Dream Star

They are connected, even when separated. Recalling the lyrics, Lila wrote, laughter escapes her lips. Truly, she has a strange ability to bind everything together, even though there"s only a small connection. The person she is today, it wouldn"t have been possible without not just Kiryu but everyone else too. Her precious person, family, and friends. Everyone wants to show them once again.

Those powerful feelings which have only grown stronger ever since that time.

She is receiving so much love and attention. It"s the first time.. Can she also incorporate it into everyone"s feelings? She"s sure she isn"t the only one with such powerful emotions regarding love. A strong love, a strong dream...There are many people other than her who feel these very emotions. Mother, too, must have noticed that at an early age but struggled to find a way to convey it until she met her beloved senpai and father.

Her star of ideals.

Her dream.

What the present her can achieve right now is. ..

Lila took the mic from Kotori, who pa.s.sed it to her, and stepped forward.

"Teras.h.i.+msan, it seems like you didn"t know about this. What are your thoughts?"

"Of course, I"m delighted by this. Performing with everybody again," Lila trailed off and laughed. "I wonder if it sounds contradictory. I miss performing everyone. For me, my motto had always been everyone"s radiance. Seeing how much my friends and fellow idols have improved makes me very happy. Watching everyone perform, I was filled with so much radiance and happiness. That"s why," she removed her cloak.

The dress she wore earlier was no longer there. Instead, there was a familiar uniform. The G.o.ddess4 uniform, "For me, this was the start point I aimed for. The first thing I truly wanted for myself. That"s why today I will perform in my natural state, so you can all see how brightly I can s.h.i.+ne as the human Teras.h.i.+ma Lila and not the idol me."

This decision wasn"t easy for her. Lila understood the risks behind it. However, when she saw Haruka"s expression before she went on stage. Lila realized this was the only thing left that she could do.

________

Dream Stars Tournament Main Building (Lounge)

A woman with long blonde hair sat by the grand white piano and was playing a gorgeous melody. For once, n.o.body surrounded her. Why would there be anyone? Everyone is personally watching the tournament in the main venue.

There are still so many things she wants to discuss with Lilchan. So so many things she never got round to saying these past seven years since mother"s disappearance. It"s only going to be for a short while; she will return for the tournament. Usually, the eternity idol tournament occurs separately from the queen cup. However, the rules were changed. She doesn"t know who changed them. But surely they understand it too.

Deciding the next eternal idol and deciding who"s number one - all of those things will happen at once. Lilchan, the way she is now. Her sister is a stepping stone away from reaching the place where Mother is. But there"s still a single stone. The largest one. Before she returns, before the tournament. Will you be able to find out or not?

Her gaze lands on the ring on her hand. She wonders what the others will say. Will they be happy for her? They will be. But they are going to be hurt at the same time. If possible, she doesn"t want to hurt them. However, it"s not something she would feel comfortable about hiding either.

Kyoko stops playing the piano catching a glimpse of long pink hair wearing a white and lavender top with elbow-length sleeves is worn beneath a tan knit vest lined in dark raspberry. A two-layer tan skirt with pale brown designs around the bottom of each layer. So, she came.

The person who came all the way here is Yos.h.i.+kawa Ageha.

Kyoko smiles softly, "You came all the way out here. Is there not something you want to talk to me about?"

"I asked you this previously. What makes that girl s.h.i.+ne so much? But even when I asked you, it was more of a rhetorical question. I didn"t actually expect an answer."

"I know."

"That girl, even when performing a dark version of that song, could s.h.i.+ne so brightly. Yes, it was exactly like the sun. That girl, does she have it?"

"You"re rather straight forward about that. Let"s see now.. I think for Lilchan, what"s important isn"t the dresses. Sure she considers it. However, for that girl, what"s always been important are the feelings of those around her. The strong emotions from her friends and the people she cares about. Whether or not she realizes it just yet, I"m not sure. But the Lilchan now is so close to reaching to where I am."

"In other words, she"s not there yet," Ageha mumbled.

"Previously, I told you, didn"t I, Agehchan? That I saw something different, something more. It took me by surprise. It"s the first time I saw that kind of light, and yet it was familiar at the same time.

"Those two, maybe its because they"ve spent so long together, but I saw the same mysterious light around them. It made me think. I wonder what sort of idol activities these two engage in? So I stayed for a month and observed them. I expected something grand or at least something different. But instead, I was greeted with the scene of them occasionally skipping out to be with each other.

The two of them would rather be beside each other, feel each other"s warmth, confirm their feelings even if it"s in a vague form. The music they created as two, as clumsy and unrefined as it was, it opened my eyes to the piece I had discarded. "" Kyoko repeats half the speech she said from that day.

It was clumsy, something not certain, and yet it opened her eyes. She doesn"t mean to boast, but she really was the only idol who appeared with such potential since her mother"s generation. That"s why when she lost to k.u.mi-senpai, she felt very frustrated. Even though her skills were better, she still lost.

How come? She was missing something fundamental as an idol. It was that something she saw in Lilchan and Kiryu-kun, strong feelings. The strength of those feelings resembles something she saw a long time ago; the feeling of everyone s.h.i.+ning together.

"Agehchan, what about you? You are becoming this interested in Lilchan…"

"What are you implying? You already know that she"s the reason I came here."

"I know that. But even me who holds this position admitted that I learned something from her. That the reason I"m able to s.h.i.+ne this much is because of her, what about you, Agehchan? Has Lilchan taught you anything?"

"Whether she has or not, it"s none of your business.."

"Agehchan, right now, is there any particular reason why you are so stubborn? You lost to Lilchan. But unlike Aizawa Misaki, you didn"t seem to be particularly surprised about it."

Ageha walked over to the edge of the piano and sighed. "That"s because that girl issued a challenge towards me when we first met. I say challenge, but the one who did it was Austin Kiryu. He declared to me not to take his partner away."