nazunyan427

Chapter 9

-Just before Poppin’ Party-

Location: Poppin’ Party Stage

Time flows on. One week later, Ra*bits are ready to open Nazuna Nito’s welcome back concert “Poppin’ Party”.

Nazuna:

♪~♪~♪

… Alright! All this construction was a bit of a rush job, but hopefully the quality turned out professional-looking enough for our audience’s eyes!

There’s a good half a year between this and the last time I stood properly onstage, so I was more than a little worried.

I sure am glad I got a chance to perform at both the 2nd DDD and MDM.

With any luck, I won’t be disappointing anyone who’s come to see us today!

Tomoya:

What are you talking about, Nii-chan?!

You’re already more than good enough; you’re perfect, Nii-chan, you’re absolutely, positively the most wonderful, amazing Nii-chan we could possibly ask for! You look so beautiful you’re making my eyes blur with tears of joy!

Nazuna:

I’m flattered, Tomoya-chin, but there’s no need to put me up on a pedestal like that. In fact, please don’t; it’s making me a little concerned…

Mitsuru:

Ahaha! Tomo-chan hasn’t been gettin’ all that much sleep ‘cause he’s been so busy gettin’ everything ready for Poppin’ Party!

He’s just a little delirious right now; it’s all the excitement! Don’t worry; he’s just like this every now and then.

Hajime:

Yes… I suppose it couldn’t be helped this time around, but you really should make sure to get your sleep, Tomoya-kun.

That was some of the advice Bishoujo-senpai gave to me; to make sure to get both my beauty sleep, and eat a healthy, balanced diet full of delicious food! They said it’s best to get into the habit of doing both while you’re young, ‘cause otherwise the effects will start showing as the years go on.

Mitsuru:

And you gotta dash! Dash, dash, and dash some more!

Hajime:

Yes, that too! It’s super important to get enough exercise too! You’re so right, Mitsuru-kun! I feel like Mitsuru-kun is always teaching me the most fundamental of things!

Nazuna:

I dunno if it’s just me, but you guys all seem a little delirious right now, to be honest...

Hajime:

We can’t help it! All of us have been dreaming about this day for so long! You’re finally back where you belong, Nii-chan; with us, here in Ra*bits!

Mitsuru:

Yeah! It feels like the day before a school trip! I was so excited last night I couldn’t sleep!

Tomoya:

Wait, you didn’t sleep either?

Why am I the only one getting scolded here? That’s not fair; you guys ganging up on me… Ugh. Such is life for the Leader. Everything’s all on me now…

Nazuna:

Ahaha. I’m not scolding you, Tomo-chin. I’d never ask you to be at peak performance 100% of the time.

You don’t have to be perfect; you’ve just gotta do your best. That’s what being a true professional is all about, after all! Making sure the show goes on, no matter how you’re feeling or what kinda state you’re in. I dunno if I’m one to talk, though…

In fact, while I was taking some time away to focus on my life as Nazuna Nito—not the idol Nazuna Nito, but the regular college student Nazuna Nito—you guys were the pros standing onstage.

I was the one learning from you.

This time around, I’m counting on you guys to have my back!

Mitsuru:

BAM!

Nazuna:

Ack!? D-d-don’t pounce on me from b-b-behind like that, Mitsuru-chin! That’s not what I meant b-by “having my b-b-back”!

Hajime:

Heheh. I’m so glad we’re all having fun together, but Anzu is looking at us funny, so perhaps we should calm it with the kidding around, gear up, and get into work-mode.

Nazuna:

That look on her face right now? That’s her being at peace. At least, I think that’s what it is.

You’re happy ‘cause today’s Poppin’ Party is bringing back memories of old times for you too, right? Anzu?

Tomoya:

Oh, that could be it. These days—or rather, ever since ES was founded—it feels like we Ra*bits have basically only been following orders from our agency.

Putting everything together from scratch like this, from the proposal to the show itself, has been more or less done away with.

Nazuna:

If you ask me, all of that stuff should’ve been done away with ages ago. Our agency should be the ones putting everything together for us.

I’d love someone to explain to me why we had to take care of everything from the project outline to the business side of things to setting up the stage back when we were at Yumenosaki. Idols shouldn’t have to do all that stuff too!

Hajime:

I can’t answer that… I suppose that’s just how it was.

Tomoya:

Yeah. But nowadays our circumstances have changed under the ES project. Thanks to that, everything’s been improved on.

We only have to focus on the job we should be doing in first place; our roles as idols.

Nazuna:

Mmm, I guess it was a change for the better. I’m not a fan of the way Tenshouin goes about his ways, but I have to give him credit where credit is due…

Yeah. It’d be unproductive to object to everything he comes up with.

Though today’s show doesn’t really have anything to do with the newfound ES anyway, so…

We put Poppin’ Party together from scratch, Yumenosaki-style. We idols are the ones who took care of everything.

Hajime:

Yes! I wouldn’t even compare it to DreamFest’s R2; it really feels like a wild, unofficial event.

Apparently it’s almost unheard of to get permission to hold something like this.

But Eichi onii-chan and a bunch of others managed to sweet talk their way around the usual regulations on our behalf, and that’s how we were allowed to go ahead with this.

Nazuna:

That’s fine and all, but what the heck is R2? Oof, I still can’t wrap my head around all these abbreviations…

Tomoya:

R2 is basically the same as Yumenosaki’s S2. So that would make today’s Poppin’ Party an S3, I guess?

Nazuna:

Why don’t you just say that then? Why change the name? If it ain’t broke…

Tomoya:

I mean, I’m not the one who changed it…

By the way, they’ve completely done away with S3. It’s no longer possible for idols to plan out a concert from start to finish all by themselves.

Nazuna:

Wow. So from now on us idols can only go along with whatever plans our higher-ups put together? Sounds like the kinda world that’ll be hard to adjust to for anyone apart from super well-behaved “good kids”.

Hajime:

Hm? We’re just going along with what Eichi onii-chan’s put together for now. Not a lot of time has passed since the opening of ES and the dawn of the new system.

If we were given the freedom to just do whatever we wanted, it might end up sending our fans into disarray too, don’t you think?

Tomoya:

Well, I guess it wouldn’t be great if all idols just acted according to their own whims doing what they wanted when they wanted. Imagine if there were multiple Trickstars; that’d be pure chaos.

Their internet show BIG BANG looks like fun, but I hate to think about the aftermath after that bomb starts to explode.

Nazuna:

You’re not wrong… Change of subject, but why’re you calling Tenshouin “Onii-chan” anyway, Hajime-chin?

I’m your only big brother, right? Me, Nazuna Nito!

Hajime:

Huh, why are you bringing this up now?! I mean, isn’t it a good thing to be surrounded by so many people you love?!