Love Live! Reunite!

Chapter 50: Make You Proud

Nico refused to ride in the same limo as Nozomi after what happened during the limo ride to the interview. So Nozomi, Eli, Honoka and Maki rode in one limo together, and Umi, Kotori, Nico, Rin and Hanayo all rode in the second limo. Everyone was chatting during the journey, and everybody was buzzing with excitement.

They reached the Love Live stage, which was an outside stage that year. They didn't get a good glimpse because they drove by so quickly, but they could see it was big and spacious, with multicoloured spotlights shining on the jet black curtains, and a white border decorated with pink, blue and purple flowers.

The limos took the girl to a white building nearby, which was guarded by a big silver gate. The limo drivers had to type in a password in keypad of the wall by the gate in order for the gates to open.

"Whoa..." Kotori whispered in amazement.

"So cool, nya!" Rin agreed.

The girls all climbed out of the limo and headed to the grey door. Honoka didn't know why, but she began to feel a little nervous...

The door opened, and there was a woman waiting for them. She was tall and slender, with long burgundy hair that glinted purple in different lights. Her eyes were ocean blue. She was wearing a white blouse underneath a black buttoned up blazer and a purple tie. She was wearing a black pencil skirt, black opaque tights and black high heeled shoes. In her hand she held a clipboard. She looked every smart and ready to get to work.

Honoka gulped nervously. Everyone looked startled, apart from Nico and Hanayo... They both gasped and clasped their hands together.

"Toudou Erena!!" Nico and Hanayo cried in unison.

The woman smiled. "You recognise me?"

Nico fell to her knees and held her arms in the air. "Erena-senpai!! I have been blessed!!" Nico looked at Erena. "And, technically, you've also been blessed, since you get to see me!!"

Erena laughed. "Nice to see you too, Yazawa Nico. Please, don't call me 'senpai'. I don't need such formalities." Erena looked towards everyone else. "It's nice to see all of you again. It's been a while."

Honoka blinked, looking Erena up and down. "Wait... Toudou Erena from A-Rise?!"

Erena grinned. "That's me!"

"You're the manager of Love Live?!" Umi asked, surprise.

Erena nodded. "Well, me, Tsubasa-chan and Anju-chan are all the managers together."

Tsubasa, Anju and Erena were all member of the school idol group 'A-Rise'. They were the group that inspired Honoka to become a school idol and start her own group, after she learnt her school was going to be closed down. During one of the Love Live preliminaries, many years ago, A-Rise and μ's had to go head-to-head in order to win a spot at Love Live. Even though A-Rise was the most popular and well known school idol group, μ's was victorious, and went on to win Love Live that year.

"It's good to see you again," Eli smiled at Erena.

"You're looking well," Umi complimented.

Erena nodded and smiled back. "Same to you. Come inside, everyone is waiting for you."

Everyone entered the building, and were immediately in a large room, the ceiling filled with lights. The walls were cream coloured and the carpet was a clean grey. There were four black leather sofas arranged around a brown wooden coffee table. One of the walls had been turned into a bookshelf, which was half filled with books, and on the wall opposite there was a long table full of different food and drinks.