the idols race for love, are you ready? | book one | utapri

chapter sixty-two

ｏｎｅ   ｓｔｅｐ   ｃｌｏｓｅｒ

『 your p.o.v 』

With one of Natsuki's horribly oversized sweatshirts thrown over my school uniform, I went ahead and continued down the sidewalk, walking further and further away from Saotome Academy this early morning.

Today's Monday meaning Ryuuya and Ringo are going to be explaining to all of us students about the sudden decision to push up our graduation auditions so realistically, I didn't have to be in class today. I spoke with the two of them right before I left and they gave me a free pass essentially to get a headstart on all of the songs I have to compose and so I decided to take them up on their offer. But, instead of composing, there's a place I've been meaning to stop by and visit again for a while now.

Mom's bento shop is still closed at this time so I didn't bother trying to pick the lock, walking by the cozy building and happily skipping along as I do so. I wonder how all of my friends are going to take the news about the seven of us having only one month to create new solos for each of them..? They're going to be livid and that's most definitely an understatement. Knowing Syo, he's going to probably have an outburst and get kicked out of class or at least told off to an extent by Ryuuya. Otoya might actually do the same unless Masato manages to calm him down some. The others won't be happy either, but hopefully they'll be able to contain their anger if only a little bit.

Glancing around some, I went ahead and started down a back alley that I know is a shortcut to the nearest convenience store. I've gone down this path hundreds of times with Otoya way back when we were younger and nothing has changed since then really. The same old plants being grown in planters here and there along with stray cats scurrying about, scouring the ground for food and some even walking up to me for a few pets. That reminds me actually, I haven't seen Kuppuru in a while... Hope that little guy is doing alright.

The convenience store had only a few other customers walking about, mainly businessmen and women with a couple of students all rushing to grab their morning breakfasts along with their afternoon lunches and the like. I had to stop myself from smiling when I saw this one girl, probably no older than thirteen, grabbing five chocolate bars while completely ignoring her friend's shocked gaze as she walked right up to the front counter and paid for said chocolate bars, telling her friend that she was old enough to choose what she eats for lunch and that no one could tell her otherwise.

I would bet money that Camus was just like her when he was younger if the amount of sugar he puts into his tea is anything to go by.

With a couple of those cookie containers stacked up in a plastic bag, I left the convenience store while munching on a chocolate bar I had bought just for myself. Hopefully the kids like all of these cookies or else I'm going to have to pawn them off to my friends back at school and the last thing any of them need is sugar- especially Otoya and Syo. Those two are hyper enough as is.

About another twenty minutes or so passed of me walking before I finally made it to the orphanage. It's around eight in the morning now so most of the kids inside along with the staff should be up by now. Smiling to myself, I went ahead and walked right on inside while holding up a container of cookies. "I'm home everyone! And I brought snacks.~"

Auntie Christa was the first to see me and all she could do was shake her head in disbelief as a number of the children all came running up to me for hugs and cookies. "Onee-chan!" They cheered as I happily plopped down onto the ground right there in the entrance and began handing out cookie after cookie.

"You really know how to make an appearance." Auntie Christa said with a laugh once the two of us were in the orphanages large cafeteria-like dining room. We were sat at a single table where I had placed all of the cookie containers out for the kids to come up and grab some as they please, the two of us sitting side by side while a number of the children played various board games at the surrounding tables. "We haven't seen you since Christmas time. Why the sudden drop by?"