The brand headquarters of 'Floral Wonderland' was a rustic cottage on the outskirts of Kirumi City. Due to its location, visiting there was not simply a day's task, as travel from the academy to the city limits took roughly three hours; longer if there was traffic – and there was always traffic. In addition to this, the cottage was not directly accessible by vehicle with visitors needing to hike to the cottage on foot which took at least an hour but due to the summer heat, breaks were always required. As a result, travelling to and from the cottage took almost a whole day so Hana generally would spend the night there and return the next day, something the academy allowed so long as she was under Saaya's supervision. And, because of the nature of the 'Unit Cup' and intensity of their training, they granted her and Akira permission to stay there for a few days for bonding and rehearsal.
"Why would Saaya build her brand headquarters all the way out here?" Akira complained as she sat on a rock for a quick rest. Thankfully the path from where the car dropped them off to the actual cottage was shrouded by thick green trees. But still, the density of the forest track didn't help prevent the temperature from reaching anyone who braved it.
"The cottage was apparently cheap to rent, being so far out here but also it provides a great atmosphere for inspiration," Hana explained. Handing Akira a full bottle of water to gulp down.
Hana had told Akira how intense the journey was, but Akira never truly considered it was anything quite like she was experiencing. The two girls wore their track uniform with all their other belongings secured in backpacks that they carried with them. Though the weight only added to the difficulty.
"How are you not dying?" Akira asked, noticing Hana still standing proudly, despite the weight of her backpack. Her face certainly glistened with sweat, but she was handling it much better than Akira.
"Well, having walked this path multiple times has been great endurance training," she explained. It was no doubt that at the beginning of her time at the academy, Hana lacked the endurance as her fellow first-years; getting tired easily and winded after a few laps of the track field. However, it was apparent to not just Akira but everyone else that once Hana became a brand muse, she had become much stronger athletically, able to endure more and push her limits significantly, rivalling even Miyuki's sporting ability.
"This is crazy," Akira gasped, completely exhausted from the hour-long walk. "We're never going to make it!"
"Yes, we can, just look," Hana pointed out. The path they were walking was lined with a safety fence made of wooden planks and rope to prevent visitors from getting lost. A sign stood out from one of these planks, revealing a map of the entire track. Akira examined it to see a picture of the cottage and a line stretching from it to the entrance. An arrow with the words titled 'You are here! So close! Good Luck!', signified they were roughly 500 metres away from their destination. "Come on, that's just another couple minutes of walking, you can do it!" she encouraged. Hana scooped up Akira's backpack that she dropped on the ground and wore it on her front side, balancing out the weight her own backpack caused. Akira couldn't help but admire Hana's determination to carry her weight in an attempt to make Akira's journey easier. Despite this act of generosity, Akira rejected it.
"I don't need you to do that, if you can do it; I can do it!" she informed, grabbing her backpack off Hana and hoisting it over her shoulders. With a quick deep breath and a refreshing slap to her cheeks, Akira continued along the track as Hana walked alongside her.
Finally, after a couple of minutes of walking, the thick forestation began to separate with a bright light before them.
"Come on," Hana shouted with excitement, racing towards it. Akira followed, running with all her might until she stood before the spectacle of nature.
The cottage was unlike she had imagined, thinking it would be some sort of rundown rustic mess surrounded by wild nature. But instead, Akira saw a magnificent building ahead of her. The cottage definitely was inspired by traditional rustic cottages, but this building was much more elaborate. For starters it was a three-storey cottage with the first level having gorgeous cobblestone pillars holding up the higher levels. Large glass windows allowed all the natural light inside. Surrounding the building was a field of healthy flowers and plants while off to the west, a large natural pond with a spring stretching further into the forest.
"This place looks like a luxury retreat, how is the rent cheap?" Akira asked, bewildered by the beautiful details.
"Well it's pretty isolated from everything, that's probably a contributing factor but it also didn't always look like this. Saaya and I worked really hard to get the gardens looking so nice and the pond clean."
"Wait, you did all of the landscaping? Wait, of course you did," Akira sighed. Suddenly, a voice called out from the cottage porch.
"Hana! Akira! You made it!"
"Hi Saaya!" Hana called out. The two idols approached the cottage as Saaya greeted them halfway. She was wearing a dainty olive coloured sundress with a wide brimmed sunhat. Her auburn hair was tied in a neat plait that rested over her shoulder and her green eyes hid behind her sunglasses.
"How was the walk? Did you beat your personal record?" she joked, to which Hana laughed.
"No not today, Akira and I took it slow, it was her first time after all." Akira blushed out of embarrassment, although the redness in her face from the heat made it hard to distinguish.
"Honestly Saaya, why would you build your brand headquarters so far out in the middle of nowhere?" she asked, finally starting to return to her normal breathing rate.
"This is exactly what I wanted when I came up with the idea for this brand; a homey feel surrounded by the boundless beauty of nature," she giggled. "When I first met Hana and knew I wanted to design for her, I wanted to build something that inspired me like she did. I found this place online and after coming here, trekking through that long path and finally emerging in this clearing, I could see its potential. I knew this is what I wanted." Akira turned to examine the whole environment, admitting that despite what it took to get there, the view was worth it. "But anyways, you two must be tired, come inside and use the amenities to freshen up, we can talk after that."
"Come on, I'll show you around," Hana said, escorting Akira inside the cottage. The main entryway had a stairway leading up to the next level of the cottage whereas to the right was a communal area with a desk with the brand logo carved into it. "The first level is primarily the brand building, down that hall is Saaya's design room and a conference room for investors and guests. There are some other facilities too such as a room for photoshoots and a rehearsal studio. Saaya said we could use it to practice for the competition."
Hana then escorted Akira up the stairway which had a homier feel than the business level. The main landing was a dining room with a kitchen in the corner, overlooking the field of flowers. Opposite the kitchen and dining area was an open floor living room with soft white couches and a large television mounted above a fireplace.
"I swear this is a lodge and not a business," Akira commented. Hana continued to take her down the corridors of the second floor. They passed a bookshelf wall until they reached the end where two doors opposed each other with the wall joining them looking out to the pond. Hana opened one of the doors to reveal a rustic and comfortable guest room, with a queen-sized bed with a lemon coloured blanket, fresh flowers by the end tables and built in closet.
"This is your room," Hana said. "Mine's the one across from it." Akira placed her backpack at the base of the bed and examined the room. She had never seen a place with such a unique charm, still baffled that the cottage was both a home and a brand building. "Through that door is a bathroom, Saaya said she organised a towel and some toiletries to be available," Hana explained.
"Thanks, but I brought my own," Akira explained, now unpacking her backpack.
"Ok then, well feel free to have a shower and freshen up. Saaya and I are going to be downstairs working on our next design, feel free to join us." Hana left the room, leaving Akira alone.
"I can't believe it," she sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. She reached into the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out her phone. Despite them being so far out from the city, the cell service wasn't too terrible; it was strong enough for Akira to check IdolStar. "I guess I should hurry up." She grabbed a pile of clothes and entered the bathroom, enamoured by it's cute and dainty wood furnishings. After spending a few minutes cleaning, herself of the sweat and dirt from the walk, she got dressed and headed downstairs to meet Saaya and Hana.
----
The brand creator and muse were in the middle of a meeting when Akira entered. Saaya was sitting at a table with piles of documents and forms, scribbling notes down whilst Hana was doing something similarly next to her.
"Please excuse me," Akira said as she sat down at the end of the table.
"Oh Akira, thanks for joining us, would you like a cup of tea?" Saaya asked, taking the moment to address her guest.
"No thank you, but is everything ok? That's a lot of paperwork, are those all designs?" she asked, commenting how the documents nearly obscured her vision of the two girls.
"No these are our brand analytics," she confirmed.
"Analytics?"
"Basically, a result of how our brand is performing on the market and is being received." On the wall, Akira could see several trend graphs and polls posted on cork boards. All of these displayed data from financial stability, to reception from the public and more.
"We're really lucky that people have been accepting our brand and like our ideas, but we've got to constantly be aware of our trajectory or we'll fall behind," Hana explained. Akira knew that a brand muse played a more active role in the proceedings of a brand but had no idea Hana dealt with this side of the brand.
"But don't you have other employees? Staff to help you out with this sort of stuff?"
"Even though this is exactly where I wanted the brand's base of operations to be and how I want it to look like, not many people want to have to trek all the way out here," Saaya informed.
"That's why Saaya hasn't designed a Premium Rare coord yet, it's because she's too busy doing everything by herself to run the brand, that she doesn't get that much time to design," Hana elaborated.
"But thanks to Hana, we're able to tackle this work together, and get a lot of it done."
"Wow, I had no idea," Akira muttered. "Um, can I help in any way?" Hana stopped what she as doing, looking at Akira strangely.
"You really want to help?" a tone of disbelief in her question.
"What? Am I not allowed to?"
"No, no, um, come here," she said, motioning Akira over. "I'm currently going through a marketing strategy, Saaya's correlated data of interest in our brand based on age."
"Ok..." Akira said, not sure what Hana was asking of her.
"Well, it shows that the age demographic of children from the ages of seven up to fifteen are our most popular demographic, so I figured if we came up with a marketing plan to appeal to them, we can increase their support."
"I get it, so pretty much you need a promotional campaign that appeals to that age range?"
"Exactly, do you think you could help out?" Akira gave a sly smirk, grabbing a stack of paper and writing down her ideas.
"Watch me!" A fierce wave of determination washed over Akira as she began sketching her ideas. After a few hours of group work, the three hard workers managed to get through all of their work.
"Wow Akira, that sounds like a great idea, I think that would really appeal to that demographic. And your ideas for the other age groups are fantastic as well, we could really implement them later on," Saaya complimented.
"Wow, thanks. Ms. Hitoru never really listens to my ideas, so it's nice to feel like I'm helping out," she responded.
"Oh, I don't think that's true. I think Yvonne likes your ideas, I just think she has a unique way of showing it," Saaya added. "Well thanks to both of your help, we managed to get all of this work done much earlier than expected, I could probably get back to finishing that design."
"Thanks so much for your help Akira," Hana said. Her words caused Akira to blush, but they weren't enough to break through her stubborn exterior.
"It was nothing, but we should probably practice for the 'Unit Cup' now or we'll never have a chance at winning."
"Right, why don't you two go and use the rehearsal room, I'll return to my designs for a while. I'll come get you when it's time for dinner," Saaya said.
"Thanks Saaya," Hana responded, getting up and escorting Akira to the rehearsal room down the hall.
The design of the room bore similarities to the practice rooms back at the academy, only much smaller in scale. Instead of a mounted stereo system, there was a lone speaker system on a table by the mirror wall.
"I was thinking, what song do you want to perform?" Hana asked as she tied her hair back into a ponytail.
"We need to do something different, something with style," Akira explained, adjusting her clothes to suit dancing. Hana began to scroll through her phone's music library, listening to the songs that they could perform.
The next song that played had a funky electric beat to it with an EDM synth to it, giving it a fun dancing vibe.
"'Party on the Dance Floor'? What do you think?" Hana asked, allowing the song to play in full. Akira closed her eyes as she listened to the intricacies of the song, nodding her head to the beat.
"This will be good."
The two girls began coming up with choreography for the song, trying to find fun dance moves to compliment the sound of the song. Akira took control of the choreography, whilst Hana followed her instructions.
"Hana, listen to the counts, you're a beat too slow," Akira said.
"Sorry," Hana apologised, doing her best to remedy her mistake.
"You're too stiff, you've got to be more fluid with your movements, like this."
"Is this right?"
"No, do what I'm doing!"
"Ok, I think I've got it."
"Now, let's practice the chorus. No, No, STOP!" Akira shouted. "You're a mirror, you're meant to be doing the opposite of my choreography, not the same."
"Sorry, I was so used to following you, I forgot."
"You can't forget, you need to get it together." Their exchange was halted as the door to the room opened.
"Is everything ok? I heard shouting," Saaya said as she entered the room.
"Everything's fine, we're just practicing," Akira insisted.
"It didn't sound like practicing, more like fighting." Hana and Akira looked at each other before shifting their attention back to Saaya.
"No, it was um, my fault, I was making the mistakes. Akira was just correcting me," Hana explained, trying to convince not just Saaya but herself that was the truth.
"Ok, well then dinner is ready if you two would like some."
----
"This is delicious Saaya, I didn't know you were such a good cook," Akira complimented as she slurped on the soup.
"Oh, thank you, but Hana gave me some pointers her first night here," Saaya giggled. "My first meal was a mess compared to now."
"That's not true, you just needed some pointers and needed to learn that there is such a thing as too much salt," Hana laughed. Suddenly, Hana's phone began to ring from her pocket. "Oh, excuse me, who could that be?" She pulled her phone out and examined the caller ID. "It's my dad, excuse me, I should take this outside." Hana leapt from her chair and exited onto the balcony next to the staircase. "Hello? Dad? How are you?"
"So, Akira, do you like it here?" Saaya asked as she continued to stir her soup.
"It's not at all like I imagined, it's nothing compared to my brand."
"This is a little unconventional, but Hana and I find it fun," she giggled.
"Don't you feel overwhelmed though? Having to do almost everything yourself without any help?"
"I won't deny it, a little extra help would be nice, but I think we're doing just fine." Akira took another sip of her soup as she stared out the window of the balcony, noticing Hana laughing on the phone. Saaya took notice of it too.
"You can tell me what's wrong, I won't judge."
"Huh? What makes you think something is wrong?"
"That scowl on your face, it hasn't stopped since you got here. I can tell you're not happy."
"That's not true, I just have a lot on my mind."
"I see," Saaya sighed. "I'm sorry that you're having a hard time. But, there's no need to take it out on her."
"I-I'm not—"
"You're a terrible liar, so is Hana. I heard the way you spoke to her, that wasn't two friends having a friendly disagreement, you two were fighting."
"So, what if we were fighting? Friends fight from time to time."
"Not like that." Before Akira could retaliate, Hana re-entered the room, Akira and Saaya catching the end of her conversation.
"I can't wait to see you again; tell Grandmother I love her more than a million roses. I love you Dad, good night." Hana hung up, returning to the table. "Sorry about that, he's always busy with work, so I take any chance I can to talk to him."
"How is Rentaro doing? And Ikue? She's handling the shop well?"
"Grandmother's the same as always, running the shop with an iron fist. Dad did say he had some business meeting in Kirumi in a couple of weeks, he's going to try and see if he can come visit me at the academy."
"That sounds lovely," Saaya smiled. In the midst of their conversation, Akira went silent, her blonde hair covering her eyes, casting a shadow. She swiftly rose from her seat and headed towards her room, slamming the door behind her. Hana noticed her bowl of soup had barely been touched. She exhaled disappointingly, stirring her soup.
"I don't know what to do," she sniffled, clearly all the emotions finally getting to her.
"Hana, what is going on between you two? Why are you fighting?"
"I don't know! I don't know what I did to make her hate me, but anytime I try to make it better or do what she says; she always gets angry."
"Don't say that; she doesn't hate you."
"Well then why is she treating me like this? We're supposed to be partners. How are we supposed to participate in the 'Unit Cup' when we can't even speak to each other?" Hana pushed her soup bowl away from her, storming off to her room, leaving Saaya by herself to think.
----
It was pitch black in Akira's room by the time she opened her eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep at all, tossing and turning ever since she stormed to her room after dinner. She slowly rose, sitting upright in the bed, her long blonde hair flowing freely. A yawn escaped her mouth as she rubbed her eyes in the darkness.
"What time is it?" she asked herself, feeling around for her phone she left by the end table. Eventually, her fingertips felt the plastic case of her phone and as she raised it to her face, the screen lit up. The brightness of the screen cut through the dark, forcing Akira to squint to endure it. She managed to make out the displayed time; two o'clock in the morning. Unable to return to sleep, she hopped up from the bed, putting on a pair of slippers she brought with her and leaving her room. Not wanting to turn the lights on and wake everyone else up, Akira used the flash on her phone to light the way. Her head turned to notice Hana's door shut tight, no light emanating from it. "She must be asleep," Akira noted.
As she made her way to the kitchen, hoping to get a glass of water to help her relax, a muffled sound could be heard. It was faint but distinguishable; a strong bass.
"What's that?" she asked, now curious as to why anyone would be playing music this early. Following the sound of the music, Akira found herself downstairs back on the brand level of the cottage. Despite the homey feeling to the building, being alone in the dark sent shivers up Akira's spine as she used the light of her phone to guide her to her destination. As she peered down the corridor, one of the rooms had light pouring out from under the door. It was apparent this was also where the source of the music was coming from. "That's the rehearsal room isn't it?" she remarked, remembering the positioning of the rooms when she was shown around. Akira pressed her ear firmly to the door, now able to identify the music more clearly; it was the backing track to 'Party on the Dance Floor' – the song Akira and Hana had chosen to perform for the competition.
Akira gently turned the handle, carefully as to not reveal her presence and slowly opened the door a crack, just wide enough for her to peer inside but still remain hidden. She was shocked to see Hana, practicing intensely the routine that Akira created.
"What is she doing?" Akira whispered. She watched for minutes as Hana continued to practice the moves one after another, performing the routine from start to finish again and again.
"No, it's still not good enough," Hana would complain every while and begin anew.
"She works incredibly hard, doesn't she?" a voice startled Akira. She quickly shut the door, hoping Hana wouldn't notice and turned to face the voice; it was Saaya.
"Saaya? You scared me," Akira commented, flashing the light onto Saaya, now dressed in a cute baby blue nightgown. "What are you doing?"
"I could ask you the same thing, last time I checked; I lived here," Saaya joked. She hit a switch next to the wall which turned the lights to the corridor on. "I see you noticed Hana's practice," Saaya commented.
"Why is she practicing this late?"
"She always practices whenever she can. Hana knows she's not as experienced as other idols in the industry and she does whatever she can to catch up. She's always practicing late at the academy and whenever she comes here, I find her practicing all the time; she doesn't want to fall behind."
"She never said anything," Akira muttered.
"Hana's very kind but she's also fragile, I think she never told anyone because she's afraid everyone would judge her for being so far behind."
"Is this supposed to make me feel bad?" Akira asked, her voice now shaking with emotion. "Am I supposed to feel sorry that I overlooked all this and never noticed, that I've been wrong this entire time. This just proves my point."
"Akira, you need to calm down," Saaya attempted to comfort.
"No! If anything, spending all of this time with Hana has just proven to me how perfect of an idol she is and how I'll never live up to that!"
"A-Akira?!" a concerned voice uttered. Akira had gotten so worked up; she hadn't noticed Hana standing in the door frame. "Is that how you really feel?" Akira's eyes swelled with tears of embarrassment as she turned around racing out of the cottage into the garden. "Akira, wait!" Hana called out, chasing after her friend.
Hana exited onto the cottage patio, examining the environment to find where Akira ran off to. The crescent moon hung in the sky, the only source of light. The night breeze wafted her way, sending a faint chill up her spine, causing her hair to stand on end.
"Akira!" she called out, her voice echoing in the darkness. She removed her phone from her pocket and began calling Akira's number. "Akira, please pick up," she begged, but it went straight to voicemail. However, down by the side of the house, Hana could make out a strange shape by the bank of the pond. As she squinted her eyes, trying to see through the darkness, something akin to long, flowing hair caught in the wind, grabbed her attention.
She raced to the bank of the pond, using her phone as a light source so she wouldn't trip on the uneven terrain. As she got closer, the object became much clearer; it was indeed Akira. She sat by the water's edge; her face buried in her hands.
"Akira?" Hana called out calmly.
"Leave me alone Hana!" she returned, her voice shaking and distressed.
"Akira, please talk to me," Hana begged again, getting closer to her friend.
"No, just go away!" Hana took a deep breath, clenching her fists and planting her feet in the ground.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" she screamed, her voice reverberating around the space. Akira's head raised up and turned to face Hana, no darkness could obscure the emotion on both of their faces. "I won't let you act like this anymore! You are going to tell me what is wrong!" Hana ordered. Akira had never heard Hana's voice this way before; intense, shaky and raw with emotion.
"You want to know what's wrong?" Akira asked, her tone shifting. She rose from the ground turning to face Hana. "You want to know what my problem is? My problem is you!" Hana winced as Akira's words came barrelling towards her. It was if Akira was firing bullets of hatred at her, and no matter what she did, Hana couldn't escape their trajectory.
"Why? What have I done?"
"You don't even realise it do you? You're perfect Hana. You came into the academy with no experience. You earned the praise and admiration of the top idol without even trying. You barely have to study, and you get amazing grades. You're the muse of a brand with a designer that wants to exclusively design for you. Everyone loves you; even Ms. Hitoru who hates everyone, wants to hear your opinion!" Akira screamed, her face bright red as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry you feel—"
"Stop being sorry! Even as I'm here, screaming to your face, you have the kindness to feel sorry for me. Why? You have everything Hana! You have friends who will always choose your side, rivals who take you seriously and a family that loves you!"
"What?" Hana couldn't believe the words leaving Akira's lips, her true feelings being revealed. "What do you mean 'a family—"
"It doesn't matter. I don't have any of that, and when I look at you, all I feel is frustrated and I-I" Akira couldn't continue on, falling to the ground in tears as she hugged herself, trying to comfort herself but she couldn't keep it together. Hana had never seen her friend like this before and hearing how she truly felt; there was only one thing she needed to do.
"Akira..."
----
Time froze as Hana embraced Akira on the ground. Her arms wrapped tightly around her friend, hoping her hug was reassuring her friend.
"Hana?!" Akira uttered, completely surprised by what was happening.
"Don't tell me to leave you alone! Don't tell me to let go! I'm not going to let go. We're going to stay here and you're going to listen to me." Akira couldn't see Hana's face as it rested over her shoulder, but she could hear the emotion in Hana's voice and the tears trickling down her face onto Akira's ankles. "I'm so sorry. If I had known this was how you felt, I should have said something. I should have noticed. Instead, I let this stir within you, I allowed you to feel this way because I was scared of hurting you. Who would have thought I was already doing that?"
"Hana, I-I—"
"Don't speak, just listen," Hana pulled away from the hug, bracing Akira's shoulders and staring her in the eyes. "You need to know that I will always be on your side, I will always support you no matter what. Even when you feel like you have no one in the world; I will always be in your corner. I will always be cheering you on. How you are feeling isn't your fault. If I had said something sooner, if I had just forced you to talk to me; we could have resolved all of this sooner." Hana brushed the tears running down Akira's face away. "I am so sorry."
"Stop apologising; I let all of this happen. I shouldn't have ever taken my anger out on you, it wasn't fair. How could you know what was going on? I bottled it all up so much that I couldn't face my feelings. Instead of facing my own problems, I took them all out on you. I wouldn't be surprised if you never wanted to see me again," Akira lowered her head in shame, her eyes squeezing out more tears.
"That will never happen. I might not understand everything that's hurting you, and you might not be ready to talk about it, but I will always be there to listen. You will always be my friend."
"Hana..." Akira buried her face in her friend's chest as she continued to cry out. The two girls sat on the ground by the water, Hana gently hushing Akira as she stroked her head, assuring her she would be ok.
Eventually, after a while, the tears stopped, and Akira was able to pull herself away from her friend's embrace. She stared at the moon softly floating in the ocean of stars.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you everything; I'm not ready."
"That's ok," Hana comforted, moving next to Akira and patting her on the back. "You can talk to me when you're ready." She tilted her head to rest on Akira's shoulder as they stared onto the rippling water. "Do you think we'll be able to perform the Special Appeal?" Hana asked, doubt filling her mind. Akira exhaled slowly, before standing up. She reached down to extend a hand to Hana.
"I think we're going to win!" Hana grabbed Akira's hand firmly and stood by her side as the night breeze surrounded them. "We're going to do this; together!"
"Yay..." a faint voice could be heard from the distance. Hana quickly turned around to spot a figure hiding behind some shrubs.
"Is that you Saaya?" Saaya's head popped up from behind the foliage, her position revealed.
"I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I had to make sure you two were ok," she said approaching them.
"Thanks, Saaya, I'm sorry for my behaviour," Akira apologised.
"Don't be, I'm just glad you two are friends again."
"We never weren't," Akira smiled, embracing Hana in a hug.
"Well, how about we all go to bed before the sun rises in a couple of hours, I'm sure there's a lot to do in preparation for the 'Unit Cup'."
"Yeah!" the two idols declared before all three girls returned to the cottage, resting up for an intense day of practice.
----
The second day at the cottage brought revitalised energy to everyone. Akira and Hana woke up and joined Saaya for a healthy breakfast before they decided to start their morning with an intense exercise. Hana couldn't believe Akira wanted to walk the forest track and back but was still determined to match her partner's spirit. Whilst the two idols were off pushing their limits, Saaya remained at the cottage working on her current design, putting the final touches on her newest Rare coord.
Despite her energy and devotion, Akira soon became aware the hike was a mistake upon realising once they reached the end, she would have to turn back. Hana cheered for her the whole way as they chanted to overcome their exhaustion.
"Aikatsu! Aikatsu!"
Once they made it back to the cottage, and Akira recovered the feeling in her legs; the girls hit dance practice. They spent the whole afternoon practicing the choreography until they could execute it blindfolded without bumping into one another. Once their choreography was mastered, the girls began practicing the lyrics of the song; finding the right timing and arranging who would sing which verses. By the time the sun had fallen, they were completely exhausted; it was a miracle they could even move.
"Girls, it's time for dinner," Saaya called out. Both idols raced upstairs and assisted with the cooking, with Akira on vegetables, Saaya on the meat and Hana overseeing the whole operation. Eventually, they had a splendid dish of stew awaiting them. The smell of perfectly cooked beef slowly cooked in a broth of succulent juices made their mouths water. Akira's decision to cook the vegetable separately resulted in a side dish of crunchy broccoli, perfectly steamed beans and soft carrots.
As everyone sat at the table, digging into their meals, they revealed how their day went, with Saaya revealing she was nearly finished with her coord.
"That's amazing Saaya, I can't wait to see it!" Hana smiled as she shovelled food in her mouth.
"I'll make sure it's ready before you leave tomorrow," she insisted. "Oh, have you two also come up with a name for your unit yet?" Akira stopped eating upon realising it was the one thing they had forgotten to do.
"I can't believe we forgot to give us a name, with everything going on, it slipped my mind."
"Me too, I don't have any ideas," Hana admitted after swallowing a serving of vegetables.
"Don't worry, you have a few more days, right? I'm sure the perfect name will come to you," Saaya insisted. The night ended with the girls doing the dishes whilst Saaya returned to her design room to finalise the details of her outfit. Hana and Akira sat on the couches in the living room, the warm fireplace crackling opposite them.
"What should we call ourselves?" Akira asked, staring at the intricate movement of the fire. Hana was on her phone, scrolling through IdolStar.
"I'm not sure, but it seems like all the other idols at the academy have figured theirs out," she explained, noting the reveals of unit details on students' pages.
"Any news from Tori and Miyuki?"
"No, they seemed to be working hard when we left though, so I'm sure they're going to be prepared."
"Yeah, they're our main rivals amongst the first-years, but also they're our friends so they're going to be tough opponents." Akira sighed as she leant over and stoked the fire. "Remind me when we get back that I have to apologise to them as well, and to Claire, and to the teachers too."
"Sure," Hana giggled. "But trust me, they'll understand, and they will forgive you."
"Thanks. Hey what's that?" Akira pointed out a collection of rocks on the mantle of the fireplace all scattered neatly.
"Oh, apparently they were a gift Saaya received from a fellow designer. They're pretty aren't they," Hana explained. The collection of rocks were made up of variety of colourful stones and geodes, some of which Akira was familiar with.
"That's a Pyrite and that's an Amethyst, wow look at them sparkle. What's this one again?" she asked pointing at a soft pink crystal in the centre of the others. "I'm sure I've seen it before."
"I don't know but it's really pretty, I like its colour," Hana remarked. The crystal had a soft almost pale pink colour and didn't sparkle as brightly at the others but still stood out for its beauty and unique hue.
"Girls, you should probably go to bed, you'll want to get up early so you can make it back to the academy on time," Saaya said, entering the floor from the staircase.
"Right, thanks Saaya, good night!" Akira responded. She quickly separated the wood in the fire with the stoker and after spritzing the flames with some water, the fire subsided. Both Hana and Akira returned to their rooms for the night, with Akira's mind still fixated on the pink rock. There was something about it that clung to her mind, she quickly pulled out her smartphone, typing in a few keywords on the device's search engine until she got the information she needed.
"That's perfect."
----
Akira woke up the next morning to Hana knocking on her door. The magenta haired idol greeted her friend with a smile as she helped Akira pack for the journey back to Top Star Academy.
Saaya had prepared a morning breakfast to give all the energy they needed and after scoffing it down and helping with the clean-up, the girls were ready to begin their trek back to meet the car at the entrance.
"Thank you so much, Saaya for everything," Akira said bowing in appreciation.
"No need to be so formal Akira," she insisted, reaching towards the idol for a friendly hug. "I'm just glad everything worked out for you two, I'm sure you guys will blow everyone away."
"Will you come and watch?" Hana asked with excitement.
"Of course, after all I want to see you shine on the stage in this." Saaya handed Hana a set of four Aikatsu cards that sparkled brilliantly in the morning summer sun.
"Whoa, you finished it," Hana marvelled, examining the radiance of the cards.
"Yep, behold the 'Fresh Garden Coord', I hope wearing it will give you the power to win," Saaya smiled.
"Thank you, Saaya. I'll wear it with pride," Hana insisted, reaching in for a hug of her own.
"Ok then, we better head back, the journey back to the main entrance will be long, but if we leave now, we could probably get there before the driver arrives," Akira explained.
*beep*beep*
The sound of a car horn so close to the main cottage caught Akira off guard.
"Sorry, I must be so excited to get there, I'm hearing things. I swear I just heard a car horn." Suddenly, from around the corner of the cottage, a familiar person appeared.
"Good morning ladies, I hope you enjoyed your stay here. Are you ready to return to the academy?" the driver asked.
"Wait what? How are you here? Did you walk the forest path too?" Akira asked in complete disbelief.
"I'm sorry, whatever do you mean? I used the driveway."
"The driveway? What driveway?" Akira raced around the side of the cottage to see the academy issued vehicle parked in an open stone driveway, with a path stretching down to the main road. "Do you mean to tell me, there was a driveway here the whole time?! And we could have used that instead of that excruciating forest hike?!" she asked, her voiced raised with anger.
"Haha, well um, technically we could have taken the driveway, but I thought the scenic route was a better idea," Hana explained, hiding behind the driver for protection.
"Hana. I am going to kill you," Akira muttered before chasing after her friend.
"AHH! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please forgive me!" she begged as she tried to outrun Akira.
"Um, should we interfere, last time I dropped those two off I was sure they would actually hurt each other," the driver commented.
"Oh, it's fine," Saaya giggled. "They're only playing around. At least I think so."
After a while of chasing, Akira and Hana hopped into the car and they waved goodbye as Saaya wished them farewell from the cottage porch. The car pulled out of the driveway before landing back on the main road heading back into the city.
"Oh Hana, by the way, look at this," Akira said, pulling out her phone. "I looked into that crystal from last night, the pink one."
"Oh yeah, what did you find?"
"Well I finally remembered what its name was, and I found this too; its meaning." Akira passed the phone to Hana so she could read the excerpt about what the stone symbolised.
"Aww, that's lovely, but why did you want to show me?"
"Well I was thinking this could be our unit name. What do you think?" Hana went silent before blushing as a wide smile formed on her face.
"I think that's a great idea."
----
Once the girls returned to the academy, practice for the 'Unit Cup' intensified with Akira and Hana giving it their all in their practice classes. Akira's apologies to her friends were also accepted unconditionally with Tori forgiving her and Miyuki squeezing her tight, happy she was back to normal.
Eventually, the four friends declared their rivalry and Hana and Akira couldn't help but recognise Tori and Miyuki had also improved in their abilities as idols and as a unit; the actual competition would be far more intense than they could have imagined.
----
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Top Star Academy 'Unit Cup'!" Headmaster Kokomoi declared to the stadium full of fans. The whole space erupted in applause with the seats on the ground comprised of fans and members of the general public and the balcony seats reserved for students watching the performances.
The event was happening at Kirumi City's biggest stadium; Celestial Arena, this place would also be the home of the 'Grand Prix' in March. Hana and her friends sat in their balcony seats as the presentation was underway.
"In this competition, two students of the same grade have been placed together in a unit and their goal is to perform a magnificent stage for you." The crowd cheered wildly, excited at the prospect of seeing their favourite idols team up together to dazzle them. "But it won't be that simple. Our units have also been tasked with performing the dual Special Appeal: 'Starlight Spectacle', for you all. Should they succeed and receive the highest score based on appeal rating and fan votes, three units, one from each grade will each be awarded ribbon charms tomorrow after the final performance and become one step closer to our 'Top Star Grand Prix' taking place in March." The audience awed at the information before them, even the students who were aware of the rules applauded excitedly for their headmaster. "However, this is still a competition and there are high stakes. What are they you ask? Should the unit fail to have harmony and not perform 'Starlight Spectacle', then both unit partners will lose any and all ribbon charms they have currently acquired."
Hana gulped from her seat, she knew the stakes, but it was still hard to admit that should they fail, all their hard work up to now would be for nothing.
"But without further ado, let's reveal the setlist and see what order our students will be performing in," Shun declared. He raised his hand to the large screen behind him and suddenly, students' photos began appearing on screen alongside their partner. Hana and Akira's eyes quickly darted to the bottom of the list where their photos were, revealing they would be the last to perform today. "There you have it folks, today's list of students has been decided, but don't worry – the students that missed out today will get their chance to shine tomorrow."
"Could all the units revealed please follow me?" a production assistant called from the balcony entrance.
"Good luck," Tori wished.
"We'll be cheering for you!" Miyuki insisted.
"Thanks girls," Hana and Miyuki said before following the swarm of students heading backstage to prepare.
All the units dazzled the crowd and surprised everyone as they all successfully performed the desired appeal. The crowd's hype never seemed to falter as each unit that appeared on stage, continued to impress.
"Wasn't that last stage amazing?" Shun asked the crowd as he began to introduce the next unit. "Please welcome to the stage to introduce themselves Dana Soramiki and Yukiko Shiyakana. The crowd cheered as the two idols came onto the stage.
"Oh, she looks so nervous," Hana said, watching the show from backstage on the provided screen. There were still a few units filling the backstage space and they were all watching the other idols perform. However, everyone could tell that one of the idols in the unit currently on stage was anxious.
"Hi, I'm Dana and this is Yukiko and we are Sunny Skies! And we're going to give you one heck of a show!" Dana had short spiky blonde hair and exuded an incredible layer of confidence, hence why she did most of the talking, however the girl standing by her side, Yukiko, couldn't have been any more different. The idol on long silky white hair that she wore in a side ponytail. Her soft icy blue eyes were lowered as she held her hands close to her face, almost in an attempt to hide.
Eventually, the two idols returned backstage where they changed into their coords and appeared in a transformed space, ready to perform. Their stage went well, to everyone's surprise the shy Yukiko had a beautiful and melodic voice that was incredibly powerful and clear. However, when it came time to perform the appeal, everything went wrong.
The two idols attempt to execute the appeal resulted in an explosion of light and suddenly the stage illusion shattered, something Akira and Hana were both familiar with.
"Oh no," Hana cried out, realising what had actually happened. The other idol units shared a similar look of shock and pity as the two idols on stage came to understand they had failed.
"No, no, no!" Dana cried out, running off stage begging the faculty to let her try again. "Please, she was a terrible partner, let me try again with someone else," her voice echoed throughout the stadium. The crowd went silent as Yukiko stood alone on the stage, a spotlight illuminating her failure. The young idol's eyes swelled with tears as she buried her face in her hands. Setsuna quickly rushed onto the stage, hugging and comforting her as she escorted her away.
"That's horrible," Akira whispered, completely shocked that what they witnessed was reality and not some nightmare.
"That poor girl."
"She's a first-year, isn't she?"
"I really hope that doesn't happen to us." All the remaining idols backstage had their confidence shaken after seeing that happen and unfortunately, many idol units did not succeed. All of them losing their ribbon charms instantly in the process. Hana and Akira witnessed a heated exchange between a third-year unit who failed. From what they gathered, both girls only needed one more charm each to qualify for the 'Grand Prix' and now they were back to square one.
"I can't believe so many units failed," Hana said, her tone of disbelief reaching Akira.
"I know, but we've been through so much to give up now, we can do this!" she encouraged.
"Hey, you two," a voice called out. It was familiar to both of the girls and their eyes widened with happiness as they saw a cheering face approach them.
"Claire, you're here?" Hana asked, surprised her busy schedule would let her find the time to make an appearance.
"Of course, this is an academy event and while I'm not competing, I wouldn't miss it for the world." She brushed her long caramel hair behind her ear as she looked at the two idols standing together. "I'm glad you two were able to get through your problems."
"Yes, thank you so much for your advice, if it wasn't for you, we might not even be here right now," Akira said, to which Claire politely giggled.
"I don't believe that, I think eventually you two would have found a way on your own, I just gave you a friendly nudge that's all. Besides, as the Top Idol of the academy, it's my responsibility to look out for everyone. I may not always be there, but I'll do everything I can to help guide you."
"Thank you, Claire, we really appreciate it," Hana said, her words of encouragement putting her nerves at ease.
"Don't worry, I know you two will be great. I can't wait to see your performance; I should return to my seat. Good luck!" she said before quickly retuning back to her special reserved seat amongst the remaining faculty.
"To think, one day we could be just like her," Hana marvelled.
"And our next step starts today!" Akira declared, embracing Hana in a comforting hug.
----
Meanwhile, back on stage the headmaster addressed the audience once again.
"Well, today's events have certainly been surprising, and we've reached the end of the day with our final unit, please welcome to the stage; Akira Toyaku and Hana Tachibana!" The crowd cheered as the girls came onto the stage, stepping into the spotlights next to the headmaster.
"Thank you, headmaster," Akira said. "My name is Akira—"
"And I am Hana, thank you for allowing us to perform today." Both girls bowed to the audience as they received their cheers.
"YEAH! WOOHOO! THOSE ARE MY FRIENDS!" an energetic voice called out from the balcony. A spotlight quickly shone in that direction to reveal Tori and Miyuki.
"Why is everyone looking at me? It was her this time!" Miyuki called out, pointing at Tori. Tori blushed, raising her hand revealing it was indeed her with the cheer.
"Sorry, I just got excited," she called out, sinking back in her chair.
"Thanks girls," Hana giggled as her and Akira continued on with their introduction.
"In the week leading up this competition, Hana and I were not getting along, in fact we were barely speaking; we were fighting," Akira explained to the crowd's surprise and horror. "I was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and I took my anger out on Hana, and that was wrong of me."
"Akira and I spent the last week together, seeing each other in our own environment and how the other worked as an idol and it was an eye-opening experience," Hana added. "It took this perspective for us to realise exactly what was going on."
"We were putting so much pressure on ourselves that we finally just exploded and ended up screaming at each other in front of a lake so late at night."
"Technically it was a pond, and was very early morning," Hana interrupted, amending her friend's statement.
"Right, but once we were done, we realised where we went wrong and why we her having our falling out and after reassuring our friendship, we were determined to succeed." The crowd applauded their statements, happy to see the two girls standing side by side as friends.
"After we practiced really hard, Akira noticed this stone that had a really pretty pink colour to it."
"I remembered it from somewhere, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so I did my research; it was a rose quartz."
"The rose quartz represents unconditional love, friendship and kindness. It is regarded as the stone of universal love," Hana explained.
"The rose quartz restores trust and harmony in relationships, and we feel that best represents us!" Akira added.
"I am Hana Tachibana –
"And I am Akira Toyaku –
"And we are Rose Quartz!" The crowd cheered with excitement as Hana and Akira bowed towards the audience before returning backstage to the dressing rooms.
Before the doors, Hana and Akira examined their newly acquired coords they received on their journey to repair their friendship.
Akira held the 'Stylish Club Coord' in her hands, her eyes sparkling as the lilac material captured her attention and silver accessories sparkled. Whilst Hana's new 'Fresh Garden Coord' made her heart happy as its soft teal dress was adorned with beautiful pink and white flowers.
The girls squeezed each other's hand tight as they prepared to enter the dressing room and perform together as a unit.
"Together with trust and friendship, feel our love! We are Rose Quartz!"
The two girls raced into their respective dressing rooms, excited to meet one another on stage. After entering the mystical dimension where their coords came to life, they struck a final pose before entering to the main stage.
The 'Thrilling Dance Floor Stage' materialised thanks to the ASI technology. The stage was a sexy-type dance stage with a unique design. The space became a dark environment with an electronic dance floor of various colours flashing. Two screens appeared on either side of the stage with one flashing the words 'Party on the Dance Floor' and the other baring Akira and Hana's names as well as their unit name. A much larger screen sat higher up in the centre with a platform in front of it, however this screen was blank. Suddenly, the crowd who appeared on the other side of the dance floor on their own platforms of flashing colours, cheered as two portals of light appeared with the idols of Rose Quartz emerging.
Akira Toyaku wore her 'Stylish Club Coord' with confidence. The white dress with the glittering lilac fabric over the top of it sparkled, despite the dark stage. Her silver shoes with jewel studs clicked as she got into her starting position. She wore a group of silver bracelets on one arm whilst on the other a pearl bracelet and matching lilac fabric worn in a bow. On both hands she wore stylish silver rings. Around her neck was ribbon choker like the one on her arm and a drop silver necklace with diamond shaped jewels. Her accessory card had created a fancy silver studded headpiece which looked similar to vintage headbands however it complimented the outfit well, matching her earrings.
Akira smiled as she turned her head to her partner Hana.
Hana Tachibana graced the stage in her new 'Fresh Garden Coord' which really emphasised her cute-typing. The top of the coord was a teal bodice with sheer white fabric covering her collar and arms. A sash of pink and white flowers wrapped around her body as similar flowers functioned as bracelets on both arms, an arm band and necklace. Her skirt was a matching teal colour with a white petticoat ruffling underneath. Strings of white pearls covered the skirt with roses of a similar colour to the other flowers were intricately placed. As for shoes, Hana wore open-toe white sandals with pink ribbons wrapping around her feet and ankles and clusters of lowers spiralling up her legs. Prominently displayed in her magenta hair was a thick and lush flower crown made of white, pink and green flowers with lush foliage as well.
Hana waved at the crowd before giving Akira a confirmed look, signifying she was ready.
The fast bass of the music began, and Akira and Hana quickly raised their hands to the sky, twirling and blowing kisses to the audience. As the electronic synth was introduced, bright flashy steps began to appear from the platform, stretching all the way down to the dance floor. Akira and Hana took the steps closest to each of them and as they stepped in rhythm to the music, the large blank screen suddenly had bright audio bars appear in time to the music. As they interacted with each other from the steps, the girls eventually reached the dance floor where the music quietened and two spotlights shone on the girls as they began to sing.
As they danced together, each idol's individual aura manifested, but unlike the last time they performed together; the pansies that Hana emanated, and the gems Akira created overlapped and appeared to dance with one another as if they were one aura.
As the girls performed side by side, the stage began to change, lighting up to reveal the intricate design. The stage had now become a vibrant dance club with colorful strobing lights and fog machines.
The girls' excitement and passion to perform with one another caused another strange effect to occur. Their individual auras shattered into sparkles until a new aura manifested. The girls now found themselves surrounded by a dome of crystal roses in various hues of pink and purple with a ring of pearls surrounding them. Their individual pink and purple glows also transformed into a unified blend of both glows. This was their Unit Aura, and not planning for it to appear, the crowd still went wild, giving the girls the confidence to continue.
Both idols knew it was time to attempt their Special Appeal, they felt the encouragement of the crowd and their connection in their hearts. As the music continued, both girls joined together and became consumed in a light of pink and purple. Akira and Hana stood back to back as pillars of purple and pink light surrounded them respectively. They jumped into the air at the same time, spiralling around one another leaving trails of light and sparkles. The two lights shortly parted before uniting together. In an explosion of light, Hana and Akira appeared with their hands closest to each other intertwined. Hana had her other hand stretched out in a friendly manner whilst Akira formed her free hand into a snapping position. A cluster of white stars appeared around the girls with the accompaniment of fireworks.
This was 'Starlight Spectacle' and Akira and Hana executed it perfectly. Both idols had energetic expressions on their faces until the moment the appeal vanished, and they returned to finish the song.
The girls struck a final pose side by side, as the ASI returned the stage illusion back to reality. Both girls stood on stage panting rapidly as they realised, they had finished their performance. There was silence in the crowd until a unanimous cheer ripped through the quiet, with everyone on their feet.
"Did that just happen?" Akira asked.
"Did we?" Hana also looked shocked as she turned to Akira. Suddenly their portraits appeared on the screen behind them with the words 'PASS!'in glittering gold font.
"Hana, we did it!" Akira cheered wrapping her friend in an embrace on the stage, causing the crowd to cheer much wilder than before. Tears formed in the girl's eyes as they realised; they had succeeded. After everything they had been through, they managed to pull it off.
----
"Well, I'm sure we can all agree that the first day of the 'Top Star Academy Idol Cup' was full of surprises, shocks but most of all fantastic performances. Ladies and gentlemen, please can we have another round of applause for our fabulous students?" On stage, all the units that passed stood behind Shun, bowing to the praise of the crowd. Showing their good sportsmanship, the succeeding units also offered applause to the students in the wings who unfortunately failed. "But wait a minute folks, there's still one more day ahead of us, let's see what order our remaining students who missed out today will perform in for tomorrow's competition.
The screen lit up again, with the order made up of the remaining idol units now decided. From the balcony seats, Tori and Miyuki shared a focused gaze with the screen upon realising they would be the first to perform.
"Well, it has been decided! After today's performances, I hope the remaining units are ready!" Shun declared.
"I hope so too," Tori muttered, turning to Miyuki who returned a similar look of concern.
----
Next Chapter Synopsis:
Chapter 22: Escaping Perfection
"With Tori and Miyuki as the first unit to perform on the second day of the 'Unit Cup', the nerves are starting to get to them. In order to put their minds at ease, the girls recount their previous week together, reliving their own trials and tribulations that they needed to overcome. But what exactly did these two go through together?"
PS. Art is owned by me and drawn by ekidoki, if you want to use my art, you need my permission. Thank You