Ari's game finished on a draw when Miyako-san recalled the girls back into one of the rooms destinated for meetings in the hotel. It surprised the girls that had joined Strawberry Pro thanks to their connection to Hikigaya, so Ai took the opportunity to show off a little.

"and that's why some places have these kinds of dedicated spaces. Tourism can also involve business people, and sometimes paying to have an even in a hotel can save in costs compared to anywhere else. Depends on the place and size of the event itself." Ai concluded, even though the blonde girl had crashed on her seat and was sleeping soundly against one of the tables. A-chan and the ginger girl listening was enough for Ai.

"I thought it was money laundering, not gonna lie." Komachi-chan murmured, still looking kind of tired, while she fixed herself a cup of coffee from the machine that Miyako-san set up.

"Nope!" Ai stopped herself from speaking more, for a moment. "I mean… That can be a thing, I guess. But hotels having even rooms and stuff isn't that weird."

"I've never been to one." Komachi-chan blew the steam away from her drink.

"What about vacation days?" Ai titled her head, curious to know whether the girl was just keeping up the conversation out of politeness or if she genuinely didn't know about these things.

"When you go out of town, you go to the beach or somewhere to look around." The ginger girl scoffed. "At most, you'd go to an inn to dip into their hot springs and stuff."

"Hmmm…" Ai only went as far as to acknowledge the girl's words, but she was more interested in Komachi-chan's opinion on things. So she looked at the younger Hikigaya, expecting at least a confirmation of what the orange-haired girl stated.

Komachi-chan just drank her coffee with a dreamy expression, like she the beverage helped her rejuvenate.

Dang… Okay, so the conversation wasn't that entertaining. Because Ai did ask if they were feeling alright first. Or maybe they were downplaying their own headaches? Ai was used to it, to playing off when she felt sick or when she wasn't supposed to hear things being said around her, but maybe these girls weren't.

"If you wanna go back to your room, it should be okay. I don't think Miyako-san will be too upset."

"Nah, it's okay." Said the orange-haired girl.

"Man, I wish." Was Komachi-chan's own reply before sighing. "But nah, let me just…"

The girl took a small sip of her coffee again, like a kid with the flu slowly drinking something hot to feel better, and that made Ai fight the urge to mess with Komachi-chan's hair.

No wonder her brother hyped her up so much. Komachi-chan was, indeed, cute when she allowed herself to be.

"Tell me you don't go out that often without telling me you don't go out that often." The orange-haired girl gave Komachi-chan a smug smirk.

"My friends are just good influences in my life, and don't have drinking among their main hobbies." Komachi-chan replied while lifting her chin, not giving the other girl the satisfaction of reacting to her expression.

"Boring~"

"Maybe to you. I, for one, don't think someone that thinks that drinking is cool has any say in what I do…" Komachi-chan stopped in her tracks, opening her eyes wider than Ai had seen since the morning started. And seemed to have come to a sudden, and particularly awkward, realization. Or at least, that was what Ai thought when Komachi-chan's expression became even more depressed than before. "Oh, no. I sound…"

"You sound like your brother." The other girl smiled, but there was something else in her expression that Ai couldn't read.

"Ugh…" Komachi-chan looked like she'd have let herself fall to the floor if she hadn't been holding her coffee.

"You're family, after all." Ai offered, even though she couldn't imagine the older Hikigaya saying that. After all, Ai was under the impression that his relationship with alcohol was a different one. She would know.

"That's so lame, though." Komachi-chan sighed. "Can't be seen being uncool, actually. Iroha-chan might be right."

Ai licked her lips absent-mindedly.

"If you say so." Though Ai wasn't interested in what they considered cool or not. After all, she had clear guidelines to follow in the department of what she could do while going out. Ai couldn't just agree to any plans and expect things to go well. "But are you sure that you're okay? Going back to the main topic."

"Yeah, yeah… It's more the lack of sleep than anything." Komachi-chan sighed again.

"That's what happens when you go out knowing that you're on a work trip." Takamine had been in the room since before Ai arrived, but she only approached them now. Looking rather bothered when she noticed the girl sleeping next to Ai and the others. "Goodness! Even Ai-chan has eyebags now! I hope you're happy with yourselves."

"Girl, relax." The orange-haired girl closed her eyes like Takamine's voice gave her a headache. "We just went to bed a little late. Think about high school, did you never mess around until late?"

"No. I took my education very seriously." Takamine lifted her chin, but her tone wasn't exactly condescending. Just matter of fact.

"Right. I don't know why I bother." The girl shook her head.

"That's my line." Takamine sighed. "Well, you'll have to learn if you pretend to stick around. At least your friend didn't join the B-Komachi auditions."

"Ummm, Takamine-chan…"

"Oookay~ is that all?" The ginger motioned with her hand like she was prompting Takamine to move on, interrupting Ai's attempt to speak up.

"I won't do Saitou-san's job." Takamine let out a sharp 'hmp!' and moved along. Leaving Ai with her mouth open and a petition to not argue with people having a headache in the air.

"What does that even mean?" The girl shook her head and looked back to the girls she'd been talking to before. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

"This hardly tastes like coffee." Komachi-chan murmured. "Morning: Ruined."

"Are you sure the arguing with Takamine isn't what soured your mood?" Ai looked back at Takamine, but the girl was now chatting with Miyako-san. And Ai didn't want to leave these two alone.

"Nah, I get it. It's early, we're hungover, and we were told to come here just after we ordered our breakfast." Komachi-chan rolled her eyes.

"Only a bitch would see us and think it's a great moment to be all holier than thou." The ginger nodded like she and Komachi-chan were saying the same thing.

"She's pretty kind and nice, though." Ai pointed out, perhaps sounding a bit defensive even to her own ears.

"She's a little too rigid." Ari was the one to approach now, trailed by Nino. The two had stayed back because the later had feared that Miyako-san was calling on them due to the 'situation' with her mom. She became unmovable, so Ai promised to go check and smooth things over if necessary. With Ari staying with Nino just so that she wouldn't be left alone. "Just that."

It seemed like the green-haired girl had managed to convince her fellow idol to move on. Which, honestly, Ai was very grateful for. As she had almost screwed up again when Nino clung to Ai's feet with enough desperation that even someone like Ai felt a bit disturbed by the display.

Ari scanned the room, but didn't find the person she was looking for. Of course not, Meimei went on an idol break. She had been awake, just like Ari said she would, but hadn't been for as long as Takamine.

Ai noted these things down but didn't say anything. When it came to serious topics, she would rather er on the side of caution and

"…?" Ai looked at her phone, weirded out by the fact that it had come to life. She was getting a call, even though almost everyone that she knew was in the room with her.

"Oh?" That seemed to get Komachi-chan's curiosity, and that only made Ai all the more conscious that the conversation had been interrupted and the girls fell into complete silence as soon as Ai took a step back. Trying to break out of the circle that the new arrivals were forming.

"Sorry." Ai couldn't help trying to make room between herself and the others, have them away as she took a lungful of air and looked around the room before quickly answering the call. Still trying to move away from the others. "Give me just… Yes?"

"I didn't get you outside, did I?" Hikigaya's toneless voice made Ai's heart sink. Not because she thought it was a bad indication of anything, or because she hadn't wanted to hear his voice. But by the sheer length of time that she had gone without dealing with these things. The habit of keeping her heart closed, her secrets to herself.

"I-err… Ye-no, not really! Haha…" And now, she was being watched. Ai felt apprehension seize her heart very acutely. Way too clearly for her liking or comfort. In fact, if she could crawl into a hole and hide away, she would. But she couldn't, and she didn't need to. It wasn't like there was a single person in the room that didn't know that Hikigaya and Ai knew each other. And there was probably nothing wrong with being called, with his little sister along for the ride.

But Ai couldn't help it. She willed the girls to look away. For… Who knows? A miracle that would make them all stupid so that they didn't realize that Ai was talking to someone.

And, on top of all that, she didn't want Hikigaya to hear her and think that she was getting nervous. That… It'd probably be a sign that something was wrong, and Ai didn't want to think that anything was wrong.

"…Okay." That was it. A single word of acknowledgment. Yet, to Ai, it sounded like he was doubting her word. "Are you free? I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, well. That's… Problematic…" Ai turned to look at Miyako-san, who motioned to her wrist like she had a watch on it. Beckoning Ai to cut the call short. "I'm… Kind of in the middle of a thing, y'know."

"Can't spare five minutes?" He didn't sound surprised, but more… Forceful. Like he wasn't asking, but was being obtuse about it.

He had said that he would understand that Ai was a busy person. When they talked, he never said that she took too long to reply. And sometimes did the same. Ai thought they understood how this worked, had seen that this was the case thus far.

"Yeah… You know how it is." Ai glanced at the girls again. Realizing that only the sleeping blonde girl wasn't looking at Ai. They all had their attention on her.

She… She wasn't doing anything wrong, anything that she needed to hide. Yet she wanted to become invisible so badly… Just how used to hiding things had Ai become? When would her brain realize that she was in no danger here?

"Tell onii-chan I said hi." Komachi-chan spoke up, and that seemed to snap the ginger girl beside her to attention.

"Hey, that's not fair! Senpai hasn't called me, what gives?" The ginger's words made Ai frown a little. Or rather, the faux-complaining tone that she used made Ai feel wrong. Like… Why was everyone taking this as a joke?

"Well, uh, this sounds serious. I don't think this is"

"Nyyaaa~" A girl moaned right beside the speaker of Ai's phone. Loud enough that Ari bursted into a cackle when Ai flinched and had a goosebump due to the uncomfortable itch that the girl gave to her ear.

"Kyun!" Ai pushed the girl away, almost biting her tongue as she had cut herself off mid-sentence.

"Sorry, you just didn't notice me." The girl still reeked of alcohol when she spoke, and her hair had seen better days. But she was, at least, full of energy already. If someone with eyebags on her could look energetic at all. "I mean… Sorry! Just a prank, bro!"

"What if someone from the staff outside hears you?" Ai stopped her features from turning into an even bigger frown, but as her voice turned serious, she couldn't control the expression that followed. "Please, please, please don't yell something that'll make people think that I'm hiding things."

"Err… Okay. I just came in, so I know there's no one outside. But you're the boss, Ai-chan." Kyun shrugged easily enough, but Ai didn't have the attention to spare to understand if Kyun got offended or not. "Sorry."

"Let Ai-chan be a little unreasonable." Takamine crossed her arms. "You know the reason, back off."

"Can I get some space while you're at it?"

"Really?" Kyun sounded actually surprised, but not for long.

"Please." Ai pressed her phone closer to her cheek.

"…Fine." The girl sighed and took a couple of long strides away from Ai.

She saw Miyako-san silently move around and shake the ginger's shoulder, motioning for her to also pull back a little. Slowly getting the girls to pull themselves almost against the opposite wall of the room to where Ai had gone.

The room itself wasn't particularly big, but Ai still appreciated the gesture. Even when Miyako-san snapped her fingers a couple of times to silently order Ai to wrap things up quickly.

"Sorry about that." Ai gave the girls her back, leaning into the phone a little. Hunching a bit like that would give her extra secrecy. "I… It was a prank on me. I wasn't trying to bother you or anything."

"It's… Ahem. It's alright. I also have meddlesome friends." Hikigaya half-muttered his response, although his choice of words was a little odd. Or, rather, it left Ai feeling funny because of what he was implying. Unwittingly or not. "And I'm guessing you're all having breakfast or something."

"No. We're having a quick meeting. Some stuff happened and…"

"Komachi told me things got rough." Hikigaya didn't elaborate, but Ai felt like he wasn't that interested in it. So she was free to not speak about the things that she had seen from her idol-mates since they were working on the beach.

And Ai would appreciate if they didn't talk about her behind her back, so that was probably a good thing.

"Yeah. Ichigo-san was bed-bound for most of the evening due to the headache…" Ai cut herself short. Remembering that Miyako-san had already told her to hurry up twice. It'd be bad if she was forced to do it for the third time, in front of everyone. "Anyway, I don't know if we're even going to get time to eat something so…"

"Please, make sure my little sister is well-fed."

"Ummm…"

"…Right. Sorry." Hikigaya sighed, taking a couple of seconds to get the indignation out of his words. Or it looked like it. Because, when he spoke next, he sounded as monotone as usual. "Quirks of family ties."

"No, no. I get it." Ai replied breathlessly, for she did understand. It was one of the few things she could relate to. All things considered. And it always made her feel warm inside to remember that.

"I'll stop pestering you now." Hikigaya stated before another silence could be created between them.

"It's never a bother to hear your voice." Ai smiled a little, even though she knew that he couldn't see her. "I'll call you back as soon as I'm free."

"Take your time." Was all that Hikigaya said, but he took another second to reply. Hesitating.

"Don't procrastinate too much~" Ai retorted with a sweetened tone. Happy to assume that he just really wanted to talk to her. Now.

She cut the call, letting out a lungful of air and letting her heartbeat return to normal.

"Sorry~ it won't happen again." She didn't have time to calm down, however. So she just powered through the discomfort as she always did. Miyako-san was counting on her to retain order, after all.

Miyako-san didn't answer immediately, but went to the door of the room and checked the hall outside.

Ai couldn't help scoffing and shaking her head.

"Everything okay?" Miyako-san asked after making a point of showing that everything was, in fact, okay.

It didn't feel like Miyako-san was making fun of her, however. So Ai held back from getting defensive here.

"Yeah, just a little out of my depth." It'd probably be better if she just acknowledged this. No use being given the benefit of doubt if she didn't make her own baby steps to be better understood, right?

"Under any other circumstance, I'd have to scold you to keep your personal matters out of business hour." Miyako-san reminded her, walking further into the room before turning around and addressing the whole room. "But, given the circumstances, I'll skip that part and get down to business. I believe we'd all like to get over this quickly and go eat something."

Ai nodded, quickly rejoining the girls by standing close to Komachi-chan. Who was trying to wake the blonde girl up by shaking her softly.

"Yumi-chan, we're in the middle of something serious." Ari tapped the blonde's head like she was knocking on a door, getting the girl to be jolted awake and mumble something that Ai didn't catch.

"First things first: Ari."

"…Eh?" The green-haired girl froze up and looked at Miyako-san with the same widening of the eyes that someone that realized that they had been found out would have. Probably. Or maybe Ai had watched too much drama TV lately.

"We talked to the teams involved in yesterday's work, pulled a couple strings." Miyako-san crossed her arms, accentuating her chest a little while remaining stern and professional. "As far as we're all concerned, we're not in the clear as to why the Shijo decided to show up yesterday. We'll try our best to wrap up what we can, but some of the production was mobilized out of the city. So… Let's just worry about our work here."

"I… I see…" Ari looked at the floor while the blonde girl slowly sat up, becoming aware of her surroundings while the idols offered Ari a couple of words of encouragement. "Thank you."

"You're our employee." Miyako-san shrugged. "And, continuing with that train of thought, Nino."

"I know. This is my last contract, right?" Nino-chan clasped the helm of her skirt. Face completely red and eyes getting watery.

"As an idol, probably. But I'd encourage you to explore other avenues where we can support you." Miyako-san looked up, away from Nino herself. "I think we've always been tolerant and supportive of you all, so I would encourage you to trust us a little more in how we're handling things. Much more considering… Recent events."

"I'm sorry." Nino-chan repeated, mostly talking to herself. "I… I can't help it. I can't do anything…"

"You can make better choices, for one." Komachi-chan murmured.

"It might be hard to believe, but it's a little difficult when she's being browbeaten into accepting the girl that will replace her." Takamine gave Komachi-chan a serious look. Which made the ginger girl snap her face toward Miyako-san.

"Wait. I'm on the lead here?" The girl looked rather horrified, if Ai was reading her expression correctly. And that reaction made Takamine and Watanabe look at each other in confusion.

Miyako-san simply shrugged.

"Uh-oh…" That… The girl didn't sound very happy about it, to say the least.

"I thought you wanted to be an idol." Ai chimed in before anyone could change the subject and let the girl get away with acting so weird.

"Err… I mean…" The orange-haired girl clasped her hands together. "It sounds nice, and I'm sure you're all great! But I already have a following, and I'm just looking for a bit of safety and exposure…"

"Why did you get into the selection process then?!" Seriously! There had been a lot of girls really looking up for this opportunity! It didn't make sense to Ai that someone who didn't actually want to be an idol, or that didn't care for it as much as the rest of B-Komachi, would find a place when others didn't cut it!

Nino's and Watanabe's stares were a little uncomfortable, staring at Ai without saying a thing.

"Do you have any idea of how hard it is to be noticed as an indie singer? Never mind one whose whole presence is on the internet!" The girl crossed her hands, putting up an air of wisdom that simply did not suit her. "It's easier to show off when your victim… I mean, when the sponsor you're looking for is actually looking at you."

"Makes sense." Meimei nodded.

"Figured she was in for something other than Nino's spot." Ari shrugged.

"If nothing else, you have a good head on your shoulders, Iroha-san." Komachi-chan smiled with some amusement.

Was Ai the only one that didn't like B-Komachi being used as some sort of leverage like that?

"And you're okay with her admitting that?" Ai turned to Miyako-san, because that sounded like the thing to do when she had no idea how to react.

"I mean, it's the same thing since Hikigaya came into our radar." Miyako-san scratched the back of her head, like it was a bother to have to explain herself. "You meet one shady-looking guy, and suddenly there's an influx of young and cute girls knocking at our doors with clear signs of being marketable. How do you want us to react?"

"They're just three, please calm down." Watanabe scoffed.

"And you're seven, yet we were able to buy our luxurious apartment due to B-Komachi revenue." Miyako-san rolled her eyes. "Imagine what we'll manage if these girls are half as profitable as you."

"Not to sound contrarian, but we've been at this for a while." Meimei deadpanned before motioning to the three girls that weren't idols. "And maybe it's the cramps talking, but that's a lot of preferential treatment compared to your other models and actresses."

"Didn't you start getting along with them basically overnight?" Miyako-san raised an eyebrow.

Meimei stared at Komachi-chan and the girl that wasn't so hungover that she could barely remain sitting.

"It's about charisma, then?"

"Yes." Miyako-san nodded. "These girls have a good CHA stat individually, and that makes a huge difference whether you like it or not."

The girls turned their gazes toward Ai again.

"It does." Nino stated, sounding as defeated as she had before coming to this little meeting.

"Sorry." Ai didn't know what she was apologizing for, but it felt wrong not to.

"Happens to the best of us, right?" Watanabe sounded amused. But not in the wholesome way that Ai would've liked.

"We'll deal with one problem at a time." Miyako-san resumed talking, looking at Nino with an even stare. "Relax, you're not out of work to do yet. We'll be as considerate as we can without stepping on our own tail."

"Not that I expected you guys to follow through or anything." Komachi-chan commented. "Guess I got you wrong."

"Why are you working with us, then?" Miyako-san tilted her head. She didn't change her tone, but accepted that the younger girl was expressing something seriously.

"There's a form of safety in it. I'm no longer a stranger, but another employee." Komachi-chan smiled softly. "And there's a couple of interesting things that can happen when an employer is partial toward one side of a problem."

"Heh…" Ari smiled to herself. An expression that Ai didn't quite like, because they were discussing the business which Ai had helped grow through most of her life.

"So that's how it is." Miyako-san gave Komachi-chan a crooked smile. Like she was proud of her. "Then, I should be grateful for Ai' attempts to reach out to the rest of you. However awkward."

"You'd be surprised by how many people can't speak in public to save their lives." Meimei casually walked up to Ai and let her hand fall on Ai's right shoulder. "Like, most people can't see you in the eyes nowadays! But will start yelling about how their oshi's thighs are the best, in public."

"Oh, that time?" Ari cringed almost immediately, scratching her head like the memory made it itch. "Oh, that was so bad. Ugh…"

"Oh, it happened to you too?" Nino perked up, like she hadn't expected to hear about this topic here.

"Yeah, I was sitting… Like, on the other table. I just wanted my wac-nuggets, man…" Meimei showed them her tongue and shook her head.

"Oh, no. I was told that directly." Nino moved her nose in a strange, disgusted, way. "That was so awkward…"

"Oh, you start hang out events. Right?" Watanabe chimed in. "Yes, that's what I feared would happen. Guys can't behave to save their lives."

"They're… Fine… Most of the time." Nino made a weird face, like her expression was melting the more she talked about this. "Rule of thumb says that the people that only arrive once or twice are the most normal. It's the die-hard fans that never miss an even the ones you have to watch out for."

Miyako-san's expression hardened all of a sudden. An ugly, gratuitous leer that lasted the moment that it took Ai to blink. Surprised by the change in the woman's otherwise professional behavior. But, given that no trace remained when more eyes fell on her, Ai wondered if she had imagined it.

Right, one of ways that the news had identified Ryousuke was… Exactly like this. Painting his love as twisted and overbearing.

…

"Can we move on? I'm kinda hungry." Ai lifted her hand immediately, her mood already sour enough to be forced to contemplate these things.

"Right. So, Ai?" Miyako-san sighed, modulating her voice again and giving the others a second to get their attention back to her. "No phone calls."

"What?"

"You're all old enough already, you girls get it. You should get it, at least." Miyako-san scratched the side of her head while talking. "You're idols, you know how this goes. At the very least, help us turn a blind eye on whatever you're doing in your private lives. Okay? If your sweetheart can't understand that, cut them off… This isn't an order. It's a girl advice, okay? Don't be with someone who doesn't understand the importance of your job. It'll end badly."

"…Ugh!" Kyun clasped her chest and flinched, taking a couple of steps back until she bumped on Takamine. "Y-Yes, Miyako-san…"

"It might sound a little neurotic, but Ai's been around this business a lot. As in, she basically lived in the office with us for some time." Miyako-san allowed a small smile to pop on her face before going back to her business-like expression. "Rumors are pretty rough. Even if you're only hanging out and having fun among yourselves. The moment you least expect it, someone heard something and next thing you know is that we're all on a gossip magazine's cover page."

Miyako-san looked over the group, checking if they understood her words.

"Especially you, Hikigaya-chan, Isshin-san, Miura-san. You might feel like we're a little too paranoid, but that's the risk you face when you host a nation-level idol group. I thank you for giving us the benefit of doubt, but I urge you to follow these rules. B-Komachi is, after all, our main source of income. We will protect these girls no matter what."

"You don't trust your own employees?" Komachi-chan sounded a little disappointed.

"We're all idiots in our own right, Hikigaya-chan." Miyako-san shook her head. "Like I said before: You might tease Kyun on her awful luck with men in good faith"

"Miyako-san?!" Kyun bent forward, like the older woman had just punched her on the gut. "Nggghhh! That's slander! Slander, I tell you!"

"and someone else might hear you say that and, in good faith, tell their friends about it. Because they care about her that much." Miyako-san continued without even giving signs of having heard Kyun. "But someone will have a bad day, or will not be in the right mindset. And they'll let it slip in a place where there's people having even worse days, needing an outlet and their favorite idol was doing something that she 'wasn't supposed to'."

Miyako-san studied Komachi-chan's reaction, giving the girl some time to mull over her words.

"And that's not accounting for malicious intent." Ari crossed her arms. "News outlets, rival groups, other sides of the industry that would benefit from a big-name losing sponsors and appearances everywhere in ads and stuff…"

"I was thinking more about haters, myself." Komachi-chan turned to look at Ari, who chuckled at her words.

"Like all pyramids, the final consumer is the one that holds us afloat." Ari showed them the back of her left hand, with her fingers pointing to the right. The pinky, being beneath the others, wiggled a little while Ari talked. "Blow the cover of our group being their friend, confidant, potential lover, and people will rage online. They'll stop buying merch, demand answers. And our business partners will see this and retreat, because we're no longer profitable. It's not just social death; it's also the fact that we lose our livelihood."

"And that's ignoring all the problems that the public hating you creates." Ai closed her eyes, knowing that they'd stare at her for saying that out loud. But she was the best suited of them to say this.

A chin was placed on the shoulder that didn't have Meimei's hand on it. And, when Ai opened her eyes again, Kyun bumped her head slightly against Ai's jaw.

"Guess I should tease you when we're chilling in your room or something." Kyun muttered, looking like a puppy that just got splashed with some chilly water.

"Will we have time for that?" Ai accepted the implicit proposal whole-heartedly. She didn't want to believe that Kyun wanted to hurt her, so the kind-of confirmation made her feel better.

She glanced at Miyako-san, who was content in letting the girls say their part thus far.

"Maybe." The woman confirmed. "That's the next topic: How we'll be spending our time today. Let's make this quick, so we don't miss breakfast. Shall we? First"

The remaining time of the small meeting was more normal. Although the girls took their opportunity to show Ai varying signs of support, if not affection. Asking her if she was alright, touching her shoulder or arm, and just being closer to her than usual.

It warmed her heart enough that she had a rough time paying attention, but she simply needed to wing it and ask Miyako-san whenever she forgot something through the day.

Hopefully, she'd be able to return that call before night fell! Or maybe they could stay up a little and talk at length when nobody was around? That could be

"Hey."

"Oh, Yumi-chan's awake." Ari gleefully waved at the blonde girl. "Hey, bestie~"

"Ugh… My head…" The blonde girl cradled her forehead, screwing her eyes shut so tightly that Ai wondered if it didn't hurt.

"Girls." Miyako-san snapped. "Please, we'll miss breakfast."

The girls kind of worded a half-hearted apology, but Ai kept her attention on the blonde. Who had spoken up to her to begin with.

"What was all that about?" The girl's raspy voice was a little rough to hear, but Ai didn't comment on it.

"Idol stuff." She shrugged. "You know how it is with relationships and stuff."

"Right, right…" The blonde looked away. "Explains Iroha's mood."

Her mood?

When Ai turned to the ginger girl, a big grin was plastered on her face. Hard to miss, almost impossible that she was doing it on purpose. It was the kind of expression that was hard to hide, rather than the opposite.

…

Oh.

Oh, Ai found that expression so un-cute no matter how she looked at it.

The blonde blinked a couple of times, fighting the urge to go back to sleep.

"Good luck." She did, in fact, lay down again.

Ai had a weird expression for the rest of the meeting.