R-DAY PLUS 2

"Contact"

Practice for the day wrapped up just in time for the setting sun to paint the town orange. The sores from hours of twists and turns would make themselves known the next day. Then again, no school idol group in history has ever made gains without pain. The steep learning curve demanded nothing less of accepting body pain as a reality. Whatever doesn't kill them will only make them stronger. Whatever that aches them can be remedied with a good ice pack.

Whatever's worth complaining, however, is right up Honoka's alley. "Oh man, I'm gonna feel really sore tomorrow. Maybe I should skip school," she rotated her neck as she walked home with her second-year friends.

"No surprise there," Umi replied.

"Umi, are you just gonna change your impression of me?" Honoka retorted.

"What are you talking about?" Umi said. "Tomorrow's a Sunday."

"Oh, so you're pulling my leg now?"

"I'm serious. Check your calendar."

"Are you serious?"

"I just said I was."

One quick check of her cell phone later, Honoka marveled at her moment of stupidity. "Well, I'll be. Tomorrow really is a Sunday. I guess time flies when you're busy."

"Sure does," Kotori nodded. "We've been practicing more these past few days."

"This is for both the upcoming launch and the Love Live regionals," Umi explained. "We can't afford to treat the former less than the latter. To quote a talent manager: 'Any live show is always worth a full house.'"

"Although, we do need to let loose every now and then," Kotori hinted.

"I know, right?" Honoka added. "Since it's the weekend, why don't we all go to the arcade?"

"I knew you would say that," Umi sighed, although she seemed cool at the idea. "Nothing to do when I get home, anyway, so might as well take you up on that offer."

"Count me in!" Kotori cheered. "It's been forever since we last went to the arcade together."

"Then it's settled," Honoka faced her friends with the setting sun behind her casting its rays, looking like fate just deemed her as the Chosen One. "Let's all let loose at the arcade!" Even the Chosen One needs a break.

A little later, Eli and Nozomi joined them outside the school grounds. "Eli! Nozomi!" Honoka called. "We're going to the arcade. Care to join us?"

"Sorry, I gotta take a rain check today," Eli answered. "A relative from Russia's coming over tonight. Alisa and I need to get the house ready."

"I'll have to pass, too," Nozomi added. "I promised some kids to play with them after school."

"Bummer," Honoka replied. "Guess it can't be helped, then. See you Monday, then."

"Have fun, you three, but don't be out too late." Nozomi said.

The second-years soon took their leave, the third-years seeing them off. As soon as they were out of sight, Eli and Nozomi began their journey home. Eli was confident of her reason to pass. She really does have a relative coming over. On the other hand, Nozomi frowned at her unconvincing excuse. Umi must've seen right through her but has elected not to bat an eye.

"Knowing you, Nozomi," Eli said. "Making excuses isn't exactly your forte."

Today's tarot showed people leaping out of a mountaintop tower under siege by the elements. The mere sight, much less holding the damn card, shook Nozomi to the core. "I…I never expected to see this card. Not in my lifetime, at least."

"What does that even mean?"

The eerie pause that followed leaves much to be desired. "A great change is coming."

~O~

Nozomi's advice to Honoka, Umi, and Kotori fell to deaf ears, perhaps due to the noise from various games all blaring at once. By the time they earned more than their fair share of fun, the setting sun had already given way for the moon. Time does fly when you're busy, be it on school idol business or just having fun. Not that it would matter for their parents perhaps waiting at home with an entire script for scolding ready.

"Crap! It's already this late?!" exclaimed a frantic Honoka. "Mom's gonna kill me!"

"I told you it was a bad idea to give you 'just one more round,'" Umi said. "Thanks to you, my Mom's gonna kill me, too."

Kotori's reply didn't help matters. "My Mom won't."

"No one asked you!" Honoka and Umi cried in unison (and out of jealousy). Cutesy Kotori just blew a raspberry at them. And there goes the sugar.

Instead of shoving blames at each other (mostly it would be between Honoka and Umi), they began their long walk home. The two likely to get "quality time" from their parents stiffened at the thought of their punishment. Maybe no bread for Honoka for a week? It'll help keep her school idol figure. A ten-hour romance movie marathon for Umi? It's a good way to break a model student. Heck, why not have them prohibit from the school idol thing while at it? Two birds, one stone.

The atmosphere around them got so tense that Kotori could read her friends like a coverless book. "Girls, I think you're thinking about it way too much."

"Easy for you to say, Kotori," replied a frustrated Honoka.

Despite the thought of her punishment driving her nuts, Umi managed to pick up a faint shriek from a distance. "Huh?" She trained her attention to the source. "What was that?"

"What's wrong, Umi?" Honoka asked.

"Either it's just me or I just heard Hanayo scream," Umi explained.

"Hanayo?" Honoka wondered. "What could she be—?"

A louder, more comprehensive shriek hit their ears all at once. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

No words followed. The second-years sprang into action, heading for the source in the darker block of the town. Hanayo's persistent screaming, along with her attackers' blatant threats, pointed them to the right secluded alley. The blind corner confirmed Umi's fears: a helpless Hanayo desperately keeping her skirt down and moving away from three delinquents. The incident had already claimed her bag of groceries as spoils of war. The delinquents now had their eyes on the real prize.

"Hanayo!" yelled Umi.

"Umi? Honoka? Kotori?" Hanayo turned around, which proved a mistake as one of the delinquents grabbed her from behind. "Ahhh! Let go of me!"

"Hey! Leave her alone, you perverts!" Honoka unleashed her inner Bruce Lee. Not that she had one to begin with.

Of course, perverts wouldn't let three more cute girls pass by them. "Well, well, well," said Hanayo's captor, a nasty piece of work with a ring holder for a face. "What do we have here? Three more cutesies to join the party? Aww, you girls shouldn't have."

The mooks behind him chuckled with sinister eyes, all the more reason for the girls to regret ever coming here.

"Let Hanayo go, you freak," Umi put her best but trembling foot forward.

"Hanayo, is it?" One lick at Hanayo's neck by the freak's gem-studded tongue just added fuel to the fire. Seriously, man, you're just asking for trouble. "Has anyone told you that you have a really cute name?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said let Hanayo go!"

"And ignore a perfectly ripe orange? Why on earth would I do that?"

With a snap of their boss's fingers, the two mooks set their sights on the second-years. Every ounce of Honoka's so-called "inner Bruce Lee" flew out of her body and ran for the hills, while Umi's legs locked up like stepping on quick-dry cement. Not so tough now that fear has entered the fray. And no amount of Hanayo's hollering could save her friends.

"Hey…come on," Honoka said. "Can't we…talk this over?"

"Everyone, RUN AWAY!" Hanayo shrieked one last time.

Then, Kotori—who had been silent from the get-go—reacted to the danger in a snap. As in "jumping almost two stories up and delivering a megaton kick on a shocked mook while making a weird cry" snap.

"TORIIIIIIIIIII!"