Author's Note: Hello once again, people. Welcome to the Summer Arc of my 'Songs of Muse; Songs for You' series. :D I've spent a loooong time thinking about this, before finally settling on this second set of pairings that seemed rather popular. I should note that the pairings in the Autumn Arc are my personal OTPs, but that doesn't mean I will let the quality of this set drop either. I intend every bit as much to do them justice as well. (Still, this is very, very much an uphill battle for me so I'll really be needing everyone's support to let me know if I'm doing it right orz)

I will be putting the entire arc in one fic alone and updating the summary as I go along. Again, this was how my Autumn arc should have been like if I had actually planned to write that much from the start. ^^" And oh, reading the Autumn arc first is not necessary. They're standalones even if they're in the same series.

So, on to our first pairing! Please enjoy.

Volume One: Beat in Angel

Chapter 1: Plans For The Week Ahead

Not for the first time, the tension in the clubroom felt so thick the atmosphere was oppressive. All nine members of the Idol Research Club were gathered on a scorching hot Friday in the summer, hiding away from the heat within their clubroom. Though most of them were sitting down with their backs straight, rapt with attention at the scene that was going on, Honoka, Eli and Umi were standing up at the centre of the table facing each other off.

"This is it. This will decide everything," Eli stated ominously. In front of her lay a neatly kept folder with a tidy stack of papers, its pages filled with legal writ and business terminology, nigh incomprehensible to most people their age. It had taken the blonde girl half a day to read it carefully before going with Nico to get it approved and signed by Kotori's mother. As the principal of Otonokizaka Academy, it was her who had control and responsibility over the external activities of the Idol Research Club.

Just beside her, Umi was no less tense, her cold steely eyes betraying none of her normal gentle self. "Just so we're clear, it's the loser who has to go."

"Fuee... Loser? Don't put it that way, you make it sound so bad, Umi-chan..." That was Honoka, who laughed it off with an awkward smile as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of her forehead. Rather than from the heat, it was from the sheer amount of concentration she was putting in at the moment.

After all, none of them wanted to lose.

"Does that mean you want to go then, Honoka?"

"Ehhhh..."

"Okay, that's enough," Eli raised her hand behind her. "Let's just get this over with."

With a gulp from Honoka and a furrowing of Umi's brows, both second-years mimicked her actions. As for the rest of the table, everyone leaned forward subconsciously, drawn in by the importance of what was about to transpire.

"Jan-ken-pon!" All three cried out simultaneously, bringing their hands forward.

Time slowed down as the hands descended, gradually changing into their chosen postures. Focused as the three were on their actions, it was the other club members who had a multitude of expressions on their faces. Kotori and Hanayo were already clutching on to each other in fear, Rin was practically biting her fingers with her nervousness, Nico had her own hands twisted into her usual Nico-nii pose as though that would help, and even Maki had abandoned her usual air of disinterest with her eyes fixated on the trio. Only Nozomi had an air of calm about her as she watched on, a tarot card in her hand.

All activity in the clubroom ceased as the result became clear in the centre, and everyone's brains slowly processed what it meant.

Honoka had thrown out Rock. Both Eri and Umi had chosen Paper.

"Noooooooo!" Honoka yelled as she jumped backwards in disbelief. "This can't be!"

Across the table while the ginger-head was distracted, Eli shot Umi a sly secretive wink, causing the blue-haired archer to smile with the faintest tinge of red on her cheeks. "Well, that's decided then," Eli announced. "Honoka, Hanayo and Kotori will be taking the job. For the whole of next week you three will be handing out flyers for the new mall's opening."

"Just as predicted." The card that the club's resident spiritual girl Nozomi flipped over bore the image of a man walking towards the edge of a cliff, titled 'The Fool'.

"Mou Nozomi-chan, don't act like it was already set in stone! Also what do you mean that card is supposed to symbolize me?!"

"Honoka-chan..." Kotori had tears in her eyes as she shot an angry look at her childhood friend, though the overall effect of her tear-filled eyes, upturned pout and clenched fists beneath her face was more adorable than anything else. "Honoka-chan you idiot! You've always thrown rock first ever since we were kids!"

Upon hearing that the leader of Muse was stunned into silence, stumbling backwards even further and propping herself up with the shelves filled with school idol memorabilia. Years upon years of memories went through her mind in a flash, as she reviewed everything that had ever happened in her life to the best of her ability. From her earliest memory of wandering into the shop portion of the house as a child lured by the smell of sweets, through what remained of her memories of elementary and middle school, all the way to the present moment here in Otonokizaka Academy. Right there and then in the clubroom, Honoka reflected on her life choices.

Or more specifically every jan-ken-pon choice she had ever made.

"Uoooohhhhh! So that's why Umi-chan always beat me!"

Her answer was met with a chorus of palms meeting faces in exasperation. Most days despite her capabilities, it seemed Honoka possessed a special level of denseness that was unreachable by mere mortals.

"It's not my fault, things always happen so fast I don't have time to think so I just don't open my hands..." With flailing arms, Honoka turned to her blue-haired childhood friend. "Umi-chan that's unfair! I demand a rematch!"

"Absolutely not. A victory is a victory, Honoka. You can't redo things just because they didn't go your way. It's your own fault for being so predictable."

"That's just taking advantage of me Umi-chan! Did all those years of friendship really mean that little to you?!"

"Of course not. It's precisely because of all those years with you that I could even do this today. Please do a good job over the next week." Umi was ruthless in ending the argument with her words, leaving the ginger-haired girl with nothing to do but sink back into her seat, the unhappy glower on her face apparent to all. Well, it was a life-or-death situation. And someone had to be the sacrificial lamb.

It had all begun a week back when an email had come into the club's mailbox, making an offer that had seemed irresistible: a chance to perform as the only act at the official opening ceremony of the city's newest mall, in the very streets of Shibuya. The man in charge of the mall's marketing division had come across their performance in Akiba some time ago and had become quite an ardent fan, and was willing to offer them priority above other bands or idol groups, as well as total coverage of the mini-stage and sound equipment costs.

At the time it had seemed like nothing but a godsend to the girls, an easy way to make a big break that would undoubtedly send waves into the school idol scene and skyrocket them within the Love Live! competition rankings. At least, until they received the additional terms. Due to a sudden shortage of manpower, they also needed to assist in handing out flyers for the entire week leading up to the performance. On the bright side, only three people were needed and they would at least be paid for the trouble.

On the other hand, one of them would have to be wearing a full-body mascot costume at all times. In the summer heat, even in the late afternoons and continuing into the stifling nights, that could very well be near fatal. No matter how much they were paid, none of them felt possibly that hard up for money that they would take such a job on. So it was for no minor reason that everyone considered this a life-or-death situation, a survival of the fittest scenario. For the sake of the nine, three of them would have to be sacrificed.

It had been Eli's suggestion that they send one of the mini-units to do the job, calling it a great opportunity for bonding and brainstorming up songs during their free time. Although they were still determining their mini-units (yet another side project they had taken up in order to broaden their profile and fame), they had decided to just go with the units that looked most likely from the current polls open to the public on their website. So Honoka, Kotori and Hanayo would be under an as-yet unnamed unit, Umi, Nozomi and Rin in another, and Eli, Maki and Nico in the last one.

Honoka's first accomplishment as mini-unit leader was to lead them to a crushing defeat at the scheming hands of the other two mini-unit leaders. In a way, it was probably the most expected result, given who the three leaders had been.

With a wry smile on her face, Eli slid the folder across the table to Honoka, who could only accept it moodily. "All the details to the job are inside. Honoka, Kotori, Hanayo, please do a good job for our sake next week."

And with that, their fates were sealed.

"Ehh? But then it'll just be Rin and Maki over the next week nya..."

Over at the end of the table near the window, the first-years were discussing their plans for the following week. Since three members would be missing, they had first considered meeting up in their new mini-units to discuss song ideas. But Nozomi had then apologetically announced that she would be busy over the week with work at the shrine due to the upcoming festival, so they had decided to simply call off all club activities entirely. Since they had been practising rather hard for the weeks before this, none of them were even worried about the performance on Saturday as they would have that morning to rehearse first.

Which of course, left a very bored catlike girl frowning at the idea of not having practice for the entire week to fill in her afternoons.

"I'll just take a break and relax with my music at home," Maki shrugged with a finger curling her hair. "It'll be a good time to refresh after the last few weeks, especially after helping everyone with their pairings singles."

Hanayo let out a soft appreciative smile. "Hehe, it's been hard on you, Maki-chan, helping to make so many songs. Thanks again."

"Well, it's not like I did a lot since I only put things together. Everyone came up with their base tune by themselves so it was a lot easier than me working on the songs from scratch."

"Waaaaait! If Maki-chan goes home then Rin will be all alone! Rin doesn't want to be alone nya!" Rin had her hands on the table in protest, her face scrunched up in indignation and unhappiness. Her childhood friend could only smile helplessly since she was locked in an even worse fate, but Maki merely continued twirling her hair in indifference.

"You can always come to the clubroom. I'm sure there'll be someone here at least."

"I don't wanna! It'll just be Rin ending up alone with Nico-chan and that's just creepy nya!"

A lithe pair of light-skinned hands shot out from behind the orange-haired girl, and a very irate club president began pinching Rin's cheeks. "Oi, I heard that! I'm gonna pinch you!.."

"You're already pinching Rinnn!" Her voice distorted by the weird shape her cheeks were being pulled in, Rin could feel tears coming to her eyes at the pain.

Deciding she had enough, Nico let go and sat back down. "I'll just be in the clubroom over the next week," she announced to no one in particular. And as expected, no one really took notice of what she said either. Except Kotori, who had her head tilted with a thoughtful expression, while Nozomi looked worriedly at her cards. Neither of them voiced their thoughts though, keeping their worries to themselves as they glanced around at the other members.

Back over with the first-years, Rin had finally recovered enough to stop rubbing at her sore cheeks. "Rin will go where Maki-chan goes!"

"I- what? I already told you I'll just be going home early now, didn't I?!"

"Then Rin will follow Maki-chan home nya! Rin will only go home when it's time for dinner~"

"I..." Realizing the futility of trying to fight the catlike girl who did whatever she felt like, Maki felt a slow and painful headache starting to throb at her temples. "Fine. But just for one day. And you're going home at six o'clock sharp."

Having achieved what she wanted from the start, Rin felt an ecstatic grin pull at her lips. Yet she couldn't resist one last parting shot. "Eeehh... So stingy. Maki-chan is such a troublesome person."

"... Who is the troublesome person here?!"

Faced with Maki's clear irritation and Rin cheekily shrugging everything off, Hanayo could only back away quietly and watch as the two started another argument, a drop of sweat that had nothing to do with the heat falling down from her forehead.

After all those years with her childhood friend, she certainly hoped Maki wouldn't end up killing Rin over the next week.

Author's Note: So, our first pairing is MakiRin. Because Beat in Angel is one of my favourite songs, and the two do have some things going for them. And most importantly, because their seiyuus are forming a new special unit called "4to6". To be honest I had no idea how to write this pairing for the longest time, until I woke up to the news about 4to6 a few weeks back and the whole plotline just fell into place right after that. It was a godsend, really. So thanks for the story's premise, Rippi and Pile-sama orz.

Normally, Honoka's characteristic tarot card would be The Magician instead. But The Fool is just funnier.

It's the 7th of July over in Japan. Summer is starting to kick in gear, the tsuyu (rainy) season is annoying the crap out of me, and it's Tanabata. Such summery feels, which is why I'm starting on this fic now. My Tanabata wish is for the Love Live! seiyuus to come down for AFASG this year.

叶え、みんなの夢！=D