Eternal Melody

If her voice still has such power, she wants to use it if there's still something left that she can do here. 

"Sumire."

Her eyes widened when she heard him say her name. Since the first day she met this person, he seldom used her name. Whenever he does, it is usually for something serious.

"I'm not going to lie and say it's okay and that you didn't do anything wrong. However, it's not up to you to decide whether or not ythey will forgive you. They will decide that. I'll tell you straight, I never once blamed you for leaving. Even if the others don't forgive you, just remember that we in Nanairo feather will always be your friends. We will always be your ally."

Ah this is so stupid. 

"If you all wanted to see me that badly you could have just said."

Masaru sighed. "Your very stubborn lady; those guys understand it well. They are respecting your wishes."

"What about you?"

"I have always done whatever I wanted." Masaru trailed off. "Did you really think you could avoid me?"

Sumire sighed. "I actually did."

At those words, Masaru laughed. "I still have a few tricks left up my sleeve. But lady," his gaze turned serious again. "If your feelings are that fickle, maybe you shouldn't perform."

At those words, her eyes widened. 

"You know my feelings aren't that fickle! I—" His sentence falls short, seeing the tender smile on his face.

"Remember, what you're aiming for—your dream. I know you are afraid, lady. But ever since we first met, I could sense, no, I could see how much you love music." 

"Masaru."

"Do you truly want to stand in my shadow forever? Lady, you praised me a lot for being a talented musician, but after you went to Tokyo. I was the first one who went to see you because I understood something. We only became Nanairo Feather because you were there; you were the one who lit the small flame in ours and made it bigger. " 

"I didn't do-"

"No, you did, and you will continue influencing those around you in the same way. You know I was the one who proposed the thing about Quatro Light and Yuhi becoming a group together."

"Eh?"

"Didn't you say it, lady? 'The colors the five of them will create will be beautiful.'"

Sumire looked at him dumbfounded. Wait a minute; he asked the idol world and Yumi-senpai to do something like this because of what she said?

"I only said that one time! Are you crazy? If you make such unreasonable demands from the idol association board, they will ask you to do something unreasonable too. They will use it against you." Sumire scolded.

What on earth is this person doing? No, from the very start, she never understood what was going on in his head.

"My dream is.."

Her dream only came forth because of Yuhi. But even more than that, there are different feelings in his heart right now. Feelings she wants to express for those people who accepted her warmly. For those people who have accepted even the ugliest sides of her.

"I was only able to help you and the others because of the feelings I have for Yuhi. It was because of the admiration and respect I had for him. I was able to take that step because of the words Yumi-senpai said to me in middle school. But you're the one who taught me that singing, acting, and dancing can be fun."

There are three people she holds in high regard. Yuhi, Yumi-senpai and this person.

Even before the incident with Ru, there was a time for her when her beloved music became like poison to her. 

'Since when did the thing I love the most become like poison to her?'

She cannot pinpoint when but there was a time when it became too suffocating for her to sing.

"I want a lot of people to watch the performance you taught me. That's my dream. I definitely don't want to give up on it." 

"That's why you'll abandon us. " 

Right now, there is something more important for her to do; that is why she won't meet with the guys in Nanairo feather. It is cruel of her to do this when they want to see her so badly, but this is important.

"Yes."

Masaru extended his hand out and patted his hair. "Good luck on your stage, lady. I am looking forward to it."

Sumire was about to say something, but he pulled his hand back.

"It's time to switch."

She followed his gaze and saw a woman with violet-colored hair approach them.

"Sumire-chan." 

"Yumi-senpai, you came?"

Masaru quickly walked away with his usual smile on his face. 'That guy smiles a lot too. I wonder why he is always so cheerful.'

 "Yes. As I thought, your stage keeps getting better and better. You can feel it yourself, can't you?"

"I can." Sumire trails off. She can feel that power inside her growing so strong even though she has not sung in front of the public for so long, she went many months without singing. It feels like her voice has gotten better.

"Yumi-senpai, in your rainbow aura. Did you see it also? What do you want the most?"

"I did, and my deepest fear too. Sumire-chan, what you've always wanted and your deepest fears have combined?" 

Sumire laughs softly. "Well, maybe it's because what I want is something selfish. Especially after everything I've done, to have a family, to live peacefully with the one I love would be nice."

She wants happiness, even though a person like her doesn't deserve it. The more she doesn't deserve something, the more she craves it.

 "That's not wrong. I also held similar thoughts. Although what I wanted was slightly different. I'm sure every girl dreams of living a happy life with the person they love. " 

At those words, Sumire felt heat creep onto her cheeks. This is a bit embarrassing, after all. 

"It doesn't suit me, does it? This rose colored happiness." Sumire trails off. "Even now, it's still the same for me. I want to achieve my dreams and go higher than before. But I don't want to do so without Yuhi beside me. " 

 "You have grown, haven't you, Sumire-chan? I've always thought of you as an idol I couldn't leave alone. " 

"Uh because I'm clumsy?"

Yumi chuckled, and she looked away awkwardly. Was she wrong?

"Since you first debuted, you've cried, smiled, and experienced many more things than anyone else."

"That's not true. Many other people have gone through more things than me."

She is nobody special, even now she believes that.