After everyone gets together, Ichigo reveals her intention to leave Starlight Academy and go to America after the cup so she can work on her own Aikatsu, with Aoi putting on a brave face to support her friend. The next day, Ichigo faces off against Mizuki in the Starlight Queen Cup finale, which is inevitably won by Mizuki.
The Fresh Girls Cup is announced, in which students get the chance to challenge Mizuki for the title of Starlight Queen. Ran, who competed the previous year before Ichigo and Aoi transferred in, explains how remarkable Mizuki is for facing off against every single student, stating it will be tough to beat her and all of their rivals.
While running home late from a job, Ichigo encounters a supposed vampire, who runs off when she sees a pin Otome gave her. This vampire is revealed to be Otome's classmate, Yurika Tōdō, who constantly acts in character in preparation for a Loli-Goth themed audition for a rock festival, which Ichigo also intends to participate in.
Ichigo nervously attends her first meeting with Mizuki's staff as they plan for her next concert. After the meeting, Mizuki starts training Ichigo on a trampoline, teaching her about the Special Appeals she'll need to use. As Ichigo struggles to think about how to pull it off, her friends give her some advice.
As the girls anticipate their audition for a drama called Naughty Detectives, they also find themselves against fellow schoolmate Shion Kamiya. As the girls are informed of two roles to audition for, Shion cuts her hair short to try for a boyish detective role. As Aoi starts to become nervous, Orihime gives her and Ichigo some words of advice.
Ichigo Hoshimiya is a bright young girl who is always helping her mother out at a takeaway bento place. After accidentally messing up her brother Raichi's photos of top idol Mizuki Kanzaki, Ichigo goes to her best friend Aoi Kiriya, who manages to get them some tickets to Mizuki's concert. The three of them go to Mizuki's concert, which leaves a strong impression on Ichigo.