Starlight

"You must be out of your damned mind!"Izumi scoffed, groaning and stomping away from Ranko's bed. "Look, the guy told Mei he was looking for pop idols, right? So, why wouldn't you want to look the part tonight? He's probably out front right now!"Ranko gestured at the black dress, white apron and white petticoat splayed out on her bed in frustration. "I don't give a damn if the emperor himself is down there playing mahjong with Batman and Godzilla, I'm not dressing up like a freaking maid! It's just not happening!"Akane, who had come straight from school so as not to risk missing her girlfriend's audition, shook her head and grinned. Typical, stubborn Ranko.Izumi glowered. "Akane, talk some sense into her, will ya?"The raven-haired high schooler put up her hands defensively. "I'm staying out of this one. Ranko, I do think you might want to consider doing something on the cuter side, but I can also understand why you would think that might be over the top."Izzi turned to her. "What else would you suggest? I mean, the usual suspects for idols are the maid thing, harajuku stuff, swimwear, and…" She looked Akane over. "Would you say you girls are about the same size?"The redhead turned. "Why do you…" She blinked, looking at Akane, then back to Izumi. "You wouldn't." Izumi just nodded."Ranko, what is she…"Akane's girlfriend answered with a sigh. "She wants you to loan me your school uniform." The self-same outfit that ran her off from her home at the Tendos' place all those months ago.Akane blushed. "I mean, it's not the worst idea… and it's certainly more modest than… that. I'm fine with it if you want. And, of course, if you loan me something else to wear, because…" She motioned to the uniform laid out on the bed. "... no."Ranko scoffed, sitting down on the bed disgustedly. "I swear, the two of you! Why can't I just dress normal?"Her sister sat on the bed beside her. "Because if being a star was normal, everyone would do it. Tonight, Ran-chan, you need to shine. Not for me, or for Akane, or even that talent scout guy, but for yourself."Akane stood, opening Ranko's closet and rifling through a few things before pulling out her girlfriend's lavender sundress. "I'll be right back." She stepped into Ranko's bathroom, leaving the door open a crack as she began to change."You don't have to do this, ya know, Akane. Like, really, you don't," Ranko groaned.She stepped out of the bathroom a moment later in Ranko's dress, handing her school outfit to her girlfriend. "I do. And so do you." Ranko looked down, but Akane put a finger under her chin, lifting it up until their eyes met. "I'm not letting you sabotage this for yourself. I know you want this, and I know you're just looking for a way out because you're scared and you don't want to admit it. And hey! It's okay to be scared. But it's not okay to let it stop you. It never has before, and I'm not letting it happen on my watch. So, put a smile on your face, get dressed, and let's go down there together and show this guy how freaking amazing you are, huh?"Ranko stood, taking the dress from her. Akane stepped forward, giving her a reassuring hug. "You've got this. And we've got you. No matter what."The redhead leaned up to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks." She turned her glance to Izumi while still enveloped in Akane's arms. "Both of you."A few moments later, Ranko emerged from her bathroom in Akane's school dress. It actually didn't look that bad, she thought to herself. Admittedly, the dress itself was less of what terrified her back in Nerima; it was more about the concept of going to Furinkan as a girl and all that would entail. But, a part of her did feel like it was a milestone to be wearing the outfit she had once dreaded above all others, and feeling okay about it – mostly.Izumi beamed, looking over to Akane. "I'm thinking two pigtails? White bows?"Akane nodded with a wolfish grin. "Oh, definitely."Ranko sat on the bed, looking up at all three of their reflections in the mirror on her closet door. "Just so you know, I hate you both."Izumi laughed, picking up her pink chrome-finished hairbrush. "Whatever, honey, as long as you look cute doin' it."Some five minutes later, the trio descended the stairs, where Yui and Mei were both in the kitchen awaiting them. Yui smiled happily, laughing in Mei's direction. "You look great, Ranko!"Mei groaned, reaching into the pocket of her denim skirt and pulling out a 1000-yen bill, which she handed to the blonde while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, she does." She gave her youngest sister a smile and pushed through the saloon door out into the bar to finish her preparations.Pocketing the bill, Yui turned to the other three girls. "Okay. We're reserving table five, front-and-center, for the agent guy. I'm not sure if he's bringing anybody else with him. We'll keep the VIP table off to the side reserved for Akane like usual. Izumi, you make sure that mister big shot has everything he needs. Don't charge him for anything, mama's orders. She's gonna help with the rest of the tables, and I'm bartending. Mei, of course, is doing sound and lights."Akane put up her hand tentatively. "If everyone else is busy, I can help too, if somebody tells me what to do."The blonde smiled at her. "You have the most important job of all of us." She turned her eyes to the twin-tailed redhead in the teal-and-white school dress. "You're going to make sure this one has somebody cheering for her every second she's up there, so she knows we're all with her tonight."Izumi smiled. "And always."Akane nodded emphatically. "I can do that!" She squeezed Ranko's hand tightly.The din of a crowd began to waft over the saloon doors as Hana admitted the first of the night's patrons. Yui clapped her hands. "Alright, let's do this, everybody!" She pushed through the swinging doors and took her station, and Izumi followed, patting Ranko on the shoulder as she passed and leaving her and her once-fiancee alone in the back room.Akane looked down into her partner's eyes, and saw the fear still lingering in them. She rested her hands on Ranko's shoulders, waiting to have her attention. "Hey. Listen to me. You've got this. No matter what happens, I'm proud of you. We all are. He wouldn't be here if you weren't already amazing, so you don't have to prove that. Just go be who you are every night out there, and show him how much you belong on that stage." She moved her right hand from Ranko's shoulder to her left breast. "Show him that's where your heart is."Ranko took Akane's hand from her chest, clasping it in both of hers. "I will. Well, most of it." She smiled. "My heart won't be on the stage. It'll be sitting at a table six meters to my left." The sound system began to pound, and Ranko took a deep breath. "That's my cue." She hopped on her toes twice to psych herself up and pressed through the doors to the sound of cheers.Standing alone in the kitchen, Akane wiped a happy tear from the corner of her right eye before following.