A warm ray of sunlight crept through the window of Haruka's room, gently caressing her soft, porcelain skin as her eyes fluttered open. She sat up and stretched, yawning as she stared down at the table,

'Ah...I fell asleep on my desk..' She lets out a breathless chuckle; the tension slowly leaving her body as she stretches, a sigh escaping her lips as she moves towards the bathroom.

After dressing in a loose, casual outfit she made her way towards the front door. She was about to reach for the handle when a persistent knock drew her attention: She blinked her eyes as curiosity compelled her to open the door.

Her eyes widened in surprise when Otoya stood in the doorway. "Ittoki-kun!" Nanami greeted him with a bright and cheerful smile, while Otoya smiled back and greeted her with a slightly nervous scratch on his cheek.

"Morning, N-Nanami!" he said, his voice betraying only a hint of the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Haruka bowed politely, "Good morning." she said.

Otoya smiled, "Ah, I was just heading to the lounge. Since we're all just gonna go to the same place.." he coughed for a moment, hiding his nervousness.

'Gah! Why am I so nervous?!' He yelled in his thoughts. Haruka tilts her head to the side with a slight smile as Otoya feels himself blushing slightly.

For a moment there was some silence, and then he spoke again. "I thought maybe we could walk to the lounge together?" Ittoki's panic increased significantly as he continued his train of thought. "Ah! If it isn't too weird-"

"Mm. I'd be glad to!" Haruka nodded as she closed the door behind her and set off with him. They both walked together in comfortable silence, with Otoya occasionally glancing at her whenever he got a chance.

Finally, he decided to break the silence by addressing her. "Ne, Nanami...?" "Mhm?" Haruka turned her head to face Otoya, her eyes blinking in curiosity.

Otoya nervously smiled as he looked forward, "Do you think this project will be a success?" he said with genuine concern as he turned his gaze back to her.

Haruka raised her eyebrows, her expression turning from one of confidence to one of curiosity. "Of course," she said, as she tilted her head a little and glanced at him.

"Do you have doubts...?" she asked, her tone becoming more concerned than it had been before.

Otoya turned to look at her with a surprised expression, "Ah! It's not like that," he said with a nervous chuckle.

"I'm just... worried, that's all," he said, his voice sounding slightly agitated. "Cause, y'know... HEAVENS aren't exactly easy to work with... And If my worries are right... I feel like QUARTET NIGHT would clash with them..." Otoya followed with a nervous chuckle.

Haruka's expression changed to one of realization as she slowly came to the same conclusion as him. "A-Ah. You may be right," she said with a nervous chuckle.

"But I'm sure they'll end up getting along." She stops walking for a moment to collect her thoughts, and then she speaks with a spark of passion in her voice. "After all, they're idols. Idolswith the same goals, and it doesn't matter how different they are..."

Otoya listens to her words, taking in every single word. His eyes widen as he contemplates what they mean, but he ultimately nods in agreement.

"Yeah..." he says slowly, but confidently. "You're right, Nanami!" he exclaims with a bright grin. Haruka lets out a silent giggle as she sees Otoya start to cheer up.

Otoya feels himself blushing as a nervous chuckle escapes his lips. He scratches his neck nervously but continues to smile. "Mhm, things will be okay!"

The two smile at each other, feeling the weight of their worries starting to lift off their shoulders.

"And," Otoya steps closer to Haruka, his words gaining more certainty as he looks directly into her eyes. "Even if we end up getting discouraged," he says, his eyes shining with hope. "Nanami...,"

Haruka's heart flutters at the way he speaks to her as he pauses for a moment, then looks straight into Haruka's eyes with a look of pure admiration.

"I'm sure you'll make us believe that we can do it!" he says, his voice filled with a sense of warmth as he expresses his confidence in her ability to keep them motivated.

Haruka blushes from the confidence that Otoya has in her, and there is no denying how happy she is to have that trust. Without a word, she nodded gently, her face filled with a soft smile.

"Mm," she said, her words carrying the same level of determination and courage that Otoya's did. "I'll be here to support all of you!" she proclaimed with a firm voice, and she subconsciously stepped closer to him.

"...!" Otoya flinches when their faces are a little too close for comfort, and his cheeks darken with the red streaks of a blush. Haruka slowly realizes how close they have become, and she turns bright red as her heart starts beating rapidly.

The two of them instinctively take a step back, now facing away from each other. For a moment, they both stay silent, feeling slightly embarrassed by the sudden spike in intimacy between them.

Otoya nervously straightens his back as he speaks in a frantic voice, his face still a little red. "Ah! Will you look at that? I think we're late! Let's head to the lounge, N-Nanami!"

Haruka quickly agrees and stumbles on her words as well. "M-M-Mm!" She says. "The meeting is about to s-start!" Her own blush is still visible on her cheeks.

With their hearts still racing, the two of them run quickly towards the lounge, trying to slow their heart rates down before entering. As they finally reach their destination, the attention of the other boys turns towards them, and both Haruka and Otoya try their best to calm down and appear professional.

It seems that their earlier nerves have had an effect on them, and they try their best to keep their worries to themselves and appear confident in front of their colleagues as QUARTET NIGHT and STARISH stare at them with puzzled faces.

"Morning..." Otoya greets them, sounding slightly out of breath. Haruka bows politely as well and smiles softly. STARISH raise their eyebrows at each other as they approach the two of them.

"Good morning, My princess." Cecil greeted Haruka with a gentle tone, "Did something happen?" He asked her softly, his head tilted a little now himself in confusion.

Haruka blinked a few times, looking a bit lost. "E-Eh?" she echoed, her confusion growing even more.

Ren chimes in, his eyes briefly closed while he speaks. "Aa, My Lady is out of breath," he says. "And Ikki is, too..?"

He casually walked up to Otoya and put his arm around his shoulder, his tone curious. "What did you do, Ikki?" Otoya's eyes widened with panic, a sense of embarrassment and regret clearly etched into his expression.

Tokiya raised his eyebrows at this, speaking with a more stern tone. "Otoya." he says.

Otoya looked at them one by one before frantically speaking, "Eh? Nothing! I—" Syo suddenly pointed his finger at him, saying in a surprised tone, "Oy! Otoya! I never thought you're the sneaky type!"

Otoya panics even more as they all sigh in disappointment. "W-What? I-I'm not!" he dismisses their accusations. Haruka, on the other hand, can't help but laugh quietly to herself.

Reiji lets out a lighthearted chuckle as he speaks. "Ii-ne, ii-ne! (That's good, that's good!) Lively as ever, STARISH" as the STARISH members laugh a little themselves as they see how embarrassed Otoya is.

Otoya pouted in embarrassment as his members chuckled among themselves. "N-Not funny, guys!" he pouted, trying his best to defend himself.

Ren laughs as he nudges Otoya, "C'mon, Ikki. We know you're not capable of doing anything bold around My Lady." He says this playfully, with a smirk on his face.

Otoya blinks and takes a slight amount of offense at his remark. "E-Ey..! W-What's that supposed to mean?" He asks, his voice sounding slightly defensive but still unsure how to respond to what Ren had said.

Natsuki steps in to try and soften Ren's comment. "What Ren-kun meant to say is that we trust you!" he says enthusiastically with an innocent grin.

Ren and Tokiya sweat as they look slightly in disbelief at the interpretation of their words. "I don't think that's what Ren meant..." Tokiya says quietly, sounding a bit unsure.

Masato smiles slightly, explaining, "It can be interpreted that way. Of course, by Ittoki's nature, he won't be so direct. We know enough to trust him."

Haruka smiles softly, nodding in agreement with Masato's words. Ren shrugs as he says, "That's true," with a smirk. The rest of the STARISH members nod as well, all of them looking at Otoya with looks of trust and confidence.

Otoya's expression softens as he is relieved to see that his fellow STARISH members still have faith in him. As he relaxes a bit, he smiles again at the group and tries to brush off their teasing.

"BWUAHAHAHAHA!" A loud laughter echoes through the room as everyone looks about in confusion. "Not again..." everyone thinks to themselves as they try to make sense of what they're hearing.

Shining suddenly emerges from the ground like a jack-in-the-box, jumping straight onto the table before spinning around and pointing his fingers at them with a mad grin on his face. He continues to laugh maniacally, leaving everyone in the room speechless.

"That's what we're looking for! Passion! TRUST!" Shining declares with dramatic flair, causing the STARISH members to collectively sweatdrop at their passionate president.

"YES!" Shining continues his dramatic presentation. "Project Empire will help you all IMPROVE moreand MORE!" He yells maniacally.

Ai blinks, confused as he asks, "Project Empire?" QUARTET NIGHT turns to look at him, while the other members of STARISH turn their attention to Shining with confusion, asking the same question.

Shining turns his attention to Ai and shouts, "CORRECT! Project Empire will help you grow into better idols who can entertain your fans the way they deserve!" He says with great enthusiasm, the passion in his voice echoing throughout the room.

"No, I get that." Ai blinks calmly, his tone still keeping its monotone sound. "I'm just wondering why is it called Project Empire?" he questions. His words catch their attention, slowly realizing what he meant.

Ranmaru nods as he looks over his shoulder at Haruka, raising a confused brow. "Our concert name is Maji Love Kingdom, right?"

Haruka blinks, but she confirms his suspicion with a nod. "Y-Yes..." she says in confirmation. Ranmaru faces Shining once more and asks, "So, why is it-"

The door suddenly swings open, and a pile of gray smoke enters the room, filling the air and fogging their vision. QUARTET NIGHT all look up at the strange sight, their eyes starting to water from the smoke as their brows furrow in confusion.

"What the heck..?", "What's going on..?" STARISH spoke to each other with worried expressions, the fog making it hard to see in the dimmed room.

They quickly wave the smoke away from their faces in an attempt to clarify the situation. However, the source of the smoke remains unclear, and it begins to grow as more and more smoke appears.

Haruka coughs as she tries to adjust her eyes to see properly, but the smoke is making it difficult. After a moment, she finally spots something in the smoke.

'A Person...? No...W-Wait..,' she says, her eyes widening with fear as her realization comes to her. More and more silhouettes appear, and the STARISH members start to feel a sense of dread begin to set in.

The silhouette in the middle laughs, and his hearty, familiar laughter fills the STARISH members with discomfort. They exchanged uneasy glances, realizing that their worst fears and suspicions were about to come true.

"Good!" The silhouette exclaims, with an air of malicious joy and satisfaction.

Haruka's eyes widen as she realizes who it is. "I-It's..!" As she says this in her mind, Syo speaks up in surprise. "HEAVENS..!"

The silhouette finally emerges from the fog, "So, we meet again."Eiichi says, his voice filled with confidence and arrogance. He walks out with his hands hidden in his pockets, wearing a smirk as he slowly moves toward the center of the room.

Nagi emerges from the fog, wearing a cocky smirk on his face, "The cutest idol in the world has arrived~!" he exclaims as he walks confidently into the room and is followed by Kira, who bears an emotionless expression.

"Pardon for the intrusion..!" Eiji steps forward, greeting them politely and with a slightly embarrassed tone to his voice.

Van arrives soon thereafter with a grin, "Ooo, this place looks nice!" he exclaims, posing with his hand on top of his forehead in what seems to be a search for something.

Haruka blinks in surprise at the unexpected turn of events. She quickly scans them, taking each one in individually before her eyes meet Van's and cause her to sweatdrop.

Van notices her, his eyes light up as a mischievous grin grows on his face. He smiles at her before sending a playful wink at her, "E-Eh?" she says confused, before awkwardly returning a smile.

Ren quickly steps in front of Haruka, covering her body with his and blocking Van's view of her. He gives Van a sharp glare, and Van quickly tries to play it off like he isn't doing anything.

Van makes a nervous smile while trying to look like he's looking for something else, but Ren sees right through his act. The two of them lock in a staring contest, each trying to out-stare the other in a tense and awkward showdown.

Yamato emerges with his arms crossed and gives them a stern glare with Shion following behind, with a neutral expression in tow.

"HAHAHA..."Another malicious laughter can be heard emerging from the shadows, and Shining smiles at it mischievously. "You think you can just bust in here?" he asks the unknown person, sounding confident and a bit sarcastic.

The room quickly becomes tense as they turn to face this new arrival, wondering what he wants and what his intentions are. They feel a sense of unease creeping into the atmosphere of the room.

"Sure I can," the figure says with a smirk and laughs maliciously as he steps out, putting a cigar in his mouth. His glare is directed towards Shining, who seems amused but a bit surprised to see the unexpected visitor.

Haruka gulps, and the STARISH and QUARTET NIGHT members turn their eyes toward the menacing figure. "R-Raging Otori.."Haruka says, a new worry dawning upon her as she sees this figure.

Shining laughs with a raspy voice, and then spins around dramatically. "Well, then," he says with an air of calm and confidence as if he was expecting this turn of events.

He takes a deep breath, "MISS NANAMI!" he screams into the air, drawing all eyes towards Haruka's shocked and confused face.

"E-Eh..?" Haruka blinks in surprise at Shining's sudden exclamation, and she is not alone in her reaction. The members of STARISH all look at him with nervous anticipation.

Suddenly, Raging and Shining charge towards Haruka, causing everyone to jump in shock.

"E-E-EHHHH?!" Haruka lets out a yelp as she shuts her eyes in response as STARISH members try to call her attention and warn her.

"NANAMI!" they yell, Shining throws a smoke bomb into the room making Raging, Shining, and Haruka disappear into the fog.

Nanami opens her eyes slowly, and as she looks around her surroundings, she wonders where she is. She blinks, furrowing her eyebrows, before saying "Is this Shining's office..?"

"CORRECT, MISS NANAMI!" Shine exclaims excitedly, as Haruka jumps in surprise at the unexpected voice.

She looks up to see the man himself standing before her, looking down at her with a triumphant expression on his face. Raging Otori is also seen standing beside Shining with his arms crossed.

She sweatdrops at the sudden exclamation and looks back at him with wide eyes. "President!? And, Raging Otori... U-Um, why am I in your office?" She asks hesitantly.

Raging speaks up with a stern voice, saying, "To discuss. Saotome contacted me about a concert called Maji Love Kingdom. It's a concert featuring STARISH, QUARTET NIGHT, and HEAVENS. Correct?" He asks this in a straightforward and direct manner, before taking a drag on his cigar and breathing out a puff of smoke.

Haruka nods in confirmation of Raging's statement, agreeing with him. "C-Correct. When it comes to their songs, I'll be the one composing."

Raging raises one of his eyebrows as he faces Haruka, and he asks her, "All of them?" His voice is skeptical and suspicious.

Haruka looks at him for a split second, before nodding again, "Yes..? Um, I'll be taking care of all of the songs myself. I trust that I can handle it." Her tone is determined and confident, not seeming discouraged by Raging's question at all.

Raging raises an eyebrow and looks at her, impressed. After a brief moment of thought, he takes a drag of his cigar and chuckles with amusement. "Good. I like your talent, girl."

Shining nods confidently and laughs lightly. He turns to look at Raging with a grin on his face and says, "Don't underestimate Miss Nanamiiiii... Raging Otori. She is a composer who possesses great musical skills and a hard-working attitude." His tone is friendly but firm, and it leaves no doubt about the skills that he sees in her.

Haruka is taken a bit by surprise by the praise coming from Shining, and she is visibly flustered by the unexpected attention.

Shining continues to look confidently at her, "NOW! Miss Nanamiii..." He says with a twinkle in his eye. "This concert is a huge opportunity for everyone. After the Triple S, everyone has been doing great. BUT! An idol must never be satisfied! They must keep try-try-TRYIIING!"

He takes a pause to let the words sink in, and then continues with a hint of mischief in his voice, "THAT'S WHY, we came up with a plan to help them do that!" He leaves the rest unsaid as if anticipating her reaction.

"A plan..?" Haruka responds thoughtfully, her expression a mix of concentration and anticipation. She listens carefully to Shining and his proposal, and her heartbeat quickens with anticipation.

"My plan isss... I call ittt..." Shining raises his finger in the air and points it in Haruka's direction with dramatic flair. With a confident and dramatic tone, he declares, "SPECIAL UNIT!"

Haruka looks at Shining with a wide-eyed expression, and she echoes his words in a puzzled tone. 'Special Unit..?' she repeats quietly, pondering the meaning of the word.

"Is it possible..." She continues, before hesitating for a moment. "That it's similar to what STARISH did with Cross-Unit..?" She asks, turning and looking at Shining with a look of curiosity and anticipation.

Shining smiles widely and snaps his fingers. "CORREEECT, MISS NANAMI!" He says, his tone full of confidence and joy. "HOWEVER, this time, the 18 of them will form trio uniiiits..." He finishes his sentence with a confident tone, sounding proud of himself and his idea.

"..!" Haruka's expression changes to one of surprise and curiosity, trying to figure out exactly which members will be paired up in the new units.

Raging continues, sounding even more confident and determined. "Precisely." He says with a smirk as he takes a puff from his cigar.

"Well then," He points the cigar at Haruka and speaks to her in an authoritative tone. "You, girl."

Without hesitation, Haruka looks at the cigar and then back up at Raging. "...Yes?" She responds, sounding a bit shocked by his sudden attention.

Raging continues in a discouraging tone, and the smirk on his face becomes slightly more malicious and intimidating. "Are you still up to the task?" He asks with a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Not only will you write 3 group songs, but you will have to compose 6 unit songs and another 3 songs for each group." He adds a bit more doubt in his words, making it seem like the task is going to be too difficult for Haruka.

"Could a girl like you, even DARE to handle it?" Raging says with a taunting smirk, staring down at her with a defiant glint in his eyes.

"I.." Haruka takes a moment to consider the task in front of her, her expression changing from one of excitement to uncertainty.

"U-Um..." She swallowed nervously as the intimidating words from Raging sank in, and she felt a lump in her throat and a wave of fear and anxiety as she considered if this challenge was too much for her.

She looks up at Shining with a worried expression, her eyes filled with indecision as she tries to convince herself to have the confidence to accept this task.

Raging's eyebrows rise sharply at Haruka's look of indecision, and he smirks as he sighs in a slightly exaggerated manner. "Tsk. I thought so." He shrugs his shoulders as if pretending to be disappointed.

With a sarcastic tone, he says, "Well. I'll find another composer to help, then." His words are filled with disappointment and dismissal, despite his obvious fake concern. He waits for Haruka to respond, still observing her with a smirk on his face.

Haruka suddenly exclaims, "There's no need!" Raging's brow rises in surprise at the sudden outburst. As Haruka realizes how loud she is being, she quickly clears her throat and bows apologetically.

With a serious expression, she faces Raging and says, "I-I apologize for my outburst... Please, let me compose for this project." The words are filled with desperation and determination, and Haruka looks pleadingly at Raging as she makes her request.

Shining intervened with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Hmmm," he says with a slightly unsure tone. "I admire your courage, Miss Nanami. But 12 songs is a LOT of songs to compose by oneself."

"I understand..." she says confidently, even as she tries to remain humble. "I may have not enough experience in composing multiple songs at the same time,"

"But I would like to improve... and reach my potential. I am determined to succeed, and I will not fail you." The last few words come out a bit more sternly than the rest as Haruka's emotions get the better of her at the moment.

Her voice is filled with determination, and she looks Shining and Raging straight in the eyes, "So, please!" she pledges, as she bows once more in the hope that her request will be accepted.

Raging looks down at Haruka with a disgruntled expression on his face, frustrated and confused by her determination to handle this project, despite his earlier disapproval of her.

Raging turns away from Haruka with a sigh, taking another puff from his cigar. "You may go." he says dismissively, and Haruka's confusion turns to disbelief.

She pauses for a moment, looking at him with a mixture of confusion and concern, "Go...?" she asks, still sounding confused.

Raging shrugs his shoulders with a smirk and takes another puff from his cigar. He seems slightly amused by Haruka's initial confusion, and he turns his back to her as he continues. "I'm saying that you can compose, and prove yourself to us."

Haruka's expression lights up, and she nods with gratitude. "Thank you! I won't let you down!" She quickly and politely bows before exiting the room.

Raging stares outside the window, deep in thought. He eventually looks at Shining, who raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "Saotome," Raging says with a hint of mischief in his voice.

Shining looks at him with interest as Raging continues, "That Nanami girl. I finally understand why my son wants her to be a composer for HEAVENS..." He says with a light laugh as he takes another long puff of his cigar.

THAT'S IT FOR THE 2ND CHAPTER! Wow, this took DAYS to write. Seems like I spoke too soon and writer's block did, in fact, come for me. I was fighting for my life, lmao. This chapter was supposed to go on longer, but I've decided to write it in the 3rd chapter as I have a word limit of 4000+ words in each chapter!

ANYWAYS, I hope you enjoyed it! I'm working on the next chapter, and let me tell you, the plot THICKENS. The story will escalate from here on out... *evil laughter*. So! See you soon!