After a few days of practicing and Wishing Star collecting...

Briar and Deuce have been practicing Dancing while Trey plays his set of drums.

"How's the dance looking now, Trey?" Deuce asks.

"You've sharpened your individual movements a lot. But your timing still needs work. You can't focus solely on the beat. You have to make sure the two of us are in sync," Trey explains.

"Yes, sir!" Deuce says.

Then turns to Briar, "And Briar, you're doing well, but you need to remember to follow the beat of the drum exactly. You just need a little more practice."

"Right," Briar says.

Then Trey turns to Idia in the tablet, "Okay, Idia. Could you help me take it from the top?"

"Huh? You're seriously going again?" Idia questions.

"We've only practiced a handful of times. Come on, be a sport," Trey says.

"Please!" Deuce says.

"Come on, Idia we still need to practice," Briar says.

Idia lets out a deep sigh, "Why'd I have to get stuck on drums? No matter how accurate my rhythm is, I have to do it all over again if the dancing's off. There are so many other things I could be doing right now... Do I really have to play it myself every time? This seems woefully inefficient when we could just use a recording."

"Rgh..." Deuce responds, getting frustrated.

"Can't do anything without kickin' and screamin', can he?" Grim questions.

"Deuce, you're doing fine. Don't listen to him," Trey says.

"You're definitely improving!" Briar says.

"Briar's right. You're starting to get the hang of the footsteps. All you need is more practice," Tanzanite says.

"Thanks, guys," Deuce says.

"Yeah! You should pay closer attention, Idia. He's doing way better than before!" Ortho adds.

Idia remains silent.

"Idia?" Ortho calls out.

Then Trey calls out, "Idia, are you listening?"

Finally, Idia speaks out, "Hm? Are we starting back up?"

Then Ortho asks, "...Can I ask you something, Idia?"

"Yeah?" Idia questions.

"Are you gaming right now?" Ortho asjs.

Idia is taken aback, "Huh?! Wha?! Why would you ask that? I'm focused on the instrument app! I want to make sure this ceremony goes off without a hitch!"

Briar sighs and turns to Ortho, "Oh brother."

Ortho lets out a sigh.

Then Deuce approaches the tablet, "Look, Idia... We're sweatin' blood over here and you're just phoning in your part!" and sounds very serious.

This worries Briar and the others.

Grim is the first to express his concern, "Whuh-oh! We all know what happens when Deuce gets like this!"

"Okay, Deuce, settle down," Trey says.

"I'm fine, Trey. I'm not going to fly off the handle. I'd just like to say my piece," Deuce says.

He then says, "I'll be the first to admit my dancing still needs a lot of work. But I don't need any commentary from a guy who's slacking off during practice. This remote setup isn't working. Please, just come out here and play in person!"

"...Haven't we been through this?" Idia responds, "I'm helping collect Wishing Stars, and I'm doing my job as the drummer. I'm contributing plenty as a Stargazer. I don't need you to nitpick HOW I do it. Oh, and if we're gonna nitpick—what about YOU? Are you pulling YOUR weight? Didn't we all agree we'd collect a certain number of Wishing Stars? I believe we said we'd each get 100 stars by today. Have you filled your quota, Deuce?"

"My progress has been...a little slow lately..." Deuce replies.

And Idia says, "So you're not doing your job as a dancer OR hitting your star quota. Who's phoning it in, now? Going by the numbers, you're slacking off way more than me. What, you think Wishing Stars are more valuable if you leave your room to get them? How about you get some results before hopping up on your high horse?"

Briar, Sereia, and Trinket gasp in shock.

"Uh oh!" Jasper and Tanzanite say, shocked.

Deuce growls in anger, "Augh..."

"Wow, Idia shut him down real quick," Trey says.

"Oof, this is givin' me secondhand embarrassment..." Grim adds.

Trying to keep cool, Deuce says, "Fine. If you say I'm not doing my job... Then I'll show you! I'll perfect the dance AND meet my quota by the Starsending! In fact, I'll fill YOUR quota too!"

"What are you even talking about?" Idia questions, "The initial quota was 100 by today. Then there's a quota of another 150 by Starsending day. And you're saying you'll cover BOTH our portions? Pretty sure that's mathematically impossible."

"Wanna bet on it? How about if I pull it off, you perform at the ceremony in person," Deuce says.

"Why would I take that deal?" Idia questions, "I don't get anything out of it. Ortho and I are already on track collecting our stars anyway."

"Conversely, you don't stand to lose anything either. If you genuinely think it's impossible, then the bet works out in your favor. You can spend your time gaming in your dorm while Deuce does your work for you," Trey explais.

Deuce then says to Idia, "Unless you think I've actually got a shot at it."

"Dude... Do all you Heartslabyul guys think you're shonen manga protagonists or something?" Idia says, not sounding pleased, "It's like you're one step away from a speech about passion. This is too ridic for words. I'll never get the guys from other dorms." But then says, "But I guess since there's ZERO CHANCE you'll pull it off, fine. I'll come to the ceremony in person if you hit all those goals."

"I'm gonna hold you to that!" Deuce says.

"BUT. If you fail, I'm dropping out entirely. I won't even drum remotely. You'll get a prerecorded track for the ceremony and you'll just have to make do. Deal?" Idia says.

Deuce thinks for a minute and answers, "...Deal."

"You're really accepting his terms? Are you sure about this, Deuce Spade?" Ortho asks.

"Positive. I'm gonna win this," Deuce says.

Idia says in thought, "I hate to disappoint Ortho, but Deuce'll never pull this off. Now I can get out of this asinine obligation altogether!

"Welp, this sounds like a disaster waitin' to happen," Grim says

"Guess every bet's gotta have stakes," Briar replies and lets out a sigh.

"At least we'll get Idia to show up in person if you pull this off," Trey says.

"I will! This is one bet I refuse to lose!" Deuce declares.