Eternal Melody

Either way, where on earth is Hamano? He's not usually one that's late. After a few more minutes, Kou was about to call him when he feels the chair opposite him clatter. 

"Hamano, even for you this—" He stops his sentence mid-way when he saw somebody unexpected. 

It was not Hamano Atushi but instead, in the seat opposite sat a fair-skinned girl with red and purple dual-colored eyes. She has sandy blonde hair styled into two half-pigtails which are held up with a yellow heart barrette on the left and a blue star barrette on the right. 

"Y—you?"

"It's been a while, Kou-chan."

"Yuko-san!" He exclaimed. Indeed there sat opposite him was none other than his old tutor Sora Yuko. 

Not just a tutor, but she was a former second idol. While she no longer enters the idol rankings due to her status, she is still a member of the entertainment industry.

Yuko chuckled. "I am glad to see that you still have the same amount of enthusiasm".

"Yes. But why are you here?"

The caramel-colored-haired girl slides up a document in front of him. That read' TOP Idol Groups Festival. Tokyo Summer Tour'

"I'm here for this. It's something Yumi decided to do on the spur of the moment, though. So were still finalizing the details. But we've already chosen and discussed with the board who will perform." Yuko trails off. "Of course me and Yumi as Double Y, Lune, Rever, Never ending 3, Ultimate Five, STAR and ..." She smiles at him and slides another sheet of paper in front of him.

"If you sign this. Then Quatro light is officially in."

His eyes widened when he saw the document. Did that mean she...? 

Yuko chuckles at his reaction. "Honestly, when Yumi first proposed the idea, I instantly thought of you Kou-chan."

"I'm honored. But are we qualified?"

An event that the legendary Takashi Yumi organized will be no normal event. That woman who held the number one spot for so long, a legendary figure in the music industry.

 "Of course, otherwise Yumi wouldn't have agreed. Right now, Quatro light really is shining. Your activities on magazines, radio shows, and TV we've seen them all and judged it ourselves. For you guys, this would be a good opportunity too."

Indeed this really would be a good chance for them. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to accept this. But with all that's going on now, would it really be safe. 

"I'm honored Yuko-san, but..."

"The security is safe, and even if they're Yakuza, they won't try to bypass a concert that's security isn't police guards but individuals with Asakura gems. Kou-chan, you should know about it, right? The Asakura gem's powers are based on the will and strength of the individual. Yumi is there." Yuko shuts her eyes. "If Yumi is there, you guys don't have to worry."

Takahashi Yumi, huh? Indeed if it is that person, then everything should be fine. Still, he wondered how Yuko-san could trust somebody this much; even without those words, he could see it in her eyes. A strong and unwavering belief

"Yuko-san, did you perhaps ambush Hamano and told him you would come instead? So you can reassure me."

Yuko winked. "Bingo." Good grief, this person also does everything at her own pace. "Besides, your all still students. You should be enjoying your summer instead of dealing with matters like this."

Kou gripped his hand, his gaze darkened. "Recently-"

In the end, he couldn't do anything to help her either. In the end, once again, someone who he knew. Someone who he was close with ended up hurt badly. No getting hurt badly is one thing. But the fact of the matter is that she is no longer here.

Yuko reached over and placed her hand on top. "Yeah, I heard. I stopped by just now. But you have to remain strong Kou-chan. Because the second you falter, that is when those people will take advantage of the situation. I understand it, too; during my younger days, I was the same. I didn't understand the world, I was lost, confused, and I felt completely alone. 

Yet there was Yumi, although she was in the same situation as me. No, although her situation was worse. She still remained strong and fought so much to achieve her dreams. She found something that gave her the light and inspired others to do the same. Kou-chan you also have a person like that don't you? No that's wrong. 'You all have someone like that."

He recalls the words he said to his kohai before the third selection. That's right, because of Mimi, it was because of her that he could get a true grasp on his dreams again. It was because of her that he became serious about music again.

'All of us have our dreams in this room. Some less clear than others, and yet it is still there. As for my dream? I will say it clearly. I am sure it's the same for the others, too—the dream of truly becoming the number one group. Even if we are number one in the rankings here in Japan, that is not the same everywhere else. 

It doesn't change the fact that we're probably still quite unknown in other areas of the world. This is why despite us being on top, it doesn't necessarily mean we're unreachable. Anyone can still take over that position now, and we would be shafted and become less known than before. 

It's an unstable position, which is why we undergo harsh training every day. All we think about is music. I understand that's difficult since some of you are regular class students. However, I highly believe that should be an excuse. Mimi is a regular student, and yet she still balances everything perfectly. Her dedication is on level with ours, and so is her conviction. What I am saying is if you guys can't take this seriously, then we will take her from you for good. '

That's right, he said those words with strong conviction then, and he means it, about keeping Sumire as their composer. He wants to see it, that sight with his fellow teammates and Sumire. 

Kou sighs, and yet a soft smile made its way onto his face. "Twenty-three-year-olds are on a completely different league than the rest of us, huh?"

"Yes."

Just like Yuko-san trusts Takahashi Yumi, the same went for him towards Ibuki Sumire. Kou paused when he recalled the first time he heard that she was dating Terashima Yuhi. He felt bitter, and yet he felt relieved when he saw that picture. He thought he would never see her smile like that again.