Work Text
The door closed behind them. Maya let out a deep sigh."Thank you so much, Chisato-san," she said with all her heart."Don't mention it, Maya-chan," Chisato replied."My sword shall always be at your side, Chisato-san!" Eve said.Chisato chuckled. "Perhaps your sword should be at Maya-chan's side, Eve-chan," she said."Oh. Yes!" Eve took a step closer to Maya, and embraced her hand."I'm just glad you two were willing to trust me enough to let me help out," Chisato said. Her smile looked genuine."Ahaha... to be honest, I'm not sure we could have done it without you," Maya confessed."One has to know when to call allies to aid oneself in battle!" Eve chirped. She seemed positively giddy.They had finally gone to the staff managers, and told them about how Eve and Maya were dating. It had been scary, but if Chisato hadn't gone with them for support, it would have been terrifying. Thankfully Chisato was good at knowing what to say, and how to say it. So the staff had agreed to take no action against them (in fact, a couple gave them sympathetic looks) so long as they were careful about their public image. Which meant that in essence not a lot was really going to change, except that they wouldn't have to be anxious about the agency finding out. That was all sorted."It's a good thing it worked out," Chisato said. "Now we should get to the dressing room, and get ready for practice."As they were walking over, Maya made sure no one was around, before she lowered her voice. "Have you told them about you and Aya-san?" she asked Chisato.Chisato looked surprised for a second, before her expression returned to normal. "Not yet. There's someone else we need to tell first."Maya wasn't sure what that meant, but she knew better than to keep asking questions.It had really worked out. She and Eve would both get to stay in Pastel*Palettes, and stay together. It was hard to imagine life getting any better than that.* * *Arisa had been hesitant about going to Haneoka to 'scout around' as the others in the club called it. She once got as far as the school gate before turning around. There weren't exactly a ton of opportunities anyway, since she had her own school to go to. It was basically lunch breaks, or free periods, what little of those they got. After-school hours while club activities were still going on were a possibility, but those often went to band practice. Even if she declined to go home with the others on the few times they didn't have something, they would probably wonder where she was going, and why. Kasumi would probably want to go along.Maybe she was just making excuses for not having to go. It just felt so awkward to wander around someone else's school for no reason. At least, none she was able to tell people.Then an opportunity presented itself. The Haneoka drama club were holding an open play, featuring their star Kaoru. So of course Rimi wanted to go, and Saaya was interested too. Kasumi naturally wanted to go along with anything the rest of them did, and Tae agreed to go on the principle of everyone else going. Arisa felt both relieved, and nervous. The whole school wasn't going to be there, so it would be a more manageable crowd. Which also meant Arisa wouldn't be able to check everyone, but that would have been a big ask for one visit anyway. With all that noise it was hard to single anything out unless she knew exactly what and who she was looking for.Which would primarily be their two 'suspects'. Kaoru on stage, and Maya backstage. Tsugumi had told her about how those two were both in the drama club. She still didn't like the idea of prying into their minds, but there was also only so much she was able to do by reading surface thoughts. She might have to wing it, or get lucky. Or both.After talking with the others in the yet-to-be-named-club, Tsugumi said she'd help Popipa get seats towards the front. But it wouldn't be all the way at the front, because Kaoru's biggest fans had reserved those seats the moment news went out. They would not be denied. Hopefully it was still close enough for Arisa to keep an eye on Kaoru's mind. Whether she would actually think about anything relevant while she was on stage was a different matter. At least Rimi was thrilled at the news.As for Maya... Arisa would probably have to go backstage. Tsugumi said that should be fine, but Arisa wasn't so sure. Maybe if they went together. This was not a well-planned-out endeavour, but it was happening regardless.Arisa considered going early for some reconnaissance, but she stalled for too long, and instead met up with the rest of Popipa so they could go together. She knew she was feeling altogether too nervous about this, but she couldn't help it. The best she could do was maintain a calm facade. Holding hands helped. Somehow she ended up with Kasumi on one side, and Saaya on the other. Well, she wasn't about to pull away, but it sure was an odd band she found herself in.They met up with the Afterglow gang (including Ako) when they arrived, but there wasn't really much time to do anything before the play. Especially since Rimi wanted to get to her seat as soon as possible, just in case someone took it in spite of the reservation. It wasn't exactly formal, after all. Arisa would have to focus on Kaoru first, and see about anything else after the play. And she'd try to pay partial attention to the audience, just in case some important thought happened. But she didn't have high hopes of noticing even if it did.It was impossible to ignore how many of the thoughts around them were about Kaoru. Even with the stories she had heard, this was beyond what she could have imagined. Sure, Kaoru was attractive, but not exactly Arisa's type. She preferred more... well, she liked Kasumi.There was a hush as it became clear it was starting. Even mentally there was a shift as everyone around Arisa suddenly became very focused. Things were less serious further back, but up where she was it was like every mind was a needle. It was scary in a way Arisa had never experienced before. At least she had Kasumi there by her, and Tae's mind was also a relief. Rimi and Saaya were among the focused, but with Kasumi and Tae there, Arisa felt like she would be alright.The play announcer said they were doing Macbeth. Arisa had heard of it, but she wasn't really into theatre. Then Kaoru came on stage, and everyone screamed her name. At least in their heads. It was a little hard to tell, but she didn't think anyone was actually saying anything out loud. Some noise might be happening. This was clearly going to be a lot. Kasumi squeezed her hand. She was worried, but Arisa just smiled at her in response, hoping it was reassuring. If she actually said anything, she'd probably get murdered.Focusing on Kaoru's mind was kinda interesting. Misaki referred to her as one of the 'three dummies', but there was clearly more to it than that. Kaoru shone on stage. In her mind every part of her performance played out perfectly, and she mimicked that with great skill. It was impressive to think she was only in high school. She might have a bright future if she wanted to pursue this into adult life. Arisa wondered how much she had to practice to get that good.Kaoru's thoughts were dedicated to the play. Anything else was regarding her adoring audience, and looking after her fellow actors. There were lots of minor ways she helped out the others on stage, that you wouldn't be able to pick up unless you knew what to look for. Or you were able to read her mind. She knew her part perfectly, but she also had a clear understanding that it was not a solo act. She was the star, but she was determined to help the rest shine whether they realised it or not. Arisa felt like she gained an understanding for how Kaoru fit into Hello, Happy World.None of which told her whether Kaoru had any sort of power, or special ability beyond her charisma. As impressive as that was, Arisa didn't think it counted as a superpower in the sense of what she was looking for. If there was anything else there, she'd need more exposure to Kaoru's thoughts, and in different circumstances. Or she could delve deeper. But it was easy to go too deep, which was part of why she didn't like it in the first place. And she had a gut feeling that extra caution might be warranted in Kaoru's case. As if there was something there not meant to be seen, or let out. Exposing the darkness lurking in someone's mind was not something to be done on a whim. Especially when she hadn't even gotten to terms with her own yet. There was good reason she felt bad about every time she had done so accidentally. If Kaoru held any secrets relevant to the club, she should find some other way of uncovering them.Once it was over, Arisa mostly felt like she wanted to go home. But she knew that she should at the very least have a look at Maya while she was there. Tsugumi invited Popipa to a backstage tour. Everyone agreed, though for different reasons.To be honest, the backstage of a high school's theatre production was hardly exciting. Sure, it was different from backstage at the live houses they'd played at, but not in any amazing way. But Kasumi immediately started gawping at everything, as usual. Hopefully she wouldn't touch anything she shouldn't. Tae was taking an interest in what sort of equipment they were using. Rimi was working up the courage to say hi to Kaoru, while Saaya was her emotional support. Arisa wanted to keep half an eye on Kasumi just in case, but she made a point of looking for Maya. Luckily she wasn't hard to find.Maya was in the centre of the clean-up process, and directing everyone around. From what Arisa could tell, Maya had a good grasp on what needed doing, and how. Even the third-years in the club thought it was easier to listen to what Maya said than worry too much about it themselves. Arisa wasn't sure if she could endorse that kind of attitude, but she did at times wish she could hand over the reins for managing Popipa to someone else. She had heard Misaki think the same about HHW. Being the sensible one could be tiring.Honestly, where would the others be without her. If Arisa didn't stick with Popipa, who knew what they'd get themselves into. Didn't have a choice, really. That she loved them was just motivation.With Maya so focused on her task there wasn't much useful to be gleaned from her either. Kaoru was busy meeting the fans off to the side, apparently in part as an effort to keep them from swarming the stage while the clean-up happened. But it was surprisingly quick work, and things calmed down soon enough. The level of organisation was impressive."Hanazono-san, please don't touch that," Maya said, heading over to Tae."Hm? Oh, don't worry, I'm just looking," Tae said. She was checking out the speaker set-up for the stage."Oh? Do you have an interest in this stuff?" Maya asked."Yup! Well, I help with the equipment set-up and checks at the studios I work at. So I was curious how you do it." While Arisa could tell Tae was looking at cables, and what they were attached to, she could not understand what was so interesting about it. "Not very advanced," was Tae's conclusion."Ahaha... well, the school can't exactly afford the latest and best in equipment. But we've done a lot with what we have. If you want, I can show you our control desk?" Maya offered."Oh! Yes, please!"Apparently the geeks were gonna geek. Unless Maya had some sort of tech-related power, it seemed unlikely that Arisa would be able to find out anything from her either. At least Rimi had managed to find the courage to approach Kaoru, and Kasumi hadn't broken anything. But Arisa was tired. She was tempted to ask Kasumi to carry her home, but there was no way she could actually do that. It was fine as a fantasy, but she would literally die of embarrassment if that happened in real life.Tsugumi sidled over to her. "So?" she asked.Arisa could hear the rest of the question unspoken. "Nothing. Not that I expected to find out anything from such brief exposure. Kaoru-san is certainly special, but not in the way we're looking for I think. And Yamato-san seems pretty ordinary, aside from her organisational skills. Which I don't think that counts a power. Sorry.""No, it's okay," Tsugumi said with a smile. She was disappointed, but doing her best to hide it. "I guess I shouldn't have expected much.""I mean, they might have something," Arisa pointed out. "But I'd need to hang around them more to find out." Which wouldn't be easy."Maya-san, look out!"Arisa and Tsugumi both looked towards where the shout had come from. A shelving unit was falling over, and Maya was right underneath it. Though there was a surprising lack of alarm going through Maya's head. The most prevalent, and curious, thought was:
Not again.
There was a loud crash, and everyone ran over. Even Kaoru had immediately left her fans behind."Maya!""Maya-senpai!""Maya-san!"They heard a groan coming from under the shelving unit, and lifted it off of her as quickly as they could."Are you okay?""Yeah, I'm fine..." Maya said. But Arisa could tell that what she said didn't quite match what she was thinking: I will be fine, but did anything break? And she was referring to herself, not the stuff that had been knocked over. She got up, and quickly checked herself. Huh, I'm actually fine. "Sure you're okay?" Tae asked."Yup. But, uh... how does the uniform look?" Maya asked."A bit of paint splash on the back," Tsugumi said. "But it doesn't look torn or anything."Relief washed through Maya. At least that's easier to wash away than blood. And nothing's broken, or stuck in me. Luckier than last time. Arisa didn't really understand what Maya's thoughts were saying. Then she saw a mental image of a piece of wood sticking out of Maya's side, which made her jump."Are you okay, Arisa?" Kasumi asked."Huh? Uh, yeah, I... I just... thought I saw a cockroach." Arisa came up with a quick lie."C-cockroach?" Rimi was rapidly checking the floor around her feet."Don't worry, I think I just imagined it, ahaha..." Arisa said.While everyone was helping put the mess back into place, Arisa managed to pull Tsugumi aside for a moment."I think Yamato-san might have something after all, Tsugumi-chan."* * *"Hi! Uh... I... I'm Yamato Maya. I'm Pastel*Palettes' drummer, and part of Haneoka's drama club. And now also this club?" Maya felt a little awkward.Once all the work had finished after the open play the other day, she had been approached by Tsugumi, Moca, and even Arisa. She hadn't understood at first what they meant as they tried to explain they had found out about her, but eventually things had become clear. And after clearing up that they weren't intending to reveal her secret, or blackmail her, or anything like that, she had eventually agreed to come along to what they called a 'club meeting'. Apparently everyone in the room had some unusual ability like hers. Not exactly like hers, but something regular people couldn't do."And... uh... I have the ability to heal really quickly from any injury. Though I hope you understand that I would prefer to not demonstrate," she said. There weren't really any safe or tasteful ways to do that."Whoooaaaa," Ako looked at her in awe. "You're like Wolvermang!""Wolverine," Rinko quietly corrected her."Do you have retractable claws?!""Uh... no." Maya didn't think she would like having those.Apparently Ako had some sort of special sight, while Rinko had demonstrated that she could turn invisible. It was all very surreal, like something out of a manga."I can confirm she's telling the truth," Arisa said. "So I don't think a demonstration is necessary." She seemed a little unnerved.Maya was a little unnerved herself, knowing that Arisa could literally read her mind. That was how she had been found out, because she had thought about that time an accident happened with Eve present. It was unsettling, but she didn't think Arisa was a bad person. Certainly the others wouldn't let her be there if she was.Speaking of the others. Tsugumi had explained that there was a reason she had a reputation for being in several different locations at once. Because she actually could. It made Maya entertain the idea that if she had multiples of herself, she could set up a whole stage on her own. Moca could change her shape, and had turned into a copy of Maya right in front of her eyes. Everything about the situation was pretty freaky, but Maya had to admit she was rather freaky herself.Still, it was kinda nice to find out she wasn't alone.The final two were Misaki and Sayo, who both had super-strength. And apparently Misaki could climb any surface, while Sayo could actually fly. That was just like the real, proper superheroes you saw on TV. While everyone had impressive abilities, those two seemed to be a cut above. At least in the traditional sense of what you thought of when someone mentioned superpowers."We're happy to have you with us, Maya-senpai," Tsugumi said, and smiled warmly."Uh, thanks," Maya said, and sat back down. She wasn't entirely sure if she deserved to be there with the others, but at least they seemed sincere about wanting her there."You know~, we had been wondering if anyone from Pas*Pal had any powers~," Moca said."Considering the rest of us, we thought it would be weird if that was the only band without someone," Misaki elaborated.Maya supposed that made sense. There had to be several people outside of the bands too, considering how many they had found within. But it sounded like finding everyone so far had been slow work, luck, and happenstance."Do you know if anyone else in Pastel*Palettes has any unusual abilities?" Sayo asked."Hmmm..." Maya thought about it. "I know that Eve-san doesn't, so I had assumed... well, Hina-san is certainly something special, but..." Sayo was shaking her head. Maya had expected that, or surely Hina would be there with them already. "I haven't noticed anything in particular about Aya-san, or Chisato-san, but I also had no clue about any of you, so who knows. I certainly won't be surprised if it turns out Chisato-san is a superhuman. She always seems to have everything more together than the rest of us combined.""Shirasagi-senpai is certainly formidable regardless," Arisa said. No one in the room seemed about to dispute that. "But I haven't been able to pick up anything while trying to get closer to her, or Aya-senpai. Not that I managed to get anything conclusive from Kaoru-san either.""Well, that's all we can do about that for now, then," Sayo said, then reached into her bag, and pulled out a large tin. "Onto other things, I had Imai-san teach me a new cookie recipe. I made some to celebrate our new member."Maya blinked. She had no idea Sayo baked, nor would she have expected it. Lisa had shared snacks with them on occasion though, so she was at least curious how they had turned out.Quite good, actually.The meeting then transitioned into talking about more mundane stuff. Like Sayo having to help Yukina rescue a cat from a tree, without using her powers. Yukina had absolutely refused to move while the cat was stuck, even though they were on their way to practice. Ako was considering changing the name of her power to 'The Piercing Eye of the Apocalypse', but input from the others convinced her to keep 'Dark Gaze of Truth'. It was less of a mouthful. The subject of a name for the club resurfaced. Tsugumi really wanted to make the GURL thing happen, but so long as it sounded the same she was happy. So this time she pitched GIRL: Girls In Radical Leather. They would all need to get leather jackets as a uniform. That was also shot down.So far Rinko's suggestion of the Superpowers Association had the most support, but Tsugumi refused to give up. Saying she would find a way to win them over.But for the moment they were the SPA Club.