#zool

(Rainbow City Live Hall)

Touma Inumaru: Sorry to keep you waiting! We are…

ŹOOĻ: ŹOOĻ!

Audience: Kyaaaaaaa....…!!

Minami Natsume: From this moment on, let us spend a secret, dangerous night together that belongs only to us.

Audience: Kyaaaaaaa…...!!

Haruka Isumi: Welcome to "Opening Festival ŹOOĻ.”

Haruka Isumi: Everyone, you ready? If you so much as look away, I won’t forgive you.

Haruka Isumi: Burn our songs into your very souls before you leave!

Audience: Kyaaaaaaa…....!!

Torao Mido: That’s still not enough! Come on, raise your voices louder!

Torao Mido: Let’s kick off this ultimate party, one you’ll never forget once you’ve experienced it.

Audience: Kyaaaaaaa...…!!

Touma Inumaru: Alright. Let’s dive into some seriously bad fun!

Touma Inumaru: You guys wanna hear our new song at this live, don't you!?

Audience: Kyaaaaaaa…....!!

Audience: A new song....…!?

Audience: Is it for a drama or something!? Or maybe for a commercial!?

Haruka Isumi: Listen up, all of you! Focus on nothing but our voices and your own heartbeat until the very end!

Audience: Kyaaaaaaa...…!!

Haruka Isumi: More, more — strip it all away! Get down to your raw selves and remember your desires! Crave us more……

Haruka Isumi: Crave ŹOOĻ more!

Audience: Kyaaaaaaa...…!!

Touma Inumaru: This is the best! Let’s keep it going and become one! We’re starting with this song!

Touma Inumaru: “ZONE OF OVERLAP”!

Audience: Kyaaaaaaa…...!!

(Cut to the Tsukumo Productions office)

Shiro Utsugi: Everyone, a new job has come in for you — you’ve been asked to act as supporters for a documentary program.

Haruka Isumi: Supporters?

Touma Inumaru: Us as supporters? That’s kinda rare. Might even be a first…...?

Shiro Utsugi: It’s a well-known program you’re all familiar with. Take a look at these materials…...

Torao Mido: “A Cappella Dream”...… Oh, it's the show that features the National High School A Cappella Competition!

Minami Natsume: The winning school earns a ticket to compete in the world championship, correct?

Minami Natsume: I believe Re:vale have served as supporters before as well.

Haruka Isumi: I used to watch it all the time! I was in a choir before, so I love a cappella. One of my acquaintances even appeared on it.

Touma Inumaru: Woah, really?

Haruka Isumi: Yeah. They were a high schooler when I had just joined. They only showed up for a moment on TV, but the whole choir cheered them on together…....

Shiro Utsugi: It sounds like this show holds a lot of memories for you, Isumi-san.

Haruka Isumi: Yeah, I guess.

Shiro Utsugi: This time, they plan not only to cover the national competition, but also document the journey all the way to the world championship as a single cohesive piece.

Shiro Utsugi: They would very much like for ŹOOĻ to act as supporters — to cheer on the team representing Japan at the world level.

Touma Inumaru: Of course I'd love to do it! What about you guys?

Haruka Isumi: Obviously I wanna do it! And they’re high schoolers, so it’ll probably be easy to talk to them since they’ll be around my age.

Torao Mido: Sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind doing it.

Minami Natsume: I have no objections either. However, may I ask just one question?

Shiro Utsugi: Of course.

Minami Natsume: Why us? I don’t believe we’re perceived by the viewers as the type of idols who support or cheer others on.

Torao Mido: That's true…...

Shiro Utsugi: You’re absolutely right.

Shiro Utsugi: From the perspective of viewers who aren’t deeply familiar with idols, ŹOOĻ still hasn’t gained much recognition among the older generations.

Shiro Utsugi: In fact, there’s a high chance you’re misunderstood as a group that’s too intense and provocative.

Shiro Utsugi: That’s precisely why we hope that appearing on a nationally popular program like this will help refresh ŹOOĻ’s public image.

Touma Inumaru: I see.

Haruka Isumi: Then...… if we mess up, they're just going to be like, “What's wrong with those guys?” again?

Torao Mido: Honestly, isn’t this kind of job more suited for “beloved" idol groups like Re:vale, TRIGGER, or IDOLiSH7?

Shiro Utsugi: …………

Shiro Utsugi: I can’t deny that aspect.

Haruka Isumi, thinking: (At least try to back us up…...)

Touma Inumaru, thinking: (Come on, say something…...)

Torao Mido, thinking: (Don’t just accept that we’re not beloved idols without pushing back…...)

Minami Natsume, thinking: (Now then, I’m quite curious to see how he intends to persuade us to accept this job from here.)

Shiro Utsugi: However, personally, I… well...... I strongly — very strongly — believe that all of you possess the power to support others.

Haruka Isumi: What if you're the only one who thinks that?

Shiro Utsugi: Um, I think it should be fine…...

Torao Mido: Yeah that doesn’t sound reassuring at all…...

Touma Inumaru: So what makes you think it’ll be fine? Knowing you, Utsugi-san, you’ve got a reason, right?

Touma Inumaru: Actually, I’ve got one too. A reason I think these guys are suited for providing support to others…... But I wanna hear yours first.

Shiro Utsugi: Understood.

Haruka Isumi: Don’t make it all formal — just say it quickly. You’re making me nervous.

Shiro Utsugi: Understood.

Torao Mido: I’m more the type who wants a proper, thorough explanation from the beginning, though.

Shiro Utsugi: ….... Understood.

Minami Natsume: Personally, I find I’m more motivated when there’s a bit of distance — when one isn’t overly accommodating, perhaps even slightly uninterested in me.

Shiro Utsugi: …………

Shiro Utsugi: Understood.

Shiro Utsugi: And you, Inumaru-san?

Touma Inumaru: Me? I’d rather not have things hidden or sugarcoated — just hit me with it all at once. I'm the type who reacts like, “Whaaat!?” and just figures it out from there somehow.

Shiro Utsugi: …………

Shiro Utsugi: ...… For now, would it be acceptable if I tailor my explanation to match Leader Inumaru-san’s preference?

Minami Natsume & Haruka Isumi & Torao Mido: That’s not fair!!

Shiro Utsugi: Understood. Then perhaps we should hold individual meetings.......

Touma Inumaru: Nah, it's fine! Guys, I’ll explain it instead. The reason why I think ŹOOĻ is suited to provide support to others.

Touma Inumaru: I think...… what Utsugi-san and I are thinking is probably the same.

Haruka Isumi: ….... What is it?

Touma Inumaru: The reason you guys— no, the reason we are suited for it…...

Touma Inumaru: Is because we’ve been the ones who never had any support.

Minami Natsume & Haruka Isumi & Torao Mido: …………

Touma Inumaru: Because we’ve experienced what it’s like for people to think, “Your wish doesn’t have to come true” — whether that was out of malice, indifference, or even kindness.

Touma Inumaru: Maybe it was because we had flaws. Or maybe we weren’t good enough. Even so…...

Touma Inumaru: You guys probably understand better than anyone what it feels like to want someone to cheer for you.

Touma Inumaru: We envied the ones being cheered for. We wished even a single one of those cheers would be directed at us.

Touma Inumaru: Watching those who succeed, those who are loved, thinking, “Why not me?” “What’s wrong with me…?”

Touma Inumaru: Feeling like you could just scream, “Can’t someone cheer for me too!?”

Haruka Isumi: ………… Yeah, maybe.....

Minami Natsume: …………

Torao Mido: …………

Touma Inumaru: Those experiences were painful…... but they’ve stayed with us, in our hearts and bodies, as something we carry within us now.

Touma Inumaru: And now it’s time to use them. We should understand better than anyone, right?

Touma Inumaru: The loneliness of not having any support…... of feeling like you’re not wanted.

Touma Inumaru: How much it means when someone says “You can do it.” That warmth you feel — like you’ve been allowed to stand your ground and keep going.

Touma Inumaru: Let’s go and pass that feeling on to them.

Haruka Isumi: Touma…...

Touma Inumaru: Sure, we're not the kind of idols who are loved by everyone.

Touma Inumaru: There might be people who think we're crude or savage. But still......

Touma Inumaru: It's because we’re idols who weren’t chosen that there’s a kind of support only we can provide. We can support them in a way that’s true to us.

Torao Mido: ………… Support them in a way that's true to us, huh....…

Shiro Utsugi: It's exactly as Inumaru-san said. You are people who have known setbacks and hardship. And you have also known glory.

Minami Natsume: Glory…...?

Shiro Utsugi: The Red Hill Festival. You challenged the world and won its applause. [1]

Shiro Utsugi: I'm not sure how you view yourselves…...

Shiro Utsugi: But to the high school students about to take on the world, you will surely appear as radiant as the morning sun — figures they can look up to.

ŹOOĻ: …………

Touma Inumaru: We’re….....

Haruka Isumi: …... People to look up to…...

Minami Natsume & Torao Mido: …………

Shiro Utsugi: What do you think? Would you like to give this job a try?

ŹOOĻ: …………

Shiro Utsugi: …... Are you hesitant?

ŹOOĻ: ….. We’ll do it……

Shiro Utsugi: Ahh, thank god.

Shiro Utsugi: Then, let me explain the details. First, there will be the National High School A Cappella Competition to determine Japan’s representative.

Shiro Utsugi: Three teams who have won their regional qualifiers — representing Aichi, Kyoto, and Shizuoka — will compete in the finals.

Shiro Utsugi: During the finals, we’d like ŹOOĻ to watch over the stage up close as supporters.

Minami Natsume: Understood. It is an important role that could influence the morale of the finals.

Haruka Isumi: Let’s do our best...… so everyone can give it their all.

Torao Mido: Yeah…... so they can compete without any regrets.

Touma Inumaru: Yeah! Let’s run alongside all the a cappella teams aiming for the world!

Shiro Utsugi: Natsume-san, they’ve also requested that ŹOOĻ perform the theme song for this program.

Haruka Isumi: Minami, make it the ultimate cheer song, alright!?

Minami Natsume: Of course. Please leave it to me.

Minami Natsume: A fight song that is true to us — one only we can sing.......

Minami Natsume: No, I will compose an anthem.

To be continued…

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