A/N : a short chapter to deliver the ending phase.
Thank you for review/ comment / favorites! I really appreciate it.
Honoka's house, Night time;
The performance going very well, although they have some trouble before the show started. The µ's decided to stop by Honoka's house to hang out.
"Ahh! It's done!" Honoka said.
"That was a really the best performance we ever have…." Umi said.
"Yup! It feels so nice!" Kotori added.
"Maki-chan!" Rin and Hanayo hugged Maki.
"Eehhh?!" Maki surprised at the two.
"It was such a good melody! Thank you!" they said.
"Huh? We made it all together!" Maki protested, Hanayo and Rin keep on hugging her.
"The lyric is great too! Thank you, Umi-chan!" Honoka said as she hugged Umi.
"W-wh..Honoka…." Umi also surprised.
"Umi-chan!" Kotori too hugging her.
"What are you all doing, so childish!" Niko said.
"Mmm…Nikocchi want a hug too…" Nozomi said teasingly.
"N-No way!" She yelled.
"Niko-chan!" Honoka jumped and hug Niko.
"Niko-chan!" Rin and Hanayo also jumped to hug her.
"H-hey!" Niko protested yet she didn't even try to reject.
"Niko-chan!" Kotori also joined.
"I guess they are really into hugging each other…." Umi giggled,
"H-How stupid…." Maki said as she turned her eyes away from them. Nozomi and Eli only smiled to them.
"Ah! Anyway! Christmas is coming soon! We should get something to do together, right?" Honoka said.
"I don't think we can manage that though, everyone must have their own Christmas party with their family…." Hanayo said.
"I think so too…" Eli said.
"Ehh…so not everyone can make it?" Honoka asked.
"I have to join my family Christmas party too…" Maki said.
"Rin too…" Rin replied.
"Then I guess we can't have Christmas Party, but we can go to Shrine at New Year together, sounds good?" Umi asked.
"Yup, that sounds good…" Kotori said.
"Me and Ericchi will be helping out at the Shrine… so we will meet you all there anyway" Nozomi said.
"Then that settled, but speaking of which— I think I'll have to go early today…" Niko said.
[And find some Christmas present….] Nozomi could hear Niko's thought.
"You need to find Christmas present for your siblings?" Nozomi asked.
"Ggh, Nozomi, stop reading my mind— that's creepy you know…" Niko said.
"Ah! Then, why don't we just find present together?" Honoka asked.
"Sounds good, nya!" Rin said.
"Yup, that would be good!" Hanayo added.
"Actually, I have a better idea…" Eli said. Everyone turned their eyes to Eli.
"What is it, Eli-chan?" Honoka asked.
"Let's play a game to get each other's present…" Eli said.
"A game?" Everyone questioned it.
"Yup, so basically, I will need you all to pair with each other— then giving each pair a puzzle to solve…" Eli said.
"A pair? But there are nine of us…" Kotori said.
"I'm not joining, I'm the one who made the puzzle…" Eli said,
"Oh, true…"
"The puzzle won't be taking long. You can finish it in one day and you don't even have to sweat on it… So you can still go around with your parents." Eli said.
"I see… count me in then!" Honoka said.
"Let's do it! Nya!" Rin added.
Akiba's Shopping District, Afternoon;
They make roulette on the pairing; it doesn't go as what some wanted to. Hanayo paired up with Kotori, Umi paired up with Maki, Niko paired up with Rin, while Nozomi is with Honoka. The Puzzle started at the next day, they decided to meet each other at specified place that was already assigned by the puzzle that Eli made.
"Hmm…what are we supposed to do here?" Honoka asked.
"No idea…." Nozomi replied,
"Does it say anything in the puzzle's clue?" Honoka asked.
"Not really…. I only have this one empty paper from the envelope…" Nozomi replied.
"Oh… I wonder why." Honoka replied sadly.
They remained quiet for a bit until Honoka said,
"Nozomi-chan… I'm hungry…." Honoka said.
"Then, let's just go eat something delicious?" Nozomi said.
"Let's just eat at nearby Okonomiyaki shop then!" Honoka replied as she pointed to the nearby Okonomiyaki shop.
"Sure…" Nozomi replied.
I wonder if Ericchi doing this on purpose…
Nozomi thought as she walks to the shop with Honoka.
"One Large Original please!" Honoka said to the chef after they sat on the seat.
"Ah, me too!" Nozomi added.
They waited for the chef to cook their Okonomiyaki.
"Can I see the blank paper?" Honoka asked. Nozomi handed her it. Honona began to examine the paper carefully.
"Hmm... it really is blank…" Honoka said.
"I wonder why its blank…" Nozomi said.
"By mistake, perhaps?" Honoka asked.
"Ericchi is always doing this perfectly… she must be doing this on purpose…" Nozomi replied.
"Mmm… you're right— but nobody is perfect, right? There's a small chance of her to do a mistake!" Honoka said.
"Hmm…. What kind of mistake do you think she will do?" Nozomi asked.
"Like—Oh-hya-ha-ha-ha, I forgot to write anything on it!" Honoka trying to mimic Eli's shy laugh, it's clearly nothing like Eli.
"That more sounds like Honoka-chan…." Nozomi replied.
"Eh…it is?" Honoka replied shyly.
"Yup…" Nozomi smiled sweetly at her.
"Here you go…" the chef gave Honoka her order.
"Ah! Thanks!" Honoka said, she put down the clue paper next to the hot Okonomiyaki plate.
"Mm..Honoka-chan, careful with the clue paper… you can accidentally eat it…" Nozomi said.
"Ahaha, right— it already smells like lemon…." Honoka said.
"Smells like lemon?" Nozomi wondered.
"Yeah, the paper smell like lemon, Nozomi-chan didn't know that?" Honoka asked. Nozomi quietly took the clue paper and sniff it. It is really smell like lemon
Wow, she is sharp…
Nozomi thought as she kept staring at the paper— which somehow already have faint letters on it.
"Oh!"
Nozomi put the paper on the hot metal stove in front of her.
"What are you doing, Nozomi-chan?"
"This is an old trick!" Nozomi said.
"What trick?"
"Lemon juice, she is writing with lemon juice…" Nozomi replied.
"You can use lemon juice to write?" Honoka asked.
"Honoka-chan never heard of this trick?" Nozomi asked back.
"No, I rather drink lemon juice than using it to write…." Honoka replied. Nozomi sighed quietly and make a soft giggle,
I don't even know how to explain it to you…but Honoka-chan is always be Honoka-chan….
"Yes, I'm sure that's a better option of how to use lemon juice…. Ericchi is so silly!" Nozomi replied playfully.
"Right? Right?" Honoka replied again as she laughed then began to eat her Okonomiyaki.
Nozomi lifted the paper from the metal stove, she was then rising up to the air to see what's written in the paper.
To where love created….. Said the paper…
Nozomi looked at Honoka again,
"Honoka-chan, where is love created?" Nozomi asked, Honoka tried to swallow her meal.
"In everyone's heart?" Honoka replied.
"If someone tells you to go to where your love created, where do you think it would be?" Nozomi asked again.
"Hmm… maybe, to where they meet their first love?" Honoka replied.
"But this puzzle is for the µ's, right? So if someone asked the µ's where their first love created…?"
"School? We made the idol group to save the school, because we love the school?" Honoka said.
"Then, shall we go to the school after this?" Nozomi asked.
"Sure!" Honoka replied with enthusiasm.
School's hall way, afternoon;
Nozomi and Honoka searched for anything that could be a clue, though they couldn't simply find it. Honoka said she might have an idea of where Eli put another clue,
"Here, this must be the place…" Honoka showed Nozomi the announcement board.
"This is where I realized that I love the school— I would never realize that I love it without the announcement about the school going to be closed for good…" Honoka said. Nozomi quietly trying to examine everything,
"I'm just guessing it because it says to where love created, right? Maybe it's not exactly created more like realized…. Love already existed in everyone's heart— it can't be created…. Or perhaps I can just say it's created naturally in everyone's heart… it's about time to realize it." Honoka said.
Nozomi astonished by that sentence— she didn't expect that to be coming from Honoka who is terrible at romance, or maybe that's what she think after hearing Honoka's love confession that sounded like a duel challenge between Samurai.
"Hmm, then, do you think the love that she is talking about might be something else? I mean, more like a thing than something?" Nozomi asked calmly.
"Probably, hmmm…. A thing….. is µ's a thing?" Honoka asked.
"µ's is something… but maybe I get it— let's go to the student council room…" Nozomi said.
Student council room, Afternoon;
Honoka and Nozomi search through the paper stacks, they are searching for the µ's first registry.
"Here it is!" Honoka said,
"Ah, you found it…." Nozomi said, she take a look at it.
"Nothing new here, it doesn't smell like lemon either…" Honoka said. Nozomi taking a moment to think,
"Where's the old binder about school club?" Nozomi asked,
"Ah, it's should be over here…" Honoka search through the stack of binder. She was then handing it to Nozomi. Nozomi quietly examined the binder, she searched through the club history. She believes it was her who wrote it.
"Found it…" Nozomi found an envelope attached between the pages where she registered seven members— it's the time when µ's officially created.
"What does it say?" Honoka asked, Nozomi carefully open the envelope, taking out a piece of paper— this time, it actually have written words on it with actual ink. It says;
It's painful, but not created to harm anyone. It's small but needed to create something big. It shines but hard to find. When attached to a long line, it may stitch what separated.
"Needle…" Nozomi said.
"That was fast, Nozomi-chan…." Honoka said.
"It's very easy. Ericchi need to make a better riddle…" Nozomi said.
"Well, she did say we don't even need to sweat on the puzzle… but, what we are going to do next?" Honoka asked. Nozomi tried to find further clue.
"It says nothing else…" Nozomi said.
"Hmm… then maybe we should get a needle around?" Honoka asked,
"Ah, I think I kept some in the locker…" Nozomi said.
School's Locker room, Afternoon;
Nozomi searching through her locker for a needle, there's a picture of her and Eli embracing each other on the wall of her locker.
"How long Nozomi-chan and Eli-chan been together?" Honoka asked,
"I met Ericchi in my first year in this school…" Nozomi replied calmly.
"So you just met her three years ago?" Honoka asked again.
"Yup…" Nozomi replied.
"That's amazing, it just three years and both of you looks so close like a couple…" Honoka said. Nozomi paused for a bit— then continued to look for the needle. She know she have to play it cool.
"You think so?" Nozomi said.
"Yup, when I see you two, it feels like something is different. It's like you two has formed a bond that can't be separated…." Honoka said. Nozomi giggled softly as she took out the tool box that she just found.
"Really? I think everyone in the µ's have the same aura… we are all friends, right?" Nozomi replied.
"Hehe, yup… But I just think it's different between you two… you two are like….hm… papa and mama?" Honoka said. Nozomi giggled again,
"We're nothing like that… we're really just best friends…" she said.
"Hehe, I know…" Honoka scratched her head shyly. Nozomi opened her toolbox.
"Ah, look, I found another letter…" Nozomi said as she found another letter inside her toolbox.
"Wow, yeah! Another clue! This is fun!" Honoka said.
"Let's see…." Nozomi opened the letter.
"What does it say?" Honoka asked,
"Find Kotori and Hanayo in City Park…" Nozomi read the letter.
"That's it?" Honoka asked.
"Yup…" Nozomi replied.
"Then let's go!" Honoka turned around and walk away energetically.
I'm glad she didn't ask how Ericchi put it in my tool box inside my locker…..
City Park, Afternoon;
Nozomi and Honoka arrived there and see Kotori, Hanayo, Rin, Niko, Umi, and Maki gathered there. Kotori and Hanayo sat on the bench,
"Ah, there you are… why taking so long?" Umi asked.
"We have to look for the clues and solving the lemon juice mystery!" Honoka replied.
"Lemon juice…..?" Maki asked,
"Yup, she wrote the first clue with lemon juice…" Honoka said.
"Really? She just wrote with the regular ink for our cases…" Niko said.
"Maybe it because it's for Nozomi, so she raise the level of difficulty?" Umi said.
"I don't know…" Honoka replied.
"Can't be, Honoka is the one who solve almost all of the clues…" Nozomi said.
"Ehehe…" Honoka laughed shyly.
"Anyway, what did you two have?" Kotori asked.
"A needle…" Nozomi said as she handed Kotori a needle.
"Ahh! That make sense now…" Kotori said.
"What do you have?" Honoka asked,
"Hmm, just a few things…" Kotori replied.
"I think it was something about connecting the dot with the needle and thread. It requires a specific tailoring skill to do it though because it's a little tricky…" Hanayo said.
"I wonder what she wants us to do…" Niko said.
Everyone waited for Kotori to finish what she is currently doing.
"Yup, got it, now let's open this…" Kotori showed a bundle of cloth with the thread sewn into it. She placed it on the bench, pulling all the corners.
The sewn thread turned into a path— it looks like a map.
"Wow..." everyone looking at it.
"It looks like a treasure hunt map…." Niko said.
"It is a treasure hunt map…" Maki said.
"Ah, yes, that fit the pole…" Umi said,
"Eh? So what you two have?" Honoka asked.
"Hmm, let me see it, Kotori…." Umi asked for the map. Kotori handed Umi the map, then Maki and Umi began to work on something with it. It seems that they have a clue that fit with the map.
"Done…" Umi said. She showed the map again, now it has red crosses on two dots, there's small one and big one.
"That make sense now!Nya!" Rin said.
"Ah, you're right! So we need to go to the small cross first, then to the big one… but we have to get candy on the first cross... each of us get one pack." Niko said.
"So that's what your clue means… you could've just said it, we were there before…" Maki said.
"Huh? But the clue told us to tell it once everything is clear!" Niko said.
"It could've been more effective!" Maki replied.
"You're no fun! It's a puzzle, we must follow the order!"
"Huh? Didn't I hear someone say this puzzle is troublesome before?" Maki yelled.
The two began to argue, Umi sighed and followed by the others sigh too,
"Let's just keep going…." Umi said.
"Agreed…."
They followed the path to the big cross after getting a pack of candy on each person. As they arrived, they saw Eli in Santa costume along with a few random children around her.
"There you are…." Eli said with a smile.
"Myussu! Myussssuuu!" The children shouted happily.
"Eli-chan!" Honoka ran first followed by the others.
"So, did you all have the candy?" Eli asked.
"Yup!" Honoka replied.
"Then, let's go share it with them…" Eli smiled as she gestured everyone to get into a building.
Nozomi taking a look at where they actually are— she saw one sign board saying,
Orphanage…. What Ericchi do in an Orphanage?
Honoka, Kotori, Niko, Hanayo, and Rin followed her in along with the other kids.
"Who are they?" Maki asked.
"Take a look at the sign, Maki…" Umi said. Maki raised her head to see the sign,
[Why are we here….?] Nozomi could hear Maki's thought.
"Eli probably wants us to share the candies with the children, it's not a big gift, but it made them happy…" Umi said.
"Huh, so we aren't here to get our present? What is an orphanage anyway…" Maki asked,
"It's a place where parentless children taken care of… they are all unlucky children. They are either be just dumped or losing their parents— then ended to be here along with they who have the same destiny…" Umi explained.
[I didn't know….] Nozomi could hear Maki's thought.
"I see…." Maki replied.
"So, shall we get in?" Umi asked.
"Let's go…" Maki replied as she walks in.
"Nozomi?" Umi called her.
"I'm staying here for a while…" Nozomi replied.
"If you said so…." Umi replied as she followed Maki to get in.
Ericchi, why are we suddenly heading to an orphanage? Is there something in your mind?
Nozomi thought as she kept her eyes on the sign.
I may not know what you have on your mind right now, but— I have a feeling, what you're thinking is not what I want you to think about right now…
Nozomi thought again before she slowly walks into the orphanage…
City Park, Night Time;
They just got back from the Orphanage, most of them just cried after they realized;
"I feel lucky to have my parents right now…" Hanayo said between her cry.
"Rin too!" Rin said, also crying,
"You don't need to be so dramatic, you know, they are not alone… they have each other!" Niko said, her tears flowing down madly.
"You don't need to act though, you know…. We all see that you're the most dramatic one…" Maki said, her face also red and she is also crying.
"Uwaaa! Umi-chan!" Kotori cried on Umi's shoulder. Umi remained calm, but Nozomi could hear her and the others.
[I've been a little too hard on my parents, maybe I should apologize…] Umi thought.
[I'm sorry, I'm wasting too much money for my own fun…] Kotori said on her mind.
[I love my parents so much! I will make them proud!] Hanayo thougt.
[Rin will do the best! For them, for Rin's family and friends…] Rin thought.
[Maybe I should think again about being a doctor….] Maki thought.
[There's no better parents than my own parents! I'm sure of it now! I really should win love live and make my mother proud!] Niko said on her mind.
[We will surely win love live for everyone! We must do our best!] Honoka said on her mind— she seems to be burned by the passion after being encouraged by the children.
"Now-now, we shouldn't be all sad like this. I was doing this also to get more popularity…" Eli said.
"Popularity?! You did that for popularity?" Maki yelled.
"That's not the only reason, I'm also doing t as a Christmas gift for them— we should learn how to be grateful for what we already have…. Mr. Santa is not coming in everyone's house you know— especially if they don't have a chimney or a proper fireplace…" Eli said— clearly trying to make a joke.
"Eli-chan, that's mean…" Kotori said.
"It's true isn't it? Not everyone is lucky, so because we are lucky, we have to share even if it's only small gift like those candies… We're all an idol after all, although we're still just a school idol…." Eli said.
"I rather do it because I want to! Not because I am an Idol! Besides, you could've just told us! We can do something better!" Maki yelled again.
"There-there…. I'm sorry, ok? Maybe I should've talked to you all before… but, there's too much reason that I need to explain, so I prefer to put you all in a simple puzzle game…. Also, I didn't expect you all to be touched by just visiting that place…." Eli replied.
"Whatever!" Maki yelled again.
"We should be going home, it's getting late…." Nozomi said.
"Right, we should… we will have to prepare Christmas party too!" Kotori said.
"What about you, Nozomi? Are your parents going to return to celebrate it with you?" Umi asked, Nozomi remained quiet for a while, she is looking at everyone eyes,
"They will…" Nozomi replied with a sweet smile.
"If that so….then we are not worried anymore…" Umi said again.
"Everyone!" Honoka called. Everyone turn their eyes to her.
"Let's do our best from now! We will truly win Love Live! I'm sure of it!" Honoka yelled,
"I agree! Let's make everyone happy!" Niko shouted.
"Yeah!" Everyone shouted
"That's the spirit…" Eli said.
Nozomi's apartment, Night Time;
As always, Eli accompanied Nozomi to her apartment, she stopped at the doorway where they usually say goodbye and kissed,
"Ericchi, I want to ask you something…." Nozomi said.
"What is it?" Eli asked.
"Why are you suddenly taking us to orphanage?" Nozomi asked.
"I have a lot of reason….." Eli replied.
[One of it is because I don't want to lose you…] Nozomi could hear Eli's thought.
"Is it related to the future of our romance…?" Nozomi asked.
"Yes…" Eli said.
"Ericchi…." Nozomi called her in all seriousness. Eli remained quiet, Nozomi pulled her face closer to her and giving her a soft gentle kiss.
"Stop thinking about it…. Let's just have fun…. Focus on Love Live if you like …" Nozomi continued. Eli still remained quiet, though Nozomi could still hear her,
[I can't….]
"Don't be stubborn! I know you said you can't stop thinking about it!" Nozomi said with anger, Eli still quiet.
[If you're truly reading my mind…. Can you tell that I'm going to confess it to my parents?]
Nozomi surprised by what she heard from Eli's mind.
[I don't want to lose you…. I can't keep making lies to my parents either, I need to talk about this…. And worst cases scenario— I'll be one of the orphan soon, because the clever and brilliant Elichika is no longer what they expect to be….]
"Ericchi…." Nozomi called her again. Eli smiled, she knows that Nozomi already know what in her mind.
"If you truly want to do what you have in mind….." Nozomi take a deep breath,
"Let's get through that together…. I don't want you to face the harsh reality alone..."
A/N : *evil laugh* What should I do with the Ending... ( ಠωಠ)