mandytl | enstars!! idol story [ otogari adonis ] 1

Season: Spring

Location: Outside Ensemble Square Somewhere

Adonis: Welcome back, Producer.

... mmh. Sorry for calling out and startling you.

I'm trying to be somewhat more careful. Even a normal greeting seems to scare small children with this large frame of mine.

I've tried approaching more slowly and even came up with a cheerful song to sing so they'd feel comfortable.

Instead it only frightened them and made them doubt me even more.

Meeting people is so difficult.

... hm? I wasn't really that scary? You just wanted to avoid contact since it seemed like I was going to hug you?

Ah, right. Embracing someone after being gone for so long isn't the way people typically choose to greet each other here. I forgot.

I should've conformed to the customs.

Hmm. Scandals about idols are circulating lately so it'd cause trouble if someone saw us hugging each other?

It'd just inconvenience me?

Now I understand. Still, people are distrustful of others no matter the country or age.

I'll knock on a stone bridge before breaking it when it comes to the fans that support me, of course.

...? It's "cross" a bridge, not "break" it?

That makes sense. I need to make sure I'm using the right terms. Now that I think about it, how would you even go about breaking a stone bridge?

Everyone would be in trouble if the bridge broke. Even a small child knows that.

Thanks for pointing out my mistake, Producer.

Fufu. I've only been away from Japan for a little while and yet it seems like a handful of vocabulary and idioms have totally slipped my mind. I'll have to start my studies all over again.

Yeah... that's right. I went home for a while.

Apparently it was even on the news here in Japan. You might even know an outline of what was going on at the time.

Mmh. The political upheaval and misfortune that followed were terrible. Things are improving somewhat with the restoration work that's going on, but...

I once thought I'd never be able to come back.

I also had thoughts akin to, is it all right for me to come here, to be the only one peaceful and secure?

Right. My father's a key figure in my country, and my mother's a corporate representative of a NGO that's aiding in the reconstruction efforts.

There's a mountain of things I ought to be doing for my homeland, while it's going through such hardships.

If my sisters and I could help our parents even a little...

They gently rejected our offers, but we talked things over and they agreed to let us come along.

You can always count on family in the middle of a messy situation, after all.

Besides, my dream for the future is to go around saving people in all sorts of disaster-stricken areas like my mother.

I accompanied her in order to take that first step, and gained valuable experience. I was able to get a feeling for the difference between reality and my expectations.

My actions might've played little part, but I think I've become someone who's able to help people in need, even a little.

I was able to bring smiles to the faces of those who couldn't do anything but cry in the midst of tragedy.

Because I'm strong, I tried to carry whatever was heavy for them, and with that I helped with the rebuilding of their bridges.

I even sang alongside my mother in hopes that we could, even just a little bit, soothe the hearts of the people with some entertainment.

People need to have fun, even during difficult times.

The old me wouldn't have been able to do anything. He would've just watched with a finger in his mouth like a baby, hardly aware of the fact that there's so much sorrow in the world.

But I gained a lot of experience and grew. I ate tons of meat and trained myself to get stronger.

I want to apply that strength—no, rather, I take pleasure in being able to harness it.

Like it's what I was born to do.

... I may have inconvenienced the agency a great deal when I was away for a while dealing with my private affairs.

I worried both my fans and my friends in UNDEAD who missed me.

There might even be some lapses with my decisions and behavior at times. When I think about all that I feel guilty and irritated...

Hm? What's wrong, Producer? Why're you turning on your device?

Do you have some urgent work to take care of?

Forgive me. I was so happy to see you since it's been so long... that I had to have a chat.

I'll excuse myself now, since I have plans with the rest of UNDEAD later in order to get back in sync with each other.

Let's both do our best, Producer.

... oh. What's wrong? Why'd you pull me aside?

Right, it slipped my mind. I had this souvenir I wanted to give you.

A wooden doll that I carved with the children in my country partly for recreation—

... ? What now? What're you looking at that device for? I know I'm not very talkative, but there are times when I don't understand why you're acting a certain way and need an explanation.

You'd be better off explaining things properly so that we can actually understand each other.

Ah... it's displaying the news in Japan. Am I the current trending topic?

UNDEAD's Otogari Adonis will make his mother's dream a reality... I see. So the fans are in favor of it and cheering me on.

So their loud cries of concern weren't just to criticize my selfish behavior. There are plenty of people rooting for me instead of against me.

I'm really glad for that, more than I can put into words, even. It makes me want to sing so badly.

... I know. I need to pay close attention to what I'm doing for the people that love and worry about me like that.

I'll become strong enough to overcome any obstacle and deliver that message to everyone through my song.

Until this life of mine burns away, always with a smile on my face.

No. As a member of UNDEAD, even if I were to die, I'd simply be revived. So let's shout it loud and clear.