I was scared

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Ritsu

After I started at a private middle school, I poured everything into keeping up with my new life,
and Arale-chan and I slowly drifted apart.

Ritsu

But then, a coincidence
that felt like a miracle brought Arale-chan and me back together.

Ritsu

"Elea's Magilulu Cover"...
The moment I finished watching it, I reached out to Arale-chan.

Ritsu

"Arale-chan... are you Elea?"

Ritsu

Just hearing her sing was enough to know.
Arale-chan's voice was still overflowing with everything she loved.

Ritsu

The name was different, but it was still the voice I loved.

Ritsu

Thanks for calling.
You haven't changed a bit, Arale-chan.

Arale

"I got a little taller! What about you, Ricchan?"

Ritsu

Me...?

Ritsu

I want to change.

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Utami

Hi, everyone!
I'm Utami, leader of the "La-La-La-La Girls," and...

A-ko

I'm A-ko. I write our songs~

Viola

I'm Viola, everyone's little sis~

Arale

I-I-I-I love singing! I'm Elea!

Utami

And last but not least...

Ritsu

H-Hello...

Ritsu

That's how I joined the online cover group
Arale-chan was part of.

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Ritsu

Wait... you all sing covers online...?

Arale

I forgot to expl-expl-explain!

Ritsu

I don't really... sing...

Utami

Oh, I see... What should we do?

A-ko

Hmm...

Viola

...

Viola

What about an instrument?
You did say you wanted one in the group, right, Utami-san?

Arale

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know! Guitar!!

Arale

Ricchan, you can play a little guitar, right?!
You play guitar, and I'll sing!

Ritsu

...!

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Ritsu

I-I'm still learning guitar... and I'm...

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Arale

R-I-T-S-U...

Arale

"Stir"? "Suit"?

Viola

How about "Clematis"?

Viola

In the language of flowers, it means "beauty of the mind"...
Isn't that perfect for a model student like you, Ritsu?

Arale

That's so cooool!

Ritsu

I'll be Clematis!

Viola

I'm glad you like it♡

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Ritsu

I'm Clematis. Nice to meet you!

Ritsu

Oww...

Arale

Ri...!

Viola

Clematis, are you okay?

Arale

Aaaah! The camera's gonna fall!!

Ritsu

Things went better than I ever expected.
Every video we posted pulled in more and more views,

Ritsu

and our subscriber count kept climbing.

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Utami

I've got some exciting news for everyone today!

Utami

We've officially signed with an agency!

Everyone

Yaaay!!

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Ritsu

That's amazing... I can't believe we actually got signed.

Arale

I can't believe it~

Viola

Right~? And if we're going to bring in new fans,
don't you think we should rethink the group's direction?

Utami

I think we're fine the way we are.

Viola

Really? I'm not so sure~

Fan A

Um... you're the "La-La-La-La Girls," right?!

Viola

Hm?

Fan B

No way~! It really is you! You're all so cute~!!

Fan A

I watch all your videos! Could we get a picture with you?!

Ritsu

Huh...?

Arale

P-P-Picture...!

Viola

A picture? Of course...

Utami

Sorry, but we're on our way somewhere right now.

Viola

What...?

Fan A

Aw~ that's too bad~!

Fan B

We can't wait for your next video~! Keep it up!

Utami

You two are still in middle school...
so no interacting with fans when we're out in public, okay?

Arale

Okaaay!

Ritsu

Understood.

Viola

...

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Illustration

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Utami

Today, I have an announcement to make.

Utami

I, Utami, have decided to leave
the "La-La-La-La Girls."

Utami

To everyone who has supported us all this time,
thank you so much.

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Ritsu

No...

Arale

W-W-Why...?

Viola

I know~ right? I wonder what made her leave so suddenly.

Utami

"Viola-chan... will be our new leader."

Viola

So that's that~
From now on, we're gonna be pumping out videos nonstop.

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Staff A

Let's check the framing one more time!

Staff B

Is this height okay for this camera?

Arale

Th-That's a lot of cameras...

Ritsu

Are they going to be filming us the whole time?

Viola

Yep~ This is exactly the kind of thing fans want to see♡

Viola

Ritsu's the model student, A-ko's the tsundere,
Arale-chan's the lovable airhead, and I'm everyone's little sis...

Viola

So make sure you're always giving the fans what they want♡

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Ritsu

It's No. 1 on the daily chart...?

Arale

The video from the other day?

Arale

Whoa, that's amazing! It's blowing up!

Ritsu

Yeah... Just like Viola said it would...

Arale

Right?!

Ritsu

...!

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Ritsu

...

Viola

Arale-chaaaan,
how many times have I told you this kind of thing is a problem?

Arale

Huh? Oh, that video from the other day!

Viola

Elea-chan, do you ever work out?

Arale

Nope! But Magilulu has this line:
"Healthy magic lives in a healthy body!"

Arale

I know, I'm way too easy to sell merch to, haha!
And now they're releasing a light-up Magical Shaker...

Viola

Elea-chaaaan?

Arale

And rumor has it the Shanikamars Kani-Kama is coming back the very same day...
Viola-chan, could you pick up either one for me...

Viola

*Sigh*... Arale-chan, all your rambling
keeps wrecking my whole persona.

Arale

Oh, okay. Hey, I bought you some crab sticks, Viola-chan!
I'll bring them tomorrow. I got some for everyone!

Arale

Oh, but can I keep the bonus Magilulu card...?
I only need one Baru-kun's "Nice Bulk" card
to complete the set, but I just can't pull it...!

Viola

Oh... So you're just not getting it~

Viola

Then I guess you can stay just the way you are, Arale-chan♡

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Arale

See you, Ricchan~!

Ritsu

Yeah. See you tomorrow.

Ritsu

(Arale-chan is as dazzling as ever...)

Ritsu

And then there's me...

Ritsu

I want to change... I want to leave this boring version of me behind...

Viola

Ritsuu~?

Ritsu

Viola...!

Viola

You were thinking something you shouldn't, weren't you?

Ritsu

...

Ritsu

Um... For our next cover, I was hoping Arale-chan and I
could do a song from the "Magilulu" movie.

Ritsu

I've never tried anything like that before...

Viola

You still don't get it, do you?

Ritsu

Huh...?

Viola

I'm saying that would ruin your whole persona, Ritsu.
You've been comparing yourself to Arale-chan, haven't you~?

Ritsu

But...!

Viola

You're fine just the way you are, Ritsu.

Viola

Take away the model-student image,
and you're jealous, gloomy, and barely say a word...

Viola

What would even be left of you?

Ritsu

...?!

Viola

I can see why you'd want to be like her, though~

Viola

Arale-chan's entertaining without even putting on an act,
and her lyrics are amazing too. Just look at the views Elea's songs get.

Viola

Numbers like these could be just the spark we need...

Viola

Kyaha!

Ritsu

...!

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Viola

Elea-chaaaan, about how I sang this part...

Ritsu

...

Arale

I listened! I think it sounds amazing!
Mine, though...

Arale

It's just not good enough, is it?

Arale

*Sigh*...

Arale

I think... this might be my worst take yet.

Arale

Come on! This part obviously needs a growl!
How did I miss that?!

Arale

Retake!

Viola

...

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Viola

Let's do "Lion Dance" for our next cover.

Arale

Good! There are tons of "dance covers" of it going up right now!!
Wait!

Arale

"Robo's House" has to come before "Lion Dance"!
Absolutely!

Arale

"Robo's House" is where the whole Lion series began!
If we post it first, it'll be way easier
for everyone to get the lore behind "Lion Dance"!

Arale

That's why I'm telling you
we should do "Robo's House" first! Okay?!

Arale

Right? You agree with me, don't you?

A-ko

Yeah, actually.
That might be the better choice.

Viola

Hmm... I don't know~
A-ko, Clematis, you're both fine with doing it my way, right?

Viola

...

A-ko & Ritsu

...!

A-ko

Uh... yeah. I'm with Viola on this...

Ritsu

...

Viola

Great!

Arale

Oh! Then let's record "Robo's House" afterward!
This way, we'll be following Sanpo-P's original upload order too~!

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Ritsu

...

Ritsu

Should I... talk to Arale-chan about it...?

Ritsu

?

Viola

Have you seen this?
http://www.MeChube.com/watch???vvv=wU9PCIytBBrTk_tvQ...

Ritsu

...?

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Viola

Let's do "Lion Dance" for our next cover.

Arale

I'm telling you, "Robo's House" has to come
before "Lion Dance"! Absolutely!

A-ko

Uh... yeah.

Ritsu

What... is this?!

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Ritsu

Arale-chan!

Viola & A-ko

...

Viola

Who would post something this awful...?

Viola

The agency's checking with our video editor now.
Some of it came from footage we'd never posted...

Viola

The video's being flooded with nasty comments,
and the agency's getting tons of messages too... Apparently, they can't keep up.

Ritsu

...!

Arale

Morning~

Ritsu

! Arale-chan...!

Arale

What's up? Did we have some kind of event today?

Viola

Look at this...

Arale

"Robo's House has to come before Lion Dance! Absolutely!"

Arale

What's this?

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Arale

"Right? You agree with me, don't you?"

A-ko

"Uh... yeah."

Ritsu

"..."

Arale

Huh? What's going on...?

Arale

But this video is a lie!
If we put out a warning telling everyone not to trust videos like this...

Arale

Everyone's just confused...

Staff A

We're terribly sorry!

Arale

!

Staff A

We're still looking into it... Yes, we'll call you back once we know more.
Yes. Goodbye...

Staff B

How's the statement coming?

Staff C

We'll have it out today!

Staff A

Should we send them home for now?

Staff B

Yes... Let's contact their parents...

Arale

...!

Arale

No caller ID...

Ritsu

!

Viola

Don't answer it...

Arale

O-Okay.

Arale

...

Viola

*Sniff*...

Arale

Ah...

Viola

I'm sorry...

Viola

You're the one who's really suffering, Arale-chan...
but I'm so scared...

Arale

Viola-chan...

Arale

Ri...

Viola

Ritsu!

Viola

What are we going to do...?!
We've worked so hard for this...!

Viola

If Arale-chan stays in the group...
me, A-ko, Ritsu...

Viola

we'll all go up in flames...!

Arale

...

Ritsu

...

Arale

I'm sorry...!

Ritsu

Arale-chan...!

Viola

Ritsu.

Viola

You're not going to take a bad girl's side, are you, Ritsu...?
Not when you're a model student...

Ritsu

I left Arale-chan...

Ritsu

behind.

Ritsu

I was scared...

Ritsu

Scared that if I ran after Arale-chan,
I wouldn't even be a model student anymore...

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Viola

We're announcing our first single
at the next event.

Bell

Wait, does that mean we're making our debut?!

Popo

It's finally happening!

Viola

We've settled on "Suzunare" for the venue.

Ritsu

...!

Viola

Arale-chan's school is nearby, too.
Maaaybe she'll just happen to drop by~

Viola

Kyaha!

Ritsu

...

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Ritsu

(Nothing's changed since that day.)

Ritsu

(I've been stuck in place all this time, clinging to the model-student role...
I'm scum too, for still staying with Viola and the others.)

Ritsu

(Even so, if she'll even let me...
I want to apologize to Arale-chan...)

Ritsu

(And then... maybe we could be together again...)

???

Ricchan...

Ritsu

...!

Ritsu

...

Arale

...! Why...

Arale

Why do you look like you're about to cry, Ricchan?

Arale

But...

Ritsu

I'm sorry!

Ritsu

That day, I couldn't run after you.
I couldn't help you...

Ritsu

Even though I knew... I knew all of it...

Arale

I don't understand what you're saying, Ricchan...
any of it...

Ritsu

But I...!

Arale

I can't do this anymore!!