One year earlier
Miyamasuzaka Girls Academy - Class 1-D

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1

Airi

Listen

(*Sigh*
I don't have work today. That means I can have lunch at school for a change...)
2

Airi

Listen

It'd be nice to eat with someone...
3

Airi

Listen

Shizuku...isn't here.
Pretty sure she has that magazine shoot today.
4

Airi

Listen

Hmm... Who else is there...?
5

Airi

Listen

Oh, of course...!
6

Airi

Listen

Let's see... Class A should be...
7

???

Huh? Airi?
8

Airi

Listen

Ayumi, perfect! I was just looking for you! Wanna have lunch together today?
9

Ayumi

Wait, really?
10

Airi

Listen

Yes, really. I just happen to not have work today.
11

Ayumi

Wow, this is great!
We haven't been able to hang out at all since we entered high school and you switched courses...
12

Ayumi

Oh, is it okay if I invite a few others?
Remember the classmates I introduced you to the other day? We always eat together.
13

Airi

Listen

Yeah, of course!
They're welcome to join if they want.
14

Ayumi

Okay, I'll go ask them now.
Airi, you wait for us down in the courtyard!
Courtyard

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15

Student A

You and Momoi went to the same junior high, Ayumi? When did you two become friends?
16

Airi

Listen

During our first year.
Our seats were next to each other and we just hit it off.
17

Ayumi

Yeah, we really did!
18

Student A

Wow. You must've been surprised when you saw a famous idol who's on TV all the time sitting next to you.
19

Ayumi

Actually, no.
That was before she debuted as an idol.
20

Student B

Really? Can you tell us what you were like back then?
21

Airi

Listen

Not all that different from now.
I was already in love with idols then...
22

Airi

Listen

Oh, but I was pretty rowdy when I was a kid. I preferred to play outside and even got into fights with some boys...
23

Airi

Listen

I put all that behind me when I decided to become an idol. Instead, I began learning more about fashion and started working on my singing and dancing.
24

Student A

And your dream actually came true?
That's so cool, Momoi!
25

Airi

Listen

I dunno.
It feels more like I've been given a chance to make it happen as opposed to it actually coming true.
26

Airi

Listen

Oh, while we're on the subject...
Ayumi helped me out a bunch when I was still trying to become an idol.
27

Ayumi

Wait, me? What did I do?
28

Airi

Listen

Hehe. I suppose it didn't seem like much from your perspective...
29

Airi

Listen

But you never put down my dream of becoming an idol. You always supported me.

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30

Junior High School Ayumi

What? You want to become an idol...?
31

Junior High School Ayumi

Wow... Th-That's amazing...!
I'm sure you can, Airi! No, I know you can...!
32

Airi

Listen

What you said that time made me so happy. Most people tended to laugh or snicker when I told them how I wanted to become an idol.
33

Airi

Listen

So, it was nice to hear someone giving me their support. You gave me so much encouragement.
34

Student A

Wow, that really happened?
Way to go, Ayumi!
35

Ayumi

I-It meant that much to you...?
36

Ayumi

But I was just telling you how I felt...
37

Airi

Listen

Huh?
38

Ayumi

I mean, Airi, you've always had this brilliant aura about you.
39

Ayumi

On the day of the entrance ceremony, none of my friends were in my class and I had a lot of trouble talking to anyone else...
40

Ayumi

Everyone around was chatting and sounded like they were having so much fun... Without me... That made me feel so anxious...
41

Ayumi

Airi then noticed that I looked really concerned...
42

Ayumi

She was actually talking to someone else, but went out of her way to greet me.
43

Ayumi

She said, “Hi, I'm Airi Momoi. Nice to meet you.”
44

Ayumi

It was a really simple greeting, but it made me feel so much better for some reason...
45

Ayumi

After that, we kept talking and eventually became really close...
46

Airi

Listen

Yeah, I remember that now...
47

Ayumi

I won't ever forget.
I mean, when you first spoke to me that day, you were enveloped in this incredible aura...
48

Airi

Listen

Ayumi...
49

Ayumi

It's why I thought it was totally possible when you told me that you wanted to become an idol. If anything, I believed you were really cut out for it.
50

Airi

Listen

You did...?
It's a little embarrassing to hear that so directly... But thanks. I really appreciate it.
51

Student A

The Momoi in that story is exactly what we're used to seeing on TV!
52

Student B

You really are a friendly and caring person.
I wish I was that close with you.
53

Airi

Listen

Hehe. Thanks!
I'd like that as well.
54

Airi

Listen

I know. Why don't you all take this opportunity to start calling me by my first name? That should make things easier, right?
55

Student A

Really?! Then...!
I hope we get to hang out more, Airi!
56

Airi

Listen

Yeah, me too!
A few weeks later
Airi's Room

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57

Airi

Listen

Okay, I have the meeting for that variety show tomorrow afternoon.
58

Airi

Listen

(I'm still not sure how I feel about appearing on one of these shows, but I have a duty to fulfill.)
59

Airi

Listen

I also have that test coming up. I'll need to make some time to study for it. But when...?

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60

Airi

Listen

Oh, a message from Ayumi?
61

Airi

Listen

(Maybe she wants to have lunch.
Come to think of it, I haven't been able to join them lately because work has been so busy...)
62

Airi

Listen

(And yet, she's still inviting me...
I couldn't be more grateful.)
63

Ayumi's Message

<Airi, have you heard about the field trip already?>
64

Airi

Listen

Field trip?
65

Ayumi's Message

<Apparently, we're going to PXL and are gonna have some free time to ourselves.>
66

Ayumi's Message

<We can go around the park with people from other classes during that time. Wanna hang out?>
67

Airi

Listen

Right, the field trip... It's really soon, but I'm pretty sure that I...

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68

Airi

Listen

Yeah, I have a shoot that day.
69

Airi

Listen

<As fun as that sounds, I'm really sorry. I have a shoot that day and can't go...>

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70

Airi

Listen

...
71

Airi

Listen

(She's taking a while to reply...)

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72

Ayumi's Message

<That's okay! I know you're really busy. We can always hang out another time!>
73

Airi

Listen

<Yeah, let's do that one of these days.>

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74

Airi

Listen

One of these days...
75

Airi

Listen

(Is that day ever going to come...?)
A few days later
Miyamasuzaka

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76

Airi

Listen

*Sigh*
That shoot went quicker than I expected. If I head home now, I'll have some time to study.
77

Airi

Listen

(Oh, wait... Wasn't everyone supposed to go on that field trip today?)
78

Airi

Listen

(I hope Ayumi and the others had fun... I'll send her a message later when...)
79

Ayumi

Hehe. That was so much fun.
We should go again together sometime.
80

Airi

Listen

(Huh? That sounded like...)
81

Airi

Listen

Ayumi!
82

Ayumi

Huh? Airi?

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83

Ayumi

What are you doing here? I thought you were working...
84

Airi

Listen

It ended sooner than expected, so I'm on my way home now. Are you guys just coming back?
85

Ayumi

Yeah! PXL was really fun!
86

Student A

It'd been a while since I last went, but it was even more fun than I remembered. I sort of couldn't help but go all out.
87

Student B

Oh, hang on.
We took a bunch of pictures, Airi. Wanna see?
88

Airi

Listen

Yeah, lemme see!
89

Student B

Where do we start? Oh, how about this one? It's the one of us just after we came out of the haunted house...
90

Student A

Oh, yeah... You were totally terrified, Ayumi. Remember when you screamed your lungs out and shoved us forward? You almost made us fall over.
91

Ayumi

H-Hey, no one else needs to know about that. Let's look at a different one...
92

Student B

Hehe. What else was there? Hmm...
Oh, here's when we went to watch that show...
93

Ayumi

Hey, this is the one we got to take with Phenny! He was so cute!
94

Student A

He really was! I took a bunch with him too!
95

Airi

Listen

Hehe. Looks like you all had a lot of fun.
96

Ayumi

We did!
Oh, how amazing was that show?
97

Student B

Yeah, the one at the Phoenix Stage?
They definitely weren't some run-of-the-mill troupe.
98

Student A

The churros we got after were also really good.
They even had some that were melon soda flavored. I wish I could've given that a try.
99

Ayumi

Hehe. We can get some the next time we go!
100

Ayumi

That includes you, Airi!
101

Airi

Listen

Huh? R-Right...!
Next time, we...

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102

Airi

Listen

One of these days...
103

Airi

Listen

(Is that day ever going to come...?)
104

Airi

Listen

...
105

Airi

Listen

(If I raise their hopes again, only to dash them in the end...)
106

Ayumi

Um, Airi?
107

Airi

Listen

Huh? Oh, sorry.
I spaced out there for a second.
108

Airi

Listen

So, PXL...
Yeah, next time... Let's go together.
109

Ayumi

Oh...
110

Ayumi

...
111

Ayumi

Airi... I'm sorry.
I was so thoughtless...

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112

Airi

Listen

Huh?
113

Ayumi

I knew you were busy with work and all, but I kept sending you messages and inviting you to hang out...
114

Airi

Listen

What...? N-No, don't worry about that.
I really appreciate how you've been inviting me out and stuff!
115

Ayumi

Okay, thanks.
I appreciate you being so polite about this, Airi.
116

Airi

Listen

No, I really do...
117

Ayumi

Oh, I almost forgot...!
I took some pictures too! Wanna see?
118

Ayumi

The view from the Ferris wheel was so pretty.
I hope those turned out okay...
119

Airi

Listen

Oh...
120

Student B

Whoa, hey, this one!
I have such a stupid look on my face...
When did you take this?!
121

Ayumi

Oh... Hehe. I couldn't help it. It was just too funny...
122

Student B

Really? That's your excuse...
Delete it right now...!
123

Student A

What?! No, wait! I wanna see!
You're not allowed to delete it until I do!
124

Airi

Listen

(I was just...)
125

Airi

Listen

(It's not a bother... Really...)
126

Airi

Listen

(But...)
127

Student B

Gimme your phone, Ayumi! I'm getting rid of that pic before anyone else has a chance to see it!
128

Ayumi

Hey, wait! Gimme back my phone!
129

Airi

Listen

(I guess there's nothing I can do about this...)
130

Airi

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(I placed work before hanging out with my friends. And Ayumi said what she did just now because...)
131

Airi

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(This is the path I chose...)
132

Airi

Listen

(Still...)
133

Ayumi

Oh, this is the last one we took together! It turned out a lot better than I realized!
134

Airi

Listen

(I didn't realize it'd feel this lonely not being included...)
Next Chapter: Unfading Bonds