Rurino:
I’m sorry for giving you guys the runaround. I really meant it when I said it was fun, though! Seriously!

Kaho:
Rurino-chan, wait! This is all too sudden!

Rurino:
But… look, you know what they say about nipping buds. I figured I’d do it now before I… you know, make things worse…

Sayaka:
B-But!

Sayaka:
If that’s the case, then why join the School Idol Club in the first place!? Didn’t you have something you wanted to do!?

Rurino:
That’s... I wanted to... with Megu-chan...

Sayaka:
Huh?

Rurino:
…No, it’s nothing. …Sorry. I should’ve known this wouldn’t…

Kaho:
Hey, Rurino-chan. I understand you enjoy being alone. When I was really young, I was really frail, so I would spend every day reading in my room. And I still like reading, even now. But…

Kaho:
I didn’t want to just keep living like that, because I wanted to blossom!

Rurino:
I... I think I’d rather not cause trouble for others...

Kaho & Sayaka:
…

Rurino:
You all had to interrupt practice because of me. I’m really sorry.

Rurino:
Ah, but well, we’re still in the same class, so… If we could… um… stay friends… I think I’d really appreciate that.

Kaho:
…Rurino-chan!

Kaho:
Wait, please! Please, just give it another chance!

Rurino:
Another chance…?

Kaho:
One more time! Come to the club room, just one more time! Please! Wouldn’t you hate it if things ended this way!?

Rurino:
I…

Sayaka:
Consider it a request from me as well, Rurino-san. It might just be me, but… I think there’s a difference between enjoying being alone and becoming isolated. So…

Kaho:
Please!

Rurino:
I’m sorry you have to keep worrying about me.

Kaho:
N-No, that’s not what…

Rurino:
But… Alright, I understand. Just… don’t force yourself to do anything for me, okay? You don’t have to worry about me being alone.

Kaho:
…

Kozue:
Come now, Kaho-san.

Kaho:
Huh? Oh, Kozue-senpai.

Kozue:
I was very surprised to hear you suddenly left school on a bus. I managed to smooth things over with the dorm mother, but… What on earth happened?

Kaho:
Kozue-senpai… Kozue-senpai…!

Kozue:
Huh? Wait, what’s… going on?

Kozue:
Here.

Kaho:
Oh, thank you… it’s nice and warm.

Kozue:
It’s hard to fathom that Rurino-san harbored such a side of her… From looking at her, I fully believed she was a cheerful, positive girl… You truly can’t judge a book by its cover.

Kozue:
But to think she’d had that application of resignation on her this whole time. I suppose that means that somewhere inside her, she’s always felt that doing this would be impossible for her…

Kaho:
…

Kozue:
Kaho-san, could you come over here?

Kaho:
Huh?

Kozue:
The sky is clear tonight, so the stars are quite visible. Please, take a look through this telescope.

Kaho:
Um… okay.

Kaho:
Whoa… Amazing… I didn’t think there were this many stars I couldn’t normally see…!

Kozue:
Hmhm, fascinating, isn’t it?

Kozue:
We will soon be on summer vacation, won’t we? Since I’d received a self-research assignment, I thought I’d start on it right away.

Kaho:
Oof… Summer… homework…

Kozue:
Hmhm. That’s why I had this telescope taken out and sent here from home.

Kaho:
Oh, so this isn’t school property? It’s yours?

Kozue:
Correct. I can’t explain why, but I’ve always liked stargazing.

Kozue:
There are very few stars visible to the naked eye. Regardless, the sky is always full of stars. I believe that school idols are similar.

Kozue:
My goal is, naturally, to shine as brightly as the brightest first-magnitude star, though. Hmhm…

Kozue:
Kaho-san… I wonder what star you want to be like?

Kaho:
I…

Kaho:
Um, Kozue-senpai… Could I ask you something…?

Kozue:
Of course. This… isn’t enough to properly thank you for before, but... I’ve felt you’ve had something to say for a while.

Kaho:
I don’t understand how Rurino feels at all. But I realized something when I had time to think about it by myself. I figured… I probably didn’t even try to understand.

Kaho:
I was only focused on how much I wanted new members for the club. So much so that I only saw Rurino-chan as just a possible new member.

Kaho:
But each school idol is different… Just like the stars. There’s no one out there that exists just to be a new member!

Kozue:
You’re right.

Kaho:
Next time, I’ll definitely talk to Rurino-chan properly! And… thank you, Kozue-senpai, for always looking after me and always spoiling me!

Kozue:
W-What’s with the sudden thanks…? And for the last time, I do not spoil you.

Kaho:
So, um… If you can, there’s something I could use your help with, Kozue-senpai!

Kozue:
Of course I can, but… This isn’t me spoiling you, okay? I simply have a responsibility as club president to hear out any request from my club members.

Kaho:
Ehehe, thanks, Kozue-senpai! And!

Kaho:
I might not know what kind of star I want to be like yet, but! I want to make up a big constellation in the sky together with everyone!

Kaho:
And to do that, we need Rurino-chan to be with us!