Pastel*Rangers

Chapter 54 - Seeds of Doubt

"Kōya wo kake yuku hikari to naru toki

Watashitachi ga (Brightness)

Tsukuru (Brightness) shinjitsu (Brightness)

Katari tsugareru

(Legend) Nidoto

(Legend) Ai wa

(Legend) Horobi wa shinai"

Roselia finishes playing Opera of the Wasteland in one of the practice studio rooms at Live House CiRCLE.

"Good job, everyone" Yukina says.

"Rin-rin, you were awesome!" Ako cheerfully says.

"Th-thank you..." Rinko blushes as she accepts the compliment.

"It's getting late, don't you all think?" Lisa asks. "It's been getting even colder, too. We should head home before it gets too cold."

"Perhaps we should stop here, then"' Sayo agrees. "The cold isn't good for Minato-san's throat."

"I have a mask, but thank you for your concern" Yukina says.

Yukina, Ako, and Rinko exit the practice room while Sayo and Lisa finish up packing their instruments.

"Hey Sayo?" Lisa asks. "You've been walking with Ako and Rinko a lot lately. Did something happen?"

"What do you mean?" Sayo asks back.

"Don't you live in opposite directions? I noticed you've recently been walking the same direction as them after practice."

"Oh, that" Sayo says. "Perhaps I'm paranoid about this, but lately, I've been seeing shadow creatures around town."

"Eek!" Lisa lets out a little yelp. "I-I'm sure that's just your imagination, right?"

"Sorry, I forget you don't do well with scary things" Sayo apologizes. "Still. Ever since I had a dream in which we were trapped inside NFO, I've been paranoid of something happening to them."

"Wait, you had that dream too?" Lisa's eyes widen.

"Hold on. You too, Imai-san?" Sayo's eyes widen as well. "Is it the same one I had?"

"I don't know" Lisa says. "It was around the time we were playing way too much NFO, so I just thought I had that dream because of how much we played."

"Was it a dream in which Udagawa-chan was kidnapped?" Sayo asks.

"Yes!" Lisa answers. "And Hina was there, and she helped us save Ako!"

"It's not possible for people to have the same dream. But, if that wasn't a dream... No, that's impossible too." Sayo closes her eyes in deep thought.

"Why not ask Hina?" Lisa asks.

"I did" Sayo says. "I told her about it as soon as I woke up from it. She insisted it was all just a dream and that she doesn't remember anything."

"Do you think everyone else in Roselia had that same dream?" Lisa asks.

"I will ask Udagawa-chan and Shirokane-san" Sayo says. "Can I count on you to ask Minato-san?"

"Leave it to me!" Lisa winks and gives a thumbs up.

"Sayo-san! Lisa-nee! Let's go!" Ako says while bursting through the door to the practice room.

"Let's go" Sayo says. They meet up with Yukina and Rinko at the entrance. After waving goodbye, Lisa and Yukina head one way and Sayo, Ako, and Rinko walk the opposite direction.