★1801EV-MAIN2 | SS

Written by: Akira
Timeline: Winter

Prologue

/ 1

> Rooftop (Press conference)

Subaru: “Pre-SS Emergency Special! Trickstar vs Eden, Live Debate☆Till Morning…!”

Nagisa: “Behold! For this is the idols’ front lines…!

…Nn? Wait. We’re doing this until morning?

…I didn’t hear about that. Ibara, did you properly prepare the script?

…I’m worried that I won’t be able to stay in-character until morning without a script.

…There’s been an overhaul to my character since Autumn Live too, and I haven’t fully adapted yet.”

Ibara: “Whoops! Your Excellency, lower your voice when you say such things, please!

Excuse me~ Can the editing team do this to that part just now?♪ (makes a cutting motion with his hand)”

Hokuto: “They’re already encountering recording problems. Is Eden doing fine…?

No, maybe it’s all their calculated act? If so, they are very fearsome.”

Makoto: “Sometimes, I also get scared thinking all that comedic airheadedness might be your calculated act, Hidaka-kun… Honestly, I think you’re a genius.”

Hokuto: “? Thank you. I’m happy you complimented me.”

Subaru: “Hey, hey! Since we’re just getting started, how about we throw out that one just now and record from the start again?

Oh, but this was live, wasn’t it?”

Jun: “We do pretend it’s live debate, but it shouldn’t actually be live~

Our agency doesn’t allow that, so they wouldn’t have accepted the job.”

Hiyori: “Well, we’re high school students with unstable output.

The agency prefers to be excessively cautious and avoid the occurrence of unpredictable situations when they can.

And, as a matter of fact, we would catch a cold, debating in these cold winds until morning! A foul weather!

It feels like we might freeze over! It’s right before SS, so I’d prefer to not hurt my throat.”

Mao: “Ahaha. It’s midwinter, so it’s still cold even with a heater. …Honestly, why the rooftop of all places?”

Nagisa: “…I do enjoy the nice view, though.

…Ah. Look, look; there’s greenery budding amidst the snow.”

Ibara: “Ooh, then spring might be coming in no time! Where is this bud you speak of? I’d like to see it as well! I’d like to share the same sights as His Excellency…☆

Aah, might it be…? Is it next to that stone pillar, rumored to be a memorial for those lost to suicide? Mr. Cameraman, zoom to that side if you please!”

Announce: <First question.

Why did you all choose to become idols?>

Ibara: “Did you just ignore the flow of our conversation to get on with the program, Anzu-san!? As always, you can’t seem to take a hint! Aah, I meant it in a good way!

But really, it is a relief to see that you are back on your feet already♪

I heard that you got hospitalized for some time!

I was really worried for you, Anzu-san. I even thought you might be buried under that stone pillar by the next time we meet! Ahahaha☆”

Nagisa: “…Ibara, that was a little too blunt.

Pin it down. We’re at my alma mater, so I don’t want to cause too much racket.”

Ibara: “Eh~ That was still a light jab, though? But as you wish, Your Excellency!

The ones recording are Yumenosaki Academy staffs, so even if I poke at their bad sides, they will just cut my lines, anyway.

Tch~ We should’ve gotten our staffs to come, too.”

Jun: “Hmph… Sweeping troubles under rugs; guess that part hasn’t changed from the past.”

Ibara: “Oh? What might you mean, Jun? Let us hear more…☆”

Hiyori: “I agree with Nagisa-kun~ You’re being too aggressive from the get-go.

Yumenosaki Academy is the organizer of SS, so there’s nothing to gain from dropping our good image in front of them before the event.

Be a good boy. Plus, I find Anzu-chan’s question interesting.

Why did you become idols… Trickstar?

Well, I can somewhat guess Hokuto-kun and Subaru-kun’s motives.”

Ibara: “Aah, as could be guessed from Akehoshi-san’s name… he is the son of ‘that Akehoshi’, yes?

Did you become an idol because you admired your father, that kind of thing?

Then you would be an idol for the same reason Jun is one♪”

Jun: “Huh? I guess, yeah… but if Akehoshi-san and his dad’s the moon, then we’re just softshell turtles here~…”

Ibara: “Yes, for Jun’s father was a miserable idol toyed around by the entertainment world only to be consigned to oblivion!

I believe there is an interesting story to be found if we dig deeper there as well…☆”

Nagisa: “…You keep saying things unfit for broadcast. Ibara, I think you should stay quiet for a bit.

…The show can’t happen if they have to keep cutting our lines.

…And we shouldn’t reveal all the cards up our sleeves at this kind of place.”

Ibara: “Hmm, but I think that’s the Yumenosaki side’s aim, am I right?

It’s to make us bare all our plans naked under the pretense of a press conference, isn’t it?

Then I thought, well, isn’t it better to pretend we’re fooled and confuse them with false info?♪ It’s a basic tactic in battles of information!

We came here for war, after all!

We’re done with the war declarations ages ago, so wouldn’t it be hypocritical of them to expect a handshake and fake being friends now?”

/ 2

Makoto: (It’s amazing.

Eden’s really used to this.

Yumenosaki Academy sells concert-based artists, but Shuuetsu and Reimei… they’re performing a wide variety of jobs.

They must be used to appearing at TV shows too. Before we know it, Eden are the only ones keeping the conversation going. They’re controlling the mood of the place.

We’ve recently started pursuing TV exposure too, but I can’t deny it’s all superficial experience…

It’ll be hard to bury the gap between our experience and skills.

Well, SS is a concert, so we can still make the best out of our good points there.

But when it comes to overall capacity as idols, they might be winning.

No. I can’t be getting cold feet; we’ve built up a lot for the sake of victory.

It’s thanks to the support of the surrounding people, to the pushes they gave on our backs, that we’ve come this far.

So we can’t act unseemly under their watch.)

“…Fufu. Since it says ‘Live Debate’, I thought we might have to get into serious arguments…

But is it basically a normal press conference?

So we should just answer your questions one by one, Anzu-chan?”

Jun: “Huh, Trickstar wasn’t told about it beforehand?

Doing things on impromptu again… Sometimes I’m surprised at how you can take things in a stride.”

Mao: “Ahaha. True that we’re more about going with the flow than making perfect preparations,

But that doesn’t mean we take it in a stride, y’know?

If you’d allow an excuse, we were participating in a big event called Starfes until late just yesterday, and we had our minds full with it…

Honestly, we forgot all about SS.”

Subaru: “Yeah yeah! All that stuff about SS and Eden just flew out of my head! I was just too focused on what’s in front of me! Ahaha☆”

Hiyori: “Oh-hoh? So we’re second to third place in your priority list?

You sure can talk big now, Trickstar, for a unit that faced total defeat at our hands in Summer Live and left in tears…♪”

Hokuto: “Sorry. Akehoshi’s wording might have caused misunderstandings, but we do not intend to demean Eden.

We always give everything the best we have; we’ll also never underestimate you guys.

We see you as our greatest opponent for SS, so we’ll fight with our lives on the line and absolutely take you down.”

Hiyori: “My my, everyone’s saying such violent things these days.”

Nagisa: “…Nothing will be born from strife.

…Yet this world is a hell. We were created to consume meat dripping in blood.

…You asked why I became an idol, Anzu-san.

…There’s a fitting ‘motive’ and ‘reason’ finely written down in the script Ibara gave me.

…But I’ll give my real answer.

…Only a handful of people are allowed to live on without fighting and eating at one another.

…Before, I thought it would be nice if everyone could live like that.

…That’s why I helped with Eichi-kun’s revolution.

…But in the end, nothing changed beyond the bloodshed and the chain of hatred.”

Hiyori: “…I don’t believe nothing changed, Nagisa-kun?”

Nagisa: “…I understand wanting to think so, Hiyori-kun.

…But in the end, those who are not god cannot change the nature of humans.

…All we can do is to not involve ourselves in that until our deaths.

…In other words, become the privileged handful who do not have to fight. To be so powerful and transcendent, no one would think of challenging us.

…To spend our days in the monastery, speaking with the gods, without getting involved in worldly matters.

…To appear in the world sometimes only to aid the poor, declare the truths, and reward them with a moment of smile.

…In this modern day Japan we’re born into, being an idol would be the best way to perform that ideal lifestyle.

…That’s why I became an idol.

…Also, because Father wished me to be one.”

Subaru: “What kind of person was your father, Nagisa-san?”

Nagisa: “…He resembled yours, Subaru-kun.

…Their souls were like twins. Or perhaps parent and child.

…But the trickery of fate led them to opposite conclusions.

…I wonder if you’ll come to the same fate as your father?”

Subaru: “This isn’t about my dad.

At first, it was really because I admired him. He was the most sparkling thing in the world, like a star in the starry sky, and I reached out my hand, wanting to touch him.

I thought it might reach, if I could become just like him. I wanted to touch him, hug him, feel his warmth. Because I loved my dad so much.

But that’s not everything to it now.

I met countless lights in this Yumenosaki Academy.

Losing my sun for eternity, I was so close to freezing in the darkness… but before I knew it, there were warm stars around me.

Reflecting off their lights, I started to shine on my own too… As that process repeats, we’re all shining brighter and brighter.

I was so thrilled, so happy, that I became enamored.

That’s all. So it’s really not such a big reason.

But right now, I want to become an idol more than ever. I want to stay like this forever… That’s all to it, really.

Got a problem?”

Effort

Title note^[1].

/ 1

>Shopping Mall 1st Floor

[A few days before SS]

Makoto: “……”

Izumi: “Y-u-u-k-u-n? What are you spacing out for? Thinking about something?

If anything is worrying you, you should share it with your Onii-chan. I’ll look for a solution with you…♪”

Makoto: “Wawa? Hey now! Izumi-san, can you return my glasses? I think my sight’s been deteriorating recently, so I really can’t see anything without them!”

Izumi: “I know. And in the foggy, blurred world you see, I’m the only one reflected vividly in your eyes…♪”

Makoto: “Because you put your face really close. Most of the time. Always.

…Gee~z, give them back already! I do keep spares so I won’t get into trouble if the current pair breaks, but still.”

Izumi: “Oh-hoh, so you make sure to be thorough even with this? I can feel your resolution~ I think I understand how Naru-kun feels now… Boys who work hard really are treasures of the world♪”

Makoto: “Mmn~… SS is the decisive game we can’t mess up on, so I try to make every preparation I can cover.”

Izumi: “As you should. You’re pushing us to the side to participate in it, so we can’t have you messing up due to the dumbest reasons…

Go show off your beauty to the whole world, Yuu-kun♪”

Makoto: “You’re about the only one who’d describe me as ‘beautiful’ now, Izumi-san…

I’m usually being sold as the relatable, plain one in Trickstar after all.”

Izumi: “Ah, that’s why you keep wearing these unfashionable glasses? You should just show them your unadorned face~… I think that’s pretty necessary, from a business perspective.

Isn’t it a waste to not use a weapon, when you have it? …Well, not that I mind, if that’s what Yuu-kun wants.”

Makoto: “Yeah. We’re idols; the audience didn’t come to see us just because we’re pretty.

We’re not doing a museum or a jewelry store here~ I want them to see me more in my entirety.

It feels lonely if I get attention for being pretty, like my face is all they care about. Selfish, I know.”

Izumi: “Hmm. I think if they’re willing to look at us, it’s something to be grateful for even if it’s just our faces, but that’s just my thoughts.

Ah well, boys are better selfish and ambitious like that…♪”

Makoto: “Chance time!”

Izumi: “Ah… Tch~ He got his glasses back.”

Makoto: “Gee, it’s called stealing when you take other people’s things, Izumi-san. I don’t remember raising you to be this kind of child.”

Izumi: “Right, because I raised you, Yuu-kun…♪”

Makoto: “…You’re in such a good mood today, Izumi-san. You’re usually frowning all the time~ What’s wrong? It’s gross.”

Izumi: “Eh~? But how can I be in a bad mood, when I’m on a date with Yuu-kun, just the two of us?

And Yuu-kun’s properly wearing the muffler I gave him…♪”

Makoto: “You’re going to kick a fuss if I don’t wear this when we’re meeting up, Izumi-san…

The I LOVE YOU❤ written on it makes it embarrassing to wear though. Like, I’m not sure how to use it, honestly.”

Izumi: “Eh~? To feel embarrassed over being loved—Yuu-kun, you lucky boy♪”

Makoto: “What… Anyway, I got late pointing this out, but: This is not a date, and there won’t be just the two of us! Do not get the wrong idea!”

Izumi: “Sure, sure. So Trickstar’s resting up until SS, is it? And Yuu-kun is going to wander around shopping as a breather, right?”

Makoto: “Right. And somehow, Izumi-san is tagging along my plans like it’s the most natural thing.”

Izumi: “Well, I have nothing to do. Yumenosaki’s crazily busy with preparation on this one week before SS.

Since we can’t hold any official DreamFests, most units are on break.

Honestly, since we’re talking about Trickstar here…

I thought you guys would be training like idiots until just the day before, and be dog-tired on the real deal.”

Makoto: “Yeah, things might really turn out like that if left be, so we’re given break on producer orders. We won’t get better by tiring ourselves out before the event, as a matter of fact.”

Izumi: “Hmm… Producer orders, talk about stuck up. Anzu’s the one I’m most worried about for potentially working too hard until the last second, though?”

Makoto: “Ahaha. Izumi-san, maybe you actually know Anzu-chan far better than I do.”

Izumi: “Well, Knights has been in her care too, time to time… But I guess even Anzu would learn her lesson after collapsing once.”

Makoto: “Hmm~ But from the conversation, she seems to think it’s fine if she passes out, but that it’ll be a big deal if it’s us…

So she’s setting an example by showing that she’s resting.

She’s been taking a breather by meeting up with old friends and spending time with her family these last few days, apparently.

She doesn’t seem too content, though~ That girl’s a hard worker at her core.

But really, none of us wants that to happen a second time… for any of us to collapse like that.

Maybe we should be putting our lives on the line, and go forward even if we lose someone along the way.

Maybe we can’t win without doing that. But I think even if we win in that case, we’ll drag out the regret forever.”

/ 2

Makoto: “Life doesn’t end with SS. I want to keep going on as an idol, so I absolutely don’t want to do something I’ll regret.

Izumi-san, do you think I’m naive? You seem to want me to go back to modeling, so me being an idol forever would trouble you, wouldn’t it?”

Izumi: “Well, truth to be told, I have complicated feelings. But it’s fine, I guess~… Not like there’s no chance of Yuu-kun having more talent as an idol than as a model, yeah?

I’ll believe in that chance. That counts into the act of loving, I think♪”

Ritsu: “Ahaha. Secchan of all people is talking about loving~♪”

Izumi: “Huh? Kuma-kun! Fancy seeing you here. What are you doing?”

Ritsu: “I’m accompanying Maa-kun. Or babysitting him?

Apparently Maa-kun made a promise with your… Yuu-kun over there? So I’m tagging along him, since I have nothing else to do.”

Izumi: “Ah, then same as me?

I guess we really come to resemble each other by always working together as a unit. When free, breaks are best spent with family…♪”

Ritsu: “Maa-kun and I are family, but isn’t it different in your case, Secchan? Don’t lump us together~ You’re soiling my love!”

Makoto: (…True. These two are similar in their word choices and actions.)

Ritsu: “Did you just think something irritating, Yuu-kun?”

Makoto: “No, nothing really. Anyway, Saku… Ritsu-kun, did you come together with Isara-kun? I don’t see Isara-kun around.”

Ritsu: “Oh, Maa-kun’s sleeping on my back~♪”

Mao: “Zzz… Zzz…♪”

Makoto: “Whoa, you’re right. W-What’s wrong with Isara-kun? Why is he sleeping?”

Ritsu: “You know, despite saying that he’s on a break, Maa-kun just kept trying to work.

Like ‘I’m more relaxed when I’m busy!’ and ‘Working is resting to me!’

What he’s saying doesn’t make the slightest sense, so I forcefully put him to sleep.

But he said he had plans, so I carried him all the way here.

Fufufu. Me giving Maa-kun a piggyback. It’s the opposite of the usual…♪”

Makoto: “Umm. This might be a silly question, but what do you mean by forcefully putting him to sleep? Did you strike the back of his neck?

Please don’t be too violent with him, if you can…?”

Ritsu: “As if I’ll ever hurt Maa-kun. Keep your sleeptalking for when you’re in bed.

Putting him to sleep is easy enough. I’ve just got to sprinkle a little bit of magic…♪”

Makoto: “M-Magic?”

Ritsu: “Mm-hmm. First, Maa-kun has this habit of listening to music before he sleeps. So I secretly mixed my song into his playlist.

But in a frequency normal people can’t pick up, you see… And then I set it so it would be played right as he falls to sleep.

I’m free to enter and leave Maa-kun’s place, so I could easily set all of this up.

And when this is done, what a surprise! The brain creates a condition… in which Maa-kun would fall fast asleep whenever he hears my singing voice♪

Fufufu. That was a lot of work~ I poured a lot of time into this trick, you know♪”

Makoto: “……(appropriately grossed out)”

Izumi: “…….(makes a face that says ‘So there’s that trick!’)”

Ritsu: “Well, jokes aside. Maa-kun fell asleep before I could ask further, so I’m not familiar with the details.

Why the shopping mall?”

Makoto: “Ah, that was a joke? Right, wasn’t it?

Ritsu-kun is the little brother of that Sakuma-senpai. Of course you won’t resort to criminal acts the Izumi-san way…♪”

Ritsu: “Don’t bring up Anija every time you talk about me.”

Izumi: “Hey, isn’t it weird that my name would appear in that conversation?

I admit I caused a scene back then, but I do think carefully about the laws when I act these days, you know?”

Ritsu: “Reaally? Then why—I’ve avoided pointing this out so far, but—why have you been videotaping Yuu-kun, Secchan?

That’s not touching the laws, sure, but it counts as disturbing conduct, right?”

Makoto: “Ah, don’t take it the wrong way. I asked him to videotape me.”

Ritsu: “I got you. You poor thing, Secchan must’ve forced you to say that. Why don’t we go to the police box? Let’s report the truth to the cops and have them protect you?”

Izumi: “Kuma-kuuun…?”

Makoto: “No, seriously. I’m bad with cameras, you see…

But SS will rake in a lot of audience from outside, and it’ll get huge coverage on TV.

Countless of cameras and eyes will be on me, so I thought I should get used to it while I can.

So, well, Izumi-san’s going along with my training for that?”

Ritsu: “Haha~ You’re thinking things through… Same, Maa-kun also asked me to go along with his training.

Knights doesn’t hold back with fanservice, so I taught him tricks and tips on it.

We had Maa-kun’s rebellious little sister as the audience, and he had to work to please her.

Fufu, so you guys are really going for the win, Trickstar?

Great going… Like Suu-chan said, we’re rivals, so you producing good results would automatically elevate our status.

Nothing’s easier than getting better evaluation without working for it… And easy is good~ Fufufu♪”

/ 3

> Shopping Mall 1st Floor

[Two hours later]

Makoto: “All right, I think we visited everything.

That was time well spent~ Please wait a bit, I’m going to summarize all the info I’ve gathered onto my laptop.

Tac-tac-tac♪ (keyboard clicking)”

Izumi: “Yuu-kuuun…?

I don’t want to bother you while you’re working, but heey, just what was the meaning of those actions we took so far?

It’s nothing like the date I imagined! We’re doing it over! Once more, I say!”

Makoto: “I told you we’re not on a date… You can be like a troublesome girl sometimes, Izumi-san.

No, well, not like I actually know any troublesome girls. Just speaking based on image.”

Izumi: “Haah? Who are you calling a troublesome girl!?”

Ritsu: “Huh, you weren’t self-aware, Secchan? What a surprise~ You act like Maa-kun’s little sister sometimes… like a pubescent girl, in other words♪”

Izumi: “I don’t wanna hear that from you, Kuma-kun! Eh? I’m like a girl? No waay, am I starting to resemble Naru-kun?”

Ritsu: “Ah, so if you’re to categorize, you would count Nacchan as a girl, Secchan?”

Izumi: “If I had to categorize. But that one’s more like, ‘Gender: Narukami Arashi’.

And they’re best treated that way. Naru-kun will look at you weird when you treat them too much like a girl.”

Ritsu: “Ahaha, Knights is a gathering of troublesome people…♪

Ideal environment for Secchan, lover of troublesome things. You’ve got to thank us, Secchan, we will work to heap up more troubles for you in the future♪”

Izumi: “Haah? What the heck? Sooo annoying. I’m asking you, obey my words every once in a while.

We’re the same age, but you’re of lower grade than me.”

Ritsu: “Eh~ Don’t I listen to you enough…? You need to make a ‘promise’ by sacrificing something yourself if you’re going to demand more.

It gets too restrictive with too many promises though, so I think it’ll be nice if our laid-back relationship can go on forever.

Also, just in case. I’ll start an explanation for Secchan, who can be dull when it comes to Yuu-kun…

I think Yuu-kun came here today to probe Eden’s movements.

Indirectly questioning the passers-by made clear one thing to me: Eden’s holding a concert in this shopping mall today.

Yuu-kun came to see that, probably.

He’s been avoiding the center hall where the concert would take place, maybe so the enemy wouldn’t notice him.”

Izumi: “Haah? Eden? Ah… the strongest in our age group, said to be Trickstar’s greatest enemy for SS or something?

And they have Tomoe and Ran, who transferred from Yumenosaki, right?

I hate those guys….

There’s the annoying thing with them acting like they’re Trickstar’s rivals, disregarding us, but they also invade my workplace from time to time.

They make-believe as models and steal the good jobs away.

Sooo irritating. Can you believe they even plundered some of the best cameramen?”

Ritsu: “Hmm… From what Ecchan was saying, they’re plundering human resources from other places too.

This is part of the ‘huge wave’, I guess. Nothing that really involves us students… us children.

But you’re a third year, Secchan, so it’s going to affect your future plans. You should get a good grasp of the situation just in case.”

Izumi: “You should have been in the same situation, Kuma-kun. Yet you’re a relaxed second year thanks to repeating a grade… You have to move up to the third year this time, okay?”

Ritsu: “Oui. Sure, sure. It’s okay. I pull through where it counts.”

Izumi: “Wonder about that… Anyway, I’ve been hearing some fishy stories lately too.

Like how kids who haven’t got to shine much are getting scouted by that agency and transferring there.

They’re being dumb, there’s no such thing as an easy path… Not everyone would get warm reception like those two ex-_fine_s.

After all that time taking it easy, never playing the cards that must be played…

They shouldn’t be aiming for a turnabout so late into the game, geez. The world’s not so kind.

Useless people stay useless wherever they go.”

Ritsu: “Yup, yup. In the end, it’s all about skills… On the contrary, you have the grounds to be able to survive any kind of environment, Secchan, and you’re actually putting in effort.

But when someone’s neither that nor a genius like the King… they’ll just end up in even crueler hell after running away from one hell.

So it’s all about which hell you can get used to.

I’m going to sound like Ecchan, but if you don’t have the backbone to fight on despite suffering or being hurt…

Then you shouldn’t be aiming to be an idol. Not everyone can be one.

At home, you’re free to sit around with your mouth open, just waiting patiently for Papa and Mama to spoon feed you…

But once you’re outside, it’s a world of dog eats dog.”

Izumi: “Oh, you know your stuff. So why I wonder, despite knowing all of this, does Kuma-kun keep having other people take care of him, even outside of home?

I’ll start charging you.”

Ritsu: “Eh~ But haven’t I been working hard lately…?”

/ 4

Ritsu: “Anyway, right now… Maa-kun is trying to use the energy he usually spends on others for himself.

It’s lonely, but until SS ends, I’ll take care of myself so I won’t be a burden to Maa-kun.

Because I want Maa-kun to win. For hardworker types like Maa-kun and you Secchan, what you really need is victory.

You need result and conviction, that hard work does pay off in the end.

People can keep running when they can see the finish line, the goal they must achieve. The human ego isn’t made to run on and on without any end in sight.

Even someone with crazy endurance like you, Secchan, were worn down and corroding until the King returned.

You were tired from holding onto a battle with no end or goal in sight.

I got worried from watching. But well, without the King around, Nacchan and I and Suu-chan who were left with you…

…seemed to have established within you a new goal: to support your comrades.

And of course, there’s Yuu-kun… You strive to protect him, love him, and not lose him the second time.

These were your renewed conditions of victory. They’re what you’ve been alive to accomplish.

But thanks to the King’s return, the condition of victory you once failed to fulfill came back to life…

And I think you’re confused on which to prioritize.”

Izumi: “Hey, can you stop psychoanalyzing me like that? It’s your bad habit, Kuma-kun.”

Ritsu: “I analyze because I’m interested. This side of me, unfortunately, is no different from Anija… We’re both in love with humanity.”

Makoto: “…All right, I’m done summing up. Sorry to keep you both waiting.”

Ritsu: “It’s cool. Secchan and I were killing time having a pretend-deep chat.”

Izumi: “To be honest, it’s good that I have Kuma-kun to talk to. So far, you kept running ahead of me whenever we entered the shops, Yuu-kun…

Waiting in front of the shop alone and forsaken would’ve been too depressing.”

Makoto: “You really stand out, Izumi-san. I couldn’t probe for the staffs and the buyers’ natural reactions with you around…

By myself, I could slip into the atmosphere, though.”

Ritsu: “Indeed, that was impressive undercover action, de gozaru.”

Makoto: “Why the sudden ninja speak? Well, I did pick up some of that from Sengoku-kun…

That boy looks like he’s just made up of trivia and ideas, but he seriously practices ninjutsu and knows it. It’s amazing.

Anyway, I was listening to your talk while I was typing, and it’s just as Ritsu-kun guessed… I’m here today to research Eden’s actions.

Eden is doing concerts and thorough advertising in this area before SS.

Since SS is a nationwide event, a lot of the audience will be coming from afar…

But it’s still mainly going to be locals.

Depending on whether you can get the local population and stores on your side, the atmosphere and heat on the day of will change greatly.

Today they’re holding an especially large-scale live…

Not just people living around the shopping mall area, but audience from all surrounding areas and from afar will be coming.

If they can make a strong impression here, it’ll be good influence for SS. I’m impressed; Eden’s really precise in the cards they play.

I’d hate for another Summer Live to happen, so I need to research how far Eden has gone with their plans, before the event.

I think that’s more worthwhile than spending my break spacing out.

I can get the same results just through researching social medias, but that would have taken more time…

And I get a better feel of the situation by actually searching the scene, anyway.

Check the scene of the crime a hundred times! This goes for both detective work and idol work♪”

Izumi: “What a cheek… Then what, was I a bother? Since I wasn’t needed in the detective work you came here for?”

Makoto: “No, you weren’t really a bother. You made for a good lightning rod to divert people’s attention when I had to move, Izumi-san.

Thanks to everyone looking at Izumi-san, I didn’t have to get noticed…♪”

Ritsu: “Ahaha. You’re the only one all excited thinking this was a date, Secchan♪”

Izumi: “That’s awful! You’re such a naughty boy, Yuu-kun, toying with my pure heart…!”

Makoto: “Geez, why act like the victim when you’re the one who insisted to tag along… It’s like I did something bad. What a troublesome person, really.”

Ritsu: “Fufu. That’s because Secchan is also Knights. Love complicates people…♪

Hey, Yuu-kun. Secchan will be a pain to deal with when he starts sulking, so cheer him up some.

…How about showing him the thing you’ve been hiding in your pocket already?”

Makoto: “Ah, right. So you noticed. You’re so sharp, Ritsu-kun.

Umm, Izumi-san, here… I bought this just then from that shop over there.

It’s a Christmas present, to thank you for the muffler.

I was caught up with a lot of things around Christmas and had no time to prepare anything, so I couldn’t give you anything back that time… It’s late, but will you accept?”

Izumi: “Eh… W-What is it? Yuu-kun, you’re giving Onii-chan a present?”

Makoto: “You’re not my ‘Onii-chan’.

But I have to repay what’s given to me. A looong time ago, that’s what you taught me, Izumi-san…

That teaching is properly stored inside me.

We’ll muster up all the power we have and absolutely win SS.

The idol industry is swaying to Cosmic Production’s typhoon.

Everything shakes, and almost gets swallowed into that ‘huge wave’ they plan for.

And to overturn that ‘huge wave’, a stage just as huge would be needed.

SS would be most ideal, and this kind of thing is the specialty of us, Trickstar.”

/ 5

Izumi: “Uhyaaua…♪”

Ritsu: “What’s wrong, Secchan. Can you refrain from making such disgusting sound?”

Izumi: “I would make a strange sound! Look, Kuma-kun, look!

Yuu-kun’s present! It’s that cosmetic product Yuu-kun and I modeled the commercial for long ago…☆

Sooo nostalgic! Ahaha, I recall it had this silly catchphrase like, ‘Even boys want to be pretty’ or something…♪”

Makoto: “Yeah. Isn’t it nostalgic~? I didn’t think they’d still be selling such an old stuff…

It was a fresh concept when it first came out, though. Cosmetics for grade schoolers—for boys, even.

Fufu. Izumi-san, you really kicked a fuss during the shoot.

We were supposed to be using the product for the shoot… but you were so against it for some reason.

At the end, you even started crying ‘No! No!’ while clinging onto your Mama…♪”

Ritsu: “Eh, that sounds super interesting. Tell me more, Yuu-kun♪”

Izumi: “I-I didn’t cry, did I? Can you not forge false memories, Yuu-kun!?”

Makoto: “Ahaha. You don’t have to be so embarrassed~ We were at the lower levels of grade school back then… It’s natural to be crying when you don’t like something.

I was almost constantly in tears, after all.”

Izumi: “Uugh~ But you always did a perfect job at the end, Yuu-kun. You’ve always been great when it comes to the real deal, since the past.”

Makoto: “Because you’d always encourage me to your best ability whenever I cried, Izumi-san.

But during this cosmetic commercial, Izumi-san was the one looking shaken for a change…

It came off as quite a shock to me to see the usually dependable Onii-chan crying, you know.

That’s why I remember it vividly until now.”

Izumi: “F-Forget it! It’s embarrassing! It’s just, I was having a weird misunderstanding back then!

So they showed me around a place where they did special makeup effects, for future reference, you know?

There, I saw people’s faces looked like they melted when the makeup was applied…

And I was scared thinking it might happen to me. Looking back now, I was being incredibly dumb.”

Ritsu: “Ahaha. So there was a time you were adorable, Secchan♪”

Izumi: “Hmph. I bet you were an uncute and cold brat since the past, Kuma-kun.”

Ritsu: “Yep. My current self is a hundred times cuter than my old self…☆”

Izumi: “Where did that confidence even well up from? You’re impossible… Well, back to topic. In the end, we dealt with the photo shoot without the makeup, didn’t I?

Even if it was a cosmetic commercial, it’s not like the models had to wear the cosmetic.

I think they made the right choice~ It wouldn’t be funny if our developing, smooth skin got messed up by some cosmetics.

Even without makeup, back then we were angels manifold more beautiful and adorable than some random models…♪”

Makoto: “It did have great feedback.

It’s not all thanks to us of course, but it seems to have become popular enough to still be sold even to this day.”

Izumi: “Yeah, that was a huge success. Now and then, whenever I model, I still get asked if I was the kid from the cosmetics ad.

Child models not finding success is the default in this industry, but this makes me an exception.

Thank you. It’s because of you, Yuu-kun.”

Makoto: “? Did I ever do something to earn your thanks, Izumi-san?”

Izumi: “That day… When I resisted and almost cried, Mama said to me, ‘Look, Yuu-kun is waiting.’

Then I raised my head, and clashed eyes with you, Yuu-kun.”

Ritsu: (Whoa, he just said Mama…! But would it be crass to point it out in this case?)

Izumi: “Fufu. Yuu-kun, you had this puzzled look, like wondering ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘We’re not doing the photo shoot?’… and were staring at me with beautiful, pure eyes.

Your eyes couldn’t seem to recognize that I was goofing up.

Your face couldn’t even begin to guess that your dependable, admired Onii-chan could shiver like a little kid scared of ghosts.

So when I saw you, I felt silly for getting cold feet.

Just to look strong, I acted the older brother, wiped my tears away… and stood in front of the camera imposingly.

I rejected makeup to the end since I was still scared, but other than that, I did the job perfectly.

Even now, every time I stand before a camera, I always think back to your gaze from back then, Yuu-kun. I can never show an unseemly side in front of those eyes.

Thanks to that, I’m still getting appraised as a model to this day.”

Makoto: “Fufu. Then that’s really not thanks to me… It just means you’re strong, and that you’re fit to be a model, Izumi-san.

When I was shaken, you would be there. And when you were about to cry, I would…

By supporting each other like that, we really shone before the camera back then.

The adults probably thought pairing us together was the right choice. After that, we got more work as a set, I think.”

Izumi: “Those were happy times. Well, as a result, more work piled up, and the demands became increasingly difficult…

Yet, we were too young to cope with all of that.

We both had familial troubles happening then, and things got out of hand.

In the end, we couldn’t stay at that radiant place. Position-wise, and mentally too…

But you know, while I don’t want to affirm even the bad parts, I think things turned out fine.

We can smile so close to each other like now.

We restored our relationship to the point we could give each other presents, and spend holidays together aimlessly like now.

And all of that’s… enough of a happy end for me♪”

Makoto: “Don’t go ahead and call it the ‘end’… This is where things start for me.

Watch me, Onii-chan. I’ve grown. Compared to back then… I can shine even, even brighter.”

Izumi: “Ahaha. Then I’ll make sure to lift my face and watch… Yuu-kun♪”

/ 6

> Shopping Mall 1st Floor

Ibara: “Hmm? Hmm, hmm, hmm~?”

Makoto: “…Geh.”

Ibara: “As I thought! If it isn’t Yuuki Makoto-san of Trickstar!

Our, Eden’s greatest archenemy for SS! I am honored to meet you at this place!

Wow, what a coincidence! How terribly terrific God’s command can be!

Mr. Cameraman, zoom to this side if you please! Make sure to take a perfect two-shot of Yuuki-san and I…♪”

Makoto: “Uh, umm… Saegusa-kun. I have the day off, so…”

Ibara: “Whoops, pardon me! It is ill-mannered to take a shot of a professional idol without permission!

But I was so happy to chance upon you, Yuuki-san, I couldn’t help the over excitement…♪

I hope you’ll overlook my rudeness! Yuuki-san, I did hear you bear some sort of trauma relating to cameras!

So pardon my lack of consideration! Ahahahaha♪”

Izumi: “…Who the heck?”

Ritsu: “One of Eden. Maa-kun had photos of them plastered on the walls of his room, and he was doing push-ups while looking at them, so I know.

If he were going to put up anyone’s photos, I wish it had been mine instead of his enemies’.”

Ibara: “Oh, how splendid to know Isara-san acknowledges us as enemies!

He seemed to me as if lacking a sense of rivalry, giving off no tension at all despite that we’re to be fighting each other hereon.

…Oh?”

Mao: “Zzz… Zzz…♪”

Ibara: “And speak of the devil! I didn’t realize Isara-san was also with you! But he appears to be sleeping… What’s the matter with him?”

Ritsu: “Don’t just peek at Maa-kun’s sleeping face. I’ll kill you.”

Ibara: “Eh? Pardon? Once more, please! Use this mic so everyone can hear…☆”

Izumi: “…(whispering) Seriously, what’s with this guy? He’s sooo annoying.”

Ritsu: “(whispering) Nn~ I think it’s his strategy to annoy the opponent and make them lose composure.

(whispering) He’s been faking slips of the tongue, but his eyes aren’t smiling at all.

(whispering) You shouldn’t let him provoke you, Secchan. You’re just going to fall to his trap.”

Izumi: “(whispering) I know. But geez, what annoys me annoys me.”

Ibara: “Fufu. In any case, it must be due to some fate that we met here, everyone! Would you like to join our stage?

As a surprise special guest. I’m sure the fans would be thrilled~♪

Of course, we will properly pay you for the work!

Or perhaps you can’t deal with this type of sudden situation?

Are you aware? …Rumors had it that Yumenosaki idols might be guilty of match fixing♪

CosPro idols, though… can perform like idols whenever demanded, 365 days a year and 24 hours a day.

Because that is to be expected from real idols!”

Makoto: “…I won’t deny there were fixed games of sorts back when the student council reigned the academy.

But even then fine and Akatsuki never held back when performing.

They were real idols. Your statement just now can be taken as demeaning to all of us Yumenosaki idols.”

Ibara: “Ahaha, but that is indeed how I meant it to sound? It was a straight-up provocation, criticism, and insult with no room to be misconstrued!

And talking is easy, don’t you agree? If you have something to say, why not prove it with your skills?

You seem to have been snooping around… but it’s an eyesore to keep you loitering around us, so I’d like to start crushing you one by one♪

A pathetic display on camera would affect performance on SS…

And it would be too late to start crafting strategies on the day of. The battle has started.

First, we will break down your walls of defense with ranged attacks. The artillery battery is stationed and ready. Let’s have you regret spying on us without a forethought.

We shall start by either taking you two captives or killing you, to render you powerless…

Considering Trickstar’s solidarity is their selling point, killing half is as good as killing the whole group.”

Makoto: “That sounds like you’re aware I would be spying on you today.”

Ibara: “Is that not to be expected? It was to lure you that I published today’s concert on sites you were likely to keep check of, Yuuki-san!

…You took the same actions during Autumn Live’s preparation week, after all.

So I’ve taken measures. Don’t think you can use the same strategy twice.

No. Don’t make fool of me; I’m no amateur here.”

Makoto: “Huh… I guess you really are my greatest enemy in Eden.”

/ 7

> Mall Stage (Ed)

Mao: “Zz, zzz…♪”

Makoto: “Isara-ku~n. I’m sorry to bother, but wake up. Please.”

Mao: “Uu~…?

(yawn)…♪ Ah, that was a good sleep! What time is it?”

Makoto: “Almost noon, I think. Fufu, how about washing your face first?”

Mao: “Good idea. I wanna get water on my hands to wipe my face at least…

Ugh… My head feels heavy from too much sleep…

Wait… whoa! Makoto! Why are you at my house? No… uuhh, where’s this?”

Makoto: “Ahaha. Isara-kun, are you delirious~?♪

You must’ve been really deep into slumber. Need a summary of the situation?”

Mao: “Please do. Ah~… Sorry, really. I think I promised to go shopping with you today.

I set up an alarm so I could wake up early, but…”

Makoto: “Right. Trickstar is supposed to gather in the afternoon, to harmonize our breathing before SS…

So actually, I’m sorry to call you out early in the morning, Isara-kun.”

Mao: “Why are you the one sorry, Makoto…? I’m actually thankful you called me out, for real.

When I have nothing to do, I get into this state of ‘working hard on not doing anything’ which is more stress than rest.

But I think my workaholic tendencies are healing slowly?

I’ve kept myself so busy with work all this time that I still don’t know the proper way to rest, though.”

Makoto: “Ahaha. Anzu-chan said the same thing~ It’s practically an illness with you two, seriously♪

Oh, whoops. We weren’t supposed to be chatting… I don’t want to push you too hard when you just woke up, but will you stand on the stage with me?”

Mao: “Hnn…? What’s that mean?”

Makoto: “To skip the details: Eden picked a fight with us.”

Mao: “Hmm. Well, better be challenged upfront like that than getting incessant attacks from the shadow, to be honest.

But I don’t know if my body can move. Blood circulation doesn’t seem to be faring after all that sleep…

Umm, you’ll let me do a warm-up exercise first, right?”

Makoto: “Sure. Eve is performing right now, and we’re going to make appearance as guests right after that.

So we have time. Aren’t we used to doing things on spur?♪”

Mao: “Nah, but there’s limit. Unlike you guys, I’m the type who builds things little by little…

But oh well, I think this is a good chance to test that thing Vice Prez taught me?”

Hiyori: “♪_♪♪

<Hallelujah>! I see you’re awake, Mao-kun! What a fine weather…☆

I’m happy you woke up! It might be easier to finish off a sleeping child without waking them up, but I would pity you in that case♪”

Jun: “…Ohii-saaan. It’s the middle of the song, y’know~? Chatting in the middle of a live… aren’t you sorta letting the Yumenosaki guys poison you?”

Hiyori: “My part in the song is over, though. What’s wrong with a little greeting in the interval?

Wouldn’t addressing our guests here set up the table for the next show?

And perhaps you’ve forgotten, but I was once a Yumenosaki student too.

It hasn’t been a full year since I transferred over. The poison’s still leftover, I suppose…♪”

Makoto: “They’re calling us poison… Isn’t that rude, Isara-kun?”

Mao: “Nah, I’d agree it’s an odd tradition.

Sure, it’ll be nice if we can make out things perceived to be weird from an outsider’s perspective into a ‘uniqueness’ and not ‘bad habit’, into a ‘skill’ and not a ‘weakness’…

But you don’t really notice this stuff when you stay inside… So thank you very much for the advice, Eve♪”

Hiyori: “Aha♪ Yes yes, you may thank us more!”

Jun: “Though it’s awkward to be told thank you~ We’re enemies, after all.

Saying goes that one man’s fault is another’s lesson. We’ll be absorbing your good parts too.

By which I mean, we’re right at the peak of our growth too~!

Haha, if you don’t pull yourselves together, we’ll erase you with our light like in Summer Live…!

This ain’t a shounen manga. Just because someone’s got more reasons to win doesn’t mean they’ll actually win!

Strong people win! The rest may go straight to the garbage dump, please!

How much have you grown since summer? We’ll be observing closely, Trickstar~!

I’ve actually been looking forward to it, so don’t disappoint by showing us something pathetic, yes~?

♪_♪♪”

/ 8

Hiyori: “Everyone~! Thank you for coming here today!

Thank you for the applause and cheers! We love you! Please, do cheer us on for SS as well!

In the idol industry’s biggest event SS, many professionals including those who are adults… will be participating.

As we are still students, we may be lacking.

However! We’re brimming with spirit and youthfulness to push through any adversity!

In order to drill a windhole in the stagnant idol industry, we shall go rampant, with elegance!

Keep your expectations up! That’s all from me, Tomoe Hiyori from Eden, and…”

Jun: “…Also from Eden, Sazanami Jun! Please at least remember our names…♪”

Hiyori: “Fufu, thanks to our agency, male idols will still be in existence for years to come.

If you remember our names now, you can be entertained by us for life!

Before era names, periodic tables or equations, make sure to fit a place for our names! That will make a fine weather…☆”

Jun: “That’s all, thanks! Thank you for the applause! We’ll be giving it our all…♪”

Ibara: (All right, this is good enough for now.

There’s a sure effect by selling and emphasizing youthfulness, as modern Japan considers aging a minus.

It’s an era of mass consumption, after all~… If between two things that have the same function, the newer and younger will tend to be chosen.

For the time being, well… playing up freshness like that is a good decision.

Excellent, excellent♪ Even Jun who, during our first meeting, seemed so defiant to the world and perpetually frowning…

…has eased into the role of a ‘bright, refreshing and youthful idol’.

His Royal Highness Tomoe^[2] appears to be a good influence. That person has this mystery function of dissolving gloom and poison.

Only, he can be too blinding and hard to see, when by himself…

So balance needs to be kept by putting Jun with him in the daylight, and having us Adam with them in larger stages.

True beauty is in moderation. Balance is important.

Jutting out makes for nothing good, anyway. It is by controlling the dosages that an ideal idol that suits the taste of the mass is born.

That’s what Eden is. By combining Adam and Eve, who are already strong by themselves, we cover for what each other lack.

That’s the essence of an idol unit, isn’t it?)

Nagisa: “…Ibara. You’re spacing out. Aren’t you going to change?

…It’s Eden’s turn to perform as four next. We all should change to the unit outfits.

…Eden’s unit outfits. Not Eve’s or Adam’s.

…Fufu. We don’t perform with full team that often, so just being able to wear the unit outfit makes me happy.”

Ibara: “Understood, Your Excellency. I have secured the time to change~ I have not made a blunder.

Only, I am something of a producer, you see…

So I have many things on mind. I need to get in touch with many parties, too.”

Nagisa: “…If it’s so much trouble, why not let a producer from the agency handle at least SS?”

Ibara: “Hnn~ That’s one choice, if it does get that pressing.

To be honest, as I created and brought up Eden from scratch, I hesitate to leave it all on someone else’s hands after getting this far.

It feels objectionable, actually… and even dangerous. The unfortunate side to a newly-emerged force is, CosPro’s human resources aren’t that mature yet.

We’re the only ones who can be counted on to manage ourselves.

People who only see human beings as data, as numbers…

…cannot understand the difficulties in the actual work scene. I admit I don’t report everything to the agency either.

I don’t want them to pitch in and ruin the Eden I’ve raised this big.”

Nagisa: “…Fufu. Yes, of course. I know what you mean, Ibara.

…Adults never understand.”

Jun: “Ooi, Adam! Sorry to interrupt when you’re dawdling over your chat, but can’t you hurry and get changed~?

Wasn’t it the plan to have Adam and Eve take turns getting changed,

and have one group sing something to buy time when the other’s not on stage?

If you guys keep dilly-dallying, we’ll have a tough time singing nonstop, y’know~?

It’s gonna be Eve’s live, not Eden’s.”

Ibara: “That won’t do. Adam and Eve excel at different fields, but they are primarily equals. They should have equal exposure, and get equal evaluations.

If not, there would have been no meaning in being a group; we would have just messed with each other’s balance.

Let’s get changed, Your Excellency. There’s something to look forward to after that…

We’ll destroy Trickstar, whose force has been halved, to pieces, so we will have one less worry for SS.

You all seem to think so unworthily highly of Trickstar, but…

To be honest, we do not have so much energy to be spent on them, either.

I’d like to get them over with immediately. …That’s how big of a stage SS is.”

/ 9

> Mall Stage (Ed)

Mao: “A~ll right, time to get working♪

Makoto, what should we sing?

We can sing one of Trickstar’s songs, meant to be sung as four, by just the two of us, but it’ll have less punch compared to when we’re all together.

My idea is that we sing our solo songs half-and-half…

…so while one sings, the other supports. How about it?

Like, connecting our two solo songs neatly, in a not-detracting way… so that there can be two consecutive performances of our individual best.”

Makoto: “Ah, that sounds good. I think Eden’s going to highlight on their solidarity as a full team.

They’re planning to override us by using themselves what’s supposed to be Trickstar’s strength.

…If I put it that way, can you see?

It’s similar to the public execution fine showed us before DDD.

They want to show off the difference between our skills using the same rules, to make it known that they’re our betters.

That way, they can break our fighting spirit… our hearts.”

Mao: “Haha. No need to trace all the way back to DDD. It’s the same method Nagisa-san used towards me right before Autumn Live.

Even Summer Live’s the same, actually.

It’s such a classic~ Showing off the difference in levels to decide the match before it happens.”

Makoto: “Fufu. Well, half of Eden were once part of fine; I think they’re similar in their methods.

But anyway, I think it’s going to be tough to fight on the same grounds.

Our opponent’s Eden, the guys said to be the strongest in our age group. In terms of pure total strength, we’ll be losing”

Mao: “If only Subaru and Hokuto are around~ We can fight like usual, treating it like a skirmish for SS.

We might seriously need to work up some kind of clever scheme for a giant killing, like our usual.”

Makoto: “I’m not so sure about claiming ‘clever schemes’ and ‘ambushes’ as our usual, but…

Well, I guess to stand up against an enormous opponent, guerilla warfare is the best?”

Mao: “…Makoto, you’re pretty calm. Hehe, let me guess: it’s all well within your expectations?

You’ve been so composed and contemplative in your actions these days; you feel seriously dependable~♪”

Makoto: “That’s saying too much. I’m actually pretty anxious~ I did prepare for unlikely possibilities though,

so that when it comes to worst, we can avoid a game over here no matter what.

That’s why I called you instead of coming alone, Isara-kun.

If I were by myself, it would’ve been hopeless taking on the entire Eden however hard I struggle.

Yet if I had been certain things would turn out like this, I would’ve called Akehoshi-kun and Hidaka-kun too.”

Mao: “But why me? I’d say I’m more in charge of keeping the balance, not having the talent nor skills to cause a tide in battle yet?”

Makoto: “It’s cool how you said ‘yet’, Isara-kun. There’s no serious reason; the others just seemed to have other plans, so I didn’t call them.

From what I heard of you, you seemed to be planning to nap until afternoon.”

Mao: “Yep. I’ve been taking rests while forging myself in moderation. I’m accumulating my energy so I can release them all on the real deal.

It’s sooner than planned, but I think I’ll use part of that energy.

I think we can just barely make up for the absence of the other two by putting double the effort.

Actually, the vice prez trained me and taught me a little secret technique of him. I’ll try using it today.

Man, secret techniques sound like we’re in a shounen manga…♪”

Makoto: “Eh, what? Will you shoot laser beams from your hands?”

Mao: “Nah. You know how the vice prez’s Akatsuki focuses in traditional arts? He taught me the arts and frames of mind from them that are utilized to this day, is all.

Using the split-second transition from stillness to motion, like in kabuki and Noh plays…

I can do a complete transition from a resting state to a fully active mode, in a moment!

I conserve my energy so they won’t be needlessly spent, so they can be used for the right time.

When it’s time, I can release everything within the counts of seconds, and exert my ‘full power’ in its purest definition.

That’s the technique the vice president taught me.

It’s like a routine in sports, I’d say… Transitioning from everyday mode to emergency mode at the flick of a switch.

In my case, pulling up my hair and showing off my forehead… having my usual hairstyle on is my switch.

When I have my bangs down, I’m basically in my off mode, so this day onward when you see me like that, assume that I’m resting.

Vice president puts on his glasses and takes them off, opens and closes a door, recites a sutra, consciously blinks…

He juggles between these different switches, controlling his energy output with them.

I’m not at that level yet; all I can do is a simple on and off, but…

I’ve had my rest today. My battery’s been itching at 100% for a good while now.

Now… Let’s crash it all at Eden.

Even a flashlight might reach the cosmos if it gathers enough radiance.”

Hiyori: “Ahaha! How gallant! Honestly, what a fine weather it is today…☆

Once you part with a gentleman for three days, view him with new eyes! ^[3]

But it’s been far more than three days since Summer Live; it’s been more than three months! I won’t be surprised if you’ve grown into completely different people!”

Jun: “Yeah. But well, not like we’ve been sitting around leisurely either…

Day by day, we pushed our way through cutting-edge lessons in stupidly huge quality and quantity, right~?

We’ve grown as much, if not far more, than you have. So get off your high horse, yeah~… Trickstar?

Plus, it’s not like we showed you our everything like a pair of goody-two-shoes back in Summer Live.”

/ 10

Hiyori: “Ahaha! Jun-kun, Jun-kun! You can talk that big, but it’s going to be embarrassing if we lose♪”

Jun: “Haah? Are you standing on stage with the intent to lose?

If so, I misjudged you, and I’d like to resign from Eve immediately~”

Hiyori: “Wow, what a tasteless joke, Jun-kun! I’m quite fond of Trickstar of course, but a match is different!

With my all, fair and square… I’m ready to trample them underfoot!

It will end within seconds if you don’t resist, so if you don’t want to experience needless pain, you should refrain from unprovoked actions!”

Ibara: “Agreed, Your Royal Highness Hiyori! Let us challenge them upfront, fair and square! Salute~☆”

Jun: “At this point, you’re practically asking for someone to say ‘Look who’s talking’… y’know, Ibara?”

Ibara: “Oh no, but I use fairly upfront methods once I’m on stage!

After all, His Excellency will look at me in contempt if I take it easy or do something unneeded!

Since he’s so kind to pay me attention, it’s just befitting to answer. And in return, I’m using His Excellency as my ultimate weapon.”

Nagisa: “…Yes. You’re a good boy, Ibara.

…You know your place.

…That’s why. You’re the best partner for someone who doesn’t know himself, like me.”

Ibara: “Ahaha! I thank you for the compliment, Your Excellency!

Only, being referred to as a ‘good boy’ makes my ass itch, so I’d like to request a different term!”

Hiyori: “An idol saying a–… Your word choice is more of a problem here, venomous snake.”

Ibara: “Ah, pardon! I was not brought up with class, you see!

I think there’s also something worth saying about how you keep calling your comrade a ‘venomous snake’, but then we’ll just be going around in circles, so I won’t allude!”

Jun: “You’re not the only with ill upbringing~ I know the feeling. Our two superiors are elites, and we the underlings are the lowest levels of garbage…

Gotta say there’s a good balance going on here♪”

Nagisa: “…You two are not garbage, Jun.

…Even if you are, you’re garbage with value.

…Meaning, like fossils and certain brands of art pieces, you’re artifacts that are looked down upon until the mass discover you and give you value.

…I, and Eden, will polish you to shine.

…The paradise exists for you.”

Makoto: (Ooh… So those are the Eden unit outfits. The four of them together are oozing an aura.

Black is a hard color to wear right, but it suits them well.

Fighting in school uniform against such sharp dressed group of four would be too shabby…

Like we’re Villagers A pathetically defying royalty.

Well, they probably changed into their unit outfits precisely to show off the difference in levels and impact.

They seem to have everything calculated. Different at their roots compared to us and our mostly haphazard ways.

Rather than imitating them and fighting on the same grounds, making the best out of our own uniqueness really seems the more suitable.

Hmm… If only Anzu-chan is here…

She would buy some clothes from nearby stores and quickly fashion them into pseudo-costumes worth wearing on stage.

But no use asking for someone who’s not here. I guess we can only head out with the cards we have.)

Izumi: “Yuu-kuun? Are you in trouble?

Your anxious face is adorable, but you’re far more wonderful with a smile! And so let Onii-chan offer you hand…♪”

Ritsu: “Fuhaha! The Helper Squad, making a spectacular entrance…☆”

Makoto: “Uhya? Izumi-san, can you not hug me from behind?

And wait… what do you mean? I was wondering where you two went, but… where did you go off too? What helper?”

Mao: “Oh hey, morning, Ritsu… What’s up, why are you wearing the academy idol outfit?”

Ritsu: “Morning, Maa-kun. Did you sleep well? Sleep is the best medicine, right? You look refreshed♪

Fufu. By the way, we have Maa-kun and Yuu-kun’s shares of these outfits too.

Come on, get changed. I can help starting from the part where you strip, if you want…♪

Costumes are necessary to go on stage, right?”

Mao: “R-Right. I did wonder what we’re gonna do for costumes, so that’s a help.

But why do you guys have these? Did you take the time to take these from the school? Was there enough time for that?”

Izumi: “Not ‘you guys’. Watch your mouth, kouhai.

And anyway, logically speaking, we couldn’t have gone to Yumenosaki Academy and back in such a short time, right?

We just bought these from a store selling suits and the like over there. They also sell uniforms from local schools.

The academy idol outfit is packed as one with the uniform, so they have stock. They don’t have unit-exclusive outfits obviously, but these can be easily procured.

Fufu. I thought you guys have grown some, but you still can’t deal with sudden challenges, huh… You need to be more flexible, and play things by ear.”

Ritsu: “What are you acting arrogant for, Secchan? I have the credit for making a move immediately after sensing the enemy’s intention while Yuu-kun was talking them.”

Izumi: “Yeah, smart boy♪ It’s easy to forget, but you’re supposed to be a tactician character, aren’t you, Kuma-kun?”

Ritsu: “Yup. That’s my role.”

/ 11

Ritsu: “…But still. There was so little time that we had to dash, and I’m tired. Well, that was good exercise before going on stage, I guess.”

Mao: “Eh, wait a sec, are you guys… I mean, the two of you from Knights planning to take the stage too?

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but Makoto and I were just talking about taking care of this just with us two.”

Ritsu: “Nn~ That might be enough to pull through, but then Trickstar would be the only one taking damage.

Let’s make them taste some pain too. If Secchan and I join in, you might even win, you know?”

Izumi: “What he said. Plus, I don’t know if they’re Eden or oden^[4] or what, but we can’t let them to have their way in our territory.

It’s harmful to Knights too, if Eden nabbed our local fans.

So… Ah geez! Who cares, skip all the mumbling and take a help when offered!

It’s your important moment right before SS, so even the slightest chance of anything going wrong is a no-no. We’re willing to lend a hand this time, so get yourselves outta this fix, quick. Okay?”

Ritsu: “Fufu. This is the part where the rivals come to help~ Or so it goes in your beloved shounen manga, Maa-kun.

You’ve forced me to read them many times before, so I remember all the cliches.

Such a convenient plot rarely happens in reality. But isn’t it fine for miracles like that to happen once in a while?

After competing against Trickstar many times, we remember how you dance and stuff.

And we’re used to performing ad-lib because of how our King likes to compose songs on the spot.

We can be stand-ins for the absent two. We have no word to return if you say we’re butting in too much, though… so we’ll quietly step down in that case, but you know?

You should let me do this much. It’s to repay you for taking care of me everyday. Ricchan wants to help Maa-kun achieve his dream♪”

Izumi: “Onii-chan also can’t forgive the bunch who dare to dirty your big stage, Yuu-kun… So let me protect you. Please.”

Makoto: “…….”

Ibara: “…Um, pardon me for interrupting the passionate display, but what makes you think we allow helpers?

Think of our circumstances. We have a program to run.”

Ritsu: “…You scared?

Haha. Sure is pathetic coming from the bunch said to be the strongest-whatever…

So your glory is as fragile as a house of cards, crumbling down at the addition of an unexpected factor like us?”

Izumi: “That’s not it, Kuma-kun. These guys can only fight people they know they can win against. You know, despite criticizing us for fixed games and all that…?

A serious match full of things unforeseen, where they have a chance of losing, spooks them too much to take on.

What embarrassing excuses for men. Must’ve been brought up like sheltered princesses♪”

Ibara: “…I just don’t want ‘some unknown commoners’ to mess up a professional workplace?”

Izumi: “Haha, is that supposed to stir us up? You got points for properly wording it in a way that pisses me off, but sorry!

Trickstar is a far, far more aggravating bunch than you are!

Honestly, from the moment we met, these kids have always been… sooo annoying♪”

Hiyori: “Ahaha. I think it’s not a bad idea; I welcome surprise participants! The more the merrier.

Rather than that, you should quit the unproductive squabble, so we can start singing.

We can’t leave the audience bored after having them come all this way.

That would be an idol’s biggest sin… Do you understand me, Ibara?”

Ibara: “Okay, okay. Why does it have to be when scolding me that you say my name?

Ah well, seeing as there’s no choice, we’ll play around with you some, uhh… you two unknown idols over there!

You must pardon my lack of study, for I’m uninformed of your names…☆”

Izumi: “Hard to believe you don’t know us, from the way you speak.

For your information, Trickstar’s considered an upstart newcomer in Yumenosaki, and probably rate around the middle at best in terms of skills?

Let me show you what a real, excellent Yumenosaki idol is like.

Knights can’t participate in SS due to the scene I caused, so at least I’ll show you here.”

Nagisa: “…Ah, Knights. I thought I’ve seen you somewhere before. So it still exists.

…Well, I suppose that’s a given seeing as you’re on their side, Sakuma-kun.”

Ritsu: “Nn? Why are you acting familiar with me? We never spoke when you were still enrolled, right?”

Nagisa: “…Huh? Sakuma-kun, did you shrink?”

Ritsu: “Hey, don’t tell me you’re mistaking me for Anija? If this isn’t on purpose and you seriously have no idea, then all the more offend I take, you know…?”

Jun: “<GODDAMN.> Man, all this prickliness… Too much blood thirst, don’t you think?

Guess it can’t be helped though, seeing as it’s war. Let’s just give in and resolve ourselves to fight.

Even if half of them are nonparticipating helpers, it’ll be good warm-up and strength test for SS.

Let’s kick about for a bit and let the momentum carry us.”

Nagisa: “…There will be no demerit on our side, after all.

…Even if they manage to put on a charming, wonderful performance,

…It’s Eden’s stage. The livelier, the more benefit and fame for us.

…Whatever happens, we will reap benefits. That’s the plan Ibara crafted.

…No matter how hard they struggle, it will be our win in the end.

…There is no meaning in victory and defeat. Nothing changes, whether we lose or win; even so…

…Let’s vanquish them, for the mere sake of momentary bliss and future glory.”

/ 12

> Gymnasium

Chiaki: “It’s trouble, Akehoshi! Isara is…!”

Subaru: “…Hwa?

What is it? What’s wrong with Sally?”

Chiaki: “You see, there’s the shopping mall, and… uh…?

I can’t explain it in words! Anyway you should look at this!”

Subaru: “What is it~ Don’t shove your smartphone at me~…

…Ooh, what’s this. Eden and Trickstar, two of the groups set out for SS, are having a magnificent clash at the shopping mall!

Or so the headline says on the news site!

Eh? We clashed? I didn’t hear anything! This is from today… noon? Huuh?

I thought we were supposed to be resting until the meeting in the afternoon today?”

(Hmm… Considering the time, the clash at the shopping mall is likely over.

It’s already becoming news, after all.

Would be too late to catch up to them, I guess. And Ukki and Sally would’ve called if I was needed.

Hmm~ But the curiosity is killing me, so maybe I should take a look?

But then if I go to the shopping mall from now, I might not make it in time for Trickstar’s meeting in the afternoon?

Right, we might just miss each other. I should settle with contacting them via smartphone.)

Chiaki: “Ohh? Akehoshi, how come you’re just casually snatching my smartphone away and using it…?”

Subaru: “Fufu♪ What’s Chii-chan-senpai’s is mine, and what’s mine is mine!”

Chiaki: “Oh, you little♪ I don’t mind, but you should at least say a word or two! There are manners even between close friends, as there are ears on walls and eyes on doors!

You’re our school’s representative. You don’t know who might be watching, so take care with your words and actions.”

Subaru: “Sure, sure. Roger. You surprisingly like to scold given the chance, Chii-chan-senpai.

I’ll go home if all you do is complain. I’m taking the time to play with you since you seem to have nothing to do, you know~?”

Chiaki: “I do have things to do, at the right time, Akehoshi! Just yesterday I had a PV shoot under the guise of a year-end party with UNDEAD!

It was a valuable, and most of all fun, experience…☆”

Subaru: “Huh, a year-end party… oh, wait? I think I heard something about it from someone?

Ah, it was Anzu! Anzu said she joined UNDEAD’s year-end party, was that the same thing?

So it was a PV shoot? Then she’s working like always!

Gee, that Anzu~ After telling us to rest!

I thought by year-end party it means she was taking it slow and partying with people she’s comfortable with! This is a betrayal, madam!”

Chiaki: “Who’s a madam? Anyway, I think it’s wrong to call out a white lie as a betrayal.

She needs to pretend that she’s properly resting in front of you guys, that’s why she said that.

In reality, Anzu was unused to PV shoots, and the other staffs on the scene were the ones getting most things done. It’s not like she’s working herself to the bones.

Take it as that she’s doing the minimum possible work to keep her senses sharp.

Just like how you’re joining the Basketball Club practice to keep your body fit right now.

Rolling around in bed isn’t the only thing that constitutes as resting. Anzu’s probably had enough of that, anyway.”

Subaru: “Hmm~… I don’t mind, since you need to first fool your allies to fool your enemies…

Ukki’s a similar type, and it’s not like they need to share everything they’re thinking just because we’re friends.

But in the end, I don’t think it’s anything to hide… I wish she could say a word or two. We won’t get angry.”

Chiaki: “Hnn~ You guys have been a little too sensitive since Anzu’s hospitalization.

You’ve been treating ‘working’ like it’s a taboo. Maybe that was suffocating for Anzu.

You say you won’t get angry, but from the side, it does look like you’re reproaching her. That sort of pressure and lack of faith can most hurt the person you hold dear, you know.

If you’re friends and comrades, have more faith. We’re all humans here; we might make mistakes and stumble.

But that’s not to be reproached, but to be accepted. Stretch out your hand so you can walk together.

I once failed to stop Ryuuseitai from breaking apart.

I was scared of losing my place by criticizing others and getting into a clash, so I held my tongue and watched on as everything fell apart.

So I thought I shouldn’t let something similar ever happen again.

Like in Himitsu Sentai Gore*ger, after losing all my old comrades, I now walk together with the surviving kids I met due to a miracle.

If it’s you, you can do better than I did… or I guess that’s not a good way to phrase it. You can miraculously get every problem resolved.

Do your best, Main Character! Effort, friendship, victory!”

Subaru: “You sure like to ramble on about things that might or might not have substance… But your words tend to be needlessly filled with reality, Chii-chan-senpai, so they are pretty convincing.”

Chiaki: “Fuhaha! Life has been a series of failures, as it stands! But each tear I shed makes me the stronger, and to not bother looking back is what youth is all about!

Someday scars will become crust and fall off, and it will make me grow manifold stronger…☆”

Subaru: “Fufu. It’s nice how peaceful it is with you, Chii-chan-senpai.”

Chiaki: “Of course! Peace is number one!

Truth be told… there was no time for festivities like year-end parties around this time of last year.

I was one of those who had it easier, but it was a cold winter, in many different ways.

Enjoying the fun sort of clamor with your comrades, laughing, imagining the future… I never guessed a time like this would come, and the present we have is definitely far better than that past.

Thank you, Akehoshi. You guys changed everything for us.”

Subaru: “Nn~ Maybe you should thank Eichi-senpai instead? We didn’t do anything in particular. We just gave it our all in what we wanted to do!

And what we wanted was to shine even, even brighter!

So, leaving all the difficult problems to the seniors, we’re just gonna go on a rampage as we like!”

Chiaki: “Yes! And that’s the way! You can start worrying what people think and buttering up to your superiors after you graduate and become adults!

Enjoy your youth to the fullest. Promise me that☆”

/ 13

Subaru: “Chii-chan-senpai, pass♪”

Chiaki: “Whoa!? You can’t suddenly throw a ball at someone! And with such power! If it was someone else besides me, they would’ve dropped dead on the spot…!”

Subaru: “No they won’t. You exaggerate so much.

Also, when you have the basketball club uniform on, it’s like you have eyes on your back, Chii-chan-senpai.

You accept the ball even if I pass without warning.”

Chiaki: “Fufu, so you noticed, Akehoshi! Actually, it’s one of the 44 Secrets hidden in Morisawa Chiaki’s basketball form…☆

Changing clothes also changes my frame of mind. And at a different state of heart, how I operate and how much power I put would differ as well.

By ‘transforming’, purposely acting out a role, I can become manifold stronger than my usual self.

I establish an ideal, and try to get closer to the image I have by changing into another costume.

I can’t physically transform like cyborgs or warriors from the land of light.

And people who know what I’m actually like might view it weirdly, as if I’m letting the costume wear me or faking my character.

But a hero was not born a hero. They became a hero.

And as long as I’m referred to as one, I will work hard to be fit for that title, and someday that will surely lead me to become the real thing.

That’s what I believe.”

Subaru: “…To me, Chii-chan-senpai was always a real hero from the day we met.”

Chiaki: “Hmm? Did you say something, Akehoshi?”

Subaru: “Nothing; don’t break out into impassioned speech while holding the ball. You’re interrupting the game~ Give it back, give it back!”

Chiaki: “O-Of course! Pass☆”

Subaru: “Nice pass♪ And there goes athlete Akehoshi receiving a pass from athlete Morisawa, heading straight for the ring! Making a dramatic turnabout with a dunk shot☆”

Chiaki: “Ohh!? Since when did you know how to dunk, Akehoshi?”

Subaru: “Ahaha, since somewhen! I thought there’s no way I can’t do what someone like Chii-chan-senpai can, so I practiced!

Did you see? Did you see? I cleanly got it in~☆”

Chiaki: “I did! Splendid, Akehoshi! I have nothing else to teach you… There, there♪

You, and Isara too… You both skillfully accomplish whatever you’re told to do. You guys are geniuses.

There are few high school students with your height who can dunk.

If you focus on basketball, you might even become a first-class athlete. Yet you want to be an idol, right?”

Subaru: “Yep. I do like basketball~ But becoming an idol has been my dream since I was a child.

I only started basketball after enrolling to high school, because Chii-chan-senpai invited me.

My passion for it isn’t enough yet, or more like, I don’t care enough to abandon becoming an idol in favor of it.”

Chiaki: “Ahaha. You grow rapidly, so as the Basketball Club captain, I can’t help being greedy and wanting to take on the championship.

But first of all, you need to take the throne as an idol. Only one in a million is granted the right to reach out for that seat.

I’d take your place if I could, but you have no choice but to do it. Do your best, Akehoshi, Trickstar… Make your dreams come true and come back.”

Subaru: “Of course. Keep your eyes open and watch, Chii-chan-senpai.”

Chiaki: “I will! Don’t hesitate to call for me when you’re in trouble! I’ll tactlessly come to your rescue☆”

Subaru: “Yeah. I believe you. You’ve always come to my rescue when I needed you, Chii-chan-senpai.

You’re dense and clueless, so I always thought it was weird.

But Chii-chan-senpai, you actually come to anyone’s rescue at all times, without asking questions, don’t you?

So it’s just your good luck that the person you’re trying to rescue is actually in trouble for some of those.

It’s a ‘fake it till you make it’ kind of thing~ You don’t bother thinking before you act, whether the person actually needed help from the heart.

So even when we’re totally doing fine here…

You say things like ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Should I help?’ ‘Cheer up!’ and that’s why people are annoyed.”

Chiaki: “Fuhaha. Sometimes, being careful with the other person’s circumstances can make it too late to take actions.

If that means I might overlook someone in trouble, then I’d rather be treated like an annoyance.”

Subaru: “Wow, cool. That’s why I like you, and think you’re a real hero, Chii-chan-senpai.

Thanks. For saving me when I was alone, loong ago. Even though there was nothing in it for you…

I was deeply moved, and happy, to know there was someone like you.

Thanks for calling out to me that day. For putting me in the Basketball Club, for inviting me to do club activities with you almost everyday…

Just by you doing that, I felt lighter.

I reached my happiness. I made the most out of my youth. I never got discouraged enough to run away, and now, I’ve even grasped the right to stand on a huge stage.

I’m grateful. It might be in a hero to not seek repayment, but let me say thank you, at least.”

Chiaki: “Eh, what’s wrong, Akehoshi? It’s like you’re leaving to become a bride… I’m lonely.

Are you becoming nervous, as it’s right before the unprecedented grand stage?

You don’t need to feel like you owe me. I just did the natural thing. As a first year, you looked really lonely, not having any friends.

I thought you were to be pitied, so I called out to you. That’s all there was to it, and you weren’t special.

I would’ve done the same to anyone other than you.”

Subaru: “This bastard… Ah well, it’s more comfortable that way.

Son of ‘that Akehoshi’, genius, main character, they say; there were more times I’ve been put on a pedestal, but…

The me who felt lonely for having no friends was still me, and Chii-chan-senpai saved that me.

So really, I’m just repeating myself, but… thanks.

I’ll definitely win. I’ll win with a laugh, and become happy.”

Chiaki: “Akehoshi~! It really sounds like you’re leaving to become someone’s bride! Dad is lonely!”

Subaru: “Why lonely~? I’m telling you I’m gonna become happy so can’t you give your blessings?

Nah. You should be happy at your child’s growth, Dad.”

/ 14

> Theater Club room

Hokuto: “……”

(…Phew. For a small box that appeared light, it was unexpectedly heavy.

I can’t be getting muscle strains before SS, so I probably should’ve borrowed a cart or something to help lift it.

Not that it’s any use to ponder now.

I should start stretching to avoid any muscle strain.)

“One, two, three…♪”

Wataru: “<One, Two, Amazing!> Ahaha! For you to start doing radio calisthenics out of nowhere, with no forewarning! How exemplary as an entertainer to perform comedy when no one is watching…☆”

Hokuto: “Who’s an entertainer? Well, idols are entertainers too, I guess…”

Wataru: “Huuh? I took the trouble to erase my presence and jump down from a blind spot right above you, so are you not reacting too flatly?

What an unrewarding child to entertain…!”

Hokuto: “I don’t get surprised by whatever you do anymore.”

Wataru: “In fact I’d like to ask, what should I do to surprise you ever, Hokuto-kun…?”

Hokuto: “…I never admitted it, but I’m relatively taken by surprise each time. It just doesn’t show on my face or gestures, or so it seems.

That’s why people think I’m constantly calm and composed.

You have good ears, so shouldn’t you be able to tell from my heart rate jumping up and such?”

Wataru: “No no. Your reactions are still faint even with that.

You’re a thoroughbred of the entertainment world, I suppose. The classic methods can’t incite a reaction of surprise from a child born and raised in the land of dreams.

Perhaps the ‘normal’ is more of a surprise to you. Tomoya-kun, Anzu-san…

But that is a genre I’m bad at, so this is proving to be quite the harsh battle.”

Hokuto: “And who are you supposed to be battling against? …Well, who cares; what’s your business? There’s no Theater Club activity today, is there?”

Wataru: “No, actual club activities begin after the new year. Eichi says he’s building a new theater, so I plan for us to hold a play there.

We will not make it in time for the theater’s formal open house, unfortunately.

Scheduling something from now would distract you from SS, after all.

Because you’re clumsy to the core, Hokuto-kun. You do not know how to accomplish two things at a time.”

Hokuto: “It’s not like you to think of my circumstances. I wouldn’t care if you had scheduled something… Since we’re talking about a play at a new theater, I doubt there’s much slack in time, right?

I’ll start practicing the role if you give it to me now. I’m resting until SS and I don’t have much to do, so it’s better to have a distraction.”

Wataru: “Hmm. In your case… you lack talent at a fundamental level, so nothing much would change by giving you time to practice, I think.

There isn’t much difference between you acting on impromptu, or after great amount of practice.

In fact, you’d start misunderstanding things in a mysterious way, wander a full circle, and end up with worse acting than you started with.

Honestly, you are the nightmare of every instructor.

On that point… Tomoya-kun absorbs what he’s taught like a sponge, so he is interesting to instruct.”

Hokuto: “Tell that to the kid. He hates you like poison because you only ever train him harshly, or toy with him.

Youths these days are raised with love and care, so they practically need to be praised for something as simple as breathing—

Or they’ll be frustrated, like they’re not getting what they should be naturally granted.

That’s what Grandma said. Plus, you don’t often come across someone who can go along with you and not desert you. Take good care of him… praise him so he’ll grow.”

Wataru: “Fufufu. I doubt a toddler who doesn’t know how to walk without the promise of reward can act the part of a foreigner from a faraway land or a historical figure—

Becoming an actor who can embrace the life stories of venerable strangers.

But that is the sort of era we live, I suppose. Expecting tenacity is nonsense.

A democratic revolution leads the privileges the nobles once monopolized to be spread out to the mass.

As a result, everyone becomes the royal and noble. Kings are celebrated, esteemed, and served. We are clowns happily dancing to them.

If you cannot take delight in doing that, quit the play. Those who want to be treated like a prince or a princess have no need for mask.

In olden times, wearing a mask to conceal one’s true nature is the proof of a phantom. Something alien and unknown, but definitely not human, and thus worthy of persecution…

They are counterfeit of humanity; pitiful and laughable creatures abandoned by God.

I am already at the point of no return, but…

I don’t believe you two have to walk the thorny path on will.”

Hokuto: “You’re not the one who gets to decide that.

Maybe you’re trying to scold me with a story of your failure like a proper upperclassman, but it doesn’t strike a chord. The times have changed… buchou.

In these times, a mask is the proof of a hero.”

/ 15

Hokuto: “…Anyway, you came at the perfect time, buchou. Can you open this box?”

Wataru: “Hmm? Oh, an antique safe! A Pandora’s box with unidentifiable amount of machineries!

I happen to enjoy solving and making these things♪”

Hokuto: “I like puzzles too. It’s one of our few common grounds, I guess.

That aside. This box apparently has two compartments… but I can’t get to the second one no matter how hard I tried; it’s troubling me.”

Wataru: “I see… It appears to have a complex and curious design, through combinations of countless gears, nesting, and various materials.

I dare say whoever created this was quite the monomaniac.”

Hokuto: “Who gives you the right to insult people’s father?”

Wataru: “Eh, your father created this, Hokuto-kun?”

Hokuto: “That he did. He was an alumni of Yumenosaki, and he apparently hid this box in the academy grounds before he graduated.

It happened that I’m on a break and have a lot of time on hand, so I headed out to look for it from the morning.”

Wataru: “Eehh! You were treasure hunting!

That sounds like a whole lot of fun! How could you not invite me, Hokuto-kun…!?”

Hokuto: “He told me where he hid it, so all I did was yank part of the floor in the secret underground archives and blandly dug at the earth.

It wasn’t something so fun as treasure hunting.

That got me needlessly spent… Looking back on it, I should’ve dramatized my story to pull your interest and make you do the labor for me.

By pretending it’s actually a treasure hunt and all that.”

Wataru: “You are bad at using people, Hokuto-kun.

Maybe it’s because your childhood demanded you to act like you could accomplish anything, perfectly, on your own.

But you are not on your own anymore, are you?”

Hokuto: “I want to return the exact same words at you.”

Wataru: “Fufufu. Anyway, this box seems quite difficult to solve… Please give me five minutes or so.

Just waiting might bore you, so you may play with this♪”

Hokuto: “…? What? A mask?

Geh… Is this Hokke Mask’s mask?”

Wataru: “Nostalgic, is it not? I found it while cleaning up for a new year!

It was with the Five Oddballs costume Shuu created long ago!

It was a prop from a role you played, so you should have it. Well, you can give it to me to add to my mask collection too~♪

But it is your mask, so it looks off when placed alongside my masks.”

Hokuto: “I should’ve thrown it away after standing on that stage with you… Did you retrieve and keep it, buchou?”

Wataru: “Yes. I thought a different need might call for it in the future.

We used the club budget to get it made, so would it not be a waste to throw it away?

You are aware I was subjugated as part of the Five Oddballs back then.

Club members kept dropping, and we had an economic sanction in which our budget was cut.

I thought I should find use for every item on hand, so I retrieved it for recycling purposes.

Costumes, stage properties, stage sets… I have been using them with care for a while now.”

Hokuto: “I didn’t think you’d have a cheapskate mentality, buchou.”

Wataru: “I have done my share of street performances~ I understand the gravity of a few coins.

While not vital for a human to live on, it is the natural mindset to be assumed by any who chooses to eat through doing art.

Don’t take youth and money for granted…♪”

Hokuto: “…Buchou. I’ve always meant to ask this, but why did you make me stand on the same stage as you that day?

Was I purely a stand-in to fill the blank, to comply to the rules of the unit system?

At that time, you were thoroughly mangled as one of the Five Oddballs, and you were probably too driven to a corner to have the leisure to think…

So I wouldn’t question if you say there was no particular meaning.

But I can’t help thinking you had some sort of motive, when I look back to the days I’ve spent since then to this day.

In hindsight… now I have avenged you, who were killed as a villain that day. So was it for a revenge plot that you included me?

During those times, I was the closest person to you. Not the other Five Oddballs, and obviously not the student council president…

It was me, who spent every day training with you in the Theater Club.

I’m a person, I get attached to things and people I always have around. I even look up to you as an actor.

And then I had to watch you getting unreasonably vilified and crushed underfoot before my eyes.

Of course that sprouted a desire for vengeance within me. I was discontent, I couldn’t stand the unfairness of it; my heart was set aflame in wrath.

…I was so frustrated, buchou.

My anger from that time led me to the revolution we caused after. But my earliest motive was that: a childish grudge.

Revolutions and all that lofty spiels came following after.

You were the one who sowed the buds of that revolution.

And then you once again engineered yourself to be slain in DDD, directly assisting our revolution.

If you weren’t there, our revolution wouldn’t have succeeded… It wouldn’t even have started.

Why are you always like that? Why do you always long to be the monster slain by heroes? Why do you go out of your way to sacrifice yourself?”

/ 16

Hokuto: “It’s like I’m dancing on top of your palm, as you want me to… it’s irritating.

If there’s something you want to be done, do it yourself like a normal person.

The vicissitudes of fate led the irrelevant third-rate phantom Hokke Mask to become a hero.

But you and your sacrifice will never get rewarded.

The spectators won’t ever notice. Even though you were at the beginning and the center of everything; the main character.

Even though you had the skills, charm, fate befitting of that role… Why?

Why do you retreat to the stage wing at the most important times?”

Wataru: “That is overestimating me too much, and the main role isn’t the only role there is.

I love any role from the bottom of my heart, so I let the children who want to play the main role have it.

Though it may be arrogant to say I let them… But still, I like this position.

After all, to play the main role means I cannot witness the main role with these eyes, yes?

I want to fraternize with the main role. With a different individual in my position.

In this reality, I was born under odd stars that bestowed me with a great many talents and fates, often framing me into a main character-like presence… So at least, when on top of a stage.

After standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my equals as one of the Five Oddballs, that wish was granted to some extent.

So, well, I have nothing to regret about my last stage as one of the Five Oddballs.

My dream was already granted long ago. Thus, I had no reason to seek revenge. You are overthinking it, Hokuto-kun.

Only, you are a thoroughbred of the entertainment world… To be perfect and excellent is what’s expected of you, and you’ve worked hard to correspond to that expectation. But reality is cruel.

You are a person, so you can fail.

And as Hidaka Hokuto-kun is supposed to be a genius, born to two eminent people, your failures are more fatal to you than normal people.

When you betray the expectation of the masses, the insult, criticism, and malice directed at you may fester to no end.

I wanted you to earn the fortitude to bear all that.

Because you’ve stood by someone like me so far, for reasons I can’t begin to guess.

You should know what I am like; companionship with me does not tend to hold out for long.

Yet like it’s the most normal thing to do, even when you are appalled or fed up with me, you would still show up in the club room the next day.

That made me happy, you see.

Really. Perhaps far, far more than you can imagine.

For a long time, we spent idle everyday together. This is embarrassing to admit, but that was a first for me since I was born.

I do not know how to describe my relationship with you.

We are too distant to equate to friends or family, but not so business-like as to be framed as simply work partners.

A teacher and his pupil wouldn’t fit either, for I haven’t particularly taught you anything.

We are simply together before we knew it, and happen to be familiar enough to have a light exchange whenever we run into each other.

I tend to take anything to the extremity, so such thing was really a first for me. I was happy.

That is why—while not quite as an expression of thanks—I had you stand on that hellish stage in the finale.

On that fearsome stage, in which the audience, co-actors, and the rest of the world that wasn’t even present, were against me.

There, without knowing what I was truly like or what I felt, I was vilified and thrown stones and garbage at, simply because that’s the natural thing to do…

That stage was in itself the tortures of hell.

But even at such stage, the pitiful pierrot could smile contented… I wanted you to know that.

By showing you a glimpse of that hell, as my extra—

If the time comes that you have to endure the same torture, I was hoping you’d breeze through it without wavering.

You can be strangely sturdy, and an experience you’ve had once before rarely falters you the second time, right?

You are a poor learner with no talent, but you carry what you’ve learned through experience to your grave.

Slowly perhaps, but the data are recorded and built within you.

Thus I had you take part in a tragedy that does not happen often.

That’s all there is to it. Don’t try too hard to seek meaning and depth… Hokke Mask-kun.”

Hokuto: “I’m Hidaka Hokuto. This mask doesn’t suit me anymore.

I don’t mind taking this as a memento. But I can act out a role without putting on a physical mask.

I can become a monster who smiles even when faced with the entire world as my enemy.

…There’s a guy who likes underhanded tactics among Eden, our greatest adversary for SS.

Perhaps he’ll drive us to a situation like that hellish stage.

I’m sure the experience you let me absorb would do good when the time comes. Thanks, buchou. Your sacrifice won’t be forgotten.”

Wataru: “No, can you please not talk like I’m really dead? A play is a play, and reality is reality!

Please make the distinction; if you mix up both, you might end up like me~♪”

Hokuto: “Fufu. Except there have been times I wished I could be like you.

Ah well. Have you solved the box, buchou?”

Wataru: “Yes, in a bit…

Ah, I solved everything! <Amazing☆>”

Hokuto: “Good work. You really helped; if it was just me, the year would be changing before I get to solve it.”

Wataru: “Fufufu. There is no need for thanks. But it would be awkward if there ends up being a diary of Hokuto-kun’s father inside, so I shall be taking my leave!

Until we meet again, farewell!

…Please do your best in SS. Like your namesake the Big Dipper, become a guidepost to the other members, who may lose way easily.”

Hokuto: “I will. I’m sure my parents gave me this name with that meaning.”

Friendship

/ 1

> SS Dome Event Hall (Outside)

< Day of SS, early morning >

Subaru: “Anzu~! Gooood morniiiiiiiing☆

Yeah! Ahaha, I see you’re full of energy too, Anzu! It’s the weather for us idols, after all! A fine weather…☆

Just kidding~♪ Yeah, I’ve been studying videos of Eden’s live performances until today, so that catchphrase really stuck with me!

It just goes to show that great idols greatly influence their surrounding people, don’t you think~?♪

…Whoa?

Ooi? Anzu, why are you hugging me? This is sexual harassment, Producer♪

Ahaha♪ I see, are you trying to say that you’ve been influenced by my hugging habit?

You’re implicating that I’m also a great idol? So good at making people feel good about themselves, Anzu~☆

I love that about you! All right Anzu, then I’m gonna hug you back firmly to absorb your power to help me shine even even brighter! Gyuu-gyuu☆”

Hokuto: “Hey now. What are you guys doing so early in the morning, and in public…? Talk about embarrassing.”

Subaru: “Oh, ‘morning, Hokke! You can hug me or Anzu if you’re jealous! Come! <Come on, come on>~♪”

Hokuto: “…”

Subaru: “Ooh? And he actually joins in the hug!

Usually this is the part where he would coolly go ‘Don’t be stupid’ or ‘You’ll burn out if you start with that much energy’!”

Hokuto: “Hmph. We’ve had our rest until today, so you’re free to maintain that energy of yours from start to finish.

Don’t complicate yourself with unnecessary planning. To give so much that we pass out the moment the event ends would be about right.”

Subaru: “Ahaha! Do that and we’ll inevitably spend the new year sleeping in! Sounds like a good recipe for a good first dream of the year~☆”

Hokuto: “Yes. So let’s exert all effort to allow that.

…Ahh. It’s really nice how warm your body temperatures are. The mornings are cold as it’s still midwinter, so you guys come in handy.”

Subaru: “Oh? Just when we thought he’s being unusually touchy, he’s actually using us as source of warmth like hot water bottles~?”

Hokuto: “You treated me like an ice pack throughout summer. It’s fair.”

Subaru: “Surprisingly a retaliative one, isn’t he~… But seriously Hokke, you’re freezing cold to your fingertips. It’s like you’re made of ice.”

Hokuto: “Fufu. Embarrassingly, I think my blood has gone cold from the nerves.

My legs keep shivering when I’m alone; reuniting with you guys just brought me back to life.

Thanks. I’m happy that you guys are with me to stand on the grand stage I’ve dreamed of.”

Subaru: “Same here. It really is like a dream~ I still can’t believe SS is happening today.

I feel like DDD was only yesterday.”

Hokuto: “I’m the opposite. Too many things have happened that I feel like a few hundred years have passed since. It’s been such a long and distant journey.”

Subaru: “Yeah yeah, time flies like an arrow☆”

Mao: “Guys, I don’t think you’re having the same conversation there.”

Makoto: “No, reversely, aren’t they talking like that because they’re connected heart to heart?”

Subaru: “Ah, morning to you too, Sally, Ukki! Come and join us!

As a ceremony before taking on SS, let’s all hug and share warmth!”

Mao: “That’s fine and all… But you two are hugging too firmly there that you’re practically squashing the life of Anzu.”

Subaru: “Whoa, I’m sorry!?

Anzu is so soft compared to Hokke and everyone, so my hands just sink into her like she’s made of liquid! Mystery!”

Mao: “Don’t go describing the sensation so graphicly… Uhh, may I hug you too, ma’am?”

Makoto: “Why suddenly go polite there? Well anyway, shouldn’t we start moving soon?

First they’ll be holding an opening ceremony at that dome over there, right?”

Subaru: “Oh, so that’s the stage for the decisive match! So big!

The Yumenosaki Academy Auditorium is also a fancy building, but this is an entirely different level~… How many people can get in?”

Hokuto: “Well, just by estimation, there will be more people than we’ve ever had before.

But that dome is the stage for the real battle, so who knows if we’ll actually get to sing there.”

Subaru: “Ah, so SS consists of preliminaries and after that the real stage, was it?

It’s common with large-scale DreamFests in Yumenosaki, so it’s an everyday thing for us!”

Makoto: “Fufu. But idols from other places might be surprised~ We might have an advantage for dealing with such battles on daily basis♪”

Hokuto: “Fufu. I’m glad. You guys seem relaxed.

You’re all acting like your usual selves… And I’m the only one shivering from my nervousness, it’s embarrassing.

Even Yuuki, who would normally have a fright before a big stage, is acting so dignified.”

Makoto: “Fufu. I’ve also grown, Hidaka-kun. I’m not running away anywhere, and I’ve had my mental preparation done and over with.

I was always the type who’s strong on the real deal since I was a kid anyway♪”

Mao: “Nah… I might get cold feet once they actually put the audience in front of me.

I can stay calm right now only because it hasn’t sunk on me yet.

Do you see all those people gathering who look like they’re here for SS, even though the opening ceremony hasn’t even started?

There’s going to be more of them as hours pass, right?”

Subaru: “Yeah yeah, it’s just the best! I wish the entire human race all over the world would come see us!

It’s a pity that’s physically difficult! Well, we’re available for national viewing through television broadcast, though!”

Mao: “You’re amazing, Subaru… The grander the stage, the happier you get, huh?”

Subaru: “Like you don’t feel the same~♪ Boy, it’s really looking to be the best day ever!”

/ 2

> SS Dome Event Hall (Waiting room)

Subaru: “Excuse us~☆

Oh, no one’s here! Isn’t this the waiting room for SS contenders?”

Hokuto: “Not ‘contenders’ nor ‘waiting room’. It’s the ‘dressing room’ for ‘participating idols’.

They’re giving a dressing room for each unit, so it’s natural there would be no one here.”

Subaru: “I see~ That’s kinda troubling… Actually, Barry called me to talk, so I thought I could pick a random time to greet them and use that chance to have whatever talk it is he has.”

Hokuto: “Barry…?”

Makoto: “That’s Saegusa-kun, I think. Huh, he called you to talk? I have only bad feelings about that!”

Subaru: “Yeah. For some reason, he called to my home number in the morning~

I wonder how he knew that number. We’re kind of hiding it from the public, for reasons.”

Makoto: “Nn. That boy’s ability to gather intel is far more than to be reckoned with… Just how much does he know, I wonder?

During the joint interview and the shopping mall live the other day, I did try to search him up a bit…

But he’s impenetrable. Too scary.”

Hokuto: “Making us think that way is likely part of the strategy. There’s nothing to gain by being overly-anxious, and it’s dangerous to overestimate the enemy.

But I’m curious about him calling Akehoshi to talk.

Right before DDD, the student council president also called us, and that became the happening that ran a crack between us.

It’s going to be tough to regain calm within today, if something equal or worse were to happen.”

Makoto: “We had a week to spare during DDD but not this time…

Hmm~ This is looking to grow into a real-time battle that demands quicker decision-making and reaction than that time.”

Subaru: “Ahaha, but isn’t that our specialty~?♪”

Hokuto: “I agree. But it doesn’t erase my worry. Let’s find out the enemy’s intent and deal with it quick.

In the case of anything happening, make sure to always be in contact. We’ll tackle all problems together as a group.

…Hmm. I see, so you’ll be in charge of correspondence to make sure we’re all on the same page, Anzu? That’s a help. Please watch over us today as always, our Goddess of Victory.”

Subaru: “Megamin, Megamin, that’s great and everything but are we not getting new costumes this time?

I don’t see anything but the standard Tricktar unit outfits in the locker~?”

Hokuto: “Don’t just take the goddess―megami―part and say it like a nickname. It sounds like you’re mocking me, I don’t like it.”

Subaru: “Nah, but don’t you think calling a close friend of the same age a ‘goddess’ sounds more like a funny joke?”

Mao: “Don’t do that, Subaru. Hokuto is serious… He’s a guy who can say stuff like that with a straight face… That’s his virtue…”

Makoto: “Fufu. Anzu-chan has learned to brush it off by playfully replying with ‘Yes, Goddess here~’ anyway…

He’s called her that repeatedly time and time again, so it is practically a nickname.”

Hokuto: “Hmph… Well, I wasn’t exactly saying it to make her heart race, so that’s fine…

But it’s a little lonely when she brushes me off like that.

Anyway, back to topic. There’s no way Anzu wouldn’t prepare a new costume for SS.

We’re talking about someone who does needlework even when hospitalized.”

Subaru: “Whoa, Anzu looks really down! Hey Hokke, that one just now sounds like sarcasm!”

Hokuto: “…Right. I’m aware I shouldn’t keep rubbing it in. Humans make mistakes. So we should acknowledge that and reflect so we can advance together.

No―we have been advancing by doing that, which brought us where we stand now.”

Makoto: “Yeah, we’ve hit walls and lost our way…

But we kept going without breaking down, and that’s how we’ve arrived at today, participating in SS, the stage of longing for all idols.

Fufu. I feel like I can finally say from the bottom of my heart, that I’m an idol.

I’ve always been bothered… by ‘Yuuki Makoto, the model’ sitting in a small corner of my heart.

I felt somewhere, that I was lying to myself and only pretending to be an idol.

But now, I think even the me in that small corner is saying with a smile: ‘I’m an idol!’

Ehehe. I managed to become an idol like all of you, huh?

I’m so happy. It’s such an honor and I’m so proud; I want to commend myself.”

Mao: “Geez, don’t start acting like everything’s over and all’s left is to sleep, guys.

It’s just gonna start from now. Let’s restore our spirits and give it our all~♪

It’s seriously looking to be a severe battle where even a moment of inalert will be fatal.”

Subaru: “Eden isn’t our only opponent too~ Those amazing idols we fought during our ‘pilgrimage’ are also participating.

Professionals and amateurs alike, many of the best idols there are will be standing our way.

It’s gonna be next to impossible to do all of them in and win.

But if I can do that… I feel like Dad might finally smile. You know, I still can’t forget Dad’s face that I saw for the last time.

He looked purposeless and empty. That was the first and last I’ve ever seen that look on him…

I think, I became an idol because I wanted to change that to a smile.”

Hokuto: “Yes, let’s put a smile on the face of everyone in the world. For that, we need to start by having fun and smiling ourselves.

Ultimately, it isn’t a problem of winning or losing.

Though of course I have all the intent to win. But the one who gets to have the most fun and spread the most fun is probably the one to take the trophy.”

/ 3

Hokuto: “…Hmm? What’s wrong, Anzu?

You seem restless. If you need the toilet, you should hurry before the opening ceremony starts. We won’t have much time to slow down after that.”

Makoto: “Ah, it’s almost nostalgic, hearing your lack of tact towards the other sex, Hidaka-kun…

Back when Anzu-chan just transferred, I think you often made the mistake of repeating such tactlessness.”

Hokuto: “Hmph, I was and am trying to be considerate, actually… It’s difficult; I just can’t get used to it.

I’m sorry for not acting like the prince of girls’ dreams, Anzu.”

Mao: “Ahaha, well, it isn’t bad to have a prince like that, no?

One that’s not too snobbish. We’re at an era where what’s accessible to the common people is what’s more widely acceptable, anyway.

Rather than that, I think Anzu wants us to change into our Trickstar outfits.

Look, she’s fidgeting while holding the outfits.”

Hokuto: “Hmm, hmm… I understand now, Anzu. So you want us to wear the usual outfits for the opening ceremony and the preliminaries.

You made new costumes, but you’re planning to reveal them on the real stage?”

Subaru: “Ahaha. So, if we lose at the prelims, those new outfits will go to waste?

Now I absolutely can’t lose! I can’t not wear your new costume, Anzu!”

Makoto: “Uh-huh… So the new costumes win at impact, but for preliminaries, you think it’s better to wear the usual outfits that the audience are likely more familiar with?

Yeah, I think that’s the right tactic.

We went on like a ‘pilgrimage’ over the country, and did our share of advertisements on TV and the internet, even if it’s a humble attempt compared to Eden’s.

For most of those times, we were wearing the usual unit outfits. Fans who think those outfits symbolize Trickstar are likely not few.

SS garners a large crowd of audience from outside…

I agree that it’s better to wear an outfit that more people know.”

Mao: “True. I think we’ve all seen how unknown we were at national level…

Even if we appear with new costumes here, they might just go like ‘Who are these guys even?’

A fast ball is only effective when you’ve had a fair number of straightforward games.

If we do something that stands out without going through the steps, they’ll likely just ignore us.”

Subaru: “Okay~ So dressing up is after we win the preliminaries; Roger! I’ll do my best so I can wear that new outfit Anzu made.

Watch. We’re gonna win this, Anzu.

…H-Huh? Anzu~? Why are you averting your eyes and backtracking? I said watch me!”

Hokuto: “Akehoshi. Don’t start changing in front of Anzu like it’s the most natural thing. Instead of me, you’re the one lacking any sort of tact towards the other sex here.”

Subaru: “Ah. Sorry, sorry.

Hmm~… Next year the Producer Course will commence for real, and girls will start enrolling, so I should learn.”

Mao: “Speak of next year and demons will laugh, ever heard of this saying? Let’s overcome SS first of all so we can greet the end of the year with satisfaction.

Ah~… If I don’t keep encouraging myself like that, I feel I might get a fright.

I think I’ll go crazy from nervousness, actually… I wish it’ll just start quick. For real.”

Hokuto: “It’s starting as we speak. There’s no time for leisure until the opening ceremony. Start getting changed.

…I’m sorry, but I need you to exit the room for a bit, Anzu.”

Mao: “Nn~ But isn’t it cold out on the corridor since the heaters barely work? Anzu, you can stay in the room, so…

Use my eyemask; I’ll lend it to you. We’ll tell you when we’re done.”

Makoto: “Ahaha. It’s starting to get hectic, just like we always are, I guess…♪”

> SS Dome Event Hall (Lobby)

Subaru: “Umm… The venue for the opening ceremony is this way, right? It’s so wide here in the SS dome that I might get lost!”

Hokuto: “Then how about you don’t go running ahead, and quietly follow behind Anzu who actually has the map of the area remembered? Why do you always try to run ahead by yourself anyway?”

Subaru: “Well, you see~ It’s because I trust you guys are following after me☆”

Makoto: “Ahaha. But seriously, it’s crowded, so you shouldn’t be running, Akehoshi-kun.”

Mao: “This is close to the reception area, after all. There’s a really long line~…

We’re supposedly not open to regular audience yet, but there’s a lot of people already.”

Hokuto: “Yes. The people we see gathering here right now are celebs, everyone else in the business, and powerful figures of the country, I believe.

They’re the VIP guests, in other words… True to its nature as an industry-scale event, SS gathers some really famous faces.”

Subaru: “Yeah, TV personalities I’ve seen before, left and right… Ah, isn’t that Hokke’s Papa and Mama over there? Hokke, how about you greet them?”

Hokuto: “No, I’ll do that later. There’s a crowd gathering around them, and yesterday… I spent the whole day with my parents, so I’ve run out of things to say.”

Subaru: “But there are media crews too?

Why don’t you show off in front of the camera that you’re the son of a popular idol and a huge actress, and get the VIP people to remember your face and name?”

Hokuto: “Hmm… But isn’t that conversely improper?

Autumn Live especially got me to realize that it’s natural to utilize anything worth using, including one’s parents, but…

I think my parents would stubbornly advertise me without me asking anyway.”

Subaru: “Hokke’s parents are a surprisingly doting pair, after all♪”

Hokuto: “Hmph… I hate how they put up an act of treasuring their son at important moments as if to make me owe them, when usually they barely care.”

Mao: “Rebellious phase? …I guess we really are still brats, huh.”

Ibara: “…”

Makoto: “Oh look, that’s Saegusa-kun. The whole Eden are gathering there, actually.”

Subaru: “You’re right! Ooi, Eden~! Let’s have a fair match☆”

Nagisa: “…Ah, I see Subaru-kun and friends.

…Fufu. You guys are always so full of energy.”

/ 4

Ibara: “Your Excellency. Excuse me, but we must greet the respectable Diet members next.”

Nagisa: “…Okay. Like in the script, right? Don’t we need to greet Trickstar?”

Ibara: “No. We are engineering the situation so all attention will be on Eden. If we interact with them, that attention will also fall on them.

It won’t be good if people think we’re rivals, marketing-wise.”

Hiyori: “Petty, aren’t we~ I don’t really like stuff like that.”

Jun: “Well, I bet it’s what’s needed. We all agreed to leave the strategies to Ibara, so we should do as he says today.”

Hiyori: “Right, right. It pains my heart to ignore those children though, just a little.”

Subaru: “H-Huh? Eden left!”

Mao: “They just blatantly ignored us… It sorta hurts how it’s like we’re not even in their line of sight, when we look to them as our biggest rival.”

Makoto: “I think they made the right choice, though~ Marketing-wise, and directing-wise, they don’t benefit from interacting with us.

Even with that shopping mall live, the news made it to the internet, but…

In the end, they only broadcast an abridged cut on TV.”

Mao: “And even in news sites, we got cheap treatment, huh.

To the point that the helpers’―Ritsu and Sena-senpai’s―existences were totally written out.

What a shame. We put up a pretty good fight, though part of it is thanks to those two.

But it’s all treated like it never happened~ I guess that’s a given, if we think from the enemy’s side.

We could possibly be crushed at worst-case scenario back there―so it’s the closest thing to the best conclusion we could’ve had, I guess.

Even if the media didn’t properly report it… I’m sure there were people who turned into our fans among the audience at the scene.”

Makoto: “Yup. We have Izumi-san and Ritsu-kun to thank. I think that was a real danger we were in back then, so they were huge help for being able to perform with us on improv.

But still. Despite those two from Knights helping us…

From an impartial standpoint, it ended with us ‘just barely alive’.

And I think Eden didn’t release even half of their true strength on that stage.”

Mao: “And they don’t slack on cunnings on top of that strength. What a difficult opponent~ if only they’ll let their guard down a bit from their arrogance as the strongest unit.”

Hokuto: “Hmm… I suppose Eden is being thorough in making sure they’re not doing anything that would benefit us.

They were still scheming to swallow us in, back during Autumn Live.

Hence, they curried favors and threw baits at us that time… but I suppose this means they plan to have a serious match in SS.

Do what the enemy hates, without making anything go their way; that’s the principle of a war.”

Subaru: “Ahaha. Then if they’re so dead-set on ignoring us…

How about intruding in front of the camera while addressing them like besties? I bet they’ll hate that♪”

Makoto: “No, that might be a bad idea. They have more experience and advantage with television and media exposure in particular.

Look, most of the TV crews gathered here seem to be linked to the affiliation group CosPro belongs to.

If we pull something without a plan, they might do a crafty edit the moment they captured us on camera…

…and make us out into the bad guys. Into some unknown group persistently trying to get into a dispute with them, for one.

I’m not just saying this because I have a trauma regarding camera――

But really, those camera lenses are fearsome things. Live images can be distorted through edits and fabrications according to the enmity of another.

I think we should be careful while we’re in front of media crews under CosPro.”

Hokuto: “Yes. However, we idols and the audience are not always separated by a screen.

We can come in contact with each other in this real life. And this time, with more people than ever had before…

So let’s make them all into our fans. That way, no matter how we were to be exaggerated and fabricated out of someone’s spite…

Our shine will reach everyone without diminish.

At least there’s no choice but to have faith and present every single audience before our eyes with songs and smiles, through dedication.

Don’t we all know since the start that it won’t be an easy fight, guys?

We’re going to do our best. No matter how hard a trial, even if the chance of victory is unbelievably slight―we can make a miracle happen, however many times.”

Mao: “Yep; effort, friendship, victory. It’s gotten to be like a shounen manga♪

…Oops, let’s not stand around chatting. We’re being a bother to people coming and going here.

Let’s hurry to the hall for the opening ceremony~ It’s that way, right?”

Makoto: “I think. Hyah~ I’m starting to get a little nervous too.”

Mao: “Ahaha. In the opening ceremony, we only have to listen to speeches, so there’s nothing to be nervous for.”

Makoto: “R-Right. But they sure have it nice~ Eden will perform a song in the opening ceremony, won’t they? Look, it’s written in the program.”

Mao: “They get to appeal to the audience first of all and flashily at that, yeah.

Opening a gap even before the fight… Well, that’s within expectations, though.”

Hokuto: “Yes. Have you noticed, guys?

They’ve been playing Eden’s song at a low volume here… as if beating their singing voices into our eardrums and brains.

Eden really is using every trick. We need to appeal ourselves soon too, or we’ll just get swallowed and done in.

…I’d rather not depend on that, but the student council president is making his moves too, right?

It’s gotten me worried that I’ve only seen the effects of Eden’s strategies.”

Mao: “Yeah, I heard he’s doing stuffs. All units of Yumenosaki are supposed to assist us, with the prez at the lead.

We won’t just let our opponents walk all over us.”

Subaru: “Once you’ve got him as an ally, Eichi-senpai’s reliable, isn’t he~?

But nothing can happen if we as the real representatives make a shameful show of ourselves here, so let’s work to not waste their power of friendship!

Ah geez, I’ve gotten excited! I can’t wait for us to sing soon~♪”

/ 5

> SS Dome Event Hall (Outside)

< Day of SS, noon. After the opening ceremony. >

Subaru: “Nnh~ The sunlight feels so cozy☆”

Hokuto: “Yes. It feels like being brought to life.”

Makoto: “Fufu. It was dark inside the venue and we had to listen to live performance in harsh volume, so I think that got our ears and eyes weird. I’m getting a faint headache.”

Mao: “Watch out for your health, Makoto. Say a word when it gets tough.”

Makoto: “I know~ …Oh, Anzu-chan is waving at us there! So first up is to gather around for strategy meeting. SS is starting, finally~♪”

Subaru: “Anzu~! Sorry to keep you waiting~☆

Yeah, the opening ceremony was awesome! It was like so dazzling~ So much fancy special effects and all, they were like idols you see on TV!

Well, they are idols you see on TV, Eden!”

Makoto: “Plus it was a new song that’s not in my data~ And they performed it so well, entertainingly and perfectly.

I wonder how many moves they have up their sleeves~ I think they are impenetrable, after all.”

Mao: “Ahaha. You wish you had seen the ceremony too, Anzu? You could, right? Being a producer and all.

Huh, you had errands to do while they’re holding the opening ceremony? Thanks; our opponent is a powerful production agency, but… there’s nothing to fear when you’re on our side, Anzu.”

Hokuto: “Hmm. Going on lavishing each other with praises won’t get us anywhere, and it’s not the time to relax. I trust you guys have no problem immediately commencing action?”

Subaru: “OK! Take the helm as always, Leader☆”

Hokuto: “All right. First, let us rehash the workings of the SS preliminaries in summary. They explained the rules during the opening ceremony, but there’s no loss in confirming them once again.

If we don’t make sure that we’re seeing eye to eye, we might end up taking different actions when problem emerges.

We are of one flesh as a unit, but we’re also separate individuals with our own ego.”

Mao: “Ahaha. Rather than talking of individual ego and such, I wouldn’t mind if you do as you see fit, Hokuto.

You’re the leader, so use us like your own limbs.”

Makoto: “Fufu. But if this is the method Hidaka-kun prefers, then shouldn’t we match him? I think he’s right that we should make sure we’re all working towards the same thing before the match starts.”

Subaru: “Eh~ but I wanna start singing here and right now! I can’t control myself!”

Hokuto: “Geez, just shut up and listen. Anyway, as you all know, SS is the biggest idol festival in the country.

Plus, since idol culture is yet to be that popular outside the country, it might even be the biggest in the world.

This is from before we were born, but there used to be a national music program broadcast annually at the closing of the year, which got discontinued due to many reasons…

And formulated to succeed it was SS.”

Makoto: “Ah, we learned that in class. Apparently, the troubles from those times last to this day, influencing many parties and forcing them to change, right?

Like, Yumenosaki Academy was supposedly built to raise young male idols to be sent out for SS.”

Hokuto: “Yes. I can’t go into details as it might turn into history class, but the content of SS slowly changes the more times it is held.

At first, like that national music program from the past…

Famous idols and artists were split into two camps, who then competed with each other.

It was a group battle, not an individual one. There was of course a winner between the camps, but the victor in terms of who’s chosen as the most excellent idol was vague.

But then matching the taste of the mass, who sought greater stimulation, and certain events bringing a fierce air within the entertainment industry…

The content changed that it became a contest to see who the most excellent idol of Japan is.

That brings us to present SS.

Even then, I’m just speaking of how SS has been until last year, as seeing Eden’s actions in the opening ceremony this year…

I think SS will likely find huge transformation once more.”

Makoto: “Ah… Come to think of it, during the opening ceremony, Eden didn’t call this event SS, but Winter Live.

It’s like they’re trying to get the media to call it that as well.

Searching up social medias hit up quite a lot of results of people using the term Winter Live too…”

Mao: “Huh. Summer Live, Autumn Live, and then Winter Live, huh…

SS is definitely more familiar to us.

And it’s easier to understand when you remember SS as the highest among the DreamFest ranks, above S1.”

Makoto: “We Yumenosaki kids might feel that way, but outsiders don’t know that.

On the other hand, CosPro held huge live performances across the country under the name Summer Live and Autumn Live.

After all of that, wouldn’t it conclude better when you call this Winter Live?”

/ 6

Subaru: “Hnn? But Summer Live was small-scale, wasn’t it~?”

Makoto: “CosPro matched the timing to send its idols to various events across the country during that period.

All of that are referred to as one Summer Live.

By calling SS Winter Live, they’re trying to make SS adhere to their game, I think.

Maybe by changing its name and dyeing it in their color, they mean to take it over?

The largest event in the idol industry, which Yumenosaki Academy has organized and raised to its current fame――

I’m sensing their intention to pluck it from the root and snatch it away.”

Hokuto: “True. I heard CosPro plunders some Yumenosaki idols too.

It seems to be their specialty to snatch away what people have worked hard raising.”

Makoto: “Well, CosPro hasn’t been around for long, so they probably have a hard time raising useful human resources…

So there’s no choice but steal for the meantime, right? It’s the basic in strategy wargames.

If we leave them be…

No, if Eden attains an undebatable and spectacular victory at the end of this, the whole industry will be swallowed into their wave.

The idol business will be dyed in a new color… and we’re supposed to be the ones specializing at revolution here.”

Subaru: “I don’t think that’s a revolution~ That’s just invasion. We can’t let them get away with it easy.”

Mao: “Nn~ But I think it’s not enough to just put up a struggle when attacked; we need to plan for what’s beyond too. Not that we have the leisure for that, now.

Let our guard down and we’ll be kicked out of the battlefield senseless.

We’re the only ones who can fight in SS as we’re the chosen representatives, so let’s all be prudent and take careful actions.”

Hokuto: “Yes. Prudency is certainly needed. Yet, there’s no need to get fright and turn avoidant.

Compared to the DreamFests held almost daily in Yumenosaki, the rules of SS are kinder… looser is the word, I think.

It’s almost like DDD.

DDD was an event to choose the representatives of SS, but it probably was meant to be an exercise for SS too.”

Subaru: “It was Eichi-senpai’s idea~ So it’s a given that it would have multiple meanings.

If it’s the same as DDD, then is it a tournament where you’re finished if you lose?”

Hokuto: “Close. As participants of SS, we first have to pick our opponent and the place.

Or to be more specific… the one to pick will be our producer, Anzu.

Using the special device given at the start of SS, Anzu will get in touch with other idol producers, and work out the specifications of the match.

We can wage a match and vice versa.

But it’s not compulsory to accept. If you don’t feel like it, or think it won’t be beneficial to your strategy, you’re free to turn challengers down.

When a match is agreed to though, the SS staffs will direct us to a stage, and they’ll take us there with the crew vehicle.

We can suggest a location ourselves, but it’s more likely for them to decide it, by considering which stage will be most suitable.

Since the area for SS preliminaries spans almost the entire town, there’s high possibility we’ll be transported back and forth.

And if we don’t plan well, we might waste most of the allotted time on changing locations.”

Mao: “So that’s going to the depend on our luck with the staffs.

Since Yumenosaki is the organizer of SS, if the staffs are the same, they might let us have the advantage.”

Hokuto: “No, the SS Staff Association should be made of people of authority within the industry.

Although yes, the student council president is included, representing Yumenosaki.

Also, my parents. They might side with us, but in percentage more people there have been influenced in some way by CosPro.

Since we’re talking about the student council president here, he might use his wiles to make things easier for us, but…

He has a status to keep, so I doubt he can really have his way.

It’s better that we don’t expect to gain an advantage just because SS is a Yumenosaki event. Well, not that I ever expected it, to be honest.”

Subaru: “Okay… But I’m glad. I’ve been a little concerned with this since I heard professionals participate in SS, but Hokke Papa doesn’t take part, huh?

He’s added to the staff association, after all. I like your Papa, so I prefer to not fight with him.”

Hokuto: “Heh, I would love to prevail over my father in a fair fight, on the other hand.

But SS is essentially a festival for young idols. You don’t really see those big-names… not that there’s zero, yeah.

Anyway. Once the opponent and the location is decided, we move. Then we perform a live battle to decide the winner and loser.

Live battle is just like the normal DreamFests we’ve become so familiar with.

Meaning, the audience will be the ones to score us with their lightsticks.

We and our opponent get to sing a song each, and the one with the higher score wins.”

Subaru: “Just a song~? Then one battle will end in a flash, huh…?”

Hokuto: “Yes. Idols participating in SS are many, after all.

If each battle takes time, then it may not end within today. That’s just how it is.”

Subaru: “Nn~ Then in the worst case, you might get to sing only a song before you’re dropped out from SS?

Even though you’ve put so much effort throughout the year just for this one day…?”

/ 7

Hokuto: “No, you don’t get to just go home after you lose. This is where SS differs from DDD.

The participants of SS are first-class idols; it’s a waste to send them home after singing just one song.

There’s the danger of their fans retiring along them.

So it’s not exactly a survival game common to Yumenosaki where you basically die if you lose.

We do a live battle, and the loser joins the winner’s camp.

Each of us SS idol participants is given something of a ‘national flag’―when we win, we get to take away our opponent’s flag.”

Subaru: “Ah! You mean this flag? Wee… Look guys, the Trickstar logo is so cool☆”

Hokuto: “That’s an important item so don’t treat it roughly… Anyway, so basically SS is about snatching flags.

You can snatch your opponent’s flag away when you win. Then the loser is given a flag of the winner’s and act as the winner’s vassal.

The vassal can still do live battles after that, snatching away their opponent’s flag when they win…

And give the flag they’re holding… the flag of their master’s to the opponent they won against.

So if all goes well, you won’t have to move much because the idols who became your vassals can win in your place and spread your reign.”

Makoto: “That’s the plan to take if we’re seeking the safest bet… It all ends when we lose, so we should take care in accepting a match.”

Subaru: “Eh~? It’s boring to just wait! I wanna sing a bunch!”

Hokuto: “I know, I feel the same. But if you go against an opponent who already has many wins and vassals under their sleeves, you can gain all of that when you win.

So it is possible to do a turnabout at the final stages of the preliminaries if you’re smart about it.”

Makoto: “It really is like a strategy wargame… Conquer the lands around you and spread your domain; aim for unification of all the lands under your reign!-kind of thing.”

Hokuto: “Yes. But well, even if their favorite idol loses and becomes a vassal, of course the fans will still support them, so…

The more vassals you have = the more fans supporting you.

That’s why just waiting in hope of a turnabout at the final stages might be hard.

We’ll see difficulties later if we don’t start strengthening our army manually by waging live battles and taking vassals in.

We’ll just find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.

That said, you can’t take back your flag after you lose, and there’s no room for cheating as they firmly keep track of match results.

Each battle that happens across the venue will decrease the number of standing powers.

Once the number of powers fall to eight―to eight idol groups, the preliminaries end.

Those eight groups are the ones to compete in the SS final stage.”

Mao: “Uh-huh… I see~ Nice rules they got there. It’s kinda like child’s play―chain tag, is it?

If, instead of being sent home, the idols still get to stand on stage as someone’s vassal after they lose――

Then a situation where the fans retire along their favorite idols can be avoided, too.

Our mission remains the same, then. Fight and win and repeat.

Of course strategies are still important, and we need to think about that too, but…

First, nothing will happen if we don’t give our all in each of the performance in front of us.”

Subaru: “Yup, that’s always the correct answer as an idol!”

Makoto: “Ahaha. Well, there’s no helping crafting strategies when nothing has started~ Let’s play it by ear for now while watching how things develop. Where should we start?

From the looks of it, we can do a live battle at Yumenosaki Academy’s premises―like the auditorium.

We have a lot of fans and acquaintances there, so I think we can expect a lot of votes.

Since we can suggest the location of the match… it might be better to suggest locations as close to Yumenosaki as possible.”

Mao: “Hmm~ well, it is our homebase.

But for our opponent-to-be, it would be an enemy territory where they have little chance of gaining satisfactory amount of votes…

So I bet few would accept to a match against us at such places.”

Hokuto: “Right. Anyone would prefer to battle at a location advantageous to them.

While losing doesn’t kick you out completely, if you’re aiming to win SS, not a single loss is allowed.

Once you’re a vassal, you’re stuck with being a follower to the end.

And most likely, there isn’t a single person here who doesn’t care to win SS.

It’s the biggest idol festival in all of Japan. You’re practically promised a glorious future when you win.

We’re all desperate for that trophy.

That’s exactly why, I think, that at this beginning stage all participants will focus on watching how things develop as to avoid losing―leaving the situation stagnant because no one makes a move.”

Makoto: “But if you’re too scared of losing to move, you’re really going to hit a wall eventually… Hmm~… This is a tough decision. What to do?”

/ 8

> SS Stage

Jun: “Phew~… Ah, a moment of rest, finally.

It’s pretty taxing to be forced to sing on full force from the opening ceremony, y’know?”

Hiyori: “Hmm, hmm? Your voice has a hint of fatigue, Jun-kun! A foul weather!

We have a packed schedule today; if you’re already sighing I doubt you can last until the end?”

Jun: “Right. I know, but pathetically enough… I’m feeling anxious. ‘Scuse my greenness.

SS is the grandest stage in history for all of us and we’ve longed for it since we’re brats, so…

It’s gotten me overwhelmed… and tense, kind of.

My old man was a participant during his successful days too; he’s made me listen to him recounting the experience till my ears hurt.

So well, I’m in an emotional mood――

Just thinking, ‘Ah, I’ve finally gotten this far…’

Forget being a famous enough idol to leave a name in history, I’m barely even reaching my old man’s past glory, so I shouldn’t be satisfied yet, I know.

Haha. It’s embarrassing really; my heart stings just by standing here…

This ain’t good, huh. I’ll make sure to restore my focus before our next show.”

Hiyori: “…♪”

Jun: “…Oi. Why are you hugging me? You’re being suffocating, Ohii-san.”

Hiyori: “Eh~? Here I was trying to encourage you! Be grateful that I’m so kind!”

Nagisa: “…Fufu. You two always get along so well.”

Hiyori: “Oh my, does it bother you? No worries; I’ll hug you too, Nagisa-kun, so please don’t be jealous! Gyuu-gyuu♪”

Nagisa: “…I’m fine. Go support Jun, Hiyori-kun.

…Because he’s still green―no, because he’s still young and tippy. He needs someone’s protection.

…Protect him like you used to protect me, Hiyori-kun.”

Hiyori: “Oh? Despite acting like you’ve forgotten all about the past…

OK, OK! As the oldest around, I’ll be the big brother and envelop you guys in the embrace of my love♪

Don’t fear, because those who believe will be rewarded! Ah no―because love will always prevail in the end…♪”

Nagisa: “…Love, huh. That’s a difficult subject, especially since what people speak of seems a little different to the one described in the Bible.

…I hear it like a word where the context differs according to the interpretation of the individual.”

Hiyori: “Ahaha♪ You’re confused because I put it in words; just feel my warmth!

This is love! Probably! At least, I believe it is♪”

Nagisa: “…Since the past, everything you said always sounded so simple, yet difficult, Hiyori-kun.”

Ibara: “…”

Nagisa: “…Huh? What’s wrong, Ibara? You look down.

…Are you lonely because you’ve been left out of our chat? There, there. Come over here.

…Let’s share love.”

Ibara: “No thanks~… Aah, to be more precise, I do not need it.

Unlike Jun, I am familiar with extreme situations. I’ve received training to remain calm through anything, after all.”

Nagisa: “…I wonder. You appear restless to me lately, Ibara.

…You don’t need to pretend to be strong. When it gets tough, consult us.”

Ibara: “Aye aye♪ As expected, Your Excellency! Encouraging words that overflow with compassion, like a god!

It stirs me so much that all the hairs on my body are standing on ends! Delight strikes my body like thunder…☆”

Nagisa: “…There, there.”

Ibara: “Wow Your Excellency, may I ask to be heard please!? Wasn’t it in the contract? That we’re not supposed to get too involved in each other, only cooperating for as long as our goal is one!

There is no need to pretend to be family or friends. I’m doing fine~ Really.”

Hiyori: “Fufu. Pretend? This is our reality right now.”

Jun: “Yep, yep. We’re all comrades here, so you can share anything with us~…

Well, I won’t say I’ll save you even if it costs my life or anything.

But we’ve been in your care and we do owe you, so we won’t mind returning the favor a bit.”

Ibara: “Hu~h. Everyone, I believe you have been too influenced by Trickstar.

Let’s not mix up business and private life; the power of friendship can’t fill your stomach.”

Hiyori: “Nn~ Isn’t that just what you’re so set on believing?

Nagisa-kun and Jun-kun also seem to have that belief at differing vectors and depth, and I’m not exactly one to say either…

But let’s learn to have faith in other people a little more?

No matter how broken or impaired we are as human beings…

If it’s as idols, we can still connect with others and get approved. Not just that―we’re given the right to enjoy life.

If we’ve last as idols to this day, receiving many emotions…

Receiving so much affection from our fans――

And still fail to feel anything despite that, is there anything more tragic? That’ll be true despair; it’s the same as not being alive.

No matter how much we’ve accomplished as an idol… it’s all meaningless, hollow, without the interaction of love.

That will make us empty paper dolls who happen to look and move like human beings.

At the very least, I wasn’t born to this world to become such a sad creature.”

/ 9

Ibara: “…I understand what you mean to say.

But I don’t have the qualification to submit to such a humane delight.”

Hiyori: “Qualification? I think it’s a matter of sentiment!”

Ibara: “This is getting philosophical… Nn~ It’s annoying to have you all persist on my case like this, so I suppose I’ll explain.

But, I am not telling you this to gain your pity or sympathy, so please don’t get the wrong idea.

To tell the truth, I’m the blood relative of a certain millionaire who once ruled the entertainment industry. I’m his direct descendant, though well, I’m not officially recognized due to various reasons.”

Hiyori: “Ruled the entertainment… Huh, like the godfather of tales?”

Ibara: “G-Godfather… Well, I think we’re thinking of the same person.

Not only that I’ve never met him before―I was surprised to learn of this fact upon investigating the truth of it later.”

Nagisa: “…Hmm. But, I believe father had no child.

…He couldn’t love human beings made of blood and flesh, pursuing only idolizations.

…He even cut me off from the outside world so I wouldn’t develop any humanity.”

Ibara: “Nn~ But Mr. Godfather… I’ll use that alias since even his name is taboo――

Anyway, even he couldn’t have been born with that personality, right?

Many experiences twisted and cracked his personality into what he became: a monster that’s considered a taboo of the entertainment business even to this day.

When that man who mustn’t be named was young… well, this isn’t a pretty way of putting it, but… he made a mistake, apparently.

The child born from the mistake had a child who then had a child… and what I learned was that it’s me.”

Nagisa: “…Ah, father was quite old―so you’re not his direct child.”

Ibara: “Apparently. But sins of the father and all that, most of his descendants lived and perished tragically.

My parents, probably pursued by a lifetime of debt, went ahead and deserted their baby at a certain facility.

And well, I got to experience a hellish childhood there.”

Hiyori: “Ahh… So that’s where you developed that corrupt personality. Poor thing.”

Ibara: “It’s because I hate hearing that that I wasn’t too excited about telling this story…

I mean, think about it. Isn’t it embarrassing when people assume you turned into a villain due to your tragic upbringing?

My upbringing, and of course genes have nothing to do with it.

I chose to become a villain. No one forced me to it; I wished for what I’ve attained, and they’re mine alone.

…We’ve strayed from the topic. So Mr. Godfather wound up deceased, right?

I heard there was quite a mess with the matters of inheritance upon his death.

Either somebody hired a skilled private investigator, or Mr. Godfather left behind a will…

I was discovered as his great-grandchild, and inherited part of his properties.”

Jun: “Aah… So that’s how you end up with those companies you’re running, Ibara.”

Ibara: “Well, the stock prices of the affiliation companies he ran crashed upon his death, you see. For most of them, I had to level them to the ground first then rebuild from one.

It took my life from the beginning of middle school to now for them to get to the shape you see now.

It was hard work, I tell you~ Spent a grey youth of glaring at a calculator in the eye.

But ah well, I prefer it to those days of assembling guns and digging up landmines.

I’ve finally climbed up from my status of being lower than dog, to where I am now.

Failure is not pardoned. I have no time to think of unnecessary things…

That’s why I’m feeling irritated and I may fail to be engaging, so excuse me for that.”

Hiyori: “Hmm~… I think I see now. You all have your own burdens, huh.

I’m almost sorry for being the only one enjoying a peaceful, carefree, and happy-go-lucky life♪”

Jun: “Hey, the tale of your upbringing is also fairly depressing depending on who’s speaking, Ohii-san.

It’s because you laugh it all off that there’s no sense of misery about it.”

Hiyori: “Ah, but there’s nothing more unsightly than someone priding in their own misfortune! That’s a foul weather!

But I see. Fufu, despite being born and raised in a place completely unrelated to the idol industry…

…you end up walking this path―is it fate or in your blood, I wonder?”

Ibara: “This path is the easiest to walk if I want to make use of the business and resources I’ve inherited to the fullest―that’s all.

I never had any interest in idols.

During the interview the other day, Anzu-san asked, didn’t she? ‘Why did you become an idol?’

And I offered an exemplary answer, but…

If I could answer honestly, it’s ‘Because it’s the most convenient path.’

I feel sorry that I’m not seriously lifting up my life for this job with any dream, hope, or love in mind like everyone else.”

/ 10

Hiyori: “Ahaha. Everyone was like you at the start, Ibara.

There are of course, exceptions like Nagisa-kun, who were fated to be an idol since he was born with the blessing of everything in the world by his side.

But most of us simply grew a personality, met with idols, fell in love with them and became an idol in the end.

Thinking, ‘I want to be just like that.’

In that sense, I think… you are just going to become an idol from now on.

So I’ll lend you a hand as your comrade, for that future of yours. The increase of sparkling idols is my greatest happiness, after all.

Be it due to coincidence or convenience, you stand the closest to Nagisa-kun right now. If you shine, perhaps Nagisa-kun’s darkness will clear as well.”

Nagisa: “…He keeps going on about my darkness, but am I really that gloomy?”

Jun: “Uh, don’t ask me…?

Well, I guess in Eden, Nagi-senpai and I are supposed to be the less excitable gloomy characters… in contrast to the bright other two, or something.”

Ibara: “Well then, everyone! That’s the end of our insubstantial chitchat~!

Soon our next opponent will arrive, so let’s do a warmup before that!

Let’s regain our focus and do our job.

Basically, Winter Live has been engineered to let us Eden win, but…

That’s not absolute.

If the agency were to find us worthless and lacking the ability to accomplish the mission…

They will definitely cast us away no problem, replacing us with other CosPro idols.”

Hiyori: “Right. SS is the big game we all cannot lose at… They definitely have backup plans for if in a million chance we are no longer usable.”

Ibara: “Uhh, can we all agree to call it Winter Live, and not SS?”

Jun: “Nn~… I know it’s just a name, but I like calling it SS better~ Not that I don’t understand the agency’s intention.

But since the golden era when the super idols shone radiantly, SS was always SS.

It was always the stage of all young male idols’ dreams―especially for children who longed to be idols.”

Nagisa: “…I understand how you feel, Jun. But we just have to open up a new era.

…Let’s release a light far, far more radiant than the idols of the past that my father loved.

…That radiance will reach even paradise.”

Ibara: “Nothing less from you, Your Excellency―your words are clearly levels different from the ordinary men! Let’s weave a new era together! I, Saegusa Ibara, shall accompany you in spite of my inexperience…☆

So, let’s all do the job properly.

First, we beat opponents under the agency’s influence as in the plan, and avoid fighting as much as possible after.

The idols who become our vassals upon defeat will then be spreading our reign without our involvement.

All we need to do is wait patiently for the preliminaries to end.

Easy, isn’t it? That said, it won’t look good to the media if we’re perceived to be doing nothing.

We’ll still need to challenge other opponents under the agency’s influence at intervals.

But I think this would allow us to advance to the final stage with the minimum amount of fights and danger.”

Hiyori: “Hmm… I still think we’re being petty―and blatantly cheating at that.”

Ibara: “It’s called being strategic, Your Royal Highness. We are not breaking any rules; in fact, I think this is the common tactic for the preliminaries?

We have consulted the other idols before SS begun, and designed who get to survive and who don’t.

Even if we were to force it and take actions not in the design out of some strange pride…

All we’ll be doing is ruining the predetermined harmony and taking on extra labor we never had to.

The world might glorify undeliberate drama, but SS is an event that involves incredibly large sum of money. Don’t you think it demands a script, some acting and a setup?”

Hiyori: “Didn’t you criticize Trickstar and the entire Yumenosaki for dabbling in fixed games?”

Ibara: “Ahaha, I apologize if it sounded like criticism!

But I never said I don’t dabble in it myself! I was just trying to get a point across with that hypocritical bunch~♪

I was portraying fixed games to be something bad and worthy of criticism… so they would grow hesitant to choose that method.

I believe Trickstar is having a tough time thanks to that.

Well, however hard they work, they’re likely to outspend their energy in the preliminaries and perish on their own.

SS participants are all first-class idols, not weak enemies that can be underestimated and easily defeated.

Even if they somehow made it work after multiple miracles, they wouldn’t have any stamina left to spend for the real stage.

They are no enemy to us Eden; I’m sure they’ll fall down with just a light kick.”

Nagisa: “…Do you really think those children are such easy opponents?”

Ibara: “Admittedly, part of it is that I’m hoping they are.

If they insensitively throw our design out of order… we’ll have no choice but to prepare a destructive weapon despite the possible damage it may also do to us.

Personally, I’m praying it won’t have to come down to that.

‘That thing’ is practically a nuclear warhead… it will cause too many victims upon use, not to mention the everlasting effect.

Only, I believe the agency won’t hesitate to use it if needed…

So before that, I was hoping to discuss things with Subaru-san and get him to agree to surrender.

But either there hasn’t been a good time or he’s avoiding me, we haven’t been able to meet even though I called him to talk…

Ah geez~ maybe there’s really no avoiding bloodshed.”

/ 11

> Shopping district (New Year)

< SS prelims, hours after the startline >

Makoto: “Hahi~… S-Sorry! Can we take a break?”

Hokuto: “Sure, there’s still some time until the next battle.

But we’ll lose by default if we fail to reach the stage before it starts. So there’s only enough time to rearrange your breathing, which is a few minutes.”

Mao: “Ahaha. We’ve been taking light naps inside the car while changing locations, but it’s hard to feel at rest inside a shaky, moving vehicle.

The cars for idol participants of SS take the same appearance, so our fans are quick to move when they see one.

If we just stop for a bit, they’ll crowd around the car. And we can’t not respond when they start cheering…

It’s not just simply changing locations; it’s a tour in an unfamiliar car that demands fanservice work at each stop.”

Hokuto: “Yes. First of all, we’re not used to transport by car, and we never received such a training…

Usually, we head to the stage by walking, so this is a complete overlook. Of course it’s impossible to foresee everything, I know…

Yuuki, apply pressure here if you’re getting carsick. Grandma taught me.”

Makoto: “Whoa-wha―oww ouch! I’m okay, I’m not carsick!

I think I’m simply lacking in stamina compared to you guys? I’ve been working out diligently with the training methods Oogami-kun taught me, though.”

Hokuto: “Hmm. Did he only tell you the methods? You could’ve asked to be instructed.”

Makoto: “Ahaha. I did try, but he refused saying ‘I never know when to stop’ and settled on just teaching the methods.

He didn’t want to get me injured before SS, he said.”

Hokuto: “Oh. I had the twins personally train me like the training before DDD.

They shared with me the essentials of performance art, and how to attain positive evaluation from first-time audience.”

Mao: “Ahaha. As expected, in SS we’ve performed in front of more audience who don’t know us than those who do.

Especially since we haven’t been able to battle even once anywhere near our homebase, Yumenosaki premises.”

Hokuto: “Yes. No one here is whimsical enough to go out of their way to fight somewhere disadvantageous to them.

We need to be the one making the resolve to go out there to fight.

Thankfully we’ve pulled through with narrow victories, but… with the unending series of harsh battles, I’m feeling exhausted.”

Mao: “I still have some slack~ I’ve been diligent with my on/off switch and resting when I must, after all.

Rather than stamina, I’m starting to find limit in my skills, so I’m feeling sorry for that.

I thought I’ve squeezed every drop of blood for my training, since Autumn Live,

but compared to other idols in SS, I’m the only one who seem to fall somewhere below average.”

Hokuto: “That’s not true. Sure, your singing and dancing skills might leave a little more to be desired, Isara; but your resourcefulness and charisma more than make up for that.

The elaborate care you show while on the move and atop the stage, the way you interact with the audience…

Those things you do so offhandedly show such great polish and charm.

I’ve always envied that part of you, Isara. I respect you.”

Mao: “Ahaha, what’s that? Don’t praise me with such a straight face… you’re making me blush~♪”

Hokuto: “I always frankly speak out what I feel, without pretense.

But anyway, if we’re comparing skills, it’s not just you who’s still inexperienced, Isara; we Trickstar are.

However, by becoming one, just in the course of SS we’ve been growing, advancing, and adapting at rapid speed.

Have you noticed that the scores we gain on stage are growing larger and larger?”

Makoto: “Aah… yup, that’s actually reflected in the data.

When we win, we get to make the opponent we defeated as our vassal,

and even after they become vassal, the fans tend to support the camp their favorite belongs to, which automatically increases our support and score, but…

That’s not just it. The score each fan gives is slowly becoming higher.

It means we haven’t turned reckless due to exhaustion; in fact, we’re getting better and better.

Ehehe, that’s just like Trickstar, right! The harsher the adversary, the stronger we get~♪”

Hokuto: “Oh… you’ve turned energetic, Yuuki. Had enough rest, I suppose?”

Makoto: “Right. But can I buy a hot cocoa from this vending machine before we get a move?

SS isn’t just exhausting to the body but also the brain, so I want more sugar intake.”

Hokuto: “Sure, I think I’ll also buy something warm for myself. Being outside for long is freezing me to the core.”

Subaru: “…”

Hokuto: “…Huh? What’s wrong, Akehoshi? You’ve been quiet, come to think of it.

It’s not like you, are you tired? If you are, I can push the pressure point for erasing fatigue―Grandma taught me♪”

Makoto: “Ah! Dodge, Akehoshi-kun! Hidaka-kun’s acupressure seriously hurts! Deadly as a killing move…!”

Mao: “He’s learned some unfortunate tricks, huh… Plus, Hokuto’s the type to cheaply use what he just learned for his own amusement… Well, acupressure is still within fine lines, though.

In SS, if you use a technique even once, the information will spread in no time and everyone will plan against you. So warm up your secrets and keep them hidden until the real stage.

Isn’t it a shounen manga cliche to overturn a pinch situation with a secret technique at the very last moment?”

Hokuto: “Mmn. But we’re out if we lose even once, so I can’t afford to be stingy.

We’ve survived so far only because we’ve continued to spend our all and bring our strengths past our limits.”

Subaru: “…”

Hokuto: “Akehoshi? Seriously, what’s wrong? You’ve been unresponsive.”

Subaru: “Ah, sorry…

Anyway, shouldn’t you leave things like massage and drinks to the producer? Don’t take Anzu’s job away~”

Hokuto: “Anzu is busy too. She’s a producer, not a manager.

I don’t think we should make her do everything. We have to take care of ourselves on our own, at least.”

/ 12

Makoto: “Fufu, Anzu-chan’s modestly doing a great deal, isn’t she?

She’s the one who’s been arranging for other Yumenosaki students to back us, at the exact same time she decides our next opponent, right?

She calls over Yumenosaki students and fans to support us, leads the way…

…so that by the time we arrive at the stage of the battle, they’re all already on stand-by.

Because SS prelims are held across this entire town, it’s too late to make a move only after a match is decided.

That’s why she took action as soon as she saw the chance, and made arrangements that would give us even the slightest advantage.

Isn’t that just so cool? Anzu-chan’s just like a real producer…♪”

Mao: “And what did you think she was all this time? …By the way, our fellow Yumenosaki idols who aren’t participating in SS are also doing many things over the city, huh?

They’re doing mini-lives and advertisements to support us Trickstar, in ways that don’t defy the rules of SS.

Even Knights and Akatsuki who were once our rivals and enemies…

They’re doing their best even though they’re not getting captured on TV; even though it doesn’t benefit them directly.”

Makoto: “Yup. We can’t thank them enough, honestly… Not being able to fight within the premises of Yumenosaki was a handicap, but their support makes up for that. This whole town has become our homebase.

Thanks to all of that, we’ve had a relatively smooth sailing. I would even say we’re unstoppable!

Last year, we were nobodies――

But now, we’re fighting against strong, national-level opponents head-on. I can’t believe it; what if this all turns out to be a dream?”

Mao: “Don’t worry. I can assure you it’s not a dream. But if you’re satisfied here and throw all effort away, this moment here might evaporate like foam.

So that we can look back to SS as a good memory in the distant future, after we’ve become old men…

We’ve gotta set our souls aflame just a little longer, yeah?”

Makoto: “Yup! It’s starting to get real fun, too~ The harder a game, the more fun it gets!

Plus, we’re fulfilling the promises we made to those idols we fought against during our ‘pilgrimage’ over the country―that is, to battle once more.”

Mao: “Yeah, we were happy to see how far each other has grown, didn’t we――

Nah. We felt strong to know we have so many comrade-in-arms pursuing the same dream across Japan, didn’t we?

Oh man, being an idol is so fun~♪”

Hokuto: “Fufu, I was afraid that you guys would start begging for a break, but… seeing you two, I guess that’s unneeded fear.”

Mao: “Ahaha. Well, it’s probably the adrenaline making us forget our exhaustion, so watch out for your limits still, guys.

Don’t slack on self-care. Let’s all stand on the real stage at our best condition.

We probably only need one or two more victories to advance to the finals, right?”

Hokuto: “Yes, I believe so. According to the rule, prelims is over when the remaining groups are eight, and…

From what I see, there are about 18 groups right now.”

Mao: “Huh. There were around 300 when we started, so the number’s been greatly reduced, eh?

It’s not really obvious though, since all of them stick around as vassals and continue to sing among us even after they lose.”

Makoto: “Wow… It’s like we predicted but, it seems Eden is currently the top contender.

The amount of vassals they have is unbelievable. The flags we’ve stolen don’t compare.

Their vassals help spread the reign at rapid speed, flattening all other idols to the ground.”

Mao: “Ahaha. The opponents we’ve fought against were all idols working at places unrelated to CosPro, after all.

They’re the opponents we’ve fought or costarred with once during our ‘pilgrimage’.

They were impressively charming, dignified… I feel lucky to compete against them.

Thanks to us winning fairly without hard feelings, their fans follow along them to support us too.”

Makoto: “Yeah. They were cheering us with varying dialects; the audience seat was practically chaos.

…We’ve managed to avoid fighting against CosPro idols so far. Good going~ just like in Anzu-chan’s plan.”

Hokuto: “Hmm, but why do we have to avoid CosPro idols?

SS is a national broadcast. I don’t think they’ll be so crude as to dirty their hands under the watch of so many?”

Makoto: “No, you see… Seeing the rules, we won’t benefit from fighting against CosPro idols in the prelims.

Even if we manage to turn one into our vassal, they’ll just lose on purpose to Eden or some other to switch side, which leaves us back where we started. Giving our all to fight them is a waste of stamina.”

Hokuto: “Hm. I see. So to oppose CosPro, we need to keep challenging idols not influenced by them.”

Makoto: “Yup. Some CosPro idols periodically wage a battle against us like an obvious assassination plot, but… Anzu-chan’s been doing a splendid job of rejecting them all.

There’s no point in fighting them, after all.

Of course, since we’ll gain experience, it’s not absolutely without merit, but…

What we need right now is victory―lots of it. Vassals who would really side with us.”

Hokuto: “Hmm. Before SS begun, I thought it’s gonna be a continuous clash against CosPro idols, but in truth, we can only opt to avoid them, huh…”

Mao: “Ahaha. No worries; we’re gonna clash against them on the finals, like it or not♪

For that, let’s just give it our all to what’s in front of us.”

Subaru: “…”

Mao: “…Subaru? Are you okay? You haven’t said a single word for a while now.

If the exhaustion really got to you, you can take it easy on the next stage and leave the hard work to us.

You’re a genius, so it might look as if you’ve got infinite amount of energy at your disposal, but I know…

That you really don’t. I’ve been in the Basketball Club with you all this time.

Depending on the situation, I know how frail you can be.

After being friends for so long, I won’t say I’m disillusioned or disappointed in you. Actually, I’m happy knowing that you’re as much of a human being as I am.

So don’t take it too far, yeah? Say a word when it gets tough.

Hey, we can hold our grounds without you if it’s just for a little bit. Depend on your teammates when you’re having a hard time.”

Subaru: “Yeah… Thanks, Sally.

I’m okay. It’s just, I’ve got this bad feeling… Sometimes, people in the audience and some passers-by had these eyes and air about them that bother me…

It’s like something muddy and sticky is slowly shrouding me… I can’t put it well, but it’s really creepy.

I think it’s just a gut feeling. It’s probably all in my head, but…

It kinda reminds me of the past… like the atmosphere of that day, when Dad never got home, and everything fell apart.”

/ 13

> Auditorium

Subaru: “I’m home, Yumenosaki~☆”

Makoto: “Ahaha, it really feels like home, doesn’t it~? The familiarity of this stage calms me so much.”

Hokuto: “Same here. Throughout SS preliminaries, we’ve only been transported to different parts of the town, so… we haven’t been able to stand here.”

Mao: “Don’t let your guard down just because we’re at home. If our opponent chose this location, it must be because they’re confident in their chance of victory.”

Hokuto: “Right. Although, as the number of reigning idols becomes fewer, it’s becoming harder to wage matches too, locking us into a stalemate situation…

We’ve had a hard time deciding our next move, so in a way, this match is a lifesaver.”

Makoto: “Ahaha. Just a while ago, we even decided to get it over with and wage a match against Eden!

Well, they refused though, despite our hard-earned resolve to stake our lives.

And then, as if in exchange, a surviving CosPro idol accepted our challenge…

It’s like, we challenged the master but the disciple came out? Kind of thing.”

Hokuto: “Yes. But even if they don’t hold up to Eden, I don’t doubt this idol group is at least second to them in competence.

Psych yourselves up. It’ll be a nice exercise before our fight against Eden on the real stage.

Seeing the number of leftover idols, if we win here, there’ll be exactly eight idol groups left standing. That means prelims will be done with, and we’ll be moving onto the finals.”

Makoto: “Meaning even if this opponent become our vassal, Eden won’t have the chance to take them back, right?

We’ll get to stay on the winning side as time runs out… I think.”

Hokuto: “Yes. Though it won’t be easy; it’s the greatest climax of the prelims.

I’m sure CosPro prefers their idol to be left around for the finals instead of us.

The fans who have been supporting the CosPro idols all over the city are gathering to Yumenosaki.

Location-wise, we’re right at home, but going by fanbase, we’re the one surrounded by enemy.”

Makoto: “Yeah. Especially since, according to Yumenosaki’s rules, the Auditorium is meant to prioritize the general audience instead of the students.

The seats are getting filled by CosPro fans.

Outdoor stages aside, the auditorium has ‘capacity’. If this continues and the entire audience seats are buried in CosPro supporters, we’ll have no chance of winning.”

Hokuto: “Hmm. It seems our enemy had a strategy ready so they could win even if they have to fight Trickstar in Yumenosaki.

CosPro really isn’t to be looked down upon.

Eden is enough of a threat on its own, but CosPro as a whole is the hottest, biggest power within the idol industry right now, despite its young age.

If we have only ourselves to depend on, we’ll just be putting up a futile fight and getting crushed.

However, we have allies on our side. Look, the influx of obvious CosPro supporters has stopped. I think we can put up a fight with this.

Most likely, the student council president or one of his people has changed up the rules to prevent the auditorium from being buried in CosPro people.”

Mao: “Uh, no. He can’t change rules that easily, you know… Just what’s up with your image of the boss of us stuco, Hokuto?

I think what this indicates is that we’ve obtained more outside fans. We’ve fought and weaved bonds with different idols of the country throughout the course of SS, remember?

They’ve gathered here for our sake. It’s not the prez using his authority to make things go well―we called in these fans.

We paved the path to the future with our own power.

Of course, prez and the others are likely working in the background too, helping to make sure the enemy won’t have their way.”

Makoto: “Fufu. We can’t leave it all to other people, right? We have to take that glory for ourselves!

Even if, in the worst scenario, all the audience in the venue are under CosPro’s influence――

All we have to do is make them into our fans, right, guys?♪”

Subaru: “Ohh, now Ukki’s gotten full of himself! All right! We can win with this…☆”

Hokuto: “What? That doesn’t make sense. Well, strategy and all that stuff no longer matter once we’re on stage, so…

Our job is to sing and dance to our fill, for the sake of the people who came to watch.

Let’s do our best, guys. We’re going to win, and advance to the finals.”

Subaru: “Sure! Let’s shine and sparkle at the throne of the idol business~☆”

Mao: “Ahaha, to be honest, it’s such a cruel joke that even after all these harsh fights, we still have an even harsher final stage waiting, but…

Well, when you’ve come this far, you can’t help but want the trophy, yeah?”

Makoto: “Right! We’re aiming for conquest! You know… I might have been pretty unassertive all this time, but I actually like being ‘first’♪”

Subaru: “Of course, since you’re Trickstar too, Ukki! All right, let’s all be the first stars of the idol industry together, guys~! Hip-hip-hurray♪”

/ 14

> SS Stage

<An hour later, right before SS finals >

Subaru: “Yaaay~☆ I’m first to step into the SS final stage~!”

Mao: “Nah, aren’t you forgetting someone? Eden performed here in the opening ceremony already.

But, well, it’s real moving to be here, isn’t it… Oh man, it’s so big and spacious♪

Ahaha, we were afraid for a moment there, during the last battle of the prelims, but we had a shockingly easy win, huh? Pretty anticlimatic, to be honest.”

Hokuto: “Yes. The audience seats being filled with mostly CosPro supporters was a source of worry, but…

I think there was an undeniable difference in skills between the opponent and us.

So this is just the expected resultーfeel free to think this way and puff out your chest proud. We’ve grown strong enough to render the enemy’s sly cunnings useless, and triumphed over them.

Let’s hold our heads high as we stand on this stage. We’re one of the few, chosen eight groups who have been permitted to participate in the SS final stage.

We were once nobodies, but let’s engrave Trickstar’s name here and now.”

Subaru: “Ahh, it’s so comfy… (snuggle)♪”

Hokuto: “Stop rolling around, Akehoshi. There are already people in the audience seats; don’t be showing something unsightly, you.”

Makoto: “Ahaha. In Akehoshi-kun’s case, don’t they find his pet-like motions to be cute?

I don’t know if it’s because he keeps a dog, but he acts like a dog sometimes♪”

Subaru: “I love dogs~! Aah, I wish I could’ve brought Daikichi here too! I wanted him to see us shine!

Fufu. Daikichi and Mom were my support during those hard times, you know. I actually wanted to invite them, but~ I haven’t seen them at all today.

It’s in the neighbor and it’s a holiday, so if they just had the will, I think they could’ve come anytime…

Even if pets aren’t allowed inside the dome hall and they can’t see the final stage, I was hoping I’d find them during the prelims.”

Mao: “Huh, your mum didn’t come to cheer for you?

My whole family have been following us this whole time―my lil’ sis is the loudest of them all that I wonder where the heck her usual cold attitude towards me went to…”

Makoto: “Ahaha, she was shouting ‘Onii-cha~n!’ full of heart marks, and in a really loud voice, wasn’t she?

Siblings are so nice… You’re so lucky, Isara-kun♪”

Mao: “Nah, that’s just her seeking for attention by making it known she’s my little sister now that her big brother’s gotten famous. She loves herself, that girl.”

Subaru: “Hmm~? Then wouldn’t she make a great idol? Just kidding…♪”

Makoto: “You’re right, though. Isara-kun, form a sibling unit with her. We’ll be your fans♪”

Mao: “Stop with that, I got butterflies just imagining… I’m Trickstar already. Yep.”

Makoto: “You are, but… Anyway, it really is nice when your family comes to cheer you on, isn’t it? My mom’s been inconspicuously following us too…

Don’t you guys recall seeing a woman hiding behind a telephone pole sometimes?”

Mao: “Oh, so that was your mum, Makoto… She’s a pale-skinned beauty, huh~? Gotta admit, I thought she was a ghost. Got a bit of a scare back there.”

Hokuto: “…”

Mao: “Hmm? What’s up, Hokuto? You seem antsy… Looking for something?”

Hokuto: “No, I just got curious too and wanted to find my family.”

Subaru: “? Hokke Papa and Mama are clearly in the official guest seats over there, right?”

Hokuto: “I know.

Ah, there she is… Grandma――she said she might not be able to come since her legs have been feeling weak, but…

I’m glad she’s come to support her grandson on his biggest stage.

Geh… the Masked Freak is sitting next to grandma… Right, they were acquainted or something?

Was he being considerate and brought Grandma here, like carrying her here?

Oh well. Akehoshi, perhaps you’re feeling lonely since your family haven’t shown up, but I’m sure they’re watching from somewhere, in front of the TV.

Just have faith in that. If you’re still lonely, know that we’re here with you. Is that not enough?”

Subaru: “Nuh-huh, having you guys with me gives me a lot of courage… We can do anything; revolutions, miracles. I have faith in that, whatever happens.”

(Mom, Daikichi… Dad too, are you watching from the heavens?

Look at me. I’ve become an idol.)

Makoto: “…Hey, don’t you guys find it weird?

According to the program, the eight groups who survived for the final stage are supposed to rise up to the stage at the beginning――

Where we’re all supposed to introduce ourselves to the audience, and draw lots to decide who competes against who, right?”

Hokuto: “Yes, the final stage is a classic knockout tournament―where the winners get to stay and the losers are dropped out of the battle.

There are three rounds, and if we pass all of them, we’re the winner.

I’m hoping it’s the final round that we get to fight Eden, but only God knows…

The bracket will be decided through fair drawing of lots, from now on.

…That’s what I heard. So why hasn’t any of the other idols shown up?”

Mao: “…Huh? It’s getting dark in here.

I’ve got a bad feeling… S-Should we retreat to the stage wing for the time being?

But we’ll look kinda stupid… To leave the stage, we need to use the passageway that cuts through the audience seats, after all.

It’s gonna draw attention. Ugh, what’s up with this?”

Makoto: “Isara-kun, sshh! I hear music and voice…?”

Mao: “Ah, right… Hmm~ What’re they saying? Can you guys pick it up?”

Makoto: “T-They’re playing some video at the same time. It’s hard to see from where we’re standing, though.”

Subaru: “…

…Do you remember ‘that Akehoshi’?”

Hokuto: “Huh? What are you saying? Why would we forget you?”

Subaru: “No, it’s what the voice… the announcer is saying. What… is this?

After all this time! After looking the other way for so long! Deserting him and turning a blind eye once you’ve had your fill! Why after all this time…?”

Hokuto: “Akehoshi? W-What’s wrong…?”

/ 15

> SS Dome Event Hall (Waiting room)

< Ten or so minutes later >

Subaru: “…”

Makoto: “U-Uhh, Akehoshi-kun…? Are you okay?

Umm, of course you wouldn’t be; what am I saying… ehehe. Ah, I meanーsorry, this isn’t the time to laugh, umm, uhhhh?

Cheer up! It’ll be fine! I-If you’re not smiling, I… W-What to do? What should we do?”

Mao: “…First of all, you should calm down, Makoto. Take a deep breath. Subaru’s the one having a hard time right now. If the rest of us don’t hold ourselves together, it’s all gonna fall apart.

Subaru. Can I hold your hand?”

Subaru: “…”

Mao: “Nn. You look pale, and your fingers are cold…

You might drop the mic if you stand on stage like this, so I’ll rub your hand to warm it up, can I?

Tell me if you don’t like it. Makoto, you take the left hand.”

Makoto: “O-Okay. I’m sorry, Akehoshi-kun… this is all I can do…”

Subaru: “…”

Makoto: (Uukh~… If it was the usual Akehoshi-kun, he would immediately tell me ‘Don’t apologize!’ with a sparkling smile, when I say sorry…

But he won’t respond at all now… I-I’ve never seen Akehoshi-kun like this. What should I do, what should I do? Should I loosen the tension here with a gag?

No, that’ll just look painful, right?

I should warm him up at least, by holding his hand… Akehoshi-kun always warmed me with his smile, so this is my turn.

…Ahh, Akehoshi-kun’s fingers are really cold, like corpse…

This is so cruel… Just who could’ve done something like that, and for what sake?

I don’t know their intent, but they put on a weird stream…

…which exposed a ‘crime’ that Akehoshi-kun’s father supposedly did in the pastーwithout basis.

Well, I’ve done my fair share of research on Akehoshi-kun’s father, too. I wonder what’s the truth…

…No, regardless of the truth or falsity of it, the fact that something like that was streamed is a problem in itself.

On top of it, they put Akehoshi-kun on stage for the moment…

…and pointed to him as the son of a criminal, as though implying he would commit the same crimes as his father.

That’s the worst kind of defamation… We need to show a proof that denies that stream and calm everyone down…

No, will it only look like we’re making an excuse?

Either way, I think we’ve crushed any chance of the audience watching our performance without bias…

Even though I know we’ll never lose to anyone as long as we can protect that――

Even though this unit has the charm that can turn anyone into a fan, if only we get to sing and dance like normal…

We were once nobodies, but we’ve become idols.

So why did something like this have to happen at the end…?)

Hokuto: “I’m back! Are you okay, Akehoshi…!?”

Mao: “Ah, welcome back, Hokuto, Anzu… You went to see the situation, you said? How was it?”

Hokuto: “Not good at all. It’s chaotic out there… it’s like a riot. Taking shelter in the dressing room before things got out of hand was the correct choice.

It’s such a mess I can’t make much out of it, but…

It seems the student council president, our teaching staffs, and the SS Staff Association are all trying their best to regulate the chaos.

But looking at things, I’m not sure when the event will continue. Well, it’s SS; I don’t think they’ll stop the event here but…

That might be better for us right now.”

Subaru: “As if. It isn’t better at all… I won’t accept it being shut down here… Then what did I work so hard for until now…?”

Hokuto: “Akehoshi, don’t force yourself to speak. You sound like you might die anytime… and your body is trembling.

Anyway, I’m hugging you, okay? You come here too, Anzu… Is there anything else we can do for you? Ahh, why must this happen…?”

Mao: “You calm down too, Leader… Isn’t ‘calm and composed’ your selling point? First, we need to learn and understand the situation. We decide how to deal with it later.”

Hokuto: “R-Right… You seem self-possessed. That’s a help. My mind just went blank; things took turn to the direction I feared most.”

Mao: “I’m not calm, you know. I’m just distancing myself from the side of me that’s in total panic.

Also, the vice prez is weak at unforeseeable emergency situations, so he’s always careful with it, he said. He taught me ways to cope.

First, take a deep breath. Close your eyes and count to ten.

Take your time with it. Then match your heartbeat with the person you’re holding hands or hugging with. Slowly, guys, together… Relax.”

Hokuto: “Y-Yeah… (breathes in and out)…”

Makoto: “One, two, three…”

Subaru: “(inhales, exhales)…”

Makoto: “…Fufu. That’s awesome. Our heartbeats are really pulsating together. And I really feel lighter.”

Mao: “Great. Well, not that anything’s actually gotten resolved.

We’ll just hit a dead end if we stay in panic, so cruel as it might be, I need you guys to hold it together.

It’s a do-or-die situation. Probably the greatest we’ve ever faced.”

/ 16

Subaru: “Fufu. You’re so dependable, Sally… Thanks. By myself I would’ve lost to the pressure. So I’m really glad, that you guys are with me.”

Mao: “Ahaha! Don’t make light of my endurance~ This is my greatest strength.

Unlike you guys, I really came from an ordinary background. I’ve lived to this age without experiencing any tragedy or hardships, just taking it easy.

Even me becoming an idol was because my middle school friend told me―‘You would make a good idol, Mao-kun’…

And I just went along for a laugh. ‘Seriously~? You’re making me blush~ Then maybe I should become one~’―or something…

Since the school was close to home anyway, I took the entrance exam half as a joke.

Plus, Ritsu enrolled a year before too, so I was expecting to befriend him again after a while.

But the result of my entrance exam was so good, that I was starting to think, ‘Maybe I’m a genius?’ I mean, I only got average scores for my other entrance exams to normal high schools.

So I thought, maybe I could really become an idol… I watched a lot of programs on TV and imagined…

How interesting and pleasant it must feel to become a special existence like these people.

And so, thinking… ‘Alright, I should give it a try!’, I enrolled to Yumenosaki Academy.

I gave a slightly smarter answer during the interview the other day, didn’t I?

But honestly, that’s it. Then a bunch of things happened until I arrived at today. I only went along with the current, mistaking myself for a genius――

But in truth, I’m probably your run-of-the-mill average guy.

I wasn’t born burdened with some special fate like a story protagonist… so sometimes, I got envious of you guys, but…

I think I’m glad for my average self now. No trauma, HP constantly at max…

Nothing to wrench my gut. I’m full of energy!

When it looks like my comrade might get hurt, I can protect you and become your shield.

Plus, I’m sturdy and can hold out for long. I can’t do everything, but I know what I can do now.

Subaru. Hokuto. Makoto. Anzu. We can’t let it end here, right? We’re doing a miraculous upset from now on, aren’t we?

Anything else would be weird. Just so you know, I don’t accept abrupt endings.

Let’s persist on. Hold on through the pain and suffering just a bit more―and if that’s too hard for you, you can cling onto me…

Cry; and when you’ve spilled all the heavy, murky things, let’s rise up.

Our fight is just getting started, right?”

Subaru: “Yeah… Thank you, Sally. For some reason, I’ve gotten calmer after hearing you talk.”

Mao: “Heh, tales of the past get really embarrassing though. Not in my character too.

When you keep talking, doesn’t your brain completely focus on trying to get the other person understand?

Then before you know it, your worries just don’t matter anymore.

My underclassmen in the student council often went to me for advice, y’know…

And after grumbling and moaning over it, even when we couldn’t find an actual solution, they’d feel as though their concern really was puny by the end of it.

This case, of course, isn’t one that can be passed off as ‘puny’, but…

I want to give everything I can do―my experience, everything―to help you… Subaru.

Nah, not just that. I don’t want Trickstar to halt here.”

Subaru: “Yeah… I feel the same. I don’t want it to end here.

But it’s so strange. It’s weird; I can’t seem to lift even a finger… even though you’re all holding my hands, hugging me, sharing your warmth with me…

I’m pathetic, aren’t I… I’m afraid of the stage. I don’t want to go back there, even though singing and dancing with a smile in front of everyone was something I loved the most…

It’s so weird, right? Just what is wrong with me…? I’m just really afraid right now…”

Hokuto: “…I don’t think you can help that. If I were at your position, I might not be able to take a step forward, like you.

Today, just a while ago, you experienced a deep blow to your identity. In front of your beloved audience, no less…

If my parents were slandered and defamed in front of me, I think just like you, I wouldn’t be able to keep my sanity. Especially since considering our standing, we can’t object carelessly.

It must be hard. I understand, Akehoshi… You and I, we’re twin souls.

We were born to similar standings. But a basic and decisive difference between us led us to diverging paths.

Due to some trick of fate, we’re now by each other’s side. Aiming for the same dream together. You’re not alone; everyone here is on your side.

…I’m frustrated that I can’t do more than encourage you like this.”

Subaru: “No… It’s what I need right now, so I’m happy to hear it. Thanks, Hokke.”

Makoto: “…I’m a poor speaker and I’m bad at comforting people, so I’ll move on the direction of resolving this situation.

Uhh, a quick browse on the internet indicates the riot inside the venue is getting calmer.”

Hokuto: “Hmm. I think the audience were instructed to turn off their smartphones inside the dome…

And it wasn’t livestreamed. But it’s becoming a hot topic on the internet?”

Makoto: “You can’t keep people’s mouths shut in this day and age… especially since we have a lot of people working in mass media among the audience this time.

Amateurs are the scariest, though.

Information is being released and spread rapidly, so it’s shaping into a truth by consensus.”

Hokuto: “I see… That’s really cruel. The matter of Akehoshi’s father is already something from years ago.

Things have finally cooled down to the point that people who ‘know’ only mostly know the rumors.

It’s been treated as a taboo in the idol industry, hushed up so no one would touch upon it…

But now that’s all gone to waste. After this, things won’t be the same.

Whenever Akehoshi stands on stage as an idol, everyone would recall what happened today and point at him, saying, ‘That’s the son of the Akehoshi’…

No one could ever look at him as just an idol.

No way I would accept something so unjust. This is a trap, a scheme; I’ll speak out, whatever it takes.

I’ll convince the SS Staff Association to declare the video as a completely baseless fabrication.

Even that might end as an exercise in futility, but… I can’t think of any other hand right now.”

/ 17

Hokuto: (No, if I use ‘that’, I can turn the table on them…? But how do I use it?

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth―that can’t be the right answer.

And with just a wrong step, what I do will result in all the darkness of the idol industry… no, of the whole entertainment business to surface.

The ideals and dreams we’ve longed and aimed for will disappear.

Can I really shoulder that burden? I’ll have satisfaction, but what else?

There must be something else; a future where Akehoshi, everyone, can smile…

The video happened. We can’t rewind time. We can’t erase the past…

This is probably something we, and especially Akehoshi, have to deal with sooner or later.

But does it have to be now?)

Makoto: “Umm, Hidaka-kun, I thought you might have some idea…

This might be an incredibly rude question, but just how much truth was in that stream?

It’ll change how we deal with this situation. If it was all a shameless lie, we can continue to stand dignified. But if even a bit of it was true…

We’ll be shouldering part of the sin,

by hiding and falsifying the truth for the sake of a comrade.

I don’t know if that would be the right move or not, but…

If not doing that would result in losing Akehoshi-kun’s smile forever, I want to do it. I want to save my friend even if it means becoming a villain.”

Hokuto: “The ultimate choice, huh… To save a friend, or to stay an honorable idol. I would prefer that these two futures aren’t exclusive too, but…

I think we’ll eventually be forced to make that difficult choice.”

Subaru: “You know… It’s fine. You can cut me off if things are really beyond saving.

You’re all so kind, so it might not cross your minds at all.

But you guys should be able to insist that you’ve been deceived by a criminal’s son and forced to go along with his wrongdoing.

If those choices mean we all have to lose something, then I’d rather offer myself up.”

Hokuto: “Don’t be stupid. We’re on the side of justice. We’ve got to let them have it, whoever was using this petty scheme to avoid facing us properly as idols.

We have to take down those evils. Step on them, and laugh to the heavens as they roll beneath our feet.

That’s more like us, and that’ll allow us to advance forward without sacrificing anyone, right?

Don’t give up, Akehoshi. There’s got to be something. A solution.”

Subaru: “But… I actually don’t know.

What sort of person Dad really was.

He was like a radiant star to me. He was my idol…

My very first memory was of me singing while holding hands with Dad and Mom that I love…

Dad was always so busy, so he was rarely home. But if I just switched the TV on, I’d find him smiling there.

Watching him with Mom was the most blissful time of my everyday.

Apparently, as a child, I had no idea how distant the world beyond the TV actually was, and kept reaching out my hands and nuzzling up against the screen.

When Dad came home once in a while, I’d be jumping for joy, running up to him for a hug… and Dad would happily lift me up and swing me around.

Then we’d sing together. Watching us would be Mom and Daikichi, clapping hands, jumping up and down…

We’d hold a small live of just us family.

But one day, Dad wouldn’t come home no matter how long we waited. It was my birthday, and Dad promised he would come.

Mom already prepared my share, Dad’s share, and Daikichi’s share of dinner, and all we had to do was wait.

Maybe his job got extended, we thought, so we turned on the TV like usual. To see if Dad was in any of the live music shows.

But what’s airing was an emergency news.

With a pale face, a news announcer reported… something we couldn’t comprehend――

That Dad killed someone while on stage.”

Makoto: “Kil―… M-Murder!? Tha-That’s a lie… right?

No. You’re wrong, Akehoshi-kun. It was an accident.

Since Saegusa-kun seemed so insistent to bring up your dad during our joint interview, I got curious and researched about it too.

Official record is that it was an accident. In the live show of Akehoshi-kun’s dad, who was a super idol of the time, a crazed fan was pushing themself through the crowd――

They tried to get upstage, but got into a dispute and fell on their own… Apparently, it hit a bad place and they died from that.

Your dad didn’t even push them or anything, Akehoshi-kun.

It was just an unfortunate accident… He wasn’t even charged for it. Wasn’t what you saw a misinformation from a news channel who jumped at the wrong conclusion too soon?”

Subaru: “Maybe. But that was just the start of it.

They investigated my dad thoroughly after that… and many atrocities were brought to light. I don’t believe it even now, but…

Illegal donation and bribery. Physical abuse towards colleagues… With one evidence after another being brought to light, Dad was arrested. As a criminal.

The worst idol in history―that’s what the mass called him.”

/ 18

Subaru: “They held sense of ethics at higher value back then… so Dad was disparaged, blamed, until he hit rock bottom.

Some passionate fans who believed in him, in their disappointment, were even throwing themselves off heights…

The chaos just festered, no one could stop it anymore.

I still remember. The police officers breaking into our house and making a mess of it…

The telephone that kept ringing. Everyone we met giving us the cold shoulders.

That’s the wife and son of that Akehoshi, they said… looking at us like we’re demons. Speaking behind our backs, shattering our windows, throwing rotten eggs at us.

I was scared… Mom and Daikichi were my only allies.

During those times, romantic affairs of idols were also considered scandals, so…

Dad actually married Mom in secret.

But that’s also not approved, and the people who were in love with Dad…

…spoke especially foully of Mom and started reviling Dad. Calling him a traitor, a criminal―a scum.

In the end, Dad died in prison with practically no chance to explain himself. From severe illness.

He was always a frail person, and his mental condition tended to greatly affect his health.

I couldn’t meet him often in prison, but when I saw him for the last time, Dad was already getting colder… It was as though he aged overnight; he was an entirely different person.

Since that day, we started living in concealment. Trying not to stand out, so no one would recognize us…

But Mom and I could never bring ourselves to change our surnames.

I mean, if we do that, it feels like Dad would really disappear. The best idol in the world, to Mom and I…

Ever since Dad vanished into the darkness, Mom stopped smiling. So I tried my best to make her smile. Because I love her.

I didn’t know anything else, so I copied Dad… I smiled and danced with a smile. All by myself, in Dad’s place…

I stuck it out for a long, long time… and Mom finally started smiling every once in a while. She’s become reintegrated into society now.

Back then and now, she was always my beautiful, gentle mom.

When rumors about Dad became almost unsettlingly quiet…

We returned to our current house near Yumenosaki, which we deserted in escape back then.

We cleaned up little by little, restoring the wrecked rooms back to their original state…

…and despite Mom’s opposition, I enrolled to Yumenosaki to become an idol like Dad.

I wanted to be someone who shines radiantly, like he did.

No, maybe by doing that… I was actually hoping to revive my dad, who was as though erased by world.

I wanted everyone to know my favorite idol too. But because he’s not here anymore, in his place…

…I wanted to spread something shiny and precious to the whole world.

Because that was Dad’s wish, and it’s become my dream too.

I was so close, guys. It took a lot of time and hard work. Destroying something is very easy, but it’s incredibly difficult to put it back together. That applies to everything in the world―every single thing.

Even so, I waded through the process and took a new step. It didn’t start out easy, but then I met you guys… I met with Trickstar.

We caused lots of miracles, granted lots of dreams… Each new day was full of happiness.

I could aim for the brilliant future Dad couldn’t arrive at.

But then look. It took a single blow to destroy everything. Everything’s broken into smithereens and vanished into the darkness again.

If this is what’s waiting anyway… then maybe I shouldn’t have tried to become an idol.

I should’ve stayed curled up in an inconspicuous corner… along with an unsmiling Mom, staring at a blank screen on the TV.

Maybe just being able to do that, just being alive…

…is something ‘the son of a criminal’―someone who inherits the title of ‘the worst idol in history’―should be satisfied with.

Thanks to you guys, I was starting to believe that’s not the case, but…

I don’t have that confidence anymore.

Hokuto. Mao. Makoto. Anzu… I reached out my hand, and finally grasped it, you know?

I met with people who would hold my hands and laugh with me.

Do I have to let go of all that and go back to that lonely, dark place?”

Hokuto: “…

…I’ve decided.

Anzu. Sorry but I’m leaving Akehoshi to you. Yuuki, Isara. You two come with me.”

Mao: “Eh? No, uh, why? Start by explaining yourself! Contrary to your looks, you just take action as soon as you come up with something, huh~? Stop a bit to think, will ya?”

Hokuto: “Even if I don’t think, you guys will do it in my place, right? Anyway, just come with me… Please, it’s a plea of a lifetime.”

Makoto: “S-Sure, that’s fine, but… where are we going?”

Hokuto: “To Eden’s place.”

Makoto: “Eh? Ehh!? Are you suspecting Eden to be behind that stream?

Are you… under the impression that they did this awful thing… and are thinking to give them a good punch?

That won’t solve anything! And I don’t think Eden is behind this!”

Mao: “Huh? Seriously? But Eden is the one who benefits from this fatal blow to our side, right?

Looking at the other participants for the final stage, Eden is definitely the one winning SS once we’re done away with.

Those other participants seem to be under CosPro’s influence, after all.

If they just eliminate us, they’ll be able to win without a sweat like what has been predetermined.

Among Eden, Saegusa especially has been trying to rile us up with his extreme comments. This really seems like something he would do.”

Makoto: “I understand, but this entire scheme is too sloppy to be Saegusa-kun.

Even without doing something like this, Eden’s chance of victory was high to begin with.

We’re quite spent by the events of the prelims, so…

If according to the original plan, the final stage starts immediately after drawing lots, meaning we’d have to perform at our exhausted state, due to not getting any rest.

But now we’ve been given the time to rest, right?

A blitzkrieg would’ve got rid of us the easiest, so wasn’t it weird to pause for a streaming there?”

/ 19

Makoto: “I think this wasn’t Saegusa-kun’s intention. He’s not that stupid…

Looking at the pattern in his actions so far, it’s unlikely he would choose this method.

We’ve suffered some due to that boy’s schemes.

As a result, most of the surviving participants for the final stage are related to CosPro one way or the other, making it practically their perfect victory.

I kept talking about causing miracles in one-in-a-million chance but honestly… even if we win, they’ll still profit greatly.

CosPro’s influence within the entertainment business would still be greatly strengthened.

They profit whether they win or lose; but if they can win, all the better―this is a pattern in Saegusa-kun’s strategies.

That boy’s an entrepreneur. He doesn’t try to cross burning bridges.

In my view, even his provocative gestures were only a strategy meant to scare his opponents into thinking that ‘he might really do it’.

He’s a snake that calmly manipulates others with his glib tongue. Careless frontal attacks aren’t like Saegusa-kun.”

Mao: “Nn~… Then maybe he thinks it’s safer to crush us, since we’re the only unpredictable component here?

That’s why he went for the kill with that video, as an insurance or something.”

Makoto: “No, that’s impossible. I also researched about the things they’re hiding, so we could oppose if he were to use this tactic against us.

Since he kept implicating that he had a firm grasp on our weakness――

I wanted us to be able to point a blade against their throat too.

After studying about Nagisa-san’s past that you heard from Eve during Autumn Live, Isara-kun…

I reeled in a bunch of info as well, until I found threatening secrets of them.

Saegusa-kun’s background, the matter of Sazanami-kun’s dad… It’s not a pretty tactic, so I’ve been keeping it secret from you guys.

But as for the case of Akehoshi-kun’s father… Maybe it was deliberately covered up, because at this day and age, it was hard to find much on him.

He seemed to have a deep relation with that godfather-like person mentioned in Eve’s story.

The supposedly discovered ‘crimes’ of Akehoshi-kun’s father all lead to that person.

That’s my conclusion upon looking at the information I’ve gathered in full.

I think that person was trying to make Akehoshi-kun’s father his successor.

Because your father was his favorite super idol… or simply, because that person was a fan.

He was a villain in every way possible, but I think he loved idols from the heart.

His methods were dirty, but it was thanks to him that the idol industry developed.

So, what I’m trying to say is, uhhh… if one were to allude to Akehoshi-kun’s dad…

It could also bring that person’s villainy, which they’ve worked so hard to cover up, to light.

And that could be harm to Eden at present, seeing as Nagisa-san used to be under that person’s shelter…

…and Saegusa-kun is possibly a successor to him.

Most people don’t dance that easily to what the media feeds them these days.

They’ll try to dig up what’s under to satisfy their curiosity, make their own conclusion, and crack wide open secrets of the past that were thrown into the dark pit.

Eden is the one hiding a successor and an adopted son of a criminal here, and an irrefutably terrible one at that: the Mr. Godfather.

They’ll be as deep in trouble as we are when their secrets are out.

So showing that video was really all pain and no gain for Eden.

They weren’t cornered enough to take risks. It’s all meaningless. They had no reason to evoke a plan that might bite back at them.

So our culprit isn’t Eden. They’re probably in as much panic right now.”

Hokuto: “Hmm. I see. All right; all the better then. We need to see Eden whatever it takes…

They might be able to help us.

No, maybe…we’ll be able to overcome this dilemma.

We might be able to stand up against this danger and our common enemy by joining hands as fellow idols.

If the members of Eden are idols just like us… then they can potentially become not our greatest adversary, but our strongest ally.

Let’s hurry. I’m confrontational apparently, so I can’t seem to negotiate with my opponents in peace, even in pretense.

I’ll need the help of Isara, who’s good at that kind of thing, and Yuuki, who probably holds the most information here.

Help me. Please. I need your strength.”

Mao: “Of course. I’ll do whatever I can do.”

Makoto: “Same with me. I’ll place my faith and follow behind you, Hidaka-kun, like I’ve done so far.”

Hokuto: “Thank you. …Wait for us, Akehoshi. We’ll be back with good news.

We’ll make you into an idol. I’m a big fan of the idol you.”

Makoto: “That, and you’re a most precious friend and comrade to us!”

Mao: “That’s right; we love you lots~ So believe and wait, yeah?”

Subaru: “Guys… O-Okay. I don’t really get it, but I’ll be waiting with Anzu.

I want to believe in a future where I can sparkle radiantly with you guys.”

Epilogue

/ 1

> SS Stage

< Hours later. SS Final Stage, the decisive round >

Hiyori: “(inhales) Even I can’t help but be a little nervous.

It’ll be bad if we fail, after all. Maybe I’ll even cause trouble for Tomoe Foundation…? But well, they’ll probably just take it as the profligate second son ducking back home after kicking up a stupid fuss, and look at me appalled.

I don’t really have anything to lose, so… I’ll show my dignity and sense of justice here.

I’m sorry, Jun-kun. You were finally able to stand on the stage of SS you’ve always dreamed of, but everything has gone to waste thanks to this superfluous scheme…

You must be disappointed, right? You can cry, okay?”

Jun: “Haa? Why’d that make you apologize, Ohii-san? Kindly explain? You always choose the strangest times to say sorry.

Yet when I’m all pissed off, you just keep on with that grin.

…’s fine, you know, Ohii-san. I’m a lucky guy.

Having the stupid old man’s dreams forced on me, I couldn’t accept my reality but held on with my everything anyway… Yet I couldn’t bud, only gathering soot…

I only ever brooded, but then you approached me like a dolt and told me ‘You have a good voice!’ and all that…

Then in your whim, you instructed me on a small lesson session, right?

Do you remember, Ohii-san? That time, I was shocked from the bottom of my heart, you know. In Reimei, non-Special Students are treated like mass produced cheap slaves.

But you spoke to me like it was natural. Then you came down at me, haughtily lectured me…

And I thought, Oh, so I’m just a toy to fill up this noble kid’s free time.

But then the next day you called me to talk, invited me to form a unit with you…

And I thought, What the hell’s this guy saying? None of it makes sense, is he an idiot?

But also, I was happy. I felt honored; I was grateful. You were a ray of hope illuminating the dirty alleys I thought I inhabited.

It felt good just to be showered in your light, y’see. Plus, when I decided to hell with it and follow you, it somehow brought me to see this great view.

Look, Ohii-san. Look at the filled audience seats surrounding us… They’re all waiting for us to sing and dance, eyes sparkling in wait.

This is the scenery my old man once saw for a moment. I’m able to witness it so early into my life, so I’m gonna make him let me spend the rest of it doing what I want.

I’ll sing with you as long as you wish me there.”

Hiyori: “Wow, how passionate! Oh Jun-kun! You love me so surprisingly a lot, don’t you!?”

Jun: “Haa? Our relationship isn’t about love or hate, right? I can’t separate from you just because I hate you; aren’t we supposed to be one in body and soul?

At least try to remember your own words, you dumb noble.”

Hiyori: “Fufu. That’s right. It’s just as you say, Jun-kun.

Ahh… the dirty animal I picked up that day has grown so splendidly. You are worth the love and effort I poured into raising you; I feel rewarded for my hardships.”

Jun: “I’ve got a bunch of things to say, but… don’t relax; put some spirit into it, okay? I’m still immature and you’re the one I rely on.

…I’m fuming, y’know, Ohii-san. My blood is boiling at those guys who set up this damn unnecessary scheme.

Does the show biz just stay like this no matter the era? They haven’t grown an inch since my old man’s days! Pisses me off!

I thought Sagami Jin fought against the unfairness of the business and fixed it some?

But is this how much that bastard can do!? Man, no choice but to fix it myself then!

<GODDAMN>! Come at me if you’ve got anything to say! I won’t be done away with as easily as my old man!

My name might be hard to read, but carve it into your minds! I’m Sazanami Jun!

I’m the son of ‘that Sazanami’ that you guys once made into an accessory for the super idol! Well, I bet you don’t even remember!

Why don’t I fix things so you all will remember me for life, and never plot this kind of dumb scheme anymore~?!

You guys―you garbage and your damned ways―I’ll toss you all into the cesspool! Bet you’ll look good in there~!”

Hiyori: “Hey now! Jun-kun, hush! Is there no way of fixing that foul tongue of yours?”

Jun: “Hah! I’m already trying to be polite, y’know~? Don’t like it? Well, excuse me then!”

Hiyori: “Geez. It’s not just about tacking on polite words at the end, you know. I wish you’d learn to have more class… if you really plan to stand beside me from now on too.

Learn the ways of the nobles. I’ll hold your hand through every step, Jun-kun.

Ahh… Even though Brother scolded me often for it, it seems there’s no fixing my capriciousness either♪”

/ 2

Hokuto: “Hey. How long are you planning to flirt around there? You two get along as well as ever.”

Hiyori: “Oh no, not as well as you guys! The gentlemen of Trickstar, bringing revolution upon the world through the power of friendship! I quite admire you guys, and would like to learn from you on that, you know♪

You all can stake your lives for the sake of your comrades, and you will stand up to the greatest of schemes and adversaries without faltering… You’re all so cool. I’m cheering for you.

Me? I’m likelier to leave Jun-kun to fend for himself and save myself when worse comes to worst! I really can’t stand painful things and such sufferings since the past!

So to me, you guys are worthy of praise… Please, fight on without giving up.”

Hokuto: “Thank you. But Tomoe-senpai, I don’t think you’d ever run away and leave Sazanami alone… In fact, I picture you’d do everything to shield him in dangerous times, and end up dying from it.”

Hiyori: “Yes yes! You understand me so well, Hokuto-kun! I wish Jun-kun knows me as well as you do! It’s so troubling how slow he is!”

Jun: “Hidaka-san, can you refrain from feeding this guy’s big head?

Sure, he’s the type who shines better the more excited he is, but to be honest, it’s mostly just annoying.”

Hokuto: “Fufu. Just like our Akehoshi, then. I get that feeling, Sazanami. We both have it hard, don’t we.”

Jun: “Ahaha. You and I don’t feel like strangers, eh?”

Ibara: “All right, there’s there! Sorry to interrupt the pleasant chit-chat, gentlemen! Salute~☆

Since we’re still enemies, can I ask to not be so friendly with each other? I mean, it might make it hard to kill you when push comes to shove! Ahahaha☆”

Hokuto: “…Saegusa. Have you finished the preparation like I asked?”

Ibara: “Who knows? I shall leave it to your imagination! At least I’ll tell you this: I am a liar, so do not put too much faith in me!

I will betray you if the need calls, you see. Please don’t get funny ideas, like that I’m siding with you, or that I’m most definitely to see through our partnership to the end.

Because I’m ready to chew off your throats anytime.”

Hokuto: “After we take down our common enemy, I hope. …Naturally, we’re gonna put our all into our performance too.”

Ibara: “Splendid! I appreciate it; as they say, even fools have their use! Ahh, I’m glad to meet you; I can finally eliminate the thing I’ve racked my brain over for so long!

Surely you don’t mind me squeezing every profit out of you ‘till you’re all bones! I shall treat you well as long as you’re of some use! But don’t forget that I am always aiming at your back!

Put your guard down and I’ll deliver to you a painful blow with a bang♪”

Hokuto: “Fufu. You seem to be in a good mood, Saegusa.”

Ibara: “Not at all? I’m irritated! Just as it was getting fun, they had to interfere from the side~ now all my plans are in tatters!

Whatever should I do with CosPro’s feeble-minded top brass…? Well, it’s fine I guess, since I can seem to crush most of them due to their action this time!

Ahh, but I can’t hold all this anger! Should I braid His Excellency’s hair to relieve my stress~?”

Hiyori: “Ah… So Nagisa-kun’s sometimes funny hairstyle was all your doing.

We have a live show coming, so don’t style his hair too funny, okay?”

Nagisa: “…I enjoy it, though; it’s probably how pets feel when being groomed.

…But anyway, accomplishing our purpose comes first.

…I will perform perfectly, like the idols Father loved.

…Not just that; I will enjoy this moment together with you all.

…Trickstar. Let me thank you.

…Thanks to you, my father doesn’t have to be exposed and unfairly condemned.

…Everyone might perceive him as the root of evils, and it’s true he committed crimes.

…But he was a kind father to me. I think he truly loved me.

…So I can’t forgive―for everything my father loved, for the concept of idols, to be hurt like this.

…Insolent it may be, I shall bestow judgment in place of God and the Heavens.

…Let us fight together, hand in hand, children of Yumenosaki Academy.”

Mao: “Sure. We can’t ask for better, Nagisa-san.”

Nagisa: “…Hello. I’m sorry, but I still can’t remember your name.”

Mao: “Of course~ Ah well, I’ll definitely make it memorable enough so you won’t ever forget again.”

Nagisa: “…I’m looking forward to that. Doesn’t it excite you, Hiyori-kun?”

Hiyori: “Yes. There’s no need to venture out to look, is there? Paradise lies here.”

Makoto: “Everyone! The preparation is all ready, so please stand by!”

Hiyori: “Uh, you talk like a staff, but don’t forget to stand on stage, okay?

Weren’t the four of you together supposed to make Trickstar? You reflect off each other’s radiance and glisten despite anything! That’s you guys, isn’t it?”

Makoto: “Ahaha. The five of us… to be more precise. She’s not the assertive type, always so self-effacing―but we have an important comrade who was the one to kindle our first light.

It’s the wonderful producer who made these outfits for us. She can’t stand on stage with us, but she’s always by our side.

Please don’t forget about our dearest Anzu-chan, if you will.”

Hiyori: “Ahh―excuse my rudeness then. Nn~… While Trickstar have strong allies backing them up, we might be in disadvantage due to our inside people dragging us down instead.

Well, I have no intention of losing, of course? Let’s see how much you’ve grown since that summer! Let’s all enjoy today to our fill!

That’s what makes a fine weather! Let’s greet the new year with a smile, everyone…♪”

/ 3

Ibara: “Well then. Let’s begin, shall we?

You all fulfilled your promise. You’ve brilliantly triumphed over strong rivals, and advanced ‘your pieces’ to the third round.

All that, despite being hurt by the unpleasant stream that tossed this venue into chaos… and despite one of you being practically not of sound mind.”

Subaru: “…

Yeah… I have no excuse. I’m sorry, guys. I’ve been mostly useless throughout the finals.

I ended up increasing your burdens by having you guys cover up for my part in the songs.

I’m sorry. Really. But my legs are trembling and they won’t move――”

Hokuto: “Stop being so distant. We help each other in need, right? Isn’t it good enough that you manage to stand on stage without running away? I’m very proud of you, Akehoshi.”

Subaru: “Are you my mom or what, Hokke… But gee, I really showed something pathetic to all of you, didn’t I? Now I can never go against you guys for life.

But you know, guys? You really are amazing. Despite the unusual circumstances, you acted like proper idols.

Even though people were whispering, giving us funny looks… you guys didn’t object even a bit, and sang and danced with your all, forcing the atmosphere of the venue to change with you.

And before I knew it, everyone was cheering for us. Captivated, engrossed, clapping their hands… I felt so happy…

Nah―I think it made me realize something once more.

That we’re so awesome, so radiant… Maybe it’s because I couldn’t move like always and had to watch you guys from the back, but I felt this stronger than ever: You guys, all of you―you’re sparkling.

I wonder if I can still belong with you… It’ll be nice if I could. That’s what I think, from the bottom of my heart.

And then I just feel silly for being so afraid! I’m gonna sing with you guys too, in the third round!

I’m still a little scared, but even so! Please, let me sing!”

Hokuto: “There’s no need to plea; you just have to wish for it.

It was the opposite back in DDD. We all couldn’t rise upstage… but you persisted on fighting while borrowing Anzu’s help, didn’t you?

It’s probably no good to keep looking back to the past, but…

It was your effort that day that brought us here in this place. So you never had to thank us, Akehoshi.

It’s a two-way street. When one of us falls, the others lend their hands; we’ve come so far by supporting each other that way, right?

Yesterday, today, and into tomorrow, surely. Let’s all walk towards the future together.”

Subaru: “Of course, Hokke…♪”

Ibara: “Uhh~ Ahem. Why do all of you just resort to flirting when there’s chance~? We’re going nowhere like this, so can you save it for later?

Anyway, back to topic. We will henceforth commence the strategy.

Our objective is the indictment of the CosPro top brass, who had attempted a trap against you all.

We have looked into it to be sure as well, and embarrassingly enough, it really does turn out to be a blunder by our people.

Apparently some of the upper seats of our agency were concerned by Trickstar’s increasing exploits…

…and decided to set up a landmine, which they somehow believed to be an effective secret weapon.

I assume by portraying ‘that Akehoshi’ as a criminal and implicating Subaru-san who is his son is as much of a villain… they plan to rile up the mass and manipulate them.

Are they stupid or something? Do they really believe they can get away unharmed, after exposing the biggest scandal in the showbiz that the people before them worked hard to cover up?

So, we shall crush this silly conspiracy for the sake of the future of the show biz to come.

It’s just finally raking in as much money as I wanted it to. I can’t have the value of the entertainment industry itself to be dropping now.

It would greatly hurt my business~ So this is all inevitable.”

Subaru: “Fufu. You love idols too, huh, Barry?”

Ibara: “I do not love or hate them. But I can’t have my job being hampered, so I’d like to get rid of annoying good-for-nothing employees as soon as I can.

This is quite convenient, to be honest. With this, the air on our place might get clearer and we might be able to move more freely.

Maybe we won’t have to bow down to the agency’s every little orders anymore.

We’ll have them let us do whatever we want… Those dumbasses think they’re so great just by getting older, acting like they’re gods or something―so I’ll gladly shoot them in the back.

Imagine the thrill! Ahaha, I can’t stop laughing! I’m so so glad that I’m a lowlife…☆”

Makoto: “Boy, you’re so great right now.”

Subaru: “Tell me about it! I think we can be friends~♪”

Ibara: “Will you stop it? That’s just gross! You guys are up next once we’re done with those bores. Just wait for it!

I’ve also been looking forward to this day, okay!?”

Jun: “Ahaha, yep. Y’know, Ibara… he looked so giddy while planning the strategy for SS. He’s angrier than he looks over the whole thing being messed up.”

Hiyori: “Fufu, you’re surprisingly a kid at heart too, Ibara.”

Nagisa: “…Yes. It’s adorable.”

Ibara: “Hush! Tarnish my good name any further and I’ll sue you all!”

【Now, everyone! Attention, please! Welcome to the stewpot of chaos!

This is the lawless paradise forsaken by God! The capital city of worldly pleasures brewing with love and lust! It asks not your age or gender, just for you to fall into depravity along us!

You who dance high up on the heavens and you who crawl beneath the earth―all is equal in front of the Almighty! Equally foolish, weak, and beyond salvation! But what of that?

Law, rules, and logic matter not at the face of the most supreme of pleasures! So let’s bare ourselves naked and bellow! Embrace and entwine and raise a cry of pleasure!

We shall resound a sublime ensemble together! Charge! Invade! Conquest! Ahahahaha…☆】

/ 4

Subaru: 【Hello, everyone. Good day.

Ah, maybe it’s more fitting to say ‘good evening’ now. It’s nighttime. The sky is clear and I’m sure you can see the stars in their prettiest.

But anyway… Hello. I’m Akehoshi Subaru.

I’m not used to speaking formally, so I apologize for any discourtesy in advance.

And also… I’m very sorry for today.

You all came here to see our performance, to see idols dancing and singing happily. I’m sure you’re confused, having been exposed to the backdoor dealings of the show biz and all that dark heavy stuff instead.

We’ll do something about it. It’ll be over soon. So please, listen to what I have to say. We have a gift of happy performances of your liking after this.

The video that played before the stage… That wasn’t fabrication. It was something put together from news reports that were really broadcast at the time.

My father was once called a super idol.

He was really popular… He was my pride and Mom’s; our most beloved person in the world. But he’s not here anymore.

He was branded a criminal by the world and died in prison without being cleared of that sin.

That’s a fact, and there is no changing the past anymore.

But I believe that the future can be changed.

So I will speak the truth: my father was falsely accused.

We have evidence. My best friend’s father―someone you all likely know as well―had secretly preserved records of that time.

He apparently submitted them to the police back then, but he was hushed up without them ever being investigated properly.

But he couldn’t stand that, and decided to keep those records safe.

The backup files he had at home were erased by someone who apparently snuck into the house. But the original records that he kept hidden just in case remain to this day.

I’ll submit them to the police once more. Also, the Tenshouin Zaibatsu and the Tomoe Foundation…

…will apparently help persuade the police to investigate the case properly, and make sure there is no unfairness at play.

It appears that stream was shown to you by a small part of the Cosmic Production, out of some intent… malicious ones.

We managed to find that out through the inside help of Eden, who also belongs to CosPro. The culprits have been kept in custody and should be in the middle of investigation right now.

I’m terribly sorry for the mess. Today might be difficult but maybe… by the start of a new year, all truths will come to light.

I do not know what the result will be. Maybe the records I submitted as proof were mistaken, and my father really committed those crimes.

And even if his accusations are finally cleared, he won’t come back… After all, my father and I are two different people. I ask that you don’t mistake that, at least.

Whether my father really turns out to be a wonderful super idol… or the opposite, a fearsome criminal… he’s still a separate individual from me.

I dreamed to be like my dad. I loved him. But I’m not his copy. I’ve lived until this day as myself, as Akehoshi Subaru.

Many life experiences and my meeting with my teammates brought me to the grand stage that is SS.

And there’s been nothing shameful in the life I’ve lived and the story I’ve weaved until today.

I have not committed crimes or any illegal actions. I gave it my all and worked hard, forming bonds with my surrounding people, piling one victory after another, until I finally arrived here.

If you can’t believe me. If you think I must’ve taken disgraceful methods because I’m the son of a criminal… then you can study me up as you like.

I’ll always prove my innocence. I won’t run away or hide.

So, please, if you can find it to forgive me… allow me to sing in front of you with a smile from the heart.

Please let me stay an idol.

Please.

…

…That’s the end of the dark and heavy talk.

Can I lighten up the mood with a song here?

Okay… Right. Thank you very much.

We’ll choose a fun song, at least, so it won’t be too uncomfortable to hear.

Please listen to our―Trickstar’s song!

♪_♪♪】

/ 5

Jun: 【♪_♪♪】

(Yes! I’m doing so good! Must be because slaughtering that annoying bunch in one go put me in a good mood! Singing never feels more liberating!

The stress almost got to me because we’ve only been allowed to nibble at what’s on the table so far today. But now I’m gonna sing until my throat hurts~!

Old man! Watch in front of the TV as you bite your fingers in envy! Serves you right, eh? From hereon… when an idol fan speaks of Sazanami, it will be about me!

No one’s gonna remember some pitiful loser, crushed like a pathetic monster of the week by the fan favorite of the era! So hey, isn’t it fine already, old man?

Be appeased, pass on all your dreams to me, and live out the rest of your days in pleasure!

Maybe you should thank the wife who’s been supporting her slovenly husband all this time, and flirt with each other all over again!

All you old lovebirds need is to clap your hands and cheer me on together, as I thrive on this side!

That’s what I’ve wanted to see, y’know…?

…Geh!? Sagami Jin is among the official guest seats! The bastard, what’s he doing waving his hand at me with a grin!? And darn, at such a high place!

Make sure to watch me, yeah? I will splendidly triumph over your precious students today! Cry and resent me! It’ll make me feel even better~!

Haa? <GODDAMN>! I can read your lip movements, you know~? ‘Do your best’, is it? That goes without saying! I don’t need you cheering me on, Sagami Jin!

You crushed my old man’s dream, but it’s revived to shine here and now…!

You can narrow your eyes if I’m too bright, y’know, Sagami Jin? You, the super idol once revered as the first star of the world!

I’m gonna rise above you like it’s a piece of cake, and aim for even greater heights! With Ohii-san, and everyone in Eden!

That’s my revenge and my reason for living. Wholesome, right?

There are no dark thoughts, no connivances―just a pristine ideal! Ahahaha!)

【♪_♪♪】

Ibara: 【♪_♪♪】

(Ahaha. You seem to be having fun, Jun… a little too obviously so.

Ahh, doesn’t it feel like I’ve done something good? A good deed surely betters the mood♪

Doesn’t fill up the stomach, though. But maybe it’s a nice feeling to have once in a while.

Aha~… This isn’t good, is it? I think I’ve been poisoned by everyone here too.

There are more good people in the world, so personally, I find being a bad one easier as there’s less competition…

Haa~ I guess I’m losing my touch.

Would you laugh if you see me (俺) right now? Or would you praise me, Yuzuru?

Your opinion of me seemed to be that I’m ‘competent, but with trouble in the personality aspect’, through and through.

Why, I ask for a reevaluation, Instructor Commander! After all, I’ve grown up healthy, with little stress, consuming good food―and become big enough to swallow you whole!

Ahahaha…☆)

Hiyori: 【♪~♪ ~♪】

(…Hmm. No problem so far. The audience is giving a good response as well.

I don’t believe we’re losing to Trickstar in ability… so I just have to hope the decision of exposing the CosPro’s upper seats’ petty scheme won’t come back to bite us.

Being kind to enemies is the way of the noblesse oblige, but honestly, I hate losing.

Well, perhaps it’s fine… This is just the way of things; if you say it’s fate then I’ll accept it gladly. Of course I want to win, though.

But no matter how this ends, I will have no regrets if I give it my all.

A conclusion where we can laugh regardless of who wins and loses is the most preferable―if we hadn’t made that move, none of us would be smiling now… Que será, será it is.

Just like this, even if little by little… Let’s spread smiles and love to the world.

That was the ideal I once aimed for with Eichi-kun and the others. Perhaps that’s all pretty, empty words; a slogan to win over the mass.

But from the bottom of my heart, I’ve always thought it’ll be nice if that comes true.

Forever love and peace! That’s what makes a fine weather…☆)

Nagisa: 【♪_♪♪】

(…Fufu. I’m glad. They’re all having fun and smiling.

…When I look at them like that, something warm wells up within me.

…I can only pray this emotion is not a sin.

…We’re living beings that trample one another just by being alive.

…With each breath we take, someone cries and another dies at someplace unknown to us.

…As mere humans, it’s impossible for us to bring salvation upon each and every person.

…But, if we sing, maybe someone will smile.

…And maybe they’ll find a peace of mind, however momentary, in their dull or even hopeless everyday.

…I’ll sing for that sake. That’s the cross idols bear.

…All for sorrow to decrease even just a bit from this world――

…Let’s do our best.

…If you say this is the meaning of my birth and the worth in my being alive――

…Then life is so precious.)

【♪_♪♪ 】

/ 6

Subaru: “…”

Nagisa: “…What’s wrong? You’re spacing out, Subaru-kun.

…Soon they will be done counting the votes. Hang in there a little more.

…Until the curtains are closed, we must stand straight with a smile.

…I understand though. You’ve had it rough today, both physically and mentally.”

Subaru: “Ahaha, you’re still so animated, though! No less from you, Nagisa-san♪”

Nagisa: “…Fufu. Well, I’ve been doing this longer than you.

…I’ve been an idol since I was born after all.

…That might be saying too big… but really, for as long as I can remember, and by the time I became my father’s child, I’ve always wanted to become an idol.

…I was mostly inside a white room with practically no stimulation.

…But sometimes, my father would bring in a small TV.

…He would show me footages of your father.

…Whenever he did that, Father had such a blissful look on him, you see.

…So I imitated your dad.

…Father was so happy. Called me a genius. He even brought the actual person to meet me.

…And then that man taught me how to sing.

…Ever since that day, I’ve sung as your father taught me.

…I’ve continued to imitate him.

…I wanted to become an idol that would please Father.

…No, maybe it’s exactly because I had him as a fan―that small and childish as I was, I managed to become an idol.

…Father passed away, and I no longer had an audience.

…But Hiyori-kun, a child of the Tomoe family that picked me up, smiled the same way when he heard me sing.

…In Yumenosaki, I sang and danced along Eichi-kun and the others in fine, and everyone smiled.

…I was happy.

…Contented. Just by that.

…But it seems other people can’t be content with it.

…They told me often, that there are other fun things out there.

…That I don’t know the true shape of this world, the true shape of happiness.

…Pitiful, they called me. I couldn’t understand, so I pondered over it.”

Subaru: “Have you found an answer?”

Nagisa: “…I still ponder over it. And I probably will continue to, for life.

…Like a philosopher. Like a believer. I’ll keep on pondering, until I die.

…Ibara will ponder the rest of the difficult things for me anyway.

…Hiyori-kun will tell me what to do when I’m about to cause trouble for someone.

…Jun is relatable somehow, and when I’m with him, it’s like I’m looking at my reflection in the mirror, which is a help.

…I’m not dissatisfied in any way. That makes me feel a little bad, even.”

Subaru: “I see. You have it so nice, Nagisa-san. You’re so simple and pure. I envy you.”

Nagisa: “…That might be the first time someone told me that they envy me.

…Thank you. For not calling me pitiful.

…Subaru-kun. I said that your father and mine resemble each other.

…But let me amend that. Your father was what mine could’ve been if he never made a mistake.

…Or is it the opposite? I don’t know. But, your father never did anything wrong.

…He diligently taught a strange, creepy child who couldn’t even smile well how to sing.

…He told me many times, that he had a son.

…That he wanted to be someone his son wouldn’t be ashamed of.

…That he wanted to stay an idol his son could look up to.

…So I think that your father stayed an idol of your dreams to the end.

…If he really had become a successor of my father, taking part or lending a hand in any of his wrongdoings――

…Then he should’ve received my father’s protection. He wouldn’t have been broken apart like that.

…My father was a truly terrible villain, but his crimes were never exposed, even after his death.

…He never got arrested. He was a careful man, a consummate villain beyond anybody’s grasp, and impenetrable as a god.

…If your father was really another such villain, he wouldn’t have met such an unfortunate end.

…I think that he must have fallen into the trap of someone that’s not my father… an opposing power.

…My father was hard to catch, and that’s why those people placed their aim at his favorite super idol instead.

…And then by associating my father’s past crimes with him, they must’ve planned to lure my father into a trap, to finally catch him.

…That plan amounted to nothing in the end as my father lived out his days tranquilly.

…But he couldn’t protect your father. I think my father regretted that to the end.

…Supposedly, he offered his help time and time, but your father rejected all of it.

…He remained sublime and honorable to the end, never tainted by evil.”

/ 7

Nagisa: “…However. As a result, your dad was swallowed by the spiral of malice, and you and your mother had to walk the path of hardships.

…I don’t know if his choice was correct. Maybe some would laugh and say he’s a stupid fool.

…But me, I think he’s really cool.

…It may just happen to go this way but… in the end, you rose above all those hardships and darkness, and arrived to shine here at the center of everything.

…I think we were all saved, that you are a strong and just child; a good child. Me, Father, and perhaps your father.

…There have been sacrifices made, so I can’t say this is a truly happy ending.

…But it’s much better than the completely unsalvageable despair it could’ve been.

…You’ve worked so hard, Subaru-kun.

…Today you’re shining just as much as your father once was, or perhaps even more nobly so.”

Subaru: “Thank you.

I’m happy you’re telling me so much even though you’re probably not much of a talker, Nagisa-san. There’s more or less a good half I can’t say I understand, but I’m feeling lighter.”

Nagisa: “…Humans cannot understand one another. But that doesn’t mean nothing is conveyed in communication.

…For example, it’s possible to know how one feels through song.

…We’ve weaved history by causing many of such miracles in this world forsaken by God.”

Subaru: “You always immediately talk about history, Nagisa-san.”

Nagisa: “…I like it. The workings of humanity, tracing their roots and branches. They interest me.

…Is it weird?”

Subaru: “Nuh-huh. It’s good to have something you like.

…Ow―whoops. No good; I can’t stand straight!”

Nagisa: “…A-Are you really okay? Should I lend you my shoulder?”

Mao: “Ah. Leave that to us.

You okay, Subaru~? Today must’ve been hard on you. There, there~ You did well.

All’s left is to see the fruits of our effort. Laugh or cry, it’s gonna be the end.

Whether we win or lose, we’ll be going home after this. Then it’s just waiting for the new year to dawn while slurping soba on a kotatsu.

Good work this year. Wasn’t it so fun and fulfilling?”

Nagisa: “…You still look to have some stamina left. Have you grown tougher, Ma… Maa-kun?

Mao: “Ah. Anything but that nickname. Isara Mao, please.”

Nagisa: “…Right. I’ll remember.

…I once said that anyone could replace you.

…And that opinion hasn’t changed much even now.

…But I suppose you must be an invaluable, irreplaceable, important presence to your friends in Trickstar.”

Mao: “Ahaha. That doesn’t apply to just me. Most people are special, irreplaceable ‘only one’s to someone else in the world.”

Nagisa: “…You’re right. Thank you; I’ve gained another wisdom. No… I could finally understand.

…Fufu. It’s so fun to be alive.”

Hiyori: “Ahaha, that goes without saying, Nagisa-kun.

Well, it’s only been a few years since you’ve started adapting to society… so it can’t be helped that you’re practically a toddler. You have plenty of time to learn♪

I shall continue to teach you so many fun things! With love, of course♪”

Nagisa: “…Yes. Thank you for always, Hiyori-kun.”

Jun: “Haha. You’ve been chatting like it’s all over, but the result is taking time to show, huh?

Wonder what’s wrong. Maybe technical troubles?”

Makoto: “Nn~… Some of the staffs must’ve been involved in that streaming and got captured, so they’re likely lacking in people.

Or, it’s possible that it’s a veery close match and they’re being careful by recalculating so they won’t make a mistake. I think it was an intense match too~♪”

Ibara: “Tch… It would’ve been our easy victory had our inside people not interfered. It’s beyond frustrating; I should’ve removed all the pus before they festered.

I shall reflect upon this seriously to better my next endeavors.”

Hokuto: “Right. Let’s both get even stronger and fight again next year. I hope we can have a straightforward match next time, without any of these silly schemes.”

Makoto: “Fufu. Eden’s battle power might plummet since the two third years will have graduated next year. It might become our easy victory♪”

Ibara: “Then I have bad news for you! In our school, we’re not bound by our academic year since we’re contracted directly to CosPro!

Even after His Excellency and His Royal Highness graduated, they will still thrive as Eden as long as there isn’t some big change~ Isn’t that right, you two?”

Hiyori: “Yup, I still have many things to teach to Jun-kun, after all!

We are staying in the school dorms right now, so we will still need to move out. But as idols, we’re forever Eden!”

Jun: “To be honest, I want you out real fast since your personal properties take out most of the space in our dorm room…

It’ll be so great to be rid of you and only meet you for work, huh~?”

Hiyori: “Eh~? Still so dishonest! Jun-kun, you meanie…!”

/ 8

Hokuto: “…Oh? Quiet, everyone. There goes the drum roll; I think they’re ready to announce the result.”

Mao: “Ohh, finally huh. Ugh~… These times always feel deadly nerve-wracking to me.”

Makoto: “Ahaha. But there’s no thrill to knowing the result from the start, right? Isn’t it exciting, to not know whether you’ll win or lose?”

Subaru: “You’re surprisingly a gambler, aren’t you, Ukki~?”

Hokuto: “Didn’t you guys hear when I said ‘quiet’? Or do you guys can’t stay still for even a few minutes?

Well… Fufu, it’s nice that I get to scold you like usual, like this. I’m glad we can return to our usual selves at the very end.”

Subaru: “Yep. To the usual Trickstar, right?

Let’s see, what’s the result gonna be…?”

Makoto: “Ah, suddenly I’m scared! Guys, can we hold hands?”

Mao: “Ehh!? I was all happy thinking you’ve grown dependable, so do you really need to go back to being all jittery at the end, Makoto!? Well, I don’t mind―there. Holding hands, right?”

Hokuto: “…Akehoshi, you can hold onto me since you seem to have a hard time standing straight. Do it naturally.”

Subaru: “O-Okay. I can’t make the audience worry, right?

Gyuuu~… Gee, this is scary. What should I do if we lose? It’ll be my fault.”

Hokuto: “Don’t say such things. It’ll be alright, because… our Goddess of Victory is always smiling upon us.

Look. Anzu is smiling.”

Subaru: “…Eek!?

That surprised me! The spotlight shone on us suddenly, so I thought Anzu radiated some mysterious ray of light as she smiled…!”

Makoto: “What would that make Anzu-chan? Anyway, this is…?”

Hokuto: “Ah… if it’s like the DreamFes system, then the spotlight shines down on the winner.

That means… ahh, so we won.

We won SS.

I-I can’t find the words… I can’t think straight either. What is this? I’m so happy.

I’m so happy! We did it! We won!”

Mao: “Ah… Finally. Felt so long. Ahaha, it’s really hard to find the words once push comes to shove. The tension is completely gone from my shoulders.”

Makoto: “Yeah, same… Yeah. Ahh, I’m so glad♪”

Hiyori: “Tch~ Congratulations.”

Jun: “For real? <GODDAMN>! How can we lose after coming this far? This is frustrating~! Damn you and congratulations…!”

Nagisa: “…I think that you can congratulate them even while frustrated is commendable, or rather… you’re a good boy, Jun.

…Congratulations. This wasn’t in the script, so I don’t know what would be a good line for the occasion.

…But I’m relieved.

…Those who are right are rewarded. The ones who achieve are those who worked for it. I think that should stay the law of the world.

…There is no meaning in victory and defeat. But there’s value to your victory today.

…I hope for you to keep walking towards the brilliant future, without repeating that past of gloom.

…Fufu. A pity, is it, Ibara?”

Ibara: “Nn, well it’s fine, I guess~… I can’t stomach that it’s the foolishness of our top people that dragged us down and caused this defeat, not the fault in my plan.

Well, not being able to see that coming was still my negligence.

It’s good enough harvest. We’ll be learning from this loss, and win next time for sure. Go ahead and laugh all you want for now, Trickstar.”

Hiyori: “Can’t you even congratulate them openly? …Anyway, you kids; don’t stand around stupefied like that.

SS might be atypical in many ways, but if it still adheres to the rules of the DreamFest system… then the winners gain the right to sing an encore.

Sing. With your all, since it’s the end. After this is the new year break, so… there’s no need for holding back♪”

Mao: “Yes! Alright, we’re singing, guys! This time we did anticipate an encore and practice for it in advance! Anzu, play the music!”

Makoto: “Yup, put on our usual song!

Ya~y, are you watching us, everyone? We’ve won~♪”

Mao: “Haha, sounds like a joke, doesn’t it? But it’s real; we’ve really won…♪”

Hokuto: “Ahh, I want to hurry and sing! The wait feels like forever!”

Subaru: “Wha―wait, don’t swing me around like that, Hokke… The music’s not gonna play any sooner even if you shake me! Stay, stay!”

Hokuto: “Ahaha, sorry! But I can’t wait! It’s the moment I’ve always dreamed for!”

Subaru: “Fufu. That’s okay, I guess~ This hectic feel is just like us.

Ahh… We’ve grown since DDD and that S1 in spring, haven’t we? Totally ready to sing the encore and all♪

I’m gonna sing with a wide smile at the end too! <ONLY YOUR STARS!>…☆”

【Sing along us, everyone! Let’s resound it to the entire world―our ensemble!

♪_♪♪】

---

1. The first half chapters are titled Effort, while the second half chapters are titled Friendship (excluding prologue and epilogue chapters). Probably refers to the Shounen Jump motto “Effort! Friendship! Victory!” Morisawa Chiaki shouts it sometimes too. ↩

2. Ibara attaches -denka (殿下) to Hiyori’s name, a honorific usually used in reference to a member of the reigning dynasty. ↩

3. 男子三日会わざれば刮目して見よ Japanese proverb. Basically “Someone you haven’t met in a while could have changed greatly.” Apparently originated from Lu Meng, a Wu general from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. ↩

4. Oden. ↩