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lonelypond · 5 years

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Moonlight Becomes You: Apocalypse Midnight Dance Party, Ch. 9

Love Live/Love Live Sunshine, NozoEli, NicoMaki, KanaMari, YoshiMaru, 1.8K, 9/?

Summary: Most everyone settles in for a quiet night.

INTERLUDES

Pacing, Nico was frustrated and pacing, reminding herself of Eli on growl prowl as moonrise neared, Nico trying not to just throw herself into a wall to see how it sounded. That wasn’t how Nico coped, no, Nico did practical things, so taking a rag in hand she began to wipe down the counters. After that, the sliding doors, then maybe she would start chopping things for a stew or something. Not borscht though, Nico made a face, tongue out, gagging, even though there wasn’t anyone to amuse or tease. Beets, beets you could have too many of, and cream, cloying, heavy sweet cream...Eli’s new Russian food cravings were having too much influence on Nico’s meal choices. Tonight though, Nico was opting for a less cloggy choice. If Nico was eating alone, a crisp, fresh salad from locally sourced produce was the ticket...just the lightest dressing. She opened a cabinet, small bowl, olive oil, mustard, white wine vinegar, whisk, then take the chives out of the refrigerator and start chopping. Lift the knife, let it fall, get into a nice, non pacing rhythm, ignoring the people who were ignoring her by not blowing up her phone with apology texts, that was the ticket. And then, after the sensible salad, curling up on the sofa to watch K-Pop weekly roundups and eat strawberry gelato. That was the best way to spend an evening. Really it was. Nico knows all. That decided, Nico hummed as she assembled her dinner.

###

Kanan fell back into her couch, sighing. Mari flounced out of the bedroom, in her third outfit of the day, a bright --somehow -- gray sleeveless sweater dress that her hair fell off the shoulders of like the molten gold of the sun rising out of the sea. From her first sight of Mari, Kanan had never not been captivated by how that glow reflected Mari’s sunniness, inhumanly bright and impossibly brattish.

“How much did you scare Eli?” Kanan asked wearily, having developed over many years the dual capacity for enthusiasm and cynicism about the ‘helpful’ wrenches Mari in fix it mode would throw into the lives of their friends and acquaintances.

“Mio cuore, I’m not cruel. I did nothing to your dancer, except trying to get Nozomi to acknowledge the fact that she couldn’t take her eyes off the poor girl. And I can see why.”

“Mari.” Exasperated, Kanan closed her eyes, stretching her arm out along the couch, knowing what would come next. And there it was, the softest touch of feather soft strands, then the weight of Mari’s head against her shoulder.

“Ah, but you are the only beast for me, bella. We have always been linked by the thread of destiny.” Mari whispered against her ear with a touch of lips as soft as the slightest swell of the sea.

Kanan’s laugh was a bark, “No matter how much you gnaw at it.”

“KANAN.” Mari’s shock was genuine as she threw herself back across the couch, hand fluttering to cover her betrayed heart. Mari’s shock was always genuine when Kanan refused to let Mari charm her way out of confrontations.

“So Eli wasn’t crying because of you?” Kanan’s suspicions continued. The memory of Eli’s red rimmed eyes wouldn’t fade.

“No.” Mari’s dramatics were eclipsed by gentle concern.

“I wonder what it’s like to be surprised…” Kanan hesitated, caught by a sudden realization.

“Huh?”

“I always knew who I was.” Kanan reached her hands out for Mari’s, always so warm, always so willing to pull her out of fogs.

“Oh.” Mari frowned, scooting down the couch as Kanan reached out. “it must be terrifying.”

Kanan had watched Eli’s meticulous, unvarying warm up routine before every one of their rehearsals, the dancer slowly progressing through exercises and positions, always at the same slow speed, always in the same order. “Yeah.”

###

Dia was standing catty-corner to the fireplace, staring at the ocean. She’d only seen pictures of the Malibu estate like this, before the beach had been covered and the rock stairs useless at high tide. There were favorite corners she’d rather be tucked into, but Maki hadn’t invited her guests into the downstairs suites. The decorating was so strange anyway, complete absence of any hint of Nico, which made everything seem cold. Dia shivered, accidentally timed to a cough from You, who still persisted in flashing unforgettable legs in very forgettable, should be trashed shorts. Was this California in the early 21st century? Because, Dia decided, it could keep its complete lack of fashion aesthestic, before she wrenched her eyes from You’s tanned legs to the very worried blue eyes watching her.

“Weird for you, huh?” You chuckled.

“Can’t you find clothes?” Dia snapped, turning even further out to sea.

“Uh yeah, sorry about these.” You gestured at herself, “Wasn’t expecting Yoshiko to drop you into my day like that.”

“Is it Yoshiko or Yohane?” Dia wasn’t really curious, but these questions allowed her to loop around any looming embarrassments or admissions.

“Both.” You shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll explain.”

“I’m not sure she’ll have a chance. Why in the world would I…” Dia started, irritated.

“Don’t you want to get back home?” You parried with a shrewd question.

Dia sighed and sat on one of the chairs parallel to the window, pulling a leg up to rest her chin on, “Of course I do. But maybe this is a dream…?”

“Ooohh, I’ve never been in anyone’s dream with lighting like this.” You struck a pose, hands under her chin, fluttering her eyelashes at Dia.

“Silly.” Dia forced herself not to laugh but a corner of a smile snuck out.

“Ah,” You bounced dramatically to the opposite chair, “Your face does relax.”

Dia tossed her hair back, rolling her eyes so as to not encourage this friendliness. “You have a home, right? Go and get some clothes.”

“Your mother will never let me back in.” You stated flatly.

Dia thought for a long moment, then smiled and shrugged.

You groaned and threw her head back, “You’re all so cruel.”

“All right, Watanabe, everyone in the family is taller than you are…” As Maki entered the space with that announcement, You dramatically threw a forearm across her forehead. Completely ignoring her, Maki continued “so nothing is even near your size, but here’s a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. There’s a bathroom that way.” Maki tossed a pile of clothes in You’s direction and thumbed in the direction of the hall behind her. Turning to Dia, Maki handed her a much neater stack, “My mother has some casual clothes that seem like they might suit you. There’s a guest suite down that hall if you want to get changed there.”

Dia stood, her arms full of a fuzzy mint, tan and blue check jacquard sweater and a pair of black knit leggings with small slits at the ankles. Very much what her mama would consider casual wear and a little too relaxed for Dia, but not as much as if Maki had raided her own closet. “Thanks.”

Maki nodded. “The driver’s gone to get food. She’ll be back soon.” Maki glanced around the room, “The fire makes it nice here, but we can set dinner out on the table.”

Dia remembered so many nights, her mothers curled up in each other’s arms on a much pinker couch, staring into the fire as music played.

“That’s fine. I like it here.” Dia hugged the pile of clothes a little closer; at least her gandmother's perfume was familiar, berries and pale flowers and a clear musk, “I am a little cold though.”

“Mama’s got a shirt jacket somewhere.” Maki swivelled, “I’ll find it.”

Dia found herself wishing she’d stayed in the hospital room. This situation, here at home, but everything and everyone just a step not right, was becoming too disconcerting and she could feel not a head but a whole body ache starting. Maki, her eyes so kind, so watchful but without the deep warmth of maternal concern Dia was used to. Maki might not be the most demonstrative of parents, Dia and Ruby had Nico for that, but Dia’s first glance had met those loving eyes and she had drawn comfort from them since. Passionately perceptive, fiercely stubborn, endlessly generous; everything Dia had hoped to grow up to emulate. But here, Dia was a stranger, Maki was preoccupied with other concerns, and puzzlement flashed across amethyst more often than benevolence. It was going to be a full body headache, Dia thought, reaching a hand to rub her eyes, forgetting she had an armful of clothes, her knees suddenly failing, and You was right there, in a ridiculously large white shirt with black ink kanji that slid off her shoulders and sweats she was keeping up with one hand. The other seemed to be keeping Dia up. How silly.

“What did you do?” Maki’s voice sounded distant even as it echoed angrily around the room. Dia tried to blink, but her eyes wouldn’t open, sleep suddenly sounded perfect as she felt herself being eased down to the couch.

“I came back and she was so pale…”

“She said she was cold.”

“Is that a symptom?”

The voice that wasn’t Mama’s, what was her name again, Legs, You, right, Dia rambled to herself, You had squeaked with worry, that was nice but Dia was fine, she didn’t need any help, just a nap.

###

Hanamaru smiled at Yoshiko sprawled gracelessly over a chaise at the back of the bookstore. As soon as the fallen angel had returned to a comfortable place, the time displacement lag took over and Yoshiko had proven how affected by mortal failings she was now. But the snoring was cute, and the way her midnight hair splayed out against the warm red of the chair reminded Hanamaru of nights when her wife had had some energy left and Hanamaru could remind her of heavenly pleasures other than the celestial.

With a giggle, followed by a sigh, Hanamaru plugged in the refilled electric kettle. No sense remembering those scenes, until Yoshiko had a chance to recuperate. And then, there would probably still be issues to sort out related to the displaced Dia before they truly had time to themselves again

How could Hanamaru help? Too used to Yoshiko’s refusal to admit she needed assistance, Hanamaru realized this, while Yoshiko was safe in a restful oblivion, was the perfect time to do her own research. Perhaps there were some answers to be found in the future. As the tea kettle bubbled, a bright blue light flashing in the darkened room, Hanamaru moved to the locked cabinet, hidden in a jumble of seemingly random bookshelves. Time for her to consult the Book Of Riko, to see if prophecy held any answers someone less impulsive than Yoshiko could puzzle out.

A/N: Howdy.Cats and furniture have been moved; still trying to get back into some form of routine. How's your October? Any Halloween plans? We're doing scary stories and snacks (probably not scary) by fireside next weekend for our next theatrical adventure. I might read some bits of Dracula. 'Tis the season ; )

#Moonlight Becomes You #Apocalypse Midnight Dance #PARTY #KanaMari #YoshiMaru #NicoMaki #NozoEli #Kurosawa Dia #Watanabe You #Yazawa Nico #Nishikino Maki #Tsushima Yoshiko #Kunikida Hanamaru #werewolf #etc

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dimensiontripperhibiki · 7 years

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A Name In The Wind (1/?)

Hey guys, so here’s a new multi-chapter fic from me based loosely around the movie Kimi No Na Wa. Honoka and Chika find themselves linked in an unusual way and build up a connection over time, helping (and hindering) each other in the process. I hope you guys enjoy this! Likely ships: ChikaHono, HonoMaki (ChikaMaki), HonoUmi, ChikaRiko (HonoRiko), NozoEli. Honoka groaned as she woke to the insistent beeping of her alarm clock. “Too early…” She mumbled, pulling her pillow over her head. Vaguely she noticed that it smelled different than usual but she didn’t pay much attention to it. She was more focused on the insistent beeping. She could feel herself being dragged further into consciousness with every passing beep. “Five more minutes.” She mumbled, rolling over. She threw her arm over the edge of the bed like she always did, expecting her hand to hit the snooze button. It didn’t. It hit the floor instead and she jerked into a sitting position. “HUH?!” Even in her dazed state she recognized that she wasn’t in her own bed. Or in any bed. She was lying in an unfamiliar futon, in a very unfamiliar room. “What…” She felt different too somehow. She looked down at herself, trying to figure out what was wrong. “E-Eh?!” She lifted her hands to her chest. Her breasts certainly weren’t that big when she went to sleep. She shook her head, her stomach sinking when she felt a strange absence. Her hand went to her hair and she ran her fingers through it, finding it only came to shoulder length. “EEEEHHH?!”

The door across the room flew open suddenly and she looked up in time to see an older girl with a furious look on her face standing there. “Huh…?” She didn’t have time to question who the girl was before the girl in question rushed toward her, tackling her back onto the futon.

“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO CAUSE A RACKET?!” Honoka yelped as she found herself pushed back onto the futon, an arm pressed across her chest to hold her there. “Chika-chan got Mito-san angry…” Another girl’s voice sounded. The arrival of someone new only scared Honoka more but thankfully the girl trying to rough house with her seemed to calm down. “Get ready for school.” She scowled, pushing herself to her feet. “You’ll be late for...whatever you said you were doing.” “Huh?!” Honoka pushed herself into a sitting position. “IT’S MONDAY?!” “Damn it, stop yelling!” “It’s going to be one of those days.” You sighed and stepped into the room before Mito could do anything else to Chika. “Riko-chan is waiting for us at the bus stop. Get dressed Chika-chan!” “Eeeeh?!” Honoka jumped to her feet, ready to protest only to catch a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror across the room. Just as it had seemed her hair was much shorter. It was a similar color but the length was completely wrong. “What happened to my hair?! A-And my face. And…” She was completely different. Not even her face was her own. “Your face is fine, Chika-chan. Now hurry up and get dressed.” You said, her brow furrowed in confusion. Honoka turned toward You, catching a glimpse of a poster on the door. It was her, and the rest of Muse. “That’s me…” “What?” You glanced over her shoulder at the poster and sighed when she noticed what Chika was talking about. They really didn’t have the time. “Yeah, we know. You want to be just like Muse. Now hurry up. Riko-chan is going to...” She was cut off by the sound of an incoming call to Chika’s phone. “That’ll be her complaining that we’re late. We won’t be able to practice if you don’t hurry.” Honoka padded over to the phone, almost automatically, and picked it up, finding Riko’s picture on the screen. “She’s pretty…” You rolled her eyes. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear that from you. Now come on and you can tell her yourself. It might keep her from yelling at us. Just pick up.” “R-Right!” Honoka laughed nervously and answered the call. “Hello?” “Chika-chan, where are you?!” Riko asked loudly. “I’ve been waiting here for…” Honoka panicked and took the phone away from her ear, hurriedly ending the call. “YOU HUNG UP ON HER?!” You asked, earning herself an angry growl from Mito. “S-Sorry. Come on, Chika-chan. Get dressed. Please?” “R-Right.” Honoka wasn’t sure what was going on but she figured it was best to try to act normal. She found a uniform hung up across the room and turning her back to You, changed quickly. Automatically she tugged a section of her hair up into a side half ponytail. “Uh...new look?” You asked from the doorway, confused by the change. For as long as she’d known her Chika had always worn her hair the same way. “You’re acting weirder than usual. Are you alright?” “I am!” Honoka exclaimed quickly. “I-I just felt like a change.” You narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You sounded just like a city girl there, Chika-chan…” “Uh...I guess I’ve been watching too many dramas. It’s nothing. L-Let’s go!” You led the way out of the door, looking back to make sure Honoka was following her. “Chika-chan, are you still upset about what the student council president said yesterday?” “Who?” “So you are.” You said with a sigh. “Don’t let it get you down. She might come around yet…” She mistook Honoka’s confused look for scepticism. “I know. It’s a longshot. She really hates the idea of an idol group…” “Idols…?” Honoka mumbled, mostly to herself as she followed You out of the door. “Huh…” “Do you want to try to talk to her again?” You suggested. “We have Riko-chan now.” “Riko-chan’s the pretty one, with Umi’s eyes.” Honoka said to herself, trying to commit the name and face to memory. She realized in alarm that she didn’t know the name of the girl she was speaking to. “Um...hey. We’re friends, aren’t we?” “Of course. Best friends.” You flashed Chika a small smile despite her concern. “Though if you keep calling Riko-chan pretty I might take offence.” “O-Oh, I-I mean you’re pretty too!” Honoka said quickly, not wanting to offend the girl in front of her. “So um...I mean just to remind me, what’s your name again?” “Seriously, Chika?” You asked in exasperation. “What’s wrong with you? Did you hit your head or something?” “W-Well that girl did tackle me before…” Honoka said, hoping her excuse worked. “You mean Mito-san. One of your older sisters.” You reminded her carefully. “Whatever. My name’s You, remember?” “Ah, yeah. You-chan.” Honoka said with a nervous laugh. “Of course.” “Look Chika-chan, let’s just hurry up.” You said, exasperated. “Hopefully you’ll feel better when we find Riko-chan.” “Okay!” Honoka exclaimed, picking up her pace along with You. It didn’t take them more than ten minutes to get to the bus stop where Riko was waiting anxiously.

“Where have you been?!” Riko exclaimed when she caught sight of them. “I’ve been waiting for you for almost forty minutes!” “Chika-chan woke up late and started yelling.” You said, glancing at Chika. “So she got into a fight with Mito-san, hit her head and then she forgot my name. Not yours though, she keeps rambling on about how pretty you are.” She grinned at Chika whose eyes widened. Riko on the other hand blushed in response. “W-What? Chika-chan, are you okay? Why is your hair different today?” “Sure, n-now let’s go to practice!” Honoka started to walk right past the bus stop only for You to grab her arm. “We have to take the bus, remember? It’s too far to walk.” You said pointedly. “Ah, of course.” Honoka smiled. She turned to the road, her hands clasped behind her back and waited patiently for the bus, trying not to glance at the other two girls. They reminded her of Umi and Kotori, in a way. It only made her miss her friends. --- “Onee-chan, you’re going to be late! Did you forget to set you alarm clock again?” Chika groaned and turned over, bringing the blankets back over her head. It was only when the insistent knocking at the door continued that she sat up with a weary sigh. “I’m up!” The door opened across the room and Chika looked in that direction, faltering when a dark haired girl walked into the room. “Huh?” “Onee-chan.” Yukiho said disapprovingly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “You promised Umi-san and Kotori-san you’d leave early. They’re waiting outside for you now.” “Huh?” Chika said again. She cast a quick glance around, realizing that she didn’t recognize the room she was in. “What…Umi-chan? Kotori-chan?” The names were all too familiar and she quickly jumped out of bed - noticing she’d been in one rather than on a futon - and rushed to the mirror. Her eyes widened when she found the face of the girl she idolized staring back at her. “Oh...Oh!” She lifted her hand to her much longer hair, playing with the ends. “HONOKA!” “Honoka-chaaaan!” “Hmm?” Hearing someone calling from the window, Chika went over and threw it open, looking down at the street. There were two girls standing there, both of whom she recognised. “I-I’ll be right down!” She closed the window quickly and turned to Yukiho who was watching her skeptically. “I’m going to Otonokizaka! I get to wear the uniform!” “You’re...weirder than usual.” Yukiho commented before she turned and left the room. Chika didn’t pay any attention to the comment, turning to dress in Honoka’s school uniform. It had to be some kind of dream. The kind of dream where it’s obvious it’s a dream but she didn’t care. She was in the body of the person she admired most and she was going to Otonokizaka high. She didn’t care about anything else. As quickly as she could, she brushed her teeth in the bathroom and hurried off down the stairs, grabbing her bag. “I’m off!” She didn’t wait for a response before she was out of the door, heading toward Kotori and Umi. “Sorry I’m late!” “Your hair is down…” Umi said faintly, staring at Honoka’s hair. While half of it would usually be up in a ponytail at the side, it was completely down, falling freely over Honoka’s shoulder. Somehow it made her look even prettier, especially coupled with the excited smile on her face. “Ah, I felt like a change!” Chika exclaimed brightly. “Do you like it?” Umi blushed and looked away, giving a vague nod while Kotori smiled knowingly at her. “It looks good, Honoka-chan. But we don’t match anymore.” Kotori pouted as she stepped forward and used her fingers to gently sweep Honoka’s hair to the side so it looked more styled. “There.” Umi bit her lip as she watched. She wished she could do that but she’d never been as bold as Kotori. Not even with the girl she liked. Not even with Honoka. “Thanks, Kotori-chan.” Chika said with a small smile before she looked toward Umi. “You look nice.” Umi confirmed again, trying to push down her embarrassment. She would never be able to muster up the courage to tell Honoka she liked her if she couldn’t even compliment her. “P-Pretty even…” “Thank you, Umi-chan!” Chika bound over to give Umi a hug but stopped a couple of steps away “Ah...can I hug you?” “What? Why?” Umi asked, shocked. She looked over Honoka’s shoulder as Kotori cleared her throat, finding her best friend shaking her head. “I-I mean of course. You don’t have to ask.” Chika grinned and flung her arms around Umi, hugging her close. Hugging Honoka was like being engulfed in warmth. A warmth she never wanted to leave. Umi wrapped her arms around Honoka in return and rested her head on her shoulder, breathing in her scent. It ended far too quickly for her liking as Honoka pulled away and started off down the road. “Come on!” Kotori joined Umi, smiling warmly at her. “You two are so cute.” “Kotori…” Umi grumbled in embarrassment though she had to admit that it was comforting to have Kotori’s support. She hadn’t been sure how her best friend would react to her feelings for Honoka. All three of them were close after all, but Kotori had been happy about it. She’d even said she would do anything in her power to help Umi win Honoka’s love. --- Chika sighed as she looked over the pile of paperwork in front of her. She’d thought they would be going to school early so they could do something idol related, like practice. She’d spent the entire walk to school daydreaming about being able to learn from Muse. Even if it was all in her imagination. Umi and Kotori were hard at work, Umi writing something down while Kotori was talking about the pros and cons of having certain clubs at the school. Chika vaguely wondered if having to do boring student council work was the reason Dia was so angry all of the time. “I’m going to the bathroom.” She declared suddenly, standing up from her seat. Two surprised stares turned toward her. “Heh. I won’t be long.” She hurried around the desk and left the room, closing the door behind her. As soon as she was out, she breathed a sigh of relief. The sound of a piano playing caused her to straighten up. “Music…” She murmured to herself. She listened for a moment before deciding to follow the sound. She walked down the hallway, finding the music getting louder with every step she took. Finally she found herself standing in front of the music room. She carefully opened the door and stepped inside. The girl behind the piano had her eyes closed so she didn’t notice the intrusion. The first thing Chika noticed was that the girl was pretty. Oddly pretty. She looked a lot like Riko though her hair was brighter than Riko’s was. Chika wondered if it was the piano playing that made her look more like Riko than she actually did. The girl, who Chika soon recognized as Nishikino Maki, was singing softly, mostly to herself as she played and Chika couldn’t help but smile at the sound. The girl’s voice was distinctive, easy to recognize. “Maki-chan?!” She couldn’t hold herself back for very long, overwhelmed at meeting one of her idols. “Hot and cool, Maki-chan?!” Maki’s eyes sprung open as she stopped playing. “Eh?! Honoka, what the hell are you doing here? A-And hot and cool?” “Your personality.” Chika practically skipped over to Maki, her hands clasped behind her back. “This song sounds so much better when you sing it acoustically. Will you sing it again for me, Maki-chan?” Without waiting for an invitation, she sat herself down on the piano bench next to Maki. “You should make a playlist of all of your songs. Piano versions so I can listen to you sing all of the time.” “What?!” Maki asked incredulously, her face flushing at Honoka’s close proximity. She shuffled closer to the edge of the bench. “W-Why are you even here?!” “I just wanted to hear the great Maki-chan play.” Chika said with a shrug of her shoulders. “Your playing is beautiful.” She wondered if it was biased to say she preferred Riko’s. Maki was probably just as good, if not better, but Chika felt like she could get lost in the music when Riko played. It felt like every note was played for her when Riko played, though she knew that wasn’t the case. “H-Honoka…” Maki turned her head, flinching when she found Honoka sitting as oddly close as she had been before. She felt herself start to fall and grabbed onto Honoka, pulling her with her. She hit the floor hard, Honoka on top of her. “O-Ouch…” Chika braced herself with her hand against the floor and leaned back to really look at Maki. She really was pretty, she noticed, though she didn’t look much like Riko. Her hair was too bright and her eyes weren’t the same. Riko’s eyes were golden brown, not the bright violet that Maki’s were. As Maki shifted underneath her, it occurred to Chika that it might not be a dream after all. The soft swell of Maki’s breasts brushing against her and the warmth of their legs touching was evidence enough of that. Not to mention the slight pain in her knees from the fall. “Honoka, stop staring and get OFF ME!” Maki exclaimed, pushing against Honoka’s shoulders. Chika laughed nervously and stood up. “S-Sorry, you’re just so pretty I couldn’t help it.” She offered her hand to Maki, her gaze sweeping over her. The way Maki was sitting, with her knees up made it easy for Chika to see things she most likely wasn’t meant to. “So Maki-chan wears pink underwear…” “Argh, HONOKA!” Maki pushed herself up on her own, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment as she quickly pushed her skirt down. “You’re such a PERVERT!” “Eh?” Chika looked surprised at first but quickly relaxed into a smile. “Just when it comes to Maki-chan.” “THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!” Maki yelled, consciously covering herself. She was more embarrassed by the fact that it was strangely satisfying to have Honoka look at her. “I’m gonna tell Umi and Kotori how much of a pervert you are.” “I’m not a pervert...though I guess I understand the ‘hot’ part of your nickname now. Maki-chan is…” She was cut off as Maki stepped forward and slapped her, not too hard but hard enough to sting. Her hand flew to her suddenly much too warm cheek. “Oooow, Maki-chan…” “You’re such an idiot.” Maki said though she sounded more upset than angry now. “You can’t just say things like that. You have to at least...at least show an interest first. You can’t ignore me most of the time then come and say those things…” “What?” Chika asked, baffled. “IDIOT!” Maki exclaimed again before she grabbed her bag and fled the room, leaving Chika staring after her in confusion, rubbing her sore face. ---- “You’re sure you’re ready for this?” You asked, recalling what had happened the last time Chika had spoken with Dia. It hadn’t gone well, to say the least. “Uh...yeah.” Honoka answered, still a bit shaken by the incident earlier. She wasn’t sure how she was meant to react after almost being run over by a helicopter. She was confident about being able to speak to the student council president though. “I know how to handle stubborn student council presidents.” “Since when?” You asked skeptically as Riko raised an eyebrow. “Uh...Nothing.” Honoka answered sheepishly. “Nevermind. Let’s just do this.” She took a deep breath before she knocked briefly on the door and pushed it open. “Sorry to…” “Mari-san, get out of my chair!” A dark haired girl was saying, trying to prise a blonde girl from her seat. “Nooooo!” The blonde didn’t seem in any mood to move. “I sat here first, Dia!” “It’s MY CHAIR!” Dia exclaimed loudly. “I have work to do, you can’t stay in here all day!” “I can, I’m the chairman!” Mari leaned away from Dia, doing her utmost to keep from being prised away from the chair she’d situated herself in. “Unhand me, Dia!” “UNHAND MY CHAIR!” Honoka’s gaze flicked between the two of them as she tried to follow along with the conversation. It wasn’t easy. It was like listening to Nico and Nozomi arguing. “Hey, you’re the crazy girl who almost ran us over!” Honoka’s moment of realization interrupted Mari’s arguing with Dia and they both turned to her. “You almost kill-” “SHINY!” Mari finally vacated Dia’s chair but only to get closer to the three girls. “I’m the new director!” “What?” Honoka narrowed her eyes at the girl. Even she found that difficult to believe. “The new director?” “Yes!” Mari exclaimed in a high pitched voice that made Honoka want to block her ears. “But relax, feel free to call me ‘Mari’.” “But…” You started to say only to be cut off my Mari. “Want some tea?” “This isn’t real…” Honoka muttered to herself, casting a brief glance toward Dia. If it had been Eli she would have taken control of the situation and kicked Mari out already. Or at least tried to. “Ms. director…” Suddenly the blonde was right in front of her. “I said to call me Mari.” “Uh...Mari.” Honoka said, forcing a smile to her lips. “Yes!” Mari exclaimed brightly, leaning even closer to Honoka’s face. “Y-You-chan…” Honoka turned to You, confused and frustrated. “What’s happening?” “I wish I knew.” You answered, just as perplexed as her friend. “Stop touching my chest!” Dia’s voice caught Honoka’s attention and she turned back to where Mari had previously been standing, finding her a few steps back, her hands on the Student Council President’s chest. The blonde was hurriedly pushed away. “Stop your nonsense!” “It’s a joke!” Mari stated brightly, in English. Honoka sighed to herself. Clearly Dia wasn’t as strict as Eli or even Umi. “The Student Council President is Nico-chan…” “Goodness, I thought you were gone for good when you left during our first year.” Dia spoke. “Why on earth are you back now?” “SHINY!” Mari exclaimed, throwing the curtains open. “No. No way…” Honoka turned to leave only for Riko and You to grab her arms, tugging her back to them. “She’s crazy!” “Aww, don’t say mean things!” Mari exclaimed. “I even got you a booking at the Akiba bowl in Tokyo!” Honoka spun around in surprise, finding Mari standing in front of her again. “Are you serious?! Even Mu-” “It’s joke!” “That’s not something to joke about!” Honoka exclaimed angrily. She rubbed her throbbing temples, sighing to herself and wondered when she would wake up. It was just a bad dream. It had to be. --- Honoka had turned up late for class, predictably though what took Umi by surprise was the red mark on her cheek. It was clearly a handprint, like someone had slapped her. After Honoka had apologized to the teacher and sat down, Umi leaned toward her. “What did you do?” She hissed. “Who hit you?” “Ah...Maki-chan.” Chika admitted, rubbing her cheek. She noticed her bag was hanging on her chair and assumed either Kotori or Umi must have brought it for her. “It’s fine.”

“Maki-chan?” Kotori turned around to look at Honoka, frowning at the sight of her cheek. “What did you do? She’s been calmer since our first training camp…” Chika whimpered and rested her head on the desk. Already, she was messing up. “Honoka…” Umi’s hand twitched at her side. She wanted to reach out to her but she didn’t think she could muster up the courage. “Sonoda-san, Minami-san, Kousaka-san, please pay attention.” The teacher declared from the front of the class, causing Umi to sit up straight. Chika sighed heavily. The pain in her cheek felt real. Much too real for it to be a dream of any kind. “Kousaka-san, do you need to go to the nurse?” It took Chika a moment to realize she was being spoken. “Y-Yes.” She stood up from her chair, grabbing her bag. “Thank you.” “Put an ice pack on it!” Umi whispered in concern as Chika passed her desk. Chika nodded to show she heard before she left the room, closing the door behind her. She supposed that it was a good thing she was in the same year as Honoka at least. She would never have been able to handle third year work. Not that she had to at the moment. “Honoka?” Finding her path blocked suddenly, Chika looked up and found a tall blonde standing in front of her. “Uh…” “What happened to your face?” Eli asked, her eyes widening at the sight of the mark. “Come on, I’ll take a look at it.” “O-Okay.” Chika barely had time to agree before Eli had grabbed her hand and dragged her off down the hallway. She found herself pulled into a room filled with posters of idols and looked around in awe. “Whoa…” “Let me see.” Eli gripped Honoka’s chin and gently tilted her head so she could examine her cheek. “Who did this?” Her voice was clipped with barely restrained anger. “Another student?” “I’m in the clubroom?” Chika asked in awe as she took in the walls, lined with DVD box sets and idol merchandise. “Muse’s clubroom?!” “Honoka, pay attention.” Eli ordered, drawing Chika’s attention back to her. “Who did this?” “S-Sorry, Eli-chan. Uh...it was Maki-chan.” “Huh?” Eli’s brow furrowed in confused. “Chan? Why are you...?” Chika’s eyes widened in surprise. She must have stepped out of line. “Eli-san?” “San?” Eli frowned, even more confused now. “I uh…” Chika panicked for a moment, trying to figure out what she was doing wrong. “S-Senpai?” She watched as Eli nodded, still looking confused. “Eli-senpai! O-Okay…” “Did you get hit anywhere else?” Eli was suddenly closer, looking for any sign that she’d been hit on the head. “Your hair is down. Why is your hair down?” “I-I felt like a change. You...don’t like it?” Chika, realizing that she was about to be found out, scrambled for a way to distract Eli. She settled for looking slightly upset. “N-No, it’s fine. I just like your normal hairstyle too.” Eli said with a quick shake of her head. “You smell sweet.” Chika said as Eli continued to look for any sign that she had hurt herself. “I ate chocolate earlier.” Eli explained, slightly embarrassed. “So anyway, why did Maki-chan hit you? You must have done something pretty embarrassing.” “Uh...I might have fallen on top of her. And I saw her panties. And I suggested she’s hot.” Chika awkwardly scratched the back of her head. “I wasn’t being rude or anything, I just…” “It’s Maki-chan. Of course she hit you for that.” Eli said with a roll of her eyes. “Wait...since when do you notice things like that? You’re Honoka. The girl who didn’t even notice when a classmate wrote her a love letter. And you just called Maki hot. Hot, Honoka!” “Uh...I notice, I just don’t say anything.” Chika said nervously. “A-And I like Maki-chan. She’s passionate and caring and...pretty.” She reminded her a lot of Riko, which she supposed was why she liked her. “Right.” Eli said skeptically. “Oh, um...Eli-senpai.” Chika started apprehensively. “Just so I know, um...where is Nozomi-senpai?” She hoped she was right in saying that. She had to imagine that the only people she would refer to as Senpai were Eli and Nozomi. “You don’t call her Nozomi-senpai.” Eli said with a wave of her hand. “And stop changing the subject. You like Maki?” “Yes!” Chika pulled her phone - or rather, Honoka’s phone out of her pocket and quickly unlocked the screen, going through the gallery until she found a certain picture. “See? I took this picture of her because she’s cute.” Eli looked to the phone, taking in the picture of Maki sleeping at her piano. “You took pictures of Umi and Kotori too. You called it ‘My cute friends’ or something...seriously Honoka, what’s going on with you?” The bell rang just as Chika opened her mouth to reply. “S-Sorry, I have to get back to class!” She hurried out of the room, bumping into a shorter girl who was about to enter. “The hell Honoka?!” “Uh...sorry, who are you?” “What?!” Nico rose up to full height, anger flashing across her face. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?!” “Eeeeh?!” Chika flinched backwards, startled by the girl’s anger. “How can you forget my name? I’m Nico Nii!” “Ah, right!” Chika exclaimed. She felt somewhat guilty. She always forgot the pig haired girl’s name. “S-Sorry, usually someone has to remind...ah, I didn’t mean it! I was just thinking out loud a-and...I have to go!” “WHAT THE HELL?!” “Nico, calm down. Don’t hit her!” Eli stepped between the two of them to keep them apart. “I don’t think Honoka’s feeling like herself today so just...let’s not get angry with her, okay?” “Thanks, Eli-cha...I mean Eli-senpai. I have to go!” Chika took off down the corridor, wondering if it would be possible to find somewhere quiet to hide for the rest of the day. --- “One, two, three. One, two, three.” Honoka fumbled a little bit through the steps. She’d gotten used to learning new choreography but she had never practiced these moves before. She couldn’t help but worry that You and Riko would notice but they didn’t seem to. They seemed a little bit under practiced themselves. They had been out in the afternoon sun for what must have been an hour already and she was sweating from the heat but she didn’t care. She could almost feel the determination of the girl whose body she was possessing. That was why when Mari had suggested she help them practice she hadn’t said no. You and Riko were practicing just as hard as she was, she noticed as she glanced toward them. A flash of Umi and Kotori filled her mind, of them practicing for their first performance. She’d noticed that Riko and You looked at her the same way Umi and Kotori looked at her. Chika must really inspire them, she realized though she couldn’t help but wonder who inspired Chika in return. Her eyes blurred, her chest aching with the desire to see her friends and to help the girl’s in front of her. She stopped practicing, taking a deep breath. “Chika-chan?!” You and Riko asked in concern as Mari stopped filming on her phone. Honoka took another deep breath before she let out a frustrated scream that caught all three of the girl’s by surprise. “FIGHT!” “Wha…?” You stared at Chika in surprise. “Chika-chan…” “We have to show her! Even if we don’t have anyone watching us, we have to show her!” Honoka turned toward You and Riko. “Don’t let the President push you down. We have to keep fighting so we can get our idol group! We can’t give up. Even if there’s nobody at the concert tomorrow we have to sing and dance our hearts out. We have to keep going. Are you with me? Riko-chan, You-chan?!” “YEAH!” The two girls exclaimed, smiles on their faces. Mari raised an eyebrow. She almost wish she hadn’t stopped recording. She would have liked to have shown Dia that speech. “Impressive…” --- Honoka wasn’t sure she’d ever had to suffer through such a tiring day, even in the early days of Muse. It was hard work, pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She yawned as she leaned further into Riko, letting the girl guide her to the bus stop. You had chosen to go home on her bike, leaving the two alone together. Thankfully Riko didn’t seem to mind being leaned on. She hadn’t complained once. “We are going to show her, right Chika-chan?” Riko spoke suddenly, her voice hopeful. “You meant what you said earlier?” “Duh! Don’t worry, Riko-chan. We can do it. Just keep going and I know the three of us can do anything together. We’ll get our idol group, I just know it!” The confident response brought a smile to Riko’s lips. “Thank you…” She glanced to Honoka, noticing her grinning. Chika’s smile was a bit off but it was no less dazzling than usual. “Eh…” “You really are pretty, Riko-chan.” Honoka said, yawning again into her hand. “Especially when you’re embarrassed.” “S-Shut up.” Riko mumbled, not sure what else to say. “Is that my house?” Honoka asked tiredly as she nodded to one of the houses ahead. “Uh...that’s mine.” Riko said unsurely. “Yours is just opposite. I’ll take you there myself.” Honoka hummed and rested her head on Riko’s shoulder like she had a hundred times with Umi and Kotori. “You’re a good friend, Riko-chan.” She mumbled, not noticing Riko’s blush. --- When Honoka woke up the next morning she expected to find herself still sleeping on a futon. That was certainly how she’d fallen asleep anyway. She was grateful to find herself sleeping in her own bed, surrounded by her own things. “It was just a dream.” She murmured, reaching out to turn off her alarm clock. She paused, noticing writing on her hand. “Sorry for the sore cheek.” She read out loud. ”I’m Chika by the way!” She lifted her hand to her cheek, finding it was indeed tender. “What?” Noticing her phone flashing on her bedside table, she picked it up and noticed she had a text from Nico. ‘You have some explaining to do when you get to school. Eli won’t be there to protect you this time’. “WHAT?!” Yukiho opened the door a moment later. “Oh good, you’re awake. Umi-san and Kotori-san are waiting for you. Umi-san doesn’t look happy with you…” --- Chika felt a combination of relieved and disappointed when she woke to her own bed. So it had been just a dream. But it had felt so real. She sat up, idly rubbing her head and yawned. She would have to get ready for school. She began to push herself off the floor but paused, noticing ink on the back of her hand. “Check your phone.” She read out loud, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Honoka...Honoka?!” She quickly reached for her phone, finding a text from You with times for a concert. Their concert. She quickly scanned the rest of her phone, soon finding a video of herself practicing with You and Riko. She didn’t remember doing that. Not with the unfamiliar girl talking in the background. “What the heck…” TBC

#ChikaHono #HonoMaki #NozoEli #ChikaRiko #HonoUmi

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