Nervous

Wednesday.

As expected, Homura took a day off from school.

"Never thought Hana would show up too~!"

On their way to Otonokizaka High School, Elf teased Muramasa.

Muramasa turned her head away, ignoring Elf's teasing.

"When the rest of us decide to go out, she's left all alone, isn't she? If she were at her own home, that would be fine, but here, I think she'd rather come with us." Homura chuckled.

Elf glanced at Sagiri and Nayuta, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, what you're saying makes sense."

"Nii-san, how many people do you think will be there today?" Sagiri, basking in the sunlight, asked.

Homura thought for a moment and answered.

"It shouldn't be too few. First, I think a lot of students are interested in the school where Muse is, and second, I guess many people, especially Muse fans, will find a middle school girl among their relatives to use as their 'ticket' to get in."

"Ticket, huh..." Elf smirked.

"We're here today to be those tickets!" Nayuta giggled.

"Hey, Miss Ticket, did you bring your student handbook?" Muramasa asked calmly.

Her question was clearly directed at Elf.

"I'm not a person anymore?!" Elf was exasperated, thinking that 'Miss Ticket' was worse than being treated like a 'Demi-Human'.

"I'm just reminding you not to forget your student handbook. You can't get in without it." Muramasa added.

"I know!" Elf grumbled.

"Mine is at home, so I'd have to go back to Chiba to get it." Muramasa continued.

"Mine is at home too..." Nayuta admitted, her enthusiasm dwindling, perhaps indicating her dislike for her school.

"Mine... is useless..." Sagiri mumbled quietly.

Indeed, her student handbook was of no use because she was only in her first year of middle school.

Elf, acting nonchalant, secretly glanced at Nayuta's expression, then breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I forgot where I put it, but I finally found it... It took me forever to find, though."

"Good thing I remembered and reminded you. If we had to search for it now, I doubt we'd even get into Otonokizaka today, would we?" Homura shook his head in exasperation. 

Upon hearing that, the girls looked sheepish, imagining the awkward scene of not being able to enter the school despite knowing about the event more than two weeks earlier.

Such a situation would be very embarrassing.

===

After walking for a while, Homura and the girls arrived at the entrance of Otonokizaka High School.

"Heh... it's quite lively!" Elf commented as she looked at the crowd of people. "Homura, your guess was right!"

"It's probably because Muse increased their exposure a few days ago." Homura nodded. "But it's surprising that this many people showed up."

Over the last few days, Rin's 'Kill Me Baby Dance' and the poster Homura made for Muse have really cranked up the excitement for Otonokizaka High School's open day.

Homura and the girls began to line up to enter the school, and it was apparent that the security checks for entry were quite strict, given the large number of attendees.

As the line slowly moved forward, Haru, who was in Sagiri's arms, yawned out of boredom. Her expression made it clear that she wasn't excited about the event.

Anyone who occasionally saw Haru's expression couldn't help but blush at how cute she looked.

In the past, Haru might have hidden when seeing a crowd of people, but since meeting Homura, she had grown accustomed to such situations.

"Meow~? (Should I go in by myself?)" Haru asked.

"Hmm?" Homura turned his head and looked at Haru with confusion. "Little One, why do you want to go in by yourself?"

"Meow! (Today must be important for them! I can probably help that allergic girl to relax a bit.)" Haru answered with a serious expression.

Homura thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Alright, I agree. Just be careful."

"Meow~ (Don't worry, I'll stay away from the crowd and go find that girl.)" Haru nodded, then jumped down from Sagiri's arms.

"...Nii-san, why did Haru go in early?"

Sagiri had overheard what her brother said earlier, so she wasn't surprised by Haru's actions. She just didn't understand why Haru was doing it.

"You also know that Haru is a very mature big sister. She just wants to help Muse to relax." Homura explained simply.

Sagiri nodded in understanding.

As far as she could see, Haru had been taking care of many people.

Nayuta, Muramasa, and even she were all looked after by Haru. Even though it was just simple companionship, it was still companionship—something her own mother couldn't provide, but Haru always did.

Because of this, Haru had long become a part of their family.

===

Inside the school.

"Why are there so many people here today, nyaa~?" Rin looked puzzled and nervous.

Beside her, Hanayo also seemed visibly nervous.

"Rin-chan, this is partly thanks to you!" Nozomi smiled. "Have you forgotten the dance you did last time?"

"My dance... If I knew, I wouldn't have danced, nyaa!"

"Even so, there are so many people here today!" Honoka's eyes sparkled. "Isn't this what we've always wanted to achieve?"

"Exactly," Eli nodded solemnly. "The more people who come, the more potential students we might get."

"Our goal is within reach..." Kotori mumbled to herself. "Our school won't be closed down..."

"It's true, but..." Umi said, her expression darkening. "There are so many people... It's making me nervous!"

"What if we make a mistake..." Hanayo clenched her fists, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Okay, don't think about that!" Nico said seriously. "Don't doubt yourself! Remember, we even came all the way to Akihabara for a concert, right?"

Maki patted Hanayo's shoulder.

"We're all in this together, Muse is a group, so... share your worries with everyone. In the same way, we'll share our expectations, excitement, and determination with you."

As Maki finished speaking, the nine of them naturally gathered together and held each other's hands.

"Meow~"

"Huh? Is that a cat's meow?" Honoka asked, puzzled.

"It's Haru-chan, nyaa~!" Rin happily picked up Haru on the floor.

Seeing Haru, the others smiled, though it was a bit bizarre.

If Haru was here, then where was Homura?

At this moment, Nozomi's phone suddenly rang.

Looking at the message she received, a smile uncontrollably appeared on her face.

"Nozomi? What's going on?" Eli asked, looking at Nozomi's strange smile.

"Here, Eli-chi, it's for you." Nozomi said smilingly while handing her phone.

Eli took the phone and read the message.

...

[Haru decided to bring some warmth and ease the tension for all of you. By the way, we're still in line, so we'll be there soon.] — From Minamiya Homura.

...

Eli couldn't help but smile and share the message with the others.

After reading it, the girls all gently patted Haru with a smile.

"Haru-chan... thank you..." Rin muttered with a warm smile.