I'm here. I'm finally here.

This is Numazu.

The birthplace of Aqours, somewhere I've only ever seen in videos before.

It's really lively. Maybe it's just around the station though.

I bet the Aqours members go shopping and ride the trains around here, too!

Oh look, paper lanterns. I wonder if there's a festival going on.

Nice! I may have come at a wonderful time!

Wait, I shouldn't be thinking about that.

I didn't come here to hang out. I came to meet Aqours and find out what makes them so charming.

[Fade in/out.]

Good job on the show! It was fantastic.

Y-You thought so? Thanks! I'm overjoyed to hear you say that.

What, no compliments for me? That's unfair. You know I worked really hard too!

You were awesome too, Kasumi.

Everyone was shining so brightly up there. It was incredible!

Ahaha! Your compliments give me so much dren I could fly to Saturn! Like Whoosh!

Dren? What does that mean? I've never heard of it.

Short for adrenaline!

Oh, I get it! There are still so many words I don't know. Thanks for explaining it.

You really don't need to remember that one. Besides, it barely sounds like adrenaline.

The live show…is over, right? Can I sleep now? Good night.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't sleep here!

Eeek! Why are you leaning on me?

The venue was filled with so much passion, and the audience with so much love…and we got to feel it directly! Ahh, there's nothing better than being a school idol!

I was nervous. It was all so different from acting in a play. My heart is still racing.

Yeah, the passion of the crowd got to me, too. I couldn't stop shaking.

And I was just in the crowd. The pressure must have been so intense for all you up there on the stage.

But we did it. We can be in the School Idol Festival now.

*Gasp*

The School Idol Festival. The dream festival that gathers the nation's school idols in one place!

I'll actually be standing on such a big stage.

The scale of it is so big I can hardly grasp it. Well, let's do it anyway!

I may have been nervous, but I can't wait for the next one! I'm going to practice more and work on my stage presence!

I have to tell my family in Switzerland when we get back. They'll sure be surprised!

I might have to up the expressions on the Rina-chan Board.

Might be better to work on not needing the board in the first pl– Kanata, get off me already! You weigh a ton!

Zzz…

We'll perform at the School Idol Festival just like… No, even better than we did here!

I won't let anyone upstage me. I'm going to capture the hearts of everyone there!

[Fade in/out.]

It's true. Everyone shined so brilliantly that day.

The culmination of all their practice. I honestly think they gave it 100%.

But…the School Idol Festival is a huge event with μ's and Aqours, along with every other school idol group in the country.

Just like Setsuna said, in order to win an event like that they'd have to do even better than that day… They'd have to improve further!

There is something I can do to help them achieve that.

Write songs.

I'm going to write the best song for everyone to sing proudly on that big, dream stage!

I've been wondering about something ever since I saw μ's and Aqours do a live show together.

How do their song, dance, and each and every expression strike me so hard? How are they so unforgettable?

I need to know the answer in order to write the best song ever!

I'll use my summer vacation to get to the bottom of it.

[Fade in/out.]

Although… Where are all the members of Aqours?

It's summer vacation, so maybe they're at home? Oh no, I don't know any of their addresses!

Urgh, that's what I get for not actually planning this out. I did kind of rush out in the heat of the moment.

For now, I'll go to Uranohoshi Girls' High School. They might be there practicing or taking summer courses.

[Fade in/out.]

*Gasp* *Wheeze* I made it. Uranohoshi High.

That was a seriously steep hill. Walking up and down that daily must make for good training.

*Sigh* Okay, let's see if Aqours is here.

(Hey, there's somebody. She has a uniform on, so maybe she's a student here. I should ask her.)

E-Excuse me!

[Fade in/out.]

Yes? Can I help you?

Um, I was hoping to meet the members of Aqours. Are they here today?

Aqours? I haven't seen them today. They've been coming for the past few days to get ready for the festival, though.

A festival? Oh yeah, I saw paper lanterns all over town. So Aqours is involved in that?

Yes. That's all for the Numazu Summer Festival. I heard Aqours will perform, too.

That's awesome!

(Of course Aqours would do that! Joining a local event and helping with the prep? Now that's hometown love.)

(Have I already found what makes them so charming?)

I wish I could have met them face to face though. Oh well.

Aqours isn't here, but why don't you try the beach instead? I know it's a strange second option.

The beach?

Uchiura has a great view of the ocean. Everyone in Aqours loves the beach, too. Maybe you'll find one of them there.

Sounds good, I'll check it out! Thanks.