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A hand on her shoulder stops Riko as she’s about to follow the others out from the backstage area. She looks over her shoulder to find Chika standing there, looking at her with a hint of determination in her eyes. Behind her, the door closes with a click, leaving the two of them alone in the room.
“Hey Riko, I just wanted to say, you did really well out there today.” She lets her hand fall to her side and steps back into the room. “I noticed you were really trying, and it was so inspiring to watch.”
“Thank you, Chika.” Riko feels a slight numbing sensation in her cheeks. “I… I didn’t want to mess it up for everyone.”
“Don’t worry, I have every faith that you wouldn’t do that.” Chika’s lips curl into a joyous smile as she says this, and she reaches out to take Riko’s hand in her own, a small rush of excitement flashes through Riko at the touch. “You’re a really important part of this group and we would never be the same without you.”
Riko reaches her free hand up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear and turning her head to hide the blush that she knows is spreading over her cheeks. “I… um… thank you… again…”
“I… I wanted to ask you something.” Chika’s hands drop Riko’s and she closes her eyes for a few seconds taking a deep breath in as she does. “Ever since that first day on the pier… I’ve felt this rush of excitement while I’ve been around you. At first, I thought it was just because you always seem to brighten a room whenever you walk in, but then I realized that every day I spent with you, it just seemed to grow more and more.”
Riko finds her hand dropping from her hair to her side and her body straightening up. What is she trying to say? She looks over towards Chika who is staring at her, she can’t resist meeting the girl’s gaze.
“So… I guess what I’m trying to say is…” The orange-haired girl starts, unable to find the right words to continue. Her hands are fiddling with the skirt of her performance outfit. “What I’m trying to say is… I… I lik-”
Her voice is cut off by the door opening behind Riko. “Hey. you two, are you coming?” Dia’s head appears in the doorframe.
“Oh… um… yes.” Riko bows her head towards the third year. “We’ll be right out.”
“Okay, don’t be too long then.” The door closes behind Dia and she slips out of the room.
“So… what was it you were trying to say?” Riko turns back to look at Chika.
“N-Nothing…” Her smile lights up her very red face. “We can’t leave everyone waiting.” She quickly rushes past Riko and starts opening the door to leave.
“Chika…” Riko starts but by the time the words leave her lips, the orange-haired girl is already out of the door. If Chika had heard her, then she showed no sign of response.