Chapter 4
Mao: Heyyy guys! Great news—
Hokuto: Stop it, Akehoshi! Don’t be so hasty!
Makoto: That’s right! There has to be another way—just think this over!
Subaru: What other way is there?! I’m sorry, but I have to do this...!
Don’t try and stop me, Anzu! I’ve already made up my mind! I have to break this piggy bank...!
Mao: Uhhh... Okay then, let’s all just calm down...
Isn’t that your beloved piggy bank, Subaru?
Subaru: Sure is. I was gonna bust it open to add to our Sunflower Live fund, but everyone stopped me.
There’s just a bunch of coins inside, but I figured we could at least buy buttons and fabric with it.
I couldn’t think of any other way to get us into Sunflower Live, so here’s my best shot!
Mao: ......
(Yeah, Subaru feels the same way I do.)
Chill out, Subaru. You don’t have to break your piggy bank—we’re going to Sunflower Live.
Makoto: Huh? What do you mean? Did you actually get the loan from the student council?
Mao: Uh, no. I couldn’t get it from them. But the President himself gave me the money.
Subaru: No way! Eichi-senpai gave us a loan? What’s the catch?
Hokuto: Mm, this is the student council president we’re talking about. He wouldn’t do that out of good will. He has to have some kind of scheme in mind.
Spill it, Isara. What are the conditions?
Mao: (They saw right through me.)
(As Trickstar’s leader, Hokuto’s had plenty of run-ins with the President, and Subaru got so friendly with him so fast that they’re on a first-name basis now.)
(They know him, so they also know there’s no way he’d lend out money with no strings attached.)
(And yeah, they’re right, but if I told them I sacrificed myself for the money, they’d get all up in arms about it, just like they did with Subaru.)
(Maybe I can just say the condition is to be the best idols at the live?)
Yeah, just like you thought, there is one thing.
We have to be the best out of all the idols performing at Sunflower Live.
Hokuto: That’s a ridiculously easy condition. I wonder if he thinks Summer Live had a lasting impact on us.
It’s true that the results of Summer Live were pretty bad, and we did get upset about it, but we’re not so weak as to let that hold us back forever.
We can meet the President’s demands without any problems.
Subaru: Yuppers, we’ll be the sparkliest stars at Sunflower Live~!
Mao: Ahaha, good to see how motivated you guys are.
I knew you’d be able to go above and beyond for this, but it’s still a relief to hear it for myself.
Makoto: Just a little while ago, I would have frozen up hearing that we had to be the best.
But from here on out, we’ll have to take on so many more idols out there.
Makoto: I can’t get shaken up from a little thing like that anymore. I have to be strong, like all of you guys.
So now that the money problem is solved, is it okay to ask you to make our costumes, Anzu-chan?
Hokuto: Yeah, you’re the one who knows us best, after all. We’d appreciate if you could make our costumes.
Thanks. I look forward to performing in them at Sunflower Live.
Makoto: Wawah—Anzu-chan, what’s wrong? Oh, you already have an idea?
You had something in mind for us for Summer Live, so you want to base these costumes on thaat?
Now that you mention it, we did have to wear the costumes Eve got for us during Summer Live.
Ahaha, nice victory pose—I can almost feel your motivation. Then we’ll have to put on a performance just as good as the costumes you make for us, huh?
Mao: All right, I’ll go submit the application for off-campus activities. Since it’s an off-campus gig, we’ll need to get a teacher to supervise us.
Hokuto: Yeah, thanks. ...Speaking of, Isara: are you good on your work for the student council?
Mao: Oh yeah, when we were talking about Sunflower Live, the President said it was all good, and that I should prioritize this.
And I’ve barely had any work at all to begin with, anyway~
So he told me to concentrate on Trickstar until Sunflower Live is over.
Hokuto: Got it. Then while you’re submitting that application, I’ll apply to Sunflower Live through the school’s social media.
I’ll also think about what we should do for our performance, so we can all discuss it together when you get back.
Subaru: Hey, wait. It’s time for Daikichi’s walk, so I should be getting outta here...
But if we’re talking things over for Sunflower Live, maybe I should hang back?
Hokuto: No, if you need to take him on a walk, then you should go home.
Actually, Isara can buckle down and focus on Sunflower Live now.
So we’ll break for today and get down to business starting tomorrow.
...Oh, but we’ll need to figure out what to sell if we’re opening a booth. It’d help us out if you could think about it on your walk with Daikichi.
Subaru: You got it~ I’ll think up some great merch!
Makoto: Merch... I’ll try looking online to see what kinds of merch sell well.
Hokuto: Then Isara and I will work on the performance while Akehoshi and Yuuki handle the merchandise.
Fufu, we split the roles up evenly. That settled, let’s all do our best to be the best at Sunflower Live.