*MEANWHILE*
*CAFÉ MANMARU - SHIBUYA - TOKYO*
*P.O.V SWITCH - KANON SHIBUYA*
YU: "Whoa! So this is your family's café? Awesome!"
KANON: "Yeah, well, you followed me here..."
YU: *Giggle* "I kinda did, didn't I? Eheheh..."
What is with her?
KANON: "So, what are you doing? Why did you follow me? Are you here to tell me about how my dreams are pointless?
Are you here to yell at me and say I've made bad choices?
Because I've heard it all before, I don't need another lecture."
YU: "No, I'm not."
KANON: "Then why are you hovering around me like some mosquito. It's annoying."
YU: "Why does anyone come to a café? For a drink of course. I'm a customer!"
KANON: "I already banned your Club from coming here. So don't bother."
YU: "Aww..."
KANON: "...But, I guess you haven't been a member as long as the rest of them. And I barely know you.
So, fine, what would you like?"
YU: "Really? Thank you! I've been dying to try one of your famous hot chocolates!"
That's a relief. If this girl had some coffee, she looks like she'll bounce off the walls for hours. Considering how hyperactive she already is...
KANON: "Sure."
Reluctantly, I made her some hot chocolate. But I wasn't going to give her one of our trademark owl mugs. I threw it into a To-Go cup in the hopes she would leave.
But nope, she stayed seated.
KANON: "Here."
YU: "Thanks! *Sniff* *Sniff* Mmm, it smells delicious!"
KANON: "Yeah, well, enjoy..."
YU: "Oh! Um..."
KANON: "...What?"
YU: "Could you sit with me?"
KANON: "Why?"
YU: "I'd love to get a chance to sit and chat with you. You're Kanon Shibuya, after all!" *Giggle*
Okay, what's going on?
KANON: "Did he put you up to this?"
YU: "Hm? Who is he?"
KANON: "You know... Your cousin. The nepotistic Chairman. I bet he sent you here to spy on me, didn't he?"
YU: "Oh, Akihiko? Not at all, nobody has been able to contact him in three days."
KANON: "Huh?"
YU: "Yep, he's down pretty bad. After he said yes to Katsuo, he collapsed. Guy hasn't been at school or done anything. *Sip* Ooh! That's hot!"
KANON: "I see... Well, without him your group doesn't stand a chance. You should just give up."
YU: "Nope, not happening."
KANON: "Seriously? But it's pointless if they have nobody to lead them."
YU: "The Nijigasaki High School Idol Club isn't solely a group, Kanon. Each of those twelve girls is their own solo school idol.
Practicing without guidance isn't going to bother them, especially when they have each other to learn from."
KANON: "I don't get it... It's all pointless to me."
YU: "What is?"
KANON: "Solo school idols. I mean, are they really going to stand on a stage alone and sing?! Who will be there to back them up if they fail? Nobody!"
YU: "Exactly, which is why it's all or nothing when it comes to solo performances. Those girls are trained to thrive under 'All or Nothing' circumstances.
Which is why they don't fear the stakes at the School Idol Festival, they're used to it."
KANON: "..."
YU: "But are you?"
KANON: "I..."
YU: "Hm?"
KANON: *Sigh* "No, I'm not. In fact, it's under those circumstances where I fail the most.
Ever heard of Yuigaoka's Music Course?"
YU: "Have I ever! It's a revival of the famous Jinguu Music Academy's Music Course! It sounds so cool, I was thinking of choosing it when I came to Tokyo, but you have to audition before the school year begins. So it wasn't an option..."
KANON: "Back during my entrance auditions to Yuigaoka's Music Course, I had to stand alone and sing on stage.
I completely buckled and made a fool out of myself, like a deer in headlights I was terrified.
I failed."
YU: "Oh, I'm sorry."
KANON: "Don't be... I failed. If it wasn't for Keke convincing me to be a school idol, I would have quit singing altogether."
YU: "That would have been awful, you have an amazing singing voice, Kanon. It would be a loss to the world to see that go to waste!"
KANON: "...What is wrong with you?"
YU: "Eh?"
KANON: "Don't you get it? I'm a member of Liella! and Golden Calf's School Idol Division. That makes me your enemy. You're supposed to hate me, not compliment me!
I declared war on you, I put a bounty on your heads, YOUR FUTURE is on the line because of ME.
So why?! Why don't you hate me?!"
YU: *Giggle* "Because I'm your fan."
KANON: "...?!"
YU: "Liella! are an awesome group. I thought as a five you were good, but bringing in the four new girls made you great!"
KANON: "But... You're a member of Nijigasaki, so..."
YU: "So what? It's not against the law to like other schools' idols, is it?"
KANON: "No, but it's disrespectful."
YU: "How so?"
KANON: "It's like you're rooting against your own!"
YU: "Not really. I'll always support Nijigasaki above all. But what reason should I hate others?
This isn't a sport where you hate all the other teams, school idols are about coming together and dreaming together.
Being able to bring girls and boys from all kinds of different schools together out of their shared support for a certain group is something pretty magical in my eyes."
KANON: "..."
YU: "Do you hate everyone else, Kanon?"
KANON: "...Yes, of course I do."
YU: "Do you really? Or are you just telling yourself that?"
KANON: "Grr... Well, what choice do I have? If you're not with Golden Calf, you're against us. That's what Kami-P and Shiro-sensei taught me."
YU: "Sounds like you're putting your representation for Golden Calf above your position as a Yuigaoka school idol."
KANON: "How...How dare..."
YU: "Why? I'm right. I know you're under a lot of pressure, but you shouldn't forget the reason you're doing this in the first place.
You told Akihiko that you're doing this to keep the smiles on every Yuigaoka student's face, as a way to pay them back for their support.
So, why are you so concerned with what the executives at Golden Calf think?"
KANON: "Because I'm scared!"
YU: "?!"
KANON: "They... They own me. It's all in that contract. I don't want to disappoint Kami-P or Shiro-sensei... They get...very angry."
YU: "Kanon..."
KANON: "Look at my hair. I didn't cut it. I dyed it."
YU: "Then who cut it?"
KANON: "Shiro-sensei. Because I refused to do what she said."
YU: "That's awful... What kind of abusive training are they putting you through?!"
KANON: "I have to shoulder that burden. I can't show weakness because I'm their leader.
If a proud lion gets bitten by ants and responds in pain, what kind of message does that send to the rest of the pride?"
YU: "Um..."
KANON: "Weakness! It invites weakness, doubt, and apathy. That's why I have to be as ruthless as Shiro-sensei was, because she brought her unit success!
And I will do the same!"
YU: "But at what cost?"
KANON: "...Everything. Because I know if we fail, my teammates will lose everything.
So, I'll give up everything in place of them. Sure it makes me look bad, and I bet they hate me for it...
But I do it for them."
YU: "You know... You remind me a lot of Akihiko."
KANON: "Excuse me?!"
YU: "The two of you put your friends first above all. Even if it's at a cost to yourself."
KANON: "Our methods are very different..."
YU: "That only makes you two sides of the same coin."
KANON: "Shut up, I won't be compared to him. If he had just accepted Kami-P's offer in the first place, then we wouldn't have had to go through this!"
YU: "Ah, I see... So that's why. You blame Akihiko for Kamijou shifting his focus to you. You don't want to be at Golden Calf, do you?"
KANON: "...Sh-Shut up. You know nothing. You're not even a school idol."
YU: "I'm not. But I'm still human, and I can understand when a fellow human is suffering."
KANON: "But I'm not suff-"
YU: "I saw it in your eyes. You were crying, muttering to yourself. You're even crying now."
KANON: "...?!"
YU: "So, that's why I followed you here. You were in pain, and I didn't want to leave you to suffer alone."
KANON: "Stop... You're supposed to hate me..."
YU: "But I don't."
KANON: "..."
YU: "I saw how Kamijou was manipulating you. Telling you about how he would cut funding to your school, and target your families.
He's your real enemy."
KANON: "So, you really are here to lecture me about things I already know..."
YU: "No. I'm saying it because I care."
KANON: "When you said you were a fan of ours...did you really mean it?"
YU: "Of course!"
That smile... There's no hint of deception behind it. This girl really is as genuine as they come.
So, why did she end up being guided by someone like Akihiko Suzuki?
She deserves better...
KANON: "A-Anyway... Don't worry about paying for the drink."
YU: "Are you sure?"
KANON: "Yeah, it's on the house. Just on one condition..."
YU: "Oh?"
KANON: "Can you keep this meeting a secret from the rest of your Club?"
YU: "Sure. I know it would only cause trouble anyway if I told them. Especially with what's going on with Akihiko... I don't want to add to that."
KANON: "Thanks. Um... Would you mind coming here again sometime?"
YU: "Of course! I get to drink yummy hot chocolate, and I get to talk to a school idol as talented as you!"
KANON: "Eh?! U-Um... Thank you."
You can't just say things like that out loud... It's embarrassing...
Even so, I'd...like to get to know this girl a little better.