I.

The μ's girls didn't make Honoka the center for nothing. Although it may look that there was not even one thought in that head (there wasn't) and while it seemed that she was always slacking off (in fact, most of the time, she did), she was the only one able to pull off the giant labor to be the one to who the group revolves around. Kotori could only make those dresses thinking how they would look in Honoka. She would later learn to direct that talent to the other girls, but she also would leave the design for Honoka to the last, it was her motivation to finish and giving her all in each and every little detail. Umi needed someone to scold. It was her motherly instinct. In fact, the few times Honoka actually was responsible, she was happy for her but also missed correcting her. Aside from that, that what Umi never imagined to do, Honoka did it and dragged her along. Umi would complain at first, but she would always accept that, wherever Honoka took her, it surely was fun. Eli was the same, though in a little different way. It's true that her grandmother taught her to dance, but seeing Honoka dancing taught her to fully enjoy dancing. That's also the only piece lacking in her performances, and with that she could have gone to the ballet recital again, and you could be sure she would've won. Nozomi believed in destiny, and she was happy seeing how the world moved, as if everything was part of a bigger system. She felt her calling when she saw Honoka. This clumsy, idiot girl needed some backup, and she was more than happy to take that role. When she helped her overcome the little hurdles like getting permission to perform at the auditorium, and saw her doing so well and captivating others, it felt amazing for her. She felt she was doing her part in creating a miracle. Rin admired Honoka's freedom to express herself. Out of all the people she had known so far, she was the only one as energetic as her (of course, when she got motivated) and, additionally, also very girly. She was what she wanted to be, and she didn't envy her, only thought of her as someone who she would be happy following. She entered the group to be with Hanayo, but she was more than comforted with Honoka as a leader, and the mood she created for her and everyone was so warm and welcoming, she was happy to see her always standing in the center. Nico had thought, up until the moment Honoka first crossed through her eyes, that her dream was fading and every day it was more lonely and every day the dream of being the best idol in the universe seemed more far and harder to become reality. The moment she saw a second year claiming she wanted to become an idol and that she would like to participate in the love live, she felt pity for her. "She will surely fail!", she used to think. But she also cheered for her, going to her concert secretly, and the moment the song started, the moment she saw her in the position she always wanted (the center), she saw endless potential in that girl. It was not her beauty, it wasn't her dancing ability either, not even her singing, but she shone more brightly than any other idol she had ever seen before. Everyone there in the auditorium felt like if a divine being had come down from the heavens to grace them with their presence. Nico wanted the center. Nico wanted to be the leader. But this girl's natural talent to draw people around her and make everyone happy with just her presence was too much to bear. Nico, who wouldn't even allow Kira Tsubasa to lead her, who at first didn't accept her to be the leader prior to performing Kore Kara no Someday, found herself unable to resist this girl's immense charisma. She was the last one to accept it, but she knew μ's would shine the most with Honoka in the center. And she knew that she being there allowed to everyone shine their brightest too. She would end up accepting that she would follow her to heaven and hell. Hanayo always loved idols, she's been an idol otaku for quite some time, she has seen the worst of them and the best of the very best, in her normal, limited and super limited CDs she had been collecting since two or three years ago. When she heard about a group of idols in her school, she became interested instantly. She saw an ad in the school billboard that they would be performing in the auditorium and wanted to see them. Her life would never be the same after watching them dance and sing. Suddenly she had a little more confidence. Suddenly her heart feel warm, and she felt secure. Why was it? She tried to understand what made her feel that way, and thought of looking at every member perform. Umi, Kotori, they were stunning to see! Honoka was the harder to take her eyes off. There was something special in her, and this something she had never ever seen in other idols before. Not even professional idols had this power. At first doubting herself, with the help of Maki, she joined them days later, and she was finally convinced it was actually her who was so inspiring and made her feel so many things with only a performance and now seeing her every day, it was like charging energies when she was around her. She saw her and she felt herself become more motivated. She loved the sensation. "Honoka-chan is surely a nice person to be around" she thought. There's a certain member whom we haven't mentioned yet, though, and this girl's feelings for the engine of μ's are the strongest of all mentioned before here. Much like a certain series you have probably watched before, about an extremely talented pianist who couldn't play because he didn't enjoy nor he could hear the piano anymore; this girl played the piano, but she lacked something. She always thought that she enjoyed being alone. And she thought that she played the piano just well, and that her life was also fine the way it was. The very first moment this girl begged for her to compose a song for her group, everything changed. Composing was never so easy! Composing was never so fun! When she finished composing Start Dash, she was with tears on her face. First because she hadn't had this much fun working on a piece before, and second because she imagined that voice sweeter than sugar singing her song. The mere thought of it drove her to tears. It actually took some effort to give her the CD with the music to her without fainting. What was that? She had never felt like this before! She liked music, but she didn't express her passion with much noise before. She never knew she could love, adore, admire music with such a strong passion. The change in her life was so dramatic she felt like her life was in color for the first time, and every moment before that was in black and white. And she discovered she didn't enjoy being alone that much, she got used to it instead, but she absolutely adored being surrounded by friends, and specially, being by Honoka's side.

II.

"Nah I don't believe it" Said Nico.

"Well, that's what the cards and my intuition tell me. I could be wrong, but that rarely happens."

After finishing polishing the details for the choreography of Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE, everyone went home. However, the third years held an emergency meeting, the one who called for it being Nozomi.

"I have recently joined μ's together with you Nozomi, and while I had been paying attention to how they perform, I wasn't behind their every step like you, so I can't form a strong opinion about this. But the little I have seen, I only see them as friends."

"Well, I remember when she finished composing the notes for Kore Kara no Someday, she went to present her work to everyone, and when Honona hugged her, and told her 'good job Maki-chan, thank you for this wonderful song', Maki seemed more pleased than usual." said Nico.

"I have made quite a little research myself, and as Maki has won numerous awards at piano competitions, her skills are highly valued here and even outside of school. In fact, she has been asked to compose by some idol groups and the music department of our school before, and she rejected them all." Said Nozomi.

"Was money involved?" Nico asked

"Yes, sometimes." Nozomi said.

"But she is rich, so it shouldn't matter for her" Eli said.

"Then why did she accept Honoka's request?" Nico asked.

"That's a good question." Nozomi said.

No one would have noticed it except Nozomi, but Maki had been staring at Honoka an unusual ammount, today having done it more than ever. She had little eyebags on her eyes, and Nozomi previously consulted with Hanayo and Rin how she was doing in her studies. Both said she was excellent. Both also added that in exams time, she would become a little irritable. It was obvious she was overexerting herself to keep her position at the top of the class. Nozomi noted this before practice, Maki went to the roof alone in lunch break, and was frowning. At the same time, she seemed to be waiting eagerly for something. The little thing that surprised her the most, was how much her face changed after she saw Honoka. So much that she looked like a different person. Of course, she put the tsundere mask right after.

"I insist with my theory: Maki likes Honoka."

"Come on, Nozomi, you're always saying this type of stuff." Said Eli

"You're jumping to conclusions too early." Said Nico

"Well, how about we ask her tomorrow?"

"And what if she does?" Said Nico.

"I fear for my little junior. I can sense Maki is the type to hide her emotions and not let anyone see her soft side, but at the same time, I can feel her emotions are very strong. Could you both imagine how it would feel to be madly in love with someone who doesn't even know what is love? To fall for the most dense girl in Tokyo?"

"Honoka is not that stupid..." Nico said without confidence

After a little silence, Nico spoke again

"Well, maybe she is"

"Do you plan to help her?" Eli asked.

"Yes." Nozomi answered.

III.

The next day, all of them had finished their practice.

"IT WAS FUN, DON'T Y'ALL THINK THE SAME?"

Everyone aggreed, the practice routine Eli and Umi designed was harsh, but doing it all of them together was fun. Everyone looked forward to practicing together. It was very warm to do it around her.

"Yes, it was, Honoka-chan." Kotori answered.

"Of course, I can see you have improved as well as everyone else. Hanayo, you're on the way to become a great dancer."

"That's not true! Uhm. Well, I... I guess so... Thank you, Umi-chan."

Umi smiled, she thought the shy side of Hanayo was adorable.

"Congratulations Kayo-chin!" Rin said.

"HONOKA"

"Yes?"

Everyone looked at the person who shooted, while this one person was asking to disappear out of there in her mind. "Why did I shout? Why? Oh God, I already came this far, might as well just ask her" said in her mind.

"D-d-d-did I do something bad?", a frightened Honoka asked.

Kotori and Umi had expressions of worry.

"how was my ..." said Maki in a very low voice, cheeks red as strawberries.

"I'm sorry, I didn't listen..."

"How was my song?" Still hard to hear.

Everyone looked at each other. Well her song was great of course, no doubt about it, but asking this everyday, like, wanting praise. And she didn't ask this to anyone, just to the leader.

"Eh, uh, didn't you ask this already yesterday?" Honoka said sheepishly while nervously playing with her side ponytail

It was subtle but Maki seemed offended, and very, very sad. Honoka was an airhead but this didn't escape her eyes.

"IT WAS GREAT, IT WAS A GREAAAAAT SONG, AH, UHM, THE BEST EVER! NO, EH, LIKE, I ACTUALLY LOVE WHAT YOU DID THERE."

Seeing her face looking a little more bright, Honoka went and hugged her.

"I love your song!"

Maki felt her legs become weak.

"It's... it's not that I care that much about what you think."

Everyone was looking, Maki would die of embarrassment normally, but at this moment she didn't care. She returned the hug.

"Uhm, Umi-chan, is it just me or...?"

"Don't be silly Kotori, that's just a normal hug among friends. Don't you always hold Honoka way more tight?"

"Are you sure...?". Said Hanayo.

"Of course, nya~ I always hug you and we're always together Kayo-chin, and we're only friends nya~"

"You don't get it." Said Nozomi

"Huh?"

Honoka was in airhead mode and didn't notice Maki's hands holding her waist delicately during the hug and Nozomi's speech. Maki was in another world, Nozomi's words would never come to her.

"Don't tell anything to Honoka, we're all staying here after practice. Including Maki, of course."