Anyone can tell that Honoka's words are definitely not just empty talk.
"Why?" Eli's expression was somewhat unclear in the dark environment. "Even if we continue, I don't feel like it has any meaning..."
"Because I want to do it!" Honoka answered without hesitation. "Right now, I still want to keep singing, keep dancing... I think Kotori-chan and Umi-chan feel the same way. It's the first time I've felt this way! I think it's great to do it like this!"
"I want to believe in my current feelings. Maybe no one will care about us if we continue, maybe no one will cheer for us... Ah~ Sorry, Homura-kun will definitely cheer for us. He was really enthusiastic just now!"
Ayano covered her mouth, while her shoulder constantly shaking. Homura's mouth twitched. Did he really appear in one of Honoka's iconic lines?
But this line can't be added to the manga...
"But as long as we give it our all! The important thing is to strive to convey our feelings!"
"Now... the idea we have here! Someday... someday, we will definitely... make this place fully occupied just for you to see!"
The resounding words echoed throughout the entire auditorium.
Homura was so excited that he crumpled the manuscript paper on his hand! Without hesitation, he tore it into two halves and continued drawing a new one.
Eli and Honoka exchanged a silent gaze. Eli had no expression, and Honoka showed no signs of backing down. She just looked at Eli with such determination!
The eyes are the windows to the soul, and Eli understood it very clearly. Honoka accepted this setback and worked hard to overcome it.
Suddenly, Eli smiled and said, "Okay then. I admit, I lost!"
"I didn't expect Eli-chi to unexpectedly admit defeat." Nozomi suddenly appeared, walking with a smug smile. "I thought you would continue being stubborn."
Eli responded unhappily, "Nozomi! Is that how you see me? A rigid and inflexible person?!"
"Besides, it's not just one bet I lost... It's two bets," she added.
Nozomi looked at her in confusion. 'Isn't this about if Kosaka-san and the others can move Eli-chi's heart, she will teach and guide them how to dance properly?'
Eli crossed her arms and said irritably, "I made a bet with Minamiya-sensei that if all the members wouldn't gather..."
As she said that, she glanced at a certain 'Nico Nico Ni' that only showed half of her head, causing her to shudder. Nico stood up with an embarrassed smile.
"Nico Nico Ni~!" After intentionally acting cute, she vanished without a trace!
"Pfft~" Homura chuckled, but quickly stifled his laughter. The top-notch character frequently used in the meme world was indeed extraordinary!
Eli covered her face, feeling extremely embarrassed.
The three people on stage were also embarrassed beyond words. They never expected their senpai to be... so different?
Nozomi looked at her in surprise. "Eli-chi... why did you make such an obvious losing bet? The cards clearly showed the result!"
"I said..." Eli felt a headache coming on. "Isn't this tarot card thing something only you understand, Nozomi?! How could I have known?!"
"Oh, by the way, Ayase-senpai, you scared away Yazawa-senpai! I just finished drawing the manga, wouldn't it be great if we all read it together?" Suddenly, Homura spoke up, attracting everyone's attention, except for one person who had already disappeared.
Eli: "..."
Could it be she was in the wrong here? Who would have known that girl was so timid and run away instantly?
"Eh?! Has Homura-kun's manga already finished? The third chapter? I want to see, I want to see!" Honoka happily exclaimed and ran straight towards him...
"!!!"
As expected, Honoka always acted before thinking, startling everyone!
You're on stage, you know! It's quite a height, and the environment is so dark. Her courage is really something!
"Honoka-chan!!!" Kotori nervously shouted.
"It's dangerous!!" Umi also yelled while rushing towards her.
"Eh?" Honoka ran while occasionally turning her head to see, confused by the worried expressions on Umi and Kotori's faces. She even stepped on empty space. "Huh?"
Her pupils suddenly contracted. She finally understood why they were so anxious, but it seemed like she realized it a bit too late.
Everyone was shocked, panic-stricken expressions frozen on their faces as if the scene had frozen in time...
With a swift movement, Homura disappeared from the girls' sight, appearing below the stage!
Honoka was about to fall, but Umi who chased after Honoka managed to catch her just in time. However, due to the momentum, Umi couldn't stop herself, and she and Honoka fell down together!
Kotori, a step behind, could only grab onto Umi, but how could she hold on to both of them with her own strength?
Homura: "..."
He looked speechless, this was only adding to his workload!
He reached out with one hand and caught Honoka by the waist, allowing her to roll half a circle on his arm to release some force before entering his embrace, where he immediately tucked her under his arm.
The other hand performed the same action, catching Umi.
Only Kotori was left, but there were no empty hands available.
As he watched Kotori take a forward step, Homura swiftly turned around, aiming at the right position, and caught her with the back of his neck!
After catching her, he was careful not to hurt her due to the potential impact. He felt the force on the back of his neck and crouched down to release the pressure... And just like that, Kotori transformed into a shoulder rider, while also embracing his head in the process.
The scene transformed into Homura maintaining a stance akin to a horse stance, with Kotori riding on his shoulder while Honoka and Umi sandwiched under his armpits in this rather peculiar state...
These movements were almost completed in an instant, and no one could clearly see how he managed to do it. However, the three people who descended from the stage were indeed safe, although their way of descending was something most people couldn't accept...
Although they were caught by him, they were still somewhat stunned. If it were a normal situation and they had such contact with a boy, they would probably be shy, right? Umi might even overload and faint from the heat instantly.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Honoka and Umi were lifted off him by the other girls, leaving only Kotori still on his shoulder, finding it difficult to get down.
Seeing the dilemma of everyone, Homura crouched down and let Kotori's feet touch the ground. This time she finally regained her composure, blushing, and quickly took a few steps back. Only then did he stand up.
"You really scared us!" The trio supporter, Hideko, Fumiko, and Mika approached, continuously scolding the three who had just finished their performance, especially Honoka. Kotori and Umi were also got implicated.
"Hehehe~! Sorry!" Honoka scratched her head, smiled awkwardly, and apologized to everyone.
Kotori was fine, having overcome her shyness and adapting to the situation. She now had a normal expression.
Umi... at this moment, she was already covering her face and hiding in the shadows under the stage.
It seemed she was quite shaken...
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