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Friday, 29th of December 2023. 10:00 PM.
Today was the final school day before New Year's break, a timeframe which most students would use to rest and recover, perhaps even going on a trip. With Hasunosora forbidding students from leaving on most days, holidays become all the more desirable. A chance to leave the strict atmosphere of the school and experience what it feels like to be a normal high schooler for just a few days.
Alas, even with such desirability, only a select few could have their wishes granted. Hasunosora's management doesn't allow students to leave without a written request, and a request for three days off campus would be rejected if it was from anyone but the most trustworthy of students.
Fortunately, Otomune Kozue is one of them. She's spent the past year improving her reputation in the eyes of management, never leaving campus unless it was strictly mandatory for club duties. Thus, when she sent her request to leave from the 29th to the 30th of December, it was quickly approved.
The journey from Hasunosora is long and exhausting, beginning with a bus to Kanazawa Station, then multiple trains to Tokyo, but finally she's arrived at her destination.
Tokyo Big Sight, otherwise known as the location for Comic Market.
Kozue wasn't able to attend the previous year, due to everything that happened around that time. From Megumi's injury, to the club being on life support, to her conflict with Tsuzuri. But now, finally, she's able to attend the biggest fan merch convention in Japan. Moreover, now that the Hasunosora School Idol Club has begun gaining traction, she knows there will be some people selling merch of them, and she's curious to see how other people view them. Though she will also admit to having... ulterior motives.
With a wallet full of money and an empty bag ready to be filled, she prepares for tomorrow. The hotel near the site ensures she won't be late, but she sets three alarms just to be extra sure.
Saturday, 30th of December 2023, 04:00 AM.
She enjoys the complementary 'early breakfast' at the hotel, puts on a disguise to conceal her identity, thanks the receptionist, and leaves for the convention site. Despite how early this is, Kozue isn't even the first person in line--she can count a few dozen people already waiting. Perhaps they even camped outside to ensure they were the first inside. Kozue hasn't considered that option.
Time passes slowly from here. More and more people arrive in line, as far as the eye can see. The sun begins to rise, turning the previously cool morning air sweltering hot and unbearable. But Kozue never falters, for she is steadfast in her determination.
The fated hour arrives. The announcement is made marking the beginning of the event, and the gates open. Kozue keeps her belongings in front of her, ensuring she doesn't suffocate in the mad dash inside. But she makes it in safely, and without wasting a single moment she heads towards the first booth on her checklist. "Please give me a copy of your new KozuKaho book!"
The person behind the counter nods, taking a copy of their new book along with some extra goodies. Money and goods exchange hands, and Kozue is off to the next booth. Under normal circumstances, she'd be more talkative with her fans, who show their devotion by creating such beautiful works. However, in the middle of such a rush, she can't afford to stop and chat. Not when there are more Kaho goods to be purchased.
"Hello, can I have those Kaho keychains?"
"How much for the Kaho acrylic stand?"
"Can I get a Kaho tote bag along with this?"
On and on, Kozue wanders around the convention halls, snatching up every piece of Kaho content she can see. Even though she's operating on five hours of sleep, that doesn't slow her down even a bit. Instead, she's running on her love for Kaho. Money isn't an issue either--she's been saving up for this moment. More important than that is showing her appreciation to the fans who went out of their way to share their love of the Hasunosora School Idol Club. Even as Kozue's arms become sore from carrying everything, she pushes on, combing through every stall to make sure there's nothing she missed.
Saturday, 30th of December 2023, 06:00 PM.
Finally, after a long day, with a much heavier bag and a much emptier wallet, Kozue makes her way back to Kanazawa. In the end, her bag isn't large enough to store everything she bought (who knew they'd be so popular? It's a miracle no one recognized her), so she's glad she bought the tote bag. The occasional glances she gets from the people on the train because of said tote bag are a little unnerving, but she's confident other people departing from the venue look just as weird as her, if not more.
Once she arrives at Kanazawa Station and hops on the bus back to Hasunosora, she allows herself a chance to close her eyes and relax. No one else is on the bus right now. She can finally get some peace and quiet.
"Oh, Kozue-senpai?"
...
Kozue's eyes snap open. Standing in front of her, wearing a cute blouse and light-green skirt, is Kaho. She's staring at her curiously as if trying to confirm that the person in front of her is indeed the senpai she admires so much.
"K-Kaho-san?!"
Kaho smiles, her guess confirmed. "It is you! I didn't expect you to be off-campus today!"
"You... too."
"Oh, well I was buying some books. They were limited edition, and I was worried the school store wouldn't be able to buy them in time, so I decided to buy them myself. It's worth it, though!" Kaho cheerfully describes her activities, before turning the attention back onto Kozue. "What about you? What were you doing?"
Kaho's eyes move towards the tote bag at Kozue's side, and Kozue realizes with horror that the side showing Kaho's likeness is facing towards her. "Th-this! I can explain!" Kozue rushes to conceal the bag, but in her rush, all it does is topple it over...
...causing a torrent of Kaho merch to spill out.
"K-Kozue-senpai, your stuff!"
Kozue wishes the earth would swallow her whole.
"I see... so that's what you were doing."
After a few minutes of picking up items from the floor and being thankful that none of the items broke, Kozue and Kaho sit next to each other. As she explains the reasons behind her trip, Kozue clutches the bag to her chest, trying to hide it from view. Despite that, Kaho seems very interested in it. "To be honest, I didn't know you were interested in that kind of thing..."
"I try not to mention it often."
"Are you embarrassed about it?"
"That's... not quite it." Kaho looks at her expectantly. Kozue knows she can just lie to her, or simply not say anything, but there's something about Kaho that makes her want to tell the truth. "You know how I've been a school idol fan since I was young?" Kaho nods her head, listening attentively. "Watching school idols... is how I first realized I could be into girls."
Kaho seems shocked by the reveal, her eyes going wide and her jaw dropping slightly. But she doesn't judge her, or force her to continue. She just lets Kozue continue at her own pace. After a few moments of silence, Kozue finally does. "It's not as if I had a crush on the idols. But seeing how they interacted with their fellow idols made me realize girls could like other girls."
"And that got you thinking?"
Kozue nods. "It recontextualized my feelings towards other girls, and why I didn't feel any interest towards boys. And... I liked seeing school idols being lovey-dovey with each other. It made me feel normal, you could say... But of course, not many people could be so openly affectionate. Still, I wanted more, and I tried to seek out that kind of thing on the internet. Given my track record with electronic devices, you can surmise how well that went. Even so, I got hooked. Art, stories, even discussion with fans..."
Kozue goes silent, running out of things to talk about. The bus is completely empty except for them--just two girls in their own world.
Kaho is the one who finally breaks the silence. "I think that's really cool, Kozue-senpai."
"You... don't think it's weird."
Kaho shakes her head before smiling at Kozue. "I had the same experience with books. I don't read romances a lot but most of the early ones were straight. The first time I read two girls kissing it blew my mind." Kaho laughs, eliciting a small giggle from Kozue as well. "So I get it! I won't judge you at all... but I do wanna make a request."
"If it's something in my power, then I'll do it."
"The next time you do this, let me come with you!"
"Eh?"
Kaho laughs at her senpai's confused reaction. "It sounds fun! And it sounds like I can get some really interesting books. And..." Kaho's voice takes on a gentler tone when she continues, "I wanna see what you're so interested in."
For a few moments, Kozue is stunned, wondering how she's lucky enough to have such a kind, captivating junior. When she finally recovers, she immediately nods her head. "I can do that if you want... though I'll be quite busy with college applications next year. And the one in six months will be at the start of the school year, the school idol club will be very busy..."
"Then I'll help you out!" Kaho proudly declares. "I'll make sure you can fulfill your promise to me! The two of us will go together!"
Kozue smiles at her junior's antics, feeling a warmth blossom in her heart. "Then, I suppose I'll be relying on you even more next year, Kaho-san."