Night Club - A Job For Children 4

[bakemonoremy]

Location: Time Street (Afternoon)

- At the same time, right outside the night club -

Mika: Ngah~.... nnnngh~... nnngaaahhhh~...?

This ain't good~. Things seem t’be gettin’ real heated between everyone in there, but I can't tell just what they're talkin' 'bout from here.

At a time like this, I gotta listen in by usin’ a string phone made outta paper cups, an’ — 

Jun: Dude, no. The heck are you doing.

I do kinda get being worried for that Yuuta-kun kid, but don’t you think stalking him around and eavesdropping on his conversations is going a lil' too far?

I mean, the only reason all these folks walking by haven’t kicked up a fuss about you yet, Kagehira-san, is 'cause I’m standing here as a human wall, blocking you from sight.

But you’d be in trouble if this led to weird rumours about you, yeah? Thanks to Crazy:B, we're in a time where everyone’s walking on eggshells about causing shitstorms online, anyhow.

Mika: Ngah~. Actually, why’d ya tag along with me then, Jun-kun?

If anythin’, us Valkyrie are used t’bein’ the target of that kinda drama, but Eden's got more like, a pure an’ refined image an' all — Should ya really be here?

Jun: Huh, you think so~? Between the two of us, I’d say Valkyrie's the one with the "pure and refined" image, though.

And folks are always judging books by their covers, which is exactly why they lose it and go “I’m so disappointed!” when you show them your true self.

Mika: Ngah~, that’s real scary. ‘Cause I’m totally worthless an’ can’t do a thing on my own.

When magazines introduce me as an amazing artist on par with the flawless, powerful Oshi-san, I writhe in agony thinkin’ “Yer wrong~”.

Anyway, I reckon ya best go back to ES, Jun-kun. With yer status, it ain’t no good idea to take part in the nightlife here on Time Street.

They call this place the number one “nightlife district” in the neighbourhood surroundin’ ES, after all.

Jun: Haha, this place? Seriously? I guess those who say that haven’t ever been to a slum or grimy back-alley before.

Mika: Well, I do reckon folks get way too afraid of a lil’ dirt sometimes.

But anyway, Jun-kun, all of this really ain't none o' yer business, right? So it’s best if ya don’t stick around me.

The vibe among us Yumenosaki idols is basically that we’ve all gotta protect 2wink together, y’know.

But yer no Yumenosaki kid, Jun-kun.

Jun: Well yeah, I’m from Reimei. I'm not really getting you, though~. What’s “protect them together” supposed to mean?

My impression of 2wink is that they’d be able to survive quietly anywhere, without needing help or indebting themselves to anyone.

Mika: Well, they are tough kids. It ain’t my place to tell ya the details, but there was this thing called “Setsubun”...

Back then, every single one o' their problems an’ worries became public knowledge — Well, only within Yumenosaki, that is.

Those kids really went through hell, y'know. Abandoned by their biological parents, they tried t'support each other despite everythin’, so they'd do street performances to earn money —

Jun: Hmm? And that’s why everyone feels bad for them and wants to support them, huh?

Sob stories of that caliber are a dime a dozen, though.

I wasn’t loved by my biological parents either and went through hell 'cause of it. ...So why d'ya act like it’s just those two?

Mika: Ngah~. Umm, I really dunno what t’ tell ya when ya ask me that point-blank.

Accordin’ ta Oshi-san — Through the act of savin’ 2wink, everyone’s tryna save their own pitiful “childhood selves”.

Jun: Oho? Well, I think being made into other people’s toys and used for their masturbatory reasons is what really makes 2wink pitiful, yknow~?

Kohaku: — What’cha doin’ there, Jun-han?

Jun: Woah!? D-don’t just pop up outta nowhere like that, Sakura-kun! Please!

Kohaku: I keep tellin’ ya, my name ain’t Sakura. ...Pardon me, apparently I’ve gotta habit of erasin’ my presence when I’m walkin’ through crowded streets.

Jun: What're you talking about… Or actually, do you need something~?

I'm busy right n — nnnot doing anything at all, just kinda in the middle of a situation, you see~?

Kohaku: That so? I saw ya squattin’ down there in the dim light an’ was wonderin’ if ya weren’t feelin’ so good, or if maybe ya dropped yer wallet or somethin'.

But I guess there weren't no need ta worry, so again, pardon me fer that ♪

Anyhoo, we didn’t actually come here for you, but for this here club you’re apparently stakin’ out. Y'know how Rinne-han from our unit’s workin' at this place?

Jun: Ahh, yeah. Amagi Rinne-senpai seems to be in the club, too~. Though that’s pretty easy to figure out, ‘cause that guy has a crazy loud voice.

Kohaku: Yup. On top of bein’ a toxic an’ dangerous creature, the buzzin’ of his wings is awful jarring as well ♪

Jun: ...Wait, you just said “we” a moment ago. Didja come with someone~? But from the looks of it, you’re all by yourself, Sakura-kun?

Kohaku: Huh? Niki-han was with me, actually… Where’d that guy go scamperin' off to?

Did the smell of food waftin’ from nearby restaurants lure him over an’ send him off wanderin’ ‘round without nary a thought again?

Jun: “Niki”, you say… So, that Shiina guy's also somewhere in the area?

Not just Rinne-senpai, but that HiMERU guy went into this club earlier, too…

Oh, is that it? Crazy:B's gonna perform here, or something~?

When I snuck a peek into it, I did see some kinda audio equipment set up in there… And I saw some showbiz-related looking people hanging around, too.

Kohaku: Well, in Crazy:B we pretty much just fly by the seat of our pants.

Dependin’ on how things go, it might come down to that, yeah — Unlike you folks, we don’t have the kinda status where we can just go performin' on a stage whenever we wanna.

But we’re right capable of rioting in our style, no matter when or where.

Seein’ as our resident tyrant Rinne-han ain’t learned his lesson yet an’ still’s got the nerve to try an’ shoulder everythin’ all by his lonesome... We’re gonna give him a harmless lil’ warnin’.

Rinne: ...Don’tcha think callin’ me a tyrant is a lil' harsh, Kohaku-chan? Well, not that I'm gonna deny it though.

Kohaku: — Rinne-han. 'Course you'd sense my presence ♪

Rinne: Nah, even an idiot would notice you guys chit-chattin’ so close to the club.

And like, Merumeru chased lil' old me outta there, sayin’ “Everything grows unnecessarily complicated with you around”. Can ya believe that?

Anyway, that’s why I was takin’ out the trash and noticed you guys out here — That’s all there is to it.

I seriously don’t get Merumeru, though. Didn’t he come here to talk to me in the first place? So what’s he kickin’ me out for?

Kohaku: Ahaha. Sometimes, HiMERU-han’s words an’ his actions are just kinda off-kilter.

Dunno how to react when he says “HiMERU is an idol, so he will go home on time*” and then just ends up dawdlin' around forever with us anyway.

Rinne: Yeah, that guy’s full of contradictions like that — Well, guess he can’t help that with the kinda “framework” he’s got.

Whatever. More importantly, you guys really don’t gotta squat in the dirt while chattin’ like that, y'know.

You guys hooligans or what? I’ll cover your admission, so come on in and enjoy the air con.

No need to purposely keep livin’ in a place where ya don’t feel at home, right?

———————

* In JP working society, it’s unusual to clock out at the exact time your shift ends, and insisting on doing it is the same as declaring that you’re not a team player.