Chapter 7

# Chapter Seven — "We Are Interlunium"

### Rinko

    Today, in complete contrast with yesterday, seemed to pass by at a snail's pace. School felt like it lasted absolutely forever. The rides to and from school felt like they lasted forever. Junko was cagey all day, not wanting to really talk, but I don't know why. Things at the concert had gone…

    Things were ok.

    Everything is going to work out.

    Eimi Inagawa will still join our group.

    Somehow…

    I breathed heavily as I walked into my producer's office, already feeling completely drained and exhausted. I was disappointed, mostly in myself.

 *What could I have done differently…?*

 I planted myself on one of Lina's couches and sprawled, closing my eyes and playing through what happened last night. At some point in the conversation, *I must have* said or done something wrong. There's no other explanation for why Eimi Inagawa, the most perfect idol ever, would have behaved so… imperfectly. I scanned over our registration form for the trillionth time, but it hadn't changed one molecule since everyone had put down their signature. It was still woefully incomplete. I read the list of names, like I had a gazillion times already. The signatures were a lot like our group. Some of them, like Junko's and Megumi's, were practically perfect. I bet Megumi could write her name a hundred times and they'd all be identical down to the nanometer. Chiyo's was a lot like mine - a bit wild and fun - and Dam-Bi's was somewhere in the middle, shapely and distinctive but in a way that must have been on purpose. All of us were different, some less or more alike than others, but we were working together to make something more important than we were individually.

 My eyes closed and I lost all sense of time, being able to picture nothing except a vivid, yellow angel bathed in golden light. Despite her perfect cuteness, all I felt was a crushing sadness. I probably would have shed a tear, had a soft knock on the door not instantly snapped me out of my daze. Another cute angel - though one more solid - peeked inside to see if anyone was here. She smiled at me, despite my being splayed out on the couch like a complete slob, and gestured to someone else outside with her. Chiyo quietly shuffled into the room behind Megumi, and even at this distance I could see Momo's fuzzy little snout cheekily peeking out of the front pocket of her overalls.

 "I encountered Ms. Watanabe in the hallway, anxiously waiting for someone to enter first. It looks like you were quiet enough that you went unnoticed, Ms. Hamazawa!"

 "Megumi! Chiyo!" The foul mood I'd been in all day felt a lot more bearable all of a sudden. "How was school?"

 "It was school." Chiyo shrugged as she sunk herself next to me on the couch.

 "It was quite fine, Ms. Hanazawa. Thank you for asking. I was so excited to get back to work that it felt like it took no time at all."

 After she finished, the room became silent again as neither of my friends returned my question. Megumi tried to chat me up as I silently read our paperwork over and over. Something about her expression was much more fox-like than anything resembling a goldfish, but personally I can't help but think her cute smile and emerald green eyes suit her much more than bug eyes and a big, gasping mouth.

 "Ms. Hanazawa, we have a lot of work today! Are you excited?" Her words were extra sweet and melodic, which I found a little bit motivating.

 "Yeah, I am! We really gotta get a name picked out ASAP, so let's all do our best!"

 As though this had been her cue to enter the stage, Dam-Bi popped her head into the office.

 "Hey guys! Let's do our best today!" She made a quick scan of the room, pointing at each of us lightly as she took roll to herself. Dam-Bi rarely sits still, and she often talks as much with her hands as her mouth. Right now was no exception. "Juney's not here yet?"

 "Not yet, Ms. Han."

 Dam-Bi joined the rest of us on the couches, squeezing between me and Chiyo, and then we got down to work brainstorming more name ideas for the group.

 "Big Dream? μ'sic? Like with the weird letter though." The girls continued to throw out names, but none of them were sticking at all. Everything sounded like it could already be an idol group somewhere, and I wouldn't be surprised to read some of them on a poster someday. That's the kind of names we're able to come up with - generic and bland. Nothing that feels… right.

 "Maybe we should take a break?" I buzzed a long sigh through my lips, only for everyone to look at me like I was crazy.

 "But we only just started." Megumi spit back at me, seeming confused. I may be the only one seeing the pointlessness of our current brainstorming.

 "It's–it's just… We should wait for Junko, maybe. It wouldn't be fair to pick a name without her,"

 "O-Okay, if that's what you think is best…" Chiyo frowned, petting Momo in her pocket with one finger. The group sat staring at each other, nobody wanting to be the first to say something.

 Dam-Bi ended up doing it anyway.

    "So, where is Lina anyway? I haven't seen her at all today, but her door was unlocked?"

    "Indeed. I saw Ms. Fujimura a few hours ago in the lobby. She looked like she was waiting for someone. A boyfriend, perhaps?"

    "You think? She didn't really seem like the type to have a boyfriend to me!" Dam-Bi said, then added, "Unless he's her cellphone!"

    "It may seem so, but I have a feeling there is more to Ms. Fujimura than we may suspect! Surely she does more than just work?"

    "You may be right! Megumin, you should have followed her!"

    "Ms. Han, that would have been bad manners! I could never!" Megumi scolded, though I couldn't tell if she was offended or just playfully pretending to be.

    However, this didn't stop her from gossiping about our producer regardless. Even Chiyo, who didn't seem to be the type to participate in that kind of conversation, eventually joined in as well. I would have too, if I didn't still feel so… blah. Despite suggesting we take a break from thinking of names, I couldn't help but continue, just as I had been almost the entire day. My bookbag - in my room, and therefore useless right now - has pages of name ideas written in my notebook, but none of them are coming to mind now that we're here. Even if I did manage to remember, none of my previous ideas fit what we were looking for.

    I felt like I was ready to call it quits when the door swung open loudly. All four of us turned in surprise, trying to see who it was - though the sensible guesses were somewhat limited. It was Junko, panting to catch her breath, looking like she had run a little too fast to get here.

    "Sorry I'm late! I was looking for something in the library and I got a little carried away." She made her way to the sitting area and laid down a large reference book on the coffee table. The title was in Roman characters I didn't really understand at all, but the cover was a drawing of the night sky, full of stars and planets. At a guess, based on that and Junko's love of anything related to outer space, it was probably some sort of astronomy book. Or maybe astrology. I always get those two confused. She opened it to a page she had bookmarked, only to confirm that the entire book was written in a language I couldn't read. Judging by the looks of confusion surrounding me, I'm confident in saying that I wasn't the only one. Our interest was immediately piqued, and we looked at Junko for clarification, not knowing what to expect. Junko regained her breath - looking just a little redder all over than usual - and began to talk to us, sounding really excited about her discovery.

    "While I was in the library, I was looking at some foreign books to find some potential name ideas. Just anything that looked kind of interesting. I grabbed a bunch and set them down to start skimming them, but the pile fell over onto the table. When this one fell, it opened to this page - one hundred and sixty four. When I picked it up, one word stuck out to me." We were all completely enraptured as her voice got louder and more intense with every word. What single word could have possibly caused Junko to act this way?

    She plopped her finger down in the middle of the page. I looked around for help, not being able to make heads or tails of it beyond it looking a little long - and even then, that was mostly just a guess based on the number of characters. Chiyo looked about as clueless as me, and Dam-Bi was trying to sound it out, though without much luck. Megumi though, like always, was sitting there with that knowing, pretty smile.

    "It's Latin."

    All the girls turned their heads, including Junko, our attentions each having shifted to our resident fountain of knowledge.

    "Interlunium." She repeated the word, stressing each syllable for us, making it extra clear. "From Inter and Luna, meaning between and moon, respectively. In slightly more basic terms, it means in between two full moons, or, in common usage, it refers to a new moon. It's very pretty, isn't it?"

    There was a slight pause, during which we all had the same reaction - mouthing the strange word we had just been introduced to. I was doubly impressed. First, that Megumi was apparently some kind of actual genius instead of just coming off like one. Second, that Junko had done on her lonesome what the rest of us couldn't all together. "That's it! Junko, it's perfect!"

    "It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it! I think it suits us! Even without knowing the meaning, just reading it from the page, it seemed to be a lovely word. Inter-lunium."

    "Juney, thank goodness you found it! We were all having such a hard time!" Dam-Bi joined the chorus of approval.

    "Yeah, I'm so relieved! So long as everyone else is okay with it, I really love it!" And Chiyo made it unanimous.

    "Interlunium?" An unfamiliar voice weighed in, pleasant but a bit lethargic. Junko, in her rush, hadn't closed the door behind her, so its owner had been able to come in completely unnoticed. "I like it a lot."

    All it took was one quick glance to recognize the girl from her pictures in her company file. I jumped straight up off the couch and lept over Dam-Bi's legs, then ran right over to introduce myself.

    "Oh my gosh, you're Kanon Mitsuboshi! Welcome to Interlunium!" I took the girl's hands, giving her little choice in the matter, and was so excited I couldn't help but sway back and forth a little. As Kanon opened her mouth to reply, Lina walked in, looking… well, not entirely happy for a normal person, but for Lina it was practically beaming.

    "Oh, good, you recognized her. Everyone, this is Kanon Mitsuboshi. She'll be the new member of your group. I met with her yesterday to get everything in order, but today is her first official day as an idol so please make sure you keep an eye on her and help her acclimate."

    "We're so happy to have you! Write your name down here, ‘kay?" I led our new member to the couches and thrust a pen at her, pointing out the registration form next to Junko's book. Our new friend looked dazed as she was suddenly mobbed by all five of us, excited to see her membership become official. She did as she was asked, and wrote her name down neatly on the sheet. As she finished, I grabbed the paper triumphantly and handed it to my roomie.

    "Would you write 'Interlunium' for the group name? I'd hate to mess it up!" Junko smiled as she happily obliged, her hand deftly forming shapes that I'm sure I would have gotten wrong somehow. Once she finished, I delivered the sheet back to Lina with the biggest smile I could make.

    "Oh? So you guys finally got a name, huh?" She pushed up her glasses as she reviewed it. "It's a good one, even if it's a bit of a mouthful. Stands out. Any luck on that seventh member?"

    I lowered my head to avoid eye contact, still maintaining my smile.

    "Not yet, but I'm gonna keep trying!" Lina glanced up at me. If she could tell that things had gone badly so far, she decided to ignore it for the time being.

    "Well, keep it up. I'll hold onto this form for now, so go and… mingle with the new girl or something."

    "Yes Ma'am!"

    I skipped over to the couches, where my friends were already starting to get to know Kanon. Junko scooted over, making space for me at the end of one couch, with our newest recruit just beyond the armrest on the other.

    "So, Kanon, it's nice to meet you! I'm the leader of our group, Rinko Hanazawa!" The white-haired girl smiled, politely acknowledging me.

    "Rinko… It's nice to meet you…"

    The girls proceeded around in a circle, introducing themselves one at a time.

    "Ms. Mitsuboshi, right? I'm Megumi Aihara. It's my pleasure to make your acquaintance. I look forward to working with you, and becoming fast friends."

    "I'm Chiyo Watanabe! Oh, and this is Momo! She's a hamster! Let's be good friends, okay?"

    "I'm Dam-Bi Han! Please feel free to come to me if you need anything! Also, I like your hat!"

    "And I'm Junko. Let's be good friends, okay?"

    Kanon, despite her initial impression of being a bit tired today, seemed quite excited to be with us. Once introductions were finished a few of us got up and, as was becoming the norm for our get togethers, stretched a bit or moved around. I'm happily content to laze away a day in my bed or melt into a couch when I'm exhausted, but when I'm excited about something I find it impossible to sit still without a ton of effort, and being too exhausted today to concentrate I was left in an unusual state of tired excitement, my brain not really being able to focus on much beyond what was directly in front of me. Dam-Bi was often the same, fidgeting or tapping on something even when sitting, and she joined me in pacing the room just like we'd taken numerous impromptu walks before to burn off some of our excess energy. Having thought of nothing useful, I returned to the rest of the girls who were still sitting and chatting on the couches, taking an empty seat since Kanon - for some reason - had moved to my spot next to Junko and was observing the group quietly.

    "Ok, everyone! Now that we all know each other and we have a name… what do we do now?" As the leader of the group, this is the sort of thing that I should have already known, but I was so energized by the way the day was turning out that such things felt beyond my grasp. Megumi raised her hand and spoke up.

    "Actually, if I may, I have a question for Ms. Junko." She looked rather nervous, a contrast to the look of tranquility she usually had. "I don't recall you ever mentioning your surname, though I may have missed it, but… could you please be so kind as to remind me what it is so I may address you properly?" All eyes moved over to Junko. Megumi was right. None of them actually knew her last name. My bestie looked like she was caught off guard, but she recovered and answered clearly.

    "You don't have to be so formal with me. I'd much prefer it if you just called me Junko."

    "So… you won't tell me?"

    "No, I'd really prefer not to."

    "Then… Ms. Hanazawa, won't you tell me?" Megumi seemed confused as to why Junko would refuse to give out her last name - a habit which was, admittedly, a bit eccentric. I thought hard, trying to recall the other half of my best friend's name.

    *Oh man, I've just been calling her dad "Mr. Junko" for years… Is "Junko" actually her **last** name?*

    After about two minutes of rattling my brain, the answer came to me in a flash.

    "She's never told me!" The room fell into a disappointed murmur. "But, Junko is Junko. I'd just want to call her by her first name anyway!"

    A hand lightly patted my knee - appreciation for having her back in this matter. Megumi however looked determined, balling her hands into fists, taking this much more seriously than anyone else. It was kind of fun seeing her flustered for once.

    "Ah, I see! Well then, Ms. Fujimura! Would you be so kind as to-"

    "Nope!" Lina refused to get involved in what she usually called "the petty concerns of idols." Megumi looked more and more perturbed, eventually closing her eyes and regaining her normal composure. Struck with divine inspiration, Megumi stood and walked quickly to the wall of large metal filing cabinets behind Lina's desk, only to find they wouldn't budge when she pulled in them. "Oh no, not a chance. Lina Fujimura doesn't need to learn the same lesson twice with you girls." Obviously frustrated, Megumi returned to her seat on the couch.

    "Well then, if it's okay with you… *Ms. Junko*, I'm going to try and guess it! It'll be a little bonding experience for us! Everyday I'll greet you with one guess as to your surname!" Junko grimaced at this, but she let it go.

    "If that'll make you happy, then I guess that's okay." Megumi smiled proudly, having reached an amicable compromise. Everyone else - myself included - giggled at the situation, as it was odd to see someone so fired up over something so small. As the laughter began to die down, Dam-Bi decided to move us onto a new matter of business..

    "We've been bugging Lina, and she looks like she's ready to work - not to mention kick us out - don't you think? Do you guys want to head to the practice rooms?" Chiyo seemed eager to speak, almost cutting her off with the start of a word, but she stopped in an attempt to not be rude.

    After Dam-Bi finished speaking, she nervously responded.

    "Actually, while you guys were out yesterday, Megumi and I decided to spend some time together…" She took a deep breath, realizing all of the attention that was on her. "You see… We figured it's not very nice of us to take up the practice rooms if we're not actually practicing, so we thought it'd be better to find a hangout spot of some sort."

    Megumi clapped her hands together before adding on to Chiyo's explanation.

    "Yes! And if I may say so myself, I'd say we found the perfect place! You all like sweets, right?"

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