Uika Misumi and Mutsumi Wakaba

Good morning~

Huh? No one's here...

Maybe I really did get here a little early.

...

No one's here yet, so just for a little bit...

Whew... That should be enough for now.

Huh?! Mutsumi-chan!

Good work.

How long have you been watching?

For a little while.

Sorry, I went ahead and practiced on my own... It's for a sumimi recording tomorrow.

It's fine.

Amazing. You're completely different from Doloris.

Ahaha...

What does it feel like to be an idol?

Huh? What does it feel like? Hmm, let's see...

I think it has its own kind of charm, different from Ave Mujica. Of course, I'm not saying one is better than the other.

The performances are different, and so is the way we connect with the audience.

Like what?

The call-and-response during live shows, for one. That energy feels really unique to idols.

I see.

...

(Huh...? Did that end the conversation...?)

(Maybe I didn't really answer what Mutsumi-chan wanted to know...? Or maybe she thought it was boring...?)

...

(Now I'm confused all over again... Mutsumi-chan has been so hard to read lately.)

Do you like cake?

Huh? Cake?

Yeah, I do...

Our housekeeper baked a cake. We still have time, so do you want some?

Oh, thank you. Then I'd love some.

Okay. Then come to the living room.

Oh, before that... I'll put away the audio equipment I used first.

Okay. I'll go ahead.

Let's see, the eject button is...

(Wait... Is that on the CD rack...?)

(It is "Luminous Once More." Oh... and from here on, it's all PasPale CDs.)

(Maybe... Mutsumi-chan likes idols?)

(I hope someday we'll be able to talk about what we like... Things like that.)

...

Oh, Mutsumi-chan. You're here early.

What are you reading?

This.

"An Easy Guide to Growing Plants: Flowers and Vegetables." Are you growing something?

Bitter melons. Cucumbers a little while ago.

Um... Do you like plants from the gourd family?

No. That's just what we're growing in gardening club.

Right, you're in gardening club, aren't you, Mutsumi-chan? I bet your school has a big garden plot.

Garden plot?

It doesn't?

We grow them in planters. There are flower beds, though.

Right... It is a school in the city.

A garden plot seems hard to manage. I'm not ready for that yet.

(Mutsumi-chan... I feel like she's talking more than usual. That makes me kind of happy.)

Do you grow anything at home?

No.

I see. I guess growing plants at home can be hard too.

I tried keeping a houseplant after I moved to Tokyo... But I'm worried I won't be able to keep it alive.

Why?

You know, when work gets busy, I'm not home much. So I can't always take care of it on a set schedule.

I've always kind of admired rooms full of plants... Ahaha.

...

Some plants don't need much care.

Huh?

According to this book...

It says pothos is good for beginners.

Let me see... Wow, the leaves are heart-shaped. That's cute.

Keep it out of direct sunlight. And don't water it too often.

I didn't know there were houseplants like that. I'll think about it.

Um, Mutsumi-chan... If it's okay, could I ask you for advice again sometime?

Yeah...

I can't answer everything, though.

Thanks, Mutsumi-chan.

Oh, Mutsumi-chan?

What a coincidence! Do you have a shoot here today?

Yeah. For a magazine cover.

Oh, I see! I'm here for a sumimi shoot in the studio next door.

I see. Good work.

Um, well... Mutsumi-chan, are you feeling tired?

?

I happened to see your schedule the other day, and it looked really packed.

I saw long shoots for dramas and stuff on there too, not just one-day jobs like today's... It kind of surprised me.

Ave Mujica only just reformed, too. I know this is when we need to give it our all, but... I was worried about you.

I'm okay.

I'm making sure to rest. Saki and Umiri are adjusting things for me.

Right... Saki-chan and the others are looking out for you.

You're busy too, aren't you, Uika?

Lyrics, vocals, and guitar for both Ave Mujica and sumimi. And for sumimi, composing and dancing too.

Ahaha... I guess I do have a lot to do.

But it doesn't feel like a burden at all. They're both really rewarding.

Especially with Ave Mujica... Saki-chan always gives us something so special. It makes me want to help turn it into something even better.

Yeah...

Let's both make sure we get proper rest when we can. If we push ourselves too hard and something happens, we'll only worry everyone.

"It's not good for your health!"

Or something like that. Hehe!

Hehe, you copied me.

Mutsumi-san, could you please start getting ready?

Here.

Sorry for holding you up. I'll get going too.

Yeah.

Let's both do our best!

Yeah...