Shadow Gate to the Unstable World

Living on

Chika's POV

The sorrounding felt depressing, as we quietly sat down in our sit. We are currently going to the festival, second round after the Tsushima incident.

The fight came to an end yet my mind is still in chaos. We might have defeated the enemy, but we felt utterly defeated inside. Losing a friend really hurts than I could have ever imagine. It hurt more than the scars I've got during that fight. But I know I have to keep strong. As a friend and as a leader, I have to be strong.

"Hey, Riko-chan? Are you awake?" I slightly nudged the sleeping girl beside me.

"Eh? Chika-chan?" I smiled at the newly awakened girl, as I she looked around in confusion.

"We arrived at the arena. Kanan-chan's group had just finished and they won."

"Mhmm... That's glad to hear."

"Do you want to rest for today, Riko-chan?"

Riko-chan smiled at me as if she was sensing my worries. She shook her head slowly before getting up.

"No I can't. Plus, we have the semi-final coming up tomorrow. I don't want to be a burden to our team."

Smiling, I stood up and followed her. The two of us were headed to Mari-chan's hotel for a meeting. Arriving outside the meeting room, I composed myself before opening it wide with a smile.

"Hello everyone!" Everyone looked at me silently before Ruby-chan answered first.

"Hello Chika-chan." She flashed me a forced smile.

"Is everyone present?" Riko-chan asked. She walk in and sit beside Mari-chan. Sighing, I resigned myself to sit beside my girlfriend.

"Then, let's start the meeting. Dia-san, what kind of competition are we going to face tomorrow?"

All eyes looked at Dia-san as she looked at some kind of paper. That paper was initially for me but took it saying I'm not to be trusted handling these things.

"I...uhh..." Dia-san was strangely having a hard time looking at the papers.

"Dia-san, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm quite fine." Dia-san avert her gaze from us, as she continued to stare at the papers

"No, your not fine onee-chan." Ruby-chan's voice made Dia-san stop her useless attempt to looked fine.

"Honestly, we all feel the same way." Mari-chan added.

"But this feeling shouldn't dragged us down." Shocked, we all looked at Riko-chan. Her eyes already lost their shine as she put up a front to be fine.

"So are you saying we should forget her, zura?!" Everyone was more shocked when Hanamaru-chan raised her voice.

"I didn't say anything like that. Why must you took it in the wrong way!" Riko-chan snapped back.

"Hey, calm down guys. We came here for a meeting, remember?" You-chan tried to intervene but she was quickly pushed back by a unison yell from Hanamaru-chan and Riko-chan.

"We know!" After that, they avert their gaze from each other before going back to their sits.

"Haaaaaah... With these melancholic atmosphere, I don't think we can formulate a plan regarding our tomorrow's competition." Dia started and everyone agreed silently.

"Then what are we going to do? As much as I liked to say everything's fine, we all know that it's not fine. But that's exactly why we should step up and do what we must." Riko stood again with her head down.