn't waver however and said, "Well, just to be sure, let's ask the Number One Sayaker." With that Naegi pulled out his phone, pulled up his contacts, and selected the one labeled "Komaru." Before his sister picked up however he put his sister on speaker phone and put a finger to his lips.

"'Click' Onii-chan? Is everything alright?" the voice of Naegi Komaru asked.

"Everything is fine Komaru, I just wanted to know if you saw that interview with Momose Riyu?" Naegi asked.

"Rippyon? She's so cute. I think she's going to be great," Komaru said.

Maizono looked downcast but what Komaru said perked her back up.

"Of course, she's no Maizono Sayaka, no else is that good. Did you know that all my friends are jealous of that autographed picture you sent me? They can't believe that my brother got to go to junior high and high school with Maizono Sayaka," Komaru bragged.

"Really now?" Naegi asked, seeing a slightly relieved look on Maizono's face, Naegi allowed himself an uncharacteristically smug tone.

"Is this all you called about?" Komaru asked.

"Maizono-san was a little worried that her fans would switch over to Momose-san, so I wanted to check with her biggest fan," Naegi explained.

"Well, let her know that she has nothing to worry about. No matter how popular Rippyon becomes, Maizono-san will still be number one!" Komaru exclaimed.

"I appreciate that Komaru-chan," Maizono said, breaking her silence.

"Onii-chan, i-is th-that really-," Komaru started.

"I've heard that you're my biggest fan, Komaru-chan. I'm glad I finally get a chance to speak to you," Maizono said.

A loud thump was heard on the other end of phone.

"Komaru? Komaru?" Naegi asked. When he didn't get an answer, he hung up and said, "I guess she had a fangirl overload and fainted."

Maizono giggled in response.

Happy that his friend seemed to be in better spirits, Naegi knew there was one more thing he had to do. "Maizono-san, I owe you an apology," he said.

"For what?" she asked, confusion apparent on her face.

"When I was coming out here I was thinking about what Enoshima-san had said and I was sure that it had upset you. I also remembered that you told me that you've done things that 'weren't so pleasant' not that long ago. I was worried that you'd take her words to heart and do something to sabotage Momose-san."

Maizono looked worried. Please tell me he hasn't figured it out. I couldn't take it if Naegi-kun knew! she thought.

Luckily for Maizono, Naegi couldn't look her in the face for having doubted her so he did not notice her worried look and continued, "But I realize that you aren't the type of person who could do that to someone. I don't think that you could be the idol that everyone admires if you weren't a genuinely good person."

Maizono was slightly relieved that Naegi was none the wiser to the things that she had done to stay on top, although she felt disgusted with herself hearing Naegi praise her when she knew the truth.

"Let's go back inside, it's getting late," Naegi said.

Maizono nodded and the two walked side-by-side to their respective rooms.

"It's kind of funny," Naegi mused.

"What is?" Maizono asked.

"Remember when I asked you what kind of idol you wanted to be? Well, I think that when I said you were a genuinely good person I answered my own question. I mean the kind of star you want to be is an important part of that answer, but the kind of star you want to be; the kind of idol you want to be; the kind of person you want to be; maybe they all have the same answer," Naegi explained. Thinking about it he then said, "Sorry, I guess it doesn't make sense when I say it out loud like that."

"No, I think I know what you mean," Maizono said as she stopped at her door.

Naegi turned to her and said, "I should call home and make sure Komaru didn't hurt herself. Good night Maizono-san."

"Good night, Naegi-kun," Maizono responded. As soon as she was inside her room she threw herself onto her bed and started to sob. She had no idea how she kept it together once Naegi had finished his thoughts. A genuinely good person, that was the phrase that echoed in her mind. Lifting her head from the pillow she had buried it in she looked to the side at some sheets of paper. It was the song that Naegi had inspired her to write. What good will that do me now? If Naegi finds out what I'm really like then he won't want anything to do with me, she thought. Squeezing her eyes shut, but unable to stop the tears Maizono's final thoughts before she cried herself to sleep were, I'm sorry Naegi-kun! I'm sorry I'm not the person you think I am!


Third Week of Classes-Saturday Evening

Television Studio-Dressing Room

The past week had been difficult. Maizono and her group had been practicing every day after classes and finally they were ready for their appearance. Rather, everyone but Maizono was ready, she had not been able to get it together. She could coordinate with the others; she knew the words, she wrote the song after all; but she was just going through the motions. Her group and her manager knew that she was just going through the motions. When asked about it, she would always reply that she would be ready for their television appearance.

Her conversations with Naegi had made her question if being an idol was worth it. She had always feared that her desire to stay an idol had made her a worse person, but she had always managed to convince herself that she was worrying too much. As long as she stayed on top, as long as she could continue performing with her friends it was worth it. Only now she was beginning to think maybe it wasn't. At the same time, she had been doing things the way she had for so long and ruined so many potential idols that she didn't think that she could change. This inner conflict had been the cause of her poor performance and it didn't seem to be ending anytime soon. She didn't understand though; whatever she may have felt for Naegi, she didn't understand why his words had shaken her so much when no one else's words had.

That's a lie though. I've had people tell me how great I am; how amazing I am; how wonderful; how I deserve to be number one, but no one has ever really told me how good I am. I'm not a good person, no matter how much I wish I still was, Maizono thought sadly.

"Sayaka, are you listening?" Oumi's voice shook her from her thoughts.

"Yes ma'am," Maizono answered. Her full attention now on her manager.

"The show starts in 45 minutes. The performance is scheduled for the final segment. I trust that you are all ready?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am!" the group answered.

"I'll be back soon with what I was able to find on Momose Riyu, then we can decide what to do with it," she said as she left.

Once she was gone Maizono sank into her chair. It was always like this; their manager would find things out through these unnamed sources and the group would decide what outlet to leak the information to.

"Sayaka-chan, are you alright?" a voice asked. It was Aoba Satomi. Aoba was a girl who looked a lot like Maizono just with shorter hair.

"I'm fine Satomi-chan," Maizono answered.

"Of course you are, that's why your performance has been so poor this past week," another girl said. This was Haneyam Ayaka. Haneyam had long, dark brown hair divided into two batches on the back and cut in neat bangs on the front, covering her forehead. Her eyes were a dark grayish-green and very thin. Her ears were kind of big and her nose was a bit plump.

"Ayaka-chan!" Aoba scolded.

"No Satomi-chan, she's right. I'm not okay," Maizono admitted.

"What's the matter?" Aoba asked.

"I've been thinking of all of the information we've leaked on other girls and groups and it's finally caught up with me I suppose," Maizono said.

"Well, to be honest Sayaka-chan, we've been discussing that for a while," Aoba said as the other girls except Haneyam nodded.

"And?" Maizono asked.

"We think it's been tainting the whole experience for us. We'd really like to stop," Aoba finished.

"Do you all feel this way?" Maizono asked.

Again, three of the girls nodded but Haneyam answered, "Not me."

"Ayaka-chan," Aoba said sadly.

"What? We aren't the only ones who do it. We agreed that when we made it to the top we would stay there, no matter what we had to do," she said that last part with her eyes and her tone downcast. If Maizono's intuition was correct, and it was correct 99.9% of the time, Haneyam felt the same way she did, that they had been doing this for too long to stop now.

Maizono stood up and said, "I'm going to get some air." Aoba raised her arm as if to stop her but seemed to decide against it at the last minute. Once the door closed Maizono let her mind wander and let her feet take her wherever. She didn't get very far until she bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," Maizono said as she got up and went to help the person she bumped into.

"No, it was my fault, I was a little distracted," the other person, a young girl said as she grabbed Maizono's hand. It was then that the two got a good look at each other.

"M-momose Riyu?!" Maizono exclaimed.

"M-maizono Sayaka-senpai?!" Momose shouted.

To say Maizono was shocked would be an understatement. She never expected to run into Mimose Riyu.

Mimose, however, was now sporting one of the brightest smiles that Maizono had ever seen before she remembered something. "Oh, my bag," she said as she picked up her bag and the outfit that had fallen out of it.

Maizono managed to get a good look at the outfit and her shock only increased. It resembled an outfit she and her group had worn for their first major performance only smaller. It didn't look new, but it looked well taken care of. Curiosity getting the better of her she said, "That outfit."

"I made that myself actually. I know it sounds weird, but I was hoping that you would sign it," Mimose said blushing.

"You made that yourself?" Maizono asked. For a girl as young as Mimose to make something like that and have it look so professional was impressive.

"Maizono-senpai, I did you see my interview last week?" Mimose asked.

"I did," Maizono said.

"Well, there's much more to the story if you'd like to hear it," Mimose said.

Maizono just nodded, not really sure what else to do, the situation she found herself in was just so surreal.

"Like I had said, I think all girls want to be idols at some point, but in my case..." Mimose trailed off.

"In your case?" Maizono asked, urging her to continue.

"I'm the youngest in my family by far. I have a much older brother, and a much older sister. So naturally, I grew up wearing out-of-style hand-me-downs. I never really had anything fancy. So, whenever I saw idol singers on the other side of my TV screen, I'd marvel over their pretty outfits. You know, the sort of thing any kid would do. At first. I wanted to sparkle too. I wanted to wear pretty clothes. So, I started learning to sew, hoping to make my own. I scrimped and saved for fabric and learned to use my kaa-san's sewing machine. But no matter how hard I tried to imitate the clothes I saw on TV, I could never capture that same sparkle. I kept wondering why mine were so wrong. But it was around that time that my sister got tickets to see my favorite idol live in concert. And when I saw her perform in person, that's when I finally understood. It wasn't the clothes that made her sparkle, it was the fans. We cheered for her, and she supported us right back. Those smiling faces were what made all the difference. I thought to myself, yes this is it! This is the sparkle I'm looking for! And from that day on, I devoted myself to becoming a great idol, just like her! That's my greatest hope and dream! My tou-san was against it, though, so convince him, I studied late into the night, every, every, every single day! And finally, after a whole lot of hard work and persistence, I was finally walking the path to becoming a real idol."

I decided that's what I wanted to be someday. I wanted to give that kind of encouragement to others, Maizono's own words to Naegi echoed in her head as Mimose finished her story. She's a lot like me, Maizono thought.

"Maizono-senpai, I've never told anyone outside of my family this, but it was you who made me want to become an idol. To me, you're everything an idol should be. That's why I begged my manager for this chance to talk to you. They pulled some strings to get me back here. So that I could thank you for everything that you've done for me," Mimose said sincerely.

Maizono knew that every word Mimose spoke was the absolute truth, she was an esper, after all. It was then that Maizono heard Naegi's voice repeating words he had said to her when she had given him the autographed picture for Komaru, Maizono-san, it might not mean much coming from me, but I don't believe that anyone will get tired of you. And even if you and your friends go your separate ways as stars, from what you described your bonds aren't so fragile that those wonderful days will ever really end. They'll continue because you are like family; because just as that idol from your childhood inspired you, you've done so to countless others, your fans and the next generation of idols alike, so you shouldn't worry. That was when Maizono had made a decision.

I can't do it anymore. I won't do it anymore. Not to Riyu-chan. Not to anyone else, Maizono thought with conviction. She then looked at Mimose and asked, "Riyu-chan, would you like to perform a song with us?"

Mimose felt as though she would faint from happiness, but kept her composure and answered enthusiastically, "Yes! Yes! That would be a dream come true."

"Let's go tell the other girls," Maizono responded as she led the way back to the dressing room. When she entered all eyes were on her and Mimose. Her group members were confused, while Oumi, who had returned in her absence, looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

"Girls, I'm sure you've heard of Mimose Riyu-chan, she's going to be performing with us," Maizono said as if nothing were wrong.

"Are you sure Sayaka-chan?" Aoba asked.

"Are you insane Sayaka-chan?" Haneyam asked.

"I'm sure and I'm entirely sane. We became idols to give encouragement to others. If our juniors want to do the same then I don't see a problem with performing with them," Maizono explained.

Collecting herself, Oumi turned to Mimose and asked, "Mimose-san, could you wait outside for a minute?"

"Oh, of course," Mimose answered. As she turned to leave Maizono handed her the sheets with the song lyrics on it and said, "Here you go Riyu-chan. Do you think you could memorize that?"

Looking it over, Mimose nodded and said, "I won't let you down Maizono-senpai."

Once the door had closed, the Oumi turned to Maizono and asked, "Sayaka-chan, what is this about? What about everything we've done to keep this group on top?"

"I can't do it anymore. An idol isn't supposed to crush people's dreams, they're supposed to encourage people to follow their dreams. I'm not the only one who feels this way right girls?" Maizono asked.

Three heads nodded while Haneyam said, "If Sayaka-chan says so, I guess I have to go along with it." Despite her tone, it was clear that she was relieved.

"Don't misunderstand ma'am, I think all of us are grateful for all that you've done for us. But we didn't become idols to crush people's dreams. If we really are the idol group that everyone admires then we need to act like it. We wouldn't do this to people in our everyday life and we shouldn't do it just because we're afraid of a little competition. We'll stay on top the right way from now on," Maizono said with conviction.

"I don't know about this, but we'll discuss this more after the show," Oumi said.


Later

The performance was about to start. They had practiced one final time with Mimose, who had pick up the routine in an amazingly short amount of time and they were ready. Before they started, Maizono announced, "We ran into a special guest before the show and she agreed to help hippity-hop straight into your hearts tonight. You may have heard of her, the up-and-coming junior idol, Mimose Riyu-chan!"

Those in the audience and at home couldn't help but erupt into applause at that announcement. One group in particular was very happy with this development.


Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm

Naegi and some of the girls had promised Maizono that they would watch the show tonight. Some were more enthusiastic about it than the others, but whether it was to support their friend or to listen to her new song they still watched.

When Maizono had introduced Mimose, Mioda was ecstatic, Ikusaba smiled, Naegi felt proud, and Enoshima s happy.

Mioda was ecstatic, but that was her default reaction to just about everything.

Ikusaba smiled because to her this proved that Naegi had managed to outmaneuver her sister with Maizono.

Naegi was proud because it seemed that with this, Maizono had overcome her fears of being forgotten or replaced.

Enoshima looked happy but that was just a mask, inside she was furious. The Maizono who had seemed lost all week would have fallen into despair easily. She was already feeling guilty about how she had ruined so many other idols, she just needed that final push. Ruining Mimose Riyu's career would have been perfect. Destroying the dream of a young girl who admired her, what could have been better than that? Enoshima didn't know how but she knew Naegi was involved somehow. How did he do this? She should have been too far gone. Even that cliched, "She's just like me" bit shouldn't have worked. Mimose couldn't have been the first to feel that way. Whatever Naegi said to her last week must have stuck with her. That hopeful little shit, how does he do it? This should have been a win for me.


I hope you're listening, Naegi-kun, Maizono thought as the music started.

"Don't decide where to meet tomorrow."

"Would you mind if I called you?"

"Pounding as I hear it ring, until I finally hear your voice."

"Whisper something soft in my ear."

"The love of Monochrome is wrapped in two people."

"Can you feel the temperature rising?"

"Can you feel the love between you and I?"

"Monochome View is just as colorful, but the only shade I see is you."

"It looks like a Monochrome Two way."

"Is this really happening? Can you see me?"

"If a Monochrome dream is with you it's a rainbow color."

"That's a clear feeling."

"Black and white in a monochrome world."

"Your vivid color flows through my veins."

"I'll run to you."

"It looks like a Monochrome Two way."

"Is this really happening? Can you see me?"

"If a Monochrome dream is with you it's a rainbow color."

"That's a clear feeling."

"Black and white in a monochrome world."

"Your vivid color flows through my veins."

"That's a clear feeling."

"You and I can be a spark."

"If you merge it with a monochrome distance, it is colorful."

"Don't decide where to meet tomorrow."

"Would you mind if I called you?"

"Be clear. Just give me an answer."

As Maizono sang and danced she was thinking, trying to get another message across, one not contained within the song. Are you watching Naegi-kun? Are you listening? On this song and on the feelings held within it, I make this pledge. I will change. I will be the idol that everyone admires. I will become the person you believe me to be. And I will be someone worthy of your love. Because you believe in me. I didn't realize it before I got the chance to talk to you, but I was trapped. Trapped because I had lost my way and did not think that I could change. Just like that crane in junior high, you showed me the way out. Riyu-chan may be the reason that I took the first step, but I think I needed you to lead me back to the correct path. Thank you! Thank you so much!


After the show

The show was over and Mimose had left, but not before thanking Maizono and the others for the opportunity to perform with them. After they had said their good-byes the Oumi approached them.

"Girls, I've been with you since the beginning. I think this is the best performance that I've seen you girls give yet," she said. Turning to Maizono, she said, "Sayaka-chan, I've never seen you shine as brightly as you have tonight. There have been glimpses of it since you've entered Hope's Peak Academy, but tonight it was there for all the world to see. I don't know if it's the school, one of your classmates, or for all I know it was that boy I heard talking to you." Maizono blushed at that last part. "What I do know is that that something in you changed. I think I realized it the minute you told me we weren't leaking information about other idols anymore. So fine, if it means more performances like this, we'll stop. It's one less thing for me to do anyway," Oumi said.

The girls' faces lit up at that, even Haneyam's. There was still one thing that Maizono needed to discuss with Oumi.

"Ma'am, about Riyu-chan-," she started.

"I'll destroy this when I get home," Oumi said, holding up a manila envelope. "Don't worry, Riyu-chan is still so new there was hardly anything. Mostly rumors that amount to little more than junior high gossip. Her agency could easily deny them if they think Riyu-chan is a good investment, so she'll be fine."

Maizono felt immensely relieved after hearing that.

"We're going to have to work that much harder from now on, but for now you girls deserve some rest. I'll be in touch when I have your next appearance scheduled," Oumi said.

"Yes ma'am," the girls responded.


Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm

Later That Night

Maizono returned a little before lights out, so she hadn't expected to find anyone still in the dorm's common area. She was surprised to see that Naegi had waited up for her.

Her surprise must have been rather apparent because Naegi said, "I wanted to congratulate you on your performance. I think that was your best yet."

"My manager said something similar," Maizono responded. Dreading what she was about to do next, but believing she needed to do it to change, Maizono started with a question, "Naegi-kun do you remember last week after watching Riyu-chan's interview?"

"Yes," Naegi said.

"Remember when you said that you were worried that I was going to sabotage Riyu-chan's career? Well, I was thinking about it, in fact my manager had said that she would find something my group could use to do it. I've done it to so many other idols just so I could stay on top," Maizono confessed.

"What changed your mind?" Naegi asked.

"Between talking to you and meeting Riyu-chan face-to-face I realized that I couldn't do it anymore. I don't think I've ever really wanted to do it, but I still did. I'm sorry Naegi-kun, you've been thinking I'm a good person but I'm just not the person you think I am," Maizono said sadly. She knew just how big of a risk she was taking with her friendship with Naegi. She realized that he may want nothing to do with her after this, or that anything beyond friendship would be impossible for her after this. Hopefully Naegi could forgive her one day, after she became a good person.

"Maizono-san, you are the good person I believed you were," Naegi said.

"How can you say that?" Maizono asked.

"I'm sure it was hard for you, to sabotage or ruin the careers or potential careers of other idols just to stay on top. I think that the fact that you felt bad about it, that you wanted to stop and did stop means that you were and are a good person. I know that it may not make sense but that's what I think," Naegi explained.

"Naegi-kun," Maizono said, tearing up. Why was I worried? This is who he is, Maizono thought.

"Performing with Riyu-chan was your first step towards change right?" Naegi asked.

Maizono didn't trust her voice just yet so she just nodded.

"Then it's fine. Well, not fine, you have done wrong and I don't know if there will come a time when you don't feel guilty, but if you've resolved to change then you should keep looking forward," Naegi said.

"Naegi-kun. Thank you," Maizono said quietly.

"You're welcome Maizono-san," Naegi responded. As soon as he finished speaking he got up and stretched and said, "I think I'm going to bed, good night Maizono-san."

"Good night Naegi-kun, I'll be up shortly," Maizono said.

After Naegi left the room Maizono heard him speaking with someone.

"Ikusaba-san what are you still doing up?" Maizono heard Naegi ask.

"I wanted something to drink." It was a lie, Maizono could tell, but she knew Naegi would just accept that. Maizono had a feeling that Ikusaba wanted to talk about Naegi. Steeling herself for a confrontation with the soldier Maizono sat perfectly still and waited. When Ikusaba walked past her into the kitchen, Maizono felt relieved, but slightly confused, her intuition was almost always spot on. It wasn't until Ikusaba called out, "I'll be back in a second Maizono-san," that Maizono realized she'd been right.

Ikusaba soon returned with two glasses of juice and set them down before taking a seat right across from Maizono and spoke. "He saved you too, didn't he?" It was in the form of a question but Maizono knew that Ikusaba didn't really need an answer.

She responded anyway, "Yes, he did." Her curiosity getting the better of her she asked, "How did he save you?"

"I may tell you someday, but not now," Ikusaba responded.

"I guess that's fair," Maizono said, although she really did want to know.

"Maizono-san, do you know why we're having a conversation right now?" Ikusaba asked.

"You aren't going to threaten me to stay away from Naegi-kun are you?" Maizono asked back.

"Two weeks ago I might have, but not now. That said, I'm not just going to let you have him either," Ikusaba told the idol.

"Thankfully, his placement in our dorm gives me time. He thinks he can't pursue a romantic relationship and as an idol I can't have a boyfriend. I won't be forbidden from dating forever though, I'll mature into a full-fledged star soon. Of course, I assume we'll both be vying for his attention until he can date," Maizono said.

"Absolutely, graduation isn't that far away after all," Ikusaba said.

"Well then, En Garde," Maizono said as she raised her glass. Ikusaba raised hers in response and with a 'clink' the two girls had declared themselves rivals for Naegi Makoto.


Present

I was worried about being Ikusaba-san's rival, now I wish I could go back to being just Ikusaba-san's rival, Maizono thought as she finished reminiscing. It wasn't easy having to worry about most of her female classmates, the female half of Class 77-B, and Yukizome-sensei taking Naegi before she got her chance. Naegi-kun, you may be the only person in the world who makes me regret being an idol, she thought jokingly. She knew that if she weren't an idol she would not be as close to Naegi as she is now. She smiled at that thought.

Naegi and Mioda both noticed this and Naegi said, "You seem happy Maizono-san."

"I am, I'm just remembering how you helped me through some rough times at the beginning of the year," Maizono told him.

"Makoto-chan has helped Ibuki through hard times too. Makoto-chan became Ibuki's best friend almost as soon as he arrived at Hope's Peak," Mioda said. Ibuki always thought she just wanted a platonic relationship with true bandmates. She never really planned on falling in love. Now, she never wants to let go of this feeling, the peppy musician thought.

It's true, Mioda-senpai didn't have it easy either. I'm glad I was able to help though, a sad Mioda Ibuki-senpai just doesn't seem right, Naegi thought as he remembered how he had come to know the Ultimate Musician.


And done. That took longer than I thought it would. Do me a favor: next time I write in one of these notes that I think a chapter will be easy, remind me of this and the previous chapter. I will be grateful for it. I mean I probably could have these out sooner but after work on the weekdays I can't bring myself to type. Is that weird?

Questions from me aside, I like this chapter, even if I think it is a little too similar to the last chapter but that may just be me. I constantly found myself wishing Sayaka had been fleshed out a lot more as a character in the first game, but it is what it is. Although, and I know I'm beating a long dead horse here, even if the developers got sick of looking at her and Leon would it have killed them to give them six free time events (and let's not forget Mukuro. She deserved more love too). I mean Teruteru and the Imposter died first in SDR2 and they got six. And I'd believe that the developers got sick of looking at them more if Sonia didn't look like a blonde Sayaka and Souda didn't remind me so much of Leon when I first saw him. Sorry, I know I complain a lot, I never mean to going in, it just turns out that way. Back to the end of chapter notes.

Ah Leon, it's not that Naegi has something that you don't, it's that he doesn't say things like "Her face is okay, but she's got a smokin' hot body. I gotta get me some of that!" Joking aside, was that good as a first glimpse of the jealousy that will inevitably be aimed Makoto's way? I thought so, but still not much has happened and not much time has passed, so more will be on the way.

I wish I could claim credit for the character of Riyu but she comes from the game Akiba's Beat and is owned by Acquire, which I own about as much as I own Danganronpa, which is to say not at all. The character Kanami Oumi is just a character whose name I came up with by using the names of two fictional idols Kanami from Persona 4: Dancing All Night and Megumi Oumi from Zatch Bell. Man, I really showed my age with that reference, didn't I?

I hope the research I managed to do on idols made for a better chapter: the things they go on to do after their time as idols is at an end; their demanding schedules; the image that they try to project; the taboo on dating; the things that they are required to do.

I tried to keep Sayaka's "not so pleasant things" tame, I think the cast of SDR2 and UDG have the really dark back stories and I wanted to keep it that way. This unfortunately goes back to Sayaka not having been fleshed out enough and me using my best guess on what those "not so pleasant things" were. I mean some can point to that photo book in Side Despair as an example, but that's kind of expected of idols if what I managed to find was correct, gravure photos are apparently expected of them. Which is weird: they can pose in skimpy outfits but holding hands and kissing a boy is apparently what shatters the pure image they need to project; how does that work?

Back to what is important. The Ibuki chapter is next.

As for vote tallies. From the reviews and PM's:

Keep the original order (Akane, Aoi, Mahiru, Sonia)-3

Sonia-3

Akane-2

Aoi-1

Mahiru-1

Keep voting guys. Read, review, and vote.