[ES!! Era Year 2] Changing The Flavor Up A Bit
Niki’s Solo Live is coming up, but he’s in no rush, saying it’s fine if the styles are in the same flavor as the times before. However, he starts to reconsider if that’s really alright.
Chapter 1
This story is set after the Mega Sphere arc began (July), where idols start live-streaming through Mega Stream.
Season: ES 2nd Year, Summer
(Uu, what am I going to do… I’m really stumped…)
Takamine, will it be fine if I pour the scrambled eggs in?
Y-Yes. It’s fine. Add them in vee~ry slowly, and then lightly mix them together.
Leave it to me, then. I’ve watched my grandmother cook this plenty of times before, so I should be able to do that just fine.
Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll prepare the rice then, so please call for me if anything happens.
Sure, alright.
(Whew, looks like it’ll go okay at this rate…)
(I was a little anxious at first when Hidaka-senpai told me he isn’t good at cooking. He even asked me for advice after saying that, so…)
(But anyway, the harder part is how awkward it feels to be all alone with Hidaka-senpai… I don’t really have anything to talk to him about, and I feel so awkward every time there’s silence between us…)
Alright, I’ll be done as soon as I add the seasoning. Takamine, how’s it going on your side?
I’m done here. I’ll take them to the table.
Got it. Although, maybe it isn’t so interesting to only have soup and rice as a meal.
Mm~ Yeah, but I feel like if you added more to soup, you’ll end up with too much of it.
I suppose you have a point. Plus, I doubt I have it in me to make something intricate right now.
We managed to make something that can fill up an empty stomach, so I feel like it’s good enough.
Sniff, sniff… This smells like consommé and ginger.
Mm?
And mixed with it is a faint aroma of sesame oil…
I got it! You made egg soup, didn’tcha!
Shiina-senpai? That’s impressive, you managed to figure out the meal just through its scent.1
Nahaha. I caught sight of you stirring eggs in it earlier, Hidaka-kun~♪
Huh? I could’ve sworn I heard from Anzu-san that she has a briefing with Crazy:B today…
Ahh, I left before ‘em.
Ah! I have Miss Anzu’s permission, though. I’m not skipping out or anything~
I see. That’s good to hear.
Aaanyways, enough ‘bout me.
More importantly, that’s a huge load’a soup you made~ Were you that hungry?
You’re right that I’m hungry, but to put it simply, I just accidentally made too much, that’s all.
I put too much seasoning at first because the taste was bland, but that made it too spicy. So I tried diluting it with water, but it went back to tasting bland… I wasn’t able to get it to taste the way I had hoped.
If Takamine hadn’t come to the kitchen by chance, I might have ended up with two pots of soup.
I underestimated how hard it’d be to make soup, thinking I could just flavor it based on my own measurements… but now I’ve learnt my lesson; I should’ve looked at a recipe book or searched up a recipe online.
Ah~ That’s a common mistake by beginners, yeah.
I get it now. So that’s when you had Takamine-kun help ya, huh? I was wondering where the unusual combination came from~♪
Yeah, I’m really grateful to Takamine.
No, no need for that, I’m not an expert at cooking like Shiina-senpai is!
Plus, it’s mostly that we got the taste to a barely passing mark through some seasoning, that’s all.
Hmm… That sounds like a li’l bit of a waste…
Ermm, Shiina-senpai…?
Mind if I taste-test this?
Feel free. There’s this much of it, anyway. I wouldn’t mind you having two or three scoops of it.
Ooh, this is a luxurious feast, then! Aight, I’mma gladly have a big bite~♪
Munchmunch, munchmunch…
(Gulps down) Mm! I see, so if we just add a bit’a butter and white sesame seeds… Munchmunch. I think it’ll taste a lot better.
Since the vegetables are already nice and soft, and the eggs are pretty dang fluffy~♪
Butter, huh… I never once considered that as an option.
You were able to tell what it was lacking in a single moment’s notice… Hm, as you’d expect, someone who’s used to making meals on a daily basis is on a different level.
Nahaha~♪ It’s my one and only field of expertise, after all~ So whaddya say, mind if I join you guys in the cookin’?
I’ll also make that rice even tastier while I’m at it~☆
He already started cooking!? He’s pouring the soup and rice into the frypan… Wait, are you making fried rice?
You betcha! I’mma add in another soup and some foods, so you two should go ahead and prepare the plates~♪
Several minutes later…
…Wow, you didn’t just make fried rice, but omelette too…
Fufun~♪ And now all’s left is for the chawanmushi to finish steaming, and we’re good to go.2
(I regretted this a little at first, but now that I’ll get to eat Shiina-senpai’s cooking, maybe it was a good idea to not eat out today after all…♪)
Wait a minute, huh?
Oh yeah, this reminds me. When I spoke to Anzu-san, I remember she mentioned that Shiina-senpai’s going to perform a solo live show…
Yeah, I also saw it through the announcement.
Ohh, so everyone knows ‘bout it now, huh~
You make it sound like it’s something completely unrelated to you… But are you sure it was fine to help us out with cooking?
…? It’s fine, I made my own portion to eat too, after all.
That’s not what I meant. There’s a lot of things the idol has to think over for the solo live, like the outfit and song, right?
Yeah, since one of the selling points is that the idol can self-produce it.
I know this is silly to ask after we had you help us, but aren’t you busy with preparing for the solo live?
Not at all, actually. At most, I’ve been talkin’ to Miss Anzu a li’l more lately.
Does that mean you’ve already decided on the concept and direction?
Ah~ Yeah, more or less…
I see, that explains why you aren’t in a rush over it.
Hm. It sounds like the solo live preparations are proceeding smoothly for you, so… I don’t mind if it’s only within the limitations of what you can discuss, but — For future purposes, I’d like to know what you’re going to do for your live show.
Oh yeah, good point. I might be able to avoid panicking over my turn if I get to hear about it beforehand…
Um, is it alright if I also hear you out?
‘Course it’s fine!
I plan to go with an outfit that’s related to cooking. Same with the stage; I’m plannin’ to ask for it to be somethin’ that matches the outfit.
Ohh… So you’re going with something that’s exactly the image you give off, or like, the classics for yourself, huh?
But didn’t your previous outfits have to do with cooking, too?3
Huh, you remember that?
I did check out the design references that Miss Anzu recommended me, but… None of ‘em really clicked, like, I just can’t help but think of cookin’ when it comes to me.
That’s how I knew that it’ll be impossible to separate cooking from myself, so I figured I may as well go with the same vibe as last time.
Hm, I can’t say the concept isn’t fitting for you, but…
Plus, I actually worked pretty dang hard in my own way, y’know? Why, one of the last times it was my turn, I was so caught up in thinkin’ up a recipe that I had completely forgotten ‘bout the outfit…!4
Uh, I don’t think that’s something you should say so proudly.
Ermm, Shiina-senpai’s idea is realistically doable, and if that’s what you want to show to all your fans, then I feel like it’s good enough, isn’t it?
In terms of all the people who’ve performed their solo live so far, they also jam packed it with what they personally want to do, so…
The people who’ve performed their solo live so far, huh…
Chapter 2
…That reminds me, there was something that came to my mind when I was watching Kohaku-chan’s solo live on stream.5
I was thinkin’ about what makes this Kohaku-chan different from when he’s performin’ with Crazy:B.
Ermm, what do you mean?
Mm~ How do I put it… It’s not like he was wearin’ something different from what we’d wear as Crazy:B…
But it felt exciting to me, like when I think up a new recipe, y’know? ♪
You felt something novel from it, is what you mean?
Ah~ That might be it!
I also watched Oukawa’s live stream, and it looked childi—… No, that’s not it. It gave off an innocent impression, and it was rightfully appropriate for his age in its own way.
Well, between you and I, you’ve spent more time with him than I ever have, so we might have had different ways of seeing it.
…………
Anyway, I got the impression it was a big hit among his fans, with many of them asking him to appear in a stream again… as well as build up higher expectations for the idols who are next in line for a solo live.
It’s good to hear that Oukawa-kun’s solo live was a big hit, but I’d honestly hate to have people expect things from me as well… The pressure feels heavy.
Really? I feel like the higher the fans’ expectations, the more motivating it feels, though…
(…Yeah, I also think it’s fitting for me to have an outfit and stage that’s related to cooking.)
(But will I be able to make everyone happy with something novel and fresh like Kohaku-chan did for his fans?)
(Mm~ I’m not so sure anymore…)
Mm?
Sorry. I’m afraid there’s been smoke coming from the stove the moment we took our eyes off of it.
Whoa, we can’t have that happenin’!
I’mma rescue the chawanmushi right away…!
Another several minutes later…
Thank you for the food.
Wow, I’m surprised to see all that soup be gone and done with just like that.
More than half of it vanished into Shiina-senpai’s stomach, though.
Nahaha, I’m so thankful to you two for makin’ such a huge portion of soup~♪
No, that’s what we should say. I didn’t expect the food we made to turn into such a luxurious meal.
Yeah, we should be the ones to thank you.
But honestly, that’s really incredible. Just a few fixes turned it into an entirely different meal…
Huh? Takamine-kun, your phone’s lighting up…?
Ah, you’re right. I’m sorry, I’ll have to check this.
Ermm, it’s a message from Shinobu-kun. This is pretty sudden, I wonder what’s wrong…
Let’s see… “All five of us in Ryuseitai will be live-streaming soon. I’m sorry to ask this, but I’d like you to come to the Mega Sphere Tower too, Takamine.” Wait a second—
This is clearly a message Morisawa-senpai thought up!
Man, I didn’t think that guy would contact me through Shinobu-kun’s phone now that I have his messages blocked.6
If Morisawa-senpai’s the one calling for you, I think you’d best hurry over there. I’ll clear up the dishes, so feel free to go and meet up with everyone.
Yup, don’t worry ‘bout it, you’re feel to head on over there.
Thank you so much~♪ Alright then, I’m sorry about this, but I’ll leave the rest to you two.
Hmm… Since it seems like Takamine will also live-stream, I should think up what to do for a stream back in my room once I’m done doing the dishes.
Wow, everyone’s incredible for being so serious about idol work~
Where did that come from? Aren’t you an idol too, Shiina-senpai?
Well, you saw how Takamine-kun headed off to his unit even if reluctantly? And now you mentioned that you wanna think up an idea for a stream, Hidaka-kun.
…My top priority is always food, and that’s never changin’. So I felt like I was a li’l different from you two.
Is that so…?
In the past, you were only ever thinking about cooking, and completely forgot about the personalized outfit for your solo live, right?
How about now, though? You mentioned that you’ll make it an outfit related to food like last time, but you clearly seem to remember the outfit part itself this time.
Huh, I guess you’re right?
Isn’t that pretty incredible coming from you?
All you’ve ever thought about is cooking up until now, but you’ve made space in your mind to think about something else, even if only a little bit… Now there’s leeway to think about idol work.
I’d say that’s you growing as an idol, so I think that makes you the same as Takamine and I.
Nahaha… You tellin’ it to me straight makes me blush a li’l.
I might not be able to say that idol work is my top priority, but…
If there’s even just one fan out there who hopes to see me as an idol…
Then I wanna respond to their feelings as much as possible; that’s how I think now.
So that’s why I’m gonna think over the idea for my solo live again, and properly this time.
Just like how the egg soup became fried rice and omelette… I might be able to fix up the plan a li’l to be somethin’ everyone will enjoy.
Yeah, I think that sounds like a great idea. You truly are an incredible idol of your own, Shiina-senpai.
Nahaha. Well, I haven’t really thought up anything specific, though!
That’s exactly where Anzu comes into play. They say that if you want rice cakes, then go to a rice cake shop, so I think you should try consulting her.7
I’m sure she’d gladly listen to what you have to say.
Ah~ The image popped into my head perfectly!
…Mm? What was that sound just now?
Nahaha. Looks like I felt so relieved that my stomach started growling.
Aaalright, this means I gotta go all out and make a full course meal…♪
This story is associated with Niki’s 2nd Solo: Spicy Smoothie!
Translation Notes
- ↑ Niki’s nose is so sensitive that he can even tell people’s scents apart. Among some of the examples is Yuuta’s FS1, where he could tell it was Yuuta through smell.
- ↑ Chawanmushi is a savory steamed egg custard. More information here.
- ↑ Referring to Niki’s first and second feature scouts. Translations can be found here: First Feature Scout, Second Feature Scout.
- ↑ Referring to his first feature scout.
- ↑ Kohaku had his 3rd FS before Niki. Translation here.
- ↑ Midori blocks Chiaki’s phone often. The last time he mentioned doing this was in VS★GOURMET, Flood of Customers 4, after Chiaki pulled a stunt that inadvertently involved Midori.
- ↑ Idiom to mean that “One should go to the specialist for the best results”. I kept it as it was in Japanese since the idiom is food-related.