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With a live show coming up in just a little over a month, rehearsals have begun in full swing. Some of the songs in this concert they've never performed on stage before, so Eli had had to create new dances for them. Now that they've all had time to commit them to memory, all nine of them have gathered up to do a run-through of the choreography. They're not worried about singing for now -- instead, they let the recording play in the background as they focus on the dancing alone. Eli watches all the way throughout, commenting on each girl's performance and pointing out unsatisfactory areas. ("Rin, don't swing your arm up that high!" "Nico, your turn is too slow!") Nozomi smiles a little to herself as she listens to her voice, even when Eli calls for her to stand up straighter, and not fall behind. Eli's very good at being authoritative.

They get through the group dances first, then move on to the units, and finally, pairs. The very last song on the list is Glass Garden, and Eli resigns from her position in the peanut gallery, and joins Nozomi in the center of the roof. Nozomi offers her a grin. From her spot near the CD player, Rin announces "Okay, ready!", and when they respond in kind, hits play.

They've practiced it well, Nozomi thinks. There's a bit of tension to the choreography, like a fear of coming too close for too long -- but then, it might very well be all in her imagination. Regardless, Eli is as graceful and poised as ever, and at the end of it, Nozomi feels they did a pretty good job.

Honoka applauds. The others, though, don't appear as enthusiastic.

"Mmm... somehow, it's a little..." Kotori begins, but doesn't quite have the heart to finish the sentence. Thankfully, Umi picks it back up for her: "Wrong! Totally wrong! It doesn't capture the feeling of the song at all!"

"Right?" Nico chimes in. "The choreography blew! Eli, you were stiff as a pole! A song like that's gotta have appeal, you know? It needs on-stage chemistry! Without it, there's no point at all!"

Nozomi looks to Eli with a sheepishly raised brow. Maybe it wasn't just her imagination, then.

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Eli lets out a tiny squeak before she can even stop it. Her hands ball into fists in front of her. "Nozomi! You know I hate that!"

"Ooh..." Nozomi drops her voice to a slow, unnerving whisper. "What if you're doing back stretches, and your head's bowed down so you can't see, and then from behind--" her voice sharply rises-- "a ghost comes out and grabs you!" Shaping her hand like a claw, she punctuates that shriek with a rake of nails down Eli's back.

Eli's scream is piercing enough to be heard all across the school and she can't stop herself from clinging to Nozomi.

"NEVERMIND!! Let's just go home!"

Nozomi laughs, wrapping her arms around Eli in return. Everything feels so much more right already -- she hardly even hesitates before asking her next question. "Why don't you come over, and we'll stretch at my house?"

Eli is grateful to have Nozomi to hang onto, even though she's the cause of her current state. "Okay, okay, just don't scare me anymore!"

"Elichi!" Nozomi looks downright aghast at the accusation. "That wasn't me, it was the ghost!"

Eli pouts and is ready to continue scolding Nozomi, but then has a change of heart. It's okay to have fun, she reminds herself. Especially now.

"Then let's go before it returns to haunt me some more, okay?" She hangs onto Nozomi's arm. "You'll protect me, Nozomi?"

"Of course! With my spiritual power, no bad ghost would dare to approach us." Nozomi smiles, but somehow, it's more warm than teasing. She didn't get to wash her face yet, and it feels sticky and a little gross, but she doesn't want to let go of Eli. So instead, she quickly wipes her free hand over her face, and decides she'll wash it properly at home. "Ready to go?"

Eli smiles at Nozomi.

All of this and she still wants to be at her side. Still takes care of her and teases her. She really is amazing.

Not everything is fixed but, right now, they can be happy.

"Let's go."

"Ah, Elichi really is the cutest when she smiles."

Reaching down, she gives her hand a squeeze.

"Yeah, let's go!"