Amu found herself being overwhelmed by the countless colours of garments in her surroundings. She looked around and wondered how she was dragged and convinced by her best friend to go shopping in the first place. Amu knows very well how these day trips usually go: Mayu shopping for dresses while she stands there and wait to carry her bags. If she’s lucky, she gets a free lunch. Maybe this is what it’s like to be friends with a famous actress?

Amu shook this thought aside and involuntarily checked her phone for any messages from a certain university offering her a scholarship in New York. She had been feeling torn about the offer for days now and has finally decided to turn it down. This is something she has decided to hide even from her closest friends – even from Mayu. However, instead of an intense email, the girl saw a message from her boyfriend which immediately pulled both ends of her lips apart. 

“Ryo told me it’s too soon to miss you. Is it?”, the text read. Amu giggled at this and swiftly texted back. 

--

“I was going to ask you the same thing. I miss you, Dai-chan”

“I can’t wait to see you after rehearsals. I love you, my princess”

--

 “Ne, Amu-chan… You should get this. It’ll look cute on you!”, before the girl could text back, Amu felt Mayu pull part of her sleeve to gain her attention. At once, the girl placed her phone inside her skirt pocket, hoping that the latter did not see any of her messages.

“Who are you texting?”, Mayu asked, her eyebrow raised as if ready to interrogate the younger one.

“Eh? Uhm… no one”, Amu chuckled while trying her best to stay focused in order to shake her friend’s suspicions. 

“It better not be that ‘Rio’”, Mayu shrugged, referring to Amu’s good friend. Mayu have never been fond of the said girl and from what Amu gathered from Rio, the feeling is mutual, “Just hanging with her is social suicide”, she continued while messily bumping the metal hangers on the clothes rack. 

With an attempt to change the topic, Amu quickly grabbed the dress Mayu recommended, “Ah, you’re right. This dress looks cute. I should try it on”, she nervously fiddled with the blue garment and excused herself towards the dressing room.

Within minutes, Amu came out from the changing room and asked Mayu what she thinks. The girl came out shyly while gaining few pairs of eyes towards her direction. Her skin pattern perfectly complimented with the blue dress, making strangers look at her in awe. 

Mayu, on the other hand felt annoyed at this and clicked her tongue. Amu waited for her friend’s response and was expecting her to at least smile but instead, she furrowed her eyes and shook her head. This is something Mayu does that sometimes makes Amu feel small. 

“I was wrong. I think it’ll look better on me. Let me try”, Mayu pulled the exact same dress from the rack and made her way towards the changing room, bumping on her shoulder as she passed by.  

Amu released an exasperated sigh and felt her shoulders slump down. She went back to the dressing room and changed back to her original outfit. The poor girl could not help but reminisce how many times this has happened before. Ever since they were little, Amu always find herself going through everything Mayu wants. Having Amu’s family close with Mayu’s parents, the two girls basically grew up together. Even as children, Mayu tends to stop Amu from getting close to other people and gets overly jealous of her material possessions. This is one of the reasons why Amu hides the fact that she is now in a relationship with Daiki Arioka. 

“I told you this’ll look better on me”, Mayu flipped her hair back while admiring herself in the mirror, “Are you not taking anything?”, she asked as she looked at Amu’s defeated smile. Somehow, she felt victorious after seeing her friend miserable. 

“No, I’m good. I actually need to go now. I have some… uhm, work to do”, she lied. She was lucky that Mayu was still preoccupied with some more shopping when she had the chance to slip away. With much luck, she left off a relieved sigh and went towards her favourite café. 

---

Amu sat on their usual spot at the far end of the café. Amu and her friends come in almost every day in the same coffee shop that the owner keeps the table reserved for the group. The girl greeted the same barista as he went past her, signalling her usual order – matcha latte. 

“You’re early”, Amu noted the presence of her friend who was already sitting comfortably on one of the seats surrounding the table. The long-haired girl turned around and reciprocated her friendly smile with a tight hug. 

“Ryo and Dai-chan are looking for a good parking spot. I had to get out of the car before my ears bleed from their usual bromance spats”, Rio rolled her eyes before turning a page from her medical book. 

Amu chuckled before taking a seat next to her, “You should be used to them by now. I mean, you’re always with JUMP after all”.

“If I didn’t need the money, I’ll probably just see them on TV shows and concerts. Yama-chan is too much of a distraction that I can’t focus on my studies”, she explained while scratching her head with the back end of her pencil, “I mean, I can’t study at all when he’s around! It’s worse now since I’m summoned in the Jimusho every day to check up on him after his injury”, she continued to moan while reminiscing the times she’s been called by Yabu to tend simple issues such as tending the members’ minor injuries, creating diet plans and even making them sleep early before a concert. It seems like after knowing that she’s nearly a fully licensed doctor, JUMP’s manager has now appointed Rio as Hey! Say! Jump’s official babysitter. 

“Like you can resist not seeing Yama-chan every day?”, the younger one teased. She knows how much Rio fancies the said boy but after all this time working as a crew member for Hey! Say! Jump, the two have never admitted their feelings for each other. 

Amu appeared to be successful in making her friend fluster when her face turned as red as her favourite fruit – strawberry, “I know you said dating a celebrity is