Melée 8

At the same time. In the coffee shop near the ES Dome

Aira: Munch munch ♪

Ahh~ I am so happy I’m finally eating an actual meal ♪

Mayoi: And I am happy getting to watch you from so close, Aira-san... ♪

Tatsumi: Mayoi-san.

Mayoi: Eek?! I–i–it’s fine! I’m just—just admiring how cute he is! I wouldn’t ever touch him!

Tatsumi: What are you talking about? Well, that aside, it’s about time for Hiiro-san to be done. Why don’t we all go meet him?

Aira: Oh yeah, you’re right.

But like, why was Hiro-kun the only one doing his own thing, anyway? Especially since the four of us have been pretty much stuck together lately, doesn’t it feel weird that he’s not here?

Tatsumi: Fufu, it seems that only the leaders gathered to plan a strategy for the Finals. They’re making the most of their time on the bus, don’t you think?

Aira: Yeah, another thing. Why is it just the leaders again? It’s not like there’s a billion of us, so we could always just rent out a conference room for all of us.

Tatsumi: Fufu. Because for the most part, units still revolve around their leaders.

As long as this is the status quo, it remains possible to control units as a whole.

This is probably why the secret orders were given, as well.

The leader is the brain, soul, and and spine of the unit. If it is crushed, nothing else can survive.

Aira: Okay, can we not talk about such nasty things while we’re eating...?

Mayoi: I’m sorry, forgive me! I was so enraptured by Aira-san that I couldn’t make any progress on my meal!

I was so tense and anxious that nothing would go down my throat at all... Ahh, to think I, of all people, would make it to the SS Finals! I must be dreaming!

Aira: Oh yeah, big same. We were just a bunch of losers until summer happened.

I don’t really know how much I’ve actually grown as an idol since then—it doesn’t feel like much of anything has changed for me at all.

So that’s why I’m pretty sure we made it this far because of you, Mayo-san, since you taught my clumsy ass how to do everything right from the start, and also Hiro-kun too, who keeps growing and growing like an idiot—

And most of all you, Tattsun-senpai, who’s been the strongest of us from the outset.

Tatsumi: Hmm, should I praise you for being humble or scold you for undervaluing yourself?

Either way, we were somehow able to advance to the finals the way we are.

We can no longer pretend our achievements don’t exist and act like mere underachieving losers.

That is not mere humility; it would be an insult to the honor of all those who lost to us in Hokkaido.

So let us stand with pride. We are strong. We have many victories under our belt, and we are here now because we deserve to be here.

At the very least, we should behave as proper, respectable idols so that those we left behind can be proud they lost to us.

Even if it’s not true right now, we should behave as if it’s so, and it will surely become our reality.

This is how God, and indeed faith itself, took root in the world: by continuing to treat the lies as truth, and by continuing to turn dreams into realities.

Even if no one else recognizes us, we will believe in ourselves first and foremost—

That we are great idols.

Aira: Amen.

Mayoi: Amen.

Tatsumi: Um. Recently, whenever I say something you like, you start to pray. But the people around us are giving us strange looks, so would you mind curbing that habit?

Aira: Ehehe. Your feathers never get ruffled by anything, Tattsun-senpai, so I kinda like how you get so flustered when we do this ♪

Mayoi: Th–this was never intended to be retaliation of any sort! I just have the utmost faith in your beautiful, pure self!

Ohh, if only I could live my life like you...!

Tatsumi: Honestly. That’s nonsense. Quit talking like that and clean up your plates.

Aira: Right... Actually, sorry but I think I ordered way too much. I can’t eat all of this.

It’s been so long since I could eat whatever I wanted thanks to my orders, so I’m over the moon that I can finally indulge myself. ^[1]

When I think about it like that, I guess the order was super effective for someone like me who has basically zero self-control.

If no one’s there to tell me no, I’ll just keep gorging myself with sweets.

Tatsumi: If it were negatively affecting your health, I would certainly intervene. But modern Japan is abundant and plentiful, so I don’t think you need to show such self-restraint in your daily life.

Aira: For normal people, yeah that’s fine. But we’re idols, y’know? We basically have to make ourselves into the ideal that everyone else wants us to be.

Tatsumi: Hm. Were those orders and secret orders only intended to improve us, then I would fully approve of them.

But I’m not so sure that’s what the secret orders, specifically, were for. We ordinary members were not given any, so we can’t even imagine the burden the leaders must carry.

Just from watching Hiiro-san and Hokuto-san, I have no doubts that their penalties were excessively severe.

Aira: Liiike, if you don’t follow your orders, you get a penalty, right?

But don’t you think we should have gotten a reward for following them, too? It would’ve motivated us a lot more.

Tatsumi: Carrot and stick, hm? If you only ever hit them with the stick, they’ll give up and die. I wonder just what the Administration is thinking with this.

Aira: Well, I guess the “carrot” is getting to the Final Round of SS.

Mayoi: Uh, um, T–Tatsumi-san!

Tatsumi: ? What is it? You’re shaking like a leaf; would you like me to rub your back? ♪

Mayoi: I–I would start shaking even more if you touched me, T–Tatsumi-san! But um, look! Over there!

Tatsumi: ...? Oh, that’s... Shiina Niki-san from Crazy:B, isn’t it?

It must be providence. Aira-san, why don’t you ask him to eat what you couldn’t finish?

The more he eats, the happier he seems to be.

Aira: Eugh... I hate the idea of sharing food I’ve already put in my mouth. Well, when it’s Hiro-kun it feels more like feeding my pet, so that’s different.

Actually, doesn’t it kinda feel like the guys in Crazy:B have been weirdly tense lately? I hope they’re not up to something, again. All they do is cause problems...