WILDLAND – Prologue
Season: Spring (2nd year of ES’s establishment, May)
At WILDLAND—…
Whoa—…!
(The wind’s super strong… I’m real glad Shinobu-kun firmly secured me in place.)
(I’m well-aware I’m doing somethin’ crazy right now… But I’ve already made up my mind.)
Tetora-kun, I really think we should give up on that plan! You don’t need to push yourself this much, seriously!
I can’t do that now! There are people waiting for rescue in this wild land as we speak!
(…Yeah, exactly. We’re Ryuseitai. We’re heroes who rush over to anyone in trouble!)
(We’ll zip through this wild land at full speed, you’ll see!)
Several weeks earlier, at the dojo…
—Aight. Let’s take a fifteen-minute break, guys. Once it’s over, we’ll get back to doing our kumite training!1
(Maybe it’s ‘cuz there’s a lotta kids participating in the club today, but I feel like I’m on fire with our activities~♪)
(This should be a good experience for all the first year newcomers too, since having so many members means they get to do kumite against all sortsa opponents.)
(…Oh whoops, I shouldn’t forget to hydrate myself.)
Here’s a fill of water for you, Buchou.2
Ah, Hiiro-kun! Thanks a bunch!
Gulp, gulp… Whew—! Nothing feels better than drinkin’ water after moving your body, huh?
Fufu. You seem more enthusiastic than usual, Buchou.
Ahaha, is it that easy to tell?
Yes. Your vigor when doing kumite is a given, but you were also giving out the instructions to everyone with the same level of spirit.
Did something good happen, by any chance?
Nah, it’s nothin’ big. I’m just happy to see so many members ‘round in the club today.
Oh yes, that’s true. Maybe they didn’t have anything scheduled today?
Hm, yeah, this is the time when it’s normal to start preppin’ a regular schedule for unit practice…
But then again, not everyone is part of a unit as of this moment.
…………
Mm? What’s wrong, Hiiro-kun?
Maybe it’s just my imagination, but that boy over there seems to want to speak to you…?
That boy…? Ahh, he’s a first year kid that joined the club this year.
I remember him well. He’s a big fan of yours, isn’t he? On the very day he joined the club, he said that he enrolled in Yumenosaki Academy because he watched Buchou’s live show.
Ahaha. Yeah, he immediately told me, “I admire you, Senpai! I want to be a manly idol just like you!” with the club application paper in his hands.
I’m used to bein’ supported by fans, but being told ‘bout it so directly makes me feel a li’l embarrassed.
But you know, I really understand how he feels. From what I’ve heard, the very first idol he ever saw was you, Buchou.
……It’s simply impossible to forget something as impactful as the very first time you see an idol.3
…That’s exactly why I know I did somethin’ awful to him.
Ermm, he was hoping to join Ryuseitai, correct?
Yeah. But a bunch’a things happened, and Ryuseitai-N is no more now.4
He was so honest with me, saying he wanted to become an idol after watching me — But I feel like I completely killed his enthusiasm mentionin’ that…
Sound of footsteps
I’m very sorry for interrupting. Nagumo-senpai, may I have a bit of your time?
Erm, is somethin’ the matter?
…Is it best that I leave?
Ah, no. It’s not such a serious matter, so please don’t worry!
Erm, so what’s up?
I just wanted to let you know that I may not be able to come to the Karate Club as much from now on, Senpai.
You won’t be able to join practice? D-Did something’ happen!?
Um, I’m also trying to join a unit, so…
Ahh, I get it now. So that’s why.
In other words, you’ll have unit practice, so you may not be able to show up as often in the club, correct?
Yes. I’d love to participate in the Karate Club’s activities every day as well if I could, but…
Don’t worry ‘bout it! It’s good enough that you’re coming whenever you can.
I also have work and practice with Ryuseitai, so I won’t always be here either.
But I’m happy to know you’re enjoying our club activities that much~♪
(whispering) Buchou. I believe that he looks forward to doing karate with you, rather than enjoys karate practice itself.
(whispering) After all, Buchou is the idol he admires.
(whispering) Ah— Right…
Erm, even if you can’t come to the Karate Club as much anymore, you’re always welcome to talk to me any time you need me!
…Is that really alright? Aren’t you busy with all sorts of things, Nagumo-senpai…?
It’s all good! I don’t wanna be a senior who can’t even make the time to hear out his juniors. Feel free to ask me anything!
…Anything…
In that case, Senpai, I do have a question in mind…
Sure, go ahead and ask away!
…Nagumo-senpai, is it true that you tried to join Akatsuki at first?
Erm, I heard about it from the other seniors…
It’s true.
There’s a senior in Akatsuki that I admire, but I ended up failing the unit’s entrance exam, as embarrassing as it is to admit.
Ah, I—… see. So you didn’t choose Ryuseitai from the very start…
Ah, but don’t get the wrong idea! I don’t regret joinin’ Ryuseitai.
It’s true that when I first joined Ryuseitai, there were a buncha things that made me feel antsy or that I kept debatin’ over…
But it’s ‘cuz of my seniors and comrades in Ryuseitai that I’m the person I am today!
…I see. I’m glad I got to learn about that.
Ever since I found out I can’t join Ryuseitai, I was debating on what to do…
But I knew it wouldn’t be good to stay on my own forever, so I looked around for another unit I might find interest in.
The only thing is, that feeling of wishing I could’ve joined Ryuseitai hasn’t faded…
…That—
But, now that I know that Nagumo-senpai went through a similar experience, I feel fired up somehow.
I’ll try it out. Just like Nagumo-senpai — I’ll do my best to shine in a unit I didn’t want to be in!
…Huh?
Thank you very much for answering my question, Nagumo-senpai.
Sound of footsteps
Ah— W-Wait…!
(I feel like I gave him the wrong idea entirely…)
(He’s kinda got a point… When I first joined Ryuseitai, I got fed up with the kinda activities we’d do in the unit—)
(I had thought that Ryuseitai was a manly unit, one that saves the weak and crushes the strong — that they were allies of justice…)
(But the reality wasn’t like that at all…)
(It was a unit that did nothin’ but play superheroes — to the point that I believed, “there has gotta be a much more suitable place for me than here”…)5
(…But as I kept doin’ activities in the unit, I learned ‘bout Morisawa-senpai’s desires, and felt somethin’ shining within the unit called “Ryuseitai”… I really mean that.)6
(A unit I didn’t wanna be in… Maybe he’s kinda got a point sayin’ that, but—)
Buchou? What’s wrong?
…Nah, it’s nothin’.
Translation Notes
- ↑ Kumite is one of the ways to train in karate, involving sparring with someone else. Read more here.
- ↑ “Buchou” means club captain/president.
- ↑ Referring to Hiiro’s first encounter with an idol, and how much it meant to him. This is explored in the first !! Era main story, as well as Matrix. For translations: Main story here, Matrix here.
- ↑ Referring to the events that took place across the first year of !! Era (ES1) for Ryuseitai; the agency ordered them to disband Ryuseitai-N. For a summary, please see the Ryuseitai timeline provided by the Dokisuta stream. To learn more about what happened, please read the ES1 Ryuseitai stories, such as Comet Show, Supervillain, etc…
- ↑ Referring to Hero Show, when Tetora fled out of the room after getting tired of Ryuseitai’s activities. Hero Show is set in the early days of Ryuseitai’s Yumenosaki days, when they would mainly play superheroes or do hero shows as part of their activities. Another example of this is in Hero Game.
- ↑ Referring to Supernova, the performance that kickstarted Ryuseitai from only doing hero shows, to being proper hero idols and getting proper idol work.