"Are you trying to create Star Beat?" Ryoma asked.

Yukina had no idea on what was "Star Beat" but if it was something that could help her band, she was willing to hear him out.

"Ah! Sorry about that confusing question. What I'm trying to say is… ermmm… that…" Ryoma struggled to form words.

"You heard it too? The beat of the stars?" Kasumi asked.

Ryoma then had a serious look on his face.

"So you've heard of it", he said.

"Yes! I heard it when I was young! Those sparkling stars gave off a wonderful feeling! Although, I already found it when I got my guitar and formed a band"

"Found it? What if I told you that your Star Beat was utter crap?"

Everyone was surprised by his sudden change in tone.

"Now hold it! I don't know who you are but you can't just say that! It's true that we are not as good as Roselia but we are trying our best!" the girl with pigtails shouted.

"She's right, Ryoma. That's a little too harsh", Lisa added.

Ryoma shook his head.

"Kasumi. The very fact that you heard Star Beat is amazing. But if you're saying that you found it, then I hate to say it but you're wrong", he coldly told her.

She hung her head low and clenched her fist.

"You. What's your name?" he faced the pigtailed girl.

"Arisa Ichigaya", she answered.

"Ichigaya-san, is Kasumi the leader of your band?"

"So what if she is?"

"Then Kasumi, what do you plan on doing with Poppin' Party?" he turned his attention to Kasumi.

"I just want to have fun with everyone. Live our days to the fullest and play our hearts out", she answered.

Ryoma's face turned sour. An unpleasant memory surfaced in his mind.

"Those are nothing but ideals. Your band will never improve if you have no ambition. If you really want to find Star Beat, you need one. Tell me, what is Poppin' Party's ambition?" he asked.

"D-Don't bully Kasumi! A-As long as she says that she found Star Beat, then that's fine!" a black-haired girl, who was also a member of Poppin' Party, weakly spoke up.

"Even if that is nothing compared to the real Star Beat? At least I know one of you is interested in at least knowing what it is", he looked at the girl with long brown hair.

"O-Tae?" Saaya called out.

Tae pursed her lips.

"I've heard Kasumi talk about Star Beat many times. I might be a bit curious in hearing it", she said.

"You heard her, Miss Leader. What are you going to do? Are you going to be a mediocre band and fade away?" he asked Kasumi.

Kasumi was trying to think. She always thought that things were fine just the way they were. They would have fun practicing in Arisa's basement and sing their hearts out on stage.

She was on the verge of crying but then she felt someone pat her head.

"Sorry for putting you through that", Ryoma said.

"Huh?" everyone was not understanding the situation.

Ryoma sounded like he was angry at Kasumi but now, he was patting her head like she was a scared puppy.

"I'm just worried and at the same time, jealous. Sorry for that", he apologized again.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Star Beat was the first beautiful sound I heard. And when a certain man came to our town and gave me a guitar, I tried my best to recreate it. If I could make others hear that miraculous sound, then their lives might change just like how mine did", he answered.

Ryoma had a distant look in his eyes.

"Ryo…ma?" Kasumi's voice snapped him back to reality.

"If you have no ambition, why don't you aim for Future World Fes?" he asked.

Yukina was surprised by what he was suggesting. Future World Fes was a music festival reserved for the best bands in the world. Roselia was trying hard to get into that music festival.

What are you planning? Yukina asked in her mind.

"Also… when I meant that your Star Beat was crap, I meant that you actually managed to create Star Beat. You guys just finished the first and hardest step in creating it. Now all you need is to steer your music to the right direction. If you can do it, you have a shot in Future World Fes", Ryoma encouraged them.

"Future World Fes… Only the best can go there… Can we really do it?" Arisa asked.

"I don't know. I never completed Star Beat in time for the preliminaries. But I heard all of your voices. Start off with Future World Fes as your ambition. Then you might create Star Beat along the way", Ryoma gave them a thumbs-up and walked away.

Adding a rival might help her figure things out… assuming that they could become a worthy adversary for her…, Ryoma thought.

###

It was already evening and Yukina was sitting on a swing at a nearby park. She stared at the glittering stars in the sky.

Star Beat… Is that what we are lacking?

Yukina closed her eyes and concentrated everything in hearing.

Nothing…

What Kasumi and Poppin' Party had was Star Beat, although Ryoma said it was an incomplete version of it. She thought that if it was that captivating when it's incomplete, then it must be a whole different level once Poppin' Party would complete it.

"Yo", someone greeted her.

Yukina saw Ryoma.

"It's time for dinner. Uncle told me to fetch you. After all, dinner tastes best when eaten together", he said.

She didn't respond so Ryoma sighed.

"Why did you urge Poppin' Party to aim for Future World Fes?" she asked.

"They have a shot with Star Beat so why not?"

Yukina felt an ache in her heart. She was trying hard on her own for many years. And then she felt that she grew as a musician and a person when she formed Roselia. Her passion for music was clearly second to none.

But then Kasumi and her band had great progress and it was all because Kasumi heard a special sound.

"It's unfair… That's what you're thinking right now, isn't it?" Ryoma asked.

Yukina didn't respond.

"I said that you were doubting yourself. That your music is lacking something. Let me give you an advice: Poppin' Party is Poppin' Party while Roselia is Roselia. You have your own music. And I know that you felt it too when we played together", he said.

"You said that Poppin' Party lacked ambition so they couldn't advance. Roselia has an ambition. What else do we lack?" Yukina asked.

"I don't know. Why don't you look at other bands and see? Maybe your best bet would be the band named Afterglow. Yep. That's a good start"

Yukina got up.

"Now then, shall we go back and eat?" Ryoma asked.

"Let's go"

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