ERI'S POV

"Can you see me now, Nico?"

".....Eri!!? What are you doing here!!?"

"Same as you are. I'm here to check out the graduation ceremony and what my sister is doing."

"O-oh....but why are you here in this room!!? You just made me freak out for a bit!!"

"Hehe, I thought I'd want you to see me in an unusual way, you know, to surprise you!"

"I don't think that is necessary, Eri....."

Just walking towards Nico made me really happy. It has been such a long time since we last saw each other in person. I gotta say I missed her a lot. And this school, 'cause I was the former student council president afterall.

"How's your singing career by the way?"

"Really successful, Nico-chan. I have lots of albums to release and a lot of people are following me and my songs. My new partners are also very fun to be with. I have to say that I am really amazed I got this far."

"I see. You have lots of projects and concerts on schedule, right?"

"Yeah, really makes me busy that is why whenever I have free time I would use it as an opportunity to have fun and go somewhere....like here."

"Oh, that really happens when you get into careers like that."

I bet Nico wants to know how successful I am, but.....I need to do something quick. I'll ask her now.

"....so....what do you think about the school?"

"Well....it has gotten bigger..."

"What about the new students?"

"I don't know yet...I think more students now enroll here...as for what they are like....umm....I haven't asked Yukiho or my sister about them yet."

"What about the new idols?"

".....Eri, why are you asking so many questions - "

"Just give me an answer."

I wanted to have a serious talk with Nico. I needed to know what is going on with her.

"....idols huh.....well...I think Yukiho's group has what it takes, though I haven't yet seen how they practice and how well they perform yet..."

"You seem to say it all as if you're not interested in them at all."

"....maybe...but does it matter?"

"It does! I mean, aren't you interested in idols very much?"

"Of course I am, Eri!! It's just...I just don't have time to think about them, that is all!!"

"Or is it because you're not comfortable seeing our school endorsing a different idol group other than us?"

".....Eri, don't make it sound like I am jealous of them or anything!! I mean, I will not hesitate to give them my 100% support! There's no reason to..."

"What about Maki-chan? How are you two by the way?"

"!! Eri!!"

"What?"

"What is with you!!? Why are you asking me all those questions, huh?!!"

Nico looked really frustrated at me as she said that. Yes, I can tell she is in trouble as the others say.

"Nico, I just want to check if you accept the reality of everything that is going on now."

"Stop it. You won't understand."

"Why wouldn't I? If you only knew, we are both in the same boat right now."

"What do you mean, Eri?"

"Have you heard anything from Nozomi-chan, Nico?"

"!! Nozomi?!"

Yeah, even I have issues with that purple haired (lesbian) girl. Geez.

"No....no, I have no idea where she is or what she is doing, Eri. She never contacted me at all."

"........I see. Even you have no idea where she is. That woman really loves to tease people..."

Nico looked really surprised and anxious to know.

"....Eri, did something happen - "

I have to tell her what happened.

-----

"Nozomi is engaged with somebody already."

"!! Engaged!!?"

"......well...at least that was what she said the last time we talked with each other, which was five months ago. I really could not believe it, it surprised me very much."

".......Eri..."

"Ever since then, Nozomi never answered me back. She did not even describe me as to who she was engaged to, nor what he was like. I don't know anymore. I guess she already moved to another house again - maybe with her future husband. I just felt that...."

I feel sad saying this to Nico, but she has to know. In order to get my message she has to hear this.

"...that Nozomi already said her goodbye to me at that moment."

"...", Nico stayed calm and silent but her face is telling me an opposite reaction.

"...It was kinda painful, isn't it Nico-chan? One day your best friend suddenly called you and said goodbye and then left you suddenly without a trace. That feeling that she left you before you even noticed it at all."

Nico looked down and closed her eyes - she does relate to what I am saying. I can feel her sorrow.

"....you hate her now, don't you Eri-chan?"

"Not at all. Actually, I am very happy for her."

Nico was surprised with my answer.

"Wait. Eri, why...."

"There is no reason for me to be angry. It wouldn't change anything. What she did was painful, correct. But it will have been more painful had I dragged her down. Had I kept her to myself, forgetting she is human and she has  her own life. Had I enslaved her to my own feelings. Had I....had I not set her free.... "

Nico should have realized by now that I knew what happened between them. And that I am trying to help her out.

"I am sure that is what Maki-chan feels now. Or even then. Maybe she never contacted you at all for these past years because she was afraid to enslave you to her feelings. Maybe she felt that had she continued to hang on to you, she'd drag you and your dreams to be an idol."

"Eri....why are you interfering with my feelings and with Maki-chan's?"

"Nico, did you think that I, no, that all of us from u's never noticed the trouble you guys had with each other all these years? We observed you guys and though we never talk about it with each other or even with both of you, we felt it. We can tell that you two are in trouble."

"Knock it off. You, Hanayo, everyone, don't waste your time on us. This is between me and her so you don't need to feel obligated to do something for us."

"Alright, but can you honestly say that things will really work out just between you two? Can you honestly let it all pass and work out like magic? Can you....can you really accept if anything goes wrong?"

"........", Nico looks really conflicted by now.

"You don't have much time, Nico-chan. Apologize to her now while you still can. Before she suddenly disappears, just as Nozomi did."

I guess I have said what I needed to say. I walked towards the door and before I left, I said:

"And also....."

Nico paid attention to what I said.

"...make sure you understand whatever decision she will make after you say your goodbyes. How painful it may be, understand her with all your heart. Never regret her decisions."

Then I left her alone in that room. I went to the Principal's office since I wanted to see the principal. And I also wanted to see more of the school.

I hope Nico got her answer from what I just said.

NICO'S POV

That hit me.

Everything Eri said was filled with so much wisdom. So much experience. So much concern. So nice of her....and yet I....

Geez.....anyway....

Should I apologize to her.....no....how should I apologize to her? What I just did just felt so out of character and unnecessary. And yet...

I sat down in the same empty room, with the empty me putting my arms and head over my knees. I felt like an idiot.

I don't know what to say. I don't know what to think about anymore.

Uggh...what should I do?....

MAKI'S POV

After attending with the new students who were interested in joining Yukiho's idol club, I headed towards school's sports area. Specifically I went to the baseball court, somewhere nearby where u's used to hold it's first Live back then. (The time when Eri joined and we sang "Bokura wa no LIVE, Kimi to no LIFE") There, I will be welcoming new students who wanted to join the sports club.

While walking towards the court, I couldn't help but think over what Nico's sister said to me, about wanting to be a school idol too. I am puzzled as to why it bothers me. I don't know.

I got to the court and I saw about 6 players and about 12 new students in the area. Well, I wasn't too far away when they saw me, soon most of the new students ran towards me and asked for autographs and stuff.

"Hey, wait a minute guys, please don't get too close..."

"Please do a selfie with us!!"

"Maki-senpai, we love you!!"

Such a wonderful crowd of fanatics, geez. I could not get out of them quickly enough until a baseball flew by me, almost hitting me or one of the students.

"Hey, everyone....."

Then it turned out someone was trying to help me get out of that crowd.

"Student council president Maki has important business here, so could you guys please give her some time and space, nyah?"

Yeah, luckily Rin helped me bring them under control. She was still wearing her sports attire. She didn't look too happy though.

Anyway, I managed to address with the new students and welcomed them here. I explained them about the sports club, and other things.

For some reason though, Rin-chan continued playing with the other players and kinda acted like she wanted to ignore me or something. Eventually, I talked with her after she finished her game.

"Hey....Rin-chan, are you okay?"

Rin did not respond. She just sat on a bench and drank a bottle of water.

"....Rin, you still have problems with Hanayo?"

Rin noticed me when I said that though.

"...Maki-chan, I am not sure either...."

"What do you mean?"

"Umm......I don't know if we are still okay with each other yet...."

I guess those two still have issues. It's be best I guess to leave them alone for a while.

"Okay, sorry for bothering you....bye..."

I walked away, I turned around to check if she wanted to follow me or say something. She didn't.

At this point, I just wondered if I can still maintain this calm nature I have. That conversation with Nico just couldn't get out of my mind. Like, should I worry about what she just said and all?

I went to the exact spot where we did our first live. I sat on a field of grass, and I lied down. I don't care if anybody thinks I am weird being there.

I looked at the sky in front of me. I reached my hand upwards, imagining Nico was one of the clouds I am seeing. That one cloud that formed in the sky looked like it had pigtails.

Now I think about it, I miss Nico's pigtails. I am not used to seeing her not wearing them.

Then, I just realized something that made me sad.

Nico was a cloud in the sky, watching over me even if she drifted away. Even as her appearance slowly started to change. Even as her life's directions are taking her to different places. And yet...

....and yet I never paid her attention. She was there in the sky, I could have just simply looked up and notice her. But I didn't. I lived my life as if she weren't there. I let her flew by me, pass by me. I never looked for her.

Yeah, thinking it all like this is too symbolic and yet...

...was what I did to Nico really wrong? Did I really ignored her or stayed away from her? Did I really abandoned her? Did I...did I not really give her a proper goodbye?

Was Nico right all this time?

As I thought about it, a shadow appeared before me. Someone noticed me lying on the grass.

"Hey, Maki-chan. What are you doing?"

Someone with blonde hair noticed me....