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So the Jun center event predictably got me bad enough for me to pick up the fantranslation pen again... I intend to translate the whole story but don't want to make any promises for how long it'll take – as of now I have 6 chapters of the event roughly completed (out of order).
In case it takes a while, I thought I'd post up a rough translation of the two chapters featuring The Eve Hotel Scene first! Hope you all enjoy!
Writer: Happy Elements K.K
Season: Autumn
Characters: Hiyori, Jun
Translation: Jay
Jun: Wai— Ohii-san, why are you crying!?
[ ♪ ]
Hiyori: ......
(Though the roads are this packed, I can't hail down a car.)
(...How unsightly. Trying to leave the country without a word to Ibara or Nagisa-kun... It's like I'm skipping town.)
Hiyori: Ahaha. And here I thought the concept of "skipping town" was a world removed from me.
Ahh, dear me. I feel so miserable and pathetic that my chest aches... It hurts.
Hiyori: ...So I'm getting in the way of Jun-kun's progress, am I.
I never thought this would be the way I'd have to confront the hard truth of that fact.
Hiyori: I've long been aware that Jun-kun improves at a remarkable pace.
Just experiencing what it's like to perform by that boy's side, you'd be hard-pressed not to acknowledge it
Up until now, I'd always watched over that progress by his side with a smile. How wonderful, you should be so proud of your improvement, or so I'd lovingly praise him.
The difference between us was once great enough that I could put on an air of superiority.... but any leeway for that is now long gone.
Perhaps Jun-kun's father saw through that arrogance of mine
Hiyori: And the one who's gotten carried away... is actually myself
Hiyori: What a sorry sight I am. I absolutely can't allow Jun-kun or Nagisa-kun see--
Jun: — Ohii-san, I've found you!
Hiyori: ....Huh? Jun-kun?
Jun: Pant... Pant... You're seriously such a handful, you know that?
I'm already so wiped, but who'd have thought you'd having me running around like this even then?
Hiyori: ...Jun-kun, what are you doing here?
Jun: That should be my line, y'know~?
Geez. you got the other two all worried, Ohii-san. Suddenly vanishing with your luggage and all...
Hiyori: ....!
Jun: Huh? Wait, Ohii-san! Why are you running!?
Jun: Ugh, seriously. I won't let you get away!
Jun: ...hup! I've gotcha this time!
Hiyori: ....Come now. Do stop holding onto me with all your might.
Jun: Please don't ever go thinking you'd win against me in a race, Ohii-san
Jun: Unlike you, I actually work out ♪
Hiyori: .... Oh, the cheek of you, Jun-kun
Hiyori: It's hardly a race between me with my luggage versus you with all your agility, isn't it?
Jun: Haha, that's true. If you'd prefer, wanna have another go at a proper race right now?
Jun: Even without any kind of handicap, I think I'd still win, though?
Hiyori: Ahaha, sounds good. It'd give me another chance to run away, so why don't we do just that?
Jun: I'm joking. As if I'd let you get away.
Hiyori: Well, I don't think I'd win against you, Jun-kun, so there's no point in resisting.
Hiyori: In any case. What's up with those unfitting sunglasses?
Jun: Huh, they don't fit me? They were pretty pricey, y'know?
Jun: Well, I got 'em for the sake of disguising myself, though, so I'm not all that attached to them.
Hiyori: If you bought them as a disguise, then they're even more pointless, no? In fact, they even make you stand out!
Jun: Seriously...? Guess that was a waste of money, then.
Jun: Anyway, why were you running from me, Ohii-san?
Jun: Well, to begin with, why were you here without saying a word to the others?
Hiyori: ...Oh dear. so we've gotten back to the topic
Jun: Dude, it was clear as day that you were trying to avoid it.
Jun: In fact, it's even weirder that you thought you'd be able to avoid it in this situation.
Jun: In any case, is it really that hard to talk about?
Hiyori: ...Not really.
Hiyori: Actually, even I don't quite understand why I was running from you, Jun-kun.
Hiyori: In truth, I ran in the spur of the moment. I can't quite explain it myself, either.
Hiyori: And for that same reason, I ended up leaving the others without a word while not quite knowing why, either!
Hiyori: This overseas climate isn't good for my complexion, and I'm not feeling my best, so I'd like to go back in soon...
Jun: So you're gonna play dumb until the end, huh? Well, let's try a different question, Ohii-san.
Jun: — what did my father say to you?
Hiyori: ......
Jun: There's no way you'd be acting like this if he'd only rejected the Eden performance request, after all.
And if you're going to insist talking outdoors is unpleasant, then let's go back to a hotel.
My old man's in my room... so that's out of the question.
So for now, why don't we go to the room you're staying in?
If we stay out talking for so long at this hour, we're bound to catch a cold~
RELEASED: No.6 Reunion Vol.1 Prologue & Chapter 1: One More Time (part 1)
The moment you've been waiting for is here! My English translation of the prologue and first half of chapter one of No.6 Reunion volume one is now live. Please give a huge thank you to my editor @jaywalkings and beta team @minamiren @nezumiismissing @glittercracker for all of their hard work getting this ready! <3
Read on Wordpress here!
long time no see!! this might be a bit of a change of pace, but i wanted to share the latest project i've been working on!! i'm honoured to be on the editing team for @aowyn's translation of the long-awaited No.6 sequel, No.6 Reunion, and she'll be releasing her complete translation of Volume 1 over the next month! !!
i know my audience is mainly enstars but if anyone happens to be into no.6... please check it out!!
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Hiyori: Haha. Yes, do continue to lavish your praise upon our Jun-kun!
...Honestly, when I was first shown around Reimei Academy, I found myself feeling as though we'd gotten the short end of the stick.
At that time, we had nowhere else that we could go, so we'd no choice but to resign ourselves to it. That before we could escape from Hell, we'd continue to be trapped in its depths for a while longer still.
Hiyori: But you see, as I walked along preoccupied with such melancholy thoughts, I happened to look out the window, and there I saw Jun-kun, dutifully practicing in silence all on his own.
The atmosphere of Reimei Academy at the time was truly dreadful — everyone seemed either dead inside, or they glared at each other with pure resentment.
Jun-kun was the only one with none of that air about him — instead he aspired only to improve himself.
Hiyori: And what a beautiful sight he was... Of course, telling him that to his face would be too embarrassing — it'd go to his head and he'd never let me hear the end of it.
It was while watching this boy that I found it in myself to believe my decision hadn't been made in vain. That if there was even one person like him here, then perhaps it wasn't all so bad.
And so that's why I made the decision to enroll at Reimei Academy, with Jun-kun as my goal. Honestly, I was there initially to scope out Shuuetsu Academy, a school made up of nothing but Special Student elites.
But I found myself believing that I should start all over again at rock bottom and covered with mud, just like Jun-kun.
After all, when you're up somewhere so lofty and high, you'll fail to see what's truly important.
Jun: And just what have you been so cheerfully badmouthing me 'bout, huh~?
Hiyori: Goodness, I wasn't badmouthing you. You're simply being paranoid.
Jun: You swear?
Tatsumi: That's right. I believe that you're rather important to Tomoe-san, Jun-san.
Hiyori: It's true! You rank right after my family, namely Nagisa-kun and Mary!
Jun: I rank below a dog, huh?
Hiyori: If that bothers you so much, then climb your way up! Come now, put your all into it and work ever harder for my love!
Jun: Shut it... It's not like I'm working hard for the sake of your love, y'know~?
I'm working hard so that I can be a better version of myself. Maybe my life looks all kinds of unfortunate and pitiful besides yours, but...
That's precisely why I wanna become the best and strongest idol, so that someday I can declare that's who I am, loud and proud.
It's then that the hard work of my past self will finally all be worth it.
So I'm gonna work hard, right now. I'm gonna give it everything I've got — 'cause giving it all that I've got is all I can do.
Tatsumi: That's right. Fufu, you truly do have no need for God's divine protection.
Jun: You got that right. I don't need no God to save me — 'cause I'm gonna be the one who'll save myself.
Tatsumi: .......♪
Nagisa: ... Shall we stop this idle chatter and begin recording, everyone?
... Though we could simply just rehearse today, and leave the actual filming for another day…
... We don’t have another day to spare, do we?
HiMERU: HiMERU agrees. There is no time to be looking back on days gone by.
We must look towards the future instead, and live earnestly.
So long as we are allowed to do so.
HiMERU: (Kaname. My poor, pitiable little brother. I shall take your place, at least for now.)
(I hope that one day, when you are able to walk once more, you will be able to live a little happier than before.)
(I'll arrange an environment in which you can, and secure a place for you in it as well.)
HiMERU: (I am your older brother, after all.)
HiMERU: (When you awake, when you're able to walk once more…)
(I won't fail this time. I'll make your wish come true.)
(Long have I lived alone, void of any dream at all — and now what was yours has since become my own.)
Tatsumi: (... Ah, even though this is the same place as then, the same Reimei Academy…)
(It feels different. Right now, I feel so refreshed and full of energy.)
(Are you the one I should thank for that, God?)
Tatsumi: (Our Father who art in heaven, you have always guided my life with your hand.)
(Dear fate, dear faith, I thank you for leading me to where I stand today.)
(We have faced much sorrow, despair, and tragedy.)
(Nonetheless, I stand enveloped in the warmth I had always craved. If this is reward for my piety, O God, then I truly could never detest you.)
Tatsumi: (Even if it happens that God does not exist, and this is nothing but a series of coincidences…)
(Then I shall call those coincidences miracles, rewards, and love you all the more.)
(Amen.)
(Fufu. I shall do as Tomoe-san did and use Jun-san, whom he loves so much, as an example; I'll begin at the very bottom, crawling my way through the mud.)
Tatsumi: (No matter how often he gets knocked down, how often he collapses, he still stands right back up.)
(I am forever grateful for that. Not only do I have God on my side, but friends as well.)
(Such invaluable friends who support one another…)
(Who share their warmth, and move forward with happiness in their hearts.)
(We shall walk together on this road, step by step.)
Characters: Ibara, Tatsumi, HiMERU, Nagisa, Hiyori, Jun
Proofreading: Remi + 310mc (JP) & Skyress (ENG)
Translation: Peace & hyenahunt
Hiyori: Someone like Jun-kun grew up with such an embittered childhood, and yet he could be transformed into such a "warrior of love" — You are the very reason for that.
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Ibara: Alright everyone, thank you so much for your patience! We've finished writing up a tidy little script, so please do give it a once over!
Tatsumi: Thank you. The truth is rather difficult to speak of, so a script is necessary.
Ibara: Isn't it just! Trust me, so long as everyone plays their part in my script as they should, then this shall be a resounding success!
HiMERU: —HiMERU can hear the cynicism dripping from your words.
Is everything all in the palm of your hand?
Ibara: A-ha-ha! ☆ It would be wonderful if everyone did as they were tasked this time around!
It isn't as if I have a grudge against any one of you either, after all!
I’d rather not hurt nor humiliate any of you right now. I won't gain a single thing in doing so.
HiMERU: —No, HiMERU doesn't think you meant any ill will by it.
Though you aren't kind either. Should you only treat others as if they were pieces on a board, HiMERU believes you will face severe retribution.
Ibara: I've already been facing that plenty, thank you very much!
I don’t know how you perceive me, but you should know that my plans have always gone astray somehow; there's always some snag or hitch that keeps it from going accordingly!
Just what am I doing wrong? I'd thought everything through, and yet it never went smoothly!
Oh, I should have never picked up His Excellency or His Highness in the first place! They're unmanageable!
Nagisa: ... Ibara, do I trouble you?
Ibara: I'm surprised you only ask so now! It feels as if I'm tossed and tugged around by you far too often in my memories, Your Excellency, especially as of late!
Nagisa: ... Sorry.
Ibara: Well, it isn’t something you need to concern yourself with. The benefits I've gained in working with everyone in Eden outweighs the headaches you've all given me.
Ibara: Rather, I'll simply account for whatever toil and trouble comes for the next scheme.
The same can be said about what happened at Reimei Academy. Though I failed to control everything and caused its ruin instead, so long as I don’t make the same mistake twice, I will remain as the Ibara Saegusa you are all familiar with.
Nagisa: ... It feels as if you're making the same mistakes as before, however.
Ibara: Don't interrupt me with needless remarks!
I worked behind the scenes of everything that happened at Reimei Academy, which kept me from having a good idea of the situation as it developed...
But no, not anymore. I have been involved with COMP from the very beginning, ensuring that I have complete control over the situation at any given moment for my own benefit.
Tatsumi: My, how greedy. Though perhaps I should be a little more so myself.
HiMERU: ... HiMERU does not wish to see you become similar to the Deputy Director, Tatsumi.
Hiyori: Fufu. Tatsumi-kun, you're never one to reject anyone, instead only ever accepting them for who they are. That is both your greatest quality, and your greatest flaw.
It’s because you accept and love just about everyone that everyone comes to love you.
But you know, each and every person has their limit, yes? If you try to accept beyond that limit, you'll only hit your breaking point and fall apart again.
Tatsumi: Thank you for the advice, Tomoe-san. I'll take it to heart.
Hiyori: No need to thank me. I'm terribly fond of you, as well.
Tatsumi: I don't believe we spoke to one another at school, though.
Hiyori: Ibara prepared a script in which I claim to have paid you visits at the hospital, befriended you from there and became fast friends, you see.
Though that's a beautiful and yet completely fabricated story with no basis in reality — I would truly like to befriend you all the same.
Hiyori: I've heard so much about you from Jun-kun. That's why long before I met you, you'd already earned my respect and love.
Hiyori: Jun-kun was a true menace with it, especially in the days when we first met. Any chance he got, he'd be going on about Tatsumi-senpai, Tatsumi-senpai, Tatsumi-senpai — why, I've heard about you ad nauseam.
Hiyori: ...You see, Jun-kun dearly regrets that he wasn't able to stop you from falling to ruin.
That in the time that the two of you grew apart to the point of rarely talking, you had been thrust into the very depths of despair. Jun-kun has grieved that, all this time.
Tatsumi: ......
Hiyori: That's why, even if it's not quite compensation for those regrets, he would risk even his own life to devote himself to me. So that he may put every effort into loving me, this time without looking the other way.
Hiyori: Someone like Jun-kun grew up with such an embittered childhood, and yet he could be transformed into such a "warrior of love" — You are the very reason for that. And so I've always thought that surely, you must be someone incredible.
Tatsumi: I don't believe I did anything in particular to influence Jun-san, though. Rather, all we did was drink tea and chat about trivial things with one another.
Hiyori: To Jun-kun, who lived in a waking hell, that must have been his one and only salvation.
You've had a greater impact beyond what you've always believed of yourself.
And Jun-kun is the very proof of that.
Jun: ......
Hiyori: Look at him now. How he'd detested the very thought of COMP, a plan intended to boost the image of the school that had tormented him so much with its system, and yet —
Jun: ......
Hiyori: He's reading the script in intent silence, and warming up so that he may boost the quality of his performance by even the slightest degree.
He’s such a diligent, earnest boy, don’t you think?
In order to perform as everyone wishes, he's pushed away his own misgivings. He strives to improve himself, all so that he may bring our fans even a single ounce more of delight.
Tatsumi: Yes, Jun-san certainly is splendid.
No matter how the world fell apart around him, he alone stayed the same.
Tatsumi: I should have reached out to him, rather than speak so patronizingly about what I thought I knew — I should have followed his example.
Tatsumi: I should have asked about his way of life and learned from it, so that I would be able to become even slightly better of a person than I was before; but it's far too late for such regrets.
I became an idol so that I could find a place to belong. A rather impure motivation, wouldn't you say?
Tatsumi: But Jun-san... More than I, more than anyone else, is walking that path with pure, genuine intentions.
I have a deep respect for him. Though he may have been scorned for being the son of a failure, I believe Jun-san must be the person who won most of all at Reimei Academy.
He is the only one who didn't lose a single thing. That is why even now he shines so brightly, glittering with all that he has gained.
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HiMERU: It was laughable to think the world would change for anyone who wasn't a god.
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Tatsumi: Why did it end up this way? You and I sought to manage a unit where all would be equal, all would be fair, to create an ideal world just the same.
Yet the moment we stepped onto the road that would lead us to such a dream, the bright future we imagined went dark.
Why is that? Did we do something wrong?
While I was hospitalized, no matter how much I asked such questions to God, I received no answer. Not even my faith could save me.
That is why recently, I've taken to unraveling this twisted world by thinking for myself while learning common sense, all so I don't make the same mistakes I did before.
HiMERU: In the end, it was not a dream meant to come true. It was laughable to think the world would change for anyone who wasn't a god.
HiMERU: (The idol industry was built from the ground up by a generation of godlike Super Idols.)
(But of the innumerable idols who have emerged since then, not one has come close to godhood.)
(Not "that Akehoshi," nor "Priest." None who have yearned for it, have driven towards it, have been able to truly replace God.)
(God is dead. I've heard that the one who strove to imitate God, "Priest," met an unfortunate end during the recent SS as well.)
(Deputy Director Saegusa told me as such, being as I have a right to know.)
HiMERU: (I didn't care much for "Priest" anyway. That man replaced God — known as "Godfather" — long ago.)
(I wasn't fond of my parent's house. I ran away and, due to being slightly related to "Priest," came under the care of that man.)
(I have no feelings towards him. I simply learned from him. In truth, "Priest" was little more than a stranger to me — I wouldn’t care one way or another if he died.)
(I have no love nor respect for an imposter who pretended to be my grandfather or great-grandfather.)
HiMERU: (However, Kaname was different.)
(My poor little brother.)
(He was innocent, he simply wanted to be an idol. His mother, the only one who'd ever shown him love, asked him to.)
(He wanted to live up to her expectations. He wanted to be loved more by his favorite parent. That's the sort of child Kaname was.)
(His mother loved idols.)
(So much so that she was obsessed with them and became a stalker of "that Akehoshi," whom she adored most of all.)
(When the news broke out that "that Akehoshi" was married, she flew into a jealous rage and crowded onto the stage when he was performing, calling him a traitor, a lying cheat.)
(You were a complete stranger to him. You weren't his family, a lover, anything like that.)
(You already had a husband.)
(Kaname's mother had an obsessive love, one that drove her mad.)
(Love and faith can do that to a person. And as idols, we unknowingly spread it as well.)
(What a sinful occupation.)
HiMERU: (... As she went mad on stage, she struggled with "that Akehoshi" and fell off the stage.)
(Unfortunately, she died immediately due to a skull or neck injury.)
("That Akehoshi," who was at the peak of his career, fell fast out of favor due to that incident.)
(Due to the coverage of various newspapers and gossip magazines, he was cited as "the absolute worst idol" and put under fire for killing someone onstage.)
(However, no matter how you look at it, it was nothing but an accident. In fact, "that Akehoshi" was the victim in the situation — harassed by a crazed fan whilst on stage.)
(Whatever force was working behind the scenes, it ended with the man being put behind bars and eventually dying there.)
(And so it became a taboo incident within the idol industry.)
(Even now, the fact that he was that woman's son was enough to cause reluctance in anyone who might have given him a job.)
(Those who tout it around as a worthy reason are the very same who can justify their violent acts against Kaname.)
HiMERU: (Yes, that day that mob surged into the auditorium, they used that fact to erase their wrongdoings and be acquitted for it. I suppose the higher-ups of the school managed that.)
(It's fine to corner and crush someone, since they're the son of a criminal. That's what their superiors decided.)
(When one of the teachers who'd become part of their group told them as much, the Non-Special Students used it as an excuse to get rid of the Special Students they hated so much.)
(They'd never forgiven the Special Students.)
(In particular, they wouldn't allow that abhorrent Special Student HiMERU stand on the same stage as their beloved leader — Tatsumi.)
(So they burst. Their dissatisfaction turned to anger and they weaponized it.)
HiMERU: (That is what happened then. The end of Tatsumi's revolution.)
(Due to meaningless grudges and long-held debts, the ideals Tatsumi held so close to his heart were obliterated.)
(It was, in the end, a dream never meant to come true.)
(Yet, it… is far too cruel.)
(... The woman who ended "that Akehoshi's" career as a Super Idol is dead.)
(But that woman had a husband and child.)
(Her husband had split from her a long time ago, and so he lived alone.)
(But it seems that fans of "that Akehoshi" took to blaming him for the incident, condemning him daily, even though he had cut ties with her; they were practically strangers at that point.)
(Innumerable fans who weren't satisfied with the outcome of the incident took to acting like he was the villain and, due to the constant barrage, the earnest man grew mentally sick.)
(Sick and broken.)
(Taking pity on the man, the Godfather offered him protection on a piece of land he owned. Perhaps he couldn't simply abandon the man, seeing as they had a blood relative between them.)
(Or perhaps he'd wanted to see the broken form of the man who'd been married to the woman that'd stolen his favored "Akehoshi" from him. Who could say?)
(It's too late to ask why; God is dead.)
(The husband never fully recovered, and later was often found half-dead, wandering the premise of the missionary school that would become Reimei Academy.)
(It was as if he was a ghost or the undead, simply roaming about.)
HiMERU: (Maybe it was to atone for his wife's misdeeds, but it seems he was rather kind to the young idols who attended the academy.)
(As he roamed, he cleaned up here and there without being asked.)
(It seems he regained his mind at times, such as when he contacted me.)
(I am Kaname's half-brother. I was one of that man's sons, and so—)
(Kaname and I's father was married to a different woman before he wed the one who ended "that Akehoshi's" career. She had me before she died from illness, as I understand it.)
(As a child, I was fixated on my mother. That's where we're similar; we're brothers after all — Kaname.)
(So when my father intended to remarry someone else, as if he'd forgotten all about her… I thought of him as a traitor. I hated him for it.)
(My feelings worsened over time, and in the end, I ran away from home and left for overseas.)
(I didn't know what had happened to my father after that, nor did I even care.)
(I received letters from him sometimes, but I would throw them all away without reading them. That is why I never knew that he remarried that crazy woman and had a child with her — that he had Kaname.)
(That's why at first, I was perplexed. It couldn't even occur to me that I had a younger brother.)
(However after much begging and pleading, I decided to help my little brother. When I first contacted him, he'd said he missed me so innocently. He called me big brother and turned to me for help.)
HiMERU: (It made me happy, Kaname.)
(I thought I would always live on my own.)
(But I was wrong.)
(Kaname gave to me what my parents had not.)
(And so, I wished to repay him for that.)
HiMERU: ......
(But it was all for naught. I wasn't able to turn Kaname into the idol he'd dreamed so long about becoming.)
(My father asked me to take care of him, and Kaname asked me to help him achieve his dream; I did everything I could to succeed in both.)
(Until that moment, I thought of myself as a great man. I thought I could live alone, that I was strong and amazing enough to do so.)
(However, that failure shattered my self-confidence entirely.)
HiMERU: (... That is why I am here now, working to make my brother's dream come true for him.)
(It's simply for my own peace of mind.)
(I failed. That is a fact which cannot be undone.)
(Kaname most likely doesn't want me to do this, but...)
(That is why this is just for myself and my pride.)
(I'll become the idol that he always dreamed of being.)
(The vision that we created together, HiMERU, will become a true idol.)
HiMERU: (I believed every one without question, priding myself in having such a wonderful little brother — in Kaname — without a second thought.)
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Time: Present day.
Location: On the stage for the filming of COMP's promotional video performance
HiMERU: ( — My warning came too late.)
(We vastly underestimated the resentment of the Non-Special Students, who had been persecuted at the time.)
HiMERU: (I wish I could rationalize why, say that I wasn't able to read the air as well as I should've been able to due to being unable to do much from my base abroad...)
(But if I had truly wished to protect my brother, protect Kaname, then I would have been there for him.)
(He is my family — I should have dropped everything to be at his side. Sooner, before everything came to an end.)
(I will always regret not doing so.)
HiMERU: (I believed every word of my brother's reports, even though we hadn't interacted before then.)
(I vainly assumed that, because he was my brother, that he would be just as brilliant as myself.)
(However, Kaname was the opposite. Every step was a misstep and, not wanting to be scolded, he covered each one well.)
(Everything he said to me was nonsense, merely dressed up to appear otherwise.)
HiMERU: ("This job was a huge success!" "I'm flawless, without parallel." "Nothing's wrong." — He'd repeat these claims over and over again, but every one was a lie.)
(A lie a desperate child might make so that his guardian wouldn't abandon him.)
(I couldn't see through those lies. I believed every one without question, priding myself in having such a wonderful little brother — in Kaname — without a second thought.)
(I will always regret not doing so.)
(I was an idiot.)
Tatsumi: In thinking over the memories we're to speak on for COMP once more—
There's hardly anything we can record, isn't there?
HiMERU: You knew that from the start, Tatsumi.
An unbelievably cruel social disparity. Rampant discrimination, bullying rife with violence — a thriving cult-like group who called the catacombs home.
And at the end of everything, a riotous fight broke out.
There is not a single thing in those memories we could boast about to society. No, not a single person would want to enroll in Reimei Academy if they heard of it.
Tatsumi: There were happy, fun moments as well, as few as they were.
Certainly, those days were my youth.
HiMERU: Prettying it up with cathartic words like "youth" won't change the fact it was Hell.
Additionally, that incident that ended your youth — it absolutely can't be publicized.
It has already been dismissed as a simple scandal, a story long forgotten.
There is no one who'd like to dig it up now.
Tatsumi: You know, I always wondered about what happened at the end. I still don't quite understand it to this day.
— "Do you remember that Akehoshi?"
The day that HiMERU-san and I formed our unit, a video with that mysterious line began to play in the auditorium.
HiMERU: It reminds HiMERU of the past SS. No, perhaps they used that video once more as it proved successful in destroying your rebellion.
Even in death, “that Akehoshi” keeps on causing problems for the industry. No wonder he’s a taboo subject.
Tatsumi: You mustn't speak ill of the dead. There are no religious connections to that, it's simply human decency.
Tatsumi: In any case, once that video began to play, the Non-Special Students who had gathered climbed the stage in a frenzy.
Then, before we could stop them, they cursed HiMERU-san and began to assault him.
The teachers turned a blind eye. The Special Students, who were obliged to HiMERU-san and held him high as their representative, didn't help him either.
I thought such violence was wrong, and I went to stop them—
But I failed, and before I knew it they had struck me off the stage.
HiMERU: Mm. And the Special Students, who had thought you such an eyesore, took advantage of the situation and assaulted you as well.
It truly was a nightmare. A scene straight out of Hell.
Tatsumi: Yes. Naturally, I don’t like to recall what happened back then.
You and I were hospitalized, seemingly without any hope of recovery... It's a miracle we are able to stand here as we do today.
You especially, HiMERU-san, as I got off quite lightly compared to you.
HiMERU: Hmph. HiMERU is resilient, that's all.
HiMERU: (What a joke. Truthfully, the damage that was done to Kaname cannot be undone — he's still in the hospital to this day.)
(He remains in a near-comatose state, waking only to scream incoherently.)
HiMERU: (My little brother was destroyed, torn to shreds by hatred and brute force.)
(Trampled by idiots, he's still suffering in agony at rock bottom.)
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Tatsumi: ......
Kaname: Tatsumi-senpai? Are you alright? Your body is swaying.
Tatsumi: Fufu. I suppose my health hasn't quite recovered fully just yet. My doctor said I needed complete bed rest, but I slipped away—
So, once this is over, I'd like to return to the hospital again.
I'll leave the rest to you, HiMERU-san. Please love, protect, and care for those who still suffer in Reimei Academy.
In my place.
Kaname: ... How could I ever replace you?
Tatsumi: What's the matter?
Kaname: I'm nothing but a mistake. I couldn't do most of the work I stole from you properly, and each time I made mistake after mistake—
Though I only took your place for a short time, I was worn out entirely. You're a natural superhuman, while I'm merely ordinary.
I thought about it daily. I was never cut out to be an idol.
Kaname: I would forget everything from lyrics to the choreography of the songs I had to dance to. I can't remember the faces or preferences of the clients that ask after me.
When I spoke it was incomprehensible, and fans who drew close ran away in fear.
I wasn't good at anything I tried, and I grew sick of myself.
Tatsumi: You're still young and inexperienced as an idol, it's only natural you would struggle as you catch up. Any beginner would be the same.
No one is perfect at the start.
That is why we support each other, influence one another positively, and grow by working together. That is how a school should have been.
I'm certain Reimei Academy was the same.
Kaname: ......
Tatsumi: So let this be the beginning for both of us.
Let's live happily with everyone.
Kaname: But I'm— I'm not perfect—
Kaname: —What?!
Tatsumi: ...? What is that crowd doing at the doors of the auditorium?
They're... the Non-Special Students who always joined me at the catacombs. Naturally, I remember each and every face.
Isn't that nice? They've come to support us as well.
Compared to the Special Students that you gathered, HiMERU-san, there weren't many Non-Special Students at all, so I was a little worried they wouldn't...
And yet, here they are. Thank goodness. It wouldn't be good if we were liked by one side alone.
A just and fair environment can only be attained by the support of all involved.
Kaname: ......
Tatsumi: Hm? What is it, HiMERU-san? You've gone pale.
Kaname: M-My brother's—
Tatsumi: Your brother? I do remember you mentioning him earlier, so is that man there your brother? I'd love to say hello to him, as your friend—
Hm... Is it that man? He looks a little worse for wear in that dirtied Reimei Academy uniform, but—
Ah, that's the Elder. No one else has such an appearance.
Kaname: Elder...?
Tatsumi: He's related to someone who was rather influential in the past, and he would do all sorts of favors for me if I asked. I was warned by the teachers not to become involved with him, though.
Is the Elder your brother, HiMERU-san? You two look quite alike, if I do say so myself.
Kaname: ...? Sazanami said something similar, but that vagrant you see every now and then on campus has no relation to me.
It's offensive to even be compared to him.
Kaname: Anyways, moreover, my brother—
He's yelling something with a terrifying look on his face! What is it, brother?
Tatsumi: ... Brother? Ah, has your family come to see you?
I'm jealous. My own has never once come to cheer me on in my own idol activities, you see.
They are far too used to hiding themselves away in places the light cannot reach. To them, I am a dissenter.
As sad as it is, my family always thought of me as odd, terrifying, and even incomprehensible.
Tatsumi: That is why... I was so happy that you believed in me.
I am no god nor saint, so I am a little troubled that you hold such faith in me. Still, I am thankful we are able to walk on the same path at the same time as comrades.
Reimei Academy is Hell, however... I have always been surrounded by a gentle warmth.
I'd like to thank God for that.
Kaname: That's my line.
How were you able to believe in me? You've always done everything yourself, for as long as I knew of you.
You sought to change everything on your own, without asking for a single bit of help from anyone.
That's why when I asked you to form a unit with me, I was surprised you agreed.
What if I betray you again and steal your stake in it all?
You and I are the same rank right now. We've announced such to the world, and they've acknowledged it. Who's to say I won't simply use my status and take whatever I'd like from you?
You and I are the main heads of this unit. That is how it appears on the outside, while in reality I'm the one who manages everything.
I could keep you in the dark. If I did that, then I would become Reimei Academy's Top Idol in more than just name.
Tatsumi: I don't believe you'd do such a thing.
You already stood at the summit of Reimei Academy without having to go through such lengths to form a unit in line with my ideology.
There was no benefit in it for you to bring me, a risk to your interests, into your arms.
In your position, you could have simply excluded myself and every Non-Special Student and ruled Reimei Academy with Special Students alone.
Tatsumi: Rather, it would have been far easier to do that — in this day and age, the world is clearly favoring that direction.
However, you expressly included myself and the Non-Special Students within it, despite how much the Special Students detest us.
The backlash you face from this will be inevitable, and it will certainly hinder your future activities.
No wise man would have risked himself like that.
Kaname: ... I'm an idiot, aren't I?
Tatsumi: I like the idiotic you.
Kaname: ......
Tatsumi: I am as much of an idiot as you are, after all.
I had a dream that was not meant to come true.
Those wiser than myself tried many times to warn me against pursuing it, but I disregarded them and tread on alone. Stubborn as a mule, I tried to create the utopia I had long dreamed of by force.
I was like a young child, chasing after an unrealistic ideal. No matter how wise my words may seem, I am no different than those children who draw their fantasies of heroes and monsters.
Tatsumi: I wasn't raised properly, and so now I play pretend as anyone might have done when they were a toddler.
Something that any sensible adult would scold me for.
And now, I pursue a dream anyone would have forgotten as they grew up.
However... You, who likes me for the way I am, nestled closer to play along.
You weren't disturbed by me, and we became two of a kind — two people who should have been scolded for fooling around by others.
It truly made me happy.
That's why, even if you were to steal all that I possess, I would forgive you. Because no matter if your feelings and words were falsehoods, I was grateful for them.
Kaname: ... I wasn't the only one who nestled close to you — plenty of others must have too.
Your followers, the ones who gathered in the catacombs — they would have been your playmates whenever you'd like them to be.
So why... Why was I the only one chosen? Why am I the only one you favor?
Isn't this an example of that "inequality" you can't stand?
Tatsumi: That is because in Reimei Academy, you are the only one who tried to be the "same" as me.
Not as someone to follow the beliefs of, nor as someone to look upon as an enemy, but as someone to stand on equal footing with.
You know, I've always longed to have a friend like that — one who would stand equally right by my side.
However, being foolish and inexperienced as I was, I had no idea how to get one.
You were the only one to show me how, the only one to act on it and manifest my desire. You became my equal and reached out to me.
You tried to befriend me and walk at my side.
That is why I took your hand. I was overjoyed.
That's all.
Kaname: That's all, huh.
Tatsumi: Yes. And now that strange child, naive and without common sense, has finally found someone to play with.
???: (However, innocence is not a sin. My little brother, Kaname, has done nothing wrong.)
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???: (However, innocence is not a sin. My little brother, Kaname, has done nothing wrong.)
(Despite that, ever since he was born, he has faced unreasonable discrimination. He's shunned by those higher than him in the industry due to violating a taboo— )
(He has done nothing wrong, yet he has fallen so far.)
(He was a brother I’d never spoken to before. And I pitied him.)
(Fortunately, I had skills and wisdom. I had to acquire both in order to survive when I'd left home.)
(And now, I could use them to help my little brother.)
(After all, I had always made a living by disguising myself as a jack-of-all-trades, and my client this time just so happened to be a family member.)
(I didn't accept it for my father's sake. I wanted to help my poor younger brother.)
???: (For his sake, I learned as much as I could about something so particular to Japan, so foreign to those overseas — I learned all that there was to know about idols, which was akin to inscrutable faith.)
(Once I had learned enough, I offered my hand to Kaname. So long as he heeded my instruction, he'd be able to bloom anew as a wonderful idol.)
(Or, that was what should have happened.)
... What is this? What is he doing? Do you know anything about this?
Ibara: Perhaps, perhaps not? If I'm to be honest, even I'm taken back by this series of events!
This gathering was organised by Mr. HiMERU and his associate, funded out of their own pockets. It has nothing to do with idol work — it appears the students are gathering entirely of their own accord.
As I have various other projects on my hands, there is no way for me to keep a constant eye on the developments within Reimei Academy, please understand.
Ibara: As a result, my response to independent activities such as this has been rather delayed.
Were this an official idol activity, or work-related, then I would have been able to detect it early on from tells such as bank account activity and so forth.
Which is why I was late to become aware of even the movements of the gatherings within the Catacombs.
Were it not for that, then I would have stepped in to put a halt to things the moment Mr. Tatsumi Kazehaya began to build his suspicious religious cult-like group. After all, religion cannot be suppressed, which makes it far outside my field of expertise.
I thought we'd finally gotten a hold on that religion by way of giving them work and incorporating capitalism into the mix...
But this gathering truly was unexpected. I wonder what they're meeting about?
???: Hm. Then you and I are the same; I also came to see what, exactly, was going on.
Ibara: Oh, I’ve already made an educated guess on what might happen next, you know? However this came about, I’ve certainly predicted its conclusion!
The leaders of opposing powers meet, showing their solidarity by way of shaking hands in public. In this case, those leaders would be Mr. Tatsumi Kazehaya and Mr. HiMERU.
By doing so, they will strike down the long-standing feud between their two factions.
An era of peace shall descend upon Reimei Academy.
A-ha-ha! ☆ How magnificent! It'll end as happily as a fairy tale!
Ibara: ... But unfortunately, reality isn't so sweet.
The students of Reimei Academy have already fallen prey to the anger and hatred that have accumulated throughout their lives.
Towards those that they detest with all their being, they’re unable to sweep it all under the rug, and allow bygones be bygones.
Ibara: Well, if they did all band together as friends, then I'd be in something of a pickle myself! Mr. Tatsumi Kazehaya's ideology and capitalism don't mix well, after all. It sufficiently counters the latter.
That's no way to run a business, you see? I'm against the idea entirely.
The plan was to force him out of Reimei Academy entirely by pushing an unreasonable amount of expectations onto him, so much that his well-being would falter and he would drop out...
But unfortunately, it would seem Mr. Tatsumi Kazehaya is stronger than expected. Not once did he break, falter, or give in. Instead, he's done the opposite: no matter how persecuted he becomes, he only rises again and again from the ashes akin to a phoenix.
What a nuisance... Though at the same time, I do respect it. If we didn't have such a conflict of interest, I'd absolutely welcome such a stupendous person as a brother in arms!
And so, despite our differences, it truly is hard to watch a remarkable man fall victim to such ruin...
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Ibara: Oh, are you ignoring me? Well, no matter. I'll continue to talk nonetheless.
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???: ( — What are you doing, Kaname?)
(What on Earth are you thinking...?)
(Who told you to say any of that?! You're to do exactly as we ordered you to do! That was the agreement, don't just do as you'd like!)
(When you lost your esteemed title of Special Student, who was it that saved you?)
(Was it Tatsumi Kazehaya, the man you’re standing side-by-side with right now who has such a saintly smile on his face?)
???: (It wasn't! I did! I'm the one who helped you! No one else but me!)
(And yet here you are! Have you forgotten the debt you owe me...?!)
Ibara: Hmm~? My, what's this, whoever could this be~?
???: ...?!
Ibara: How strange! No matter how I look at you, you appear to be the renowned top idol of Reimei Academy — Mr. HiMERU, correct?
But right now, isn't Mr. HiMERU standing on the stage and making a speech? In that case, who is this observer over here?
???: ......
Ibara: Oh, are you ignoring me? Well, no matter. I'll continue to talk nonetheless.
My apologies if it grates on your ears! But you see, running my mouth like this is precisely how I conduct my business!
???: Who are you?
Ibara: That would be my line, but here, my card — this is who I am.
???: Ibara Saegusa, is it? You seem to be a manager affiliated with CosPro's company and institutions such as Reimei Academy and the like.
Ibara: Indeed. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, nameless stranger.
It's been you all along, hasn't it? You're the mysterious stranger who's been providing Mr. HiMERU with support from the shadows.
At first, I thought it was that person — the man who dwells within Reimei Academy, a monstrous existence who must not even be named.
The man whose very name is taboo within this industry...
That man has taken to residing on the school grounds, living and doing as he pleases. He's been fending for himself and doing things such as starting bonfires and grilling meat, it seems.
But it must be known that this man is no ordinary vagrant who has made the school into his home. The truth is that he's a legend of the industry — a lingering reminder of the original Super Idols.
He's a monster who built up the idol world on his own.
Well, that monster bore children left and right, and that is nothing unusual about him if that’s truly all he had to him. For the record, I, Ibara Saegusa, am one of that man's descendants as well.
But unlike me, that vagrant of Reimei Academy is a most untouchable existence.
Of course, I don't need to explain any of this to you, do I? Tojo —
???: I discarded that name.
I had no intention of ever being involved with the likes of you.
Afterwards, I left everything behind and sought a place abroad.
Ibara: Certainly, you have. I gathered similarly from the investigations I've conducted.
You discarded both your name and your face, becoming a disciple of a certain someone and mastering the art of disguise. In that way, you've lived on wearing many different faces, taking the place of others and acting on their behalf.
???: I only bought the technique to do so off of that man.
He approached me simply because I happened to have a slight blood relation to the original Super Idol.
He more forced the technique onto me than anything, though. While it's convenient, I don't feel any debt towards him for it.
I cast everything away. My name, my heart. My connections to others.
???: (Or I was supposed to, at least.)
(I received a letter from my father, who I hadn't heard from for the longest time.)
(Even now I haven't a clue of how he obtained my address, but I have a hunch that that man — the Priest — was involved.)
(Naturally, I immediately crumpled that letter into a ball and tossed it away without reading a word. He and I are strangers now, and it's annoying to be contacted out of the blue.)
(That's what I thought. But I found myself unsettled by my lack of knowledge of what it said, and so I read it.)
(Within, he wrote of a younger brother I had. And it just so happened that my brother was in a difficult situation, asking to be helped out.)
(Until that moment, I hadn't known I had a brother at all.)
(Without knowing anything at all, my younger sibling — Kaname Tojo — thoughtlessly became an idol.)
???: (What an idiot. A descendent from such a sinful family, tainted to the core by taboo—)
(Who, without knowing anything at all, became an idol.)
Kaname: Will this make you happy, Mom? Will you understand me, Brother?
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Kaname: "I know you Special Students may ask why you should care."
"That's why, as the poster child of you all, I'll demonstrate the benefits of it — no, I'll introduce you to a harsh reality."
"At the moment, our unit has a monopoly on nearly all of the work offered to the idols of Reimei Academy."
"These jobs were originally given only to the group that Tatsumi Kazehaya-senpai created..."
"But when he grew ill and wasn't able to perform, I took on the mantle he left behind."
"I was offered so much work, I wasn't able to do it all myself — and so I distributed it to other Special Students and had it done that way."
Kaname: "How was it, Special Students? Didn't you have fun working as idols?"
"But those jobs didn't count towards you. They were entrusted to the idol Tatsumi Kazehaya-senpai — we were merely acting as his proxies."
"In short, now that he's returned with improved health, there's no need for our involvement."
"I planned to return what was once Tatsumi-senpai's without complaint..."
"On one condition. That he forms a unit with me, as equals, so he won’t do everything on his own."
"From now on, we'll be doing everything that Tatsumi-senpai used to do alone."
"Distributing jobs, selecting suitable members, dividing the income we receive equally among everyone..."
"We'll work together to accomplish all of this together. That way, Tatsumi-senpai's burden is diminished and he remains in good health."
Tatsumi: "Fufu. When faced with such a passionate explanation, I couldn't help but agree. I could tell that HiMERU-san's feelings were sincere."
"He earnestly wished to help, to stake his life on alleviating my burden."
"No, his true wish was for the two of us to become one. He will become part of me, half of me — the way that the Messiah was an extension of God."
Kaname: "Simply being a follower or subordinate wasn't enough. I wouldn't be able to control him even if I were over his head either. In order to make good use of the unprecedented existence that was Tatsumi Kazehaya, I became a part of him."
"I'm managing the 'face' of the Super Idol Tatsumi Kazehaya, which he himself cannot even control."
"Rather, this is the only way that 'troublemaker' could be controlled."
"With that in mind, I made my decision."
Tatsumi: "Troublemaker, am I? Well, I suppose you're right."
"I pushed others around as I saw fit, claiming it was for their happiness. However, the more I forced it on them, the less happy they were."
"I wish to atone for that. I believe this is the only way that I can."
Tatsumi: "I couldn't handle it alone. It is impossible for one person."
"That is why I am adding to 'myself'. While I am only one person in the flesh, I will be giving a part of 'me' to HiMERU-san."
"We, as a colony, will be run like this from now. We will survive."
Kaname: (Ah... My dream, it's come true.)
(I said so, didn't I? I wanted to become you.)
(I wanted to be a brilliant existence, just like you. I wanted to become an idol that could make everyone smile. I wanted to become the precious, irreplaceable light that my mother loved so much.)
(I went to great lengths to make this happen. I even capitalized on the blind trust of the older brother I was so indebted to.)
(That lot in the catacombs called me a traitor for stealing Tatsumi-senpai's fortune away.)
(The Special Students were the same, saying I'd deceived them all for my own gain.)
(I want to become like you. No, I want to be you.)
(Now, everything will go well. Me, who climbed to the top and became the Special Student everyone would look up to, and Tatsumi-senpai, the savior of the Non-Special Students...)
(By joining forces, every student at Reimei Academy is under our control. The disparity that was the root of everyone's unhappiness will soon disappear.)
(From now on, our unit will assume responsibility of every job that comes in for the idols of Reimei Academy.)
(We'll distribute it fairly between Special and Non-Special Students alike.)
(After that, we'll split the profit fairly between them as well.)
(And at last, we'll have manifested a just and fair world, where no one is discriminated against. We’ll create the very utopia that Tatsumi-senpai envisioned.)
Kaname: (There'll be some opposition at first, of course. It'll be difficult to stand side-by-side with one another and think of the other side as a comrade.)
(The Special and Non-Special Students hate each other far too much not to fuss.)
(But that's why we're going to change the system, even if we have to do it by force. We'll get rid of the differences between the two of them and erase the line previously drawn.)
(From here on... We will control all of the idol work that comes into Reimei Academy. If you won't become one of 'us', then you can't be an idol.)
Kaname: ("We" are the only ones who can be idols.)
(That's why everyone'll have to become part of 'us' if they want to keep their heads above water after this.)
(And once they become one of 'us,' there won't be exceptions to the rules. You're treated equally, whether you're a Special Student or not. Even if you hate it.)
(The disparity will disappear. While the Special Students will remain such in name, we'll be the ones who manage the students on behalf of the school.)
(An ideal system.)
(Eventually, we'll expand our sphere of influence — and take control of the whole idol industry. That way, we'll create an ideal world where everyone can be happy.)
(As everything in the industry falls to ruin, we'll live on together just like that.)
(The road to that world is a long and hard one, but...)
(There is hope. Tatsumi Kazehaya is our compass.)
(He really is amazing. He's a true idol — unlike me.)
(Unlike me, who's experienced only with mistakes.)
(Everyone's sure to be happy with someone like him at the helm. He'll never abandon me either, even if I'm utterly useless, and let me live as an idol.)
Tatsumi: We are mirrors of one another, kindred souls.
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Location: At the same time, on the stage of Reimei Academy's "Third Auditorium"
Tatsumi: "My beloved peers of Reimei Academy, thank you for coming."
"I, Tatsumi Kazehaya, have something of great importance to tell you all today."
Kaname: ......
Tatsumi: (Whispering) Hm... They don't seem particularly pleased, though I expected as much.
The Special Students don't seem to like how I’m speaking on my own at the moment. If it wasn't for your persuasion, HiMERU-san, I don't believe any of them would have shown up.
Kaname: I didn't really persuade them, I just gave them money.
Or rather, I gave them the job of gathering here as an audience, with a promise of receiving more concessions and such for their future work.
The time for compassion and persuasion has long passed, Tatsumi-senpai.
Tatsumi: Not so. I'm certain that anyone who isn't a Special Student must feel sympathetic — look at everyone who's come who won't be getting a cent out of it.
Kaname: That's because they're still expecting great things from you. They have hope you might be able to change this hellhole of a school.
Tatsumi: ......
Kaname: Anyway, let's stop chit-chatting and return to the topic at hand. The money I tossed around will be a waste otherwise.
Kaname: ... In the end, I wasn't as beloved as you were.
Reimei Academy's Top Idol. It feels like a position I just bought rather than earned. The academy's higher-ups would give me plenty of money...
And using that, I simply got to where I am today. But in the end… no one, not a single person, loved me the way they did you.
Do you hate me for learning such dirty tricks, Tatsumi-senpai?
Tatsumi: Of course not. In fact, I believe that knowledge must be your strength — I respect you for doing what I could not.
Kaname: You really do speak from the heart. Don't ever become like me, senpai.
Remain as pure as you are in this moment.
Better yet, I'll do all I can to ensure that you do.
I've made up my mind. Maybe I am an idiot, but in my own stupid way I've thought desperately of what I could do and chosen my own path.
I want to die for your ideology.
With you as a model for sainthood, I'll become a bit of a better person than I am now.
Tatsumi: I am not a saint, however...
If someone believes in me, if they expect something of me, then I shall act as they wish. Though it would be disrespectful to myself — though it is most certainly a sin to the body as a vessel of life...
If it would make others even a little bit happier, then I will gladly wear a crown of thorns.
Amen.
Tatsumi: "— Students of Reimei Academy."
"Are you happy right now?"
"I would like each of you to put your hand to your heart and truly give my question some thought. Are you satisfied with the life you've lived thus far? Are you lacking in something? Do you feel as if you've experienced misfortune?"
"No matter your answer, I ask that you listen to my announcement until the end."
"I have decided that HiMERU-san and I shall form a unit from today on, for the sake of bringing a little more happiness to the Academy.
"Fufu. Those of us in Reimei Academy might not be too familiar with such a concept, of course..."
"However, the concept is more normalized within another long standing idol training school, Yumenosaki Academy."
"In short, an idol unit is exactly as it implies: rather than doing things individually, he and I shall be performing them as a group."
"A 'unit' shares a common destiny. They are alike to a family, company, or even a nation."
Tatsumi: "We are mirrors of one another, kindred souls."
"As we move together from hereon, all that we earn will be distributed fairly among our members."
"Those who have previously joined me in the catacombs will understand what I mean when I say that."
"However, those who are Special Students may not be as aware of this arrangement. In Reimei Academy, our rewards are based on how well we do individually; it's a very result-focused system."
"I'd like to ask that all Special Students adhere to this arrangement from here on. Our unit shall not allow any one person to monopolize wealth nor to run wild on their own."
"In doing so, we shall seek a joyous future where one and all can live together fairly."
Tatsumi: "... I see there's some pushback. You may be asking yourself, ‘Why should I work for others when I can simply work for myself? Why should they reap the rewards I sow?’"
"However, this is the best way forward. Let us say, as an example, that you make a mistake or incur an injury and can no longer work."
"Or rather than earning money, you find yourself falling into debt."
"Our unit would never abandon anyone to such a fate."
"By taking responsibility on behalf of the individual affected, we will compensate for their losses and ensure that no one falls victim to circumstances outside of their control."
Tatsumi: "The present day idol industry is on a decline. As a result, there are numerous pitfalls that can cause one to fall to ruin; we'd like to support one another in such times of despair, to overcome them."
"No, we absolutely must support one another if we wish to survive. Unfortunate as it is, we have already been driven to such a point."
"I'm sure some of you have already realized that by now."
Tatsumi: "This is Hell. We aren't able to live as we once did, not when the end is nigh."
"It is already so difficult to breathe — and if you allow your attention to slip for even a moment, you face miserable repercussions immediately."
Kaname: " — We wish to change that."
"From this moment on, we are inviting you all to form a unit with us."
"Through a simple process, you will be welcomed immediately as one of ‘us’."
Tatsumi: "And finally, the most important point: all are welcome to join us, whether you are a Special Student or not."
"Unfortunately, as it stands... We, who are Special Students, and those who are not, dislike each other immensely."
"I'm certain that there will be a great many who won't wish to work together."
"However... If you can, please swallow your doubts and walk with us. I firmly believe this is the only path towards a happier future."
"Ideally speaking, we'd like to make every student in Reimei Academy part of our unit — and in doing so, have a truly fair and just school."
"All would work, and all would reap the rewards sown equally."
"At present, you gain only a little by stepping on the backs of others so arrogantly — it's a deplorable practice, so let's stop it."
"If it continues, then the disparity will never disappear. If we do not strive to create an impartial environment, then there will always be those who are fated to be trampled on."
Tatsumi: "I don't wish to witness such a sight any longer."
Jun: 'Course, if you were to think of me as a friend... then I'd obviously be happy about it.
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
HiMERU: Hm... So he speaks like that, does he?
— Well then, I wanted to ask you a few questions.
Jun: Ah, uh... Sure, but why’re you getting all formal with me…?
HiMERU: — One moment. Allow me to search my memory.
You are Jun Sazanami, correct?
Jun: Seriously? You know this shit, so why're you acting like we're meeting for the first time? Tryna act like you're beyond even remembering my name again?
That's pretty nasty of you. To an idol, getting your name forgotten is something worse than death... That's what my shitty old man says all the time.
Well, not that you could even call me an idol, the way I am now.
HiMERU: Mm. Considering your attitude... Are you perhaps a friend of HiMERU's?
Jun: A friend... isn't quite how I'd put it, nah. We're not strangers, either, but I don't think you could really call us friends...
Jun: 'Course, if you were to think of me as a friend... then I'd obviously be happy about it.
HiMERU: Is that so? Nonetheless, it seems as if you do have some connection to him. I suppose this is what they call a stroke of good luck.
Do you know what HiMERU is doing at this very moment?
Jun: 'Scuse me...? What're you going on about? "What he's doing" — well, you're right here talking to me, yeah? What kinda riddle is this?
HiMERU: Hm... Allow me to rephrase the question. Have you heard what HiMERU is scheduled to do today?
Jun: Why're you asking me that? As if I'd know what your schedule is, man.
You're weird as ever, huh?
HiMERU: — Yes. HiMERU is a rather interesting existence.
Jun: Seriously, why do you keep talking like you’re someone else?
... but um, either today or tomorrow, Kazehaya-senpai's planning on standing upon a newly set-up stage within the school.
And you said something 'bout wanting to perform on it too, didn'tcha?
You'd been practicing hard every day lately so you could make the most of such an opportunity if it ever happened, right?
Looks like you're real busy, going all out to the point you've even been skipping class for it.
HiMERU: — Yes. And without our permission, as well. That is what I don't understand.
HiMERU has always been obedient, and never once has he gone against our instruction. Recently, however, it seems as if he's been moving about beneath our nose.
It's rather strange... There are a large number of discrepancies between the reports he's given us and the truth, which is certainly suspicious.
That is why I have taken the time to come here, so that I could meet HiMERU in person and ascertain the truth.
... Just once, I'd like to see HiMERU on stage for myself.
Jun: What the hell are you going on about? You alright? Worn yourself out a lil' too much?
Well, not that I hate that part about you. You may look like a flawless idol and all on the outside, but you're kinda a mess on the inside.
HiMERU: — HiMERU is not only flawless in appearance, but as a whole, isn't he?
Jun: Yeah, yeah. That's what you always say, but it's all just lip service.
You may have the reputation of thriving as Reimei's top idol these days, but I heard that the truth is you're just constantly making mistakes.
Doing stuff like forgetting the names of your colleagues, or messing up with your song and dance...
HiMERU: ...?
Jun: All the higher-ups sweep 'em under the table since they don't want Reimei's name to take a hit, though. The Non-Specials often make fun of you, y'know? They say you're pretty awful.
HiMERU: ......
Jun: But I mean, I'm pretty jealous that you get to even just stand on a stage, HiMERU. You might kinda suck as an idol right now, but with enough experience, who knows, you may become a real one eventually —
Well, just keep doing your best and don't give up. I sure hope you don't end up hitting rock-bottom like me again.
As for me, I'm cheering you on. You may be hard to get a handle on sometimes, but anyone can tell you're real serious 'bout it all.
HiMERU: What are you talking about?
Jun: What?
HiMERU: HiMERU is considered flawless and as the Top Idol by all, isn't he?
Jun: Like I said, that's only what you keep insisting, yeah? You suck ass as an idol, so God knows where you got your oddly high confidence from, man.
Are ya getting carried away with how much people call you a top idol? Or maybe not — you've been this way from the very first time I met you.
HiMERU: That can't be... No, perhaps—
— Jun Sazanami. Thank you for the information, but I must be going — I must ascertain the truth of the matter immediately.
Jun: Sure... Well, what the hell was that all about?
Jun: Haha. Honestly, from our very first meeting all the way 'til now, you've always been completely incomprehensible, huh?
...Everything else in Reimei just keeps changing for the worse, but knowing that at least one thing's constant here helps to keep me going.
Jun: You're talking in third person now, huh? What's going on, your pretty lil' face trying your hand at acting or something?
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Time: A few days later
Location: In Reimei's Labour Camp room
Jun: (And in the end, nothing changed one bit.)
(Every last thing was pointless and meaningless, all amounting to nothing.)
(Even though Kazehaya-senpai worked himself to the bone at the cost of his own health, Reimei Academy continues to be a living hell. In fact, it feels like it's just getting worse.)
(With HiMERU as their figurehead, the Special Students have been snatching away work meant for Kazehaya-senpai, and they're living their best lives getting to perform to their hearts' desire.)
(It's plain to see how carried away they're getting. They're all kicking back and laughing, looking entirely too pleased with their success.)
(And to make things worse, they've been treating us Non-Specials even more harshly than before.)
Jun: (It's ironic, really. All Kazehaya-senpai wanted was a future where everyone could live in peace and harmony together.)
(But until a lil' while ago, the Specials were getting their jobs stolen away by the Non-Special gang of the Catacombs)
(So they’re probably hanging onto a grudge over that, ‘cause they've gotten crazy aggressive with us these days.)
(They'll openly curse us out even in front of others, and they even get all rough and violent with us. The hell's the police even doing? This is obviously all kinds of fucked up.)
(The Specials straight up see us as enemies, now.)
(They treated us like servants in the past, but now they treat us like literal vermin. Like it's a given they'd wanna crush us underfoot the moment they so much as catch a glimpse of us.)
(But despite that, weirdly enough, Non-Specials refuse to run.)
(Do they think we're gonna turn the tables on 'em once Kazehaya-senpai recovers and makes his comeback?)
(I don't really hang around the other Non-Specials, so honestly, it beats me what they're thinking...)
(I sure hope they're not getting up to no good, though...)
Jun: (They've been meeting up in the Catacombs just as usual, and it kinda seems like they've got something shady in the works.)
(I'm getting bad vibes from it all... Thanks to Kazehaya-senpai, Non-Specials got to experience what it's like to stand on the stage, even if only for a moment.)
(They got to learn what it's like to become an idol.)
(To have your dreams come true, surrounded by a dazzling radiance...)
(They got to know the joys of being alive.)
(But then everything changed, and everything they were supposed to have in their hands was stolen away by the Specials.)
(There's no way they wouldn't come to start resenting 'em.)
(Even those who'd given up and figured that this was just how things were — they got to realise that actually, it wasn't.)
Jun: (It was 'cause of Kazehaya-senpai that the Non-Specials came to learn the taste of success, and lots of it. They learned that even without being a Special Student, they could achieve success, and become happy.)
(And that’s why, more than ever, they’ve started to resent the fact that we’ve got these Special and Non-Special labels forced upon us.)
(Non-Specials have started to question Reimei's unreasonable system all over again. Everyone's stress is building up from being forced to follow it.)
(This place is a powder keg waiting to blow and something's gonna set it off any time now.)
(Y'know, HiMERU, once someone realises their hard-earned gains are being stolen away by an intruder, it's only human nature that they'd resent them.)
(That's why Special Students have just gone harder in oppressing us Non-Specials, isn't it?)
(But in the same way, Non-Specials have started to resent them right back. They see 'em as the enemy who kicked them off the stage, and bear a grudge against 'em for that.)
Jun: (Up 'til now, that wasn't how things always were. Sure, we never really liked each other, but it's not like we were straight up enemies.)
(We just saw each other as someone unpleasant who we had to coexist with. Now, however... both sides see the other as a detested enemy.)
(Even though all Kazehaya-senpai wished for was love...)
(The very opposite happened — it was hatred that built up instead.)
(For these two factions, festering with mutual resentment, Reimei Academy is the tiny cage in which they'll face off.)
(This place is a ticking time bomb...)
(And it's gonna go off with a terrible explosion the very first chance it gets.)
(It's a disaster waiting to happen — one that'll blast everything to bits.)
Jun: ......
(But y'know, that might not be too bad. I mean, maybe this shitty dump of a school should get blown up and reduced to nothing but rubble —)
HiMERU: Hey.
Jun: ...!? Woah, huh?
HiMERU?
HiMERU: .......
Jun: H-huh? What're you doing here? You returned to the Special Student dorms ages ago — don't tell me you'd forgotten something here at the Labour Camp and came back to get it only after all this time?
HiMERU: Tch... So you know of HiMERU?
Well, it'd be a surprise if you didn't know of him by now.
I was the one who facilitated his rise to the top, after all. In fact, it'd be an issue if he wasn't a household name.
Jun: His rise... You're talking in third person now, huh? What's going on, your pretty lil' face trying your hand at acting or something?
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Tatsumi: Idols are those who bring smiles to others’ faces, after all.
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Kaname: ......
(Okay. Now that I've finished reporting to my brother, I've got to get onto my next job.)
(Hm? Wasn't I supposed to have lessons today? I thought I was doing something else...)
(I'll check my schedule — my brother's perfected it down to the second, so I'll know for sure then.)
(I have to follow it precisely. As long as I do exactly as he says, then I'll be fine.)
(I have to heed his instructions at all costs. I have to. No matter how hard it gets, I have to—)
... Hm?
(Huh? Who's that walking past the window... Wait, is that—)
Location: Reimei Practice Room
Kaname: —Tatsumi-senpai!
Tatsumi: ......
Kaname: I thought that maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it really is you!
But... W-What are you doing here? Weren't you hospitalized?
Tatsumi: ... Ah, HiMERU-san. Good afternoon.
It's been some time since we last spoke, hasn't it? Have you lost some weight? I've heard that you've been flourishing lately, but it's best to rest every now and then.
Kaname: That's my line! You look terrible, senpai.
Why would you come back to school when you're still sick? Are you an idiot?
Tatsumi: Hahaha. I might just be an idiot, truthfully.
I was merely staying in a hospital, you see, not some prison where I'd be isolated from the world. I was still able to have a connection with those outside.
Though there were restrictions on when and where one could visit, patients are still able to use the internet and write letters to the outside world.
Kaname: What are you going on about?
Tatsumi: How wonderful life is, of course.
I was truly blown away by just how many people were calling for me to return. Not only the staff I had worked with, but all of my fans...
As well as my companions, with whom I worked beside and ate with.
So many people wished to speak with me again. How could I ever ignore their countless requests?
I decided then that I'd do as they asked no matter what it took, even if I should die.
Kaname: You really will die though. I'm serious. You were hospitalized for physical and mental reasons, Tatsumi-senpai — you don't look recovered at all, you know?
I can tell just looking at you. You know people really do die like this, don't you?
Their luck runs out, they push themselves too far — and then they die.
If you died, then all those who wished for your return would mourn you instead.
Please get your priorities straightened out, Tatsumi-senpai.
Tatsumi: I can feel your worry through your chiding, and I'm grateful for it.
In the perspective of others, particularly here at Reimei Academy, you and I are whom Special and Non-Special Students look to respectively...
As such, there seems to be rumors of us having something of a conflict of interests, as their representatives of a kind.
Kaname: To those who haven't a clue of what's going on, that's exactly what it looks like. In truth, I have acted as if I was taking what is rightfully yours.
Everyone thinks you must resent me for it, too. Anyone would.
Tatsumi: But I don't.
In fact, I'm grateful that you've continued my work while I was gone.
Kaname: Is that so? How like you, Tatsumi-senpai.
I know from the bottom of my heart, without a shadow of a doubt, that you don't resent me whatsoever.
Just as Judas Iscariot betrayed a saint for nothing more than chump change, so have I. But you won't resent me for it— you'll only grant me love and affirmation, won't you?
You'd even forgive those who'd crucify and kill you, wouldn't you!
Tatsumi: I am no saint, but thank you for thinking of me as such, however ridiculous the claim.
It'd be embarrassing to put me on the same level as those genuine saints who lived long ago.
I simply want to live up to everyone's expectations. I wish I could have shown you my hospital room, filled with fanmail from those who missed me.
Each one was filled with love, from every person I’ve met...
I want to give back the love I've received. I want them to feel as warm as I did reading each one.
It sounds rather odd, doesn't it?
But I do love everyone.
And, like anyone else, I want those I love to be happy as well.
Kaname: Then listen to me. If you were to collapse and die, no one would be happy! They'd just cry their eyes out and mourn you instead!
Honestly, Tatsumi-senpai, you've really screwed up your priorities.
You're so stupid I could laugh, you idiot.
Tatsumi: If I've made you laugh, then I've done my job well...
Tatsumi: Idols are those who bring smiles to others’ faces, after all.
Kaname: ......
Tatsumi: You know, HiMERU-san, I do want to be an idol.
I don't want to be the reverend of a shady religious following; I want to be someone who can be loved by others.
Kaname: They'll have to pry this position out of my cold, dead hands.
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Time: An hour later
Location: Outside Reimei Academy
Kaname: ... Hello, big brother?
Uh huh. So you saw my latest show? Thanks for watching.
Heehee. Yes, it's all thanks to you.
By following your instructions to the word, doing all that you've said to do during my performances, my work has been flawless.
I'm not lacking whatsoever as Reimei Academy's Top Idol.
And thanks to my good reputation, I've been offered job after job!
Kaname: Ah, yes... I've been doing as you instructed, of course. I’ve passed off work I can’t get to towards the other Special Students.
They're ever so grateful to me for it. I'm praised, flattered, and adored by them now...
... Even though beforehand, after I'd fallen from their ranks due to that taboo mistake I'd made, they'd done nothing but ridicule me.
They treated me as if I wasn't a human anymore, either ignoring my existence or only acknowledging me to insult me.
Kaname: And now they've flipped back the other way, like it all never happened — but they're too late. I won't ever, ever forget the humiliation I faced at their hands.
Honestly, I don't even want to get into their good graces by giving them the jobs I can't fulfill— it feels like I'm trying to butter them up.
They should all burn in Hell.
They should feel the same pain as their victims did, and then die.
Kaname: ... Oh, yes, I'm fine. I'm perfect, after all. I don't show any sign of those sentiments to them, of course. I simply do exactly as you tell me to.
Honestly, I do! Don't you trust me, brother?
Heehee. We didn't know of one another for the longest time, so we haven't been able to bond the way other brothers normally do...
In fact... we might not ever be able to bond, rely on, or even love one another the way a true family should.
But you know, I do want to love you. As your younger brother, I want to love you as my older brother.
Kaname: For as long as I can remember, I've always lived on my own.
When I was young, my mother passed away…
Then I tried to survive within a facility with a miserable environment — with only the dreams my mother entrusted to me, and the lessons she taught me held close to my heart.
In that disgusting facility, I and the other children were exploited for all we were worth —
I worked half to death trying to save up money from jobs I picked up, just so I could run away from that prison.
I wasn't even given a proper education there. No, it wasn't a place someone could grow up well and learn what they needed to know.
It was Hell, where we did all that we could just to survive.
So I studied. I studied, I worked hard, I did everything I could—
And in the end, all my efforts were rewarded: I became an idol, just as I'd always dreamed!
Kaname: As a Special Student of Reimei Academy, I was finally able to walk such a glorious path.
I really was happy. Truly overjoyed. My life couldn't have gotten better.
And then... because of a stupid slip of the tongue, I fell from the summit into the ranks of the Non-Special Students — I couldn't stand it.
Kaname: My blood, sweat, and tears went into climbing out of Hell, only to fall right back to the bottom of it—
But thanks to you, I was able to escape once again.
That's why I don't wanna make the same mistake I did before and fall back in.
This time, I'll do everything perfectly. I won't make a single mistake.
Kaname: They'll have to pry this position out of my cold, dead hands.
I'll fulfill the dreams of my poor mother, who died far too young, and... that'll be how I repay her for giving birth to me, for raising me until she couldn't anymore.
My mother is dead. There's no Heaven or Hell — or any kind of afterlife at all, is there? No matter what happens to me, she won't be able to feel a single thing.
But... It was my love for her that kept me going through those hellish times.
Kaname: Uh huh! My mother is a God to me. I can't switch my doctrine from her words, and I can't abandon my faith now.
It's what I've built my life on. The very backbone of my existence — they're everything to me.
You think it's ridiculous, don't you, brother?
You're strong, and it seems as if you're fine living on your own. You gave up what I desperately wanted for so long, so easily—
And nevertheless you live on, put together as can be.
Ah, I don't resent you or anything, though. I really am impressed.
I could never do what you did, or live how you do.
I'd collapse far too easily without emotional support. I know that, because I've lived in such cruel circumstances.
I absolutely had to have something I could hold on to, or else I couldn’t have kept on living.
Maybe it was because I was selfish, or inconsiderate— something like that, but everyone around me gave me the cold shoulder.
The only person who I'd ever felt love from was my mother. That's why I've placed my faith in her, why I've clung so tightly to her.
She had always been my support. But now, I have you too — someone else I can call family, so I feel a little more stable.
Kaname: Heehee... I really am thankful I met you, brother.
This must be a reward for all my hard work. No, it's certainly because God realized he'd trampled on me far too much and decided to apologize in this way.
God doesn't exist? You would think so, wouldn't you?
You might understand once you've found yourself at rock bottom.
The panic to cling on to something warm, as if you’d freeze to death.
Right. Okay. Instead of chattering endlessly, I should do what I'm supposed to. I'll do as you ask.
Hey, so... Will I really find happiness if I do that?
Kaname: (... Ahaha, he hung up. I wonder if my clinginess disgusted him.)
(He really does seem to hate idleness and inefficiency. Maybe he's annoyed by my affection and dependence on him...)
Kaname: (But... I really do need something to cling to just to survive.)
