Right now, Merry is on her knees with her head down while an assistant that Miyako hired to keep Merry on her work, Yumera Tanaka is standing with her arm crossed in front of her.
"You want what, right now?" Merry could feels the disturbing aura around Yumera that's been taping her foots as if it was waiting for what Merry just said before.
So the thing is, Merry knows that she will has a very very limited time if she wants to go watching the B Komachi's group performance. Obviously, it definitely will disturbs the schedule of her own performance on the top stage later. But, she really wants to see it. She wants to see if they're doing just fine on the stage.
So she tried to ask a permission from the assistant that's been helping her most of the time and the one could be rely on. Guess what? She messed up instead. Yumera gives the most suspicious smile to Merry as soon as she heard what Merry's wanted.
"You want to watch your little sister group's performance that will be ended as when you're about to perform?" Asked Yumera. Merry trembles in her place and she's too scared to look up at the assistant's face.
"Y-Yes.. P-please?" Merry curses herself inside. She definitely asking for dead right now as Yumera lets out a heavy sigh which makes Merry flinches a little.
"You know that you still have to prepare yourself during that time?" Askes Yumera. Merry nodded slowly. Yumera somehow is getting more headache just by this.
Merry always make some non sense request even she knows it herself such as her hairstyle and the headphone. That thing is unique and of course it's very expensive cause this headphone shape isn't everywhere and needs someone to make it first. Yumera always asked why she wants that cone-shapped headphone when she can buys a normal one instead but the answer she gets is just a warm smile from Merry as if there is something related with her past.
Her hairstyle also unusual and she always put that style. At first, Yumera thought that Merry puts that type of hairstyle as one of her unique things in her performance but to Yumera's surprise, Merry puts that hairstyle almost everytime she went out.
That hair definitely defy gravity. How- How did Merry puts it on everytime she goes out? Did she always spray her hair in order to keep that long ear bunny style or what? Once again, the question left unanswered.
And now, Merry wants to go watching B-Komachi's group which also a group that yet to debate under Strawberry production, the same as what production Merry is. That group isn't debate yet but there are two recognizable peoples in it. Mem-Cho, a popular and cute streamer and Kana Arima, though she is not that popular nowadays but still she was famous before. The only unrecognizable one yet the face seems recognizable is Merry's little sister, Ruby Hoshino.
Okay, Yumera understands that Merry wants to show her support to Ruby but if Yumera allows it, Merry is gonna need to rush back quickly from star stage to changing room and then to top stage immediately. Maybe...if Merry be careful with her surrounding, keeps her appearance beautiful as is it...then Yumera might reconsider this.
Heck no. That's impossible. Merry has to keep her appearance hidden and there probably a lot of sweats if she runs to many place in short time..so her answer is....
"No." Yumera said it with clear tone. Merry looks up with surprised face even though she should expected this answer. She wants to argue back but Yumera pulls a stop hand on Merry's face.
"No is no. You can't and that is it." Said Yumera. She's not going to back down after the whole thinking. She even reconsider to allow Merry to watch the performance but it's totally gonna be disaster to catch up all the place on time. Yumera might be soft with Merry all the time, but there's a time when she needs to be strict with Merry.
Yumera walks away to prepare some stuff that's going to be needed for Merry later, leaving Merry freezes at her place with disappointed face on. She knew it for her own good.....but she still wants to go there and watch them. Why? Cause she feels a need to do so..she kinds of make a promise with Ruby to watch the performance.
Guess...She can't do anything. Ruby and the others might understand..Well, Merry did remind Aqua to record the whole performance for her just in case she can't get there.
~~~
There's still 20 minutes left before Merry's performance and Yumera is walking towards a room where Merry is in. Yumera can imagine how Merry's face will be, disappointed and sad. She huffed at the thought of seeing the trouble that will come but she's not regretting what decision she made. Guess she needs to cheer Merry up a little as soon as she sees Merry.
Knocking on the door, Yumera is waiting for someone to answer from inside but there's no one answering her. She tilts her head at the unusual silence. Is Merry that sad to the point she doesn't want to answer or see Yumera anymore?
"Merry?" Yumera knocks on the door once again but she still meets with the same silence. This is where she decided to open the door which surprisingly isn't locked. As much as Yumera understands how frustrated Merry is, she can't just kept acting like a child everytime the things isn't going her w-
...
"Merr-..." Yumera freeze at where she is standing right now. Her eyes quickly scans the room many times but can't found a person she's searching for. Yumera isn't seeing things wrong right? Sh-she must be entering the wrong room right now cause NO ONE IS RIGHT HERE!! MERRY?! WHERE IS SHE?!
Yumera double-check the room's number and she is infact entering the right room. She widely opens the room and still meets with the same empty room. Merry isn't hiding anywhere or something...
"You gotta be kidding me..." Yumera almost in her breaking point right now. Then, her phone starts vibrating and she takes a look at her phone. Someone is sending her message and the person who's sending the message is...MERRY, THE PERSON SHE'S DESPERATE SEARCHING FOR.
'Sorry for sneaking out. Will be back early. I promise ^^!'
That's the message Merry sends to Yumera who tightly holding her phone in anger, almost breaking the phone itself while gritting her teeth. A smoke starts to appear from Yumera's head. This is where her breaking point is.
"MERRY HOSHINO!!"
~~~
"I could feel that she's screaming my name..." Merry's body is shaking up a bit at the thought of Yumera's angry face. She is running to the star stage right now with three different color of lightsticks in her hands. She managed to grab it much more earlier during Ruby, Mem-Cho and Kana decided which will be their lightsticks color.
Alright, Merry knows that she is acting like a child right now. She realizes how small times she had yet she is being stubborn right now. Since when did she ever follow order before? She kinda surprised before that Yumera manages to keep her sanity and patience at everything Merry's doing. This time she admits that she might be too stubborn and deserve to be yelled at later.
Maybe it's because the bond that builds between Merry and Ruby after all those years being a blood related siblings from Dna but different soul inside. She wants to show her support to Ruby who is like a younger sister to her. So this is what it's like having a real sibling...
~~~
"Am I too late?" Merry pants heavily as she right now on outside where the star stage is. A big stage with group of girls on top and Ruby is waving and talking with the crowd for a bit. The crowd is still cheering and on fire though. Merry expected that yellow lightsticks would be almost what people holds in the crowd, but she didn't expect that the red lightsticks also pretty much around.
'They have another song to perform...I am not that late.' Thought Merry happily as she walks towards the crowd for empty and right place to cheer on the group. She holds those three lightsticks tightly while her expression and eyes are showing that she can't wait for the second performance. It won't take a long time...just a few minutes.
"NOW FOR THE SONGS YOU ARE WAITING FOR! SIGN WA B!!"
Oh..That song? The one where Merry start to look up on Ai before? She wonders how they gonna perform it...will it be the same as how the old B-Komachi? The old one definitely undefeatable as how Ai really shines through as how Merry remembers it.
The new B-Komachi gets to their stand with the light behind them starts to shade from light blue to pink in a second. The lights on the stage that is pointing to them makes it more colorful to watch. The group also look happy and smiling to the crowd like what Pieyon or Aqua told them during their practice...
Expect Kana's face seems darkened and doesn't stands out at all. The other two beside Kana are more standing out in Audience's perspective rather than the center itself. This is worrying.
'Kana...' All she could do just look at the stage with a concern feeling inside her rise. Is Kana nervous right now? Merry looks around the crowd once again and finally realized that not even a single white lightsticks is waving on the air like Yellow and Red. Is Kana feels like underappreciated?
Your Idol,
Your Idol sign is B!
They started as soon as the music is playing in the background. The audiences seems enjoying the performance alot probably cause Mem-Cho and Ruby are shinning and fills the excitement. Kana on the other hand is wearing a forced smile and looks around the crowd as if she's searching for something. Merry might be far from the stage but she could see the dull inside Kana's eyes.
Merry at here wants to enjoy the shine performance from B-Komachi that she's hoping coming from all the members. But seeing the situation, it's certainly not good at all. Should she rise the lightsticks more higher? Would it makes Kana feels better? What she should do in order to make Kana shines like the others?
"Merry." A familiar man's voice coming beside Merry. She turns her head to Aqua who has a towel on his neck is holding a camera and looking at her with his usual face. Merru blinks quite a few times to make sure what she's seeing right now is right.
"Give me that." Merry at first confused what does Aqua want but Aqua snatches those three lightsticks from Merry's hands before she could react to it and gives the camera to her instead. She looks at the camera on her hands carefully.
"Woah. You did record everything like I told you." Said Merry happily. Atleast, she manages to watch the performance before. She points the camera to the stage with her left hand and turns to Aqua who just stares at the stage with straight face. His face looks like he's thinking or planning somethings. Is it something involve Kana that's in trouble right now?
"What are you-" Before Merry could ask him something, Aqua all of sudden raise the white lightstick to the air like others which caught Merry off guard. The white lightstick indeed catches Kana's attention on the stage who surprised that there is someone waves the white lightstick.
Aqua probably can feels that Kana's staring and he......starts to dance with the same straight poker face he always put on for the past few years now. The dance that he's doing right now is the same like ten years ago when they were just six and watching some of the old B-Komachi perfom there. Of course, Ai indeed one of the members that went to perform there.
'WHAT THE-' Merry was too shocked at what she's seeing right now and it isn't just her cause Mem-Cho who firstime seeing it, surprised Aqua actually can did that. Ruby can't hold her laugh as soon as she's seeing the dance. Kana is trying her best to hold her laugh at seeing that scene.
Merry quickly adjust the camera and records Aqua doing the dance that definitely attracted some eyes. She's supposed to record the performance but this is once lifetime experience that she managed to catch and going to watch it repeatedly. This is...Golden. She indeed...gonna haunts Aqua with this forever.
Merry turns her gazes towards the stage and Kana seems much more lighten up then Merry had seen since she's got here. The worry feelings that was there before quickly disappear, replacing with excitement. It's pretty surprising though that they don't break their dance after seeing Aqua's dance that keeps going and going. Merry sync with the crowd by raise her left hand that isn't holding a camera on the air with a wide grin on her face. Whether they noticed her or Aqua's dance is much more attracting isn't a problem for Merry.
Your Idol,
Merry's eyes becomes wide a little at noticing some familiar things coming from Kana. The feeling...That day feeling...
Sign is B! (Chu!)
A quick flash image of Ai just enter her mind for a second. Merry stares in amazement once again so does Aqua. They look the same in some kind of unexplainable way. Is it the way they dance or posing? Is it their eyes that seems to be shining as if calling everyone to look at them? Merry doesn't know either...but...she always get some kind of goosebumps at this.
Without her realizing, the crowd start to raise white lightsticks more after that as if they also get the same amazement as Merry is. The performance is slowly coming to the end to Merry's liking. She wishes that she gets here more earlier to be honest but then...it doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy this either. Infact, it did really hit her expectation.
The beat and music comes to an end with B Komachi posing on the stage as the music stops and pants heavily. They don't move a bit for, trying to take in all the cheering from the crowd for a moment. Merry smiles proudly at them and stops the recording after thinking it's already enough. She looks at the videos to make sure the quality is to her liking but then hearing someone pants beside her. She turns towards Aqua with full of sweats and looks like about to collapse anytime.
"You did a good job, Aqua!" Said Merry while giving a thumbs up with a hint of holding her laugh. Aqua just looks down as if he's thinking back about something for a moment and Merry just let him be. B Komachi is waving at everyone while voicing their happiness and excitement. Maybe...Merry kinda worrying too much.
Her phone starts to ring all of sudden. With a confusion, she pulls out the phone from pocket and seeing who is calling her in the moment. It's Yumera? What's she calling her for right-
Ah. Oh. WAIT A MINUTE-
"OH MY GOD!!" Merry screams at the screen after a realization hits her very hard. SHE ALSO HAS HER OWN PERFORMANCE!! She partially pulls her hair right now in shocked. Aqua looks at her weirdly and was about to mention about Merry's performance before Merry threw the camera to Aqua in hurries. Aqua was caught off guard but luckily, he manages to catch the camera. Before he starts to question something, Merry who's feeling several emotions right now cuts him to it.
"AH!! I FORGOT!! I HAVE TO GO NOW!! MEET YOU AT THERE WITH EVERYONE!!" Is Merry last words as she quickly tries to get out from the crowd and clicking the phone to call Yumera. She fucked up right now. As she gets out from the crowd, she actually accidentally bumps on someone. A peach haired girl in black clothes with a glass on her hand. Merry can't thinking or doing something right now so she immediately apologies by saying that she's in hurry. She runs away without even atleast helping the person...but then again, that's not her concerns right now.
"YUMERA-" Merry is trying to talk loudly while trying to catch her breath and running at the same time. But, Yumera on the other line is more angry than she first founds about Merry's sneaking out.
"MERRY HOSHINO!! WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!" The scream hurts Merry's ear a little bit but it's pretty much understandable.
"I AM SO SORRY! I AM GOING TO BE QUICKLY AS I CAN RIGHT NOW!" Said Merry as she tries to carefully not hit a person or something that are in her way. Luckily, there isn't really much people around considering the other stages also has one more group or artist to perform.
"YOU PROMISED-" A heavy sigh can be heard on the phone. Merry feels more sorry than ever. It's her fault entirely. "You better be quick. The styler and dresser are preparing they need for you. Come to the dressing room that near the stage." Said Yumera with much more calmer voice. Understanding it, Merry said that alright and close the call. She becomes more faster and can focus better in running now.
~~
"YUMERA!" The voice shocked Yumera and the other stylers there. As they turn their gazes towards the door, Merry is standing with a pants and full of sweats considering she never stops running until she gets at the dressing room.
"Merry!" Yumera grabs a towel that she puts on the sofa and runs towards Merry who's still catching her breath.
"Yume-" Merry was about to look up but oh God... That's a really wrong thing to do cause all she sees is Yumera's red face with an eye-closed smile and some kind of burning aura behind her.
"You're lucky we don't have much time left right now." Said Yumera with a voice that's clearly holding back her anger. Merry feels grateful right now the fact that she's not getting yelled off....yet.
Yumera grabs Merry's right hand and dragging her to the makeup table. Merry sits on the seat that's there and the styler immediately doing her work.
"The group just before us also late doing their performance too so we had sometimes to get you dressed up and everything." Said Yumera as she looks at the clock on her hands. Merry gives a slight nod at hearing that. "I see." Is what Merry respond to Yumera.
Yumera puts her right hand on Merry's left shoulder with a smile that can be seen on the mirror. "You better give your all tonight." Said Yumera with full of hope. Merry becomes more determine and a smirk appears on her face.
"I will."
~~~
While Merry's dressing up, the B-Komachi before also finished dressing up and wearing their comfort clothes that they brought. Walking out of the building, Ruby and Mem-Cho seem like still have energy left inside them while Kana clearly looks tired with everything.
"What are you guys even eating?" Asked Kana tiredly as she looks around her surrounding, searching for someone and her eyes laid on Aqua that stands not too far from them.
"A-Aqua?" The name makes Ruby and Mem-Cho also turn to where Kana looks at. They immediately approach
Aqua who zones out, watching the view of somewhere else.
"Aqua! What was that face you make while dancing?!" Said Ruby as she could not hold her laugh anymore while slapping Aqua's back.
"I can't believe I would see Aqu-tan dancing like that.." Said Mem-Cho, still in disbelief with what she just saw before. Aqua just turns away and avoid looking at them. Kana also doesn't say anything as she looks down at the ground.
"Where is Merry?" Said Ruby as she looks around to search for the said person. She mentioned that she saw Merry from the stage before same as Mem-Cho.
"You forgot she also has a performance too?" Asked Aqua as he walks away, leaving the group got hit by realization.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! HURRY UP!" Yelled Ruby as she starts to walk much more faster than everyone. Since Merry come to her performance even though it's on second song, she also will watch Merry's performance no matter what.
~~
Entering the venue where the main stage is, Ruby, Mem-Cho and even Kana gasp at how big the room even there are lots of seat everywhere unlike the star stage that is just a small space and not even a seat was prepared at there. There also lots more peoples than they thought it will be. Some people that are here just want to stay to watch the next performer while most of them know who will be next.
"I know Merry is famous, but I never thought that there will be this many people.." Said Mem-Cho as she looks around and can't get enough at how many people start to fill in. Ruby also amazed on how Merry could pull this much people..Maybe.. Current B-Komachi also could do it....one day.
"We should sit here!" Said Ruby excitedly while pointing at empty seats that are in the middle row. The others just follow what Ruby wants. Ruby and Mem-Cho sit in between while Aqua on Ruby's right side and Kana on Mem-Cho's left side. It was intentionally....or probably not!
"I can't wait to see her performance!" Said Ruby as she keeps looking on the stage, eager to see Merry walks on the stage. Kana turns to Ruby with question face.
"You two never see her perform before?" Asked Kana. Ruby's mouth shut completely while blinking many times. Aqua also starts to look at somewhere else instead. Kana sighed at seeing the reaction of those siblings. Merry is their own sibling but they themselves never went to look at her performance.
"I did hear about people talking about her performance being unforgettable experience and wonderful." Said Kana as she looks at the stage back. Mem-Cho perks up at hearing that and she also agrees with what Kana said as she had heard about it too.
Aqua also seems pretty surprised at hearing that for the first time. He did know about Merry a bit...but never in detail. Does it mean he will witness it today?
"Really..." Right after Ruby was impressed at hearing that, the lights inside the venue completely shut which startled Ruby at first but she was excited after knowing what about to start.
• • •
'Here we go..' A girl with a bended black headphone and her usual two long ear bunny hair walks on the stage with a slight nervous feeling inside her that she's been trying to ignore. The only thing she could hear right now as she walks to middle of the stage are her steps.
Found the right place to stand on, Merry slowly opens her eyes and it's pretty understandable if she doesn't see anything in front of her but she knows...she knows that there are lots of people in front of her right now. Adjusting her mic on that a bit, she got into her position. Left hand on the headphone and right hand on the air. A nostalgia feelings get inside her as she remembers a familiar situation like this.
'Let me borrow your soul for a while...' Is her last thought as she closes both of her eyes, ready to sing and start the performance.
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Alright..I want to make their performance in one chapter but the words got more than I expected. Guess it's kind of a perfect cliffhanger 🥰.
(Found any grammar mistake? Just point it out and I will fix it cause again..I never reread my own chapter)