Chapter 44 – Reunions & True Identities
Azusa's POV
Sometime later, the now 10 of us arrived at Yu's school dorm. And since we had to walk a bit to get here, some of us were damn near exhausted once we stepped inside.
"*loud exhausted moan* We're here…we're FINALLY here! I seriously thought I was going to die in that heat!"
And by "some of us", I mean Aoi. As usual.
"Hey, be freaking careful." I said to her. "We're borrowing this room, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah. I know." Aoi then sat up from the bed she collapsed on. "Geez…I really gotta share a room with you. Don't be doing any dirty things while thinking of your girlfriend, alright?"
"Wh-What makes you think I actually do that?!" I gained a huge blush on my face.
"Aoi, lay off." Hiro said. "Compared to your cousin, you have no experience with love whatsoever."
"Hey, I would gain experience if all the boys at school weren't so freaking ugly. I mean, really…the vast majority of them make me want to puke up my lunch."
"You could go lesbo." I said.
"Ugh…please. I'm not ready to stoop THAT low for love. The others back home may make it look easy, but it'll never work for me. I just don't see other girls in that way."
"Yeah, me neither. I'm definitely into boys." Hiro said.
"Huh…" I said. "What about you, Sumire-san?"
"H-Huh? Well…I-I can't say that it didn't interest me a few times in the past…"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, she's right." Mugi-senpai said. "Mainly because she once promised me that we'll get married once I graduate high school."
"H-Huh?! The three of us gained VERY HUGE confused looks."
"*whine* Onee-chan! Why must you bring that up?!"
S-So, it's freaking true?!
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
"Come in." Mugi-senpai said.
"Hey, hey. Azusa and Aoi. Look who I got with me…" Yu said as she came into the room. And with her was a girl with short red hair with a small bun on the right side.
And this was a girl we both knew rather well.
"No way…" I said.
"Ayumu!" While Aoi cheered.
"Azusa! Aoi! Long time no see, you two!" The three of us then hugged it out together. As it really has been a long time since either one of us had seen this girl.
"Do you two know this girl?" Mugi-senpai asked.
"This is my childhood friend Ayumu Uehara." Yu said. "The four of us used to play together when we were kids."
"I see. So, it's a little reunion of sorts."
"Gee…it really has been a long time since we last saw each other, Ayumu." I said.
"Yeah, like…a good 10 years or so." Aoi added.
"Yeah, it really has. Yu told me about seeing you guys a couple days ago and it's been bringing back memories. Are you still doing those get-rich-quick scams, Aoi?"
"Wh-What? No! A-And they're not even scams!"
"Yes, they are." Hiro, Yu, and I counter-claimed.
"N-Nobody asked you three!"
"So, Azusa." Ayumu said to me. "Is what Yu told me really true? That a friend of yours is debuting as an idol at this festival?"
"Yeah, it is. In fact, this is my senpai. Tsumugi Kotobuki."
"You can just call me Mugi." Mugi-senpai added.
"I see. So, you're really going to become an idol, Mugi-san?"
"I…guess…" Mugi-senpai then went silent for a bit. "…to be honest, I'm still a little skeptical about this. Becoming an idol wasn't something I thought I'd ever do in my life. Plus, I have no experience with it."
"Oh, I can completely relate to that."
"Y-You can?" Mugi-senpai gained a shocked look.
"To tell you the truth, I actually started being an idol earlier this spring. Thanks to a certain someone getting me excited about it in the first place." Ayumu then turned to face Yu, who then began rubbing the back of her head with guilt.
"Hehhehheh…well, I didn't technically force you to do it." "She said.
"Yeah, but still…"
"Well, Uehara-san…" Mugi-senpai said. "…that actually puts some ease into this whole thing. But the worry is still there."
"Well, we usually go scope out the area whenever we got live performances back home." I said. "Maybe doing that here would ease your nerves a bit."
"I guess…where is this festival taking place?"
"Our school. Nijigasaki High." Yu said. "There's enough room to host it on the roof."
"The roof?" Aoi asked. "Wait, how big is your school, anyway?"
"Uh…well…" Yu was too nervous to answer.
"It's best if you saw it for yourselves." Ayumu said.
Well, that sounds concerning…
"*sigh* We might as well." Mugi-senpai said. "Are you coming along, Sumire?"
"I shall pass, Onee-chan. This is my first time coming to Odaiba and I want to take a little tour of it."
"Ooh, me too." Hiro said. "Mind if I join you, Sumire-san?"
"Sure, Hiro-san. I do not mind."
"Alright, then." Yu said. "Let's grab the others and head on over there."
"You girls are in for a surprise…in terms of how big our school actually is." Ayumu said with a straight-faced look.
Uhh…
"Hey, Azusa…I feel like I'm going to hate the size of this school."
"You and be both, Aoi…" I said with a sweatdrop.
Mugi's POV
And so, after another walk through the summer heat, we arrived at Takasaki-san's school. The setting of this big grand Idol Festival she's currently planning.
"Welp…here we are. Nijigasaki High School." Takasaki-san said.
But none of us replied to her at first due to us staring at the size of this "school" of theirs.
And the reason I put "school" in parentheses is because…
"Uh…is this some kind of joke?" Isurugi-san asked.
"No, Aoi. It's not."
"You gotta be kidding me…"
"Shocked, huh?" Uehara-san asked.
"Shocked?! Shocked doesn't even COMPARE to what I'm feeling right now!"
"Okay…I'm just gonna go ahead and ask. Why the hell is Tokyo Big Sight a FREAKING school?!" Azusa-chan yelled.
"Well…" Takasaki-san said. "…Believe it or not, Nijigasaki is a very popular school to get into. As it "aims to foster world-class specialists in various fields" and "encourages the independence of students". A lot of people are into that nowadays."
"Well, I can understand that greatly…" Honoka said. "…but…why turn Tokyo Big Sight of all places into a school?"
"Well, like I said…our school is really popular to get into. By students from the mainland and even ones from other countries."
"Hell, the first-year class alone has about 1,000 students." Uehara-san added.
"A-A THOUSAND?!" We shouted in shock.
"S-So, that means there has to be at least 3,000 students attending here, right?" I asked.
"Pretty much." Both girls said.
Aw, damn…and I'm gonna have to sing in front of all of them, aren't I?
"Onee-chan!"
We then saw Sumire and Hiro-san walking up towards us. Still in the middle of their Odaiba tour, from what it seems.
"Sumire. Came to see Tokyo Big Sight, I presume?"
"Indeed. I have always wanted to see it from such a close-up view. It reminds me of a yuri manga I read recently."
"I see."
I think I know which one she's talking about…
"So, what are you guys doing here?" Hiro-san asked. "Weren't you supposed to go to Yu-san's school or something like that?"
"We were." Aoi-san said. "And we're already here, too."
"What?" Both girls were confused.
"Basically…Tokyo Big Sight IS their school."
"Seriously?!"
"How is that even possible?!" Hiro-san asked.
"Well, a rich family here in Odaiba pretty much bought the place and turned it into a school to help with the overcrowding we have over here. It was seen as a good deed by pretty much everyone." Takasaki-san said.
"Is that even legal?" Riko asked me.
"No amount of money should EVER make that legal...but I guess they were desperate." I said with a sweatdrop.
"And so…that's the history behind Nijigasaki. Told ya you were in for a surprise."
"Yeah…you were right about that, Cousin." Both Azusa-chan and Aoi-san said with sweatdrops.
*RINGTONE CHIME*
"Oh, hang on. That's me." Takasaki-san then said before she answered her phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, Senpai. You free right now? Some girl came over to the clubroom sayin' that she's here for the Festival."
"Ooh, that must be the second-year from the other school! I didn't think she would come here today."
"Yeah, well…she's here. And to be completely honest, she's over here cramping my style. This girl's so damn cute that it's burning my eyes."
"Hey, don't do anything to scare her off. You already screwed us over big with that last stunt you did."
"I said I was sorry. But even then…if these new idols can think that they can be cuter or even as cute as the great Kasumin, then they are just dream…"
"Yeah, yeah. We'll be there in a few, Kasukasu."
"D-Don't call me Kasu-"
Takasaki-san then hung up the phone and let out a huge sigh of annoyance.
"That girl sounds like a handful." Riko said.
"Oh, trust me. She's a GINORMOUS handful."
"But she's just as passionate about school idols as we are. So, we just put up with her antics." Uehara-san added.
"I see. Sounds a lot like Chika."
"Very much like Chika." Honoka said.
"W-Wait, how am I a handful?!" Chika yelled.
"You do have your moments, Chika…" You said with a sweatdrop.
"Anyway…" Takasaki-san continued. "…from the sounds of it, the last two participants of the Festival are inside. Might as well introduce you guys to them. Kasumi better not try any more damn tricks again…"
"What?" We all asked.
"O-Oh, nothing! Just talking to myself! Hahahaha!"
"Yu…your resentment is showing." Uehara-san said with a sweatdrop.
Sumire's POV
"Woah…so…s-so amazing…"
"You seem to be very awestruck by the Big Sight's interior, Saitō-san." Sakurauchi-san said to me as we were all walking inside the famous Japanese landmark (that is oddly a school now).
"Oh, yes. I am. To be completely honest, I've always wanted to come here. The amount of times this place is referenced during the dates in the yuri manga I read made me want to visit this building up close and personal."
"Y-You don't say…" Sakurauchi-san went silent for a bit. "…S-So, you like yuri manga too?"
"Too? You mean you like them as well, Sakurauchi-san?"
"Yes, I'm…I'm actually a huge fan. I even have a huge collection back at home. Mainly a bunch of kadedon and agokui."
(Quick Note: kadedon = wall slam; agokui = chin creak)
"I see. Well, Onee-chan and I do not have a personal preference, really. We just appreciate all girls' love manga. It's such a joy to read."
"Mugi likes them too, huh?" Sakurauchi-san then giggled a bit. "This is great. I never thought I would meet someone who shares my interest in girls' love manga. I would always get worried that if I brought it up, people would assume that I'm homosexual."
"Well, are you?" I asked.
…
…
…
"W-Well…k-kinda." Sakurauchi-san began to blush. "I-I mean it has been on my mind…r-recently…"
"I see…"
Kinda like me recently…
"Hey, guys. Try to keep up. it's very easy to get lost in this school."
"C-Coming." We both replied to Takasaki-san as we rushed over to catch up with the others.
It took us a good while, but we had finally made it to Nijigasaki High's School Idol Club. I am still shocked that there really are school idols here. But with Uehara-san and another girl both living here, I guess my assumption was proven wrong.
"Hey, Kasumi. We're here." Takasaki-san called out. But as we entered the room, there was nobody there.
"Kasumi-san…" Uehara-san called out. "…she was just here, wasn't she?"
"She's probably up to something again…" And right when Takasaki-san said that…
*NOTIFICATION CHIME*
…
"Y-You gotta be freaking kidding me…I'm not saying this crap!"
"Yu, calm down and let me see." Uehara-san took Takasaki-san's phone, read the message she received, and gained a rather huge sweatdrop. "*sigh* I kinda figured so…"
"Something wrong, Ayumu?" Azusa-senpai asked.
"No, nothing's wrong. It's just…"
"…A bunch of nonsensical crap is about to happen." Takasaki-san said in a sour mood.
"Huh?" We were all confused.
"Please try to bear with it, Yu…" Uehara-san gained another sweatdrop before looking back at the phone. And began reading…a very absurd text message.
And by that, I mean…
"*clears throat* Ladies, new 'n old! I present to you…the cutest, most innocent, and lovable school idol in all of Japan! The one…the only…the ever so desirable…KASUMIN!"
*POOF*
"*cough* *cough* Wh-What the hell?!" I heard Isurugi-san yell out.
"Hahahahaha! Thank you, thank you! My ADORING fans!*giggle*" And then, out from the sudden smoke screen, came a girl with short grey hair and wearing a very cute (and expensive-looking) dress. Topped with a red bow and a diamond wand of some kind.
Is this…how school idols dress?
"I'm just SO happy that you all could witness the true CUTENESS of the most adorable idol of them all! Me! The only and only Kasu…"
"Yo. Kasukasu. Your panties are showing."
"*shriek* No way! W-Woah woah!"
*THUD*
"Ow…"
We then watched as the girl fell off the table she was standing on and onto the floor hard in a huge panic to cover up her panties.
…
But it was then that she realized (or at least remembered)…
"W-Wait a minute! I'm wearing SHORTS! Damnit, Yu-senpai! You freaking tricked me!"
"Hey, I had to stop you somehow. You were blinding everyone with the smoke for another one of your Kasukasu stunts."
"It's called making a first impression! And don't call me Kasukasu!"
"Where did you even get a fog machine from?" Uehara-san asked.
"Easy. I bought it off eBay. You wouldn't believe how cheap these things are going nowadays."
"I see…"
"So, who's this nutjob of a girl?" Isurugi-san asked.
"Her name is Kasumi Nakasu." Takasaki-san said. "She's a first-year here at Nijigasaki, the president of the School Idol Club, and an idol herself."
"The cutest idol ever, to be exact. *giggle*" Nakasu-san added.
"In your dreams, Kasukasu."
"Q-Quit calling me that!"
"This girl? An idol? *sigh* They must be taking everyone in nowadays…" Kosaka-san grumbled to herself.
"If I have to be somewhat like that, then I'm going to have such a hell-filled time." Onee-chan said.
"Hey, don't think I didn't hear what you two just said!" Nakasu-san yelled. "What do you even know about idols anyway?!"
"W-Well, uh…a-actually I don't..."
"We know much because we're idols ourselves." Kosaka-san said.
"Wh-What?"
"I already told you that I was bringing two idols with me." Takasaki-san said. "Their names are Tsumugi Kotobuki and Honoka Kosaka."
"B-But, I'm not…" Onee-chan tried to say.
"What?! Senpai, you brought COMPETITION?! Ugh! I already have Ayumu-senpai to go up against! How am I supposed to win this festival when you keep bringing on more rivals?!"
"This was never a contest, to begin with..." Uehara-san said with a sweatdrop.
"By the way, where's that other girl you said was here?" Takasaki-san asked. "You didn't trick her with another one of your plots again, did you?"
"No, I didn't. She went to the bathroom. It makes perfect sense that she's taking this long considering how damn big this school is. Probably got lost or something."
"And you didn't go after her?"
"I was busy preparing my grand entrance. Duh!"
"*sigh*" Takasaki-san facepalmed heard.
"This girl truly is a handful." Hiro-san said.
"A ginormous handful." Azusa-senpai said.
"She's like on a whole scale grander from Chika's." Sakurauchi-san said.
"I still find the whole "handful" thing rather insulting." Takami-san said with a sweatdrop.
I didn't know what to say, really. Even though this is my POV, I'm still only a minor character. So, even if I had a witty thing to say about this…it probably wouldn't be good, anyway.
I'm more-so the silent type, to be honest…
"Um…excuse me. This is the School Idol Club, right?" I heard a voice talking to me. And I turned around to see a redheaded girl with short twintails peaking through the door ever so slightly.
"Yes, this is it. At least, I think it is."
"Phew…I found it. I went to the bathroom and got lost on the way back. This school is super insanely huge."
"Yes, it is. Though, I wouldn't exactly call this place a school. Giving on what it actually is."
"*giggle* Yes, that's true."
"Sumire-san, who are you talking to?"
"*meep*" The girl had quickly slammed the door once Azusa-senpai noticed us talking to each other. Which, by now, everyone had their full attention on us."
"Uh…I was talking to this girl. She was peaking through the door for some reason."
"Oh, that's probably that girl from before." Nakasu-san said. "Let me tell you, she is shy as all hell. I tried getting into a conversation with her and it ended up pissing me off. It makes me question how someone like her is an idol. Probably a crappy one, to be honest."
"Kasumi-san…" Uehara-san scolded her.
"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm a really good idol for my current status! I have way more experience than you clearly think!"
…
…
…
"A…A-Aw, shoot." The girl then gained a look of defeat once she had realized that she had barged through the door and started yelling at us. Basically ruining her cover.
"Oh. So, you're the second-year idol girl." Takasaki-san said.
"No way…Ruby?!"
"Huh?! Chika, You, and Riko?! Wh-What are you guys doing here?!"
"Wait, you girls know each other?" Kosaka-san asked.
"This is Ruby Kurosawa. We all went to school together before…y-you know…that happened."
"I see…so, this is a like a reunion for you four."
"Uh…what do they mean by "that"?" Onee-chan asked.
"It's…a very complicated story. Very similar to mine, actually."
"I see…"
Story? What could those two mean by that?
"So, you're a solo idol now huh, Ruby?" Takami-san asked. "Glad to see that you still have that passion inside of you."
"Yep. Sure do. And, uh…even though, I've gone solo for only about 5 months…and thus, not as popular as those like Lyrica and μ…I'm still in it to give everyone who loves school idols my very Rubesty!"
"Ru-what now? The hell does that even…"
*NUDGE*
"Ow!"
"Well, that's great to hear, Ruby." Watanabe-san said after elbowing Isurugi-san in the shin.
"*giggle* Thank you, You."
"Damn, girl…what is your strength?" Isurugi-san asked while still in pain.
"It's something that, to this day, none of us have any idea on." Sakurauchi-san said with a sweatdrop.
*LATER, AFTER INTRODUCTIONS…*
"Alright. So, that's all five people are here and accounted for. Now we can finally start preparing for the festival."
"Uh…Takasaki-san. I'm still having minor second thoughts about this whole thing." Onee-chan said. "I know absolutely nothing about idols and such."
"Huh? You mean you're a total noob at this? Then why eve take part in this festi-"
*NUDGE*
"Ow!"
"Don't worry, Mugi. We'll help you get prepared for it." Watanabe-san said after elbowing Nakasu-san in the shin. "After all…we've got four other idols here right, girls?"
"Yep." Uehara-san said.
"Sure thing, Mugi." Kosaka-san said.
"I'll help you do your very Rubesty, Tsumugi-san." Kurosawa-san said.
"How the hell are you so damn strong?!" And Nakasu-san was still laying on the floor in pain from the nudge earlier.
"Well…three and a half."
"That doesn't really relief me much of my nerves, You…" Onee-chan gained a sweatdrop.
"Well, we can get into the actual rehearsal tomorrow, Kotobuki-san." Takasaki-san said. "For now…here, take this." She then gave Onee-chan a colorful blank card with glitter plastered all over it.
"Uh…what is it?"
"It's your Idol Card. Every idol carries one. Once you become big and popular, there'll be tons of copies of this for your fans to have."
"I see." Onee-chan then took a look through the Idol Card. "Uh…Name. Can't I just use my normal one?"
"Use your normal one? Are you stupid?" Nakasu-san asked. "You gotta make an entirely different persona of yourself to make all the fans love you. Take mine, for example. *clears throat* Hello, my wonderful fans~! The cutest, most innocent, and lovable school idol in all of Japan is here to fill your hearts to the brim with love~! The one…the only…the ever so desirable…Kasumin~! *giggle*"
"Oh, God…I feel like puking from having to watch that sh*t." Isurugi-san said in disgust.
"Aoi…" Hiro-san said.
"Oh, can it, you lonely leftover. You're just jealous that I'll one day get a d*ck in my p*ssy because of this."
"If a guy were to put his d*ck in your p*ssy because of that nauseating voice, then I feel sorry for the poor sap."
"Tch! Screw you!"
"So, you go through this on a daily basis?" Kurosawa-san asked Hiro-san.
"It's something I've learned to get used to over the years."
"You are a soldier, Hiro-san." I said to her.
"A-Anyway…" Uehara-san spoke up. "…you don't have to be like that to gain fans, Mugi-san. Being your true self is all it takes when it comes to idol personality."
"I see…" Onee-chan then went silent for a bit. Trying to think of an idol name for herself. "…well…how about Melody? It relates to music in which I play in a band and now singing as an idol. Maybe that could work…?"
"Melody…I like it, Senpai. It really does fit you." Azusa-senpai said.
"I think it's really cute, Onee-chan." I added.
"Cute, huh? That's…g-gonna take a bit of getting used to." Onee-chan gained a light blush.
"I still need to think of a name for myself." Kurosawa-san said. "It's rather difficult when you're only just starting out."
"Yeah, I still need to think of one, too." Uehara-san added.
"Well, Ayumu. You still got Ayu-bun…"
"I-I am NOT going with that!" Uehara-san then yelled at Takasaki-san with a huge embarrassed blush.
"*snicker* Ayu-bun…" Azusa-senpai said.
"*snicker* I know, right? She was so girly back then." Isurugi-san added.
"Y-You two shut up!"
"Speaking of names…" Takasaki-san continued. "…we haven't really heard what yours is, Honoka."
"H-Huh? O-Oh, uh…th-that's actually…"
"Oh, come on, Honoka. It should be fine telling other idols your name." Takami-san said.
"Yeah, and you can trust that it'll stay a secret, too." Watanabe-san added.
…
…
…
"*sigh* Fine." Kosaka-san gave in. "My name is μ."
"μ…w-wait, holy crap! YOU'RE μ?!" Takasaki-san yelled in shock.
"No…WAY! I'm such a huge fan of yours!" Uehara-san cheered.
"You're one of the reasons why I continued as a solo idol, μ-chan!" Kurosawa-san cheered."To think I would actually meet you face-to-face…it's a dream come true!"
"You gotta be kidding me…a pro like μ taking part in our festival?!" Nakasu-san yelled. "*whine* Now, I've lost the title of the ultimate cute girl!"
"You never had that title, in the first place…" Hiro-san retorted with a sweatdrop.
"Now I see why idols tend to keep their real-life identities a secret." Onee-chan said to Kosaka-san.
"*sigh* The world of a J-Pop idol is not an easy experience, Mugi."
I remember hearing the same thing from Funami-san earlier…
"Wow…with μ taking part in it, I feel like this School Idol is going to be the best in the whole world!" Takasaki-san cheered. "Thank you all for helping me out with this! It really means a lot!"
"No problem, Yu. Anything for my best friend." Uehara-san said.
"Naturally, I'm doing this for my own personal gain…but it's nice to help out a fellow club member." Nakasu-san said.
"I'll be sure to do my very Rubesty, Yu-san." Kurosawa-san said.
"I'm still new and a bit unsure about this…but I'll do my best, as well." Onee-chan said.
"Even though I was brought onto this at the last minute, I'll do what I can to make this festival one to remember." Kosaka-san said.
"Alright! The School Idol Festival is a GO!" Takami-san cheered with a fist bump in the air.
"Yeah!"
As most of the others cheered alongside her, I took a seat in an empty chair and looked on. Reeling in the scene that I was currently experiencing.
"*sigh*"
"So, this is exciting huh, Sumire-san?" Azusa-senpai said as she sat next to me. "Your big sister is going to debut as an idol."
"Yes, it is pretty exciting. Though, I'm just glad Onee-chan has found a new passion to call her own. She looks really happy now."
"A new passion? She's had others?"
"Well, only one. Escaping her rich lifestyle and becoming a normal girl."
"Oh, yeah. That's true."
We both then continued to look at Onee-chan as she was getting acquainted with her new idol friends. Specifically...the smile she had all across her face.
"Well…from how her life has brought her up to now, you could say that this is…a wild passion."
"I can wholeheartedly agree to that, Sumire-san." Azusa-senpai said with a smile on her face.
Onee-chan…I'll be cheering you on all the way!
Author's Note: Ugh! This chapter went on for longer than it should've. I had trouble finding a good endpoint and so I just kept writing until I eventually found one. And it took nearly a week, too.
Because of that (partly), this story will be going on a short break. But once it comes back, it's back to Harajuku. The source of Ritsu's new dilemma.
Thanks for reading. Later.