Epilogue

Mao: Heyyy, Hokuto, Subaru. What the hell are you guys doing? You never came back, so we had to come look for you.

We can’t have that talk unless you guys are there, so what gives?

Makoto: Yeah... The teachers are super angry, you know?

Hokuto: Oh, sorry... Looking at this tree made me feel nostalgic, and then memories started popping up like budding flowers.^[1]

Subaru: But the important flowers haven’t even started budding yet! Ahaha ☆

Mao: Don’t give me that. Well, we ended up telling the new girl about last year on our way over.

It feels like I’m not old enough to start reminiscing about the past, though.

But I guess I’m a little emotional after getting through the DDD.

Makoto: Fufu. It’s funny to think back on it now. We were like strangers back then...

And somehow we bumped into each other and made a unit together.

Now suddenly we’re standing at the top of Yumenosaki Academy, thanks to all the help everyone gave us—and some luck.

It’s like a miracle. Or more like, it feels like one big prank... ♪

Subaru: Ahaha. If someone were pranking us, I think I’d die of shock~ ♪

Hokuto: I had a conversation like that with Yuuki before the S1 the other day.^[2]

But don’t worry. It’s not a prank, it’s not a joke, and it’s not a dream. It’s real... yeah, can someone pinch me?

Mao: It’s fine, let’s just go back to the staff room~ You guys are wasting all their time.

Subaru: Ahaha, why don’t we just invite Sagami-chan out here to talk? The tree hasn’t bloomed yet, but it feels like hanami~ ♪^[3]

I wonder when they’ll start blooming, anyway. I wanna see them so bad ♪

Hokuto: Do we have the time for it? We won the DDD, but that was only the beginning.

If we let ourselves relax, we’ll get overrun and lose everything.

My grandma told me to tighten the strings of your helmet after a victory. Everything that comes next is crucial, so let’s fire ourselves up and double down on our efforts.

We can’t get careless in the coming days, guys.

Mao: Which is why, before we can do all that, we need to settle our affairs first. Let’s go listen to what the teachers have to say, and then we can start planning for the future.

Makoto: Ahaha. Honestly, I’d just like to get all this tedious stuff sorted out so we can go home and rest... ♪

My mom’s making me a whole feast today to celebrate.

She’s been worried about me for so long, but I guess I’m finally putting her mind at ease.

It’s because of you guys. Thanks... I’m really glad I met you.

Mao: Ahaha, don’t talk like you’re about to die, Makoto. Like Hokuto said: everything that comes after this is crucial.

So let’s keep up the good work, Trickstar... ♪

Subaru: ...Huh? Hey, the new girl’s getting worked up about something! Uhh, is there something you wanna ask us?

Uhh... Oh, yeah, we formed our unit pretty recently.

When we were first years, we only stood on stage together once, right? At the Venus Cup.

Hokuto: The Venus Cup, huh... That brings back memories.

And right after that, fine defeated Valkyrie, and the whole school was thrust into an era of war. Everything was chaos.

Swept along by the zeitgeist, Yumenosaki Academy became a brutal killing field...

We were wounded, exhausted, and deprived of our hope and dreams.

Subaru: Yup. After the Venus Cup, we all bought tickets to see Hokke’s play with the drama club...

At the time, I thought we should have a party afterwards.

And then everything exploded, like a bomb had been dropped somewhere.

Valkyrie lost, and history was rewritten. Everything just fell apart completely.

But still, the memories I have of the Venus Cup are of that sparkling, glittering stage...

I got really isolated after that and really struggled for a while. Those memories were the only thing keeping me going.

I’m sure it was the same for everyone else. It was painful, but we never lost hope.

We all kept a little light in our hearts, and when we came together and shared it with each other... we became Trickstar.

And here we are now.

Hehe, Hokke made fun of me, but maybe there really is some truth to that cherry tree legend.

I was right to make my wish. It came true in the end.

Hokuto: It’s not because of the cherry tree; it’s because we put in effort to make our dreams come true... What did you even wish for, anyway?

You wanted to stand at the top of Yumenosaki Academy?

Subaru: Nope. I wanted to stand on a stage as sparkly as the one my dad did, or even sparklier.

I’m still just a newly formed star compared to Dad.

He was always so lonely, but unlike him, I get to sing and dance on the best stage of all—one with the precious friends I love.

So yeah, my wish came true.

Hokuto: ...Speaking of which. To make a wish, you’re supposed to bury something important to you at the base of the tree, right?

What did you bury, Akehoshi?

What’s the value of the thing you sacrificed to make it come true?

Subaru: Oh, I think it was a marble or something. It was my favorite when I was a kid~ My dad got it for me once, so it reminded me of him.

I wonder if it’s still buried there. What if I dug around, you think I’d find it?

Hokuto: Stop that, Akehoshi. Don’t dig up the dirt. You’ll get your uniform dirty... We’re about to go back to the staff room to talk with the teachers, so it’d be impolite to be covered in mud.

Besides, you’ve already got something shinier than a marble, right?

Forget about all of this and let’s get moving. Our story has only just begun.

I don’t want you to get satisfied here thinking it’s our happy ending.

Subaru: Fine, fine, I get it. Take me somewhere shining and bright, Prince Charming ♪

Hokuto: Like a ball? Actually, I know it’s been a while, but don’t call me that.

I’m not a prince. I’m an idol now, just like you.