It was a bright, sunny morning in June when she spotted the notice. A single sheet of yellow paper on the bulletin board in the entrance hall. Wondering what it was, Kousaka Honoka hurried over, the collar of her uniform fluttering — and then her eyes went wide. "Information Session on the School Closure Crisis — June 15th" Beneath the large headline, in smaller print, it read: *Closure will be determined based on next year's applicant numbers.* "[scared]W-Wait, you're kidding!?" Her voice cracked. The classmates around her peered at the same paper, stirring with anxious murmurs. "[sad]So it really was true after all..." "[scared]This is bad. If this keeps up, aren't we going to be the last students here?" *The last students.* Those words pierced her chest like a blade. Honoka stood frozen before the bulletin board, stunned. Her grandmother and her mother were both graduates of this academy. Ever since she was little, she'd always thought that one day she'd wear that gray blazer too. She remembered how genuinely happy she'd been when she got in, how she'd nearly cried at the entrance ceremony. (*...It's going to disappear? This school?*) Another unpleasant thought surfaced in her mind. Her family's Japanese confectionery shop, "Homura," had a signature product: the "Otonoki Manjuu." Named after Otonokizaka Academy, it was her grandmother's creation and their most popular item. If the academy disappeared, would they have to change the name too? "[crying]N-No way, that can't happen!!" Honoka suddenly shouted, and her classmates turned to her with startled faces. But she was beyond caring about that. If the Otonoki Manjuu disappeared, what would happen to Homura? Where would her father's passion for those manjuu go? A hot prickle rose behind her eyes, and Honoka clenched her fists tight. Even after classes ended, her mind kept spinning in circles. Toward the end of sixth period, her phone buzzed faintly. A message from Umi-chan. *Come to Music Room 2 after school. I have something important to discuss.* That was all. Concise as always, with nothing unnecessary written. And yet Honoka's heart gave a sharp thump. Her round brown eyes glittered, and her orange-tinged hair — always springing up from bedhead — swayed as if responding directly to her emotions. (Umi-chan is calling me out! Specifically!) And after school, in the music room. Just the two of them. A sweet fantasy flickered through her mind for a moment, but she shook her head and dismissed it. *I'm overthinking this. Definitely.* Music Room 2 was on the third floor of the new building, where the after-school sunlight slanted in through the windows. The small room, enclosed by soundproof walls, held a grand piano and a few chairs. The air was slightly cool and carried a dusty scent. Sonoda Umi stood by the window. Her long black hair, reaching to her waist, was tied back in a single ponytail as always. Her narrow, blue-tinged black eyes were fixed straight ahead. At 162 centimeters, she was a little taller than Honoka. Her gray blazer was impeccably crisp, without a single wrinkle. She wore a serious expression. "[serious]Honoka, thank you for coming." "[excited]Yeah! Of course I came — you called me, Umi-chan! So? What's this about?" As Honoka hurried over, Umi's face took on a slightly troubled look. It was an expression she showed only to Honoka. "[serious]...Did you see that notice?" "[sad]Yeah... the thing about the school closing, right? I was really shocked." Honoka's voice sank. The sparkle in her large eyes dimmed for a moment. Umi gave a small nod, then placed a notebook on the desk. "[serious]I've been thinking. About whether there's anything we can do. And so — I want to start a school idol group." "[surprised]School idols!?" Honoka blinked rapidly. *School idols.* Of course she knew the term. They posted dance and song performances on the video site "School Idol Channel," and high schoolers across the country competed for popularity. It was like one of those modern-day club activities. Umi took a breath and continued in a calm voice. "[gentle]If we gain popularity on the School Idol Channel, the academy's name will spread. That could increase the number of applicants. If there's even a slight chance we can save this academy..." Honoka's heart began to pound — *thump, thump, thump.* (Umi-chan and me... as school idols.) Which meant, in other words: they could be together after school all the time. They'd have time just for the two of them. Singing, dancing, right beside Umi-chan — She couldn't think any further than that. "[excited]I'll do it! I'm in! If it's with you, Umi-chan, I'll do anything!" It was a conditioned reflex. She pounced on the idea with enough force to make her voice crack. But Umi just sighed, exasperated. "[sad]...Honoka, I want you to think it over properly before answering." "[excited]I am thinking! I've thought it through perfectly! Conclusion: I'm in!" "You haven't thought about it at all, have you." Umi's voice was tinged with exasperation, but the corners of her mouth softened just a little. Honoka didn't miss it. (*Ah, she smiled just now.*) A gentle warmth spread through her chest. But that warmth didn't last long. Umi opened the notebook. "[serious]This is a 30-day basic training program. First, we have to build our bodies — there's no point otherwise." What was written there was this: 100 sit-ups. 100 back extensions. 30 minutes of flexibility exercises. 1 hour of vocal training. 40 minutes of rhythm training. And this, apparently, was just the "minimum" for a single day. "[scared]Th-This is like an athlete's training camp!" Honoka's voice flipped. The sweet atmosphere from moments ago had vanished somewhere. But Umi's eyes were dead serious. "[serious]School idols are no different from sports. Without a solid foundation, you can't deliver a good performance. Honoka, are you prepared?" She had no choice but to say yes. The training was far more grueling than she'd imagined. They spread a mat on the floor and began sit-ups together. Umi raised her body smoothly, as if it were as natural as a morning greeting, but Honoka hit her limit at fifteen. "[crying]Ugh, uuu... my stomach's... tearing apart..." Her small frame slumped limply to the side as she gasped for breath. Though her build was delicate, her legs and lower back were actually surprisingly sturdy from dancing. But sit-ups were a different beast entirely. "[cold]Do you really think you can save the academy like that?" Umi's words were cold, but that was precisely because she was serious. Honoka bit her lip and tried to lift her upper body again. Her stomach quivered. Sweat plastered her bangs to her forehead, and her gray blazer was disheveled. (*But —*) She stole a glance at Umi. Umi continued her sit-ups in silence. Her long black hair swayed, a faint sheen of sweat glistening on her brow. Her narrow eyes were utterly earnest, her breathing still steady. At the sight of her, Honoka's heart gave a tight squeeze. (*So cool...*) *I love her,* she thought. She'd loved her for a long time now, but still — she loved her. Motivation surged up suddenly, and Honoka forced her body upright. "[excited]I can still do more! I'm doing this!" And then, just like that, she pushed herself too far. It was after the flexibility exercises, when they were about to practice simple dance steps. Umi demonstrated for her. With efficient, flowing movements, her arm traced a soft arc. Honoka tried to imitate it as best she could, but her toe caught on her own foot. "[scared]Eh, ah, wha—!" Her balance completely collapsed. Her vision warped, and her body tilted sideways. "[scared]Honoka!" Umi instinctively reached out a hand. Her slender but firm hand tried to grab Honoka's arm — But the momentum couldn't be stopped. A dull *thud* sounded, and the two of them tumbled to the floor. For a moment, she didn't understand what had happened. There was no pain. Just — Umi's face right in front of her. Honoka had ended up on top of Umi. She tried to brace herself, but her right hand pressed against Umi's shoulder, and her left hand was on the floor — no, her fingers were touching Umi's long black hair. The distance between them was close. At a range of less than ten centimeters, her eyes met Umi's blue-tinged black ones. Those eyes, always so composed, were now wide open with surprise. Her heart felt like it was about to burst. It pounded — *thump, thump, thump* — so hard she was terrified Umi might hear it. (*U-Umi-chan's face is so close. Her eyelashes are so long. Her skin is so beautiful. There's a faint scent of sweat, and somehow that just makes it —*) No good. She was overthinking so much her head felt like it was boiling. "[scared]S-Sorry, Umi-chan!!" She scrambled back as if leaping away. Her bedhead-tousled hair was even messier now, and the small scar at the edge of her right eyebrow was visible. Umi slowly sat up too. Her face was bright red. Umi's cheeks — always so composed — were flushed all the way to the tips of her ears. Her narrow eyes remained fixed on the floor, and her tied-back black hair slipped from her shoulder. "[whispers]...I'm fine." That was all she said, standing up as if to hide something. Her voice trembled slightly. Honoka's heart still hadn't calmed down, and her own cheeks were hot too. (*Just now... did your heart race a little? Even just a tiny bit?*) She thought about that, desperately fighting back the grin threatening to spread across her face. By the time practice ended, the sun was beginning to sink. Honoka, still in her sweat-soaked gym clothes, was panting heavily. It had been so long since she'd moved her body this much — she couldn't lift a single finger anymore. Umi wiped her face with a towel and looked out the window. The sky was gradually beginning to stain orange. "[gentle]...Want to go up to the rooftop for a little break?" "[surprised]Eh, really!?" It was rare for Umi to suggest a break. Honoka forgot her exhaustion and leaped to her feet. After school, no one ever came to the rooftop of the new building. It was about 200 square meters wide, with a view of the Tokyo cityscape beyond the fence. The Skytree was faintly visible in the distance, and the sky dyed in sunset colors was breathtakingly beautiful. The June wind was slightly humid, but pleasant. Honoka placed her hands on the fence and took a deep breath. "[gentle]This feels so nice, Umi-chan!" Umi stood beside her, gazing down at the city in the same way. The wind made her long black hair sway softly. A stretch of silence. The sound of a train running in the distance reached them, faintly mingled with the murmur of the city. The color of the sky kept shifting, moment by moment. "[whispers]...I transferred here in third grade." Suddenly, Umi began to speak. Her voice was quiet, so faint it seemed it might dissolve into the wind. "[gentle]At first, I couldn't talk to anyone. I was always alone. I just sat in the corner of the classroom, waiting for time to pass." Honoka listened without saying a word. "[gentle]But then, Honoka... you took me to the cherry tree in the courtyard. That Otonoki Cherry Tree. You said, 'This is my favorite place.'" Ah, that had happened, hadn't it. Honoka recalled it vaguely. "[gentle]That was the first time I came to love this school. — It's thanks to you, Honoka." Umi smiled, just a little. The sunset light illuminated Umi's cheek, and that smile was so beautiful that Honoka felt tears welling up. Her chest tightened with a fierce squeeze. (*I'm the only one who knows.*) I'm the only one who knows this face of Umi-chan's. No one else. Only me. I don't want to give that smile to anyone else. "[serious]I'm definitely going to stay the closest to you, Umi-chan." Before she knew it, the words had left her mouth. Umi looked a little surprised, and then — a little troubled, but also