"So how much do you want to bet that she brings back a guy," Akane joked.
"I thought the only guy she ever talked to was Hiroshi? But recently Hiroshi has been occupied with his girlfriend right? I don't even think I've seen him hang out with Hanazawa at all recently," Irashi said confused.
Akane just folds her arms and slightly tilts her head. "Well I mean he has a girlfriend now... I don't think most girls would be just fine with their boyfriend hanging out with another girl--especially one that used to have a crush on you."
Irashi nods in agreement."I can't imagine how Hanazawa feels about it. She lost her best friend and must've felt so alone until today, Irashi muttered softly.
Akane didn't respond immediately, but looked off towards the side of Irashi and just smiled. "I'm sure she wasn't so lonely."
Irashi brows rise and she look at Akane perplexed. "What makes you say that?"
Akane silently points behind Irashi.
When Irashi turns around she was met with surprise at the sight of Mio walking with a guy next to her smiling just a tiny bit.
Akane could only snicker. "Wow now I really wish you took that bet. I could've made you do all my work at schoolll."
Irashi just looked at Akane with a disappointed face as she just smiles innocently.
Mio approaches them both alongside Kaito. "I'm back guys. And I brought my friend along with me."
"Kaito just waved at them maintaining his usual monotone voice. "Yo"
Akane just blinks before a sly smirk etched across her face. "Wow Hanazawa you're just very popular with the guys aren't you?"
Kaito just tilts his head in confusion while Mio panics. "NO! I'm really not anything like that at all!"
Irashi bonks Akane on the head causing a bump to rise.
Akane crouches holding her head. "OW!"
Irashi just shook her fist while glaring down upon Akane. "Stop teasing Hanazawa before you scare her away!"
Kaito just spectates them not saying a single word, but his eyes focus on the bump upon Akane's head.
I wonder how much of the manga changed the real world. Things like that aren't natural and now that I think about it... no wonder I couldn't keep up with those guys at soccer. They're completely unnatural.
Irashi turned towards Kaito and smiled. "I'm Tanabe."
Akane finally stood up and rubbed her head smirking. "And I'm Fujimori."
Now that I see these two up close they look very different from how they were in the manga. Support girl 3 has more of a distinctive look now. Her hair is now Honey blond then the brown color it was before. Her hair even reaches to her shoulders. Even her choice of clothes are more like clothes aimed for fashion mags for extroverts. Before she was simply the character in the manga that would be easily forgotten.
Meanwhile support girl 5 has the same look but her personality is more... interesting and less bland. Her personality in the manga was that of just a basic support girl who always remained supportive of one of the heroines. Now she's the group's resident troublemaker.
I can't help but to think...
Kaito stayed silent with his eyes close still thinking to himself. He finally opened them before the other could speak out towards him.
"I'm Kaito, nice to meet you."
Mio tugs on Kaito sleeve and looks up at him in concern. "Is everything alright Sugiura?"
"Yea I'm fine I just blanked there for a second," Kaito replied looking off to the side.
Irashi jolts forward towards them both with sparkles in her amber eyes. "So! how did you two become friends?"
Mio takes a slight step back with a bit of nervousness crossing her face. "Uh...well he asked me for help with studying one day and from there we just continued to study together until we became friends. N-nothing really special."
Akane sighed. "Aw so boring I was expecting something like him rescuing you or maybe even bl-"
Irashi just places her hand hurriedly over Akane's mouth to keep her from finishing the sentence. "That's enough Akane."
Kaito let out a light chuckle. "Heh. you guys make a perfect trio,"
All three girls turn to face him stunned by his words.
Mio spoke up first with a voice filled with surprise. "Why do you say that Sugiura?"
Kaito pointed towards the air with his eyes closed as he named reasons why. "You guys are like the Moon, Earth, and Sun. Tanabe being the sun with her energetic personality, and her honey blonde hair. Plus she's the tallest one out of you two, even if she's only just slightly taller than Hanazawa. Meanwhile Hanazawa with her blue hair and ocean blue eyes reminds me of earth. Finally Fujimori represents the moon, since she's cool, calm, and... her hair is black."
The girls stood quietly gazing at Kaito in astonishment.
Kaito glanced between all three of them and just rubbed the back of head sweating. "Did I say something wrong?"
Akane's expression switched to one full of bitterness. "Hey! You were totally going to call me the shortest one weren't you!
Mio and Irashi break out into laughter .
Irashi continuously laughed along with Mio while Akane tried to get them to stop laughing. Once Irashi finally stopped laughing she looked towards Kaito while wiping tears from her eyes. "Wow Kaito I have to say you were spot on. Can't believe you were able to assign us so perfectly, besides the fact that you just met us.
Akane, arms folded huffing with a frown on her face couldn't help but to let a twinge of a smirk form on her lips. "We could call ourselves "The Orbiters," Akane said Jokingly.
Irashi eyes sparked with enthusiasm. "That's a perfect name Akane!"
Akane's face forms into one of regret when she tries to catch Irashi's attention, who's now occupied with coming up with possible future group activities themed around space and matching clothes.
Mio continued to watch the two girls with a smile on her face as Kaito quietly watched Mio with a calm expression.
If there was any doubt on Mio's mind before this I definitely cleared it now.
Later into the day the group sat within a room full of color lights and cheerful music as they all sat along the couch inside.
Irashi impatiently kicked her legs back and forth, as she shouted at Akane impatiently waiting for her to order the food. "Fujiiiiii hurryyyyyyy upppppp I wantttt toooo singggg alreadyyyy."
Akane plugged one of her ears as she talked on the phone to the receptionist about the order. "Yeah that'll be all....alright thank you." She hangs up the phone and does a slow head turn towards Irashi with an unnerving smile.
She marched over with a quick stride towards Irashi and tugs on her cheeks as she yelled at her. "How about next time you just wait patiently you big baby!"
Mio shuffled across the couch towards them trying to calm them down. "Come on you two let's calm down no-"
Akane eyes flung right over towards Mio within a second, with a voice full of annoyance. "And don't think I forgot about you either Hanazawa." Akane grabs Mio's cheeks and applied the same treatment Irashi received. "You took over 10 minutes alone just deciding on a drink and didn't even have your order in mind yet!"
Kaito just stayed silent and minded his business not wanting to catch her attention either.
Finally after calming down Irashi stood in front of the room mic in hand deciding on a song. "Oh! this one is my favorite! I'll do this song first." She turns towards them with a smile plastered on her face. "Make sure to cheer me on!"
"Alright," Mio cheered.
Irashi began to sing a rather cheerful song with a smile on her face not missing a note or a single word.
Mio could on stare at Irashi in amazement. "Wow Tanabe is so good. It's almost as if I was in a room with a popular singer or even an Idol."
Akane while clapping looked towards Mio with a smile on her face. "Actually I should mention this, but Irashi really wants to be an idol."
Mio was left stunned as her head whipped back over towards Irashi who was trying her very best.
Kaito continued to clap for Irashi while listening into what Mio and Akane were discussing.
Support girl 3...no Irashi wants to be an Idol huh... Another change that differentiates from the manga. Maybe it's because in the manga they're all limited to certain writing and side characters like her and Akane are only limited to so much background and interest. So now that they're their own people they have their own stories and their own dreams they want to fulfill.
Though going by logic that means more changes like that should've also appeared with other characters. Nothing seemed different about Ryota besides his crush on Irashi so I never really put much thought into it. There must be something different about Ryota that I didn't pay attention to before. I should also look into Hiroshi and Yuki despite being the main characters something must've changed as well. Though I haven't noticed anything so different about Mio so nothing might have changed about the other two as well. But if something has changed about Hiroshi does that mean my act has...
Soon enough Irashi finally finished her song and got a whopping 90 as her score. She jumped up and down in a fit of joy. "YES! I finally beat my score of 85! Look Fujimori"
Akane exhaled with a smile on her face. "I'm proud of you Tanabe. Congrats."
Mio clapped rapidly. "Tanabe I had no Idea that you were so talented! I thought I was watching a pro at work!"
Kaito leaned forward with a slight smile on his face. "Yea that was amazing Tanabe."
Irashi only fiddled with her hands as she received compliments. "Thank you guys. And yea it's true I really want to be an idol, so I've been practicing and learning everything I can and Fuji will also be working alongside me."
Mio and Kaito turned towards Akane surprised.
Akane just noticed how quiet the room got and noticed the two staring at her in bewilderment. She sighs long and hard. "I get it I don't really look like the type of girl who would want to be an idol."
Mio panicked. "Ah! No I didn't mea-
Akane giggled. "Don't worry I'm not. I only agreed because, she so desperately begged me too. Besides I don't think I could leave her alone without her making some idiotic decision so I might as stick around her."
Irashi jumped towards Akane. "Fuji! You should show off your singing skills next!"
Akane sighs while standing taking the mic away from Irashi's hand. "Fine...only because there was a song I saw on the list that I really wanted to do."
Irashi flops down next to Mio with a huge grin on her face from ear to ear. "You got this Fujiiiii!!!"
Mio cheered for Akane as well. "I can't wait to see what you got Fujimori!"
Kaito cheered as well. "Wooo come on show us!"
Akane just laughed. "Fine fine I'll do my best since you all are so hyped for me to sing."
With that Akane finally burst into singing to a rather cheerful song as well. She doesn't miss a single note or word as well, but her face is more focused on the screen then hearing the cheers from behind.
Mio is amazed once again and can't help to feel a bit worried as she continues to watch Akane sing.
They're both so talented....I don't...can I even match something like that. They both have such ama-
Before she could finish her thought process Kaito pinched her arm resulting in Mio looking up at Kaito confused. "Ow... Sugiura what was that for." Mio rubbed the spot he pinched.
Kaito looks at her with a reassuring look. "I can tell what you're thinking about. I can tell you now that it's fine if you're not just as great as them. We're just here to have fun. Do you honestly believe they would judge you harshly for how sing? And to add on--you don't even know how well you'll do yet."
Mio stares at Kaito before taking a deep breath and exhaling. "You always seem to be able to tell what I'm thinking about Sugiura." She looks towards Akane who's signing with focus and Irashi who's cheering Akane along while clapping. "Now I feel even more foolish for letting my negative thoughts cloud my head again. I'm also disappointed in myself. I should've realized immediately that they're not the kind of people who would judge me so easily. Not that I had doubts about them. I'm really glad that they truly wanted to be my friends and didn't give up on me. I always remember that."
Finally Akane finishes the song and lands a score of 90 and she just pumps her fist into the air. "Hell yeah!"
Irashi pouted. "Aww we tiedddd, but I really wanted to rub it into your face when I destroyed you."
Mio smiled. "I loved it Fujimori! You and Tanabe are so talented!"
"Yea you two definitely have what it takes to become idols in my opinion," Kaito said joyfully.
Akane looked off to the side avoiding their eyes. "Thank you guys." She then approached Mio with the mic. "So, Hanazawa want to go next?"
Mio stared at the mic in Akane's hands not muttering a single word.
Akane slowly retracted her hand a bit worried. "You don't have to if you don't wish too of course. No pressure"
Mio suddenly reached out and took the mic from Akane, with a slight nervous smile but eyes full certainty. "I'll give it a shot, but I don't really sing so I might not be great as you two."
Akane only smirked at her a giggle. "Don't worry I think you'll do just fine. Definitely better than when Irashi first tried."
Irashi stood up in protest. "Hey! It wasn't a fair score! I had something in my eye and you know it!" Irashi only sighed but looked towards Mio with a soft smile. "But what she said is correct. I believe you'll do fine."
Mio smiled at their words as she grips the mic tightly and stepped her way towards the front and tried to come to a decision for her song.
I got this! I know I can do my best! Just like they said!
All three of them cheered Mio on loudly as they could without causing a disruption for others of course.
Mio selected a song called "The Song of Anxiety" and took a deep breath before exhaling.
She started singing as soon as the music started and the words appeared on screen--focusing purely on the words ahead of her displayed on the screen, not even bothering to try to listen if the others are cheering her on or not.
"The Song of Anxiety"
[Verse 1]
I wake up with a weight I cannot see,
A whisper trailing every thought in me.
My voice speaking words that don't belong to me,
My hands fidget with the fraying seams of me.
[Chorus]
I'm scared of the silence, that follows each sound,
Scared of being too much when everyone's around.
The restlessness stalks me -- no pause, no delay,
My heart skips in rhythms that just feel... wrong each day.
Their eyes trace the tremble in every step I take,
I hate that I have to feel this way.
[Verse 2]
Every word I speak feels rehearsed and fake,
Like I'm begging for a life that I'm afraid to take.
Their eyes are loud -- their judgement, it stings,
And even in silence, my doubt softly sings.
[Pre Chorus]
I fake a grin like it's second skin,
Just a hollow mask I'm buried in.
Even when they hold me, I feel so alone-
A room full of people, but no one's home.
[Chorus 2]
I'm scared of the silence, that follows each sound,
Scared of being too much when everyone's around.
The restlessness stalks me -- no pause, no delay,
My heart skips in rhythms that just feel... wrong each day.
Their eyes trace the tremble in every step I take,
I hate that I have to feel this way.
[Bridge]
If I screamed, would anyone hear?
if I cried, would they still call me weird?
I just want to breathe without fear...
I just want to be sincere.
[Final Chorus ]
I'm scared of the silence, that follows each sound,
Scared of being too much when everyone's around.
The restlessness stalks me -- no pause, no delay,
My heart skips in rhythms that just feel... wrong each day.
Their eyes trace the tremble in every step I take,
I hate that I have to feel this way.
This is the song of anxiety,
That I'm cursed to repeat since that very day.