The next day, the president had called Nanami and Kato to meet in his office.
"What do you think the president wants, Kotone-chan?" Nanami asked her friend as the two of them walked towards the office.
"Who knows?" Kato replied bluntly.
When they arrived, Nanami knocked on the door and the two of them entered.
"Um... Did you call us?" She asked.
"Oh, I've been waiting for you, Miss Nanami, Miss Kato!" The president exclaimed before throwing away the brush and big paper to the ground.
Tsukimiya was there as well.
"I know it's soon, but Miss Nanami, you will compose a new song for STARISH." The president told her as he leaned closer.
"What?!" Nanami exclaimed in surprise whereas Kato was shocked.
"That's great. He's asking you to write a new song?" Tsukimiya asked with excitement.
"Write a song like 'Maji Love 1000%' that I'll want to listen to again and again." He said loudly and kinda begged for it.
"Okay. I'll try to write a song that will make listeners feel happy." Nanami replied with determination.
Songs that will make the listeners feel happy, huh? Shining thought as his shades flashed.
"Work hard, Haru-chan. You made those six into a single group. I'm sure you'll be able to write something amazing." Tsukimiya said as he walked towards them.
"Eh? Actually, I didn't come up with that song." Nanami said softly as she lowered her head.
Kato just side glanced at her friend.
"What do you mean?" Tsukimiya asked.
"I met a prince in my dreams who taught it to me." Nanami softly replied before she realized what she said and gasped.
"Never mind!"
"Haru-chan, you're such a romantic." Tsukimiya told her.
"But there are some pushy princes out there, so be careful. You too, Kotone-chan." He said, squinting his eyes.
"I can take care of myself, Tsukimiya-san." Kato said, deadpanned.
"Eh?"
"Two of you are the only girls in the dorm." He whispered to Nanami.
"I look forward to hearing your new song, Miss Nanami. Spin lots of songs that will turn the world upside down." said Shining.
"Okay."
Why am I here then. Kato thought with a deadpan look before leaving the office with Nanami. But she was stopped by the president.
"Miss Kato. Wait."
"Huh?"
"Kotone-chan?"
"You go ahead first, Haru. I'll catch up with you later." Kato told her before Nanami reluctantly left her friend.
"What do you need, President?"
"I want you to compose a song for QUARTET NIGHT." The president said calmly with his back facing her.
"Huh?"
"EH? Shining, you're asking her to compose for them?!" Tsukimiya exclaimed in shock.
"You have the potential and talent, Miss Kato. I expect something great from you. Make it as wonderful as 'POISON KISS'!" Shining told her as he spinned and stared at her, grinning.
"The one they performed yesterday, right? I don't understand, President. Why would you assign me as the seniors' composer?" Kato questioned. She was not ready for this.
"Enough of questions, Miss Kato. Now get to work and I have high expectations from you!"
"Eh..."
"Isn't that great, Kotone-chan?!" Tsukimiya exclaimed as he was excited for the girl.
"I guess..."
Well, I get to work with them...
"Great! Then off you go, Miss Kato!"
"Good luck, Kotone-chan!"
"Thanks..."
When Kato left the office, she let out a sigh that she was holding in.
"Do they know?"
Leaving that thought aside, she went to find her friend.
When she was outside the building, she not only saw Nanami and STARISH, but another person as well.
Ichinose and Hijirikawa seemed to be protecting Nanami from the stranger as the others had held onto him.
"What are you guys doing?"
When Kato had voiced out her thoughts, everyone turned towards her direction as she was walking towards the group.
And upon seeing the aquamarine girl, the stranger immediately left their grips and ran towards her.
"I finally get to see you, Princess." As soon as the stranger said that, he kneeled down and took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on it.
Screaming could be heard from the background.
The f***?
"Who are you?" Kato replied bluntly.
The stranger stood up as he held both of her hands and looked down slightly at her smaller figure while giving her a small smile.
"Meow."
When Kato heard the familiar sound, she widened her eyes.
"Oh my God. Is that you, Kuppuru? Did you seriously turn into a prince? Did you get a kiss from Haru?" Kato kept questioning but the stranger just chuckled and instead hugged the girl tightly.
"You finally took off your mask. I really like your face, Princess."
"Um, thank you? And can you stop calling me 'Princess'?" Kato told him but the stranger ignored her and kept hugging her tightly.
His voice though, it's really soothing...
And immediately, the guys did the same thing as they separated Kato and the stranger.
"Get your hands off of her!" Kurusu shouted at him.
"Eh~?" The male pouted which made the others even more angered.
Just then, they heard a familiar laugh.
Shining Saotome appeared behind Kato and everyone yelped in surprise except for Kato who sighed.
"President, since when were you here?!"
"Allow me to introduce you." The president said before jumping towards the stranger.
"His name is Aijima Cecil. He is the Prince of Agnapolis, the land of music. He's a real-life prince, he is."
"A prince?!" Ittoki gasped.
It's true!
"What is he doing here?!" Kurusu asked.
"I scouted him." The president said.
"What?" Everyone was shocked.
Suddenly, heavy wind blew and everyone covered themselves from the strong wind.
"That's right. Starting from today, Mr Aijima is a member of the Master Course, just like you." He said which made everyone even more confused.
"Boys and girls, play nicely together. I've got a meeting, so... Bye, bye, bye!" Shining told them before grabbing a rope and flew away with his helicopter.
"Cecil-san is joining the Master Course..." Nanami said softly.
"I told you... I'll be by your side from now on..." Aijima said, giving her a smile.
When everyone headed back inside the building, there was a tensed atmosphere around them as they sat at the lounge.
"Everyone, let's welcome our guest from the distant land. I even made my special, homemade cookies." Shinomiya told them.
Kato stared at the burnt cookies and sighed.
I really should teach Nat-chan how to bake...
However, everyone just ignored him.
"What's wrong, everyone?" Shinomiya asked the group.
"I'm surprised you can accept this so easily." Kurusu said, looking glazed. "Why do we have to welcome him, anyway?"
"What? Well, if Cecil-kun is going to be a member of the Master Course, we should try to be friends with him." Shinomiya replied but Kurusu just clicked his tongue.
"Let's introduce ourselves, I'm-" Before Shinomiya could finish, Aijima had cut him off.
"Shinomiya Natsuki."
"What?"
"Your hobby is cooking. You like tea and cookies."
"How do you know that?" Shinomiya asked, slightly surprised.
"Do you know Shinomiya-san?" Nanami turned towards him.
"No, but I can tell by looking at his eyes." Aijima answered.
"Your heart is warm and kind, like a sunny spot. Your warmth heals the hearts of those around you."
"I'm so pleased to hear you say that." Shinomiya thanked him.
"And someday, the darkness you keep locked away in your heart will disappear." Aijima continued.
He's definitely talking about Satsuki.
"How do you know so much about Natsuki?" Ittoki asked.
"I know a lot about you as well, Ittoki Otoya." Aijima stated.
"Me?"
"You treasure the smiles of others above all else."
"Their smiles?" Ittoki asked, confused.
"Your songs will surely continue to evolve." Aijima continued.
"S-seriously?!"
"You're just making things up." Kurusu said, not believing him at all.
"Kurusu Syo, your body may be small, but you are very athletic." Aijima started.
"D-don't call me small!" Kurusu shouted as he stood up from his seat.
"But it's true, Syo." Kato, who sat beside Ittoki, teased the male.
"Shut it, Kotone!"
"The contrast between your cute looks and masculine personality is your appeal."
"Syo-chan, isn't it great to be complimented?" Shinomiya smiled at his friend.
"However, your violent temperament causes conflict between others." Aijima said, giving a close-eye smile which made Kurusu grunted.
"He's right." Ittoki said in amazement.
"Who are you?" Hijirikawa asked.
"Hijirikawa Masato. You seem cool, calm and collected, but you hide a massive feeling on the verge of exploding yourself." Aijima said which made the male stare at him with mouth agape.
"What are you hiding?" Ichinose, who was sitting beside him, asked.
"Masa! You're hiding something from me?!" Kato gasped loudly at her childhood friend.
But Hijirikawa kept quiet and there was a slightly pink tint on his cheeks.
"Ichinose Tokiya. Songs are a mirror that reflect the heart. You are already heading towards the next stage." Aijima told him which surprised Ichinose.
"Well, well... You're like a fortune teller." Jinguji said, looking at Aijima.
"Jinguji Ren."
"Thanks, but I'll pass."
"Why not do it?" Hijirikawa said, his arms crossed. "Why not have him tell you your future too?"
"Soon, the chains in your heart will disappear. You will feel happy from the bottom of your heart." Aijima continues.
"This is amazing! You really understand us!" Ittoki exclaimed.
"Hey, wait! Don't tell me you believe this guy!" Kurusu shouted while pointing at Aijima.
"Um... Actually, when we had to choose partners for the graduation audition, Cecil-san was the one who advised me to choose all of you." Nanami said with a sullen look.
So I'm not the only one?
"Wh-what did you say?" Kurusu asked in surprise.
"Didn't you make the decision, Haru-chan? And wasn't it Koto-chan who gave you the suggestion as well?" Shinomiya asked.
"Then if not for him, STARISH would never have formed..." Ichinose said, which Nanami nodded.
"He's not just some weird foreign student." Ittoki said.
"He's the person who brought us together." Hijirikawa added.
"So please, have some faith in Cecil-san." Nanami said as she bowed to her friends.
"So, what are you going to do in the Master Course?" Kurusu asked as he furrowed his brows.
"Do you want to become an idol?" Ittoki questioned.
However, Aijima just calmly replied, "I'm not interested in becoming an idol."
"What?"
"I simply want to be with Haruka and Kotone." Aijima stated as he stood up from his seat. "I wish to combine my poetry with the music you created and sing." He said, leaning closer to Nanami.
"You want her to compose music and sing?" Hijirikawa asked.
"Is that the only reason you entered the Shining Agency?" Ichinose continued.
"Yes. The goddess of music, the muses, live in your music." Aijima replied, not once leaving Nanami's gaze.
"My family has been serving the muses for generations. Haruka's music guided me here. I am best suited to singing your songs." He said.
Everyone stared at him with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape except for Kato.
"You!"
"My princess, Haruka, I love you."
After the sudden confession, the guys immediately went shocked and pale.
"Huh? Wh-what?!"
"What?!"
"Is that all right, Haruka?" Aijima said, leaning closer to Nanami.
"You jerk!"
"No, no!"
All the guys immediately broke them apart while Kato just sighed and continued staring at the scene calmly.
"Wh-what are you doing?!" Aijima exclaimed as his shirt was being pulled by Hijirikawa, Ittoki and Kurusu. Jinguji and Ichinose on the other hand stood in front of Nanami protectively.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Kurusu shouted.
Just then, an unfamiliar voice was heard.
"Shut up, you fools. To speak so boldly of love in this Master Course... You are fools!"
A figure stood on the stairs gracefully after he said those as a cold breeze came blowing at them out of nowhere.
"I am the Count of the Silk Palace from the country of Permafrost!"
Ah. It's the other member of QUARTET NIGHT...
The male jumped from the stairs and started sliding through the floor as if he was ice skating.
"I am a knight in service of the queen! I am the idol of ancient and honorable origin, Camus!" The young man with long blonde hair introduced himself as he slid towards the group.
When the blue light disappeared, Kato gave a whistle after seeing such an entrance.
"First a prince, and now a count?" Kurusu said but flinched when the cane nearly hit him.
"Keep your mouth shut, fool." Camus said as he stared at Aijima.
"Are you Aijima? Be grateful. Starting today, I am assigned to you." Camus said coldly.
"Oh, right. Cecil has his own senior." Ittoki said.
"A senior... I have no need for one of those." Aijima said, as he closed his eyes. "I am not interested in becoming an idol."
"I do not understand why Saotome allowed you to enter the Master Course... But here, senior and junior relationships are absolute. You will respect me and study show business." Camus said, sounding superior. "Understood?"
However, Aijima just declined him. "No."
Camus glared before looking at Nanami for a second and smirk, "You seem to wish to sing this girl's songs. Do you really believe you can sing a professional's songs when you can't even grasp the fundamentals of being an idol?"
Aijima frowned as he heard his statement.
What am I doing here, seriously. Kato thought.
"An amateur like yourself cannot compare to a professional!" Camus said as he smirked in victory.
"That's not true." Aijima denied. "Because the muses smile on me, I can sing better than anyone else... Even better than the members of STARISH!" He declared.
"Better than us?"
"That's some confidence."
Camus gave a small smirk and said, "Very well. Come outside."
Outside, there were many cards on the ground and Camus had told them it was the president's special, idol training cards.
He told Aijima to compete with STARISH to show them how good he is.
Then, the rest of the QUARTET NIGHT members came as well which surprised them.
Mikaze then told them it was the training exercises for people who are new to the Master Course.
Camus told them they should begin with fundamentals instead of singing.
"Isn't there a better way to test our fundamentals?" Ichinose asked but was nudged by Kotobuki as he slightly punched his back.
"Don't worry about the small stuff!"
When Camus asked Aijima whether he was afraid, he just told them he would win and prove his love for Haruka in determination.
After STARISH accepted the challenge, Camus told Nanami to read the cards and handed her the deck of cards.
Meanwhile, Kato decided to walk towards the three QUARTET NIGHT members and stand with them, which they didn't seem to mind.
When the battle started, Kato ignored the whole game and decided to take this chance to get along with them.
"Rei-senpai, can I ask you something?"
"Hm? What is it, Kouhai-chan?" Kotobuki beamed at the girl.
"Um, first. Please don't call me that. Second, did the president say anything?" Kato asked.
"Shining-san? Ah! He did mention that we'll be having our composer of our own. Will that be you, Kouhai-chan?" Kotobuki said, smiling at the girl, totally ignoring the fact to stop calling her 'kouhai-chan'.
"Yes. I hope we can work together." Kato said, bowing at her three seniors.
"Sure thing! Yay! We get ourselves our own composer! Isn't that great, Ai-ai? Ran-ran?" Kotobuki exclaimed as he turned towards the other members.
"Sure."
"Why do we even need a composer?"
Mikaze and Kurosaki both replied.
"Ran-ran! Don't be so mean!" Kotobuki slightly scolded the silver hair male.
"You haven't heard my songs yet so I suppose you have some doubts with me. But I'll prove to you that I'll make you guys even more amazing than you are now, Ran-senpai." Kato said with determination.
"... Whatever."
"Ah. Am I allowed to call you 'Ran-senpai'?" Kato said, thinking that she was rude earlier.
"... You already called me that, didn't you? I can't force you to change it." Kurosaki calmly stated, which made the others stare at him with surprised looks.
"I'm sorry for calling you that without getting your permission first." Kato apologized as she bowed slightly.
" *sigh* Just stop apologizing."
"Okay."
Mikaza and Kotobuki just stared at the two interacting with each other.
They suddenly heard a scream and saw that Aijima had fallen into the pond from the tree.
He was struggling and was screaming for someone to save him but Kurusu just told him that his feet should be able to touch the ground.
And in fact, it really did.
Kotobuki started laughing and said, "That was great! You're awesome, newbie!"
"You're so mean, Rei-senpai." Kato gave him a deadpan look.
When Aijima had come out from the pond and saw a fish, he screamed and started running away, passing by Kato and the rest of QUARTET NIGHT.
"He's dropping out." Kurosaki said calmly with his eyes closed and arms crossed.
"Seriously? Why?!"
"According to my data, he comes from the desert. He doesn't like water or fish." Mikaze told Kotobuki.
"What?!"
Later in the evening, Nanami and STARISH were walking in the hallways whereas Kato and QUARTET NIGHT were walking behind them.
"Um, Camus-senpai?" Kato started.
"What is it?"
"Um..." Kato had no idea how to start a conversation with the cold-hearted count. It wasn't because she was shy, she was scared that she might fuel up more to her senior's anger.
"Starting today, Kouhai-chan will be our composer!" Kotobuki whispered-yelled, not wanting to let Nanami and STARISH hear him since Kato had told him to keep it a secret.
"I know." Camus replied calmly.
"Are you okay with it?" Kato asked.
"If that's what the president requested, I won't refuse."
"Ah. Okay then."
"Why are you so mean to her, Myu-myu?" Kotobuki pouted.
"It's alright, Rei-senpai." Kato said, giving her senior a reassuring smile.
"But..."
"It's okay."
"If you say so..."
Nanami and STARISH then found Aijima sleeping on one of the couches.
"Aijima!" Camus suddenly said. "First, you ran away, and now you're napping..."
"You're so noisy, Camus. And you're supposed to be a count. Don't make me laugh." Aijima said in his sleep.
Camus was even more angry at his statement.
"You... Unforgivable! Wake up!" He shouted as blue aura surrounded him. Kotobuki looked at him with a confused look while Mikaze, Kurosaki and Kato gave a deadpan look.
"Camus? Why are you shouting?" Aijima yawned as he sat up.
"Aijima!" Camus grabbed his collar before continuing, "I will pound some sense into that rotten head of yours! Come!"
Camus started dragging Aijima to who knows where.
"L-let go of me! What did I do? Camus!"
"Stop complaining!"
Later that night, when Kato was reading her book, she heard a knock on her window.
She went to open it and saw Aijima in a tracksuit on her balcony.
"Cecil? What are you doing here? Won't Camus-senpai be angry?" Kato questioned.
"I wanted to see you, my Princess." Aijima said as he walked closer to the girl.
"You do know that love is forbidden, right?" Kato said.
"I know... Camus told me that earlier. But I really want to sing your song, Kotone." Aijima told her.
"Didn't you want to sing Haru's?" Kato tilted her head.
"I want to sing yours as well! The songs you write makes me want to sing and dance along to it!" Aijima said pleadingly.
"Really?"
Aijima nodded.
"Well... I guess I can write you some songs..."
"Really?!" Aijima said with sparkling eyes.
"Yeah. I'll try my best." Kato smiled at him.
Under the moonlight, Aijima saw how beautiful Kato is as she smiled at him and couldn't help but to feel heat rushing up his cheeks.
He quickly looked away and decided to leave.
"Then, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, my princess." Cecil said without turning to look at her.
"Sure. Good night, Prince." Kato teased which made the male flushed.
Before the male could jump away, he was stopped by the girl.
"Cecil," The said man turned towards her.
"You'll be a great idol." Kato smiled at him.
Cecil didn't say anything and just jumped off the balcony.
If I didn't leave any sooner, I don't know what I will do... Cecil thought while covering his face with one of his hands.
-End of Chapter 12-