"There you go, Susan," Saki said, placing a piece of lettuce into the snail's container. She smiled softly., then turned back, where Minori was sitting on her bed.
"Let's start planning then."
Minori nodded. "We should."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"I didn't really think of any."
"You didn't?" Saki asked, raising an eyebrow. Minori nodded.
"I was so surprised when you asked me to form a unit that I ended up lying down in shock the entire time you were at work."
"Why were you surprised?"
"I assumed you'd want to form a unit with someone cooler. Or with Usagi-chan since you're childhood friends. So I was surprised. But happy!"
Saki giggled. "Idiot."
Minori grinned. "So... what about you?"
"Didn't have a chance to think during work. So neither of us have either. So, I guess we should think about it now."
"Something cute?"
"Definitely. I guess... we could take some inspiration from that game show we were on last month."
A few weeks earlier, the duo had appeared on a game show in an attempt to get along again. One of the rounds was to wear matching coords without discussing it with the other member of the team. Eventually, they ended up choosing a dress from Pastel Macaron with the same jacket and various accessories.
"Elegant cute could work," Saki continued, "But maybe it wouldn't fit you."
"But if it wasn't it wouldn't fit you."
"That's... true."
"Elegant... fun?" Minori suggested, "But that sounds stupid."
"Elegant but fun. You might be onto something."
"You think so?"
"Even a princess can have fun with her life whilst still looking beautiful and cute," Saki explained, idly twirling. "We can be like those princesses from movies!"
"Like Hina-sama!"
"...Heh?"
Minori cocked her head. "Haven't you watched the performance where she blooms?"
"Not yet. I like Midnight but Mai-chan's my ultimate bias." She smiled to herself. "The performance where she bloomed for the first time was amazing, though."
"It was, but Hina-sama's performance was even more amazing! It was in a small village - you live in one of those right? - and she came out looking like a real-life princess and-"
As Minori went on, Saki smiled fondly.
Hearing Minori go on like that... it warmed her cold heart a little.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♧. * :☾ ° . ───
The next morning, the five were gathered in the cafeteria for breakfast. Saki sighed.
"We talked for so long but we didn't decide much in the end..."
"You'll get there eventually," Claire said, "Did you come up with anything?"
"Princesses that can have fun," Minori answered, eating her miso soup.
"That's a cute theme," Hikaru said, "I'd love to see you perform like that."
"Thanks. But as Minori pointed out by going on an hour-long ramble, our theme is similar to our great Celestial Star's performance..."
"Really?"
"We can't think of a name either."
Claire chuckled. "I'm sure it'll come to you eventually. Speaking of which, I should start forming my unit too."
"You're forming one too?"
"Onee-chan's unit was amazing before it disbanded," she explained, "It was truly glamorous... I want to reach their level."
"Plus, how else can Claire-chan rival my bunny girl unit if she doesn't have a unit of her own?" Usagi asked, "She's not that talented."
"Bunny girl unit?" Saki asked, "Since when was that a thing?!"
"Since forever. I just need to gather my fellow bunny girls." She grinned.
"Well, I guess this isn't the worst thing you could be doing."
"What about you Hikaru-chan?"
"I'll figure it out eventually," she said, "I guess I haven't thought much about it - but I'll make sure it's the best unit out of everyone's."
"Woah!"
"...Do you think Hinode-senpai and her fans will get mad if we go with the princess theme?" Saki asked, resting her chin in her palms.
"As long as you execute it differently, it should be fine," Claire said, "I don't see any issue, at least."
"Maybe she'll even think it's cute," Usagi suggested.
"Think it's cute, huh..." Saki muttered.
"Maybe we should try it," Minori said.
"It's a basis at least," Claire said, "I'm sure the rest will come naturally."
"I hope so."
Minori grinned. "Of course it will! It's us, after all!"
Saki smiled. "That's true. There's nothing my powers of cute can resist after all~."
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♧. * :☾ ° . ───
"One, two, Aikatsu! One, two, Aikatsu!" Saki yelled as the two danced to their routine. It was a slower, yet heartfelt song, with simple choreography. However, as easy as the choreography was, it demanded extra enthusiasm and grace.
The two finished and Minori immediately placed her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.
"You okay?" Saki asked, crouching and rubbing Minori's back.
"I'm... fine," Minori said between breaths, "Sorry I'm so bad at dancing..."
"It's okay. Singing, dancing... we balance each other out like that, don't we?"
"You think so?"
"Mhm. Want to take a break?"
"If that's okay."
The two sat down, Minori leaning against the wall.
"...Saki-chan?"
"Hm?"
"Are you sure you want to be in a unit with me?"
"Of course I am."
"Even though I'm not good at dancing?"
"You just don't have much stamina yet. That's not surprising. It's not your fault either," Saki said, "Besides. As I said, you're my best friend."
"You aren't going to get mad?"
"Of course I won't!" Saki took a deep breath. "I believe in you. We'll do great."
"Saki-chan..." Minori covered her mouth, tearing up. Saki chuckled.
"What?"
"I'm happy we formed a unit!"
"I hope you are."
"I am! Sometimes... when I'm around you, it feels like I can do anything. Even though my body holds me back so much, you and Usagi-chan and everyone else help me feel like I can do so much more."
"You can. I'm sure of it," Saki said. She smiled softly. "You've helped me believe in myself too, anyway."
"...I have?"
"Plus you're nice and as weird as you are your terrible puns and stuff are a little charming."
"A little?! They're super charming and amazing actually."
Saki laughed. "See what I mean?"
Then, Minori laughed too.
"I think I have an idea."
"You do?"
Minori nodded, standing up. "Without you, I never would have become Exciting Topaz's muse. Without me, you never would have become Pastel Macaron's muse - even though they're both dreams for us!"
"I guess that's true~."
"So, so, so! I think we should use a dream-like theme. Like, like, like princesses of dreams or something!"
"Princesses of dreams?" Saki asked. Her expression lit up and she stood, grabbing Minori's hands. "That's perfect! We could use pastel pinks and purples and maybe blue to look like a pastel galaxy."
Minori nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love to wear a pastel purple dress!"
"We could have shooting stars as part of our stage too and lots of ribbons. It'd be amazing."
"Mhm! And even more perfect if Susie-chan was our mascot!"
"...If Susan was our mascot?"
"I know she's been growing on you. She told me all about how apparently you've been venting to her and sharing secrets when nobody's around. Apparently, it makes her happy!"
Saki flushed red. "Heh?!"
Minori giggled. "Am I right?"
"You - you...!" She covered her face, "...Maybe. How did you...?"
"Susie-chan told me."
"Are you sure?"
Minori grinned and Saki fondly smiled.
"Well, if you insist, I have nothing against Susan Chair."
Minori beamed. "She loves you too!"
"No she doesn't!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♧. * :☾ ° . ───
"It's sweet and creamy, melting in my mouth to create a unique heavenly taste," Saki said, placing her hand to her cheek, "It's amazing! I'd recommend trying this out - this is something everyone has to experience!"
The camera stopped.
"Thank you, Saki-chan," the owner of the patisserie said, smiling sweetly as she walked over. "You're always so kind in your reviews."
"I'm just being honest."
"Hm~ you seem happier recently."
"You think so?"
The manager nodded. "You're making a unit, right?"
"Mhm. With my roommate," Saki explained, "We're working hard to make it great."
"Really? When are you debuting?"
"In a couple of weeks," Saki replied, "Why?"
"I haven't watched you perform yet. Now would be a great time, right? I could even bring some of my friends."
"Bring some of your friends...?"
"We all used to be big fans of idols when we were younger. The idols back then were so dazzling that I'm almost curious what Aikatsu is like now - oh, I'm rambling. Excuse me."
"It's okay," Saki said, "We'll make sure to put on the cutest show you could possibly even imagine!"
"We'll be looking forward to it, then."
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♧. * :☾ ° . ───
"Units, units, units..." Minori muttered, flicking through the books she had borrowed from the library. She had decided that after going through the dance, she'd read about idols as she rested, so whilst not physically straining herself she'd always be working. First of all, she was researching units and how they each reached stardom.
"I found Claire-chan's sister!" she exclaimed. "Clockwork... they're a unit who had a cool charm," she read, "They had dynamic dances and conveyed a ton of emotion in their voices... heh~."
Dynamic dancing probably wasn't the best idea, at least not until she either built up her stamina or managed to get that surgery. Or most likely not until she did both.
Singing with emotion, on the other hand, would be a good idea. One she couldn't possibly imagine Saki rejecting either.
It kind of made her think of Amamiya Mai, the top idol, too - Saki's favourite idol.
Maybe that was the secret to success?
"Masked Cats, who conceal their faces during performances to create a fun, mysterious and elegant experience." Minori furrowed her eyebrows. Fun and elegant was good but...
Not quite the exact same vibe.
But if they could take that and make it cuter, it'd work, right? Just maybe they'd have to take out the cat element.
Minori placed down the book and turned to the next one in her pile.
She tilted her head.
"Did I get this one?" She asked, picking it up. It was a Japanese to English dictionary, designed to help with language conversion. Out of curiosity, Minori flicked through it - unlike nearly all of her classmates, she knew basically no English due to her hospitalisation throughout the last few years of elementary school.
Then, she stopped on a page.
She glanced through it.
"This word... it's pretty," she whispered to herself. Then, with a smile, she jumped back up. "Alright! I feel super energised to dance!" she exclaimed, doing a quick twirl. Then, she started playing their unit song on her phone.
"Aikatsu, here we go!"
Cute but elegant. Whilst also being pop and fun at the same time. Minori moved with light steps but made sure she put all of her positive emotions into it, ensuring her happiness would come through during her performance too.
That word - it resonated with Minori. For some reason, it made her think of their relationship.
She wanted to show the world their happiness!
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♧. * :☾ ° . ───
Saki pulled the corners of her mouth up, standing in front of the mirror. She was in her pyjamas. Her hair was worn down aside from the hair clip she used to pin her bangs out of her face.
"Natural smile, natural smile..."
She stopped, then slapped her cheeks.
Then she smiled.
"I'm the cutie idol Saki-chan, here to show the world a super cute performance!" she exclaimed. She paused and sighed. "Need to be more natural... more like Mai-chan."
The door swung open.
"Saki-chan!"
"H-huh? What- oh." She turned to Minori. "I was worried for a second."
"Why? ...What were you doing?"
"N-no-nothing!! What about you? You look exhausted."
"Practising. And reading."
"At the same time?"
"Here, read this!" Minori held the dictionary out and Saki raised an eyebrow.
"A dictionary?"
"Not just that. An English dictionary."
"What does that change?"
"I found a pretty word," Minori explained, turning to the page and pointing at it. "I was thinking maybe we could... you know?"
Though hesitant, Saki turned her attention to the page and read it. Her eyes widened.
She smiled.
"It's cute. Should we?"
Minori nodded. "I think we should!"
"Then it's decided! You're a genius - I never would have thought of looking through an English dictionary. Good job!"
"I just-" she shook her head. "No, you're right. Good job me!"
"We have a name and theme now. Shiraishi-san and Kagayaki-san said they'd handle the coords. We have a song and venue and everything too... we just have to perfect everything now."
Minori nodded. "We can do it - we'll definitely do it!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♧. * :☾ ° . ───
Over the next few days, the two worked hard at perfecting their performances. From practise together where they'd improve their synchrony, to practise apart where they would work on tackling their individual flaws. Then there was a meeting with the designers, advertising the event and their solo jobs.
It was a lot - even overwhelming at times.
But eventually... the day itself arrived.
Backstage, the two held hands tightly.
"You feel ready?" Minori asked.
"...Not really. But at least it won't be as embarrassing messing up as it would be if I was alone."
"Mhm. We'll have each other, won't we?"
Saki smiled softly. "Thank you, Minorin."
...
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
"...You called me Minorin."
Saki turned red. "Did I?" She covered her mouth. "I- I didn't mean to-"
Minori beamed. "Thank you, Saki-pyon!"
"Sa-Saki-py-pyon?!"
"Cute, isn't it?"
"I'm not Usagi-chan!"
"But you're cute like a rabbit. You don't like it?"
Saki's face turned an even deeper red and she covered her mouth once again, looking away. "...I didn't say that..."
Giggling, Minori took Saki's hand again. "Should we go?"
"Give me a second!" She took a deep breath and smiled. "Okay. Let's go."
They held hands and smiled at each other.
"With a Mino-ring-ring, our hope blossoms here! Serendipity, take to the stage!"
Saki wearing the Harmony Chance coord and Minori wearing the Lightning Chance coord, the two walked out onto the stage.
"Their outfits are so cute!" Usagi exclaimed from the audience, "They look like princesses."
"Straight out of a fairytale," Hikaru agreed.
"I wonder what they'll be like," Claire said, "I'm excited."
The music started up and the two started dancing. They were graceful yet the choreography was fun. Then, Saki started to sing.
When I'm with you
I can take that step
Into a brand new world
Next, it was Minori's turn, with a more energetic tone.
I can do things I never could before
In this brand new world
So I'll open the door
And take your hand!
We'll find something brand new
They started to sing together, and their auras appeared. They combined.
Wish upon a shooting star
Find your own miracle
Waiting for you is a dream come true
I want to hear all about it...!
Serendipity seemed so carefree and joyful whilst on stage. Completely unlike their first performances together, they seemed totally comfortable in each other's presence.
I believe in you
And what we can do
We're connected no matter what
They performed Cute Live.
I believe us
And our strong trust
We'll surpass everyone we meet
Oh woah!
I'm so glad I met you
I can't imagine my life without you
If you're ever feeling lonely
Don't hesitate
We'll talk over the cheerful line
Finally, as the performance approached its end, they performed their unit appeal: Chance Stardom.
Tell me all about the wish you hold in your heart!
If it's the two of us? We can make it come true!
The two held their poses then waved to the audience.
"Thank you, everyone!"
"Two special appeals," Hikaru said, "I'm finally not the only one..."
"Finally?" Claire asked.
"I was worried the appeals was a fluke - seeing them do it is more reassuring."
"I see," Claire said, "Well, their performance was amazing."
"It was! Usagi agreed. She grinned.
"Alright! The three of us - let's work hard to find our own units and surpass Serendipity!"
The three threw their fists in the air.
"Let's go!"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♧. * :☾ ° . ───
A/N: IM SORRY MINORIN FOR NOT MAKING YOUR EYECATCH YET MY GRAPHICS TABLET HATES YOU I THINK
anyway serendipity is a word to describe the feeling of finding happiness without looking for it.
Thank you for reading! And happy holidays <3
At time of release it is Izumi's birthday in Japan (20th December). Happy birthday Izumi-chan I hope Akemi is treating you right.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♧. * :☾ ° . ───