nazunyan427

Snow White - Chapter One

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 07:03:14 GMT

Melting Heart - Snow White Memories

Chapter 1

Location: The walk home from school

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a princess.

This princess, was in hell.

Fuyume:

…

(The boys walking ahead of Yume are gossiping about Yume…

They’re talking about how the eldest son of the Hanamura Medical Clinic flunked his college entrance exams, and he’s barely allowed to leave the house until he’s managed to get into medical school.

They’d intended on giving birth to a daughter after their eldest son, so that’s why their second-born son Fuyume was raised “that way.”

Fed up by how he’s treated at home, Hanamura Fuyume spends his time wandering around outside until late at night—

Out here in the countryside, everyone loves to exaggerate these kinds of rumors; at this point, trying to set them right would just be a huge pain~

It’s true that Onii~chan didn’t make it into college. And that he’s forced to stay at home for the time being.

But they’ve got it all wrong, going on about how someone as cute as Yume was raised to be “that way”~!

Yume is as cute as Yume is right now because that’s the way Yume wants to be~

Yume’s family has nothing to do with it. That’s the height of rudeness~!

And…

Besides… No one even notices when Yume isn’t at home anyway.

That’s why Yume stays in the Home Ec room until late working on his cosplay outfits, like today.

Yume not going home is Yume’s own way of rebelling. Yume doesn’t think there’s anything weird about that—

Besides, Yume doesn’t care at all.

After all, Yume was given tangible proof of the love - a love so sweet - he shares with his Prince Charming.)

The reason this princess was able to survive, even in hell, was because of a prince.

Fuyume takes out a piece of sweet chocolate he received from Prince Charming.

This is a princess’ favorite food.

Fuyume:

Hehe… So sweet… 🎵

Yume doesn’t need to worry about their silly gossip. Yume’s gonna go and see Yume’s prince right now~🎵

Location: A park at night

The prince and the princess always met in the same place.

Fuyume:

Oh, there you are~! Finally~!

Yume couldn’t wait to see you again, Prince Charming~ 🎵

Oh? You were working late today as well? Must be tough, being such a popular idol~

“What about you, Princess?” Fufu, Yume was together with Esu until just now~!

Yume was waiting up for you to finally come home, but you were taking so long that Yume went outside for a bit

Ehehe. You don’t have to tell Yume “thanks for taking care of Esu” - Yume already knows that 🎵

Esu has been Yume’s friend since we were little, so we get along great~🎵

Hey, listen. Just now, Esu and Yume were eating a bunch of sweets from the Princess Series~

And even now… Look, we had so much we couldn’t finish all of it, so Yume took some home with him 🎵

Yume can’t believe he gets to eat as much of that sweet chocolate as Yume likes until he’s full. And it’s all thanks to you, Prince Charming

Thank you for choosing Yume to be your princess~🎵

Three years have passed since then—

The hell the princess once lived in, Prince Charming, and the chocolate that became Yume’s savior no longer exist.

How is the princess supposed to live from now on?

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Yume - Idol Story 3

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 14:53:17 GMT

Yume Idol Story 3

Season: Summer

Writer: Akira probably

Year 2 of the establishment of ES. Yumenosaki Gakuen (ES Academy branch school) Classroom 2B

Yume: Esu~🎶

Esu: ...

Yume: Ehehe, Yume’s here 🎶

Esu: No no no, I don’t wanna hear “Yume’s here” out of you! What are you doing, you pervert?

Yume: What’s Yume doing...? Well, you weren’t at home, so Yume came looking for you.

What are you doing here? Are you playing school?

Esu: I’m not “playing” anything, I’m going to high school like a normal person! I quit shutting myself away at home and started actually attending school lately! That’s all! Get it?

Yume: Yume gets it, no need to yell... Don’t be so loud right next to Yume’s ear. Yume will get an headache.

Esu: I’m the one with a headache?!!!

Just have a look at everyone around you! We’re in the middle of class right now! It’ll be a huge pain if my teachers and friends think I’m acquainted with someone suspicious!

Yume: You already made friends? Oh, you’re such a social butterfly, Esu 🎶

...Well, who are these friends of yours? Introduce them to Mommy?

Hehe. Mommy needs to properly evaluate whether or not Esu’s friends are appropriate.

Esu: You’re NOT my Mom, so I have absolutely no obligation to introduce my friends to you!

I’m begging you, Yume - I know I can’t stop you from following me around, but for the love of god, please don’t cause trouble for everyone else around me!

Yume: Don’t worry about that. So long as they don’t do anything unpleasant to Esu or Yume, Yume has no interest in other humans, so Yume won’t do anything to them.

Esu: Well, according to you, when it comes to doing something “unpleasant” the bar is in hell, so that’s why I’m worried! If the slightest thing ticks you off, you’ll start lashing out at everyone around you, won’t you! I wouldn’t be surprised if you started stabbing people!

Yume: No, you’ve got it all wrong. As you know, Yume is Esu’s family—

Esu: Urgh, the more you talk, the more complicated this gets! Sorry, Sensei, I’ve got this headache and a stomachache and all my joints hurt, so I’m gonna go to the infirmary!

Yume: Huh? Are you okay? Does it hurt? Shall Mommy give you a cuddle?

Esu: Not another word out of your mouth, my god?!

Location: Yumenosaki Courtyard

Esu: Man... Now what? How am I supposed to show my face in that class from tomorrow...?

And I was doing a pretty good job of not standing out too badly at school too~ If people find out I’m aquainted with such a weirdo, they’re gonna start thinking I’m a weirdo too.

It’s over~ Time to go back to shutting myself away in my room...

Yume: In that case, Yume will take care of you again~ 🎶

But wait. Esu, weren’t you going to the infirmary?

Esu: That was just an excuse to leave the classroom. Come on, Yume, this way.

Yume: ? Where to? The infirmary?

Esu: Look, just forget about the infirmary. You seriously don’t listen to a word other people say… We’re going to your middle school. If we head there now, you should be able to make your afternoon classes.

Yume: But why? Yume is right by Esu’s side 🎶

Esu: Why, this guy asks. Because, middle school is part of your compulsory education! I’m trying to tell you to leave me alone and go to class like a normal person!

Yume: But middle school is boring. It’s full of bratty little kids.

Esu: You ARE a bratty little kid, so what else do you expect? Are you stupid?

Yume: Don’t disagree with Yume. Yume won’t tolerate that, not even from you, Esu.

Esu: And can you pinpoint which part of what you said I’m supposed to agree with exactly?

Yume: ...

Esu: Ugh, here we go. When you don’t get your way, I get the silent treatment. I take it the waterworks are coming next? I’m getting real sick of how you always do this.

And that’s exactly why I’m calling you a bratty little kid!

And bratty little kids need to finish their compulsory education at the very least! Didn’t you transfer to that middle school lately for the sake of following after me?

It was one of the branches of ES Academy, wasn’t it? No one there has heard any “weird rumors” about you yet, so you can at least pretend to play the part of a regular middle schooler.

Go ahead and try being a proper, regular middle schooler. You can even pretend it’s a game if that makes it easier.

No. This is the perfect chance for you to go back to having a normal life—

Yume: STU~PID! STU~PID! YOU’RE JUST STUUUUPIDDDDD, ESU!

Esu: Whoa, I thought he was gonna start crying, but he’s going the “Losing His Temper” route instead!

Hanamura Fuyume-san is having his 127th temper tantrum for the first time in three months!

What do you think about this, Reporter Sagiri Esu-san?

“Yes, this is Reporter Sagiri here. Compared to last year, this year’s storm is—“

Uooohh?! Can you not hug me like that, please and thank you? If someone sees us, they’re gonna get the wrong idea!

Yume: Esu~ Esu~ Why won’t you understand~?!

Esu: I’d appreciate it if you’d at least help me try to understand?! Cause right now you’re such a mysterious creature that you might as well be an alien from outer space! You can at least have that much self-awareness?!

Yume: Sniff sniff... Yume just wants to sniff what’s left of the scent of Yume’s beloved.

Esu: I’ve told you this a hundred times too - my father is long gone.

Although, I can’t exactly just tell you to get over him. It was such a shock for me too that I ended up shutting myself away from the world.

But... No matter how heartbreaking and painful this is, if we just keep on shutting ourselves away, we’ll only end up destroying our own lives - and that’s not right.

Was the man you loved really so cynical that that’s what he would have wanted? Of course not. Much as I hate to admit it, you should know that even better than I do.

Yume: ...

Esu: My father is crying in his grave, Fuyume.

Yume: Yume doesn’t care if he’s crying or telling Yume he hates him; Yume just wants to hear his voice.

Yume just wants to see him again.

Esu: I want to see him again too. But that’s not possible, and you know that.

My father - the man you loved - died in a plane crash. He’s a star in the sky now.

All we can do is accept that and move forward... I know for sure that that’s what my father would want.

Yume: Ah~ 🎶 The way you sounded so cool just now, the angle of your face and the tone of your voice was just like him 🎶

Esu: Do you seriously not listen to a word other people say?!

Yume: ...No, Yume understands. Things can’t go on like this.

But. When all that’s left in this world of the man Yume loved is a pile of wreckage, living a normal life - is difficult for Yume right now.

Esu: ...

Yume: An alien, huh? Trust you to come up with something so befitting of Yume, Esu.

This planet, this world, isn’t where Yume should be living.

Ahh. Yume wants to travel to the stars in the sky, where that man will rest for all of eternity.

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Fuyume FS - A One of a Kind Dream Part 1 & 2

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:15:09 GMT

Fuyume FS - A One of a Kind Dream Part 1 & 2
Season: Spring
Featuring: Fuyume, Tomoya, Hajime, Anzu

Tomoya:

…I see. So, you’re in the middle of making personalized outfits for the new idols right now, Anzu-san. But even though you managed to discuss things with Sagiri, the first of them, and things are progressing smoothly with his…

…ever since Hanamura sent you a message saying “Yume will make Yume’s own outfit”, you haven’t had a chance to talk to him, so you’re beginning to worry.

Hajime:

You tried contacting him a couple of times to check up on his progress, but he hasn’t replied…? Mmm, that does sound a bit concerning.

Tomoya:

If he wants to make his own outfit, you want to respect his wishes, but the “personalized outfit” project was yours to begin with, huh…

You were the one who suggested that you try to come up with an outfit that would suit him the best together, so it’s not great that he’s totally ignoring you.

Hajime:

I’d just like to confirm something. Are you sure there isn’t anything wrong with Hanamura-kun? Like, he hasn’t caught a cold, or something…?

Oh, you heard from Sagiri-kun that he’s perfectly healthy? I see… Then I wonder what’s wrong?

Tomoya:

Yeah… Well, it looks like the only option is to ask Hanamura himself.

I hope we can find him while we have a look… Hm, what’s that? There’s a crowd of people over there?

Hajime:

Hm? Someone seems to be in the center, surrounded by everyone. I just caught a brief glance, but I think it’s–

Fuyume:

…♪

Tomoya:

That’s Hanamura, isn’t it…? What’s he doing, holding up his phone like that?

Fuyume:

Hehehe. Yume’s as cute as ever today…! ♪

But photos just don’t convey Yume’s charm properly. Yume’s gotta do Yume’s best to take even better photos.

What if Yume tries out different expressions, or poses…?

Ufufu. This photo turned out pretty good… ♪ Yume’s even cute from an angle like this… ♪

Tomoya:

I was wondering what he was up to, but I guess he’s taking selfies somewhere he really stands out.

Hajime:

That’s why he attracted so much attention and drew in a crowd.

That said, he really is taking an enormous amount of photos, isn’t he? He’s had his eyes glued to the camera the whole time…

Tomoya:

Feels like we’d waste a lot of time if we waited for him to finish, huh. Let’s get his attention. Oi, Hanamura~?

Fuyume:

…Yeah. This angle looks best, so Yume thinks Yume can come up with where to place the accessories like this.

Next Yume should try taking a photo more from the side, instead of the front. Ufufu, Yume’s gonna take the best photo ever for sure… ♪

Tomoya:

You’re gonna take even more?!

Fuyume:

Mmm… You guys are being so noisy. Yume’s busy, so can you stay out of Yume’s way?

Hajime:

We’re in your “way”...? I mean, you say you’re busy, but you’re just taking selfies, aren’t y–

Fuyume:

“Just” taking selfies? You don’t understand anything. Yume is in the middle of a photoshoot right now, so just be quiet.

Hajime:

H-Huh? Now what? He just stubbornly snapped back at me…!

Tomoya:

Well, I’m sure Hanamura’s got his own stuff going on, so we should ask about that first.

Fuyume:

…Yeah ♪ Yume captured the ideal Yume and got a ton of photos~

Once Yume uploads these online, you’re all gonna go crazy over them, without a doubt. So look forward to them, ‘kay…?

Tomoya:

Hanamura~? Is it all right if we talk to you now?

Fuyume:

No, it’s not… But Yume is willing to listen. What do you want from Yume?

Hajime:

Er… We heard about your personalized outfit from Anzu-san. You told her that you wanted to make it yourself, right?

But afterwards, you never replied to her when she asked about how progress was going… So all of us went looking for you to ask you directly about it.

Anzu:

I’d just like you to tell me how you’re getting along, is all.

Fuyume:

And why does Yume have to tell you about Yume’s outfit?

Tomoya:

Well, this is a project you’re involved with together with Anzu-san. If you’ve decided you’d prefer to make it yourself and it’s coming along fine then there’s no problem.

But… If you’re struggling or having trouble, then Anzu-san would prefer you talk to her about it.

Anzu:

I was wondering what sort of outfit you’d decided on.

Fuyume:

…Yume is doing Yume’s best to come up with it.

Tomoya:

Yeah. So, if you’re still thinking about it, all you need to do is send Anzu-san a quick message telling her that.

Fuyume:

Yeah. And that’s why Yume already said Yume is working on it alone. So just wait until it’s done, okay?

Hajime:

It’s not that she doesn’t want to wait… It’s just that, working on an outfit all by yourself is a lot of work.

It’s just like Tomoya-kun said; we’re concerned you might be struggling with it.

Fuyume:

…Yume is fine. Yume can do this all by himself.

Tomoya:

Look, you don’t have to talk to us about it. But we’d like you to at least let Anzu-san know, be it through text or verbally.

You’re an idol, aren’t you, Hanamura?

So you can’t go causing trouble for your producer, since it’ll cause trouble for everyone involved, as well as the progress for the whole project.

Fuyume:

…up.

Tomoya:

Fuyume:

Shut up. You don’t know anything about Yume, so can you not lecture him?

Yume doesn’t want to be told this and that by a guy with such an average-looking face!

Hajime:

Wh…?! Wh-What did you just say?!

Anzu-san and Tomoya-kun are saying all of this with your best interests in mind! Not to mention, Tomoya-kun is COOL! HE’S SO COOL. THE COOLEST EVER…!

Tomoya:

Ahaha, thanks, Hajime. Just you thinking that is enough for me.

Look, I’m perfectly aware that I’m ordinary. You don’t need to worry about that.

Hajime:

But…

Tomoya:

We appeared out of nowhere and interrupted his photoshoot, then lectured him on top of that, so it’s no wonder he’s grumpy with us. Sorry, Hanamura.

Fuyume:

…Hmph.

Tomoya:

You said before that you’re doing your best to come up with an outfit, right? Then, could you at least tell us what kind of outfit you have in mind?

Fuyume:

…don’t wanna.

Tomoya:

Because you wanna keep it a secret until you’re done? Well, if that’s what you want, then it’s fine… Whoops, sorry I keep on speaking in your place, Anzu-san.

…I don’t know what kinda outfit you’re planning to make, Hanamura. But something tells me that if it was really coming along well, you’d be a lot more confident about it.

But it doesn’t seem like–

Fuyume:

…!

Tomoya:

I know it seems like I’m picking on a kid who's younger than me. But even an “average” guy like me is perceptive enough to tell that you’re trying to hide something.

Fuyume:

…

Tomoya:

There was a point in time where you were determined enough to shoot back a reply right away announcing you’d make it yourself.

So, if you’re really determined to come up with something great… Won’t you be honest with us?

Fuyume:

…Sniff sniff

Tomoya:

Hm?

Fuyume:

*starts to cry*

Tomoya:

Huh? Hanamura, are you crying…?!

(30 mins later. Cafe Cochi.)

Fuyume:

Sniff… Sniffle.

Hajime:

Have you calmed down? You shouldn’t sniffle; you should really blow your nose properly with a tissue.

Tomoya:

But you’ll end up hurting your ears if you blow too hard, so you should blow each side one at a time.

Fuyume:

Uu. Yume doesn’t want to blow his nose because it’ll look ugly… You’re the one who made Yume cry.

Anzu:

Sorry for being the bad guy.

Tomoya:

No, Anzu-san, don’t apologize about that. I’m the one who scolded Hanamura back there.

Well, that aside. Now that you’ve calmed down, won’t you talk to us about your personalized outfit…?

You were determined enough to reply to Anzu-san right away that you’d make it yourself when she first contacted you.

Fuyume:

Yeah… Yume looked at Anzu-san’s message when Yume was with Esu and read it then.

Yume saw what she’d written about bringing out each idol’s individual charm in their outfits…

But Yume’s individuality and charm is Yume’s alone. Yume doesn’t want some other person to try and come up with an outfit that reflects that.

The person who can represent Yume the most wonderfully of all is obviously Yume himself… That’s why Yume decided to make the outfit alone.

Hajime:

I see… So, that’s how you felt about a personalized outfit, Hanamura-kun.

Fuyume:

Yume was so confident when Anzu-san’s message arrived. Yume makes all of Yume’s cosplays by hand.

Yume can easily make a brand new outfit… Or so Yume thought.

But then Yume couldn’t find Esu anywhere, only to find out he shut himself away in ES so he could talk to Anzu-san, just the two of them, right?

And when he finally got home, he started bragging about how his idol fit was gonna turn out amazing, without a doubt!

He solved all of his problems behind Mommy’s back, and Mom did NOT appreciate how full of confidence he was… That’s when Mom started to lose it.

Tomoya & Hajime:

…Mom?

Fuyume:

Yume wanted to be the one to make Esu’s outfit! But he lifted the weight off of his shoulders all by himself, and let the essence of an idol flow through him…!

So, Yume wanted to get back at Esu by designing Yume’s own outfit, no matter what. Yume wanted to make him admit that he wished he and Yume came up with his outfit together.

But even though Yume’s been trying his hardest to come up with an outfit, things aren’t going well at all. Yume can’t get Yume’s thoughts together…

So Yume wondered if he took a bunch of selfies and put them online, and got showered in comments calling Yume cute, that Yume would come up with an idea.

Yume tried Yume’s best to work this out… But nothing’s working. How come?

No. Yume knows the reason. Yume hates the idea of Esu and Anzu-san getting along so well, just the two of them…!

Hajime:

Wah! You can’t make a fuss in the middle of this cafe~ Just calm down~

Fuyume:

Yume didn’t want to talk about this, but he let it all out…

Tomoya:

Sorry about this. I not only made you cry, but I made you talk about something you didn’t want to. I must be a terrible guy in your eyes, Hanamura.

But, well, seeing as you already probably hate me, I’d still like you to talk to us for a little longer.

Fuyume:

You want me to keep going…?

Tomoya:

We’ve never really spoken that much before, but you still managed to confess a whole lot. So maybe this timing might’ve been a blessing in disguise.

Thank you for talking to us about what you’d been keeping locked up inside.

Fuyume:

…Yeah. Yume really was upset.

Yume’s still gonna do his best for Yume’s own sake… But if Yume can’t get anywhere with Yume’s personalized outfit, then what?

Tomoya:

Then I’ll keep on cheering you on, so that everything will all work out. I’ve already hopped on board.

Is there anything else you’d like to talk about? If you’ve had a change of heart, then you might as well let everything out now. I’m sure you’ll feel a ton better.

Fuyume:

Nope, Yume got everything Yume was keeping inside Yume’s tummy out.

But… Right, now that Yume’s let everything out, Yume’s tummy is empty. ♪

Hajime:

Huh? Your tummy?

Fuyume:

Yume needs energy to do Yume’s best. So Yume wants to eat the cutest cake this cafe has.

Tomoya:

You really are something else… You really make things work in your own favor, huh?

Hajime:

R-Right. Can you please at least apologize to Anzu-san first?

Fuyume:

Mmm~ …Sorry, Anzu-san. Yume will do Yume’s best once Yume has some cake, so work with Yume, okay? ♪

…Oh. This cake is so cute. Yume’s gonna order it right away. Ufufu… ♪

(Several days later.)

Tomoya:

Sorry to barge in~

Fuyume:

Anzu-san! This material here is supposed to be more frilly and flowy!

And can’t you see there aren’t enough flowers?

And when you consider how it’s gonna look when Yume’s on stage… This side is gonna need more accessories!

Tomoya:

(This guy is a real handful. Just when I thought he and Anzu-san are working on his outfit together, I see he’s being as self-centered as always.

But maybe… Maybe it’s not being self-centered. Maybe this is his own form of perfectionism?

It’s not great to cause so much trouble for everyone around him, but being a perfectionist isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I mean, I used to be the type who’d practice things I was struggling with until super late, which I’m sure caused a ton of trouble for others.)

So I guess I understand the feeling of not wanting to compromise…

Fuyume:

…Hm? Is that you, Leader of Ra*bits-san?

What are you doing here?

Tomoya:

I told you I’d be supporting you, didn’t I? So I came to check on how things are going.

Hey there, Anzu-san. Well, how’s it going?

Looks like Hanamura is as selfish–I mean, as much of a perfectionist as ever. So, how are things coming along?

Fuyume:

Don’t be so rude. You have eyes, don’t you?

Yume put all of the love in Yume’s heart into this outfit, and it’s well on its way to completion! ♪

Oh, Anzu-san. Yume wants to put a flower in the middle of the center ribbon. That’d be even cuter, right?

…? Anzu-san? What’s that accessory you have in your hand?

There’s no flower like that in the rough draft, and Yume never said anything about wearing it…

Anzu:

I thought you’d look even cuter with this, so I prepared it for you.

Fuyume:

…Hmm… Looks like you know Yume pretty well.

It’s not a bad idea, so Yume’ll use it. Yume will even let you be the one to attach it to the ribbon… ♪

Tomoya:

Sneaky of you to increase Anzu-san’s workload like that.

Anzu:

… I’m just glad I thought to prepare it.

Tomoya:

Hm? Well, if you're happy about it, then I can’t really say anything.

Fuyume:

Hey, Leader of Ra*bits-san, Yume wants you to grab that lace over there!

Tomoya:

Sure. This lace, right…

Fuyume:

…Fufufu. Just you wait, Esu. And all of the rest of you. Yume is gonna show the cutest Yume yet.

You’re all cordially invited to Yume’s world…! ♪

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VS Princess - Chapter 2

Thu, 16 May 2024 13:53:20 GMT

Previous Chapter

Chapter 2 - Battle Royale

Characters: Mao, Subaru

Season: Spring

(Several minutes later. 4piece Venue 1, “Prince Castle.”)

Mao:

I think this is the venue we’re supposed to be in…

Subaru:

Whoa~! It’s like a real castle! It’s all shiny and sparkly~!☆

Subaru:

I dunno what any of this means, but! This place is crazy fancy! Hey, Sally~ What are they gonna make us do here?

Mao:

I told you; this is 4piece.

Haha. The second you catch sight of something shiny, you snap back into a great mood, Subaru.

Subaru:

I can’t stay sunken forever!

Mao:

Yup, the sun never does. And I really appreciate that.

Anyway. I already said this on the way here, but the most I’ve heard about what they’re gonna make us do during 4piece is all rumors at best.

So even if you ask me for an explanation, I can’t say I can give you one. Seriously.

Subaru:

Yeah. Uh, so this “4piece” isn’t managed by ES for once?

Mao:

Well, ES are lending their support, so I’m sure they’re gonna be heavily involved. They’ve dispatched staff as part of their contribution, so we’re gonna feel their presence here and there.

But the main organizers and management behind 4piece seems to be some sort of huge foreign company.

Supposedly it’s called “Thunderbolt Entertainment.” You ever heard of it, Subaru?

Subaru:

There seems to be a whole lot of super long English names all of a sudden, which are hard to remember. Though I guess seeing as this event is centered around a foreign company, that can’t be helped.

Wait, why are you asking me? I’m the one who doesn’t know anything, so isn’t it your or Ukki’s job to explain everything to me, Sally? C’mon, do it properly!

Mao:

What are you getting mad at me for…? But if you look at things objectively, you’ve been performing for, hell, involved with the idol industry in general for waaay longer than I have, Subaru.

You’ve been submerged in it right up to your neck ever since your father was around.

Subaru:

Hehe. I really like how you guys bring up my dad while we’re just having a regular conversation lately. I don’t want it to seem like a sore subject that no one’s allowed to talk about.

But I feel like I was pretty isolated from the idol industry when I was younger. And he never really told me much about working abroad.

And that’s why I don’t really know anything about this Thunder-something; sounds more like the name of a movie monster or a pro wrestler.

Sally~! Explain please!

Mao:

Makoto seems to like this kinda of thing, and he’s much better at it. But I guess it can’t be helped, seeing as I’m the only one here this time.

“Thunderbolt Entertainment”, otherwise known as “Thunderbolt”, is one of the world’s biggest corporations.

It seems to have mainly flourished within the entertainment industry.

Subaru:

Oh… But I feel like I might have seen their logo around Japan sometimes too. Like, on toys or at amusement parks.

Their logo is super shiny, so I happen to like it.

Mao:

Yeah, it seems like something you’d like. Though I’m a little triggered by anything spiky, and it’s so flashy that it’s sorta hard on the eyes.

Subaru:

It feels like bolts of lightning!

Mao:

Yeah. Though seeing as ES, or rather, the Tenshouin and Himemiya conglomerates are in a position where they take priority, it doesn’t really stand out that much within Japan.

Now and then when it comes to our outsourced proposals and stuff, we’ll do some sort of work related to Thunderbolt though.

Subaru:

Yeah. So like, seeing as some big, fancy foreign company is hosting this thing, we can’t just do whatever we want, like always⸺is what they warned us, right?

Mao:

No, the whole “you can’t just do whatever you want” applies in general. Though I guess that’s who you, and Trickstar are as individuals.

Subaru:

Ehen.

…So this big foreign company sniffed out the scent of ES, then waited for the right time to set out here for this huge scale event?

Mao:

I guess ‘cause ES have really been making an impact lately, so it’s not like even a foreign company could just sit back quietly and watch.

By the way, people in Japan may be talking about ES non-stop, and not to mention it’s growing like crazy, but the reality is, it’s still a young company that was only just established.

So as a company, when it comes to scale or achievements, it’s just not on the same level as Thunderbolt. So, at least it has the awareness that it’s no match for it as an opponent.

Subaru:

So it’s like, if a young rascal mishaves, he’ll get scolded by his big, important uncle?

Mao:

Mmm… Dunno.

Thunderbolt is a huge international company. I’m suspicious of whether or not they even have a personality.

Rather than coming here to scold anyone, they might just be here after the scent of profit?

Subaru:

Hate that sort of greedy old uncle.

Mao:

Well, that’s capitalism for you. We’ve learned that much from the bitter experience of being played around with in the past.

Still, we do have a chance here.

Company though it may be, the people within are all only human. So the more active we are during 4piece, we should be able to get a lot of support from the staff of a global company.

When it comes to the foreign countries that ES has already expanded to up to now, we should be able to get our hands on those sorts of connections and stuff.

And so, the sort of stage we’ve never laid eyes on before is bound to be awaiting us on the other side.

That is, every single country overseas; nothing could be bigger than that.

Next Chapter

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VS Princess - Chapter 1

Thu, 16 May 2024 12:16:23 GMT

Prologue

Chapter 1 - Battle Royale

Characters: Mao, Subaru
Season: Spring

(The following day. Road towards 4piece venue.)

Mao:

Oh, I can see it!

Well, more like the thing we’ve been looking at all along seems to be it.

Man, it’s seriously massive, huh? The biggest venue we’ve ever been to so far was SS, but from the scale of this place, you’d probably fit about four SS venues in there.

It’s so freaking huge that the closer you get, the harder it is to grasp what it looks like. Doesn’t seem to have any windows or anything either, so I’ve really no idea what the inside could be like.

…Subaru? Are you listening to me? You could at least reply, instead of leaving me feeling all alone here?

Subaru:

…

Mao:

What, you still sulking? Look, if it was possible, I’d have wanted to go crazy with all of Trickstar together too.

But we’ve gotta take part in 4piece as individuals. That’s the rule that’s been put into place, so we’ve got no choice but to go along with it.

This time alone, you and I are rivals.

If you go letting your guard down, I’ll knock you out of the competition in a flash, so you’d better brace yourself~♪

Subaru:

…

…Huh? Sorry, Sally~! What did you just say? I wasn’t listening!

Mao:

Oi, oi, seriously, are you all right…? Is something wrong? I heard that you went and visited your dad’s grave yesterday, so…

Subaru:

Yeah. And that was when I met this strange kid.

And since I stayed up so late talking to the kid, I barely got any sleep… Phaaaugh ♪

If I’m not in my own house, my daily routine gets thrown way out of whack.

At least when I’m at home, I’ve gotta take care of my mom’s portion of the chores too, so I’m pretty much forced to get myself into a proper routine.

But anyway, why are you the only one here, Sally? Not that I’m disappointed that it’s just you, but I wish everyone could’ve come!

Mao:

So I take it you really don’t get what sort of situation we’re in at all…?

Subaru:

I don’t get anything I’ve no interest in! Ahahahahaha! ☆

Mao:

Well, you should try and be a little more interested. This 4piece supposedly markets itself as enormous scale audition programme, one that’s never been held before⸺

“4piece” ⸺ Its official name is the “Thunderbolt Challenge 4piece.”

Subaru:

San-da-bo-cha-pi… Huh? I didn’t catch that at all!

Mao:

You’ve got good hearing, but my English pronunciation is another story…

Seeing as the full title is way too long, everyone’s just shortening it to 4piece.

But right now, I don’t really understand what exactly it entails either.

Subaru:

I know all about audition shows~ Not that I’ve ever taken part in one before, but I’ve watched those kinda shows.

Mao:

Oh, so you even watch shows that don’t have any relation to you? Wow, you’re really passionate about your studies.

Subaru:

Nah, that’s not it. My dad originally started off on an audition type of show.

That show gathered all sorts of wannabe idols⸺fledglings who’d never stepped foot in the idol industry before⸺and made them compete against one another by singing and dancing.

And whoever performed the best during the competition⸺in other words, the winner⸺supposedly got to debut as an official idol?

Or maybe it was like, a show where they made ordinary people fight against one another with debuting as an idol being the prize?

But, for the record, we’ve already made our debut as idols, right? So then, what’s our reward gonna be? There’s no reason for us to compete?

Mao:

Supposedly there’s an extra special prize. But as to what that is, it’s being kept tightly under wraps. It’s a total mystery.

Subaru:

4piece is serious about its no spoilers policy, huh.

Mao:

If the content of the competition was leaked beforehand, then people would be able to strategize in advance, which’d be unfair. So they didn’t have any other choice, I guess.

Subaru:

Yeah, that’s true. I dunno what the prize is supposed to be, but if there were people who wanted it, they’d be able to make preparations or do some kinda special training in advance.

Mao:

There could be people laying the groundwork behind the scenes too. In which case, it’d hardly be a fair competition.

Speaking of which, if that kinda meddling behind the scenes was allowed, then you wouldn’t stand a chance against the likes of Tenshouin-senpai or Sakuma-senpai. Not that those two are taking part this time it seems.

But, as a result of spoilers being completely forbidden beforehand, 4piece is probably gonna genuinely be idols testing their abilities and competing against one another.

Subaru:

Ahaha, even if that was the case, I doubt I’d stand a chance against Eichi-senpai or Sakuma-senpai~♪

Mao:

If you don’t stand a chance, then no one does.

Well, seeing as that’s how it is⸺

Not that I can say anything for sure, seeing as the whole thing is shrouded in mystery. But actually, there’s a huge merit to us taking part in 4piece.

Subaru:

Huh? Why’s that?

Next Chapter

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VS Princess Prologue

Thu, 16 May 2024 07:22:08 GMT

Chapter List

VS Princess Prologue

Characters: Esu, Fuyume, Nice

Season: Spring

(Spring, year 2 of the establishment of ES. Late May, the night before 4piece begins.)

(4piece central venue, judge’s seats)

Nice:

“My friends, do you all have a dream?”

“To have a dream! What a wonderful expression! I truly love the word ‘dream’!”

“And while we’re at it, I also adore the word ‘love’!”

“Dreams, love, hope, devotion, conviction, courage, victory, glory…”

“Flashy as they may be, there is an optimism and nobility to these words which I love very much!”

“And I also love the many people out there who, rather than simply letting these words stay words, they strive to make them into reality!”

“And so, naturally, I truly love idols!”

“My friends, will that reason alone dissatisfy you?”

“Dreams! Love! Hope!”

“Ah, idols! See that all of them cascade into reality like starlight! I truly love each and every one of you!”

“And so, in order to have these idols take the spotlight, be lauded for what they are, and shine even more brightly!”

“Tomorrow! I shall commence with an unprecedented round of auditions⸺for 4piece!”

“Now then, my friends, it is time to alight the darkness with your sparkle!”

“Tonight may be late!”

“However, from the moment the morning light shines through⸺”

“It shall cast away all of the ominous darkness upon the world!”

“That’s the sort of idol I need!”

“That is the purpose of 4piece!”

“And so, to any idol out there who believes they fit the bill⸺please, come and take part! You are perfectly welcome to jump in on the day!”

“For what I love most in this world–”

“Everything that is wonderful, everything that is ‘nice’⸺”

“Let us have all of those things proliferate! Together!”

“We are always and forever waiting to see you shine!”

**********

Esu:

…

…What the hell is so noisy?

Fuyume:

Oh, Esu. You’re awake ♪

Esu:

Huh? Maybe it was just a nightmare. I had a dream where for some reason my younger, male childhood friend was sleeping all cuddled up next to me.

Fuyume:

Hehe. It’s already spring, but the nights are still cold, y’know? ♪

Esu:

No, I don’t “know.” I’m always saying this to you, Fuyume, but if anyone sees us, they’re seriously gonna get the wrong idea.

Fuyume:

If they think “Wow, Yume and Esu are so lovey-dovey with each other!”, then it’s not a misunderstanding; it’s reality! ♪

Esu:

In what sort of parallel universe is that reality?!

Fuyume:

Now, don’t fidget so much. Mommy will hold you tightly until morning comes… ♪

Esu:

You’re not my Mom?!

Fuyume:

Why do you say such cruel things…?

You’re always like this, Esu. You don’t understand how Yume feels.

Esu:

I know exactly how you feel, which is exactly what puts me off so much?!

Anyway, what were you watching earlier?

You can watch whatever you want, but I really wish you’d turn the volume down a bit. I woke up ‘cause I had no idea what that noise was.

Fuyume:

Yeah, sorry about waking you up.

But. If you want to have a peaceful night’s sleep, instead of spending it sleeping outdoors in the park, you should really sleep at home in your nice warm bed.

Esu:

It’s a habit I picked up ever since I was younger.. Not to mention, if I fall asleep in my own room, I’m terrified that you’ll try sneaking into bed with me.

Fuyume:

You’re scared? Them, Yume will watch over you, Esu… ♪

Esu:

I’m terrified of YOU!

Anyway… Oh, right. I’m pretty sure the auditions for that 4piece thing start tomorrow.

Fuyume:

Looks like it. I was watching their livestream about it.

Just in case. Not that I really have much interest in it.

…What are you gonna do, Esu?

Esu:

Well, seeing as I was invited, I guess I’ve got to take part. Seeing as I’ve been given the opportunity to act as an idol, it’s only natural that I’d go along with it.

Not to mention, I have an obligation. Supposedly that person was the one who covered all of my expenses both when I was holed up away from the world, and when I was off on adventures.

So I’ve gotta repay at least that much. I don’t wanna seem ungrateful.

Otherwise, there’d be no value in living.

Fuyume:

That’s just like you, Esu. You have a surprisingly strong sense of duty, even though you seem like you don’t take things too seriously.

But, right… If that’s what you’ve decided, then Yume will go with you.

Esu:

Why don’t you go home? If anything, what are you even doing here? The moment I realized you were lying here beside me, even though you really shouldn’t be, my heart nearly stopped.

Fuyume:

Yume is always beside what Yume loves

Yume won’t let you escape, no matter what… Ufufufufufu ♪

Esu:

You are TERRIFYING?!

Fuyume:

But. Right, Mr. Nice did say some pretty good things.

Love. It’s true; love is a wonderful word.

But…

The sun has already set, and this world has already been shrouded in eternal darkness.

And no matter how hard we try to gather the scattered fragments of starlight

Only darkness awaits us in the future ahead.

Next Chapter

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Fuyume Idol Story 1

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 05:35:43 GMT

Writer: Akira

Season: Spring

Location: Yumenosaki Library Room

(Year two after the establishment of ES. Yumenosaki Library Room.)

Fuyume: Um.

Are there any fairy tales here…?

Oh. Hmm, so the picture books and stuff are over in this corner

It was kind of you to tell Yume, so thanks

~…♪

(Oh, that person was right. There’s a bunch of book titles Yume recognizes.)

(But even though they have a ton of books, they’re not sorted properly at all. They aren’t ordered alphabetically, or by publishing date, they’re all just shoved in here randomly.)

(Oh well… Guess no one really cares about fairy tales…)

(“The Little Mermaid” “Momotaro” “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” “Snow White” “Urashima Taro” “Cinderella”...)

(Oh, it’s not the one he was looking for, but Yume feels like reading Cinderella today)

(Yume loves this story too)

(After all, it’s a story where love really pays off)

…♪

…? Hm? Uh, um, you’re the person who was kind to Yume before—do you still need Yume for some reason?

You were nice to Yume, so he doesn’t mind at least going along with that much

Huh? This is the Yumenosaki Academy library room, so anyone outside of this school’s staff or students aren’t allowed in here?

How did you know that Yume isn’t a student here?

Oh, hmm. ‘Cause Yume isn’t wearing the uniform…?

All right… Then from now on, Yume will wear the uniform when he comes here

Yume’s good at sewing, so it’ll be easy… Hehe ♪

Huh? That’s not the problem?

You just keep saying things that Yume doesn’t like and making this more difficult

Yume really thought you were kind at first

Hm? Yume’s name is Hanamura Fuyume

And you’re… Uh, Anzu, -san? You’re a graduate of this school?

But you’ve come back to your old school today as part of your job as a producer. And you got nostalgic, so you started walking all around…?

Oh, wow… ♪

Hey, then you’re the same as Yume, right? Yume’s a middle school student who doesn’t have any connection to Yumenosaki, and you’re a graduate, so you don’t count as a student here anymore… Right?

Neither of us should exist here right now

So, we’re both equally guilty, right? So, if you pretend you didn’t see Yume here, Yume won’t make a fuss about how there’s someone else here who shouldn’t belong… ♪

Okay? How about that for an agreement, an exchange, a negotiation? That’s my wish… ♪

If you agree to that, then Yume won’t interfere with you at all. After all, Yume isn’t interested in you to begin with.

All Yume wants to do is sit here and read fairy tales.

…♪

Hm? There’s something else? You wanna know what Yume is reading?

Ehehe. So, you’re interested in fairy tales? Then we’re allies

Ehehehehehe. Right now I’m reading a picture book of a story that everyone’s heard of: Cinderella. But what Yume really wanted to read was a different story

Do you know it? Even in Japan, barely anyone has heard of it, but it’s a fairy tale called “The Tale of the Amethyst”

Even if you’ve never heard the story before, have you heard of this phrase?

…”And then the amethyst shattered into fragments.”

Hehe. It doesn’t seem like you’ve heard of it. Oh well

So, this is how the story goes. An ordinary girl gets her hands on an amethyst that’s able to grant her each and every wish

Or more accurately, she and the amethyst fuse together as one. Like, she becomes a sort of crystallized human

She was cursed by an evil witch… Ehehehehe ♪

The plot is kinda like “The Happy Prince.” No, maybe it’s more like “Arabian Nights” or “The Monkey’s Paw”

The girl who’s fused with the wish-granting amethyst wishes for things like the man she loves to notice her, and to become friends with people, stuff like that

And every time she makes a wish, the amethyst’s power activates. But every time her wish is granted, her body begins to crack.

Ah… ♪ Then in the end, she’s so cracked and broken that she ends up losing all of the love and friendships she went through all that trouble of obtaining

She becomes feared as a monster by the people she loves most, and they drive her away

And so, her very final wish is…

…Oops! You should really read the rest for yourself. It’s against the rules to spoil things

Ehehe. But if Yume can say one thing, it’s that Yume really sympathizes with that amethyst girl. Yume has a lot of admiration for her

As for the very last fragment of her that remains…

When the man she loves and her best friend get married, she becomes part of a ring that’s worn at the ceremony, blessing them with happiness.

And her final wish is… Oh, Yume just realized he’s spoiling it for you. Sorry, sorry

You don’t mind? Really? You really are a nice person, huh?

Ehehe. Yume’s wish is the same as the girl who became a ring

“May your life be blessed with happiness”

Yeah. With every selfish wish she made she broke into fragments, but it ended with her final wish being to pray for the happiness of someone else

Ehehe. That’s why even though Yume doesn’t have the power to grant wishes, he’s still going to do whatever it is he can in his power

And that’s why Yume snuck into Yumenosaki, the school Esu attends, to watch over him from the shadows

Hm? Does Yume love the Esu person he just mentioned?

It’s hard to define love, but of course Yume loves Esu

But as miserable as it is, reality isn’t the same as a fairy tale

…Because that amethyst already shattered into fragments a long, long time ago

comments

(Valkyrie) Raison d’être - Nazuna/Kuro focus

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 11:33:16 GMT

Raison d’être

Note: I literally just translated all of the parts with Nazuna specifically, because I love Nito Nazuna specifically. So this isn't the entire story, just excerpts. SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE I'M JUST HERE FOR NII~CHAN!!!

A Premature Funeral Ch.1

Season: Winter

Writer: Akira

(The following day. Starmony Dorms. Near residents’ entrance.)

Nazuna:

Absolutely not...

Kuro:

I don’t suppose ya could somehow nod your head that you’ll go along with it instead? This man is goin’ as far as to bow his head before ya while he asks this favor of ya... No. Nito, aren’t the two of us supposed to be friends?

Nazuna:

Yeah. And normally I’d want to hear you out no matter what sort of favor it is, but I just can’t go along with this.

Kuro:

And why not? Surely we’ve both got enough experience wearin’ all sorts of eccentric outfits by now that this’ll hardly be embarrassin’ for ya, Nito?

Nazuna:

That may be true, but...

I’m on the verge of turning 20, so sometimes when I see myself wearing things like cute shorts, I end up thinking “What the hell am I doing?”

Well, that’s the sort of idols the members Ra*bits are, so somehow or another I can accept that much.

Kuro:

Yeah? In that case... 🎶

Nazuna:

But that’s a different story! How tragic is this?! Why would I have to wear clothing meant for girls that my friend - that YOU, Kuro-chin - made?!

Absolutely not! This just feels perverted!

Kuro:

H-Hey now, don’t go callin’ me perverted! You’re gonna give any passersby the wrong impression of me!

Why are ya so against it? All I’m askin’ ya to do is try on an outfit that I made for my little sis to wear. That’s all!

Nazuna:

And I have no idea how you have the nerve to ask that of a guy the same age as you?!

Isn’t your little sister still in elementary school? I know I sell myself as a “cute” idol, but I’m still a grown man here~!

Kuro:

It’ll be fine! I know you can pull it off, Nito!

My lil sis is like me in that she keeps on growin’ taller, so even if they end up bein’ a little too small for ya, the clothes I make with her in mind should more or less fit!

I believe in you! Nito!

Nazuna:

God, I wish I was hearing those words from you in literally any other situation?!

All right! This conversation ends here! I’m pissed off, so I’m going back to my room!

I don’t want our friendship to end over this, so I’m going to do you a favor and forget everything you just said! In the mean time, go take a walk and cool your head, Kuro-chin!

Kuro:

Don’t say that. Come on, Nito...

My lil sis is becomin’ more aware of her looks now that she’s almost a teenager, and wants to start dressin’ in a more fashionable way. But all of the clothes and accessories she wants are stupid expensive.

And with our financial situation as it is, there’s no way we can afford ‘em. So that’s why I thought I’d make ‘em for her myself. That way’s gonna be a whole lot cheaper.

But when it comes to clothes, I dunno what sorta adjustments I need to make unless someone actually tries it on for me. So you get me, right, Nito?

Please... You’re the only one who can do this for me, Nito.

I know I hardly have the right to talk, but most of the ES crowd are on the bigger side, right? Someone as teeny as you is a valuable asset to have around, Nito.

Wide as the world is, you, my friend, are the only one I know who’s able to fit into clothes meant for a young girl.

Nazuna:

Then go buy a mannequin...?

Kuro:

Whoa...? It’s been a while since I saw ya glare at someone like that, with eyes as cold as glass!

Nazuna:

Well, it’s not like I want to have my eyes revert back to as lifeless as they were when I was pretending to be a doll back in Valkyrie, but this whole situation is that ridiculous...

Mika:

...!

Kuro:

Ngh? Oy, watch where you’re walkin’, that hurt?

Mika:

...

Kuro:

Oy... So you’re not gonna say anythin’ even after bumpin’ into me? Did somethin’ happen, Kagehira?

Mika:

Ngah? Oh, ya sure are patient, Ryuu~kun-san? Even though my head’s drawin’ a blank here...!

Kuro:

What’s wrong? ...Are ya in some sorta trouble? If it helps, I can listen to whatever it is?

Mika:

Ngah? Nah, but this has nothin’ to do with ya, Ryuu~kun-san...

Oh, but I suppose Ryuu~kun-san is Ryuu~kun-san...?

Kuro:

Huh? To be honest with ya, you’re about the only one who still calls me by that same nickname as when I was a kid. It’s been a while since I even heard Itsuki call me that.

Mika:

That might do! You used to be real close with Oshi-san when ya were real small, weren’tcha? And that’s why he calls ya “Ryuu~kun”?

Kuro:

I don’t really follow... Is somethin’ goin’ on with Itsuki?

Raison d’être

A Premature Funeral Ch.2

Nazuna:

Hmm~? By the way, Kagehira, I heard that Itsuki summoned you over to France or something, and you were supposed to be staying with him at his lodgings?

Was he mean to you again? That asshole~! Depending on how bad it is, I’ll give him a piece of my mind, you hear?

Mika:

Ngah, Nazuna-nii...!

Nazuna-nii~! I-I don’t know what all...! Wh-What am I gonna do?

Nazuna:
Unyaa? Don’t jump on me like that, now that you’ve put some weight on, you’ve gwotten hweavier!

Mika:

Ngah~ Ngahh...! I know, but I... I...!

Nazuna:

There’s no need to cry like a little cat... Seriously, what’s wrong~? There, there? You’re gonna be graduating high school soon, Kagehira. You’re a great big Onii-san, remember?

Mika:

*Mika noises* I know! But, Nazuna-nii~? This is somethin’ awful! Ya see, Oshi-san’s Grandpa is...

Kuro:

Hm? What about his Grandpa? I heard that he hasn’t been in the best of health since last winter?

Mika:

Ya didn’t hear anythin’, Ryuu~kun-san? Well, I suppose ya haven’t been stayin’ in touch lately...?

Uh. I still haven’t confirmed the whole situation for myself, but... I think there’s a good chance that Oshi-san’s Grandpa has passed away.

Kuro:

Oh?

Mika:

And he was mighty hospitable to me, lettin’ me stay with him for free, so it ain’t like this is some stranger!

So when I heard the news, I rushed home by myself ahead of Oshi-san... The f-funeral? I’ve gotta help with preparin’ for that!

Kuro:

Oh... Again, huh?

Mika:

Ngah? Whaddya mean “again”?

Kuro:

I dunno, it might have actually happened for real this time... So take whatever I say with a grain of salt.

But if I recall correctly, this’ll be the 17th time that Itsuki’s grandpa has “passed away” by now.

Mika:

Nagh...?

Nazuna:

Oh~ Back when it was just the two of us in Valkyrie, he passed away once too.

I haven’t been acquainted with Itsuki’s Grandpa yet, but from what I’ve heard he has a bit of a morbid sense of humor. Apparently he likes to pretend he’s died now and then.

Mika:

He pretends he’s died...? Huh? You ain’t serious? Why would he go and do that?

Nazuna:

Dunno... But back when I knew them, Itsuki and his family seemed pretty used to this sort of thing.

They’d be like “We are growing quite tired of Grandfather’s shenanigans.” Itsuki was the only one who flew into a panic each time, since he loved his Grandpa so much.

Kuro:

Yeah… The first time it happens, I felt sorry for him. I did the nicest thing a brat like me could think of, which was to buy him some snacks to try make him feel better.

But by the fifth time it happened, I was already gettin’ tired of it... So whenever he brought up that he’d died, I’d be like “Aw, that sucks.” and move on with the conversation.

Mika:

Ya what...?

Kuro:

So. If it’s serious this time then it’s no time to joke around, but ya probably shouldn’t let it get to ya so much, Kagehira.

Both Itsuki and the Grandpa he adores so much can be an absolutely exhaustin’ sorta person to be around if ya take each and everything that’s goin’ on with him seriously.

Mika:

...

Raison d’être

A Premature Funeral Ch.4

Nazuna:

Hello, Kagehira~?

So you’ve just arrived at Itsuki’s place and you’re gonna take a rest after putting your bags away?

Right, you thought it’d be inappropriate if you showed up first thing in the morning uninvited, so you grabbed some food first, then decided to pay a visit from noon.

Since Itsuki hurriedly had to arrange a flight back, he ended up coming back later than you, so you waited for him to go together…

Yeah, I get it. He originally didn’t have plans to come home, so that’s why he arrived a little bit later than you.

Hm? Me? Yeah, I’m just having lunch as usual, since it’s that time of day.

Yeah... Kuro-chin thought he’d still try to butter me up, so he offered me some food which he claimed he “made too much of”, but I know that’s just an excuse...

Kuro:

I haven’t given up on you yet, Nito.

Nazuna:

Mhm... How about I introduce you to my Tomo-chin? He’s been forced to cross dress so much that he’s given up protesting by now.

Kuro:

I want you, Nito.

Nazuna:

I really wish you were saying those words to me in any other situation...

Though I suppose if you just want me to fill in for your little sister, then it’s not quite that you’re “forcing me to crossdress.”

No, wait, it does count as me cross-dressing? Wouldn’t that just be weird?

Kuro:

Don’t worry. You should be more confident, Nito. You’re cuter than any of the girls around here by a long shot.

Nazuna:

That does not make me feel better... You’re so stubborn. Times like this remind me that you really are Itsuki’s childhood friend. You guys are way too alike.

Oh well. Anyway, Kagehira, sorry that I keep bugging you, but if you need anything at all, make sure you contact me.

We Ra*bits are in a pretty unfortunate situation right now, what with work drying up for us at the moment, so I’m pretty free. Yeah, so it’s not like I'm just butting my nose in for my own amusement.

I don’t want to feel completely powerless... I want to prove that I’m someone who can be useful to someone, anyone, somehow.

Kuro:

You don’t have to prove that to anyone, Nito. If anything, you can be very useful to me right now.

Nazuna:

Urgh, are you still at that?! Since when were you this unreasonable about things, Kuro-chin? You’re acting really strange, you know.

Kuro:

I have a lot goin’ on at the moment. I want a break from bein’ the reliable, sensible older brother type who’s always tryin’ his hardest to not be a burden on others.

Nah. I’m in the middle of searchin’ for what it is I want to do, and who I really am.

Nazuna:

And why exactly does that have to involve forcing your MALE best friend to wear women’s clothing…? If that’s the person you really are, then you’re better off hiding that part of yourself away. It’s creepy.

Kuro:

Now you’re bein’ mean. It’s because you’re my best friend that I’m asking you to do this for me, you get me?

Nazuna:

Hmph. Oh well, I guess it’s rude to mess with my phone while we’re having lunch, so I’ll hang up for now. Yeah, I don’t really know what’s going on over there, but good luck with everything.

Taking care of Itsuki must be a real handful. But maybe that’s exactly the reason why it’s what you “want to do” ...Kagehira 🎶

Raison d’être

A Premature Funeral Ch.4

(That night. Starmony Dorm, Theatre Room)

Kuro: Huh. I don’t fully understand, but it seems like you’re in quite the situation.

So I figured that, in order to give you some reference for that “funeral contest”, I picked out some movies we could watch that had examples of funerals and the like.

Haha. You sure seem to be passionate about studyin’ them. I wasn’t expectin’ that 🎶

Shu:

Not that it matters, Kiryuu, but you are in a ridiculously good mood. I have not seen you furrow your brow once, and you continue to wear that smile on your face... Have you come across good fortune?

Kuro:

Listen, Itsuki... I feel like for the first time, I can really empathize with ya.

This sorta thing isn’t half bad, is it? These frilly sorta cutesy clothes.

Shu:

Just what has happened to you, Kiryuu?!

Ah, old friend of mine! For a man as masculine as yourself to come out with such words, have you hit your head on something?!

Nazuna:

Itsuki~ ...Kuro-chin is a menace~ It didn’t matter how many times I told him no.

He f-forced me to wear a dress meant for a young girl, then took a bunch of photos.

Shu:

Kiryuu. Now that I think of it, the two of us have been acquainted with one another for quite some time now. However, not once in that time have I ever truly wished to punch you.

As you are well versed in the art of karate, I am quite sure I shall not stand a chance in a physical confrontation. But nevertheless, if I am to call myself a gentleman, I must challenge you to a fight. Kagehira, Nito; both of you stand aside.

Mika:

Naagh...?

Nazuna:

No, I mean, I’m happy that you’d get mad on my behalf, but didn’t you do the exact same sort of thing to me? In the past?

Not that it matters. I’m not mad anymore. Or rather, this feels like the first time I’ve been able to be useful to Kuro-chin, so I’m happy about that.

No. Kuro-chin accepts me for whoever I am. Whether it was back when I wasn’t much more than a doll, or the person I am today.

So I can’t be picky about who he is either. It wouldn’t be fair if me to say that I’ll only accept Kuro-chin when he’s being his usual tough, reliable self.

Kuro:

Nito... 🎶

Shu:

Even so, you should not go along with that which you have disagreements with, Nito.

Nazuna:

Maybe so. But I just said I’m all right with it, so don’t go getting yourself involved in a fight of your own accord~ I don’t want you tangled up in this too.

I’m sure things are chaotic enough for you as it is. You hardly have the time to deal with what’s going on with the two of us, right?

Mika:

Maybe so, but even I'm havin’ trouble keepin’ up with what’s goin’ on.

Kuro:

What’s the situation? ...I feel like I may have gone a bit over the top and ended up losin’ Nito’s trust in me, so I wanna do what I can to restore my honor in that area.

It’s not that you and I don’t know each other, Itsuki too, so I wanna do whatever I can if it means helpin’ out Nito’s old stompin’ ground.

Shu:

I did not ask for your help. I am not so burdened that I require it either, in fact.

Kuro:

Haha, don’t be like that. If two heads are supposed to better than one, then the more the merrier, right?

Shu:

Hmph. Bold of you to quote phrases so closely associated with Buddhism when you are so averse to the act of studying yourself. Just whose influence is this?

In any case. We are to go along with Grandfather’s entirely unreasonable demands of planning the “Most Spectacular Funeral” there could be.

Kuro:

Hmm? Back when Mom passed away, we kept it a small affair, relatives only. But you rich folk halfta make a big deal outta everything.

Shu:

Yes... And since it was restricted to relatives only, it is, to this day, my greatest regret that I was not able to light incense at her funeral ceremony.

After all your mother had done for me, it paints me that I acted so dishonorably in her very last moments.

Kuro:

Haha. You know damn better than anyone that Mom wasn’t the kind of person who’d mind somethin’ like that, Itsuki.

Shu:

...

Kuro:

...Sorry, that made things kinda awkward.

Shu:

No. A funeral ought to be the sort of affair one faces solemnly. At least, originally speaking.

It is Grandfather who is the odd one out here, conspiring to make a festivity out of such an event.

Kuro:

Well, he always has been an oddball.

But even though you might feel like, hey, what do you know? I do think your Grandpa was a straightforward sort of person. He’s a pretty incredible man, and I had a lot of respect for him.

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Nazuna FS2 - Pump It Up - Part 1

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 04:32:29 GMT

Pump It Up Ch.1

Writer: Chitose Umeda

Season: Autumn

Location: Rhythm Link office

Nazuna:

So each of the ES idols are gonna put on a solo mini-concert that’s gonna be known as a “Feature Live”…

Give me a sec~ I’m gonna have a look over the details you sent me via Hold Hands, so I can review them properly.

A “feature live” is a solo mini-concert preformed not by each unit, but by each individual idol.

Each idol will have a new individual costume made specifically for this solo concert… Am I right?

All right, I think I got it. So you’ve come to ask me if I’m willing to put on one of these shows, right?

My reply? Of course I wanna do it. If it’s a proposal you’ve put together, it’s bound to be a good one.

…Ahaha, sorry. For stuff like this, I should respond with a definitive answer, right?

Mhm… It might sound a bit silly to bring up now, but I still have a gap in my performance history.

I may have stood onstage as a member of Ra*bits countless times since I made my return.

But my juniors have grown so spectacularly that I couldn’t help but feel that I owe half of my performance to the sheer energy they brought to the stage themselves.

For Tomo-chin, Mitsuru-chin, and Hajime’s chin’s sake, I tried my very, very hardest not to show them anything less than my best…

And somehow or another, I managed to preform at the level required of a professional idol.

But for this concert, I’d be performing solo, right?

“Mini” or not, when I think about how I’d have to be onstage from beginning to end all alone…

…it makes me think about how I have to make sure to keep everyone entertained for the whole show, and how I have to have the stamina to last the whole time. I seriously start overthinking everything.

Kuro:

If it’s stamina you’re concerned about, how about I help ya to work out?

Nazuna:

Kuro-chin!

Kuro:

Sorry, I just so happened to overhear ya.

I like yer singin’ voice, so I’m thinkin’ I may as well go see your “feature live” too, Nito… 🎶

Nazuna:

Hey now, Kuro-chin! Have you just come over here to put pressure on me~?

Kuro:

Haha, that wasn’t my intention. I really do mean it when I say I’d like to go and see ya.

And I also really meant it when I offered to help ya out with building’ stamina. Why don’t ya pay my circle a visit?

Nazuna:

Your circle… Since you mentioned working out, you meant “Shin” rather than the “Overnight Outdoors Rangers”, right?

But wouldn’t sparring with a group of guys who are used to hand to hand combat be way too high a hurdle?

Kuro:

Well, it isn’t as if all we do is spar. Just so ya know, the aim of our circle is to train our bodies?

Though it’s true we spend a lotta time sparrin’ with each other… And I suppose our last session did come to an end after all we did was go hand to hand…

Nazuna:

See? …I’d like to ask for you advice when it comes to getting into shape, but it’s not like I wanna be all muscular like the guys in “Shin.”

Hmm? From the look on your face, you seem like you have an idea, Anzu?

Photos of me training my body in order to prepare for the upcoming concert might work…?

Kuro:

Photos?

Nazuna:

Yeah. Apparently a pamphlet is gonna be made just for each “feature live.” You’re talking about the photos that are gonna be part of it, right, Anzu?

Kuro: A pamphlet, huh? Usually when it comes to merchandise for a show, ya generally want pics of you posin’ to look as cool as ya can.

But it’d be a fresh take on it if ya went with photos of ya workin’ hard at lessons and workin’ out to prepare for the show.

Nazuna:

I guess it would be a fresh take on it, but… I guess I prefer to only show off the perfected versions of myself when I’m standing on stage as an idol…

I want my fans to see me shine on stage, to deliver a flawless performance as I sing and dance around while making it look as effortless as possible.

…I mean, it’s not as if I hate the idea. But I feel like I’ll get embarrassed if my fans see me breaking a sweat to get to where I need to be.

And even if you did take pics of me strength training, like with weights, I feel like it wouldn’t exactly make for the best pic, what with my body the way it is…!

Kuro:

Strength trainin’ alone might be a little dull, yeah. But why don’t ya try somethin’ like throwin’ some punches or some high kicks? That might make for a decent photo.

These days, it seems like there are a lotta guys who use sports like kick-boxin’ to train their whole body. There’s all sorts of ways to get into shape, y’know.

Nazuna:

Boxing… If I get to move around a lot, and make it like some sort of action scene, then I might not mind too much…?

Kuro:

Kick-boxin’ is just one example. But if ya make a scene outta makin’ it look like you’re brawlin’, it’d bring out a different side of ya to your usual self. Which would be pretty appealin’, if ya ask me.

Nazuna:

Ahaha, thanks. I’ll make a note of your opinion, Kuro-chin. 🎶

Kuro:

Sure. And as for you, lil’ lady, sorry for buttin’ into your conversation like this.

I’ll be cheerin’ on both Nito’s “feature live” and the pamphlet we talked about just now. Hope ya come up with somethin’ good… 🎶

—-

Location: ES Cafeteria

(Afterwards.)

Nazuna:

(Might have lunch at a seat by the window today. Wonder whereabouts I should sit?)

???:

Nii~chan, oyy!

Nazuna:

(Someone’s waving at me from a table over there…)

Tomoya:

Over here!

Nazuna:

Tomo-chin? I’m just gonna grab some water, hold on a sec!

Sorry to keep you. Are you having lunch by yourself today?

Tomoya:

Yeah. I came to the office to pick up a script, and decided I may as well grab some lunch at the canteen while I’m here.

Nii~chan, what were you talking about with Anzu-san and Kiryu-senpai in the office just now?

Nazuna:

Huh? If you were there at the same time, you should’ve said something.

Tomoya:

I was afraid I’d be getting in the way if it was some sort of meeting. What were you guys talking about?

Nazuna:

Well… Anzu asked me if I’d be willing to preform a solo concert known as a “feature live.”

So we were talking about the details and the pamphlet that’s gonna be sold as merchandise.

Tomoya:

You’re gonna put on a solo live, Nii~chan…?!

Has the date been decided yet?! Is there any ticket info out? When is your merchandise gonna go on sale?!

Nazuna:

Whoa?! Even if you hound me with questions, nothing’s been set in stone yet~?

More importantly, what are you leaning so far forward for, Tomo-chin?

Tomoya:

Why wouldn’t I be? It’s cause I have to go and see your solo live no matter what, Nii~chan!

I bet Hajime and Mitsuru will say the same thing when they hear about this! They’re gonna be all, I wanna go too!

Wait, I have to let them know right away! Aww, I can’t wait for your solo live, Nii~chan… 🎶

Nazuna:

(Tomo-chin’s eyes are sparkling. I’ve gotta make sure I don’t betray any of their expectations as their “Nii~chan.”)

(I’ll make sure my “feature live” is gonna be a good one, no matter what…!)

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Parallel World - Ch. 22

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 13:42:44 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “Epilogue” Chapter 22

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Sanctuary stage

Hajime:

What we faced this time is a problem that we’re absolutely going to have to go up against one day. No, in fact, it’s a problem that we’ve been dealing with this whole time.

—That is, can we continue to pursue “cuteness” for the rest of our lives?

—Or are we even cute enough to be adamant about sticking to “cuteness”, no matter what, in the first place?

We should have seen it coming, but we’ve been pretending not to. We acted like we were taking it into consideration, but the reality is, we hadn’t been thinking it through at all.

This is our fate. It’s the conclusion of where our future will end up. And this time around, that problem was amplified enough for us to have to grapple with it head on.

Maybe it’s the same adversary Ideia-sama had to face themself, when they were younger.

They anticipated that we’d be able to fight back too, and had faith that we’d triumph.

That’s what I want to believe. Ideia-sama really is someone I look up to, after all.

Though I guess Mitsuru-kun might be thinking about how they put us through such an awful situation, that there’s no need to have such a benevolent interpretation of their actions, right?

Mitsuru:

Huh? Yeah! I hate that person! They dragged us into their plans, decided how it all ended, then just up and left! Everythin’ they did was for themself!

Tomoya:

Although you often go getting involved in Mikejima-senpai’s business of your own accord, Mitsuru.

Mitsuru:

I’m allowed to do it! Their way is their way, but my way is my way!

Tomoya:

Haha, that’s such a self-focused way of looking at things. Though I guess if anyone can be forgiven for that, it’s you, Mitsuru.

Mitsuru:

Huh? If I did somethin’ weird or somethin’ ya didn’t like, you gotta tell me? I’m too stupid to figure it out myself!

Hajime:

No, I love everything about you, Mitsuru-kun. And it’s because I love both of you that I’d really like for you and Ideia-sama to get along.

Mitsuru:

No way. Not right now. I’m not just gonna get over what they did to us that easy.

Tomoya:

Strangely enough, whenever someone makes Mitsuru feel strong negative emotions, he tends to have trouble letting go of them. You’d think he’d be able to bounce back right away, so it’s kind of surprising.

Hajime:

That’s true~ This time, Mitsuru-kun was probably the second most depressed and lethargic out of all of us, after me.

Mitsuru:

Yeah. But even though I can’t let go of how I feel yet, I’ll be sure to spend time thinkin’ about it all seriously.

That goes for this person too, after what they did.

Like the way we might be part of the people who turned them into a jerk in the first place… I thought about that a little bit.

If you were forced to run 1000 meters every single day, even though you really should’ve only been runnin’ 50 meters, anyone would get real annoyed.

Tomoya:

Odd. I thought you’d say something like: "the more I can run, the happier I feel!" Mitsuru?

Mitsuru:

Maybe if I’m runnin’ as a hobby. But when it comes to a contest, that sorta rule makes no sense.

It’s no wonder they’d get so stressed out that they’d lose the ability to be nice to anyone anymore. Hmph.

Nazuna:

Oh~ So you do get serious when it comes to competitions alone, Mitsuru-chin?

Mitsuru:

No, I take bein’ an idol seriously too? See how everyone was focusin’ so much on comin’ up with a plan this time that we didn’t get as much rehearsal in as we should’ve, so the rest of you aren’t as sharp as usual?

All of you should look at me and learn! See how I’m singing’ and dancin’ full of energy, like always~!

—Like this!

“♪~♪~♪~”

Tomoya:

Ahaha. You’ve always been my—no, all of our role model, Mitsuru.

You’re always giving us a hand, but this time you really did come to our rescue.

If you hadn’t come to us with that plan, we’d probably still be racking our brains right now, panicking about what to do.

Mitsuru:

If ya wanna thank anyone, it better be Guu~chan! All I did was dash over to you guys to share what she said! I may not be as fast as the speed of light, but I ran as fast as my legs would carry me!

Nazuna:

Right! If we want to express our gratitude to all of the people who helped us out this time, we can’t be sloppy on stage.

Tomoya:

Got it. And that goes for Guu~chan-san, all of the parallel Ra*bits—and, of course, Ideia-sama.

Hajime:

Oh, Tomoya-kun, you’ve started calling them Ideia-sama?

Tomoya:

I guess I’ve come to look up to them a bit. They’re an even bigger superstar than what I’ve heard, so I thought it only feels right to address them by ~sama.

I can’t possibly imagine changing the world in the same way as Ideia-sama and Tenshouin-senpai just yet.

I’m just an ordinary guy, so I made up my mind from the start that that sort of thing was impossible.

But, when it comes to all three of you in front of me, as well as our fans watching over us…

…I’m going to make up for all of the dirty conspiracies we’ve been used in—no, more than just that. I want to guide the way towards the happiest, most fun and peaceful world that I possibly can.

At least until the curtain goes down on this stage, we’ll share a moment of joy, just for a little bit.

Right now, that’s about all I can do—and even that won’t be easy.

But so long as I’m with the three of you, I know I can do it.

“♪~♪~♪~”

END

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Parallel World - Ch. 21

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 13:39:46 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “Epilogue” Chapter 21

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

(Several hours later. Announcing the results of the Parallel World project on stage.)

Tomoya:

“Thank you all for choosing us!”

“We are—”

Hajime:

“We are—”

Mitsuru:

“The real Ra*bits~! Yay! ☆”

Nazuna:

“You did an incredible job of choosing the right answer, so we’d like to give you some gifts as a reward!”

“Everything has been sent to your SSVRS account, so make sure to pick it all up within the timeframe!”

…Man~ To be honest, I was pretty on edge.

I really am glad everyone could tell that we’re the ‘real’ Ra*bits.

Hajime:

Me too… Possibly thanks to a lot of the work Mitsuru-kun is popular for doing especially recently, the ‘cool’ versions of Ra*bits ended up getting a lot of votes too.

Nazuna:

You mean like the Knights version of Ra*bits?

But I’d seriously hate that~ Having to act all pompous like Izumi-chin does by simping for all his fans like, “Anything for you, Princess!”

Hajime:

Nii~chan, you shouldn’t say that he ‘simps’ for his fans~ Especially not when the world probably thinks that we Ra*bits are even more guilty of leading on or kissing up to our fans with how cutesy we act.

Tomoya:

Yeah. Not to mention Knights’ fans can be pretty terrifying, so if anyone overhears you and posts what you said online, we could get seriously ratioed.

Nazuna:

You have a point~ I’ll be careful. Both Izumi-chin and I respect each other, so there’s no harm in poking fun at one another. But the Internet won’t really care about that; they’ll just take it completely out of context.

I’ve come to learn all too well what it feels like to be the subject of a hot topic.

We weren’t one of Crazy:B’s targets this summer so this was our first time, and I was pretty shook.

Hajime:

If anything, Knights were the ones that Crazy:B attacked and put in the same position as us.

Ritsu-senpai was grumbling about the way they blatantly came for them during SS.*

Nazuna:

Yeah. I heard that the whole situation was an absolute disaster.

Things got pretty rough; aggressive even~ And that includes all of their fans too. I guess they’re influenced by Knights’ disposition as a unit.

Conquer and defeat the enemy, that is. If we had war in our blood like those guys, maybe we could’ve easily sorted out our problems this time around much faster.

Hajime:

That’s who they are. But this is who we are, Nii~chan ♪

Tomoya:

Yeah. Not to mention, if we fired gunshots, things could’ve gotten pretty messy. We did our best to sort out our problems in the way that worked best for us.

And now Bishojo-senpai has promised to back off. They’ve probably managed to gather the amount of people they need by now.

And so, the four of us will be able to continue down this path of “cuteness”; just like we’ve been doing up until now.

Hajime:

Yes. We’ve had ups and downs, but the result is that we’re going to be maintaining the status quo, so it seems.

What Ideia-sama spoke about might still be just a dream, but who knows? In the not so distant future, it might just become a reality.

And so from now on, we’ll seriously have to start thinking about what we’ll do when that time comes—and whether we can keep on living in this status quo.

Tomoya:

Yeah. But for now, everything’s been sorted out. Good work, guys.

Mitsuru:

Uuu~! But that person caused a bunch of trouble for us! They decided to gang up on us, and then once they got what they wanted, they’re just like “Bye, bye”! What are they, a typhoon?

Hajime:

Hehe. Even now that everything’s come to a conclusion, we still can’t be sure of Ideia-sama’s true intentions. It really is the sort of thing you can’t tell without seeing someone’s face.

Did they just use us for their own benefit? Or was there any emotion behind what they did?

But, if you ask me, there’s no way Ideia-sama simply used us; they genuinely and truly supported us all along.

They did this to make us stronger, and chose to bestow this trial upon us to test us—that’s what I want to believe.

–

*Hajime has referred to Ritsu by “Ritsu-onii~chan” since the start of !!, so this might be an error. When Parallel World was first released, Eichi mistakenly referred to Tomoya as “Tomoya-kun” instead of “Mashiro-kun” but this was quickly updated a few days later, so there’s a chance Akira simply made a mistake here too.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 20

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 13:36:06 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 20

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Sanctuary Food Court

Ideia-sama:

“But this time, you dove straight into the swamp; choosing to muddy yourselves on your own accord. And in doing so, you managed to free yourselves from being thought of as such easy-pickings.”

“I’m sure you understand it perfectly well yourselves. That is, how you essentially dragged your fans into your own problem and held them hostage.”

Tomoya:

……

Ideia-sama:

“As ES is a company that seeks profit, there are certain patrons they absolutely cannot ignore—namely, your fans. Fans that you intentionally seduced for the sake of doing your bidding.”

“It was a vulgar, sneaky, and terrible way of doing things.”

“I’m ashamed of all of you. You absolutely cannot do something like that.”

“What do your fans even mean to you? Are they simply a tool to be used to accomplish your own goals?”

“No. They are the people who acknowledge you, and love you—people you ought to be grateful to from the bottom of your hearts. Am I wrong?”

“And yet you took the countless number of people you should feel indebted to and hurled them like cannonballs against the agency that’s raised and nurtured you from the start in an all out assault.”

“You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Tomoya:

Thank you.

I’m glad. I’m relieved that you pointed out that we’re genuinely in the wrong here.

Hajime:

Me too. It wouldn’t have felt great if everyone reacted like anything and everything Ra*bits do is correct just because we’re Ra*bits.

Mitsuru:

Yeah! We did somethin’ real awful. Somethin’ we shouldn’t have done. I may be stupid, but even I know that.

Nazuna:

Yeah. We all understood that perfectly well, but still came to an agreement and took action.

But still, the whole reason we were pushed this far to begin with is because of you.

Ideia-sama:

“It’s just as you say.”

“If I were to say that I flung you into the bottom of a ravine in order to make you strong enough to claw your way back up and prove you’re able to survive in this cutthroat society—I would be lying.”

“I simply used all of you to fulfill my own goal.”

“I am also a sneaky, filthy, awful human, after all.”

Hajime:

And your goal—

Nazuna:

—This utopia for female idols never existed in the first place, did it?

Ideia-sama:

“......”

Nazuna:

No matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find anything. So at first, I figured someone must be keeping all of this information under a lock and key.

But afterwards, while you were using your own power to harass us, you started talking publicly about this female idol utopia—

And it suddenly became a massive topic.

All over the country, female idols started speaking up about how if such a utopia existed, they would want to be part of it.

That was your goal all along, wasn’t it? It’s just like the urban legend of Slenderman. You wanted smoke when there was never a fire to begin with.

The bigger the topic we became, the higher the smoke bellowed—to the point that anyone would be able to see it, no matter where they were standing.

Ideia-sama:

“—I’ve seized the land, the funds, and the authority.”

“All in the name of this female idol utopia. Over the years, I’ve gathered together almost all of the components I need to make it a reality.”

“However, there's one vital thing I am missing: people. As you can see, I’m someone who’s quite detached from reality, and I rarely interact with people living in it.”

“People are the bricks needed to build a castle. And those people are exactly what I lack.”

“And so, I hatched a plan in order to fill that void.”

“The female idols of this country have been overwhelmed, so it’s no surprise that they feel they have been treated unfairly and illogically.”

“But while they resent the current situation, they did not have hopes that things would change.”

“For a brief moment, a girl named NEGI managed to spark a flame—but that flame was quickly extinguished.”

“And so, I showed them hope. I showed them a utopia that would save us all.”

“If someone of my status said so, I would be able to give them the credibility they need to believe it could be a reality.”

“I want to deliver hopes and dreams to those who’ve gone without smiling for so, so long.”

“That’s my job. No, that’s my dream. That's what I want to do with my life.”

Tomoya:

You really are exactly the incredible sort of idol Hajime always describes you as.

I have a lot of respect for you. Even though I may be just a tiny speck compared to you.

Ideia-sama:

“‘We’ are not idols; that fact still remains.”

“Until the world treats us in the same way it treats you, we will never, ever voluntarily refer to ourselves in such a way.”

Tomoya:

I really do hope you can make your dream a reality.

Ideia-sama:

“Yes. Even though at present it’s still only fiction—a world that exists far, far into the future.”

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 19

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 13:28:55 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 19

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Sanctuary Food Court

Mitsuru:

Of course, it would’ve been the absolute worst if everyone thought the real Ra*bits were a bunch of fakes, and we had to disappear—

Hajime:

That’s why we put our heart and soul into our performances, even more than usual. Thanks to that, we’re pretty exhausted.

Ideia-sama:

“You’ve worked hard. Though needless to say, so long as no horrifying incident unfolds, your victory is basically guaranteed, isn’t it?”

“And that’s exactly because you are the one and only ‘real’ Ra*bits in this world. When urged to choose the ‘real’ thing, anyone would choose you.”

“You’ve earned that degree of recognition and possess that amount of uniqueness.”

“Though some people might select a different version of Ra*bits for laughs, they’re sure to be vastly outnumbered by your die-hard fans.”

“If anything, by seeing all of these fake versions of Ra*bits with their own eyes, it will sink in just how valuable the ‘real’ you are.”

“It’s what we refer to as uncanny valley—things that look eerily similar, but there’s something not quite right about them. You took all of this into account when you prepared to take to the stage for this event.”

“And choosing this amusement park as your location was a smart move. Since it’s not yet officially open, the fee to enter isn’t all that high, but taking part in this actual event doesn’t come cheap.”

“And so, the only people gathered here today are ones who want to see Ra*bits so badly that they’re willing to pay for it. In other words, your most passionate, die-hard fans.”

“And it’s because they are your fans, that they will choose you—boys and girls alike. Because you are their one and only ‘real’ beloved Ra*bits.”

“And so. Your fans' reaction, and the amount of people who voted for you, will go down in the records.”

“That was your aim. To have this many people judge that the cute Ra*bits you’ve always been are the ‘real’ you.”

“You wanted to make it clear that the vast majority wants you to stay exactly the way you’ve always been up to now.”

“And you’re going to show that by using numbers that anyone can easily understand—old and young, male and female alike.”

“After all, it is numbers that decide everything in this capitalistic society. When it comes to selling a popular product, this is something our agency cannot ignore.”

“So long as the highest in command at Rhythm Link aren’t utterly useless, they’ll have no choice but to accept this decision.”

“After all, they don’t want to be thought of as an agency that would disregard what their fans want. They’d have to make a call that that sort of reputation would affect them financially.”

“And so, they’ll have to withdraw from the illogical way they’ve been treating you, and shift their focus to convincing me, the person who demanded that treatment, instead.”

“They’ll weigh up the costs and benefits of both scenarios, and make a choice on what they determine is best.”

“And they’ll no longer listen to what I have to say, since falling into displeasure with me alone is far, far less terrifying than falling into displeasure with the entire world.”

“That was the true intention of this event, wasn’t it?”

“It really is a wonderfully genius plan.”

Mitsuru:

Well, we didn’t think it up. It’s a tactic a girl who’s way smarter than I’ll ever be, came up with for us.

Tomoya:

Now that I think about it, we basically relied on other people every step of the way… Or like, all we really did ourselves was just a little bit.

Hajime:

Well, I think that’s perfectly fine. After all, all anyone can ever do by themselves is ‘just a little bit.’

And it’s only once all those ‘little bits’ add up, that we’re able to accomplish something huge.

That’s something you taught me—Ideia-sama.

Ideia-sama:

“......”

Hajime:

Back when I was new to this industry, panicking over not being able to tell left from right, those were the words of encouragement you shared with me. You supported me and came to my aid.

Even though you were such a major, influential figure that it wouldn’t be any shock at all if you never even noticed someone as tiny as me.

But you were so warm-hearted to me and supported me with such kindness.

"It doesn’t matter whether you’re a superstar or a fledgling in the business; it’s essential to support one another with kindness"—that’s what you told me.

And I’ve never, ever forgotten it.

So no matter what sort of horrible things you do to us, or when the time comes I have to decide whether you’re friend or foe, I know the happiness I felt back then was no lie.

Ideia-sama:

“Oh? I suppose I did say something like that.”

“—All of my life, all I’ve ever done is tell lies.”

“As you can see. Hehehe.”

“So maybe I just wanted to experience something real for once.”

“I most definitely exist in this world. So I guess I just wanted to experience what it’s like to open my heart to someone in a real and honest way.”

“I only did it on a personal whim. There’s really no need to feel any sort of gratitude to me, Hajime-san.”

Hajime:

Gratitude is gratitude. And I’ll never be able to forget this debt of gratitude.

Ideia-sama:

“What a clumsy boy.”

“No. It's because of how clumsy you all are that you’re such easy pickings in this society.”

“In general, diligent, well-behaved kids like you will be taken advantage of and simply used until it’s time to dispose of you. That’s the sort of vicious society we live in.”

“The reason some people are doomed to work and work, while their life gets no easier, has nothing to do with them being bad people who’ve committed some sort of crime.”

“It’s simply because they’re easy pickings; the sort of person far too benevolent for their own good.”

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

comments

Parallel World - Ch. 18

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 13:18:44 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 18

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

(Several hours later. Sanctuary Food Court.)

Ideia-sama:

“What an interesting plan you’ve come up with, Ra*bits.”

“I wouldn't have thought you’d think up such a thing yourselves. Just who in the world put this idea in your head?”

Tomoya:

Geh, Bishojo-senpai?!

Nazuna:

Haha, you’re acting like a powerful military commander just came to unleash an assault.

Hajime:

Oh, err, it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it…? Uhm, I mean to ask, did you come to support our Parallel World project, Ideia-sama?

Ideia-sama:

“I did. Should I not have?”

Hajime:

N-No, I never said that. Or rather, I should say, ‘bring it on!’ Isn’t that right, Tomoya-kun?!

Tomoya:

D-Don’t ask me! You know I’m not great with this person either…!

Mitsuru:

Hey, hey. What’cha eatin’, Kira-kun? You eat actual food?

Ideia-sama:

“Yes, this boy is a living creature.”

“Even though he may look like a completely different species in your eyes—like that of a monster, or perhaps a killing machine.”

Tomoya:

I can’t believe you’re able to just talk to this scary guy normally, Mitsuru.

Mitsuru:

Hm~? To be honest, Bishojo-senpai gets on my nerves, but Kira-kun never did anything bad to us? So there’s no reason to be afraid of him, right?

Ideia-sama:

“That’s right. Your ability to separate us shows me the sort of internal quality which is very rare.”

“In general, most people would associate every single person belonging to an organization they stand in opposition to as their enemy. That’s how their brain compartmentalizes things.”

“However. Mitsuru-san has managed to separate Kira-kun and me, and judge us based on our individual sense of values.”

“It’s a wonderful thing to see. One that makes much more logical sense.”

“Please do treasure it; your precious humanity.”

“To live, is to become dirty. And so, it’s of utmost importance to decide what parts of yourself will remain pure and clean, and to what extent you’re willing to dirty yourself.”

“Hehe. And this time, I see you’ve chosen which parts of yourself you’re willing to get dirty.”

Tomoya:

…I figured you’d be able to predict our intentions at a glance.

Ideia-sama:

“Of course. You even overtly announced it officially.”

“You Ra*bits rented out this amusement park to hold an enormous, unprecedented event: your Operation: Parallel World.”

“It all began with droves of different variations of Ra*bits scattered throughout the park.”

“From there, attendees such as myself have been able to watch this myriad of performances unfold in delight—the endless amount of alternative Ra*bits.”

“What if Ra*bits were heroes of justice? What if Ra*bits were radical, amoral, demons of the night?”

“What if Ra*bits were elegant and refined angelic, divine beings?”

“The whole purpose of this Parallel World is to enjoy all of these countless versions of Ra*bits with our own eyes.”

“Unusual as it is, it's a truly exhilarating, entertaining event.”

Tomoya:

Well, I’m glad you approve.

Ideia-sama:

“I do think this was a close call, but you still managed to gather so many other idols willing to help you out in this short amount of time.”

“The smaller the sample size, the far less entertaining comparing all of these alternate Ra*bits to the ‘real thing’ would be.”

“However, you really did manage to assemble idols of every genre under the sun and have them all gather here.”

“You have always shown others unconditional love and kindness, and so everyone else was willing to do the same for you.”

“If Ra*bits are the ones asking, anyone would be willing to get off their backside to come and help you out.”

“It really is wonderful. That, is the correct usage of ‘cuteness.’”

Tomoya:

That’s an honor, to be evaluated in such a way by the Commander of Cuteness themself.

Ideia-sama:

“Oh, this is unusual.”

“Most people react with displeasure when you speak of cuteness as something to be used in the same manner as a dose of medicine, rather than the pure precious natural quality.”

Tomoya:

There’s no point in trying to ruffle us by trying to stir us up.

We’ve already figured out your intentions.

Ideia-sama:

“Oh? Then allow me to ask: what are my intentions?”

“No. Before that, we should finish our current discussion.”

“Jumping from topic to topic has a childlike charm to it, but things will become disorganized.”

“—You’re making people choose the ‘real’ Ra*bits.”

“You’re forcing your fans to pick out the ‘real’ you from the countless number of alternate Ra*bits roaming around this amusement park.”

“That’s what sort of game this is. Essentially, one of ‘spot the difference.’”

“And so, only the ‘real’ you will remain in this world. From this day onwards, only the ‘real’ Ra*bits will continue to be active as idols.”

“That’s the announcement you made a little while ago.”

Tomoya:

Yeah. It’s basically what you said; a game of spot the difference—one that’s supposed to double as entertainment. That’s the gist of this game.

That way, everyone will be able to enjoy themselves while taking part, right?

Ideia-sama:

“That said, this is an event your future as Ra*bits majorly hinges on.”

Tomoya:

That’s right. We’re urging our fans to make a major decision for us. But we’ve gotta do it in a cute, fun way, so that they won’t notice.

Ideia-sama:

“How sneaky. And yet, how effective.”

“As a result of this ridiculous game, all of the fake Ra*bits will be annihilated. The futures that could have been are going to be all forever lost.”

“Based on how you look at things, it’s essentially a terrifying death game. Though, of course, no one is actually going to die.”

“After all, this is merely child’s play.”

Tomoya:

And we made sure to take special care with our performances to keep it at that.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 17

Sat, 24 Jun 2023 15:23:33 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 17

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

(Several days later. A certain building in the city, within the world of Sanctuary. Operation: Parallel Ra*bits is a go.)

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“Fuhahahaha! This marks the start of our Hero Show, and what better place to hold it than an amusement park?”

Midori (Hajime):

“Our white fur is a mark of justice! A pure, blinding light, untainted by darkness…!”

Shinobu (Nazuna):

“With our big, doe eyes and our long, floppy ears—we’ll be sure to exterminate the bad in this world…!”

Tetora (Mitsuru):

“That’s us! The lovely ☆ cute Heroes of Justice; Ra*bits…!”

Hajime:

W-Wow~ Clap, clap, clap! ♪

Mitsuru:

Whoa, you guys! That was so cool~!

Hajime:

Yeah~ We did already see the footage before, but seeing it in real life really is extraordinary; or rather, I feel like I’m dreaming right now.

Nazuna:

Wait, sorr… Ahahahaha☆ I could get on board with this! Weirdly enough, this is right up my alley! And you even came up with catchphrases, this is too funny!

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“Great! Seems like we have Nito’s approval!”

Nazuna:

Hey, can you not call me Nito when you’re wearing Tomo-chin’s face~? You better stay in character for the most part while you’re playing Ra*bits.

Midori (Hajime):

“Yeah… That’s important. If you act in a way that other people will be able to tell there’s a “person” inside a mascot character, it’ll seriously dampen their mood…”

Tetora (Mitsuru):

“Aye aye, sir! We’ll be sure to put our all to stayin’ in character to the best of our ability!"

Shinobu (Nazuna):

“Nihihi. Since Ryuseitai has also been wondering about how we’ll proceed henceforth, I’m grateful that this project will give us a chance to test out and get a feel for all sorts of possibilities.”

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“Mhm! But while all of us have adjusted to the roles already, I guess having an orthodox unit like Ra*bits act like superheroes might feel a little off to others?”

Tetora (Mitsuru):

“Well, forcing two separate concepts together whether they match or not has always been the way Ryuseitai does things.”

“To be honest, while heroes and idols might seem like a good match-up, there are still subtle incompatibilities.”

Midori (Hajime):

“Beep, beep, this is the Mascot Character Patrol. We’re supposed to be playing Ra*bits right now, so it’s problematic to start talking about this Ryusei-whatever unit.”

Tetora (Mitsuru):

“You say that, Midori-kun, but you’re the one sticking to ‘ore’ as your first person pronoun while you’re supposed to be playing Hajime-kun.”*

Midori (Hajime):

“Yeah… I’m sorry, Shino-kun, I ended up being the one playing as you…”

Hajime:

Huh? No, I’m thrilled that you’re playing me, Takamine-kun! It’s an absolute honor!

Midori (Hajime):

“I’m actually quite happy about it too… Hehehe, right now, no matter how you look at me, I’m so cute…♪”

“I no longer have to lament about how tall I am every time I look in the mirror…♪”

Hajime:

I-I’m not actually that short though?

Midori (Hajime):

“But for some reason, you really give off the impression of someone who’s tiny and cute… Odd.”

Hajime:

Well, I’m pretty selective about my angles when it comes to taking pictures or videos.

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“Mhm! Absolutely fascinating! But while it’s great that we’re all getting along, we are in the middle of a job here! So I’d like us to leave the idle chatter at that!”

Nazuna:

Oh…? I had the impression that Chiaki-chin has been taking a step back from Ryuseitai for a while, but right now it seems like you’re taking control just like old times.

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“That’s because I’m the one in command this time!”

Nazuna:

What do you mean “this time”...?

Well, in any case, it seems like a lot has happened with you guys.

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“And the same with you. I’ve been worried about this strange fuss you’ve found yourselves in. Are things really okay with you?”

“If you need any more of our help, feel free to reach out to us any time!”

Nazuna:

You’re already helping us out plenty. Right, Tomo-chin?

Tomoya:

Right. Sorry to ask so much of you, but I’d like you to keep on playing your version of Parallel Ra*bits just like that.

That’s the whole objective of this “Parallel World” project, after all.

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“A ‘Parallel World’... In Hero-ese, it's what we call the multiverse.”

“In other words, in this parallel version of the world, the Ra*bits everyone knows have evolved into all sorts of different forms.”

“In Ryuseitai’s case, it’s ‘what if Ra*bits became superheroes’?”

“But what’s the point of having all of these different versions of Ra*bits spread out through this amusement park, and making them sing and dance?”

Tomoya:

You’ll find out soon enough. It’s almost time for us to make all sorts of official announcements.

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“Mhm! I can’t say I follow, but I eagerly await whatever's about to unfold!”

“Hang in there, Mashiro Tomoya! Your unit has the strongest heart in all of Yumenosaki! No matter what difficulties you face, I’ve no doubt that you’ll be able to persevere!

Tomoya:

Ahaha. When I’m being cheered on by someone who looks just like me, it’s like I’m looking into a mirror and giving myself a pep talk. Feels kinda weird.

Hajime:

It really does feel like we’re in another universe… Here and there, I see people walking around, looking just like us…

There might even be a much superior version of myself among them. I don’t even have to go out of my way to search, since they’re everywhere.

Tomoya:

No matter how outstanding or what sort of prodigy they are, they’ll never replace you, Hajime.

The Shino Hajime from Ra*bits that we know and love is you and you alone.

Midori (Hajime):

“Mashiro-kun… Sorry, but you’re going to make me blush when you gaze at me closely like that…”

Hajime:

You did not just go and mix us up! Tomoya-kun, you liar! And right when you just claimed that you loved me! If you really love me, you won’t mix me up with someone else!

Tomoya:

S-S-Sorry! But you really do look exactly alike right now!

Mitsuru:

Yeah. This technology is sure somethin’~ SSVRS or whatever it’s called.

Nazuna:

Right~? I can’t think of it as anything other than magic. All you have to do is put on these special contact lenses, and there’s suddenly a whole new world right in front of you.

Hajime:

To everyone here, ourselves included, all of the other idols look exactly like Ra*bits right now.

Tomoya:

That’s the whole point. Though apparently this is pretty standard technology for Sanctuary. Once you take a step inside, everyone is under the “magic of technology.”

It’s like we’re all dreaming, while still in reality.

Hajime:

In this case, everyone is part of our Parallel World.

Nazuna:

I understand our strategy and I do find it pretty interesting. But I can’t help it; I’m already starting to feel like I’m tipsy. This is all so crazy…

Hajime:

Well, you’re a very sensitive person, Nii~chan.

Nazuna:

Or like, I just can’t keep up with the flexibility of the youth, no matter what.

Kanata (Flapjack Octopus):

“All ‘five’ of us together are ‘Ra*bits’...☆”

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“Ah, come on, Kanata! You lost our game of rock-paper-scissors, so you have to play the bad guy, get it? Ra*bits is a team of four, so there can’t be five of us!”

Kanata (Flapjack Octopus):

“But I am lonely! I am lonely because I am the only one you are all ‘leaving out~’!”

Midori (Hajime):

“I-I feel really bad now… You do see heroes in teams of three or five, but a team of four is rare. It does feel a bit odd.”

“Why don’t we let Shinkai-senpai join us anyway—”

Kanata (Flapjack Octopus):

“Midori! What a good boy! As a ‘thank you’ for your kindness, I will gift you this ‘seaweed’ ♪”

Shinobu (Nazuna):

“Ahaha, now things have delved into a random folktale!”

Tetora (Mitsuru):

“‘The Flapjack Octopus’ Requital of A Favor.’”

Chiaki (Tomoya):

“Like Metalder?! The same turn of events that often unfold in Superhuman-Machine Metalder?!”*

Midori (Hajime):

“So annoying… Thanks to this guy sorting out his problems, we’re seeing a revival of the SFX otaku. I hate it.”

Tomoya:

…Well, all of you guys who agreed to help us out seem to be having a lot of fun, which I’m really glad about.

But we still don’t know if this will solve anything. Let’s get to work and do what we need to do.

Mitsuru:

Yeah! Let’s take out that Bishojo-senpai! Ei, ei, oh! ☆”

Hajime:

W-We’re not going to be fighting Ideia-sama though…? I’m not so sure why you seem so eager to get into a fight, Mitsuru-kun?

Tomoya:

Right. The only people we’re about to face off against right now—are ourselves.

–

*Hajime’s first person pronoun is “boku” which sounds soft and humble. Midori’s is “ore” which sounds more masculine and casual.

*A franchise about a metal superhero.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

comments

Parallel World - Ch. 16

Sat, 24 Jun 2023 15:12:34 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 16

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

(Early next morning. ES Building, Sky Garden.)

Eichi:

No, I truly am chilled to the bone.

Spring is yet so far… Dressing so lightly will do little to prevent me from catching a cold.

Wataru:

Then allow me to present my newest creation, Eichi! After all, there is scientific evidence that suggests laughter increases one’s body temperature! Amazing! ☆

If you would grant me your attention! Presenting: “Grandfather Cherryblossom VS The Zombie Mutt: How Long Have I Been Hallucinating the Corpse Under the Cherry Blossom Tree?”

Eichi:

I would go as far as to say such a creation sounds even more fascinating than it needs to be.

Wataru:

Fufufu. Have you found yourself coming to long for the warmth of human skin contact?

Eichi:

One does tend to crave companionship when the weather is chilly.

And yet, I do not have the luxury of simply spending my time here relaxing.

Wataru:

Indeed, footsteps appear to approach us as we speak! Ah, but if only they were the footsteps of spring!

Eichi:

Hehe. What bad boy has come to disturb my elegant morning tea?

Tomoya:

—Tenshouin Eichi!

Senpai, haa haa… Need to… discuss, I mean… Haa… Have a favor… Haa…

Eichi:

Are you a dog?

Wataru:

Do catch your breath, Tomoya-kun. You are most unsightly.

Tomoya:

I mean, I just had to climb up all those emergency stairs since for some reason the elevator wasn’t working!

Eichi:

Well, it isn’t operating hours yet. It is essential to conserve electricity during colder months. Not to mention, I do not wish for anyone to disturb me amidst my peaceful respite.

Although I did simply take the elevator up here as normal. Afterwards, I made use of my authority to have them cut the power.

Tomoya:

Th-That’s just blatant harassment… I thought I told you that I wanted a meeting with you today over Holdhands.

Eichi:

You did. Today, at this hour, at this location.

I was testing you, Mashiro-kun. You and I are not friends, and I assume you have no desire to merely spend time in my company?

When you ask a favor of someone, the least you ought to do is demonstrate your goodwill.

Tomoya:

So making me climb that ridiculous amount of stairs to get here is proof of me demonstrating my “goodwill”?

Eichi:

That's right. I do admit you have demonstrated that much.

Ah, tea does taste much more delicious when I am gazing upon the suffering of another.

Tomoya:

So you’re not even trying to hide that you’re a scumbag…

Before, or rather, up until SS, you at least tried to act the part of a kind senpai in front of me. But now you’ve totally dropped it.

Eichi:

Because I hate you, Mashiro-kun. Wataru is far too fond of you.

Wataru:

How wonderful that you would speak so honestly, Eichi!

Eichi:

I expect there is no need for me to keep up appearances in front of this boy. After all, no matter what I do, he will never come to hate me; he is far too much of a good boy for that.

Tomoya:

Not even I’m that much of a saint.

No. I came here today so I could completely dismantle the image the world has of Ra*bits.

Even if I have to make a deal with the devil himself, I’m going to get us out of this predicament.

Eichi:

And who are you calling a devil? I will have you know that the world’s image of fine is that of angels.

Tomoya:

Angels and devils are basically all the same thing. Something us normal humans could never stand a chance against—an existence that transcends reality.

And right now, we’re facing off against Bishojo-senpai—someone who’s abandoned their humanity to become a God-like existence.

Eichi:

And so, you have no choice but to request the aid of supernatural power to conquer such a formidable foe?

I can see your vision, logically speaking. However, are you not barking up the wrong tree for coming to beg us for help?

It is without a doubt that your adversary, Kirarai Dearu-shi, stands at the top of the idol industry.

Now, for what reason would fine venture the risk of falling into disgrace with such a God-like existence?

You really ought to go ask someone less likely to take profit and loss into account such as an “Ally of Justice”, or perhaps a “Wizard.” Go on, be on your way now.

Tomoya:

Wow~ So even you’re afraid of Bishojo-senpai?

Eichi:

Do watch your tongue. How many times must I remind you that this is not how you speak to someone you would ask a favor from?

I am not particularly frightened by Kirarai Dearu-shi. Should they stand in my path, I would go as far as to massacre even gods and Buddhas.

However, what obligation do I have to get myself involved in something so troublesome? Am I now a hero chosen to eliminate the king of demons?

Tomoya:

It’s not that I’m asking you to take down Bishojo-senpai.

That person is our enemy. No, they’re our rival we’re fated to square off against.

If anything, if you butt in from the side to snatch the chance away from us, I’ll be furious.

Eichi:

I don’t follow. Get to the point.

I’m growing chilly. This isn’t a suitable location for long discussions.

Tomoya:

You’re the one who wanted to meet here!

Anyway, right. The location is important.

Eichi:

Meaning?

Tomoya:

I want you to lend us a stage. The bigger the better. The more attention that can be focused on us the better.

Eichi:

Oh? I have an idea of what you’re hinting at, but won’t you be more specific?

Tomoya:

I want you to lend us Sanctuary.

That twisted amusement park you built.

Eichi:

Hehe. Perhaps to the unenlightened, it might be regarded as nothing more than a “twisted” amusement park.

Wataru:

No, it would be clear in the eyes of anyone that such a place is a cesspool of madness—a distorted wonderland!

Eichi:

Wouldn’t it be boring to build something ordinary?

Uniqueness is what’s important in this generation. Uniqueness.

Isn’t that what’s being demanded of you at the moment, Ra*bits?

Tomoya:

I’m glad you follow. Well, what’ll it be? Will you lend it to us? Won’t you?

Eichi:

Perhaps. But it won’t come cheap, you know? Will you be capable of paying the amount I ask?

Tomoya:

You’d take money from us? I was hoping you’d think of it as emotional reparations for causing God knows how much trouble for us during SS.

Not to mention the way you basically tried to kill me for no reason during the Sports Fest.

Eichi:

If anything, why didn’t you die back then?

Tomoya:

You asshole!

Eichi:

I jest, I jest. Very well, I shall lend it to you.

I shall let you borrow Sanctuary for free for one whole day. It hasn’t officially opened yet, so that much shouldn’t be too difficult.

Tomoya:

Y-You’ll lend it to us for free?

Eichi:

I already have a filthy amount of money.

But more importantly, you Ra*bits are exceptionally adored amongst all of the idols from Yumenosaki. And so, having you in my debt would be most beneficial.

When it comes to SS, the most wide-scale event in the idol industry, Yumenosaki alumni are unrivaled. For what it’s worth, there is no escaping the fact that the entire industry shall be dyed in the colors of Yumenosaki for this entire year.

Ra*bits would be the most useful tool when it comes to spurring the “main characters” of this industry into action.

And I intend to make full use of you in exchange for lending you Sanctuary.

Wataru:

Are you sure you are all right with this, Tomoya-kun? I am speaking from a place of pure concern as your Drama Club senpai this time around. Owing a favor to this man may come at a later price, you know?

Tomoya:

Thanks for your concern, but Ra*bits have reached the critical point where we’re not sure if there’s going to be a “later” otherwise.

It’ll be okay. No matter how awful an environment we’re thrust into, we’ll use whatever we have at our disposal to survive.

Our claws and fangs are our cuteness and how much we’re adored by everyone.

And for anyone convinced they’re strong enough to just walk all over us—we’ll show you just how terrifyingly mighty us little animals can be.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 15

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:29:19 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 15

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Tomoya’s dorm room

Tomoya:

…Nii~chan.

Nazuna:

Hm? What’s wrong, Tomo-chin? If there’s anything you want to vent about, feel free to let it all out~?

Tomoya:

No, it’s not that I want to vent. But I wanted to ask you: why did you become an idol, Nii~chan?

Nazuna:

Oh? Why do you ask all of a sudden?

Tomoya:

I guess I just want to know. I want to compare it with my own reasons.

Nazuna:

Hmm~ I’ve already talked about this in a magazine interview, but it’s basically just how my life took its course.

I’ve always loved to sing ever since I was little, so I joined a church choir.

Plus, it’s not like I had any other exceptional abilities… Might be rich of me to say right now, but I figured that I’d be able to make it somehow.

Everyone around me would say things like, "you have such a pretty face."

Tomoya:

I really do think you’re stunningly pretty. If I were to borrow an expression from a novel I read a long time ago, I’d describe you as “having features as beautiful as a maiden.”

Nazuna:

I’m gonna flare up at you if you describe me like that right now, Tomo-chin.

But let me ask you instead, why did you decide to become an idol?

If you’re not particularly attached to the industry and really starting to suffer from how grueling it is, then I still believe that there’s always the choice of calling it quits.

Never mind your fans lamenting the loss it’d be or how it’d look in the eyes of society. Screw all of that.

The most important thing for all three of you is how you feel in your heart, and how you want to live your life.

Tomoya:

I don’t feel like I want to give up. If anything, I feel like things are finally starting to get interesting.

The reason I became an idol was partly out of being a fanboy who hopped on the bandwagon.

I’ve always had a complex about being too ordinary, and I really admired idols for being such exceptional people who shine so brightly.

I figured that if I became an idol, I’d become someone extraordinary; someone worthy of admiration.

But what I didn’t realize at all was that when you’re in an extraordinary position, you risk getting a taste of an extraordinary level of suffering. Just like what we're facing right now.

I totally had no idea.

Nazuna:

Do you regret becoming an idol?

Tomoya:

I’d be lying if I said I had no regrets whatsoever.

But the reality is that life isn’t just all rainbows and butterflies. No matter which path I chose, I’d probably have both good and bad experiences.

So if the path of choosing to be either ordinary or extraordinary leads to the same result, I at least want to be the kind of person I admire.

I want to be someone I can be proud of. And so long as I’m someone I’m proud of, I feel like I can bounce back on my feet no matter what happens.

Nazuna:

If we go ahead with this plan in question, we’ll have to play dirty. There’s a chance you might become someone you won’t be proud of.

Tomoya:

Mitsuru seemed concerned about that too. But I’ve been doubting this myself—are we really as pure as everyone says we are?

Ever since Bishojo-senpai asked us “Are you really and truly that cute?”—

—It really made me think. I wondered if that was really the case. Are we really the cute, angelically pure idols that the world tells us we are?

Ever since what happened at Yumenosaki’s S2 became known, everyone’s always been so considerate of us that we never even questioned it.

We just accepted it. Everyone made a fuss over us, telling us how cute we are; what good kids we are.

And in no time at all, I was convinced that the way everyone describes Ra*bits is the “real us.”

In a way, it was kind of like being brainwashed. If someone tells you the same thing over and over again, you eventually start to believe it.

Nazuna:

For what it’s worth, you guys are the cutest and best kids in the entire world from my point of view.

Tomoya:

Thank you, Nii~chan.

I feel the same way about you. Ever since we met you, and the moment you reached out to offer us your hand back when we were at a complete loss—

You’ve been someone so beautiful and precious to us—someone we admire more than anyone else.

Nazuna:

Cut that out~ Don’t say things like that… You’re gonna make me cry…

Tomoya:

Please do cry. It’ll be revenge for the time I broke down and bawled my eyes out in front of you before Poppin’ Party.

Nazuna:

Back then, you were feeling seriously unstable about having been made Leader of Ra*bits.

But now you seem perfectly calm to me. You really have grown too, Tomo-chin.

Tomoya:

I may not be making progress as fast as Mitsuru and Hajime, nor is my growth as noticeable as theirs...

But if you say so, Nii~chan, then it has to be true. I’ve grown too. And as crazy as this situation is, at least I’m not feeling at such a loss that I’m going to break down and cry.

I’m actually really happy about that. I'm proud of how far I’ve come.

I used to hate how ordinary I was. But now that I’ve dove into the world of idols, I’m surrounded by so many astonishing people that I could never begin to compare myself to.

Once again, I don’t stand out at all, and I’m back to being an ordinary kid.

But I don’t hate this position half as much as I did in the past. Both my friends and fans still acknowledge me, despite me not possessing any exceptional qualities. They still cheer me on and tell me how much they love me.

Maybe that’s all I ever wanted, ever since I was younger.

I just wanted to be acknowledged by someone. I wanted to be recognized, seen, and loved.

And that’s why I decided to become an idol.

I did my best to work hard and grow, acted cutely so that everyone would love me, and tried to be the best kid I could possibly be. Maybe even more than necessary.

And it was all for the sake of being loved by other people.

That’s me, Mashiro Tomoya.

Nazuna:

Yeah. And I’m Nito Nazuna. Nice to meet you.

Tomoya:

Let’s make this relationship a good one.

Heh, what was that “nice to meet you” for?

Nazuna:

It felt like that sort of moment.

Tomoya:

What? Haha…

Anyway, that’s the reason that I don’t want to give up on being an idol. It doesn’t matter how we do it; I just want us to be loved; to be valued and cherished by everyone.

I want to do something about this situation where our work has all dried up and we can’t be active as idols.

I want to do everything in my power to fix it. At least, that’s my official declaration.

Nazuna:

You don’t even have to declare it, all of us already know~

But thanks, Tomo-chin. You do your best to put on a brave face and be the best kid you can be, but I’m so glad that you’re willing to be open and honest about feeling like any kid your age would in front of me.

That… makes me so happy.

It’s like, right now… I feel so alive—like, I’m really living.

Tomoya:

Then let’s make sure that we keep on making our life worth living.

First of all, we’ve gotta do something about the enemy right in front of us—Bishojo-senpai.

Let’s go take our life back. Let’s ward off this invader who’s trying to knock us down, and defend our world to the very end.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 14

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:22:31 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 14

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

(Later that night. Starmony Dorm. Mashiro Tomoya’s dorm room.)

Tomoya:

……

Nazuna:

Hey, I’m coming in. Huh? Tomo-chin, is it just you tonight?

Lately, all of us have been gathering in your room to discuss our next steps even though no one specifically suggested it; we all just started doing it out of habit.

Tomoya:

Oh, Nii~chan.

Sorry, I was focused on something and didn’t hear you. What did you say?

Nazuna:

I asked you if you were alone tonight~?

Tomoya:

Well, I can sense Ayase-senpai’s presence in the ceiling…

When I get so distraught that I end up groaning or sighing to myself every now and then, he’ll say something like “Please hang in there!” or “Please don’t give up!”

Nazuna:

Like your own personal poltergeist.

Tomoya:

By the way, Hajime was seriously on the brink of losing it so Mitsuru forced him to go to the hospital. Hajime tried to protest, but Mitsuru threw him over his shoulder and forcibly carried him there.

Nazuna:

That happened? I had to go back to college so I had no idea…

Tomoya:

I’m sure things are pretty hectic for you right now with it being the end of the year.

…By the way, has anyone at your college said anything to you about us?

Nazuna:

Hm? No, not really. Part of it is probably out of consideration for me.

But ever since I started attending a regular university, I’ve come to learn something pretty well. That is: the world has nowhere near as much interest in idols as we think.

Tomoya:

Ahaha. I guess that’s for the better, in a way.

It’s actually a relief to hear. If we were some of the most famous people in this country, I can't even begin to imagine the stress we’d be under.

Nazuna:

Yeah, exactly. Everyone at ES basically exaggerates their own importance~

But even though this amount isn’t exactly fatal, there’s no denying that we’re under serious stress right now—enough that even someone as resilient and strong-minded as Hajime-chin had a complete mental breakdown.

Tomoya:

Oh, I get the feeling that Mitsuru might have been overexaggerating about that a bit. Since he’s spending so much time visiting his friend at the hospital, I feel like he’s started worrying way too much about everyone else.

Mitsuru might be a pretty invincible guy, but the rest of us ordinary humans around him aren’t… We have weaknesses, and we end up crumbling sometimes. I think that fact is finally sinking in for him.

And that’s why he started panicking and making such a fuss.

Nazuna:

That might also be why he never told us the entire strategy this Guu~chan or whatever her name is came up with from the start. I guess he did so out of consideration for us. Pretty cheeky of him to make a call like that, if you ask me.

Tomoya:

Yeah, it does feel kind of frustrating. We’re the same age, but it’s like he’s trying to act like our guardian right now.

Though I’m not sure if I'm in the right place to say something like that; not when I’m the one who’s basically taken on the role of Hajime’s personal guardian all this time, even though no one in particular asked me to.

Nazuna:

I get the feeling that your presence has saved Hajime-chin in all sorts of ways, Tomo-chin.

Back when I was at my worst mentally, back when Valkyrie temporarily came to an end—

—I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if I’d had a friend like you around.

Tomoya:

Didn’t you have any friends back then, Nii~chan?

Nazuna:

Well, I had Kuro-chin when it came to casually hanging out with someone. But he had his own situation to deal with, so I felt like I’d probably be just a burden if I tried to depend on him too much.

Tomoya:

I really wish you’d turn to someone for help when you’re suffering, Nii~chan.

Nazuna:

Cheeky… But listen, whether you ask me to or not, I’m going to turn to you for help whenever I need it, Leader~?

Let me just get straight to the point. What do you plan to do from now on?

You’re the only one who can make the final decision. Though of course, the rest of us will share our opinions with you.

But ultimately, you’re the one who has the call on the overall direction we’ll go in and steer us towards our goal. That’s your role as our Leader.

Are you really going to go through with the plan that Mitsuru-chin said this Guu~chan came up with?

Tomoya:

Well, if we don’t, all of the prior investment we put into Operation: PR will have been a complete waste. That was basically laying the foundation for the first stage of our plan.

Nazuna:

It’s still possible to cut our losses. Mitsuru-chin said something like that too—it’s totally possible to still pull out before we go past the point of no return.

Tomoya:

But... I do think I want to go the whole way.

Even now, I’ve been laying the groundwork over Holdhands.

Nazuna:

Getting everyone else to help is basically going to be vital when it comes to carrying out the next part of this plan.

The enemy we’re up against is the formidable Bishojo-senpai, after all. We won’t be able to take them down by ourselves.

Tomoya:

And that’s why we’ll have everyone help us out. That’s pretty much how we always do things, isn’t it?

That’s why, in a way, this time is no different;the scale is just way bigger this time around.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 13

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:11:43 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 13

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Starmony Dorm Theater Room

Hajime:

There really is no way to know what Ideia-sama is thinking, is there… I’m even starting to think they’ve just gone on a reckless rampage.

Tomoya:

Yet despite all of that, they’re pretty much acting like everything’s the same as it’s always been.

When it came to our Parallel Ra*bits proposal, they sent us their wishes of support like usual and even made financial donations for our benefit.

Nazuna:

Yeah. And they’ve gone on radio shows telling everyone to show Ra*bits their support…

Like, whose fault do you think it is that we’re in this mess in the first place? Pisses me off.

Oh well. There’s no point in trying to understand how someone’s mind works when they’re that eccentric. Oddballs like that are as unpredictable as a natural disaster.

Tomoya:

When you say that, it does have a ring of conviction to it, Nii~chan… Especially considering you’re one of the people who managed to survive your senior year surrounded by oddballs like Hibiki-senpai and the rest of his herd.

Nazuna:

Yeah. Seems like the world is claiming that our time has come, and this is bound to be our lucky year.

But I wanna yell back that it’s not so easy being right in the middle of a controversy like this.

Tomoya:

Ahaha. Sounds like they’re saying “our time” is a pretty unlucky one, which bugs me a lot too.

Well, I guess I can’t help it if that’s the sort of thing people are saying. Man… For real, what are we going to do?

I can’t think of a thing. We can’t be like our Trickstar senpai and manage to pull off a complete 180 to get ourselves out of a huge pinch and conquer whatever we’re up against.

Though I guess the way they’re able to break through walls of adversity while we can’t is the reason I admire them so much.

Oh to be with Hokuto-senpai right now… If only he would embrace me gently in his arms and whisper softly in my ear: “It’s going to be okay, Tomoya. I still love you,” the way he always does.

Hajime:

Does that version of Hidaka-senpai even exist?

Tomoya:

At least let me have my fantasies… Especially since reality is such a mess right now.

Mitsuru:

Reality… Fantasy…

Tomoya:

Hm? What’s wrong, Mitsuru? Why have you started mumbling to yourself?

Come on, give me a break… You’re supposed to be the most stable one out of all of us. If you start losing your mind, Ra*bits are completely doomed.

Mitsuru:

No, it’s just that Guu~chan said somethin’ like that. Wait, I’ll try to remember properly.

Tomoya:

Is “Guu~chan” supposed to be Mikejima-senpai’s little sister who helped you come up with this tactic?

Nazuna:

What’s this? What are you talking about? I feel like I haven’t been told anything about this?

Hajime:

Hehe. So, there’s this girl that Mitsuru-kun has been pretty smitten with these days; or rather, someone he’s been getting very close to.

Nazuna:

What? What?! No way? Mitsuru-chin? Getting involved in something romantic…?!

Hajime:

That's right~ Tomoya-kun and I are breathlessly watching their relationship bloom. It’s really making my heart flutter.

Tomoya:

I dunno if I’d go that far, but Hajime is weirdly invested in it…

You’re really into this sort of thing, aren’t you~? When it comes to anything related to someone’s love life.

Hajime:

Of course I am! I mean, isn’t it so unexpected that the Mitsuru-kun we’ve known all this time would be involved in something so exciting and heart-pounding? Am I the only one who thinks so?

Tomoya:

It’s not that I don’t get it. But it’s not something that other people should get involved in, so you should really leave him be.

Hajime:

But! I can’t just sit back and watch! He was supposed to be paying a visit to this girl, and yet he’d planned on taking her some bug he caught as a gift!

I made sure to stop him! And then I made him pick out flowers with me instead!

Nazuna:

Maybe she’s the type of girl who likes bugs~?

Hajime:

It’s not about whether she likes them or not! It’s about doing things romantically—or rather, in the way people constantly fantasize about!

Nazuna:

You shouldn’t push your own fantasies onto other people though~? Weirdly enough, you’re kinda guilty of doing that a lot, Hajime-chin.

When you push a fantasy version of someone onto them, it quickly becomes too much to bear.

That, too, is me speaking from experience.

Mitsuru:

—Oh, I got it! I remembered! The stuff about fantasies!

Nazuna:

Whoa?! You scared me?! Aren’t I always telling you not to suddenly start yelling in such a loud voice~?

Tomoya:

What did you remember, Mitsuru? Something important?

Mitsuru:

Yeah! Super important! But it’s been a whole week since I last talked to Guu~chan, so I don’t remember everything in detail…

But what’s important is what’s gonna unfold from now on. Everything up to now was just layin’ everything in place.

Hajime:

What? Huh? So there’s still more to come? “Parallel Ra*bits” isn’t just about seeing dozens of different versions of ourselves to decide which direction we’re going to go from now on?

I thought it was about seeing all of these parallel world versions of ourselves and then picking out which one looks best and suits us the most.

Then after we’d picked out a direction to go in other than “cute”, that’s the way we’d continue our activities from now on?

Tomoya:

Though in the end, it sure feels like we won’t easily be able to find a “new style of clothes” to wear.

Mitsuru:

That’s fine!

Nazuna:

Who are you, Tensai Bakabon?*

Mitsuru:

I have no idea who that is, but anyway! It’s just as important to make everyone think that this “new style of clothes” doesn't suit us at all! That’s what she said!

Tomoya:

What do you mean…?

Mitsuru:

Uuu~! Since I’m so stupid and Guu~chan is so smart, I can only understand about half the stuff she says!

But this much I know! If we carry out her strategy perfectly, then it’ll save us all. This is how we’re gonna get ourselves outta this huge pinch.

Hajime:

A-Are you sure? We really seem to have hit rock bottom right now though?

Mitsuru:

Yeah! Absolutely!

But I want Tomo-chan to be the one to decide if we’re really gonna go all the way and put the full plan into action.

At this point we can still choose to turn back. Everyone will be able to laugh it off as Ra*bits just doing something a little weird. They’ll be all: "Aww what little dummies, aren’t they so cute?"

But if we keep going forward from here, they probably won’t be able to just laugh it off as us being cute anymore.

Tomoya:

Just what is this plan…?

Mitsuru:

“Mashiro Tomoya.”

Tomoya:

Hm? Wh-Why did you use my full name all of a sudden…?

Mitsuru:

I’m just repeatin’ what Guu~chan said.

—“Mashiro Tomoya. Do you have the guts to become a bad boy?”

Tomoya:

……?

–

*A manga series about a dimwitted-boy.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 12

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:03:15 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

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

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 11

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:46:54 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 11

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Madara Mikejima’s little sister’s rehabilitation center.

Madara:

Well? What advice would a bad kid like you give these poor little bunnies who are being bullied by some big higher-up, Maguro?

Uwha?! All I did was say your name and you spit in my face?! Who's responsible for raising you? I’m supposed to be your big brother?!

Mitsuru:

Ahaha. You’ve never acted like a big brother to her at all, so it’s no surprise she’s not gonna treat ya like one.

It seems like Guu~chan’s managed to come up with a plan. But she said she’s leavin’ it up to us whether or not we wanna carry it out.

Apparently if we decide to go with it, it’s gonna involve playin’ dirty… But Guu~chan said she doesn’t want to see us hafta play dirty.

Madara:

Oho? I’ve got it! Does this plan involve assassinating this Kirarai Dearu in question?

Quench that stink straight from the source! Once you take out the main boss, that’ll settle everything! Make sure to serve ‘em up good!

Mitsuru:

What are you sayin’? Mike-chan-senpai, are you stupid?

Madara:

Hahaha! Ticks me off to be called stupid by someone just as stupid!

Mitsuru:

Yeah. And since I’m so stupid, I always leave thinkin’ about everything to everyone else.

So everyone always has to think about stuff on my behalf too.

And since it’s like they’ve gotta carry my baggage on top of everythin’ else, it’s extra stressful for them.

So I feel really bad about that. Like, I feel real shameful.

But this time, I’m gonna think too. And since I suck at thinkin’, I came to borrow advice from Guu~chan, since she’s so smart.

I’ll do whatever I can to help Ra*bits outta this trap we’re danglin’ over.

Don’t ya have any complaints, Mike-chan-senpai?

Madara:

No?

I’m very impressed right now. No, I actually admire your straightforward approach a lot.

Souma-san and Chiaki-san are the same. Maybe it’s one of the qualities that makes someone a hero…?

Instead of forcing yourself to act tough, you accept your own flaws, and ask others around you for help in order to improve yourself.

And it’s because you continue to improve that you won’t lose to anyone.

I have no proof and I may be just saying this, but I know for sure that you’re not going to lose this time either.

Mitsuru:

I sure hope so…

Madara:

…Oh, look at that. Visiting hours are coming to an end.

Mitsuru:

Hm? But Mike-chan-senpai, you just got here?

Madara:

You've been talking to her for quite a while, haven’t you? And in that time, a bunch of reporters thirsty for gossip happened to have swarmed around this building, you know.

I noticed them when I was taking care of another matter and about to head home.

Since I heard from the receptionist that you were here visiting my sister, I hurried over here.

Mitsuru:

Huh? What are reporters doin’ here…?

Madara:

Hahaha. Whether you like it or not, Ra*bits are a hot topic at the moment.

You may not be all that pleased about suddenly being thrusted into the spotlight, considering you’re the type to have gradually built your fanbase all this time.

But when you’re an idol, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Whether you can turn this pinch into an opportunity all depends on you guys.

And so. See that exit over there, Mitsuru-san? You go and escape through there.

Mitsuru:

Huh? What? How come?

Madara:

I’ve become the odd subject of a separate topic, so once the reporters catch sight of me at the front, they’ll latch onto me instead.

In other words, I’ll become a decoy, giving you a chance to escape. Fufufu, these kinds of diversionary tactics remind me of Souma-san back in the day.

Mitsuru:

…? …?

Madara:

You’re not used to dealing with these kinds of reporters, correct?

In other words, I’m going to take your place, so that you don’t slip up and say something careless.

Mitsuru:

I mean, I’d be grateful for that, but… You doin’ somethin’ so nice is so weird that to be honest, I can’t really accept it.

Madara:

How awful! Even I can help people out of the goodness of my heart from time to time.

But if you won’t accept that, then how about this? There are all kinds of people with their eyes on you right now, far more than you can even imagine.

And if they hear about one of their “clean, pure, beautiful, young male idols” sneaking around and fraternizing with a girl his age…

—And that sort of gossip makes it to the tabloids, then it’s bound to cause trouble for the other members of Ra*bits, won’t it?

Mitsuru:

A girl my age—but Guu~chan and I are just friends?

Madara:

The world will definitely see it in a different light. Even though everyone demands innocence and purity, their own characters and sensibilities are all muddied.

After all, that’s how humans are. Everyone just ends up envying the people who possess the things they want.

Even though we’re all human, with the same kind of flesh and blood; an angelic, God-like level of sanctity and purity is demanded from idols alone.

I really don’t feel like seeing that sort of crowd getting the wrong idea and making a fuss about falling into despair. And, for the record, this is my little sister we’re talking about.

I’m not so much of a failure as a human that I can just sit back with a smile at the sight of a bunch of strangers using my little sister as a toy.

That’s all there is to it, really. Do you get it now, Mitsuru-san?

Mitsuru:

Yeah… Right, if anythin’ I’m really sorry that I never realized any of this, Guu~chan.

I love talkin’ to ya ‘cause you’re so smart. You even make me start to feel like I’m gettin’ smarter too just by spendin’ time with ya. It makes me so happy! So that’s why I come and visit ya even without ya askin’ me.

But now I see how this could end up makin’ trouble for you too.

Madara:

Well, what I said did sound quite threatening. But if anything like that did happen, both my folks and I would take action.

And the truth is if anyone started making a fuss, they sure would soon regret it.

But now’s not the time for you to get involved in any unnecessary sort of trouble, is it?

Mitsuru:

Yeah… That’s true.

But I promise that I’m gonna sort all of this out. And once things calm down again, I’ll be right back to visit you. And I’ll be more careful next time and bring even prettier flowers with me.

So don’t worry; just keep on watchin’ over me, Guu~chan. I wanna be able to come to ya for help the next time I’m worried about somethin’.

Okay? Pinky promise! A promise between two friends!

When there’s someone I wanna see, I’m gonna dash as fast as my legs’ll carry me so I can be with them as soon as possible!

I’m gonna grow into such a big, strong man that no one’ll have any complaints, and you’ll easily be able to forgive me for somethin’ like this—that’s how I'm gonna be!

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 10

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:43:30 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “The Bad Kid Survival Strategy” Chapter 10

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

(One week later. Madara Mikejima’s little sister’s rehabilitation center.)

Mitsuru:

Ta-dah~! ♪

There! Look, look, now it looks like we’re in a field of flowers~!

Ehehe. I don’t really like this room ‘cause it feels so gloomy, but all these pretty flowers’ll fill it with color and their pretty smell! So now it’s like we’re outside!

Like we’re under the sun! Right? And look, if we hold hands and move like this it feels like we’re runnin’ outside! Dash, dash, dash~ ☆

Madara:

…I sure wish you wouldn’t make my little sister go along with your crazy behavior.

Thanks to your influence, she’s becoming needlessly energized which is turning into a bit of a hassle.

Mitsuru:

Oh! Mike-chan-senpai! Caught ya, caught ya, caught~!

Madara:

Whoa there!

Mitsuru:

Don’t try to escape! Put your hands up and come quietly! You’re under arrest!

Madara:

Don’t jump at me like that. Surely you know better than to make a fuss in this sort of facility?

Mitsuru:

But if I don’t catch ya, you’re just gonna escape on me again!

Madara:

I really wish you’d just let me go already… Look, you’re much stronger, faster, and a superior idol to me. There, satisfied?

Mitsuru:

No! None of that counts until I’ve accepted it myself!

Madara:

You really are a bothersome kid.

Though I guess that’s why you and my little sister get along so well.

I suppose I do at least owe you an obligatory thank you. Apparently you come and visit my sister a lot?

That’s what the receptionist told me just now. And she made sure to glare at me and comment that today’s the first time she’s seen me in ages.

Mitsuru:

You’re supposed to be Guu~chan’s big brother. You guys are family, so you should really come and visit her a ton more!

Madara:

So, you call her Guu~chan? What about her is so Guu-d?

My misfortunate little sister has always been the gloomy sort, and a real schemer at that. She’s a bad kid rather than a good one.

Mitsuru:

‘Cause that’s her name! She’s called “Maguro”, so I call her “Guu~chan”!

“Maa~chan” sounds too much like your name, “Madara”, so I don’t like that, and Guu~chan doesn’t like it either!

Madara:

Quite the unpopular guy here, aren't I? I suppose I brought this on myself, karmic retribution and all that.

Mitsuru:

If ya don’t wanna be disliked, you should put in the effort for us to like you more?

…That’s what I’m tryin’ to do lately.

Madara:

Yeah, I heard you guys have found yourself in quite the tricky situation.

You Ra*bits are normally so peaceful—flouncing about without a care in the world, but now you’re in the center of a pretty scandalous plot.

On the contrary, Double Face—or rather just me—happens to be the subject of a plot that seems peaceful and carefree at first glance.

Unusual events are unfolding one after the other lately, to the point where I feel myself becoming practically religious these days… Do you think we’d better perform an exorcism at ES just to be safe?

Oh, that was a joke, by the way.

Are you guys in Ra*bits really okay?

Mitsuru:

No, not at all! Nothing’s okay about this! My head feels like it’s gonna explode!

Madara:

As expected, huh.. Not that I’m particularly interested in you, but I just so happen to be in a position where I hear a lot about what’s going on, whether I chose to or not.

The super-idol Kirarai Dearu, otherwise known as Bishojo-senpai, is guilty of power harassment against you guys, and now all your work has dried up.

Mitsuru:

Yeah… All of a sudden, any sorta jobs focusing on “cuteness” have completely vanished.

We can still do jobs that focus on being cool, so it’s not like work has totally dried up.

But Hajime-chan’s not used to gettin’ offers for that sort of job at all. And since he’s left with nothing to do, he’s wanderin’ around worryin’ himself sick. I can’t stand seein’ him like this.

I feel like he’s seriously gonna get ill any day now.

But I’ve never worried so seriously about anything like this before, so I don’t even know what I should say to him.

Madara:

And so, you’ve come to my incessantly gloomy little sister to ask for advice? No one knows the way of a snake better than a snake herself.

Mitsuru:

What are you comparing a cute girl to a snake for? You should compare her to somethin’ like a bunny, or a kitty cat—

Wait, no. I can’t go sayin’ ya have to talk about her a certain way just ‘cause she’s a girl. Man~ This is so complicated…

Madara:

? Has Arashi-san said something to you about that?

Mitsuru:

Mhm-mhm. But that Kide, Ide… What was it again? Our enemy with the long name, Bishojo-senpai, seems like the type to be concerned about that sorta thing?

In order to win a war, it’s important to get to know the enemy. Isn’t that what someone once said?

Madara:

Your enemy, huh? Hahaha! You’ve really gone and made an actual enemy.

Isn’t this great? Everyone’s always been so kind and soft on you Ra*bits.So if anything, you had a more warped point of view of the world back at Yumenosaki. Frankly, it made me sick.

Doesn’t the thought of having a true rival get you all fired up? I’d go as far as to say I’m jealous; this sounds like the events right out of a manga ♪

Mitsuru:

If you’re jealous, then I’d rather just trade ya… No, I can’t say that. This is our problem to solve.

We have to do our best to think it over and figure out what the right answer is. Even though I suck at thinkin’.

And that’s why I’m here to borrow Guu~chan’s advice, since she’s way smarter than me.

Madara:

My, my. Mitsuru-san seems to have placed an unusual amount of trust in you, my misfortunate little sister.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 9

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:38:39 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “Cuteness is Unjust” Chapter 9

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Tomoya’s Dorm Room

Nazuna:

A couple of things had been bugging me all day, so I ended up contacting a couple of reliable sources to ask them what they knew during my lectures—

Hajime:

Y-You should really pay attention during classes, Nii~chan.

Nazuna:

I normally take my classes pretty seriously… But to be frank, now’s just not the time to be focusing on that.

Anyway, I asked a bunch of guys who have insider knowledge about the industry, but none of them have heard anything about what Bishojo-senpai said, even as a passing rumor.

Tomoya:

S-So the whole thing is completely made up?

Nazuna:

I’m not sure. But even if it is completely made up, why would Bishojo-senpai lie about that?

So, back when I was at Yumenosaki, I’d often go information-gathering as part of the broadcasting committee.

Tomoya:

The broadcasting committee was basically like an organization for all of the conspiracies floating around, wasn’t it?

Nazuna:

Yeah. And what I came to know back then, was that if you can’t find any information about something, it means one of two things: that whatever it is, is total B.S., or conversely, that makes it more likely to be true.

Extreme measures have been put in place to cover-up whatever’s going on precisely because they don’t want anyone else to know about it. And so, no matter how hard they search, no one can find a thing.

It’s because there’s nothing there, that ironically means something is going on. I can’t really explain it well.

Mitsuru:

Ya mean like when a weapon should absolutely have fingerprints, but there’s nothin’ there at all, and that’s what makes it suspicious?

Nazuna:

Oh, yeah. Like that. That’s an unusual thing for you to say, Mitsuru-chin.

Mitsuru:

A staff member said that to me on-set back when I was on this cop drama.

They were like, uh… there to make sure that everything was bein’ portrayed as realistically as possible.

Hajime:

You keep on building up experience after experience, Mitsuru-kun… I feel like you’re going to end up leaving me behind.

Mitsuru:

Don’t worry! If ya end up fallin’ behind, I’ll just grab ya by the hand and pull ya forward with me!

Hajime:

I don’t want to end up holding you back by mistake… This is probably part of what Ideia-sama was trying to say too.

Hehe. I feel like we just keep coming back to the same thing.

Aren’t we actually better off just focusing on cuteness? Are we really going to end up at a plateau if we don’t explore all sorts of different directions?

No… Are we really so cute that we can say with absolute confidence that that’s our ultimate appeal?

I’m really starting to doubt everything… Should we really be so focused on sticking to cuteness?

Maybe everything Ideia-sama said was something that only I never realized. Maybe everyone else has the same collective opinion after all.

Tomoya:

So Bishojo-senpai is suggesting that we’re not even that cute at all, and we need to stop forcing ourselves to act that way? And just change direction already? Wouldn’t that be just finding fault with us based on a personal opinion?

Hajime:

But if someone as influential as Ideia-sama said that, then—

Tomoya:

Are you really sure that every single thing someone says is correct just because they’re an influential figure?

Hajime:

B-But! Tomoya-kun! I’ve looked up to this person for so long…!

Tomoya:

Ah, ah~ah~! I’m sorry! Don’t cry, Hajime! I didn’t mean to make it seem like I was ganging up on you!

Hajime:

I’m not crying! I’m not some little kid! Don’t make fun of me!

Tomoya:

I-I wasn’t making fun of you, but you always were a crybaby.

Nazuna:

Ah~ Well, we’re all a little bit emotionally distressed at the moment… And I’m sure Hajime-chin is still in shock right now.

But we all need to calm down. You said it yourself, Tomo-chin; now’s not the time to be squabbling amongst ourselves.

All that talk about a utopia for female idols is still up in the air, but one thing's for certain—Bishojo-senpai is standing between us and our agency.

And our agency has caved in to pressure from that senpai and is making us give up on our cuteness.

So right now, we need to seriously think about our future and whether we'll be able to forcibly change direction like that.

Hajime:

But what would that even entail…? Being told to give up on cuteness is such a vague order, and I can’t even predict what would happen as a result.

Nazuna:

Well, we’ll find out pretty soon. Probably. Whether we like it or not.

All we know is that from tomorrow onwards, things can’t stay the same as they were yesterday.

I suppose we seriously need to brace ourselves for that. Not even I can predict how all of this is going to play out.

Tomoya:

Nii~chan, if not even you have any idea despite all of your experience, then the rest of us definitely don’t have a clue…

Mitsuru:

Yeah… I feel so lost ‘cause I have no idea what’s goin’ on.

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 8

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:33:03 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “Cuteness is Unjust” Chapter 8

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Location: Tomoya’s Dorm Room

(10 minutes later)

Tomoya:

I-I’m really sorry about this.

Hajime:

N-Nii~chan ♪ Shall I make you some tea? I promise it’s good ♪

Mitsuru:

Ahaha! Hajime-chan, sometimes when ya mess up, you offer to make some tea to gloss over it!

Hajime:

A-And why are you laughing like this has nothing to do with you? You fell asleep too, Mitsuru-kun, so you’re just as guilty as me?!

Mitsuru:

What’s so wrong about fallin’ asleep when you’re tired~?

If anything, the way you wouldn’t wake up even when the rest of us were makin’ so much noise must mean that you’re pretty tired, Hajime-chan. Shouldn’t ya try to get more sleep each night?

Hajime:

D-Don’t change the subject! You’re the one who’s in trouble right now!

Tomoya:

Ahaha. I remember when I used to see this kinda scene play out all the time. Hajime acting like a big brother and lecturing Mitsuru.

Hajime:

I-I’m not acting like a big brother, I really am a big brother, you know? Back home! Don’t make fun of me! Whose side are you on, Tomoya-kun?!

Tomoya:

Anyway, now’s not the time to be squabbling amongst ourselves, right?

Nazuna:

Tomo-chin is right~ All of you take some deep breaths and calm down.

Hajime:

Uuu… In… And out…

Mitsuru:

In, out, in, out…

Hey, is there some sorta weirdly sweet perfume comin’ from the ceiling in here?

Tomoya:

Oh, sometimes Ayase-senpai lights things. It’s some sort of aroma something or other.

Hajime:

I feel like it might affect the flavor of the tea… Wait, no, never mind that.

Things got a little bit all over the place, but let’s go back to what we were talking about. Now that I had a decent nap, my head is much clearer and I feel like I could stay up all night chatting if needed.

Nazuna:

Right, that’s why we’re all here.

Mitsuru:

I got all tired while we were talkin’ earlier so I fell asleep! Wahaha☆

So I kinda forgot. What were we talkin’ about again?

Hajime:

Please don’t forget… It’s a very important topic.

Tomoya:

Right. And now that Nii~chan’s joined us again, let’s go back over things from the top.

Frankly speaking, this might be the greatest pinch Ra*bits have ever experienced.

Mitsuru:

Is it? But you guys looked way more gloomy back when we first got together around the spring of S2, or during last year’s Repayment Fest?

Tomoya:

To be honest, this still doesn’t feel like it’s actually happening… Part of that is probably because Bishojo-senpai feels like a fictional character who’s totally detached from our world.

And I’m still in shock that something like this would actually happen to us.

Nazuna:

I get it~ It’s the feeling of shock you get when your brain can’t process reality so you just freeze up.

(I felt the same that day when I was on stage as part of Valkyrie. The music stopped all of a sudden, and my head went completely blank…

I was totally freaking out when I suddenly heard Mika-chin singing.

I can still remember it clearly to this day.)

~...♪

Tomoya:

Hm…? Why did you suddenly start singing, Nii~chan?

Mitsuru:

Starmony Dorm is supposed to be totally soundproofed, so it should be fine to start singin’ out loud even at night, right?

Tomoya:

No, that’s not what I’m concerned about…

Nazuna:

…This is what Bishojo-senpai is trying to steal away from us.

Tomoya:

……

Nazuna:

They’re trying to shut us up.

They’re trying to strip away the outfits we put our heart into crafting for ourselves by picking out the materials from scratch and making sure they suit us. They claim this style doesn’t work for us.

They even got our agency to take action by putting pressure on them.

Hajime:

I-I’m sure there’s a profound reason behind Ideia-sama’s thought process—

They said that they’re fond of us and that they’re doing this out of concern.

Nazuna:

And what if that’s just something they’re saying? It wasn’t that long ago that parents and teachers used corporal punishment on kids and claimed it was for their own benefit. How’s it any different from that?

Hajime:

But Ideia-sama has done so much for me all this time.

Back when I was going through a rough patch, they took me in and acted so kindly to me, making sure to look out for me.

Right now, while I may not be perfect, I’m praised for my cuteness as an idol and I’ve managed to earn a place I belong to.

A lot of that is, of course, thanks to Ra*bits, but there’s no doubt that Ideia-sama has played a huge role too.

Ideia-sama has become like a shield guarding me from behind and exercising their influence over everyone around me.

Mitsuru:

But if they should’ve been protectin’ ya like that all along, why are they suddenly tryin’ to destroy us? I seriously don’t get them at all!

Hajime:

W-Well, that’s because… The situation has changed…

Nazuna:

The thing about the utopia for female idols? That’s a questionable story if you ask me.

Hajime:

Wh-What do you mean…?

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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Parallel World - Ch. 7

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 13:24:19 GMT

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Parallel World - “Cuteness is Unjust” Chapter 7

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

(That night. Starmony Dorm corridor.)

Nazuna:

(I couldn’t say anything back at all…

But when I think back on what happened, I feel like I have a ton of rebuttals I could’ve made against what that “Bishojo-senpai” had to say.

Like how I don’t care if there’s going to be some utopia for female idols. That has nothing to do with us.

Or how even if we do end up facing competition if we keep cuteness as our main selling point, we don’t need you to step in for our sake.

And how you’re butting in and claiming you’re speaking out of kindness for our own benefit, but you can stay out of our business.

But at the time, I was so overwhelmed by our senpai that I couldn’t say a thing.

I’m so weak.

Maybe I’ll never escape the habits I picked up back when I was part of Valkyrie. He’s not that extreme these days, but back then Itsuki would get furious whenever anyone criticized his vision.

And so, whenever someone starts acting scary like that, I tend to just shut up and do whatever they say.

I’m supposed to be everyone’s Nii~chan. Look at me, boldly claiming I’m going to protect all of them.

But the truth is, whenever someone’s angry with me, I turn into a mute doll.

I feel like this is the first time since joining ES that we’ve tasted the pain of being a newbie in the industry… What happened was basically power harassment…

I did hear that sort of thing is pretty common in an old-fashioned agency like Rhythm Link, but I figured it had nothing to do with us.

Back at Yumenosaki, everyone was always so considerate of us and treated us with kindness.

We were naive. It feels like we let our guard down and ended up being stabbed in the stomach.

“Don’t underestimate cuteness.”

I never intended to underestimate it, but I feel like they hit the nail so firmly on the head that I couldn’t say anything back.

This is so frustrating. Humiliating. I’m seriously pathetic.

I’m sorry, guys. Sorry for being such a weak Nii~chan.

……)

(Scene change. Tomoya’s dorm room)

Nazuna:

Hey guys.

I’m really sorry for leaving you guys for a bit even though Ra*bits are in this awful situation.

I had a couple of lectures I had to attend today no matter what or my credits would’ve been in serious trouble.

Even though the least I could’ve done was to be by your guys’ side. Sorry, I have no idea what I was thinking… Maybe I never should’ve gone back to school yet in the first place.

But even though I’m hours too late, I’m here now for you guys in heart, body, soul, and spirit. I’ll stay up with you guys all night, or the whole weekend if I have to.

So. If I recall correctly, the plan was for all of us to get together and discuss what Ra*bits should do from here on out—

Tomoya:

Zzz, zzz…♪

Nazuna:

Tomo-chin?

Mitsuru:

*Snore*...♪

Hajime:

Nnn… Mhm…♪

Nazuna:

Mitsuru-chin? Hajime-chin? Wh-Why are you guys asweep at a time like this?! Ra*bits is in big trouble! Aren’t we supposed to be coming up with a plan?!

Tomoya:

…Nhya?!

Y-You scared me… Sorry, Sensei, I fell asleep!

Nazuna:

Who are you calling Sensei? You’re sleep-talking, Tomo-chin~ If anything, I feel bad about waking you up.

Mitsuru:

…Nhm? Huh, where am I? This isn’t my room?

Tomoya:

Didn’t we talk about how we were all going to get together in my room to discuss things?

Ayase-senpai is barely ever here, so we wouldn’t be imposing on anyone else—

Mitsuru:

Oh! I remember now!

And there’s no chance of anyone else overhearin’ us at Starmony Dorm, so this would be the best option! That’s what Tomo-chan said!

Tomoya:

There’s really no need to report what Tomo-chan said to Tomo-chan himself.

…Ouchhh?! Hey, Hajime, quit eating my hair!

Hajime:

Omph, nomph… It’s okay, this is my favorite food… Omph ♪

Nazuna:

Ahaha.

Tomoya:

Ah! I’m so s-sorry you have to see me in this state, Nii~chan!

Nazuna:

Nah. If anything, you guys calmed me down.

(I was probably getting stuck in my own head. I got the feeling that unless I pull myself together, this might be the beginning of the end.

But that’s not the case at all. These guys are far and away from little baby bunnies that’ll die without my protection.

No, nowadays they’re all incredible, first-rate idols.

I don’t need to force myself to shoulder everything. These guys will split the burden and work hard to help me carry it all together.

That’s the kind of unit I’m proud to be part of.

And that’s why the Ra*bits I’ve become so proud of is a place I won’t allow the pressure from that crazy senpai to destroy. No matter what.)

NEXT CHAPTER

–

Translation by:

Ara @. nazunyan427

Proofreader:

Sophie @.ra_bits_daisuki

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