In happiness / Hotaru Shiomi、Natsume Izawa、Nagi Kotohira、Mahoro Hamasaki、Houka Izumi / Décor for Floral Adornments / anotherstory_10451

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Mahoro

*Yawn*...

Nagi

Aha. Sleepy?

Mahoro

Ahaha... Yeah.
I guess practice wore me out.

Nagi

Well, Natsume-senpai was pretty tough on us today, too.

Mahoro

Maybe. You know, we finally have our next live lined up,
so she's all fired up.

Nagi

She's plenty fired up even normally.

Mahoro

Come on, Natsume-chan will get mad at you again.
She'll say you're setting a bad example for Hotaru.

Nagi

True...

Nagi

(It's been about a week since that session.)

Nagi

(Mahoro should have been hurt,
but before I knew it, she was smiling like she always did.)

Mahoro

Oh, I just remembered!
We need to put in the order for Hotaru-chan's costume!

Nagi

Oh, right. Hotaru's finally getting a costume.

Mahoro

Of course she is. She's officially a member now.
I need to talk to Houka-chan about it tomorrow~

Nagi

By the way, we'll be wearing ours too, right?
Has it been about six months?

Mahoro

Yeah... I think the school festival last year was the last time.

Nagi

Oh...

Mahoro

But... it'd be a shame to leave them tucked away forever, right?
They're such cute costumes.

Mahoro

Wait, come to think of it, I haven't worn mine once since then...?
Uh-oh... Do you think it'll still fit me?

Nagi

Well, I guess that depends on what Mahoro's been eating for the past six months.

Mahoro

I-I'm gonna believe it'll be fine...!

Nagi

Aha. Good luck.

Mahoro

You know... We've been through a lot, but...

Mahoro

I think this is where we make a fresh start.

Mahoro

Hotaru-chan joined us, and the band's back.
And now we have a new goal too: Comet Rising.

Nagi

A goal... huh.

Nagi

Hey, Mahoro. Why did you decide to enter
Comet Rising again?

Mahoro

Huh?

Nagi

Is it really for yourself...?

Nagi

(Aren't you still carrying something with you?)

Mahoro

Ahaha... I can't say it's 100 percent for me.

Nagi

I thought so...

Mahoro

But you don't have to worry.

Mahoro

You said it yourself, Nagi-chan.
All we can do is just face it and keep going.

Mahoro

It won't go away...
I'm sure it never will, not for as long as I live.

Mahoro

We'll carry our feelings for Kanata with us for all our lives.

Nagi

...

Mahoro

But just as much...
the part of me that refuses to give up won't go away either.

Mahoro

So this time, I want to aim for it for myself, too!

Nagi

...!

Nagi

(—Aren't you afraid?)

Nagi

(No... That's not it.
I'm the only one still worried about that.)

Nagi

I'm sure it won't be easy.

Mahoro

Ahaha... Yeah.

Mahoro

But if it were easy, it wouldn't mean anything.

Mahoro

For someone like me, who has nothing, to get hold of anything,
I have to struggle harder and sacrifice more than anyone else.

Mahoro

And even so, I can't help wanting to keep moving forward.

Nagi

I see...

Nagi

(You're so strong, Mahoro.)

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Nagi

(While I keep turning away
from challenges and hard work...)

Nagi

(Mahoro is still trying to move forward, even if she has to crawl her way there.)

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Nagi

(I can't do that...
I can't put myself on the line like that.)

Nagi

(And yet...)

Mahoro

Huh... I was sleepy a minute ago,
but now I'm getting hungry...

Nagi

(I don't want to be left all alone.)

Nagi

(I'm terrified of being the only one standing still.)

Mahoro

Ooh! Mom just texted me!
Wait, we're having minced meat cutlets tonight!? Yay!

Nagi

(That's why...)

Mahoro

Hey, Nagi-chan, why are you zoning out?
Let's go home~!

Mahoro

Hurry up, or I'm gonna leave you behind~!

Nagi

Aha...

Nagi

Yeah, I'm coming.