"They are truly an exceptionally special group of nine people..." Utaha sighed, "They have an irresistible charm."
"That's probably the charm of the group called Muse." Eriri agreed with Utaha's statement.
"Miracle..." Mashiro said calmly, uttering the most important word.
Elf draped her arm around Mashiro's shoulder and laughed, "Mashiro is right! This is the miracle that Homura often talks about, called Muse."
"If miracles had colors, they would surely be the nine colors of Muse..." Homura repeated the sentence once again, "This is not just empty words. When the nine of you come together, you all possess this kind of magic."
While Homura was praising without restraint, the nine individuals involved, except for Nozomi, had flushed faces. Fortunately, they were standing in a circle, so it wasn't too obvious.
"It's embarrassing to hear such words with my own ears..." Umi was starting to get annoyed.
"It is embarrassing..." Kotori nodded, "But because of that, I feel like we should work even harder to live up to the name of a miracle, as Homura-kun said..."
"In that case, I suggest that we follow Umi-chan's training plan with our utmost effort for the remaining few days." Nozomi proposed, "We have plenty of things to do, don't we? Especially with all the songs Homura-kun brought us. Even though we can't perform our solo songs in this concert, we still need to practice together as a group, right?"
Upon hearing these words, even the usually playful and carefree Honoka, Rin, and Nico didn't object. Despite their love for fun, they were all serious when it was time for serious.
"Yes... Since we're going to wander the streets of Akihabara, preparing only one or two songs won't be enough." Eli said with seriousness, "So, the physical demands on us will be even more rigorous. I'll design some dance moves that can conserve energy for everyone."
Watching the Muse members discussing and deliberating on matters of training and performance, Mio couldn't help but feel embarrassed!
Why doesn't our group have this kind of self-awareness?! That was her most genuine thought at the moment...
Homura had also thought about this question before, but... imagining serious and rigorous K-On girls... Crap! Why does that feel so eerie?! Never mind! It's better to maintain a relaxed style for a band of Light Music Club! That's what light music is, and it's also the charm of their group!
Meanwhile, the Muse members who had finished their discussion were preparing to make the most of their time for practice...
"Oh, wait a moment, I need to talk to Kirino!" Honoka said and then ran off with Kirino.
Homura pondered for a moment. After observing them for over a day, especially in the hot springs, Honoka probably had already noticed Kirino's problem, right?
Although he was very interested in hearing about it, seeing Honoka and Kirino running so far away meant they didn't want anyone else to know. Homura respected their wishes and shifted his attention to the other members.
===
After a while, Honoka returned with Kirino. They seemed no different from usual, except that Kirino appeared somewhat uneasy.
Homura felt that they must have had a serious conversation, but Honoka didn't intend to delve into it further. She wanted Kirino to find her own balance.
Kirino's uneasiness was only due to being caught in her actions. It was just a momentary awkwardness, and she would probably be more restrained in the future... Otherwise, who knows if her cousin would inform her father about it!
"Everyone, let's practice!"
They really didn't waste any time practicing...
Homura spoke up, "Everyone... I don't object to practicing. In fact, I highly support it... but with one condition. Don't push your bodies too hard. Don't joke with your own well-being, understand?"
Seeing Homura's seriousness, the girls instinctively nodded.
"Fear not, Homura-kun. We are aware of that, and besides, we have a performance in a few days. Damaging our bodies would be the biggest failure." Umi spoke up.
"Umu, Umi, I feel relieved hearing you say that. You are the most meticulous and serious one, so you must keep an eye on them. Who knows, someone might secretly practice extra..."
As those words were spoken, Honoka, Rin, and Hanayo shifted their gaze nervously.
But Homura immediately noticed!
"Honoka! Rin! Hanayo! Are you planning to practice secretly?" Homura looked at the others. "Everyone, keep an eye on them. Don't joke with your bodies! I'm serious!"
After a brief discussion between Umi and Eli, Umi said, "We will also plan to have a sleepover. It's best if the nine of us stay together."
"Stay together... that's a good idea," Homura followed up, "But, where is the place?"
"At the school."
"Oh, okay. If that's the case, I don't have to worry." Homura nodded.
"But, precisely because of this worry, it shows that Homura truly cares about us, doesn't it?" Nozomi smiled mischievously and said.
Eli nodded, saying, "Rest assured. As a third-year student and student council president, I promise that I will watch over them and ensure they don't practice secretly."
"Eli-chan! But you were the one who said that we should be serious and do our best!" Honoka pouted.
Eli responded with a huff, "I said that because I'm the student council president. It is my responsibility to make everyone stay on track. But that doesn't mean you must force yourself."
"But... Eli-chan, don't you want to do better?"
"Of course I do!" Eli replied without hesitation.
"Then..."
"But, Honoka, you need to understand! We are school idols, not professional idols! Our goal is to save our school! As long as people see our vitality as students, that's enough for being school idols! We can slowly work on skills and techniques later, so... please, don't rush like this..."
In the beginning, Eli's words were filled with impatience, but towards the end, there was a faint pleading tone... She was begging Honoka to remember their initial purpose...
Honoka became absent-minded for a moment. Only then did she realize that she had been obsessively trying to do her best... But isn't that something only professional idols need to consider? Even if she aimed to become a professional idol in the future, the most important thing for now was being a school idol!
If she ended up damaging her body and subsequently affecting everyone, and then the school... wouldn't that mean losing their initial purpose?
"...Everyone... I'm sorry!" Honoka apologized sincerely.
"It's good that you understand... I didn't tell you all this for nothing..." Eli let out a sigh of relief.
The nine of them smiled, finally...
At this moment, Muse truly became one entity!