bakemonoremy

Location: CosPro Office

HiMERU: Oh? You’re already taking your leave, Anzu-san?

Ah, so you’ve seen enough of the material that you’re brimming with ideas, huh. Fufu, HiMERU is looking forward to them.

Leave it to HiMERU to tidy up around here. All the DVDs over here just need to be returned to vice president Saegusa, right?

Yes, HiMERU will give him your best regards. Well then, goodbye —

(...A personalized outfit for HiMERU, huh?)

(When observing the trends among the other idols’ personalized outfits so far, it seems that they’re meant to express their individual characteristics.)

(“HiMERU”’s individual characteristics…)

(Even though “I” know more about him than anyone else does, the hopes that “I” might express for an outfit aren’t necessarily the correct choice for HiMERU.)

(That’s why I mustn’t give my own opinion on this. It’s just fine if the outfit turns out bland.)

(If the outfit is something that the producer prepared “the way she pleases”, then HiMERU will be able to keep being HiMERU.)

Location: Café “Cinnamon”

- A few days later -

Rinne: ...So yeah, I reached out to the guys from ASOBI Club and they brought their friends and buddies over. The Werewolf game was a total party!

The one who shone the brightest was Ninja-kun for sure. He came up with a house rule: the “ninja” role! But that guy’s really no good at bein' secretive!

And like, my fellow werewolf Hina distracted everyone so well that I could just keep on gobblin’ up the villagers! It was a real hilarious tragedy, kyahaha ☆

If only you’d stayed behind, Merumeru~. I bet you’d have enjoyed the bloodbath together with me!

HiMERU: — Not particularly, no. HiMERU had to take care of some HiMERU business, you see… Oh?

Good evening, Anzu-san. Are you also having a belated dinner?

So you’ve finished the rough draft for HiMERU’s personalized outfit, huh.

Oh, there’s no need to review it. Since it was Anzu-san who came up with the design, HiMERU has full confidence in it.

...So you’ve made several drafts and want HiMERU to at least choose one of them? However, HiMERU is fine with any of them…

Rinne: Merumeru, what’s with the attitude? She’s goin’ through all that trouble of makin’ an outfit for ya. Poor Onee~san, gettin’ dumped like that~♪

How ‘bout instead of the ice cold Merumeru, li’l old me gets to wear that outfit instead?

...I can’t, ‘cause this outfit is for Merumeru’s exclusive use?

How cold of you. Since you’re already foregoin’ the leader and makin’ Merumeru’s outfit right now, won’tcha make my outfit next? Come on, yeah?

HiMERU: Setting aside Amagi’s teasing attitude… Indeed, HiMERU’s earlier stance was equivalent to impoliteness.

You did say you wanted to consult HiMERU. Very well, HiMERU will hear you out in detail. Amagi?

Rinne: Yeah yeah, you want me to step outside, don’tcha? Oh well.

I already ate my fill anyway. Guess I’ll go hit up the pachinko parlors or something. Smell ya later!

HiMERU: Now, allow HiMERU to take a look at your design drafts, if you please.

...Just as expected, they all appear appropriate for HiMERU.

You worked out some ideas based on the old footage you borrowed from the vice president? Then it’s no wonder that they all hit the mark.

HiMERU: But on the other hand, this makes it difficult for HiMERU to choose just one of them. May HiMERU ask Anzu-san to choose one for him, after— …?

(This one outfit seems familiar somehow…)

Aah, HiMERU apologizes for going quiet all of a sudden. About this design...

Hmm, it’s just a sketch, and not a design draft?

You copied an outfit design that you saw hanging on a dressing room wall on some bonus footage—?

(...Aah, so that’s why HiMERU remembers having seen it before.)

(This design was a contender for the outfit “HiMERU” would wear during his next live.)

(But this “next” live never came, and so it was scrapped…)

— Since you saw the bonus footage on that DVD, it must mean that you also viewed HiMERU’s last performance before he went on hiatus.

What did HiMERU look like, through your eyes?

...Fufu. Please excuse HiMERU for laughing. You kept praising “HiMERU” in rapid succession, so…

Yes, you’re right. The person you were telling me about just now was unmistakably “HiMERU”.

There are many ideas contained in this sketchbook, so while he feels bad about this… HiMERU is going to borrow it for a moment—

(...There were many other outfits “HiMERU” never got to wear. And surely, “HiMERU” can no longer return to those days.)

(But, at the very least, I want to take a step towards expressing the kind of style that “HiMERU” wanted to wear.)

(I want to represent "HiMERU”s original vision…)

— Please allow HiMERU to request that his outfit will be based on this design. Of course, you may make some revisions to it. Fashions trends have changed since this design was made, after all.

...You’ll try to stay as faithful as possible to the original design? Thank you very much for the respect you show HiMERU.

You seem considerably pleased, Anzu-san. Umm, so it’s because you’re happy that you got to listen to HiMERU’s wishes…?

(Ah, right… “I” also have things I want — things I wish for.)

(Like a ghost that yearns for something they can never again possess… It’s because of this tenacious attachment that it can remain suspended in its place.)

Niki: He~y, HiMERU-ku~n? It’s the last call, do you wanna order something?

...Oh huh, Nee-san’s here too. I didn’t notice ‘cause I’ve been so cooped up in the kitchen all this time, sorry.

Would you like to eat something too, Nee-san? Ah, you’re leaving since you’re done talking about the personalized outfit?

Then I look forward to welcoming you back here next time~.

A personalized outfit, huh? HiMERU-kun, are you next in line for that?

I look forward to seeing what kinda design it’s gonna be ♪

HiMERU: Yes… HiMERU himself looks forward to that as well.

Location: Café “Cinnamon”

HiMERU: — “Werewolf”?

Rinne: Yeah, dude. It’s a game where, through talkin’ to each other, ya gotta uncover the lyin’ li’l werewolf who’s pretendin’ to be your friend.

The other day, some guys were playin’ it in the common area of the Starmony Dorm and I had ‘em let me join in. It was a blast.

And while we’re all here, let’s make it a competition! The loser’s gotta treat us to lunch!

If I’m the werewolf, I’m gonna eat you up first and foremost, Niki. Get ready for your just deserts, kyahaha ☆

Niki: Don’t make scary declarations like that! I like to eat, but I’d rather not be eaten.

Kohaku: Werewolf, huh? I’ve played that online before. That game needs 8 or more players, so we can’t do it by ourselves, right?

Rinne: No worries, I can just hit up the guys from ASOBI Club on HoldHands — then we’ll easily get enough peeps in here.

Niki: “Easily”, huh. Not everyone’s got the kinda free time you have, Rinne-kun.

Rinne: Aaahn? Hell are you talkin’ about, I don’t have that much time to spare either. I’ve only got this one life, and livin’ it to the fullest doin’ all kinds of hilarious shit keeps me real busy!

HiMERU: — That’s called “having free time”.

Kohaku: Huh… HiMERU-han, yer leavin’ already?

HiMERU: Yes. It seems like the business talk is over, so there’s no point in staying any longer than this.

Kohaku: Aight. But can ya answer me one question before ya go?

HiMERU: — A question? As long as it’s something HiMERU can answer, do go ahead and ask.

Kohaku: Thank ya kindly. I’m not sure how t’broach this topic, so I’ll just ask ya point-blank: Did ya screw somethin’ up, HiMERU-han?

HiMERU: Screw up? Did HiMERU do something like that?

Kohaku: I mean, I don’t think you’ve been involved in any misdeeds.

Ya see, yesterday Anzu-han asked me to tell her everythin’ I know about ya, HiMERU-han.

Niki: Ah! Oh right, it didn’t happen yesterday, but she asked me about HiMERU-kun, too.

I was hungry back then, so I turned her down with a, “Yeah, some other time.” Still, I wonder what that was all about?

HiMERU: She asked both Oukawa and Shiina? Then, that must mean…

Rinne: ‘Course, she reached out to li’l old me as well. When I said that I’d spill the beans if she beat me in a gamble, she turned tail, though.

So spit it out, Merumeru. What’d you screw up?

HiMERU: ………

Rinne: If ya don’t feel like tellin’ us what’s up, how about we reveal it through a game of Werewolf? Kyahaha ☆

HiMERU: — There’s nothing to reveal in the first place. HiMERU doesn’t have the slightest idea what this could be about.

(Actually, the only thing that comes to mind is “my” secret. Perhaps she suspects something, and that’s why she’s sounding out the people around HiMERU...?)

HiMERU will go meet with Anzu-san in person and ask what it is that she wants to know. Well then, see you.

Location: CosPro Office

HiMERU: (The person standing with their back turned towards HiMERU… As expected, it’s Anzu-san. Finally, HiMERU found her.)

(Seeing as she’s at the CosPro office, perhaps she’s still investigating HiMERU.)

(In that case, HiMERU will return the favor. Time to probe your true intentions…)

— Good day, Anzu-san. Did you come to CosPro for work today?

You’re staring at that computer screen so eagerly… Oh my.

That’s... old footage of a HiMERU performance, isn’t it? How nostalgic.

However, HiMERU believes that the DVDs that contain this footage are no longer being distributed. How did you come by them?

...Hmm, so you borrowed them from vice president Saegusa. He certainly seems like the kind of person who would have this data in his possession.

(So they're not recordings of Crazy:B, but HiMERU’s solo lives? In that case, she really must be investigating HiMERU.)

(But to what end…?)

— Fufu. Even though you’re just looking at old footage, it still feels somewhat embarrassing to be stared at so fervently.

Why are you watching something like that after all this time?

A personalized outfit? Yes, HiMERU knows of them. So you plan to create a new outfit for HiMERU soon.

Interesting. Creating the vice president’s personalized outfit was your cue to start investigating other idols in advance from now on, hm?

(Speaking of which, the vice president’s personalized outfit struck HiMERU as very befitting of him. Well, not that HiMERU knows him all that well...)

(In any case, it appears as though she wasn’t on the hunt for the secret after all.)

Could it be that you’ve been asking around about HiMERU in order to plan this personalized outfit, Anzu-san?

So that’s what it was about. You see, just earlier, Amagi and the others told HiMERU that you were inquiring about him.

Hmm… So you intended to ask HiMERU directly, but he had gone home for the day, so you asked the others instead.

Very well, HiMERU understands the situation. Certainly, he has often been going home early in recent times. Since you’re quite busy yourself, we probably just kept missing each other.

(Still, there was no need for Amagi to use such a loaded phrase like “screw up”... It made HiMERU far too suspicious for no reason.)

You’re sorry for making it seem like you’re sounding HiMERU out? Please, there’s no need to apologize.

...You want to know HiMERU’s request? In other words, what kind of outfit HiMERU would like to wear?

Please don’t concern yourself with what HiMERU wants; feel free to design whatever your heart desires, Anzu-san —

No matter what kind of outfit it will turn out to be, it will look stylish on HiMERU. Please create it as you see fit.

— What’s the matter? Do you have a question for HiMERU?

You want to think of a rough draft at home and consult HiMERU again once you’ve come up with something…?

Understood. Feel free to talk to HiMERU whenever you’d like, Anzu-san.

Location: Concert Hall

- Several days later. The evening of a day off, at the composer Tsukinaga Leo’s solo concert, “Ave Maria” -

Kohaku: ( — Tsukinaga Leo.)

(A genius, world-renowned composer, and the former leader of one of ES’s Big Three: Knights.)

(Back ‘round spring, they carried out a ceremony t’hand down his title — the “Coronation”. Since then, he turned over his full authority to his successor Bon — Suou Tsukasa — and went into semi-retirement.)

(Or at least, that’s what the guy put out as an official announcement in interviews.)

(But that fella ain’t lookin’ the least bit retired to me right now.)

Leo: “♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

Kohaku: (Goin’ by records of him, Tsukinaga Leo’s actually been mighty active since that “Coronation”. In fact, it looks as if he’s been movin’ around way more freely than ever, with vim an’ vigor.)

(But that’s not as a member of Knights, but as the composer Tsukinaga Leo. Reckon he’s skippin’ out on idol activities an’ just doin’ what he likes best: composin’ music.)

(Based on the online rumors Rabu-han told me about, Tsukinaga Leo seems t’be quite the whimsical fella, an’ a chronic slacker to boot.)

(Apparently there were times when he didn’t show up to performances he was scheduled t’appear in, an’ once he even took a pretty long hiatus from idol activities entirely.)

(Some people criticize ‘im, sayin’ he’s “an egoist with only the temperament of a prodigy, whose conduct and words are often erratic and unhinged”. In that case, I reckon he’s the kinda person the uptight an’ pigheaded Bon would hate viscerally.)

(...Nah, somethin’s off. The rumors about Tsukinaga Leo don’t match up with his track record. Or rather, based on these documents, it’s not like he’s actually skippin’ out on his idol activities.)

(He’s been appearin’ in practically all of Knights’ numerous performances since the beginning of this year.)

(So the rumors about ‘im bein’ a chronic slacker are outdated...)

(Maybe the gossip about this other guy, Sena Izumi, who’s focusin’ on his career as a model overseas, is gettin’ muddled up in ‘em.)

(Feels like all the ill repute ‘bout not bein’ active enough as an idol, an’ all other kinda bad things, are made out to be Tsukinaga Leo’s fault, or rather —)

(It’s like he himself keeps doin’ outlandish stuff arbitrarily, perhaps in order to induce people to believe this.)

(Whenever they’ve got a fierce live battle goin' on against someone else, Tsukinaga Leo always stands in the frontline an’ incites the enemy.)

(Whether he’s doin’ it ‘cause he’s a violent, belligerent kinda guy, or if that’s just the pose he chooses ta strike in order to direct all o' the criticism to himself — )

(In other words, whether he’s doin’ it just ta protect his comrades ain’t somethin’ I can conclude just from these here documents.)

(“Knights are a buncha barbarians who do nothin’ but fight others, an’ Tsukinaga Leo’s the dictator who rules over ‘em all” — those are the kinda unfavorable rumors that’re heapin’ up.)

(Reckon that’s the most evocative kinda scene ta people, which is why it’s the one they show in photographs an’ put on articles ta get everyone riled up.)

(Even though Knights was s’pposed t’have undergone a change o’ generations, it’s still Tsukinaga Leo an’ not Bon who’s at the center of the conversation.)

(“Tsukinaga Leo is fattenin’ his own pockets by usin’ Suou Tsukasa like a puppet an’ suckin’ his vast fortune dry”, “He’s doin’ whatever he likes, usin’ his own comrade’s money”)

(— Those are the kinda completely unfounded rumors that are bein’ passed around as gospel.)

(But they’re the kinda accusations you’d scoff at the moment ya got ta know either of ‘em fellas.)

(As if Bon, who’s got nothin’ but his overblown pride an’ fastidiousness an’ not a sliver of endurance, would ever put up with bein’ made into someone else’s puppet.)

(‘Sides, if Bon was misusin’ the Suou fortune, us Oukawas would catch wind of it, beyond a shadow of a doubt.)

(That’s our rightful duty anyhow. Generation after generation, we’ve been the Sword of Damocles* hangin’ over the throne of the "immaculate" Suou family.)

(Throughout our long history, our status an’ disposition changed bit by bit, though.)

(Thanks ta the head house havin’ been in decline since around the Meiji Restoration**, eventually bein' reduced ta poverty-stricken aristocrats, we reached a point where we couldn’t just keep butterin’ ‘em up anymore.)

(...Anyway, this ain’t about us.)

(The issue’s Tsukinaga Leo. The public doesn’t know 'bout this yet, but that guy’s been involved in wrongdoings. Ya might even call ‘em criminal acts.)

(I’ve yet ta find any evidence for it, but seein’ as our vice prez said so, it can’t just be baseless, idle talk.)

(As the vice prez himself keeps insistin’, he’s a businessman at heart, so he wouldn’t invest in a prospect he doesn’t expect ta profit from.)

(Or maybe he’s just meddlin’ with me t’get his revenge for the hell my unit mate Rinne-han put ‘im through back durin’ MDM...?)

(Nah, he wouldn’t do such a childish tit-for-tat kinda thing.)

(An’ either way, I don’t gotta choice but ta do what the vice prez is askin’ of me this time — no matter how lil I trust the fella an’ how much he rubs me the wrong way.)

(Crazy:B can’t afford ta keep bein’ stopped in our tracks; we’re goin’ to the dogs without a lick o’ jobs.)

(We overcame hardship an’ gained freedom over our own lives. I don’t wanna believe we’re helplessly stuck at a dead end street now.)

(‘Sides… The guy in question, Tsukinaga Leo — bein’ Knights’ ex-leader in some way or another — still’s got a mighty influential voice even now.)

(His popularity among fans is through the roof, an’ he’s already renowned for his compositions even overseas.)

(Despite no longer holdin’ the title of “Ousama”, Tsukinaga Leo’s apparently still the heart of Knights — much to Bon’s displeasure, I reckon.)

(Ya can’t remove that heart entirely, but if it’s been afflicted by some disease, then ya gotta at least deal with it before it gets exacerbated.)

(An’ if Bon’s unable to do that from the inside, then I’ll put the scalpel to it from the outside instead.)

(By doin’ that, I’ll be able to indirectly protect Bon.)

(I’m not exactly the cream o’ the Oukawa crop...)

(But even if just by a lil bit, I feel ready ta fulfill the duty I’ve been assigned long before my birth… Bon.)

—————

* The Sword of Damocles is an anecdote about Damocles, who pandered to the king Dionysus by saying that he was truly fortunate to have all that power, upon which Dionysus offered the throne to him. Damocles accepted eagerly, but Dionysus hung a sword over the throne by a single horse’s tailhair to signify the danger that comes along with the power and authority of being king. Soon, Damocles begged to be allowed to leave the throne again, unable to bear the constant fear.

** Meiji Restoration

Location: Resting Area

- Early September, in the Resting Area of the ES building -

Kohaku: — Yeah, yeah.

I get it already, no need ta keep remindin’ me over an’ over.

Unlike Rinne-han, I’m not the type ta try an’ outwit others an’ deceive ‘em. I generally obey the higher-ups.

But I don’t like being thought of as a chess piece or slave ya can just use t’yer convenience forever.

This’ll be the last time I’ll do your biddin’, and if ya don’t keep your end of the deal, I’ll have no mercy — Vice Prez-han.

Seems like ya underwent a good bit of training yourself, but it’s impossible t'be on your guard 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

We know just how ta stab someone with a poison stinger the moment they get careless.

Make sure ya treasure the one and only life yer parents gave ya.

Uh huh. Gotcha. ...Uh, my acquaintance just got here, so I’mma hang up on ya.

We’ll talk again when I give ya the periodical report, as accordin’ to the rules. — See ya.

Aira: He~y, Kohakucchi~♪

Kohaku: ……...♪

Aira: Hm? What’s up, you’re grinning ear to ear — Did something nice happen?

Kohaku: Nah, I was just thinkin’ 'bout how I actually got real used ta bein’ called “Kohakucchi”.

Couldn’t help but laugh at myself for that, I guess — I usually consider myself a real bonehead, y’know.

Anyhow. Sorry for callin’ ya over here when you’re so busy… Rabu-han ♪

Aira: Uu. Stop it, I just can’t seem to get used to that “Rabu-han” nickname — or, like, it reminds me of a dark past I’d really like to forget!

Kohaku: Ko ko ko ♪ It's a good name 'cause it's cute; it suits ya well, Rabu-han.

Aira: Uu~, you’re the only one who praises me like that, Kohakucchi~...

I’ve been so useless lately — I almost think that I peaked back at MDM and it’s all gonna be downhill from there.

Kohaku: Hmm, what’s that all about? Are ya saying you've tasted all life has ta offer, with that adolescent body of yours?

Aira: That’s not what I’m saying… It's just that everyone in Alkaloid hasn't been attending school since forever, but now we’ve finally gone back to Yumenosaki and Reimei and stuff.

They told us that as long as we pull off our idol activities, they won’t see our lack of attendance as a problem, but it’s a given that we’ve fallen behind on our studies…

For what it’s worth, Yumenosaki’s an “Idol Training School”, so the difficulty and quantity of normal classes there are pretty low.

But y’know, I just don’t have the braincells for it.

I failed, like, a whole bunch of exams the other day during the periodic testing. It's not like they’re gonna suspend me for that, but —

Even Isara-buchou, who always smiles so gently no matter what may happen, got kinda exasperated and told me, “Dude, this goes a bit far…”.

What a shock~, guess I’m an underachiever as a high schooler as well…

Kohaku: Isara? Ain’t that the guy from Trickstar? Why’re ya callin’ him “buchou”?

Aira: Ah, it’s because I joined the Basketball Club at school. He’s the club captain there.

How about you, Kohakucchi — what club did you join? Actually, did Crazy:B even go back to school at all?

Kohaku: Well, our Rinne-han’s already an adult, and Niki-han has the kinda constitution that'd make him starve ta death before he could even get any studying done…

HiMERU-han apparently skipped grades and already graduated from university a long while ago, so we don’t got that kinda “back to school” feeling goin’ on.

Aira: Huh, is that so?

I don’t remember HiMERU’s profile saying anything about that, but I don’t stan CosPro hard enough to know their profiles by heart —

Ah, of course, Kohakucchi is ra~vely* though ♪

Kohaku: Thank ya kindly. ...T’tell the truth, I do wanna see what it’s like ta live a normal high school life for once.

But even if I enrolled, they’d probably just stick me into one of the schools that have connections ta my agency, like Reimei or Shuuetsu.

Back when I was troubled ‘cause I didn’t have anywhere t’stay, the agency put in a good word for me so I could stay at Reimei’s dormitory, y’see.

Aira: Eh~? Just come to Yumenosaki instead! I’m sure every day would be super fun with Kohakucchi around ♪

Kohaku: Ya make it sound so easy. In this world, there are a great many things ya can’t go up against no matter how hard ya wish ta, y’know.

More importantly. Much as I’d like ta keep chit chattin’ with ya like this, you're livin’ the busy high schooler’s life — Mind if I jump right into business?

Aira: Ah, right! Sorry, sorry!

Talking to Kohakucchi always makes me feel relaxed — like, it kinda heals my soul — so I just couldn’t help myself ♪

Guess I can’t be like Hiro-kun, who’s a moron but still somehow ended up getting some of the best grades in his year through what must’ve been some kinda mistake.

He’s the enemy of all kids who suck at studying!

Kohaku: Hiro-kun? Oh right, ain’t that yer sweetheart, Rabu-han?

Guess that kid’s more clever than he looks, huh? As expected from Rinne-han’s lil brother.

Aira: He’s not sweet**, he’s an evil that must be defeated! How dare he call himself an “underachiever” like the rest of us!

And he even dared to recite the one magic spell that hurts my feelings, like, “If there’s anything you don’t get, do you want me to teach you?”!

— Well, putting that aside. With how many exams I flunked, I’ve got remedial lessons going on now. It’s a shame, but we’ll have to finish up here quickly.

First things first; I compiled all the materials I had at home and brought them here… Does this help?

The person in question went on a hiatus for a while, so as you might expect, there aren't a lot of records about them from that time —

Kohaku: Gotcha. No worries, this is more than plenty. I don't have any contacts in that field, and while I could’ve asked Bon*** or Vice Prez-han…

I don’t really wanna indebt myself to either of ‘em, so I had no choice but t’rely on ya, Rabu-han.

I know you’re goin’ through a busy time right now, so I’m mighty sorry for causin’ ya trouble like this.

Aira: No worries — we’re friends, after all ♪ And it makes me happy to know that my hobby's finally doing somebody some good… Feels like it hasn’t all been for nothing.

But what are you gonna use Tsukinaga-senpai’s activity records and his fan’s chatlogs for, anyway?

This is all public info, so normally I’d just think you’re researching him out of curiosity.

But, Kohakucchi, you were kidnapped by Tsukinaga-senpai — or rather, by Knights — back during MDM, weren't you?

It doesn't really feel like you're looking into them just 'cause you like 'em, so I'm a little uneasy, y'know?

Kohaku: Right. Well, let’s just say it’s a work-related necessity.

Aira: Work?

Kohaku: Yep. ...And as usual, it’s a dirty job, befittin’ of me.

—————————

* In case you missed it, Aira’s catchphrases all have to do with the word love (Aira-bu (I love), Raburi (Lovely)) and so on. He uses the katakana word “Love” for it. In this case, he said “Kohakucchi is love!” and I tried to keep it consistent with his other catchphrases that have received a localization in Main Story already.

** Kohaku calls Hiiro Aira's "良ぇひと" which literally means "good person" but means boyfriend when used in this context, but Aira likely misunderstands him as saying that Hiiro is a good person in general and he refutes this and calls him evil instead. In my opinion he either misunderstood Kohaku or purposely plays off the expression he used.

*** Bon (坊) (boy, son, sonny) is what Kohaku calls Tsukasa.

Location: Night Club Interior

Rinne: — Oi. Why the long face? Don’tcha know we’re in the middle of a live?

Yuuta: ...Of course I do. I know it’s unprofessional of me, but I kinda saw something unpleasant and it put a damper on my mood.

Rinne: That so? Guess it’s only natural, though. All your life, you’ve been diligently protected from seein’ anythin’ unclean or unpleasant, right?

But y’know, that kinda overboard consideration makes me wanna puke — though it’s probably definitely all done outta love.

Yuuta: ...I said I get it already. Honestly, I was surprised to find out that lots of people don’t know that their love's something that can hurt others.

Rinne: Yep. So go on and tell ‘em.

Tell ‘em the truth of this world that no one ever told ‘em about, which they in turn never tried to figure out. The only one who can do that is you, 'cause no one else knows your “right answer”.

We’ve got mouths and we’ve got words. And we’ve got the right to turn those words into a lovely lil' song, and spread it all over the world…

You’ve got a place set up for you to reach lots and lots of people with your message.

It’s right here, on this very stage. Why didja get up here? To earn some cash? To be fawned over?

Or was it in order to get all the affection that your parents and society never gave ya from someone else instead?

Yuuta: ...Is it bad to stand on stage for an impure reason like that?

Rinne: Nnnope? ‘S just, I’m not sensin’ the slightest hint of a narrative from the two of ya…

From what I found out 'bout your personal history, it looks like you’ve been through some shit, but you’re just tryna bury all those murky feelings in the depths of your hearts.

You guys are flashy and talented, and you’ve got the skills, but there’s no context to it. Ya don’t have a story to tell — all you’re doin’ is opening your toy box and havin’ fun playing around together with your fans.

And I think that’s already fine by itself; after all, that's what pretty much all idols are by nature — nothin’ but amusement for the masses.

If ya can let ‘em kill some time enjoyin’ themselves, even just for a lil' while, that’s already enough.

Unfortunately, I’m already too old to be satisfied with that kinda child’s play, though…

If you guys are gonna be grapplin’ with the world for real from now on, you’d better belt out stories that'll resonate with all those bored-ass adults that live in it.

Your way of doin’ things may fly in the world of children, and everyone's prolly been heapin' praise on you for it.

But the ones who make this world go round are the adults who've long grown tired of those kinda thrills, y’know —

Rinne: Well, if you’re not interested in that kinda stuff I’m not gonna force ya, though.

If no one’s up for doin’ it, then we will. And for better or worse, there're as many idols out there as there are stars in the sky.

Brats like you guys should just do whatever you can do, and give your all in that.

“~.....♪”

Yuuta: ………

(Ugh~... This guy really pisses me off. I feel like I suddenly get why everyone hates Amagi Rinne — It’s because every single thing he says and does is provocative and vulgar, huh.)

(It’s because he digs up those sewers which everyone pretends not to notice while going about their lives, and scatters the mud and stench around.)

(It’s something I’d absolutely never do, and I’ve never been stained by such things. ...Thanks to Hinata-kun risking his life keeping me clean and protecting me from them.)

(But I’m grown-up enough to at least have noticed that there are disgusting things flowing beneath my feet.)

(All those people who've forgotten that I'm a grown-up by now, and who'd treat me like a kid forever — maybe it'd be okay... to do stuff that'll surprise them.)

(It’s fine if I put my feelings — if I put Aoi Yuuta’s feelings into song and released them to the world, right?)

(...My heart's racing so fast it could burst at the thought of that alone. Guess it’s still too soon for me to take part in games for adults like this.)

“— Dad!”

(Alright, I’m gonna tell you! I’ll tell you something a hundred times worse than all the things you said to us!)

(But I’ll do it in a way that’s worthy of us — a way worthy of idols!)

(And once I do, I’m sure I’ll have a weight off my shoulders — even if just a little bit!)

(I'm just venting my anger on you, but you did the exact same thing to us, so it’s fine, right!)

“Did you come to cheer for us? Thank you! We’re always so grateful to you! It’s all thanks to you that we became such splendid idols, Dad!”

Yuuta: “And that’s why! Today, wholeheartedly and with all my might — I’ll put all my love into it and sing!”

“With the smile of a child, but the freedom of an adult! As a single, regular human, the likes of which you could find just about anywhere!”

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

Location: Night Club Interior

Hinata: Aah, so I wasn’t mistaken. You know, Onii-chan, you’re gaping at Dad almost like he’s a murderer.

Yuuta: ...That’s because I hate him. I loathe his guts. So much that I wish he’d bite his tongue and drop dead right this second.

Hinata: Mhm.

Yuuta: What on earth is that guy doing in a seedy nightlife district like this? Treating himself to some drinks for working himself ragged or something?

Hinata: Oh, I don’t think so. You won't like me saying this, Onii-chan, but I think the family resemblance between you two is showing…

He’s probably worried about us, just like how you were worried about me, Onii-chan.

We’ve been really active all over the place lately, and have become celebrities, too.

If people like us are spotted in a shady club within this kinda "nightlife district", of course there’ll be talk.

Hearing rumors like that could worry just about anyone. That is, if the person in question loves us even a little bit, parent or not.

Yuuta: ……....

Hinata: I figured it’d make you mad, Onii-chan, or at least put you in a bad mood, so I never told you, but…

He’s always been like that, you know. Whenever 2wink becomes the talk of the town, he’d text me a few words over the phone.

And whenever worrying rumours about us pop up on the 'net or anything, he’ll give me a call.

Like when Crazy:B went on that rampage during summer break, for example, he asked me if we were doing okay.

He said he cares about us, and that he wants to help us out if anything happens. ...Though you're probably thinking that any good parent should lend their help before something goes down.

But he did help us out, y'know. In his own way.

Or did you really think that I'd managed to sustain our idol activities on my own this whole time, when I'm the same age as you?

When we’re both still at an age where we need a guardian's approval for everything?

Yuuta: ...That man is not our guardian. We’ve left that house to live in Starmony Dormitory and we have our own income, so at this point he’s nothing but a stranger with zero relation to us.

No. That person became a stranger to us the very instant he spoke to us like we were monsters.

Hinata: Mhm. That’s why I won’t ask you to forgive him.

He may as well be a complete stranger to us, since he lost any right to be our parent through his callous statements.

But you know… In that case, I wanna at least face him the way I would a stranger.

If we hated that person more than necessary, held him in contempt, and spoke of him as if he was less than a stranger — less than a human; a monster…

Then we'd be just the same as him, who talked about us as if we were repulsive monsters. No, we really would become monsters who won’t even treat humans as humans.

I don’t wanna become like that, and I don’t want you to turn into that kind of creature either, Onii-chan.

Which is why, as a stranger to him, and as an idol — I’ll treat him like he’s a guest who's just come to watch our performances, and I’ll tell him:

“Thank you.”

And then, I’ll spread love as an idol by singing and dancing to the best of my ability. Maybe I can’t offer the love of a boyfriend or husband, or a family member...

But at the very least I won’t play favorites amongst fans, or withhold love from certain people — I won’t discriminate.

After all, isn’t that the very thing we hate the most?

Hinata: The love of those who “love everyone” isn’t any weaker, or insufficient, compared to people who love only one single person.

Even love that’s directed at “everyone” has the power to save people. I know this for a fact, and I believe in it.

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

Yuuta: (...What the hell.)

(Talk about arrogant. You’re always, always like this, huh.)

(Talking like you’re an adult who knows the right answer, and I’m just a kid who doesn't know a thing. Even though we were born on the same day, and were supposed to have been growing at the same pace.)

(You've taken up the role of my guardian, just because you’re the older brother and the leader.)

(You know, I've wanted to share the burden you’re carrying, even just a little.)

(That’s why I’d always ask to do things together with you… Saying that we should carry the burden together, no matter what it might be — and we made that work.)

(And I thought that just by doing that, everything was going well. I convinced myself of it.)

(But was I just like a kid who innocently says, “Lemme help, too~!” to you?)

(Was everything I offered just the useless ideas of your cute little protegé, who doesn’t even realize his own powerlessness?)

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).

Location: Night Club Interior

Rinne: That said! In order to assert and prove that we here at Crazy:B are the bestest of buddies with everyone’s beloved 2wink —

And in order to make sure that even the very last dumbass in the world gets it, we’re gonna hold a joint live with them…..☆

Niki: Ugh~, I just knew that’s what this was all about… In that case, can I leave? I don’t like live performances, they just make me hungry~.

Look, you only need two or more people to be recognized as a unit, right? So there’s no problem with me going home, yeah? Welp, do your best, everyone! Bye~♪

Rinne: Stop right there, asshole. If ya leave without my permission I’ll fuckin’ beat ya to death.

Niki: Uwaaahn, this guy jumps right to the death threats~! Quick, someone arrest this man~, he’s abusing his authority!

Kohaku: Ahaha, but why not stick around? I mean, we’ve basically been out of a job ever since we were on the brink of breakin’ up back around MDM.

We ain’t had a chance ta stand on stage together an’ perform with all four of us since then.

Back durin’ MDM, we didn’t even have a clue what performin' with co-stars meant, an’ we were in a real messy place.

Up ‘til then, we were like a buncha guys sent on a suicide mission by the higher-ups, ordered ta kamikaze bomb the people around us…

To us, this is gonna be the first stage we can stand on outta our own free will, peacefully by the sides o' other folks.

I, fer one, am real happy t’get ta stand on such a stage. That ain't the case fer you, Niki-han?

In that case, I’d feel kinda lonelyyy.... I reckon I ain't got the right ta try an’ keep ya here… But won’tcha join us? Pretty please?

Niki: Uu, cut it out! Don’t look at me with tears in your eyes, I’m weaker to stuff like that than you’d expect~! Aah, that’s just how Rinne-kun looked at me when I first found him and took him in —

Rinne: Aah? As if I ever begged ya with teary eyes like that!

But come ooon, Niki… Let’s do it togetheeer, I’m just no good without’cha by my side—

Niki: Aaaaah~! Aaaaah~! I can’t hear yo~u! That's so unfair of you, appealing to my compassion like that!

Rinne: Eh~? Guess I gotta lure ya in with a physical reward instead…

If ya get up on stage with us, I’ll treat ya to a meal here at this club ♪ I’ll let ya eat as much as ya like, alright? Sounds good?

Niki: Deal! I’ll do anything for food — What do I need to do, Rinne-kun!? Do you want me to lick your shoes?

Rinne: Right. Just as I thought, food’s more important to you than I am, huh… When I think about that, I get kinda down in the dumps every now and then, y'know?

HiMERU: — Fufu. As usual, you’re having a foolish and vulgar conversation that’s entirely unbefitting of idols.

Rinne: Aah? And what’s wrong with that? I told ya this place has nothin' to do with ES, didn’t I?

This here's a free stage where you can knock down any and all worthless shit, like those rules ES went and decided on their own, and all that "befitting of an idol" bullcrap!

HiMERU: It certainly appears to be so. On the way here, and during his conversations and such earlier, HiMERU made use of his information network and looked into it…

Apparently, this club follows a policy of refusing to adopt the L$ system, and operating without striking any deals with ES.

Although that’s an entirely ill-advised policy, seeing as how they’re on ES turf.

Rinne: Yeah, they’re a bunch of reckless fuckin’ idiots. But y’know — and this goes without sayin’, really — not everyone approves of ES.

There are some who can’t get used to it, some who were excluded, and some who were even driven out by it.

For this club, servin’ delicious booze has always been their pride and joy. But it’s unthinkable for idols to drink alcohol...

And most of 'em are still student-aged, so they shouldn’t even be anywhere near the stench of booze.

— Or at least that’s the view certain upholders of moral standards spout, which ES accepts and affirms.

The local politicians who were tryna feel out ES' stance on things then tightened alcohol regulations in order to appease ‘em.

ES's pretty much a chicken poppin' out golden eggs, the way they’re in charge of a huge industry the region boasts of…

I don’t think the politicians are takin’ bribes — It’s only natural that everyone’s movin’ in whichever direction will keep ES in good spirits.

But thanks to this “great flow of things” causin’ the whole region — and even all of society — to revolve around ES, lots of folks are gettin’ the short end of the stick.

This club's among those, and so are all the people gathered here.

Tons of folks disapprove of ES and that "great flow of things" it brought forth, and do their best to distance themselves from it.

To all those guys, this club, which refuses to give in to ES and implement the L$ system, and still serves alcohol —

And us, Crazy:B — who... well, kinda may have died a miserable death from exploding at the last moment, but still defied ES head-on and represented the people’s disapproval of it…

...became their leaders who embody their hopes and dreams — Their heroes.

That’s the context behind how we as Crazy:B are bein’ treated. Nuisances who can’t adapt to society, and wound up as dropouts 'cause of that…

All those people out there with negative feelings, discontent and hatred, all jumbled together and swirlin’ around in their stomachs — they're our best customers.

We’re the only ones who validate, console and cherish them and these feelings they harbour.

Those guys who’re hidden in a darkness which the oh-so-pure “true idols” from ES won’t pay any attention to and aren’t even aware of… They're our beloved customers.

And as long as we've got even a single customer, a single fan — then we've got a duty to keep bein’ idols.

Well, that's somethin’ those lil' cheepin’ juniors had the nerve to remind me of back durin’ MDM.

We, Crazy:B, will become a shining star for those outcasts of society.

We’re the only ones who'll validate and love all those folks who disagree with the popular definition of what a “real star” is.

Our existence proves to ‘em that there’s no grounds for ‘em bein’ all criticized and looked down on.

Even if ya drink booze just to get drunk off your ass and forget about your pain for a lil' while, that’s already enough. After all, that’s exactly why alcohol's needed in this world.

Alright, let’s treat ‘em to some absolutely exceptional honey mead ♪

This is all for those guys who’re beyond redemption, who’re in so much pain and distress that all they can do is drown their sorrows in booze —

Those guys whose wounds only deepen when they’re denied by society and called a disgrace for drinkin’ and gettin’ drunk — this is all for them! Gyahahahaha ☆

Location: Night Club Interior

- 10 or so minutes later -

Yuuta: (Siiigh… Why did things turn out like this…)

(I thought that just like always, I’d give Aniki an earful and make him apologize for making me worry, bring him back home, end of story — )

(But instead, while we were talking, Amagi Rinne suddenly made me change into this outfit and told me we'd be doing a live together...)

(Hinata-kun gave his OK as our leader and so here I am, standing on the stage without a clue as to what's going on.)

(It’s like I’m being swept away by the flow… And probably not in a good direction, either.)

(The focus of our idol activities has shifted from Yumenosaki Academy to ES— )

(Other units may be losing their bearings, and are panicking in their struggle to adapt…)

(Only us, 2wink, were able to continue our activities with composure, or so I thought.)

(But it looks like we weren’t an exception to this. Even we can’t stay the same way we’ve been, can we...?)

(Everything's changing so rapidly. Still, despite that, I believed that we alone would be fine. But maybe we’re not?)

(“There’s two of us”, which is why we won’t ever lose to anyone, and can become “the strongest individual” together. It’s because we’re the strongest, the most invincible, that we can survive undefeated, no matter what…)

(That’s what I resolved to believe. But maybe I was wrong? Maybe I was naive?)

(No matter how strong an “individual” is, even if they’re as strong as Sakuma-senpai and the other seniors, they can’t survive alone in this world. So in that case, what're we supposed to do?)

(After thoroughly wavering, suffering, hurting each other, and being treated like children dependent on the help and protection of others…)

(I thought that we'd finally found a way of life that was the “right answer”.)

(.........)

Jun: He~y… Yuuta-kun, yeah? I looked up online how to tell you guys apart, but did I get it right?

Yuuta: Ah, yes. That’s me, Yuuta. I keep telling you that I won’t get mad if you can’t tell us apart, though. It’s fine to just make a wild guess.

Jun: Hrm~m. But there're times when I rack my brains to come up with a new skill and work my ass off to acquire it…

And when people then say “That’s an homage to Sagami Jin, right?” with a smug look on their face, it seriously pisses me off.

GODDAMN. With all due respect, I’m not fucking imitating anyone, I am myself.

More importantly, Yuuta-kun, you've had a change of clothes and got up on stage — Does that mean you’re gonna do a live, after all~?

Doing guerilla lives without permission and such is exactly what Crazy:B did during summer break, and they caused a great deal of trouble to everyone around them…

I really don't think our agency's gonna be so sympathetic to that kinda thing~?

Rinne: Gyahaha. Of course I got proper permission.

Not to mention you guys were the ones who ordered us all high-and-mighty to go do some guerilla activities and attack other agencies, anyway.

You’ve got some nerve, actin’ all disapproving at this point, don’tcha?

Jun: There’s no point in telling me that, though. Well, I guess it’s fine since you got permission and all. In fact, tell me if there’s anything I can do to help~.

Apparently this place's full up of Reimei Academy’s… Non-special students, or in other words, underachievers.

Look, take those guys making a racket in the corner over there for example.

Yuuta: (Come to think of it, I'm recognising a lot of people from work and even showbiz folks in this place.)

(I wonder why? Maybe it’s because this place is pretty close to ES~?)

Mika: Yeah. Looks like there’re right plenty o' kids who look up ta me an’ came all the way from our hometown ta become idols here as well.

They all keep comin’ up to me like, “You’re Kagehira Mika-san, aren’t you! From Valkyrie!”.

Jun: Same for me. It really makes it sink in that Eden's actually become a big name~.

I get kinda happy when people think they wanna grow up to be like me.

Though it was probably to stir up that sorta sentiment that the special student system was created in the first place, huh~?

Well, nevermind that for now…

It was always those kinds of underachievers and idol write-offs that I wanted to encourage, especially back during Lilith’s idol activities~.

Those guys who're just like how I was in the past, astray in the vast plains.

I wanna become someone who can inspire and motivate 'em, and I mean, if I've got the chance to stand on stage then I'm gonna want to go for it~.

Rinne: Hmm. I figured you were just some uppity and arrogant court noble, but you’re actually in the same boat as me, huh.

Yeah, this won’t do — I can't rely on just apparent facts, I gotta see what someone's really like in person, just like this ♪

Anyhoo. This club's a lawless place — like a city of demons with zero relation to ES. If ya wanna get up on stage, go for it, no one’s gonna stop ya.

Well, keepin' the future in mind, I’d appreciate it if ya got permission from the bigwigs first, anyway.

I mean, if I wound up causin' trouble for an Eden kid, our vice prez Glasses-kun prolly won't be so quick to rally up support for Crazy:B anymore.

Jun: Now that you mention it, that Ibara really was considering Crazy:B's needs, huh~?

Based on his personality, I figured he’d simply throw out anyone who might put the agency at the slightest disadvantage.

Rinne: I bet he would. Which is exactly why we’ve really gotta prove our worth.

I don't have my head in the clouds imaginin’ that the vice prez is helpin’ us out of guilt over havin’ coerced us before.

That guy's still certain that he can “make use” of Crazy:B.

I’m not gonna sing my own praises here, but — is there actually any other unit at ES willin’ to hurt other idols right now? In other words, aren’t we the only ones who’re useful as a weapon?

As long as we pass for a weapon, he’s not gonna part with us — The vice prez’s a lil' warmonger, after all ♪

Mika: Yer sayin’ some real disturbed stuff again~. War's the worst kinda folly, one that only serves ta destroy civilization~.

I mean, like, feel free to do as ya please, but ya better keep yer hands off 2wink.

Otherwise, yer gonna make an enemy outta every single powerhouse unit from Yumenosaki Academy.

Rinne: Gyahaha. I know, I know.

But turnin’ that logic on its head, if I were to make an ally of 2wink, then the whole lot from Yumenosaki would also become our allies — Right?

Ain’t that exactly why the vice prez ordered 2wink to support us?

Guess that guy must've gone through a real painful experience and learned the hard way to take other people’s feelings into consideration, huh ♪

But when it comes to gambling, the house's always the one to win.

Makin’ the best use of the cards they’ve been dealt, they’ll have ya toil for as long as ya rake in the cash — that's Cosmic Production for ya ♪

Location: Night Club Interior

Hinata: If you wanna help someone, you gotta first get to know them, right?

There are times when even the fingertips of the hand you reached out to help someone can in turn injure them — The two of us had many bad experiences thanks to that in the past.

Yuuta: Yeah. ...So, you spoke to Rinne-senpai, and he promptly brought you to this sketchy establishment?

You should be more careful, Aniki. I’d wager there are tons of terrible people out there who’d love to have a cute little idol fall into their clutches, you know?

Hinata: Uu. I mean, I figured it’d be fine~, that there aren't any bad people among idols...

All the idols we've met and gotten to know at Yumenosaki are kind, good people after all.

As a result, I forgot that there are plenty of bad people in the world as well, and let my guard down.

I do feel like forgetting about that was a blessing — But by the time something awful actually happens, it’s already too late for regrets, so I’ll be more careful in the future.

Yuuta: Yeah. I’ll let you off the hook this time… I guess. Maybe Rinne-senpai’s a more decent and virtuous person than I suspected. I mean, you got attached to him after all, Aniki.

Hinata: Nah~, I do think that he’s probably a terrible and dangerous person.

At least, he’s “that” kinda guy, to a certain degree. He chose by his own free will to play the bad guy, or rather, the ungracious part.

And if anything, I can relate to that… I'm saying this in hindsight, but it’s not like Rinne-senpai did anything bad to me.

In fact, he was really kind to me and listened to all my complaints I couldn’t tell to anyone else. Made me feel like, “Aah, I guess that’s what it’s like to have an Onii-chan...”.

Yuuta: Gh. I’m sorry, I’ve still got a long way before I can become an Onii-chan like that for you.

HiMERU: …….?

Yuuta: Ah, I guess this is a little confusing to those who aren’t in the know. You see, we’re the kinds of twins who frequently change the “little brother” and “big brother” roles based on how we’re feeling, and stuff.

HiMERU: — Hmm, HiMERU can’t imagine this not being confusing to the two of you. It feels as though the boundary between the two of you may disappear, or rather that it’ll be difficult for you to establish your own identities.

Well, HiMERU is the last person who should be saying this, though.

Hinata: …..? In any case, while talking to Rinne-senpai, we really hit it off —

And I heard from him that while helping out at this club, he's been coming up with quite the "plan".

Since I was ordered to support Crazy:B, I wanted to assist him with whatever that was…

So with that in mind, I helped him out as much as I could.

Although all I did was wait tables, wash dishes and sweep floors... All kinda un-idol-like things to do.

But it was fun and felt nostalgic, and reminded me of back when we were in Master’s care at the Chinese restaurant*.

Well, not that I've got any idea what point there is to working at a place like this, though.

I wonder what this “plan” Rinne-senpai mentioned is all about?

HiMERU: Don’t ask HiMERU. Or actually, that’s what HiMERU came here to investigate. And if Amagi is involved in some mischief again, to use that as pretext to denounce him —

In order to fulfill HiMERU's plan of returning to a focus on solo activities, which are the most suitable for him.

Hinata: Oh, so you're the kind of person who’d prefer solo activities, HiMERU-san? The thought of that never once crossed our minds — We’re twins, after all.

Yuuta: Yeah, because we both decided to become idols together.

When we showed off the street performance skills we learned along the way at places like Master’s restaurant, the customers and other people gathering around were all so delighted and praised us.

They kept demanding to see more and more — And to this day, that’s why we still do jobs that show off our skills.

HiMERU: Fufu. Merely showcasing your skills makes you a performer, but an idol’s job is to be loved. At least, that is how HiMERU defines idols.

No, that’s how he defines the idol named HiMERU.

Which is exactly why his current role of rampaging and scattering poison, being resented and detested, is entirely undesirable for HiMERU —

Rinne: Gyahaha. In that case, lemme ask you this, Merumeru… D’ya really think you can return to bein’ the beloved character ya once were by focusin’ on solo idol activities like ya used to?

HiMERU: — Amagi. Didn’t HiMERU ask you to stay outside the club for a while, seeing as how you’re a nuisance to this conversation?

Rinne: Eh~? I don’t got a choice, someone’s gotta lead these new “customers” to their seats, right?

Yuuta: Customers? — Ah, Kagehira-senpai is one of them. Maybe he was worried and came after me~? My Yumenosaki seniors are overprotective as usual, huh~?

HiMERU: ………

Yuuta: ? Is something wrong, HiMERU-san?

HiMERU: No. HiMERU was thinking the clientele here seems to be of a biased demographic, but then this means —

Rinne: Yeah. I think your deduction’s prolly spot on, o great detective ♪

HiMERU: ………

Yuuta: H-huh? What's that supposed to mean?

Rinne: Gyahaha! Don’t ask the “culprit” that!

Gettin’ to think shit over in your own brains is the greatest pleasure that humanity's still allowed, right?

Not to mention, it’s free of charge and you can enjoy it for as long as ya like! There’s no reason not to indulge in it, yeah?

Or rather, quit your silly chatter, get a move on already and work if you've got it all figured out. Surely just being spectators** ain't enough to satisfy creatures like you lot, right?

—————

* Kung Fu Scout Story

** The word for “spectator/audience” (of a live show) and guest/customer (at a bar) is the same.

Location: Night Club Interior

HiMERU: — Very well. Now that we’ve vaguely established what everyone’s circumstances are, let us sort out the current situation.

Hinata: Uh, okay. But, um… HiMERU, right?

I don’t really get why this HiMERU guy's the one in charge here, but seeing as I’m apparently the one who’s about to be chewed out, I won’t complain and just keep my mouth shut.

HiMERU: A wise decision. A poorly executed apology tends to only fan the flames, after all.

Yuuta: Well, you see. HiMERU-san's the one who's been helping me investigate just what my suspicious Aniki's been up to... Isn't that considerate of him? He’s just like a kind and reliable Onii-chan ♪

Hinata: Grr. Yuuta-kun’s one and only Onii-chan is me, though…

Oh no, I didn’t say a word. Sorry.

Yuuta: Why're you acting so apologetic, Aniki? It’s not like I’m here to rip into you~? Well, depending on the situation, I might give you a nasty scolding, though —

Hinata: Ah, it’s just out of habit… Especially during the last year, it’s kinda become a routine for you to snap and use me as your emotional punching bag whenever I mess up…

Yuuta: That’s your fault for doing things worth getting punched for.

Hinata: Uu, my little brother is such a tyrant~. Right, right, in this world it’s always the Onii-chan who’s in the wrong.

Your Onii-chan’s to blame for every little thing, I’m sooo sorry for having been born. Sob, sob.

HiMERU: Just what kind of character are you trying to be here? It seems as if you’re messing around, but HiMERU hardly finds that a desirable attitude at a time like this.

Yuuta: I know, right~. That’s a bad habit of yours, Aniki. Though I know it's just to protect me that you’ve been making yourself look like the flippant mischief-maker.

But enough of that already — “Hinata-kun”.

Hinata: Uu. What do you want me to do~? No matter what I try, I get scolded… But I can’t help it, y'know~, I’ve lived my life like this for so long already.

I can’t change so suddenly… Even now, I still feel kinda shy whenever I call Yuuta-kun “Onii-chan”.

I’m never even nervous on stage~, but for some reason, this is embarrassing for me.

Yuuta: Get used to it already. Actually, all you need to do is imitate me. Shouldn’t that be easy? Don’t you already do that all the time, anyway?

Hinata: Uu~, how very impudent it would be for someone of mine status to be imitating my most esteemed and honorable Onii-chan—

HiMERU: No really, what kind of character is that supposed to be?

If you don’t commit to a single character, you will merely confuse people. HiMERU doesn’t believe that is very desirable for an entertainer.

Hinata: Uu, this guy keeps laying on the criticism! But why? Did I do something to you, uhh, HiMERU-san?

Yuuta: Fufun. I’m sure it’s because he’s sympathizing with me and getting angry on my behalf ♪

HiMERU: That isn’t the reason… HiMERU simply can’t help talking too much when the topic shifts to his area of expertise. He will discipline himself from now on.

In any case. To get back on topic, the facts become plain and simple once we have all the disruptions out of the picture.

Recently, us Crazy:B have been in a difficult spot where we've been deprived of jobs, and without any work to do, we have more time on our hands than we know what to do with. So much, in fact, that we’ve resorted to killing time by playing mahjong at our hang-out spot.

Whether it was in order to destroy this status quo, or just on one of his usual whims, Amagi has been taking suspicious actions on his own.

Yuuta: Ah~, I think I might actually be kind of jealous of your free time. We, on the other hand, have been so busy to the point that we've even been missing out on sleep sometimes.

Hinata: Yupyup. Not sure if it’s 'cause our agency's Vice Prez has taken a liking to us, or if he's got no other convenient game pieces to control, but it feels like he’s been making us do all sorts of trivial jobs, day in and day out.

Yuuta: Right? We’re being treated like the most recommended idols at CosPro, and while I guess I do appreciate it... doing nothing but work day after day does get tiring.

But that’s exactly why this isn’t the time for us to get caught up in this kind of nonsense. We don’t have time for games right now. Don’t you get that, Aniki?

Hinata: Uu. I knooow~. But it’s not like I’m just playing around, alright~.

HiMERU: Indeed. Err, Aoi Hinata — HiMERU will refer to you without honorifics. He has already once stated the reason for that to Yuuta, so HiMERU will simply skip the explanation this time.

Hinata: Hey, c'mon, what’s the big idea in referring so casually to my most precious and loveliest little brother in the whole world! Put some love into it and address him as “honored Onii-chan”!

HiMERU: A little brother being an “Onii-chan” is a contradiction, which HiMERU finds rather revolting so he shall refuse.

Hinata: This guy called us “revolting”~! That’s our trigger word!

Yuuta: Ahaha. Seems like you just don't mesh with HiMERU-san, Aniki.

Hinata: And on the other hand, you don't seem to click too well with Rinne-senpai 'cause he keeps toying with you, Yuuta-kun...

He’s been a pretty good senpai to me so far, and even though I haven’t known him for that long, I already love him to bits.

Yuuta: Eh~, you’ve got bad taste, Aniki. What on earth do you even see in that guy?

HiMERU: Indeed, HiMERU is struggling to understand that as well.

Hinata: Uu, backup~! I’m calling for backup~! Save me, Rinne-senpai~!

HiMERU: HiMERU has expelled Amagi from this place, which means no one will be coming to save you. Please give it up.

...But in truth, that man is in your debt, so if you wished for it, chances are he would indeed act as your backup.

His way of thinking is surprisingly old-fashioned, or in other words, he possesses a strong sense of duty. — That Amagi.

Yuuta: Huh, so he’s just an old man. And someone like that was secretly meeting with my Aniki at a suspicious night establishment. At least, that's the impression I got, so I might've panicked more than necessary.

Hinata: Those weren’t secret meetings~. I was just supporting Crazy:B 'cause the Vice Prez asked me to.

He sent that as an official request through the Glitter Mail I mentioned, and makes sure to pay me appropriately — And he told me “I’ll leave the methods up to you, Hinata-kun”.

Yuuta: Yeah, you told me that over the phone.

Hinata: Yup. But y’know, the two of us don’t have any experience helping someone else all by ourselves, right?

Back at Yumenosaki we just followed Sakuma-senpai’s instructions, since he kinda became our boss.

Yuuta: Well, I guess that’s in part because we couldn’t afford to look after others back then.

Hinata: Mhm. That’s why I was at a loss for what to do… But I figured a chat with him would be a good place to start, so I approached Rinne-senpai.

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.

Location: Night Club Interior

- A few minutes later -

Rinne: Come on in~♪ Welcome to nightclub “Beehive”, where you can live out your dreams of gazin' so closely at cute idols you can even brush shoulders with 'em~!

HiMERU: ………

Rinne: Oh, it’s just you, Merumeru. Talk about wastin' my chummy greeting… You shouldn’t be here, y'know? This ain’t no place for kids~.

HiMERU: — Please cease arrogantly treating everyone like children just because you’re the only one over 20 here.

Regardless of what the legal definition says, HiMERU partakes in business activities and therefore considers himself an adult.

Rinne: What a goody-two-shoes. But, well, that’s just you doin’ whatever’s convenient for you... On the flip side, I’m free to do whatever’s convenient for me, which means categorizin’ ya as a kid and treatin’ ya like one.

Thinkin' people'll follow whatever ya tell 'em to as long as ya just wish real hard for it? Dumbass beliefs like that should go out with the trash the moment ya finish your compulsory education! Gyahahaha ☆

Yuuta: ………

Rinne: Hmm? Aw man~... The kid's here too, huh — does that mean we’re doin’ this shit again?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, whassup? Ya here to beg me through snot and tears to “give back your Aniki~” again, or what? You’re gonna get in the way of our business, so couldja go bawl outside the club instead?

Bratty tantrums are such a pain in the ass to deal with.

Yuuta: (W-What? What’s with the attitude? This is exactly how this guy acted during MDM, he isn’t showing any guilt whatsoever, or rather —)

(Is he not even aware that what he’s doing is deplorable?)

Rinne: Hmm~? Oh wow, it's written all over your face just how ticked off ya are. Guess ya weren't brought up so well…

All your life ya only had to whine through teary eyes and your kindhearted Onii-chan would completely surrender on the spot and beg your forgiveness, yeah?

But I ain't gonna apologize. ‘Sides, ya wouldn’t forgive me even if I did... Am I right?

And anyway, humans take up oxygen and cause harm to all the creatures in the world just by bein’ alive…

If I went ‘round lowerin’ my head to every single one of ‘em, the one and only precious life I was given would be over by the time I was done.

Yuuta: ………

Rinne: So here’s what we’re gonna do. I’ll let ya make back whatever losses ya incurred, and more.

When ya make a profit, you immediately forget about your past losses before it. Well, in most cases, anyway —

Should be clear as day what I mean just by lookin’ at the Big Three at the top of ES.

Even though they’re a bunch of utter scumbags who trampled all over countless other guys, the public praises ‘em as if they’re role models for all idols.

And y'know why? It’s all ‘cause those guys kept on winnin’ and rakin’ in cash, and let everyone else involved have a slice of the profits, right?

Most people wouldn’t be able to rationally condemn and toss out somethin’ that — even just once — supplied ‘em with profits and pleasure.

That’s why casinos won’t ever disappear, and why people who indulge in booze and cigs for pleasure find themselves unable to quit ‘em after even just a single try…

But if you actually sit down and look at the big picture, it’s obvious that shit like that just wastes all your time and ruins your health.

HiMERU: — Indeed. And for that very reason you should quit indulging in such immoral games already. Your mere existence reflects negatively on the rest of us.

Rinne: So what? Ya tellin’ me to fuck off and die?

I soil myself just by bein’ alive, y’know? Are ya tellin’ me that I’m unqualified to be a part of society ‘cause of that?

HiMERU: — At the very least, please adopt a lifestyle that’s befitting of an idol. That is all HiMERU asks of you.

Rinne: Huh, so you’re tellin’ me to cater to the public and act like a goody-two-shoes?

If I coulda been successful by bein’ straight-laced, I wouldn’t have become the kinda guy I am today. And it’s too late for me to choose that sorta path now, don’tcha think?

Even if I did put on a front to convince everyone I'm not a nasty lil' creature, no one'd believe it at this point — not when it's comin' from a venomous bee that inflicted this much harm on people.

In fact, I’m pretty sure they’d take advantage of it and just torture me right to death.

HiMERU: — The roots of suspicion and despair you feel towards your fans, or rather, everyone around you, grow rather deep.

HiMERU had believed that your concerns in that regard were at least slightly resolved during the final match of MDM.

Rinne: Yeah, ‘cause the senior and veteran that is Amagi Rinne-kun got a good lesson from those arrogant kiddies on what bein’ an idol is all about.

Both I and the whole of Crazy:B's got fans who love and root for us.

As long as there’s even just a single one of those blessed people around, I’ll keep on livin’ just for them, even if I gotta guzzle mud.

It’s all for them. But I’m not gonna butter up the other rabble, kill my “self” for ‘em and serve ‘em like some kinda slave.

‘Sides, if I were to bend over backwards to conform to what the majority of society deems as “the ideal idol”...

Then that’d be exactly the same as betrayin’ those who love us as we are right now, yeah?

HiMERU: So rather than seeking the approval of many, you're trying to become an idol loved by only a select few, I see.

It’s only natural that fans choose their idols, but for an idol to choose their fans… Just what is the world coming to.

Rinne: Gyahaha. Don’t just spout the general opinion out there, Merumeru~. What do “you” really think?

Yuuta: (H-huh? What's up with those two leaving me in the dust and philosophizing about idol theory between themselves?)

(That’s not what we came here for — we’re here because I want to confirm if Hinata-kun's doing something behind my back—)

Hinata: Rinne-senpai~? What’s up, some kinda trouble going on?

Yuuta: — Hinata-kun!

Hinata: Woah, Yuuta-kun!? Honestly, I figured it was only a matter of time until you came here!

Aw man~, too bad, so sad. Welp, it was fun while it lasted —

Yuuta: ……?

Location: Time Street (Afternoon)

HiMERU: Hmm, what a childish way of spending your money… Although it's not rare to see this in young people who made a killing by being resourceful in one specific area, despite lacking overall experience in adult society.

Or rather, it’s something you often see in show business. It’s in the distant past now, but there once were celebrities who'd play around by folding up 10 000 yen bills into paper airplanes and letting them fly.

Whoever’s paper airplane would fly the furthest would receive all the other paper airplanes, or in other words, those other 10 000 yen bills — And they'd use real money for this game.

It seems to HiMERU that if you have enough money for that kind of thing, there are far better games you could be playing with it.

Yuuta: Woah, are you talking about the bubble economy? It’s a fairytale to our generation at this point...

HiMERU: Just as it is for HiMERU. HiMERU may not know just how you see him, but at least on paper, there isn’t that much of an age difference between the two of us, you see.

Each and every one of us is standing on ground that’s made of the days gone by. With that in mind, would it not be neglectful to think of the past as a mere story from a distant parallel universe, and to remain ignorant of it?

Yuuta: ………

HiMERU: ? Whatever is the matter, Yuuta? Did HiMERU say something questionable?

Yuuta: Oh no, not at all, I’m sorry. I was just thinking what a surprise it is that you're way more serious and reasonable than I expected, HiMERU-san…

I guess it’s thanks to Amagi Rinne leaving the strongest impression among Crazy:B that I kinda ended up thinking that all of you were like that.

But unlike “us”, the members that make up other units aren’t all the “same”.

HiMERU: Being lumped in together with that man is an extremely regretful thing.

Although that’s probably inevitable. This unit system which originated from Yumenosaki certainly makes its presence felt within ES — No, within the entire current idol industry.

We live in a time where the very boxes people have been crammed into are observed and cherished, rather than the individuals themselves.

Yuuta: Ahaha. Well, it’s not like we’re absolutely forced to associate ourselves with a unit. There are exceptions out there, like Mikejima-senpai.

HiMERU: Fufu. The path we're recommended to walk upon is one paved for the vast majority's convenience. Straying from it will only result in our progress being hindered, to the point of it being unfeasible to carry on.

That’s why no one chooses another path; it’s because no one can. Now tell me, how is that any different from “being forced”?

— It appears that you’re a left-hander. In that case, there must’ve been times when you met with hardship because you had to conform to “what’s convenient for everyone else”.

Yuuta: Yeah~, like at the train ticket gates*, or when using scissors. But we’re pretty dexterous, so it’s no biggie. And we’re quick to adapt, too.

Also, if we were to change the world to match what’s convenient for us, the hardships which the two of us face would be forced upon way more people.

HiMERU: — And what would be wrong with that?

Yuuta: ...Pardon?

HiMERU: We’re all living our own lives, so why must we endure hardship for the sake of others?

Even though it wouldn't even occur to the majority faction and the public at large to make a single sacrifice for our comfort?

Why do only people like HiMERU** have to put up with all this?

Yuuta: Ummm...?

HiMERU: — Fufu. How unlike HiMERU to say something so childish. Right, yes, HiMERU gets it already.

Society distributes all burdens equally — and everyone lives while enduring hardship and accommodating others every step along the way, right?

If it appears as though the majority faction conspired to construct a system that imposes an absurdly heavy burden on the minority… Then surely, that’s nothing but HiMERU’s imagination playing a trick on him.

To voice any complaint at all would be unreasonable, selfish, and inconceivable… Right?

Opposing it would just draw the ire of others, causing your burdens to increase even further. Which is exactly why “the two of you” act so unconcerned, as if everything is fine…

You pretend to be goody-two-shoes in order to avoid attracting attention and getting slaughtered, don’t you?

Yuuta: ………

HiMERU: HiMERU admires how very skilled you are at staying alive, 2wink.

Yuuta: ...It kind of feels like you’re picking a fight, you know. Don’t you have a policy not to attack units from the same agency as yourself, Crazy:B?

HiMERU: We do. Of course, HiMERU doesn’t intend to attack you. Please excuse HiMERU for losing his temper just a little —

Aah, “HiMERU” is the same as you… Why does everyone play the part of the obedient children that adults want them to be?

“The majority faction is in the right, and if you find yourself unable to conform to it, then you’re in the wrong…”

“And being wrong means that you'll have to “correct” yourself…” Why does everyone believe this?

When there had been someone who loved everything about them, as well as their very way of life which had been considered "wrong", only for them to ignore and trample that voice into the ground —

Why would they choose a way of life that’s been deemed correct by society?

If that’s what it means to become an adult, and if you can’t survive otherwise…

Then it follows that the only place where you can actually live in happiness as a child is the afterlife.

And that would mean that Heaven exists only for children and bad people… Although that sounds like something Kazehaya Tatsumi would say.

Yuuta: ……?

——————

* Ticket gates in Japan use an electronic system where you hold your ticket up to a reader and it unlocks the gate. Of course, these readers are located on the right-hand side of the gate.

** HiMERU uses a plural here (HiMERUたち) that means “HiMERU and (at least one more person)”, but doesn’t specify how many people or who exactly is included. It’s possible that he’s referring to himself and the “real HiMERU”, or himself and Yuuta, or himself and any other group of people here. Since the text is very ambiguous in this, I chose to go with “people like HiMERU”.

Location: Time Street (Afternoon)

- Almost an hour later -

HiMERU: — Well then, let us get going. To that questionable night club Amagi brought your older brother into.

Yuuta… That is what HiMERU will call you, as he's not the type to use honorifics for others.

Yuuta: Oh, no worries, I’m already used to that thanks to Yumenosaki. We've always been treated like the bottom of the barrel, you know~. For like, ever.

HiMERU: Hmm. The same goes for Ra*bits and the like; people tend to scorn innocent children — or those who make such qualities their selling point. Perhaps one could say they aren’t taken seriously. It must be quite the ordeal.

Yuuta: Well, I wouldn’t go as far as to call it an "ordeal". I’m not too bothered by it, and I’m already used to the prejudice.

HiMERU: — Hmm. In any case, Yuuta, you’re worried about your older brother, Hinata. And HiMERU is troubled, as while HiMERU would like to do solo activities that are more appropriate for him, Amagi is withholding his permission as leader.

Which means our interests coincide, don't they? HiMERU will obtain evidence that Amagi has been causing trouble for your brother, Hinata.

Using this as a pretext, HiMERU will enter negotiations and gain his own way.

If Crazy:B is truly being reduced to an existence that, once again, only pierces others with their poison stingers without any justification —

Then remaining part of such a dangerous and criminal group would be harmful to HiMERU’s future career.

If HiMERU asserts this, then not even Amagi would be able to contest it.

After all, that man is well aware that for HiMERU, “HiMERU” takes precedence above all else.

And contrary to expectations, he does operate on some extent of logic and reason — in the same way insects do.

Consequently, in order to obtain evidence that Amagi has been causing trouble for Aoi Hinata, HiMERU shall cooperate with you in your investigation.

Investigations are HiMERU’s specialty, so please leave everything to him.

And if we happen to find that in truth, Amagi did nothing wrong, and that he did not actually cause any trouble for Aoi Hinata… Then that would be a good thing in its own right.

Surely, you feel anxious exactly because you don’t know what took place, Yuuta.

Of course, this is only in the case that the result turns out as such; but HiMERU should be able to help alleviate this anxiety of yours.

Yuuta: Ahaha. I kind of feel bad making you act so distrustful towards one of your own unitmates, HiMERU-san…

And earlier in the café, you even treated me to coffee. It’s like I keep imposing on you…

HiMERU: Not at all. As HiMERU said earlier, our interests coincide.

In fact, your existence is fortunate to HiMERU — Or rather, it helps him greatly that you provide a fitting pretext to justify stinging Amagi, allowing HiMERU to have his way.

Besides, it’s a social convention that one’s seniors pay for meals and such.

Though in reality, 2wink has been operating for far longer than Crazy:B has, so HiMERU fears he may have been too forward.

It appears that HiMERU’s tendency to adhere to outdated customs is at fault.

HiMERU should’ve already realized during the likes of MDM that this tendency of his is conversely a burden in such an enigmatic modern era.

But unfortunately HiMERU knows of no other way of life, and he has no desire to select a different one, either.

Yuuta: …..? Well, um, I really mean it though; I’m grateful that you treated me to coffee and sweets.

All of my L$ are deposited in 2wink’s account, you see…

Of course I have a personal account too, but that one’s all cleaned out. I always only have Japanese yen on me, for use outside of ES.

HiMERU: — Hmm, but on the other hand, isn’t that inconvenient within ES?

Yuuta: Oh no, it’s not that inconvenient.

Whenever I want to buy or rent something at ES, I just need to get in touch with Aniki and he’ll send over some cash from 2wink’s account for me.

I’m still a student, too, and while Yumenosaki may be under ES's direct control, the L$ system isn’t fully implemented at school yet.

Not to mention that when shopping for anything not related to idol work, Japanese yen are much more convenient.

You know, I just always find myself wanting things that don't have anything to do with our activities whatsoever…

Things like spicy food, or slightly over-the-top manga, or weird, casual clothes that no one in their right mind would wear...

HiMERU: Hmhm. HiMERU believes that it’s possible to hand in an application stating that you do require these items for your idol activities.

In which case, ES will buy them with Japanese yen first, and then sell them to us idols for L$...

That’s how it generally works out, but they won’t come at the comparatively cheap price we pay for “items necessary for idol activities”.

They add handling fees and such but, well, there’s nothing we can really do about that.

Yuuta: And it would mean that I can’t buy stuff the very moment I think “I want this!”, even though I love impulse spending like that…

HiMERU: Hmm. You should plan your purchases in advance instead, since it’s not like your funds are infinite.

Yuuta: I guess you’re right~, but I just can’t help myself… And thanks to that, my dorm room's just bursting with stuff I've got no use for.

Location: Café “Cinnamon”

Jun: O~i... Kagehira-san, you've been looking at the floor and muttering under your breath for some time, y'know? D-Did some kinda ghost pop out or something~?

Yuuta: What, a ghost—? No way, don't tell me this building's haunted after all~!?

Jun: Ohh? I didn’t notice you 'cause some stuff was in the way, but you’re, uhh… One of 2wink?

But which one~? I kinda forgot how to tell those two apart.

Mika: Don'tcha ask me~, I can just sorta tell ‘em apart by lookin’. They might be twinsies, but Hinata-kun an' Yuuta-kun are completely different, y'see.

Jun: Maybe so~, but I seriously can’t see a single difference~.

...Wait, was that kinda rude to say? I'm sorry!

Yuuta: Oh no, there's no need to be considerate. I’m already over stuff like that.

Actually, I only just realized, but Kagehira-senpai and Sazanami-senpai — are you two out for a coffee together? That's a surprise~, you’re friends, huh?

Mika: Nah, it ain’t like that.

I was sittin’ all by myself with my notepad open, tryin’ ta think up some new concepts, when Jun-kun came up an’ asked me what I was writin’.

He sure gave me a start… Thought he was gonna scold me for somethin’ I didn’t realize I’d messed up.

Jun: Oh no, far from that. Valkyrie’s in the same agency as us, so I was just trying to casually strike up a chat with you~.

We’re pretty much colleagues~, so I've gotta at least say hi when I see you around, yeah?

Mika: Ngah~. That’s mighty impressive of ya. I respect how ya just do these workin’ adult kinda things without a sweat… I still ain’t managed ta cure my own stranger anxiety.

‘Cause of that, I’m no good at chattin' it up durin’ interviews, so they end up writin’ stuff like, “Just as his public image might suggest, Kagehira-kun is cool and reserved”.

I really ain't, though~... I just suck at talkin’~...

Yuuta: Ahaha. Is that how the public sees you, Kagehira-senpai? On stage I always had the impression that you're kind and approachable, and quite the chatty guy…?

Mika: Uu, that’s just ‘cause I get all excited when Oshi-san’s around. An’ afterwards I cringe just thinkin’ back on how carried away I got.

An’ lately, Oshi-san’s always overseas, so we barely even get the chance t'stand on stage together.

When I’m all by myself, I’m just like — a doll, I reckon, like I get all stiff an’ can’t move or speak well no more.

Jun: I totally getcha~. I’m not the most sociable to begin with, so when Ohii-san’s absent, all I can do is grunt and growl like some kinda wild animal.

Mika: Ahaha. Jun-kun, all that comes out whenever ya open yer mouth is “Ohii-san this 'n Ohii-san that” ♪

Jun: Hah, and when you open yours it’s nothing but “Oshi-san this, Oshi-san that”.

Yuuta: Ahaha. Looks to me as if you two get along better than expected.

Jun: Yeah. We get on surprisingly well, huh~, I woulda talked to him sooner if I’d known it'd turn out like this.

Mika: Yup. Jun-kun always seemed kinda scary, so I reckoned I’d better stay clear...

But what a surprise it was t'find out that once ya talk ta him, he’s actually real friendly an’ polite. He’s a good guy ♪

When I was all stumped on ideas fer a new concept, he gave me some great advice an' helped me out a bunch!

Just what you'd expect from one o' ES's Big Three, Eden. He knows a mighty lot 'bout the state o' the industry an' idol history —

Ah, shouldn't I thank ya somehow? How 'bout I cover fer our drinks with my L$?

Jun: If you wanna, then go for it. Though I don’t think I’ve done anything really worth thanking me for —

Someone else always decides on the plans for Eden's performances, so it was kinda fun to do some brainstorming myself for once.

And we’re in the same agency, after all~, so we’ve gotta help each other out.

Uhh, “Yuuta-kun”, right? — We'll lend you a hand if you ever find yourself in a fix, so please feel free to rely on your seniors from CosPro aaanytime~♪

Yuuta: Ah, got it. I feel kind of bad, but thank you very much…

HiMERU: — How much longer do you intend to talk to these uninvolved people?

Yuuta: ……!?

HiMERU: The coffee HiMERU ordered for you has long gone cold — Aoi Yuuta.

Yuuta: Er, umm… Huh? F-For me?

HiMERU: — HiMERU noticed that you were following him in secret. Of course, he also knew you were spying on him all this time from a hiding place.

You have something to talk to HiMERU about, don’t you? HiMERU is a busy man, but there’s something he wanted to ask of “you”, too —

If possible, HiMERU would like to have a long, leisurely talk with you — Just the two of us ♪

Yuuta: U-Umm…?

Location: ES Lobby

- Noon, the next day -

Yuuta: (Aaah, geez, I’m so pissed off!)

(Why do I have to feel so awful!? Did I do something to deserve this or what?)

(It’s all Aniki’s fault! Didn’t we decide that we’re “two as one”, that we’d live as though we’re sharing a single body?)

(That’s why we promised to never neglect Ho-Ren-So* in the first place~!)

(And the way ES works is no help, either!)

(Those highly confidential emails that only unit leaders can send and receive — those Glitter Mails — they're no good at all!)

(They don’t even reach me!)

(Apparently Vize Prez Saegusa used them to ask a special favor of Aniki, but Aniki isn't showing any sign of wanting to tell me about it so I don't have a clue what it is!)

(We may be twins, but we don’t have psychic abilities or anything like that! It’s not like we actually share one body after all!)

………

(Either way, it seems like the Vice Prez asked Aniki to support Crazy:B or something…)

(But how did that turn into him working at such a suspicious establishment? That’s what I still don’t get.)

(I guess he first started talking to Crazy:B in order to deepen their friendship, but then fell for Amagi Rinne’s sweet-talk and was brought to that place, huh?)

(Unlike me, Aniki isn’t the type to get tricked so easily, but he does have that weird, bad habit of trying to get on other people’s wavelengths.)

(If that’s what you wanna do, get on my wavelength instead, not some random person’s who’s got nothing to do with us!)

(Deciding things on your own, working jobs without me, and keeping me in the dark — I thought you quit doing stuff like that, Hinata-kun.)

HiMERU: ………

Yuuta: (...Hm? Huh? That person who just entered that café — Cinnamon, was it? — Isn’t that someone from Crazy:B?)

HiMERU: ~......♪

Yuuta: (What’s that person doing there all alone?)

(Well, I guess compared to us Yumenosaki idols, Crazy:B doesn’t really have that same spirit of doing everything together…)

(Maybe I should try talking to him. Among the chaotic Crazy:B, this HiMERU guy seems like the most decent one of the bunch.)

(Yesterday, he was the only one who acted as if none of it concerned him at all, and it felt like he was keeping his distance from the rest of Crazy:B.)

(So much, in fact, that I’m starting to suspect he doesn’t get along with them.)

(I've only been able to talk to Hinata-kun over the phone so far, but I didn’t really get what he was saying — And I still don’t really know the full situation, either.)

(It could be that Hinata-kun's once again staying quiet and trying to pull the wool over my eyes just to take on all the dirty, terrible things upon himself...)

(No, I'm sure of it! It’s all he ever does!)

(But I don’t want that kind of nonsense from the past to repeat itself! This time I swear I’ll crush the buds of impending calamity before they sprout!)

Location: Café “Cinnamon”

Yuuta: ………

Mika: Ngah~? Oh, hey, Yuuta-kun! Good t’see ya ♪

Yuuta: Uhyah!?

Ah, hello, Kagehira-senpai! What a surprise to find you here! Working hard?

Mika: Nah, more like hardly workin’...

Oshi-san an’ I worked way more than we’d planned ta durin’ MDM, and used up almost our whole repertoire…

It ain’t our style as Valkyrie to keep showin’ audiences the same stuff over 'n over, so we shelved those performances an’ now we’re comin’ up with concepts for our next works.

Ngah~, seems like Oshi-san's already holed himself up in his atelier in Paris an’ started pumpin’ out new stuff all trial-an’-error-like.

But as fer me, I’m plum feelin’ out of it and just can’t seem t'get into gear...

Yuuta: ………

Mika: ...By the by, Yuuta-kun, whatcha up to? Playin’ hide ‘n seek?

If ya crouch on the floor like that, won’t yer knees get all dirty?

Yuuta: Shh! I’m sorry, but please don’t pay any mind to me, Kagehira-senpai! I'm currently on an important mission that'll decide 2wink’s future!

Mika: Ngah~? I ain't really gettin' it, but you guys always got it rough, huh? Tell me if there’s anythin’ I can do t'help y'all, ‘kay~?

Us Yumenosaki folks’ve gotta look after 2wink and protect the two of ya...♪

Yuuta: ………

————

* “Ho-Ren-So” (Houkoku, Renraku, Soudan) is a Japanese acronym that’s used in business settings and stands for “Report, Inform, Consult”.

Location: Night Club Interior

- Nearly one hour later -

Rinne: Whazzu~up, Amagi Rinne-chan’s in da house ♪

Sorry, sorry! I meant to call, but I got dragged into a whole mess — I mean, I had to take care of a lil’ somethin’...

Oh?

Hinata: Welcome~♪

Table for how many? Will you be smoking? Er, wait, according to regulations, smokers are considered a nuisance, so we basically can’t even consider them “customers” to begin w—

Huh?

Whazzu~up, Rinne-senpai! I’ve been waiting for you~♪

Actually, you got me all worried. I saw your name on the shift plan, but you just wouldn’t show up!

Rinne: ...Hina. Dude, why’re ya still here at work?

Your lil’ broflake was worried about’cha, yellin’ “Gimme back my Aniki~!” with tears in his eyes, y’know? Gyahahaha ☆

Hinata: Aah~, I’m so sorry. Did Yuuta-kun cause some sort of trouble to our seniors, by any chance?

Yuuta-kun’s sins are my sins! Allow me to apologize to you twofold, or even threefold!

Rinne: Nah, his anger was totally justified. If I heard that my lil’ bro got abducted by someone, I’d summon every last soldier from our hometown and go wreck the culprit ♪

Hinata: That's pretty extreme, you know~. I suppose at this point “extreme and immoral” may as well be Crazy:B’s slogan.

Rinne: Fine by me, though. Seems like UNDEAD's sick of havin’ that slogan, since it just led to annoyin’ rumors for ‘em, anyway.

Like, if they don’t need the title they should quit hoggin’ it and just hand it over already, right?

Also, I keep repeatin’ myself here but ya really don’t gotta speak politely around me, Hina. Maybe we've got a bit of an age diff, but we’re both workin’ adults of equal status at ES, aren’t we?

Hinata: On paper, yes. But alright, thanks! ‘Cause like, if me and Yuuta-kun both kept to polite speech we’d get unfavorable reviews on how hard it is to tell us apart ♪

Rinne: Well, you’ll feel like it’s “unfavorable” ‘cuz that’s how you see it.

This world’s full of bums who hurt others while meanin’ to praise ‘em! Havin’ no self-awareness makes for a bad personality!

Anyway, lemme try to get back to the point I was makin’. Why’re you workin’ here again today?

You kinda got dragged into helpin’ us out yesterday, but this isn’t the sorta work a pair of Mr. Populars like you two should be doin’.

Hinata: That’s it! That’s exactly the problem! I know we're the ones who always said we wanted to make it big, but~

Now that we have, all we ever get are cherry-picked jobs that "suit us", and I’m sick of it!

Ever since we were kids we'd do pretty much any job just to survive; whether performing on the street or picking up trash — you name it, we did it.

No matter the job, we’d gladly do it and enjoy ourselves as long as we got to do what we wanted, but now it’s like all our toys have been confiscated, save for one kind —

If this is what it means to be an adult, it’s the actual worst.

And here I thought that if you work hard, become popular, earn lots of money, and get all this praise and approval from the public, you’d get to do more and more of the things that you wanna do.

Rinne: Gyahaha. It’s exactly for those boring adults who’ve become cogs of society that things like night clubs and gambling exist.

The world's filled to the brim with all kinda ways to have fun, yeah?

Who the hell decided that fun's something immoral and frivolous, something you'd pinch your nose at while tossin' it out onto the garbage dump?

What kinda joke is that, where you’re stranglin’ your own neck while goin’ “I can’t breathe~”?

Poor lil' ES idols. Most of ‘em are still at an age where they wanna play with toys, anyway.

I feel bad for ‘em, bein' turned into working members of society — And bein’ made to suck it up like adults.

Hinata: ………

Rinne: Hm? What's up, Hina, got somethin’ to say? Then spit it out — I might shoot ya a retort right back or somethin’, but —

I’m not playin’ grown-up with ya like we’re just “playin’ house”, I’ll treat ya like a proper adult, on equal footing ♪

Hinata: Oh, my bad, I was just thinking how rare it is for me to be treated like this, so I ended up staring. I feel like I might've been rude there~, but I’ve also never met anyone like you before in my life, Rinne-senpai.

Rinne: I’ll bet. After all, unlike most species, vermin don't form herds -- they can only survive by becomin' obedient lil pets.

You guys were tryin’ to become convenient cattle for the adults, ‘cause that’s what your instinct, or maybe your experience, was tellin’ ya to do, right?

That’s why the humans don’t kill ya, and everyone gives you cheap words like “We’re family”, yeah?

Because you’re convenient, cute and useful, they all pat your heads and go “good boy~”, don’t they? Every last one of ‘em.

But outside your real family, you’ve never met anyone quite the same breed as you, have ya?

You found a safe place to survive and hide yourselves, and learned to perform tricks for passersby so they’d feed ya, didn’tcha?

But take a look around ya. There’re night clubs like this, where the air is sticky with the smell of sweet booze.

The world is just overflowin' with the same breed of creatures as ya, more than you could ever imagine… Hina ♪

Hinata: ………

Rinne: So if ya find this place comfortable, feel free to take a breather here ‘til ya feel better.

But make sure ya tell your lil’ broflake what’s goin’ on and how you’re feelin, ‘cause it’d be a pain if I got roped into somethin’ weird again.

The ones most likely to be by your side 'til the end are gonna be your blood relatives...

So if you’re feelin’ weak and hurt, you should at least gather more people who’ll be there for ya as much as ya can.

— Before you’re devoured by the “normal, virtuous humans”.

Hinata: ……...

Location: Shower Rooms

- The flashback ends, and we’re back in the present -

Kohaku: —Humhumm, I see.

So after that… Y'were all worried so ya tried to enter that establishment, but ya got the boot instead ‘cause ya looked like a lil' child to ‘em, huh, Yuuta-han?

Rinne: Yeah, ‘cause that place serves booze at night, y’know. It’s not like minors are banned from enterin’, but they're not gonna turn a blind eye to it, either.

2wink's name's been gettin' out there with your faces plastered everywhere and all, so they must’ve been aware that you’re an idol.

And to the shops around ES, idols are pretty much little chickens who lay golden eggs, so they tend to give us the warmest of welcomes.

If word got 'round that a store caused trouble for an oh-so-precious idol, they’d go bust. So y’know, they turned ya away just to be safe — and that was the right choice to make.

Niki: Huh, but Rinne-kun, didn’t you manage to enter that very same establishment together with this Onii-chan from 2wink… Hinata-kun, was it?

Rinne: That’s ‘cause the manager's my mahjong buddy and close pal.

If I act as a go-between, they'll let pretty much anyone in. Just goes to show there’s always a loophole ♪

On top of that, I’m an grown man over the age of 20… So I’m free to play around at any nightlife joint I like, or rather, it’s my choice to do whatever I want, yeah?

HiMERU: —Honestly speaking, that’s hardly praiseworthy behaviour for an idol, though.

Well, in this case he may have attacked us first, but…

The way you've tied this Aoi Yuuta-kun to a chair for interrogation as you douse him with cold water still has HiMERU at an utter loss for words.

Rinne: Huh, didja want me to use boiling water instead? Or maybe even hot wax? Kyaaa, you’re a real maniac behind that calm 'n cool face of yours, Merumeru~ ♪

HiMERU: —Either shut up or drop dead, Amagi.

Kohaku: Fufu. Forgive us, Yuuta-han. We may have somehow made it outta MDM alive, but we’re still in a mighty strange spot where we're gettin' resentment from all sides.

If some kinda huge fight broke out between us an’ someone else in such a public place, we’d hafta steel ourselves for our heads to roll for real this time.

Niki: Not sure I wanna hear this from the guys who were doing Mahjong at someone else’s workplace.

Rinne: Hate to break it to ya, but Mahjong's somethin’ that’s “played”, not “done”.

Niki: Who cares! Geez, I just want you to knock it off with all that shady stuff!

What if I get fired from that café! They let me eat as much as I want on shift without taking it from my pay — it's the ideal workplace for me!

Although I really don’t care whether I get fired as an idol!

Kohaku: Fufu. Niki-han, ya sure never waver in yer beliefs.

...In any case, these shower rooms are just about the only blind spots from the surveillance cameras in the whole ES buildin’.

Once ya lock the door, no one can get in, either. At that point, it ain't nobody’s business what goes on in here.

Take that into account an’ spit it right out, Yuuta-han — What were yer intentions when ya picked a fight with us?

Yuuta: Huh, you want to know my intentions? Do you really not get it without me spelling it out for you...?

Kohaku: I don’t. 'Pologies, but I’m 'bout as much of a commoner as Niki-han; I ain’t got the faintest idea what’s considered common sense n' sound reasonin’ when it comes to idols.

Niki: Eeh, could you please not use “Niki-han” as a synonym for “a worthless being”!?

I mean, yeah, maybe I am a complete and utter good-for-nothing as an idol, but still!

Rinne: Hey, that’s not true. At least in my eyes it ain’t.

...Anyway, I think I’ve got a pretty good grasp of what’s goin’ on here now.

But I'll go ahead and ask anyway; could it be that you haven’t been able to get in touch with your Aniki since last night — Yuta-kun?

Yuuta: My name’s “Yuuta”, not “Yuta”! And yeah, last night I got a text from Aniki that said “Some work suddenly came in so I’ll be late” —

Well, that part was a big fat lie! He was just playing around at some seedy establishment!

And then he didn’t return to the dorms today, and he won’t respond or even react to me on HoldHands either!

That’s why I’m convinced you guys kidnapped him…!

Kohaku: Uh, why does yer mind jump right to “kidnappin'~”?

Are kidnappings an everyday occurrence at this Yumenosaki Academy ya go to, or what? What kinda lawless place is that? Ain’t it s’pposed to be a school fer idols?

Rinne: Hmm… 'Course you'd react like that, huh.

Yuuta: ……?

Rinne: My bad, my bad. I just remembered — It would’ve been a problem if Hina's ringtone went off in the middle of “work”, so I held onto his smartphone for him.

Speakin’ of which, guess I didn’t give it back to him yet, huh… So that's why you couldn’t get in touch with Hina through HoldHands, either.

Yuuta: His name isn’t “Hina”, it’s “Hinata”!

Rinne: That so? The only one who can correct me on that'd be Hina himself, not you, ain't that right?

He was pleased as a peach 'bout it, actually. Told me he'd never really gotten nicknamed before so it made him sooo happy.

Yuuta: ………

Rinne: On that note, Hina was seriously pooped after “working” all night.

Looked like it woulda been rough for him to walk all the way home, so I carried him to a nearby hotel affiliated with our establishment and tucked him right in.

It’s already past noon, so I'd wager he woke up and headed back to the dorms by now, no?

Yuuta: Wait, hold up, what kind of “establishment” is this? What kind of “work” are you talking about? What did you make my Aniki do…?

Rinne: You're gonna have to ask the man himself 'bout that. And if Hina doesn’t wanna tell ya, you've got no right to force it outta him either.

You may be brothers, but you’re not the same person. Ya ain't some lil' brat, so you should get that much, yeah?

Yuuta: ………

Location: Time Street

- Flashback. Yesterday, in the biggest “nightlife district” near the ES building — Time Street -

Yuuta: Hmhmhmmm ♪ Today’s dinner is gonna be~ Pizza-manjuu*~♪

Plenty of tabasco for a spicy inferno ♪ The ultimate tongue-tingling torture~... Hmhmhmmm ♪

(Mmh~! Lately I've been feeling kinda really content! Not the slightest anxiety or complaint whatsoever! Life's good~♪)

(Just the other day, I was all worried about what was gonna happen during MDM, — Well, rather, to Crazy:B. But from the looks of it I’d say they sorted it out the best they could.)

(Seems like those guys did their best to apologize to everyone, and managed to work things out so that they’ll be able to keep performing with all four of their members.)

(Of course, some people still hold a grudge against them, but the general vibe is “Well, Crazy:B seems apologetic enough, so we may as well forgive them”.)

(In fact, our shrewd Vice President of CosPro — Saegusa-senpai — somehow managed to use this as an opportunity to garner sympathy… That way, it seems like he managed to rack up great achievements for the agency this whole time since summer.)

(Since “we” are affiliated with CosPro, we’ll probably be able to benefit from this, too. Life’s a breeze when you can leech off your "family's" fortune.)

(...But back when CosPro first started scouting us, I actually had my reservations about it.)

(We'd finally found our footing as the “two-in-one twin idols”, and got to a place where we could start reaping the fruits of our labours.)

(That’s why I wasn’t sure if we should risk jumping into an entirely new environment.)

(But Sakuma-senpai and all these other Yumenosaki alumni started getting affiliated with various different agencies, too.)

(And it started feeling like if we didn’t declare our own intentions clearly, some unknown bigwig was going to simply state which place would suit us best and decide on their own just where we belong.)

(If that’s how it was gonna be, I much preferred to choose a place with people who reached out to us and told us they wanted us. By my — by our — own free will.)

(—We aren’t errand-boys to be used at other’s convenience, nor are we mere opening acts meant to hype up crowds.)

(.........)

(—Well, in hindsight, we made the right choice. Vice Prez Saegusa may see us as nothing but chess pieces to be used, but he at least gives us plenty of responsibility.)

(With all the focus on live performances back at Yumenosaki, I’d never have imagined the sheer variety of jobs we’re taking on now. But we've been doing a perfect job at all of them, and our achievements have been piling up.)

(We're in demand and appreciated, commended for our efforts and recognized — We’re being praised.)

(We, who were called “revolting” by our own biological father.)

(.........)

(...Well, I can’t say things like this in front of Aniki or anyone, since it’d just make them worry about me.)

(We’re doing better than ever, and yet, I can't feel truly happy about it… Or maybe it's more like I don’t know how to react.)

(Or rather, it feels empty.)

(We're the two-in-one twin idols, and because "there's two of us", we'll never lose to anyone. We can become "the strongest individual"...)

(That's the essence of 2wink, and it’s how we keep racking up achievements, but…)

(That’s also exactly why… No matter how much praise and recognition "we" get as 2wink, it always feels like it’s about someone else, someone unrelated to me…)

(Sometimes it scares me. It's like I'm living without really feeling alive.)

(This is the worst... And here I was the one who decided to live like this in the first place. There's no way I can detach “myself” from “us”, because this is the best solution for us and the best we can do.)

(Because we’ve finally become the ideal idols we’ve always admired and dreamed of being.)

(—Never again will I allow anyone to call us revolting because it’s impossible to tell us apart.)

(.........)

Hinata: Come ooon~, I said I can’t agree to this kinda thiiing, Rinne-senpaaai~♪

Rinne: It'll be fine, don't ya worry your little head about it! Just pretend I tricked ya into it and play along, it’s gonna be fun for sure ♪ Hey, c'mon already… Yeah?

Yuuta: (...Hmm!? Uh, what? Isn’t that Aniki — and Amagi Rinne from Crazy:B?)

Hinata: Eeeh~? But stiiiill, I have a little brother waiting for me at hooome…

Rinne: Gyahaha! Just let ‘im wait, then! Big bros are way greater than their lil' bros based on just how much sooner they were born!

And anyway, who the hell still eats all three meals with their family even in high school? Just what century didja get your family values from?

We’re livin’ in 21st century Japan, so your own happiness obviously comes before your family’s, right?

Hey “Onii-chan”, what’cha gonna do once you’ve found yourself a wife?

Ya gonna tell her “take my brother too, please~”, or what? Ain't no one out there with a big heart like that!

Got it? So it’s totally fine for ya to find your individual happiness and have a lil' fun on your own, “Onii-chan”!

The Japanese constitution guarantees our right and freedom to do that, yeah? Gyahahaha ☆

Hinata: Eeh~? Well, maybe that’s how it is in the Amagi household, but—

Rinne: That's how it is for all siblings in every household! Alrighty then, it’s decided! Sir~, we’ve got a customer!

He's lookin' a lil' young, but he’s an adult, I swear!

Hinata: Wawah? I can’t, I said I can’t! I’m pretty sure minors aren’t even allowed at this establishment—

Rinne: It’s fine, it’s fiiine! By the time you leave this place, you’ll be an adult, too! Gyahahaha ☆

Yuuta: (.........)

Yuuta: (W-w-w-wha— What are you doing!? Stupid Aniki~!)

(That was Aniki just now, wasn’t it!? Aah, good thing I brought my binoculars!)

(I usually carry it with me so I can spy on the audience before a live and adjust our performance to suit the clientele—)

(But to think I’d catch Aniki cheating on me— Wait, I mean, witness him indulging in juvenile delinquency...!)

(They’re a good distance away so I couldn't catch every word they were saying, but there’s no doubt that it was about something clearly dangerous!)

(I can tell! I can tell from the atmosphere and mood, and because that Amagi Rinne guy was talking real loud!)

(Not to mention that I can understand what Aniki wants to tell me even if he doesn’t say it out loud, and even more so recently!)

(It’s not like being twins makes us espers, and we can’t use telepathy! But I can tell! And I got a really, really, really bad feeling about this just now!)

(W-wh-wh-what do I do? What should I do? Just what am I supposed to do at a time like this, father, mother!?)

(A-Alright, for now I’ll just call Sakuma-senpai and— Wait, no! I decided not to depend on my seniors like that anymore, and I don’t want the mess that was Setsubun to repeat itself!)

(Uhmm, uhmmm? In any case, I need to keep an eye on this situation!)

(There’s a chance I just got the wrong idea! I mean, there’s been countless times where I've messed up because of weird misunderstandings like that, right?)

(Hinata-kun is way craftier and more street-smart than me, so if something happens he’ll handle it somehow — But in the off-chance that he can’t, then…!)

(I mean, that guy he’s dealing with is Amagi Rinne of Crazy:B, the man who made all of ES his enemy in his rampage, right!?)

(He even led Sakuma-senpai and Vice Prez Saegusa around by the nose just earlier this summer!)

(And one way or another, Hinata-kun is just a high schooler, the same age as me!)

(Besides, I’m his family. I’m Hinata-kun’s brother — Being worried about him is more than enough reason and justification for me to take action!)

(Alright, let’s go~! First, I’ll infiltrate this establishment Hinata-kun’s been brought into! Grant me guidance and protection, o mother in Heaven...!)

——————

* Pizza-manjuu (ピザ饅) are steamed dumplings with cheese and pizza sauce filling, and they look like this:

** Both quotes here, “two of us” and “the strongest individual” are from Hinata in Repayment Fes.

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September 2021

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