Honoka's Bizarre Adventure: μ's Is Unbreakable
Chapter 25: No Senpai Allowed!
Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!
Hoshizora nyaaaa~! Hey everyone, it's your favorite First Year kitty here giving you the good news! Me, Kayochin, and Maki-chan are all gonna have underclassman next year! Isn't that exciting!? But something kind of weird happened, and the president of the School Idol Festival was at our school… but oh well! For now, we can celebrate, nya!
"It's so hot…" Honoka brilliantly observed one day, looking out the door to the school rooftop.
It was hot.
"Y… yeah…" Nico agreed.
"This idiot might actually die if she practices in this heat!"「Circus」claimed, earning a glare from her user.
Actually, it was really, really hot. It had been several days since the open house, and the girls of μ's were trying their best to return to being normal students and School Idols, especially with Love Live! creeping up… there was only so much time to make it into the rankings to be able to participate!
And one of the most important parts of their passion was practice. But…
"You got to be kidding!? You want us to practice in this heat!? We might die from heat stroke!" Nico complained.
But Eli narrowed her eyes and stayed firm. "I don't want to hear any complaining. We need to start practicing!" And Eli's glare certainly worked wonders.
"Y-yes, Ayase-senpai!" Hanayo said, cowering behind Rin. Nico and Honoka also look fairly defeated and resigned to their fate.
"… Hanayo, don't think of me as an upperclassman anymore, OK?" After noticing the anxiety, she looked at Nozomi, and both smiled to try to ease Hanayo a bit. "We're peers now, as both School Idols and Stand users."
"O-oh… well, OK…" She didn't sound too convinced, though. Even though they performed and fought together, outside of the heat of Stand combat, Eli was still the student council president and an intimidating figure who had antagonized μ's in the past.
Then, Honoka's brain had a rare idea.
"Oh, I have an idea! Let's take a camping trip!" She encouraged.
"Eh? Where'd that come from?" Nico asked.
"Man, I totally should have thought of this sooner! It'll be a perfect way for us to bond as the completed μ's!" Honoka encouraged, avoiding the question. Not to mention a way to stay out of the worst of the heat until this heat wave passes!
"Oh! It sounds like fun, nya!" Rin said.
"I agree. Some R&R after practicing in this hot weather every day could be good for us," Nozomi agreed.
"Where would we go, though?" Kotori asked.
"The beach, of course!" Honoka answered. "Its summer, where else would we go?"
"And how, Honoka-chan, would we cover the expenses?" Umi asked, and Honoka went silent. "We don't get paid for our music; you know."
"Umm… uh…" Honoka took Kotori's wrist and pulled her away. "… Kotori-chan, when do you get paid next?"
"Eh!?"
"We're not footing everything on Kotori, Honoka!" Umi scolded.
"O-Of course not! I was just going to borrow a little money…" But then another idea came to her! "W-wait! Maki-chan, your family is rich, right!?"
"Um, yes?"
"Oh! Ohohoh! I bet you guys have a vacation home or something!"
"Well, we do, but…" And before she knew it, Honoka had her hands on her shoulders. "H-hey!"
"Come on, Maki-chan! Help us out, pretty please!" Honoka begged, practically rubbing her cheek against hers as she tried to cozy up to her.
"W-why do I have to!? And haven't you ever heard of personal space!?"
"Honoka, we can't just pop in there uninvited…" Eli scolded, and Honoka sighed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Honoka said, dejected… but not as she made what could best be described as the eyes of a begging puppy at Maki's direction. Kotori did too, to a lesser extent. Maki figured the look in Rin's eyes was more appropriate to compare to a kitty.
"Alright, fine! I'll ask my parents."
"Wooooo!" Honoka clapped her hands, and Rin and Nico cheered as well. With a sigh and a smile, Eli faced Nozomi as well.
"… Well, this might be a good time to get something out of the way, too…"
"Eh!? No saying 'senpai!?'"
Honoka certainly didn't expect this at the train station, to say the least.
"It's been bothering me for a while. It's not that it isn't important to keep a senior-junior relationship in school, but we shouldn't care about that when we're dancing. And beyond that, we arecomrades-in-arms as Stand users as well. Not only have we sung and danced together, we've also fight together in life-or-death situations.
"I see… I do find myself trying to match the Third Years dance moves sometimes," Umi admitted. "I can't pretend it's not intimidating either, especially with how strong Ayase-senpai is… oh, um, sorry!" Umi said.
"You've never been that considerate to me…" Nico complained.
"That's because it doesn't feel like you're an upperclassman, nya!"
"Eh!? Then what the hell do you see me as!?"
"… An underclassman!" Rin happily replied.
"I've seen you like a little kid!" Honoka said.
"You seemed like our mascot," Nozomi went on.
"That's even worse than these idiots! At least they've been here longer than you!" Nico complained, her Stand's giggle audible to the group.
But Eli simply smiled. "The rule goes into effect now. Honoka?"
"O-Oh, OK! Umm… I think this is a good idea… E… E…" Honoka took a little breath before smiling. "… Eli-chan?"
And with that, Eli smiled and nodded.
"Oh, oh! I wanna do it too!" Rin said. "OK… Kotori-chan…?"
"Yup! Let's get along, Rin-chan!" Kotori said with a warm smile. "Maki-chan, why don't you try it to?"
Maki's face was almost as red as her hair. "I-I'd rather not address to you guys for no reason!" It earned a small chuckle from most around.
"Getting back to it, we will not be leaving on our camping trip! But not before a word from our president!" Eli said.
"W-wait, me!?" Nico asked, caught off-guard and seeing all eyes on her.
"Come on, Nico! This is a chance to show off!"
"W-well… uh… uh… let's goooo!"
There was a small silence.
"How did such an amazing Stand like me get stuck with a loser like you?"
"I wasn't expecting to say anything!"
Later on, μ's was certainly impressed to see the Nishikino's beach home.
"It looks amazing, Maki! You can tell that your family is loaded, nya!"
"Really? I don't think it's out of the ordinary…" Maki said, the rest heading inside, as a stunned and jealous Nico followed after them.
"Oh, I'm totally calling this spot!" An excited Honoka declared, jumping on a large guest bed and rolling on it, Rin following after.
"Umi-senpai, you should get a spot too! … Oh, oops!" Rin said and apologized.
"You need to try that again," Umi said with a smile.
"OK! Umi-chan, Honoka-chan!"
… Honoka had fallen asleep on the bed immediately.
"A personal chef!?" Nico practically yelled in the kitchen, looking at her loaded kouhai while standing with Kotori.
"Hm? Is it that surprising?" Maki asked.
She's the kind of rich girl that doesn't even know how rich she is! Nico thought.
"Of course! It's hard to believe you have someone like that for the family! Isn't it?" Kotori asked, looking at her senpai.
"O-oh? So, your family has one too! You see, my family has their own chef as well! So, I've never cooked before~" Nico said, trying to put on a cute look.
"Eh!? I didn't know your family was rich too, Nico-senpai!"
"You mean 'Nico-nii!'"
"Huh?"
"It's not 'Nico-senpai!' Call me Nic-nii! We're all equals here, now!"
"Yeah, I am not calling you that," Maki said, earning a glare from the Third Year.
Meanwhile, Eli and Nozomi were looking at the huge living room. "We can use this space to practice away from the heat," Eli said. "For Stand training, we can use the outdoors once the sun is down."
"Wouldn't it make sense to do all of it outside, since we're at the beach?" Nozomi asked. "I mean, I understand Stand sparring away from there, though. But our normal exercise as well?"
"We shouldn't be a nuisance. We should avoid being loud and annoying the other people around us," Eli reasoned.
"Oh, so we'll practice our singing too?"
"Of course! There's less than a month until the groups are chosen for Love Live! We can't be slacking off this close. That's why I feel it's best to do all our training around here, at the Nishikino's vacation house."
Nozomi. "It's good to see you so enthusiastic for things again, Elichi."
"… I am no longer a machine that is only living for justice," Eli said, still smiling. "I was so caught up in everything before, I guess I almost forgot my own humanity… no, rather, I did forget my own humanity. And it's because of μ's I was able to reclaim that. I'm living as a person again… and right now, as a person, I want to perform in Love Live!"
Nozomi kept smiling. She then noticed a certain First Year standing behind a plant. "And why are you hiding there, Hanayo-chan?"
"Ehehe. This place is so big, I feel overwhelmed…" Hanayo admitted.
But the sheer majestic nature of it would only last for so long. And about 30 minutes later, Umi called everyone together to see a pi graph she had made. "And this will be our training schedule for our trip!" While most were fine… Honoka, Nico, and Rin, already in their bathing suits, seemed less thrilled.
"Hey, what about the beach!?" Honoka complained.
"… What about me?" Umi asked, confused by the usage of the word 'umi.'
"No! The beach! When are we gonna go swimming!?"
"Oh, so that's what you meant!" Umi said, completely misunderstanding what Honoka wanted. "Have a look at the chart please!"
"… Ten… kilometers of swimming…" Honoka started.
"… Followed by 10 kilometes of running!?" Nico finished. "… And at the very end! Does that really say an hour and a half of Stand sparring!?"
"We've been neglecting our basic physical training lately; and Stand fights don't count for that. Now that there's nobody actively antagonizing us, we should focus on getting back to our fundamentals! And I thought this camping trip would be perfect for that!" Umi said.
"You're not wrong, but I don't know if everyone can keep up…" Eli said, the idiot trio of μ's nodding along.
"That won't' be a problem as long as all of us are motivated!" Umi said. "As long as we keep a burning flame in our hearts as School Idols and Stand users, we can do it!"
"She's fired up in a bad way…" Nico observed. "Hey, Honoka! She's your childhood friend, get us out of this mess!"
"OK… Rin! Activate 'Plan Distract Umi-chan!'"
"When did you two make a plan!?"
"Nico, just wait for my signal…"
Rin grabbed Umi by the wrist and pulled her aside. "Umi-chan, look!"
"What… am I supposed to be seeing?"
"BREAK FOR IT!" Honoka yelled, running towards the beach, with Hanayo, Nico, and quickly Rin trailing behind her.
"W-what about the training!?"
"Well, it was bound to happen," Eli said with an amused smile. Eli, Nozomi, Maki, and Kotori had stayed behind.
"Aren't you worried, Eli-senpai? … O-oh."
Eli put a finger to her own lips. "I said, 'no saying senpai!' But, really… μ's has been operating as a club, for the most part, so it's important everyone hangs out together to bridge the gap between grades. So, it's not really a bad thing, a day just to relax… not that we shouldn't get training in before the end, though. "So… let's go change into our swimsuits and have fun, alright?"
"Yeah…" Umi said, starting to smile as the other three headed inside… but not Kotori. "… Kotori."
"Mmm…"
"You should tell Honoka today," Umi said with a frown. "This is… a really big deal, this offer you got."
"I know, but… everyone is having fun I-I don't want to interrupt them…"
"Kotori," Umi's voice was firm. "It's only going to get worse if you don't talk to her… so please, talk to Honoka before we leave, OK?"
"I… yes, I know. Thank you, Umi."
And with that, Umi smiled. "Come on. Let's go to the beach."
It was the first time the Idol Study Club had truly been able to have fun like this. Not that they hadn't had moments back in Tokyo of course, but even then, there was always an underlying feeling: 'this is because of μ's.' But right now, they really felt like a bunch of teenage girls simply hanging out and having fun.
"Water fiiiight!" Honoka yelled, splashing water at Nico, Hanayo, and Rin… who then quickly banded together to defeat Honoka. "W-wait, I didn't mean for this to be three-on-one!" She tried to run away, falling in the water… something Nozomi happily recorded on her camera. "N-no fair, don't tape that!"
Rin laughed… only for a stream of water to hit her face. "Nya!"
"E-eh!? An enemy attack!?" Nico yelled, before being hit by a burst of water as well… but not before seeing her assailant: Kotori with a watergun.
"I got you~"
"N-no fair, Kotori! Well, take this! 「All Star!」" Honoka yelled. Of course she did not fully manifest her Stand, but she did summon her Stand's arm, able to splash Kotori from quite the distance.
"N-nooo! That's not fair, Honoka!"
"All's fair in love and war, Kotori-chan!" Honoka said… only to regret it when a single flap from「Kaze ni Notte's」wings splashed just as much water on her.
As the girls laughed, Umi stood in the water, embarrassed. Most of them haven't seen me in my bathing suit… She thought with her cheeks red. And if anyone else sees… "H-hey! Don't film me, Nozomi-senpai!"
"Hmmm~? I think you said the wrong word~" Nozomi teased, still recording.
"Nozomi!"
"Well, that's a start!"
Getting back on the land a bit later, some games had started. "You can do it, nya!" Rin cheered on for a blindfolded Hanayo, trying to hit a watermelon. "It's just a little to your left… no, my left! Perfect! Bring it down!"
"OK…「Momoiro Clover!」" Her Stand's fist manifested partially around her arm, before she brought it down. "Kya!" only to hit… nothing. "E-eh!?"
Nico smirked, 「Circus's」prehensile whip having grabbed the watermelon and brought it to Nico's hands. "You get that much!"
"H-heeey!" Hanayo complained, as Nico stuck out her tongue and pulled down on an eye.
"You're all so cute, really," Nozomi said with a smile, recording the whole thing, even though she knew the Stands would not show up on camera.
Afterwards though, Nico chose to lie down on a chair under the shade next to Maki. "Jeez! Even if it's just shooting for a PV, playing the role of the mischievous little imp isn't easy, you know…"
"Yeah, because it's clearly just an act," Maki said, not looking up from her book.
"Grr… well, mind if I sit next to you?"
"Go ahead."
And Nico smiled, before lying down… before noticing something. Namely, how much space they took up on their chairs. "…"
A First Year shouldn't be taller than a Third Year! Nico thought to herself, complaining. The other girl had to be at least five centimeters taller than her. Not only that…! She took a quick glance at Maki's chest, before looking down on her own. What the hell!? She thought, trying to stretch herself out on the beach chair, her entire back no longer making contact with the chair. "J-Just a little more…" she told herself… but then a volleyball hit her in the face. "HEY!"
"Sorry, Nico-chan!" Honoka yelled out. "Hey, wanna play?"
"N-no! Go play somewhere else!" Nico yelled. "Ha… like I'd take part in such a childish game!"
"She's just making excuses because she sucks at it, nya~" Rin teased. "With her height, she is at a disadvantage…"
"Oh, now it's on!" Nico yelled, grabbing the volley ball. "I'll show you the power of my Love Nico Attack! 「Circus,」get ready!"
"You sure you don't want to join?" Nozomi asked the only First Year not participating.
"Mmm… I'm busy right now."
"She'll be a tough one to crack," Eli said, with Nozomi nodding. "But if I could come around, so will she."
"A grocery run?" After fun and games had ended, the all-important question of food had come up, and Honoka realized she hadn't even thought of this.
"The grocery is pretty far away apparently," Kotori informed them.
"Oh, then I'll go!" Honoka volunteered.
"I can go by myself. You don't know where it is, and we need to pay for cab fare on the way back," Maki said.
"Hmm… why don't I go with you then, Maki-chan?" Nozomi asked with a smile.
"Eh? Really?"
"It's good to hang out with different people, isn't it?" Maki didn't say anything before heading on a long walk with Nozomi.
"Oh my… the sunset out here is beautiful! No light pollution!" Nozomi said with a smile, seeing the sun setting above the ocean. "I haven't seen a sunset that beautiful since I left Egypt."
"Are you… you're not Egyptian, right?"
"What? I don't look Egyptian enough for you?" Nozomi teased, noticing how flustered Maki quickly got, afraid she had said something wrong. "No, I'm not Egyptian… but I did live there. For twenty months."
"Was it… a work thing? Did you move there for work?"
"No. I ran away," Nozomi explained, much to Maki's shock. "Like Kotori-chan, my Stand awoke naturally, without the arrow. I didn't like my life in Japan and I didn't like my parents, so once I obtained「Ace of Spades,」I became a wild child. I was a runaway for twenty months. I did… many bad things I'm not proud of in those twenty months. I lived like that for almost two years, answering to nobody but myself," Nozomi explained. "I abused my Stand to live my life my own way. Eventually though, a man snapped me back to my sense, and I came home."
"… Nozomi. Why did you want to come with me?" Maki asked. "What's on your mind…?"
"I was thinking that you're the troublesome type. I know a few things about being troublesome," Nozomi said. "But in different ways… genuinely, I was an awful, hateful child. But you're different. I could tell back there… you want to get along with everyone else, but don't know how, do you? That's why「Fur Elise」manifests the way it does."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Maki asked.
"Think about it. A Stand is an ability that reflets yourself. 「Ace of Spades」was something I didn't realize until I met a man named Mohammad Avdol. My Stand I strongest when used with the tarot… and during that time period I desperately wanted to find and create my place in the world. It wasn't until afterwards, when I understood the tarot, that I understood「Ace of Spades」was my way of trying to understand my uncertain future and life."
"And you think「Fur Elise」is like that too?" Maki asked.
"「Fur Elise」creates a melody by imprinting musical notes with its fist... and then, those musical notes attack all five senses in an illusion upon those who hear it. While it's pure offensive might is on the lower end of our nine Stands, its utility is incredible. Furthermore… I do believe that perfect reflects you. 「Fur Elise」contains subliminal messages, the true meaning, by the 'real you' to those who hear it," Nozomi explained. "It's as if「Fur Elise」represents your desire to have your true thoughts and feelings understood… it also cannot speak the truth you desire out loud, but with its fists it can properly communicate those feelings. Like yourself, your Stand also cannot truly simply say 'what it wants.' Does that make sense?"
"…" Maki was silent, and Nozomi smiled.
"You can understand a lot about somebody from their Stand," Nozomi explained. "You want to get along with everybody else. But you can't bring yourself to express that."
"I'm just being myself," Maki said.
"Exactly. But if you keep that up, being 'yourself' this way, you won't' be able to let everyone know how you feel…"
Maki paused. "… The only person who ever truly understood me was Omine."
"Oh? Omine?"
"A friend of mine, an old friend. She went to a different high school than I did, a fancy one in Hiroshima. I wanted to go to that school too, but…" Maki narrowed her eyes. "My father didn't let me. So, I ended up in Otonokizaka at his request, alone…"
"Oh, so that's why a girl of your wealth came to our school…" Nozomi said with a frown.
"I didn't want to come here… I wanted to be where Omine is. She's the only one who never judged me, who never thought more or less because I was rich. And now we only talk through letters, she's so busy she can't even call anymore…"
"I'm sorry, Maki-chan," Nozomi said. "And because of that… you don't know how to connect with others, do you? There was only one person you knew how to connect with. And now she's far away…"
"…" Maki went quiet again. "… You looked like you all had fun."
Nozomi smiled gently. "Tomorrow is going to be a training day, but the day after that we'll play again… I hope you join us."
"I… I'll try," Maki said. "Why are you sticking your nose so much in my business, though…?"
"I just couldn't leave it alone. We're friends, aren't we?"
Without replying, the two continued onwards.
And later that evening, a certain Third Year was beginning to cook.
"I-I'm sorry, it was supposed to be me, but I took too long…" Kotori said with a frown.
"It's fine! I'm starving anyways, so this way it's guaranteed I'll love the food too!" Nico said with a grin. "Honestly, just what would you girls do without me?" Nico said with a smug tone, preparing food for nine people. "And with that… dinner is served!"
And with that, nine girls had delicious curry and rice in front of them! And even a salad!
"Hanayo, why are you the only one with rice in a bowl instead of on your plate!"
"Don't worry about it!" Hanayo said, happily working on the rice first.
"You really are a great cook, Nico!" Honoka complimented, the smug Third Year's ego inflating.
"Well of course! I'm a super Idol and a super Stand user, after all!"
"… Didn't you say you had never cooked before?" Kotori asked, all eyes then falling on her.
"She said her head chef cooks for her," Maki said.
"… O-oh no! T-t-this is just too hard for my dainty arms to hold…!" Nico said, pretending to struggle to hold a spoon with two hands.
"That's going overkill, nya!"
"Listen! An Idol needs to be able to cook a meal or two, alright!? It'd be terrible for her reputation if she couldn't!" Nico only somewhat explained, and glad that for once her Stand was staying quiet. And after a delicious meal, lethargy took over the group, Honoka practically passing out on a couch.
"I'm so stuffed…" Honoka said with a big grin.
"We should go set off fireworks!" Rin suggested.
"You'll get fat if you just sleep right after eating," Umi chastised.
"Everyone, please start cleaning your dishes," Eli said.
"After that we'll be training! It'll be light, but I want us to do just a little stretching, a small jog, and some basic Stand sparring," Umi said. "We wasted all day playing, so we got to make up for it tomorrow too! … Even if we draw it back a bit. So no, you're not going to be setting off fireworks tonight."
"Nyaaaaa…"
"We only have a month until Love Live! after all…" Umi said.
"…" Kotori frowned. "Speaking of Love Live!... Two days ago, was the president of the School Idol Festival really at our school? Kira Yoshikage?"
Honoka frowned, turning around. "Mmm, yeah… did your mom say anything?"
Kotori frowned. "It's been a long time since I've seen my mom that upset at someone though…" She scratched behind her head. "That Kira guy really must have gotten to her. She didn't want to talk about it… although she said she didn't want me talking to him on school grounds… actually, to be honest, she said if I saw him on school grounds, I should go tell her…"
Nico frowned. "He did offer to interview us. Maybe he wanted to do something with us on the school grounds?"
"Probably… I don't know. My mom really didn't want to talk about it, I'm as in the dark as all of you," Kotori admitted. "That's not all, though, Love Live!... is just an Idol tournament, isn't it?"
"Eh? I mean… Love Live! was originally a School Idol tournament in the Showa Era!" Hanayo said. "But back then even as highschoolers they had managers and it was for profit, and the School Idols banded together with help from their parents to sue and fight back for unethical treatment of minors… "
"It was a time bomb waiting to go off, honestly," Nico said. "It even shook up the normal Idol industry. Seeing a bunch of kids teaming up and banding together to not be treated like shit even resonated in the professionals. It wasn't until the 2000s Idol culture made its comeback! But yeah, it's always just been an Idol competition."
"That's not what I mean," Kotori said. "I was thinking about… well, what Wakaki said."
"… Wakaki?" Eli frowned and looked at her. "Did Wakaki say something about Love Live!?"
"O-oh, right, we weren't really allies yet! I'm sorry, we hadn't told you…"
Eli gave a reassuring smile, as did Nozomi. "It was crazy at the time… don't feel bad. But I want to know what she said, please."
"When we were fighting in the sky, she mentioned Love Live! But… she called it something else. She called it the 'Greatest Concern.' And when I asked if she meant Love Live!, she just told me 'your name for it, anyways.'"
"I had nearly forgotten about that…" Hanayo mentioned, Rin nodding along.
"That was a hell of a day. We learned who the Cyan Stand user really was, I got kidnapped, and Rin awakened her Stand," Maki said. "And I think Umi said that her Stand partially activated?" Umi nodded in response. "And the Yoshidas are basically running Love Live! now…"
"Come to think of it, she also retreated to their unfinished stadium," Nico said. "And then the Tokyo branch executive director showing up at our school…"
"What are you all saying?" Rin asked.
"Well, we're not saying anything specifically… but the Yoshida Conglomerate always seems to be around this stuff now," Kotori said. "We know Wakaki is working for somebody… The fact that she called Love Live! the Greatest Concert and that it was 'our name' for it…"
"The Yoshidas are a suspicious lot," Eli admitted. "I wanted to investigate them, but I wasn't able to while dealing with Yanigihori. In particular… the fact a zaibatsu that largely focused on automobile manufacture, robotics, and medicine took such an interest in School Idols was… odd."
"And the CEO's daughter is part of a School Idol group too. LOVE⭐PARADE," Nozomi said. "The one people say are like A-RISE's rivals…"
"That guy gives me the creeps," all eyes were on Honoka. "When we saw him on the stream, and then in person too… that Kira guy. I don't know. I felt unsettled. Like a bomb was going to go off in my chest because of him…"
"… I think, maybe…" Kotori started. "… Is Love Live! maybe dangerous in a way we don't know? Should we avoid it?"
"I mean… I don't want to avoid it. I want to go there and I'll make any sacrifice to make it possible," Nico said. "But, if it actually involves Stand danger… well, we just finished fighting Yanigihori's group! I wanna stay out of this kind of crap for a while now!"
"Do we want to avoid Love Live!...?" Nozomi asked with a frown. "The Yoshidas were suspicious, but the 'Greatest Concert' comment has a plethora of new concerns. Of course… it's also possible that Wakaki's boss has plans for Love Live! that aren't involved with the Yoshidas. Like an assault or something with the arrow…"
"I don't think not trying to enter Love Live! is the answer," Honoka said, standing up from the couch. Her face and tone were serious as she looked at the rest of μ's. "We're School Idols… we should aim for Love Live! no matter what, I think. In the event it's just a normal competition, now that we've reached our initial goal, it's the highest we can go! I want to sing and dance there, I really do!" Honoka said. "But… if something actually is suspicious about it, we shouldn't turn away either. We fought Yanigihori-chan because we thought her vision of the world wasn't something we wanted… if something bad is gonna happen with the School Idol Festival, I say we should fight too!"
The girls of μ's all nodded with that, most of them smiling. As always, Honoka was a rallying, charismatic force.
"Without evidence, there's not a lot we can really do," Maki said. "We're only working off assumptions. The argument with the director and Kira Yoshikage could have been something completely mundane. And Wakaki is an evil, sadistic, murderous bitch and pretty much everything she says should be taken with a grain of salt," Maki further reasoned. "Perhaps when we're back… we can investigate the Yoshidas on our own. In fact, if anything, the Arrow Hunters might be willing to help us on that end. Emi's「Lucille's」ability to let move between dimensions and「Worker Bees」huge range could help us out in the investigation, if they're willing to help us out."
"… I-I…" Hanayo was nervous, but took a breath and spoke up. "I-I don't want to not participate in Love Live! either, a-and I think we should try to participate! Unless we know for sure it's going to be a bad idea…" She admitted. "But… investigating the Yoshidas is a good idea, too! E-even if it might put us in conflict's way… because if they're going to threaten the Idols I love, I want to protect it!"
"I think we're all in agreement then," Eli said, looking around. "We will still attempt to enter Love Live! for now, but we need to investigate the Yoshidas who run it too… and try to figure out if Wakaki truly works for them. If Wakaki's employer isn't the Yoshidas then this is probably nothing to worry about, but if it is…"
She did not finish, but everyone nodded.
"Hmm… I don't think we're going to get any exercise in tonight," Nozomi said, trying to lighten the mood. "How about… we start going to bed, then wake up early for an early-morning workout?"
"That… that make sense, yeah," Umi said. "It'll be more efficient that way."
"We have a hot spring on here, we can bathe there," Maki said.
"Wait, seriously!?" Rin almost yelled. "A hot spring!? What DON'T your rich people have!?" The girl practically yelled at Maki, much to her annoyance.
"I'm right here, Rin!" She replied back.
"And you uh…" Rin frowned. "Don't… you know, mind be being there…? I can keep my swimsuit on and everything if that helps…"
"You're one of us, it'll be fine," Nico encouraged, with supportive smiles from everyone. It warmed Rin's heart in return.
"I wanna take a little walk first," Honoka admitted. "Clear my head a bit… I'll catch up with you all later, alright?"
"…" Kotori frowned some more, and Umi looked at her. They made eye contact, and Kotori knew what Umi wanted to say with her. "Umm… Honoka-chan, let me walk with you, OK?"
"Oh? Well, sure, alright!" Honoka said with a smile, unaware of her friend's internal conflict.
It was now or never, though.
"We've really come a long way, haven't we?" Kotori asked with a smile, looking up at the moon with her friend.
"Since forever!" Honoka said with a laugh. "We've come so far… to think we were just a bunch of normal kids back then," Honoka reached for the moon with her hand, clenching it. "I never would have imagined we became School Idols… or Stand users. Don't 'normal days' feel like they happened a million years ago?"
"Yeah… like this is a new normal, I can't really remember just going back to school normally anymore," Kotori said with a little smile. "I don't think I mind it though, as long as it's with all of you…"
"Honoka… I… I…"
Kotori stopped walking.
"I want to be with you and Umi forever."
Kotori's eyes stung with tears, before shaking her head.
"I might go to another school."
Time stood still, Honoka retracting to her hand to look at Kotori. "W… what…?"
"I… I got an offer, Honoka-chan! For this prestigious design school in Russia… you know that I want to go into fashion as my career. I… I… t-this could be a big chance for me…" Kotori teared up some more, wiping her eyes. "I-I just got it a few days ago…"
"K… Kotori… but we're- we're supposed to be together! We've always been together!" Honoka yelled, her own eyes watering. The thought of being separated from Umi and Kotori…!
"I don't know what to do! This is… it could be huge for me, Honoka-chan! But I… I want to be with all of you too! I'm… I'm…"
Honoka frowned, seeing how distraught Kotori was. "What do you... want to do…?"
"I don't- I don't know!" Kotori admitted. "Of course I don't want to go! Of course I want to sing and dance and even fight with all of you! But I… I…"
Kotori knew what she wanted, but wanted someone to tell her. "Honoka, please…"
"Kotori-chan…!"
"T-tell me. I should stay here, right!? With all of you? With μ's? To sing and dance, and to fight our enemies too! That makes sense, right!?" The girl was on the verge of a breakdown. "T-this offer is once-in-a-lifetime, but I should follow with my heart, not my brain, right!? So, I'm not separated from you!? Tell me…!"
Of course Honoka wanted to just tell Kotori not to leave.
She did not want her to leave. It may have been selfish, but Honoka did not want her to leave no matter what. It wasn't just about μ's being complete, it was being with somebody she had an inseparable bond with.
Honoka wanted to tell her 'Do not leave, stay.' And she knew if she did, that Kotori would not leave. She could tell Kotori did not want to leave, but…
… After all these fights, Honoka's resolve had constantly been tested. Her desire, her passions, and her strengths. And that is why…
"I'm not going to tell you what to do."
"… Huh?"
"I said, I'm not going to tell you what to do," Honoka's expression was serious, her hands in her pocket. "You know what I want you to do, don't you? And what you do too? You're scared, though…"
"Honoka…"
"But I won't tell you what to do… you know my answer in your heart. So, understand… 'no matter what, I will support you,' even if it means we have to… split up," she wiped away at her eye at the thought. But, despite it all, Honoka now smiled. "It has to be your own decision… but I'll support it no matter what."
Honoka embraced Kotori.
"No matter what…"
"Honoka…!"
Embracing one-another, knowing that a possibility of goodbye loomed ahead, they cried.
In the end, they all slept in the living room. While Honoka at first objected at not sleeping in a really comfy big bed, it was quickly washed away by being able to roll on the mattress pile that had been created.
Even Maki, who would have before refused to partake in the giant pillow pile, slept with the rest of her friends. And for a little bit? It was peaceful. Honoka had trouble falling asleep, but Umi knocked out like a rock. Sincerely and genuinely such peace, until someone was eating…
"Honoka?" Kotori asked.
"ACK!" Honoka bolted up, coughing on the cookie that had gone down her throat the wrong way. "O-oh jeez, that sucks!"
"What were you doing, Honoka-chan?" Kotori asked with a blink.
"I thought eating would help me fall asleep…"
"For crying out loud- would you girls put a sock in it!?"
NOTHING could have prepared the girls of μ's to see Nico's beauty mask, cucumbers still stuck to the green mask on her face… With the exception of Umi, still out like a light, all was asleep.
"W-what is that?" Hanayo asked.
"Get back, Kayochin! It's an enemy Stand!" Rin yelled, an arm now in front of Hanayo.
"How dare you! This is my beauty regimen!"
"Khorosho…" Even Eli seemed unnerved!
"S-s-she's terrifying!" Hanayo said as she cowered in fear, Rin agreeing.
"S-she looks like a zombie, nya!"
"Hmph! The price of beauty is never understood by others, my user…"
"Thank you, 「Circus!」" Nico said, glad her Stand was standing up for her for once. "You little brats- EH!?" But a pillow hit her face, knocking the rest of the cucumbers off her face. "Who did that!?"
Nozomi grinned. "Ohhh, Maki-chan! You shouldn't throw pillows like that!"
"W-what!? I didn't do anything!"
"Don't go throwing things just because we're loud!" Nozomi yelled, laughing as she threw another pillow at Rin, who caught it and threw it at Honoka, nailing her in the face!
"H-hey! Well, take this!" Honoka laughed as she threw the pillow at Maki, who blocked with her arm.
"You're not gonna throw one back~?" Nozomi teased Maki.
"Why would…!?" And then much to her shock, it was Eli who threw a pillow at her face! Indeed, no senpai allowed- even the serious Eli was getting into it! "Alright, that's it!" And with that, Maki nailed Nico right in the face with a pillow!
All hell began to break lose.
It was a mundane pillow fight, indeed. A bunch of teenage girls having fun… until something happened.
"It's time we upped the playing field! Break the mold, 「All Star!」" Honoka said with a grin as her Stand manifested entirely. "And now… I can control four pillows! Lets go!" And with that, a four-way attack was launched towards Kotori, Maki, Nozomi, and Nico!
"T-that's cheating, Honoka!" Kotori complained, barely dodging in time. Maki caught her pillow, but as it was thrown by「All Star,」just catching it was enough to make her go back a few feet!
"That's where you're wrong…"
Nozomi grinned, 「Ace of Spades」having blocked the pillow with several cards forming a shield.
"… Right now, it's only cheating because 'Honoka has an unfair advantage over us…' But… if we use our Stands, 'Honoka's advantage can be countered.'"
"Which is why we simply need to go all out," the armor feared throughout Tokyo as the Cyan Stand formed around Eli, and with it caught the pillow in one hand despite the incredible force behind it… and using her strings, was able to grab three more pillows. And with that, began her own multi-pillow assault!
"Tch…!「Circus!」"
"If we lost at something like this, it would be humiliating!" 「Circus」yelled. "We need to beat them no matter what, Nico! So I'll cooperate like if we were fighting an enemy!"
"No 'like fighting an enemy!' Right now, 'the rest of the Idol Study Club are our enemies!'" Nico yelled, diving to dodge a pillow and throw one at Hanayo's direction. "「Circus!」"
"I got it!" 「Circus」used her whip to grab a pillow thrown by Hanayo to launch it at Kotori instead, who blocked it with「Kaze ni Notte's」mighty wings.
"K-K-Kayochin!?"
"「Momoiro Clover!」Swap!" Hanayo commanded. With her Stand's power, Hanayo instantly swapped position with a lamp while holding a pillow, before having her Stand launch it. "With「Momoiro Clover's」power to swap… I have the greatest dodging power of all of us!"
"I think we're taking this too far, nya!"
There was no rational explanation for it. Things just spiraled out of control.
The Stand users who had spend so much time fighting with all their might… as the pillow fight began, their personalities as 'School Idols' was what was driving them, but…
There was really no explanation for it that could rationalize it. Eventually「Fur Elise」shoved「All Star」with all its might when it got too close, and this in turn started a collision with「Kaze no Notte.」
And then all hell broke loose. For in the next moment it had ceased to 'be a pillow fight.'
What had broken lose was an all-out brawl between Stands. And Umi was still asleep and only Rin not drawn into the chaos against all odds. "WHAT IS HAPPENING, NYA!? UMI-SENPAI, PLEASE WAKE UP!" But she was fast asleep.
"KHOROSHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Eli charged forward, fully clad in「Dancing on the Cieling」as she unleashed a Stand barrage at Hanayo, who returned with one of her own, their fists colliding in the air. "I NO LONGER NEED TO BE SAVED!" Was all Hanayo yelled during the rush.
"Emerald… Strike!" Kotori yelled, 「Kaze ni Notte」sending out several hardened feathers at Maki. Maki instead wasted no time grabbing a table to use to dodge, not even caring that it ruined the table- it wasn't some antique, she could just buy another without her family knowing. And with that, 「Fur Elise」took what was left of the table to smash it over「Kaze ni Notte.」
"Everything operates… in accordance to the law of gravity!"「Circus」yelled, trying to assault Nozomi with her whip, but every stroke was blocked by「Ace of Spades.」Eventually seeing part of the destroyed table it used its power to launch it towards Nozomi, but it failed to hit once more.
"I don't need the tarot to read your future… for there is only defeat!" Nozomi declared. "Nico! Your Stand is impressive… but it fails in a direct competition of strength!" She yelled, her own Stand barrage, mimicking the thrusts of a piston. The forced back「Circus,」and then launched an assault directly on Nico's stomach. Nico coughed blood from the attack and was sent flying through the air into the wall, cracking it behind her as she fell to the ground.
"FAITO DAYO!" Immediately Honoka closed a distance on Nozomi, attacking her with a Stand rush, but Nozomi countered with her cards, both trying desperately to find an opening in their attacks.
"OH MY GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING!?" Rin yelled, backing up into a corner. "SOMEBODY SAVE MEEEEEEEE!" she yelled, unintentionally saying Hanayo's catchphrase.
But all things had to come to an end... and during the battle, a gust of wind from「Kaze ni Notte,」further ruining the interior of the house, sent a pillow landing on Umi. "Oh… oh no…!" Kotori's eyes widened in horror at what had happened.
"… What… what is this…?"
Umi stood up, and all the fighting immediately stopped. Until now, she had slept through this chaos. "U-Umi-chan, we…" Kotori started, but gulped in fear, unable to finish.
"What are you doing…?"
"W-we weren't trying to hit you!" Maki explained.
"Yeah! It was an accident! Honest!" Honoka tried her best to diffuse this situation…
"We were going to practice early tomorrow, weren't we…? But it's this late… and you're having a pillow fight… and even a Stand battle…?"
"She looks like she's gonna kill us…!" Hanayo said.
"W-whenever her sleep is disrupted, its like she's a different person!" Honoka said. "This is terrible… And now, she's a Stand user too…!"
"Ugh. Oh God, now Sonoda is part of this too?" What once would have knocked her out became an inconvenience to the battle-hardened Nico, not aware of what was happening as she wiped blood from her mouth. "Well, that just means all nine of us—"
A pillow flew through the air, hitting her and immediately knocking her down.
"W-we've lost her, nya!" Rin yelled, observing Nico.
"Khorosho…!" Even Eli now showed fear!
"I hope you're prepared…!"
"Honoka, what do we do!?" Kotori yelled.
"We fight to survive! With our Stands—" And with that, she was knocked out of the fight before she could finish.
"Honoka, noooooooo!" With that, Kotori's Stand aura returned! "Sonoda Umi… even though you have also been my best friend from the beginning, I cannot let this pass! UMI! I WILL PUNISH YO—" and there was a pillow to the face before she could finish.
"So fast, it's like a Stand is throwing it!" Eli yelled, still transformed. "I'm sorry, Umi, but—"
The same story repeated.
And then Umi advanced towards Rin and Hanayo, cowering together.
"W-w-w-wait!? Why me!? I wasn't even a part of this when Stands got involved!" Rin yelled.
"I'm sorry, Rin-chan! B-because of me, you've been dragged into this… s-save yourself, Rin!" Hanayo asked her friend. "You can get out of here; I know you can!"
"… I… no! We're best friends, nya! I will… even if it means 'facing my death,' stand by your side, my greatest friend!" Rin yelled, glaring at Umi. "If we die, we die together!"
"Rin! This is it… but we'll face our end with dignity!"
"Yeah!"
But then she picked up a pillow. "SOMEBODY SAVE UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!" both First Years yelled.
… and by a miracle, their prayers were answered. Focusing on obliterating the First Years, Umi fell to two pillows… and fell asleep. "Maki-chan! Nozomi-chan!" Rin yelled with a smile.
A silence fell over μ's, before a laughter at the absurdity of it all fell over the group. And then, a chorus of laughter filled the room from all parties except Umi. And in the end, it was Nico, who with a smile looked at the rest of her friends to say the words that ended this bizarre little incident:
"What the fuck just happened and why are we laughing about it?"
Stand: Sleepy Storm (Partially Awakened)
User: Umi Sonoda
Status: SLEEPING LIKE A BABY
The next day, Maki couldn't help but wake up at the crack of dawn that went through the window. She thought for a second this had been some weird fever dream, only to realize to her horror it was a terrible reality instead. Her entire body ached and she'd have to hire people to fix this -in secret- which would be no small effort.
Heading outside, she noticed Nozomi looking at the rising sun across the beach. "Oh, the early bird gets the worm! Let's get a lot of power from the sun, Maki-chan~"
"What are you up to…?"
"Nothing necessarily for you," Nozomi admitted. "That was quite the night, eh?"
"That was a complete disaster! What happened to us!?" But Nozomi just laughed. "What!?"
"Could that have happened with anyone else? I don't think so…" Nozomi admitted. "But that's why I love μ's. I love all of our members. Even in the wake of stupid, silly, or even violent bullshit like that," Nozomi said. "I love all of you. I don't want any of you to fall behind…" She admitted. "It's true the Second Years formed μ's, but I've been watching over the whole time. I have tried to give advice whenever it was needed… and my Stand in battle to you all as well. So, I have an emotional stake in our club, Maki. Do you really regret what happened, despite it all?"
"…"
"Heh… maybe I said a little too much. Keep it between us, OK?"
"I think you're the most troublesome one of all of us," Maki said with a smile. "That was all your fault. I want you to help with the bill a bit."
"That's fair," Nozomi said.
"Finally calling me by my name casually, Maki?" But Maki just kept smiling in response.
"Maki-chaaaan! Nozomi-chaaaan!" The rest of μ's had also awoken, and they were greeted to Honoka and the rest running up to them.
Hand-in-hand, they all watched the sun rise fully over the beach.
"Thank you for everything, really," Maki said with a smile.
And Eli responded with a smile. "Khorosho~"
"Alright! Let's do it… let's aim for Love Live! As μ's, let's do our best and aim to the top!"
Honoka did not know what Kotori would do, or if they should trust the tournament at all… but right now, they were all normal girls again, and all yelled in agreement.
Life resumed back to normal, more or less. As μ's began to make their plans to investigate the Yoshidas, they had returned to their normal practices and school life once again. But in that wonderful little trip, the boundary between kouhai and senpai had been broken.
"So, is this ramen place really that great, Rin?" Honoka asked her dear friend.
"It totally is, trust me!" Rin said, leading Nico and Honoka along. "It just opened up but it's AWESOME! If I don't find a better place, I might spend all my money there… But we can at least eat together! Before I do!" One day after school there wasn't practice, and the most intelligent trio of the nine possible girls of μ's had decided to try out a ramen place that Honoka and Nico had never been too.
"Rin, we can't get there if we're lost!" Nico complained. "Are you SURE we're heading in the right direction!?"
"I-I'm sure we will! … I've just never seen this place, is all!"
"Are you serious!?"
"I usually go straight from school! I don't usually go to the market, you know!"
Nico sighed, looking up directions on her phone. "You two are hopeless, you know that!?"
"Hey, why are you dragging me into it!?" Honoka complained. "I didn't get us loss!"
"'Cuz you're just hopeless in general!" Honoka pouted. "Can't we take a shortcut or something? If you're gonna just use your phone, it'll probably only stick to the streets or something… that alleyway!"
Rin frowned. She had been… nervous of alleyways since Akeno and Miano, even though now that she had a Stand there was realistically nothing for her to fear. "It looks kind of weird, nyaaa…"
"Honestly… well, what do we have to fear!? We'd be scarier than anything else that'd be there! And I'm hungry, so I'm all in favor of taking shortcuts!" Nico said, starting to walk through the alleyway. "You girls coming or what!? I'm not waiting up for you if I get there first!"
"Come on, Rin," Honoka said with a smile, and Rin nodded and followed over.
"… Can you help me?"
"… Huh? Hey, did you two hear that?"
"What? I didn't hear anything," Rin said.
"Me neither. Come on, let's go already!" Nico complained.
"…" Honoka was quiet as she walked in.
And immediately, weirdness began.
"W-w-what the hell is this!?" Nico yelled. "This… what the hell!? This can't be Tokyo, can it!?"
For some reason, it no longer seemed like the three were in the alleyways of Tokyo. Rather, it felt like the backstreets of a rural town. "W-w-what the hell is this!?" Nico yelled.
"OK, this is why I hate alleyways!" Rin yelled. "T-this isn't natural, right!? This has to be a Stand or something!? Like a Bound Stand!? Are we under attack!?"
"S-stay calm… dammit, I can't a signal here! Can you two!?" Rin and Honoka shook their heads. "Alright, stay calm…"「Circus」however was next to Nico, and「Cat Scratch Fever」and「All Star」stood by their users as well. "Gross…" As they headed inwards, Nico noticed dog poop by a mailbox. "I-I swear, some people just have no sense of manners or decency…"
"Should we just head back?" Rin asked.
"No… if this is an enemy Stand, we've already fallen into it," Honoka said. "Let's just… try to move forward calmly," the other two nodded. "If this is a Stand, we should try to figure it out more before we go back to the rest."
The three were quiet as they advanced, eyes widening in shock at what they saw after making several turns. "N-no way… that's the same mailbox with dog shit right by it!" Nico yelled. She sprinted forward, the other two forced to follow. "Son of-! This can't be Tokyo anymore! No, this has to be some kind of Stand! How did we fall into a trap like that!? Honoka!? Did you say you heard a voice!? What was it!?" Now Nico was willing to believe her.
"Help… they asked for help! Maybe it's another victim of the Stand!?" Honoka suggested. "A Stand that 'returns us to the beginning?' We should keep an eye out for a user…"
"I'm sorry, are you three lost?"
The three girls' hearts jumped into their throats as they turned to face a pink-haired girl in a pink dress, and it was the voice that Honoka had heard. "You're…!?"
"Would you like me to show you the way?"
Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!
Chapter 26: The Girl in the Alley
Phew! Another quick update in a short period of time! I'm proud of myself!
I've wanted to write this scene for ages! It was tremendous fun to write, so I hope you had a good time... things are about to start getting dicey for the girls, so I hope you enjoy the last moments of rest!
May every road take you to a memory of Great Days!