SumiKeke

"You really like to stick your nose in other people's business... You're always getting on my nerves... You're always opposed to all of my plans... You're always trying to pick a fight with me... I really hate you. I hate you... but I love you."

- Keke to Sumire in Love Live! Superstar!! 2nd Season Episode 9

SumiKeke is the femslash ship between Sumire Heanna and Keke Tang from the Love Live! Superstar!! fandom.

Canon
Keke is a foreign exchange student from Shangai, China who traveled to Japan in the hopes of becoming a school idol. She forms a group with fellow student Kanon Shibuya, and Sumire joins the club in the hopes that it will make her more popular on social media. Keke and Sumire immediately find themselves at odds with one another due to their differences in values and in ideas about what it means to be a school idol. Keke makes frequent allusions to the fact that Sumire wore a giant isopod mascot suit on a children's television show, much to the latter's embarrassment. They frequently argue and bicker.

In episode five, the three founding members of Liella take a weekend vacation to Kozu-shima island, where Sumire and Keke have no choice but to share a bed. They argue over who will take which side, and Sumire offers to settle the disagreement with thumb wrestling. As they are counting down, Sumire blows into Keke's ear, distracting her for long enough to win the thumb war and thus her desired side of the bed. Sumire wakes in the middle of the night to find Keke asleep next to her, and smiles at her affectionately.

In episode ten, Sumire is offered the center position for their upcoming concert, although Keke has some misgivings about this, believing that Sumire does not take her duties as a school idol seriously and is only in it for the fame. She begins to follow Sumire home, and sees that the latter has been diligently practicing her dancing and singing in preparation for the concert. Keke's opinion of Sumire begins to change. However, when a test video is uploaded, the general opinion of viewers is that Sumire is unworthy of the center position. Sumire also overhears a phone conversation between Keke and her sister, revealing that Keke will have to return to Shanghai if she doesn't make it as a school idol. Sumire is distraught that her ambitions have not payed off and that she may be the reason Keke is forced to leave. She tries to give up the center position, but Keke shows her the costume and tiara she made for her, claiming that she poured all her feelings into it and that the only person worthy of being the center position is her. Keke calls Sumire by name for the first time, which Sumire comments on. After their performance goes well, the two smile at each other affectionately, and Sumire thanks her.

In subsequent episodes, their relationship has significantly improved, although they still bicker. The day before they compete against renowned school idol group Sunny Passion in the preliminary Love Live! competition, Keke visits Sumire at the shrine she works at and asks if Sumire will temporarily hold on to Keke's Sunny Passion poster, as they are rivals for the day and Keke does not want her fan status to get in the way of her performance. In turn, Sumire gifts Keke an omamori for good luck.

Fanon
Due to the fact that a friendly rival-like relationship was hinted at between the two ever since ''Love Live! Superstar!!'' was in its earliest stages of development, SumiKeke quickly became a very popular pairing among fans. Many compared it to popular ships from earlier Love Live! seasons such as NicoMaki and YoshiMaru, though commended it for having a more interesting and emotional storyline. It is mostly rivaled by Keke's other popular ship, KuuKaa.

The scene in episode five where Sumire blows into Keke's ear was teased at the end of episode four. Before the episode was released, many believed Sumire to be kissing Keke's cheek. Several fan edits were made depicting the latter, and the ear blowing scene has also been retconned in many fanfics to be more overtly romantic as well.

A minor fan headcanon is that Natsumi Onitsuka (one of the four new members of Liella!) is their future child, as Natsumi shares a similarity with Sumire when it comes to internet fame.

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