Sailing Ceremony – Setting Sail (Partial Translation)
Chapter Index
Context - Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 9 - Translation Notes
Context
Note: This is a partial translation of the story.
(You can also read the prologue for the context!)
After the idols entered Mega Sphere to check it out, NiceP suddenly announces that they will be working at the Mega Sphere for one month, and cannot leave it until the end of the month.
NiceP then kickstarts the Mega Stream, a month-long program where idols live stream themselves to gain Nice!’s. They are live-streamed 24/7 in public spaces, and they can also start their own live stream on their Mega Phone.
In Mega Sphere, units live in a room together. The unit rooms are not filmed for the live stream for privacy.
Chapter 1
Season: ES 2nd Year, Summer (July)
Next day, first day of Mega Stream. In the bedroom assigned to Trickstar…
Yaaawns…
Mmm… It’s already morning…?
Ah! Ukki~! G’morning!
Oh, finally. We got tired of waiting for ya, y’know~?
We’re all up and ready to go. Yuuki, go wash your face so you can join us.
Mm? Huh? Everyone’s gathered around me… What’s wrong?
Didn’t Mega Stream start already? I recall being told that the live-streaming would start this morning…
Mega Stream? What’s that?
Huh!? Was Mega Stream just a dream all along…!?
That’s totally possible, actually! I mean, there’s no way a gigantic structure can float in the sky…!
Not to mention all that “Four Sky Kings” and “Transformation” talk! That’s just something you’d hear in a manga or game, right!?
Exactly! It was actually all a huge prank by NiceP…!
The Mega Sphere we saw was just a VR world all along!
I-I knew it! They got me good~!
Are you done with the charade, Double Dumb Duo?
You’re so mean, Hidaka-kun! I managed to throw back a dumb boke joke to Akehoshi’s boke while I was still half-awake, y’know!
Yeah! You should at least call us “Mega Idiot Duo”!
I can’t tell what the difference is at all.
You guys sure are having fun, huh~? Well, I guess this is way better than not getting used to this environment.
You went for your daily morning walk, right, Subaru? How’d that go?
I did, but Daikichi isn’t with me, so all I really did was walk around in Mega Sphere on my own~
But this is a special live-streaming project and all, so I thought it wouldn’t be right to just go back to sleep.
I walked around the area without really bothering to present a side of me targeted for the stream, and it all got streamed on Mega Stream through and through.
Sorry. We got a late start all because of me…
I’ll get myself ready, so if you all want to participate in Mega Stream as soon as possible, you’re free to start without me.
No, I don’t think we need to rush so much.
That’s why we waited for you in the first place.
We’re dealing with NiceP, the same producer who set up the unprecedented program “4piece”. Who knows what sort of penalty awaits us if we take one wrong move.
Penalty…?
Well, regardless of NiceP’s intentions, we don’t know what could happen here. There’s no point in taking action without any real thought, so we were observing the situation ‘til you woke up, Makoto.
Besides, it’s not like you were just sleeping in for no real reason, right?
You looked like you were grappling with the Mega Phone all day yesterday. Didja get hold of any new info?
They gave us this device without any real explanation, so it took me a good while to make sense of things, but—
After connecting it with the explanation NiceP gave us yesterday, I think I managed to make sense of the overall rules.
In Mega Steam, other than the living space in Mega Sphere—
As in, other than “Star House” and the rooms for the staff, every single area is live-streamed 24-hours all throughout.
Star House…
I think he said it was a living space for stars to gather in. Did NiceP give it this name?
Ahaha. Personally, I find the name more clear than “living space”.
Anyway, there are multiple AI cameras in Mega Sphere that track the Transformation item, so you can’t get away from the live stream no matter where you hide, it seems.
Huh, really? NiceP, you watchin’~? (waves)
……?
Huh? I don’t think there are any cameras here…?
Oh yeah, our privacy in Star House is protected — I recall NiceP saying that.
Mhm. It’s really only the rooms each unit was assigned, though.
Whaaat~ You should’ve said so earlier!
Well, there’s a bathroom and a restroom, so it’s only natural it’d be private.
Actually, can we use the public restroom…? My common sense tells me it wouldn’t be live-steamed, but I’m worried now, y’know?
Ahaha. I’m sure we’re good on that one. It’s also written in the rule book found in the Mega Phone.
Rule book? There was something like that?
Yep. I think it should be in everyone’s Mega Phones.
Having it all documented like this really screams “USA”, doesn’t it? Y’know, being a contract-based society.
You’re right, there really is a whole text written up here.
There’s a lot written in here, so it’s probably a tough job to make sense of it all, but it looks like the text is searchable.
Which means that first things first is to have a good grasp of Mega Sphere and Mega Stream’s rules.
Yeah, though I’m sure NiceP told us the most important details yesterday.
Rule number one: Anzu-chan is in charge of the planning and management of Mega Stream.
Every day, eventful moments from the 24-hour live stream will be compiled and broadcasted in the “recap show” during prime time TV.
Rule number two: Idols who worked hard through live-streaming or have high favorability can obtain high ratings, known as “Nice!”, via the viewers’ phones.
And lastly, rule number three—
The top six idols who obtained the most “Nice!”s will be chosen for the weekend special, and have a live showdown with the Four Sky Kings.
Why six? We won’t fight four versus four?
Ahaha, NiceP said the Four Sky Kings are way too powerful, so a number difference wouldn’t be a huge hurdle for them. But I’m guessing there’s just some professional constraints to the whole thing…
Either way, there’s a special program every weekend in Mega Sphere, and the live stream acts as a way to choose the members for it.
This weekend’s special is “Sailing Ceremony” — A ceremony to celebrate setting sail, huh.
So it’s a live showdown suited for sailing of this ship, Mega Sphere.
Well, I suppose they really went all out to prepare for this event.
Ohh~ I don’t really get it, but it sounds fun! ☆
Live-streaming, huh… Feels like a whole other thing separate from how it’s like as an idol.
Yeah, since it looks like our grading changes based on the number of fan votes — as in, the number of high ratings.
Up until now, a lot of our matches were decided based on voting during the venue, so our strategies might change quite a bit here.
It’s not that I’ve never live-streamed before, but I never imagined I’d be part of such a large-scale project as this.
I’m not entirely sure in what way Anzu is involved with Mega Stream, but all the same, I’m sure she’ll be of help to us.
Mhm, mhm, she’s the “Goddess of Victory”, after all! ♪
Right. Let’s get a good handle of that 24-hour live-streaming, and grab hold of our participation rights for Sailing Ceremony.
Yuuki, Isara. You two are aiming for that just as much, right?
Chapter 2
A few minutes later. In front of the Mega Sphere Tower, a facility for live-streaming in Mega Sphere…
24-hour live stream, huh…
I think we’re automatically getting streamed just by being here, but… How do we go about making an eventful moment for ourselves?
For entertaining live streams, that’s obviously gotta be the mentos and cola challenge!
That’s how you get the cola’s carbon dioxide bubbles to erupt like crazy! I’ve always wanted to try it out! ☆
Yeah, uh, I’m pretty dang sure “mentos cola” as our first idea is way too risky.
Really? I think it’s pretty popular as an idea, though.
I mean, I guess that’s true, but… You sure? We’re idols, not funny streamers, y’know?
Eh~? That’s such a narrow view! Idols want to explode cola too, y’know!
Okay, now it’s really obvious that you just badly wanna do it. Think more seriously about this, man~
Haah… Maybe I shouldn’t have said “eventful moment”…?
First we get locked up in a weird place outta nowhere, then they tell us to live-stream and get good ratings in said weird place…
Uuu… I feel like my stomach-ache’s gonna make a return after so long.
Ahaha, all these chats are taking me back to the old days.
Back when we were in Yumenosaki, we’d always have fun chatting about random things every day. Maybe we just have to show that relaxed daily life of ours on stream, too?
I mean, look! Our conversation just now got us a “Nice!”.
It seems like there aren’t that many units out and about right now, so we’re at a stage where just talking outside gets us a “Nice!”.
Hm. So just mentioning our daily life has people’s interest piqued?
This reminds me of when Yuuki and I fought each other in a game stream.1
To be honest, I faced an utter loss against Yuuki, as it was a game, but — I understood then that what’s important isn’t your skill in games, but showing who you are to the viewers throughout the stream.
I can see how Mega Stream asks for the same.
Ohhh! That means if we just keep throwing dumb boke jokes, our viewers will give us “Nice!” instead of a tsukkomi comeback! ☆
Uh, no? ……Or maybe yes?
Alright then, you join our talk too, Hokuto. I’m gonna be rundown by these two boke at this point, y’know?
Right. I’ll join in as a tsukkomi.
Ahaha. I feel like Hokke~’s also a boke like us, though~
…Mh? What’s that?
What’s up, Hokke~? You leading us in for a comedy?
Ah! Did you spot a UFO or something!? Where, where!?
No, it’s not a UFO, but I did catch sight of something as baffling as that.
Something baffling? What’s that about…?
♪~♪~
Huh? Who the heck is that?
Huh!? W-Why’s Anzu-chan and some guy walking around holding hands!?
Is that her boyfriend?
Huh!? You have got to be joking, right…!?
Not faa~ir! So unfair, so unfair! I wanna go on a walk while Anzu pulls me by the hand, too!
Pull you by the hand? Isn’t that a li’l off?
Oh no! Akehoshi-kun’s charging in on those two…!
Anzu-san, let’s go over there next—
Nu-uh! I wanna hold hands with Anzu, too!
So Anzu, you and I will join hands on your left! ☆
O~i… Calm down, Subaru. Anzu looks confused with both of her hands held.
This is just like the Ooka Case.
Ah! The one where the real mother and the fake one fought over who gets to keep the child, right? It’s an old story that’s all about how “the real mother would relax her grip and let go”.2
Ehh!? Then I gotta let go of her hand!
There! I let go! So now I’m Anzu’s real mom!
But you’re not her mom at all, are you!? This sort of thing might also get filmed live, so you have to be more careful with what you’re saying!
U-Ummm…? There’s suddenly so many people around me… Did I mess up somewhere…!?
Erm, no, wait… H-Hello there…?
Hello. So, who the heck are you?
I’m Tsuzura Chitose, and I’ve been given the opportunity to be the assistant director of Mega Stream. I’m new to this field of work, but it’s nice to meet you.
Assistant director?
Ah! You don’t have to show respect to me or anything, though…! Sorry. Even though I have this big label on me, I’m just like a handmaid of some sort.
I think I’d be happy if you just treated me casually, probably. I dunno…
So basically, you’re one of the staff members for Mega Stream? So thaaat’s what it was!
I’m Akehoshi Subaru, from Trickstar!
This Hokke~, Ukki~, and Sally~!
Don’t introduce us through nicknames. You’re convoluting things.
I’m Hidaka Hokuto. I’m the leader of Trickstar.
We’ve been on close terms with Anzu since our Yumenosaki Academy days. She’s an irreplaceable person to us, and a close member of our unit.
Ah, mhm. Anzu-san told me about her time in Yumenosaki Academy.
She was the first student in the Produce Course, right?
Yep. When she transferred to Yumenosaki Academy, she produced all sorts of idols as the only student in Produce Course.
I’m Yuuki Makoto. I’m in charge of intel gathering in Trickstar~♪
And Ukki~’s also got the glasses role!
What do you mean by “glasses role”!? Well, I mean, it’s true that glasses are a part of my identity, though!
C’mon now. Don’t make him try and follow along at a weird pace on our first meeting.
Sorry about all that. Trickstar’s full of weird guys, y’see.
Let me introduce myself formally; I’m Isara Mao. Nice to meetcha!
And also a magician! Right, Sally~☆
You just call me that ‘cause of the “Sally~” nickname.3
By the way, I can’t use magic. I’m just a li’l more dexterous than others.
Uwaah…♪ So Trickstar’s an idol unit that can do a comedy bit too, huh? That’s amazing…!
Heh…♪
Why do you look a li’l proud of that… I don’t want that, m’kay? A comedian idol unit just isn’t it!
Ah! This isn’t the time to be all nice and chill!
I know a li’l more about Tsucchi~ now, but there’s still the most unforgivable mystery left to unfold!
Why’re you holding hands with Anzu, Tsucchi~!? That’s so unfair!
I-Is “Tsucchi~” about me…?
Woow, that makes me so happy, it feels like we’re on good terms. Thank you for the nickname…!
Ah, sorry. That’s not the point here, right? Sorry that my thoughts are jumping all over the place.
Ermm… I feel super relaxed when I’m holding hands with someone… Like right now, I feel a thump, thump…
Ahh, so relaxing…♪
Uh, yeah, that makes no sense.
Huh? He begged you in tears, so you couldn’t refuse him, Anzu…?
Things will turn out awful for me if I make any more mistakes, so…
Hmm…? Even then, it doesn’t have to be Anzu’s hand, does it?
Y-You’re right. It’s weird how I’m getting help from a girl who’s younger than me, right?
I don’t really think that way or anything, but — You’re not the only one who wants to hold hands with Anzu, y’know? Am I right or am I right, Hokke~?
Don’t bring this on me. Still, how long do you plan on holding hands with Anzu—
Ah! I just came up with a great idea! While Anzu and I hold hands, I’ll hold Sally~’s hand~
Sally~, hold Ukki~’s hand! Hokke~, you come here too!
Now Tsucchi~ just has to hold Hokke~’s hand, and… Alright, done!
Heh-heh! Now you won’t feel nervous anymore, right, Tsucchi~?
Ehehe, holding hands with everyone really puts me at ease…♪
…Isara, what on earth is happening here?
Beats me. Why are we holding hands and making a circle in the middle of the street?
Thank you, Akehoshi-kun, for doing all this for me…!
Ahaha, you don’t have to overexaggerate so much, Tsucchi~! This is just a friend group coming to life, y’know! ☆
F-Friend group…! Are you sure…? Is it really okay that I join you…?
Mm~… I can tell Tsuzura-san is the same kind of air-headed boke as Hidaka-kun.
Ehehe, I get to have a nickname, and I even get to be part of a friend group… I’m so happy…♪
I’ve learned you all by heart now — Trickstar.
I’m glad you were the first people I met… I think…♪
Chapter 9
This chapter is Ryuseitai’s first appearance in the main story.
MEGA STREAM: Ryuseitai live-streaming during a walk
“Now then! This is Passage Arcade, the center base of our work!”
“Passage, according to what I’ve researched, means ‘a lane you pass through’ in French. Just as the name implies, this seems to be a pretty spacious area!”4
“Ohh, that’s real fancy~ I never knew that!”
“and our [room] lies on the [floor] above this arcade, yes?”
“living together in the same [room] sounds so [refreshingly new] and fun~♪”5
“Mhm. Even though it’s only the first day, I’m also having fun living alongside Shinkai-dono~♪”
“What about you, Midori-kun? Your thoughts on this new lifestyle, if you may!”
“…………”
“I wonder if I’d feel at peace if I got pushed off Mega Sphere right now…”
“Hold it! Don’t make hasty decisions, Takamine!”
“Guys, pin Takamine down! Reality hasn’t hit him yet after all!”
“fufu. then you can count on me~♪”
“tetora, shinobu. please hold down his [arms].”
“i will restrain his [torso]…♪”
“Ossu!”
“Understood!”
“Guh—!”
“Hold o—I give, I give! I haven’t even moved yet, and I just felt like saying it, that’s all…!”
“Huh, what’s going on? It’s getting noisy over here~?”
“I think Ryuseitai is live-streaming… Did something happen?”
“Chi~chan-senpai, you’re so loud~! Can’t you be a little more quiet?”
“Ah, sorry. It seems like Takamine hasn’t been able to accept the abrupt change in environment…”
“So we were live-streaming as we were taking a stroll, to get him used to the new surroundings.”
“Ah~ I see now. Takamin can’t handle stress like a little animal after all, yeah?”
“No matter how mopey you get, you won’t be able to go back to the ground, so aren’t you better off just making do however you can for one month?”
“That logical argument hurts to hear, y’know…!?”
“Forget about me, I’d rather just be left alone, please… I don’t want to be filmed, and I just want to shut myself in the room…”
“No need to be so gloomy, Takamine. The comments are filled with people worried for you!”
“For now, you should show our fans a brave face, to keep them all at ease.”
“You do know you’re the one who started this live stream, right…!? Don’t act like you’re solving the problem when you’re the one who created it in the first place!”6
“Everyone watching us, I’m so sorry… I feel like it’s enough to just see me during live shows or from my jobs, so please leave anything beyond that for another time…”
Sound of running footsteps
“Ah—Midori-kun ran off!”
“We have to hurry and chase after him!”
“Takamine, wait! I just wanted you to feel better, really…!”7
Sound of running footsteps
…They’re gone.
Well, that reaction is normal, I’d say. I was baffled at first too, but still…
Are we adapting to Mega Sphere a little too fast…?
We got thrown into a jungle during the SS qualifying round, so maybe that’s what’s made us feel like we can get through anything, no matter the situation.
We’re also pretty used to Akehoshi-kun and Hidaka-kun’s reckless acts, so this might just be the everyday thing for us.
What an awful way to get used to things…
But you know, it seems like Takamine-kun’s reaction got a pretty big response from people. Everyone here’s too used to unusual situations, so maybe it felt more relatable with such a realistic reaction instead.
I’m going for realism too, though~ But I guess Takamin’s reaction is a lot easier to empathize with?
Your scale’s really big after all, Akehoshi-kun. Well, that just shows how you have a knack for being an idol, though.
But it looks like there were a lot of “Nice!”s when you spoke with Morisawa-senpai and Takamine-kun.
Here, look at the archive. There’s a sudden surge of “Nice!”s right at this moment.
Right when I spoke with Takamin and Chi~chan-senpai? But why?
Well, the three of you were in the Basketball Club together, as seniors and juniors.
There’s some comments saying “I wish I saw them talk to Mao-kun too~”, so maybe they were looking forward to the Basketball Club members talking to each other.
That so? Huh, but are there really that many fans who know that we were in the Basketball Club?
Mm~ I’d hate to talk to Chi~chan-senpai just to get a higher rating. He’s way too excitable and it’s exhausting.
You’re saying that? You two are the same type.
How about you try and understand how it feels to be me, trying to match everyone’s pace in the live stream earlier?
It was chaos when you started to casually rouse the viewers. But well, talking to my senior tires me too, so I can understand.
Anyway. In other words, getting to see a surprising side of us is another charm to Mega Stream.
Yup. It’s because we’re all stuck in the same place together that unimaginable combinations could happen.
Maybe the current feel of Mega Stream right now is enjoying the surprising outcomes from various idol combinations.
Huh~ Then we should probably try talking to people outside of our unit, too.
For example, I could try talking to members of the Basketball Club or the previous Student Council members.
Sounds great, I love that! Then maybe I’ll go talk to Shinonon!
I feel like we might get a surprising outcome from that, like Ukki~ mentioned.
Plus, if we all work in separate places, it might make Anzu want to feature all four of us in the compilation video, yeah?
For more of Ryuseitai in Mega Sphere, see: Mega Stream: Follow Closely! and Mega Stream: Self-Introductions
Translation Notes
- ↑ Referring to VS GAME, a Trickstar story where they play a game on stream.
- ↑ Referring to an old story about Ooka Tadasuke and two mothers, which can be read here (Scroll down to “The Solomon of Japan”).
- ↑ The nickname “Sally” references Sally the Witch. In Japanese, isara becomes sari~, which is also how “Sally” is said in Japanese.
- ↑ This is the French word of passage. Passage refers to the shopping arcades that were built in Paris.
- ↑ Since the start of July, each unit has been living with their unit members in a room in Mega Sphere’s Star House.
- ↑ In Japanese, Midori says macchi pompu. It refers to the act of profitting off of causing a problem and then solving it.
- ↑ Chiaki and Ryuseitai searching for Midori is covered in Chiaki’s mini talk.