Operation: Scare Nozomi

HAIR

The next idea of a prank came, surprisingly, from Maki. "Try this. It's not because I wanted to help or anything. I just found it... Somewhere." Maki offered the rainbow coloured bottle and then crossed her arms defensively.

Muse crowded around to read the label. Rainbow colour shampoo hair dye.

"Nico snatched it to read the instructions carefully. She'd learnt her lesson from the air horn episode, where she hadn't found out exactly how loud the thing was.

"How exactly did you get this anyway?" Kotori said with her best derpface.

Maki shrugged. "Don't know. Technology."

Once Nico satisfied herself with the label, they began to brainstorm how to execute the plan. Someone had to actually go to her house to gain access to her shampoo.

At this, Eli had enough. "I'm not gonna be part of a prank where we turn Nozomi's hair into a rainbow. Sorry." She stalked off, presumably, to find Nozomi.

This seemed to discourage the other girls, and they shrank back from the task, scared of Nozomi's prowess.

"Fine, fine! Do I have to do everything myself?" Nico cried impatiently.

"Yay! Go Nico-nyan!" Rin glomped her as said girl desperately tried to shove the cat girl off.

"Fight o dayo! We are rooting for you, comrade Nico!" Honoka cheered drowning out Umi's warning for not using too much dye.

Miraculously, Nico found Nozomi later that same day and offered to walk her home. Nozomi graciously accepted.

As they walked, Nico clutched at the dye bottle through her bag and fell deep into her thoughts on how to making this plan a success.

"... do you think so?" Nozomi nudged her, bringing her out of it.

"Huh?... Sorry?"

"Haha, out of sorts today? I was saying It feels like everyone's been avoiding me lately. Do you think I did something wrong? Or is it just me?" From the corner of her eye, Nico saw Nozomi's cheerful façade break a little.

"Woah there!" Nico grabbed Nozomi by the shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. "You're the heart of Muse, you're what keeps us together. They'll never dislike you or whatever. It's... It's not your problem, okay?"

There was a flicker of genuine gratefulness in Nozomi's eyes, then her normal mischievous cover came back.

"Wow... I'm so touched. That's surprising coming from you."

Nico decided to play along, starting along the path without waiting for Nozomi. "That better not be sarcastic."

Upon reaching Nozomi's home, Nozomi invited Nico inside. Just as Nico hoped.

As Nozomi busied herself making tea and snacks for her visitor, Nico excused herself to the bathroom and busied herself trying to recall the interior of Nozomi's bathroom.

"Come on... I've stayed over before..." Nico mumbled as she searched for Nozomi's shampoo. "Ah! There it is!"

The deed was over in a snap. She opened the shampoo cover and poured in a small amount of the dye, just enough to cause noticeable change and then replaced the bottle on the bathroom rack.

As she left the bathroom, she was greeted by melodious humming and the fragrant aroma of freshly-brewed fruit tea. Nozomi had this side to her as well, huh.

Nico spent the rest of the evening in easy companionship with Nozomi, excusing the fact that the latter kept forcing her to study.

Now all she had to do was wait for the firework and the explosions to start.

Sure enough, Nozomi came to school the next day wearing a beanie that was pulled down just above her ears. She was sporting her usual twin-tailed hairstyle... Except it looked immensely different.

Nico had to stifle an unladylike chortle when she saw how ridiculous Nozomi looked. Thankfully only the third-years were in school at the time or else there would have been a big hullabaloo by now.

Eli looked at Nico, followed her gaze to Nozomi and then glanced at Nico again. Once she put 2 and 2 together she shot a disbelieving glare at Nico and then went over to Nozomi.

"What happened?"

Nozomi's expression was akin to a lost puppy's. "It kinda just appeared overnight."

Nico started between giggles, "It... Must... Have been... The gods' doing!" Nozomi actually seemed satisfied with the explanation.

The girls entered school together, a tension-filled silence between them.

"OH MY KAMI! IS THAT NOZOMI SENPAI FROM MUSE?!"

Omake:

Nozomi's hair went back to normal in a week as it was temporary dye. And also because Eli went over to her house afterward and dumped the remains of her ruined shampoo. Also, Nozomi suspected nothing.