Kazuki, laying face down on his bed: I can’t believe I said “neat”, Sara. “Neat”. Nobody says neat anymore. It’s goddamn 2021. It’s not neat to say neat, but I said it anyway because I’m a huge loser.
Sara: Don't beat yourself up, it's ok everyone gets nervous. Remember what happened when Uru confessed to me?
It’s 4am and I’m watching Can’t An Idol Fall In Love for the however-many-th time and I just want to appreciate
Like ngl every shot in this vid is STUNNING but thIS ESPECIALLY??? THE FLOATY HAIR??? THE WAY HER EYES ARE COLORED SPECIFICALLY IN THIS SHOT TO BE ALL SPACEY AND GALAXY LIKE??? AND MY FAV PART HOW THE LIGHTING AROUND HER GIVES HER A PURPLE GLOW??
The purple glow and particle effect and flowy hair are all things done in this mv its just..?? Even more prominent here for some reason??? At least to me??? I literally don’t know why its 4am sue me i can’t comprehend why this shot in particular makes me so happy but it does ;w;
I’m not an art expert but it’s. It’s just. WOW. W O W. My breath? GONE.
Can’t an Idol Fall in Love? (Sara) Honeyworks Novel Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I’m not a professional translator, I spend hours upon hours doing research and using various tools to translate...so bare that in mind when or if you see inaccuracies
Masterlist here
Uru got into the high school of her choice.
The half day orientation was in the spring, while the cherry blossom petals were fluttering down.
Uru returned to her home at the condominium.
(What should I do about the skirt length? I won’t like it if it’s too long, but if it’s too short, my mom will get angry and say I have thick legs...)
She got off the elevator while thinking about it. It wasn’t just the skirt length she was thinking about too. What about hair coloring and piercings? Could she color it? What length should she have it at? Would she be able to wear makeup?
Now that she was free from the exams, the grooming for the high school was next on her mind.
As soon as she brought it up with her mother, she’d said “tell me how you did!”
Uru thinks it’s important to decide how to approach your high school life.
(Everyone says it’s the best years of your life, but everyone first chooses who to talk to based on appearance!)
She didn’t want to overdo it, but she didn’t want to be ridiculed either.
How you groom was an important thing for girls to determine their standing position.
(I need to aim for somewhere in the middle that feels just ri- eh?)
Uru squinted. It didn’t look real.
At the end of the corridor, she could see long legs.
“Sara-kun?!” Uru was stunned. She hadn’t seen him in a long time. She was shocked and amazed. “You’re sleeping in a place like this again! Are you still skipping, even now?!” Uru called out to him while standing nearby. Sara, who was drowsy, opened his eyes.
“...Uru.”
“Just because you’ve been doing your best lately-”
“Congrats.” Sara said, still appearing sleepy. But he was looking into Uru’s eyes. “About passing to your high school.”
“Oh...thank you.”
“It’s a pretty cute uniform. I’m glad. I was wondering what to do if your uniform wasn’t good.” Sara changed his posture but didn’t get up. He was sitting in the hallway with his back against the railing wall.
A little hesitant, Uru sat down next to Sara. She had some things that she wanted to say.
“Congratulations on your major debut!”
Dolce, who had succeeded in the Higashi-Meihan Tour in February, was finally growing large in popularity with their affiliation with Egg Records.
And this April, they were finally making their major CD debut.
“I bought the album, Would You Like a Dolce Sweeter than Love?. It was awesome!”
“Thank you.”
“But be careful and don’t skip too much, okay?”
At her reminder, Sara yawned loudly.
“I’m telling you, I’m not skipping. I’m on break right now. Fuuma and Kippei are doing vocal lessons right now.”
“Oh, it’s break time? Excuse me, then.”
“But I’m practicing properly. It’s a miracle to have time to breathe. We’ve been pretty busy preparing for our next concert.”
Maybe he wasn’t sleeping enough. Sara yawned again. Though, for some reason, it comforted Uru to see him sleepy, sluggish, and not wanting to move anymore.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing. It’s just...no matter how glittering your face is on TV, you’re still sluggish. I’m happy.”
“What’s there to be happy about?”
...What about?
“I’m just...relieved. No matter how popular you are, we’re still close. I mean, I think...” Uru felt surprised by her own words.
(Why am I talking about us being close to each other...! Dolce and I are just neighbors! There’s no closeness!)
And now she said something embarrassing and it made her feel self conscious..! She regretted it.
Sara was surely going to be looking at her in confusion, as if asking her “what are you talking about?”
Well, that’s what she thought.
Sara started laughing, and she relaxed a bit.
“It won’t change me. I’m still me.”
“Y-yes, that’s right!” Uru laughed nervously.
“...By the way, that acrylic keychain attached to your bag...”
“Oh! It’s Fuuma-kun!”
Sara turned around with a moody face. “Fuuma, huh...” he muttered, then glanced at Uru’s clothes. “A pink hair tie. Your phone cover is pink. A Fuuma keychain. That handkerchief...”
“The towel handkerchief was some of Dolce’s official goods, and this was a Fuuma-kun version! I also got a pink bag and a clear file of Fuuma-kun!”
Sara made a face. “Pink, pink, pink...it’s all pink. Isn’t that a bit childish?”
“Well, it’s Fuuma-kun’s color.”
“You’re already a high school student, but you’re only wearing pink.”
“That’s not true!”
“Then take this.” Sara pulled out a purple scrunchie from his pocket. Before Uru could ask about it, he leaned over and slipped it on her wrist. “There you go. Purple’s a more mature color.”
“Ah! Isn’t this part of the Dolce goods that were just released!?”
“Yeah, I’m giving it to you, so go ahead and wear it.”
“But I’m planning on buying one in Fuuma-kun’s color!”
“...You don’t need it. You have this.” Sara reached over and flicked her forehead.
“Ow!”
“Are you going to say you don’t need this?”
“No, I won’t say that...thank you.” Uru glanced at the purple scrunchie on her wrist. The name Sara was printed on it along with Dolce’s logo. The color purple was Sara’s image color.
(...I still want some of Fuuma-kun’s goods...)
The scrunchie on her wrist though was slightly warm, and for some reason, the back of her chest felt the same- kind of warm.
“By the way, where’s that woven bracelet you had on before?”
“Oh, that’s gone.”
“Did you break it? It was pretty well done.”
“It’s okay. Even though it’s gone, my wish came true!”
The woven bracelet was a wish for academic achievement. She was able to pass the school of her choice because she desperately studied a lot, and also thanks to the woven bracelet.
Well, even if it wasn’t because of the bracelet, she did think it had some effect.
“Hmm. What about me?”
“Eh?”
“Didn’t you say that you’ll make me one before?”
(I said that...but I was kind of reluctant..?)
“Make it quickly. I don’t care if you use Fuuma’s color.”
“But Sara-kun is in charge of the color purple, so what should I do?”
Sara stopped her with his hand. “Purple means patience or talent, doesn’t it? I don’t need patience.” He had examined each color meaning for woven bracelets.
Uru nodded slowly. “Okay, then I’ll make it with pink then.”
When she spoke, she heard footsteps walking down the hallways. It was Uru’s younger sister, Rikka, who was walking.
“Oh. Your sister’s back.”
“Welcome back.”
“What are you doing in such a place? Ahh! Toujo Sara!” Rikka screamed, pointing at Sara. “Eh, eh?! Why are you two together?! Eh, eh, sister?! What are you-?!”
“Hey, don’t be so noisy!”
“But no matter how you look at it, you two look close...”
“No! Why are you saying such things?!” Uru slapped a hand over her sister’s mouth. There were some words that she really couldn’t let her say.
Sara showed her younger sister a glittering smile like from TV.
“Younger sister, do you want to hear all about it?”
“Wh-wh-wha?!”
“No! We’re going home! Please tell Fuuma-kun I’m supporting him!” Uru pulled her sister to their front door.
“...Just Fuuma..?”
Uru heard his small voice just before she shut the door.
“Of course, I’m also supporting Sara-kun...I’ll make that woven bracelet, so please wait.” For some strange reason, her face felt hot as she spoke. She closed the door quickly.
💞
“...So?”
“So? What do you mean, so?”
After returning home, Rikka called out to Uru, who started on the woven bracelet as soon as she got dressed.
“Why don’t you knock before coming in?”
“It’s fine. But sister, are you going out with Toujo Sara?”
“What?” Uru should have kept her voice calm, but it came out like a squeak. "Th-that’s not it at all, Sara-kun and I...”
"So you’re not dating?”
“There’s no way we are!” Uru shouted so loudly that her knitting got tangled and had to be redone. “I mean, I think he’s amazing and nice? But depending on what we’re doing it’s fine...but I can’t possibly be together with him! I mean, he’s an idol, you know?! I’m not in love with him!”
“Hmm. So it’s because he’s an idol that you don’t like him?”
“Even if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t be!”
Rikka looked her in the eye.
“Hm. I didn’t know. But I thought Fuuma was your oshi, was I wrong?”
“Ah? Don’t be stupid! I’m an eternal Fuuma-kun fan!”
“Then why are you getting along with Toujo Sara? He’s an idol partner for Shirayuki Fuuma. Is it because he’s cooler?”
“He’s different! And Sara-kun’s the only idol I know.”
Sara, who Uru knew, had told her she had dry skin and called her a stalker when they met. He said her eyebags were terrible and he was rude when he called her diet wasteful. He also always skipped his lessons alone. He was cold and huffed through his nose that he didn’t take things seriously.
His introduction on the website introducing him as the cool idol didn’t apply to him at all.
He was the worst idol.
(But that’s not all Sara-kun is..!)
Even though he pointed it out rudely, he still highlighted the main points for her to study to increase her sleeping time. Even though he claimed not to be serious, he collided with his group mates.
Uru knew Sara wasn’t straightforward. He was a person whose kindness was hard to see. He was worried about his famous parents, worried about following what they wanted, and wanted his own identity. He was 16 years old.
Uru knew Sara not as an idol, not the Sara shining on stage, but the real Sara.
“I like Toujo Sara not as an idol, but as a real human being..! So..!” Uru froze and shut her mouth.
Rikka stared at her with smug face.
“You like, huh~?”
“H-huh...I don’t mean like that! I like him, I don’t love him!”
“Right, right. Whatever you want to call it.”
“That’s exactly what it is!”
Rikka shook her head. “Well, I think it’s fine to admit it. Your face kinda says it all.”
“My face?!”
What kind of face did she have? She held her cheeks with both of her hands. She didn’t know what kind of face she had.
“You have a really desperate face.”
“What does that mean?!”
“Well, why don’t you look in your heart? You know the answer.”
Uru sat there, considering Rikka’s words.
(I...like Sara-kun..?)
Uru gently put a hand to her chest.
(This, this feeling is...love..?)
Her heart felt light. But at the same time, emotions were overflowing from her chest. Her chest felt hot and her heart was racing so much it felt painful, and she couldn’t just sit still.
The name of that feeling was-
“Hey, sister?”
“Thank you, I’ll withdraw a little!” Uru got up and pushed Rikka out of her room and headed to her desk again. The first thing she did was untie the woven bracelet she’d started.
“Okay, I’ll start over!”
She took a deep breath, and started to prepare several pink threads for fulfilling romance. And, also purple, which was Sara’s color.
(Because woven bracelets are heartfelt..!)
Sara said he didn’t need purple. However, the meaning of a purple thread wasn’t just limited to talent or patience, like Sara thought. It also meant compassion.
(I can’t deny it. I like Sara-kun..!)
That’s why. Because she liked him.
She wanted to give him a woven bracelet she made with all of her heart.
(I’m sure I fell in love with Sara-kun’s compassion...even if people think it’s hard to see his compassion, I know it’s there)
She saw and knew the real Sara, not the Toujo Sara as an idol.
She wanted to put that feeling into the woven bracelet. Pink of love. Compassionate purple. Then, a small power stone for the handicraft that was at the bottom of her desk was also woven into the bracelet.
An amethyst. The beautiful purple stone was the guardian stone of romance, and a healing stone.
She hoped her feelings were conveyed.
And if he could wear it, she hoped it would protect and heal Sara.
Wishes, prayers, and love.
Uru knitted the woven bracelet.
💞
The next Saturday.
Uru was wearing her uniform for Mimi for the first time in awhile. Today, she was helping before the shop actually opened. Uru enjoyed the sweet fragrance of the chocolate and the aroma of roasted coffee beans. She cleaned everything up carefully.
Her grandfather was quieter than ever, silently putting chocolates in the back of the store.
As of tomorrow, Mimi was going to be closed for a long time.
It felt complicated. She was disappointed that her grandfather’s shop, which she’d been aiming for for a long time, was going to be closed.
But she wasn’t sad.
The leave wasn’t a sad story at all.
Rather, it’s a good story.
“So you’re going on a trip through Japan with grandma?” Uru felt envious while gathering up the cutlery of forks and spoons for the cafe. She sighed.
“It’s been our dream for a long time now.” Her grandfather put some chocolates on the display case and smiled a very warm smile. Uru also smiled.
“Grandpa, it’s good to have a dream of traveling with grandma.”
“Is that so? Well, it’s thanks to Uru that this dream is finally coming true.”
“Me?” Uru’s eyes widened at his unexpected words.
“Yeah, it made me happy seeing Uru work hard towards her dream, but I didn’t try with mine. I never thought it would come true. It always felt like I had to leave it behind.”
In order to go on a trip through Japan, they would have to take a long break from the shop.
That’s why he never tried to make it come true and just dreamt of it.
“Oh...right.”
“Well, your smile is moving? You were always trying to work hard towards your dreams. That kind of thing will have an influence on someone. It’s a very dazzling smile.” With that said, her grandpa laughed.
His expression was dazzling. Uru’s eyes narrowed as she smiled.
💞
At the opening of the store, the regulars, who had been informed of the long break, were waiting in a long line in front of the store.
The uninterrupted line was a testament of love for her grandpa’s chocolate.
At 6pm in the afternoon, Mimi had finally reached closing time, and the customers were slowly stopping.
Her grandpa thanked her for her hard work as she checked the clock.
The door opened.
“Are you still open?”
“Yes! Welcome...Sara-kun?!”
Toujo Sara was the one who had entered. She didn’t expect to meet him in such a place, so Uru’s heart was starting to pound fast.
“Why...”
“Well, why else would I come other than chocolate?”
“O-oh. Right. I’m sorry, we’re almost out.”
The regulars bought more than usual since there was going to be a long break. There were only a few chocolate bonbons in the display case now.
“I see, so it’s a bad time to be here. Can you give me the rest?”
“Yes, thank you.” Uru wrapped the chocolate in a hurry. While she moved, she occasionally glanced at Sara.
It was kind of nice meeting him here.
(This is love...)
They were in the same shop together. That alone had her heart throbbing.
“...And, there.”
“Ah...”
When Uru called out, her heart started beating faster. But for some reason, Sara kept glancing at Uru and looking away. In the end, he covered his mouth with one hand and kept his gaze averted.
She wondered why..?
“...What’s with the uniform?”
“Eh?”
(What? Does it not look good? Does he hate it?!)
“...The uniform is too cute. That’s not fair.”
Her heart beat louder than before, and her face slowly started heating up.
(W-wait, cute...is that what he said?)
She couldn’t believe it. She stared at Sara’s face. His normally moody face was bright red, and his eyes were a bit damp.
(No way, is he feeling shy..?)
Before she knew it, Uru’s entire face all the way up to her ears felt hot.
(This is...this is...)
She felt like something was overflowing from her chest, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
(N-no! The cute thing here is my uniform! I’m turning red- what should I do?! I’m too self conscious! This is so embarrassing!)
She knew this, but her heart wouldn’t calm down.
“Th-that’s right. The uniforms for the shop are cute. The uniforms!” Uru managed to choke out, despite her face being red.
“Uru, go home now. Oh, are you a friend of Uru? I’m sorry, but can you escort her home for me?” Her grandpa asked Sara with a meaningful and happy smile.
💞
“Why did you get dressed..?” Sara’s shoulder’s dropped when Uru came out with the desire to return home.
“Well, I don’t think I should go home looking like that.”
“Tch...”
“Sara-kun, that face isn’t becoming of an idol.” Uru smiled a bit at the bitter expression on his face. “Oh, I see. Did Sara-kun like the maid outfit?”
“What about it?”
“Well, what would happen if you got caught up in this sort of thing?”
Did idols normally go to maid cafes? With such a delusion in mind, Uru felt amazed.
Sara reached over and grabbed Uru’s wrist. Uru tried to ask him “Sara-kun?” but found that she couldn’t. She couldn’t say anything at all.
Sara still had a sulky expression, but his face was still bright red, and it surprised her.
“It's too much of a foul thing to have my favorite girl wearing my favorite clothes.” His hand tightened a bit.
Uru stared at him.
(His...his favorite girl...he said I was his favorite girl..?)
Her face felt hot. She couldn’t believe the words she’d just heard. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was pounding in her ears.
(Sara-kun...you mean me..?)
“Why are you looking down? Are you uncomfortable or something?” Uru tried to joke, but Sara’s face was still shy.
It wasn’t a mistake.
Uru looked up at him while her heart pounded.
“Can you let go of my hand?”
For a moment, Sara’s eyes seemed to lose a bit of color and he looked hurt for a moment. She felt bad, but she knew it would only be for a moment.
She took a small package out of her bag with her now-free hand and handed it to Sara.
“Here, open this!”
“What..? Oh, it’s the woven bracelet.” Sara said as he opened the package and took out the woven bracelet that Uru spent all night knitting.
“Yes. I made it for the fulfillment of love.”
Truth be told, she had been planning on trying to convey her feelings to him and tell him she liked him, but she couldn’t.
(Well, I guess it’s fine..? Were these feelings conveyed..?)
Thankfully, she noticed Sara’s ears turning red.
“Then, put it on for me, Uru.” Sara extended his right hand. Still, Uru’s heart pounded noisily. She nervously accepted the bracelet and tied it tightly to Sara’s wrist.
“How is it..?”
“I like it. But why does it contain the purple for patience?”
“Purple also has the meaning of compassion. I think that...it fits you nicely.”
Sara stared at her in shock, and then looked away quickly. His face was embarrassed. He didn’t seem to be used to being praised too much. She kind of liked it.
“That’s right. Take this. As thanks.” Sara took a keychain out of his pocket and onto Uru’s bag. It was some Dolce goods that had just been released, with wolf paws and a small bushy tail. It was purple. Sara’s color.
“Ah, I was going to buy the pink one with my pocket money next time!”
“Now you don’t need to anymore. Because there’s this.” Sara glared at Uru as she tried to explain the pink one was because of Fuuma. “One’s enough.”
“...Fine, enough with the death stares.”
The warm spring breeze blew around them as the two began walking side by side.
Sara’s footsteps were slow. It’s not that he cared to walk slow, but he cherished the time he spent walking alongside Uru. That’s what Uru hoped, anyway.
Sara never said he liked Uru.
And Uru didn’t confess she liked Sara.
(But surely, the relationship between us is-)
Somehow, her feet felt heavy and didn’t feel real. She felt like she was in a dream. More than that, if it was a mistake...
(...I want to hold hands...)
It wasn’t a mistake.
She wanted to give proof to that.
“...hand.”
“Eh!?” Uru was stunned by his muttered words. “Wh-what about my hand?!”
(W-were we thinking the same thing? Our two hands...)
“Did you put the scrunchie on properly, that I gave you?”
“Oh...yeah...”
Everything was wrong!
Uru’s shoulders dropped, but then a hand patted her head. She was so surprised she jolted.
“Uru wasn’t covered in pink, so I was relieved.”
“Sara-kun...”
“Oh, you have a terrible hangnail. Why does this girl have such poor self care?”
“...Sara-kun...”
There was no delicacy! But it was true she was poorly maintained!
“Uru, why are you trying to pull it out?”
“Because Sara-kun is always looking for a fault!”
“What? I just said I saw it. I wasn’t looking for any faults?”
“Then don’t look anymore!” Uru pulled her hand back and they continued on. She wanted them to hold hands. She didn’t want him to look for hangnails on her! Absolutely not!
They arrived at the apartment.
They were a little early, probably because they’d been quick. But it was fine. The Dolce room next door was the same. And she was sure that there would be another opportunity to walk side by side like that.
She put on the scrunchie given to her by Sara.
Sara had on the woven bracelet that Uru gave him.
(And next time, if it’s possible, I want us to properly hold hands)
She thought so absently, and missed a step on the porch.
“Ah!”
“Careful!” Sara grabbed Uru’s hand before she could fall. Thanks to his support, she didn’t.
“Ah...thank you.”
“Why don’t you pay attention when you walk?” Sara asked in annoyance. His hand, which was still holding hers, felt hot and strong. And, contrary to his disappointed tone, his facial expression conveyed that he’d been worried about Uru.
Her heart pounded.
After all, she liked him.
(Oh my god...I hope this happiness lasts forever..!)
That’s what she thought...but then her vision went white.
SNAP!
Something echoed that sounded like the shutter of a camera. Uru froze.
Sara immediately chased someone to a back alley.
Sara soon came back and was out of breath. Uru felt sick as she stared at him.
“...I can’t be a real fan anymore...”
She understood what happened.
Someone had taken their picture. While Uru and Sara were holding hands.
What did it mean?
Dolce was an idol group.
Toujo Sara was an idol.
No matter how much Uru loved the real Sara, he was still an idol.
Sara stroked her back and called his manager with a stern expression.
Staring at him, Uru could only continue to blame herself.
