Chapter Text
Chu2 let’s out a light sigh before putting down her manga. The cover read LOVE HEART MAXIMUM. Everyone was talking about this manga like it was the best love story since Romeo and Juliet. She had never really given the romance genre a chance so it was a good time to give it a try, after all, as the worlds best producer it was her job to keep up with all the latest trends. No matter how good or bad it was, it would at least make decent inspiration was what she told herself. It started out with just reading a few chapters online, next thing she knew she was had bought the entire series limited edition collection.
“So that’s romance huh.” Chu2 thought to herself after finishing the last volume. She had never really experienced romance, but if the manga was anything to go by she can sort of understand it. Having someone always be there when you needed them to, longing to spend time with them, yet your heart aches every time they weren’t with you. She had fantasized it as if Music itself became a person. Chu2 can imagine her heart aching if music itself was no longer by her side, or how happy she would be if she could spend a life time with it.
Wow that was profound. All it took was to read one manga series and she suddenly understood the intricacies of romance? She could make metaphors about it on the fly? As expected of the worlds greatest producer. She could already feel some ideas for love songs pop up in her head.
“Pareo!” Chu2 called out to her trusty helper.
In a blink of an eye Pareo appeared behind her chair. “Yes Chu2-sama?”
“Put this in my room.” Chu2 said as she handed the manga to Pareo.
“Right away!”
As Pareo was about to take the manga, Chu2 raised her head. Reading in such a crouched over position made her neck hurt a bit. She saw Masking and Lock chit chatting in their own world, and then she looked at Layer. Shivers went down her spine. Layer was glaring intensely at her. Did she do something to anger Layer without knowing? Was Layer not pleased with their set list for next week?
However, as soon as Pareo grabbed the manga and left the scene, Layer stopped glaring. What was that all about? Chu2 tried making sense of it until it hit her. In volume two of LOVE HEART MAXIMUM, the male protagonist realized he likes the heroine, and so he tries scaring off all guys around her by glaring at them. If Layer was calmly playing with her phone before, then started glaring at Chu2 the second Pareo was near her, and then stopped glaring when Pareo left, and this was exactly like in LOVE HEART MAXIMUM, then doesn’t that mean…
Oh my god Layer liked Pareo.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, this is HUGE NEWS. Now that there was a semblance of romance within RAS, she could use this chance to write romance songs and have the two perform it. The flood of ideas from earlier started to turn into tangible lyrics, until she realized that there was a problem. In LOVE HEART MAXIMUM, the male protagonist acted super cool and collected, borderline prince-like around everyone else, but became a bumbling mess near the heroine. If Layer fitted the description of the main protagonist, and RAS is scheduled to perform at RiNG’s next joint concert, and Layer would be spending most of the night performing next to the person she had a crush on. The thought alone was horrifying. Imagining RAS messing up in front of the new bands or Roselia…
Oh no…
Oh no no no.
Chu2 doesn’t even dare to entertain that thought even further. She needed to solve this soon.
As she was about to call Pareo, Chu2 saw that Pareo was crouching in the corner of the room, staring at her phone, smiling to herself, but it wasn’t Pareo’s usual smile. Chu2 knew that Pareo was an expressive person, but she had never seen a smile that big on her face before. That expression on her face… IT WAS LIKE THE EXPRESSION OF THE HEROINE IN VOLUME 3! Where the it was revealed that the heroine liked someone, but it wasn’t revealed until the end! Then it turned out the the person she liked was the male protagonist! Wait, the male protagonist? If Layer acted like the male protagonist, and Pareo acted like the heroine, wouldn’t that mean…
OH MY GOD PAREO LIKED LAYER TOO.
OH NO. OH NO NO NO. If the thought of Layer messing up was bad, then the thought of Layer AND Pareo messing up… Chu2 could feel herself freeze in pure shock and horror. While the chance of writing intimate love songs was enticing, the thought that two members would be acting like fools on stage was too mortifying. That could NOT happen at any cost. Soon was too slow, she needed to solve this NOW. How can she get those two together? She was the worlds greatest producer surely she could come up with something…
Chu2’s mind jumped back to LOVE HEART MAXIMUM. A smirk grew on Chu2’s face.
Pareo was a mess. She was smiling to herself in the corner of the living room like an idiot. She was about to report to Chu2-sama that she had returned the manga to her room, until her phone vibrated. It was a message, and it was from Hina Hikawa... and a picture was embedded. Before she could even open it she melted on the spot. By some stroke of luck, Pareo and Hina had started dating a few days ago. The thought of a private picture from Hina, for her and only her, over-stimulated her.
While she was over the moon, she also had some guilt on her mind. Pareo had not yet told the other RAS members about her relationship. More than anything, Pareo hated secrets. She always strived to be as earnest and honest as possible, yet she never found the right time to tell them.
Pareo had told herself that if the right time never came, she’ll force herself and tell everyone before the joint concert. That way she could get everything off her chest before the show, and perform at her best. Pareo knew how much every show meant to Chu2, and wanted to make sure she could carry her weight. Well that was the worst case scenario after all. If possible, Pareo wanted to tell everyone at a more peaceful time, especially to Layer. Pareo recalled to when Layer told her about how she was tired of romance after the whole debacle with Hanazono Tae and wanted to solely focus on music. If Layer found out that one of her band members wasn’t taking the band as serious as her all because of a romantic relationship… Well let’s just make sure that doesn’t happen she told herself.
“We’re here!” Chu2 proudly proclaimed.
The very next day, all members of RAS were standing at the entry gate to Tsurumaki Happy Land.
“An amusement park?” Lock asked in a confused tone.
“I thought we should be preparing for the live.” Masking added, in a slightly more sharp tone.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don’t you know the saying? Don’t run before a marathon! Practice is important, but it’s also important for the best band in the world to have fun!”
The others looked at each other. Chu2 dids have a point. They’ve been practicing almost every day now, maybe a break day was in order.
“Can’t say no to a free entry now can we?” Layer said jokingly.
“Then onwards!” Chu2 said loudly, as she walked first into the park.
Well that’s partially true. While Chu2 did think that the members of RAS deserved a break, that wasn’t the main reason. If she wanted the other members to get rest she would’ve told them to stay in their homes and sleep the day in. The real reason why they were at a amusement park was simple. Volume 10 of LOVE HEART MAXIMUM. The final volume in the series. The protagonist and the heroine spend a day at the amusement park together. It doesn’t get more romantic than that. The only issue is that in the manga it was just the two of them, here there were 5 people. Chu2 had to make sure that Layer and Pareo got as much alone time as they could for her to plan to work. It wasn’t going to be easy, but for the sake of RAS she had no choice.
“Time for the romance maestro to get to work.”
Fun would be an understatement. It was rare for Chu2-sama to take them away from band activities, so the change was very much welcome. Getting to ride roller coasters, eating tons of junk food, taking pictures all day long, it was fun to cut back from the performance life and just be a normal girl again. But even so, she couldn’t help but feel something was off.
Pareo spent a suspicious amount of time with Layer today. Not that she was against it, after all she loved all her band mates, but it was odd to her that out of nowhere they would be spending this much time together. Even more suspicious was Chu2-sama, who seemingly kept wanting to hang out with Masking and Lock today. Was Chu2-sama avoiding her? Before Pareo could even finish that thought she violently shook her head. How dare she have bad prejudice regarding Chu2-sama?! The very person who saved her from the darkness?! Chu2-sama probably just needed a day away from her. After all, the two are together almost everyday, both in private and in public.
But that wasn’t the only thing that stuck out to Pareo. Layer had been acting weird around her all day long. She felt a cold gaze emanating from Layer every time she was close to Chu2-sama. The gaze would also leave the second Chu2-sama went away to talk to Masking or Lock. Wait a minute… She couldn’t remember the exact volume or scene, but she clearly remembered catching a glimpse of a scene like that in the manga that Chu2-sama kept asking her to return lately. The scene was something along the lines of a guy, trying to scare away other guys from the girl he liked…
Wait. The pieces were clicking too perfectly. If Layer was acting like the character in that manga, and she stopped glaring when she and Chu2-sama were apart, then wouldn’t mean that Layer was trying to scare Chu2-sama away? If that was the case…
Oh my god Layer had a crush on her.
This was worse than the worst case scenario. She was already scared of telling Layer that she was dating Hina because of Layer’s backstory, now she would have to tell this to Layer while Layer had a crush on her?! Cold sweat started to pour. She did not want to be the reason why Layer quit music. If Layer leaved RAS, who’s to say that the rest of the members wouldn’t leave as well? Pareo was essentially sweating bullets now. The thought of being both the reason why Layer would leave the band AND being the catalyst that would destroy Chu2-sama’s hard work was too much to bear. She did not want either to happen no matter what.
Would she have to lie to Layer? Play along and say that Pareo liked her too? That would keep the band together sure, but what if Hina found out? Would Hina leave her because she felt betrayed by Pareo? She had already used up the luck of the life time to be in a relationship to be with her kami oshi, throwing that all away to entertain a friend was completely out of the question. Maybe she could lie to them both for a bit? Buy some time or hatch a new plan before the day of reckoning came.
Like thunder, another realization had struck Pareo. The manga Chu2-sama had asked her to return yesterday, wasn’t that the last chapter of the serial? AS usual, while Pareo was putting it back in the shelf, she caught a few glimpses of the panels inside. She clearly recalled most of them taking place at an amusement park.
If it was already clicking too perfectly before, now it was somehow clicking even more perfectly.
Pareo already thought it was weird that Chu2-sama took them to an amusement park for a rest day. It would’ve made more sense if Chu2-sama told them to go home or something like that. Although a amusement park was fun, it’s not really the best place to catch a break, especially if you’re trying to keep your talent in top shape. All the screaming and shouting was bound to put a number on them tomorrow. Layer must’ve asked Chu2-sama to take them to an amusement park, so she could confess to Pareo! That had to be it! Layer had clearly been taking a page out of that manga, so her game plan must be based off it! Pareo exhaled in relief, she had just debunked Layer’s entire gameplan, but that didn’t really make things easier for her.
Tear apart RAS, or break up with Hina. Pareo would have to decide soon, and she was scared of having to make that choice in the first place.
The sun was setting. The RAS members were waiting in line to get on the ferris wheel. This is it. This was the last step in Chu2’s plan. The final scene in LOVE HEART MAXIMUM. The confession that took place in a ferris wheel. The scene that connects the protagonist and the heroine and ended the series. Chu2 could not afford anything go wrong, not now. As the group was about to reach the front, she made her move.
“Ahhh I’m bored, this is taking too long. Let’s go on another ride.” Chu2 exclaimed as she walked out of the queue.
“Chu2-san wait!” Lock said in surprise, chasing after Chu2 with Masking right behind her.
Chu2 made sure to walk a bit before turning around and checking who followed her. Lock… Masking… And that’s it. She did it. She got Layer and Pareo in the ferris wheel. She could rest easy now.
“What was that all about Chu2?” Masking asked in a bit of a angry tone.
Chu2 didn’t think this far ahead. She was so fixated on getting Layer and Pareo in the ferris wheel she didn’t think about what she would do with Masking and Lock. Any excuse would be better than saying nothing. “W- We only have one day you know? We shouldn’t spend most of our time waiting in line.”
To her surprise, Masking nodded her head upon hearing her made up excuse. “I guess, but that was still kinda rude.”
“Should we wait for Pareo and Layer?” asked Lock in a concerned tone.
“Did you not hear me? We don’t have all day.”
“Hm, well then where should we go Chu2-san?” Lock’s voice began to brighten up.
Chu2 couldn’t think of an good answer. “Well, where do you two want to go?”
“Oh! I want to try that sky drop we passed earlier!” Masking eyes lit up like a puppy.
“Shall we then? I’ll text Layer and Pareo where were going.”
“Well then, let’s go!” Chu2 said in a relieved tune, pointing at the tall structure in the distance. She can’t believe she got away with it.
As they were about to leave, Chu2 turned around and took one last look at the ferris wheel. A warm smile crossed her face. Above all, she was just happy that Layer and Pareo would be together now. Chu2 remembered how Layer said that she something about being tired of romance, so to see her overcome her pain and try again, the thought alone brought a smile to her face. And she was trying again with Pareo of all people! The passionate, kind, and cheerful girl of RAS. They were a great match. Layer would get a loving and supporting girlfriend, and Pareo would find another person to devote her life to… So why did she have this sting in her heart? Was it wrong of her to help push the two together? No, of course not! Even if they somehow weren’t a great pair, it was for the sake of RAS! Now with this ordeal aside, they’d be ready for the joint concert and blow everyone away! If it wasn’t that, then what was it? The further she walked away from the ferris wheel, the stronger the sting in her heart would grow.
“Chu2-san wait!”
Pareo was caught off guard by Lock and Masking chasing after Chu2-sama, but before she and Layer could follow pursuit, the park staff caught her attention.
“The next cabin is ready, would you like to enter?”
As she turned back around to try and see where Chu2-sama went, she was already gone.
“We already waited so long, we might as well go in right?”
Those were the last words she wanted to hear right now. Pareo knew that this was the climax. Being alone, together in a ferris wheel? A place where she physically could run away until they reached the bottom again? Surely Layer would confess to her here, it was as obvious as it could be.
“Sh- Shouldn’t we find the others first?”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine, they’ll text us or something.”
Pareo had no out. She wanted to get away from Layer, but she couldn’t think up of an excuse in time.
“Were keeping the line waiting, come on!” Layer grabbed her hand, as she jumped into the cabin. Soon after the staff would close the door behind them, and they slowly began their ascend.
Oh god. There’s no running away now.
The two sat in silence as they were lifted higher into the sky. Pareo was still sweating bullets, she couldn’t even bring herself to talk to Layer right now. She needed to come up with a way to buy time. Forget biding time until she could think of a way to satisfy both Layer and Hina, all she could hope for now was an excuse that could at least buy enough time until they got off the ferris wheel.
“Hey Reona… can I tell you something?”
Oh god. Out of the blue? So soon?? She didn’t even come up with a plan yet???
“O- of course!” Pareo could hear herself stuttering.
“You see, I actually...”
Hah… So this is it. A tear slowly rolled down her face. The end of Raise a Suilen was here. No matter how much she loved the band, she loved Hina even more. She took a deep breath, said her prayers, and prepared to break Layer’s heart again. “Forgive me Layer-san, but Pareo is happy with Hina.” were the last words she could think of.
“... like Chu2…”
In a state of complete awe and shock, Pareo turned to see Layer, who was looking out the window in a deep red blush.
“I… Also wanted to say sorry… I’ve been staring at you so much lately because I was jealous of how close you were to her…”
…
“If you could forgive me… Could you… Let me be the one who's closest to Chu2?”
...
“HAAAAAAAAA?!?!?!”
Chapter 1, End.