ｏｐｅｎｉｎｇ   ａｃｔ

『 your p.o.v 』

"So," I paused as I looked from the pesky orangette lounging on his bed over to his roommate who's currently rummaging about through his closet trying to find something, "are you two excited to be performing together for the Saotome Music Festival in a bit?" I asked from where I'm currently sitting on Ren's couch and looking over the back of it towards Masato's side of the room.

The blue haired boy sparred me a glance over his shoulder before continuing his seemingly never-ending search through his closet. "I wouldn't use the word 'excited' to describe how I feel to be once again singing with Jinguji."

Ren scoffed as he flipped to the next page of the fashion magazine he's lazily reading. "Aw c'mon Masa, don't you like singing with me? It's rare to sing with someone so handsome you know.~"

"If you're handsome then societies standards of beauty must truly be placed below sea level at this point."

"You're just snappy because you're ugly."

"I mean, Masa isn't really ugly. Anyone you ask could tell you he's undoubtedly handsome." I mumbled as I lazily draped my arms over the back of the couch, practically falling over it at this point but neither of my two idols particularly caring. "You're both very handsome which is why almost all the girls and guys in this school look to you two with hearts in their eyes."

The orangette chuckled at that. "And what about you Lady? Do you look to me with hearts in your eyes yet?" He asked with an attractive smile, bright blue eyes twinkling with mischief now as well.

Scoffing, I rolled my eyes. "In your dreams."

"The only person she looks to with hearts in her eyes is Reiji since he's her original idol," Masato spoke up knowingly.

"H-Hey!" I stuttered, Ren only laughing more as I get flustered by his roommate's words. "I do not look to Rei-chan with hearts in my eyes!"

Finding what he was looking for, Masato closed the door to his closet and looked to me with a small ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Sure you don't." He teased.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I slouched more over the back of the couch and very nearly fell over the back of it this time around. "You two are the worst idol tag-team to deal with. Remind me again why I wrote a duet for you both?"

"Because you love us.~"

"Because you care for us."

"I hate you both."

With today being the day of the Saotome Music Festival, classes had unsurprisingly been suspended so everyone essentially had a free day to do whatever they pleased. Ren and Masato had to spend much of their morning gathering their things before heading off to the festival grounds early to begin preparing for their performance later meaning I was left to go find some of my other friends to bother. Though just as I was leaving my two idols shared dorm room, my phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I answered, not particularly bothering with checking the caller ID as I make my way back down the hallway towards the girl's dorm rooms.

"Oi brat," Ranmaru's deep voice reverberated through the phone, "your brother won't shut up about you coming to see us perform live so we're coming to pick you up before we head to the festival. We'll be there in half an hour. Don't keep me waiting."

Before I had even a chance to respond, the line went dead.

Shaking my head, I continued down the hallway while smiling at the students who watched as I walked by. Is my idols continuously just stealing me all for themselves going to become a regular thing from now on because as much as I'd love to hang out with everyone, I do have songs to be composing. Not to mention it might be smart to try and not flunk out of Saotome Academy, you know, just a thought.

Honestly lately, it feels like I can't take a breather. Ever since I got out of the hospital back in Okinawa, it's been go, go, go. And now there are rumors about another new boyband debuting soon but from a different entertainment company and that's just lovely. First, there's Quartet Night debuting today. Then, there's going to be this other rival group. And later my friends here from Saotome will be in their own band going up against the Quartet as well as the future boyband from who knows where and just- that's a lot of songs and idols I'm going to have to be keeping up with soon.

I just hope I'll never have to compose for this third band or else I think I will truly lose my sanity for good.

With a click, I opened the door to my shared dorm room and wasn't all that surprised to find my two roommates once again missing per usual. Tomo-chan loves doting on Haruka and I can't say I blame her either. Haruka is such a cute and sweet girl- she deserves the world. Though if there's one thing I'd rather not see in our dorm room right now it would have to be a certain black cat once again sleeping on my bed as if he owns the place.

"Kuppuru." I sighed as I closed the door behind me. "Have you brought back Reiji's jacket yet?" I then asked as if the midnight black feline could respond.

Of course, Kuppuru simply looked to me with those bright emerald green eyes of his and meowed before licking at one of his paws, the cute little green charm hanging off of his necklace catching the light just right to twinkle some.

Back when we all bought these matching royal crown charms that Masato had found at the mall, I went ahead and snagged a pale green colored one to match our seven crowns. I felt bad leaving little Kuppuru out of this when he's been causing problems for the whole gang since before classes even began. Now I can just hope he doesn't go losing his necklace along with the pendant...

"I have to leave soon Kuppuru," I said to the cat as I went ahead and walked over to my closet to grab a fluffy winter jacket Reiji had forced me to bring back with me after I visited mom the day before yesterday. It's one of his older ones but somehow this one was spared from being sprayed with his cologne... "Don't go ruining my room please, okay? And don't steal anything of Haru-chan's or Tomo-chan's. I can deal with you stealing my things, but I think Tomo-chan will actually hunt you down."

The small black feline meowed once more as he stood up on my bed and stretched out some before gracefully jumping down to the floor and waltzing his way over to weave between my legs. I blinked a few times as I looked down to the cat and then shook my head as I pulled the jacket on over my shoulders. "I'm not bringing you with me Kuppuru," I said lamely.

As if he could understand me, the emerald eyed cat meowed louder and sat down right in front of my feet almost like he's protesting my decision to not let him get me in trouble by parading himself around the school and later the festival. Though he seemed to know just as well as I do that I wasn't going to willingly let him out of this room because the second I was fixing to leave him behind, this damned cat made a beeline for my phone, managed to get a good enough hold of it with his mouth, and then ran for the balcony before jumping down to the grass below.

I'm beginning to question why I put up with a cat as annoying as Kuppuru...

Hurrying over to the balcony door that was only open just a crack before Kuppuru decided to full-on risk his little life by jumping down from the second floor of this school, I peered over the railing and wasn't all that surprised to find the black cat curiously staring right back up at me with my phone in his mouth. I couldn't do anything but sigh as Kuppuru sparred me one last look before wandering off towards the front of the school. This cat is proving himself to actually be pretty smart- first stealing Reiji's jacket out of jealousy and now stealing my phone after threatening to leave him behind... Well, one thing is for sure; Kuppuru is truly a one of a kind nuisance.

I reluctantly left my dorm room behind and began walking down the mostly empty hallways of Saotome Academy. Plenty of students are already off at the festival to listen to various artists and buy a handful of merchandise meaning the school is rather barren compared to its usually bustling-with-life atmosphere. Even Ringo and Ryuuya are busy with the festival making things much quieter to the point it's very nearly unsettling. I can't help but look around expecting to find Ryuuya coming to talk to me about my assignments or for Ringo to reach out from some random classroom and pull me in before anyone has a chance to notice me disappear with that pesky pink haired idol.

Kuppuru had conveniently waited just out front of the school's entrance, looking to me with bright twinkling eyes that scream nothing but mischief. He sat there for a moment just looking at me before walking off down the sidewalk, occasionally stopping to glance over his shoulder only to continue walking with my phone in his mouth once he's sure I'm not going anywhere but wherever it is he's leading me.

"Kuppuru, can't you just give me my phone?" I asked the black feline and wow, I'm actually pleading with a cat right now...

Making no signs of letting my phone go, I continued following after the onyx black cat. "Okay Kuppuru, if I promise to let you come to the festival, will you give me back my phone?"

Stopping, the black cat looked to me from over his little cat shoulder with an inquisitive glint to his emerald eyes now. I stared right back at the cat before offering him a smile. Negotiating with a cat is something I'm not above doing when my phone is on the line. Without my phone, I can't go sending Reiji annoying text messages in the middle of class.

Coming to the conclusion that I can be trusted, Kuppuru went ahead and walked over to me and gently placed my phone on the ground right at my feet. Crouching down, I quickly grabbed my beloved phone and wasn't surprised to find a text message from AI saying that him and the Quartet are already here.

Glancing down to the black cat, I pointed my finger accusingly at him. "Okay, listen here you lil' demon. No attacking the idols or causing them problems because I know for a fact Camus will throw you out of a moving van without a moment of hesitation, understood?"

Kuppuru simply meowed and began once again walking down the sidewalk, not concerned in the least bit about that foreign earl.

The first thing that happened when Reiji opened the door to the van for me to get in was Kuppuru jumping in first. And the second thing to happen was Reiji very nearly squeezing Kuppuru to death after stating that "this cat is the cutest cat in the world".

Thanking Camus for giving me his hand and pulling me into the van, I looked to Reiji with a deadpanned expression while Kuppuru struggled to get out of the brunette's tight embrace. "Rei-chan, that's the cat that stole your jacket," I said with an added sigh. "And blackmailed me into bringing him along by stealing my phone. That cat is anything but cute."

Ranmaru scoffed from the seat behind my own. "You got blackmailed by some dumbass cat? How pathetic of a brat are you?"

"I already threatened to write a bad song for Camus, don't make me do the same for you Ranmaru." I said with an innocent smile as I looked to the rocker from over my shoulder, AI simply sparing me a glance before going back to typing away on his laptop that he has open on his lap, the van jolting some as we start down the street and towards the festival grounds.

Kuppuru managed to break free from Reiji's hold and quickly leapt to sit on my lap, looking warily from the brunette over to the platinum blonde who's currently reading his emerald green book on the other side of me. I followed Kuppuru's gaze to Camus for a moment before shifting my attention back to Reiji. "So, you guys ready to debut as a band?" I asked with a bright smile.

AI was the first to speak up, saying a simple "we've prepared accordingly."

Reiji laughed at the youngests direct way of speaking. "I'm so excited to show everyone what a great composer you are my special girl!" He said with an absolutely blinding smile. "The guys won't admit it, but they're pretty hyped too."

Camus sighed. "This is nothing more than work." He responded plainly before looking to Kuppuru. "And as for this feline, what are you going to do with him when we reach the festival grounds?"

"He kinda just goes wherever he wants to really." I said with an added shrug of my shoulders. "Kuppuru is pretty self-reliant- wait, Kuppuru stop that."

Just as I was trying to explain that this pesky cat is rather smart and more than capable of taking care of himself, he suddenly took a swipe at Camus' book with his claws and actually managed to scratch its deep forest green cover. Quickly I flicked at the back of one of Kuppuru's ears, Camus looking five seconds away from actually launching the cat out the window without an ounce of hesitation while Kuppuru meowed in slight pain. If it wasn't for Reiji laughing and cooing over how "cute" Kuppuru is and consequently making everyone in the van bark at him to shut up, I'm sure the platinum blonde sitting beside me would have acted on his desire to end this cat's life.

Something tells me Kuppuru and Camus are going to get along great from this point forward...

Pulling into the performing artist and staff parking in a secluded area of the festival grounds, Reiji flung open the van's door and out ran Kuppuru without ever once looking back. Honestly, how that cat continues to survive through everything is a miracle and I can't say I blame him from running away considering I know just how tight Reiji can actually hug someone.

"So kiddo," the brunette started as he threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his side, the five of us all walking towards a large tent-like structure set up for idols. "Who are you expecting to sing better tonight- us or your friends?" He asked with a smug smile.

I rolled my eyes as I pushed him away and moved to stand closer to AI. "If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say both you guys and my friends will sing amazingly."

The teal haired idol glanced to me before looking around to some of the other artists. "It's unlikely that two students can out-sing professionals."

"You'd be wrong to underestimate them, Mikaze." Camus spoke up, now with a small cup of tea in hand and just where did he get that..? "I heard some red-headed boy sing one of her songs and I doubt even we could compete with him."

"You know it's bad when the pompous bastard says we're screwed." Ranmaru scoffed.

The two men glared at one another before looking off in opposite directions like two children. I couldn't help but to giggle at their childish antics while Reiji tried to do some damage control before a literal fight between those two managed to break out. Though before I could continue our little conversation, a certain two people came over to our small group standing off out of the way of the other artists.

"We were wondering when you would arrive, little lamb." Ren said with his signature silky smooth voice, instantly catching my attention as him and Masato make their way over to us.

My smile grew as I happily ran over to hug my two idols, pulling back from them only to find them in matching styled outfits for their songs, though Ren's is colored black and orange while Masato has a white and blue outfit. "You two look amazing! I can't wait to finally hear your duet live like this. I haven't even listened to the recording you submitted for our grade because I wanted to keep this a surprise."

Just a ghost of a smile danced across Masato's lips as he gently patted my head. "We worked hard to impress you."

The orangette hummed in agreement. "Ichi said he'd bring the rest of the gang to hear us and your brother's group sing so you might want to head off and say hello to them before the show starts."

I glanced over my shoulder to the Quartet who's more or less just looking to Ren and Masato with blank yet somehow still intimidating gazes. Then again, Ranmaru is just outright glaring while Reiji's smile looks almost a little forced. So much for future labelmates getting along...

"I'm going to stay with Quartet Night for a little bit since I never get to see them." I said as I looked back to my friends. "Oh yeah, have you heard anything about that new boy band that's meant to be debuting soon? Everyone at school has been talking about them but I haven't had time to follow the news and gossip lately."

"From what I've gathered and inputted into my data, this new boy group appears to be an idol group named HE☆VENS that's set to be debuting under Raging Entertainment in roughly a weeks time." AI spoke up, those bright teal eyes of his meeting my gaze. "It's a three-member band of which each of the three idols are already appearing on radio shows and on commercials as well as going to photo shoots to try and garner themselves popularity before they've even hit the stage. Based on my calculations, I'm more than positive that they will become our main rivals."

"Debuting in a week? That sounds like it could mean problems for us in the future..." I sighed.

Camus looked to me with a scowl. "If you're confident in your compositions, then fighting off a rival band should be no problem for you."

"I never said I wasn't confident."

"Then stop saying needless things."

Reiji laughed nervously, both Masato and Ren seconds away from speaking up in my defense. "Now now Myu-chan, my special girl is just saying what we're all thinking is all. Any rival band will cause us problems when it comes to trying to grow and maintain a healthy fanbase."

Masato looked away from the Quartet Night members as he said "I'm sure Kurosaki could give his wise input on maintaining a healthy fanbase."

"Masa." Ren responded immediately, his tone obviously giving the blue haired boy a warning as Ranmaru's different colored eyes narrowed in a harsh glare at the two students.

"Don't you two brats have somewhere else to be right now?" The silverette spat out. "The last thing I need is seeing your ugly faces before I perform."

Ren chuckled as him and Masato moved to stand on either side of myself now. "We're your opening act before your performance so you're stuck with us until this festival is all said and done, Ran."

"Has anyone seen Kuppuru?" I asked, trying desperately to change the subject before everyone truly has a go at one another. "He has to be causing problems somewhere by now."

Masato's dark blue eyes widened some as he looked to me. "Why did you bring Kuppuru here to the Saotome Music Festival?"

"He stole my phone."

"You allowed a cat to outsmart you?"

"Hey," I said with a laugh, "in my defense, Kuppuru is sneaky."

Ren chuckled, patting my head affectionately as he does so. "Lady, you're cute. You know that?"

Sticking my tongue out childishly, I lightly swatted at the orangette's hands. "Oh shush you, isn't it about time for you guys to perform?"

The blue haired idol student sighed. "I guess we should head off to our waiting area. Thank you for coming to watch us perform ___, and good luck to you four." He then said, eyes flicking to Quartet Night for all of two seconds before walking off with Ren hot on his heels, the orangette lazily waving as they disappear among the other artists and staff members.

Once those two had wandered off for good, I turned to look back to the Quartet only to find them coldly staring off at where Ren and Masato had walked off into the crowd. I glanced over my shoulder for a moment and then curiously peered up at AI. "Hey, what's wrong with you four?"

Teal colored eyes flicked to meet my own in a second as the other three men diverted their gazes to looking anywhere but at myself. "Nothing. Though I'm curious ___, what is your relationship concerning Ren and Masato?"

"We're friends?" I responded almost like a question. "I mean, we're close, sure, but there's nothing romantic there if that's what you're getting at."

Reiji offered me a small smile. "How I'd love to believe that..." He murmured, my four idols all beginning to discuss the last minute details to their debut performance as I just look between each of them and then look back to where Ren and Masato had disappeared off to.

There's nothing there, right? I know that my feelings towards those two as well as towards my other four friends aren't the most platonic, but surely they couldn't feel anything back. That'd be absurd. It's already crazy enough to know Otoya likes me- but Masa and Ren? Now that's just ludicrous.

I stayed backstage with Quartet Night as Masato went out first onto the main stage to perform his solo song, Ren standing on standby for his turn to sing his song next. Reiji came up behind me and wrapped his arms lazily around my shoulders, pulling me back into his chest as Masato sang. "Your compositions are amazing." He murmured, resting his chin on top of my head while Ranmaru, AI, and Camus all watch Masato's performance from the sidelines with me.

"I can't let anyone down," I responded at nothing above a whisper, though Ranmaru was still able to hear me judging by the way he glanced down at me.

The Quartet listened to Masato and then Ren's individual performances with studying gazes. The crowd loved my friends and it was obvious to tell that they were performing as well as true idols if not better. And when it came time for them to sing their duet song "Double Wish", the crowd went crazy.

Camus scoffed. "I remember hearing Hijirikawa sing at that local music festival and thought he had potential, but now he's exceeded all of my expectations." The platinum blonde's scowl only deepened. "We'll have to work hard to stay ahead of these children if they'll be singing this peasants songs just as we will be."

AI watched Ren a little closer. "Their performance is something we aren't capable of matching just yet even with ___'s compositions." He murmured. "The two of them, though young, can offer us valuable information to learn from."

"A couple of brats with little to no experience have nothing on us professionals," Ranmaru said with an added annoyed click of his tongue.

Tightening his arms around my shoulders some, Reiji hugged me closer to his chest. "They have something we don't."

"And what would that be, Reiji?" AI asked as he shifted his gaze to the brunette.

"A deeper understanding of each other. Can't you see it?" He asked. "They have a connection and we don't."

"Give it time. You four will become something amazing if you just work hard and learn to trust each other." I spoke up with a reassuring smile. "It won't happen overnight, but this is just the beginning for you all as a band and I'm more than positive you'll become an amazing group in the future if you work towards it."

Camus sighed. "We're already an amazing band."

I shook my head some as I looked over to the platinum blonde. "You guys are amazing idols and sing wonderfully together, but something is missing and that something is just as Reiji said it was; you don't connect to one another and unless you see that now, you four will get nowhere from here."

Ranmaru scoffed. "Brat, shut up already and just let us do our thing."

"We'll figure something out my special girl, don't worry." Reiji murmured as he leaned down and gently placed a feather-light kiss to my cheek. "I won't disappoint you."

I couldn't help but smile. "You four could never disappoint me. I'll always support Quartet Night no matter what and I'll help you four to become an amazing band even if I have to fight each of you to do so."

The teal haired idol standing beside me looked to me with a blank expression. "Why would you do something like that when you get nothing out of helping us succeed?"

"I get a lot of things out of seeing you four succeed," I said as Ren and Masato waved to the crowd and began saying their final goodbyes as their duet came to an end, "seeing Quartet Night succeed and grow into something amazing is all I want for you guys. I want you to be happy, to have wonderful fans, and to live a life none of you will regret in thirty years. If I can help each of you spread your wings and soar to new heights, then everything I could ever want for Quartet Night will come true."

"Isn't she just the cutest?" Reiji cooed as he hugged me even tighter, making me slap at his arms some before he dislocates one of my shoulders from his tight embrace. "With ___ by our sides, we'll be able to beat out everyone- even these kids!"

"For your career and mine, I hope you're right." Camus said coldly.

And with that, Quartet Night left me standing backstage to watch their first ever live performance together, the crowd instantly falling in love with them just as I have.

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When you said you'd be writing for Toki and Otoyan and Natsu and Ochibichan more but instead you throw in QN and RenMasa + Kuppuru actually trying to have Camus kill him because you couldn't help it :')))) This fanfic is a mess but hey, it's amusing and I swear it has a plot just everything is a little chaotic rn lmaoooo

Question of the Chapter: I'm curious, do you guys feel like the anime did Quartet Night justice in showing them actually developing as a band and growing closer to one another? Personally I feel like they kind of just skimmed over QN's development as a band a lot throughout most of seasons 3 and 4 where I'd argue it mattered most tbh like we saw them growing closer a bit in season 2 when the starfishies were really becoming a threat but like, nothing since then has shown them getting closer and instead every couple of episodes/ ending performance scenes they were just suddenly better and closer and I was all like "but when did this happen??" xD I dunno if it's just me but I feel like QN was jipped in the anime and I'm going to give them actual bonding moments in this fic because I love them ;-;;; (i get why they were skimmed over tho i mean the anime is meant to be revolving around the starfishies but doesn't mean i'm not sad cuz of the no qn screentime lol)

Also can we all just take a moment to appreciate how already Cesshi is testing Camus like ohmygosh you're not even a hooman right now and already you're managing to piss the earl off gg kuppuru gg (also sly demon cat stole your character's phone just to go to the music festival lmao cesshi is on a roll)

Anyways guys, sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out! I started my Japanese summer accelerated course and it's actually killing me ;-; I'll try to update once or twice more before I go to Japan in about two weeks time now but no promises. I really need to study so if I don't get the chance to update again before I go to Japan, then expect updates to resume after July 5th. While I'm in Japan though I'll be starting another "book" type thing that will be more like a diary of sorts where I'll tell all of ya lovely peeps what I'm doing each day and I'll take tons of pictures to show you all too to make up for not being able to focus on writing while I'm there <333

I love each and every last one of you lovely cuties and thanks so much for taking the time to read this chapter <3

~ ｋａｔ ♡