Night Club - Epilogue 3

[bakemonoremy]

Location: Night Club Interior

HiMERU:  — Hmm.

As expected, that was your thought process behind this. So that’s why you denied HiMERU’s intent on returning to solo activities, Amagi.

Rinne: Yup. ‘Cause think about it; what's gonna happen if you were to go back to bein’ the good ol' idol the “former HiMERU” used to be?

What if you were to go back to bein’ all pure and virtuous, or in other words, some goody-two-shoes who would never ever go against ES’s lil' schemes?

HiMERU: — HiMERU would no longer have anywhere to go, that is for sure.

To the outcasts who seem to have gathered at this club, who all rever Crazy:B as their shining star of hope, it would appear as though HiMERU is betraying his comrades.

Even though HiMERU's supposed to be someone representing their dissatisfaction.

To them, it would simply look as though HiMERU is buttering up the very ES that they loathe and turning into its literal lap dog.

And at the same time, there's basically no way for a solo idol to survive at ES, the way it is now.

Of course, there are solo jobs, but there are barely any chances for a solo idol to flourish and be acknowledged.

At the very least, expecting the former HiMERU’s working conditions to net you the same level of fame and rewards these days would only be futile.

Not to mention, Crazy:B has such a terrible reputation that we basically can’t land a job.

Now that the stench of Crazy:B is clinging to HiMERU, no one would touch him even with a ten-foot-pole.

By no means does HiMERU hope to receive the same treatment he did in the past... There’s no way HiMERU can return to his former self, surely. No matter how much he longs to do that.

Rinne: Well, ya never know ‘til ya try. But even as someone who loves risky gambles, I don’t think the odds look too good for ya.

Pretty sure you've got nothin' to gain, but a lot to lose here.

I figured it’d just remind ya of all the things ya lost, and end with you gettin’ hurt for no reason.

HiMERU: ………

Rinne: That’s why “I” stopped ya. After all, when I was losin' all hope worryin' over shit on my own and did nothin' but run away bawlin' my ass off, you guys were the ones who stopped me.

...Ya got a problem with that, huh, do ya? HiMERU?

HiMERU: — No.

It’s just... a rather lonely feeling. Like —  “Aah, so returning to those days is truly impossible.”

Sad and painful things may have transpired, but without a doubt, it had been happiness.

Rinne: Yeah. You can wish for it with all your heart but no matter what, no one can ever return to the past.

So instead, we face the future. How about it — why don’tcha get your head outta the clouds for a sec and take a look around ya?

HiMERU: ………

Rinne: All these people gathered here today don't know shit about your past self. But they might know about us, here in the present.

And if they don’t, then we’ll give them a lil' self-intro, sing and dance — And even if we have to carve it into ‘em with our stingers, this is what we’ll tell ‘em:

“We’re right here. And so are you, and that’s alright.”

“It’s okay for you to be alive. It’s okay for you to decide for yourself what you believe to be right.”

If society won’t tell ‘em that, then we will! With everything that we are!

Even to all those folks who were denied at every turn, who were told, “You’re in the wrong” by some yahoo — We'll be the only ones to tell ‘em, “You’re right!”

‘Cause I was once saved by people like them! ‘Cause there were people who loved, rooted for, and validated a stupid piece of shit like me!

‘Cause some idol I already forgot the name and face of, who I saw when I first came to the city, told me “Thank you!” when I got excited and overjoyed watching ‘em!

“Thank you for being alive, thank you for watching and smiling for me!”, they said!

Havin’ been told that I’m in the wrong time and time again, I’d forgotten how to breathe, but those words which they prolly say to everyone they meet — they saved me!

That’s why I’ll go on and say the same thing! To everyone who’s just like how I used to be back then!

No matter how much they may hate it, no matter how much they'll try to reject me, I’ll steal a kiss from their lips and keep ‘em breathin’ by force! Gyahahahahaha ☆

And among the survivors, there’ll definitely be people who’ll thank us and love us!

Those people'll swarm together, team up, and form a hive!

A hive that’s just like this club! Let’s build more an’ more of those hives all over the world, HiMERU! Crazy:B!

In a world where no one will deny our way of life — let’s live there together, playin’ around every day ’til we drop dead!

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

HiMERU: (Fufu. As always, you dance to your own tune, simply say your part, and you're off.)

(What are you, a child? ...Even though you’re the eldest among us.)

(You truly piss me off. And yet —)

— HiMERU understands all the points you’ve made, in spite of your rather flawed presentation of them. Please don’t just “play around”; be sure to do your work properly, too.

To HiMERU, there is no greater happiness than working as an idol and being able to live as the idol known as HiMERU.

Playing mahjong, having foolish conversations, and drinking alcohol —  well, HiMERU has no experience with that last one, but he derives no pleasure at all from such things.

However, while this vulgar and filthy setting may be far removed from the ideal HiMERU had pictured —

HiMERU: And while the insects in the vicinity may be unpleasant to be around in all their annoying buzzing…

As long as he can sing and dance and stand on stage as “HiMERU”, then perhaps this setting and situation may not be all that undesirable for him.

This is happiness, it’s fun.

HiMERU: In that case, Amagi… Right now, HiMERU has not a single reason to deny your words or refuse your request.

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

Yuuta: (That’s right… No matter how much we may wish for it, we can’t return to the past.)

(All we can do is accept the present and struggle for a better future. Just like HiMERU-san, just like Crazy:B.)

(No matter how we may weep and whine like babies, we can’t ever crawl back into our mother’s belly.)

(No matter how much we insist that we’re “two in one”, that we can become the strongest individual together, we can no longer return to the time before we split into two.)

(Aoi Yuuta and Aoi Hinata are separate people by now, who live their separate lives. And I know that already, I know we’re no longer “one and the same” since a long time ago...)

Hinata: Onii-chan, Onii-chan.

Yuuta: ...Whatever is the matter, little one. Your Onii-chan is fretting about some very serious matters right now and it’s the middle of a performance, so if this is about something trifling, save it for later.

Hinata: Mhm. But look, over there.

Yuuta: Over where—

U-uhyah!?

(...Wha—!? Huh, this can’t be real, can it? W-w-what's going on?)

(—Right there, in the audience, sits our dad.)

(Our father, who hurt us deeply a long, long time ago, when he told us that we’re revolting because it’s impossible to tell us apart.)

———————

TL Note about personal pronouns: Rinne switched from his usual “orecchi” to simply using “ore” when he addresses HiMERU by name, making him come off as more down-to-earth and serious than he usually is, which I felt was worth pointing out. He goes back to using “orecchi” shortly after.

TL Note about the twins: The way they address their father has not changed since Setsubun, the word is still お父さん (father, dad).