romantic comedy - ( to every good kid, chapter 5 )

[mandytl]

 

Location: StarFes Stage (First Half)

 

Nazuna: .........

 

Hajime: There we go. Final check over~. You can turn around now, Nii-chan. ♪

 

Tomoya: Yep. The length, eyebrows and hair... this may be a costume he wore a while ago, but Nii-chan sure hasn't changed a bit in stature, huh?

 

Nazuna: Hmm. I've pretty much finished growing, but...

I've put on a little weight since no one neurotically restricts my intake after leaving Valkyrie.

 

Hajime: Is it too tight?

 

I'd feel a little guilty about making adjustments to Itsuki-senpai's handiwork, but I could since we have a sewing kit.

 

Nazuna: No, I'm fine. I don't think it'll cause any issues for just a day. Valkyrie's performances don't feature as many leaps and kicks, anyhow.

 

Compared to Ra*bit's, at least. This costume doesn't need to be that functional.

 

I used to be so done up on stage that I could hardly even move a step, after all.

 

Mitsuru: Really~? I dunno about back then, but nowadays Valkyrie has some pretty showy jumps and stuff.

 

Mostly from Mikachan-senpai!

 

Nazuna: Yeah. He might seem pretty careless and sluggish, but his reflexes are great. He overworks himself a lot though so he doesn't have much stamina.

 

Itsuki must've fine-tuned our performance just for him.

 

I think he innovated a little with Kagehira's costume so he'd have an easier time moving around, too.

 

( It's not like I was confident in my dancing... let alone my ability to multitask at the time, anyway. )

 

( Itsuki adjusted the contents of Valkyrie's performance to compensate for the fact that I could only concentrate on singing... ) 

 

( Pushing myself into dancing awkwardly... it'd just expose our "mistakes". We couldn't disgrace ourselves in front of the audience. )

 

( He nonchalantly took care of everything so that we couldn't fail. )

 

( Hahah. I wish I could go back and tell myself, "all Oshi-san cares about is presenting his own world-view." )

 

( "I'm just a doll that does what he says" ... I was always so unhappy. ) 

 

( But maybe it wasn't really like that. Maybe he just couldn't bring himself to criticize one of his own possessions, one of his dolls.... )

 

( He watched over me diligently and cared for me. He arranged performances and even prepared costumes to make sure I was the most beautiful thing on stage. ) 

 

( I was loved plenty. ) 

 

( ... I just didn't understand. )

 

Mitsuru: Nii-chan? What's got you so down... ?

 

Are you having second thoughts about helping out Valkyrie... ? 

 

Nazuna: ... is that what you'd prefer, Mitsuru-chin? Do you think I'm doing something stupid that absolutely no one wants?

 

Mitsuru: Eh? Why me? I don't know the answer to hard stuff! Ask Tomo-chan or Hajime-chan instead if you want someone to tell you the "right" answer!

 

Nazuna: Hmm. I'm not looking for what's "right". I just want to know how you guys feel.

 

Lending Valkyrie a hand isn't going to benefit Ra*bits.

 

You'll be down a member and things'll be less efficient. The guests will get antsy and say things like, "did something happen?".

 

Fans of the old Valkyrie will be in the audience, too...

 

Wearing this in front of them again after having withdrawn from Valkyrie without explanation might reopen old wounds.

 

Having to see me might irritate them. Their discomfort for me might have a bad influence on Ra*bits.

 

Ra*bits is a cute, calming unit that makes you happy just watching them.

 

But now things are awkward thanks to me... is it really necessary for me to help Valkyrie, to take on that risk?

 

Mitsuru: Eh? I said asking me's pointless. I think if it's something you wanna do then you should! That's what's most important! 

 

Right, Tomo-chan? Hajime-chan?

 

Tomoya: Yeah. And quit underestimating us all the time... Nii-chan. 

 

We might've been inexperienced idols who didn't know our left from our right when we met, but...

 

We grew up really fast at your side and even got a little stronger.

 

An event like this won't shake us up now.

 

... not that I'm saying that with a lot of confidence. This might end up being a real headache for us in the future. 

 

But it'll be fine. A lot of tough and terrible things have happened already... and you supported us each and every time. 

 

Whenever someone was about to fall you offered a helping hand. Whenever someone was crying you cheered them up with a smile...

 

You broke through enemy lines no matter how hard. That's why we can stand on two feet and keep being idols.

 

Mitsuru: Yeah! So it's gonna be a-okay, Nii-chan! It's not like we're little babies who'll die if you leave us all alone!

 

But I guess Valkyrie's standin' right over the edge, huh?

 

That Oshi-san guy's physical condition is so bad that he's down for the count. Guess that means they won't be able to get on stage, yeah... ?

 

Tomoya: Yeah. You paid him several visits while we were busy, Nii-chan. That means you knew about this whole thing, right?

 

If Valkyrie can't stand center stage during S1... if they can't produce results during StarFes, that means they might have to disband, right?

 

Itsuki-senpai is absent. Valkyrie only has Kagehira-senpai...

 

You can't be a unit on stage without two or more people.

 

It might end in a default loss for Valkyrie. They might get wiped out without having accomplished a single thing.

 

But Nii-chan could keep the worst from happening if he makes a temporary comeback as a member..

 

Nazuna: Yeah. I'd need Tenshouin and Keito-chin to debate the issue of my application of withdrawal from Valkyrie.

 

There's also the fact that Kagehira might not even accept me anymore... 

 

I'm too ashamed to just say something like, "This looks rough. I'll help you out".

 

But... I owe them for doing exactly that. For saving us during the Tanabata Festival.

 

There were places I stopped at on my way to becoming a third-year; places I used to belong to that looked after me. So I can't leave them to their fate. I don't want to... 

 

I couldn't live with myself if I pretended to forget it all and turned my back on them with a laugh.