Hasunosora Walking Diary ~Mira-Cra Park!~ Megumi Fujishima (Translation)
Fujishima Megumi, the greatest in history
“Ugh, ughhh~”
It was late November, the dorm’s lounge was already heated. The season when the beginning footsteps of winter could be heard, had arrived.
With the Love Live! Hokuriku regionals just around the corner, there was a historic battle approaching, one that absolutely had to be won.
In other words, the end of term finals.
“Wah, Megu-Chan!”
“...Hm.”
Megumi lifted her head towards the sound of the nearby voice to see her childhood friend Rurino Osawa.
To describe her in as few words as possible, she's a small gyaru. Cheerful, energetic, and active. She brings the image of a small dog running around in a park, but her current appearance is a bit different from that.
She must have just got out of the bath. Her long hair which was normally tied up near the top of her head, was let down and tied with a pin. Her beige colored glasses gave a sort of intimate impression, or rather, this appearance was closer to Rurino’s essence, that’s what Megumi thought.
Rurino’s eyes were widened with shock.
“You’re studying!? That’s amazing!”
“Well, I’ve got no other choice…”
On the other hand, Megumi’s voice, which was described as sweet and angel-like, had lost its radiance. And why might that be?
“Exams are coming up after all…”
Because her hated exams are approaching.
“Well well… Thank you very much! Kozue-Senpai.”
“And whyyy are you thanking Kozue instead of me…”
Megumi was not the only one studying in the lounge.
The other two sitting with her were her fellow classmates and clubmates, Kozue Otomune and Tsuzuri Yugiri.
“Wasn’t Kozue-Senpai the one to invite you to study?”
“I was doing just fine on my own~”
Megumi pouted but she could not refute Rurino’s words… Since that’s exactly what happened.
“But still, it’s an important test after all.”
Kozue Otomune is the School Idol Club’s president blessed with a good figure and beauty. It’s her extreme sense of responsibility that causes her to take on unnecessary work, even now she was fired up. If she liked studying so much she should have joined the Study Club.
Tsuzuri let out a sad sounding voice.
“Hey Ruri, if we get out of hand here, we won’t be able to graduate…”
“Eeeh~!?”
Rurino’s high pitch yell echoed across the lounge.
“Are-are you okay!? Megu-chan!”
Megumi shrugged.
“That's just one of Kozue’s threats, threats I say. Oh~ look at poor Tsuzuri, without any sin yet she’s terrified.”
Tsuzuri is like a work of art with crystal-like properties. The other day, she held the Big Voice Championship to settle her thoughts in preparation for graduation. As a representative of herself and all her friends, they all listened to her worries and gave her the push she needed to move forward.
And yet. When Megumi looked towards the demon of the Otomune family, she gave a cold remark.
“In the worst case possible it could happen, that is all I wanted to say.”
“What should I do… Is there anything I can help with?… How about overlooking her studies?…”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Focus on your own studies, Ruri-Chan.”
Megumi waved her hands away. Of course there is nothing that a second year could teach a third year.
Probably…
“Anyways, this is the last one you know~.”
“Ahhh, third years won’t have any more exams?”
“That’s exactly right.”
At Hasunosora, there are no more exams past winter vacation. Also apparently, depending on their score, (and days attended), one could be told if they’re on track to graduate early. Their dorm mother had explained it to them three times so it had to be true.
“So that’s why, just this once, I plan to seriously give it my all.”
“Ohhh…”
“Since tomorrow's a day off, I’ll spend all day studying."
“Ooohhh…”
“I knew you could do it! You can put your mind into it when it counts! That’s just my Megu-Chan! I’m so happy!”
“Guess so~”
Megumi lifted up a peace sign. It’s not that she was only doing it for Rurino, however being flooded by compliments from Rurino always felt good, and with that her heart was refreshed.
“Alright, I’ll go back to my room so I don’t bother you Megu-Chan. Kozu-Pai, Tsuzu-Pai good luck to you too!”
Tsuzuri and Kozue waved towards Rurino who had bowed deeply, lowering her head down towards her lower back.
“Yeah, thank you~.”
“Good luck with your studies too, Rurino-San.”
After Rurino left, Megumi fired herself back up.
“My motivation has gone up a bit. Let’s give it our all.”
“Let’s give it our all~.”
The exhausted Tsuzuri thrusts up her hand.
Kozue softly laughed as if to be looking down on them.
“Just this once, you’re really taking it seriously aren't you.”
“Of course, I want to graduate after all.”
Tsuzuri nodded in agreement.
Kozue lifted her hand to her chin, as if to be thinking something unpleasant.
“I see… if feeling cornered is what it took, I should have given you that feeling from the very start. Like if you were to get a single failing grade, you wouldn’t be able to graduate.”
“That would have been the absolute worst!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, Megumi went straight to her desk after having gone running and taking a shower.
The plan for that day was to get through the terms she needs to memorize. Once again, Kozue was also going to join in her studies during the night. Despite what she says, Kozue is kind. It's great to have friends like her.
“Guess I'll focus hard until then.”
Then before she knew it, she was at the cafe by the station.
“…Huh?”
She came to the sudden realization that she was sitting at the counter of the coffee shop, with their new latte in hand.
She hasn’t spread out her study materials. Instead, there was a shopping bag full of clothes by her feet.
Why…why!?
Her memories then came to her. That’s right, right before noon she had lost some of her concentration so she started scrolling social media, when she saw the announcement for the new latte.
That’s why she decided to go as a short breather. But, when she arrived, she remembered that she had wanted a new piece of outerwear… And while she was at it, she thought about going to see the shop clerk that she was familiar with.
From inside the cafe, she could see that the sun was about to set.
She ended up enjoying shopping too much…
“This is really bad. At this rate I seriously won’t be able to graduate.”
Megumi drank up her latte then stood from her seat.
Just this once, she made the decision to take it seriously. She hurried out of the store and headed towards the bus stop.
And so, as she was about to return to Hasunosora Girl’s Academy.
“Ah…Megu-Chan?”
”Eh?”
Right in front of the bus stop, she happened to run into Rurino, currently wearing her casual clothes with a cute pochette.
Crap.
Megumi instinctively hid the shopping bag behind her.
“Ru-Ruri-Chan, are you also out relaxing?”
Megumi had a forced smile on her face. After Rurino had stared at her, she let out a sigh.
“Did you have fun shopping?”
“No, this was just a break! I was just about to return back to continue studying!”
This is bad. It just sounds like she's spouting excuses.
“Hold up, Ruri-Chan, you also went out to play.”
Rurino took out a mathematics and english textbook from her pochette. What on earth?
“I was studying at karaoke.”
“Is-is that right. Wait, I also studied the entire morning alright?”
“Your entire day was just the morning then? Megu-Chan… At this rate you really won’t be able to graduate, you know?…”
“Ugh, Alright!”
A small thorn dug its way into Megumi’s heart, she stomped her feet in frustration.
“I said I was heading back didn’t I? And anyways, whether I study or not is none of your business Ruri-Chan!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Why did I say that…”
Megumi laid flat on the floor, her spread out hair had become one with the carpet.
If she ran on her own battery system, then she would have less than 10% remaining. And as you would expect, her movements became heavy.
She was currently in Hime’s room.
“U~mm~”
The head of the room was the girl currently sat down and gaming, Hime Anyoji.
Hime has a particularly striking appearance and since she would stream, she got good at dressing up her appearance.
She had top class looks to begin with, and with the guidance of Megumi during her first 6 months at Hasunosora, she had become the most, or second most, beautiful girl of the entire 104th class.
Hime is of course a hard worker and has serious parts of herself but Megumi was quite proud of her teachings and the work she did, almost as if to say she’s the one that raised Hime☆
…But now, that same teacher is currently lying on the floor like a thrown away mop.
Hime stopped her game, turned around and gave an uncertain smile.
“I think~… Ruri-Chan-Senpai, probably had some hope~.”
“… Hope?”
“Yeah~. Yesterday while we were playing she told me ‘Megu-Chan seems really motivated this time, I wonder if there's anything I can do’”
Megumi’s heart took 10 points of damage.
“But, I really did plan on properly studying though…”
“So~… She said she was planning on going out into the town to buy you some refreshments.”
Megumi was struck with realization. She initially wondered what the shopping bag that was sticking out of Rurino’s pochette was, but it was actually sweets that Rurino had picked out for her.
Megumi’s heart took… 100 points of damage!
“Ah~!”
“Me-Megu-Chan-Senpai!?”
“What the heck! That was the worst possible timing!”
Before Hime could say anything, Megumi thrust her hand forward.
“I get it, I get it already, okay!? I’m the one in the wrong here! 100 percent totally in the wrong! But you know, Ruri-Chan didn’t have to have to say it like that!”
“Awawawa.”
Megumi threw her arms on the ground and started kicking about, like a child having a tantrum.
“I can’t take it anymoreee! It’s alllll that exam’s fault!”
Then, Megumi looked up at Hime and said oh so sweetly:
“Hime-Chan… Blow up Hasunosora for me☆”
“The ultimate choice, huh… I want to do what I can bu~t…”
Seeing Hime be troubled by her unreasonable request gave Megumi a sense of satisfaction. (She’s the worst)
Saying something like this to Kozue or Rurino would only earn her cold stares from them, which is boring, and it would only make Tsuzuri worried, which would make Megumi feel guilty. So in a way, Hime, who is skilled at handling her older sisters, is a perfect partner for her. She loves Megumi after all.
In any case.
“Alright! Let’s study!”
Megumi clenched her fists, then stood up.
“Ooh~”
Hime gave a round of applause
“But before that… Tomorrow, there is something that I have to get done.”
“What is it~?”
Moving her gaze diagonally down, Megumi waited a moment before speaking.
“… First off, I have to make up with Ruri-Chan. Because if things continue like this, she might not be able to concentrate on her studies. Not me, but her!”
Hime had the biggest smile of the day.
“You’re a good kid, aren't you, Megu-Chan-Senpai…”
“It’s all for Ruri-Chan’s sake after all, right!”
“RuriMegu~.”
Hime clasped her hands together and started praying towards the direction of Rurino’s room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, club activities were canceled due to the upcoming exam period.
First thing in the afternoon, Megumi went straight into the city to go shopping.
“You really didn’t need to join me, Hime-Chan.”
“Well~, I’m already in too deep to turn back now~.”
Hime seemed to be in good spirits since yesterday.
“The other day Ruri-Chan-Senpai told me ‘Since Himecchi has been with us this year, I have hardly fought with Megu-Chan’ and that made me happy.”
Apparently that sort of talk occurs without Megumi knowing, and well, it is true. Before being a Mira-Cra Park! otaku, Hime is good at letting Rurino and Megumi blow off steam.
“But still, being able to witness the moment that RuriMegu makes up, that alone is something truly exceptional~. This is no time to be studying~.”
Hime holds the motto that consistency between gaming and studying from day to day is important, so it seems she never feels rushed before an exam.
“For starters, you just need to avoid getting any failing marks and you should be fine~.”
“How smart.”
“That’s right~. But, if you get any failing marks that would mean you would repeat a year, that doesn’t sound so bad to me…”
“Watch your mouth, Hime-Chan.”
Megumi looked at Hime with half-closed eyes. She was probably serious.
Megumi didn’t particularly feel like she was being looked down on. Whenever she would feel inconvenienced, she would often retort by mentioning her position as an upperclassman; However, with Rurino, who was a year younger than her, she had always treated her as an equal. In fact, she liked the sense of closeness that allowed them to banter with each other.
“So, what are you gonna buy~?”
“If we’re talking about what Ruri-Chan likes, it has to be this.”
Megumi showed her phone to Hime whose eyes started to sparkle.
“Wah, it’s kohakuto. That's perfect~. Sweet foods do help you study, don't they~.”
“I also have studying to do, so let's buy it quickly then head out. ”
“Roger~.”
Having purchased the kohakuto cady without any problems, they headed towards the Kanazawa station.
“Alright. We got Ruri-Chan’s present.”
“And what about that bag~?”
“Some snacks for the study session, and also, a box of sweets for Kozue. Since she has been taking care of me this time.”
Megumi was aware that Kozue was using her own precious time to help her out. Which is why she plans to treat her to the snacks and give her the gift after she’s done studying as a form of thanks for always helping her out.
Megumi doesn’t like studying not one bit, and hates being put through the wringer by Kozue, but she’s also grateful for her desire to help in any way she can.
…In fact, there is a spoiled part of her that feels that no matter how cornered she feels, if Kozue is around, everything will somehow work out. Though if she were to say that to her, she would for sure feel her fury.
“Getting a present from you would for sure make Kozue cry tears of joy~...!”
“There’s no way she would…”
Megumi gave a bitter smile at Hime’s exaggerated reaction.
“This is Kozue we’re talking about, she would for sure say something like ‘Megumi, if you have the time to buy this, you should be memorizing english vocab’.”
“Megumi”
“Yeah exactly, with that tone in her voice.”
…Huh?
Megumi turned around, and there stood the president of the School Idol Club, Kozue Otomune with her arms crossed.
“How carefree of you, going out shopping right before an exam.”
“Huh? Kozue, what are you doing here?”
Then, from right behind Kozue, appeared Rurino.
“Megu-Chan~… Setting aside you going out to have fun on your own, I’m not sure what to think about you bringing Hime along…”
“No! Ruri-Chan-Senpai, you’ve got the wrong idea!”
“When I set out to capture… to find you, Rurino-San also joined me.”
Rurino held out her small palm.
“Come on, I’m telling you this for your own good, let’s go back, okay?”
Hm~m…
Megumi smiled with complete composure, continuing to hide the hokuto candy behind her.
“Look at that, you really do worry about me Ruri-Chan.”
“Well, your future is on the line here…”
Rurino turned her gaze away.
The vague shape of horns could be seen coming from Kozue’s head.
“That’s right Megumi. Aren't you ashamed? You’re being a nuisance to your younger childhood friend.”
“.…Nuisance?”
Megumi furrowed her eyebrows.
“Yes. Ever since Rurino joined the club, you’ve been spoiled. Once you graduate you’ll need to do everything on your own. Do you understand?”
Feeling unsatisfied with that explanation, Megumi turned to Rurino.
“Do you also think I'm a nuisance, Ruri-Chan?”
“U-um, Megu-Chan-Senpai~…?”
Rurino sighed.
“I thought you understood that, just this one time, is important but… If you end up not being able to graduate, what will you do? Are you going to repeat the third year? I don’t want that.”
Megumi pushed the bag she was holding onto Hime.
“U-um!?”
“Alright. If you say so, I’ll do it, I’ll study.”
Really? Rurino turned her eyes towards Megumi. Megumi ignored her gaze.
“But if I'm going to study, I’ll study in a place where I can't be a nuisance to anyone! On my own!”
“Ah, hold up, Megumi-."
Megumi turned around, and after throwing out her sharp remark, she ran off.
“I didn’t ask any one of you to come looking for me, you know!”
“Megu-Chan!”
She ran off to a place where they absolutely could not follow.
After returning to the dorm that day, Megumi gathered her study materials and set off.
She got on the shinkansen headed towards Tokyo.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megumi’s newly bought winter outerwear flowed in the wind, its hem flapped and swayed.
Megumi leaned against a fence and groaned.
“These textbooks… sure are heavy…”
The weight of the textbooks caused her bag to dig into her shoulders.
She was standing in front of Tachikawa’s music hall.
“…”
Without any event going on, and being quiet, Tachikawa almost looked like a completely different place compared to when they had previously come for their events.
“...It’s cold.”
She thrust her hands into her pocket.
Megumi involuntarily let out a sigh. She should probably head into a family restaurant to get some studying done. Then again, if she was going to study then she could have just stayed at the dorm.
“Ahh. What on earth am I doing…”
What are you doing? Her inner self retorted to her.
By coming to Tokyo she thought she could cut away Kozue, Rurino, studying, and everything bothersome. But, she also felt as though she had left behind her precious heart.
She is quite fickle. She gets rowdy on her own, and composes herself on her own. That has been her nature since far back, but getting others caught up in it, is frankly, not right.
“I’ll head back.”
Then she’ll apologize to Rurino, Kozue as well as Hime…Then she’ll sit down and study obediently.
As she was about to leave, she turned back once more.
Woah, even now, she could still hear the chatter of crowds.
That was probably on the last day of their unity live.
last day…
“The live tour… was fun.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“…Eh?”
That response came from the direction of the road.
Megumi couldn’t believe her eyes.
That said, there is no way she could mistake that distinctive appearance.
“Ruri-Chan? Why are you here?”
Rurino lifted three fingers.
“Three options. Your house, Harajuku, or maybe here. It’s a good thing you didn’t go to California.”
“…”
Rurino approached her, smiling and wearing an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry, Megu-Chan”
“… For what?”
“I heard from Hime. You went out to buy me my favorite kohakuto candy.”
“Well, that's…”
Megumi diverted her gaze downwards.
“Hey, let’s go back? I also said too much… let’s… make up?”
Megumi clenched her fists as Rurino smiled and lifted up the bag containing the kohakuto candy. Being told that by Rurino, who had taken the time to come chase her all the way out here, made Megumi feel like she lost her position. Even though she’s supposed to be the older of the two.
“…I’m the one who should apologize, sorry.”
“Thanks.”
“But, just let me say this!”
There was still something she wanted to say!
“Eh?”
Megumi snapped her head up and sharply pointed her finger towards Rurino.
“It’s true, I plan to give it my all so I can graduate, but Ruri-Chan, you’re not allowed to say that.”
“…Huh?”
Rurino was taken aback, she thought the situation would have been settled.
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said! Because…”
Because… Her words were stubborn and refused to leave her mouth.
However, even she could see that if she were to leave it unsaid, things will only get more complicated.
Of course, with the Love Live! Hokuriku Regionals coming up, Megumi wouldn’t want to fly to California by herself. Even if she really doesn’t want to, she has to force it out.
Squeeze it out.
“Because… It’s like you're telling me… to hurry up and graduate…”
A dry wind blew between them.
Rurino’s eyes widened.
“That’s what you were worried about!?”
“Of course I was!”
“Didn’t you get my message during the Big Voice Championship??”
“That’s not enough! Because, I got the feeling that you already have your emotions sorted out!‘
“Wouldn’t you be bothered if I told you not to graduate?”
“I would! But…”
Megumi’s cheeks were burning. She let out a voice that echoed throughout Tachikawa.
“…I’m always the one causing you trouble! I want you to cause me trouble too!”
For a moment, there was no response from Rurino.
Waiting for her response was terrifying. Megumi couldn’t raise her head. She’d be hurt if Rurino sighed. She’d take 10,000 points of damage! That’d be the worst!
Then gently.
Megumi was enveloped within a tight hug.
Huh.
“Oh…”
Rurino had a troubled smile as she wrapped Megumi within her arms.
“You’re hopeless, Megu-Chan…”
“Ugh…”
This was also all because of the exam. The pressure of it had left Megumi’s mental state in a mess. It really is that exam’s fault.
“I’m sorry, for troubling you… Ruri-Chan…”
Rurino gently patted Megumi’s head. She felt warmth within her heart.
“… You know, this kinda feels like our very own Big Voice Championship.”
That… May be so, Megumi thought to herself.
Megumi thought that she had fully accepted graduating, but there's a difference between deciding it herself and being told it by someone dear to her. It would be different if she were to be told by Kozue or Tsuzuri, but in the case of Rurino, she wanted her to argue about it.
Just like in the past, when Rurino had to transfer schools, and Megumi decided to go into showbusiness for Rurino. Megumi wanted her to feel that same type of loneliness.
“Thank you, for telling me.”
“… yeah”
And finally, any remaining dignity she had remaining as the older of the two, had vanished. Megumi grabbed hold of Rurino’s hand.
“Once I graduate, will you feel lonely?”
“Very lonely.”
“Say it again.”
“I’ll be very lonely without you.”
“Thanks”
“But you know.”
Rurino started to smile.
“Even after you graduate and we’re far apart, I’ll be looking forward to seeing the cool Magu-Chan chasing after her dream with all her might.”
“…Huh!”
Megumi turned around Rurino’s hand as she was still holding it. Rurino stumbled and let out a startled cry.
“Well then! I’ve just gotta take it down as soon as I can! It’s only an exam after all!”
Though at this point, it might be too late to recover that cool side of her.
Even so, Megumi held her chest high and pointed her finger outward.
“You don’t ever have to worry about me any more, Ruri-Chan! Because I’ll knock down everything the world throws at me! Leave it to me!”
“You sure are talking big~”
Megumi and Rurino smiled at each other and started heading towards the shinkansen heading back to Kanazawa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After returning to Hasunosora, and heading their own ways, Megumi knocked on the door to Kozue’s room.
“I’m sorry Kozue! I’ll apologize for everything, so help me study!”
As the door opened Kozue was wearing her nightwear and had an apologetic look on her face.
“… Megumi”
“Ah, hold it with the reflection and apologies. Since it looks like it’ll take a while. Help me study.”
“I see… but first, I’m sorry. It seems I let the blood also rush into my head. I had been worrying everyday, thinking about how to help you graduate, that when I saw you out having fun, my heart snapped…”
“Don’t worry about that! More importantly!”
“Even if you say so, even if you start studying now, I don’t think you can avoid getting a failing mark.”
“Eh?”
“There is no time, not with your academic ability.”
“Eh?”
Kozue brought out a lot of reference books and notebooks from out of her room.
“If you can’t avoid getting a failing mark then instead we can at least go through as many problem sets as we can. The only path you have left is to recognize your sincerity…”
“...Eh?”
Kozue gave her a sad smile.
“Let’s give it our all, okay.”
In the end, Megumi was able to receive her confirmation for graduation.
And later on, a party would be held to celebrate that confirmation.