Parallel World - Ch. 4

[nazunyan427]

 

Parallel World - “Cuteness is Unjust” Chapter 4

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Rhythm Link Office

Nazuna:

Uh.

“Bishojo-senpai”, as in, the same major figure in the industry who took a huge liking to Hajime-chin?

Hajime:

Yes… For some reason, this person* has reached out to me and taken me under their wing.

Ideia-sama is extremely well-known so you’re probably aware of this already, but, let me think… One, two, three… They debuted about 19 years ago, so they’re a veteran idol in the industry.

They’re an incredible senpai who, ever since their debut, is constantly at the forefront of the industry—gathering success after success.

They’re one of the Top Ranking idols in the business, someone who could go head-to-head with Hidaka Seiya.

I’ve no doubt that they are, in both name and reality, what you’d call a super-idol.

Ideia-sama:

“I’m flattered that you’d speak with such high regards about me, but allow me to make one amendment.”

“I have never once referred to myself as an idol.”

“I find it wholly inappropriate. Such a term goes completely against my will. I will not be referred to by such an unsightly word.”

Hajime:

What…? …Oh, umm, sorry about that.

Ideia-sama:

“I am an Utaite.”*

“All other components are merely there to embellish my voice.”

“Idols are no more than the indecent concept of a false image created by a madman long ago, and I can’t stand the word being superimposed on my beauty.”

“I will grow nauseous.”

Tomoya:

What? Err, so, I have a stupid question… If that’s all right.

So, this giant—I mean—this very large man here is “Bishojo-senpai”?

I wasn’t expecting that… “Bishojo-senpai” is famous for refusing to show their face in the media, so who they really are is a mystery, but still…

Ideia-sama:

“Ah, he is simply acting on my behalf. He also makes up part of Kirarai Dearu.”

“As for his name, you can call him ‘Kira-kun’ for the time being.”

“He basically takes my place whenever I need to hold in-person meetings with others.”

“We also have a songwriter we refer to as “Raru-san”—the three of us together form Kirarai Dearu.”

Tomoya:

Kira, Ideia, and Raru. Altogether, “Kirarai Dearu.”

Ideia-sama:

“Yes. It’s a play on words, or rather, we combined all of our names in the same way many bands and artists do.”

Tomoya:

Oh! So your voice is coming out of the PC Kira-kun-san is holding. I was so intimidated by him that I haven’t been able to look directly at him, so I didn’t even notice.

Ideia-sama:

“There’s no need to be so frightened. Despite his appearance, he’s a very sweet boy.”

Tomoya:

B-But why all this…?

Hajime:

I thought this was supposed to be pretty well known. If anything, I’m surprised you didn’t know about it, Tomoya-kun, considering you know so much about idols.

Tomoya:

Mhm~ It’s a different genre to what I like. I don’t know much about female idols, so I had no idea.

Hajime:

Oh, so to you Ideia-sama falls under the category of female idols? It’s true that that’s how they sell themself, but I do believe the real Ideia-sama is male.

Tomoya:

I did hear that before. They’re technically a guy, but since they’re even more beautiful than any girl, everyone refers to them as “Bishojo-senpai.”

Mitsuru:

Mhm~ You mean sorta like Arashi-chan-senpai?

Ideia-sama:

“Heh. I would prefer if you let me leave that part ambiguous. My whole selling point is that I am an enigma—an entity full of mysteries.”

Hajime:

Too many mysteries… I’ve worked with them countless times before and even run into them by chance, but every single time, they never show their real face. They always have someone act as a mediator and only communicate using their voice alone.

So I don’t actually have any idea who the real Ideia-sama is.

Tomoya:

But why go through all of this…?

Hajime:

There are all sorts of rumors, ranging from Ideia-sama being an extreme misanthrope, or that they’re stuck in a hospital room with an incurable disease, or that they’re not even a real person to begin with.

But the truth is a mystery. I do wonder what the reality is though?

Ideia-sama:

“That’s a secret. The more mystery there is to me, the more bewitching I become, no?”

Tomoya:

I-I can’t say I was expecting this. Or like, I’m pretty bewildered that you’re such an… intense person.

Err, Ideia-sama—no, wait. I’ll stick with Bishojo-senpai. I’m more used to that.

Why did you call us here today, Senpai?

Our agency told us that some major figure is furious with us.

Hajime:

Well, there’s no figure more major than this…

Ideia-sama tends to be treated like some passing fad, but the truth is, their popularity and financial success alone makes up the backbone of Rhythm Link’s prosperity.

Ideia-sama:

“Though this agency tends to treat me as a nuisance.”

“Especially since all of the staff who first supported me at the beginning have since moved on to other agencies or retired, no thanks to succumbing to political warfare.”

“I am the goose that lays their golden eggs. And so, I am an asset Rhythm Link cannot let go of; but that certainly doesn’t mean I am under their control.”

“I am an artifact from a dangerous point in time. They cannot tear me down, but they also lack the skill to make use of me appropriately.”

Mitsuru:

A-All of this stuff sounds so complicated… Man, you sure are different to what I expected. On TV and stuff, Bishojo-senpai always acts real friendly.

To be honest, I thought they were the same sorta person as me; someone who’s not all that smart.

Tomoya:

No, that’s just the sort of character they play. Think about it: there’s no way they actually speak like a princess right out of a manga in real life.*

Hajime:

Though there are a lot of people who speak in a quirky way at ES in general.

Ideia-sama:

“I will say that I’m a bit embarrassed by that detail, so I would prefer it if you didn’t probe too deeply.”

“In accordance with what was demanded from me at a certain point in time, there was a point where I made an appearance on a variety show using a CG version of myself.”

“But I wasn’t fully aware of what manner of programme it actually was.”

“And so, the producers asked me to play the role of a ‘cutesy princess who knows nothing about the world.’”

“To this day, I’ve adhered strictly to that image.”

“Since I don’t show my face, if I were to suddenly change my personality, people might suspect that there might be a new, different person behind me.”

“See how beautiful young female idols go through stressful things just as you beautiful young male idols do?”

—

*Pronouns are not commonly used in Japanese, and so Bishojo-senpai does not have a confirmed pronoun. 

Since it is left ambiguous in the story, I will be using “they” to match the Japanese text, since that is the closest English has to an ambiguous pronoun. (In some cases I may use others if they feel appropriate, but keep in mind that in the original JP, there is no specific pronoun being used.)

Incidentally, Hajime has always used “this person.”

Please feel free to interpret this character however you wish, as everyone will have a different interpretation based on cultural context.

*Utaite: (歌い手) is a Japanese term for people who cover previously released songs and post them on Nico Nico Douga and YouTube, but not limited to those two websites.

*Tomoya says that Bishojo-senpai ends their sentences with “desu no!” on variety shows, which sounds like a very posh, princessy way of speaking.

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Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader: 

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki