Zenkai no:

u's first concert didn't exactly go as planned, but they continue to push on even in the face of adversity! But maybe they did have a fan after all?

"And then this blonde foreigner lady showed up and she could fly and she had a magic wand and she saved us from the bad man! Hey, Onee-chan, are you listening?"

"Kokoa, you're talking nonsense," the girl commented, as she took the dishes up from the breakfast she had prepared for her younger siblings. It was not yet seven in the morning, but her mother had already left for work; it fell on her to take care of the children in her absence. She was nearly seventeen: while it was highly unlikely a girl of her age wouldn't have any chores at all, probably none of them had to basically play mother while being a student at the same time. Nonetheless, she could do it. She wasn't the boldest or the most athletic or the smartest, but what she did have was perseverance.

"No, no, it really happened! Right, Kokoro?"

A second young girl also eating breakfast, with the same jet-black hair as her sister, peered upward and put her finger on her chin, deep in thought. "I kinda remember that, but I think I must have dreamed it. I think that's what it is."

Putting her two younger sisters' plates in the sink, she began to wash them, scrubbing vigorously with the brush. The water was freezing as it splashed on her hands. She didn't mind, though; it helped her wake up.

"Kokoa, you're eight. If you tell that story to your friends at school, do you think they'll believe you?"

The apartment she and her family lived in had a dishwasher, but it had long since given out. Ever since then, they'd had to wash by hand, as they just didn't have enough to get it repaired after the bills came through. She had grown accustomed to cleaning and cooking the old way: hanging laundry out to dry, sweeping the floor, boiling water, and so on. Her mother was a hard worker too...she tried to do all she could to take the stress off her daughter, but she worked two almost full-time jobs, so that usually wasn't an option.

It wasn't the life she wanted to live, or that she expected herself to be living at this point. But it was the life she was stuck with.

When the last dish was cleaned, she looked up at the clock. Seven forty-five; she was right on schedule. She turned around to check for her sisters. Kokoro was still at the table, yawning. Kokoa, though, had already gone into the living room, where the TV was blaring. "Good morning from Gunma Prefecture! Today's Dog of the Day is Miya-chan, a cocker spaniel owned by Mr. Noboru Takemiya! Takemiya-san, can you tell us about some of the things she is trained to do?"

"Turn that off," the girl snapped. "You'll wake up Kotaro." The youngest child and only boy of the family was fast asleep in his crib in his mother's room.

"But Onee-chan..." Kokoa whined.

"No buts," the older sister replied. "You can watch that all day after you get home. Here's your allowance for this week, and that one's for Kokoro." She held out two thousand-yen bills for her sister to take. "Mom says try not to spend it all on food. If you really want to go to McDonald's, she'll take you."

"Onee-chan, don't you spend all your money on clothes and iTunes anyway?" Kokoro said flatly from the kitchen.

"That's different. Since I'm going to be an idol and be famous, I've got to do my research and look my best!"

"But aren't you too old for that?"

"What was that? Do you think your older sister isn't cute enough anymore?" the girl seethed in mock anger, trapping her sister in a headlock and grinding her fist playfully up against Kokoro's head.

"I give! I give, okay? There's nothing wrong with buying every limited edition Morning Musume album the day it comes out!"

"Who's going to be the number one idol in the universe?" The older sister kept at it.

"You are!"

"That's better." She released her hold and patted her sister on the head. "Don't be such a crybaby. I was barely touching you."

The younger girl rubbed her head. "It hurt, though!"

"Fine, then. You have my permission to get me back whenever you feel like it. I'm going to head out in a few minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on your sister."

I wish Kokoa was half as responsible as Kokoro. They weren't too far apart in age, but the slightly older of the sisters was already acting like a mature high schooler while the younger one was completely carefree about everything. The girl was glad she had another responsible sibling to keep her two youngest in line. She couldn't keep an eye on them every second of the day. But even though normally she was polite and studious, Kokoro had a smart mouth sometimes.

Well, I know where she gets that from. She could be that way at times, too. Her mother's family was all like that. Her dad used to say there was nothing like Sakuraba sarcasm.

Her dad...she felt a sudden pang of sadness. Tears were beginning to well up. She bent over, trying her best to stop them.

"Onee-chan, what's wrong?" Kokoa asked from the couch.

"I'm fine," she said hurriedly, trying to cover up the shake in her voice. "I'm heading out," she announced, grabbing her backpack from her room, lined with idol pictures, collector's albums, autographs, merchandise, towels, those light-up sticks you waved...you name it, it was probably in there. She had been collecting those ever since she was a little girl, when she saw them on TV and would announce to her family how much she wanted to be one, would dance around and try to twirl or do a jump and fall on her butt and pout that she couldn't move like those graceful girls could.

She still wanted to be one. She was still singing; it was how she got a performing arts scholarship to her school, after all. But her dream of becoming a famous idol, a household name all around the country, was a little bit out of her reach now. She was graduating this year. If she couldn't make it this year, then she would have to stop. Her family didn't have enough money for college, so she would have to get a job, and then she would truly leave her fantasy behind when she melded once and for all into the real world.

"Have a safe trip, Onee-chan!" her sisters called behind her as she opened the door. A gust of cool wind immediately hit her in the face. She still was wearing her winter uniform in May...it was crazy how cold it still was.

Tokyo weather is bipolar. One year it's baking hot in March, the next it's still freezing in July.

She began her journey down the concrete, twisting stairs of her apartment building. The elevator would be crowded with salarymen going to work; she did not want to get caught up in that, sandwiched between two fat, middle-aged people. She was small enough that she might get crushed.

Her skirt was constantly blowing up. The blue plaid was thin, and it didn't help that she lived on the fourth floor. By the time she reached the bottom, her knees were knocking.

She took the time to straighten her hair ties that held two pigtails branching off from the sides of her head. She had been doing it since a magazine article said that guys found it cute. Of course an idol needed to be cute! She at least had the beauty part of being an idol down. People were giving her looks whenever she walked by, she just knew it. She shone.

The bridge spanning the Kanda River, right outside her apartment building, was full of people at this hour; the sun had just risen, making even the sixties-built, solid-concrete, depressingly brutalist structure in which she lived look halfway decent with a backdrop of reds, oranges, and blues. She rubbed her face a little. Why should she care about it being cold, when it was a beautiful day, and the number one idol in the universe needed to share her charm with everyone?

All right! Love Idol Nico-chan's super cute day will begin! 3

Those second-years were super cool, Hanayo Koizumi thought to herself absentmindedly. It was the middle of class and her math homework was on her desk, but she wasn't paying any particular attention. The thoughts of the second-year idol group that had performed in the auditorium during Club Recruitment day...they were amazing. They sang and they danced and they looked like they were having so much fun, and they even challenged the student council president...she would never have the courage to do something like that.

"Koizumi-san!" The teacher's voice snapped her out of her daydream. "Problem 2!"

"Um...yes!" She stood up suddenly. "x equals 2 on the square root of 3, and y equals 6!"

"Correct," her teacher commented. "Since the length of the hypoteneuse was given, we can use the Cosine Theorem, noting its corresponding angle of 90 degrees, in correlation with the other given angle of 43..." He continued to drone on. Hanayo's mind went back to the concert she had just seen. When she applied for Otonokizaka, she didn't have any idea what she wanted to do. She just decided to go because Rin was there as well. But these girls...they were so amazing, and they were trying to save the school as well...they were everything she wanted to be. She wanted to have something she cared so passionately about and worked so hard towards, just like them. She heard they were going to enter the Love Live, even though they were new to the idol scene and were going up against near-professionals.

But most of all, she felt like she knew them, even though she hadn't met a single one, except for one first-year who was on stage with them. As soon as she saw them, she was transfixed, and they looked so familiar, too. It was almost like deja vu. Was that what it was? She wasn't sure what the term meant, but thought it would apply to something like this.

"Problem number five, Hoshizora-san!" her teacher barked.

"Um, four hundred?" Rin looked up with a sheepish glance on her face as a snicker went around the classroom.

"It's asking for a value between 0 and 360, Hoshizora," the teacher sighed. "Help her out, Takigawa-san."

The small, rosy girl stood from her chair. "Yes, using the given area of the parallelogram, you can solve for the angle by finding the right triangle that makes up the particular corner angle. The answer is 56 degrees."

"Correct. Some of you-" he glared at Rin, "-need to put a little more effort into studying. Problem six, Kashimura-san."

Hanayo was very surprised when she saw Shizuka, and all the exchange students, up on the stage with the second-years. She didn't have any idea that they knew what an idol was in the first place, and Shizuka didn't strike her as the type that would be comfortable going on a stage in front of a bunch of people. But she did, and she danced super great for someone as small and young as her. Their choreographer must have been really skilled.

At that moment, the bell rang. Almost instantly, the girls hopped up from their seats and began to head for the door, or for their clubs. Today was not a cleaning day.

She meandered outside of her room almost like a robot going through its motions. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a bright splash of color, and turned to see a large yellow and blue poster hanging on the first years' bulletin board, saying "Did you enjoy our performance? Come join u's on the rooftop for practice after school every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! All experience levels welcome-be happy and love music!"

Today was Tuesday, so they wouldn't be practicing today, but if she could work up the confidence, she could join them tomorrow...but could she? She was an idol fan, but she never thought she would be one...and what if she messed up? It was so intimidating...

"Whatcha looking at?" A hand hit her on her back, and she made a small noise of surprise before turning around to see her best friend standing there.

"Oh, it's just you, Rin-chan," she sighed.

"Are those the girls who were having that concert during club day last week?" Rin asked, moving her boyish face closer to the poster. "I had to drag you out of there...it was like you were hypnotized. You like idol stuff way too much...wonder if they're gonna have another one? I'll go with you if you need me to."

Rin was everything that Hanayo was not: confident, outgoing, and bold. She never had any fear of messing up or making herself look stupid, it seemed. She was always someone Hanayo had looked up to, ever since she was a kid. Rin would be the fastest girl in their class; Hanayo would trip over her own two feet. Rin would have friends at her desk all the time; Hanayo would be alone. She wondered why Rin had even chosen to be her friend in the first place. She was plain and quiet and unathletic, everything that her best friend wasn't. Yet they had stayed together ever since they were young, and Rin had always been there for her. She didn't know what she would do without her being by her side. When she was around Rin, she was never scared or shy.

"Are you thinking of going to one of their club meetings?" Rin asked, brushing a lock of her short ginger hair to the side.

"Um- Yes! Want to come with me? I'd be happy if you could..." Hanayo asked.

"Nah, I've got practice every day this week. Our first meet is coming up...Coach will be mad if I skip. Besides, I'm not really cut out for that stuff. It's all frilly and cute and girly. You're more that type. I'm glad you found something, though."

"Oh, sorry..." Hanayo commented. So she would have to do it alone. Maybe she wasn't up for it after all...

"No worries, Kayochin!" Rin exclaimed. "I'm happy you found something you want to do. Do your best!" She turned and sprinted down the hallway. "See ya!"

"You too..." Hanayo sighed.

As she turned around and began to walk toward her locker, a small, familiar girl passed her by. She had been wanting to talk to Shizuka all this time, but she seemed almost scared of her and Rin...whenever they wanted to find her it was like she would disappear. But now, she was right in front of her. Today, she had a great chance to work up her confidence!

Okay! If I can talk to Takigawa-san, maybe I'll feel good enough to go meet those idol girls!

"Takigawa-san! Wait up!"

The small girl turned around, looking startled for a second, then relaxed. She was super cute, Hanayo had to admit. Way more than her. She had big round eyes, a small stature like most girls her age, but she acted grown up, which was adorable as could be.

"Hey, Koizumi-san." She looked around, almost nervously. "Is Hoshizora-san with you?"

"No, she's at track practice," Hanayo replied. "I've been meaning to ask something...where do you live?"

"I'm staying with Subaru and Hibiki nearby. I think it's in Uchikanda. How come?"

"Well, Rin and I live close by, so I was just wondering...do you want to walk home together?"

"Don't you live in Azabu, though?"

"Eh? Uh, how do you know that?"

"Hoshizora-san told me. I didn't ask her."

"Um...I mean...I don't really live that close by...do you want to walk with me to the station and..." Hanayo's nervousness had taken full control of her.

Crap, crap, crap! I said something awkward again! This always happens to me! Someone please help me! Rin-chan, where are you?

"Um, sorry. I have something to do today. I'll do it later in the week." She smiled, then turned. "See you, Koizumi-san."

"R-right, you too..." Hanayo replied, deflated. Well, that had been a bust. Looks like she'd be walking home alone today after all. As she began to make her way to the lockers, her foot hit something. She reached down to pick it up. It was a student ID card.

Nishikino...Maki?

The name was all too familiar; the aloof girl that she and Rin had known forever that would never talk to anyone and shoot them death glares and hated people in general. She had been by her house once before. It was big and she was intimidated by it, but that was when she was younger.

If she wanted to improve her confidence so she could stand on the same stage as those girls, a good start would be facing down the challenge that was Maki.

Five-thirty. Subaru was late.

Teana stood outside the building underneath the shade of an oak tree, looking out absentmindedly over the fields where the soccer, tennis, and track teams were practicing. It sure seemed like it would be fun to go running, but it also seemed like a lot of hard work.

It was almost scarily quiet today. No giant mana flareups, no incidents, no warnings from Fate or anything like that...it seemed almost normal. It was like they were just ordinary schoolgirls from Earth, not the TSAB's finest mages.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and Teana knew who it was before she even turned to look. Her friend came running up, her short hair plastered with sweat to her forehead. "Sorry I'm late..." she puffed.

"I expect it now," Teana deadpanned.

"So are we heading over to Honoka's house today? I got the LINE Umi sent us all, and she reminded me in third period, and this morning, and yesterday night, and..."

"Yeah, that's today. Caro is already over there with Honoka and Kotori. Umi's still at archery practice," Teana replied. She had never been over to anyone's house other than Subaru's. Was it normal to invite club members to your home in this country, or did Honoka and the others just like them so much to treat them like close friends, even though they hadn't known each other for very long? It was a bit flattering if it was the second option, but did Honoka treat every acquaintance like they were her childhood friends? It was tough to figure out. You couldn't read an idiot's mind at all. Teana knew that from experience.

"You told them we had to stay for cleaning, right?" Subaru asked.

"Yeah, I think they know." Teana flicked one of her ponytails around, brushing her shoulder. For some reason, it always helped her calm down. "So anyways, did anyone tell you what we're actually going to do?"

"Uh, no, not really..." Subaru mused. "All the messages just said club meeting...I guess work on putting videos on the website? Somebody said something about posting a music video, and something called Photoshop..."

"What's a Photoshop?"

"I think you buy pictures from it?"

"Why would we need to buy pictures?"

"Ask Umi, not me."

Teana breathed out. She wasn't really social enough to have much experience with going over to other people's houses. She had never even been to a party, and all the people that would be there...But at least Subaru would be there too.

"Did you tell Fate we're going to be over there?" Teana knew the answer was no before she ever finished the question. Subaru didn't even have a chance to begin. Using Cross Mirage, she quickly relayed a message to her superior officer.

We're heading over to Honoka's. Be back home at about 8 or 9.

I'm just grading papers. Be safe. I'll be home when you get there. Do you want me to make dinner?

No, we'll get something on the way home.

Okay. See you then.

Fate had great mothering skills. It was a little strange. She was an Enforcer...she didn't seem like the kind of person who would be proficient in taking care of others. But as soon as they got to Earth, she had started treating them like she was their family. Honestly, to the younger mages, she and Nanoha were like older sisters, not commanders.

"So it's a sweets shop, right?" Subaru could barely contain her excitement. "I can't wait. I bet they have all sorts of goodies!"

"You're like a little kid. They're not going to just give you them for free," Teana harrumphed.

"Well, I guess I could buy them," Subaru replied.

"Do you even have any money?

"Uhhhhhhhhh..." Subaru fished around in her bag, and pulled her hand out proudly. "Nope! Absolutely zero yen!"

"I'm not letting you borrow any." Teana cut her best friend off before she could even open her mouth again.

"But..." Subaru suddenly stopped. "Wow, that girl sure can jump high."

"What are you talking about-" Teana followed Subaru's gaze over to the track, where a flat-chested girl with short red hair in a track uniform was picking herself up after clearing the high jump bar.

"Look, she's going to go again," Subaru commented, and sure enough, the girl trotted back to the line. She bent down, then took off into a sprint, accelerated, accelerated, leapt high into the air...

Wait, something wasn't right. The way she didn't bend her legs deep to jump, the way she arched her back...it was slight enough that any person would never notice. But to a trained mage, it was clear as day.

"Are you thinking..." Teana began.

"...Gravity alter?" Subaru finished.

There was no mistake about it; that girl was using some kind of magic.

Cross Mirage, identify, she thought, thinking of the track team girl who jumped.

Rin Hoshizora, 15, her Device replied. Oldest daughter of Shingo and Minami Hoshizora. One younger brother, 12, named Ryouta. Azabuyama Middle School all-prefecture track champion in high jump and the 400 meters. Public records completed.

A magic-user that appeared to be a native of this world...they'd definitely need to keep an eye on her. Was it possible she was...that "enemy" Fate told them about? It couldn't be. She looked just happy-go-lucky and cheerful.

Then again, you could never trust appearances.

"Let's go!" she heard Subaru call behind her.

"Right," she replied, not paying much attention.

A new piece of the puzzle she had no clue how to solve had revealed itself, and Teana only found herself becoming more and more confused the longer she investigated into the mystery on this small, blue, insignificant planet.

The house that belonged to the family of Dr. Soichiro Nishikino was huge and modern amidst the Azabu neighborhood. Hanayo wondered how many yen it must cost even for a small part of the property...the number would make her head swim. It was too large even to imagine. She and Rin lived close enough for them to go to the same elementary and middle school as Maki, but they were solidly middle-class. They had no friends from that part of town. The rich kids tended to hang out by themselves...except for Maki. For as long as they had been in the same classes, Hanayo could never recall her even having one close friend.

She thought it must be a lonely existence to be someone like that; she probably had so many nice things and so much interesting stuff she did, and she didn't have anyone to share it with. Then again, maybe she preferred to be alone. Even though she'd never had a friend, it wasn't like she ever looked unhappy about it. She was more peaceful. Serene, almost like the Zen ideal.

She was beginning to get nervous. There was a thing with a video screen on the front...was that something you were supposed to press to get in? She'd never seen that except for maybe a couple times on office buildings. It was too intimidating for her, and what if Maki was mad she was being disturbed?

Be still. She will not be angry at you.

Hanayo started. It was like she had heard someone talking to her. She quickly turned around, but no one was there. Was she imagining things, or...It sounded like my own voice, so it could have just been my mind, she thought. But she couldn't recall thinking anything like what she had just been told. She was more worried that Maki would snap at her, and the voice was so clear and resonant, it was almost like someone had said it right into her ear. But there was no one anywhere close to her.

She bent over to press the buzzer. The screen immediately flickered on, and a familiar glare filled the screen. "Who is it?" Maki's piercing voice, although distorted by the speaker, was still easily recognizable.

"Um...uh-it's Hanayo Koizumi from 1-4 and I...uhh...came to return this..." She held out the ID card to the camera, putting her head down and bracing herself for the angry rejection that would surely follow.

But the only reply she heard was, "Oh, I see. Come in."

"Eh?" Hanayo couldn't believe her ears. Maki Nishikino, inviting her into her house just like that?

"Did you hear me? I said you can come in." That snappy tone was more like the Maki she knew.

"Um-okay! Coming!" The gate had already swung open in front of her, and she hurried to the front steps, where the door opened. Her fellow first-year stood in the frame. She was already so tall and mature-looking, nobody would guess she and Hanayo were both in the same grade. She didn't act like a first year, either. Hanayo wished she could be that cool.

"Uhh...I came to return this..." She held out the card.

"Thanks." Maki took it and inspected it nonchalantly. "I'd been looking for this. It would have been a pain to get another one done."

"Okay. I'm glad I could help. I guess I'll go now..." Not wanting to make it any more awkward, Hanayo quickly turned to go down the steps.

A cry of "Wait!" stopped her in her tracks.

She turned back around. "What is it?"

"Do you want some tea?"

"Do I want some what?" There was no way she had heard that correctly. She was never going to get invited into Maki Nishikino's house. Not in a million years.

"I said, do you want some tea?"

"Do you have some?"

"Well, yeah," Maki answered, nervously flicking her eyes away when Hanayo turned back around. "I didn't make it for you, it's just...I made too much and I don't want it to go to waste..."

"Okay." Hanayo edged up the steps and into the house, popping her shoes off before following her host into the foyer. Maki was starting to look a little red. It was the weirdest thing. She thought that the other girl would be angry at her, but instead she was being invited into her house. It was just as that voice said: she must not hate her after all. Was it like that thing: precog- premonition? Was that what she had? It was weird.

The house was decorated attractively, with a wide-open entrance space, a staircase curving from the entrance up to the second floor, where a balcony ringed the main atrium, and lots of sun coming in through the big glass windows. But it didn't look super expensive like she expected a rich girl's residence to look like. Nothing was gold-plated, there was no giant TV and no statues...it was just minimalist and tasteful.

Maki led the way quickly after a left turn into an eating area, where laid out on a dark-varnished oak table were two matching china teacups and two small plates with a couple cake slices each. It certainly didn't look like it was spur-of-the-moment. Maybe...Maki wanted company? No, that didn't seem like her. But still, it made Hanayo wonder...

Maki quickly grabbed a teapot the same eggshell white as the teacups off the pristine granite-coated countertop separating the dining table from the kitchen and poured two cups of steaming, light orange tea before quickly taking a seat. Hanayo edged into her seat, cautiously looking around. She didn't know what to think about this, and she was becoming a little bit nervous instead.

"These look good..." she hesitantly began. "Did you make these?"

"No...I mean wait...I mean I only used a cookbook! They're someone else's recipe!" Maki exclaimed.

"Well, okay," Hanayo replied. Blowing, she took a sip of the tea. It was delicious: full-bodied but not too overpowering, with a hint of orange in the background. "What kind of tea is this?" she asked.

"Assamese Darjeeling," Maki replied immediately.

Hanayo had no idea what those words even meant.

"Nishikino-san, um...That is your actual ID card, right? Not an old one?"

"Yeah, it is. I checked. I don't usually lose it, but anyways...Thanks for finding it." Maki looked away and scratched her head.

"Thank you for having me."

"Hmpf. It's not a big deal."

"Well, I've known you for years and this is the first time I've ever been over to your house..."

"You know I wouldn't let Hoshizora in here if she was being chased by wild animals."

That's a little harsh... "Why'd you let me in now, though?"

"Because I'm in a good mood, and there's no goofily-grinning flat chest behind you to put me out of it today."

"Well, this is really good...I'm glad you decided to invite me in." With a few more minutes of aimless chatting and eating, they were finished. It was really delicious. It may have just been a recipe, but it was certainly a really well done one.

When she was finished, Hanayo stood, pushing her chair in. "Thank you for the food. Um, I hate to ask, but...where is your bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the right." The red-haired girl pointed.

"Oh, thank you!" Hanayo quickly headed off in that direction and found exactly the room she was looking for. After finishing, she washed her hands, but as she opened the door, she aimlessly looked to the left and something caught her eye.

At the end of the hall was an open door, the sunlight streaming into the room behind it. Hanayo hesitantly edged closer. She knew there was probably nothing interesting in there, and it was rude, but...it just sparked her curiosity. She moved slightly forward, and as she entered her eyes grew wide.

A black grand piano, just like one that would be in a hotel lobby or at a concert, stood in the middle of the room. It must have cost hundreds of thousands of yen, and it was so beautiful. She moved closer to admire it; the light glinted off the surface and formed long sparkles covering the instrument's body. Hesitantly, she reached to brush the ghostly-white ivory keys, offset by the darkest of blacks between them...

"You like that?"

She immediately turned around with a squeak of terror and surprise. Maki stood looking at her.

Oh, no! She's going to be mad at me! Please help! Someone, please help me!

Instead, the statement that came out was bemused. "It's a Yamaha. I got it for my birthday three years ago. People always like to look at it. I don't know what's special about it...it's just a piano."

Just a piano that probably cost more than Hanayo's family's house.

"Um, do you play it?"

"No, I just thought it would make a trendy decoration."

"Oh, I see..."

"It's sarcasm. Of course I play it." Maki huffed out the corner of her mouth.

Hanayo turned around to see a mother-of-pearl embellished drum set in the back corner of the room, and two acoustic guitars, an electric bass, and an electric guitar hung on stands with an amp beneath it. In the other corner stood a string bass and a silver saxophone on its stand. There was a computer on a desk in the corner right near the door with two large monitors. This was so amazing; it was far more instruments in one place that Hanayo could ever dream of.

She edged closer to the guitar. "L-Les Paul?" she squeaked in surprise as she saw the name etched on the head. Hesitantly, she stretched her hands toward it. "C-can I..."

"Yeah, you can touch it. Why are you looking so scared? It's just a guitar."

"B-but it's s-so expensive...won't you be mad if I mess it up?"

"Why would I be mad? I can just get another one."

"Nishikino-san, um, do you have any interest in, um, idols?" Hanayo asked it suddenly, so much so that she almost didn't expect herself to ask.

"You're wanting to join that idol group those second-years have, right?"

"H-how did you know?"

"I saw you staring at the poster. Like, every day. You seemed pretty interested in it."

"Do you know anything about them? Since you're so musically interested and all..."

"Yeah, I do. And I wish I didn't."

"Really? Can you answer something for me?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think they would let me join? I want to, but I don't have the confidence to or anything..."

Maki was taken aback for a second. "You think they're going to hold tryouts and pick the best or something? All you have to do is go up and ask them, and then they won't leave you alone! That one second-year, the ginger one, would not shut up about her idol thing! Every other word out of her mouth is 'concert' or 'idol' or something like that!" She pitched up her voice into an artificially cheerful one. "'Hey Maki-chan! Join u's!' 'Maki-chan, please compose us a song!' 'Maki-chan, idols!' 'Maki-chan, how's the song coming along?' 'Maki-chan, please join us!' 'Maki-chan, Maki-chan, Maki-chan, Maki-chan'...Just shut up!"

Hanayo stopped for a second, surprised by the outburst. "Wait, you...composed a song for them?"

"Yeah. Just one. For their club day concert. They promised me they'd leave me alone after that. How come?"

"That song was amazing!" Hanayo crowed. "I got chills just from listening to it!"

"Eh?" It was Maki's turn to be surprised. "Um, well, I don't know what to say...thanks...I guess...I only made it because I was being stalked, though..."

"I don't get it," Hanayo mused out loud.

"What?" came the short reply.

"Don't you like music?"

"I guess you could say that. It's just a hobby for me. But yeah, I enjoy it."

"Then why don't you want to join their group?" Hanayo asked, cocking her head to the side. "They want you to do it so bad...no one's ever tried to chase after me like that. I love idols. I never imagined I'd be one, though. You could just do it so easily, I'm jealous."

"You and I are different people. Even if I did join...it wouldn't have any point. My entire life is mapped out for me. I'll inherit the hospital my parents run...they've already decided where I'm going to med school. Isn't that stupid? I can't even decide little things like that for myself."

That was true, but...she just really didn't get why Maki wouldn't want to join their group if the second-years were giving her so much attention, even if it had no meaning in the long run. To Hanayo, it would be like a dream come true if someone admired her and was trying to ask her for her talents all the time. She didn't really have any, honestly.

It was things like this that made a fire start to burn in her belly. Sure, she was plain and quiet and the only friend she had was Rin, but she wanted to do something that she could at least feel proud of. All through middle school, she had been completely average. Average in school, average in clubs, average in her social life; completely average. She had gone to Otonokizaka because the counselor had told her it was the best option for her, not because she wanted to go there on her own. Maybe those second-years were like her. Maybe they were completely average, but they were working their hearts out to do something. Even if you weren't good at what you were doing, wasn't that the point? Wasn't trying hard the best feeling you could ever have? Wasn't that good enough? Wasn't that meaningful?

"I don't think it's pointless," Hanayo said, confidently.

"So you've decided, then?" Maki replied.

"Eh...I think so."

"You think so?" Maki replied sharply. "Here you are, telling me what's pointless and what's not, but you haven't even made up your mind for yourself."

"Then I will." The confidence was surging inside of Hanayo, a feeling the girl had never felt in the past. Rin was always the one who stood up for her, spoke for her, defended her. "I'm going to join them."

"Well," Maki smiled a little bit for the first time that Hanayo had seen in a while. "Do your best. I'll support you."

Suddenly, a deep brass chime boomed from outside. "Oh, it's already seven..." Maki thought out loud. "My parents will be home soon."

Hanayo wasn't aware of just how much time she'd spent over at her fellow first-year's house until it hit her. I had to be back home by 7:30! Oh, crap! My parents are going to be so mad... She could picture her mom yelling at her before it even happened. What do I do? What do I do?

"Thank you for having me, Nishikino-san!" she exclaimed, before walking as fast as she could without breaking a run toward the door, quickly sliding on her shoes before bursting out the door, not listening to see if the red-haired girl said anything back. Her house was about ten minutes' walk, so it wouldn't be that long, but it was already starting to get dark...her mom would be hyperventilating by now. She was so scared of her only precious daughter being out alone, and whenever her dad would try to talk some sense she would shout him down into silence.

Right turn ahead, and then I just have to go until home...

Do not go that way.

Hanayo stopped in surprise, turned around, but saw no one close enough to have said that to her. Was she starting to go crazy, or was there someone seriously talking to her? But if that was the case, why couldn't she see anyone?

"What do...you mean?" she said out loud, quietly. "My home is that way."

Do you see those men standing on that corner? If you go that way, you will be mugged. Do not go that way.

Hanayo looked around, and sure enough, a couple seedy-looking guys were just hanging out on the street corner outside the convenience store. The voice seemed to be right.

There is something you must do.

"W-what do I do?" she asked, hesitantly.

Follow me. Go left, down that street at the light. Turn onto the main road.

Like a puppet, she obediently did what the voice commanded. This was so strange. She was sure she wasn't crazy, but there was a voice in her head...and it was talking to her, telling her to do things...was she okay? Was she really actually crazy and she needed help?

As she turned at the light and crossed the street, now surrounded by the scores of businesspeople coming home from working late, the signboard for the Metro station ahead caught her eye. She had ridden the train every morning to go to school for a while, but...surely the voice didn't want her to go somewhere, right? Was it telling her to run away? If it was just her mind speaking, and not something else, did that mean she wanted to leave?

Go into it.

Hanayo stopped for a second, and contemplated standing at the top of the stairs entering the subway. She could just ignore the voice, leave and run back all the way home. But then, would it keep telling her to do this? Would it get angry at her? What would it do? She was frightened. This thing was speaking to her and she had no control over it.

And she was curious about where she was supposed to go. She knew it wasn't smart. She was by herself and could end up all sorts of awful places. But she wanted to know. Maybe that would be the end of her. Still, it was a risk she wanted to take.

She hesitantly put one foot down the stairs and immediately ran down them, bursting into a full run as the people milling out of and into the turnstiles stopped for a second to gape at the schoolgirl running full-blast into the station, not even stopping to swipe her card. By the time she was on the track, she was out of breath.

Line one.

That was the platform she had ended up on, and surprisingly a train was just arriving. "This is the Nanboku line to Urawamisono, Urawamisono...Get on for Yotsuya, Shinjuku..." the announcer droned. The train was full, and she was forced to stand up, still breathing heavily as it pulled out of the station. Her phone buzzed in her bag. It was probably her mother. She quickly pulled it out and saw that her fears were confirmed. Texting quickly "Sorry! I have to go meet with someone for club! Be a couple more hours!" she slid her phone back into her bag and grabbed onto the bar as the train accelerated.

Get off at the Diet Building station, then take the Marunouchi line for Ikebukuro. Get off at Awajicho. There will be someone waiting for you.

"What?" she said, maybe a bit too loud because several people on the train turned to look. Immediately turning her face down, she shrank, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.

She knew it probably wasn't smart to follow this voice blindly, but she did what it said. She got off and changed lines, then rode more stops until hers was announced, exactly as she had been told...

Her legs felt like lead as she swiped her card and began the long, slow climb up the stairs. Where even was she? She'd never been to this station before, and the voice had gone silent...and who was waiting for her like she had been told? Surely it was a good person, right? Right? Her confidence was starting to drain, even though there hadn't been much there in the first place.

As she emerged onto the street from the stairs, she first noticed that it was only twilight. The days were starting to become longer now that it was nearing summer. It was a rather quiet street with bars, restaurants, and stores along each side, although there weren't many people out. She looked around. There wasn't anyone she knew there, so who was the voice talking about?

"Who did you mean-"

Hanayo was cut off by a small squeak as shoes squeaked across the concrete behind her. When she turned around, her eyes grew wide as she took a look at a small, rosy-haired girl, who she recognized as the youngest member of the idol group she had watched days before, in the same uniform as her holding a comically large amount of bottled drinks.

"Takigawa-san?"

Her classmate's eyes were about as round as hers. "Koizumi-san? What are you doing here?"

She didn't know how to explain. "It's a long story...Why do you have all that stuff? Do you need any help?"

"No, I got it," Caro replied with a pained sigh. "I was over at Honoka's house and they ran out of tea, so they wanted me to go to the Family Mart to get some more because the sweets stick in your throat if you don't have anything to wash it down and we played rock-paper-scissors for it and I ended up losing..."

Honoka? Did she mean...Is she with the other girls who were in that idol group? Can I...ask them to join there?

"You're meeting with the rest of u's, right?" she suddenly burst out. "I saw you guys perform at club day in the auditorium, and it was amazing! Can I go back with you? I...I want to meet all of you!"

"Well, sure, that would be ok," Caro replied, propping up the bottles that were in danger of falling. "It's just this way."

With a smile on her face, Hanayo set off. "Thanks!"

"Honoka is going to be so happy we found a fan," Caro said as they walked along the street. "Be careful, though. She's a little bit too in your face about it."

Yeah, I bet. After hearing what Maki had said, she didn't doubt that.

"Is she the redhead?"

"Yeah, the second-year, average height, kinda messy hair. Kotori is the blonde and Umi is the shy one with the long, dark hair. Subaru is the short haired, athletic one, and Hibiki has twintails and is smart. Those last two are my fellow exchange students. You've probably never met them yet, have you? The second- and first-years are on different floors, so I'll have to introduce all of them to you..."

Hanayo didn't show it, but her heart was pounding in her chest. She was elated. She had finally had the courage to do something for herself, and here she was getting ready to meet with the girls she admired...

Then she remembered. The voice. It had told her to come here, and she was about to get to meet u's in person. Maybe they would even let her join.

"Thank you," she whispered.

It is no matter.

She perked up. The voice had finally responded. "Why did you help me?"

If you saw someone in trouble, would you not do the same?

"Who are you?"

I cannot tell you that. I will be here if you need me, but I must go for now. My duty is finished.

"Koizumi-san?" Caro had stopped and was looking back at her, concerned.

"N-nothing!" Hanayo exclaimed suddenly.

"Okay," Caro replied with a glance, and they continued on.

"Oh, we're here." They had stopped in front of an old-style house. Above it hung the sign Wagashi HOMURA. Its front door was closed and the lights were off...this wasn't a house, was it? It was a closed shop.

"Um, is this it?" Hanayo tentatively asked.

Caro pulled a key out of her pocket. "Yeah, Honoka's family runs this shop, and they live in the back...They get all the sweets they like! I'm so jealous of her..." She turned the key in the lock, and the door slid open to reveal all sorts of sugary treats lining shelves and tables, and a counter in the back of the darkened shop beside a curtain through which light was shining. Hanayo followed her classmate through the curtain, and immediately light hit her. She was standing at the bottom of a flight of stairs; to the left of her was a dining room where a TV was playing, and the futons weren't yet out, but there was no one there.

"I'm back!" Caro called up the stairs. Turning to Hanayo, she said, "I'll go up first and tell them you're here. You can just wait a little if you want, or come on up."

"Okay..." Hanayo replied. Caro disappeared up the stairs, and afterwards she heard a door open and murmurs, then nothing again. Taking a minute to steel herself, she began up the stairs. Her elation had given rise to nervousness. What if they didn't want anyone intruding on them.

It's okay. It's okay, she told herself as she climbed.

There were a series of doors down a hallway, with some open and the lights off and some closed. The closest one to her right was cracked open and had some light streaming through it. Hesitantly, she reached to open it, pulling it so slowly it didn't make a sound, and peered through the crack...

What she saw was a red-haired girl, wearing nothing but a towel, rubbing some sort of green stuff on her face in a bathroom, and she must have jumped a couple feet. She hadn't been seen, but what if she had...First time meeting them and I walk in on one of them naked...oh god, help me...

Trying to be quiet as so not to alarm the girl in the bathroom that anyone was outside, she crept toward the next door. This one was also cracked, with light, and she caught voices coming from it. Steadily, she moved closer.

"No way!" a high, energetic voice cried. "Already 25,000 views! And look at the comments... 'You guys are awesome! –Tsukirin', 'That was a great song! I hope you release more! –Daisuke'..."

A higher voice chimed in. "'The girl in the blue is so pretty! –Ayaka', 'This is your first video? You guys have a great future ahead of you! I'll see you at the Tokyo regionals, do your best! –Orange'...wow! We're getting so many good reviews! I'll make sure I link it to our official Love Live page. Thanks for getting it, Umi-chan, you're always so prepared..."

"Actually," a lower voice replied hesitantly, "I didn't even think about getting a recording...one of you did it, right? Thanks, whoever did."

"Huh, it wasn't me..."

"Not me."

"Hibiki-chan, did you do it?"

"Nah, I don't even have a camcorder..."

"Me neither."

"One of you had to have done it. There wasn't anyone there to film besides us."

"Don't remind me of that, Umi-chan!"

"It's the truth, though. No one else was there except for us, and the student council president at the end, but she didn't have a camera, and the VP didn't, either."

"Well, it's not that big of a deal. It's just a lucky accident, really. I'm glad we had so many people watching."

"Someone videotaping us without us knowing and posting it on the internet isn't a big deal?"

"Well, I mean, it helped us..."

"I don't care. I'm finding who it was and chewing them out."

"Maybe it was Jesus!"

There was a silence of a few seconds and what sounded to Hanayo like someone getting slapped.

"Honoka, you're not a Christian."

"So anyways, I met a classmate on the way back, and she was watching you guys at the concert, so she wanted to come say hi. I think she's still downstairs." She recognized the voice trying to steer conversation away as that of the young exchange student.

"There was someone watching us live? What's she like? What's she like? Guys! Maybe she was the one who recorded us all! I've got to tell her thanks!"

"Well, she's kind of shy and nervous, so try not to startle her..."

"We actually have fans! Can you believe it? I'm so happy! I'm so happy!"

"I think we already knew that from everyone watching the video..."

"How do you like this single cover? I'm finished with the rough draft."

"What's that on it?"

"Alpaca-san!"

"What does that have to do with us? Or what the song's about?"

"It's cute and optimistic, like the song!"

"No alpacas."

"Okay...would a cat be better?"

"We are not doing a cat!"

"What's wrong with cats? They're cute!"

"They are not cute! They're vicious!"

"Hehe, Umi-chan, don't be scared of them. That time the cat ran off with your lollipop when you were in kindergarten was a long time ago. So was that time you tripped over that cat and then it hissed at you and scratched you and you cried when-"

"Shut up!"

There were a couple of giggles.

"Ok, so no cat..."

"What about a dolphin?"

"Hmm, I prefer a tiger..."

"A horse?"

"No animals! The song has nothing to do with animals! Just keep our picture on the cover and that's enough!"

"Jeez, Umi-chan, you're no fun..."

They didn't seem so bad. Maybe they would be nice to her. She reached towards the door, intending to push it open and introduce herself-

"Did...you...peek...in...on...me?"

A frightening shadow, eyes blazing with a towel turban and a green mask, stared Hanayo down.

Her scream was loud enough that the whole neighborhood could probably have heard it.

The door flung open. Another fearsome shadow, her long hair radiating out around her, stood blocking out the light. "You heard nothing! NOTHING! Got it?"

The first year didn't answer because she was already out cold.

Next morning

"Kayochin, what's wrong?" Her best friend stood over Hanayo, peering close with a concerned expression as the mousy first-year rested her chin on her hands over her desk. Her head was throbbing. Last night did not go as she expected. Not that it was a bad thing; in fact, there was something that she was so excited about that she could barely contain herself from jumping up and cheering at the top of her lungs. She just didn't really have the energy to. She hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep last night; the butterflies in her stomach would pound and prick whenever she was drifting off, and the nervous excitement that filled her didn't run out at all.

"Grounded for a week..." she moaned.

"Yowch, that's harsh..." her friend replied.

You want me to join? You'd...you'd be happy with it?

Yup, you're perfect!

The lunch bell rang, and Hanayo, with all the energy she had left, jumped to her feet. It was finally time. Something she wanted to do, a decision she had finally made on her own, without Rin, without her parents, without it being what was expected of her. The opportunity was so close; she just had to reach out and touch it. She could almost feel the happiness as if it was a person, embracing her tightly, filling her with joy. If she was Arthur, then her Sword in the Stone lay ahead of her.

"Kayochin, where are you going? Hey, wait! You left your lunch!" Rin called behind her. She didn't pay any attention. She was so caught up in happiness, she could barely keep from skipping down the hallway.

But, I mean...I'm not good at singing. I've never learned to dance before...I'll probably get scared of all the people, and I may mess up a lot...it's just, you're so good...are you really okay with this? I'll just drag you down...

No problem! We're total amateurs too!

Really?

Yeah! Never sang a day in my life until now!

But...do you really want someone with so many issues? Surely you would prefer someone more confident...

No worries! We all have our problems too, like Shizuka-chan was also scared of performing, but she got over it, and me and Kotori-chan were out of shape, but we ended up training...

You didn't mention you were a total pest to all of us, too.

Well, I guess. But it's all behind us now!

"Hey, Kayochin! Wait up!" she heard her friend call behind her. She was running as fast as her legs could take her. As she arrived in the second-year classrooms' hall, she looked around. No familiar faces; they weren't here. She dashed off to her right, heading toward the stairs.

So...you're saying you'd be happy if I joined?

"Koizumi-san!" a familiar voice called from behind her. She stopped and turned around, to see a tall, red-haired girl. "I had something I wanted to tell you..."

"Nishikino-san?" she huffed. She was still in a hurry, but there was time to talk for just a second. It wouldn't hurt anything. "What is it?"

"Remember...uhh, last night, when you told me about how you wanted...more confidence? Well, I thought I'd..." She glanced away and was starting to turn red. "This is just because you returned my ID to me...now we're definitely even, ok? I'll...teach...you...how to be more confident...like when you're in class you always get frightened when called on...it's stuff like that I'll help you fix...I guess...I just wanted you to know if you'd like that..."

"Of course I would! Thanks!"

Maki had gone totally red, almost to the point where Hanayo could swear she could see steam coming out her ears.

What kind of question is that?

Ahead of her, her best friend rounded the corner, skidding to a stop. "There you are, Kayochin! Don't run off- Nishikino!" She pointed her finger at Maki. "Y-you better not be trying to molest her!"

"What looks anything like that here?!" Maki snapped.

"Oh?" Rin smirked. "Is it a confession?"

"Piss off, Hoshizora!"

"Uh-uh! No one gets to kidnap Kayochin on my watch!"

"How- It's not like that! At all!"

At that moment, Hanayo took off up the stairs and to the roof. Pushing the door open, she scanned around; in front of the Tokyo skyline sat several groups of girls, but the only one she was concerned about were the six dead ahead of her, who had all turned to look as she burst out the door.

We'd love you to join u's!

"Kousaka-senpai!" she exclaimed, coming to a stop, standing up tall.

The red-haired second year stood up, her face threatening to break into a giant smile. Behind Hanayo, the door swung open, and two other sets of footsteps came pounding on the roof.

"See? This is all your fault! If you hadn't made her run off..." Rin said, gasping for air as she ran.

"I was trying to talk to her about something important!" Maki fired back. "It wasn't any of your business-" Both of them came to a halt beside the mousy first-year. Maki's mouth was hanging open. "Oh, God..."

"I want to join!" Hanayo yelled. As her voice reverberated to such a degree she had hardly heard, it was as if everything went silent. No one talked. The only sound she heard was the throbbing of her heartbeat in her own ears.

Then, her senior beamed, a huge smile breaking out across her face. "Welcome to u's, Hanayo-chan!" Before she could even reply, a huge mass grabbed her as her senior hugged her by the waist. "You're our first new member! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Oh, cool! This is what you were so excited about?" Rin exclaimed. "This looks like so much fun! Count me in, too!"

"Eh?" Honoka looked up from the bearhug she was currently trapping Hanayo in. "Uh, okay...who are you again?"

"Rin Hoshizora, the first-year shining star of the track club!" she boasted, pointing right to herself. "Wherever Kayochin goes, I go too!"

Rin was going to be there, too? She was quitting the track team to follow her? Hanayo was so excited and confused, she didn't know what to think.

"More like wherever I go, I can't get away from you..." Maki sighed beside her.

"Oh, Maki-chan! You're here too?" Honoka immediately let Hanayo go. "You want to join, too? I'm so glad! Now we finally have enough for a club!"

"Of course not!" she snapped. "I was just trying to talk to Koizumi-san and then that monkey showed up..."

"Aww...we really want you to, though..."

"I told you I was done with this!"

"But, did you know about the song you composed for our performance? It got posted to the internet and it got a lot of views...I was meaning to find you and tell you, but I never could find you...There's a lot of people who love your song! Look!" She held out her phone, on which Hanayo could see was the YouTube comment section for a video. Maki, looking at it too, took a breath and stepped back.

"Really? This...people liked it that much? I didn't even put much effort into it..."

"Yeah! They loved it! Come join us, Maki-chan! We'd be so happy if we had a song composer even half as good as you!"

"W-well..." Maki was starting to blush again. "I guess...fine! I'll do it! Just so you'll stop annoying me about it!"

"Yay!" Honoka jumped up. "We have a club! We have a club! We've got enough members now!"

Hanayo wasn't really sure what to think. So much had happened over the past two days, she didn't know where to begin.

But as she stood there confidently, the wind at her back, her senior celebrating, she thought she might have finally found where she belonged.

The club room was dark; the shutters were drawn. If there was enough light, one would be able to see the vast amount of idol DVDs, CDs, and merchandise: autographs, folders, glowsticks, and pretty much everything you could name lining the sides of the room. But the only light, even though it was sunny outside, was coming from the computer where the small third-year girl sat typing.

Kureno: Did you see this new group from around Akiba? I think they're pretty good! Who knows, they may even get to the Love Live finals this year!

Traveler: You always are like this when the Love Live is going on...Where's the video?

Kureno: /love-live/group_

Aqua: That's actually really good! They may even have a chance to go somewhere this year!

Traveler: u's from Otonokizaka Private Girls' Academy in Kanda...hey, Nico-san, I may be wrong, but I think you said that you go there? Do you know anything about them?

Idols entering the Love Live at her school? It was news to her. She had wanted to for a while, but she didn't actually think someone else would...

They're going to end up just like me. I once put in a song on that exact website, too. Watch them fizzle out after a month.

She clicked on the video and began watching. It started off slow, but picked up...

Wait a minute! The costumes are garish, they aren't in sync...the camera quality is terrible! They think they're going to get fan votes like this? They're phoning it in! Like this, they're not even going to make it to the prefectural let alone beat A-RISE!

It reminded her of a part of her she'd rather forget.

Nico: It sucks. The quality's awful, the singing is all off, they can't dance if their lives depended on it...

Kureno: Wow, that's harsh.

Nico: What's harsh? I'm just telling the truth. They're never going to get the votes they need to make it into the main tournament putting out crap like that.

Kureno: Sorry, I forgot you were the resident idol expert...

It was true. They only had 65 upvotes and not even a single comment. Sure, they had a lot of views on YouTube, but every talent-show ensemble entering the Love Live always got a lot of views because of counting people who only watched for seconds before turning it off. That meant nothing. They were ranked 3585th in Greater Tokyo alone. How was she expected to sit quietly by as a group as terrible as that represented her school?

Not if she could help it.

She clicked the comment box on their page. Hesitantly, she paused. Was this, perhaps, too harsh of a thing to say? Would it completely break their spirits, and she would be responsible?

No, she knew how harsh this world could be, many times worse than just words. They looked like they had no idea what they were getting into.

She was here to snap them back into reality.

Furiously, her fingers flew across the keyboard.

You think you'll make it to the Love Live with that? You don't deserve to be called idols!

Enter

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Wow, I know it really has been a long time...sorry for being away for so long! I have had a lot of personal stuff to deal with. I'm going to college in about a month, so I have to get that sorted out, I have to deal with work and family life, too: my dad got remarried recently so my life at home has changed quite a bit. Oh well, life happens and I'm back now.

The length of this chapter is an apology for being gone so long! Hopefully you can stay to read through it. It's the fourth episode (or at least based on it), but I did it almost entirely in Hanayo's perspective. This is a bit of a departure from the norm. Most of my story so far has been on the Nanohaverse girls trying to investigate and see what's up with all the weird stuff going on, but I kept that to a minimum in this chapter. Don't worry, there will definitely be more of them next chapter! Instead, enjoy the slower-paced look from a girl who finds her purpose.

Thank you for sticking with it! I would absentmindedly check my email and see that this story was still getting followers and favorites even though I hadn't updated it in so long...even though I was growing tired of it, you don't know how happy it made me! It was all this that made me decide to keep writing another chapter.

See you soon!

-mrcmc888