Story (continued from last chapter)
"Do you think we could make it big like AKB48?" Onpu asked.
"You can," Reiko asked.
"Then...Reiko, can you join us in our mission as M5RRY GO ROUND...no, M6RRY GO ROUND after Christmas?"
"Huh?" Reiko and her friends chorused.
Reiko felt her lips shake, so she bit them. She really wanted to be even more famous and popular, but she thought back about the consequences of prioritising popularity over "more important things"...
Flashback
"Oh you see, my family used to live in a trashy environment that only had mattresses and flies flying around the house. It so happened some rich people fled the country without even filling up forms and my parents were desperate for a better life so they begged the government to let us live here," Reiko explained, all while faking arrogance.
She then received comments of mixed feelings. Some comments read:
OMG THATS THE WAY! So maybe you weren't a poor beggar after all. Go on go on...
I never heard of such a nice government before. Maybe Tayoseishi is the most inclusive city in the world, I probably should move there.
Maybe you're writing your own rags to riches story!
Others read:
Stop Reiko stop. I know your family isn't like this.
Don't lie about your family.
Pls stop talking bad about your family. The fact you're already making up stories about your family's poverty is astonishing.
Nonetheless, Reiko ignored the comments calling her out and decided to continuing speaking about the defective plushies. "Oh you know the defective plushies you all have been delivered? Oh, my siblings that use their gadgets from the time they get home to the time sleep were forced to do it on my behalf. My mother asked them to do it so their myopia doesn't shoot up, y'know. They can't even see properly without their nerdy glasses anymore."
Soon enough, the positive comments outweighed the negative ones. Reiko was even more motivated to shame her siblings so she could be popular just like Masaru.
"My sister just can't move properly. She always wears the robot leg and needs clutches to get around. How weak. She can't even walk properly on her. And for my brother, he is just an oversized kid. All he does all day is watch Pinkfong and Hi-5 on his tablet. If you ever saw my mother buying pumpkins, it's for my stupid brother who only eats pumpkin porridge every day, three meals a day."
Little did she know, her mother was listening to her all the while. "HANADERA REIKO," her mother screamed. "Out, right now." Reiko ended her livestream abruptly and ran to the dining room.
-
"So do you really think that Madoka is more important than I am?" Yuu screamed. Reiko and Masaru got a huge jump scare at that moment.
"N-No!" The duo chorused.
"We were only asking if she could be our Precure mentor!" Reiko lied.
"Liar! I can't walk but I can hear! I heard everything! We're done!" Yuu cried while sobbing aggressively and she left the convenience store.
Present day
"I'll need to have a think about this before I decide on joining on this group. Anyway, thanks for the offer," Reiko said firmly. She then walked off firmly to take her things and head home.
The route home
"You sure you're ok wearing makeup and costume home?" Yuu asked as the quartet walked Masaru and Reiko to their apartment.
"It's fine. I just had to get out of their sight," Reiko replied stoically.
"But anyway Rei, I'm so proud of you," Masaru said all of a sudden. "You used to do everything to be popular, but now you are learning to listen to your instinct. I swear you could never do that in the past, at least until summer break."
"Thanks, but I will need some time to think about this important decision. This will change the fate for everything I built in the past few months."
That night
"A pro idol?" Reiko's mother screamed.
"Did you just say Reiko was scouted to become a pro idol?!" Her father echoed.
"Yes dear. You know her performance? Her group members thought she was good so they want her to continue."
"You know, if you want Mum to take over the business for you to become an idol, I'm totally ok with it. We can make all the needed arrangements. But at the end of the day, you'll become the idol, not me."
Reiko bit her lip and thought about what got her into dancing...
Flashback
"Hide your eyes and count to 10! Ready or not..." Reiko sang as she danced to the characters on TV.
"Wow Rei, you really have a knack for this," Reiko's mother admitted.
"You should totally try pop dance classes at the local community centre!" Reiko's father added on. Reiko agreed instantly.
Hence, Reiko room dance classes for three years until Reiko was forced to give it up due to her sister's cerebral palsy treatment. Luckily, her school had a dance club so she willingly joined the dance club. Even after transferring, she continued in the dance club, being good enough for many competitions and performances. After entering middle school, Reiko started her dance channel in hopes of keeping the passion and ability in that art form alive.
Present Day
But she also likes the visual arts just as much as dancing, if not more. She was torn between what she truly likes and popularity again. This time, she was going to make a decision that mustn't count on her instinct alone, but thorough thinking.
Narrator
This is a rough decision! Even though Reiko's parents want her to be an idol if their daughter wants to walk down that path, Reiko doubts her friends would feel the same. She was also finding her place in the world of visual arts. I understand why she's torn between two.
Luckily there's someone to give her a helping hand. Or should I say..."helping hand?"
Story
"Following your passion or following the crowd, huh..." Ijime-O whispered. "I'd say follow the crowd! HAHAHA! Embrace, don't think so hard. You're just being mellowdramatic!"
(Cut to school the next day)
It was art class. The teacher was using Reiko's artwork as an example of what is good sketching since the class was doing sketching for that term.
Everyone but Reiko was paying attention to the teacher. Reiko was still figuring out what was best for her, whether to continue her specialisation in the visual arts or change to the performing arts. She knew she should follow her heart, but that was easier said than done.
All of a sudden, the ground shook. As it turned out, there was a Sabetsuta roaming around freely around the school!
"Everyone stay in class and don't go anywhere!" The teacher instructed, leaving the trio in unease. All of a sudden, knocking could be heard on the window. The teacher attended to it.
"Yes, what is it?" The teacher asked in impatience.
"Sorry," Madoka said stoically. "YUUYUU, MASA-KUN AND REI, PLEASE TRANSFORM AND COME WITH ME. THE REST OF YOU, STAY HERE!"
Transformation
Locking the InfiniJewels into the InfiniMo, Masaru removed his glasses while Reiko took off her headband. Yuu sprung out from her wheelchair and slowly saw herself stand in the presence of gravity in the first time. She then looked up to the sky and the InfiniMo and InfiniJewel came to her hands. Tapping their shoulders next to one another, they chorused, "Precure, accept my difference!"
Waving her phone in the air, Yuu released it before curling up into a ball, gaining her green dress. She admired her feet as if taking in the fact she can walk again, before clasping her hands and closing her eyes. Masaru and Reiko then went back to each other and bumped each other's heads for their new hairstyle. The trio's InfiniMos went to the side of their outfit, their weapons were summoned and landed on their hands and the trio jumped down to pose.
Madoka swiped the brush across the makeup pad. She did her eyeshadow before opening her eyes and screamed, "Precure, make my difference!"
Throwing the makeup brush into the air, Madoka then threw her glasses away. In the process, she picked up some eyeshadow and placed it on her lips, before swiping the lipstick away. This formed her gloves.
Looking up, Madoka swiped her fingers across her shoulders, forming her crop top. She sent the magical power to her legs, forming her new skirt and heels. To top it off, Madoka curled herself into a ball and gained pigtails. Her makeup mirror was kept at the side before she joined her juniors in a pose.
"Embracing everyone for their true selves, I'm Cure Embrace!"
"Respecting others for their strengths, I'm Cure Respect!"
"Uniting love and peace once more, I'm Cure Harmony!"
"I'll accept you no matter what! I'm Cure Accepting!"
"Three plus one is more than four! That's what differences do! Go, Accepting Diversity Precure!"
Story
The class was in shock, but Mai wasn't. Instead, with all her strength, she hurled one of the pencil holders and it was enough to break the window. "Take my hand!" Madoka screamed and reached out for her juniors. Her juniors took her hand and the quartet flew down to the ground.
"So you actually came down alive?" Ijime-O asked.
"We did and it isn't our first time doing this!" Reiko replied firmly, standing her ground.
"Then I'm going to finish everyone here and now! Go, Sabetsuta!" Ijime-O screamed.
"SA-BE-TSU-TA!" The basket Sabetsuta echoed and made big steps to the Precure.
Madoka punched the ground, causing the entire floor to turn a transparent purple. Getting up, she plunged into it again and formed her bow and arrow. All the more were the juniors in awe at this sight but awe quickly turned to fear when Madoka's attack failed.
"Huh?" Madoka asked blankly, unable to believe her usual trustworthy attack failed.
Yuu got to her feet immediately. She sprung up and spun her rod. Lightning sparks formed out of the rod. Yuu took a moment to absorb the moment before forcing herself to focus again.
"Precure, lightning attack!" She screamed. However, the lightning flickered and her attack failed.
Masaru got on his feet, dashing as fast as he can while preparing a punch. "Precure, Fiery Fist Firework Style!" He yelled. The sparks were only enough to burn part of the Sabetsuta.
At that moment, the fight seemed a lot more special to Reiko than a normal day. She may have done her Precure fighting duties on a regular basis, but that day seemed more special than any other. She finally came to realise what meant to her.
Precure. Precure meant to her.
Precure, her own store, finally having friends of her own other than Masaru, art club. That was all she could ask for her. Not to go to some idol group that plans to make it big someday.
At that moment, she didn't want to make any decisions abandoning her true friends. She came to understand something preciousâthe people that encouraged her to badmouth her siblings weren't her true friends. But all her Precure friends were.
With her true feelings, Reiko's body broke into a strong glow that blinded the whole school. Her body shine brightly as she said, "Now that I think about it, I wasted six years of my life trying to be like Masaru. Getting everyone to like me...even forsaking the ones dearest to me to surpass him. But...But I can surpass him in ways that don't need to forsake anything!"
Her true feelings unlock the True Clarity Jewel, and Reiko picked up. All of a sudden, Can-do flew from the sky. "I'm sorry if I haven't been of any use to you as of late," Can-do said.
"That's alright. You came at the right time," Reiko replied calmly.
"This is your True Clarity form, a form unlocked from your heartfelt feelings and desire for growth. Even greater miracles happen when you place the InfiniJewel into your InfiniMo."
"Right!"
Attack
Placing her InfiniJewel into her InfiniMo, Reiko released it and put her hands on her chest. She said, "Precure, accept my difference!" and that was all it took to get her next upgrade.
"Embrace Tambourine!" She screamed and the Embrace Tambourine came to her. She hit her tambourine twice, once on each side before making a pirouette. She then jumped up and glided to the villains with her tambourine. "I'm going to embrace you and me together! Precure, Embrace Tambourine Attack!" She then hugged the Sabetsuta and the Sabetsuta dissolved away. Finally, she finished her attack by playing 8 beats on her tambourine and posing, not before declaring, "Tambourine Dance? It's a wrap!"
Story
"Oh man, she's turning out to be a very capable Precure warrior. Not like what I researched about pink cures before becoming a Precure villain," Ijime-O mumbled before detransforming. Everyone then detransformed and Masaru looked at Reiko.
"So...you made up your mind on the whole going pro as an idol thing?" Masaru asked.
"Yes," Reiko replied confidently and calmly. "And that is, I'm going to reject their offer."
"I thought you wanted to be an idol! And a popular one to add on!"
"Masa-kun, you are living in the days of second grade. We are in seventh grade, idiot. Things change."
That day after school
"WHAT?!" Onpu screamed in horror. "You're turning this opportunity down? And don't feel a tinge of remorse?! It's a once in a lifetime one!"
"No will do," Reiko replied firmly. "I have more important priorities I want to do." She then flashed the InfiniMo in Onpu's face.
"And what does this mean?"
"I'm a Precure warrior. My teammates matter to me and I want to stay close to them."
"Precures should be kept a secret, no?"
"Not from you who clearly can't take no as an answer." Reiko coldly walked off, only to be met by Masaru's warm smile.
After sharing a hi five, Masaru chuckled, much to Reiko's shock. "I wasn't expecting you to reveal your identity as a way of rejecting her but at least you aren't going to dump anyone in favour of popularity," Masaru said happily.
"Don't be silly. No Precure warrior repeats their mistakes thrice*," Reiko replied in a huff.
"I'm glad you chose to reject it anyway. I bet all your Happy Lucky Store patrons would be heartbroken if someone took over for your idol pursuits or you shut it down. You are the original one."
"Thanks. Does this mean you want another order?"
"N-No, at least not now." The duo then giggled before walking home from club, talking all the way.
(2475 words)
*- Reiko first made the mistake of prioritising popularity over others' feelings in "Reiko's frustrations! What is familial love, really?" followed by "The scar of a wrong decision and Yuu's tears". Should she agree to join M5RRY GO ROUND, this would be her third time due to the nature of Japanese idol work and how it prevents one from spending time with anyone other than the group mates/coworkers/managers and staff.