Aikatsu Dreams!

Chapter 21: The Light of the Rose Quartz!

The cottage was unlike she had imagined, thinking it would be some sort of rundown rustic mess surrounded by wild nature. But instead, Akira saw a magnificent building ahead of her. The cottage definitely was inspired by traditional rustic cottages, but this building was much more elaborate. For starters it was a three-storey cottage with the first level having gorgeous cobblestone pillars holding up the higher levels. Large glass windows allowed all the natural light inside. Surrounding the building was a field of healthy flowers and plants while off to the west, a large natural pond with a spring stretching further into the forest.

"This place looks like a luxury retreat, how is the rent cheap?" Akira asked, bewildered by the beautiful details.

"Well it's pretty isolated from everything, that's probably a contributing factor but it also didn't always look like this. Saaya and I worked really hard to get the gardens looking so nice and the pond clean."

"Wait, you did all of the landscaping? Wait, of course you did," Akira sighed. Suddenly, a voice called out from the cottage porch.

"Hana! Akira! You made it!"

"Hi Saaya!" Hana called out. The two idols approached the cottage as Saaya greeted them halfway. She was wearing a dainty olive coloured sundress with a wide brimmed sunhat. Her auburn hair was tied in a neat plait that rested over her shoulder and her green eyes hid behind her sunglasses.

"How was the walk? Did you beat your personal record?" she joked, to which Hana laughed.

"No not today, Akira and I took it slow, it was her first time after all." Akira blushed out of embarrassment, although the redness in her face from the heat made it hard to distinguish.

"Honestly Saaya, why would you build your brand headquarters so far out in the middle of nowhere?" she asked, finally starting to return to her normal breathing rate.

"This is exactly what I wanted when I came up with the idea for this brand; a homey feel surrounded by the boundless beauty of nature," she giggled. "When I first met Hana and knew I wanted to design for her, I wanted to build something that inspired me like she did. I found this place online and after coming here, trekking through that long path and finally emerging in this clearing, I could see its potential. I knew this is what I wanted." Akira turned to examine the whole environment, admitting that despite what it took to get there, the view was worth it. "But anyways, you two must be tired, come inside and use the amenities to freshen up, we can talk after that."

"Come on, I'll show you around," Hana said, escorting Akira inside the cottage. The main entryway had a stairway leading up to the next level of the cottage whereas to the right was a communal area with a desk with the brand logo carved into it. "The first level is primarily the brand building, down that hall is Saaya's design room and a conference room for investors and guests. There are some other facilities too such as a room for photoshoots and a rehearsal studio. Saaya said we could use it to practice for the competition."

Hana then escorted Akira up the stairway which had a homier feel than the business level. The main landing was a dining room with a kitchen in the corner, overlooking the field of flowers. Opposite the kitchen and dining area was an open floor living room with soft white couches and a large television mounted above a fireplace.

"I swear this is a lodge and not a business," Akira commented. Hana continued to take her down the corridors of the second floor. They passed a bookshelf wall until they reached the end where two doors opposed each other with the wall joining them looking out to the pond. Hana opened one of the doors to reveal a rustic and comfortable guest room, with a queen-sized bed with a lemon coloured blanket, fresh flowers by the end tables and built in closet.