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"Sorry for the intrusion," Nico mutters flatly as she takes off her shoes in the doorway, knowing full well that even if there was anyone in that labyrinth of a mansion but her and Maki right now, her voice would never be able to reach them. She follows Maki inside with her hands shoved into the pockets of her cardigan, head tilting left and right as she takes in her surroundings like it's her first time seeing them. There are so many pieces of overly-elaborate decor that Nico doesn't think she's ever going to remember them all.

Oh, but she definitely remembers that giant piece of armor on the wall over there. She always gets the feeling like if she gets too close it'll topple over and trap her underneath, so she subconsciously leans towards the opposite wall every time they pass by it.

"Seriously, Maki, no matter how many times I come to your house, it's just way too big," she grumbles, only to catch herself the next moment.

"-- But of course, once Nico's become a super idol, she'll have a mansion like this in every prefecture!" She strikes her signature pose and smile. "Teehee."

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"It's not that big, this isn't even our biggest," Maki hufs her response, as if that's any kind of defense. She rolls her eyes at Nico's additional statement, and wouldn't say that she could see Nico in a mansion.

Maki leads them to her room and holds the door to let Nico in. As usual, Maki sits on her canopy bed and holds one of her many decorative pillows on her lap. "Do you want anything to eat? I can call Kaya."

"Dunno," Nico shrugs. The food in Maki's house is delicious, but even now she feels awkward being tended to like that -- especially when she's the only one. "Didn't you just get back from school, Maki? Shouldn't you be the one who's hungry?"

Maki shrugs. "I'm alright. I'll eat later."

The truth is she could be hungry. She probably is hungry, but it's hard to tell when she's nervous. Her stomach ties in knots and she's usually starving by the time they settle. Nico's been having that effect on her for a while now.

She shifts on the bed, rearranging her skirt though she doesn't need to. "How'd the audition this week go?"

"Well," Nico flips a twintail, grinning, "Nico-nii gave a dazzling performance, of course! They're announcing those who move onto the next stage in ten days. Unless they're blind and deaf, there's no way I won't make it." She sounds, remarkably, as confident as she did talking about the last four auditions she's taken since graduation.

"What about you? Have you been giving Eli and Honoka's sisters a proper introduction to idoling?"

Edited 2014-10-05 03:50 (UTC)

"Well let me know how it goes." Maki leans back onto her hands and crosses her legs out in front of her.

"Oh." Without thinking, her hand reaches up to her hair and begins twirling it. "Hanayo and Rin have been taking care of that more. I haven't been able to go to practice in a while."

"Huh? Why's that?" Nico's brow furrows in an instant. She doesn't like that strange detached tone Maki's voice has taken on -- she never sounds like that when talking about her activities as a school idol. "You're vice president, so take some responsibility!"

Maki's shoulders tense first, until she forces them to lower. She turns away, closing her eyes as her arms fold in front of her chest. Her eyebrows are tweak up slightly. "I've been busy."

Nico doesn't consider that much of an answer. "With what?"

Maki huffs, shoulders hitching for a moment. "With school, and college applications. I've been going to the hospital more after school to watch daddy at work. I graduate next year, I have to start thinking about these things."

"The hell," Nico mutters darkly, folding her arms over her chest. "So you're finally letting your parents' brainwashing get to you?"

Maki frowns at Nico. She had been nervous to tell Nico the truth. She had decided to, finally. And was instantly regretting it.

"It's nor brainwashing. I was always going to take over the family business. It's time I focus on that now."

Nico growls from the back of her throat, and then rises to her feet, no longer comfortable sitting on Maki's bed like they're engaging in some friendly chatter. Lips pressed into a thin, pale line, she glares down at Maki, and says in a surprisingly -- dangerously -- quiet voice:

"Hearing you say that so calmly really pisses me off, you know."

Maki starts only slightly when Nico growls and stands. When she sees Nico's glare it takes her a second to return it with a look of annoyed anger. "How would you rather I say it then?" She doesn't like holding Nico's glare for long and she turns away again with a huff. She doesn't let her voice shake. "It just hasn't been the same..."

Edited 2014-10-05 20:08 (UTC)

Something in Nico's expression softens for a fraction of a second, but it's gone in the blink of an eye.

"What was that?"

It takes Maki a moment to continue. "Well... we were all u's together. I don't really want to be an idol, I..." It's always strange when Maki says what she feels. She tightens her arms around herself and doesn't meet Nico's eyes. "Just wanted to be a part of u's. Now that u's is over, after Eli and Nozomi and... you left, I have to think about my future."

Nico hesitates briefly before answering. It's rare for Maki to be open about her feelings, and harder for Nico to lash out at her when they so clearly resonate with her own.

"That's not true," she says at last, planting both hands firmly on her hips. "Yeah, I loved u's too. Of course it's not going to be the same, being an idol on my own. But I love being an idol for what it is. I love singing, and dancing, and putting on shows, and making those who watch me smile." She swings one hand up, pointing it straight into Maki's face. "You can't tell me you don't feel the same. I know you, Maki. You really, really love music! You love being an idol, too!"

First Maki's eyes grow wide during Nico's declaration. Then slowly her eyebrows lower into a frown and her arms tighten around her. It's a sort of stubbornness, like when a child hates being told what to do. "What if I don't love it anymore? I can change my mind."

The corners of Nico's mouth and eyes twitch, and her voice rises in an instant: "If you're gonna lie, at least make it a believable one!"

"WELL--" Maki struggles to say anything after that. Nico's right and now she's just upset that she's right. "I'm just not sure if I can be in club right now. Hanayo and Rin understood perfectly. I have a lot to worry about, I can't do everything!" The way she says 'everything,' her voice rises suddenly. Her face is red and she has to take a moment to recollect and calm herself.

"It's just too different now..."

Nico taps her foot against the floor, impatient. Looking at Maki's face, she almost feels a little sorry for her, but it doesn't come close to her anger or disappointment.

"Well, which is it? Are you busy, or just overly sentimental?"

Maki scowls at Nico. For a moment back there, Maki had thought she could open up to Nico. She's now regretting the attempt. Not that it was that much of an attempt to begin with.

She huffs and rolls her eyes, leaning back onto her arms and glaring to the side. "Just forget it," she mutters.

"I'm not going to," she plainly announces. "I want you to keep being an idol."

"Why do you care?"

Nico's mouth pinches, twists, and then straightens back out. This girl can be such an idiot. Of course she cares. Would she be saying all this otherwise?

She glances off to the side, not sure how comfortable she is with that admission now, but ultimately determined to remain honest still. Unlike a certain someone.

"'Cause Maki looked happy as part of u's."

Maki takes a while to respond. The honesty in Nico's words stings more than she'd ever admit. Nico can tell her answers aren't right, but even Maki wouldn't really know what to say. She's as much a jumble on her own.

But Nico is right. Maki was happy in u's. As much as she was stubborn to join and help, and difficult every other time, she had been happy. She'd loved it.

And it's that very fact that makes her involvement in the idol research club all the more difficult. The loss of the seniors hit her the hardest. Hanayo and Rin had been able to tell and they'd taken on more work to let her take a break. But she was still upset. She didn't want to take a break. She just didn't know what to do.

And that was the truth.

"I... I was happy with u's." She says finally, voice low, still not looking back at Nico. "The happiest I'd been in a while. But that was with everyone, with Eli and Nozomi and Nico." Shes just repeating herself. She doesn't know any other way to say it. "I'm no good without the rest of you."