Thank you all so much!

And thanks for dancing with me, Haruka.

No, thank you.

I had so much fun...!

Hehe. That's great to hear!
Then, to cap things off...

Haruka!
Thank goodness! There you are!

Oh... Mommy, Daddy!

Ah, perfect timing!
That means you get to watch me perform my last song with your mommy and daddy!

B-But...
I want to stay on stage with you...

Hehe...
I'm glad to see that you've fallen in love with performing on stage, Haruka.

So, moving forward...
Keep singing and dancing, and don't ever lose that smile of yours.

Moving forward...?

Yeah. So, when you're all grown up and have learned how to spread hope to others by performing on stage like you did just now...

I absolutely promise to be there to see you!

Oh...

Come here, Haruka.

Okay...
Bye bye, miss.

We don't know what to say.
Thank you so much for looking after our daughter... And letting her perform on stage with you.

We really appreciate what you did.
Haruka, what do we say to the nice lady...?

Th-Thank you very much.

No, it was my pleasure.
This is actually a pretty normal occurrence.

Normal...?

♪————

Oh...

Mommy, Daddy...
You need to look at the stage.

Huh?

She's really amazing.
She can make so many people smile just by singing and dancing.

♪————

She's like the princess from my book...!

Haruka...

Yes, she does seem like a wonderful person. I mean, she was able to put such a big smile on your face...

Hehe...

She said that it's an idol's duty to spread hope to others and make them smile...

So... So, I...

I think she's so amazing. And I want to be just like her...

I want to spread hope to others the way she does... I want to make lots and lots of people smile...

I want to become an idol too...!

Haruka... You want to become an idol?

Yeah.
Do you think I can...?

Yes, I think you can.

Really?

Yes.
Because your smile, Haruka... It's the cutest in the world!

Hehe. Thanks.
So, someday...

I'm gonna become an idol just like her!

That really takes me back.
I can still recall exactly what happened that day.

Her frilly outfit was so cute, and it fluttered every time she moved...

Her smile glimmered as she sang and danced too. It's like she was lighting a fire inside my heart as she did...

I didn't realize it until then, but that was me being filled with “hope”.

What I want to spread to everyone is the hope I felt that day. The belief that tomorrow will be a better day.

That's not going to change.
Not now. Not ever...

Mom...?

Are you still up?
There's something I'd like to show you.

Huh? What do you want to show me...?

Hehe. This.
Your father just happened to spot it in the evening paper.

(The evening paper?
Oh, did they write an article about our solo show...?)

(No, a paper with nationwide reach couldn't have...)

Here, look.
It's a very brief article...

But isn't this that lady you like so much, Haruka...?

Huh...?

L-Lemme see that...!

It's her...

Her clothes and hair are different now, but that smile... It has to be...

“Although she's retired from being an idol and stepped away from the spotlight, she continues to spread hope to others...”

“Now, following her retirement, she's become a radio personality for a station in another part of the country. However, her activities are not confined to a cramped studio.”

“Between retirement homes, kindergartens, hot springs and such, she uses her past experience as a star to stand on stages all over her region...”

“And so, she continues to spread hope and inspire courage in others with her dazzling smile and beautiful voice.”

I wasn't sure what happened to her after she retired from being an idol...

But that's so great...
She hasn't changed... She's still spreading hope to lots and lots of people.

Oh, look at this photo...
She's smiling alongside all these children. She hasn't changed one bit.

Yeah...
She really hasn't.

Thanks for showing me this, Mom.

I was able to receive more hope from her because of this article...

This article...

Right...
Because of this article... Now, I...

Haruka?
Is something the matter?

No, I finally found the answer I was looking for. I need to tell the others about this tomorrow.

She gave me another push...

Even now...
You're still my hero.