Chapter 52 – The School Idol Festival (Part 2)
Yui's POV
"Th…Thank you, Kasumin for that wonderful performance! We'll be taking a short break to prepare for the next idol. But we'll be back soon! See you all in a few!"
"Kesshite yuzuranai
Shitsubō o sasenai
Kesshite okizari ni wa shinai
Kesshite nakasenai
Sayōnara iwanai
Kesshite uso de kizutsukenai"
"Yui…please stop singing that song." Himeko said to me.
"Why? It's catchy."
"Maybe to you. But I'm not really a fan of being Rickrolled by an idol of all people."
"Can you really call that girl an idol?" Kagami-chan asked. "Between that song and the outfit she was wearing, she was nothing more than a freaking nutcase."
"Oh, come on. You two are so judgmental." Kirin-chan said. "The fact that someone went out of their way to perfectly translate that song to Japanese is just too freaking perfect! Plus, that outfit…I'm pretty sure the fabric on that thong gave her an EXTREMELY wet taco. Didn't think idols were the nympho type."
"Nympho?" I asked.
"Basically, that girl just loves…"
*POW*
"Don't you DARE finish that sentence!" Himeko yelled after hitting Kirin-chan in the head.
Ugh! Quit treating me like a child! I already had my innocence shattered when I walked in on Ui and Zoé-san screwing each other!
"Hey, guys. Check it." Miharu-chan called out to us. "Odaiba's got some pretty good Slurpee flavors. I can't get enough of this Watermelon Waterfall flavor. *slurp* Damn, that's good!"
"Aw, what? You went and got a Slurpee without me?" Kirin-chan complained.
"Don't worry, girl. I got you. I also picked up this other one called Banana Blitz. It's apparently the most popular one."
"Really?" Kirin-chan then grabbed the Slurpee and took a quick sip of it. The reaction on her face was pretty telling.
"Holy sweet mother of God…"
There was also that.
"Is it good?" I asked.
"Good?! Good doesn't even describe this titillating cup of creamy goodness! It felt like a giant banana just SPLURT its juicy insides into my mouth…but it was the sweetest thing I've ever vored down my mouth as I sucked on it for more! I'm forever hooked on this cumtastic delightfulness! GIVE ME MORE, DAMNIT!"
…
…
…
The rest of us just stared at Kirin-chan in disbelief after listening to how she described the Slurpee. I may not know what a Cleveland steamer or a golden shower are, but I at least knew what THAT stuff meant.
A-And once again…i-it kinda turned me on…
"Kirin, I swear to God…you are a messed-up little girl." Kagami-chan said in exasperated disgust.
"Thank you. I consistently work on it."
"Work on something else, damnit!"
"A-Anyway…" I said. "…you guys wanna get something to eat? I heard there's a ramen booth up ahead and…"
"Hey! Miharu! Yui! Himeko!"
"Huh?! Yoriko?!" Miharu-chan yelled in shock as we saw the familiar face walk up to us.
"Wow! Tamura-san, I didn't know you were here!" I cheered.
"The same can be said about you three. We've been running into a lot of you girls lately."
"Uh…"we"? Who else is with you?" Himeko asked.
"Well…"
"H-Hello…e-everyone." And then hiding behind Tamura-san was yet another familiar face.
"*gasp* Miku-chan!" I shouted with glee as I hugged my favorite kōhai.
"Gah! H-Hirasawa-senpai! Y-You are squeezing too tight again!"
"Easy, girl. Mikuru's a fragile one." Tamura-san said as she split the two of us apart.
"Hehhehheh…sorry."
"You guys know each other?" Kagami-chan asked.
"This is Yoriko Tamura and her daughter Mikuru. Mugi-chan and Miharu-chan live with them."
"Really?" She then turned to Miharu-chan. "Wait, isn't Mugi your sister?"
"Half-sister. But it still counts."
"I see…"
"So, what are you two doing here?" Miharu-chan asked Tamura-san.
"Helping out family. My parents have a ramen shop here and we make time every year to help out. Oftentimes much to Mikuru's dismay."
"What do you mean?"
"My dad, and her grandfather, also use this as a way to cure Mikuru of her anxiety. Which usually ends up failing."
"I-It is not like…I-I do not want to…g-get rid of it." Miku-chan said. "I-It is just…r-really…h-h-hard."
"Yeah…I can only imagine."
"So, we're out here taking a little day off from it all. Plus, Mikuru wanted to see Mugi up on stage."
"Huh? Mugi-chan?" I asked.
"Why would Kotobuki-san be here?" Himeko asked.
"Sh-She did not tell you?" Miku-chan asked. "K-Kotobuki-san is…p-performing here later. A-As an…i-idol."
"Wh-What?! Mugi's an idol?!" Himeko, Kagami-chan, and I yelled in shock.
"Yeah…I heard that from Azusa." Miharu-chan said. "Apparently, her cousin convinced her to do it."
"Wow…Mugi-chan an idol…" I said.
"Certainly something you would never expect her to do…" Kagami-chan added.
"Hey, you said your friend's name's Mugi, right?" Kirin-chan asked while on her phone. "I found the festival's website and she's scheduled as the final performance. Must be a pretty big deal."
"The final one, huh? So, we still have to wait a while."
*SOUND OF AN INTERCOM TURNING ON*
"Attention, everyone! The next idol performance is about to start! If you want a front-row experience, head on over to the idol stage! Thank you all again for coming!"
*SOUND OF AN INTERCOM TURNING OFF*
"Well, the next performer's about to go on." Himeko said. "Wonder who's it gonna be…"
"There's no real name here. It just says "Usagi-chan"." Kirin-chan said.
"Usagi-chan? So, this idol's all about rabbits?"
"Well, it still beats that first song." Kagami-chan said. "I still find it baffling that such a song was allowed here."
"Um…b-by that first song…y-you are referring to…N-Never Gonna Give You Up, correct?" Miku-chan asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Th-That is…a-actually my favorite song."
"S-Seriously?!" The five of us yelled in shock.
"Yeah…Mikuru's tastes in music is all over the place." Tamura-san said.
"W-Wow…"
Never thought I would learn something new about Miku-chan…
Meanwhile, Miku-chan had gone back hiding behind her mother as talking to all of us probably triggered her anxiety. Though, it is shocking that she lasted this long.
"A-Anyway…let's go see the next performer." I said. "I'm actually curious about who this Usagi-chan is."
"Hey, there aren't gonna be actual rabbits there, right?" Kirin-chan asked. "I'm actually allergic."
"You're allergic, huh?" Kagami-chan said with a small grin on her face. "Well, then…I think I found a way to punish you for your perverted nonsense, Kirin. *giggle*"
"K-Kagami, you're brutal…" Kirin-chan shook in fear.
As we began making our way to the stage, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. And I took it out to read the message I just got.
"Onee-chan! Why haven't you responded to any of my messages?! It's been four days and I'm worried sick! Please call me back!"
"Oh…it's Ui."
…
…
…
I then went to the settings and deleted the message. Clearly having no intention to respond.
I'm not ready to deal with her right now…
Sumire's POV
"Thank you again, Saitō-san!"
"You're very much welcome. Goodbye for now."
I had just left a nearby venue after helping some volunteers with a takoyaki booth they had. I pretty much became the assistant to a lot of things, really. Costumes, equipment, decorations, food…even with the students from this school that offered to help out, it was still a lot to get done.
But I didn't mind, though. If it means that Onee-chan can have a wonderful time debuting as an idol, then I'll do anything that I possibly can!
Hopefully, by then, she won't be so tense about it all…
"Now, let's see…everything should be done for now. I might just have a chance to watch a performance or two. I wonder who's performing next…"
"Sumire-san!"
"Huh? Ayumu-san?" I said as I saw Ayumu-san rushing up to me in a panicked state.
"*sigh* Thank goodness I found you in time…"
"What's wrong, Ayumu-san? You look troubled."
"Well, I'm not exactly troubled…" Ayumu-san took another deep breath. "…you see, Ruby-san and I have decided to do a song together. Due to her not being able to have a song of her own in time."
"Oh. Well, that's nice."
"Yes, it is…but after we agreed to the duet, we practiced the song one last time. And noticed that it's best performed with two other signers as back-up."
"You did not notice that when you first wrote it?"
"Yu writes my songs. So, I'm not sure what she was thinking when she wrote it. And she couldn't even think of a good answer when I asked her about it."
"I see…so, you need two more people to sing with you?"
"Well, I already got Hiro-san to help out. I was wondering if you could do the same."
"M-Me?! P-Perform with you?! I-I don't know…"
"Please, Sumire-san…everyone else is busy and you're the only one I can rely on this. I'm a friend in need, you know."
"Hmm…" I went silent for a while. This was truly a dilemma I never thought I would have. Being asked to sing on stage in front of thousands of people…
Now I know how Onee-chan felt when Takasaki-san asked her to do this…
But…even though I have only known Ayumu-san for a few days, she is a good friend to me. Along with Ruby-san and Hiro-san. So, to have the four of us singing together…it would definitely make a memorable summer moment.
…
"…Oh, okay. I guess I can help you out, Ayumu-san."
"Yes! Thank you so much, Sumire-san!" Ayumu-san cheered as she hugged me with pure glee. "You'll be helping me fully debut as Usagi-chan the Idol!"
"Usagi? Your theme is rabbits?"
"At first, I was against it. Even rejecting Yu's idea of going with "Ayu-bun". But after thinking about it, it makes the most sense. I even have a costume made thanks to Watanabe-san."
"I see…"
Did not know she makes clothes…
"Well…let us do our best, Ayumu-san." I said with a smile.
Soon, I was up on stage with the three girls about to sing the song that was going to fully begin Ayumu-san's idol career. I still could not believe that I was going to be a part of it all. But it is pretty exciting, nonetheless.
"Oh, boy! Thank you so much for doing this, Sumire-san! You're a true lifesaver!" Ruby-san cheered to me.
"It's fine, Ruby-san. I'm helping out friends, after all."
"So, they got to you too, huh?" Hiro-san asked.
"Yes…pretty much. I couldn't really say no to such a dire situation."
"*sigh* Yeah, same here. But it could be fun…actually singing on stage with you all. Definitely the most interesting summer I've ever had."
"I truly agree with that."
"Alright, girls. You're up." Takasaki-san said to us. "Have everything ready in the next 30 seconds."
"Right!" Ayumu-san replied. "And, uh…thanks again for doing all of this, Yu. It really means a lot."
"You're my best friend, Ayumu. I would do anything for you. And I'll be cheering you on the hardest, too."
"Yu…"
"Alright…good luck out there, everyone." Takasaki-sans aid before heading onto the other side of the curtain.
"This is it, Ayumu-san." Ruby-san said. "We're fully going to make our mark as idols. Let's both do our very Rubesty!"
"Right! We'll go all out, Ruby-san!"
"Well…time to get this done." Hiro-san said.
"I still have butterflies in my stomach…but I'm sure I will do fine." I added.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back to the School Idol Festival! Next up to perform is a dear friend of mine…fully making her mark as a school idol alongside another upcoming idol! Give it up for the collab duo of Usagi-chan and Kōri-chan!"
"Kōri-chan?" Hiro-san and I asked.
"Oh, um…that's my idol name." Ruby-san said. "It's a nod to my old idol group named Aqours. And even though it didn't work out well, it's still near and dear to me. So, I wanted to honor it somehow."
"I see…" I said. "…well, it is a good name, Ruby-san."
"It fits you." Hiro-san added.
"*giggle* Thanks, you two."
The curtain opened up to reveal the cheering crowd to us all. Excited to see the next two idols perform and give it their all. While I help from the sidelines.
"Hello, everyone!" Ayumu-san cheered. "My name's Usagi-chan!"
"And I'm Kōri-chan!" Ruby-san added.
"We're both normally solo idols…but today, we've come together to give you all a once-in-a-lifetime collab performance!"
"Along with two of our friends! So, we hope you're ready!"
*CROWD CHEERS*
"OKAY! HERE WE GO!" Both girls cheered.
(Quick Note: To follow along with the song, search up the following on YouTube: Daydream Café – Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 1 Opening Theme)
kokoro pyonpyon machi?
kangaeru furi shite mou chotto chikadzuichae
kantan ni wa oshienai
konnani suki na koto wa naisho nano
fuwafuwa dokidoki naisho desu yo
hajime ga kanjin tsuunda tsuunda
fuwafuwa dokidoki naisho datte
itazura egao de pyonpyon
tobira aketa totan mishiranu sekai e to
(sonna no nai yo) arienai
sore ga arieru kamo miruku iro no ijigen
(koohii kappu) nozoitara
watashi ga watashi wo mitsumetemashita
nande? nande? futari iru? (uso!)
komarimasu ne (kitto) onnaji shumi (dakara)
dare wo (mitsumeru no? kimi desho!)
kimi dake miteru yo
(kore wa yume kappu no yume nomihoshite oshimai?)
itsumo pyonpyon kanou!
tanoshisa motomete mou chotto hajikechae (pyonpyon to)
issho nara suteki daai!
kimi ni iwasetai kara (iinasai)
kokoro pyonpyon machi?
kangaeru furi shite mou chotto chikadzuichae (pyonpyon to)
kantan ni wa oshienai
konnani suki na koto wa (suki datte koto wa... wawawa!) naisho nano
fuwafuwa dokidoki naisho desu yo
hajime ga kanjin tsuunda tsuunda
fuwafuwa dokidoki naisho datte
itazura egao de pyonpyon
nichijou no naka ni mo fushigi no kousaten
(sore nara aru ne) arierun
arienai kakudo ni kiriwaketa keeki ga
(sasurai usagi) yonjatta yo
watashi mo watashi to odorokimashita
nande? nande? shaberu usa? (maji!)
komarimashita (atsui) ocha wo nonde (uso da)
tsui ni (mitsuketa yo kimi e no)
kimi to no unmei
(ii yo ne yume koi no yume hajimete no tokimeki?)
mune ga ranran utau!
sukippu shinagara hanikande sasotte yo (ranran to)
issho nara muteki daai!
honne kakusenaku naru (honne da)
ashita ranran kibou?
ima sugu ga ii na hanikande sasotte yo (ranran to)
isshun dake mimi moto
honto wa suki nanda to (suki nanda tsumari... nanana!) sasayaku
(kore wa yume kappu no yume nomihoshite onegai?)
itsumo pyonpyon kanou!
tanoshisa motomete mou chotto hajikechae (pyonpyon to)
issho nara suteki daai!
kimi ni iwasetai kara (iinasai)
kokoro pyonpyon machi?
kangaeru furi shite mou chotto chikadzuichae (pyonpyon to)
kantan ni wa oshienai
konnani suki na koto wa
(ii yo ne yume koi no yume suki nanda tsumari... nanana!)
naisho nano
fuwafuwa dokidoki naisho desu yo
hajime ga kanjin tsuunda tsuunda
fuwafuwa dokidoki naisho datte
itazura egao de pyonpyon
*CROWD CHEERS*
"*giggle* Thank you, everyone! You were all great!" Ayumu-san cheered.
"We've all did our very Rubesty for this festival! Glad you all loved it!" Ruby-san cheered.
"Arigatō! Min'na daisukidesu!" Both idols yelled out while Hiro-san and I simply waved goodbye. As the curtain closed in front of us…and my nerves began to ease up a little.
"Ayumu!" Takasaki-san shouted as she rushed up and hugged her best friend. "Ayumu, that was amazing! I knew you had it in you! Usagi-chan is going to be BIG, I tell ya!"
"*giggle* Thanks, Yu! I had so much fun! All thanks to you!"
"She sure seems happy." Hiro-san said.
"Yeah…" Ruby-san added.
"Hey, Ruby. There's someone on the phone for you." Takami-san as she walked up to us.
"Huh? Really?" Ruby-san then took the phone. "Hello? O-Onee-chan?! Y-You saw my performance?! A-And you LOVED it?! OH, MY GOD! NO WAY! *clears throat* S-Sorry, guys. I gotta take this."
"It's fine, Ruby-san. We do not mind." I said.
"Great! Be right back!" We then watched as Ruby-san continued to talk to her older sister in pure glee.
"You know…it's been a while since I've seen Ruby this happy. It was pretty rough for her when we last saw each other."
"Hey, Takami-san…" I said to her. "…Ruby-san mentioned something about her old idol group and how it did not work so well. What did she mean by that?"
"Well…" Takami-san went silent for a bit. "…it's actually kinda depressing and heartbreaking. Now's not really a good time to bring it up, you know. Let's just enjoy the moment, for now."
We were both even more curious by what she meant by that. But for the sake of the happiness of the newly reborn idols, we decided to just leave it be for now. Maybe to bring it up another day.
…
And besides, what's on my mind now is…
That was actually really fun! I can't wait for Onee-chan to experience this to the fullest!
Author's Note: It's a new year and the story continues! Now on part 2 of the School Idol Festival! I originally said that this would possibly be a 2-parter event. But…it may be up to 4. With how these chapters are coming up, I can only fit 1 song before the length becomes too much. Plus, the lyrics do take up a good chunk of it.
Ayumu's song choice is from me basically watching all 3 seasons and the movie of Is the Order a Rabbit? sometime last year. I don't really remember what got me to watch it, but it was enjoyable. And the opening themes for seasons 1 & 3 are some of the catchiest anime songs I've ever heard. If I had to make a list, they would probably be in the top 10 somewhere.
Part 3 will be coming soon. With a minor change made to my original plan. Thanks for reading. Later.
