Link! Like!: Episode 10 ~ Part 2
After several complications, Rurino has joined the School Idol Club. She dreams of performing with her childhood friend, Fujishima Megumi, but Megumi has vanished from the club.
I’m going to put on an amazing performance during summer break!
Huh!?
Megu-chan would never miss a performance from the Hasunosora School Idol Club!
To motivate Megu-chan, I decided that I’d have to work hard on myself first!
So I figured that the best way to light a fire in her heart would be to do a special summer performance!
Nice, Rurino-chan…! I think that’s a great idea!
Isn’t it!?
A live performance, huh? I agree.
However… It will be considerably difficult doing a live performance so soon after joining the club, even for you.
Doubly so if you aim to move someone’s heart.
That just means I’ll need our veterans to bring on lots of special training!
Oh…? Special, you say...?
You can’t just say things like that to Kozue-senpai, Rurino-chan! She’ll squeeze you dry, you know!?
Your dried flower has certainly flourished, wouldn’t you say, Kaho-san?
Eek…!
Hey.
What is it, Tsuzuri-senpai? Do you need a nap?
No? What am I to you? Well, anyway. I want us to do a training camp.
Training camp…?
Last year, we talked about maybe going to the beach.
The beach!?
Now that you mention it… The plan ended up falling through, though. I’m surprised you remember.
Yeah. Since then, every day I wondered when we would go to the beach.
I see…
She’s almost like a little girl waiting for a letter from Santa…
Huh!? The beach!? I wanna go to the beach! You too, right, Rurino-chan!? Right!?
Yeah. Listening to the raging tides in total solitude on a winter’s beach is the best!
Wait, that’s not what I was thinking of at all!
Gah-... Um… But, well… Even if the beach ends up being completely filled with people… I still wanna do a training camp!
Um… will you be okay with that? It’s just… I expect you might have to spend a lot more time with other people than normal, so you might run out of battery…
It’ll probably happen!
Huh!?
But I’m doing all of this for Megu-chan, so even if it might happen, I still wanna do it! For the Megu-chan Flaring Fire Plan…!
Oh… but maybe I might end up causing trouble for everyone… I’ll do everything I can to make sure I don’t end up becoming a water flea, so…
Kozue-senpai, Tsuzuri-senpai, I’m leaving it all up to you! Please train me well!
Very well, leave it to me. This summer, all of us will hold a training camp.
Yay!!! Beach time!!!
…
T-This is very nice, right, Tsuzuri-senpai? You’ve had to wait a year for this…
…Wait. If we’re going to hold a training camp, does that mean… I’ll have to look after her the whole time…?
Training camp!
Beach!
B-Babysitting…
…
What’s wrong with me…? I can do it in practice, but…
Megumi.
…Ugh. Kozue, Tsuzuri, what is it?
Whatever our relationship might be right now, I don’t think it warrants an “ugh.”
You watched our recent performance, didn’t you? Aren’t you interested in how Rurino-san is doing?
No? I don’t have anything to do with the School Idol Club anymore.
What she does is none of my business.
Ruri’s gonna be performing solo next time.
Huh!? Isn’t it way too soon for that!? She wouldn’t have the stamina for it, so she ought to do more foundational training…!
Ah.
B-But it’s not like I care about that or anything!
It’s what Rurino-san wanted. She said that she needed to show a certain someone her performance, no matter what.
Hm…?
Hey, Megu. Kozu and I performed together.
Seems so.
We made a promise to each other when we decided to retire from Nationals, right?
That we would never be involved with each other ever again.
You even said that you didn’t want to waste our time on your rehab.
Yeah, but I didn’t say it like that.
Huh? You did, though.
Gh–... Um…
She said so, right, Kozu? I remember her forcing a smile even though she looked like she was about to cry. “You guys don’t need to–”
Okay, enough already! Why are you doing this!? Do something, Kozue!
Since you’ve been gone, I’ve had to deal with Tsuzuri on my own.
And I’m sorry about that! Wait, no! I don’t have to apologize for that! What are you two even here to say!?
Well, in short…
That was a year ago. And we have already broken that promise the three of us made.
Hmph… and you’re deciding that for me.
Either way, I can’t do it. I’m… I’m still…
By the way, Megumi. Do you remember us talking about going on a training camp session at the beach before?
Eh? When was this...?
Why don’t you come with us next week?
… Huh!?