Toi: It was super lovely~! Did you come see us at the tournament, chief?
Kaede: Yeah, I secretly went to cheer you guys on. Ryui came along as well.
Toi: My Dear Brother!? But I told him he didn’t have to come since he looked so busy with work...!
Kaede: I was so moved by the last cat pose at the end… Just remembering it brings a tear to my eye…
Muneuji: Thank you, Chief. We also had a wonderful experience.
Kaede: I see…, that’s wonderful. *Sniffle*… I need a tissue…
Kiroku: Chief…you r-really…cry e-easily…
Kaede: S-sorry guys, I got caught up in the moment…*Sniffle*. So I was thinking, since you guys came home so late last night and were probably exhausted, we didn’t have a chance to eat together so―
Kaede: How about we go out for a celebration dinner right now? I want to show everyone my appreciation.
Kaede: And of course, it’ll be my treat.
Ten: Oh sweet. I’m down if you’re paying~
Muneuji: Thank you for your consideration. Of course, we’ll all partake.
Toi: Yep!
Kiroku: Ye…Yeah…
Kaede: Then it’s settled! Let me just send Chihiro the details―
Chihiro: OMG, you guys! dazzle and Spinel are, like, totally blowing up right now!
Kaede: What’s wrong Chihiro? Is something up?
Chihiro: Look at this!
Kiroku: A video…from yesterday’s…compe…tition…?
Muneuji: Is this a clip of our dance?
Chihiro: Yeah, for real! Check out these views!
Ten: Would you look at that…it’s really doing numbers, huh~ Crazy…the views are still shooting up as we speak too.
Kaede: Wow, the trending topics on SNS are all about your team, the dance, and your masks too…!
Toi: Look, Kiro-chan! There’s a bunch of pictures of people trying to make their own cat masks!
Kiroku: T-they all…look…r-really…nice.
Chihiro: I know, right!? And guess what, the vids of our dance in the competition are poppin’ up everywhere too. …..Even the celebes are gettin’ in on it….!
Kaede: This…This might become a social phenomenon…!
Chihiro: Ehehe, hearin’ that from Chiefy makes Chii real happy!
Chihiro: We might not have won top place, but it looks like we’re about to become the top trendy squad! With this fame, nailing that promise to Prez will be a piece of cake! Killin’ two birds with one stone~!
Kaede: (Now that you mention it, I do remember him saying something like that on stream…)
Chihiro: We’ve had our ups and downs, but dancing with this squad was like, the most fun ever!
Chihiro: Chii’s picks were spot on! We definitely have to dance together again~!
Muneuji: Of course, I’d love to if the opportunity arises.
Toi: Let’s have fun next time too! Right, Kiro-chan? ♪
Kiroku: Y-yeah…
Chihiro: Ten-cham, you too, right!?
Ten: Well, if I feel like it I guess.
Chihiro: Yippee! Hey Chiefy, you wanna join us too?
Kaede: Nono, I’ll pass… I’m just an average guy.
Chihiro: Oh c’mon, don’t be shy~♪ We gotta do it someday!
Chihiro: Ahaha! Anyway, Chii’s stomach is grumbling and growling right now. How ‘bout we hit up some BBQ?
MC: <Let’s have a big round of applause for “Heavenly Melonpan”!>
MC: <Now, coming up next is a duo that took the internet by storm with their viral dance video, “Chii and Ten-cham”!>
MC: <And this time, they’re back with some brand-new additions to their team!>
MC: <Give a warm welcome to “MATATABI”! And their song is….. drumroll, please——>
House Dance Judge: “Kink”….. Wait, this is an original by that masked artist unlove!? No way, that’s dope.
Reggae Dance Judge: The crowd’s really into it. Their popularity is no joke
Reggae Dance Judge: But popularity isn’t gonna cut it. It’s all about the techniques. I’m gonna be extra strict with them——
Chihiro: (I always get kinda nervous before stepping onto the stage. But….)
Chihiro: (It’ll be okay. We’ll show them our way. We’ll bring out all the excitement, thrills, and joy——)
Chihiro: (I want everyone here to experience such emotions!)
House Dance Judge: Whoa...! They came out with masks on and then exploded into a full-out, crazy dance? Talk about making a statement!
Chihiro: (Yes! Our high-impact opening plan worked! I can see the judges' surprised faces clearly!)
Toi: (….And now….)
Muneuji & Kiroku: (We’ll all stop with some cat poses ♪)
Ballroom Dance Judge: Cat masks and a cat-themed dance... How adorable!
Reggae Dance Judge: They're in perfect harmony. This is very strategic.
Ballroom Dance Judge: Each member's movements match their personality, but it all comes together cohesively.
Muneuji: (Giving it my all….. and have fun….!)
Breakdance Judge: That kid moves well. Still rough, but there's a lot of potential.
Muneuji: (And now, time to take off my mask—— This is Natsuyaki-san’s idea for fan-service…..!)
Ballroom Dance Judge: B-Bishounen! A bishounen has appeared!
Muneuji: (……My very own….. wave boogaloo….)
Chihiro: (Yep, this is amazing. Super amazing….! Munecchi and everyone are performing even better than during practice, and the crowd is absolutely lovin’ it!)
Kiroku: (Me….. too)
Breakdance Judge: Wow, look at that kid go!
Ballroom Dance Judge: Such graceful movements... And that style! I'm totally a fan!
Toi: (Muneuji-kun and Kiro-chan are popping off! I’ll do my best too….!)
Ballroom Dance Judge: HYAAAAAAHH!!!! Did you see that pose!? So insanely cute….!
Reggae Dance Judge: That cat pose is so fresh and cute, it brings out my motherly instincts.....
Chihiro: (Everyone’s so toootally killing it!!! There’s no way Chii can fall behind now ♪)
Judge: A-Amazing!
Judge: How can anyone move that flexibly!? It’s like he’s completely embodying a cat spirit inside him….!
Chihiro: (Aaand the best part is yet to come~♪)
Ten: ……。
Ten: (Wow, look at that, everyone’s trying so hard.)
Ten: (Well, we do have masks on, I guess stealing the spotlight once in a while might not be so bad.)
Ten: ……！
Breakdance Judge: Hold on, what’s with that jump!? That’s insane!
Reggae Dance Judge: Is that parkour mixed in with dance!? No way, how high can he jump? He’s like a ninja…!
Ten: And for the cherry on top, we finish with a backflip.
Chihiro: (Ten-cham is soooo cool! Pulling that off on the fly, you’re a super genius~~!!)
Muneuji: (And for the final touch….)
Toi: (Just like how we started, we end it with some cat poses ♪)
Kiroku: (Now…..)
All Five: ——Aaaannd….. strike a pose ♪
Chihiro: …..Oh my gosh, that was like, insaaaaneely fun ♪ The vibes and energy were just poppin’, Chii’s feelin’ sooo alive right now!
Chihiro: And the audience and the judges really seemed to enjoy it too! So——
Muneuji, Toi & Kiroku: ……。
Chihiro: Don’t be so down, gimme a smile ♪
Muneuji: …..But—
Chihiro: Also like, second place is still some big deal, yanno~? We were up against some pros. Not to mention…..
Chihiro: What's important isn’t the results, but whether we feel satisfied with our performance or not. In the end, having fun beats everything else ♪
Chihiro: And for one, Chii is toootally satisfied~!
Muneuji: …..You’re right. I gave it my all. There were no regrets.
Toi: Me too! It was so much fun, and I'm happy to have experienced this amazing world with you, Chihiro-kun and Ten-kun!
Kiroku: Me too…… I had…. a lot of…. fun.
Kiroku: And….. it was all….. thanks to…. Natsuyaki-san.
Kiroku: So…. thank you…. so much…. for everything…..
Muneuji: That’s right. We owe it to the both of you
Chihiro: ……。
Chihiro: I’m, like, so happy right now, I can feel the tears coming…… Ahaha!
Ten: Isn’t that nice.
Chihiro: But for real, Ten-cham, you helped out a bunch too. Those daring moves you did…. were super epic.
Ten: Haha, you flatter me.
Chihiro: Thanks so much, everyone, for everything up ‘til today.
Chihiro: ‘Kay, before we bounce, let’s snap a group selfie. Gotta make sure we capture these vibes for keeps~♪
Chihiro: Okayyy, today’s the big day, guys! Are you all meowntally prepared and warmed up!?
Muneuji & Toi & Kiroku: …….
Chihiro: ……Oh? What’s the matter?
Toi: Oh, yes, of course! But…..
Kiroku: That team….. just now…… the one with the winning streak, “Punchline ★”….., their performance was….. really amazing.
Chihiro: Ohh yeah, totally! They’re a pro street dance crew, after all~
Muneuji: The audience is completely theirs now. Their skill level is just too different from ours.
Ten: Well, not like there’s anything we can do about it. Let’s just go with the flow today.
Chihiro: Now, now, don’t say that.
Chihiro: (…….Everyone’s letting the atmosphere get to them. The vibes turning pretty heavy now~)
Chihiro: (With our turn coming up, it’s up to me to hype them up again…..!)
Chihiro: You three, no more sad faces! We’ve got——
Punchline★Taro: Well, well, look who we have here…..
Punchline★Jiro: Aren’t you the ones who got ‘lucky’ with that little viral video?
Chihiro: Ah….. Punchline★?
Punchline★Jiro: I see some new faces….. Did you bring in some extra hands?
Punchline★Saburo: What’s the matter, afraid you can’t win against us without bulking up your numbers? Puhuhu….. [1]
Punchline★Shiro: Aintcha bein’ a little too rude? Hahaha, not that they’ll be able to hear from down there anyway.
Kiroku: ……。
Punchline★Goro: Well, whatever, doesn’t matter. Do your best, little noobs~~ We look forward to seeing you fall flat on your faces~~
Chihiro: Woah~ ……Us plebs are very thankful for your kind words~ [2]
Ten: (Ahaha, been a while since anyone’s talked shit to my face.)
Punchline★Taro: Now then, if you’ll ex-cuusee us.
Chihiro: ……、……。
Toi: Chi-Chihiro-kun….. Are you okay?
Chihiro: Hm? Chii’s totally fine, no problems at all~! So chin up, everyone ♪ No need to worry~♪
Ten: Seriously? Kinda hard to say everything’s peachy with what just went down.
Chihiro: …..Sure, their skills might be toootally crazy but——
Chihiro: We’ve got our own charm, our own styles, and above all, that “spirit of hospitality that always leaves the tourists satisfied” we learned from HAMA Tours!
Chihiro: Doncha think that’s something we absolutely can’t lose in?
Toi: You…. have a point….
Muneuji: Absolutely.
Kiroku: ……Y-Yeah.
Chihiro: Right? ♪
Chihiro: (…..Phew. They finally look less tense now.)
Ten: ……
Chihiro: (Not sure what Ten-cham’s thinking but…..)
Chihiro: So, don’t sweat the other teams! Let’s just focus on havin’ fun and givin’ the audience our best performance!
Muneuji & Toi & Kiroku: Yessir!
Chihiro: Nyahaha, now that’s the spirit ♪
Chihiro: Okaaay, it’s group huddle time~! C’mere, Ten-cham!
Ten: Yeah~ I heard you.
Chihiro: Alrighty, just like before a concert, let’s hype ourselves up by chanting our team name with a loud cheer to get our vibes off the charts and——
Muneuji: ……Team name?
Kiroku: Come to…. think of…. it…, we….. don’t have…. a team name….. yet….
Toi: Did we ever decide on one….?
Chihiro: He he he~~ No need to bug out ♪ Chii’s got it covered~!
Toi: Woah, Chihiro-kun, you’re always so well-prepared! So, what’s our team name?
Ten: Any day now~ We’ll end up with snapped backs if we keep huddling like this.
Chihiro: ‘Kay, gotcha! Drumroll, please! [3] Our team name is——
Everyone: ！
TL Notes:
In the original, Saburo’s laugh is shown as ぷぷぷ and since that reminded me of the infamous Monokuma laugh, I decided to translate it as “Puhuhu” since that was the english localization for Monokuma’s laugh in the first DR game.
Original line is “あざまる畜産で～す。” (lit: “Us livestocks are thankful~”), I took creative liberties with this one since keeping “livestocks” wouldn’t make much sense in standard english. In the Live2D, it kinda implies Chihiro said this line in a self-deprecating for humor way as well, to keep the situation civil.
Original is “それでは発表します！” (lit: I’m gonna announce it now!”). I changed it for the sake of better flow
Chihiro: ‘Kay, Munecchi, show us the full routine next~.
Muneuji: Understood.
Chihiro: ……。
Muneuji: Do a backstep…… Then take 3 steps up.
Chihiro: ……。
Muneuji: And then move into an attitude-like position…..
Chihiro: ……Hmm~. Your flow is perfect, and you’re hitting the right rhythm, but your movements still seem a bit stiff.
Chihiro: How about…… That’s right! Maybe you should try moving like a cat? Be all graceful and smooth!
Muneuji: Hm, understood. I’ll try that.
Chihiro: Alright, Tonya, you’re up next~!
Toi: Here goes….
Toi: Get in position…… and strike a cat pose…..!
Chihiro: Yass, that was totes cute, you’re killin’ it ♪ Your endurance’s definitely improved too. But Chii can feel that you’re still trying to be like Chii.
Toi: That’s right….! I had Chihiro-kun’s dances burned into the back of my eyelids….!
Chihiro: Much thankies ♪ But honestly, I wanna see more of your own unique flair, Tonya!
Chihiro: Your cat pose is, like, super adorbs, so how ‘bout throwin’ in some more cat-like moves that you can come up with, even during a dance routine?
Toi: G-Got it! I’ll give that a try….!
Chihiro: And lastly, Kirokkuma~!
Kiroku: Y-Yes.
Kiroku: ……。
Kiroku: Kick, turn….. Move into…..Charleston.
Chihiro: Kirokkuma, your moves are straight up vibes! You totally nailed the sharpness and the style ♪
Chihiro: But you still have the habit of hunching over, so try dancing with your chest out more!
Kiroku: Y-Yes…. sir.
Chihiro: Mmkay everyone, let’s go through with it one more time~.
Ten: ……。
Chihiro: Munecchi, you gotta be a cat! Be-a-cat! Let’s get you loosen up with 100 hula hoop spins.
Muneuji: Huff, huff…. This strain in my waist is very intense….! But I can feel myself getting more flexible.
Chihiro: Tonya, focus on yourself in the mirror! Let yourself become one with your movements and just be your true self ♪
Toi: O-Okay….!
Chihiro: Kirokkuma, this is for you ♪ It’s the Posture Purrfecter (*)….. aka a stick! Now strap it to your back like this~!
Kiroku: My spine…. is being…. rearran….ged.
Ten: (Oh wow~ This is turning out like some old sports anime training arc. Oh well, guess I'll just go with the flow…..)
Chihiro: (Hmm~…. They’re getting better overall, but something still feels off and I can’t put my finger on it.)
Chihiro: (It’s hard to explain…. It's like my gut feeling. Maybe if I take a step back and look at things more objectively, I might be able to figure out what’s wrong…..)
Chihiro: …..I wish we had some sort of footage of our dancing for times like this.
Chihiro: We had everything recorded for Ev3ns, but I totally forgor this time~…..
Kiroku: Ah…. Well, in that…. case…. here…
Ten: Hm? This is…?
Muneuji: Now that you mentioned it, Kinugawa have been recording our routines up until now, just in case they might be of use.
Kiroku: I…. borrowed the tripod… from Isotake….
Chihiro: Forreal!? Thanks a bunch, Kirokkuma ♪ Let’s watch it together right now.
Chihiro: ……。
Ten: ……。
Chihiro: (……Interesting. Each one of them dance with a different style, but they’re pretty solid on their own. Not exactly skilled by any means, but they have a certain rough charm to them….)
Chihiro: …..Maybe that weird feeling Chii had earlier was because of this~
Ten: Weird feeling?
Chihiro: Yeah. Since we decided to all wear masks, Chii thought it’d be best if we made our dance more in sync…… but guess that was a flop idea from the beginning.
Chihiro: Making it all uniformed just doesn’t seem right anymore.
Ten: .... Then why not just do the tournament as is?
Chihiro: Huh?
Ten: I mean, there's only a week left till the real deal, right? Why stress trying to get it perfect when we can just—
Chihiro: Ten-cham….., that’s a genius idea!!
Ten: ……Oho?
Chihiro: Our team is still fresh, so of course we can’t really beat the pros out there. But our individualities are absolutely unmatched.
Chihiro: So, instead of aiming for “Coordinated group dancing is beautiful and awesome”, wouldn’t it be better to put the spotlight onto our individual styles!?
Muneuji - Toi - Kiroku: ……。
Muneuji: I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I’m following…..
Chihiro: Oh, sowwy! In short, how ‘bout we cat-apult our theme into somethin’ mew? (*)
Kiroku: Huh….. R-Right…. now….?
Chihiro: No worries, we’ll only make changes that stay within our limits. So everyone, eyes on the whiteboard~.
Chihiro: Our new theme… will be this!
Toi: “Any-and-all formulas ditched”?
Muneuji: “Individuality embraced, carefree and easygoing…”?
Kiroku: “Cat….. Dance”…..?
Chihiro: …….So, what’d you think, meow?
Muneuji - Toi - Kiroku: We love it!
Chihiro: Ten-cham, what ‘bout you!?
Ten: Oh yeah, that's totally fine with me~. Cats are the kind of critters that like to do whatever they want, after all~.
Chihiro: You don’t sound too hyped but okie dokes, good enough~~~ ♪ Mmkay, let’s rework our structure and get right to practicing!
Muneuji - Toi - Kiroku: Yessir~!
Chihiro: (……I’m sure our performance will be amazing. And each member’s unique personality and charm will be able to shine beautifully on stage.)
Chihiro: (I’m sure of it….!)
TL Notes:
猫背矯正ギブス when translated literally would be “Cat Posture Correction Cast”. So to make it cat-themed, I decided to translate it as “Posture Purrfecter”
Chihiro started adding “nya” to the end of this sentence and the “what’d you think” sentence so, again, to make this flow in english, I just incorporated cat puns into this sentence. In case you’re wondering what the sentence is without the puns, it’s “how ‘bout we catapult our theme into something new?”
Toi: Huff, huff….. Yeah! I think that’s a lot better! I really need to improve my stamina though…….
Kiroku: Me…… too…..
Toi: Kiro-chan, you’re making more eye contact with the audience this time too!
Muneuji: It was very encouraging to receive feedback from Toi-san. Is it alright if we run through the routine one more time?
Toi: Of course! You good with that, Kiro-chan?
Kiroku: Y-Yeah…..
Ten: Wow, those 3 are still at it this late?
Chihiro: ……。
Chihiro: (They all have school and work tomorrow…… Yet they’re still pushing themselves to keep practicing.)
Chihiro: (They’re all drenched in sweat, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how tired they must be…..)
Chihiro: There's no way I can just sit here and watch like this…..!
Chihiro: HEY, YOU LOT~~~~!!! Why didn’t any of you say anything~~~~!!!
Kiroku: …..! Natsuyaki……san…..!
Muneuji: This is surprising. I didn’t expect Murakumo-san to be here as well.
Ten: Yeah, just so happens~.
Chihiro: You’re all big dummies, idiots, stuuupidd~!!! If you’d told Chii, Chii would’ve gladly helped you guys for hours on end! Why’d you all keep it a secret~~!?!?
Toi: W-We have a reason for doing this…..!
Ten: A reason?
Kiroku: We…. weren’t improving….. much…. So we thought….. we needed to figure out…. the answer…... ourselves.
Chihiro: Huh….?
Muneuji: Murakumo-san shed some light for us. If we’re unsure about our performance, it’s because deep down, we already know what the issue is.
Ten: (I just made up a random reason to get you off my back though.)
Toi: When we heard about it from Muneuji-kun, Kiro-chan and I realized we still have things we need to work on, so we really reflected on it……
Kiroku: Y-Yeah……
Muneuji: We decided that we couldn’t just rely solely on you and Murakumo-san, and that we needed to practice until we can be satisfied with our own progress.
Chihiro: ……。
Chihiro: (Maybe Chii was wrong all along…..)
Chihiro: (Munecchi, Kirokkuma, and Tonya have been working so hard. They’re very motivated and are putting in all their efforts.)
Chihiro: (And yet, Chii was just here thinking we’d be fine as long as we made good memories…..)
Chihiro: Sorry. Chii really didn’t understand how you all felt at all.
Ten: ……。
Chihiro: You see, Chii didn’t really think about winning at all when we formed this team. Chii only wanted us to enjoy dancing together….. That’s all.
Chihiro: So, Chii avoided nitpicking. Criticisms can sometimes end up making people feel bad.
Chihiro: Chii didn’t want to suck the fun out of dancing for everyone…..
Kiroku: So…. that’s how…. you felt…..
Muneuji: ……We really appreciate your consideration, Natsuyaki-san. We want to enjoy ourselves too.
Muneuji: However, we also want to contribute to the team that you have chosen us to be a part of. We would be really happy if we could do that for you.
Muneuji: And, you and Murakumo-san were invited to the competition because of your dancing skills.
Muneuji: That is why we want to avoid having our lower skill levels hold the both of you back as much as possible.
Chihiro: …….Chii’s really sorry for making you feel that way. It just never occurred to Chii….
Toi: But! That’s not all!
Toi: In Chii-sama’s dance video, you and Ten-kun looked like you two were having so much fun.
Toi: We want to see the world that Chii-sama and Ten-kun saw back then when you danced!
Toi: Isn’t that right, Muneuji-kun, Kiro-chan!?
Muneuji: Yes, that’s right.
Kiroku: T…..Toi-kun showed us…..the video….. You two were….. so cool. It makes me…. want to…. work harder…..
Kiroku: (I’m not good at dancing or being the center of attention….. but if it’s with everyone….)
Chihiro: You guys…..
Muneuji: So please, point out our mistakes. We’d really appreciate it.
Toi: We’ll work even harder, that’s a promise.
Chihiro: (Everyone’s taking this so seriously)
Chihiro: (I don’t want to trample on their feelings…..)
Ten: ……。
Ten: (Uh oh. I feel like Chihiro’s expression changed. I don’t like where this is going.)
Ten: ……Ah, but y’know, putting in more effort doesn’t always mean you’ll do well.
Ten: Chihiro’s idea of participating to make memories is valid, so we can just take it easy and have fun with it instead….
Chihiro: ……Chii thought so too. Up until just a lil while ago. But seeing how hard the 3 of you are working, Chii realized he might’ve been wrong.
Ten: ……, You think so~?
Chihiro: And Tonya, didn’t you say that you wanted to see the world that we see when we’re dancing?
Toi: Y-Yeah……!
Chihiro: I want to show you guys that world too.
Chihiro: The thrill of being on stage, how deep dancing can take you…. Chii wants you guys to experience that twinkling, dazzling world. So——
Ten: (The practice itself isn’t all that hard so I can’t complain……it’s still a drag though.)
Ten: (I guess it still beats getting ambushed by a certain recruiter every day. Feeling kind of thirsty though—)
Ten: Hm?
Muneuji: Murakumo-san.
Ten: (Muneuji Kaguya…..)
Ten: Ah~ Good work today, have a good night~.
Muneuji: Do you have a moment? I’d like to discuss something.
Ten: What?
Muneuji: We really want to know what you think of our performance. As the expert around here, we value your honest feedback.
Ten: (Mm, I figured it was something like that.)
Ten: If you’re feeling that off about it, doesn’t that mean you can already tell what the problem is? You don’t need me to spell it out, do you?
Muneuji: …………。
Ten: (Ah~, was that too unserious?)
Muneuji: I see…. you might be onto something. That really resonates with me.
Muneuji: Your input is profound and very sensible. I really appreciate such insightful words.
Ten: (Insightful words….? Well whatever I guess.)
Ten: ……You’re welcome~. Keep at it~.
📍 HAMA House - Tiger Room
Ten: Oh boy.
Renga: Welcome back, Ten! Dance practice really held you up, huh.
Ten: Yeah, because of that I have a crap ton of messages to reply to now.
Ten: Hm?
Renga: That crow is looking right at us. Maybe it’s a fan of mine….?
Ten: ……。
Ten: (Yeah, yeah. “Know your place as a family member.” You didn’t need to send a messenger, I know that much.)
Ten: Hah, can’t wait to get this whole thing over with—.
📍 HAMA House - Dining Room
Chihiro: Hmm~….
Chihiro: (Lately, it feels like there’s this huge wall between me and the other 3 during practice…..)
Chihiro: (I can’t let it go on like this~. I gotta find a way to break the ice a bit…..)
Chihiro: …..Well, I came to the dining room for that but….. nobody’s here~.
📍 HAMA House - Kitchen
Chihiro: No way~, nobody’s here either…. This is a total bummer…… Did everyone already go back to their rooms—— Oh?
Chihiro: (The back door’s slightly open. Maybe someone was airing out the room?)
Chihiro: Huh!?
Kitty: Meow.
Chihiro: Oh, it’s you, Meowster Jr…. You’re not with your Mama today~?
Kitty: Meow mreow.
Chihiro: Hehe, you’re way too cute. ….I didn’t find anyone I wanna talk to, but seeing you here makes this trip to the kitchen all worth it ♪
Chihiro: C’mere, c’mere~. If PT were here, you’d have a playmate already~
Kitty: Mreow meoow!
Chihiro: Ah…..!
Chihiro: Hey….! Wait, that’s Turysuke!
Kitty: Meow!
Chihiro: Hold it~! That’s not a toy!
📍 HAMA House - Entranceway
Ten: Like I said, you’re really putting me on the spot by asking me to take responsibility here~. Hellooooo, are you listening? Are you crying?
Kitty: Meeeow!
Ten: Oh, what are you doing in there, runt?
Chihiro: Ten-cham! Don’t let that kitty get away!
Ten: Eeeeh? I’m on a pretty serious phone call, you know……
Kitty: Meeeoww!
Ten: Oops, he ran away.
Chihiro: Hey! Ten-cham, you’re responsible too, help Chii catch that lil guy~!
Ten: What do you mean responsibility…… Ah, whatever.
Ten: My bad. Something came up so I’m hanging up now—.
📍 HAMA House - 2F Hallway
Akuta: Arrghhhhh, I’m starvinggg….. I wonder if there’s any food, cooked meals, or just plain ol’ white rice leftover. Would be a godsend if there’s some meat as well.
Kitty: Meeow!
Akuta: Eyy, I know I said meat but that’s not what I meant! I’m against cat consumption!
Chihiro: Atta, catch that lil Meowster for us~!!!!!
Akuta: Aww hell naww! I’m a cat lover not a cat eater~~~!
Ten: I think you’re having a weird misunderstanding here, Akuta.
Akuta: Kitty! Run!!! Run that way before they catch and make a meal outta you~~~!
Kitty: Meeeeoooowwww!
Chihiro: Huff, huff…… We’ve finally got you cornered…..!
Chihiro: You’re as trapped as a mouse in a mousetrap now~! Except, well, you’re a cat~! ……Huh?
Ten: ……Sounds like a familiar tune…
Chihiro: Is that….. our song….?
(Godbless Jelly for the help on Akuta’s dialogues 🙏)
Muneuji: …..Even though I’m doing the dance moves, my movements feel stiff and forced.
Chihiro: (Munecchi’s self-assessment is spot on, he’s moving too stiffly. …..The way he moves feels more like he’s taking a martial arts stance rather than dancing….)
Toi: Huff, huff….
Chihiro: (And Tonya is panting heavily right now. He’s trying to perfectly copy my dance moves, but it’s clear that he’s struggling to keep up.)
Kiroku: ……。
Chihiro: (Kirokkuma’s got great athleticism, but his delicate, shy nature is making him hunch over and that’s holding him back. So he’s not at his full potential right now.)
Chihiro: (Oh no! I’m slipping into producer mode again! That’s the last thing we need in this situation!)
Ten: ……。
Chihiro: C’mon~, no sad faces, guys! Dancing is supposed to be fun ♪ It’s totally normal not to get it right away ♪
Muneuji - Toi - Kiroku: ……..!
Chihiro: No need to worry! Ten-cham and Chii will teach you, so just relax! Let’s all have fun and stay hyped and pumped~!
Ten: Oh, guess I’m teaching them too now.
Toi: Chii-sama……
Kiroku: ……。
Muneuji: ……Can I say something?
Chihiro: Hm~? Wuzzup wuzzup?
Muneuji: We’re pretty much at a lower skill level right now.
Muneuji: I understand it’s not my place to speak on this, but you must have noticed the same thing too when you look at how we perform.
Muneuji: Enjoying ourselves is important, but could you point out what we’re doing wrong? We need clear guidance and criticism.
Chihiro: Hmm~, well….. Aren’t you guys being a lil bit too hard on yourselves?
Chihiro: There’s nothing wrong with your techniques~! You’re all improving bit by bit, and you’re giving your best!
Muneuji - Toi - Kiroku: ……..
Chihiro: (……Man. Somehow everyone still looks unconvinced. Hnnnghhh, if this goes on, it might kill the vibe and things will head into THAT direction…..)
Chihiro: It’s still early, but let’s call it a day for now! You can’t dance well when you’re all stressed out!
Ten: Agreed~ No complaints here~
Chihiro: Ah geez, suddenly Chii’s in the mood for some munchies~ Anyone wanna go grab a bite from the convenience store~?
Muneuji: I’m sorry, but I think I’ll pass....
Kiroku: Oh, I’ll….. keep practicing a bit more….
Toi: M-Me too….! So maybe next time….!
📍 HAMA Downtown
Ten: Hm, this new ice cream flavor is a winner~. I’ll get it again next time.
Chihiro: ……。
Ten: You bought a lot, gonna eat all that yourself?
Chihiro: Oh, this is for the others…..
Ten: That serious, huh?
Chihiro: Wouldn’t say it's that serious…..
Mama Cat: Meow.
Kitty: Mew.
Chihiro: Ah, good after-meow.
Ten: A stray?
Chihiro: These lil fellas have been hangin’ around here a lot lately. They’re pretty friendly.
Ten: Ah~, in that case, I might know one of them too.
Chihiro: …..Hey there Mama Meowster, you gonna let me pet you today too~?
Mama Cat: Meow meow.
Kitty: Purr purr~
Chihiro: Hehe, even Meowster Jr. wants some petting too? You guys are so adorbs.
Ten: Mm, yeah.
Chihiro: ……。
Chihiro: (Those 3 looked so down….. It’s all my fault, isn’t it?)
Chihiro: (I thought that was the best way to respond earlier, but….)
Chihiro: …….Guess that was a big oopsie~
Ten: ？
Chihiro: (I do have my fair share of concerns about their techniques, but if I start acting like a producer again and pointing my finger and giving them orders then——)
Chihiro: (Things might end up becoming awkward like what happened with the Evening Group back then. I want to avoid that as much as possible…..)
Ten: ……。
Ten: Well, it’s all good as long as we make good memories, right? No point in getting our panties in a twist. Isn’t the motto to “have fun~”? I think that sounds perfectly fine to me.
Chihiro: Ten-cham……
Ten: If you try to be strict with amateurs, you’ll just end up fighting. That’d be a huge pain in the ass and gonna get pretty awkward, right?
Chihiro: Fighting……
Chihiro: (That’s the last thing I want…..)
Chihiro: Hmm, you’re right. Everyone has different levels of motivation and drive when it comes to dancing
Ten: Yeah, you’ve got it.
Chihiro: Thanks, Ten-cham!
Ten: Haha, I don’t think I did anything special, but if you’re feeling better then we’re all good. Now that we’re over that, wanna head back?
Chihiro: Thanks for waitin’, guys! Chii got Ten-cham right here~!
Muneuji - Toi - Kiroku: ………
Ten: Uhh, you said you got something you wanna say?
Muneuji: Natsuyaki-san, can you explain to us why we were chosen to be your dance team’s members?
Kiroku: …….Yeah……
Toi: I’d like to know too…..! I feel so unworthy to be chosen to stand on stage with Chii-sama, it’s like I’m letting down all the other Chiitizens out there……
Chihiro: Chii picked Munecchi ‘cause there’s endless potential in his gorgeous face that’s hidden under that helmet, you see~
Chihiro: As for Kirokkuma~, it’s ‘cause we’re both TuRyStA stans ♪
Muneuji: Turysta……?
Toi: It’s Chii-sama’s favorite brand……!
Chihiro: And you, Tonya~, you always come to Chii’s meet-and-greets, so it’s natural that Chii wants to talk and get to know you more~!
Toi: Ch-Chi-Chii-sama…..!
Chihiro: Plus, with this team lineup, Chii just knows that both practice and performing’s gonna be super duper fun~
Muneuji: I see. If that’s the case, I’m in.
Ten: Huh, so you actually agree…
Kiroku: ……、……。
Muneuji: I’m almost entirely inexperienced with this kind of dancing. Have we decided on a style to go with yet?
Chihiro: Nope, not yet, Chii was hoping we could all discuss it together~ If you guys got any ideas, feel free to share.
Ten: Oh, I’ve got one. I feel kind of cringe showing my face so I’d prefer to hide it. Can we wear masks or something?
Chihiro: Ten-cham, you’re quite the shy boy yourself, aintcha~? You hid your face in our last dance vid too.
Kiroku: ……! I think….. masks….. are a good… idea. I’d like to keep my face hidden too….
Chihiro: Is that so….?
Chihiro: Ah! How ‘bout we all wear masks? That’d make us really stand out!
Toi: This could help with calming our nerves too! I’d love to have some cute masks…..
Muneuji: In that case, Kinugawa should be in charge of designing them. He can come up with some eye-catching designs.
Chihiro: Munecchi, that’s a brilliant idea! Kirokkuma, can you handle this?
Kiroku: Um…. I can do…. that kind of…. stuff……
Chihiro: Big thanx ♪ Any other ideas? C’mon guys, give Chii some more!
Toi: Ah, how about a show-stopping, idol-styled dance!?…. I think…. that’d be cool.
Chihiro: True true, havin’ a blast is our main goal, but we can’t forget some glitz to make it interesting too now, can we~!? What’d ya think, Munecchi?
Muneuji: I have no other specific suggestions. But if we’re doing this, I’m planning to give it my best.
Muneuji: Since this is a competition after all, a place where our skills are pitted against others, we should take it seriously.
Chihiro: Munecchi, you’re more of a go-getter than Chii thought! But no need to be too tense ‘bout it~! We’re mostly in this for the fun factor ♪
Chihiro: (Last time I went all in, I ended up dragging the entire Evening Group down with me….)
Kiroku: ……、……。
Chihiro: How ‘bout you, Kirokkuma? Any suggestions? Requests are fine too.
Kiroku: I….. um…..
Kiroku: (A competition……dancing in front of other people…. I’m not used to this. I don’t like being the center of attention…..)
Toi: Hehe, Kiro-chan has great reflexes, so he’ll probably pick up dancing pretty quickly.
Kiroku: ！？
Ten: Kiro-chan? The hell, that’s kinda cute. Is that what people call him?
Toi: That’s right. We used to live near each other. So my dear brother, Kiro-chan, and I were good friends~
Chihiro: Seriously~? That’s so cool! Maybe Chii will start calling you Kiro-chan too ♪
Kiroku: Ah…… Haah.
Muneuji: By the way, what about the music?
Chihiro: We could always go with many of the existing banger tracks out there buuuut Chii’s plannin’ to ask Mister unlove for some help.
Chihiro: Since it’s Chii’s pitch, all the choreos will be handled by Chii as well~
Toi: We- We have to come up with our costumes’ designs too….!
Chihiro: Right! Maybe Sakujii can help us out with that? Let’s all bring our costume ideas to the next meeting!
Ten: ……Well then, guess we’re calling it here~
Kiroku: ……。
Kiroku: Natsuyaki….san.
Chihiro: Kirokkuma ♪ Thanx for your awesome work out there.
Kiroku: …..Y-You…. too. U-Um…. I have some….. design sketches…. ready.
Chihiro: Hello!? That was only asked just this afternoon, why are you so fast!?
Chihiro: …..Forreal? And this quality is sooo rad too….!
Nanaki: Oh, Natsuyaki-san. I’ve got the basic outline for the song you asked for. Would you like to check it out now?
Chihiro: Nanamelo, you’re so speedy too~~~! ‘Kay, let’s get everyone on this and discuss right away!
Ten: Wow. That’s a lot of ideas. You guys sure are taking this seriously huh.
Toi: Each one of these designs are amazing, it’s so hard to choose one…..
Muneuji: Even though the song Nanamegi made is just a basic outline right now, it sounds and feels so beautiful already. I like the suggested title, “Kink”, too.
Kiroku: Me…. too. It means… a sharp twist… or curve…
Chihiro: Hmmm~~~….. Okay, let’s decide on the costume designs first! Let’s make a vote~!
Chihiro: When Chii say go, point to the design you like best, ‘kay~?
Chihiro: Ready, set, go~!
Chihiro: ……。
Toi: Chii-sama and I both pointed to the one with the cat mask….. everyone else picked something different…
Chihiro: Alrighty, then cat masks it is~!
Kiroku: I think…. it’s good. It fits…. well…. with the song too.
Ten: Ohh I gotcha, the title “Kink” is a reference to “Kinked tail”.
Muneuji: I see, so they’re all tied to the cat theme.
Chihiro: Nanamelo, your tastes are slaying right now! Both the song and the title are purrfect!
Chihiro: So, Nanamelo, keep working on the song, and Chii will come up with some sick choreos to match it and the masks~
Chihiro: ‘Mkay, now we’re done forreal this time! Meeting adjourned~!
📍 HAMA House - Practice Room
Chihiro: Okay! Let’s give the dance routine I just showed you a try~!
Kiroku: Turn, and break….
Muneuji: And then do a loose legs move here….
Toi: Huff, huff, my legs won’t move….. Ah!
Chihiro: Tonya, are you okay!? Stop! Stop the music!
Ten: Yessir~
Chihiro: Hmmm~….. Chii thought throwing in some basic steps would make it easier, but maybe it’s still too challenging~…..
Ten: Well yeah, our experience and skill levels are all over the place.
Muneuji - Toi - Kiroku: …….
Chihiro: (Huh? Are they starting to feel discouraged…..?)
Chihiro: To all the lovely Chiitizens watching the stream right now, Chii’s got a hot announcement for all of you~!
Chihiro: Remember that dance vid Chii did with Ten-cham? It, like, went totally mega-bombshell-viral thanks to all of you ♪ So, thanks a bunchies for all the love and views!
Chihiro: And that ain’t even all, ‘cuz here’s the real-real-real-reeeal kicker! That vid was so viral it landed Chii an invite to the “Street Dance Extravaganza” with all the top influencers around~!
Chihiro: Ahaha! Nice to see you guys just as hyped~!
Chihiro: Wuzzup wuzzup~? “Isn’t the ‘Street Dance Extravaganza’ the one with all the top dancers from around the world?”
Chihiro: “Our Chii-sama’s gonna become a global sensation!”?
Chihiro: Doesn’t matter where, Chii will always be right by your side ♪
Chihiro: Hmm? “That vid was so dope, I’ve been looping it constantly! You’re definitely gonna enter, right?”
Chihiro: Abso-cutely Chii’ll be there~! Chii’s all set to join anyway, ‘cuz y’know, influencer events like this get massive clout, right?
Chihiro: My boss was like, “Join the event and make HAMA Tours even more famous!”
Chihiro: “Are you going solo?”, Man~, figured y’all would be curious ‘bout that.
Chihiro: There’s a solo category and a team category for teams of five or more people, and you can choose either~.
Chihiro: Since it was the vid with Ten-cham that got us here, Chii thought it’d be so totally awesome if we could compete together. So, Chii’s goin’ in with a team! Ten-cham’s our first confirmed member ♪
Chihiro: At first, he was all, “What a pain in the ass”, but after some diligent daily persuasion from yours truly, he gave in! Impressive, right?
Chihiro: “I’m sooo stanning Chii-Ten’s friendship right now.”? Aww, that makes Chii real happie~!
Chihiro: And with that being said! The remaining 3 members are gonna be a fun and inchresting bunch, all handpicked by Chii——
Neighborhood Cat: Meow.
Chihiro: Hm? “Is that cat one of the members?”
Chihiro: Nooooo, ‘course not, this kitty and her babies have just been wandering ‘round here recently. The real members will be revealed during this stream~
Chihiro: Haha! Guys, chill! We’re gonna do a surprise reveal righty now~!
📍 HAMA House - Snake Room
Chihiro: Up first, we got the color wizard, Kirokkuma~!
Kiroku: ……..Natsuyaki……san?
Nanaki: What’s with this “Up first” thing?
Chihiro: Come on over, you’ll see, so c’mon~♪ Chii’s gonna borrow Kirokkuma for a bit, kay!?
Nanaki: Ah, sure, go ahead.
Kiroku: Wh…Wha….
📍 HAMA House - Horse Room
Chihiro: Comin’ up next isss~ The Avant-Garde helmet guy, Munecchi!
Muneuji: Natsuyaki-san, what are you doing here with Kinugawa?
Ushio: Wait, huh!? You got a camera with you…..! Don’t tell me this is a livestream? Please, don’t show my face on there.
Chihiro: No worries, put some trust in Chii’s filming skills, mmkay~? Alright, Munecchi, c’mere~!
Chihiro: As for our final member…..You, who’s watching the stream right now. Chii’s comin’ to get you…. So wait patiently, alright? ♪
📍 HAMA House - Boar Room
Toi: Aaah~~~~~! I’m so excited! Who’s the last member? Who is he going to pick up!?
Toi: Always know how to keep us on the edge of our seats, Chii-sama, no matter where or when….. You really are the ultimate idol ever…..!
Toi: Huh.
Chihiro: Annnd there we have it~! Our final member, the pure-hearted angelic fortune-teller, Sugarael, aka Tonya~♪
Toi: …….Huh……. Whaaa……
Chihiro: Ahaha, Tonya, did cat got your tongue? So kyute!
Toi: M-Me…….. Huh?
Chihiro: So, with this team, we’re gonna rock the hell out of that event~! Everyone, be sure to hype us up with everything you got, Chii’s leavin’ this honor to y’all ♪ Well then, that’s it for today’s stream! Buh-bye~!
TL Notes:
Chiitizens: Term I coined for Chihiro’s fandom name (ちぃ民)
Sugarael: Toi’s alias (シュガエル) is a pun between “Sugar” and “Michael” so I just combined them in English like that
“WE ARE M・T・T・B” Event Story Translation Masterlist (WIP)
Summary:
Chihiro was invited to an Influencer Dance Off after a dance video of him an Ten went viral. Adding on other members brimming with personality; the two, with Muneuji, Kiroku, and Toi, participated in the competition.
Even though Chihiro wants to enjoy dancing with this team until the very end, the others don't share his sentiment. Due to the vast difference in experience between Ten, Chihiro, and the rest, the other three are unable to do the basic steps as well as they'd like and started to look down.
While Chihiro tries to encourage them, he seems to be having trouble speaking his true thoughts on the matter.... Will these five be able to perform in a way that satisfies them...?
(Summary TL credit goes to @hamatours_eng on twitter)
Characters: Chihiro Natsuyaki, Ten Murakumo, Toi Shiramitsu, Muneuji Kaguya, Kiroku Kinugawa, Ushio Kurama, Nanaki Nanamegi, Akuta Isotake, Renga Nishizono
Tao, my roommate at HAMA Tours' dorm, suddenly remembered and quickly turned on the TV. A high-definition holographic television appears on an empty wall.
I was propped up against a cushion next to Tao as I fiddled with my phone, but decided to get up and watch the show with him, “Tao, you really like comedy huh?”
Normally after dinner we would be finishing up our lessons, but since our next live show would be a bit bigger than our normal guerilla ones, our manager, Nayuki, had banned us from practicing after 9 o’clock. That’s why there was some spare time for us to watch TV.
When the comedy show started, I saw a familiar face among the commentators.
"Our guest today, Komu-kun, is a member of the popular idol group '13's'...”
When the MC introduced him, Tao reacted with a 'Geh!' and hastily reached for the remote. Knowing that he was aware of my past, he was likely just being considerate of me.
“It’s fine, Tao. I’m alright now, so let’s just watch it, okay?”
“R-Really?”
Tao looks at me sitting beside him worriedly.
When I replied that I was really fine, he said he understood and backed off.
This is one of the things I like about Tao.
The Komu-kun on TV looked much more polished and refined than the Komu-kun I knew. He was dressed in an outfit that was more befitting of an idol now, with perfectly styled hair.
But of course, he still had that genuine smile that everyone loves.
——I can still recall that day, that moment.
It was during the final audition, when they were announcing the 13th place winner who would take the last spot for the next-gen idol group.
1st to 12th had already been decided, and neither Komu-kun nor I had our names called yet.
"......We will now reveal the results.”
After the MC announced this, there was a long, drawn-out pause.
Komu-kun was the chosen one.
I wasn’t chosen.
Even now I still don’t know what was going on inside my heart at that time, that moment.
Komu-kun cries as he steps up onto the elevated stage. The other twelve chosen members embrace Komu-kun as they celebrate together.
.....Bathed in the dazzling lights pouring down on the stage, his figure shone like a star.
I could only gaze up at him along with the others that weren’t chosen.
Helplessly.
…..The curtains to “Chii’s” dream had been drawn.
That’s what I thought.
I don’t remember much from after that.
As I was heading back to the waiting room, I ran into the director who suggested I do a gyaru persona back then.
I bowed my head listlessly, and he commented, 'What a pity.'
I think I tried to smile.
It made a lot of bad memories for me, but I thought the production team had their own reasons.
I knew people didn’t like me, but I thought it was just part of the job.
But the instant he whispered in my ear, my smile vanished.
“You were actually the 13th. But Komu-kun has more charm, so the votes were tweaked a bit.”
The director then continued, “By the way, it was the producer who gave the order.”
He followed up with a laugh, leaving me baffled.
Was that a joke? Or was he being for real?
I ranked 14th, with a vote count that was just 200 votes behind Komu-kun’s.
My head was pounding, I felt sick to my stomach, and I felt like I was going to pass out.
I wonder how I even made it back home that day.
There were moments when I thought that expressing my anger and grievances might be able to flip my ranking around, but I knew it was probably useless.
After all, I don’t know if I was actually 13th place.
I was fed up with everything and shut myself in at home.
Mom was disappointed in my failure and berated me every time we saw each other. Before long I found myself unable to take a single step outside my room.
My whole life had crumbled apart.
I began to question whether there was any point in living anymore…..
But about a month later, when I checked social media for the first time in a while, I found lots of messages from people saying they missed me.
They said they wanted to see “Chii” dance again. I felt bad for suddenly disappearing for a month and worrying everyone, but it also made me happy to see how much they cared.
I've got to get back to work.
My sisters' school fees wouldn’t pay for themselves.
I knew I couldn’t just abandon them.
So I decided to start moving forward little by little and began my activities at Dazzle.
I thought I’d try living as “Chii” again.
Even though it felt like the remnants of a bygone life, at the moment, it was all I had.
All of my frustration, fear, pain, along with the burning desire to curse the world; I poured all of it into my dances.
I knew about all of “13’s” impressive accomplishments after my failed debut, but I tried not to look into them.
I got a DM from Komu-kun once, but I couldn't bring myself to reply. I didn't even read it in the first place. I was scared that if I opened that DM, I'd be consumed by jealousy and turn into a monster.
While I had plenty of haters, I also had people who supported me.
So... that's why, I had to survive. I had to keep on living.
To do that, I needed somebody, anybody to see my worth...
I think I’ve been desperate for that for a long time.
As I watched the comedy show with Tao, memories of the past flashed in my mind, coming and going one by one.
On the screen, Komu-kun was smiling from ear to ear and seemed to be genuinely enjoying the comedians' performances.
——Komu-pi must know I was arrested for fraud, right?
It was in the news, after all.
He might also know that I made my return as a prisoner idol, and that I was active in Ev3ns.
——Nah, there's no chance a member of the famous “13's” would know about a low-level idol like me.
Through the TV screen, Komu-kun spoke with that same honest smile he had back then.
“I'm from KOBE. Now that I’ve shown my parents my gratitude, I’m thinking of doing something for my hometown next.…..”
“…..This Komu-kun guy, I was his roommate during the audition show.”
“Eh, really?”
I muttered it offhandedly, but Tao seemed surprised. His nonchalant attitude made my complaints slip out.
“Komu-kun’s smile is pure and innocent like an angel’s, isn’t it? It’s nothing like my fake one, and it’s cute too.”
Ah.
Alarms were ringing in my head.
I told myself that I was over it, that I wouldn’t compare myself like that anymore.
But I still couldn’t help the self-deprecating words that spilled out. It was like an old bad habit that was ingrained in me.
My heart pounded, an uneasy feeling settling in. I was terrified of Tao’s reaction so I lowered my gaze.
But the answer I received was unexpectedly straightforward.
“Hmm, really? I don't really get it. I like your smile though.”
Hearing him say something like that so casually, I raise my head without realizing it.
Tao continues with a straight face.
“Isn't it up to personal preference? I've always liked your cat eyes more than those droopy ones.”
…….
Woah, Tao.
“Tao! You’re such a meanie!”
Before I knew it, I was punching Tao in the shoulder.
Tao let out a “Hah?” and looks at me with a confused expression from the sudden punch, but I think it's deserved.
“Man~…. It’s hard being in the same room as someone who's naturally gifted at attracting delulu simps”
“Delulu? Simps? What are you talking about…..?”
Tao usually looked a bit put off in these kinds of situations.
It’s hard to explain but….
….this side of him makes me feel at ease.
My sadness disappears, and this time I’m able to look at the TV again without comparing myself to Komu-kun’s smile.
Because I know there’s at least one person here who likes my smile.
I wonder if I can read Komu-pi’s DM now? It feels a bit late, but I was the one who got jealous and cut ties on my own after all; I want to try to face him again.
But my DMs were flooded with so many hate messages now that I might not be able to find it again.
“.…Y’know, my DMs from my dazzle days were always full of hate.”
“Oh, really? Why’re you bringing this up all of a sudden?”
Ignoring Tao, I continue talking.
“Since starting activities with Ev3ns, I've been getting some really nice messages. I can see the first few lines, so I read the ones that seem nice and positive.”
“Hmm, that’s good.”
“In the pile of such trashy DMs, y’know, there are occasionally some that shine like jewels.”
“Is that so?”
Tao listened with a “So what's your point?” look.
I thought it was funny and laughed a little.
Tao probably can’t picture it, but to me, those happy messages I get once in a while are like pretty flowers blooming in the mud.
Without a doubt, I’m covered in mud.
Ev3ns isn’t a star-studded idol group like 13’s. But flowers that bloom in mud are still beautiful in their own way.
I kind of like the me who can think that way now.
At least, much more than I did before.
The curtains to “Chii’s” dream might have been drawn, but the stage for Chihiro Natsuyaki’s dream is still set.
Someday, when I can shine even more brightly——
Will I be able to make all of “Chii’s” other dreams come true too?
……To give mom the affection she wants, to give Big Sis the peace of mind she needs, and to give my little sisters the future they deserve.
If I can do that, maybe someday I can meet my father too.
I think about it for a moment, not knowing if it’s a wish or a dream.
Next to me, Tao is laughing loudly at the comedy show.
As I laugh with him, I think about how I’ll dance my best again tomorrow.
The only thing I can do.
Be it on days of joy or days of sorrow.
Whether in cramped rooms or on wide streets, whether someone is watching or no one is looking.
It’s the gift that God has given to me,
I can dance.
And with that…. I finally decided that I had no choice but to live.
TL Notes:
In reference to the usage of the word “delulu” up there in regards to idol culture, with the original word Chihiro used being リア恋, in the context of "oshi-katsu" (activities supporting one's favorite idol or character), the terms リア恋 (riakoi - commonly used for women) and ガチ恋 (gachikoi - commonly used for men) are used to describe a state where the fan harbors unrealistic romantic feelings and want toward their bias, not just supporting them but also having the desire to date or marry them, often exceeding beyond the scope of being fans.
The target of these リアコ typically refers to idols, anime characters, or other unattainable figures from different worlds, thus it is not used for individuals who are realistically reachable as romantic partners.
リアコ is characterized by the following:
Imagining/wanting a romantic relationship with their bias.
Feeling distressed when seeing their bias with someone of the opposite sex.
On social media, some fans view those who support the same bias as their romantic rivals, leading to the term 同担拒否 (doutan kyohi), which means rejecting connections with those who have the same bias.
Sometimes ガチ恋 and リア恋 can be used in derogatory manner as well, depending on the context
On wikipedia, the definition for “delulu” is as follows: “Used as an adjective or a noun, it referred to individuals who harbored unrealistic hopes of meeting a celebrity of whom they were a fan, indicating a parasocial relationship characterized by delusional beliefs. The term was often also used by users in the context of joking about being deluded themselves.”
TLDR: “delulu” is the only fandom-based word that correctly captures the nuance carried in リア恋 and ガチ恋, with minor differences. Regardless on your stance on the word, as someone who suffers from psychotic depression, it is just an internet slang from a decade ago used in idol cultures, the recent definition and usage of the word has nothing to do with what it was created for.
I thought I would for sure get eliminated. But despite the backlash online, my loyal fans, who called themselves “Chiitizens”, worked hard to make sure I’d be able to debut.
——Chii was just treating the task at hand seriously! With dance skills like that, it’s only natural he got picked!
Amid these comments, the member I tried to support, the one who had run out of the rehearsal room crying, didn’t get enough votes and was eliminated.
This news tanked my mood.
Somehow, I felt like it was my fault…..
In the end, only 22 contestants remained.
Out of them, 13 would be picked, and 9 would be dropped.
My roommate, Komu-kun, is one of the remaining contestants.
Unlike me, Komu-kun has been portrayed on the show as “a novice in both dance and singing, but thanks to his sincerity, has shown remarkable growth and a straightforward appeal.”
It’s like he’s the protagonist of the show.
But in truth, Komu-kun really is putting in the effort and is growing at an incredible speed. Even when we were in different groups he didn’t hesitate to ask me for advice about dancing when he was unsure.
I didn’t want to be mean, so no matter how often he came to ask for help I never refused him.
…….Of course, they never showed this side of me on TV.
I was secretly anxious about Komu-kun’s rapid progress.
Jealous too.
But in the end all I can do is focus on doing my best.
“Man~ I can’t wait to meet all the locals again~” Komu-kun says while packing.
Today the contestants were allowed to return home to visit their families. It isn’t exactly a break, since the purpose is to film supportive messages from our family members.
Incidentally, the video would be presented a few days later to the finalists as a surprise. We’d have to act shocked and touched as if we were seeing it for the first time. These reactions would also be subject to evaluation.
A sigh almost slips out, but I stop myself, conscious of the cameras around me.
An idol who has a bad relationship with his family…… isn’t exactly someone you want as your bias, right?
“When this is over, it’ll really be our final stage, huh? …..Chii, I…I’m really glad you’re my roommate.”
“Yeah, me too, Komu-pi.”
After replying, I could hear a voice from inside me.
Really? Is that really true? If you weren’t roommates, would you have taught him how to dance? Do you really not regret it?
It was tough when Komu-kun asked you for help even while you were in different groups, yet you still ended up helping him out of the sheer kindness of your heart.
So why is only Komu-kun the only one being praised as being a good, hard working person? Aren’t you tired of being sidelined like this?
“We’ll debut together for sure!” Komu-kun said as he hugged me.
I hugged him back, worried about how it looked on camera and hoping I didn’t come off too mean.
The voice deep inside my heart whispered, “I truly hate myself the most.”
“If it isn’t the long-awaited return of the future star! I’ve been waiting for you, Chihiro!”
My mom, all dressed up for her night job and with a face full of makeup on, welcomed me at the front door.
This smile….. How many years has it been since I’ve seen it?
Her lively voice being directed at me was certainly a first.
Honestly, I was scared and confused.
My stomach twisted in pain.
When I told my mom that I was going to audition, she didn’t seem the slightest bit interested. The only ones who cheered me on were my sisters.
But I heard from my sister that my mom apparently started watching the show when I reached the semi-finals.
…..Is it because of the money? Yeah, it must be.
As I step inside, my little sisters clad in their school uniforms welcome me cheerfully from the back as they call out, “Chii-nii!”.
Big Sis, who usually lives separately from us, had also come, but her expression upon seeing me was filled with worry.
Only my mom seems unusually cheerful, asking me things like, “Chihiro, want a drink?”. Questions she’s never asked me before in my life.
“……I’m still not sure if I can debut. My last ranking was pretty iffy….”
With voting happening daily, contestants got their real-time rankings immediately from the staff. I was 15th when I left the dorm. It fluctuates; on some days my ranking would go as high as 10th place, but right now it was still unclear.
“What are you talking about? There’ll be fewer people getting eliminated next round, right?”
“……..”
It’s not just about the numbers. Even if I was in first place right now I still wouldn’t feel safe.
Especially considering the fact that the director hates me.
Would Mom be disappointed if I failed?
The thought crosses my mind, but I can’t bring myself to ask.
I wondered how Komu-kun would deal with something like this.
Once he gets home would he be able to tell his parents about his worries?
Of course he would. And they’d forgive him if he cried.
Komu-kun’s loving Papa and Mama would definitely pull him into a hug and comfort him.
I hate myself for imagining these things.
“Once you become an idol, I’ll have to brag to everyone. Even to the people at the bar….. Ah, and I’ll definitely rub it in the faces of those classmates who used to make fun of me.”
Seeing Mom talk like this so happily made my guts twist in pain again.
Sitting down in the living room, my two younger sisters came over to me.
“Chii-chan, don’t worry too much.”
“That’s right. Chii-nii has fans at our school too!”
I felt a bit relieved as I ruffled their hair affectionately.
——Once I’m able to make the money, I want to spoil them both rotten. Big Sis too of course.
Big Sis always sends money to me and our little sisters, so even though she’s an adult she still doesn’t have any accessories of her own.
I want to buy her the slightly pricier necklaces and rings she wanted before, and help my sister in high school pay for vocational school so she can follow her dream.
I also want to pay for my middle school sister’s high school tuition, and all the school trips Big Sis and I had to miss because we couldn’t afford it.
“I guess even that face can be useful for something after all. Well, that’s all that scum had going for him anyway.”
Out of nowhere, I hear my Mom’s voice.
Her words hurt as if they were clutching onto my heart.
“I didn’t think you had a single redeeming trait, but if you manage to become an idol I might be a little thankful. Chihiro, I’m glad you’ll be able to make a living even though you have your father’s face——”
“Stop it.”
Big Sis interjected.
“You should stop doing that.”
“Hah?”
Mom glared at Big Sis. She returned the glare, unyielding.
“Don’t you think you’re being really shitty right now? Constantly nagging about a man who’s already abandoned you….. How is any of that Chihiro’s fault?”
“Hah? You’ve never been dumped yourself, what the hell do you know, calling me shitty like that.”
“That’s why I’m saying your mindset is shitty.”
The tense atmosphere made my heart race, but even worse, my little sisters looked like they were about to burst into tears.
“You two! The camera crew’s coming any minute now!”
I quickly stood up and spread my arms wide. A stiff smile appeared on my face. But it's okay. I turned once and took a step.
“Look! This is the choreography I danced in the semi-finals! I can still do it perfectly!”
After making this declaration and dancing for a while, my little sisters burst out in cheers and laughter.
Mom and Big Sis also stopped arguing.
My heart is still pounding, gripped by tension and fear, impatience and anxiety.
…….Please, God. If you’re out there, please help me. Let me debut.
So if I can give my Mom kindness, Big sis peace of mind, and my little sisters a future, I’ll do whatever it takes.
But all I can do is dance……
God, please don’t take away this one thing I have.
——In the surprise video I received later on, my family looked like a tight-knit "perfect and happy family”.
A mother sharing fabricated memories, an older sister suppressing her irritation and putting on a forced smile, and two little sisters cheering me on wholeheartedly.
“Chihiro truly loves dancing, and when I watch him dance it feels like all those years of hard work have really paid off..."
In the video, Mom pretended to wipe away her tears.
I wonder if they'll introduce her on air as a single mother who raised four kids on her own?
In the corner of my mind, I briefly thought——this world is nothing but a bunch of lies. I felt despair—but still, I looked ahead.
Because I’m going to become the ultimate gyaru-minded idol.
From the apartment window, the sight of a setting sun could be seen.
My younger sisters, who were in elementary school, were still anxiously staring at the entrance.
Still dressed in my middle school uniform, I reassured them many times,
“It’s okay. If Mom doesn’t come home, your big bro will find us something to eat.”
But the truth is, even I was waiting for Mom’s return.
Once or twice a year, she’d come home in high spirits and say, “You must be hungry.”, while setting out bentos for us. I wished today was one of those days.
But since that seemed unlikely, I searched the kitchen shelves, only to end up with half-eaten cornflakes and furikake.
I sighed, realizing we were out of rice.
What should I even say to my little sisters? Not knowing what to do, I sat down on the kitchen floor and noticed the comic book I’d left on the shelf after I started reading it yesterday. Big sis got it from a used bookstore, and it’s now pretty worn out after being read for so many times.
It’s a manga where a Heisei-era gyaru is the main character, and it’s my most beloved book.
Upon opening it, I saw the life of a cheerful, energetic, and the strongest Heisei-era gyaru ever being depicted. Reading the story alone made me feel uplifted.
“She’s so cool….”
I muttered to myself unconsciously.
After all, the Heisei-era wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, right? There were really tough times too. Yet, she gathered all the things she thought were sparkly, things she loves, and dressed up in her own style. Despite everything, she maintained an unbothered attitude as she continued to smile and flashed her signature peace sign.
The most powerful way of living.
I wish I could be like that too.
In my ears, the tune of a Heisei-era idol song starts playing. Humming along, I stood up, dance lightly and spin.
At that very moment, the small, dirty kitchen seemed to sparkle.
…..If I could become the ultimate gyaru-minded, dazzling idol, I wondered if everyone would love me then.
Those were my thoughts back then.
It was during the “13Choose!” audition.
Completely absorbed, almost nothing else was on my mind.
Only the routine of waking up early in the morning, intensely practicing singing and dancing, which dragged on until the dead of night.
Since our smartphones were confiscated, we were practically cut off from the outside world. Some kids even cried due to the anxiety.
We were constantly being judged by people, sometimes being chosen if lucky, and sometimes not if unlucky…..
No matter how hard I worked, I found myself endlessly swayed by the “likes” and “dislikes” of mere strangers, which caused my emotions to become increasingly pressured.
Once the show aired, surprisingly, I somehow survived multiple rounds of selection.
Maybe my pink hair stood out and caught people’s attention.
Despite comments made about me saying I was great at dancing, yet bad at singing, and just decent at rapping, I received more viewer votes I thought I would.
Although it was edited out, the trainers gave me their full support, for which I was really grateful for.
Now there are 33 contestants left. We’ve finally reached the semi-finals.
That day, the next mission was announced: Perform a cover of classic songs.
What's more, some of my favorite Heisei-era songs were included. And of course, I was overjoyed and picked my favorite song.
——If you can make it to the semi-finals, it’ll keep the show engaging.
At that time, the words the director said to me on our first meeting kept flashing in my mind.
I’ve already made it to the semi-finals.
In other words, I’m as good as expired goods from this point on.
That’s why I decided I’ll give it my all.
I wanted to be seen as worthy of being a finalist.
33 contestants were randomly divided into different groups to perform their songs.
Individual evaluations were important, but if the group didn’t win, there’d be no recognition whatsoever.
That’s why, I volunteered to be the group leader, even though it wasn't my strongest suit. I wanted to push myself to grow.
But there were still some others in my group who weren’t good at either dancing or singing.
“Are you just here to play?”
The cold words coming from the trainer on that day’s lesson chilled the atmosphere.
One person was scolded, and called out by name. It’s obvious from the looks of it that his face instantly turned pale in that moment.
Once the trainer left, the person who was scolded dashed out of the rehearsal room in tears.
Unable to ignore the situation, I, both as a leader and a friend, went after him. As I comforted him who was crying in the corner, hearing him uttered, 'I'm done, I give up,' nearly brought tears to my own eyes.
……I know how that feels; That feeling of wanting to give it all up.
Despite your best efforts to hold on, each day feels like a never-ending struggle filled with anxiety.
You can't help but imagine how much relief it would bring to just let it all go. It's agonizing to long for something that remains unattainable, no matter how badly you wish for it.
But even so…… Even so, I just can’t ignore this blazing feeling of not wanting to give up here, in this place.
“It’s okay. Just take it one step at a time, okay? I believe you can definitely make it. I’ll be here with you ‘til the end.”
To comfort him, I began listing off all the good qualities and traits he has. When I returned with the boy who had now stopped crying, the other group members looked at us worriedly.
With my resolves tightened, and as cheerfully as possible, I tried to quell everyone’s anxieties.
“So, as y’all already know, we’re doin’ a Heisei song this time, right? That’s why Chii’s here with a suggestion! How ‘bout we all dive into a Heisei gyaru mindset together? First, let’s give ourselves a good pep talk! When we can't do it and feel frustrated, who's the one we're most upset at? Ourselves, right? So let's get mad at ourselves first, and then let's cheer ourselves up!”
In front of everyone who’s still wearing cloudy expressions, I’ll take the lead and be the demonstration.
“Chihiro! Stop fucking around already! You’re absolutely useless yourself too! Don’t fucking think you can become an idol acting like that! You’re just a worthless scum who needs to push yourself harder!”
Facing the massive mirrors plastered on the wall of the practice room, I hurled insults at myself with everything I got. When I glanced back, the other members were taken aback. I laughed and kept going.
“But still, I'm thankful for all the effort you've given so far. I have faith in you. And you've got incredible groupmates there with you.”
I could see everyone’s eyes getting misty. I hope that my feelings could get across to them; that I, too, believe in them.
“Don’t give up, Chihiro! March on with a spartan mentality!”
After I finished my part, I gestured to the other members, urging them to go on ahead.
The guy who was crying just a moment ago inhaled sharply, and shouts at the mirror,
“Stop crying! Instead of wasting time crying, put in the effort! You can do so much better than this!”
After venting out his frustrations, his face brightened, and now he’s smiling, saying, “I’ll definitely get through this!”, as a form of self-encouragement.
Laughter broke out, and everyone gave themselves a good scolding. After that, we all praised and cheered each other up. By that point, everyone was already grinning. We shifted our mindset once again and focused entirely on our rehearsals.
Our performance was a success. Bonded by the strong ties we made during rehearsal, we challenged ourselves to surpass our limits in both dancing and singing.
Results are the reason for victory; if you win, those votes add up to your ratings.
We all embraced each other in celebration, and even Komu-kun, who’s from a different group, said, "I could tell that Chii and the others would win the moment I saw you guys perform."
I felt satisfied to have achieved this. It was as if every void in my heart had been filled for the first time.
I even felt that sense of fulfillment.
Until I watched the on-air broadcast.
——Stop fucking around already! You’re completely useless too!
What is this?
What on earth… am I watching right now?
I don’t understand any of this. On the screen, the footage showed me yelling and losing my temper.
It happened when the contestants were gathered in the hall to watch the program that recently aired.
Everyone was rattled when they watched the scene of me yelling.
The “Chihiro,” I said before I started yelling, was edited out.
The member who ran out of the rehearsal room crying after being scolded by the trainer was edited to make it seem like he ran out because I yelled at him.
The boy in question, who was sitting nearby, looked at me in panic. The other members whom I went through the same challenge with turned to look at me, and called out worriedly, “Chihiro….”.
I could only smile warmly and reassure them with my gaze.
Because……. I’m their leader, after all.
But truthfully, my mind was a mess. My heart was pounding and I felt like throwing up. It felt like raw hostility and malice were suddenly being rained on me.
They gave us back our phones for an hour after the broadcast. We’re allowed to check social media, but posting was a no-go.
Breaking the rules is an immediate ticket home. So I can’t even post to say, “That was a misunderstanding.”
If I can't defend myself, it’s best if I don’t look at it.
That was what I planned, but after locking myself in my room alone, I ended up giving in and went on an ego-search.
I knew. I knew it well, even before looking, that it would be a huge disaster.
My personal SNS account was flooded with a massive amount of hate and abusive comments.
“Low-life”, “Scum”, “Kill yourself”, “We don’t need power-harassing idols like you”, “So you were actually a piece of shit”, “Not gonna support you anymore”, ……
Everything in front of me began to spin.
Why? Why was it edited like that?
…..Was it because I’m no longer needed after the semi-finals?
My heart pounded so fast that it hurts.
My breathing became shallow, and I felt like I’m going to collapse at any moment.
As I crouched on the floor, I desperately comforted myself.
——Stay strong, Chihiro. Don’t let this break you, Chihiro……
The me on TV was just a fake.
A version of me edited for convenience. A false image created by the director.
……That’s right, Chihiro Natsuyaki is still safe and sound.
It’s “Chii” that everyone hates.
An alert sounded in the hall, signaling the time to collect our smartphones.
Knowing being late will lead to a penalty, I slowly rise to my feet.
I mentally urge myself to switch it up, switch gears.
After leaving my smartphone in the basket in the main hall, Komu-kun started talking to me in front of the fixed camera.
“Chii….. Are you okay?”
They're filming us right now, right? We’re clearly reflected in the camera lenses, right?
I knew he was genuinely worried about me, but I couldn’t help but wonder why he chose this place to ask.
I only smiled brightly and threw out a peace sign.
“Absolute~ly! Chii would say he’s feelin’ super duper hyped with all this attention he’s gettin’, y’know? Feelin’ totes Very Lucky right now~!”
Aware of the camera's presence, I folded my arms and wondered out loud, "Did I go overboard back there?”
“Since it’s a Heisei song that Chii got mad respect for, the ‘Chii’ vibes just couldn’t be contained at all, oopsie ♪”
Playfully pressing my fist to my forehead and sticking my tongue out.
This isn’t me. This is "Chii."
It’s "Chii," so people could think whatever they want.
That‘a what I thought.
With the mindset of the ultimate gyaru, Chii can sparkle and smile brightly, and because of that,
Sunlight filters through the window of the small apartment.
The shadows of the window’s lattice frame cast striped patterns across the room.
Toys for girls, all of them old and worn, some cheap makeup kits, hand-me-downs from my older sister and two younger sisters, along with my mother’s flashy dresses.
I rummage through them for something I can wear and practice my dance moves on the tatami mat.
Humming along to the idol song playing on TV, I try to mimic the dance moves shown on the screen.
I love dancing.
Because when I dance, I can make people smile.
—— Chii-chan, you dance just like a pro.
That’s what big sis said.
—— Chii-nii, can you do the dance from that one MK55 song? We wanna see it!
That’s what my little sister would request.
I’ll do whatever it takes if it means everyone can clap and be happy.
When I dance, even this small, cramped, shabby apartment becomes my stage.
Sometimes even Mom smiles when she sees me dance.
—— I bet your dancing could make us some money.
When I told her that I got a solo dance part in my elementary school play, she laughed in response.
Right. If I could make money, would that make Mom happy….?
Would she be proud of me?
I wonder if she will finally love me this time…..
—— Wipe that smile off your face right now!
Shortly after graduating from middle school, these words were suddenly thrown at my face.
While I was juggling multiple part-time jobs to help make ends meet, my mother came home furious one day and started yelling at me. Each of her words hit me like a slap in the face.
—— You’re just like your father, nothing more than a lowest-of-the-low scumbag. If you keep this up, you’ll surely become just like that man.
….I was aware that I’m becoming more and more like my father.
Because I didn’t bear any resemblance to my sisters at all.
My dad walked out of our lives when I was too young to remember, and my Mom has always described him as a scumbag.
If I were to dance, my Mom might see me as an even bigger burden. She might not want to come home ever again.
With my mom’s frequent absences and my sisters constantly on edge, I can no longer dance within these walls.
I’ve been sneaking off between work shifts to dance in the alleyways more often. But I can’t change my face, and I can’t stop my body from growing.
….I really don’t want to keep growing.
If I become an adult, I might end up looking even more like my dad than I do now.
——Hey, big sis, how can I change my face…..?
Plastic surgery? But we don’t have that kind of money.
When I couldn’t take it anymore and finally asked my sister, who was living in the same apartment with me at the time, she looked at me with a momentary sadness.
She then said, “I’ll teach Chii-chan about makeup”.
It was able to change my face a little bit.
Cosmetic tools felt like magic wands.
Since Mom has those slanted, cat-like eyes, I tried lifting the corners of my eyes to accentuate them more…..
See? I look a bit more like Mom, right?
As I danced in the corner of the street, my face reflected on the edge of a shop window, I finally felt like I looked the part with my makeup on.
——Becoming a different person like this is fine.
Suddenly, in that moment, I had a realization.
It’s okay for me to not be the real Chihiro.
It’s fine if this Chihiro is made of lies. It’s fine as long as this “me” I’ve created is loved.
I want to be someone who is loved.
Deep inside my heart, where I always felt like there was a cold, gaping hole. If I’m loved, then I’m sure even that place will become warm.
That’s what I thought.
The voices of 133 people can be heard.
Today, the contestants were asked to put up childhood photos on the walls of this lavish TV show set.
We were also asked to write our aspirations by hand and put them next to the photos, so they could be introduced during the program breaks.
There were hardly any photos of me at home.
My big sister, who now lives separately from us, somehow managed to find one and brought it to me, so I made it work.
“Chii, is this your photo!? So cute! Look at you dancing~”
Komu-kun sticks close to my side and leans in to take a closer look.
In the photo, I was dancing with an innocent smile.
I wonder who took this photo.
Maybe it was the father I’d never seen before? Was my mother by his side?
Was she smiling at me in this moment?
“What about your photo, Komu-pi?”
“Yeah, this! ……And this, and this, and this….. Which one do you think is best?”
Komu-kun pulled out a dozen photos. The other contestants around us praised them, saying, “They’re all great!”
In every photo, little Komu-kun was undoubtedly very cute. He was smiling happily in all of them; many were taken of him sitting on his parents’ laps.
“Komu, you sure got a lot of photos.” Another contestant, who was putting up his own picture, chuckles.
“I really tried to pick out the best ones…. But there are still hundreds of photos from when I was little. Pretty crazy, right?” Komu-kun says with a laugh.
Someone else jokes, “Is your house a photo studio or what?”, and everyone started laughing.
But all I felt was a coldness settling in my heart.
……Kids who are loved have it different, even in things like this. For me, it was hard finding even a single photo.
“Chihiro, your smile hasn’t changed at all.”
“You look so happy.”
The people who were teasing Komu-kun also commented on my photo.
I made a dumb joke in return, “Yeah, I’ve got that manly charm now, right?”, but deep inside, my heart hurt.
……I haven’t changed at all, huh.
It’s true that I looked happy in this photo.
Because I didn’t know this happiness I had would soon crumble away.
——But at this moment, maybe I was truly happy.
“This happiness didn’t really last for long, y’know” I swallowed down the words that threatened to escape me.
Tomorrow is selection day. After the mission song evaluation, the show was aired.
Many viewers are deciding who to vote for, sorting us out. The number of contestants will be reduced from 133 to just 66.
“Let’s definitely make it through tomorrow.”
Komu-kun said, pressing his shoulder against mine.
Seeing his worried face made me want to comfort him.
So I took his hand, and squeezed it tightly.
“Yeah, both me and Komu-pi will surely make it. Let’s become idols together.”
For that, I was even willing to cut down on my own practice and sleep time in order to teach Komu-kun how to dance.
Komu-kun is an honest person, and he keeps improving steadily, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.
As for me…… As for me?
Can I still make it?
I really want to.
For just a moment, I closed my eyes tightly and prayed.
Desperately trying to connect with the person on the other side of the screen, I seek their love.
Whether the image of me reflected there is fake or real…..Even I can’t tell anymore.
—— “Heya! Thanks for checking out my 100sec-PR vid! My name’s Chihiro Natsuyaki, and I’m from the special tourist ward, HAMA 14! All my friends call me Chii! I’m passionate about dancing and regularly upload my idol dance covers on Dazzle!”
“So come check me out!”, I say with a smile.
However my smile is a bit forced, and there is a hint of anxiety lurking in my eyes.
The reality is I have no confidence in myself, and those who understand that feeling would definitely notice.
“Also, I have lots of respect for the gyaru culture of the Heisei era….. My hobby is collecting Heisei memorabilia(1)! First, please check out my dances!”
I hadn't started using “Chii-nese” at this point in time.
There was a moment in my SNS self-introduction video that was shot soon after I was accepted for the audition show but before the final selection where I started dancing, and only in that moment did I truly appear to be brimming with confidence.
“Alright, how about you adopt a gyaru persona? It adds more flair to have someone like that on the show. Got that? I’m counting on you.”
“……A gyaru… persona?”
That day, I sat in the TV station’s conference room, my heart thumping with nervousness.
“13Choose!” ——After applying to this next-generation idol audition program, I successfully passed the document review and video screening and made it to the finals. I was then invited for an in-person meeting; I wondered if the other contestants would be there and what they were like. It made me really nervous.
But, to my surprise, the only person in the meeting room was a man who introduced himself as the director.
In the room, there was a TV playing my newly recorded self-intro video.
The director glanced at it and said, “You mentioned liking Heisei’s gyaru culture, right?”
“We need at least one flashy person among the contestants. Ah, your current makeup is fine, but can you make your eye makeup a bit heavier? Put more emphasis into that cat-eye(2) look. And also, dye your hair pink”
“Dye… my hair… pink?”
“Can’t do it?”
“N-No, I can.”
When questioned, I hastily agreed. I wasn’t sure what this all meant, but I felt that I shouldn’t refuse. The director was telling this to a nobody like me, who wasn’t even part of a talent agency, so I figured I should follow his instructions if I wanted to have a chance at making it.
“Make sure to really play up the gyaru persona in front of the camera. If you can at least make it to the semi-finals, it’ll keep the show engaging.”
The director didn’t even look my way, as if I was a speck of dust in his eyes. My self-introduction video reached the dance portion, the one part I wanted him to see the most, but…
“Next person, please.”
With those words, I had no choice but to get up and leave the room.
After leaving the TV station, I looked for a salon where I could book an appointment.
I needed a place that could dye my hair pink for as cheaply as possible.
What kind of personality would a gyaru have?
I wonder if it means someone who uses a lot of gyaru slang.
Does that mean I should act bright and cheerful?
“……..At least make it to the semi-finals…., huh…”
I remember the director’s words.
That means he doesn’t think I can debut, right?
Being told to exaggerate the gyaru persona on camera surely means he wants me to be a high-energy hypeman.
I suddenly become aware of the hole deep inside my heart.
The usual draft blows through it, leaving me feeling cold and lonely.
It's the unbearable loneliness that comes when I realize no one in this world needs me.
But then, I shake my head and think to myself, “I can do this, I know I can.”
After all, I do this at home too. The same old routine.
My bad-tempered mom, my irritable big sister, and my frightened little sisters.
I smile and play the role of a clown in order to make everyone laugh.
In order to make everyone smile.
…..I thought, for a moment, that no matter where I go, nothing changes.
But even so, that’s okay.
I clenched my fists tightly at the thought.
“If it means I can become an idol, I’ll do anything.”
If it’ll change my meaningless life around.
If it can make my family smile, even just a tiny bit….
At least for now, the only path I can choose is to win the audition in front of me.
For me, there is no other option.
“13Choose!” is the successor to a popular, regularly held audition show. Being chosen and making your debut here means becoming an idol with a tremendous amount of fame and popularity.
I’ve watch many idol audition shows myself.
Contestants are brought to their dormitory, their smartphones taken away, and are made to live under strict supervision. They are ranked and compete in dancing, singing, and idol concepts. Viewer votes and producer evaluations are combined to determine who gets eliminated, starting with the lowest-ranked contestants.
I heard that there’s a total of 133 contestants this time.
And only 13 people will be allowed to debut.
So, here I was, unpacking my belongings in my assigned room at the dormitory. The other contestants were probably doing the same, though I could hear occasional excited shouts coming from down the hallway.
It was only natural.
The first mission song was just announced, and everyone was on cloud nine. I was feeling excited and anxious too.
“Man~, I’m a total nervous wreck, but I love that song to death so I can’t help but feel excited ‘bout it~!”
There’s a camera in my room too, capturing everything.
Remembering the direction to…. play up and exaggerate the gyaru persona in front of the camera, I struck up a conversation with my roommate.
“Y’know! I nearly cried when I listened to this song. It’s a song by an artist that I’m the biggest fan of…. Ah, geez, I got emotional again.”
My roommate, Komu-kun, was super cute.
His smile was radiant, like an angel’s.
It seemed he’d come all the way from Kansai to participate, and got embarrassed whenever he accidentally slipped into his Kansai dialect.
Even now, he’s shyly covering his mouth, and I can't help but think he's one of those naturally "adorable" types.
“Komu-pi is so cute—— Ah, can I call you Komu-pi? You can call me Chii!”
Komu-kun, elated, said with a laugh, “I’m glad to be roommates with Chii….”
“I haven’t tried singing or dancing before…. But Chii’s good at dancing, right? I saw it in your 100s-PR!”
“Eh, you checked it so fast! Didn’t it just come out yesterday?”
“I was told in advance that I’d be roommates with you, so I looked you up right away…. Your dancing skills are amazing, and you look so cool too!”
The day before arriving at the dormitory, my roommate’s name was indeed given to me.
In fact, I had already watched Komu-kun’s PR, and his shy yet amusing display of his talent of being able to “recite pi to a hundred decimals!” as he called it while fidgeting was kinda strange, but entertaining nonetheless.
I never thought Komu-kun would watch my video, so it was a nice surprise. It warmed my heart to know that he watched my dancing and complimented it.
“To be honest, I dunno if I can keep up with practice. …..But my family is poor, you see. So I dropped out after middle school so I could become an idol to support my family.”
“Oh, same here. I dropped out after middle school too.”
“For real? That’s pretty comfortin’. Come to think of it, Chii and I are almost the same height too.”
I missed the chance to say it, but knowing that we both wanted to support our families and that we both came from the same impoverished background made me feel somewhat comforted.
But when Komu-kun pulled out a bunch of family photos from his luggage and put them up on the wall, I felt a pang in my chest.
Between the two people who looked to be kind and gentle parents stood Komu-kun, smiling.
Looking at the photos from his childhood to present day, I felt they all gave off the sense that he had a close bond with his family.
There were not only formal pictures, but also some casual playful ones taken of their daily lives.
As I stared at them intently, Komu-kun turned around and innocently said, “Ah, those’re my family photos.”
“…..You guys take a lot of photos, huh.”
“Papa and Mama are always…. Ah, I mean, my Dad and my Mom really love taking photos, so despite our financial situation, they always want to take photos and make photo albums for me every year. I wish they could cut me some slack, but I can’t deny that it makes me really happy.”
“………..”
I pause. My words won’t come out right away.
I thought we were similar just mere moments ago, but now I just couldn’t see him that way anymore.
I desperately tried to stop the bubbling sense of unease inside me.
“C’mon, Komu-pi, don’t try to act cool~. You usually call your parents ‘Papa’ and ‘Mama’, right? You can call them that in front of me.”
“Ehhh, you’re not going to laugh at me for actin’ like a kid?”
“I won’t laugh, I promise. I think it’s cute, so you’re totally in the OK-zone.”
Komu-kun’s shy smile really is cute.
There wasn’t a single shred of malice in him; just a genuine smile. And it made me think, “He truly is loved.”
…..He’s going to be really popular.
The thought suddenly occurred to me.
“Come to think of it, Chii, you didn’t have pink hair in your 100s-PR video, right? Did you dye it? It really suits you.”
“Aah…… Yeah, the director gave me some advice. And he suggested I go pink.”
Actually, it was more like an order.
But Komu-kun turned to me with a smile and genuinely exclaimed, “Woah, the director is so kind!”
“I got some advice too. He said that by being myself, I can bring out my natural charm, and that I should just be confident.”
“……Is that so.”
“That’s completely different from what he told me,” I thought to myself.
Deep inside my chest, ugly jealousy began to sprout alongside my anxiety.
It was dark, viscous, oppressive, and the moment I became conscious of it I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I brushed it off. I didn’t want to lose to something like that.
After all, I’m gonna become an idol, and I want to keep that idol spirit inside my heart too.
“If it’s dancing, I can teach you all ‘bout it!”
That’s why I decided to say that. Komu-kun who said, “Chii, you’re too kind!” was really happy.
Because of my slight sense of guilt, I swore to make sure to teach him with absolute seriousness and sincerity.
I made up my mind to practice together, to make sure that both Komu-kun and I could make it through to the next selection.
Track 1 | Track 2 | Track 3 | Track 4 | Track 5
TL Notes:
Here, even though the original script used “グッズ” (goods), I decided to go with the word “memorabilia” instead since Heisei era ended in 2019 and this game supposedly takes place in a pretty far future, I’d say it’s pretty fitting
Original word is “つり目” (tsurime), the eye style that’s famously known to be a trademark trait for tsundere characters but its definition defined it as “slanted upwards eyes”, I decided to call it “cat eye” due to similar look + in Chihiro’s profile, he said his charm point is his “cat eyes” so yeah
Chihiro Natsuyaki SR - “From Now, The Two Of Us” (Part 2)
Location: HAMA House - Rooster Room
Tao: Amazing….!
Tao: Even though this room was so empty before, now it feels like a store has opened up in here
Chihiro: Well? Well? Isn’t it, like, mega adorbs? Chii puts all the efforts into decorating this room to match Chii’s fav aesthetics ☆
Chihiro: …..Erm, do you…. like it?
Tao: Yeah. It looks really flashy, but…..
Tao: You arranged these furnitures with me in mind, right?
Tao: You even took the time to put on the sunglasses-wearing sunflower that was lost inside my luggage
TL Note: Tao named this decoration グラサンフラワー. He used グラサン, which is slang for サングラス (sunglasses), just by saying it backwards. It’s kinda a pun too bc SUNglasses-wearing SUNflower, hence グラサンフラワー (with サンフラワー being self-explanatory “sunflower”)
Chihiro: Ain’t it adorable~? ♪ Can Chii stream with this cutie next time?
Tao: Of course
Tao: You didn’t just only put your hobbies first, but you also considered my feelings…..
Tao: You do have a kind side to you after all
Tao: Thank you, Chihiro. You’ve worked hard
Chihiro: …..Ehehe, you’re very welcome!
Chihiro: Hey, hey, guess what? Chii got a game that Tao-Tao will for sure love! Check it out!
Chihiro: Chii was like, “Reprint Edition? What’s that?”. Chii just thought that the design was, like, totes adorbs and seemed interesting
Chihiro: So Chii consulted with the store clerk and got the game along with everything else too!
TL Note: In this part, Chihiro used “ソフト”, which by default means “software” but games that required consoles in Japan are also referred to as “ソフト” (short for ゲームソフト/game software aka video games), i.e: Switchソフト is Switch Games. Which means that when Chihiro said “got the game along with everything else”, it’s referring to how he got the the game and the console as well, and later on Tao talks about cables so safe to assume he bought the console for sure lmao
Tao: Woah, this brings back memories…..! I used to be obsessed with this!
Tao: Looking at it now, the 3D graphics looks super blocky and the movements are choppy, but this was considered cutting-edge at the time
Tao: To think that they could turn flat pixel art into something with depth using CG. Stuffs like this really amazed me
Chihiro: Hehe, is that so?
Chihiro: Then, tell Chii all about the rest of it when we play
Tao: Of course!
Tao: Woah, even the cables are like how they used to be. They’ve done an incredible job recreating this!
Chihiro: Chii’ll get the snacks and drinks ready! Tao-Tao, can you handle the preparations on your end?
Tao: Yeah. Leave it to me
Chihiro: (…..At first, I was really nervous. I wondered if I could really live with someone besides my own family)
Chihiro: (But…..)
Tao: …..Connection all set. Oh, it’s on, it’s on!
Chihiro: (Living here together with Tao-Tao…. This is going to be fun)
Tao: Alright, Chihiro. I’ll show you how to play, and then we can have a match later
Chihiro: You bet! Chii’s definitely not gonna lose!
Chihiro Natsuyaki SR - “From Now, The Two Of Us” (Part 1)
Location: HAMA House - Living Room
Tao: 『You can freely decide your room layout with your roommate. Feel free to bring in any furnitures, equipments, or anything else, as long as it fits through the door』……
Tao: The president is so generous
Chihiro: Hey, hey. Tao-Tao, what kinda room do you like?
Chihiro: As for Chii~, somethin’ colorful and cute will be perfect ☆ The kinda room that just by bein’ in it can make Chii instantly super hyped!
Tao: You’re into streaming and all that stuffs, right? It’s probably best to have a good-looking background
Chihiro: And also~, a place where Chii’s TuRyStA Bears merchs can stay too! Chii will, like, put them where Chii can see them at all time and then say g’mornin’ to them in the mornin’ and g’night when it’s night!
Chihiro: Tao-tao, don’t you have stuffs too? You can put whatever you like in your own space, y’know?
Tao: Ah…. I might have to buy everything all over again, so just having a roof over my head is enough
Chihiro: Eh~? Ain’t that just no different from prison at all~?
Chihiro: C’mon, c’mon, why don’t you give it a try? Try askin’ Chii-sama to do you a solid
Tao: Then…..
Tao: Chihiro, you’re welcome to decorate my space as you please. I’ll leave it up to you. That’s what I want
Chihiro: …..Eh? You sure?
Tao: Instead of me going on about this and that, I’m sure it’ll definitely turn out great under your hands
Tao: Ah, I’m not just throwing it all on you. Of course I’ll lend a hand, so feel free to ask me to help carry stuffs or anything
Chihiro: ……No, I got this. Tao-Tao, just wait for me
Chihiro: Chii will get everything that Tao-Tao wants!
Tao: That’s reassuring. Then….. I’ll be in your care, Chihiro
Chihiro: Okay!
Chihiro: Let’s see. In that case, gimme a day to work on the coordinations
Chihiro: Sorry, but Tao-Tao, can you stay in the living til then?
Tao: Got it. Then I’ll go get my blankets and whatever else I’ll be needing for now
Chihiro: Alrighty, then Chii will go get ready!
Tao: Ok. Call me right away if you ever need a hand
Tao: ……Maybe I should get some necessities too while I can
Location: HAMA House - 2F Corridor
Tao: ……To think that you really finished it all in one day
Chihiro: Heh-heh, amazin’, right?
Chihiro: But y’know~, if you took a look inside the room, you’ll be even more surprised
Chihiro: Ta~da ♪ It’s room reveal time ♪ I present to you, our brand new room!
