The school was bustling with students scurrying around trying to get to their new class for the new year.
"Yui, hurry up!" Laala called out
But instead of answering, Yui was daydreaming.
"Mo, Yui is daydreaming again."
"Well, it's Yui-chan we're talking about, right?" Hana commented.
"Yui daydreams most at the start of the new school year," Michiru explained, "She's probably excited about finally getting into middle school."
"Yui! Quit your daydreaming or we're goin' to be late!" Nino shouted, "Yui--"
Suddenly, Yui got a smack in the head that brought her to reality. "Oi, Yui"
"Geh, Onii-chan, what do you want?"
"Your friends have been calling you a while, you know, even Laala."
Yui turned to see the gang already a few feet away waving at her. "Yume! Yume-matte!" she ran to them after giving Shougo a mocking look.
"Mo, Yui, what's up with you," Laala asked, once Yui caught up with her.
"Yume-gomen, I'm just excited I'm finally in middle school. It's a new beginning to start achieving your dream"
"See, I told you," said Michiru and everyone laughed.
"Ah, there's the news board," Hana pointed, "let's find out what class we're in."
They checked the papers that are clipped into the board.
"Yume-yatta!, we're in the same class again!" Yui cheered and hugged Nino and Michiru
"7D, stood for the seven deadly sins of the journey to hell," Aromageddon appeared next to MyDre, "which for all of you, poor unfortunate souls, will journey without us."
"E-eh? Why?" Michiru asked
"Our presences are needed elsewhere by our former victims, therefore we shall come back to this mortal realm in a second of hell's time."
"She meant we have to go back to Parajuku for a while and be back after a few weeks-nano!" Mikan translated.
"I see," Michiru replied, a little bit downcast, "alright, have a safe trip!
"I curse you on your first day!"
Michiru went back to her friends when Laala finally found her name on the board, "I'm in 8A."
"Ah, same!" Hana and Suzu said in unison. The three of them high-fived each other. Before a voice behind them joined in their conversation.
"Rad! Looks like we're in the same class again," the red-haired idol declared.
"Mitaka-san," Laala turned around to see WITH behind them. "WITH!" Suzu and Hana fangirled.
"Shougo and I are in the same class as you," he claimed, "so, Manaka-san, looks like I'm going to keep an eye on you again this year.'
"How fun," Laala replied sarcastically
"Laala, yume-gomen ne," Yui put her hand on Laala's shoulder and wiped away her fake tears. "I feel bad for you to be in the same class as that stuck-up brother of mine."
"Oi, What did you just say you baka yume girl."
"Students please go to the field for the morning ceremony," the school speaker announced.
Time skip - next day - dinner
"YUMEE!! No one told me middle school gives you so-yume-much work!" Yui whined before flopping to the cafeteria's table.
"Welcome to our world," Suzu commented before biting her lunch.
"I just finished three or four homework last night, and now they're giving me two more," Yui cried, "I wish I can just focus on the yume-GrandPrix"
"Hey, school is important too," Laala scolded.
"I don't yume-see how"
"Well, wouldn't it be interesting if you saw an idol who is good at science, they created some weird tricks on stage for the fans to enjoy, or if you were to be invited to play in a quiz, wouldn't it be admirable for the fans if you knew all the answer? Besides, once you get popular, you might need to connect with fans around the world, so you need English."
"Yume... I never thought about it like that"
"Us too," Michiru and Nino added
"I mean you all already have your specialty; Nino-chan, your talent in multiple sports make you able to become a hero idol, Michiru-chan, the knowledge that you take from History and Japanese made an interesting idol for Miichiru, and Yui, your creative writing is without a doubt amazing, some of the students who read it here become your fans," Laala explained, "but there's nothing wrong with adding more skills to influence and inspire others to be better. After all, Idol has an amazing power to do that."
"Ja, let's keep workin' on sharpening that skill," Nino exclaimed, "resilience facing a gale!"
"Yeah!" Yui and Michiru joined, while Suzu and Hana were amazed by their classmate's influence.
She really is a fantastic idol.
Hana and Suzu looked at each other and nodded.
The table had a little laughter after that, but when Yui turned to Laala, she saw something that she's been trying to find.
When no one was looking, Laala tends to drop her mask. And Yui finally saw it. The way her eyes look down to the table as if she's looking at something mournful.
What was she thinking? Yui has no idea. Is it because of her advice just now? If so, why would it bother her like that? But either way, Yui won't force Laala to say it to her. She just wished that Laala would be comfortable enough to tell her everything about it one day like she tell Laala everything. So Yui will wait. And when the time comes she will listen. Better late than never, right?
Time skip - next day - Lunch
MyDre carried their lunch across the cafeteria. Gleefully discussing what they should practice for the Grand Prix. They have some disagreements, to say the least.
A few ideas later, they spotted their upperclassmen at their usual table.
"Hana-senpai! Suzu-senpai!" MyDre went to them. "Yume? Laala wa doko?" Yui asked, looking around.
The two upperclassmen were both silent, as if they just got hit in the chest, - then again, they were -, leaving the underclassmen to wonder in worry.
Michiru spoke up, "Se-senpai, can we sit with you?"
They only nodded, and MyDre took their seats.
The table was silent again as the group tried to eat their lunch.
For the first time, Yui lost her appetite. "Senpai, did something happen?" she decided to ask them. She immediately half regretted it by the way her senpais looked.
The two upperclassmen looked at each other before agreeing to tell them what happened.
Flashback
The two were so determined. Gathering up the courage ever since My Dream's first performance.
Whatever their underclassmen did in their performance. It was so powerful that they were willing to try it themselves.
But the two weren't that gutsy. They knew they need help if they want to do it. And it will make them feel a lot better to be with someone they both adore and are close with.
So, right after the lunch bell rang, they pulled her aside and asked...
"Laala-chan, participate in the Grand Prix with us as a team?"
Her eyes widen,
Her mouth trembled,
And her heart was crushed.
Laala stared at them in disbelief, but their eyes shone with resolve and dreams she had never seen in them before.
It's almost impossible for her to say no.
But still, she lowered her head and said, "gomen."
"Eh?"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond happy that you guys finally want to become an idol and participate in the GrandPrix. But I think you will be better off without me." Laala explained - trying to at least. Her head was in a scramble she couldn't decide the words to explain.
"Why?"
"You two know I'm not the competition type," she stammered, "But you both are. You two compete with each other in many things."
"You competed with WITH."
"Yes," she sighed. Unable to give a reasonable explanation, she gave in and only said, "Seriously you two would be better off without me."
Suzu cocked her head, figuring out what her friend was really thinking, "Why? Embarrassed to be in the same team as us?" she challenged
"What? Of course not"
"Suddenly when we're not Yui-chan, we're not good enough?"
"Now hold on a minute--"
"Sumimasen, Mana-sama," they gestured, "we didn't realize getting into the Verge of a Big Break makes you ineligible to perform with amateurs!"
"No! Just please--"
"Please WHAT?!"
"Please LISTEN TO ME, Nao!"
After a second she realized what she just said. She looked at her friends who had the look of surprise, confusion, and hurt on their faces.
Laala didn't know what to do.
So, as history repeated itself, Laala could only do what she did before,
She ran away.
A/N - okay, this chapter was harder to write than I thought. My goal was to basically show how Laala's life is right now - it's fun and happy until she got hit with reality.
Sorry if this chapter feels a bit rushed and if the fight feels a little bit forced. I just don't have the heart to hurt her like this 😭