[TSSIM] Chapter 391: Honoka and Kotori

Everyone continued reading chapter nine of 'Love Live!' until the very end.

"..."

In the middle of their reading, they paused and fell into silence.

Hanayo squinted her eyes, her eyelids twitching constantly. She couldn't help but point to a particular panel and speak up.

"This letter..."

"Isn't Kotori-chan's name on it?" Honoka also asked.

"Why... Why does Homura-kun know about this...?" Kotori looked complicated. "I clearly didn't have time to tell..."

"..."

Seeing Kotori's reaction, Homura sighed and answered.

"It's your mom who told me. She got my number from Ayano. I've mentioned before that you have a great talent for fashion design, and it seems like you're really interested in it. That's why I suggested you consider going to a college related to fashion design, but... I didn't expect a fashion school to already decide to accept you..."

"Why would my mom..."

"Because of Honoka." Homura said directly.

"...Me?" Honoka was a bit dumbfounded and pointed at herself.

"To be honest, I'm a bit worried about things going this way..." Homura quickly took out a new manga manuscript from behind him.

"What's this?" Nozomi took it and said in surprise. "Is this the manuscript for chapter ten? No... it's a bit thick. Is there also chapter eleven?"

Homura shook his head. "It's not the original manuscript. At best, it's just a possibility. Everyone should finish reading first, then we'll talk. Go ahead, read it."

Hearing his words, despite how complex their feelings were, they all focused their attention on the manga manuscript.

Starting with Nico failing to secure the use of the auditorium, and then, at Honoka's suggestion, they decided to set up a simple stage on the rooftop.

'So that's why Homura-kun asked me about the school festival process...' Eli also suddenly realized why he had asked her about it earlier.

After that, Honoka in the manga became completely engrossed in preparing for Muse's performance, entirely ignoring the strange behaviors of those around her.

Pushing herself through exhaustion, constantly practicing, until finally, on the day of the school festival, she fell sick with a fever.

"It really is so typical of Honoka..." Umi wanted to laugh, but she couldn't.

When it rains, it pours.

Not only was Honoka running a fever, but the weather was also uncooperative, raining just as their performance began.

Right after the first song, Honoka slipped and collapsed.

Honoka: "..."

Everyone exchanged perplexed glances.

They all believed this was something Honoka would do, but could things really be this coincidental? Was it possible for bad luck to fall continuously?

And so, the manga manuscript pages continued to turn.

After Honoka fell ill, Eli, in order to stop Honoka from pushing herself too hard, discussed it with the others and decisively decided to withdraw from the tournament of Love Live!.

Homura's drawings captured Nico's frustration perfectly, coupled with her acting normal when visiting the sick Honoka. Even though it was only in the manga and didn't really happen, Honoka already felt a pang of guilt.

Finally, they reached the part where Umi confronted Kotori.

With the manga's portrayal and Umi's additional explanations, they understood why Kotori couldn't bring herself to speak up.

If Honoka had paid more attention to those around her, she would have noticed something was off with Kotori.

If Honoka hadn't pushed herself so hard, she wouldn't have fallen ill and would have learned from Kotori after the school festival.

Just meeting one of these conditions would have given Honoka ample opportunity to hear Kotori out, keeping her by her side, and ensuring there were no issues with Love Live!.

Nonetheless, Homura chose to show them the worst possible outcome.

Everyone grew more and more disheartened as they read further, until where Honoka in the manga became utterly despondent and proposed quitting Muse.

"Ouch!" Honoka suddenly covered her face.

"Hahaha!" Homura couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Hearing his laughter, Honoka rubbed her face in confusion.

"Ehh... it doesn't hurt!"

After saying that, she glared at Homura.

"It's all your fault, Homura-kun!"

"Bruh, why is it my fault?" Homura shrugged calmly.

Honoka: "..."

"Because it feels real, right?" Homura continued with a smile. "You unconsciously felt that what I drew was so real that you couldn't help but get absorbed into it, treating the manga events as if they were happening right now. So, after Umi slapped you hard in the manga, you also felt the slap and reacted like that. Am I right?"

"Hmph!" Nico crossed her arms and huffed. "What an awful turn of events."

"Yeah, it's really terrible..." Homura nodded. "So, can you all do me a favor?"

"Don't let things end up like this manga... is that what you want to say?" Nozomi said directly.

"Umu... Kotori's mom probably feels the same way." Homura chuckled. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have told me about it."

"But the key to all this..." Maki said, looking at Honoka and Kotori. "Isn't really us..."

Once again, silence fell over them, with Honoka and Kotori becoming the center of everyone's attention.

"Kotori-chan..."

Honoka began with a complex expression on her face.

"It's true... I've been neglecting the people around me lately."

"Even though you must have shown some signs of something being wrong, I didn't notice at all... We've been friends since we were very little... Why couldn't I notice it...?"

Kotori remained silent, waiting for Honoka to finish speaking.

"But thanks to Homura-kun, who worked so hard to draw all these, after seeing how bad I've become, I've woken up!" Honoka straightened her expression.

"So... please don't go, Kotori-chan!"

Honoka suddenly lunged forward and hugged Kotori around the waist.

"Like Homura-kun had said, Kotori-chan, you can go to college for fashion design! But, if you really can't wait until college... then we'll make Homura-kun learn it! He'll definitely master it in no time! Then he can personally teach you! It'll absolutely be way better than any school!"

'What?' Homura froze in place.

He was completely dumbfounded by Honoka's unreasonable words, with a face that said, 'Is this Honoka a fake one?'

"Pfttt..."

"Hahaha..."

Honoka's unreasonable words and Homura's expression made all the girls unable to hold back their laughter.

Nozomi, Nico, Maki, Hanayo, Elf, and Eriri laughed heartily.

Nonetheless, Honoka still kept talking.

"If that's still not enough..." Honoka paused. "Then I'll move into your house! I'll stick to you every day!"

'Huh?'

Eli found Honoka's words oddly familiar.