Chapter Text
“Contestants of the seventy-seventh annual Nonary Game. You have twenty minutes to familiarize yourself with the rules of the game, as displayed on the wall next to the Number Nine Door. Good luck.”
All the girls were looking up at the ceiling, trying to find the source of the voice, but there was nothing to give any hint. Not even any visible speakers. Kanata was the first to shake it off and head away. She walked over to the Number Nine Door, grabbing her sister and dragging her along. It was Sonata's protests that caught the attention of everyone else. Realizing where she was headed, the others quickly followed.
Kanata quickly found a section on the wall where a small projector was making an image containing text. She read a few lines into it before turning back to the others and pointing at Suzuko. “You think you can analyze these rules and explain them to us? We don't have the time for everyone to read them.”
Suzuko stepped forward, adjusting her glasses as she took a close look at the displayed rules. “Hmm… yes, I think I understand. First thing it says is that at the end of the twenty minutes we've been given, those colored doors, which it calls Chromatic Doors, will open. They'll be open for five minutes, and we have to go through them in groups of three. Only three people per door. It won't allow more or less. Each group has to consist of a Pair and a Solo.”
Kanata interrupted. “Wait, does that mean I can't go with Sonata?”
Suzuko nodded. “Indeed. She has to go with Yuka, and you have to go with Orine. Nagisa and Makoto have to be together as well.”
Makoto squinted at her. “Can you rephrase that, just a little.”
Ignoring her completely, Suzuko continued to explain the rules as she read them. “That means the Solos have to each go with a different couple. The colors are important in deciding who goes with who. To get through any of the Chromatic Doors, you have to make the right group. Say, the Yellow Door, if Chieri wanted to go through the Yellow Door, she is the Red Solo so she would have to mix red with green, plus she can't just go with the Green Solo because there wouldn't be enough people. She would have to team up with the Green Pair, Nagisa and Makoto, but then only two other feasible combinations can be made. By going through the Yellow Door with the Green Pair, Chieri would be forcing the decision on the rest of us. I would have to go with Yuka and Sonata through the Cyan Door, and Mimori would have to go with Kanata and Orine through the Magenta Door. Do you understand?”
Everyone shook their heads.
Suzuko sighed. “If Chieri goes with the Green Pair, then neither of the other Solos can go with them. To go through the Cyan Door, as the Blue Solo, I would need the Green Pair. The rules state that the third option is for a Pair and Solo of the same color to go through the opposite colored door. As such, Mimori would need the Green Pair in order to go through the Magenta Door.”
Chieri waved her hands, bringing Suzuko to stop. “Just lay it out for us. What are our options?”
Suzuko took a deep breath and began to lay it out, as requested. “Option one: I go with Nagisa and Makoto through the Cyan Door, Kanata and Orine go with Chieri through the Magenta Door, and Yuka and Sonata go with Mimori through the Yellow Door.”
Sonata piped up. “Is there an option where I don't have to go with Yuka?”
Kanata shook her head. “No. You're a pair. But I trust Mimori to take care of you. I like this option.”
Suzuko continued. “Option two: I go with Sonata and Yuka through the Magenta Door, Kanata and Orine go with Mimori through the Cyan Door, and Nagisa and Makoto go with Chieri through the Yellow Door.”
Nagisa cheered. “I'd like to go with Chieri.”
Chieri frowned. “Why?”
Kanata stuck her tongue out. “As much as I like Mimori, that sounds like a little too much pink all at once.”
“And the third option,” Suzuko waited for everyone to settle down again. “Option three: Kanata, Orine, and I go through the Yellow Door, Nagisa and Makoto go with Mimori through the Magenta Door, and Chieri goes with Yuka and Sonata through the Cyan Door.”
Sonata rolled her eyes. “Great. I get the team with personality.”
Yuka stomped the floor next to Sonata. “Quiet, you.”
Mimori stepped closer to the display. “Is that all it says?”
Suzuko nodded. “It says the rest of the rules will be given to us once they're relevant. Later parts of the game have their own rules and supplementary rules we don't need to worry about yet. It does, however, say that the goal of the game is to escape through the Number Nine Door, which you cannot do until you've reached nine points. The points are recorded on our bracelets, so at the moment we all have just three. It doesn't say how to gain points, though.”
“Maybe…” Orine looked at the Chromatic Doors. “Maybe we'll find out how to get points when we go through those.”
Makoto lit up. “Maybe we get points for beating games!”
Kanata looked down at her bracelet. “We started with three, and we just need six more. It can't be that easy. Plus, why bother starting us above zero unless we can lose points.”
Suzuko pointed at the rules. “Yes. There is also some sort of penalty if your points reach zero. It doesn't say what, but…”
Chieri finished the thought. “It would be best that we never find out.”
Suzuko stepped away from the rules, indicating that she had read all the information. “It also says penalties will be given to anyone who violates the rules of the game. For example, when the Chromatic Doors open, they will close again after five minutes. Anyone remaining outside will be penalized, and as a result, the group they were with will be unable to go through the door, causing them to be penalized as well.”
Mimori bounced, surprisingly happy with her situation. “So that means we have to count on each other, just like we would on stage! We have to bond together and grow strong as friends! First things first, Pairs must link arms so they don't get separated!”
As Orine grabbed her arm obediently, Kanata looked to Mimori. “Bit much, don't you think?”
Mimori smiled knowingly. “Seniority. I'm in charge.” Nagisa linked arms with Makoto, and Sonata linked with Yuka. Mimori clapped her hands together. “Wonderful. Now we need to figure out which groups we're going in. Anyone have any preferences?”
Kanata raised her free hand. “Yeah. I like the first option. I trust you to take care of my sister.”
Chieri crossed her arms. “Does that mean you don't trust me or Suzuko?”
“No, I just…” Kanata looked down. “It doesn't really matter. Just so long as someone's looking out for her.”
Mimori clapped her hands as a call to attention. “We need a vote! Personally, I don't mind any of the choices.”
Yuka made a dissatisfied face. “You call a vote and then don't vote?”
“Well, of course I would love to be with Kanata, and I would also like to get to know her sister.” She looked over at Nagisa and Makoto. “But you two are just so adorable, I would love to be with you as well!”
Nagisa smiled. “I think I'm fine with any of the choices. I mean, I'd like to be with my friends, but since I can't go with Yuka or Orine, I'd like to be with Chieri. I'm fine with the other choices too, though.”
Sonata shrugged. “Apparently I don't get to be with my sister, so I don't care.”
Kanata groaned. “Okay, does anyone actually care who they go with?”
Adjusting her glasses, Suzuko let out a sigh. “Not particularly.”
Orine added, “I don't mind either.”
Mimori looked to the three girls remaining. “Yuka? Chieri? Makoto? What do you think?”
“I don't really care.” Yuka and Chieri glanced at each other after speaking the exact same words.
All eyes turned toward Makoto, who was the only one yet to weigh in with an opinion of neutrality. Nagisa patted her partner on the shoulder, silently conveying the message that it was all up to her now. She had to decide, essentially, if she wanted to be with Chieri, Mimori, or Suzuko. Makoto wasn't sure she really wanted that decision to be hers.
Makoto looked back at Nagisa. “Why can't you decide?”
“What? Me?” Nagisa shook her head. “No way. I couldn't make that kind of decision.”
“And you think I can?” Seeing she wasn't going to be getting a response, Makoto sighed loudly. “Well… I suppose… we'll go with… uh, Suzuko!”
Suddenly, the three Chromatic Doors opened. They all stared silently at the open doors for a moment.
A moment that was shattered by Sonata. “Aaah! I've completely forgotten what the teams are!”
Yuka, who was still locked arms with the youngest girl in the group, shook her partner. “You're with me and… um… who are we with?”
Mimori appeared behind them, hugging them both and sandwiching them against her large chest. “We're going to be on a team together!” She nuzzled her cheek against Sonata's. “I hope we can get to know each other really well!”
Suzuko nodded. “And that means you're going through the Yellow Door.”
Chieri stepped over to Kanata and Orine. “That means we're going in the Magenta Door.”
“Okay, but first,” Kanata separated from Orine and walked over to Mimori. “I'm counting on you to take care of my sister. She shouldn't have tried to apply to AKB0048 in the first place, but now that she's here and I can't be with her, you need to look after her for me.”
Mimori pumped her fist into the air. “Yeah! We'll all look after each other!”
“So…” Nagisa turned to Suzuko. “What door are we going through?”
Suzuko pointed at the Cyan Door. “That one right there. We should go right now so we don't have to rush at the last second.”
Nagisa took a deep breath. “Orine! Yuka! Chieri! Good luck, you guys! We'll see you again after!”
Orine waved from the Magenta Door. “Take care!”
Yuka cupped her hands over her mouth. “Don't keep us waiting too long!”
The three groups entered their separate doors, where they found a tiny room with another door at the opposite end. When the Chromatic Doors closed, they would be trapped unless the other doors opened. Nagisa and Makoto were both having second thoughts. Suzuko may have been as nervous as they were, but she didn't show it.
Inside the Yellow Door, Sonata and Yuka were also starting to get nervous, but Mimori's confidence was calming for both of them. Inside the Magenta Door, Kanata was more nervous about her sister than for herself. Orine was worried, but the strong presence of the other two girls was enough to reassure her. Chieri was determined to get through to the other side and find out why they were trapped in this strange place.
The doors closed, cutting them all off from the others. It was dark between the doors. Nagisa felt Makoto squeezing her arm tighter, and it was starting to hurt. She was about to say something when a bright light swept down from the ceiling and scanned over them. There was a quick chime, and the other door opened.
The three of them peered into the new room, trying to figure out what they were looking at. Suzuko stepped out and turned back to them.
“Let's go. We've got another puzzle to work on.”
Nagisa took a step forward, then stopped. “Um… Makoto? Can you let go now?”