SHIORIKO: *Sigh* "I won't disturb him..."
...
AKI: "Yes, I would much appreciate it if you could kindly consider volunteering..."
BOY: "Sorry, I don't even know what a school idol is."
AKI: "We need your help, please! Y-You there! Could you girls volunteer?"
GIRL 1: "Um...no?"
GIRL: "Sounds like too much work to me."
AKI: "Please......please....... Somebody...ANYBODY!"
*Sigh* I'm not going to gather enough volunteers by the deadline at this rate...
AKI: *COUGH* *COUGH*
Oh God not again... No, no this isn't the time to lose confidence or get sick. I gotta focus every last ounce of energy I have left into this... If I don't, I will be responsible for crushing everyone's dreams.
That's the last thing I want to do.
I made Ayu cry because of this... Something I swore I would never do... But it will all work out, I know it will, all I need is results.
But...it's not like I could ever bring myself to face her again.
She said she quits being a school idol, but... Th-That can't be true, right? She has friends in the club and her fan club love her.
I said such horrible things to her...
There's one thing that I can do to lament my sorrow... And that's to play the piano.
The sound of it will help calm my nerves, it's no use asking for help here, nobody will ever do anything for the greater good.
The greater good...
What is the greater good?
Making Ayu cry like that?
That's not good at all...
Enough of this, to the music room.
...
AKI: "Hello, is anyone in here?"
YU: "?!"
AKI: "Yu, I..."
YU: "..."
*SLAM*
She won't even look at me.
*Sigh* Let's see what the piano wants to tell me today.
AKI: "..."
Yu put a cup of water on top of the piano. That's water damage waiting to happen... This piano isn't happy at all.
But if the piano isn't happy... Then Yu isn't happy either. She loved Ayu's performances, and I took that all away from her.
Huh, seems like no matter what I do, I always end up hurting somebody.
I should have just stayed like this the whole time, retreating to the music room to play the piano. Well, whenever I wasn't hanging out with Ayu that is...
And now, Ayu is gone... All that's left for me is the piano.
The slap she gave me, I can still feel it burning into my face. Like it's some kind of scar that will never heal.
Piano music is what heals the soul. If it can take the pain away, then I can continue my work.
*Sigh* Just like I thought, it is a sad piano indeed.
But it's all I have left now.
No... I still have the School Idol Club. Even after I've neglected their practice sessions, I can still set things right.
If all they want from me is to drop by and say hi, then so be it.
I'll give them what they want. Although, that's what I've been trying to do this entire time...
...
It's been a while since I last opened this door. I wouldn't be surprised is they told me to go screw myself.
But if I don't face them now, then when will I ever bring myself to?
Here goes nothing.
AKI: "...Hello?"
KASUMI: "Senpai...? Senpai?! SENPAIIII! You finally came to see us!"
AI: "Heya, Prez! You been holding up all right? Wait, you don't look too hot..."
EMMA: "She's right. You look like a shadow of your former self. Have you been eating and sleeping properly?"
AKI: "I-I'm fine..."
KARIN: "You don't look fine. Knowing you, I bet you've been pushing yourself too hard, huh? It's great you're giving it your all, but it'll all be pointless if you run yourself flat."
SHIZUKU: "It's important to give yourself some rest every so often. Isn't that what you're always saying to us?"
AKI: "I..."
KANATA: "Guess I've got no choice but to cook you up an energy-boosting, nutrient-packed, stick-to-your-ribs meal next time!"
AKI: "Thanks, everyone."
Why aren't they mad at me? I just don't understand... Was Ayu just an exception?
SETSUNA: "Um, you have come to watch up practice today, right? All of us have so much we would like to discuss with you."
AKI: "Oh, I'm sorry. I still have a whole lot of people I need to get in contact with; I'm just dropping by to say hi.
Um... Is Ayu around?"
RINA: "She's not here today."
AKI: "Wh-What? ...Have you heard from her at all?"
SETSUNA: "No. She has not been responding to any calls or messages."
AKI: "...?!"
KASUMI: "We tried going to her classroom, but she apparently left right after homeroom finished up."
EMMA: "We thought she might've been feeling under the weather so we checked out the nurse's office, but she wasn't there."
KANATA: "Today's nice and warm, so I wouldn't have any room to talk if I caught her napping somewhere. *Yawn* Now I'm starting to get all sleepy myself."
AI: "It's hard to even imagine it, but do you think she might just be skipping out on us?"
AKI: "..."
KARIN: "We're not talking about Kasumi here. Ayumu wouldn't ever skip practice."
AI: "Yeah, you're right."
KASUMI: "Whoa, hey! I don't skip practice either!"
AKI: "..."
EMMA: "We're worried about her too. Do you know what's going on?"
AKI: "I... I..."
AI: "Looks like you do. All right, 'fess up."
AKI: "You see... The truth is..."
...
KARIN: "I see. So that's what happened."
AKI: "I'll never forgive myself for this if I can't see this through. I really have to give my all to make the School Idol Festival a reality... To make everyone's dreams come true.
Ayu protested against that. In the heat of the moment I thought she had betrayed me, that she was an obstacle that stood in our path... So, I lost my mind, and she slapped me."
AI: "Hmm, it sounds like she did take what you said badly then."
KASUMI: "But I don't think what you said about the School Idol Festival was wrong, though!"
EMMA: "I understand how Ayumu feels..."
RINA: "I think I do, too."
SHIZUKU: "A lot of what you said was completely wrong, Senpai. But, you're also right about not being able to do anything if you're half-hearted and allow yourself the option of giving up."
KARIN: "Yeah, I think it's important to keep your eyes on your vision. If you feel even the tiniest bit seayed towards giving in, then that will end up pulling you in unintentionally. Just look at the volunteers who turned us down."
KANATA: "There are times when you have to give it everything you've got, and I think now is one of those times. That's when you have to try your best, no matter how sleepy you are."
AKI: "..."
SETSUNA: "This is a really difficult problem. I can see both sides here. However, I personally have not felt very excited for practice lately."
EMMA: "Yeah, I've been distracted."
AI: "I think I can relate to that. It's like I've got doubts about whether it's okay to practice without someone watching over us. This isn't like the time you went to Numazu to meet Aqours, or the time you went to meet µ's.
Since then we've grown so much closer to you, it's like practices mean nothing if you're not there."
KASUMI: "I've also felt worried at times. I wanted to ask for your advice, but I also didn't want to get in your way."
AKI: "I'm... I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE! I haven't been paying any of you any attention and I've been foolishly trying to justify it, saying it was a sacrifice necessary for the greater good of everyone... But it wasn't. It wasn't because this is how you all felt, and for that I'm so, so sorry."
SETSUNA: "We all completely understand that you're only acting in our best interests. However, I believe that we need you by our side."
KARIN: "I'm sure Ayumu feels the same way, too."
AKI: "I told myself and everyone that I was doing this for the greater good, for all of you, but I just made you worry... I really am a fucking idiot..."
RINA: "You don't have to apologize."
SHIZUKU: "Rina's right. Right now, I think it's more important to have a constructive conversation about what we'll do from here on out."
AKI: "From here on out, huh? Yeah, I guess you're right about that...
Come to think of it, I met up with Honoka and Chika the other day. They told me all about the traditional opening performance of the School Idol Festival.
How all three groups participating in the main contest collaborate and perform together.
Well... They want Nijigasaki to be the center."
AI: "What?! You mean on the main stage? Opening the whole festival?! That's a pretty big deal, isn't it?!"
KASUMI: "Performing alongside µ's and Aqours, with us as the center? That's huge...
But I guess it's just proof of our amazing talent! After all, my cuteness just can't be beat!"
KARIN: "Sounds good to me. I'm getting chills thinking about it."
EMMA: "I can feel some kind of power brewing inside of me!"
SETSUNA: "In order for us to be the opening act's center, we must first turn out attention back to gathering volunteers!"
AKI: "Oh, I almost forgot about that..."
KANATA: "Yep, let's all work together on this!"
AI: "We should all go and tell Ayumu right away!"
AKI: "...?!"
RINA: "I'm sure she'll perk up as well after hearing this."
SHIZUKU: "Absolutely! Maybe she couldn't show up today because she felt too awkward about things, but let's go and see her tomorrow!"
AI: "All right, so starting today, let's split up ALL of the things you've been doing and we can each take a share. That'll help put Ayumu's mind at ease as well."
AKI: "No... You all need to practice."
EMMA: "It's not good for you to carry the burden of everything all on your own. You need to rely on us every now and then."
KASUMI: "She's right. We're all members of the same group, after all!"
SETSUNA: "Trying times should be overcome by working as one. Let's all combine our efforts to get thw volunteers we need!"
AKI: "Girls... Thank you so much. I'll get started right away."
SETSUNA: "No, no, no, Chief. What you need to do first is rest. I think we should let Ayumu know that you're no longer running yourself ragged. I'm sure that will cheer her up when she comes back tomorrow."
AKI: "...Ayu isn't coming back."
KASUMI: "Huh?"
EMMA: "What do you mean?"
AKI: "Ayu...quit being a school idol."
EVERYONE: "WHAT?!"