Tuesday, June? 7?, 2011
A disaster, sort of, Nikki-chan.
Even though Niko is in a wheelchair, she decided to go to Otonokizaka anyway, in time to see the Idol Research Club. Nozomi, who is becoming a true friend to Niko, came early to get me. She told mama that "if Niko insists on going to Otonokizaka," she should take time to talk to Minami-sensei again. If Niko is willing to be the girl in the wheelchair, she can start school pretty soon. Most things went smoothly, Niko got a call from Nozomi when she was making bentos for Kokoro and the little kids, so Niko made two more, one for her and one for Nozomi. Nozomi told mama she should call her Nozomi and not Toujou-san, and mama told me to tell Nozomi it's okay if she calls her "mama Yazawa" like she calls her talking to Niko. The little flag worked and Niko got on the train easy with Nozomi as her assistant so they could ride together in the crippled car.
Minami-sensei was very kind this time, and told Niko she could start school in a week or two. She said Niko has to work out tutoring hours with Nishikino-san, the girl assigned to be Niko's tutor. By the way, even standing near Minami-sensei, Nozomi, who is only 15 like Niko - she really looks like a grown woman. It's not just her breasts. Her butt and her face and her everything looks super grown-up. I am not sure even Niko's super-idol growth spurt will catch Niko up when it happens.
Niko felt a little pride wheeling herself into the Idol Research Club room. All the great things Niko bought and brought in are there and some things the other members must have brought, and all of it looks like it's been used. However, there was no one there. Nozomi said they must all be "on the roof." Why would a whole club go on the roof? Niko feared the worst.
Nozomi said she would leave me there and go talk to Rin, who was probably "leading practice." So first of all, Rin was back? My ghost member? Also, leading a practice? More and more has not been adding up, Nikki-chan. First Nozomi said our two regulars weren't in school, and they were. Then they said Rin-san and Yuzu-san were gone from the club, and now Rin was back. And they were practicing being idols? On the roof? It takes a lot of training even to start doing things together as practice idols, and we were only a month or two into the year. Well, Niko had planned to be practicing by this time, but that meant the president, a girl named Koizumi Hanayo, had been just as good as Niko-nii in running the club. So, I didn't know how to feel about that. So when Nozomi went to talk to Rin, I said, please ask Rin to come down and talk to Niko. And Niko waited and looked at idol web sites.
Nozomi knocked and said, Rin is with me. But when I saw the girl with her, it was a surprise. She wasn't our Rin at all, she was smaller and her hair was dyed orange. Our ghost member Rin-san would never have done that. This Rin looked like a boy who did sports more than a girl. I didn't know much about Rin-san, like I did about Ah-chan and Mim-chan, but she was very feminine and not interested much in sports. She said she might be interested in dancing if it helped her stay in shape to get a boyfriend.
So Niko said "you're RIN?" and the new Rin looked at Niko and said, "Yeah! Rin is Rin!" but her "yeah," wasn't "Un" or "Hai" but like English and also somehow like a cat, like "nyeah." She was very genki. Nozomi put her hand on Rin's arm and said "the original five names when the Idol Research Club turned in its application were Yazawa Niko, Fujioka Ageha, Shirai Mimi, Nitta Rin, and Sera Yuzu." This new Rin got a serious look on her face.
Then Nozomi said to me "Niko, this is Hoshizora Rin, who leads the idol practices." Niko said "Hajimemashite, Hoshizora-san." The new Rin said "Yoroshiku, Niko-chan!" even though no one had said anything about first names. But I think the new Rin is one of those genki girls that are overly friendly right away. Still, she was cute. Not super-idol Niko-nii cute, Nikki-chan, but cute. Like a boy that plays sports and grins is cute.
So now there was Koizumi Hanayo who leads the club, Kousaka Honoka who Rin and Nozomi said dances in the center, and somehow also runs the club, but the new Rin who runs the practices. And Nozomi and Eli (who hasn't been around lately) are apparently letting them do whatever they want because they are in the student council and their friends. And apparently Kousaka Honoka is part of the student council too.
Niko got a tear and said to Nozomi quietly "What can Niko do if the club has all that?" And Nozomi said "research, until you are well enough to train." Rin heard Nozomi and said the same: "Niko is the BEST researcher in the world. Although not as cute when researching as Kayo-chin." I wonder which one that is. And how cute she actually is. And what Nozomi told them about Niko doing research.
Niko heard boisterous noises, but fortunately she was far away from the door. It opened, and Five other girls came in in sweaty gym clothes. Three were third years, the others were second years. They were all kind of pretty, and more feminine than the new Rin that Niko may have to call Rin-chan from now on. One of them looked like she might be Rin's sister, though maybe they were both "gals" and just both dyed their hair similar colors. One of the third years had her black hair dyed midnight blue, and one of the second years had a dyed-looking deep red color, probably it was bleached but maybe she was some sort of hafu like Eli. The hair colors made them look more like idols, so maybe that was their gimmick. The other third year and second year had hair that was a little light but mostly normal. The two second years seemed shy. It was hard to see the face of the one with the deep red hair, she held back and did not come in.
The shy second year bowed to Niko-nii and said "Hi, I am Hanayo, I am in your care, Niko-san." So that was the club president. It was hard to imagine someone this shy and like a mouse running the club so well. Probably she leaned on Nozomi and Eli, and the two genki girls with the orange hair herded everyone to practice. If Niko had a weakness as an idol, it was that she tried to do everything herself. But the idol club now clearly ran on teamwork.
The other orange-haired gal came forward and said "Niko-chan! It's good to see you I mean not hurt or in a wheelchair but just here and stuff." Nozomi gave the girl a strange look. The girl got the same serious face her gal friend had got. "Oh, I am Honoka!"
So that was the girl who Nozomi said re-started the idol club? She didn't seem like she could organize her breakfast, so she must have hidden depths.
"You know, everyone?" Nozomi said, suddenly. "Niko is probably feeling some anxiety. She's taking medicine for pain, and she's here with all these NEW people she DOESN'T KNOW." She said that with a funny emphasis. And right then everyone else got that same strange look again.
Nozomi then introduced me to the other two third-years. One was Sonoda Umi, and one was Minami Kotori. Niko had to ask Nozomi, and yes, she was the daughter to Minami-sensei. Niko moved her head towards the door and looked at Nozomi.
"Come all the way in, Maki-san!" Nozomi said, but very sweetly. The way she has been talking to Niko-nii. "That girl writes our music, Niko-chan. She is also the girl Minami-sensei has assigned as your tutor. Say hi to Niko-chan, Maki-san."
The red-haired girl came in a little more and didn't raise her head. "I am Nishikino Maki, Yazawa-san. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said, very shaky. Nonetheless, Niko recognized the strange second-year she saw her first day back at school. The one that said "Oh God, Niko-chan!" and waved Niko away like shooing away a dog. Nikki-chan, I didn't mention it, but that girl's red hair had made an impression then, too. Niko looked at her and asked why she said "Kami-sama! Niko-chan!" and made go-away motions.
The Nishikino girl chose to assume Niko was asking Nozomi and kept silent. "We made her acquainted with how you look healthy, Niko, so she was surprised to see you all beaten up," Nozomi said. And actually, the red-haired girl had tears in her eyes even now. Was she so tender-hearted? If so, why so rude?
"Nishikino-san had some distressing news about her family, lately, including some just today, Niko-chan, but things will probably be fine. She is not upset about meeting you, though she is very shy. Please take care of her, as well," Nozomi said. But Nikki-chan? I could see that in addition to tears, Nishikino-san was shaking.
Honoka started telling Niko everything about the idol club and the practices and training for Love Live and many other things. It was overwhleming, Nikki-san, and Niko became tired. So Niko asked out loud, a little bit rude, why Kousaka-san did all the talking if Koizumi was the president now. And why not Rin-chan and Sonoda-san, who also led the practices?
"Yazawa-san, after your awful injuries, it was Honoka who organized keeping the Idol Club going. We have always kept you in mind. She created our first routines, too," Koizumi-san said gently. "Also, she is our unrestrained sometimes leader and I am just our restrained president."
Kousaka-san got a little red hearing that. It was good to see that Koizumi, though shy, had a sense of humor. The other gentle member of the club, Minami-san, makes the costumes like Niko used to. She approached Niko, and we started to talk about it a little bit. But Niko was so tired and now had a lot of pain. I am sad to say, Nikki-chan, that Niko has been crying more than smiling lately, and today was no exception. Nozomi saw Niko starting to get tears and said "We have to go now. Niko needs to get home, rest, and have some medicine. She has a lot of pain still."
So the whole new club got to see Niko tired, cranky, sad, depressed, and feeling worthless. And the new tutor didn't even talk to Niko to arrange when to meet for lessons. She just looked like a wild animal that got into the house by mistake and wanted to escape.
Nozomi helped Niko get home but we stopped at a convenience store and got food for dinner. Then Nozomi said Niko should lie down, and she helped Niko take her medicine and get into bed for a nap. Nozomi cooked dinner for all of us, and went home afterward. That is why Niko thinks Nozomi is becoming a true friend. Niko cried again after Nozomi left, but happier tears. And didn't get her nikki wet this time.