Arc 3 Ep-11

The two new songs scheduled for recording were successfully completed without issue, but finding a time when all members of the internal group “Sistema Solare” could gather for practice proved difficult to arrange.

Among the nine of us, I have by far the fewest individual commitments, so while continuing to practice the new tracks, I also repeatedly rehearse the existing Schus Sola songs.

Since there will also be a concert featuring only the internal group Schus Sola, I need to prepare a comfortable twenty to thirty songs for that purpose in advance.

And so, on weekdays I attend school as usual, then spend the after-school hours in lessons.

On weekends I am deployed to various festivals everywhere, leading to extremely busy days with virtually no days off.

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“…Finally, the MV shoot date has been decided. Since it’s on a weekday, I’ll have to skip school.”

While it is fine to record the songs separately, the music video requires everyone to be present.

With current video technology, it might seem possible to composite things later, but apparently they managed to somehow secure a day when all nine could gather.

That said, it is not as though the entire group will be together the whole time.

The plan is to shoot the parts that can be done with whoever is present at any given moment, in that order. As a result, the filming will not follow the song’s sequence.

They intend to shoot in a scattered manner: first the section around the 240-second mark, then the chorus, followed by roughly the 150-second portion, and so on.

For me, since the only schedule that day is the MV shoot, I will remain on set all day long, filming according to whoever arrives.

Honestly, it feels as though it will become quite confusing, but there is no choice but to accommodate the other, far busier members.

Formation-based choreography practice with all nine has not yet taken place either, so we will have to finalize everything during the practice session once everyone is assembled.

My individual practice should already be at a level with no problems, so I believe it will be fine.

After finishing self-study practice and using the restroom, I headed toward the break room that has effectively become exclusive to the internal group Schus Sola, only to find it unavailable due to air-conditioning repairs.

With no other option, I turned my steps toward another break room while thinking about the new songs, and happened to pass by the one we frequently used back in the sixth generation days.

“Occupied… Is someone inside? …Excuse me.”

After scanning the barcode on the name tag hanging around my neck, I knocked lightly—knock knock knock—and opened the door.

Inside, three girls were seated around a single table, and all three turned their gazes toward me at once.

“Mikuri-san!! Good morning!! ♪”

“Good morning. Chie-chan, Sayaka-san… and Yuka-san as well, good morning.”

Two of them were my fellow sixth-generation members: Chie Sekiguchi-chan and Sayaka Matsunobe-san.

The remaining one was, unexpectedly, a first-generation member—Mercury herself, Yuka Tatsumura-san.

“Good morning, Mikuri.”

“Mikuri-chan, good morning.”

While returning their greetings, I sat down beside Yuka-san and joined them around the same table.

I wondered whether these three had any prior connection.

“Yuka-san, so you were here today. I had heard you had work.”

“The new CM shoot wrapped up earlier than expected, so I decided to stop by.”

“Speaking of CMs, Mikuri-san apparently received new offers as well.”

At the word “CM,” Chie-chan jumped into the conversation almost eagerly.

Noting Sayaka’s wry smile in the corner of my vision, I answered the girl who looked ready to fling herself across the table.

“It seems there are two talks in progress. I’ve heard both are leaning toward acceptance.”

“Wowww! That’s amazing!!”

“Fufu. Sekiguchi-san really does admire Mikuri-chan, doesn’t she.”

Yuka-san spoke to the visibly flushed and excited Chie-chan in an amused tone.

“Yes!! I respect her so much!!”

“…I see.”

“Thank you. So, how has it been for Chie-chan and Sayaka-san’s mini-live group?”

Seeing Yuka-san pull back slightly, I hurriedly changed the subject.

Besides these two, the other sixth-generation pairings are Shion-san with Sakiko-san, and Mami-san with Yuna-san.

“Well… compared with the other two teams, we feel a bit behind, perhaps? Right, Matsunobe-san?”

“Yes. As Chie says, our group is probably the most delayed. Though, there are unavoidable reasons for that.”

“…Ah.”

“It was the group that Higashiyama-senpai was originally scheduled to join.”

As of the Reitaisai, excluding the new seventh-generation members, the mini-live group consisted of twenty-four people.

The plan had been to form three teams of eight each, but due to that certain incident, one team ended up with only seven.

“Until recently we had even been practicing under the assumption of eight members.”

“It all went to waste. Chie’s assigned parts increased or changed, and it’s been quite chaotic.”

In any case, during that person’s suspension the mini-lives were apparently conducted with seven members, so they should have been practicing that formation as well.

Even so, the uncertainty surrounding the final headcount must have been inconvenient and anxiety-inducing for those involved.

“That sounds tough. Do your best, both of you.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you very much♪”

“…Even if she’s going to graduate next year, there was no need for her to cause something like that…”

Yuka-san’s lovely face took on a slightly shadowed expression.

As a fellow first-generation member who had once belonged to the internal group Schus Sola together with Higashiyama Kae, she must harbor complicated feelings.

“…………”

“…Nn. …Mikuri. The new song should be finished by now, right? How is it coming along?”

“It’s completed. Recording and the MV shoot are scheduled fairly soon.”

Unlike the now-silent Chie-chan, this time Sayaka-san was the one trying to shift the topic.

Naturally, I went along with it, hoping to dispel the strange atmosphere.

“…Looks like things are about to get busy again.”

Yuka-san, following my lead, also touched on the subject of the new song. Perhaps she was aware that she had made the mood a little awkward.

After that, the conversation remained focused entirely on the new tracks, without touching again on the earlier incident.