Work Text:
"Wow… you got this whole place just for MMJ? That's so cool!" Hasegawa exclaimed as Airi opened the door for her into the More More House.
"Yup!" Airi said, smiling. "It was a real hassle finding a place to set everything up, but the landlady here is really supportive of idols and the four of us."
"I still can't believe we got this place! Aaaahhh, it's like a dream come true!" Minori called, bouncing up from her seat on the couch as Hasegawa came in.
"You say every day is a dream come true, Minori," Airi laughed back.
"I knowwww, but it is!" They giggled at each other, and Hasegawa couldn't help but laugh too.
Haruka and Saito came out of their mini-office then, smiling and talking with each other. They perked up seeing everyone gathered at the door, and Haruka went over to give Hasegawa a hug.
"It's good to see you again, Hasegawa-," Haruka said. "Now that everyone's here, let's get started on putting our next song together."
"Where's Shizuku?" Hasegawa asked.
"She's in the kitchen, making tea," said Airi, sitting on the couch watching Haruka lead. It was always her thing to lead the little meetings of theirs, along with Saito.
"Shizuku makes the best tea…" Minori sighed dreamily.
Saito gave a little smile at that. Minori never changed. "What ideas has everyone come up with so far? We've all had a bit of time to brainstorm, so what kind of song should we make?"
Minori chimed in first. "I want something bright and inspiring! Something that tells the world that MMJ are true idols that can give our fans hope!"
Everyone smiled at that. "Minori, a lot of our songs are already like that," Airi said gently. "We don't want our fans thinking we can't do anything else."
"Hmm… I think you're both right," said Haruka. "We should be able to branch out, but still, being a light for our fans is a pretty big part of our identity. I don't think we should give up on that."
"What if we tried something deeper?" Shizuku entered, carrying teacups and tea for the group. She poured some out for everyone as she spoke. "Maybe… something more mature, tense, a little darker, but still with a core of hope and overcoming things."
Haruka raised her eyebrow slightly. It caught Airi's eye, and she noticed that face Haruka made, the one where so many thoughts were going through all at once. It was scary how smart and aware she was, sometimes.
"Yes… I think that'd be perfect, Shizuku." Haruka looked at the other girl, and they smiled at each other. "What do you think, Hasegawa? Have any ideas?"
"Huh? Me?" Hasegawa snapped up. "I thought you guys would figure out what you wanted, and then I would put something together…"
"You're the one who has to make it, silly," Airi giggled. "What's in your comfort zone? We don't want to just throw something impossible at you."
"I— I guess, yeah, I think I could do that," she said. Her fingers started to drum a beat into the coffee table, trying out different time signatures and rhythms. "What about…" She began to hum a melody, letting the dips and shifts come to her. "Wait, no." Hasegawa paused once again, thinking for a moment. Then her humming returned, stronger this time, each piece falling into place. It was a slightly deeper tone than the songs she was used to, a darker color, more refined and reserved but still pulsing, leaving plenty of room for the singers to overlay on top of it. Haruka and Saito glanced at each other and smiled.
Minori spoke up first. "Woww!! That's awesome, Hasegawa! You can just do that? What were you humming?" She leaned forward on the couch, looking at her composer. Hasegawa laughed a bit and leaned back.
"Yeah, it's pretty simple, just a… hold on." She pulled out her phone to write down the notes before they left her mind. "Yeah, I got it."
Hasegawa began humming again, and everyone just sat there, listening. Then, Shizuku opened her mouth, and began to vocalize on top of Hasegawa's rhythm, adding her incredibly light and soft voice to the mix. Minori was starstruck once again.
Airi couldn't help but smile too. She'd known Shizuku liked making up rhythms and singing nonsense melodies to herself, but neither of them had ever expected that particular skill to be useful.
Their impromptu duet died down, and Saito began to speak then. "I can't say I've been a manager for any other groups, but still… all of you are really something else." Shizuku blushed, and Hasegawa just wanted to hide behind the throw pillows.
"I have to say I agree," said Haruka. "Shizuku, Hasegawa, that was… That was magical."
Minori could hardly speak. Idol beauty overload.
The six of them continued enjoying their tea. Slowly, building blocks for a chorus began to form, Hasegawa laying the foundation, Haruka suggesting lines, Shizuku helping build harmonies, Airi dreaming up choreography, and Minori providing the fans' perspective on what would make everyone gush over their favorite idols the most.
Eventually, Hasegawa grew tired, and the group shifted away from their work to relaxing in their house. She was still getting used to songwriting for idols, and she could only come up with so many melodies in a day. Minori, ever kind, called for them to take a rest and invited Hasegawa to relax with everyone else, not just as a coworker, but as a friend to the group.
As the day wound down, each person there reminisced about the music they'd made that day. To them, it wasn't just an evening activity with friends, but a way to connect with everyone, to share hope with their fans, and to inspire the next generations of idols as they once were.
There's a special kind of magic in that.