"Please, come back!"
"I refuse."
"Everyone is relying on you... I can't believe you'd betray them all."
The credits rolled, and Hinata closed the application. "They kept the line from the audition?" She asked, and Tsubaki nodded, wiping tears away from her eyes. Despite being one of the main actresses herself, and having read the script, even seeing Kira practise and perform it multiple times, she still found herself in tears every time. Not to mention the rain and soundtrack amplifying the entire scene's atmosphere.
Mai smiled. "I think it's an improvement. That's why you used it, right?" She asked.
"Ah, well... I may have forgotten my lines," Tsubaki admitted, "All I could think of was a countdown."
"You're welcome."
The three turned to Kotone, surprised by her sudden interjection. Up until now, she remained silent, not even commenting on the drama. Despite her tone of voice being completely deadpanned, as it always was, she appeared strangely smug.
"Was that your plan all along?!" Tsubaki asked, and Kotone nodded.
"It was a rather weak line, and the distraction had a 78% chance of success," she explained. "It also increased your chance of being chosen by 16.7%."
"That's not that high of a chance!"
"It was a success all the same," Kotone said. Tsubaki was tempted to press on, but in the end, she knew that'd be wasting everyone's time on a non-existent issue. She got up.
"I'm going on a run, anyone want to join me?"
"I will," Hinata said, also getting up. "I have an audition tomorrow, after all."
Kotone also got up, silently agreeing to go too. Tsubaki looked at Mai expectantly. Usually, she was the first to agree, excitedly exclaiming 'Let's Aikatsu!' or something along those lines. It was fair to imagine the same reaction this time too. However, she shook her head.
"I'd love too, but Shiraishi-san wanted to see me today. I don't think I have enough time before then... have fun, though!"
"Ehh? Who's going to stop Tsubaki nagging at me?" Hinata jokingly asked, pouting. She put on a more serious expression. "She wants to see you? Do you have an audition coming up or something?"
Mai shook her head. "My last one was yesterday, and I haven't signed up for any yet. I've not heard news of any event, either." Pastel Macaron was the brand Ai was the Top Designer of, and the one Mai had chosen to use as her primary brand. It only recently had its start at the end of May; not quite being big enough to hold entire showcases like Prism Tiara frequently had. Mai hadn't been specifically asked to perform anywhere either, and even if she had, she'd be the one contacting Ai. Not the other way around. Yet, despite the strange circumstances, Mai was optimistic. She had faith in Ai, after all.
Tsubaki waved. "Good luck, Mai!"
"Good luck to you too!"
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Mai walked into the cafe, smiling. It still had the same comforting, homely atmosphere as before, which greatly helped in putting her heart to ease. The building was filled with people conversing, and the sound of laughter. The wooden furniture and hand-made decorations helped add to the feeling too - Mai easily understood why Ai had decided to station her brand above it.
"Mai-chan!"
A familiar voice called out her name. Mai's eyes followed the direction of the voice, landing upon Ai. She was sat at a table, waving for the idol.
"Shiraishi-san!" Mai went over to the table, her smile radiant. Ai tapped the seat opposite her.
"Take a seat."
Mai did as asked. She quickly scanned the table; to her surprise, Ai hadn't brought her sketchbook, or cards. Ai offered her a cup of tea, which Mai gladly accepted.
"Thank you."
Ai smiled. "I'm sure you're wondering why I wanted to talk," she said, "I've been given the chance to hold an event for Pastel Macaron. A chance to show off our coords."
"Really? That's amazing!" Mai exclaimed. She had fallen in love with the brand on first sight, before it was even officially revealed... she wanted others to feel that kind of love, too. "I'll help with preparations, if you want!"
"Thank you for your kind offer - I'll be glad to take you on it," Ai said. She paused, drinking her own tea. "The event also comes with a stage. I was hoping you'd be able to perform, being the first idol to represent us."
Mai took a moment to process what she had been asked. Then, she nodded, smiling. "I'd be honoured! I wonder what coord I should wear..." She mentally ran through each of the Pastel Macaron coords she had obtained. Out of what she owned, a Rare coord would be ideal... so maybe the Whipped Dreams Coord? It was the first coord she had officially obtained from the brand after all.
"Ah, don't worry about that," Ai intercepted, taking Mai off guard. "I'll handle the coord. You can just focus on your training."
"O-oh. Okay." Mai supposed there was a lot of factors that probably played into the coord, such as the theme of the event. Maybe Ai had a new collection she wanted to show off... ultimately, it wasn't the end of the world. Maybe she wanted to show off a new collection! From looking into brands, she noticed they typically released collections towards the beginning of each season, and Autumn was fast approaching... Mai decided the chances of Ai using this event to promote her own Autumn collection were likely. She placed her trust in Ai. No matter what, she promised she'd work hard to make the show a success!
"The aim of the show is to find more customers," Ai explained, "I'm sure that much is obvious. It might be a good idea to widen our appeal somewhat..." her voice trailed off, somewhat hesitant.
"Widen our appeal?"
"Mhm. People like cute things, right?"
"Right." She really did like the cute elegance of Crystal Ribbon, and if social media was a reliable source, the public agreed.
"Then we should focus on that," Ai said, smiling. Mai nodded. It made enough sense to her, wanting to make the brand more desirable to others...
Ai explained the details to her, such as when and where the event would take place. Mai confirmed she'd be able to make it, then left, leaving Ai to go to the brand's actual office. She looked at her fabrics, trying to figure out the best choice. After discussing with other designers, they encouraged her that it was finally time. The brand was growing in popularity, especially after being featured in the New Stars Fashion Show. Even if she had her doubts, she'd never do it if she let that hold her back...
Ai was going to take a leap of faith and finally design a Premium Rare.
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"The brand's essence?"
Mai, Tsubaki and Hinata were in the courtyard, discussing the event. Despite the multiple meetings with Ai, something about the entire situation just wasn't sitting right with Mai.
Tsubaki nodded. "I don't exactly know how to explain it... it's like, the feeling you get whenever you look at the brand."
"When I see Exciting Topaz's coords, I feel excited! It's like whatever I do when wearing one will one-hundred-percent, absolutely, definitely be fun!' Hinata added, her eyes sparkling. Placing a finger to her lips, Mai narrowed her eyes.
"I guess... I think about how much love she puts into the brand. I promised her I'd show her a performance full of love."
"Then, that's it. Show your fans an event full of love," Tsubaki said, and Mai sighed.
"You're sure that's enough?" She wrung her wrist, delving into her own thoughts. Ai was taking care of most of the details, but Mai was still insistent on contributing her own ideas to the show. Ai encouraged it - 'an idol is just as important to the brand's identity as the designer' - so she didn't want to let her down! It was just... 'widening the brand's appeal' was harder than expected. She looked to Hina. "You planned a party before, right?"
Hinata had, in an attempt to prove herself as worthy of wearing Exciting Topaz, planned the birthday party of the Top Designer's daughter. It was a difficult process, but in the end, she found her own light and was gifted a Premium Rare: the Vivid Lemonade Coord. She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't parties and fan-meetings different from each other?"
"I know, but there are some similarities. Can't you give some kind of advice?"
"Well..." Hinata closed her eyes, running through the advice she learned during that experience. Admittedly, most of it took a backseat to the excitement of gaining a premium rare, but she still found one piece of advice helpful even now. "I guess, show them an event that radiates with your energy. You know?"
"She's right," Tsubaki said, quickly adding a for once under her breath. "Don't get too caught up in the small details, or you'll worry yourself sick. They're here to see the brand, not some crazy extravagant event."
Mai thought about this. Pastel Macaron was a brand known for its cosy, comfortable aura, something Mai had noticed multiple ti.es. The others were right, the kind of event she was envisioning wouldn't please anyone. The kind of feeling the brand gave off was the same as the small cafe it was situated above. "You're both right," she admitted, "Thank you. For helping me."
"Don't worry about it!" Hinata said. Then, she leaned in, "If you still need help though, I suppose I wouldn't mind~"
Tsubaki smirked. "What's this? Hinata's volunteering to do work?"
"It's not work if it's fun!"
"I'm pretty sure that isn't how it works," Tsubaki said, "But I'm not complaining. Count me in!"
Mai's mouth formed an 'o' shape; she leaned back slightly. Then, she smiled. "Well, if you're offering..."
Not long later, the three were in the school's kitchen.
"Shiraishi-san has been working so hard, even if she's nervous," Mai explained, tying her hair in a high ponytail, "So I want to do something in return! Maybe it'll give her the courage she needs."
"I guess that makes sense?" Hinata said, "Seems fun, at least."
Mai smiled. "Let's do this!"
The three got to work, and whilst Tsubaki and Hinata weren't entirely sure what they were doing, Mai was confident and in her zone. She gave the other two advice as they baked, such as the accuracy of their measurements or their speed.
Once they were finished, they exchanged smiles, pleased with the final product.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♡. * :☾ ° . ───
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♡. * :☾ ° . ───
Something was missing.
Ai wasn't sure what, but something was definitely, absolutely, decidedly missing. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much time she poured into this, it was yet to resemble something as special as a Premium Rare. Like this, nobody was going to give Pastel Macaron a second glance... maybe she wasn't cut out to be a designer.
There was a knock on the door.
"Excuse me."
Ai finally looked up, pulling herself out of her thoughts. That voice... Mai? She quickly threw a blanket over the design, still determined to keep it a surprise, then opened the door. Indeed, Mai was stood there, holding a small box. She gave an awkward smile.
"Sorry for coming unannounced, I just wanted to deliver something," Mai said. Then, she tilted her head, narrowing her eyes, clearly concentrating. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, thank you for asking." In truth, Ai had lost a lot of sleep recently, constantly thinking about the design, but she was not about to dump all her worries onto a twelve-year-old girl. Even when sleep-deprived, she still had dignity. Mai didn't seem convinced but didn't press on.
"The event is so soon, it's kind of exciting," Mai said.
"Have you been practising a lot?"
"Of course! I won't let you down." Mai smiled, then paused. "How about the venue decorations?"
"Still no progress." The two had previously decided it would be ideal to focus on the 'cute' aspect of the brand, with pink flowers and ribbons. It certainly was cute but felt... shallow? Similar to the work-in-progress Premium Rare, which made sense due to Ai wanting to give them similar themes.
"I figured," Mai admitted, "I think I have some ideas, though."
"You do?"
Mai held her free hand over her heart. "Pastel Macaron is a warm brand. It's full of love and hope. At least, that's what I feel whenever I see your designs."
Ai listened, curious as to where this was leading.
"I don't know how you're feeling. All I know is the venue lacks that warm feeling... which is my fault, too." She handed Ai the small box. "I think your fans would want the event to feel like a Pastel Macaron one, rather than one that could belong to any cute type brand."
Ai hadn't thought of it that way. She had been stressing so much over the best way to appeal to the masses, she hadn't even considered why people like Mai already loved the brand. She opened the box, revealing a strawberry shortcake.
"I thought it'd raise your energy since you've been working so hard," Mai explained. "Even if it's a bit silly since we're above a cafe."
Ai stayed silent. She... she really hadn't been putting her heart into the brand ever since she was offered the event space. She'd been so caught up in 'what's the most popular trends in fashion?' and 'how to become more popular?' and 'cutest clothing designs 2019' she hadn't stopped to think about why she started designing in the first place. Here, in front of her, was a cake. A small gesture, but one that meant a lot. Even such a small cake had so much love and time poured into it, in the hopes of raising Ai's spirits. The very same feeling founded Pastel Macaron, the hopes that her coords would bring a similar feeling.
That was what Pastel Macaron was all about.
"Shiraishi-san?"
Ai looked up from the cake, seeing the concern in Mai's eyes. "A-are you okay?"
Surprised by this question, Ai nodded. Then, she noticed. She was so touched, she hadn't even noticed tears were streaming down her face... how embarrassing, she thought. She smiled, wiping her own tears.
"Thank you, Mai."
"E-eh? D-do you hate it? I'm sorry..." She frantically apologised, not processing the genuinity of Ai's words.
"No, no, it's not like that at all! You helped me realise something important."
"I did?" She asked, "Are you sure you shouldn't be thanking Tsubaki and Hina-chan?"
"Pass my thanks onto them, but you deserve my thanks too. Thanks to you, and your love of the brand, I know what to do."
Mai was still confused, but she smiled anyway. "I'm glad."
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♡. * :☾ ° . ───
The event didn't take long to arrive. Mai was in the dressing room, mumbling to herself 'thank you for always supporting us' repeatedly.
Someone entered.
"Thank you for always supporting us!" Mai exclaimed out of habit, then turned to see who it was. Tsubaki was stood there, a confused look on her face, and Mai turned red.
"...You're welcome?" Tsubaki said.
"Sorry, I was practising how to talk to fans."
"Ah," Tsubaki said, understanding. "Maybe it's just me, but I don't think you need to practise? I'm sure they'll prefer if you're sincere."
"I'm plenty sincere!" Mai refuted, "I just want to be sure I won't mess up."
"In that case, good luck."
Mai smiled, appreciating the words of encouragement. "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to make it?"
"I have some free time before recording begins, and just happened to run across this place. I'll have to leave in a minute, but I'll be rooting for you nonetheless!"
"Thank you. I'll be rooting for you too!!"
Not long later, Tsubaki left, and the event started. The venue was much more 'Pastel Macaron' than just a few days prior, with a warmer colour palette and a more homely atmosphere. Small stalls were selling various homemade treats from Ai, Mai and other idols who wore the brand. As expected, there were many Normal and Rare coords on display, from both the Summer and upcoming Autumn collection. Someday, Mai hoped to wear them all.
Mai walked onto the stage. "Good afternoon, everyone! Thank you for coming here today. Please enjoy yourselves; I hope you feel all of the love put into the coords!"
With that, the event had officially started.
"Mai-chan!"
Mai had been aimlessly wandering around, watching everyone enjoy the event, when a small girl ran up to her, her presumably mother trailing behind. Although startled, Mai smiled, lowering herself to the girl's level so they could make eye contact. "Hello!"
The girl's face lit up. "Hello!" She responded back, "You're my favourite idol!"
Mai tried not to let her smile turn into shock. She was somebody's favourite idol?
Her mother shot Mai an appreciative smile, as the young girl handed her an autograph board. Mai took the signal, signing it - her signature was her forename in bubbly hiragana, with two hearts at the end. The first heart had a smiling face in it.
The girl took the board back, positively glowing. She gushed to her mum as they left, repeatedly saying 'Mai-chan gave me her autograph!' and excitedly squealing as her mother smiled. The adult quickly mouthed a 'thank you' to Mai before they were too far away. She was about to leave herself, when-
"You should ask her to take a photo with us!"
"What? Why me?"
"You're the confident one!"
"And it's your idea!"
Mai walked over, her smile bright. "Good afternoon."
"M-Mai-chan!" The first girl exclaimed, and the second one nudged her. The former blushed for a moment. "D-do... would you want to take a photo with us?"
"I'd be honoured!"
She went beside the two, and the first girl held out her phone. "One... two... Aikatsu!"
"Aikatsu!"
Once the photo was taken, the first girl looked at the photo, her smile radiating. "This will be my treasure from now on." Whilst the second girl was quiet, her similar smile suggested she felt the same way. Not too long ago, Mai would have reacted a similar way.
"Hey, Mai-chan?" The second girl asked, "This might be pushy, but I'm seeing the boy I like on Saturday. I want to wear a Pastel Macaron outfit, but I can't decide on one. Do have any suggestions?" She asked, showing the ones she owned on her phone. Mai furrowed her brow, looking through, then smiled.
"I think the Daydream Milkshake Coord would work well. It's cute but casual, rather than being too try-hard, and compliments your eyes," she advised, and the girl's eyes widened.
"I hadn't thought about that...!"
Before, Mai had thought of idols as pretty girls who would sing and dance on stage. They were nothing special, she thought, just show-offs who got too much attention. That was what she was led to believe when she was younger, at least. Now she knew though, they bring hope to others too. They give people smiles, even when things were tough. They inspire, and Mai thought that was a wonderful thing to be a part of.
Backstage though, she was worried. The performance was only five minutes away, and she still didn't have any word on the coord... did Ai forget? She liked to think the designer wouldn't forget about something so important, but she had seemed out of it before...
"I finished!" Ai exclaimed, running backstage with four Aikatsu Cards in her hand. Mai had noticed the bags under her eyes during the pep-talk before the event, but her exhaustion was more obvious than ever here.
"Shiraishi-san?" Mai asked, standing up, "Are you sure you're okay?"
Ai nodded. "I can actually sleep tonight," she said.
"You didn't last night?"
"Was too busy working."
"You shouldn't risk your health like that!" Mai scolded, causing Ai to chuckle. Here she was, an adult in her twenties, being scolded by a child for pulling an all-nighter.
"I'll sleep early tonight," Ai assured Mai. "Anyway, it's worth it."
"Is it?" Mai asked, cocking her head, "For a Rare Coord?"
"Oh, of course not," Ai agreed, "But this isn't a simple Rare Coord."
"It's not?"
Ai smiled at the curiosity in Mai's voice. "It was difficult, but I decided that above all, you finally deserve a Premium Rare." Mai's jaw dropped slightly, as much as she tried to stay discreet, and Ai flipped the card over. "The Strawberry Lovetto Coord. Based off of the strawberry shortcake you baked."
Silence.
Ai smiled. "If you don't like it, at least tell me."
"I love it," she accepted the cards, "I love it. Thank you so much."
Based off of that shortcake... that meant that Tsubaki and Hinata, along with Ai, were important parts of her first Premium Rare. That meant more to her than anything else. "It's perfect," she said once again, holding the cards to her chest.
"Amamiya Mai, standby please!"
Ai gave an encouraging smile. "Break a leg out there."
"Thank you, for everything!" Mai said once again, then ran to the changing room. "Amamiya Mai, singing with love!"
As she stepped onto the stage, Mai promised herself she would sing with all the love she had felt throughout the event.
"Is that... a Premium Rare?"
"It's beautiful!"
Mai got into position, then began to sing.
Blossom~LanLan
I love you so
Blossom~LanLan
Come on, let's go
A little flower bud, stands there, still yet to bloom
Longing for courage and strength, it hopes that it'll come soon
Her aura appeared, brighter and stronger than ever. Both Mai and her coord shone brightly!
I hope that one day it'll find it's way
I hope that one day I'll find my way
In truth there's a flower bud in each of our hearts
One day it'll bloom!
Just like the blossoms on spring trees
Mark a new beginning, a new gentle breeze
I hope I can bloom into a beautiful flower
I hope I can reach you with love-power
I hope I can be the me I want to be!
Then, Mai performed Premium Ribbon Twirl. She hopped across pastel rainbow coloured macarons, a sparkly ribbon trailing behind her. she jumped up, and the macarons appeared behind her and a heart shape.
Blossom~LanLan...
Blossom~LanLan...
Blossom~LanLan...
I hope I can bloom into a beautiful flower
I hope everyone blooms into beautiful flowers...!
"Thank you, everyone!" Mai shouted, her smile the brightest it had ever been. From backstage, Ai placed her hand in her chest, listening to her heart race. Mai coming to ask for a Rare Coord was the first confirmation she had that she wasn't making a mistake by starting a brand. Now, once again, Mai had proven how strong her love of the brand was, and how much radiant that made both her and the coord shine. Ai couldn't possibly be more grateful.
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♡. * :☾ ° . ───
"Looks like the competition will be tough this year, Kagamine-san," a man said as the live broadcast ended. He put his phone down, and the headmistress made a sound of agreement.
"This may just be the closest it's been since we started our partnership," she said, "But that makes it all the more interesting, no?"
─── ｡ﾟ☽: * .♡. * :☾ ° . ───
A/N: From now until... whenever I start to catch I'll be updating twice a week! Thank you so much for all the support^o^
Mai finally got a Premium Rare! It took longer than planned, but I think this placement suits! I'm proud of how much she's grown...
Both this chapter and next made me cry whilst writing for different reasons... look forward to it, because it's a really important one! (Even tho it's not the exact halfway point, I consider next chapter the final one in the first half lol)
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