So after watching episode 3, I was inspired to write this. I was getting ready to write something else entirely, but then this randomly hit me and I couldn't ignore the idea.

Date Published: 7/17/16
Word Count: 3,217
Page Count: 5

Don't Worry

The evening before their first performance as Aqours, Riko found herself unable to sleep. As she laid on her bed, she stared at the bland ceiling above her as her mind danced with anxiety. She hoped that sleep would find her and make the fear in her heart fade away so when the morning came, it would be filled with confidence. She had tried to squeeze her eyes shut, but when she saw the silhouette of an audience filled with disappointment and confusion, they shoot back open. Whenever she saw that mental image, her hands felt as if they were stones sinking in an ocean. That no matter how much she wanted to play, her hands just wouldn't allow her.

She was afraid to perform on stage with Chika and You in front of a hopefully packed gym. It wasn't because she was worried about messing up the choreography or forgetting the lyrics. It was because the last time she found herself on a stage, she froze. She wasn't able to convince her hands to dance across the keys of the piano she loved dearly. She was meant to play Frédéric Chopin's Prelude, Op. 28, No. 15, or Raindrop for short, but she couldn't play a single note. Her hands had hovered above the keys, and she heard the melody in her head, but she just couldn't play it. Her will had left her, and all she could do was bow to the audience in shame.

Ever since then, it felt as if she was stuck in a torrential downpour without an umbrella, and she couldn't escape it no matter how far she ran. She wanted the rain to be replaced by the sun, but it refused to stop. The world through her eyes had turned gray and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't play the piano the same way. The thing she loved the most in the world, the thing she could do with ease ever since she was a child, had become a foreign entity to her. She wanted to play the melodies in her head, but all it did was cause her to feel apprehension and doubt throughout her body. Every time she saw her piano, she wanted to play desperately, yet she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to play through an entire song. That she would forget the notes that were engraved in her mind, or the melody in her head wouldn't touch her ears.

Then one day on the beach as the sun started to set, she had met the ever energetic Chika, and her life started to change. The orange-haired girl was filled with confidence, and wouldn't stop till she made her dream of becoming a school idol a reality. She wanted to change, to become a person that could be seen rather than fade into the background and be forgotten about. She was truly passionate about school idols, and it was if nothing could destroy the confidence that reflected miraculously in her eyes. It reminded Riko of herself actually, back when she was younger and the voice of the piano still spoke to her.

No matter how many times Riko told her she didn't want to become an idol, explained that she wanted to focus on her piano, Chika wouldn't stop. The girl would follow her around like a puppy, anticipating the moment she would finally agree to her proposition. Chika reached out to her, and no matter how many times Riko held her hand to her side, Chika didn't give up. She had a dream to shine brightly like the school idols she admired so much and she wanted Riko to be stand with her and You. She tried so hard to reach her, and she was shining so brightly in the night sky when she finally did.

That was why she was so scared. Chika wanted to be an idol because she loved them with her whole being. They showed her that even a normal person could shine if they put enough of their soul into it. You had seen the very same shimmering light in her eyes and wanted to help her fulfill that dream. Yet Riko was afraid that she would ruin everything because of the fear that lingered inside of her soul since her previous recital. She had lost her confidence to perform once, so who's to say it wouldn't happen again? That she wouldn't just freeze up in front of the crowd and ruin everything? She didn't want to ruin what Chika was striving to do after she had worked so hard. Much less when it was probably their only chance to be recognized by the school as an actual club.

As her mind danced with those dreadful thoughts, she heard her phone go off. It was a simple little jingle, and she couldn't help but ponder why she would receive a text at one in the morning. Unless of course, her fellow members couldn't sleep either. She sat up from her bed and reached for the device that was laying on the desk next to her bed. The message was from Chika, and as she guessed, she asked if she was asleep. She replied with a simple no before allowing a sigh to leave her mouth. Chika was probably excited to perform, while all she could do was think that she was going to ruin everything she was striving for.

"Some friend that would make me," she mumbled lightly as she stood up and walked towards her balcony. As she expected, she saw Chika in her pajamas standing by her window, her eyes glimmering with confidence as she waved happily.

As she opened the door, she heard Chika declare joyfully from her room, "Riko-chan! I can't wait till tomorrow! I just know we'll do great and that we'll get a full house! Oh, we are so going to prove to Mari-san that her faith in us was the right decision!" As she expected, she was filled with confidence. She believed that they could do it no matter what, while all Riko could do was think she was going to ruin everything the moment the music started to play. That she would feel like a stone that began to sink, and that she would drag her fellow members down with her.

Riko couldn't respond to her cherry greeting for she was distracted by her own dreary thoughts, and Chika quickly caught onto her saddened expression. Much like the night they learned they were neighbors, the orange-haired girl pushed herself out of her window to get a better look at her friend. Thankfully, it didn't look like she was going to fall out of it like the previous time.

"Riko-chan, are you worried?" she asked in a kind tone as Riko looked into her eyes. Something about those eyes memorized her whole being. They were just so warm and confident, much unlike her current self. They reminded her of what she wanted to be, and how they filled her stomach up with a content happiness was a wonderful feeling.

She motioned her head downwards, afraid to see the glimmering red shine fade into something she hadn't seen before, "I'm afraid that…that I won't be able to do it. That I won't be able to move as soon as I see the audience or when the music starts to play." As those words left her mouth, Riko hoped it wouldn't anger or sadden Chika. She wouldn't know what to do if she dashed her hopes of being able to become a school idol.

"You won't be alone Riko-chan, so you have nothing to worry about! Me and You-chan will be right next to you. This is something we're doing together as a group, so no matter how scary it might seem, we'll be there to support each other!" she explained in a confident, yet somewhat serious tone. Not one word hinted at any anger or sadness that could be directed at the pianist. There just was her peppy kindness mixed with the usual determination.

"You say that, but I don't know," she replied without looking away from her bare feet, "I don't know if that'll be enough to keep me from messing up. Not only that, but I don't want to drag the two of you down if I make a mistake." She was deathly afraid that she would destroy everything Chika wanted so badly. That would make her a terrible friend after all. Chika reached out to her and welcomed her, and then, in the end, she could just ruin Aqours only chance to be recognized by the school.

"Riko-chan, this is different, remember? You're not playing the piano on a stage by yourself, but you're going to be singing and dancing with two other people that care about you. The three of us make Aqours, and we trust each other. We have worked so hard as a team, and we all want to be able to become an official club. We believe in you as much as you believe in us! So, you don't have to worry about messing up because we'll be by your side the whole time," she explained in the same tone of voice.

That statement was enough for Riko to move her head upward to look at Chika once more. The girl was as confident and warmhearted as ever, and her eyes were still glistening like a gemstone in the darkened sky. She, of course, believed in her friends, yet she hadn't thought if they felt the same about her. On top of that, she hadn't even thought that there could be a difference between performing because she would still be in front of an audience. Yet…

"You do have a point. This is different than the last time I performed," she mumbled as she thought over what Chika said. Performing as an idol and performing as a pianist were two entirely different things. She might have lost her will to play classical songs in front of others, but it didn't mean she couldn't perform as a school idol. She hadn't been afraid to sing or dance to their song during their practice. She felt depressed when she saw her piano, and a sense of anxiety coursed through her when her hands touched the keys. Yet she was always filled with joy when she was with Chika and You.

She became a school idol because it could restore her will to play her piano. She wanted to work over her failure, yet she was doing nothing but thinking about her failure. She thought she would make the same mistake since she would be in front of an audience, but the circumstances behind it were entirely different. She wouldn't be alone, and she would be with people that believed in her as much as she believed in them.

"Exactly! You'll be with us, so you have nothing to fear!" she exclaimed happily as a bright smile crossed over her face, "I may not know anything about playing the piano, but I do know playing a single song alone is different than performing with your friends!"

She was deathly afraid she would mess up, yet Chika didn't think that she would. That Riko would be fine because she wouldn't be alone. That she would be able to sing and dance because her fear was in playing the piano, and not being a school idol. Everything Riko feared could be examined and destroyed by Chika because she truly believed she would be fine. Her parents had always supported her when she played, yet Chika was different. She gave her a confidence that neither of them ever gave her. It was the type of confidence that told her she could do anything as long as she was with her friends and truly believed in them and herself.

"Thank you, Chika-chan," she responded as a calming feeling washed over her. Chika believed in her with her very soul. She knew of her failure, yet she still believed in her. She believed just because she messed up once, she wouldn't do it again because it was a completely different ball game. If her friends believed in her, she was sure she would be fine. They gave her a confidence she had never had. Besides, being a school idol gave off a much chipper, excepting feeling than the seriousness of classical music.

"Hehe, your welcome Riko-chan!" she replied cheerfully before continuing, "You just need to remember to believe in yourself some more, and that me and You-chan will support you no matter what happens!"

"Thank you again Chika-chan, though I think we should try to go back to sleep," she responded simply. Thanks to Chika's kindness, the worry that flooded Riko's mind had started to dissipate. At that point, she believed she would be able to properly sleep without any mental reminders of her past failures.

"I know, but I'm still excited," she mumbled lightly as she pulled herself back inside of her room, but her head still remained out of it. She had a little pout on her face that Riko found to be adorable, but she could tell she looked a little sleepy.

"I understand that, but it's already so late. We won't be able to perform very well if we're half asleep," responded Riko in a serious manner, "Do you know if You-chan is also still awake? It won't be good if all of us are tired in the morning."

"Nah, she's fast asleep. She's used to doing swimming competitions, so she doesn't get worked up as much as she used to," explained Chika as she looked up at the darkened sky as a cool breeze moved through her short hair, "Though yeah, we won't be able to make people smile if we aren't fully rested."

"Well, I guess this goodnight then. I'll see you in the morning Chika-chan," spoke Riko lightly as she turned her body towards her room. She noticed the wind started to pick up, and it caused her hair to dance all over. The wind felt nice, but she hoped it wouldn't start to rain.

"Yeah, see you in the morning Riko-chan!" responded Chika happily before she closed her window.

As she made her way back to her bed, a soft smile crossed over her face. The fear she had nearly vanished due to Chika's words. An idol and a pianist might both perform on stage, but the atmosphere was entirely different. On top of it all, she would have her friends by her side. She wouldn't be alone nor would she be in front of a piano. Everything would be different from the last time she performed, so she should be good.

When her head hit her pillow she felt a tiny ounce of fear, but when she closed her eyes, she didn't see an audience. The image that replayed in her mind over and over was no longer there for the time being. Thanks to Chika's upbeat personality and confidence in her, she wasn't seeing the thing that haunted her. Somehow, that girl could rid Riko of her fears with her amazing confidence and shimmering eyes.

"Aww man, of course, it had to rain on our big day!" complained Chika the moment Riko met up with her outside of their homes. The dark sky from the previous evening had lingered over the town, and the booming of thunder and lightning could be heard off in the distance. While nearby, she could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

"It's awful timing, but there isn't anything we can do about it," spoke Riko as the two started to make their way off to the school. She had managed to fall asleep nearly moments after they had chatted. While she hadn't known her for that long, the idol lover certainly had a strong effect on her. It was odd, but comforting nonetheless. While she still felt a tinge of fear, she knew she would be fine with her friends by her side.

"Yeah, but it won't stop us from shining like stars!" exclaimed Chika happily while shoving her free arm up and nearly hitting the inside of her umbrella out of excitement, "We came this far, and we're not stopping now! No matter what, we're going to show Dia-san that we can become school idols without her approval!"

"I think you already shine like a star Chika-chan," spoke Riko without much thought as a light blush crossed over her cheeks. She was filled with confidence, and could make anyone cheer up. She inspired her to become a school idol and to hopefully regain her lost confidence in her piano skills. Chika was the miracle Riko needed to regain her will, and Riko was the miracle Chika needed to push forward and grab hold of her dream.

"Huh? You think so Riko-chan?" replied Chika with a surprised look on her face, "I don't have any fans yet, so how can I be like a star?"

"Yeah, I really do," she responded with a soft look on her face with the blush still intact, "You might not have any fans yet, but your confidence and desire to be a school idol are enough to shine brighter than anyone else I know. You know what you want, and you'll do everything in power to get there, and you'll never give up on yourself or any of your friends."

Chika just stared at her wide eyed as they continued to walk towards their destination. Frankly, she was lucky there were no poles in her way or else she would have likely ran into one. She appeared taken back by Riko's words at first, but a large smile emerged on her face with what she thought was a light tint of red, "Thanks, Riko-chan, that means a lot to me. No one has ever said something like that about me before."

With a light laugh and a warm feeling surging through her stomach, Riko responded back, "Your very welcome Chika-chan. Now let's do our very best at our first concert."

"Yeah!" yelled Chika loudly, "We'll become school idols without a doubt!"

Riko had only known her for a small amount of time, she had found herself attached to the energetic orange-haired girl. She threw herself into Riko's life and she wasn't going to let go of her anytime soon. She wanted to be a star, and Riko wanted to make sure people saw her shining brightly. Someone who had such a strong dream deserved to be seen, and she wanted her to succeed no matter what.

Even though she had lost her will to play, her world was starting to lighten up bit by bit. Even though the skies were dark and rain was assaulting the land, she knew the sun would come out again. It would clear up eventually in the real world, so the world through her eyes should brighten up too one day. For all she knew, Chika could be the sun that would force the rain to fade away and never return to her being. If that would be the case, she would love to play her a song on the piano one day.

After watching the episode, I thought it was odd how Riko seemed completely fine with performing on stage despite her past failure so that's why I wrote this. Plus, I've been wanting to write a Riko/Chika fic anyway so it just happened to work out. Any who, I hoped you like this, and please leave a review so I know what you thought.