The Brutes and the Nobles 4

Some minutes later

Koga: Arrrrrrrgghggghghhhh, this is such shit!

What’s up with the audience today, huh?! They raised in a fucking barn or something?!

Shithead over there’s smokin’ a cigarette, shithead over here’s drinkin’ like there’s no tomorrow—there’s food all over the place and everyone’s shoutin’ at the top of their lungs. This sucks ass!

It’s just what you get when you let a damn playboy run a live house: it gets filled up with nothin’ but shallow, irresponsible people. Pisses me off!

Hey, asshole! At least teach your customers some manners!

Kaoru: Don’t take it out on me. You may not know this, Puppy, but it’s rough running a live house in this day and age.

The band boom’s long over.^[1]

Live houses all over the country are stuck in the red and shutting down one after another. You can’t even book performers, much less customers.

It’s not like the glamorous entertainment world you see on TV. The underground scene is a hell where starving demons have to cannibalize each other just to survive.

And despite all that, I’m actually turning a steady profit... so aren’t I kinda awesome, actually? Maybe I’m more cut out to be a manager than an idol ♪

As long as they have money to spend, the customer is god. So what if their manners are a little bad? Just deal with it.

Koga: Shut up already! We been patient long the hell enough!

Arghhhh, this sucks! Nobody’s even listenin’ to our songs, anyway—there’s no point puttin’ on a show in a dump like this!

I’m done with this hole in the wall! I want on a real stage already!

I don’t need to sell out a whole goddamn stadium, but at least gimme somewhere that pays to work our asses off!

Ugh, dammit! My clothes reek like smoke, it’s nasty! I’m gonna hurl—I feel like I gotta peel off every last bit of my skin!

Adonis: There, there... calm down, Oogami. What’s wrong? You’re unusually irritable today.

Rei: It has been rather hot and humid lately; the weather would put anyone in a foul mood. I, too, am reaching my limits. This is a truly difficult season for a vampire to endure.

Kaoru: Ahaha, it is crazy hot, huh? Just playing through a single song leaves you soaked in your own sweat.

And the heat builds up underground... Also, we keep the AC turned down to save on electric and to be eco-friendly.

Adonis: Hm. It is important to care for the environment. Good thinking, Hakaze-senpai.

Kaoru: You wouldn’t think it, but I’m pretty conscious of this stuff~ If air and water pollution got much worse, we wouldn’t be able to play in the ocean, y’know?

Adonis: The ocean...? Maybe if we could perform by the water like we did with the Pirate Fest, we would stay cool. Are there any projects of that nature, by chance?^[2]

Koga: Yeah, right. Everybody else’s prolly thinkin’ the same damn thing...

Great jobs like that get snatched up before summer break even starts, yanno?

Dammit. Just ‘cause someone couldn’t get his ass movin’, we got a late start on things...

But I guess playboy here’s been gettin’ more into our gigs n’ shit, so that’s a positive.

Kaoru: You bet. I’m being moderately serious about this whole thing, so you should be grateful. If I’m being honest, I’d much rather spend the whole summer in the water.

I want to enjoy my summer surrounded by cute girls... but here I am, listening to spoiled brat’s temper tantrum. Poor me~ ♪

Koga: Who ya callin’ a spoiled brat, asshole? Don’t you treat me like some kid!

‘Sides, you’ve been slackin’ off like hell up to now, so you should be workin’ twice as hard as everyone else just to balance things out, got it?!

Kaoru: Yeah, whatever. I’ll work hard at it~ But y’know, not too hard.

Adonis: (Fufu. Hakaze-senpai has become more motivated recently. Thanks to that, UNDEAD has been getting together more often; it makes me happy.)

(There are still plenty of problems to solve, so we won’t have smooth sailing... or however it is that phrase goes.)

(But even the troubles that are difficult when we’re alone can be resolved if we all support each other.)

(The future looks bright. Is it all right for me to believe that?)

Yuzuru: Pardon me. Um... gentlemen of UNDEAD, would it be any trouble to take a moment of your time?

Koga: Huh. You’re from my class... that fancy-schmancy butler dude. Fushimi, right? And looks like Anzu’s with you too. Whatcha want from us?

Yuzuru: Of course. I’ve come today to make a certain proposal to you gentlemen.

Though I would prefer to discuss the details over food, if that’s convenient for you all.

Naturally, I shall cover the cost of the meal, so I would be humbled for you to consider the offer.

Koga: Whaaat? The hell’s this about... pain in my ass, man. If ya got somethin’ to say, just spit it out!

Why you gotta drag your ass about every little thing?!

Rei: Now, now. Mind your manners a bit more, Doggy. It’s rather embarrassing...

You are Fushimi-kun from fine, yes? So you are Tenshouin-kun’s confidant?

In that case, we should deal with these proceedings properly, lest we have our regrets in the future. I’m drained after our performance, and I’d love to fill my stomach; I will be pleased to accompany you.

We should listen carefully to this proposal of yours and consider it with proper weight.

Kukuku, I look forward to seeing what this is all about ♪