I desperately need more junior high school Hirata...
(please ignore the text I wrote on this art bc I just thought there was some empty space there, so I used it to practice my Japanese which I haven't written in a while)
This is a scene from this AU, as I don't know when I'll actually finish the first chapter. The characters' personalities and relationships may differ slightly from the original novel.
Amasawa slightly pushed the fashion magazines on the table towards me.
However, a closer look reveals that these were published several years ago, even without opening them, raising questions about their relevance to current trends.
"Although these magazines are from several years ago, their real purpose is..."
As if deliberately highlighting this, Yagami picked up one of the magazines with a book jacket and pulled out a small booklet included with the book.
Amasawa slightly pushed the fashion magazines on the table towards me.
However, a closer look reveals that these were published several years ago, even without opening them, raising questions about their relevance to current trends.
"Although these magazines are from several years ago, their real purpose is..."
As if deliberately highlighting this, Yagami picked up one of the magazines with a book jacket and pulled out a small booklet included with the book.
"Yes, firstly, it's page 21 of this booklet. The bottom right corner has a code for earning special points. Just from that, the chances of the points being hidden in the pages increase, and the library's borrowing volume these past few days also supports this... though most of them are from upperclassmen. I've already asked the first-years, but it seems they haven't found the library yet. All that's left is to check the answers."
"Ah, so that was my line!"
Amasawa exaggeratedly raised her right hand, seizing the opportunity to speak during the pause before Yagami was about to launch into another long speech.
"Huh, I don't remember anything like that."
"Sorry, sorry~ Takuya sometimes... well, that's just how it is."
Hearing his name called, Yagami tilted his head slightly to look at Amasawa, their eyes briefly meeting. Amasawa, as if granted some kind of permission (probably), reached to her right and took a file folder from Yagami's bag.
"Did you ask?"
I took the file folder and started flipping through the documents from the last page.
"Of course! After all, I'm a member of the student council. It would be troublesome if those guys found out."
"That's true for now. But we'll definitely be going up against Nagumo-senpai, right? To exaggerate a bit, that means we'll be fighting against the third-year seniors."
"Just as expected... They thought of staggering the borrowing times for large quantities of books, but they didn't expect to team up with other classes, resulting in too many borrowing records from the same class."
Once we confirm this, we can find out which class is searching the library, and then, without wasting time, search other possible locations first.
"Speaking of which, you guys are really lucky to have found the code under these circumstances."
"No, you flatter me, senpai."
I deliberately adjusted my tone, just a little, but if it were him, he should be able to tell.
But Yagami didn't show any particular reaction. Could it be that the student council member who appeared in the library a few days ago wasn't him? Even so, the possibility couldn't be completely ruled out.
While maintaining this somewhat silent atmosphere, Amasawa, who was casually flipping through a magazine, took over the situation.
"I say, luckāsometimes it can't be explained by logic alone, right, Takuya? I wondered why you chose this magazine when we were picking it out together?"
"...I guess so."
I responded to the first part of her sentence with a few words.
While Amasawa provided supplementary explanations for Yagami, she skillfully steered the conversation to the next topic.
Is this what they call an alliance of trust? I took a sip of my black tea and then looked at the open pages that Amasawa was holding with both hands.
"Ah, unfortunately, I'm not particularly interested in this."
Yagami gave a somewhat forced laugh, ignoring the page Amasawa had turned to, and then flipped to the next page.
"I borrowed it because Ichika seemed a little interested in this place?"
"Ugh...!"
He added, pointing to the feature article on that page. I looked at the large headline.
"An exclusive interview with a popular idol..."
"You guessed it! Senpai. This is also some research I did for youāour future idol."
No, when did I become someone who thinks I have such ambitions?
"Please, Senpai...our future idol, look at this page."
I felt his smile was even brighter.
Wait, why are you starting to think that too? Amasawa, did you do something to Yagami?
Joking aside, I carefully browsed the information. Next to several paragraphs were candid photos from idol practice and on stage. Judging from their movements, their coordination was excellent, their facial expressions were appropriate, and their costumes were exquisite yet distinctiveāperhaps because they have a dedicated costume designer.
Besides that, there wasāa smile.
Want to give it a try? Horikita had suggested it to me before; maybe it could be an advantage.
"Ayanokoji-senpai~?"
I closed my eyes, focusing on adjusting my facial muscles and emotions...
And I tried to briefly opened my eyes and, sure enough, saw Yagami and Amasawa covering their mouths with their hands, deliberately keeping their distance from me, seemingly talking in hushed tones.
Hmm... let's not talk about that now. Anyway, that's roughly the feeling.
A short while later, I opened my eyes and put on the smile I was trying to maintain in this situation.
"S-senpai..."
Huh? Why did they suddenly laugh? I tilted my head to one side, trying to keep my current expression unchanged while asking the question with this gesture.
"Ahahaha~ Senpai looks kind of cute like this, doesn't he?"
Amasawa pulled out a small mirror and pointed it at me.
...Ah, I've been mocked. Is that so? I stopped smiling and gave a token sigh.
"Regarding this, I think with a little more practice, it should be fine."
"I think Senpai, what you did just now was already quite good for a beginner, but as for the curve of your lips..."
"It could be a little higher, right?"
I answered quickly, combining my analysis.
"That's right! Of course, we can help you, like... you know?"
"...?"
"Got~ it! I'll help right away!"
"Excuse me...!"
Before I could even say yes or no, Amasawa and Yagami leaned over to me, each pointing to one side of my face and gently pressing their fingers against the corner of my lips, applying upward pressure.
Oh, I see.
I looked in the mirror again. Well, from now on, I'll follow this standard.
Comparing my current appearance to the smiles of idols in magazinesā¦ no, that's a bit hurtful.
"Iā¦ understandā¦."
I managed to squeeze out a few syllables, gesturing to them.
"Okay? It's a shame we didn't take any pictures."
Amasawa said, releasing her grip first, while Yagami was a little slower. It's obvious whose plan this was, isn't it?
"I think Ayanokoji-senpai's expressionless face is definitely one of the highlights, but what if he suddenly smiled at some point? The buzz might explode!"
"Yeah, that's about it, just like Takuya said. Butā"
She paused thoughtfully before continuing.
"If that's the case, the expressionless face won't hold up! After all, it seems to be a characteristic of our group right now."
"Is that so, Ichika?"
"Yes. For exampleā¦ oh, right!"
Amasawa picked up a sugar cube from a small ceramic jar next to her and casually placed it into my cup of black tea.
"For example, Senpai's smile is like this sugar cube, and black tea is everyone's impression of him. If you put those together, the flavor will change more or less, right? And then, people's preferences will also become apparent."
"Wait."
"Well~ I think I forgot something?"
"Wait a minute."
"What...?"
I asked. Although I could sense that Yagami wasn't serious, I asked anyway, just in case.
"Senpai doesn't seem to know, does he? Takuya is sugar-free team."
"...Heh, but that's all your revenge is about."
Unfortunately, I didn't know what had happened before that.
"So? Or should I fill your entire dorm fridge with sweetened black tea next time? Oh, and green tea, milk tea, juice, coffee..."
"That's too childish. I'll make sure your tap is always running sugar-free drinks."
The atmosphere inexplicably heated up... Was it really just because of this?
"If you're issuing a challenge, I'm happy to accept anytime~"
"But thereās no rule saying it only counts as a battle if a challenge is issued, right, Ayanokoji-senpai?"
I must say, Yagami was quite adept at shifting the focus.
Just please don't shift the focus to me...
And so, my black tea gradually went cold during the conversation.
I just discovered a personal pronouns and a few grammatical errors in this article, which have now been corrected. I think I really need a test readerš
This is a scene from this AU, as I don't know when I'll actually finish the first chapter. The characters' personalities and relationships may differ slightly from the original novel.
Amasawa slightly pushed the fashion magazines on the table towards me.
However, a closer look reveals that these were published several years ago, even without opening them, raising questions about their relevance to current trends.
"Although these magazines are from several years ago, their real purpose is..."
As if deliberately highlighting this, Yagami picked up one of the magazines with a book jacket and pulled out a small booklet included with the book.
Amasawa slightly pushed the fashion magazines on the table towards me.
However, a closer look reveals that these were published several years ago, even without opening them, raising questions about their relevance to current trends.
"Although these magazines are from several years ago, their real purpose is..."
As if deliberately highlighting this, Yagami picked up one of the magazines with a book jacket and pulled out a small booklet included with the book.
"Yes, firstly, it's page 21 of this booklet. The bottom right corner has a code for earning special points. Just from that, the chances of the points being hidden in the pages increase, and the library's borrowing volume these past few days also supports this... though most of them are from upperclassmen. I've already asked the first-years, but it seems they haven't found the library yet. All that's left is to check the answers."
"Ah, so that was my line!"
Amasawa exaggeratedly raised her right hand, seizing the opportunity to speak during the pause before Yagami was about to launch into another long speech.
"Huh, I don't remember anything like that."
"Sorry, sorry~ Takuya sometimes... well, that's just how it is."
Hearing his name called, Yagami tilted his head slightly to look at Amasawa, their eyes briefly meeting. Amasawa, as if granted some kind of permission (probably), reached to her right and took a file folder from Yagami's bag.
"Did you ask?"
I took the file folder and started flipping through the documents from the last page.
"Of course! After all, I'm a member of the student council. It would be troublesome if those guys found out."
"That's true for now. But we'll definitely be going up against Nagumo-senpai, right? To exaggerate a bit, that means we'll be fighting against the third-year seniors."
"Just as expected... They thought of staggering the borrowing times for large quantities of books, but they didn't expect to team up with other classes, resulting in too many borrowing records from the same class."
Once we confirm this, we can find out which class is searching the library, and then, without wasting time, search other possible locations first.
"Speaking of which, you guys are really lucky to have found the code under these circumstances."
"No, you flatter me, senpai."
I deliberately adjusted my tone, just a little, but if it were him, he should be able to tell.
But Yagami didn't show any particular reaction. Could it be that the student council member who appeared in the library a few days ago wasn't him? Even so, the possibility couldn't be completely ruled out.
While maintaining this somewhat silent atmosphere, Amasawa, who was casually flipping through a magazine, took over the situation.
"I say, luckāsometimes it can't be explained by logic alone, right, Takuya? I wondered why you chose this magazine when we were picking it out together?"
"...I guess so."
I responded to the first part of her sentence with a few words.
While Amasawa provided supplementary explanations for Yagami, she skillfully steered the conversation to the next topic.
Is this what they call an alliance of trust? I took a sip of my black tea and then looked at the open pages that Amasawa was holding with both hands.
"Ah, unfortunately, I'm not particularly interested in this."
Yagami gave a somewhat forced laugh, ignoring the page Amasawa had turned to, and then flipped to the next page.
"I borrowed it because Ichika seemed a little interested in this place?"
"Ugh...!"
He added, pointing to the feature article on that page. I looked at the large headline.
"An exclusive interview with a popular idol..."
"You guessed it! Senpai. This is also some research I did for youāour future idol."
No, when did I become someone who thinks I have such ambitions?
"Please, Senpai...our future idol, look at this page."
I felt his smile was even brighter.
Wait, why are you starting to think that too? Amasawa, did you do something to Yagami?
Joking aside, I carefully browsed the information. Next to several paragraphs were candid photos from idol practice and on stage. Judging from their movements, their coordination was excellent, their facial expressions were appropriate, and their costumes were exquisite yet distinctiveāperhaps because they have a dedicated costume designer.
Besides that, there wasāa smile.
Want to give it a try? Horikita had suggested it to me before; maybe it could be an advantage.
"Ayanokoji-senpai~?"
I closed my eyes, focusing on adjusting my facial muscles and emotions...
And I tried to briefly opened my eyes and, sure enough, saw Yagami and Amasawa covering their mouths with their hands, deliberately keeping their distance from me, seemingly talking in hushed tones.
Hmm... let's not talk about that now. Anyway, that's roughly the feeling.
A short while later, I opened my eyes and put on the smile I was trying to maintain in this situation.
"S-senpai..."
Huh? Why did they suddenly laugh? I tilted my head to one side, trying to keep my current expression unchanged while asking the question with this gesture.
"Ahahaha~ Senpai looks kind of cute like this, doesn't he?"
Amasawa pulled out a small mirror and pointed it at me.
...Ah, I've been mocked. Is that so? I stopped smiling and gave a token sigh.
"Regarding this, I think with a little more practice, it should be fine."
"I think Senpai, what you did just now was already quite good for a beginner, but as for the curve of your lips..."
"It could be a little higher, right?"
I answered quickly, combining my analysis.
"That's right! Of course, we can help you, like... you know?"
"...?"
"Got~ it! I'll help right away!"
"Excuse me...!"
Before I could even say yes or no, Amasawa and Yagami leaned over to me, each pointing to one side of my face and gently pressing their fingers against the corner of my lips, applying upward pressure.
Oh, I see.
I looked in the mirror again. Well, from now on, I'll follow this standard.
Comparing my current appearance to the smiles of idols in magazinesā¦ no, that's a bit hurtful.
"Iā¦ understandā¦."
I managed to squeeze out a few syllables, gesturing to them.
"Okay? It's a shame we didn't take any pictures."
Amasawa said, releasing her grip first, while Yagami was a little slower. It's obvious whose plan this was, isn't it?
"I think Ayanokoji-senpai's expressionless face is definitely one of the highlights, but what if he suddenly smiled at some point? The buzz might explode!"
"Yeah, that's about it, just like Takuya said. Butā"
She paused thoughtfully before continuing.
"If that's the case, the expressionless face won't hold up! After all, it seems to be a characteristic of our group right now."
"Is that so, Ichika?"
"Yes. For exampleā¦ oh, right!"
Amasawa picked up a sugar cube from a small ceramic jar next to her and casually placed it into my cup of black tea.
"For example, Senpai's smile is like this sugar cube, and black tea is everyone's impression of him. If you put those together, the flavor will change more or less, right? And then, people's preferences will also become apparent."
"Wait."
"Well~ I think I forgot something?"
"Wait a minute."
"What...?"
I asked. Although I could sense that Yagami wasn't serious, I asked anyway, just in case.
"Senpai doesn't seem to know, does he? Takuya is sugar-free team."
"...Heh, but that's all your revenge is about."
Unfortunately, I didn't know what had happened before that.
"So? Or should I fill your entire dorm fridge with sweetened black tea next time? Oh, and green tea, milk tea, juice, coffee..."
"That's too childish. I'll make sure your tap is always running sugar-free drinks."
The atmosphere inexplicably heated up... Was it really just because of this?
"If you're issuing a challenge, I'm happy to accept anytime~"
"But thereās no rule saying it only counts as a battle if a challenge is issued, right, Ayanokoji-senpai?"
I must say, Yagami was quite adept at shifting the focus.
Just please don't shift the focus to me...
And so, my black tea gradually went cold during the conversation.
I guarantee that Ayanokouji will appear in more than half of the card lore in this game, so...WR Trio lore pls. Also I want to see Nanase and Utomiya's card art so bad and hope that the official team can optimize this game
I underestimated the difficulty of writing the rules for the special exam. Now as I work on both my notebook and calculator then racking my brains, I can't help but feel a greater respect for Kinugasa
Thanks to @min1ty for the inspiration, I desperately need an AU story about a special idol exam that all students must take... Let's start by thinking about the rules. I really want to see this AU turn into a serialized fanfiction (and immediately open my notebook)
Okay whatever the reason, the school is facing a financial crisis, and the White Room has already been forced to close. In this desperate situation, the emergency response is to have each class elect a self-reliant method, while the value of the points students possess is gradually decreasing...
[Character list/tentative, to be added later]
Idol: Ayanokoji Kiyotaka
Horikita class's self-reliant (money-making) plan, and it was a great success.
Copyright Manager: Horikita Suzune
As the leader, she took the initiative to assume this role.
Managers: Yagami Takuya, Amasawa Ichika
After evaluation, the school ultimately compromised and allowed the students to choose this position. Of course, the fact that the school doesn't have very strict regulations is also one of the reasons.
Public Relations: Hirata Yosuke, Kushida Kikyou
As excellent communicators, they assisted in similar tasks from the beginning (and then this title was added later).
Costume Supervisor: Karuizawa Kei
After several test shoots, she was the first to comment on Ayanokouji's fashion sense, and subsequently became the person in charge.
Bodyguard(On the surface): Ryuen kakeru
After a series of events and talks with Horikita, they signed an agreement to have Ryuen and his associates serve as the idol's bodyguards (on the surface).
Bodyguard (in the shadows): Nanase Tsubasa
From the very beginning, Nanase volunteered for the position, and only a few people knew her true identity.
Equipment support: Nagumo Miyabi
Under these special circumstances, the student council reluctantly reached a certain level of cooperation with the Horikita class, but kept some things under wraps...
romaincrisis
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