[KANATA] Whenever I'm with the club,
even the most familiar places feel exciting and new.
[EMMA] I want our colors to mix together,
forming a brilliant new shade.
[YU] Here's what I suggest.
We use the last festival's framework
as a starting point for the new one.
I'm on board!
That sounds perfect!
Plus, I've got tons of ideas
for how we can take it to the next level.
[AYUMU] Me, too.
The weather might cause some issues for us again.
[RINA] Sad agree.
The safest solution would be for us to move everything indoors.
To do that, we'd need to rent out a much larger concert space.
Especially since we'll have more participants this year.
That's true. And not a bad problem to face.
Here's an idea, let's put this up in the window.
[KASUMI gasps]
[KANATA] Haruka and I made her together,
so she'll definitely bring us good luck!
Adorable!
For real! We should totally put it on display!
By the way, Shinonome and Touou both confirmed
that they'll be joining us again!
We should set up a meeting with them soon.
[phone rings]
Huh?
What is it?
A message from one of my friends
who's an idol at another school not far from here.
They want us to do a joint concert with them!
[OTHERS] Wait a sec, a joint concert?
[JENNIFER] We're from Y.G. Academy.
I'm Jennifer, president of the school idol club.
And I'm Rakshata, her VP.
It's an International Academy?
That's correct, the school has a lot
of foreign exchange students in its halls.
Yup!
I met these two in an online community
for international transfers like me!
It was only later that we discovered
we're all school idols.
You can imagine how excited we were!
Naturally, we're hoping to participate
in your upcoming festival!
[AI, KANATA gasp]
We'd love to have you!
Glad to hear it!
Until then, I want our members
to get to know each other a little better.
That's what the joint concert's for?
I think I speak for everyone
when I say we'd be thrilled to share the stage with you two.
Let's do it.
Lanzhu's performance yesterday inspired us to go hard.
There's so much talent at your school! Uh.
Something wrong?
Lanzhu Zhong had a concert?
I wanted to see it live!
Exactly what I'd expect you to say.
[SHIZUKU chuckles]
It was a total surprise.
We only caught the last part of it ourselves.
But did the audience like it?
Oh, yeah. No doubt.
Uh! Agh! I hate this!
There's no point in dwelling on other people's successes.
We should focus on being the best that we can be.
[KASUMI] I know, I know.
Where is Lanzhu, by the way?
Could she not make it to this meeting, or...?
The thing is, Lanzhu isn't actually a member of our club.
What? That's strange.
I hope she'll still consider doing the concert with us.
[gasps]
She might! I'll go talk to her.
Huh?
Sorry, that's a no.
She didn't even have to think.
I'm finding plenty of success
putting on small performances of my own.
I don't want you to tie me down.
But that's--
[LANZHU] Listen.
The next time we face off against each other
in front of an audience,
I want it to be at the School Idol Festival.
[ALL gasp]
Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do.
Agh!
Could she be any more annoying?
What were you expecting?
[EMMA sighs]
Listen, I know you don't wanna leave her out,
but maybe you should accept her choices.
[KASUMI] We can't let that talented brat beat us!
Let's start preparing for the joint concert!
We'll blow her away for sure, guys!
[SHIZUKU] First off,
we need to decide the order we'll be singing.
Right here. I'll dazzle fans first, of course!
Hey, not so fast. I wanna go first, too!
I'd do a great job of kicking things off.
Opening sounds fun.
Let me start.
[AI] Ooh, Rinari's rarin' to go!
[RINA] Always.
[KASUMI] You're not edging me out of my spot!
[KANATA] You mean my spot.
Here's a good compromise. I'll go first. Problem solved.
[KANATA] Uh, no. How is that a compromise?
[ALL laugh]
[KANATA] Gotta say, it looks awesome.
[RINA, EMMA] Yup, yup.
Lemme guess, Yu's busy studying for a music class?
[AYUMU] Mh-hm.
She's got a quiz later today.
[YU] Hmm...
Pencils down. Let's move on to the aural section.
[door opens]
Huh?
[MUSIC TEACHER A] Mia Taylor. You're late.
I'm here now. I'll catch up.
[gasps]
[YU] That's the girl who was with Lanzhu.
[STUDENTS chattering]
Hold on. Did she say "Taylor"?
No way. Like that Taylor family?
[MUSIC TEACHER A] Quiet while I play the piece for her.
No need. I was able to hear it from the hallway.
You got a spare pencil?
[YU] Sure. Use this.
[MIA] Thanks.
[YU grunts]
Later.
[MUSIC TEACHER A] Wait, you can't just leave!
[knocking]
Excuse me. I brought the application for you.
Do you have a second to look at it?
Come on in.
We were actually just discussing dates for the concert,
so your timing is great.
How is everything looking?
[SETSUNA] Well, it turns out the cultural festival
will be close to the dates we had in mind.
Mifune here is on the committee for that event.
We want to make sure that students can do both.
They shouldn't have to choose.
That'd be awful.
[SHIORIKO] Please don't worry.
There are quite a few people
who're looking forward to the school idol performances.
The last thing I really wanna do is disappoint.
I'll find a way to make it work.
I'm glad to hear that. Thanks so much.
[AYUMU] By the way, you're friends with Lanzhu, aren't you?
I am. We grew up near each other.
Which means we spent lots of time playing together
before she moved to Hong Kong.
That sounds lovely. Did you see her recent concert?
Well, no. She didn't mention it to me, so I was in the dark.
[AYUMU] I see.
We have a concert coming up soon, you know.
If you're interested, I'd love to see you there!
[YU] That Mia girl got a perfect score.
[AI] Wow.
[YU] I did some digging online.
Apparently her family's full of world-renowned musicians
and everybody's watching her
because they think she'll be the next big composer.
That is incredible.
She's a third year now, but she's only 14 years old
because she skipped over a few grades.
[AI] Wow.
Wait? Fourteen? That's nuts!
[YU] I know, right?
Oh. Hey, speak of the devil.
Huh?
[MIA] Hi, kitty.
[meows]
It's fine. You don't need to be scared.
[HANPEN meows]
Uh! Wait.
Hi, friend.
Are you a cat person?
Not really.
Hanpen loves to be loved on.
[MIA] So that's its name?
Yeah! Do you wanna come and feed them with us?
[AI] Musta been starving!
Mia, you wrote the song Lanzhu sang at the open campus, right?
Yes, that was mine.
It was totally awesome!
[MIA] Thanks.
You two must be super close if you not only compose for her
but transferred schools with her as well.
Frankly, I just came to Japan on a whim.
And please don't mistake Lanzhu and I for friends.
[YU] Uh. What do you mean?
[MIA] She wants to sing my songs
and I want my songs to get more attention via her performances.
That way people will finally acknowledge
the value of the pieces I'm writing.
We're basically using each other. See ya.
[YU] Hm?
Hey! What's up? You look intense.
--Huh? --Hey, you two.
What are you doing here?
[KASUMI gasps]
Wait a sec.
[RINA] It's a fan site for Lanzhu.
She's already got one?
Rumor has it she's doing another surprise concert today.
Oh. Is that so?
[EMMA sighs]
Interested?
Huh? Of course not, don't talk crazy.
Suit yourself, but I definitely am.
Hey, shouldn't you be at work or something?
Today's my day off!
I wanna see her sing.
[KASUMI, KANATA gasp]
Don't look shocked, she's a stellar performer.
[KASUMI grunts]
Well, too bad!
We've no clue when or where this concert is going to happen.
Unless you know something I don't.
[RINA] Uh. Look, it's her.
[KASUMI, KANATA, EMMA] Huh?
Well, let's just ask.
--We can? --Don't see why not.
--Yup. --[KASUMI] But--!
[KASUMI] Don't you take another step!
We have to be smart about this, girls.
[RINA] Um, why are we acting like spies?
[KASUMI] It'd be embarrassing to admit
that we wanna see her put on a show, so...
We'll just follow her around until she's at the secret venue.
[chuckles]
And she might even expose
some of her weaknesses along the way.
[KANATA] Seems a little farfetched to me.
[KASUMI] Here we go!
[BOTH gasp]
[RINA] She's... having a snack.
[EMMA] It looks yummy!
[KANATA] I'm going to buy Haruka something here.
[EMMA] Kanata being a good sister
hits me right in the feels.
[KASUMI] Who the heck taught you to talk like that?
[KASUMI] Guess she pulled a great blessing.
[KANATA] I got a regular one last time.
[RINA] I usually pull something solid.
[EMMA] And I'm always getting future blessings here.
[KASUMI] Exactly how popular is this spot?
[speaking Chinese]
[KASUMI] Agh. She's destroying the dessert buffet.
The sugar might be for an energy boost.
That's a lot.
If you have a pile of ice cream,
you gotta eat it fast before it melts!
[KASUMI] That's not the issue!
I'm starting to think you've all have forgotten why we're here.
[EMMA] She's shopping.
[LANZHU] It's not here.
[KASUMI] This is how she prepares for a show?
[STUDENTS] Uh?
Ah-ha! There they are!
[RINA] Are those...?
[EMMA] Yay! They've got our merch here!
[KASUMI] This is hard proof
we're making a name for ourselves.
[KANATA] We've gotta tell the others later.
[RINA] Should we maybe buy some?
[EMPLOYEE A] Anything else for you today?
That's all.
[RINA] Whoa. She bought the whole set.
[KASUMI] Ah! I'll autograph mine for you!
[KANATA] Hey. Calm down.
[KASUMI] Let go of me! I'm being a good idol!
[STUDENTS whispering]
Just a guess, but I think that's the stage.
[STUDENTS cheering]
Thank you for coming! Hope you're ready.
You're gonna fall head over heels for me.
[applause]
[LANZHU] Bye now!
[LANZHU speaks Chinese]
[STUDENT E] She was amazing!
[STUDENT F] Lanzhu's my new fav.
[STUDENT E] I'm a fan for life.
She's so good. It's insane.
And she's just going to get more popular moving forward.
[LANZHU] So... you did show up.
[KASUMI] Yes! No!
We happened to be walking by and saw you up there, so...
Oh, I don't care about the details.
Thanks so much for being in the audience.
Ya know what? You should come over to my place and hang out.
[ALL] Huh?
[RINA] It's gigantic!
I could live in this bathtub.
[EMMA] The view's to die for!
Ugh! So heavy.
[LANZHU] Hope you enjoy.
You live in this palace by yourself?
I do. In fact, you're the first people I've ever invited over.
So... my concert, what did you think?
Oh, I guess I'd say...
[RINA] It was wonderful.
Everybody there looked like they were going
super crazy for your songs.
Yeah, they were.
Now you see what kind of idol I wanna be.
My goal with every concert
is for my fans to experience the ultimate performance.
They should feel blessed every time I take the stage.
Nothing beats seeing those smiling faces
as I sing and dance, knowing every eye's on me.
I sorta owe my status to you, so thanks for that.
But I'm going to continue pursuing something
your club simply can't offer me.
It's the only certain way for me to prove myself.
Are you sure you're really okay with that?
Hm? What are you asking?
You're positive that you wanna do this without anybody's help?
Yes, without a doubt.
See, I'm a solo artist.
That's the reason I came to Japan.
If I joined you girls, I'd be tied to your vision
and I wouldn't be able to put on shows the way I want to.
[RINA] Not true.
[LANZHU] Uh?
I think you've got the wrong impression of how we operate.
If the club really worked like you think it does,
there's no way I'd keep being a school idol.
[LANZHU] Hm?
She's right.
Our members are able to perform however they want, same as you.
[KASUMI] Huh?
Don't compare us!
[gasps]
Do you hear what you're saying?
I get that you wanna think you and I are equals, but we're not.
You have to worry about each other.
I wanna reach the top by proving my own worth.
If I joined a club that believes the fans
are on par with the members,
I don't think I could perform as well as I do.
[KANATA] Lanzhu.
You've got it all wrong.
[sighs]
If that's the case, then prove it,
show me what I'm not seeing.
It won't be that hard since a school idol
should be able to express herself.
What in the world was she going on about back there?
And why are we so worried
about this new girl anyway, Emma?
Didn't Karin say you should just let her be earlier?
She's been concerned since we first met her
at the open campus.
At first, I was just curious.
She came to Japan to be a school idol like me,
so I thought we'd have tons of stuff in common.
But the more I get to interact with Lanzhu,
the more it seems like she's not being honest
about her dreams and emotions.
Huh?
Yeah, I have the same weird feeling about her.
Sometimes she makes total sense,
but there's other times when her point of view is so off,
I can't understand it.
I agree. Is she hiding something?
Huh?!
[EMMA] Don't get me wrong,
it's not that I wanna force her to join the club.
And it's also possible I have the wrong idea
and am being annoying by bringing this up
over and over again.
But there's one thing I'm absolutely certain of...
Lanzhu came all the way to Japan
because of the School Idol Festival we put on.
She wouldn't be in this country if it weren't for us.
That's why I can't just leave her alone.
I thought if we talked, she'd understand.
[KASUMI grunting]
[KASUMI sighs]
Okay, okay, fine.
If we're telling the truth, I am kinda worried.
I can't imagine being an idol all alone.
Let's get to the bottom of this and help her out.
She might be like,
"You're right! Ugh. I'm sorry and I want to join your club!"
And we'll say, "Sure! You're our new recruit, dummy!"
Ya see, absolutely nothing beats the love
that a school idol club provides for its members.
[gapss]
Yeah!
Kasumi, you may act tough, but you're such a softie.
Hey, are you making fun of me?
I promise that I'm not.
[KASUMI] Still, based on what she's said,
it's gonna be hard to get her to see things our way.
[EMMA] We'll need to show her that her whole understanding
of school idols is wrong.
[KANATA] Yup. With a concert.
[KASUMI] That is what we do best.
[RINA] I still can't get over how cool hers was today.
[KASUMI] You sure about that?
Looking back on it now,
I think it was lacking something important.
Her performance was obviously incredible, that's a fact.
But it could've been even better
if only she had more appreciation for her fans.
You mean, you think that she needs
to connect with her fans on a deeper level?
[KASUMI] Yup.
We're nothing without them.
Kind of like how we perform solo numbers,
but then still work together as a supportive unit.
[KANATA] Mh-hm.
The fans are crucial, too, right?
[KASUMI] We're usually on our own,
but at the last festival we sang together as a group,
and that turned out spectacular.
I think everyone agrees.
[RINA] It was a lot of fun.
[KANATA] Yeah, all of our feelings were shining as one.
[EMMA] Hey.
The joint concert's coming up.
That's our chance. Let's do a group number.
If she sees us onstage together, maybe we'll get through to her.
[KANATA] Yeah. Great idea!
[ALL harmonizing]
Huh?
What are those four up to?
A little harmonizing.
They're singing together at the joint concert.
They're quite the group.
Karin, you poor, poor thing.
Are you jealous that they stole Emma away from you?
No. Hmph.
That's nice. They look like they're having a fun time.
Uh. What's up?
[LANZHU] Oh, hi. Look at this.
[YU] They're all so amazing.
I've gotta work hard, too!
[RINA, KASUMI] Next time!
--[RINA] "Sing! --[KASUMI] Song!