Aikatsu Dreams!

Chapter 21: The Light of the Rose Quartz!

The brand headquarters of 'Floral Wonderland' was a rustic cottage on the outskirts of Kirumi City. Due to its location, visiting there was not simply a day's task, as travel from the academy to the city limits took roughly three hours; longer if there was traffic – and there was always traffic. In addition to this, the cottage was not directly accessible by vehicle with visitors needing to hike to the cottage on foot which took at least an hour but due to the summer heat, breaks were always required. As a result, travelling to and from the cottage took almost a whole day so Hana generally would spend the night there and return the next day, something the academy allowed so long as she was under Saaya's supervision. And, because of the nature of the 'Unit Cup' and intensity of their training, they granted her and Akira permission to stay there for a few days for bonding and rehearsal.

"Why would Saaya build her brand headquarters all the way out here?" Akira complained as she sat on a rock for a quick rest. Thankfully the path from where the car dropped them off to the actual cottage was shrouded by thick green trees. But still, the density of the forest track didn't help prevent the temperature from reaching anyone who braved it.

"The cottage was apparently cheap to rent, being so far out here but also it provides a great atmosphere for inspiration," Hana explained. Handing Akira a full bottle of water to gulp down.

Hana had told Akira how intense the journey was, but Akira never truly considered it was anything quite like she was experiencing. The two girls wore their track uniform with all their other belongings secured in backpacks that they carried with them. Though the weight only added to the difficulty.

"How are you not dying?" Akira asked, noticing Hana still standing proudly, despite the weight of her backpack. Her face certainly glistened with sweat, but she was handling it much better than Akira.

"Well, having walked this path multiple times has been great endurance training," she explained. It was no doubt that at the beginning of her time at the academy, Hana lacked the endurance as her fellow first-years; getting tired easily and winded after a few laps of the track field. However, it was apparent to not just Akira but everyone else that once Hana became a brand muse, she had become much stronger athletically, able to endure more and push her limits significantly, rivalling even Miyuki's sporting ability.

"This is crazy," Akira gasped, completely exhausted from the hour-long walk. "We're never going to make it!"

"Yes, we can, just look," Hana pointed out. The path they were walking was lined with a safety fence made of wooden planks and rope to prevent visitors from getting lost. A sign stood out from one of these planks, revealing a map of the entire track. Akira examined it to see a picture of the cottage and a line stretching from it to the entrance. An arrow with the words titled 'You are here! So close! Good Luck!', signified they were roughly 500 metres away from their destination. "Come on, that's just another couple minutes of walking, you can do it!" she encouraged. Hana scooped up Akira's backpack that she dropped on the ground and wore it on her front side, balancing out the weight her own backpack caused. Akira couldn't help but admire Hana's determination to carry her weight in an attempt to make Akira's journey easier. Despite this act of generosity, Akira rejected it.

"I don't need you to do that, if you can do it; I can do it!" she informed, grabbing her backpack off Hana and hoisting it over her shoulders. With a quick deep breath and a refreshing slap to her cheeks, Akira continued along the track as Hana walked alongside her.

Finally, after a couple of minutes of walking, the thick forestation began to separate with a bright light before them.

"Come on," Hana shouted with excitement, racing towards it. Akira followed, running with all her might until she stood before the spectacle of nature.