Merry Xmas - coupe 1

[bakemonoremy]

TL Note: This part of the story is named “coupe”, which in this case probably means “cut” or “section”.

Location: Meeting Room

- The next day -

Tori: Mr Cameraman, are you done with your preparations? — Good. Well then, let’s get started.

Ahem. There’s not much time left until Christmas, so today we’re going to brainstorm and work out our project!

Hey, Anzu. What do you think we should do first?

Eh? Expand on our idea of Christmas?

Aira: Ahh, I get it. We all name things we associate with Christmas, and from those we choose which of them are usable for an idol project?

Tori: In that case, let’s start off talking candidly about Christmas, shall we? Hajime, can you take notes on the blackboard?

Hajime: Of course ♪ Leave it to me!

Tori: Hm~... Things that come to mind when you say “Christmas”...

I guess Christmas trees are a staple? We have a super tall one at my house, too. My sister and I decorate it every year.

Well, I couldn’t bring it with me to the dorms, though. For one thing, it’d get in the way because of how big it is.

Hajime: Uwah, that’s so nice~♪ Tori-kun’s Christmas sounds so glamorous, I’m jealous.

Tori: Is it? I wouldn’t call it glamorous…

To be honest, I have the strong impression of Christmas as a hectic time and a hassle.

Aira: Huh? You do? Could it be that you hate Christmas, Himemiya-senpai?

Tori: Not at all. In fact, I love it. That’s why I said it’s a hassle, not that I hate it.

You see, not only do I have to decorate the tree, but I also have to hang up the Christmas lights at the house.

Decorating is a lot of fun, but tidying up later is a pain. Well, Yuzuru and the other servants take care of most of it, though.

Hajime: Hm~m. Certainly, when you consider how spacious Tori-kun’s home is…

Tori: Also, we always get invited to all these parties by our acquaintances, so I barely have any time to just relax at home. And last year, there was StarFes on top of that…

So, Christmas and New Year’s always tucker me out mentally and physically.

Sora: Hime-chan is so bourgeois~.

Aira: Wooow ☆ I’d expect nothing less from Himemiya-senpai! The things you talked about were so far removed from our realities, it’s really enviable, in a way~! Ra~vely ♪

Tori: Ah… Darn it. Mr Cameraman, please cut the part where I said that Christmas was a hassle!

If the public heard me say that, it’d sully my image for sure!

— Hey, what’s so funny, Anzu~. As producer, shouldn’t you have put a stop to that?

Image is a matter of life and death for us idols, after all.

Geez. Enough about me. Let’s keep going with the project, shall we?

Hajime: Ah, sounds good.

Umm, when it comes to Christmas, you can’t forget the cake*. In my family, I make it by hand every year, with the help of my little brother and sister.

Tori: Whoa, a cake baked by Hajime! I bet it’s super delicious!

Hajime: Fufu, thank you very much. How about I make one for you as well this year, Tori-kun? I can make it as healthy as possible, so Fushimi-senpai won’t get angry.

Tori: Yaaay! You mean it? It’s a promise, okay?

Aira: Shino-senpai’s homemade cake?!

Eh~... That sounds sooo good…

Sora: HaHa~! It’d be unfair if Hime-chan was the only one who got to eat it. Sora wants some, too~!

Hajime: In that case, why don’t we all eat cake together as members of the same unit ♪ I’ll make it the best cake I possibly can.

Aira: Yaaaaaay ♪ I’m sooo happy~!

(That’s a real idol’s handmade baking we’re talking about here!! I’ve got to be the only fan in the whole world who gets to eat that! ES rules~...!)

Sora: As for Sora, he’s always happiest about the presents from Santa~. The night before Christmas is the most exciting one of the whole year ♪

Sora also loves all the beautiful Christmas lights~. There are so many happy colors during Christmas that Sora is always on cloud nine this time of year!

Tori: What about you, Shiratori? Do you have anything that comes to mind when you think of Christmas?

Aira: Bwah? M-me?

(Speaking my mind in front of such god-like people makes me nervous… But, well, since he’s asking…)

Umm. The fabric mascots on Christmas trees and wreaths are cute, I guess~?

Mom-, I mean, my mother likes things like that.

She always uses them for decoration for Christmas, so like, I’ve gotten used to that… And I guess seeing them makes me feel like it’s really Christmas.

Also, she hangs up an Advent calendar for me when December starts.

Sora: Advent calendar?

Hajime: If memory serves right, that’s a calendar that counts down the days until Christmas, isn’t it?

Aira: Yes. There’s a sweet treat for every day inside, so I spend the time anxiously awaiting Christmas eating those.

Hajime: Shiratori-kun, your Christmas sounds really lovely, too~.

Aira: Huh? You think so? Ehehe ♪ 

(Shino-senpai praised me…! I’m sooo happy~)

Tori: Advent calendar… Preparations for Christmas…

Sora: Hrmm. We more or less have a plan, but it’s all over the place, huh~. How do we summarize all these ideas?

Aira: Now that you say it... I mean, they’re all things related to Christmas, but they really are all over the place… Rather than summarizing them, it might be a good idea to select a few of them and throw the rest out?

Hajime: Hmm. Right…

Tori: Alright, I’ve got it.

Hajime: What should we do, Tori-kun? Which ones should we choose?

Tori: Let’s do all of them!



Hajime: Eeh?

All of them…? Is that even possible?

Tori: Hmm, who knows? But I think we can, depending on how we go about it.

Okay, so listen. Yesterday, when I learned that we were in charge of this project, I came up with something...

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TL Note: While there are many kinds of cake that are eaten during Christmas around the world, many of them are dry fruit cake varieties. In Japan, the standard Christmas cake is a soft spongecake with whipped cream and strawberries, though.