I.

"What is this? I don't get it."

"I don't get it." said Nico imitating Maki

"Oh, YOU...", Maki's voice was full with rage.

"Well, well, we aren't here to start some ruckus." Said Nozomi. Then glared at Nico. "Nicocchi, we have an important issue to attend."

Nico gulped and stopped teasing Maki.

"Please take a seat." Said Eli, with some nervousness on her words.

Maki sat down, not quite understanding why Honoka wasn't here, why everyone was looking at her funny. After everyone sat down, with Maki at the center, the interrogation started.

"We won't beat around the bush." Nozomi spoke. "Elicchi, Nicocchi and me have talked about this, and we think you like Honoka. Romantically."

Maki stood up.

The moment the word "like" came out of Nozomi's mouth, her cheeks were red again. Out of all the members of μ's, her blushes were the most noticeable. She really could never hide her embarrassment to anyone, unless this person was an extreme airhead. Yeah, maybe there was one person she could hide it from.

The moment the name "Honoka" came out of μ's mom's mouth, the mere mention of her name, changed the red of her cheeks to a little more intense one.

The rest of the girls thought "with the mere mention of the name?".

"Ara, may I assume from your corporal language that we're correct in our suspicion?"

Maki was still with her mind in another place.

"Maki-chan?"

"Ah, yes! I mean, no." A bad liar. The worst liar ever. "How could I fall in love for Ho-". Her voice cracked. "Ho~no~ka." Each syllable harder to hear than the previous one.

"Do you hate her then?"

"NOOOOO!"

"I will tell her tomorrow that you hate her" said Nico.

"Please don't, it may not look like it but Honoka-chan is actually very sensitive." Said Kotori.

Maki looked at Nico who was greatly enjoying teasing her. Nico didn't expect the next reaction, though.

"Nico-chan, please... don't"

Eli came from her back and helped Maki stand straight.

"Are you okay? Maybe we're stressing you too much..."

"Wait Elicchi, I want an answer from her."

Nozomi embraced Maki in a hug, trying to make her feel secure, which she accomplished.

"We won't hate you if that's true. We will actually help you to be with her. But we will only do it if you tell us the truth. Do you like Honoka?"

Maki's face was almost entirely invisible, but you could tell she was blushing furiously from her very red ears.

"I like her as a friend." Said in a very low voice.

"Is that all?"

μ's had gathered around Nozomi, Eli and Maki and leaned to hear what this last one had to say.

"No, I..."

Nozomi hugged her a little more tight.

"It's okay, I promised we will help you. Is that alright girls?"

Everyone agreed. Even Nico, seeing how fragile Maki looked when it was about Honoka, stopped her teasing for a bit and nodded in agreement. Maki then proceeded to confess.

"I absolutely adore her."

II.

Some days later, they would perform Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE in their school. The performance went smoothly, the dancing of μ's had an improvement since Eli joined. The opening day for Otonoki couldn't have gone better and it left everyone with a feeling of satisfaction.

"Yeaaaahhh, it was the best! It was fun!."

"I agree, Honoka-chan."

Umi didn't say anything, instead she was enjoying herself with having danced, together with her childhood friends, and with the new members of μ's. She directed a smile to Honoka, who returned the smile with a hug. Umi just hugged her and finally decided to speak.

"Good job Honoka, good job everyone." Umi said loudly.

"Umi-chan your singing is great as always!" Honoka said.

Hanayo was listening to Rin, who was repeating her favorite steps of the choreography, and she was just paying attention to her patiently, as well as enjoying the moment as much as she could. Eli for a moment thought about how much fun she would have missed on had she not joined μ's. Nozomi talked to Maki.

"How was it?"

"It was fine. I guess."

"Oh, it looked to me like you were a totally different person than when you're in school."

"Maybe I had a little fun? Geez."

"Hey, Honoka."

Maki's heart dropped to the floor. She glared at Nozomi and talked as low as she could while making sure Nozomi could listen her.

"What. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Doing.?"

"Uh, I just want all of us to celebrate together. Why so nervous?"

"N-nevermind."

Then Nozomi went and made Maki take Honoka's hand. Maki didn't know how to react, and Nozomi enjoyed the few seconds Honoka looked confused and Maki's heart was about to explode. Then continued with her plan. She made μ's form a line with everyone holding each other's hands, and made sure to put Maki on Honoka's left and herself in Honoka's right hand. Nozomi was an expert in reading the room, and while she knew she was not the leader type, she at least thought she was able to pull this one off.

"We are μ's!"

Everyone looked confused. μ's members raised all their hands together.

"Thank you for everything, we hope to see y'all here the next year!"

People clapped.

"And now a grupal hug!"

And she hugged Eli, who she put in her other hand. With that, everyone hugged whoever was to their side. Umi and Rin. Kotori and Nico. Nozomi hugged Eli and both patted Hanayo on the head.

"You did amazing."

Honoka followed suit and did the same with Maki, who was without words.

"You did amazing Maki-chan! We all did! Don't you think so?"

Enjoying the hug, the warmth of her touch, then admiring her hair, losing herself in her blue eyes, and that smile worth more than a billion dollars...

"Maki-chan?"

"Y-yes, we did. You..."

"Huh?"

"You're so beautiful."

Everyone was frozen. Okay, everyone already knew about Maki's feelings but they didn't think she would confess so fast.

"You and Kotori and Umi and everyone in general. Uh, we, yes, we all were fabulous. Even Nico!"

"What did you say?"

"Calm down Nicocchi, can't you see she's barely holding herself together? Cut her some slack."

"Mph."

"Well, now, how about we all go get something to eat together as a group?"

Everyone looked to Eli. The very same person who wanted μ's gone a few days ago was now trying to get everyone closer to each other. Eli was blushing from the attention. And Maki was looking at the floor, with a hand on her chest, as if she had just survived a cardiac arrest. Steam coming out of her head.

"I sure would love to!" Said Hanayo.

"Rin wants to join! Nya~" Said Rin.

Everyone else agreed.

Umi and Kotori read the room and Kotori took Honoka to make some chit chat while Umi took Maki to a corner to bring her some cold water and waved some air to her.

"Are you okay? Maybe Nozomi is overdoing it."

"Of course she is! Ah, damn! I felt like my heart would go out of my chest at any moment."

"Should we talk to her?"

"But..."

"But?"

"It was great. Having Honoka looking at me alone for an instant... I wouldn't change that for anything." Maki said shyly.

In front of Umi, there was a maiden in love. Ametist eyes with some light in them which made them even more beautiful. Cheeks taking a rest from being so red a few moments ago. And her stance was so frail, in contrast to the always so full of herself Maki.

"I trust I could put Honoka in your hands?"

Maki blushed furiously.

"What are you saying? It's not like we're together yet."

"Yes, but seeing you like this, I think I could let my precious Honoka to your care. You would make a perfect girlfriend. Your feelings towards her are so pure, I think I can trust you."

Maki couldn't maintain the eye contact anymore. She looked to a side.

"Th-thank you, Umi."

Umi normally would have freaked out at these type of scenes, but when Maki confessed, she looked so devoted to Honoka, she couldn't help wanting to support her. In fact, now she was more worried about how Honoka could take care of such a fragile girl's heart.