"Ugh!"

"I'm confused. Charlotte is Kazue's sister, and from what I saw yesterday, I could assume that Kazue was claiming her identity. And he was doing her moves the exact same way as she did!" I said to myself.

"But I think that's enough proof. What if I ask Maiko?"

I walked quickly around the school. (I didn't wanna run, since Mireille might place a ticket on my face for running around the halls.), trying to find Maiko.

"There you are!" I found her by a bench.

"Maiko-chan!" I called.

"Hey, Iris!" Maiko waved to me.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." I said as I sat next to her.

"What about?" She asked.

"You are classmates with Kazue, right?" I began.

"Yep." She nodded.

"Then, do you notice something, weird about him?" I asked.

"Oh, definitely. He's a weirdo. But I don't mean to offend. It's in a funny way." She laughed.

"Tell me why you say that." I said.

"Well, everytime I come to talk to him, his face goes like a tomato. And when I ask him to teach me Math, he stutters most of the time." She said.

"Anything else?" I pushed forward to the questioning.

"He cracks cheesy jokes. And in some jokes he seems to add a little femininity." She said.

"Wait, like what?" I stopped short.

"Like, uh, 'What did the rose say to the rafflesia (which is the biggest and foul smelling flower in the world)?, "Girrrll, you better take a shower darling. Your beauty would go to waste!'" Maiko narrated. "And while he's saying that joke, his voice easily alters to a girl's voice."

"I got one clue down." I thought to myself.

"Thanks Maiko, gotta go!" I said, leaving.

"No problem!" Maiko shouted back.

"Huh... Feminine voice, feminine moves..."

I was now comparing Charlotte to Kazue.

Kazue: You better take a shower, darling, your beauty would go to waste!

Charlotte: Iris, darling. Hoping we could see each other again!

"Darling...? Yes, adding that word would be considerate because in that joke, the rose was a girl, and Charlotte would basically call me darling because she's a girl."

"I'd better see Kazue for myself."

It didn't take me long to find him, because it so happened that he was looking for me.

"Kazue!"

"Oh, Iris. I found you." He said.

"You were looking for me?" I asked.

"Y-Yes." He stuttered.

"You want to tell me something?" I crossed my arms.

"It's time I be frank, straightforward." He started.

"About what, Kazue?" I didn't notice my tone grew louder.

"Um..."

Then the bell rang.

"Gotta get to class. See ya, Iris." He said.

"He was about to speak up for something important. If he doesn't..."

"Should I take the chances?"

🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭🎭

School was over. I secretly waited for Class C to be dismissed.

As I saw Kazue exit the classroom, I followed him with caution.

I heard him sigh. "Do I even have the guts to tell her?"

Knowing that wasn't enough, I followed him some more.

It took some time till we got to the fountain, and I seemed to have lost track of him.

I also happened to see Maiko again.

"Hey Maiko-chan! Seen Kazue this time around?" I asked.

"Yeah, I happened to see him go out the gates. It seems that he was heading to Prism Stone's direction." She said.

"Wait, why would he go to Prism Stone?!" I said.

"Thanks gotta go bye!" I said quickly.

I made a run for it, because from what Maiko said, it was already making the situation unbelievable.

I entered Prism Stone just as he entered.

"Kazue Koichi!"

"I-Iris!" He said, rather startled.

"Can you tell me your business here?" I said, arms crossed again.

"Nothing! I got bored, and out of boredom I wanted to check places out, that's all." He said.

"And the first place you would go is Prism Stone?" I asked.

"It's near here, geez." He said.

"I don't buy it. I can see it in your eyes. And you wanted to tell me something earlier. Why not tell me now? Or if you have any proof to show me, show me!" My voice unintentionally grew louder again. I didn't want to get mad as much as possible.

I saw that just a little bit more, he was gonna cry.

"I don't deserve to be your friend anymore, Iris! I'll admit before you tell me! I'm a bastard, a b**ch, whatever you wanna call me! You wanted proof right?! Then here's your proof, Hitomi-san!"

He threw a purple PriTicket in front of me to see.

"So you're saying... You're Charlotte?!" I said, surprised, naturally.

"I LIED WHEN I TOLD YOU SHE WAS MY SISTER! I LIED WHEN I SAID I BURNT MY HANDS ON A SCIENCE PROJECT, OR I HAD A SCIENCE PROJECT THE DAY WE BECAME FRIENDS! THAT DAY I GOT STUPID NAIL POLISH!"

"I originally went to PriPara and used my PriTicket to find out how girls lived, since Agnes and Celine are my only siblings, and I got curious. But as the years passed, yes, years, I learned to love my character, Charlotte. And I admit, I can be a feminine boy sometimes, or maybe most of the time, because I was so close with Agnes, I kinda act like her now. But I'm a normal guy just the same. I like girls."

"And I even have a HUGE crush on Maiko."

"That's insane. I-I didn't know you felt that way... I didn't even mean to raise my voice on you. I'm sorry" I apologized.

"I'm the one to apologize. And after admitting everything, don't expect me to show up to you or Maiko in PriPara. I don't deserve to be your friend..."

"Goodbye, Hitomi-san!" He ran away, crying.

"Kazue!" I called.

But he left.

While Kazue was running, he was crying so bad. "Forgive me, Iris. Forgive me, my Goddess. I don't want to involve you and hurt you, either, Maiko..." He thought.

"No, what if he does what I think anyone as sad as this can do?" I said to myself.

The next day was a Saturday, so I was free to go to PriPara, hoping there was any sign of Charlotte.

"Iris-chan, I haven't seen Charlotte lately." Pastelle said.

"Me neither." I said.

"Where is she anyway?" Maiko said out of the blue.

"I don't know, Maiko. Don't ask me.' I told her.

"Why so blue? You won't perform?" Maiko asked.

Hold your horses, Iris...

"That's it, Maiko-chan! We could perform, then maybe Charlotte can come back!" I said.

And I know how....

(Changing Station)

"Please scan your necessary PriTickets." Meganii, Meganee's male counterpart said.

"PriPara Change, Start!"

"You asked if you both could wear Holic Trick for now, I granted permission."

"For you, Maiko, is the Sexy Girl Coord."

"You know, Charlotte would love the sexy style on her too!"

"Sexy Girl Coord~!"

"And for you, Iris, the Royal Pirate Coord."

"Royalty will surely be in the air!"

"Royal Pirate Coord~!"

Maiko and I came on stage.

"Minna-san, please listen." I began.

"I know most of you love Charlotte, right?"

"Hai!" The crowd replied.

"She's missing."

The crowd gasped.

"Yes. And to make her come back, we decided Maiko and I perform, to show her that no matter how many secrets a friend may not share, and no matter how hard it is to fess up, friends will still always be there, no matter what." I said.

(In the crowd...)

"Iris..."

(Iris POV)

"So Charlotte, if ever you're around, please listen!"

We sang, 'Love Friend Style'

(Maiko, Iris, Both)

Iku yo! Tomodachi no tomodachi wa rabu! Hāto ni kuttsuku takaramono 

Don'na koto datte chenji kawaru yo happī 
Afuredasu friend style 

Issho ni itai na kimochi ī

Datte kimi wa fuwafuwa na ofuton mitai 
Chanto homete tataetesa...

ano ne, arigato. Terechau kedo 

Then, a voice sounded.

Nande daro, nanika shite agetai (Itsudatte)

"Charlotte!" We exclaimed and hugged her.

"I'm back everyone!" She called to the audience.

"I'm back girls." She said to us, and she winked at me.

I knew what she meant.

Mukai ai kisoi aetara ne (Motto ī na)

Son de tomochike pakirō! 

Iroiro dakedo kono kimochi otome no pyua

Ikku yo-! 

Hanero! Ijippari na namida no tsubu 
Atsuatsu yūjō doraiyā atete massugu ni! 
Ki.ra.ki.ra no hāto da! 
Mina ni deaeta kara hora kon'na ni tanoshī kon'na ni ureshī 
Supesharu na rabu damon ne 
Miseru yo

"daisuki da yo” no sumairu 

"Charlotte, I believe you deserve the runway." I winked.

"Gladly, darling." She laughed.

She took to the runway and...

"Making Drama, Switch On!"

In her Making Drama, Charlotte was hiking a mountain.

"I'm now at ease. My burden is lightened."

"Even though the secret remains in me..."

"I now feel free!"

"Scaling High! I take on the Challenge, as the Queen Reigns Again!"

"Cyalume Change!"

Our clothes turned into the Candy Alamode, Holic Trick, and Baby Monster Cyalume Coords respectively.

Iku yo! Tomodachi no tomodachi wa rabu! Hāto ni kuttsuku takaramono 
Don'na koto datte kaeyou yo happī 
Unmei datte omoeru yo 
Kon'na ni tanoshī kon'na ni ureshī 
Supesharu na kankei damon agetai 
“Daisuki da yo” no sumairu (Anata ga) (Kimi tachi ga) 

Afuredasu friend style (Watashitachi ga) Besuto mai furendo
Odoridasu friend world (Iru kara) Daijōbu

Tomodachi ga zutto iru kara

Maiko went on ahead, and Kazue and I were next to leave PriPara.

"What an entrance back there, Kazue." I laughed.

"Thanks." He chuckled.

"Do you plan to tell Maiko?" I asked.

"No! At least, not yet I guess, since I just told you. Don't rush me!" He said.

"Whatever you say, Sass Queen." I winked.

"Shh, Keep.Quiet.or.else" He put a finger to his lips.

"Haha, I like you better this way." I said.

"Friends again?" He said.

"I never backed out on you anyway." I said.

(Next Chapter Preview)

Iris: Look at this girl! She's stylish too!

Kazue: What a shortie.

???: Excuse me? How dare you call me short!

Kazue: Yikes...

Maiko: What's all the fuss?

???: Who do I challenge first? The nerd, or the beautiful dancing shoes? Both are good for nothing anyway.

Kazue: My friends aren't good for nothing!

???: Aww, come for your besties? Good luck with that, weirdo.

Maiko: Don't mess with Kazue! Take me on first, if it's dance or fashion, bring it!

???: You're the most stylish girl, they say?

Iris: Next time on PriPara: Breakthrough!

Kazue: The Goddess will Strike!

All: Till Next Time!