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Part 2 (February 1999): Mei wakes up on her fifth day at the show entertainment boarding house to the sesomething flying past her ear and the words: "Die Evil Spirit!"  It's her roommate, Riko, who is as happy as ever at being stuck in a double room with Mei and has set up a dartboard with Mei's picture on it.  Mei wants to be friends with Riko but Riko says no way, she doesn't like the brazen way Mei got in.  Riko says later, she's going to breakfast alone, but when the doorbell rings and Miura and Eiji(third guy in Sonic Boom) invite them to eat together, Riko changes totally and acts very nice.  She tells Mei that it's because she's a true show business pro.  Eiji says the breakfasts here are good, and says he's sad that he has to move out soon when he turns 16(I guess an age limit of some sort).  Mei is so happy to be eating with Miura that she pours soy sauce all over her rice, and Eiji goes to get her some more.  Miura makes fun of her, but in a fun way.  He says that the company president asked them to escort the girls to his office after.  Before they get to a table, some girls who aren't happy about Mei being so chummy with Miura and Eiji trip her and make her spill everything, but surprisingly Riko stands up for her.  Then Miura stops things before they get out of hand, and tells the girls not to worry about it.  He says stuff like that happens often, and Eiji says their sempai's were also jealous when Sonic Boom debuted first, and they got beat up a bit.  Miura tells Mei to just concentrate on her work, and Mei thinks that he's really professional, and starts to regret having challenged Sonic Boom.  Riko says just to Mei that she didn't save her before because she wanted to help her.  Then Riko makes a comment that makes Mei think that she might have a thing for Miura as well, and starts to worry.
    At the president's office, Mei and Riko are told that they will sing together as thri first job, which doesn't please Riko at all, though she doesn't show it.  Actually, when the president asked them how they were getting along, Riko acted like she and Mei were already best friends.  At the live show, which Sonic Boom are headlining, Mei and Riko will be 'Pearl'.  It will be at the Tokyo Grand Arena, which freaks Mei out because it holds 10,000 people!  Mei is getting really nervous, but is determined to try her best.  At the rehearsal/recording(I'm not sure which one) Mei is having trouble putting feeling into the song because of nerves.  Riko did hers perfectly the first time, and goes back while Mei is still trying.  Mei doesn't get back to the dorm until really late, and remembers that Riko is visiting her family so she won't be there.  She searches for her key, but then realizes that she left it in her room that morning!  When she knocks on someone's door to ask for help, a girl answers(it might be one of the ones from the caf) and tells her not to be an idiot, just sleep in the lobby for one night.  So Mei goes back to the lobby and sits down on the sofa there.  She gets a bit homesick, wondering how everyone at home is, and falls asleep.
    Miura comes in a short time later and sees her on the bench.  He tries to wake her up, but she's sound asleep.  She does, however, murmur his name in her sleep, and he thinks that maybe she's a fan of his.  When Mei wakes up, she has Miura's coat on her and a note from him, saying don't worry about returning it soon.  But Mei really wants to see him, just for a little bit, and heads for his room.  Before she gets there, though, she realizes it's 2 o'clock in the morning, and decides to do it in the morning instead.  Turning around, she's surprised to see Miura, who says he was worried and went to check on her.  He asks why she was sleeping there, and she says she forgot her key, and didn't know what to do, and starts crying.  She says when she was alone, she started thinking about her family and friends, and her lesson didn't go well, and she started to feel uneasy.  Mei is afraid that Miura will get mad at her, but instead he says she can sleep in his room for the night.  They'll be alone because Eiji isn't there, but Miura says don't worry, he won't try anything, which embarrasses Mei.  She thinks it's amazing how powerful the person you like is, in one moment Miura made all her worries disappear.
    In the morning, Mei has caught a cold, and is worried that she might not be well in time for the concert.

Part 3(March 1999): Mei got over her cold quickly, but is starting to get nervous about the show.  Riko reminds her that there are only two weeks left before tert, and Mei says if she doesn't sing well there, she'll give up trying to be a singer.  Riko catches what she said on tape, and tells her she won't let her forget it.  Mei does a lot of extra practicing by herself, and thinks that she different from Riko.  She was accepted out of pity, and she won't allow herself any excuses if she fails, like it was because of the cold or something.  She is interrupted by Miura and Eiji, who have just returne d.  Eiji tells her not to work herself to exhaustion, and says on the concert day they'll be there to support her.  Mei thinks how kind he is, but is still determined to work hard.  Eiji disappears to take a bath, and Mei returns with Miura.  She thanks him for letting her stay over that one night, and is embarrassed when she remembers how she fell right asleep when she sat at the kotatsu(the table that has a blanket covering it and a heater underneath).  Miura tells her not to practice too hard and collapse on the important day.  Mei thinks that being with Miura on her first appearance will make her strong-hearted, and asks Miura how Sonic Boom was formed.  Miura says that in the summer of his 8th grade, he went to a live show of The Cosmos.  He happened to sit next to Eiji and Shouta and met them then.  They talked before the show and decided to form a band.  After, they started playing shows at a local club and eventually got scouted by their present manager.  He says they've had good luck, they debuted at a good time, and now it's been a year since they first debuted.  Miura continues, saying that a lot of bands disappear around this stage, but they have no intention of doing that,the hard part is just starting.  Mei says it's nice to be able to sing, and Miura agrees, saying if he could, he'd like to do it his whole life.  He says if he couldn't sing, his life wouldn't have any meaning.  Mei takes that to mean that he has no girlfriend, and thinks that the impression she gets of Miura is that his head is full of his work.  She thinks that her heart is steadily being taken over by Miura.
    That Sunday, Mei is horrified to realize it's Valentine's Day, and she totally forgot! Mei can't believe she forgot her opportunity to wipe away the humiliation of two years ago.  But as she walks along the hall, she thinks there's no help for it, and even if she remembered, she doesn't know how Miura thinks of her, and he might turn her down, saying he has no time for girls.  She sees Miura and is approaching him around a corner when she realizes Riko is with him, and giving him something!  Mei wonders if it's chocolate, and can't say anything.
    On the 20th, Mei and Riko arrive at the stadium.  Mei looks around the stands, and thinks of how it will look when 10000 people are watching, and starts to get really nervous.  Riko sees this, and Mei asks if Riko's really okay with it.  Riko says she's fine, and she's looking forward to scouting out cute guys from the stage.  She says even if Mei fails, she'll still do well, but Mei notices that her hands are shaking.s relieved that Riko's feeling the same way she is, and teases Riko about being stubborn.  Then they both see Shouta out on stage, holding a rose and talking to some invisible female fans.  Mei asks what he's doing, and Eiji says before any performance, Shouta goes into his own little world.
    In the waiting room, Mei is getting more and more nervous.  She wishes that she could have practiced more, even though the r ehearsal went perfectly.  The 5 minute mark is announced, and she and Riko are told to standby, but when Mei tries to stand up, her legs give out.  She can't stand up, and everyone asks her what's wrong but she doesn't know.  Miura tells her she's too nervous, and Mei says she wants to do it, but her body won't listen to her.  Time is running out, and Mei is starting to panic, when swoosh!  Miura picks her up in his arms, saying he won't let her run away now that she's come so far.  He deposits her onstage, behind the curtain, and starts to walk away.  Mei asks what she should do, she still can't stand, and Miura suggests she sing while sitting on the ground.  Mei thinks how annoying he is sometimes, and is finally able to stand up, thinking that it's always Miura that can affect her so strongly.  Pearl's song is received really well, and in the wings, Eiji comments that Miura was pretty outstanding before.  Miura says not really, and says at the audition he realized that Mei really hates to lose.  After their performance, Mei and Riko are really relieved, and Riko says she didn't know what was going to happen.  Mei apologizes, and thinks that she can hear Miura's song, and thanks him in her mind, thinking she loves him.
    Pearl's debut single is released, and it seems Mei and Riko will be a singing duo for a while at least.  Mei heads off to school(she transferred to one close to the boarding house) and asks Riko what she's doing.  Riko says she has a date, but says it's just a joke.  Mei is reminded of Valentine's Day, and wonders if Riko could possibly be doing something with Miura.  After school, Mei goes to Miura's room, but Eiji says he's been gone since the morning, and wonders if it's a date.  Mei is afraid, but then Eiji says he doesn't have any more work that day, and invites Mei to go somewhere for dinner together...

Part 4(April 1999): At the restaurant with Eiji, Mei is nervous. She asks if it’s all right for them to be out in public together(since Eiji is an idol), but Eiji says only old people come to that restaurant so it will be okay. Then he asks her if she likes Miura! Mei doesn’t answer, but Eiji says he can tell that she does by her face, and that he understands girls’ feelings pretty well because he writes a lot of love songs. Mei asks him not to tell Miura, and Eiji asks her not to confess to him for the time being. Mei is wary and asks why, and Eiji says he and Miura are in love. Mei, understandably, freaks out, and Eiji says he was just joking, and Mei is relieved. Eiji says when you fall in love, you don’t care as much about other stuff, like work and so forth, and right now Miura is doing really well. and he doesn’t want unnecessary trouble to be caused. Mei is trying to swallow this, and Eiji continues that it would also be bad if there was a scandal about it. He finishes, telling Mei he invited her out to tell her that. Mei wonders if he’s saying that her liking Miura is just an annoyance, when they’re interrupted by some high school girls. They’ve been spotted! Eiji and Mei quickly head out, and Eiji calls someone on his cell phone and asks for backup. Suddenly Shouta pulls up in his car(according to Mei it took him 2 seconds), and they hop in and speed away. Shouta asks them what they were doing, and though Eiji says they were just eating, Shouta says he’s suspicious. Mei is not happy.
Later, Mei and Riko are doing a taping as Pearl. Their debut song, Call Me, made it to #9 this week. She thinks that though she wants to be in the same world as Miura, since her debut she’s been so busy working she hasn’t seen him at all. She thinks of Eiji saying that when you’re in love, you don’t care about work, and thinks that she’s near Miura because she’s in show business, and if she hadn’t started this work she might never have seen him again. The next day, Mei leaves to go to breakfast and finds Miura outside her door. She’s very glad to see him, and he’s friendly. He congratulates her on her song, mentioning that Sonic Boom’s debut song went straight to #1 :b He gives her a copy of their upcoming album and asks her to listen to it. She’e really happy, thinking maybe this means something, and says she’ll listen to it every day. He says it’s nice to be able to give the album to someone who likes their music, and that he also has to give it to several people who aren’t fans. Mei remembers when he called her ‘just a fan’, and gets mad, saying she’s not a fan. Then she gets embarrassed, and runs past him, apologizing.
A little later, Shouta shows up at the dorm, steaming. He has two different magazines with two different pictures on the gossip pages, one of Miura with Riko, and one of Eiji with Mei. Shouta demands to know what’s going on. He then cries to Eiji, and compains that he’s the only one that didn’t get a picture, and Mei wonders
if that’s what he was really upset about, and not the scandal. Eiji reassures him, and Mei and Riko look at each other. Mei is surprised to see that Riko looks pretty mad...They’re all called to the manager’s office, and Eiji says he and Mei had some free time so they just went out to eat, and the manager asks if Miura and Riko are going out. Miura says no, actually, Riko’s brother is a big fan of the band the Cosmos(the Sonic Boom members met at one of their concerts) and had some really rare videos and tapes of them, and dubbed them for Miura, so to thank Riko he took her out. Mei realizes that probably that was what Riko gave to Miura on Valentine’s Day. The manager says that today they’ll all be on some music show and lots of hungry reporters will be there, and that for that whole time they are not to speak to each other. Getting ready, Mei asks Riko if she is good friends with Miura, but Riko ignores her question and suddenly tells her that she’ll never allow Mei to have Eiji. She says she’s liked Eiji since their debut, and thought there was no way that she could get serious with someone in show business, but now it was different and she won’t give up. She starts to leave, and Mei asks where she’s going. Riko replies that she’s going to confess her love to Eiji!
Before the show, Mei is waiting for Riko to show up. Miura comes and asks if she’s seen Eiji around, saying he and Riko went somewhere. Mei says no, and then Eiji appears. M ei asks him where Riko is, and he says he doesn’t know. Mei asks if something happened, and Eiji asks if it’s usual to confess right before the tapi ng of a TV show, and the same day of a scandal. Mei asks him what he told Riko, and Eiji says he told her that right now, his guitar is his only love. Shouta shouts at him for saying something so stupid, and Eiji says there was nothing else he could do, when he was told so suddenly and there wasn’t much time to talk. Mei is quiet, and Miura glances at her only to see in surprise that she’s furious! She takes Eiji’s guitar, and shaking and starting to cry, she tells him to go and give Riko a proper answer or else she’ll smash the guitar. She says how could he say that he understands girls’ feelings just because he writes love songs, and asks how much courage he thinks it takes for a girl to confess her love. Miura watches her while she cries. Eiji looking a bit shaken, says he’ll go and look for her, but before he can leave, Riko herself shows up, acting fine and apologizing for being late(she changed her hair). Riko goes up to Eiji and tells him she’s not giving up so easily, and Eiji is wordless. Sonic Boom is called up, and Riko asks Mei why she got mad, and tells her that she’ll kill her if she breaks Eiji’s guitar. Then she says reluctantly that at a time like this, maybe it’s good to have a female friend. Mei tells her that she likes Miura, and Riko says with really unobservant guys like him, nothing will start unless you’re
really obvious. Mei decides to take her cue from Riko and thinks that she'll comfess to Miura tomorrow that she’s always loved him...
 

Final Chapter (May 1999):
Mei and Riko finish up their recording session in the studio, and back at their room, Riko discovers that Mei still hasn't confessed to Miura yet.  She says while Mei is wasting time, some other girl might come and steal him away.  Mei thinks about tomorrow, when Sonic Boom will start a 2-month cross-country live tour.  But she's afraid of being rejected again, and thinks that she couldn't recover if that happened.  She gathers up her courage and decides to give him the same package as two years ago, though she had eaten the chocolate.  She writes a note for it, which says it's the chocolate from 2 years ago, and wishes him luck on the tour.  Mei imagines a happy scene with her giving it to him, and him finally remembering, and apologizing for thinking she was just a fan, and thinks it might happen like that.  She thinks that getting a two-way relationship will be a whole different problem, but decides to do it.  When Miura and Eiji return that night, they find the package.  Miura opens it up and reads the note, but tells Eiji it just wished him luck on the tour.  Miura looks thoughtful...
    The next day, Mei and Riko come at 6:30 to see them off.  Miura thanks Mei for the present, and Mei says it's nothing, while wondering if he noticed the note.  He gives her a ticket for their show at Tokyo Dome, telling her to come if she has time.  Mei thanks him, and Miura then asks what she meant by 'two years ago'.  Mei stops, and then vaguely asks if she wrote that.  She thinks it's no use, Miura doesn't remember her name or face.  Then Shouta arrives and they leave.  Miura tells Mei to come to the show disguised, and Mei turns around to face him with tears in her eyes, smiling and saying she doesnèt know if she'll be able to come though.  Miura stares at her for a second, and Mei thinks that he was probably really popular even long ago, and wonders if someone can forget a confession of love in two years.  She thinks that Riko was right when she said Miura might not care especially about her.  On the bus, Miura says she's impossible to understand.
    When the concert day arrives, though, Mei is there, disguised as a Sonic Boom fan.  She got there early and is glad that no one's around.  She thinks that even though she's been depressed, she's not going to give up, and it's not like she was dumped.  She considers shouting out that she likes Miura during the show from the front row, and looks for the entrance.  Before she can go in, she's stopped by two girls who ask to buy her ticket.  They're astounded to see that it's for the front row, and then the wind(I think) blows Mei's hat off!  The girls realize who she is...
    During the concert Shouta shouts at Miura, saying he sang the wrong lyrics and was late coming in.  Miura apologizes, and Eiji wonders aloud if he was so listless because 'someone' wasn't there.  Miura says how should he know.
    In a deserted area, the girls are talking to Mei.  She asks why they brought her there, and they look angry, saying they don't believe the rumours about her and Eiji.  They call her shameless, and then one pulls out an exacto knife!  She says that since the scandal with her and Sonic Boom, just seeing Mei's face makes her mad.  Mei, really scared now, cries out for Miura, and at the concert Miura looks at the emty seat in the front row...
    In Nagoya, Shouta is happy as always, and Miura is just sitting doing nothing.  Eiji turns on the TV and says that Pearl is on, and then exclaims in surprise.  Mei's hair is short.  Miura stares at the TV.  Shouta says it's weird for an idol to change their appearance so quickly after their debut, and Eiji agrees.  Miura stands, and then-finally-remembers!
    At Mei and Riko's apartment, Riko answers the phone.  It's Miura, but Mei is at a photo shoot.  Miura says he'll call back later, and starts to hang up, but Riko stops him.  She says that Mei told her not to say anything, but...
    Miura, after hearing what happens, puts down the phone, and goes to the door.  He tells Eiji and Shouta that he's going back to Tokyo, but he'll be back for the show tomorrow.
    Miura remembers what Riko told him.  The girls had hacked Mei's hair off with an exacto knife, and Mei had laughed it off, saying she was glad that that's all they did.
    Late that night, Mei returns tired from her photo shoot.  She walks to the door of her building and is surprised to see Miura there.  He calls her name, and Mei stops and stares at him for a while.  Then she walks past him, saying she must be so tired she's seeing things.  Miura, embarrassed, says it really is him and calls her an idiot.  Mei turns around, asking why he's there, and Miura hugs her.  He apologizes, saying if he hadn't invited her to his show, she wouldn't have had her hair cut off like that.  Mei says it's not his fault, and asks again why he's not in Nagoya.  Miura says he hears about her hair from Riko and came because he was worried, and he also had something to ask her.  Mei says he could have just called her instead of coming all the way, and Miura says it doesn't matter.  He says he selfishly came, just because he wanted to see her face.  He starts to talk about his question, when he looks at Mei and she's crying.  She wonders if she heard wrong, and thinks that when she heard those words she was unbelievably happy.  Miura gets exasperated and asks why she's crying, and then tells her to listen to him.  He says seeing her with short hair made him remember what happened two years ago.  He asks Mei if she was in his Grade 7 summer school class, and Mei nods.  He asks if she gave him a valentine then, and Mei nods again.  Miura says she should have told him at the beginning, and Mei says there's no way she could tell him that she was the girl who confessed to him and he mistook for a guy.  Miura agrees, and says he's sorry.  Mei says she was really frustrated that he didn't remember her at all, and Miura, smiling, comments that she really does hate to lose, and kisses her.  In the bushes, Eiji, RIko, and Shouta watch, Eiji saying the aura of love is blinding, and Shouta reminiscing about his youth.  Riko then enviously says Mei's lucky, which makes Eiji look at her.  He thinks for a second, and then tells Riko that he doesn't dislike her, but they still don't know much about each other, so could they start from friends?  Riko stands up, surprising the two lovers, and declares that that's OK with her.  Riko congratulates Mei, and Mei thinks that she still wants to become equal with Miura...
    Two months later, Mei and Riko make an announcement that stuns the three boys of Sonic Boom-their second single has just displaced Sonic Boom as the #1 Single!  Riko lords it over Eiji and Shouta, and Mei sticks her tongue out at Miura and asks what he thinks about it.  He says it was just luck, and Mei thinks that she <b>will</b> find a way to make Miura lose his cool.  Love is woman's age-old battle!  THE END
PS: The second single, the one at #1, is of course 'Love Love Shock'  ^_^

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