Chapter 2: General Assembly
Akihabara District, Tokyo
1900 Hours
It's been almost a day since Sacha Orlenko arrived in Japan to carry out his mission. Right now, he is to meet with the Producer of the idol group μ's' tour, Motoharu Nakai, along with the legitimate bodyguard he hired from Nikola's friend's Security Agency. After they had touched Japanese soil, Natasha vanished without so much as a goodbye... not that he needed to hear her say them in person. He understands that his sister had more pressing matters to deal with. After all, every second counts when you're in this particular line of work.
"I hope I could somehow coexist with the people I'm going to have to work with. There's going to be a lot of staff needed for a nationwide tour but I'll probably only need to interact with important figures." Sacha mused.
Within a few minutes, his destination came into view. Compared to the numerous other skyscrapers in the surrounding area, the gray 5-story building owned by Motoharu Nakai is modest in size but it's still quite spacious for "a company that's just starting out". Of course, he had heard about how talented the precocious producer who "employed " him is but this is pushing it.
Upon entering the building, Sacha couldn't help but become a lot more impressed. It was not due to the structure of the building itself but the presence of the person who supposedly "hired" him greeting the blonde agent with a warm smile on his face.
"You didn't need to go out of your way to meet a mere bodyguard yourself, Mr. Nakai. " Sacha addressed the black haired guy wearing a formal suit and an equally businessman's smile. If he had no intel regarding Motoharu Nakai's actual occupation, he would have mistaken him easily for a successful businessman.
"No need to be so formal. I believe in giving all of my employees the same level of treatment. It would be unfair to you if I do not show the same level of hospitality to you as I've done with the others, Mr. Orlenko. " Was Motoharu's casual response.
"Hm... So you're saying I'm the last one to arrive? I apologize for the delay. I had to deal with some issues regarding my family. My sister can sometimes be a pain in the ass to deal with, Motoharu. And you can call me Sacha. You said something about equal treatment right? So it wouldn't be fair if I address you in the first name basis while you address me formally. "
"True. That would be a contradiction of my own beliefs. I'm glad you understand. Now right this way, Sacha. I'll introduce you to the others..."
"If I may suggest, would you show me around the building first? As someone that has been assigned as a member of your security detail, it is imperative that I familiarize myself with the building's layout and facilities specially the locations of possible escape routes like fire exits." Sacha interrupted swiftly after Motoharu's statement.
"Oh? Unlike, Kyoshiro-kun, you are quite diligent about your job just as your boss had said. I like that. Alright. I guess I'll show you around first then. "
Motoharu briskly turned around and beckoned Sacha to follow him. They walked through a vast lounge meant for guests complete with high-end furniture, a bar meant for guests and even an indoor fountain at the center of the room. Other facilities like arcades, mini-casinos and restaurants were also present.
There was an average-sized reception area at the back where a couple of female attendants in their early twenties were operating state-of-the-art computers as they went about their work. They briefly stopped what they're doing to greet the eccentric producer before continuing where they left off.
At the time, Sacha had already eyed several CCTV cameras installed and a couple of fire exits situated near the eastern and western flanks of the center of the ground floor. He then lead Sacha to an elevator and pressed the number 2 on the dial.
A sudden ding sounded from the elevator after a few moments. This broke the awkward atmosphere that had temporarily formed between the two going above and beyond its purpose and duty to announce to its passengers that they had arrived at their designated floor. Upon stepping out of the elevator, Motoharu immediately continued his explanation.
"As you have observed, the first floor is primarily composed if entertainment and leisure facilities both for both the guests and the staff. The second floor is where the magic happens."
Motoharu led Sacha down a wide corridor. Based from sight alone, he counted half a dozen rooms parallel to each other.
Room's 201 and 202 seemed to be office rooms since they were filled with cubicles.
Room's 203 and 204 made up a large portion of the entire floor. Room 203 is apparently lounge where anyone can practice playing instruments and singing. It's walls are soundproof and is filled with state of the art sound systems. Room 204 is the actual recording studio. It's also covered with soundproofing similar to Room 203 but is filled with a variety of high-end recording equipment and sound systems.
Meanwhile, Room's 205 and 206 functions as storage facilities for stock equipment.
"So basically, the 2nd floor is the work stations for the music department staff and the practice and recording stations of the girls. There are also a few offices meant to be used by the administrative department. Also, the place is littered by CCTV cameras. And there seems to be a sufficient number of fire exits, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and sprinkler systems. The building seems to be structurally sound enough to survive a magnitude 8.5 earthquake. Quite impressive." Sacha mused nonchalantly.
"Outstanding observation, Sacha-kun. As expected from the Vasilisa Security Agency's top agent. You're a lot more observant than that other body guard I hired but he's supposed to be the Kikugawa Security Firm's best agent. I understand that two different people operate differently. "
Motoharu motioned for Sacha to get back in the same elevator nefore pushing the dial on the number 3.
Compared to the busy atmosphere on the previous floors, the third floor seemed empty and desolate. It was evident that this floor isn't used frequently.
Motoharu led Sacha to down a wide hallway and into a set of double doors that revealed a large room filled with rows of seats and a grand stage at the front.
"Now the entire third floor is where our auditorium is located. It seats up to a thousand people only so it isn't that big compared to other facilities in Japan but we built this in order for the girls to practice their live performances. That way we could provide an environment for them to practice in close to the real thing. Well, we also use this as a cinema every once in a while. The audio and lighting equipment is top of the line of course. " Motoharu said with a proud grin on his face.
"You're pretty prepared considering that there is no guarantee those girls will agree to your offer." Sacha said in a suspicious tone.
" Of course. I wanted to start a company of my own and promoting μ's would give both my company and their idol group the recognition we needed. But in the event that they refused my offer, I wouldn't give up my dreams that abruptly. μ's is probably one of the best school idol groups I've seen since I entered this industry but they're not the only Idol Group I had in mind to promote."
"I see. You really do have the mind of a businessman. " Sacha said nonchalantly.
"Anyways, I'll be showing you the fourth floor later. Right now, we really must be meeting the others. I believe we have kept them waiting long enough. " Motoharu said a lot more authoritatively than usual as he gestured for Sacha to follow him back to the elevator.
Instead of pressing 4, Motoharu opted to press 5 on the dial instead. The elevator whirred back to life and smoothly transported them to the fifth floor.
The two men navigated through a narrow yet beautiful corridor towards a large room at the center of the floor. Motoharu opened a set of maroon oak double doors and stepped into the room where seven other people were already waiting.
"You sure kept us waiting, Motoharu. Took the scenic route, eh?" A red haired guy wearing a brown jacket and ripped jeans said with an impatient look on his face.
"Don't be too hard on him, Miyamoto-san, he's doing his best!" A meek, androgynous-looking guy with ginger hair said in an anxious tone. He was wearing a beige trench coat that looked several sizes larger than him over a black undershirt, a pork pie hat and khaki shoes.
This time, it was a blue haired guy with a rather confident look on his face began to speak. He wore a turquoise shirt with a cicada print and the word "Higurashi" written in kanji on it under a dark blue coat, dark blue jeans and black combat boots. "Yeah, Kenji-kun. Kozue-chan is right. Besides, this guy seems a lot more... thorough than me. If I were to guess, the blond had Motoharu show him all the fire escapes, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, etc."
"As much as I agree with you, Kyoshiro-san, please refer to me using the proper honorifics. I'm not a girl!" The ginger-haired guy named Kozue protested.
"It is as Kyoshiro said. I apologize for taking too long." Motoharu said in an apologetic town before clapping his hands together and turning to Sacha. "I suppose I should introduce everyone to you first, Sacha. He's the other head of security I hired for the duration of μ's tour. He'll work with Higurashi Kyoshiro in handling the other agents we've hired." Motoharu explained.
"My name is Sacha Orlenko but please call me Sacha. It is a pleasure to be working with all of you! I hope we can work well together from now on!"
After ending his introduction with a respectful bow, Sacha got mostly positive remarks from his co-workers.
"Hm... another security guy? Well he seems a lot more reliable than this blue haired dolt over here. Welcome to the crew, I guess. The name's Miyamoto Kenji. Kenji for short. I'm this lot's Sound Director so you better remember my name." The red haired guy who introduced himself as Kenji said in a snobbish tone.
"Er... I'm Yamanaka Kozue and I'm the director. P..pleased to you, Sacha-kun." The ginger-haired guy named Kozue muttered in an almost inaudible voice.
"Yo! My name's Higurashi Kyoshiro. As Motoharu said earlier, I'm your co-chief of security. I noticed that our styles of handling things is already different from the get-go but I hope we can get along. "
"Hm... where's Inoue, Haruko and Hideki?" Motoharu asked inquisitively.
As if on cue, the double doors opened all of a sudden. Then three guys entered the room, two of whom were pushing a rather large cart with an assortment of dishes placed on top of it. One of the people pushing the cart had grayish hair, eyes that shined like amethyst, fair complexion. He was wearing khaki safari vest over a plain white shirt as well as matching khaki shorts. So he looked more like someone working in a wildlife preserve than in an Idol company.
The other guy had light brown hair, black eyes and had a medium build. He was wearing a loose red sweatshirt and red track pants with white stripes. If the gray-haired guy looked like a park ranger, this one looked like a triathlete.
The third guy had characteristic bright orange hair, intense amber eyes that seem to be crackling with electricity. He was wearing a white chef's outfit so it was apparent that he cooked the delicious meals the two other guys brought with them.
Upon noticing Motoharu, orange haired guy greeted him politely.
"Oh, Motoharu. Sorry for disappearing all of a sudden. I had Goto-san and Atsumoto-san help me with transporting dinner."
"Ah. Perfect timing. I wanted to introduce you to our second chief of security. Orlenko Sacha."
Sacha bowed respectfully towards the three of them while they nodded at him in return.
"I see you are in excellent condition as well as Kyoshiro-kun. Motoharu chose well. My name is Goto Haruko but you can call me Haru for short. I'll be serving as the group's fitness instructor." The guy wearing the track pants said in a calm yet stern tone.
"And I'm his best friend, and the chef, Katsuhiro Ritu. Pleased to meet ya!" The orange haired guy who introduced himself as Ritu, said in a carefree manner.
"Finally, I'm Atsumoto Hideki. I'm a tutor. Although I do have some medical training, so to speak." The gray-haired man known as Hideki stated.
"Excellent. Everybody seems to be present. Now we can begin our meeting. I'm sure you're well aware of what today's meeting will be about, right?" Motoharu asked as he took a seat.
"General assembly and a discussion regarding our clients, right, Haru?" Kozue uttered in an anxious voice.
"First of all, are we already certain that Motoharu managed to reel in those girls into our company? We shouldn't count our eggs before they are laid." Kenji remarked with a deadpan look on his face.
"Oh trust me, Kenji. I said I'll give them a week to decide but I say I'll get a call in a manner of 3 days..." He was interrupted when his phone began ringing urgently inside his coat pocket. Everyone who knows his contact details is already registered in his phone's contact list. Everyone except those girls since he had not received their contact details yet.
The conversation was brief, only taking a few moments but everyone in the room was holding their breath in anxious anticipation.
"... or less." Motoharu finally finished.
"Oi, you don't mean... but you jist went to Otonokizaka Highschool yesterday!"
Kenji got his response when he saw Motoharu's triumphant grin. Sacha noted that Kenji had some doubts regarding the rumors surrounding Motoharu Nakai. He had to admit, even though that he isn't familiar with the inner workings of the idol industry but he was certain it would take incredible talent to recruit a renowned school idol unit such as μ's whose fame reached even the motherland.
"Looks like they all decided practically a few moments after I left. Although it took a day to persuade all of their parents and guardians to give them their consent. I'll be coming back there tomorrow in order to discuss a few things regarding their contract. I also need their parents' signatures and the school's principals permission. The latter should take longer since Nozomi Tojo, Nico Yazawa and Eli Ayase already graduated from Otonokizaka and are enrolled at another university." Motoharu noted.
"As expected. You really are amazing, Haru!" Kozue said enthusiastically.
"Well, Haru's had that sweet tongue pever since we were young so it's no surprise that they accepted his offer. What surprised me is how fast that took." Hideki mused.
When Motoharu Nakai cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, everyone's focus suddenly shifted to him. It seems that his usual enthusiastic attitude shifts into a more serious, businessman-like behaviour whenever he actually does his job
"I need all of you guys to make sure everything is in proper working condition. Sacha, and Hideki are to accompany me tomorrow. We'll meet here at around 8 a.m. "
"Oh? Come to think of it, I'll need to get an idea of the schools' curriculum so I can effectively apply my lessons to them." Hideki mused.
"Understood." was Sacha's brief response as he nodded in agreement.
"Kyoshiro, you are to brief our other bodyguards regarding security protocols. Also while you're at it, I'd like you to inspect all of our safety equipment. I did promise principal Minami that everyone would be safe 99.9% of the time."
"Got it, boss man." Kyoshiro replied nonchalantly.
"Haruko you are to check the Training and Fitness facilities and also give recommendations to Ritu regarding the dishes he'll be serving. I want these girls to eat only the finest and most nutritious food we can provide them. "
"Perfect. I was just talking to Ritu about that a while ago." Haruko said in a satisfied manner, obviously happy with the job he had been assigned to do.
"Yeah. Haruto wouldn't stop yapping about the importance of nutrition while I was cooking earlier." Ritu muttered in a weak voice.
"Kozue and Kenji, you are to handle the rest of the staff and check if all of our music and recording equipment are in working condition respectively. Please do your best."
"Naturally." Kenji muttered as a grin formed on his face. It was apparent that he was thrilled to test out the high-end musical equipment.
The same, however, cannot be said for Kozue as he was visibly shaking in anxiety after hearing Motoharu's orders.
"Umm... Okay..." Kozue, who was at cloud nine just a few moments ago turned back into an anxious mess after hearing Motoharu's request. Even though they were childhood friends, Sacha could tell that Motoharu wouldn't take no for an answer from Kozue.
"Well that's everyone. I don't know about you guys but I'm famished. Please help yourselves to this delicious treat that Ritu prepared." Motoharu announced.
"Thanks for the food!" Everyone said at the same time before digging in.
"Ohh... this is really good." Kenji muttered in surprise.
"I've known Ritu since we were kids. He's been this good at cooking ever since then." Haruko stated before shoving a pork cutlet into his mouth.
"Don't exaggerate things, Haruto. I'm sure my food is nowhere near 5-star quality just yet." Ritu said modestly.
"Haruko has a point, Ritu. I wouldn't have hired you if you weren't any good. In fact, everyone in this room, I hired because they are the best at what they do. Kozue has impressive directing skills even though he's a nervous wreck most of the time.
"Uhh... don't say that, Haru. It's embarrassing!" Kozue exclaimed.
"Hideki is a jack of all trades and a brilliant instructor. I wouldn't have passed my third year chemistry subject without his tutelage."
"Ahh, that sure brings back memories." Hideki said.
"Kenji has won multiple awards and has won the praise of fellow award-winning musical directors."
"I do my best in everything I do so it's nothing, really." Kenji boasted.
Ritu you are widely viewed as a rising star in the culinary field due to his highly meticulous cooking skills.
"I try my best to satisfy everyone who eats my food. I'm nit the best chef in japan by any means but every time I cook, I do it with passion. I guess that's the reason why I can make good food and satisfy everyone who tastes them." Ritu said modestly.
Haruko has been in charge of the fitness of multiple high-profile people, and has once been in charge of the JSDF's nutrition and training program.
"The JSDF's training regiment is already tough as is but I only made their training a lot more efficient and made sure they were getting the right nutrition."
Kyoshiro, although he is a part of the renowned Higurashi family, has trained himself to become one of the best bodyguards there is. I believe he is proficient with different forms of combat.
"Yeah. I realized a life of luxury isn't for me and I don't want to just depend on Shiro all of the time so I trained myself to become a bodyguard... and well here I am now." Kyoshiro replied absent-mindedly as he launched a preempted strike on a bunch of dumplings.
"And lastly, Sacha received Spetsnaz training prior joining the Vasilisa Security Agency's. He's the tip of the spear when it comes to security. I can attest to how skilled he is." Motoharu said proudly.
"So that's my cover, huh? Although I am a bit surprised that they revealed I had Spetsnaz training. Oh well. I'll just have to work with that. The most convincing of lies have a shred of truth in them after all." Sacha thought.
"Indeed. The Russian Special Forces do not take training lightly. As such I will make sure to put my utmost efforts into protecting each and everyone of you." Sacha said respectfully as he bowed to his colleagues.
"Then I hope that clears any and all doubts." Motoharu said before finishing his meal.
"Ohh I almost forgot. Isn't tonight bar night?" Kyoshiro asked.
"Ah. Yes it is. Thanks for reminding me, Kyoshiro. Is everyone coming?" Motoharu asked perhaps too enthusiastically.
"If the meeting has been adjourned, I'd wish to be excused earlier since i would need to make necessary preparations for tomorrow." Sacha said seriously.
"Hmm... I was ignoring it at first but aren't you a bit too uptight, Sacha-kun? Come on. You should at least try to loosen up when you're with us." Kyoshiro flatly stated.
"I appreciate your concern but this is simply how I operate in my job. I believe that one's level of preparation heavily influences whether you come out of that job successful or not. Dropping one's guard could prove fatal in our line of work, after all, Kyoshiro. For us and our clients." Sacha retorted politely.
"I understand that. I really do. But you should learn to have a bit of fun from time to time. Work is important and all but relaxation is of equal importance. I'm speaking from experience here. My older brother, Shiro is just like you, valuing work more than his health. He's been working for 5 years without taking any type of vacation or leave whatsoever. He may have acted all composed and confident like the renowned businessman he is but he was falling apart inside. It was a good thing we finally managed to convince him to take a break. And during that time, he reunited with his highschool sweetheart and they're going out now. Needless to say, he's been taking more breaks than before so he could spend some time with Mochizuki-san but he's gotten a lot happier than we've ever seen him before. " Kyoshiro replied.
"I fail to see your point, Kyoshiro-kun " Sacha replied while glaring at the blue-haired guy. He was displeased at how much time he's spending to get Kyoshiro off his case but he could vaguely see that he only means well.
"I've seen guys like you before... serious with work to the point that it becomes their only driving force in life. They live meaningless lives as they desperately try to fill a void in themselves in an attempt to find meaning but they all fail to see that a balance between work and happiness is the key to establishing a meaningful existence. The point is, you should be happy about your life otherwise you're not living your life correctly."
Motoharu, seeing things heating up between the two heads of security tried to swiftly bring the argument to a close.
"Kyoshiro, I understand that you mean well but Sacha has his own methods of operating. I'd like you to respect that. On the other hand, Sacha, I would like you to take Kyoshiro's advice to heart. I don't want us to be merely co-workers but be brothers instead." Motoharu said in a calm yet stern voice.
"Alright. Got it, Motoharu." Kyoshiro said nonchalantly.
"Understood. I'll make sure to contemplate on Kyoshiro-kun's words. But for the meantime, I'd like to be excused." Sacha said in a monotone voice with a deadpan look on his face.
After getting the go-ahead from Motoharu and giving an apologetic bow, Sacha promptly left the building. Just as he had exited the facility, he saw a familiar blonde leaning on the building's wall. She was wearing a black tuxedo over a light blue long-sleeved polo shirt, black-rimmed sunglasses, black pants and black shoes. Her golden hair was neatly tied into a ponytail and she had a smug look on her face.
"I presume you're going to be meeting that blondie soon. You must be pretty excited, huh?" Natasha Orlenko said casually to her younger brother.
"Are you still stalking me? Do you not have a mission of your own to be attending to?" Sacha responded.
"Hey, I AM doing my job. The high value target I'm supposed to protect is quite nearby. He asked me to maintain my distance since my specialty is ranged combat after all and he's in a disguise himself. I just figured I'd drop by to see how you're doing." Natasha explained.
"Ah... I see. So you met up with that friend of yours yet?" Sacha asked.
"Yeah. He was really glad to see me. Hehe." She exclaimed proudly.
"Translation, he wasn't glad to see you at all. In fact it was the complete opposite.
"Waaaah! You don't have to say it out loud and slap it on my face." The blonde female protested dejectedly.
"Who is this guy supposed to be anyway? Maybe I am familiar with his name at least."
"Well, if you have to ask. His name is Yomikawa Yoru. He's a 5-digit agent like me and Aiko."
"Yomikawa... is he related to Aiko or anything?" He asked inquisitively.
"Well, if you have to know, Aiko was the one who gave Yoru his name when she saved him from becoming nothing more than Ichigaya's puppet. He was so grateful that he started calling her his "savior" and adopted her surname in gratitude." Natasha explained.
"That explains that. I am honestly surprised that you snagged him away from Aiko though. I saw her once and I was trying hard not to blush due to her rather "unique" way of clothing.
The first time Sacha met his sister's best friend, Yomikawa Aiko, shall always be engraved in his memory due to the unique circumstances that surrounded their first encounter. It involved a sudden visit to Aiko's house at Sapporo by Sacha when his sometimes scatterbrained sister decided that he should meet her best friend immediately. There was a heat wave when they visited Hokkaido at that time and as a result, he saw the esteemed 5-digit agent, whom Natasha spoke highly about, dressed in nothing but her birthday suit struggling weakly to fan herself from the heat while a white haired boy, also in his birthday suit, mind you, was desperately attempting to bring a derelict air conditioning system back to life.
"Truth be told, Aiko and Yoru are already dating but she doesn't mind me being a third part ehehehe." Natasha admitted bashfully.
"..."
"Eh... what's with that reaction, Sacha?" Natasha asked nervously.
"..."
"C'mon! Say something already!" She protested.
"I never would have thought that my dear sister, the greatest agent KGB has ever produced since the Cold War, has fallen so low as to willingly become a concubine."
"Ugh... you don't have to slap that fact on my face, Sacha... but what about you? Aren't you excited to meet that blonde Russian idol?" Natasha asked inquisitively.
"Well you got me. I am a bit curious about what this Ayase Eli is like. Motoharu, a co-worker of mine spoke highly of her when I spoke to him on the phone yesterday. "
What Sacha told Natasha wasn't a lie. He was indeed quite intrigued about the person he's assigned to protect but his interest was far greater than he had let on. Normally, he was not the type to believe in love at first sight and it is one of his work ethics not to develop any feelings towards someone he's supposed to protect. However, there was something about this particular girl that caught his interest.
"So you really do like her already. I see. I see." She said in a conspiring voice as she stroke her chin like a detective that stumbled upon incriminating evidence.
"Ah. Whatever. I'll be getting some items I'll be needing tomorrow from the nearby safe house. I've been given clearance to utilize my disposal to protect that princess anyways." Sacha said as he started to leave.
"Oh? What assurance do you have that your target would still be alive tomorrow? For all we know, our enemies would start acting tonight." Natasha warned.
"Well, dear sister, the document Nikola showed me didn't exactly tell where she lives. I cannot ask about such information from any of my current... colleagues or my cover would be compromised. It would be too suspicious. The people that Motoharu chose as senior staff members, he had already been observing them for a few years now gauging their talent. I'm the only exception since he hired me based on the nicely fabricated transcript the boys at the Espionage division made for my cover. He's still suspicious of me. I'm certain about that. So I should thread carefully from now on. Ayase Eli just needs to survive for the next 12 hours."
Ayase Residence
2000 Hours
"Aghh! I'm dying! All this waiting is killing me! Why can't tomorrow come any faster, Alisa?" A certain blonde Russian girl complained as she rolled left and restlessly.
"You acted so calmy and reservedly yesterday, Nee-chan but you seem to be the most excited among everyone about this second chance to become idols again."
Eli was flustered a bit when her younger sister pointed this fact out. She had been keeping her pent up feelings enthusiasm to herself ever since that producer, Motoharu, offered them another chance to become idols.
"Well, I really do want to spend more time with everyone else. I want to make more wonderful memories with everyone... I want to perform more lives with them but most of all, I want μ's to be together even for just a little bit longer. I just think that it all ended so fast. I honestly didn't think that Honoka's ambitious plan to save the school by becoming school idols would turn into something that would help me achieve the dream that I thought had died in my childhood. I even got to befriend a lot of wonderful people in the process. Sure, the training for lives is difficult most of the time and we more often than not get nervous right before performing for a large audience but at the same time, we have fun while we're training and we truly enjoy pouring our heart and soul into our performances. Is it selfish of me to ask more of that?" Eli exclaimed.
"Calm down, Nee-chan. I know just how you feel about this. Otherwise, I wouldn't have helped you convince everyone to approve of your decision, right? And they all gave you their permission! You can become idols with everyone again!" Alisa said enthusiastically.
"Yeah... I just need this night to be over! I wish it's morning already." She chirped.
The Russian blonde would spend an entire sleepless night reminiscing all the memories she had made with the other member of μ's and looking forward to having new experiences with them.
Author's Note
Hello all! First and foremost, I would like to apologize for the delay of putting out this chapter of my Love Live fanfic. The combination of writer's block, school, and other personal problems did a number on me so it took me more than 6 months to write this chapter and get it out. I'll do everything in my power to make sure Chapter 3 doesn't take another 6 months to write! I'd also like to thank everyone for sticking around even through this rough delay. Now as you may have started to notice, I have been alternating between Eli and Sacha in narrating these chapters so expect the next chapter to be told in Eli's perspective. Our story's two main characters would finally meet for the first time in the next chapter so I am quite excited to begin writing it. Hopefully, this would serve as motivation to fill up my inspiration gauge and finally get rid of this pesky writer's block.
Now it's time to put down my pen and have a quick break before working on the next installment.
I hope we'll see each other again in the next chapter!