As befits the world’s biggest Avandoned fan, Brian shared this a couple of days ago with a small tear and a hopeful smile:

皆さまにお知らせがあります。少し先の話になりますが、小鳥こたおは大学受験の準備に入るため、10月中旬から来年3月まで、あヴぁんだんどでのライブ活動をお休みさせていただくことになりました。

さようならではありません！待っててねー！！！

ご理解のほどよろしくお願いします。 pic.twitter.com/dlGHLqD8rI

— あヴぁんだんど (@avandoned_idol) August 21, 2017

Kotao being a high school senior (presumably), she’d like to be able to focus on her college entrance exams. Ordinarily? That’s terrible news! For everybody but Kotao! But this is easily the first official hiatus announcement that made glad to see it.

Avandoned being something worth keeping alive, and Kotao being the kind of person who makes other people’s lives a little more fun, and presumably also because there’s a gets-her-fingers-broken clause in her contract Kotao enjoys what she does, it’s literally just a break so she can get her exams done — Official is literally saying “hey listen we’re taking off in October and see you in March.”

So that’s good news! I’d hate for Beni to have to re-figure-out how to make her wonderful little project work, and I’m glad that she can get a bit of a rest, too. And good luck to Kotao, aka The World’s Greatest Cheki Maker:

あヴぁんだんど名物
チェキくじ〜#たのC〜♬うれC〜♬ pic.twitter.com/ADWmitQ20Q

— 無徒死 100%KOTAO ADDICT (@mutoshit) August 23, 2017

ロフト9ありがとうございました！！みなさまの応援のお言葉嬉しかったです！🙇🙇😭😭
愛してま〜〜す！ pic.twitter.com/R6F19DDsnS

— 小鳥こたお@あヴぁんだんど (@avandoned_kotao) August 22, 2017