*Groan*

Wh-What's wrong? Do you have a stomachache?

Oh, sorry. It's not that I'm feeling unwell. I just got like this when I was remembering Ai and Karin's performance…

You looked like you were writhing in pain on the bed.

Who wouldn't?! It's Karin, who's so grown-up and cool, and Ai, who's so cheerful and energetic… I can't believe the two of them teamed up when they're such opposites!

It seems like such an unlikely pairing, but they pulled off an amazing performance.

It must've been their secret weapon that they've been planning for the school auditions!

Aaahhh! I can't wait to see what sort of performance they'll show us at the actual auditions!

Y-Yeah… Sure.

*Sigh* I get captivated all over again replaying the performance in my head. I've become an even bigger fan of those two.

They face their challenges head-on with all their strength even when it seems tough, and create new charming qualities. I can't help but admire them.

…

Hm? Um, Ayumu?

I-I can take on challenges too, you know! ARRRRGH!

[Fade in/out.]

Oh nooo, I ran away from her again… Even though we promised that we'd talk things out after our last fight…

B-But this is her fault too, this time. She's being so insensitive!

I mean, yeah, their performance was amazing, but still…

I can make a secret weapon too! I'll show her!

Ayumu?! Why are you scowling?

Wah! Sh-Shizuku! I didn't know you were here. Was I really scowling?

You were. It was like you were confronting your archnemesis. I saw an anime character make the same expression in a recent episode.

You thought so too, Setsuna? I think you were seeing things!

Um… What are you two doing here?

D-Don't tell me…

Are you two talking about units too?!

How did you guess? That's right, we were actually—

NOOO! Wait a minute, please! Let me join you guys!

What? Sure, of course. Come and talk with us.

Thank you! So what kind of unit should the three of us have?

Huh?

[Fade in/out.]

Sorry… I'm causing so many misunderstandings. You were really just talking about the others' units, huh.

*Giggle* Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I laughed.

Still, I never thought those four would team up to form a unit too, and not just Karin and Ai.

I was thinking it over, and I came to the conclusion that I just might not be cut out to be a part of a unit.

U-Um…

I feel the same way. While it's natural in theater to act with someone else, I'm not sure how that would work with school idols.

You guys, I…

Yes, solo is the way for us.

Form a unit with me, you guys! Please!

What?!

Pretty please! I want to join a unit and learn things about myself that I wouldn't know otherwise!

Oh! S-Sorry for raising my voice so many times…

*Giggle* It's all right. You must've been thinking about it a lot too. You're right that we might be able to learn things about ourselves that we wouldn't otherwise know.

I want to have the freedom to do things the way I want… But I also feel like I want to take on different challenges.

I understand that feeling, Ayumu. There are many things you can only gain by taking on a challenge.

You're both right. Let's try to imagine what might happen if the three of us formed a unit.

[Fade in/out.]

Hmm, we can't seem to agree…

What about this idea? The three of us perform a lovely story, singing as though we're having a conversation…

[Fade in/out.]

Should it really be this difficult to figure out a solution?

Ugh, this is tough.

It's pretty late. Maybe we should put a pin in this for today.

Good idea. Let's get some sleep and clear our heads.

[Fade in/out.]

Good morning. Let's have another chat after practice today.

Um, can I say something right now? I have some ideas after thinking about it overnight.

What are they? Please tell us!

Rather than narrowing down our ideas to one person's vision, maybe we could approach it like we're building an amusement park, and fill it with all the things we like.

Amusement parks have parades, don't they? We could make it seem like we're putting everything in a parade. Try picturing that.

Parades have lots of different perspectives blended together in them, right?

So, we could make something that includes the cute world in my mind, an exciting performance that Setsuna is seeking…

…and a storytelling element where we exchange ideas within a song, like what Shizuku suggested.

Ayumu, what a great idea to create an amusement park!

Yes, this way we can combine all of our ideas!

Yeah, I'm excited about our unit just thinking about the possibilities!