Arale

I'm really sorry...

*Sigh*... I need you to reflect on this. Deeply. Really, really deeply...

I'm talking ocean-floor deep...!

Arale

Yes...

I mean, pulling another group's member out in the middle of their own event... I've never even heard of anything like it...

Arale

I'm sorry...

That said!

Arale

...?

If they hadn't forced you onstage when you weren't even involved in their event, none of this would've happened.

So that's what we'll use to fight back!

Arale

...

Ritsu

Arale-chan.

Arale

Huh? Oh...

Ritsu

Are you okay?

Arale

Yeah... I got scolded...

Ritsu

...

Arale

I thought... my life was over back then...

Arale

But here I am. And today, I thought this time... it really was over...

Arale

But it wasn't.

Ritsu

Huh?

Arale

Ms. Manager said she'd fight back and told me to go back to doing what I always do as soon as I can...

Arale

That means I can keep doing this, right?

Ritsu

...

Ritsu

I'm done looking back.

Ritsu

You pulled me out of there, Arale-chan. I'm not turning back now.

Arale

Ricchan...

Ritsu

We'll be okay... I'm sure of it.

Arale

Hehe...

Arale

I am so, so, so, SO sorry!!

Nonoka

Whoa.

Yuno

It's fine... You just did what you wanted, right?

Arale

Urk!

Yuno

Wait, that's not what I meant...

Yuno

(Did I seriously push her in the wrong direction?)

Yuno

Oh... You won't be streaming for a while, so that should take some pressure off, right?

Arale

Uuurk!

Yuno

Wait, I'm not...

Arale

N-No! You all have every right to be mad at me!

Yuno

No, we're not...

Arale

I am sooooooooo sorry!!

Nonoka

It's okay~ Let's get to band practice!!

Arale

I know saying sorry isn't enough! So if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, I'll do absolutely anything...!

Yuno

Careful. Keep flailing like that and...

Miyako

Huh?

Nonoka

Whoa! Are you okay?

Arale

Eeeeeek! I'm so sorry!

Nonoka

Miyako-chan, you've got dark circles~

Miyako

I'm... in the final stretch of the artwork for the preorder bonuses...

Nonoka

What's a preorder bonus?

Arale

Oh! Yako-sensei's new manga volume comes out next week, so...

Nonoka

Ooooh~

Arale

Bookstores have six stickers in all, with three designs at random. And one anime shop has an ultra-cute mini clear file!

Miyako

I was asked to draw two of the designs.

Arale

! We are so blessed~

Arale

And that's not all! A bookstore in Akiba will display the legendary illustration that won the very first Magilulu fan art contest!

Yuno

Indoor voice.

Miyako

Ugh, my head...

Nonoka

Pain, pain, go away~

Miyako

I'm fine, thank you.

Arale

Oh...

Yuno・Miyako・Nonoka

?

Arale

Y-You can't even tell how sorry I am, can you...?

Arale

This happened before, too... Whenever I think something's amazing, I get carried away and don't come across as...

Arale

Yow?!

Yuno

We get it. You don't have to keep proving how sorry you are.

Arale

Yuno-san-chan...

Nonoka

Your lively self is the best!

Miyako

I agree.

Arale

You guys...

Arale

Thaaank yooouuuuu!

Arale

! Very much!!

Yuno・Miyako・Nonoka

...

Arale

Mmmmmm... *Sigh*...

Arale

...!

Arale

Miyako-san... Yuno-san-chan... Nono-chan-san...

Arale

My phone, my phone...!

Arale

Okay...

Arale

...

Arale

Ngh...

Arale

...!

Arale

(This hurts... I don't want to see this...)

Arale

(But...)

Arale

(If I'm going to move forward, I need to know exactly what's going on.)

Arale

(Otherwise, I won't see it coming if Viola tries something.)

Arale

*Inhale*... *Exhale*...

Poor Viola.

Wait, Elea's still in high school?

Wasn't there a video compiling all the awful stuff she did?

I've followed Clematis since her La-La-La-La Girls days, but I'm done. After this, I can't support her anymore.

Arale

!

Arale

Ricchan...

Arale

...

Arale

Those tears are fake. She's doing exactly what she did to me.

Arale

(I couldn't see it back then, but now I know Viola did the same thing to Utami-san.)

Arale

(I won't just take it lying down anymore. I will never go back to who I was then.)

Arale

I...

Arale

This time, I'm going to fight baaaaaack!!!

Arale

(Ms. Manager is so nice...!)

Arale

(But I can't keep leaning on everyone's kindness...)

Arale

"I dragged one of their members away and ruined the whole event." That's still true... How do I make that right?

Miyako

Arale-san?

Arale

! Miyako-san!

Arale

Wow~ what a coincidence!

Arale

Wooooow!

Arale

It's the original fan art piece~! This is amazing! So amazing! Wooooow!

Miyako

They put together this special display ahead of the new volume's release... and I wanted to see it for myself...

Arale

That's incredible! You drew this in elementary school...?!

Miyako

The lady next door ran an art class, and she'd let me use all the paints and supplies I wanted.

Arale

Whoa... So that's how...

Miyako

It took a lot of trial and error, but I was so happy when I won the award.

Arale

...

Arale

(She must've worked harder than I can even imagine to become a manga artist...)

Arale

(She puts out a new chapter every week even with band practice. She works so hard for her fans, and yet...)

Arale

I don't want her to hear all this ugly noise. How do I make it go away...? A firestorm... Put it out... But how...?

Miyako

...

Miyako

(Your entire inner monologue is coming out at full volume?!)

Miyako

(Am I even supposed to be hearing this?! This sounds extremely private!)

Miyako

(I-I-I don't really understand, but I'm sensing powerful waves of compassion and serious distress...)

Arale

Yako-sensei, I really love the stories you wri...

Arale

Hmm...

Miyako

Ah...

Miyako

...

Miyako

*Sigh*...

Miyako

(The tragic reality that I can't think of a single helpful thing to say when Arale-san needs it most!)

Miyako

(I can write endless lines of dialogue, but when it actually matters...)

Miyako

*Sigh*...

Excuse me!

Miyako

?

...!

Miyako

(Who is she?!)

Miyako

(I don't know anyone this gorgeous! Wait, me?! Does she actually need something from me?!)

...

Miyako

(Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!)

(Get a grip, Miyako!)

Miyako

(Ghk!)

Miyako

U-Um...?

I knew it! You're Fujimi Yako-sensei, aren't you?

Miyako

...!

(Miyako...?)

(H-Hey, Miyako! Miyakooooooo!!!)

I've been wanting to meet you...

Oh, I'm sorry. I happened to overhear you talking in the bookstore earlier.

And I'd seen a photo of you online before...

Um, this illustration...

Miyako

The very first piece I ever posted...

I fell in love with it at first sight.

I wanted to know what kind of person had drawn it, so I looked you up and found this article.

Miyako

You recognized me from a photo this tiny...?

Hehe.

Miyako

Ghk...!

I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time.

I'm so glad I got to talk to you.

Miyako

I-I'm honored...

Miyako

(She probably charms everyone like this and just breezes through life without a care...)

Hehe.

Miyako

(Ngh...!!!!!)

(Miyakoooooooooooooo!!!!!!)

Thank you very much...