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Riko read the papers in her hand over and over again, but she couldn’t find a way to fix what was written. She sighed in despair, feeling completely helpless; they had only two days to record a new song, and while Riko already had some melodies on her mind, they had no lyrics to accompany them.
„Chika, I appreciate your efforts, I really do, but we can’t use these lyrics“ she finally announced. The ginger didn’t even look surprised, she just let out a deep breath and let her head fall on the desk.
„I know, I had a really hard time writing lately... Ughh, what are we going to do?" Chika whined. Everyone in the club room turned their heads down, not having the solution. Chika and Riko sighed in unison at the sight.
Everyone was already tired from the long day of practice, and the humid August afternoon didn't help lift their spirits either. The sun was just about to set but they couldn't go home until they've finalized this song.
„Isn't there anyone else who can write lyrics?" You suddenly asked, partially not even expecting the answer. They were all already at the end of their wits and it was obvious this meeting wasn’t going to be fruitful.
„Maybe if we all work together, we can figure something out“ Kanan suggested. They started considering the option of co-writing; it was something they’d never tried before, and it could either turn out amazing or completely chaotic.
„Ah, yes, Kanan could write about how much she loves me!“ Mari giggled, throwing her arms around Kanan’s neck. The blue-haired girl’s smirk was only half-annoyed. Mari tried to brighten up the mood, but they still weren’t getting anywhere.
Ruby glanced worriedly at Hanamaru, who was sitting right next to her. She had been awfully quiet since the meeting started as if she was completely absent. Ruby knew her best friend was not the loudest, but her face at that moment clearly showed that she was over-thinking something, maybe even making some kind of decision.
„Umm, I think Hanamaru-chan could write the lyrics“ Ruby suggested shyly. Hanamaru tilted her head to the side and looked at Ruby with fear in her eyes. „Ruby-chan...“ Ruby made a mental note to apologize and explain it later, but right now she was only doing what was best for her friend.
„Seriously, could you do it?!“ Chika asked excitedly, jumping out of her chair and across the table. Suddenly all eyes were on Hanamaru and she felt extremely uncomfortable. It was true that she liked to write in her free time, but she wasn’t confident enough to let anyone see her writing just yet.
„I... I don’t think I’m the right person for this, zura... Maybe we should just do what Kanan-chan said? Cooperating, I mean...“ Hanamaru tried to find her way out of this awkward situation. She was afraid of not living up to everyone’s expectations and letting them down.
„Well, we could try that“ Riko nodded, and Hanamaru swore she was her guardian angel „Why don’t we all go home now and write some lines, then come back tomorrow and try to put it all together?“
So it was decided, and they could finally go home, although their work wasn’t nearly over. They were all thinking about the lyrics on the way home, looking for inspiration in sceneries and emotions nearest to their hearts.
***
„Yoshiko-chan, what are you going to write about?“ You asked sheepishly on their bus ride home. The younger girl just sighed uninterestedly and continued to look out the window. She, too, had been somewhat distant all day, but You signed it off as typical Yoshiko mood swings.
„I don’t know, what about you?“ she half-heartedly responded. She didn’t even have enough energy to say her usual: „It’s Yohane!“. You hummed and thought about it for a while.
„Unrequited love, maybe?" she finally announced. The smile on her face had only a slight shadow of sadness, but she pronounced it so casually like it's a truth that she had already made peace with. Yoshiko knew exactly what she was thinking about.
„That’s a good idea“ Yoshiko smiled slightly. To be completely honest, she had no romantic experience whatsoever, and love was an essential motif in every popular idol song. It wasn't like she could write about fallen angels and dark forces of the underworld – that could never be incorporated into an emotional song for Love Live.
Yoshiko started wondering what will the other members write about. As far as she knew, they were all hopeless when it came to writing, which was exactly why they were in this situation in the first place. „What will Hanamaru write about?“ was the thought that flashed through her mind, but got pushed away shortly.
„Yo-shi-ko. Why the serious face?“ You teased her. She seemed to get a kick out of bugging her underclassman, but after a couple of long bus rides together, Yoshiko realized there was no escape.
„That’s none of your business!“ she squealed, trying to get out of You’s strong embrace. She knew that once You was after something, she wouldn’t stop until she got it. Yoshiko could never combat that ridiculous persistence of hers.
„You’re blushing!“ You exclaimed „Yoshiko-chan, could it be that you’re hiding something from me?!“. Due to the brunette’s suffocating hug, Yoshiko could only manage to say „It’s Yohane...“
You finally let her go and got a lot more serious in a matter of seconds. She crossed her arms over her chest and carefully observed Yoshiko's troubled face. She definitely had a secret, You decided. Now it was only a matter of how she will pull it out of her.
„Okay, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to“ she finally broke the silence „Just know that I’m always here and you can tell me anything – I know how to keep a secret!“
"You-chan... how did you know th-that you had a crush on Chika?" Yoshiko hesitated before she could spit out the whole question. You looked out the window again, letting out a slight humming noise, which she did every time she was truly focused on something.
"Well, it's easy, really. I started noticing little things about her that I hadn't noticed earlier, like how the color of her eyes changes in the sunlight, and I felt nervous every time she came close to me. Also, I had this uncontrollable urge to hold her hand and feel her smile against my lips..." You lamented, but stopped when she noticed Yoshiko's face rapidly turn from pale to beet-red.
"Why, could it be that the almighty Yohane has a... crush?" You whispered close to her ear.
Yoshiko quickly slid closer to the window and let out a surprised gasp. "What are you saying?! No lowly human can possibly put such a strong spell on Yohane!" she denied, but she knew you wouldn't let her live it down. You just laughed and let her get away this time, but she will surely bring it up again tomorrow.
"Oh, that's my stop!" You suddenly noticed "Bye-bye, Yoshiko-chan! Say hi to that magnificent mortal who has captured your heart from me!". Just as Yoshiko was about to complain about her relentless teasing, You hopped off the bus and started waving playfully.
Yoshiko felt relieved that You wasn’t around to tease her anymore, but on the other hand, it was just her and her thoughts now; thoughts that she thought she buried deep inside her chest, yet they were threatening to spill everywhere.
As a fallen angel, she shouldn’t have allowed herself to fancy a mortal in the first place – that was her first mistake. But then again, Hanamaru wasn’t your average mortal either. She had honey in her eyes and her skin always smelled like cinnamon, so no matter how much Yoshiko wanted to stop that train of thought, she couldn't.
„I started noticing little things about her that I hadn’t noticed earlier“ You’s words echoed in her head. It might’ve been a pure coincidence, but in kindergarten, Yoshiko never thought about how Hanamaru’s lips looked like petals of a pink tulip and how warm it would feel to hold her. She felt her face heating up by the second.
Yoshiko got so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed her stop.
***
„Ruby-chan, why did you say that in front of everyone?“ Hanamaru asked as soon as they left the clubroom „You know I don’t like to show people my writing, zura...“
„I'm sorry, Maru-chan," the redhead said in a quiet voice, looking as apologetic as she possibly could „I just wanted to help you get over it. I think your writing is really good and you shouldn't be afraid to let other members read it too!"
Hanamaru still didn't look any less worried, but she tried to calm down since it wasn't that big of a deal anyway. After all, Ruby was her best friend, and of course, she had only the best intentions. A shy smile appeared on her face as she tried to lift up their spirits again.
„Well, we both have to write something, zura," she remarked, „Have any ideas, Ruby-chan?". The short-lived calmness that washed over Ruby when she realized Hanamaru wasn't mad at her was now replaced by a new type of anxiety.
„I’ve never been much of a writer...“ Ruby muttered after giving it some thought „But I’ll do my Rubesty to think of something by tomorrow!“. Both girls started laughing and every bit of nervousness they had up until that moment just disappeared. That’s what Hanamaru loved the most about Ruby – she was always so positive and it was impossible to be sad around her.
„I think I know what to write about“ Hanamaru announced. Ruby’s eyes went wide with anticipation, followed by a hint of pride. She knew Hanamaru could write beautiful lyrics for Aqours, and she just wanted to see it happen, because maybe then Hanamaru would gain more confidence.
„Then let’s both do our Rubesty!“ Ruby cheered and they both started laughing again. Not many people saw this funny and carefree side of Ruby, it was usually hidden under her many layers of shyness, so Hanamaru was glad to be one of the few chosen ones in front of whom Ruby felt free to let her guard down and be herself.
Their bond became so strong that they learned how to communicate even without words, and Ruby was the only person who was ever allowed to read Hanamaru’s writing. Although Hanamaru had a burning passion for writing and wrote almost as much as she read, she could never bring herself to show anyone those strange paths of her mind.
But Ruby understood her. She never made fun of her and she was actually a good critic, not so much in a technical way, but she always tried to provide the most eloquent feedback on how she felt while reading it, because she knew how much it meant to Hanamaru.
Their serene little group of two got a new dynamic once Yoshiko entered their lives. At first Ruby thought that something about the blue-haired girl was a bit off and maybe even a little scary, but she soon got used to her fallen angel act and now found it quite funny.
Hanamaru, on the other hand, never had the slightest bit of hostility towards Yoshiko. It might’ve been because they were childhood friends, Ruby thought, but then she started noticing Hanamaru’s fascination with their classmate.
She was always observing her, keeping an eye on her as if to protect her from getting herself in trouble, and Ruby could sometimes see how slightly the corners of her lips curled upwards whenever she was looking at Yoshiko. It was almost like she was writing down every single detail about her in order to later write a character based on her.
Ruby was almost certain it was just the writer’s curiosity in Maru, and honestly, Yoshiko was just quirky enough to make everyone curious about her, but as time went by, she sensed feelings that maybe not even Hanamaru herself knew she felt. Whatever was going on, Ruby was eager to see how it would progress, because Yoshiko really did bring out a new and beautiful side of Hanamaru, and she was thankful for that.
„Ah, we’re here!“ Hanamaru said with a large and proud grin once they reached the temple she lived in „See you tomorrow, Ruby-chan!“. They waved to each other as Maru was climbing the stone stairs that led to the front entrance.
„Have fun writing, Maru-chan!“ Ruby shouted and gave her one last smile before she continued walking home alone. Hanamaru decided to start writing as soon as she got to her room, but first – dinner.
***
„Okay, let's see what we've got!" Chika said excitedly. Most of the girls were trembling in their chair at least a little bit, making it hard to decide who's going to have to break the ice. „Does anyone want to go first?" Riko asked. They were all waiting for someone to make it even a little bit easier but weren't really relieved when someone actually did.
„Here, I’ll do it!“ Mari exclaimed. Kanan banged her head on the table while Dia whispered something that sounded like „God help us“, to which Mari pouted like a very angry overgrown baby.
„Rude, you guys!“ she whined „I put my heart and soul into this! My inspiration was... Kanan!“. Dia started poking Kanan’s arm teasingly when she noticed how red her face was. Mari cleared her throat by coughing a few times, and once she got everyone’s attention, she started reciting.
„Kanan is strong, Kanan is mine, Kanan is shiny, and I can’t make it rhyme!“ Mari sang, but her only response was a shocked silence. Kanan looked like she was about to throw up, and Dia tried to suppress her laughter. Then again, they expected no less from their blonde friend.
„Well, it sounds more like a cheer to me, right?“ You tried to console Mari, but it did little to better the situation. Riko was already about to give up on this whole co-writing idea and just go with Chika’s initial lyrics, but she decided to give her friends a chance.
„Remind me again – why am I her?“ Kanan sighed desperately. Mari collapsed back into her chair and crossed her arms like an annoyed toddler. Given that everyone knew they couldn’t really stay angry at each other for too long, it was even a bit entertaining to see them like this.
„Why don’t you read what you wrote then?“ Mari challenged her with a side glance. Dia looked like she was tired of always being in the middle of those two, so she decided to stay out of it this time, and signaled to the others to do the same.
„I was going to do it anyway!“ Kanan retorted, then stood up to read what she wrote. It was about the beauty of the ocean and how it’s impossible to see its end. Her writing was simple yet quite refreshing. There was nothing excessive or meaningless in it, just as expected from Kanan.
„We could use that!“ Chika cheered after Kanan was done. Other members nodded in approval and clapped, but Mari was still pretending to be angry and refused to look at Kanan.
„Yes, we could definitely get inspired by the ocean – we live in a seaside town after all," You agreed. Everyone suddenly felt more energetic and hopeful. Maybe writing lyrics for their new song wasn't going to be as hard as they thought.
After hearing a few more successful (You’s mellow ballad in contrast to Ruby’s cheerful ode to friendship) and less successful (Dia’s love letter to idols that just turned into a ramble at one point and Yoshiko’s illegible metaphors about the attractive force of dark magic) attempts, Hanamaru was the only one left.
„You can do it, Maru-chan! Show them your Rubesty!“ Ruby quietly cheered her on and gave her shaking hand a small squeeze. Hanamaru nodded bravely and finally stood up. It’s time, she thought, it’s time for her to face her fears.
She glanced at the paper one last time and concluded that she actually liked what she wrote. It was far from being her best work, but she still put a lot of effort into translating her true emotions into a song and was content with the results. After one final deep breath, she started reading.
What she wrote was a subtle and ambiguous love song. It was not completely a ballad, but it wasn’t perfectly happy and cheerful either. There was a clean but undefined aura around it, similar to the cold air of a foggy winter morning. Although Maru’s feelings seemed confusing (which they probably were to her – that’s why she wrote them a bit too stiff and restricted), her poetic style fascinated everyone in the room.
Yoshiko swallowed her own spit and tried not to go all wide-eyed in front of everyone. Something inside her was shaken up and she was afraid that that small, invisible earthquake was enough to make her lose her ground.
It really was like an earthquake, or a tsunami – simply put, a disaster. „I've seen the pits of hell," she said to herself „This must be the inevitable curse of all humans that I've read about... Yes, that is exactly it! Now I must endure it too, the heavens are testing my powers..."
Yoshiko was brought out of her trance by Chika’s loud hollering and the claps of other members. She half-heartedly started clapping so that she didn't look out of place, but she was really still hypothesizing about why she had to feel emotions that were clearly reserved for lowly humans only.
„That was beautiful, Hanamaru-chan!" Chika emphasized the word „beautiful", still standing up and clapping loudly. It was probably just the relief of not having to stress over writing songs anymore, now that they've discovered the hidden treasure that was Hanamaru.
„You really think so, zura?" an embarrassed Hanamaru said quietly. Ruby looked at her like a proud mother, but most of all, she was glad her friend was finally getting the boost of confidence she needed and stepped out of her comfort zone, even if it's just a little bit.
„So, judging by the best of all the lyrics that we heard today, our next single is going to be a love song for sure. Isn’t that exciting?“ Chika announced with a spark in her eyes that could only mean one thing – she was just getting started. Of course, they couldn’t end the meeting on that. After making a few adjustments and getting a rough outline of what their new lyrics were going to look like, there were more wild ideas to ensue.
„Okay, now that we’re almost done, and the song is about love and the ocean, why don’t we all go to the beach and get more inspiration – you know, for the choreography, costumes, PV, singing order and stuff?“ Mari suggested. Everyone (well, except for Yoshiko, who didn’t have much power in deciding) liked the idea and quickly packed their bags so they could go out and get some fresh air.
„This is why I love living in Uchiura“ Kanan reflected „Just looking at the sea always makes me feel like I’m in some kind of a wonderful dream where everything is possible“. Mari’s hand itched to grab Kanan’s and she started naturally gravitating towards her centimeter by centimeter until Kanan firmly intertwined their fingers together. Mari's eyes were shimmering with bliss.
All nine girls sat down on the sand and looked at the vibrant sunset in front of them. It looked like the sun was tired from a long day and started slowly dipping its feet into the sea. Kanan and Mari were still holding hands. Chika was simply smiling, happy to be there with her friends, while You was secretly watching her with an incomprehensible amount of warmth in her eyes.
Ruby and Dia were laughing about something together. Riko’s fingers moved like she was playing an invisible piano – she was probably thinking about composing a new song. Hanamaru seemed to be lost somewhere in her thoughts, but her small smile was sincere nevertheless.
Meanwhile, Yoshiko was observing them from a distance that wasn’t physically defined, but it was painstakingly there. That’s right, she’s a fallen angel and they are humans, although looking at Hanamaru, Yoshiko couldn’t be so sure.
It was impossible for a regular human to have eyes that can put even the sinful soul of a fallen angel at ease. That spell was stronger than anything else Yoshiko had ever read about; a spell that couldn’t be broken with just a few drops of a special potion. If it were that simple, Yoshiko would've drunk up the potion a long time ago – she didn't want to feel powerless in front of a human anymore.
„Oh, wait!" Chika suddenly broke the silence that was lulling everyone to sleep „We haven't figured out the name of our new song yet!“
Two voices responded almost immediately, and in the exact same time as well:
「海辺の愛」