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Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 12

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

(One week later. Starmony Dorm Theater Room.)

Tomoya:

No way this is gonna work.

Nazuna:

Yeah… Sorry, I don’t think I can do this either.

Mitsuru:

Huh~? How come, how come? I thought it was pretty funny. Ra*bits playin’ dirty…☆

Hajime:

F-For the record, the official name of the project is “Parallel Ra*bits.”

We asked dozens of idols, pro and amateur alike, to make use of the SSVRS and transform into Ra*bits.

And then each of them performed in the same way they always do, albeit while looking completely like us.

For example, Akatsuki performed in their traditional, Japanese style, and Undead performed rock and roll.

Nazuna:

Yeah. That way, we’ve been able to see all sorts of Ra*bits from an audience’s perspective, which should help us figure out what direction we’d be best suited to go in.

That was the plan, anyway.

Tomoya:

But it’s a total failure…

Surprisingly, Mitsuru was the one who put forward this proposal and was really adamant about trying it. So I figured, well, maybe a miracle is about to happen. That’s why I went along with it.

Mitsuru:

What? So this is my fault? But I just took Guu~chan’s idea—

Tomoya:

No. I’m the one who made the final decision to try it out, so the blame lies with me.

I’m the Leader of Ra*bits, after all. The ultimate responsibility belongs to me.

But. We’re completely broke after using up all of our L$ to pay the other idols for helping us out. And speaking of which, so many people applied that it’s taking ages for everything to get approved.

Thanks to all that, we haven’t been able to be very active as a unit at all. Though I guess work has all but dried up for us right now, so maybe that’s not so much of a problem.

I’m scared of how the world is going to react… To be honest, I’m starting to worry we strayed completely off path?

Nazuna:

Mhm. We may not know which direction we should turn and run in, but it’s better than just staying still and letting ourselves get put completely out of business.

Hajime:

You’re so positive, Nii~chan…♪

Nazuna:

All we can do right now is stay positive, even if we have to force ourselves. It’s not like we can go back now.

That awful Bishojo-senpai was as good as their word. They put pressure on our agency, and completely stripped “cuteness” away from us.

Hajime:

Ideia-sama basically reigns over the world of all things cute as its ultimate boss, so to speak… If they give the order, everyone else falls into line and goes along with it.

Nazuna:

We got a real glimpse at the authority of a major influential figure, huh…

Of course, there were plenty of people who felt animosity towards Bishojo-senpai’s cruel way of going about things too.

And that’s probably why so many people went along with our proposal to help us out. Everyone let us know they’re on our side, and made their attitudes towards this clear.

Hajime:

Well, I’m very grateful for that at least… If all other idols had turned their back on us too, that would have been the absolute worst. We would’ve been so isolated and helpless.

It reminds me of a long time ago when I was ostracized by everyone for being so dimwitted and slow.

Not that I was being outright bullied or anything then either, but I did always think it felt so unfair.

Tomoya:

Well, you never did anything wrong.

Hajime:

I don’t know… Maybe it was my fault for being so slow and dimwitted—basically someone so inferior compared to everyone else.

Mitsuru:

Hajime-chan, you're really makin’ yourself sick. Are ya sure you’re all right? Won’t you go to the hospital?

Hajime:

I can’t help it~! I feel completely drained right now… I have absolutely no idea what Ideia-sama is thinking.

Even to the point where I’m starting to suspect that the person behind the persona might have been replaced.

Nazuna:

Is that a possibility? If that’s the case, then once we determine that this Bishojo-senpai is a fake and expose them to everyone—

They’ll lose all their power and status, and won’t be able to pressure us with all of these illogical demands anymore.

Hajime:

Oh, no, what I said just now was a joke. I do believe that this Ideia-sama is, without a doubt, the real Ideia-sama.

Of course, it’s not like I have any proof. But it’s just my heartfeel from the extra special super-idol aura emanating from them.

Mitsuru:

That sure sounds suspicious…

Hajime:

I don’t know how else to put it… If anything, I feel like Ideia-sama is revealing more of their true self than ever before—facing us head on with who they are as a person.

They’re a senpai I’ve relied on for so long—one who’s always been watching over us. They’re highly-acclaimed, beloved by the world, and probably one of the ultimate super-idols who’ll go down in music history.

When I consider what’s unfolding, there really shouldn’t even be any need for Ideia-sama to say the things they’re saying now.

All they’re doing is falling into disgrace with our fans and other idols and putting themself in a worse position.

Tomoya:

Yeah, exactly. That’s what’s so weird about all of this.

Bishojo-senpai isn’t trying to run away or hide themself at all. And it doesn’t seem like they’re trying to falsely represent or deceive anyone with what they’re doing either.

They’ve publicly declared themself that they’re the one putting pressure on Ra*bits to quit the whole concept of “cuteness.”

And despite claiming that what they told us was off the record, they’ve talked a lot about their utopia for female idols on TV and stuff.

That’s not really the best sort of business strategy.

If everything about the female idol utopia is true, then Bishojo-senpai has basically been spreading leaks about it without even waiting for the official announcement.

Nazuna:

Yeah, that too. While they may not be necessarily under any sort of NDA, they’re making it seem like they’re totally oblivious to the tone of the media and pissing everyone off.

Besides, if there is going to be a utopia for female idols, it’s naturally going to be a competitor of ES.

It basically sounds like a faction of conspirators who felt slighted by ES got together of their own accord in some foreign country to form an organization.

And considering that Bishojo-senpai is hinting about transferring there, they’re basically a viper in ES’ bosom. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they end up with an even bigger shortage of work than us.

Bishojo-senpai is a majorly influential figure in the industry with an enormous amount of fans—they're not someone we can carelessly criticize.

But ES is basically ignoring all of that.

Though ever since SS, there’s been a major increase of anti-ES organizations like that, so it may just be that they haven’t been able to keep up with all of them.

NEXT CHAPTER

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Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki