"Two more hours!" Kotone exclaimed in the dressing room. "Only two more hours until we're on stage!"

"I can't believe this is actually happening!" Nuria said as I heard her feet jump up and down.

"We're going to be famous for this!" Sora said. 

"Koharu-chan!" Aiko exclaimed before I felt something hard hit my hip. "Wake up!"

"OW!" I said removing the hat from my face and sitting up on the couch. "Did you have to hit me?" I asked Aiko as I turned to look at her and her shoe.

Aiko just smiled. "Yes because you have to get dressed and ready to go."

I lay back down. "I don't want to," I groaned. "I just want to sleep."

"Tomorrow," Kotone said. "We can't be tired now."

--

An hour later, I had my outfit on and was just finishing up my makeup when he heard a knock on our door. "Hai?" Kotone said going over to open it. "Eh? Mady-chan?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to see Mady Troy walk in, already dressed up and ready to go. "Mady-chan, you look beautiful!" 

Mady blushed. "Arigatou. You all look amazing too. Are you excited about performing?"

Some people answered enthusiastically, others not so much.

"Don't worry," Mady said. "You'll all be great."

"Thanks," we all said.

Mady smiled. "Ganbatte, Hanabi-chan!"

--

"Welcome to the 62nd Annual Kohaku Uta Gassen!"

My stomach literally turned when I heard that the first time. I started wringing my hands together and pacing. I was suddenly nervous, and I didn’t know what to do. Instead of going backstage and watching the show from the side like the other Hanabi members were doing, I decided to go watch it on TV in our dressing room. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking, but I was thankful that we weren’t last to go. We were right after AKB48 and right before Arashi and Ashida Mana.

I suddenly thought about Mom and Brian. Were they out in the audience? Were they watching? I honestly really hoped that they had come to watch it live. I wasn’t sure if that made me more nervous or not.

Right before AKB48 went on, Sora came in and sat with me. “You’re nervous too.”

I nodded. “I am nervous.” I looked over at my friend. “Do you think we’ll be okay?”

Sora nodded. “We have to right. We’re Johnny’s now. We have to do great and live up to the entire world’s expectations.”

AKB48 went, and we were called on stage to chat with the hosts for a few minutes. We went and stood next to Inoue Mao in her beautiful red kimono and Mady-chan in her beautiful red dress. Arashi was dressed in their white male-kimonos, and we stood next to them for a minute before the camera was turned to us.

“Next up, we have a brand new group performing for us tonight, everyone please welcome Hanabi-san!” Mao said.

The audience clapped, and the five of us bowed saying, “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.”

“Are you excited to be on Kohaku?” Mao asked. “You’re a brand new group.”

We had selected Kotone to be the main spokesperson. “Yeah, we’re very excited. Being on Kohaku so early in our career means a lot and we hope that it can really help our career in the future.”

“Are you excited about being in your first drama?” Matsujun asked.

“Huh?” we all asked. I looked over at everybody. What drama? What was he talking about?

“You didn’t hear?” Mady asked. “You’re going to be in a drama this spring.”

“Since when?” Aiko asked impulsively. Nuria elbowed her gently.

“I guess they don’t know…” Sho muttered to the others.

Mao laughed awkwardly. “Well, Hanabi-san, good luck on your first Kohaku performance!”

“Thank you,” we said before moving to the stage.

Sora stopped us before we got into position. “What drama are they talking about?” she asked.

“Maybe Matsujun’s new drama?” Nuria suggested. “But why haven’t we been told anything?”

“Let’s focus on that after the performance,” Aiko said. “Afterwards, we can get mad.”

We all quickly got in our places, and when we were announced we could hear the audience applaud for us. I felt my stomach turn again, and I prayed that I wouldn’t make a fool out of myself.

We started out with ‘Morning Light’, and we had the same choreography for that like we did for the video and Music Station. I wasn’t nervous about that, and when we were done with that, then immediately the music changed and we couldn’t help but smile when we started dancing. This was the song that we had worked with Arashi with. This was the song Nino gave us, and we felt proud as we started singing.

“Blaming the crowded places on a lazy weekend,” Kotone and Aiko sang. “The reason we strayed from the path on the coast was because I wanted to hold hands with you.”

Me, Sora and Nuria stepped up. “Fireworks which were a little far away disturbed the water’s surface. You’re probably mistaken that it’s a dramatic highlight I planned.”

We all sang together. “Things about your past, and not to mention, what movies or music you like. I don’t know any of it, tell me about them now. Although what I’m talking about isn’t just simple emotions, faded remakes we sat outside in the sun too long will only get in the way. This once-in-a-lifetime season is so important that it makes me dizzy.”

We all continued singing our hearts out. We all had solo lines, and we all nailed them. Then at the end we got in a straight line and danced together. It was my favorite part. “Let me love, let me love you like fireworks. My heart will shoot up and dance in the sky. Let me know, let me know I wish I could recover the days before we met and spend them with you. But they can’t return anymore. Let’s make this last forever.”

We finished our dance, and the song ended, and I felt completely accomplished as the crowd got to their feet and applauded us.

--

“Well then,” Aiko said when we were back in our dressing room later. She looked up from her phone. “There is a rumor going around that we’re going to be in a drama. Doesn’t say what it’s called, but apparently it’s about a group of school girls.”

“Of course,” Kotone commented. “But if this was true, don’t you think Johnny would’ve told us?”

“You would think,” I said tying my shoes. “Until we hear from him ourselves, I would say not to worry about it. It’s just that: a rumor.”

We heard a knock on our door and then a member of the backstage crew walked in carrying a large vase of flowers. “For Hanabi-san,” he said handing it to us. I took it as he left, and we found a place for it on the table.

“Who’s it from?” Nuria asked as we gathered around the large colorful vase of daisies. She found the card attached to it and handed it to Kotone.

Kotone took it and opened up the card. “’Congratulations on your first ever Kohaku, Hanabi-chan! You all did an amazing job and we are all proud of you. We’re sorry to have ruined the surprise for you. We thought you knew. We hope you can forgive us all, and we’re looking forward to working with you more in the future. Have a great new year! Love, Arashi.’”

“Wow!” Everyone smiled at the flowers. “They’re beautiful!”

“They are amazing.”

“Who, the flowers or Arashi?”

“Both!”

I felt proud then. We performed at Kohaku. We probably made history. And the best part was I did it with the four people that I trusted more in the entire world. I couldn’t have asked for a better new year.

“Hey!” Nuria said perking up. “I think I hear Arashi! I think they’re performing! Let’s go watch!”

We all quickly left the room and watched from backstage Arashi’s performance. We had seen Mady Troy’s performance earlier, and she was so beautiful it was hard to compare. Arashi’s was just as amazing with the special computer effects with theirs. “We could do that,” I told everyone.

“Sure,” Kotone laughed. “When we’re big and famous and have a tour.”

We all looked at each other. A tour. That sounded good.

--

“Now it’s time to announce the winner of the 2011 Kohaku Uta Gassen!” the announcer said. All the acts from each team were all gathered on stage. Mao and Mady stood with their red team, and Arashi stood with their white team. Both sides did amazing. It made me nervous to think about who could possibly win.

“The winner of the 2011 Kohaku Uta Gassen is….”

Everyone in the red team all joined hands as we waited for the results. I even took the hand of one of the girls from AKB. It was the same girl who had watched us backstage, and she seemed surprised when I took her hand. “We’re still on the same team,” I whispered to her. She only nodded. I then closed my eyes and waited for the announcement.

“THE RED TEAM!”

Everyone literally screamed when we heard that. Confetti fell, Mao and Mady cried, and Hanabi literally grabbed each other and hugged each other.

Our team won. We helped bring a six year reign of the White team to an end. And we were a part of it.

This was going to be a great year. 

===================================================================================================================

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finally got this chapter done!!! it only took me three months xD

I'm really sorry for the late update guys. with school and writer's block, this took me longer than I thought it would, but now I'm back in the swing of things and I'm getting excited about the future of Hanabi and the kind of things they'll get to do.

which brings me a special question for the members of Hanabi~!!!!

for the new year (2012, or this year), what is something that you want Hanabi to accomplish? a tour, a hit single? it could be anything from that to something personal like maybe getting the girls to finally get Amanda and Chinen to confess. it can be anything you want, and there can be as many as you want! it's the new year! goals, goals everywhere~!!! and pick out a new years dress or kimono for the next chapter please!!!!

chapter 17 (the Kohaku chapter) is finally up and ready to be read!!!!!! (bout time, huh? xD) comments are love and if you like it say something! opinions are always welcome and I'm not biased towards anything said. tell me what you guys think!!!!!