Orihime and Hikoboshi – Threat of Rain
Chapter Index
Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 3 - Ch 4 - Ch 5 - Ch 6 - Ch 7 - Ch 8 - Translation Notes
Chapter 1
Location: Dance room
Flash back to a few hours ago…
Please excuse us!
Ossu! Nagumo Tetora, Takamine Midori, Sengoku Shinobu — We, Ryuseitai, have arrived!
We're in your care today, Trickstar-senpais~!
…'scuse me…
Y-You have to properly greet them, Midori-kun!
So do you, Sengoku-kun! They’re gonna be guiding us, so we gotta be polite. Karate starts with a bow and ends with a bow! ♪
Carrot-y?1 Wait, why're you suddenly acting as our leader, Tetora-kun?
Wha—? Uhh, I thought you two were bad at stuff like this, sooo…?
If you wanna be the temporary leader, then feel free, Midori-kun~♪
No, no, no way, nooo way… You're just fine for it…
Didn’t Morisawa-senpai say something about entrusting that role to you whenever he's not around…?
……Well, he didn't actually clearly say that to me, though…
Umm, guys… I don't see any of our Trickstar seniors here.
Whaaa!? You're right! Did we get the meeting place wrong?
Huh!? We already messed up? W-What do we do…?
Hmm… I know Isara-dono and Yuuki-dono's phone numbers, so I will ask one of them.
Sengoku-kun, I thought you were like me and had no friends, but you actually know quite a few people, huh…
Nihihi, ever since I joined this school, I have gotten to know more people, and make friends~♪
Ah, he picked up! Hello, Yuuki-dono? It is I, Sengoku Shinobu~!
Yes yes, hellooo~! ♪
Nwoh!? A response from behind!? Who…!?
It's me! Sorry for making you call us. Were you guys worried because we weren't here yet? We’re wasting phone credit, so I’m hanging up, okay?
Ah! Yes! Please do as you like…!!
Ahaha, you seem nervous. I feel you~ I'm super nervous about this, too.
Yuuki, don't stop in the doorway. I can't get inside.
Ah, sorry. I never pay enough attention…
Comin' in~! Sorry we’re late! We had to carry practice stuff here, see~?
That’s okay, but you could've told us… It looks really heavy, so let me help you, Senpai!
Thankies~! ☆ You’re a lifesaver! Let me praise you! Well done! ♪ (pat, pat)
Wawa— Don't just let go of the thing!
(I-It's lively all of a sudden… I feel really awkward whenever it’s like this…)
Midori-kun, Midori-kun, we should help carry their equipment! You are good at stuff like that, are you not?
Y-Yeah… But today we were only planning to introduce ourselves to each other, and then decide what to do next, right…? Are we gonna use this stuff for practice right now…?
Nobody told me about this…
What're you mumbling about, Takamin?
Eeep! Don't sneak behind me for no reason! Also, could you please not call me “Takamin”…?
Huh? I can't? But nicknames make us feel close, right?
But we aren’t really that close, are we…?
Right, we've carried it all inside. We'll go over everything right now, so gather up.
Ossu! Ahaha, things are getting hectic here, huh? I guess we’re not the only unit who doesn’t do things properly.
C-Crap, this is bad, Hidaka-kun! He just said we're not doing things properly!!
This is why I keep telling you guys to be more serious.
Ah, no, I didn't mean it that way. I meant that we're pretty similar, so it feels like it’ll be easier to work together.
Right, Midori-kun?
Why're you asking me… Don't mind me, just keep talking on your own…
Alright then. Let me introduce myself again: I'm the leader of Trickstar, Hidaka Hokuto.
I'm the one with the highest position here, so I'll be leading these joint practice sessions.
Huh? Whaddya mean highest position? We're equals, aren't we?
Of course, but if there isn't someone at the top, things will fall apart. I'm the one recorded as the leader in the official papers, so I’m suitable for the role, no?
We could’ve left it to Anzu, but she's currently working on the planning and management of the Tanabata Festival.
She's busy right now, so we can't have her do things for us.
I think she’s the only one who properly knows all the people gathered here… I wish she could've been here to introduce us, at least.
But she had to leave after getting a sudden call from the Student Council…
Oh, and Sally~ is busy with Student Council stuff on-site, so he said he’ll be late.
Oh right, Taichou— I mean, Morisawa-senpai won’t be here either since he's sick, and we dunno where Shinkai-senpai is.
Also, who's “Sally~”? I can't tell from that nickname.
Isn't it Isara-senpai…? Akehoshi-senpai calls him that during basketball practice…
Hm, so Isara-dono will be late… That is a shame — he would have set us all at ease just by being here.
Well, he’ll be back later; we just have to do what we can for now. This is a strange twist of fate for both of us, but… I hope we can get along.
Let’s get to know one another, and help each other grow.
Chapter 2
Several minutes later…
Right, has everyone finished changing?
Looks like we all briefly introduced ourselves while changing. Okay, good, everything’s going well.
Alright. Us joining hands was very sudden, so there may be some confusion and a few things that'll be harder to do, but…
I hope we can support each other in order to do our best at the Tanabata Festival.
Ah! And we'll introduce Sally~ to you guys once he's here! Takamin already knows him well, though~♪
Ah, no… I haven't really talked to him that much, so I don't really know him well, but… he seems like a good, kind person to me…
Like, he seems to be someone I can have an actual conversation with, unlike you and Morisawa-senpai…
Whaa~? Don't put me together with Chi~chan-senpai! We can talk to each other properly, too! Let's get along! Handshake~♪
Ughh… I knew it, this guy’s also the pushy type…
(Mmm… I also know Isara-dono very well, but I suppose there is no need to point that out right now…)
(I love Isara-dono, but I do not know how he feels about me…)
(I'll feel bad if I act like he and I are close…)
(Isara-dono is likely kind to anyone, and gets along well with everyone. It is not that I am special or anything.)
…Sengoku-kun? What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?
Huh? No no, I am always feeling just fine! ♪
You sure? It's easy to get a cold nowadays, so be careful, okay…?
Morisawa-senpai's always touchy-feely with us, so I bet he's got all kinds of germs on him…
Ah, no, he doesn't do that to me as much as he does to you, so I am probably okay!
Why's he always so clingy with me… It's seriously a huge pain…
Ahaha, that's 'cause he always hugs the least energetic person he sees.
Umm… Could we not chit-chat, please…? Let's do this properly.
That's right, it's as Nagumo—…kun, says. Don't relax so much… Of course, being too nervous wouldn't be good, either.
Ah, you don't have to call me by “-kun”!
No, it feels wrong to talk and act superior to kids I don't know well.
Ahaha, even though you always act that way to just about anyone! ♪
Shut it. Anyway, let's first talk about our plans. Ahh man, why did it take us so long to reach this point?
Regardless, the Tanabata Festival is happening in a week, so we're going to be working towards it. We'll do our best there, and produce results.
I suppose that that's our common goal here.
Ah, yeah! We've been improving, so we wanna go and just charge in there.
Right. Let's cooperate with each other and help one another as much as we can.
Us Trickstar have already decided on what to do for the event, but what about you, Ryuseitai?
We could share the stage, advertisements, merchandise, and so on…
Especially the merchandise, since it’s much cheaper to manufacture a large amount at once.
We could also do warm-ups together, and anything else like it.
However, we're going to be doing two different performances, so we'll be splitting our units, and practicing separately.
If there's anything you're struggling with in your performance, ask us about it.
We'll guide you as best as we can, as your seniors… Heh~♪
Huh!? W-Wait, hold on! This is completely different from what we thought… Like, I feel as though we're not on the same page…?
Aren't we gonna do a joint live for the event?
…? Joint? I suppose you could call it that. We are going to be on the same stage, after all.
However, in Tanabata Festival, units come on stage to compete against each other.
If both of us were on stage at the same time, we’d be opponents.
That's how it is… right, Yuuki?
Huh? Why are you asking me?
You're always thinking about things, unlike Akehoshi, so knowing your opinion would be handy.
Hokke~, can’t you open your mouth once without picking a fight with me?
Let’s stay calm now… What Hidaka-kun said about Tanabata Festival is true, yes.
Two units take up the stage together, and compete in a performance battle.
The winning unit stays on, and the losing unit has to leave. Basically, if you win, you get to perform again.
So I'm guessing you guys haven’t read up on the event?
You never know what could come up next, so you need to check the bulletin board more often, you know?
Ack… Taichou'd always explain everything we need to know, so I didn't think of doin' that… I'm sorry, I'll do better next time.
Yeah… I thought we could just ask about it once we were here… But, right… Morisawa-senpai's sick, so he’s not here to tell us…
Ah! I knew such things about the event, though!
I helped Isara-dono and Anzu-dono on the plans by gathering necessary materials for them, you see.
Oh? Really? Then you should've told us earlier!
I-I apologize. I did not expect anyone to be unaware about it, and nobody asked me about it, either…
Chapter 3
I'm worried about you guys… You sure you're gonna be okay like this?
Chi~chan-senpai is gonna graduate in less than a year from now — he can't keep carrying you around, y’know?
And it's not like we can watch over you the whole way. You're not babies, so walk on your own a little.
True, but we've been asked to take care of them, so… We need to be responsible and do that, as much as we can.
Still, does that mean you haven’t decided on what you'll do for the Tanabata Festival?
There’s not much time left… It's too late to prepare your performance plans or outfits, even.
Seriously! What were you guys doing? Were you just sleeping?
Nghh… If we had to have an excuse, we really thought this'd be a joint live with Trickstar, and thought our programs for the event would be the same, too…
Our joint lives have always been that way… I thought we just had to do the best we could with whatever we’re told, just like we always do…
Hmm? Is Ryuseitai really always like that, Takamin?
Huh—? Yeah, basically… Morisawa-senpai would always show us what to do and guide us through practically everything…
Like, it’s as if he’s just dragging us into whatever he’s planned…
We do throw our complaints and opinions in there sometimes, but well… I mean, we do basically end up properly performing as idols thanks to that, I guess…?
So, yeah… It's always like that…
Huh… So you're basically kids who've been protected way too much.
I'm starting to feel that bad part about Chi~chan-senpai right now… He spoils you way too much. You guys are like those people who just went with the flow before we did our revolution.
I don't really wanna work with people like that.
…………
Hey! Akehoshi! Don't start scolding them! We didn’t know left from right when we were first years either, and just went with the flow.
When you're still a novice, it's necessary to ask for instructions, and do exactly as you're told.
It's not too late to start learning independence after you've been taught the basics.
It is too late. When I was a first year, I tried to plan out the things I wanted to do, and worked hard on them all on my own. I found jobs, and did the best I could alone.
That way, I got results, and started getting rewarded.
I acted like a proper idol — 'cause I wanted to become one.
Isn’t that why we're all in this school?
But these kids don't seem that way. I can’t stand it.
That's right… Takamin, you took the idol course entrance exam by accident, right?
Ah— Um, yes… and then I passed it for some reason…
That so. It means you’ve got the talent. Must be really hard on you to have all those extra intestines dangling out of you, huh?2
H-Hey, Akehoshi… I don't understand — Why are you getting angry all of a sudden?
Um, did we do somethin' upsetting…?
You’re right, we didn't think ‘bout this properly. We relied on Taichou way too much, and never thought 'bout it on our own.
I really do wanna do better this time, and I’ll never let this happen ever again, so please forgive us.
Please, please forgive us.
…Um, bowing your head down won't change anything.
Ryuseitai, you should just go home for today.
Even if you stay here, it's not like you have anything you could do… We'll meet up for practice tomorrow, so think of something to do before then.
Think up something you guys wanna perform. If you don't at least know that, then there's nothing we could do for you, so please.
……………
Mm~… This is completely different to what Chi~chan-senpai told me…
He kept telling me about how happy he is, that they've started to give him their opinions, and ideas on what they wanna do…
So I thought they’d have all sorts of ideas up their sleeves this time, too… so many that we wouldn’t even know how to help them…
I was even worried if I could guide them properly or not, but… I got anxious over literally nothing. Ahh, man…
Well, whatever. Let's start our own practice, Hokke~! There's not much left 'til the event, so we can't waste any more time!
Let's send our own shine to the whole world~!☆
Chapter 4
Several minutes later…
Right, looks like we've all finished our warm-ups.
It’s time we began our dance practice.
O-Okay… The choreography is the same thing I sent you guys digitally.
It's mainly centered around Isara-kun and Akehoshi-kun, since they’re both good at dancing. It might be a little tough, though.
Really? It looks fun! I like it~! ☆
It’s become a lot easier to check our choreography ever since you started using that CG program on your phone or laptop or whatever! It’s a big help!
Mhm. I'm still far behind when it comes to dancing and singing, and I can't model much for photoshoots, either…
So I’ve been doing this in the hopes that I can be useful to you guys.
You're not far behind, Yuuki.
I disapprove of how you diminish your role like this whenever you come up with ideas. We're all equals here — it's much more like us to perform side by side.
Ah, Anzu-chan told me something similar. Since she’s the producer, I always have to check our program and plans with her beforehand.
Lately, she’s been approving everything I show her with a “well, if you guys are going to do it together, then it’s all good!” and stuff, but it just makes me worried about it instead…
I'd rather her criticize everything in detail, honestly.
I mean, I doubt my ideas are flawless. If she doesn’t properly tell me what she thinks, I'll start feeling like she doesn't really care.
Hm. That's true, I feel like she's been working with other units more often lately, and hasn't really been around us.
It's a little lonely without her.
Yeah, though it does mean that she's being valued as a producer… We have to be happy for her, and support her.
I mean, people have been holding her work in high regard lately.
She's been chosen to plan an S1 event, after all — That's a big step up for her.
We have to celebrate for her sake. Though it is lonely, yeah…
Actually, no — Our repayment to her will be to shine to the fullest in Tanabata Festival.
Mhm, mhm! Let's do our very best~ Starting with our dance practice!
So, just like we always do it, the one who’s the best coaches for the rest, right? Sally~ isn't here, so I'm the best at dancing~! ☆
I had a feeling this'd happen, so I practiced the choreography at home! Watch closely — I'm about to show you how to do it~! ☆
♪~♪~♪
Huh… This requires more acrobatic skill than usual. We could trip over our legs, even.
Yep, the theme is “Tanabata,” after all. It's originally a Chinese tradition, so I put in some kung fu-like dance moves.3
Ahh, now that you mention it, it does look like kung fu. So we're going for Chinese-style martial arts, huh…
It requires a lot of physical exertion… I feel like this might be rough on us — it's the summer, so it's much easier to lose stamina.
Ah, I left the hard stuff out, and only put the general concept of kung fu into the choreography.
We'll keep in mind how much we can do, and think on how to change it around for the final version.
Hey hey, Ukki~ This move is supposed to look like a star, right? ‘Cause it's Tanabata, right? And when you think of Tanabata, you think of the Milky Way, of course! ♪
Yep! Orihime and Hikoboshi were originally stars, after all.
…? I don't get it, how does that dance move look like a star?
Ah, I'm the only one dancing here, so you probably couldn’t tell.
Look, this is my move — then this is yours, this is Ukki~'s, and this is Sally~'s!
When you put them together… you see it?
Ooh, you're right, it's a star. So we make a star by positioning our hands and legs, I see.
I've done something like that before for a Drama Club performance.
Ehehe. You’ve mentioned it before, that’s where I got the idea.
I'm glad — looks like it's easy to tell it’s a star~ Stuff like this is only noticeable once you see it for yourself.
Hmm. Tanabata Festival’s stage is outside, and the performance begins in the evening, so we have to consider the lighting, too.
The audience might not be able to see the shape if it’s too dark.
True! We’ll tell Anzu to ask the backstage people to adjust the lighting for us!
Oh, wait! What if we just attach neon lights on our bodies? It’ll be easier to see like that!
Making a star through lights does sound like a neat idea… But we’ve already sorted our outfit designs, so I don’t think it’s possible to adjust them anymore…?
It might ruin our performance’s balance, or end up being a nuisance to our opponents.
I think we should go for something less obvious, but still possible to tell for whoever is observant enough.
And if we really want it to be known, we can tell them about it during the after-talk.
True~ Heheh, this really is lotsa fun~! Talking about the performance and practicing together is true happiness!
We haven’t been able to meet each other, right? It made me feel so lonely! But hopefully, we’ll have a great time together at the event!
Summer holidays are right after, so I’m gonna do my ultimate best!
We’ve got work during the holidays, too. In fact, it’s then that an idol’s work increases tenfold, so don’t use up all your energy.
I doubt you’d get affected by the summer heat, but my grandma always says that idiots catch a summer cold, so. Take care of your health as much as you can.
Oh? You just called me an idiot, didn’t you? Ukki~, let ‘im have it!
Mhm, you were very mean just now~! Repent~♪
Wha— Yuuki, stop. Don’t do that weird “reflect light off glasses” trick. It’s blinding.
Chapter 5
Location: Near the Gym
Meanwhile, outside the dance room that Trickstar is practicing in…
…We got scolded really badly.
Yeah… That was kinda scary… I always thought Akehoshi-senpai just goofs around… I never thought he could get angry like that…
It felt more like he was looking down on us… Rather than scared, I would say I was shocked.
…I dunno what he couldn't stand about us, but he didn’t have to say it like that…
Fufu… I, once again, realize just how kind and considerate Taichou-dono is towards us.
I feel like it has been a long time since I was last scolded.
See, I used to get scolded often for all the ninja stuff I would do…
But ever since I came to this school, everyone has been praising and accepting me, so I ended up letting my guard down.
I have allowed myself to relax too much… Now I have become spoiled rotten. I must learn to do better.
Yeah… Anyway, why are we still standing here in the hallway? He told us to go home, so… let’s go?
No, I feel like we shouldn't leave.
If we do just what we are told again, as if all we can do is obey without thought, then it is only more proof that we are just a bunch of good-for-nothing children.
Let us stay here and watch what our seniors in Trickstar are doing from afar. We will use them as reference, and contemplate what to do next together.
If they notice us and scold us to go home again, we will relocate.
Until then, we shall stay here and think about what to perform. We shall work hard through hell and high water!
And if we come up with something, we will go inform them about it.
If they accept our idea, then we will bow our heads down in respect and ask to be permitted in their practice.
Ehhh… But I wanna go home…
Well… It is annoying to get told off without being able to say anything back…
…………
(Tetora-kun's glaring really hard at Trickstar practicing…)
(He's really hot-blooded, so… He might go pick a fight with them if we don't keep an eye on him…)
(We'll have to stop him if that happens… Sengoku-kun's not strong enough to do it alone, so it has to be me…)
(All of this has been tiring, but, honestly… I'm sure if I go home now, I'll just feel more and more irritated… I have to get rid of this feeling before I go to sleep tonight…)
(Otherwise, I'll feel even more depressed, and start wanting to die…)
(But really, Tetora-kun's making a super scary face… What's he thinking about…? Please spare us from a fight…)
(Wow… They're amazing. It may seem like they're just playing around, but they're actually practicing properly.)
(They’re makin' sure to get every dance move right, asking each other for opinions, and then brushing up the entire choreography.)
(Though if you only heard them talk, it’d sound like they were just goofing around.)
(No — These people are dead serious. They know their goal, and they're heading towards it as one.)
(Everything they do leads them towards the proper path…)
(That's how they manage to give off a bright radiance — enough to light the whole world.)
(That's Trickstar — the ones behind this school’s revolution. Our representatives for SS.)
(I'm a first year, so I didn't really get all this “revolution” and “being the representatives of the school” stuff…)
(That’s why I thought they were messin' around whenever I saw them…)
(But it was never like that at all. They're actually really incredible.)
(They're working their hardest as idols, and even stood once at the top of all of Yumenosaki. There’s just no way you can become the representatives of a school through dumb luck.)
(It's the same as karate… There’s no such thing as “winning by chance” in a fierce match.)
(Then you have us… We lost on our first match in DDD, and we kept on doing badly after that.)
(Though nowadays, we'd been getting more recognition, and slowly producing better results.)
(But I wasn't meant to be satisfied with that — the fight had only just begun. And yet I didn't even bother to check our next event. I just let myself be swept along by the flow, without ever having a thought of my own…)
(Arghhh, I'm such an idiot! I hate myself! I wanna punch myself to the ground!)
(I-Is it really going to be okay…? Please don't make a mess, Tetora-kun… Please…?)
Hey, Ryuseitai kids. We're gonna get distracted if you keep staring at us.
Eeek!? A-Akehoshi-dono, I deeply apologize for not leaving as you told us to!
Mm. No… I let my anger get to me, and just lashed out… I'm sorry for that. It's not like you guys did anything wrong.
You're gonna start feeling hot if you stay here.
If you plan on learning from us, come back inside. We’d be in hot water too if you ended up collapsing.
Chi~chan-senpai'd get furious with me. I saw him angry like that only once, and it was seriously terrifying.
…………
Chapter 6
Back to the present time…
…Hm. Alright, I think I've gotten the gist of it.
In my opinion, the fault lies with Trickstar.
There was no proper communication between the two units, and you weren’t being considerate of them. Since you’re in this together, you should've checked what they were doing before meeting up.
I'm sure you could’ve avoided this problem if you did that first.
…True. It's a bad habit of ours to start everything immediately without prior preparation.
We should've checked how they were doing beforehand.
I'm sorry, Ryuseitai.
Huh? No, no, you don't need to apologize! We didn't think this through at all! We really have learned from our mistakes!
Alright. Now that both sides have learned their lesson, how about we start things over again?
We faltered a bit, but it's no big deal. We're the type to perform without any proper preparation, anyway.
So if worst comes to worst, we’ll just have to balance ourselves out when the time comes.
In fact, how about we aim for exactly that? Starting by apologizing for our mistakes, learning to do better, and growing from it.
So let's avoid dragging this gloomy atmosphere all the way to the event. We'd end up disappointing our audience if we do that, won't we?
Ryuseitai and Trickstar are both bright units with a fun air to them.
If we show ourselves like this, we'd be booed off the stage. We'd have failed their expectations and disappointed them.
We wouldn’t be fit to call ourselves idols.
…………
Oh? Is something wrong, Subaru sir?
Why’re you suddenly speaking politely… No, it's just as you said. I agree with you.
Sorry. I was reminded of what happened in the past, and got angry.
That rarely happens for me, so I didn't know how to control myself…
I'm sorry for snapping at you, Ryuseitai.
How we dealt with them after that was wrong, too, wasn’t it…?
If they haven't prepared anything for the event, then we could've planned a program with them.
Doing that would be so much more like us.
We should've shared our opinion, thought up all sorts of ideas together, and supported them.
But instead, all I did was get angry at them and kick them out… Ahh man, I'm an awful senior.
Ahaha, just like how the first years are new to being idols, we're also new to being seniors.
It's no surprise that we’re not doing things properly yet.
In fact, isn’t that exactly why we decided to work with Ryuseitai? It was all to build up our experience.
Just think of it like, “we're lucky to have made mistakes.” I mean, you got something out of it, didn't you?
We're meant to keep going via trial and error, and to grow further from this.
…Haha! I'm the one who got here late, but I’m preaching to all of you like some kinda wise guy! Just who do I think I am, huh!?
Ahaha, but I'm kind of glad you came late.
If you were here, you would've dealt with everything properly before it even became a problem — it'd all be gone in the blink of an eye.
We wouldn’t have been able to fail and grow from this experience if that happened.
Fufu, that sounds similar to Taichou-dono.
He always takes good care of us and leads us, so that we never make mistakes.
But it is as Akehoshi-dono said; we cannot keep letting Taichou-dono carry us.
Otherwise, we'll never build the leg strength to walk on our own two feet.
That is why… I am glad that we got scolded.
Sengoku… You're such a good boy! I want a little brother like you~♪
Huh!? I-If that is your wish, then I will become “Isara Shinobu” for you any time!
Ahaha, that just sounds like you’re getting married to him.
(Huh… Whew, I'm so glad to see everything's turning peaceful…)
(Isara-senpai’s amazing… There's no way I could do something like that… I wonder what makes him different to me…? Is it our innate qualities…?)
(I wish God gave me what he has, instead of “pretty looks”…)
(This sucks… I'm just paper mache… I'm completely hollow inside…)
W-What's wrong, Takamine? You've been gloomy for a while now…
I know I'm asking this really late, but why are you in that corner anyway?
You guys told me that Ryuseitai is currently watching and learning from Trickstar's practice session, right?
If that’s all you’re doing, then why're you hunched over there? Did someone tell you something mean?
For goodness’ sake… He may look strong 'cause of his build, but he's pretty timid. You can't bully him, Subaru… Got it?
Huh—!? I didn't do that! …I think.
Chapter 7
Well, see… We told the kids to come back inside to watch us practice, right?
But then we thought they'd get bored just doing that, so we made them practice with us.
I mean, they wouldn't learn anything just by watching, after all. And the kid with the bangs really looked like he wanted to join in with the dancing.
Is “kid with the bangs” intended to be me? I have already introduced myself to you earlier, so please call me by name!
Lemme come up with a nickname~ How about I go with “Shinobun” and “Tetoran” to match with “Takamin”?
Anyway… after that, we started practicing together, but Takamin just wasn't following along…
I know I scolded them harshly earlier, so I tried to be nice this time and give them advice.
But then he just went and hunched in the corner.
How'd that happen… Uh, what’d you tell him?
You tend to sound inconsiderate when you talk, so you probably hurt him without knowing.
Huh~? Nah, I just said what’s on my mind.
Like, “why can't you get this right?” and “do it properly!” and “are you really trying?”
Holy… For an ordinary person, hearing that from a genius would hurt a lot.
I don't think he wasn’t trying, y’know. I'm sure he was trying to do it properly.
He may complain a lot, but he works hard at what he's told to.
But, see… There are people out there who can't do it even if they try. Even I have a hard time keeping up with you guys, y’know?
There's no way these novice first years can do what you can do.
Exactly… Thank you, Isara-senpai…
I… I was doing my very best… He kept on saying awful things to me, so I thought I’d make him eat his words…
But I just can't do it… I can't do those super-agile moves… I start tripping up and falling over myself… My whole body hurts now… Everything sucks…
And still he kept on talking to me like I was just messing around… Now all I feel is rage and misery…
Huh—…? S-Sorry, Takamin! Was I putting too much pressure on you?
Not just me… They didn't say so, but I think Tetora-kun and Sengoku-kun were having a hard time, too… We were just scolded earlier, so it was hard to complain about it…
It was all too much… I’m so depressed, I just wanna die…
Ahaha, cheer up, Midori-kun. I was having quite a lot of fun, you know~?
Your body's light after all, Sengoku — extremely agile moves are your forte. It seems like you don't have enough stamina, though.
You're already feeling really tired, right? You’re almost out of breath.
Yet, despite how tired you were… You noticed how heavy the mood was, and came to ask me for help.
You moved accordingly to the situation! Good job, good job! ♪
You could've just called me, though. …Ah! Did you think you'd get scolded for using your phone during practice?
Incredible as always, Isara-dono! You truly have great perception! Indeed, and so I told them I was in need of the bathroom, and quickly left to call for you.
I had left my belongings behind, so all I could do was dash to your side.
But I was right to bring you here! You are truly a relief to have around! Seriously, I respect you~! ☆
Thanks!
Wait, we shouldn't just keep complimenting each other… We won't get anything done if we keep on chatting, so let's start practice for real now.
Oh wait, that’s right — I heard about this while I was dealing with the event preparations, but…
Apparently there's a festival going on in town today.
If it’s alright with you guys, wanna go together? You’ve been wanting to do something like that, yeah? So it's just the perfect timing~♪
Mm? Do we even have the time for something like that? There's not much left until Tanabata Festival — We shouldn’t play around.
Thought you'd say that. But honestly, rushing practice wouldn’t help us. After all, we have joined up for this event, so wouldn't it be good to deepen our bonds as well?
Festivals are just the right place for that.
Let's stroll around the stalls and get to know each other better.
If we were adults, this kinda stuff would be cut short. After all, adults can still get the job done without being friends.
And whenever I hear my parents talk about work, I tend to think that those drinking get-togethers of theirs are a waste of time.4
But y’know, we're still kids. We don't have to keep working in the most efficient way possible.
We should start by getting to know each other, and getting along. We’ll still have time to work after all that.
We're still in our “grace period”, so to say — it's fine if we take detours, and make mistakes here and there. I’m sure that it’s those experiences that’ll be most useful to us when we become adults.
The Vice-Prez is always saying stuff like that.
He's all about work, but I think that's exactly why he keeps telling us to go and have fun.
The kids who have the most fun — the ones who enjoy their youth as much as they can… They become the winners once they're adults.
We don't have to constantly think about work, and desperately keep trying to produce more results, do we?
After all, back when most people only cared about getting rewards and other useless junk—
The ones who told them, “Have some fun!” “Have a dream or two!” “Enjoy your youth to the fullest!,” and made them see that—
Were us, Trickstar — Us, who carried out the revolution… right?
That's the sort of Trickstar I love.
They're the ones who saved me in the past — the me who did nothing but work so he could be useful to others, and whose only reward was the praise of adults.
Chapter 8
Location: School Route
Isara-dono~ Over here, over here! I can see the festival~♪
Don't pull me, Sengoku… Man, your hand is really warm… Little kids have warmer body temperature~♪
I'm not a little kid! Everyone has gone ahead of us. We have to hurry over, or we will be left behind!
Ahaha. Yeah, it was surprising to find out that the festival is closing earlier than usual. If we don’t make it in time, we won’t be able to catch the stalls open. That’s probably why they’re rushing so much.
Anyway… I know I said all that stuff earlier, but…
Honestly, I'm worried about the work I left behind. I'm thinking of quickly zipping through the festival and going right back to school.
Huh!? We are going to deepen our bonds, are we not!? Let's have fun to the very end! If you are not here, who knows when the mood might go down again…!
Hmm… I think you guys’ll be alright. You were just not used to each other, that’s all.
And I really do think that Trickstar and Ryuseitai are similar, since they’re both bright types of units.
You guys will get along superbly with the right opportunity.
Like, look — they’ve already forgotten about the mess earlier. They’re having a great time now.
Ahaha, indeed they are. I wonder what they're talking about~?
If you're curious, then go ahead and ask them, instead of talking to me.
I gotta check up on the Student Council members that I left behind at school.
Ninja art! Phone seizing technique~☆
Ah— Hey! Give it back!
Why're you acting like this all of a sudden? You're usually a well-behaved kid…
…………
Sengoku? Why'd you go quiet? D-Don’t worry, I'm not angry at you, okay?
Isara-dono, you—
…Mm. Never mind, it is nothing.
Hmm? Oh c’mon, now you’ve got me curious~ If you have something to say, then you gotta say it, you little rascal~♪
Waa~! You caught me!
You better start saying it, you~! I'll punish you with tickles if you don't!
Eeek— Nihahaha!! ☆ I give, I give~! Don't tickle me~!
Bwahaha! You're a ninja! You should have the discipline to withstand torture~! Maybe this’ll make you admit defeat~! Tickle tickle~♪
Aha— Hahaha!! ☆ S-Seriously, please, I give in! I can't breathe~!
…Ahh, it's so hot! It was refreshing and cool inside the room, so being close to someone wasn’t too bad, but doing it outside just makes you sweat hard, huh!
It's 100% summer now; it's super humid even at night!
Huff… Huff… Ahh… I thought I was going to die…
…Isara-dono, I really respect you.
Huh~!? Why're you complimenting me all of a sudden!? You're making me blush~!
…When the atmosphere became tense today, I could not do anything about it myself…
All I could do was call for you with the hope that you could do something.
Everyone in Ryuseitai had saved me…
And they made me, who was always doing ninja stuff all on his own, into an idol — into a comrade who can pursue dreams with them…
A ninja’s one true mission is to be of use to people, and yet… I could not think of what to do… I simply panicked.
I find that part of me so pathetic.
But, by my side is you, Isara-dono. The splendid you, who can be my role model. That makes me so happy.
It makes me feel like I can grow and mature more and more.
I want to grow big, enough to reach the stars in the sky. That is what I will write for my Tanabata wish.
That is all! Ehehe~♪
Ah, yeah… I see. I'm not sure I get it, but good luck.
Yes! It is fine if you only do it whenever you have the time, but please watch over me… It would make me happy, Isara-dono!
Although, ninjas are meant to be concealed in the dark, so you may have a hard time finding me!
That is all I wanted to say!
I’m really sorry, it was hard to understand, wasn't it!?
Nah… I mean, I've never really understood you from the day we met. I feel that way about practically everyone in this school, though.
But I've always been the second or third in everything… There was nothing I excelled in.
I've never been considered a role model for anything before, so I’m happy you told me that.
Makes me a little nervous, since I’m still not doing everything properly. I gotta work harder now, so I don't start disappointing you.
Everyone around me is shining so brightly, after all. I gotta keep working hard and not fall behind, else I'll just disappear into the crowd.
Isara-dono! Look, look! It's the Milky Way! We can see it even when it isn't Tanabata yet, huh?
Ooh, you're right! It's so pretty… Ah, that reminds me — we might have cloudy weather on the day of Tanabata Festival, so we may not be able to see it then.
That's why we should admire the scenery now as much as we can.
Actually, y'know what — Both “Trickstar” and “Ryuseitai” have the word “star”5 in its name…
If we were to gather together, I'm sure we could become a shining, sparkling Milky Way.
Translation Notes
- ↑ Tetora says the word budou for Karate, and Midori misunderstands it as budou for grapes, hence why he responds back in confusion. I tried to give the English version a similar feel.
- ↑ Subaru’s “intestines” line is referring to what he said in Rocket Start - Set Theory 5. Please check this masterlist for a translation.
- ↑ Check the cover for extra info about Trickstar and Ryuseitai's Tanabata performances.
- ↑ In Japan, there is a work culture to have “drinking get-togethers”, which is basically a way to get to know each other. You can be peer pressured into doing it, even if you aren't interested, usually for the sake of keeping your position at work.
- ↑ “Ryuseitai” lit. means shooting star/meteor squad, and the sei in Ryuseitai means “star”.