Here's the next chapter of the fic's re-revision, everyone! I also added three more character profiles and updated the previous profiles for the same fic too, so please check them out!
"..."
"..."
"Heygoodmorning!"
Bellowing that out fast, Kotaro turns around and greets the fourteen zombies with a wide smile, looking lively as usual. The zombies sitting on the chairs don't share his mood as usual which Kotaro takes notice of so he exclaims, "What's all this? You are all looking kinda down! GOOD MORNIIIIIIING!"
"Good morning…" "Good morning." Both Sakura and Kakyoin greeted back.
Accepting their mild greeting, Kotaro announces, "All right, girls. Looks like you're taking your lessons pretty seriously. How are you settling into your new name? Frankenchewchew!"
"You're saying it wrong! It's ｢Franchouchou｣!" Sakura corrected him.
"Frannyfannyshooshoo!" Kotaro mispronounced the name again for fun.
"Francho-"
"Flan Chow Chow!" Gyro blurted that out with a huge grin. All members turn to him with a raised brow or baffled look, though Johnny adopts an indifferent look since he'd gotten used to that behavior of his. Spin Cowboy would notice their staring so he asks, "…What? What's with the side eye? Why are y'all staring at me?"
"…For mispronouncing our group's name." Saki deadpanned.
"Hey c'mon, no need to give me that look. I want to lighten up the mood here similar to what he's doing because all of you are seemingly feeling down so… Nyo-ho!" He exclaimed, displaying his gold teeth when smiling widely, adding more silliness to his antic.
As everyone ignores him and his gold-bucked teeth, Kotaro chuckled amusingly by his intentional mispronunciation of the name, saying, "Flan Chow Chow… Hahaha! Now that's a silly name you just said, Gyro! Flan Chow Chow!"
"Look, in case you and Gyro-san forgot, it's Francho-"
"FRANCHOUCHOU! Yes, I already know~! Ain't it cute~? Yes, it's oh-so cute~!" Sakura was cut off for the second time as Kotaro did a little dance, as if to mock her for "incorrectly" saying the name wrong, annoying her. After that little dance, Kotaro proclaims next, "And of course, who couldn't forget the name chosen by your group of Stand-using bodyguards caaaaaaalled... ｢RIANIMA｣!"
The zombie guys take pride in the name chosen by Bucciarati, who appeared to take the leadership role seriously. Helped that Kotaro didn't try mocking the name unlike Franchouchou, but it's likely because will retaliate in kind if he dares try.
"While I'm not fluent in Italian language, I trust that you find the name fitting to your group, right mister Bruno?" Kotaro inquired.
"Yes. While speaking in Japanese suddenly on my first day as a zombie is surprising, I still know my native tongue. As such, I carefully considered my group's name. I hope it's to your liking, signor Tatsumi." What he said about him being able to speak Japanese applies to Narancia and Gyro too, who are Italians (and Neapolitan in Gyro's case) coincidentally. When asked how they suddenly became fluent in Japanese, Kotaro informed that it's thanks to his mysterious benefactor's Stand and this was done before they were awakened mentally.
With the group's naming out of the way, Kotaro proceeds to the main topic of this morning's meeting, acting his usual self as always. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen. It was painfully clear what a bunch of brain-dead zombies you all are with Franchouchou's guerilla show last month and Rianima's constant protection, but you seem to have grown a bit since then." The little compliment offset the ridicule laced in the statement, something Sakura and Kakyoin acknowledge. "This is where the real game begins. Right Saki?"
"…Yeah, I guess." The former biker replied.
"What about you Avdol?"
"If you have everything in control, then yes." The fortune teller nodded.
"And Lily, what's your response?"
"Uh, I'll-"
"GREAT!" The producer didn't spare the child actress any reply when he yelled in her place, much to her surprise. "Now given that, what is your next moooooooove...AnswerSakura!" He quickly called her to attention.
"Eh!? I… I dunno," she stuttered at first due to Kotaro telling her to answer suddenly, before a thought came to her and she said, "Oh! Maybe recording a CD of our song and selling it?"
"Oh, very nice! That's a pretty good idea. Well, let's just call a recording studio and YEAH THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN DUMBASS!"
As Sakura is left reeling from him shouting out of the blue, Kotaro goes on to rant how he hasn't earned a single penny even after the "raggedy ass" performances were decent so far which is costly for him. "…EVEN THE GAS FOR THE VAN ISN'T FREE! DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT YOU STUPID ZOMBIIIIIEEEE!?" He leaned closer to her frightened visage.
Kakyoin, glaring at him and telling him without words to back off from the anxious Sakura, sums up the issue for him. "…So basically, the budget has run dry, right?"
"Yup. It has run dry." Kotaro confirmed.
"Huh?! What the hell are we supposed to do then?" Saki urgently asked.
"Well, when there's no money, you earn more. Duh." Making this obvious statement, Kotaro flips the chalkboard next to reveal a word written on it: business
Curious, Ai inquires, "Are there even any businesses in Saga that would hire idols?"
"There are, in fact! Because I'm ｢awesome｣! It's a big Saga pharmaceutical company, ｢Hisanaka Pharma｣!" Kotaro divulged. "If it goes well, this could end in a partnership!"
"Partnership?" Kakyoin repeated.
"Look, I don't get it but when is this business stuff goin' down?" Saki asked, choosing to go along with the flow for now.
"If I were to guess after you told the girls to practice for a guerilla performance last month ago…" That was Mamezuku speaking, looking at Kotaro. "It's today, isn't it?"
"Yes." He confirmed.
"Huuuuh? Again?" The biker was surprised again that it's happening right now. Everyone except Mamezuku shared her reaction as well. This is the third (or fourth) time he told them that the event they're about to take part in is happening sooner than they expected and yet, they're surprised all the same.
"The act they had booked for their company trip isn't going to make it." Kotaro provided a reason for his hasty decision. It doesn't satisfy Saki though, as she asks, "Why are your all acts happenin' at a last minu-"
"Because we don't get enough chances to let any slip by! Idols have a limited shelf life nowadays. And you zombies can be overworked without dying! Which means we're doing this. Just do like you've practiced and show your stuff," he reminded the girls, and presumably, the boys too. "Incidentally, the location is going to be the ｢Ureshino Hot Springs｣."
"Hot springs?!" Junko shouted, perking up and elated to hear it. Her delighted expression changed to an embarrassed one when she noticed Ai and Yugiri look at her when she shouted so she averted her eyes shyly while her cheeks reddened. For Yugiri's part, she smiles over her brief enthusiasm.
"Hot springs, huh? Sounds like a nice place to relax in." Narancia wondered, liking the suggested place and all that it entails.
"Right you are, Nara!" Saki calls him by a nickname she came up with as she agrees with him. "We've just been washing off from the yard's hose, after all."
"Uh huh… Wait, did you call me Nara?"
"This could be a chance to wash off some of the decay from Franchouchou and our bodyguards." Yugiri brought up the matter of them smelling bad, prompting Sakura, Saki, Ai, Junko, Kakyoin, Avdol, Narancia and Johnny to sniff themselves.
"And they're nice enough to put us up overnight…" Kotaro added.
"We're staying overnight!?" Sakura exclaimed in happy surprise.
"Sounds like we can let it all hang out!" Saki shared her friend's excitement.
"Perhaps a dip in the spring can ease my mind…" Kakyoin likes the idea of sitting in a spring.
"It does sound captivating, especially since I haven't been to any springs when I first went to Japan when I was alive." Avdol joined in their excitement.
"…Except none of you are going into the hot springs!" Kotaro declared while his arms were crossed. In an instant he said it, the four zombies' excitement deflated.
Leaning and moving his face close to all the zombies, Kotaro switches to a mocking tone as he tells them, "Because you can't walk around outside of your room without your makeup! Sucks to be youuuuuu! If you think you got enough time to splish splash in a hot spring, then use that time for practice and protecting respectively, YOU ROTTING IDOLS AND DECAYING STAND USEEEEERS!"
"Grrrr!"
ドッグォォー
Having enough of his obnoxious behavior, Saki and Narancia punched and kneed his gut and face hard, sending him reeling so much his sunglasses fell on the floor. While everyone is shocked they attacked out of irritation, they didn't protest because it's about time Kotaro was put in his place after pushing his luck in mocking them all so far. In particular, Kakyoin, Johnny, Gyro, Ai and Lily feel satisfied that the producer was taught a lesson the hard way.
"Oooooh… That's gotta hurt." Gyro snickered.
After Kotaro puts his sunglasses back, Sakura opens her mouth and talks to him, "Excuse me…"
"W-What's up…?" He sputtered, wobbling from the pain.
"What does this pharmaceutical company sell anyway?" The redhead asked.
Her answer is on the box that's been there the whole meeting. The producer directs everyone to it, replying, "This is it."
Sakura, Ai, Junko, Kakyoin, Bucciarati and Gyro take a peek at what's in the box and see it's filled with smaller boxes of a product called Saganship Z.
"｢Saganship Z｣?" Sakura read the name out loud curiously.
As they wonder what this product will do, Kotaro makes one last announcement to finish this morning's meeting. "In any case, as I said before Saki and Narancia attacked the lights out of me, you can't go into hot springs or walk outside your room without your makeup."
"Yeah, yeah, we heard you the first time." Saki rolled her eyes.
"Let me finish!" He exclaimed. "While you may correctly think it is because you are zombies, that's not the only reason. In fact, the second reason is something Rianima needs to concern themselves with."
The aforementioned group looks at him in response. "Huh? What exactly do you mean by that, Tatsumi-san?" Kakyoin asked.
Prompted by his question, Kotaro drops this line that the seven zombie guys should be familiar with.
"The hotel all of you are gonna stay in… happens to have an ｢enemy Stand｣ that appears only at night."
"Huh!?" The surprised reactions everyone made was certainly expected upon hearing an enemy Stand on the loose.
Under the sunny weather beaming down on Ureshino, Franchouchou, Rianima and Kotaro, are outside the hotel where they'll be staying in, where their manager is giving the fourteen disguised zombies a reminder of what they are going to do in order to earn money and potentially open any window of opportunity for Franchouchou, and by extension Saga, to be popular. He's sitting in the van, talking to Sakura, Junko, Saki, Kakyoin and Bucciarati.
"Your rooms are 606 and 607. Once the time is 18:00, you girls are on." Kotaro relayed.
"Understood!" Sakura replied with a nod.
"As for you boys, keep an eye out for the enemy Stand that only appears at night in this particular location, alright?" He reminded the Stand Users next.
"Yes, Tatsumi-san." Kakyoin nodded in response.
Seemingly satisfied, the man in shades then says, "Good. You fourteen better do your jobs right while I go sightseeing, especially you girls as I went to the trouble of setting up a room to rehearse in."
"Right!" Sakura exclaimed, appreciately smiling over how much effort it took him for Franchouchou to use a spare room for practice. Her expression changes to a curious one when she hears what Kotaro is going to do next. "Wait, Kotaro-san… What did you say you would be doing?"
He glanced forward, putting a hand to the pedal as he repeated, "…Sightseeing."
Everyone stares at him when they hear what his plan for today is after dropping Franchouchou and the guys off. "…Come again?" Kakyoin inquired.
"GOTTA GO SEE THEM SIGHTS!"
And with that, he left, the van kicking up dust as it sped away from the group like it came from a cartoon. The group stared at the road down ahead where the manager left, staying silent for three seconds.
"Soooooo… What do we do now?" Saki spoke.
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"You're seriously not going straight to practice, right?" She answered it like she's in disbelief.
"But… we need to rehearse!"
"We can do that later! Why does only Shades there get to goof off? That's what I'm gettin' at!"
"We absolutely can't!"
"…You sure wanna die?"
Sakura backed away a little when Saki gave her a glare and threatened her.
"We've been cooped-up practicin' non-stop! And now we're in ｢URESHINO｣!" Saki laid out the reason why they shouldn't practice yet. Having stayed in the mansion for a few weeks, Saki is willing to stretch her arms and legs out as she takes a stroll in the streets. The chance has presented itself so she must take that chance before it slips between her fingers.
"I wanna go for a walk, too!" Lily raised her hand in agreement.
"Count me in as well!" Narancia joined in.
"See, shrimpy and Nara here gets it!"
"I'm not shrimpy! My name is Lily!"
"Did you just call me Nara again…?"
As Sakura ponders if going for a walk in lieu of practice is a good thing, she's brought out of her spiel when Yugiri speaks. "A little bit of walking wouldn't hurt. I'd like to get a look at what a modern town is like."
"That goes double for me and Johnny, so no complaints here! Well, aside from not riding a horse while I'm taking a stroll. Really missing it." Gyro concurred and lamented.
"Yeah. I really hope Kotaro knows me and Gyro requires two horses for us if we can work more efficiently. Other than that, it doesn't feel right having no horse to ride." Johnny hoped.
"We've got our makeup on and we'll all be together. And we'll be extra careful so no one finds out we're zombies!" Lily reminded.
"Won't we, shrimpy?" Saki grinned cheekily.
"My name is LILY!"
"Since the enemy Stand isn't slated to appear until nighttime, I suppose it's alright to go for a walk." Bucciarati has no objections over the decision.
"I don't mind at all." Mamezuku simply said.
"Just a reminder for us bodyguards that we need to look after the girls and our surroundings closely. There could be trouble brewing in the corner that we must eliminate before it reaches us," Avdol reminded them. "Other than that… I would like to take a stroll too."
Seeing that almost everyone wants to take a walk, Sakura feels outvoted. Looks like there's no way she can overturn this plan now, but still feeling doubtful, she turns to Kakyoin and asks, "What about you Kakyoin? Are you joining them?"
After thinking for a second, Kakyoin shrugs, stating, "Sure, why not? There's no harm in taking a leisure walk. Granted, I know you're concerned about your rehearsal but there will be time for that later, Sakura. You just need to loosen up a little. Perhaps our upcoming walk could ease your mind and body some before practice."
"Well if Kakyoin agrees…" With eleven out of fourteen (or thirteen seeing Tae isn't actually listening nor responding and is staring off at the air) wanting to go sightseeing, Sakura sees she has no room for argument. She came to agree with Saki that they have stayed in the mansion for long enough, so having to explore will be a nice change of pace.
All that's left is Ai and Junko, the two of whom are quiet. "Ai, Junko, are you two fine with all of us exploring and taking in the scenes?" Saki asked them.
"I'm… not sure if sightseeing is a good idea or not but…" That is Junko's reply.
Despite her initial skepticism, it didn't take long before she and Ai happily marched from one place to another alongside their groupmates and bodyguards as they took in the scenery without worry. While walking down the streets or in the neighborhood isn't anything extraordinary, the girls and boys did have fun walking and chatting over the sights they're seeing. At one point, they pass by a public bathhouse and Sakura, Junko, Kakyoin and Narancia get to pet a striped tabby cat with orange and white fur under a truck. The passing cat's appearance may remind them of a tiger, seeing it resembles its wild cousin.
To make sure the girls are covered from every angle, Kakyoin, Narancia and Johnny, all long-range Stand Users, walk in front of the group while Avdol, Bucciarati, Gyro and Mamezuku takes up the rear in case the group doesn't notice anything odd behind. Being senior members of the group also suits them. The importance of protecting the girls is taken much seriously by the guys but that doesn't mean they can't chat in a carefree manner among themselves and the girls, like how they eschew rehearsing and investigating the presence of a Stand in the hotel to travel from place to place.
At one point, everyone visits a shrine. A particular attraction is a sculpture of a fish, which Junko and Narancia are curious about. Sakura informs the two that splashing it with water will earn them good skin and health, prompting them to splash it rather enthusiastically. Kakyoin, Avdol, Bucciarati, Saki, Ai and Yugiri chuckled or raised an eyebrow over their eagerness to wash the sculpture for good skin and health despite being zombies. All the while, Tae erratically rings the bell while Lily bows many times. Mamezuku is trying to get Tae to stop ringing it while Johnny informs Gyro about them and its cultural significance.
After leaving the shrine, the group happen upon a cake shop filled with delicious and sweet pastries that water the mouths of those who look at it from the window. This is what Sakura, Lily, Tae and Narancia are doing, their faces comically squishing against the window as they wish to buy something from the shop. Everyone lets out a chuckle and smiles over their act except for Rai, who shakes his head and Ai, who appears to not like their act.
"It's a real honor to meet and hear from Hisanaka Pharmaceuticals."
"The people from the inn are actually talking about you."
The enthusiastic producer is currently speaking with the CEO of Hisanaka Pharmaceutical in a café. The conversation is a friendly one, with Kotaro happy to get sponsorship that can earn him money needed to maintain operation. Also, he doesn't engage in his typical behavior, preferring to act rationally and calmly. His next statement reflects his satisfaction in getting sponsorship. "I'm glad I was able to meet up with you thanks to my regular interactions with different lodgings and the chamber of commerce."
"Is running an idol group out of Saga a lot of trouble nowadays? You even hired seven bodyguards for the group."
"Well, I'd say there are times it feels like we're fighting the current of history but if I think we may be able to leave a mark, we can have a larger impact. And as for the bodyguards, well... It's better for them to be protected than none at all, right?"
"I suppose you're right."
"And through that, we'll revitalize Saga. That's what's at the core of Franchouchou's operations."
"Revitalize Saga…?" The CEO repeated.
"Yes," he affirmed. "That's why, even though we're in different fields, your company being the biggest in Saga means we look up to you."
"Well, we're actually trying to widen our potential customer base to appeal more to younger people." She comments on one of the plans her company has.
"In that case, we'd love to help! If we were to become partners, I'm sure we could meet your expectations."
Happy to see him offer his help, she confesses, "I'm looking forward to tonight's performance."
"That's good to hear. I'm sure they're practicing their hearts out as we speak…"
At that moment, Kotaro turned to the window and saw the group walking by without a care for the world. He does a double take and sees the girls are not practicing and chooses to take a walk. "Practicing their… hearts… out…" His voice gave out when his expectation was shattered at the sight of the group outside.
"Is something wrong?" She asks, noticing he's looking out of the window. Acting quickly, Kotaro grabs her chin and looks at her longingly, distracting her with his charm.
On the inside however, he's panicking over the thought of Franchouchou not practicing their heads off. And why the hell Rianima isn't putting a stop to it?! Why are they going along with the girls?!
No, no. Everything's fine. Everything's going to be juuuuuuuust fine.
For now, as he repeats the above inner thoughts like a mantra, Kotaro must make sure the CEO doesn't find out what he saw through the window, and didn't suspect anything.
Sakura breathes out a sigh of relief as the soothing sensation of lukewarm water caresses her feet. Right now, the group is taking a rest in a foot spa, dipping their feet in the water to heal their feet. While the foot spa is different from a normal spa, Junko is still delighted to try it for the first time. "I've never tried using a foot spa before. This is lovely." She admitted.
"Downright heavenly." Yugiri agreed with a smile.
"Man, Japan feels like a different world compared to Italy. I'm really impressed by what I'm seeing, which makes it easier for me to get used to living in a different country!" Narancia moved his feet back and forth like a kid, clearly making the best out of the first time using a foot spa.
"I agree. While I do miss my home country Egypt, that doesn't mean I'm not nonplussed by Japan's unique culture and traditions." Avdol remarked.
"Right with you there, Avdol." Johnny nodded, his barely movable feet submerged in warm water. Having been familiar with Japan every time he taught potential equestrians and imported foreign fruits when he was alive and in his home reality, it appears Japan looks and feels the same even if almost a century has passed. He feels somewhat relieved that things work the same between both worlds, a sentiment shared by Gyro and Mamezuku.
Speaking of Peel Planter, he's the only one who hasn't joined the group, preferring to look around with to scan for any potential threats. Taking notice of his behavior, Bucciarati asks, "Hey Mamezuku, why don't you take it easy for a moment? It's not like someone is gonna come and attack us while we're together."
"I understand your concerns Bucciarati, but from my experience, you'll never know when an enemy will strike before you notice them. I have to keep guard here and keep an eye out for anything unusual while you all relax." Mamezuku coolly dismissed his worries.
"Oh really? I'm betting you like to continue being on guard because you don't want to join us, preferring to be alone. Heck, you've been doing this ever since you woke up." Gyro assumed, finding it in him to speak while feeling the warm feeling in his feet and savoring it.
".…Couldn't argue with you there," he didn't deny his assumption. "I just… need some time before I think I can… trust you all. I'm pretty much the odd one here because you six recognize each other while I see you all as strangers."
"Well, whether you trust us or not, remember that we're in this together," Kakyoin reminded him that he's part of the group. "Even if we and the girls are complete strangers from the start, I'm sure we can get along well given enough time."
"…I'll keep that in mind. For now, let me watch the area, okay?" Despite his calm voice, there's a hint of little appreciation in his tone. A moment of silence passed by before he gave someone a sideways glance. "…By the way, Sakura."
"Oh! Yes?"
"Have you cut your hair lately?"
"Huh? No. I haven't done it since I was awakened. Why do you ask?"
"…Just curious. I am wondering if we get to grow our hairs as zombies. I was missing one tip of my braid on my left, but I have grown one for some reason." He added a reason.
"S'that so, huh? Care to tell us why were ya missing one braid?" Saki asked. Everyone is with her as they wait for his answer.
"…How about I tell you next time? But if you want a hint, it is related to my 「cause of death」." Rai subconsciously rubs his head as he says this. "Trust me on this. It's not pretty…"
"Oh. Uhh, forget I ask," Sensing he's feeling uncomfortable, Saki drops the subject, and everyone returns to relaxing themselves.
"…You know, it feels kinda funny doing this." Sakura spoke up, feeling unsure of something.
Everyone, including Mamezuku, turns to her and Lily asks, "What do you mean?"
"If we had never come back as zombies, we never would've met like this," she clarified. "We're all from different times, or different universes in the case of Johnny-san, Gyro-san and Mamezuku-san."
"Sure as hell don't feel dead, though. It's kinda cool." Saki replied nonchalantly, taking the fact that the three hailing from different times (or reality) in a stride.
"I bet even if I had been revived in the same timeframe, I'd never gone near anyone like Saki-chan!"
"Oi, shut it!" Saki growled.
"I honestly feel like I'm a child again." Yugiri stated, feeling ever so jubilant even if awakening centuries after her death. Her admiring the change in time compared to her time indicates she's fine living in the present.
"I guess so. The whole world must seem different." Sakura concurred.
"How exactly did we become zombies, though? I thought the bodies were cremated in Japan." Ai asked this important question, speaking up for the first time after remaining silent for a minute. Her remark about cremation causes the ones who were born in Japan to wonder about it. It is certainly weird that they are revived as zombies when their bodies are cremated after they die. Whatever method Kotaro used to revive them, he must have done something to their cremated bones before he did the deed.
"Speaking of bodies, whoever this Stand User that brought our bodies to Kotaro, he must be a powerful one if he can retrieve Johnny's, Gyro's and Mamezuku's bodies from another universe." Kakyoin stated, doing the same to what Ai did for the girls to his fellow Stand Users.
"I'm betting he can cross dimensions in order to achieve that." Gyro guessed the simple answer to the question.
"My thoughts exactly." Johnny agreed.
"Can he travel through time though?" Mamezuku asked, seeing an issue regarding retrieving a body from the late 19th century and in 2011, the year when he died. "This Stand User must be able to do that to retrieve my body to this reality."
"Huh. I never thought of that. Still, it sounds crazy if he can do that." Gyro shrugged, maintaining his stance regarding the user being able to travel dimensions.
"And just who 「exactly」 is Tatsumi-san?" Junko asked another important question. As if guided by a hunch, everyone, except Tae who got off the miniature pool and is crouched away from them, turns to Sakura and Kakyoin.
Alarmed, Sakura asks, "…Why is everybody looking at us?"
"Because you two awoke first, remember?" Ai reminded
"Well, it's true we are the first ones to wake up, but we have no idea who he is," defended Kakyoin. "He was as much of a mystery as he is now and to you all."
"Look, don't sweat the small stuff. No need to be so overworked about it." Saki assured them with her hands behind her head.
"I have a feeling he's not gonna give us a straight answer if we do ask him." Avdol accepted that fact for now.
"Well, the only thing we can say for sure is we're using this foot bath together," pointed out by Narancia over what matters in the present. "See, aren't you glad we did this?"
Sakura nods, agreeing with Narancia. Just then, she remembers that they haven't practiced yet and with quick words, says, "Oh, right! We still have to practice-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not like we won't have enough time after we're finished here," Saki assured her with a dismissive wave of a hand.
As if by a hunch again, everyone turns to Ai. Knowing she was the former leader of Iron Frill, she must have known from experience what it's like being an idol and to work and lead a group. She could have insight into the idol industry and group dynamics. While Saki may be the de facto leader of Franchouchou, it was Ai who could shed light if Franchouchou has a chance to be the best idol group in Saga.
"Hey, Ai-chan. Do you think we can make it as proper idols?" Sakura asked. Ai turned to her with an observant look, staying silent for a second or two.
"…What do you think being a proper idol means, Sakura?"
"Well… we do a lot of singing and dancing… And making people happy. Making them excited." She started listing down.
"Well in that case, we need to practice and learn a lot more." Ai replied without elaboration. She knows they're not gonna be the best they ever be in an instant. Practice and lessons are all that is required to be a proper idol. Oh, and hard work too, something Sakura brings up in her next question. "Do you think we can if we practice a whole bunch more?"
After listening to her question, Ai stands up, gets off the water and moves to sit on a table beside the bath. Putting her feet on two rectangular holes to dry her feet, Ai thinks about Sakura's question and wonders if they can ever be a proper idol given enough practice and persistence. Sakura sits beside her and affirms, "I… I'm going to do everything I can. I mean everything I said after the guerilla show!"
Ai turns to Saki carrying a confident smile sitting next to her. "And if I'm in, I'm all the way in."
They turn to Yugiri, who says, "I decided a very long time ago to dedicate myself to entertaining others."
"Lily knows how hard showbiz can be!" The child actress acknowledges the negative factor of entertaining people but still showing her steadfast smile to Ai.
"I…" Lastly, Junko speaks her opinion about the matter. "I worked by myself when I was alive. To be honest, I'm not sure about being a part of a group… But… If the rest of you are serious about trying this, then I need to do my best as well, don't I?"
"Junko-chan!" Sakura is elated to see she's affirming her desire to work as a group despite feeling like she wants to work by herself.
"But I'm out the second I think this isn't happening, okay?" Ai added bluntly.
"I'll make sure you don't ever think that!" She declared to her, which apparently amused her of her willingness to go the mile of making her not give up being an idol.
"Hell yeah! Let's give them something to talk about at today's show!" Saki exclaimed with her arms spread wide.
"Like, how though? How do we do that?" Lily inquired.
"…I dunno." She shrugged.
"What can we do to please our guests tonight?" Yugiri wondered, unaware how what she said just now could point to a certain meaning, which Sakura warned, "Yugiri-san! Phrasing!"
"M-Maybe we should know more about their product first?" Junko suggested.
"Oh right, we've never used Saganship Z before."
"Alright! Let's head back and try it out!" Saki exclaimed, eager to go back to the hotel after they're done drying their feet.
"Are you sure that is a good idea, girls? You will make Tatsumi-san mad if he knows you used the product meant for the sponsorship."
Kakyoin speaks out against using the medicinal strip before they can think ahead from behind. The girls turn to see he and his teammates have finished dipping their feet in water and are now waiting for the girls to finish drying theirs.
Saki is unconcerned at the possibility of Kotaro shouting their ears off again, as she replies to Kakyoin, "Don't sweat it Cherry Boy. I'm sure Shades can understand why we use them for this sponsorship. That is if he can understand..."
"Why do I have a feeling you will attack him if he chastises you again, Saki?" He mumbled to himself, ignoring the nickname Saki referred to him. He is still getting used to being called that.
"Hey, I'll gladly give that man a piece of my mind if he dares scream in my face again like the other day and earlier!" Narancia exclaimed angrily, clenching his fist at the thought.
"I-I would prefer it if you two didn't trade blows against Kotaro-san," Sakura told the two to stop thinking about it. "And as for if he may get angry at us, I'm sure he may understand Kakyoin. Don't worry about it, okay?"
"…Alright, here's hoping." He sees no point in arguing about it, so he drops the subject. It was in this moment as Sakura looked at Kakyoin and Avdol that she remembered a noteworthy tidbit concerning the two. "Ah! That reminds me! Kakyoin, Avdol-san, there is something I want to ask you two about. Something that Kotaro-san mentioned when Kakyoin and I were introduced to all of you when you were all still acting mindless."
"Hm? What is it you want to ask, Sakura?"
Everyone's eyes are on her as she reveals what she wants to ask the two about, "It's about your 「journey」 going to Egypt. Did you two really go to Egypt together with your friends to kill an evil 「vampire」?"
Just the mention of a vampire piques everyone's interest instantly. Truth be told, they would have never thought much about it if it weren't for the fact they are zombies and the guys can summon Stands. As for Kakyoin, his eyes widen when she brings it up. He never thought Sakura would remember that info from their first day as living zombies. Contemplating his next move carefully, he turns to Avdol, silently asking if they should reveal the details of their journey towards Egypt.
"I believe it's best if everyone knows what we did twenty-nine years ago, Kakyoin." A reply and nod from the Egyptian are all the confirmation he needs before the red-haired man decides to confirm it. "Yes Sakura. Me, Avdol and our friends did go to Egypt to kill a vampire, who is the reason why the life of my friend's mom is in danger."
Everyone's eyes widened upon hearing Kakyoin and Avdol's journey on killing a vampire being confirmed. It's not a surprise to see them wanting to know more, especially if it concerns the existence of vampires.
"Whoa, really!? Can you tell us more about it? Please? PLEASE!?" Narancia eagerly asks, reflecting the group's desire to learn about their journey to Egypt and their explanation.
"Guess we should, but we have to return to the hotel in order for us to do that. Is that okay with you all?" He told everyone.
"Yes." Sakura nodded, glad she finally found the right time to ask and hearing it from Kakyoin and Avdol's mouth after putting it aside for so long.
"Okay. Everyone, let's head back after we're done drying our feet."
After the group is finished, they walk down the road in the direction of the hotel, some of them talking about what they expect from Kakyoin and Avdol's explanation about their journey to Egypt. Whatever it is, the involvement of an evil vampire is sure to inspire imagination (and fear) of who exactly it is.
To be continued