Sorry~ no comment replies this time! I am in a major rush..

So sorry for the lack of updates, people. I just got a new laptop and life is getting super crazy

It took me a while to finish this chapter, but i got it done!
Listen to the songs when it starts~
RISA^ You have to watch this video. I meshed Risa's ver. and Ai's ver. at some parts so the singing order is a little different in the middle
REINA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 98 The soft instrumental started to flow out into the vast hall. Risa started to vocalize, which triggered another series of surprised murmurs through the crowd. After all, who would’ve thought that a song writer could actually sing as well?
It won’t leave my ears
That voice
Why does it sound
So tearful?
Her heart was beating with every note she sang out. She still felt a little nervous, but a lot calmer than before. After all, Risa now knew that this was what she wanted and needed as well. Ai had been trying to tell her that.
Your voice on the phone
And your voice right next to me… Ah~
“
She’s still a little shaky,” Ai thought as she watched her girlfriend intently. “
But she can make it. I know she can… Ganbare, Risa!”
I try to say
The same words as you
But they don’t sound as bittersweet
As when you say them
Risa started to remember when she wrote this song. She had woken up from a dream one night where Ai was looking for her and calling for her. Risa was right beside her, but in the dream, Ai couldn’t see or hear her. The older girl’s voice had gotten more and more tearstained, which made the bean wake up crying as though from a nightmare.
You are not someone
Who makes jokes for no reason
Somehow, your rhetorical talk
Is strangely persuasive…
When Risa told her girlfriend the story behind this song, Ai had asked her why she was singing it now, when they were finally together. The bean had wondered this herself as well, and had finally come to a conclusion. No matter what, even if they are apart, Risa wanted to believe that she and Ai would eventually meet again. This song would be a reminder to keep a happy voice for the one she loves.
My father
Said the same kind of thing
That something is different…
Risa finished her first chorus and looked up during the instrumental. She suddenly snapped out of the trance she was in while singing, and realized she was standing in front of a crowd. Her memories swam back into the fact that the rest of Tokyo was watching her as well.
Subconsciously, Risa started to wander off-stage, her eyes wide from fear. But she soon changed her mind, deciding this event was too important for her to ruin. The interlude was about to end so she pressed the mic to her lips again… but she knew no sound was going to come out. Risa started to panic. Suddenly, a warm voice started to fill the hall, and the bean knew it wasn’t her voice.
No matter what time it is
I’ll be awake
So please let me hear your voice
Since you promised me
Ai sang out as she walked out onto the stage, eliciting a loud cheer. Risa’s eyes widened as she started to smile. She had come! Just like she had promised, Ai had come for her when she needed help. Risa grinned as she met her girlfriend’s smiling face. She finally brought the mic to her lips again and started to sing out, regenerated from this new courage that her lover had given her.
Sometimes I eventually
Fell asleep again
And I worried you instead
I’m sorry…
The two girls made eye contact and smiled as they started to sing together. It was something new, but it still felt nostalgic in a way. It had been a long time since they had sung together like this… and it had been a much anticipated dream.
All those mornings
When I woke up to your messages
“
I love her so much…” Risa thought. “
I love you…”
I truly felt your love…
The instrumental started to play again as the two girls started to walk towards opposite ends of the stage. Ai looked back at her girlfriend, proud and grateful for what she had done. Risa continued to vocalize, determined to finish off the song with all she had. The song finally reached its conclusion. An explosion of cheering and applauding resonated in the large hall. Ai grinned from ear to ear as Risa breathed out in relief.
“Domo arigatou gozaimashita,” the younger girl said.
The spotlight’s clicked off after the two girls bowed to the audience. Then, they quickly ran off the stage to meet their two friends; Reina was already changed.
“That was amazing!” Eri whispered. “But why was Ai-chan on stage?”
“I couldn’t leave my girl hanging,” the leader joked, shrugging.
“I love you so much!” Risa cried out, embracing her lover. There were so many other things she wanted to say, but that was the only line she could remember at the moment.
“Yeah, yeah, you guys can make out in the dressing room,” the yankii grumbled. “Go change, Ai.”
“Yeah, I should do that,” the leader nodded. “Break a leg, Reina.”
With that, the High-Queen leader and the bean disappeared off the stage. Reina turned to her girlfriend and spoke in a quick whisper.
“No matter what, don’t take your eyes off me!”
“I wasn’t planning on it,” Eri grinned.
The yankii smiled as she planted a quick kiss on the turtle’s forehead. “And no matter what, don’t make fun of me after this song!”
With that, Reina quickly ran onto the stage, triggering another loud cheer. She placed herself in the center of the stage and spoke into her microphone.
“This is a song that doesn’t fit quite well with my usual image,” the yankii’s voice echoed. “But just for tonight… I hope to show a different side of me, as a girl. Kite gudasai: ‘Heya to Y Shirts to Watashi’.”
A cute, three-beat instrumental started to flow out through the speakers. The crowd immediately caught the rhythm and started to clap according to it. Eri’s eyes widened a little. This song was… too cute, wasn’t it? Reina wouldn’t sing something like this…
I have something to ask you
I, the one who decided to take your name
If I’m truly important to you
I want you to listen carefully
“
It’s so girly!” Eri yelled in her mind, blushing a little. “
Wasn’t I always the dependent one?”
If you come home drunk
You can be hung over for two days
But if you’re still drunk the next night
Don’t go to your parents’ house because you’re afraid to face me
“
I’ve never seen this side of Reina-chan before…” Eri thought. “
Normally, I’d be the one saying these kinds of things… so why is she singing this?”
Our room, your white shirt, and me
I want to keep them in good shape
For you, the one I love
“
Could it be how she truly feels sometimes?” Eri continued to think. “
I can’t really imagine Reina-chan saying any of this to me. But… I guess she just feels like a normal girl in love too…”
So buy my clothes sometimes
I will become beautiful
For you, the one I love
“
Liar,” Eri thought, smiling to herself. “
Even when I pick out clothes for you, you’re the one who pays for them in the end…”
Don’t you lie to me
A woman’s intuition is sharp
When you lie to me
You raise your right eyebrow
“
That’s not woman’s intuition; that’s just Reina-chan knowing me too well,” the turtle thought, giggling.
If you cheat on me
You better be careful when you eat at home
I’ll rack my brains and think hard
And get back at you with poisoned soup
“
How am I supposed to react to that?” Eri wondered, wrinkling her eyebrows. “
Should I be happy that she wants me for herself or should I be kind of scared?”
Our room, your white shirt, and me
I want to keep them in good shape
For you, the one I love
“
I kind of like this side of Reina-chan too,” Eri smiled. “
Normally, she would seem like the bigger and the stronger one… But she gets shy sometimes too, right?”
So on the anniversary of my life
Tell me that I’m beautiful
And please let me feel that way
“
I love her,” Eri thought, closing her eyes. “
I love that she can sing out her true feelings out to the world like that… true feelings towards me. I love you…”
The steady instrumental came to an end. A loud cheering exploded from the audience.
“Arigatou gozaimashita!” Reina said. She bowed as the lights blacked out. She quickly ran off the stage, right into the turtle’s arms.
“That was so cute, Reina-chan!” Eri squealed.
“I told you not to make fun of me…” the yankii grumbled. But she didn’t refuse her girlfriend’s embrace.
“So you’re not always the bigger person, huh?” Eri smirked. “Because that was quite a submissively girly song.”
“I’ll be the bigger person until you grow up, baby,” Reina grinned, kissing her lover.
“You know, Kameha is older than you,” a familiar voice said.
The young couple turned around to see the leader and her girlfriend walking towards them. Ai was changed into a different costume.
“I know that,” Reina answered. “But I was speaking on a mental term.”
“Hey!” the turtle complained.
“Yeah, okay, you guys,” Ai laughed. “Do me a favor and save the argument for later?”
“Will do,” the yankii grinned. “Show them what you got, leader.”
“Good luck, Ai-chan,” Risa smiled.
“Listen to every word and every note,” Ai reminded, before leaving a kiss on her younger girlfriend’s lips.
She walked out onto the stage as the spotlights returned. The crowd went wild, eager to see the leader of their favorite idol group. Her three friends could see the rest of Tokyo in the tiny TV screen, cheering as well. Ai brought the microphone to her lips.
“This is an original song that I wrote for a good friend of mine,” she said.
“A
very good friend,” Eri giggled quietly, making the bean blush.
“Kite gudasai,” Ai said. “‘Ai Bun no Yuki Kakeru Anata Dainari IKOORU Suki’, douzo.”
***That's Yuki/Ai x Anata ≥ Suki. I wrote out the pronounciation for effect(?)***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The poll will decide whenever it closes

But it seems like TakaGaki is winning at the moment...
