hoshibatake

[hoshibatake]

March to Dawn - Dream of the Nutcracker/EP2

真緒：以上、俺の日常的な朝でした。また後でね♪

真緒：はぁぁ…

真緒：カメラの前で独り言を言ってるのがまだ恥ずかしいんだけど、これで一方踏み出したってことで。学校まで来たら、その内なれるかもしれない

真緒：他人と会話したほうが気楽だろうな…

真緒：いやいや、寂しいとか別にそういう意味じゃないから

凛月：やっぱり俺がいないとま～くんは寂しいよね？

凛月：うぅ…やっとりっちゃんの気持ちを答えてくれるよね。すごく感動する

真緒：りっ凛月！？いつから部屋に入ってたんだよ！？

凛月：気付いてないみたいけど、昨夜からセっちゃんのベッドに隠れてたんだ。ま～くんは無防備すぎるよ。まあ、可愛いし、このままで良い…♪

凛月：でも、可愛くてもそう簡���に許さないからね

真緒：マジで何なんだよ？近くに人がベッドに入り込んでるのを気付かないほどアホじゃないよ。で？何か用？

凛月：惚けてないでよ、ま～くん。俺のスポットライトに参加してくれなかったことにまだイライラしてんのに、リクエストさえ選んでくれないなんて酷い！

凛月：偽名を使っていくつの手紙を出したと思ってんの？ぐすんぐすん…

真緒：いや、リクエストは抽選で決められてるからさ、選ばれないのはしょうがないだろう？

凛月：他人の願い事を叶えようとしたとき寂しいだとか言ってたくせに、一番寂しい放置された俺を忘れないでよ

真緒：浮気された恋人みたいなこと言うな

真緒：ていうか、急がないと遅刻するぞ

凛月：うわぁぁん、ま～くんの鬼。俺の質問を無視するし…　償いとして俺の願望を一つ叶えてよ！

真緒：何を考えてるのがさっぱりわからないな～　分かったよ。でも、あんま無理させないでくれよね。

凛月：退けようとしてるの？まあいいか。俺は優しいから、今回は大目に見てあげる。俺の願望はね…

凛月：昔むかぁしみたいに学校までま～くんに負んぶされたい♪

真緒：？　それだけ？

凛月：へぇ？気に入らないならほかの願望にしてもいいよ♪　八百万の願望の中から一つを選んで、ま～くんに…

真緒：や！これでいいから！負んぶしてあげる！

真緒：（変なことをさせられると思った…）

凛月：ふん。「変なことをさせられると思った」と考えてるでしょう？

凛月：実は、CRAFTMONSTERの活動でゆうくんはま～くんがスポットライトタイムについて悩んでると言ったからここに来た…

凛月：選ばれなかったのは悔しいのに、ま～くんの手助けに来た。残酷すぎると思わな��？そんな困った顔しないでよ、ま～くん。ほら、俺は優しいでしょう？

真緒：はい、はい。じゃあ、もう行くから優しく俺の背中においでよ。ほら、手伝うから…

真緒：って、あれ？もう寝ちまった？

凛月：ま～くんの背中は最高の寝る場所だ…　スヤスヤ…

真緒：（あは…　おかげで元気づけられた。ありがとう、りっちゃん。）

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Epilogue

Previous chapter

<Several days later. On a set based on the fictitious city “FREEDOM”>

Subaru: Whoa…! It looks a lot more like FREEDOM than I thought it would!

Subaru: You can even actually play games in the arcade. That’s amazing. It’s just like the real thing☆

Mao: FREEDOM is a virtual city, so calling it “the real thing” is a bit confusing.

Mao: But this really is amazing. This place looks just like what we saw on our screens.

Hokuto: I agree. Although it’s just a set, so it's not as big as that virtual world…

Hokuto: But even if it’s just the central area, it makes me happy to see it recreated in such detail.

Makoto: Yeah. This area is especially packed with our “love”¹, after all.

Makoto: Anzu-chan, you asked Tenshouin-senpai to let us film a music video in FREEDOM, right? Thanks for doing that for us♪

Subaru: ...Oh～? Among the project’s business partners, there was a production company that you knew, so you got them to help you with a proposal?

Subaru: So FREEDOM thanks its existence to the network you’ve built up, huh?

Subaru: That’s our Anzu! Ms. President～♪

Hokuto: What is it, Anzu?

Hokuto: …“I didn’t do anything”? Don’t say that.

Hokuto: You handed FREEDOM over to us, and let us develop it freely from the start until the end. You must have thought about correcting our unskilled attempts multiple times.

Hokuto: But instead, you watched over us as we learned, didn’t you?

Hokuto: Not because you didn’t want to guide us, but because you believed that we could do it. I’m grateful for that.

Mao: Yeah. And you even casually conjured up this extra job of filming a music video.

Mao: Our miniature city of FREEDOM, which was only known by a couple of people, will be appreciated all over the world because of this new song.

Mao: In other words, we’ll be able to show our fans what we’re like in this new year. We get to show them our “love”.

Mao: As usual, you’re an impressively competent producer, Anzu.

Mao: ...Alright. It looks like everything’s ready, so let’s start filming♪

Hokuto&Mao: “♪～♪～♪”

Mao: ...But this sure was a strange job offer. Building a city and all that.

Hokuto: Indeed. But it was fun. This isn’t something just anyone gets to experience in their daily life.

Mao: True. I’d love to try out lots of other new things this year.

Mao: Normal things like the stuff other idols do just don’t fit us as well♪

Hokuto: When we just met, all you wanted was to live in peace. It seems as if you’ve been thoroughly corrupted too, huh?

Mao: Ahaha, you might be right. I still prefer peaceful times, but goofing off with you guys is just so much fun.

Mao: At this point I’m fully immersed in Trickstar...♪

Subaru: “♪～♪～♪”

Subaru: After we’re done filming, this set will be torn down, right?

Subaru: I wanna keep singing and dancing here forever. I wanna stay in this world for as long as I can!

Subaru: Maybe I should mess up my dance moves on purpose, so we’ll have no choice but to do more takes～♪

Makoto: Ahaha. You’ll cause trouble for the staff if you do that.

Makoto: If we finish early, they might allow us to explore the city at our leisure. Let’s do our best and make a great music video♪

Makoto: “♪～♪～♪”

Makoto: Akehoshi-kun, can I reminisce about the distant past with you for a bit?

Subaru: The distant past? The time when you were a baby?

Makoto: Ahaha, not that distant. About when I became “Yuuki Makoto” the idol.

Makoto: Do you remember the Venus Cup²? It was before we even formed Trickstar.

Subaru: Yeah. That was the DreFes we participated in during our first year, right?

Makoto: That’s the one. At that time I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with. The only reason I even attended the Venus Cup was to balance the number of representatives from each class.

Makoto: I was just another nameless idol, one of a countless number at Yumenosaki.

Makoto: But back then… in that venue where most of the seats were empty, you called out to me.

Makoto: “Let’s sing together”, you said. You told me I wasn’t all alone up on that stage.

Makoto: (When I was a model, I was always alone.)

Makoto: (...No. I “didn’t exist”. I just played the role that was expected of me. I was empty inside.)

Makoto: (I enrolled at Yumenosaki because I didn’t want to be like that anymore.)

Makoto: ...That’s the moment I became an idol.

Makoto: By telling me “let’s do our best together!”, you breathed life into me.

Makoto: Although you might have forgotten about that moment.

Subaru: Ahaha, I remember! How could I forget?

Subaru: We stood shoulder to shoulder and sang like friends. Just like this, woo...♪

Makoto: W-Whoa! Akehoshi-kun, let go of me. This way we’ll have to redo the take.

Subaru: Ahaha! It’s okay, the camera is focused on Sari～ and Hokke～ right now☆

Subaru: ...That day there was almost no one who bothered to watch us, but now we have loads of fans.

Subaru: All those people are proof that we’ve been doing things right all along.

Subaru: That’s exactly why I feel like we’re unstoppable as long as we’re with the four of us! If we work extra hard, we might even be able to perform in the unexplored expanse of space one day☆

Subaru: There’s no bigger joy than working towards a shared goal with your friends, don’t you agree, Ukki～♪?

Makoto: Yeah… I think so too.

Makoto: In the past I didn’t believe in myself. Even after I got into a school for idols, I didn’t have a clue what to do.

Makoto: I was gathering dust like a shelf full of unplayed games.

Makoto: But then I met the others, and we formed Trickstar. I became myself… I became free.

Makoto: Sometimes I still get frustrated because I feel incompetent, but…

Makoto: ...as long as I get to sing and laugh with the others like I am right now, I’m incredibly happy.

Makoto: I’m so glad I decided to become an idol...♪

Makoto: “♪～♪～♪”

TL notes:

Every time any of the characters talks about “love” in quotes in this chapter, it was the word 『好き』“suki” in quotes in Japanese. Suki can mean love or like (love for objects, hobbies, people, etc.), and it can also be used in the sense of “the way I like/want”. I interpreted it like this: they were talking about their “suki” in many senses of the word. So things that they enjoy, people they love, the way in which they express their love/enthusiasm, as well as having the freedom to do what they like.

The story that describes the events surrounding the Venus Cup in more detail is “Rocket Start”.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Big thanks to Altea for proofreading all of my work, and thank you for reading!

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Reality and Freedom/Chapter 5

Previous chapter

<Final day. In the fictitious city “FREEDOM”, the central area>

Subaru: “Ukki～, yaho yaho yaho～☆ We’ve all come to hang out～♪”

Mao: “Hi. How’s the construction of the arcade coming along? Is it going well?”

Makoto: “Yup. I’ve secured the power allocation, and all there’s left to do is to complete the facade.”

Hokuto: “Fumu. It’s impressive that you managed to build it in just a few hours. I could never accomplish that.”

Subaru: “You did try, just for the hell of it, and failed miserably, after all～”

Subaru: “At any rate, I wasn’t sure how things would end up when that meteorite fell and blew up the entire city.”

Subaru: “But everything always turns out okay in the end～. We’re the invincible Trickstar, after all ☆”

Mao: “Ahaha. Though it’s quite a miracle that we all managed to escape with our lives, and even without a scratch～”

Mao: “When it happened, and everything we built was wiped away, I thought: it’s all over. It made me a little sad.”

Mao: “But when I look at our newly rebuilt city, I feel like it’s not so bad. This place feels much more unified than it did when we were all just doing our own thing.”

Hokuto: “Indeed. We always make the best of any situation.”

Hokuto: “First, to make optimal use of our qualities as idols, we built venues that were suitable for concerts.”

Hokuto: “Using that as a starting point, we then expanded to building leisure facilities where you can do physical activities, karaoke clubs, arcades and shopping malls.”

Hokuto: “And that’s not all. On the outskirts of the city we built a dinosaur farm, a fishing hole with prehistoric fish, a wellspring that produces candy syrup, a castle that floats in the air, and more…”

Mao: ...It might be a little chaotic, but our peculiar city has become a place where anyone can be free and have fun with a smile on their face.

Mao: Somehow we made it in time for the deadline, too. Good job, everyone.

Hokuto: Indeed. Tenshouin-senpai is still reviewing our work though, so we can’t relax just yet.

Makoto: ...Oh, it looks like the arcade is done. That means the city is finished, but...

Makoto: Are we sure this is gonna be okay? Gaah～. Suddenly I’m a bit nervous.

Subaru: It’ll be fine! After all, you could search the entire world, but you’d never find a city as fun as this one. I’m actually a bit sad it’s over!

Subaru: Look, look. Our avatars are all standing in a circle and laughing too!

Mao: It looks like they’re gonna do a celebratory concert. They sure have a lot of energy～

Hokuto: I hate to have to say this, but our time is just about up. We should log off.

Makoto: ...Ah, wait a moment.

Makoto: Let’s watch the virtual Trickstar perform at least one song, okay? When else would we get a chance like this?

Subaru: That sounds great! Let’s do it!

Subaru&Hokuto: “♪～♪～♪”

Makoto&Mao: “♪～♪～♪”

Subaru: Kyaaa! You’re all so cool～☆

Mao: Ahaha. It doesn’t matter how loud you scream. They can’t hear us, you know?

Subaru: It doesn’t matter if they can hear me! What matters is how I feel☆

Hokuto: Heh, you’re right. It’s actually convenient that they can’t see us. Let’s cheer our virtual selves on with all our might.

<That same evening. StarPro’s office>

Eichi: Ahaha. What is this city supposed to be?♪

Eichi: It’s almost like a treasure chest that’s stuffed full of the things you like. Thank you for showing me something so amusing. I had fun.

Hokuto: ...? That’s all you have to say?

Eichi: It is. Why? I asked you to build a virtual city, and you fulfilled that request. What else would you like me to say?

Eichi: I told you, didn’t I? No one would leave the construction of a real, physical city to a bunch of young idols who only just graduated high school.

Eichi: Didn’t you yourselves conclude that it was like a playtest? I thought you accepted that and got to work with that in mind.

Makoto: Urk… That’s technically true, but…

Eichi: …

Eichi: ...Oh. Did you perhaps find the outdated documents which I forgot to erase from the server?

Makoto: Outdated documents?

Eichi: Yes. The absurd proposal to have a group of idols design a city that would then be built in reality.

Eichi: Given that we had already signed deals with various companies, we couldn’t just scrap the project altogether. That’s why we made some drastic changes and asked the four of you to take it on.

Eichi: The contents of the playtest and the data from your city will be put to use in some way or another. Once again, thank you for your efforts.

Subaru: Huh!? You’re not gonna build it for us?

Subaru: Pfft. But we put so much effort into it～

Eichi: Now, now. Don’t be so disheartened. I’ll organize something fun for you with the leftover funds.

Eichi: I’ll let you know the details another day. You’re dismissed for now.

Mao: Understood. Excuse us, then～

Mao: ...Oof. It’s like all of the tension suddenly drained away.

Hokuto: Right. If it was never going to become real anyway, we should have just built a city so strange that it would have left Tenshouin-senpai utterly dumbfounded.

Makoto: Ahaha… But I do feel incredibly accomplished.

Makoto: Working together towards a common goal feels so good...♪

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Reality and Freedom/Chapter 4

Previous chapter

<That evening>

Makoto: ...Alright, let’s start our meeting about the redevelopment of FREEDOM!

Subaru: Yaaay! Bang, bang, honk, honk☆

Hokuto: Akehoshi is always like this, but you seem unusually fired up, Yuuki.

Makoto: That’s because I chugged an energy drink to improve my focus.

Mao: Living the fast life, huh? I heard you’re sleep deprived, too. You should really get some proper rest later.

Makoto: I know. Once this meeting is over, I’m definitely gonna have a lay down. If I collapsed, it’d just inconvenience everyone, after all.

Mao: I wouldn’t call it an inconvenience. More like a source of worry.

Mao: I mean, take a look at Anzu. She’s looking at you like she wishes you’d just go rest right now.

Makoto: Ack. I’m sorry, Anzu-chan. Just give me a little while longer, alright?

Makoto: No, wait. Before we start the meeting, I should apologize to all of you first.

Makoto: I’m so sorry for worrying you. I’ve been holed up in my dorm room, because I wanted to focus on developing the city.

Hokuto: Fumu… Since you were trying to do what was best for all of us, I can’t really chide you too harshly…

Hokuto: ...but please at least respond to Anzu’s messages next time. Unlike the rest of us, she’s not allowed in the dormitory, after all.

Makoto: Yeah. I’ll try to do better. I’m so sorry, Anzu-chan.

Makoto: Uuhm… Well then, let’s get into the main topic.

Makoto: Did everyone read the extra info I sent you in the group chat about “City Building Plans ‘FREEDOM’”?

Hokuto: I did. Though I can’t fathom why anyone would want to build a city like that.

Hokuto: But since there’s no way for us to understand Tenshouin-senpai’s intentions, I’ve decided not to ponder too much.

Mao: I guess you’re right. The things he does are often pretty abnormal, so I feel like it’ll be our loss if we try to think about it too seriously.

Makoto: Yup. If we start trying to figure out the reason, we’ll be here all night, and we probably won’t even find an answer, so let’s just put that aside. We should put our energy into developing FREEDOM instead.

Makoto: Until now, we’ve been sticking to our plan of each of us freely developing our own corner in one of the wind directions…

Makoto: ...but now that everyone has built up some experience, I’d like to reset everything and start over from scratch. More specifically, I want to make a meteorite hit the city and completely and utterly destroy it.

Mao: A meteorite?

Makoto: Yeah. Because as players, we don’t have any way to simply reset the city.

Makoto: After looking over the different options, I concluded that the easiest way to return the land to a blank slate is to drop a meteorite on it.

Subaru: Now you mention it, Eichi-senpai also said something about “dropping a meteorite on the city and just forcing the game to end”. So that wasn’t a joke, but an actual option.

Makoto: Yup. Actually, he might have said that in order to reveal a secret trick you can use to reset the game.

Mao: A reset, huh… I’d be fine with my district being destroyed, but how about you guys?

Mao: We’ve all been playing however we like, so haven’t any of you gotten attached to what you’ve built?

Hokuto: Fumu… I would be lying if I said I haven’t at all. I’ll be sad to see my dinosaurs disappear now that I’ve gone through so much trouble to be able to communicate with them…

Hokuto: ...but even if we were to keep the city as it is right now, I’d eventually have to part with them anyway, when we finish city-building.

Hokuto: Taking that into consideration, I’d rather use the experience we’ve gained to build a good city, than let things drag on like this. I think the dinosaurs will be able to rest in peace if we do that.

Subaru: I probably agree, but it’s gonna depend on what you propose to do instead.

Subaru: What kind of city would you wanna build after starting over? Will it be better than the amusement park I built?

Makoto: About that…

Makoto: This might be a bit sudden, but Anzu-chan… Would you become the president of FREEDOM?

Mao: Coming on too strong again. How many times will I have to point that out?

Makoto: Uhh, what are you talking about?

Mao: Oh, right. You weren’t here when we were talking about that. Never mind that. You can continue.

Makoto: A-Alright. ...We’ll still be building in our own corners in different wind directions…

Makoto: ...but this time, we’ll be leaning into our strengths while developing our areas based on each of our visions of what “the essence of Trickstar” is.

Makoto: And we’ll also have Anzu-chan as our president, who can supervise us and give us unbiased advice. If she coordinates our efforts…

Makoto: ...I think we’ll be able to build a city like no other.

Hokuto: I see… I guess we will each need to consider what we view as our strengths, then.

Makoto: Right. I think it’ll be a good opportunity to reevaluate ourselves as members of Trickstar.

Makoto: And if any of us are struggling, we can lean on Anzu-chan.

Makoto: Anzu-chan has been beside us all this time, so she knows us well.

Subaru: The five of us are Trickstar, after all～. This almost makes me want to erect a statue of her in the middle of our city! Huh, Ms. President☆?

Subaru: ...“Oh God, please don’t”? Aww, you’re so easily embarrassed, Anzu～♪

Subaru: “The essence of Trickstar”, huh…? Our main job is being idols, so I guess that would mean we wanna build a city that can really make idols shine.

Subaru: I feel like I was close with my theme park, but in its current state, there’s definitely something missing.

Subaru: Alright, let’s wreck my theme park! Then I’ll turn it into an even more amazing place!

Subaru: I’ll rebuild it into a theme park that’ll move Ukki～, Hokke～, Sari～ and even Anzu to tears of joy!

Subaru: Plus, if we’re gonna be starting from scratch, Anzu will be able to give us some ideas too, right? I’m sure it’ll turn out even better than it was.

Subaru: Anzu, let’s build the greatest city ever together☆

Hokuto: Now Akehoshi has given his consent as well… I guess the only one left is Yuuki.

Mao: You were the one who brought it up, so I’m guessing you’re on board. But since you’ve put more time and effort into it than any of us, are you sure you don’t have any qualms about this?

Makoto: It’s not a problem～. I’m used to starting over like that in games.

Makoto: When I’ve 100 percented a game I really like, I often erase all my save data and restart from the beginning.

Makoto: During the first playthrough I often find bug exploits or special tricks, and I exchange info with the community.

Makoto: Erasing my save data doesn’t mean all of that progress is gone. In fact, it makes me excited, because it feels like I’m taking it to the next level♪

Subaru: That’s our Ukki～! Trickstar’s one and only pro gamer!

Subaru: Alright. Let’s build the funnest city～. And let’s smash the current one to bits with a huge meteorite! Kaboom☆

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Reality and Freedom/Chapter 3

Previous chapter

Subaru: Ukki～, the dark circles under your eyes look really bad. You haven’t been sleeping enough, have you?

Makoto: Oh… You noticed. I thought I’d hidden them well enough under my makeup.

Subaru: Nope, it’s super obvious to me, ‘cause we wear makeup for our jobs～

Subaru: Plus, normally you would’ve used your smartphone to check the reviews on that cleaning brush long before my mom pointed it out.

Subaru: But you’re not thinking straight because of the lack of sleep. Am I wrong?

Makoto: Ahaha… You’re right, I’m probably a little out of it.

Subaru: Is your lack of sleep because of FREEDOM? I get that if you love games, it’s easy to get obsessed with one…

Subaru: ...but you shouldn’t take it so far that it’s bad for your health. Games are supposed to be fun, right?

Makoto: …

Makoto: ...Akehoshi-kun. If FREEDOM wasn’t just a game, what would you do?

Subaru: …? What do you mean?

Makoto: Actually, when I was looking for a strategy guide, I found some information that hadn’t been shared with us.

Makoto: A real city will be built, based off of the virtual one Trickstar is building. That’s what “City Building Plans ‘FREEDOM’” truly entails…

Makoto: The city that we built on a whim, will become real!

Subaru: Become real…

Subaru: Ahaha! The heck? That sounds so fun♪

Makoto: Huh? Do you not believe me?

Makoto: I’m not joking. I saw the documents with my own two eyes!

Subaru: I’m not doubting you. I just think it sounds like a fun idea for it to become real.

Subaru: There are talking dinosaurs and there’s a sparkly theme park, after all.

Subaru: I have no idea how they’d make that a reality, but if anyone can do it, Eichi-senpai can. What with him being super rich and all☆

Subaru: At first I didn’t get why they would make us play a game like this, but I think I’m starting to get the idea behind it now.

Subaru: I think they asked us, because they wanted to build a super wild city that’s anything but normal.

Makoto: Super wild…

Subaru: Yeah. If someone just wanted to build a normal, efficient city, you’d ask some experts, right? But Eichi-senpai wouldn’t settle for that…

Subaru: ...so he probably asked us instead, because he knew that a bunch of rascals like us would dream up a crazy city unlike anything anyone else could think of.

Makoto: (He wants us to make a crazy city…?)

Makoto: (…)

Makoto: (...Ever since I found those documents, I’ve been trying to create a city that would be up to reality’s standards. I even thought that I was working the hardest out of all of us…)

Makoto: (...but I was wrong.)

Makoto: (Out of the four of us, I was the only one who…)

Subaru: …?

Subaru: …

Subaru: By the way. How’s your avatar doing, Ukki～? Is he alright?

Makoto: Yeah, somehow. Izumi-san’s avatar nearly got him and he would’ve been forced to form a unit with him, but when I logged on this morning, Izumi-san had disappeared.

Makoto: Maybe an update fixed the bugged Izumi-san?

Subaru: I see, I see. Ukki～ and Wakame-san in one unit, huh? That actually sounds a little interesting♪

Subaru: Hey, Ukki～. What kind of idol do you wanna be?

Makoto: Me? Not my avatar?

Subaru: Yeah. You’re always putting yourself last and giving your all for the sake of Trickstar. But let’s put that aside for a sec.

Subaru: When I was watching the virtual Trickstar, I couldn’t help but wonder: What does Ukki～ want for himself?

Makoto: …

Makoto: ...I think… I want to be like you guys.

Subaru: Like us?

Makoto: Yeah. I wish I had something unique for which I could say “no one is better at this than me!” I used to think that was video games for me, but…

Makoto: You, Isara-kun, and even Hidaka-kun have all been building your peculiar neighborhoods, and you’ve been doing idol work simultaneously, right?

Makoto: I love and respect all of you, but it’s a bit frustrating that I can’t even keep up with you when it comes to something I’m actually good at.

Makoto: I felt like I wanted—no, I needed to be number one, so I got all worked up over it, and started playing solo.

Makoto: Even though I’m nothing without you guys.

Subaru: ...Actually, we’re nothing without you, either.

Subaru: It seems like you haven’t noticed, but the virtual Trickstar is actually in a huge bind right now, you know?

Subaru: The venues keep burning down, and our audience keeps shrinking. Nothing we do goes right. It’s a huge mess.

Makoto: Huh? How did it end up like that? What would cause that?

Subaru: It’s because you’re not there. The fires are caused by faulty installation of the electrical systems, and ‘we’re’ not attracting enough people because ‘we’ suck at promotion…

Subaru: It’s all going wrong because none of them know how to do the things you’re always doing without even being asked. You’re irreplaceable.

Subaru: Though, by saying it like this, I’m making it sound like you’re just there to do chores. That’s not what I meant at all. How should I put it…

Subaru: In any case, you should come back to the virtual Trickstar! We need our Ukki～!

Subaru: Plus, without you, Trickstar is just dull!

Makoto: Akehoshi-kun…

Makoto: (It makes me happy to be acknowledged as a part of Trickstar.)

Makoto: (Before we formed a unit… Around the time of the Venus Cup, I could never stick to one thing very long, and I was uncomfortable with group activities.)

Makoto: (But no matter how many years pass, things never get boring with Trickstar. It’s a lot of fun.)

Makoto: (Having friends… Not being alone. It makes me happy.)

Makoto: ...I was always planning on coming back. And leaving the unit was caused by a bug in the first place.

Subaru: If that was the case, couldn’t you have given us a heads up?

Subaru: You haven’t shown your face around Trickstudio in ages, either. Me, Sari～ and Hokke～ were all worried about you, you know!

Makoto: You’re right… I’ll have to go meet them and apologize.

Makoto: And while we’re at it, I want to put our heads together and reconsider what kind of city is befitting for me and for Trickstar.

Makoto: This time, we’ll definitely get it right.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Reality and Freedom/Chapter 2

Previous chapter

<Several days later. In the fictitious city “FREEDOM”, Hokuto’s district>

Mao: “This place is so calming. There’s lots of empty space～. Though, there’s still a bunch of talking dinosaurs wandering around.”

Mao: “In any case, it’s the perfect spot to escape reality for a while...♪”

Hokuto: “What are you talking about? This is not the time to be loafing around.”

Subaru: “That’s right! Our fans are waiting for us!”

Subaru: “It’s time for a concert! Concert, concert, concert～☆”

Mao: “Calm down, will you? Listen. We’re running on fumes here.”

Mao: “It’s been one calamity after another, so we should take a rest for now…”

Hokuto: “Just think of it as a trial to overcome. What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”

Subaru: “Yeah, yeah! We can’t just stand here doing nothing, or we might worry the fans by making them think we’re going on a break.”

Hokuto: “Exactly. And we have to make up for Yuuki’s absence too.”

Mao: “That’s true, but～…”

Mao: “*sigh* Can we really go on like this?”

Mao: No, it’s a truly impossible situation.

Subaru: Nice one. You replied to your own question☆

Hokuto: Can you really say that he replied to his own question, given that it was posed by his avatar, who is practically a separate person?

Subaru: I think so. Their data was based on us, after all.

Subaru: Hmm. But since they do have their own will, does that make them separate people after all?

Subaru: What is your verdict, Isara Mao-sa～n who is in charge of explaining stuff?

Mao: Does it matter? What’s more important right now is the problem that the virtual Trickstar is facing.

Mao: Lately, their efforts have been leading them nowhere.

Mao: Fires have been breaking out during their concerts, and their concerts are attracting fewer and fewer people, outside of their core fanbase. Ever since Makoto left, they’ve been handling things in a sloppy way.

Mao: Honestly though, I never would’ve thought Makoto would suddenly decide to go solo.

Mao: Even if it was caused by a bug, I was convinced he'd have rejoined right away. And he’s been coming by Trickstudio noticeably less as well.

Mao: I wonder where he’s holed up and what he’s doing～

Subaru: Don’t you think Ukki～’s probably got some kind of plan?

Mao: I’d like to hope so…

Mao: Looking at our avatars reminds me of the way we used to be, though. Back when we were a bunch of nobodies at Yumenosaki who no one was paying attention to.

Subaru: Oh, yeah… I remember Ukki～ doing a bunch of things to help us.

Subaru: Like using his internet skills to pull our background music from the school server when it wouldn’t play on its own. Or making sure everything was in order for our concerts, or helping in setting up the stage.

Subaru: And the fans loved the way he always seemed to break the tension. Because of Ukki～, we were able to hold concerts without worrying about things going wrong.

Hokuto: That’s right. And when Isara was unable to attend because he was too busy with his Student Council work, he would function as an emergency brake for Akehoshi, since he’s prone to recklessness.

Mao: I feel like you’re just as likely to act recklessly, though.

Subaru: Exactly. Ukki～ is my and Hokke’s emergency brake☆

Subaru: I’m so used to having him around, that now that I’m watching the virtual Trickstar perform without him, it makes me a little sad.

Mao: Yeah. It makes me realize all over again that we really need all of us.

Mao: Only all four of us together are Trickstar, after all.

<The next day. Shopping center>

Subaru: ...Mom, why are you stopping in front of the general store?

Subaru: They’re selling clothes for dogs? Hmm～, but I feel like Daikichi doesn’t really like wearing stuff like this.

Subaru: Plus, it’s kinda manly to walk around in the rain without a raincoat.

Subaru: You found something that’s perfect for him, you say? Let’s see…

Subaru: Ahaha. What’s this? It looks like the kinda bib Kintarou¹ wears. It has “Daikichi²” written on it. It looks so cool～

Subaru: Even if he doesn’t wanna wear it out on walks, he might put up with it if it’s just for a photo. It’s half price too, so let’s get it♪

Subaru: While I was in school, you were busy too, so we didn’t get to go out together like this a lot. I’m happy we can go shopping together on weekdays now.

Subaru: It’s quiet everywhere, so we can take our time looking around the shops. The privileges of being an adult～☆

Subaru: ...Huh? Over there, isn’t that…?

Subaru: Wait a sec, Mom! I see a friend of mine!

Subaru: He～y, Ukki～!

Makoto: Whoa, Akehoshi-kun…

Subaru: I’ve finally run into you. I feel like I haven’t seen your face in ages.

Subaru: Uhm… That lady standing next to you must be your mom, right? Your eyes look almost identical.

Subaru: Thanks for always taking such good care of our Ukki～☆

Makoto: Ahaha… I think that’s my mom’s line.

Subaru: Hmm, what’s up, Mom? ...Those cleaning supplies?

Subaru: Oh, you’re right. Hey, Ukki～’s mom! It’s probably better not to buy that cleaning brush!

Subaru: They’ll tell you it cleans really well, but the maintenance of the brush itself is a pain in the rump, so you’ll have to buy a new one in no time flat.

Makoto: I see. You’re pretty well-informed, huh?

Subaru: Heheh. Actually, my mom bought it once after falling for their slogan: “Even the most stubborn dirt will vanish before your eyes.”

Makoto: I see. Thanks for that helpful information. Both me and my mom lack a lot of life skills.

Makoto: ...Hm? You want to chat a while with Akehoshi-kun’s mom, Mom?

Subaru: Oh, right. The two of you have never properly met before, have you?

Subaru: Of course, of course. Me and Ukki～ will go wait on that couch over there.

Subaru: Later, Mom. Take your time chatting with Ukki～’s mom☆

Makoto: ...They seem like they’re having fun chatting.

Subaru: Yeah. It’s a little strange～. We’ve known each other for so long, but our parents have hardly even met before.

Subaru: Though I guess it’s no wonder, since my mom has distanced herself from the world of idols.

Makoto: Akehoshi-kun…

Makoto: ...But that might change in the future, right? She didn’t seem bothered about talking to me, after all.

Makoto: And she’s laughing with my mom as well. Maybe they’ll hit it off and become friends as moms.

Makoto: That would actually be a relief. Even to this day, I still worry sometimes about whether she’s actually managing to live well now she’s on her own.

Subaru: Ahaha. Ukki～, you’re such a worrywart☆

Subaru: I’m actually more worried about you, though.

Makoto: …?

TL notes:

Kintarou is a figure from Japanese folklore. He looks like this.

大吉 Daikichi’s name means “great fortune/excellent luck”. 

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Reality and Freedom/Chapter 1

Previous chapter

<End of flashback. In the real world, Trickstudio>

Subaru: ...so I called out to Anzu as soon as she arrived.

Subaru: I said: “Yaho☆ So you’re that transfer student who we’ve heard so much about♪”

Mao: You came on too strong.

Hokuto: And then he started to demand money from her.

Mao: You came on way too strong.

Mao: I’ve heard this story countless times, but it really was a pushy and absurd first meeting～. You must’ve been at a loss, huh, Anzu?

Mao: ...Hmm? You were feeling a little lost on your first day, so it actually helped?

Mao: Oh, right. The three of them, including Makoto, showed you around the academy, didn’t they?

Mao: That sounds so nice. A true highschool experience. I was in quite the fix back then. I was caught between my student council job and Trickstar.

Mao: A lot has happened since, but that was probably the toughest time for me, because I was so inexperienced back then.

Subaru: But those times were also the most fun, weren’t they? When we were hoping that things would change, and when things were changing dizzyingly fast.

Subaru: No, actually, I’m always having the most fun! No matter what kind of trouble we’re facing, I believe we’ll always get through it if we’re together♪

Subaru: ...Wow, our trip down memory lane took us all the way back to when we met Anzu. Ukki～’s pretty late, isn’t he?

Subaru: I wonder where he could be dawdling. Maybe he got lost?

Mao: No, no. There’s no way he got lost now, after coming here so many times.

Hokuto: That’s what’s worrying me. I hope he didn’t wind up in some kind of trouble.

Hokuto: Hm? I just got a notification for a text.

Hokuto: ...Fumu. It’s a message from Yuuki. Apparently he overslept and only just woke up.

Subaru: O～oh, so he just overslept. I’m glad nothing bad happened, but that’s unlike Ukki～, huh?

Mao: If he just woke up, that means he’s at the dorm, right? If we wait for him to arrive, we’ll be here until nighttime. Let’s move our review meeting to a different day. We still have some time, after all.

Subaru: I agree～. Since Anzu is here too, let’s go grab a bite to eat☆

<At the same time, in Makoto’s dorm room>

Makoto: ...We’ll have the review meeting on another day, huh? I messed up. I’ll have to apologize the next time I see the others.

Makoto: *yawn* Oof...♪ It looks like I passed out while I was still logged in to FREEDOM.

Makoto: What was ‘I’ doing again? Uhm…

Makoto: Oh, right. ‘I’ was about to leave Trickstar.

Makoto: Wait, that sounded a little strange. My avatar in the game is the one who is leaving Trickstar.

Makoto: What to do… I vaguely remember that although joining or leaving a unit is easy, there are conditions to rejoining a unit.

Makoto: ...Yup. It’s written here in the guide. After leaving a unit, you need to wait at least 24 hours and get the approval of all existing members to rejoin.

Makoto: If my avatar quits, it’ll make things easier, but maybe I’ll try continuing like this for a bit longer. I’ll just see it as a challenge with extra restrictions¹.

Makoto: Because we’re only really Trickstar with the four of us...♪

Makoto: Alright. Let’s see how FREEDOM is doing～

Makoto: ...Wait, huh? His clothes changed…

Makoto: Huh? I don’t see my avatar… Where did he go? His coordinates aren’t being displayed…

Makoto: “Gwaaaaah!?”

Makoto: That scream sounded like ‘me’.

Makoto: I hear footsteps. I have a bad feeling about this, but I should go check it out…!

Makoto: “Waaah, where am I～!? Somebody help me～!”

Izumi: “Yuu-ku～n, don’t worry! I’m here to save you♪”

Makoto: “You’re the one I’m running from! Uurgh, I can’t let him get me!”

Izumi: “Oh, so you want to play tag?♪ Alright, then. I’ll chase you anywhere.”

Izumi: “L-O-V-E! I! Love! Yuu-kun! L-O-V-E! I! Love! Yuu-kun!”

Izumi: “Let’s live happily ever after with just the two of us, in a place where no one else can reach us...♪”

Makoto: Whoa! This must be a bug, right!? I need to force-quit the game!

Makoto: But why did Izumi-san show up all of a sudden?

Makoto: It seems like he can’t see me, so he must be an avatar too. Or is he an NPC?

Makoto: The residents’ appearances are determined by their jobs, so that means…

Makoto: I’m not sure about the logic behind it, but the Izumi-san I just saw seemed like he was based on that terrifying incident that happened at Yumenosaki.

Makoto: It would be a little scary if even small details like that have been included in the game… Huh? I wonder who just messaged me.

Makoto: It’s from Isara-kun… I see. Because I’m in a location that hides your coordinates, he can’t come talk to me directly.

Makoto: Huh!? My avatar has left Trickstar? Oh. So that’s why his clothes changed.

Makoto: I don’t remember making him quit. Is this a bug too?

Makoto: Once the criteria are met, he’ll be able to rejoin, but… Now he can focus on city-building, so in a way this is actually convenient.

Makoto: …

TL note:

The word Makoto uses here is 縛りプレイ ‘Shibari play’. It has two meanings: either ‘rope bondage’, or ‘playing a video game with self-imposed restrictions’. Obviously Makoto himself means the second one here, but given the fact that the next scene contains heavy references to the incident where Izumi kidnapped Makoto, this might be another, more meta reference to that.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Virtuality and Ideals/Chapter 5

Previous chapter

<An evening one week later. In the real world, Trickstudio>

Subaru: Oh. Anzu’s here! Otsukaresama¹～

Subaru: Come over here. Come laze around with us☆

Subaru: ...Huh? Work first, fun later? Oh, right. We were supposed to have a review meeting about FREEDOM.

Hokuto: Don’t tell me that you forgot.

Subaru: I remembered, but when I saw Anzu, I got so happy it slipped my mind♪

Mao: I’m glad to see her too, but isn’t that getting a bit too excited?

Mao: We’ve been seeing quite a lot of her since we started hanging out in Trickstudio regularly, don’t you think?

Subaru: You just don’t get it, Sari～. Any time you see someone you love a who~le lot is a time to be happy.

Subaru: Anzu, what’s up? ...Oh, you wanna hear about FREEDOM’s current status while we wait for Ukki～?

Hokuto: We can tell you that, but you have administrator privileges, so can’t you just check the data directly?

Hokuto: ...Fumu. You want us to be able to build freely without any worries, so you only log in when there’s an error?

Subaru: You don’t need to hold yourself back, though. You’re welcome at any time☆

Subaru: But thanks for being considerate, anyway. The current status, huh…?

Subaru: Oh, right. Our four avatars finally formed a unit～♪

Subaru: Out of their own initiative, of course. We’re Trickstar, after all☆

Hokuto: Yes. Putting the surrounding circumstances aside for a moment, I can’t help but be impressed at the realism.

Mao: Yeah, and their actions since they formed a unit have been reminiscent of ours as well. Subaru and Hokuto’s avatars have been jumping the gun, holding live performances in all sorts of places…

Mao: ...but my and Makoto’s avatars have been putting effort into city building and helping out citizens, instead of focusing purely on idol activities.

Mao: It kinda reminds me of the time when we just formed Trickstar♪

<Flashback. Five days earlier, in the information room>

Makoto: (FREEDOM is our first job of the fiscal year, so the agency must have high expectations too.)

Makoto: (In order to get good results, we first need to focus on building the city. This is my strong suit, so I’ve gotta give it my all!)

Makoto: (I’m following the plan I drafted using my experience with previous simulation games I’ve played…)

Makoto: (...but it’s pretty hard to balance it with those idol activities. A lot of things don’t turn out like I want them to.)

Makoto: (The fact that it’s not just about city building is what makes this game so interesting, but it also complicates things, so I’m having a hard time.)

Makoto: (I feel like I’m doing exactly what I should be doing, but the results don’t reflect that. Hrm…)

Makoto: (An online strategy guide would… not exist yet. Of course it wouldn’t. The game isn’t out yet, after all.)

Makoto: (I could still give looking it up on our internal network a shot. Although I really doubt I’ll find anything♪)

Makoto: (...Huh? I got a hit.)

Makoto: (“City Building Plans ‘FREEDOM’. Documentation for internal use.” ...Some of this information wasn’t in the documents we were given.)

Makoto: (Actually, it seems like I’ve stumbled upon some pretty significant information?)

Makoto: (…)

Makoto: (“Choosing idols and having them freely construct a city, using the software we developed in cooperation with this game company.”)

Makoto: (“If they are successful, that virtual city will then be built in reality”...)

Makoto: I already thought that it was strange that this job only consisted of playing a game. So that’s the plan.

Makoto: The reason why they’re letting us build this city however we want is still a mystery to me, but I never thought our city would become real…

Makoto: Actually, that’s a huge issue!

Makoto: The four of us have just been building our own versions of an ideal city, but it would by no means be an ideal city in reality!

Makoto: It’s overrun by dinosaurs and full of factories, with the occasional zombie outbreak and a theme park that’s without power most of the time. We can’t let them build that in real life!

Makoto: There’s a high chance that they would just cancel the whole thing, but I don’t want to let our first job of the year end in failure either.

Makoto: I’ll just have to correct our course, and turn it into a city we can be proud of…!

<Several days later. The dormitory, Makoto’s room>

Makoto: (…)

Makoto: (...Oof. How many all-nighters have I pulled now? I’ve lost count.)

Makoto: (By overhauling the factory area, I’ve increased the factories’ energy consumption, but now they’re less destructive to the environment.)

Makoto: (And I tore down all of the city in order to fix the infrastructure. I’ve widened the roads and improved traffic flow…)

Makoto: (I’ve built more parks, improving the citizens’ living conditions. The ambiance in the city should be much better now, but…)

Makoto: (It’s nowhere near ideal. There’s just not enough time.)

Makoto: (I feel like the career system... or rather, the idol activities that are being organized because of it are getting in the way of the development of the city.)

Makoto: (When they’re called upon, the avatars automatically start prioritizing idol activities.)

Makoto: (Their training takes up a lot of time, and when people gather for concerts, they end up leaving a big mess in the city...)

Makoto: …

Makoto: Maybe I should make the avatar ‘me’ leave Trickstar.

Makoto: I feel like their idol activities wouldn’t really change, even if ‘I’ wasn’t there. I’m sure ‘I’ would have more to contribute in terms of city building.

Makoto: The others might be a little disappointed, but I feel like this is the better option…

Makoto: But my eyelids feel so heavy… I can’t……

TL notes:

This is a standard expression used when greeting someone who has been working.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Virtuality and Ideals/Chapter 4

Previous chapter

<Several days later. In the fictitious city “FREEDOM”, the central area.>

Makoto: Everyone’s areas are so interesting～

Makoto: As a gaming enthusiast, I can’t let them leave me behind♪

Subaru: Yaho, yaho. So you’re hanging out over here again, Ukki～.

Subaru: Actually, I feel like every time I log on, you’re here too. Are you getting enough sleep?

Makoto: Ahaha. Every time I log out, I just get too curious about how the city is doing. I can’t help but check it whenever I have a spare moment.

Subaru: Hmm. Sounds like you’re pretty obsessed with FREEDOM.

Subaru: ...Huh? Look here. Hokke～’s avatar and yours are chatting.

Makoto: The city is pretty developed by now, so they might be talking about idol activities.

Makoto: Hmm? But don’t they seem a little upset…?

<In Makoto’s section, in front of the district council’s office>

Makoto: “...Hidaka-kun, you’re causing a disturbance by riding your dinosaur around here.

Makoto: “You’re scaring the locals, and we don’t have any parking lots that can accommodate dinosaurs.”

Hokuto: “My apologies. But there is something I simply can’t accept.”

Hokuto: “A mess of factory buildings suddenly appeared in the land that I cleared. Those factories all belong to your district, don’t they?”

Makoto: “Yes. That’s because all the buildings in this district are for the purpose of enriching the citizens’ lives. Like museums and movie theaters.”

Makoto: “I’ve decided to construct all of the buildings that could affect them negatively outside of my district.”

Makoto: “But I haven’t broken any rules. I’ve been compensating you fairly for all the land that I use.”

Makoto: “You should be able to feed even your dinosaur the most delicious foods, right?”

Hokuto: “That might be true, but…”

Mao: “...Whoaaaaah!?”

Subaru: “We’re here～☆ Another excellent performance from JuSt Go¹. Good job!”

Mao: “Y-Your car is so fast, it scared the hell out of me… I thought that was gonna be the end of me…”

Subaru: “Ahaha. You’re overreacting～. People don’t die that easily♪”

Makoto: “Akehoshi-kun, and Isara-kun too. Welcome to my district. Is there something you need?”

Mao: “Oh, yeah. Thanks to you, I’ve got big problems over at my place. You see…”

Mao: “No, wait. It might be faster to just show you. Get in the car with us, you two.”

Hokuto: “Me as well?”

Subaru: “Yeah. We’re at our wit’s end～. With more people, we might be able to think of a better solution.”

Subaru: “C’mon, get in! Oh, or do you wanna ride your dinosaur there?”

Hokuto: “No. I’ll just have it wait here. I don’t want to put it in danger, after all.”

Hokuto: “Be good and wait here for me, Dinosaur.”

Makoto: “So its name is ‘Dinosaur’, huh.”

<Several minutes later. In the center of Mao’s district.>

Makoto: “Wh-What happened here…? There’s a bunch of zombies running around…”

Subaru: “And it’s not just here! Sari～’s entire district is overrun by zombies! It’s hilarious. Ahahahaha☆”

Mao: “It’s not funny. This happened because of the toxic waste from Makoto’s district.”

Mao: “Thankfully, they’re not attacking anyone, but my entire population suddenly started acting weird, and my city fell into ruin overnight.”

Mao: “The goods from your factories are helpful, so I’m not trying to blame you, but I can’t just let things go on like this.”

Mao: “Please help me think of a way to de-zombify them.”

Hokuto: “Zombies, huh. In “The Re*ned”² they cure them with a special drug.”

Hokuto: “...Fumu³. There don’t seem to be any research labs around here that we could use to develop a cure. We might have to build one.”

Makoto: “You think so? I feel like there might be more than one way to solve this, though.”

Subaru: “Hmm, a special drug, huh…?”

Subaru: “Oh, I know! Idol performances!”

Makoto: “Idol performances?”

Subaru: “Yeah. I’ve heard people say that idol performances are a cure for all ails!”

Subaru: “And idols get more powerful when they form units.”

Subaru: “In other words, if we form a unit, we can become a wonder drug...☆”

Makoto: I see. So that’s why the idol career’s job skill is classified under ‘healing’.

Makoto: “I’ll help out, if you want. I can’t leave an area that looks like this to its fate.”

Makoto: “Let’s see. Making a request to form a unit... works like this, right?”

Makoto: “Oh! My and Akehoshi-kun’s uniforms just changed.”

Subaru: “It looks like we’ve successfully formed a unit! C’mon, join us, Hokke～ and Sari～♪”

Mao: “Uhm… Like this?”

Hokuto: “Yes. We were able to register as a part of the unit as well.”

Subaru: “Nice, nice! I like this uniform! I feel like it fits me to a T☆”

Subaru: “Alright, let’s start singing and dancing like idols do! To de-zombify everyone!”

Subaru: “It’s funny. I feel kinda nostalgic for some reason. Maybe becoming an idol is what I was born for.”

Subaru: “I’m having so much fun right now! Ahahahaha☆”

TL notes:

Subaru named his supercar “レッツ号” It’s a pun. The pronunciation is “let’s go”, but the “go” is written with a kanji that is used as a suffix in ship and airplane names. So essentially he called his car the “JS Let’s Go” (so we went for: JuSt Go).

I’m fairly sure he’s referring to the 2013 zombie movie “The Returned”.

Hokuto uses this interjection a lot. Depending on the context it can mean something like “hmm”, “aha”, “right”, “I see” or “hum”.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

hey just wanted to let you know i really appreciate your translations ^^ keep up the good work!

That's really nice to hear! ^^ Hopefully I'll be able to continue this schedule of a chapter a day!

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Virtuality and Ideals/Chapter 3

Previous chapter

<At the same time. The wasteland in Subaru’s district>

Subaru: “Fufufu～. I managed to get a supercar♪”

Subaru: “It’s time to start the engine and floor it! Onward, JuSt Go!¹”

Subaru: “Woweee! I’m one with the wind～! Ahahahaha☆”

Subaru: “Ukki～’s district shouldn’t be far from here. I can go check it out, and show off my car while I’m at it♪”

Subaru: “I’ll just look up Ukki～‘s location coordinates. Clickity clack… There.”

<Ten minutes later. A cave in Makoto’s district>

Makoto: “...Ah, my stamina gauge just turned red. I should take a break before I pass out.”

Makoto: “Maybe I can sort out my item box while I wait for my stamina to regenerate. I should use my time as efficiently as possible.”

Makoto: “This cave is rich in resources, so my item box fills up in no time.”

Makoto: “I need to raise my development skill and produce more transport and mining robots.”

Makoto: “But that also requires more resources. This is keeping me busy.”

Makoto: “Fufu, this is one of my strong suits. I can get totally absorbed in it for hours. I’m such a gamer...♪”

Subaru: “Wahooooooo☆”

Makoto: “Whoa! A mechanical monster!?”

Subaru: “Ahaha! It’s me! Just me, Akehoshi Subaru～☆”

Subaru: “Ukki～, what’re you doing in a place like this?”

Makoto: “Oh, it’s just you, Akehoshi-kun… I’m gathering resources. You can find some pretty rare materials around here.”

Subaru: “Oh-hoh, that sounds like a sweet deal～. Lemme join, lemme join～☆” Makoto: “Uhrm～? But isn’t there a cave like this in your district, Akehoshi-kun?”

Subaru: “It’s much faster if we share the workload and mine together☆”

Subaru: “Let me just equip my pickaxe～. Hey-ho, hey-ho...♪”

Makoto: Ahaha, Akehoshi-kun, your avatar just started mining without permission.

Subaru: Your avatar is just laughing and allowing it, saying: “I guess this is fine.” He’s just like the real you. It’s so realistic.

Makoto: Yeah. He even plays the game like I would. It’s baffling.

Makoto: By the way, how did he get that supercar?

Subaru: I’m not sure. My avatar was just fishing, and then it suddenly appeared in his item box.

Subaru: He continued fishing for a while after that, but nothing else like that happened.

Makoto: Really? Hmm. I’m not sure what caused it, but that must be a bug.

Makoto: How fun. I love finding those kinds of exploits.

Subaru: If something like that happens again, I’ll let you know! That ‘me’ looks like he's having lots of fun with that supercar.

Subaru: Especially because I can’t actually drive in real life～. Looking at this makes me want to get my license!

Makoto: I’d love to try driving too, but I’m too afraid of getting into an accident. That’s why I’ve been substituting by playing racing games in arcades.

Subaru: Oh, that sounds fun～. Now I wanna go to an arcade!

Subaru: How funny～, I’m getting excited about playing other games while playing this one. Ahaha☆

Makoto: By the way. If you level up once more, you’ll get to choose a career. Which one are you thinking about picking, Akehoshi-kun?

Subaru: Me? The idol career, of course. Is there any other choice? You’re gonna choose it too, right?

Makoto: Ahaha. Was that a stupid question? Yeah, I’m planning on picking the idol career too.

Makoto: It’s probably not the most effective career to choose, but I’m curious to see what my life as an idol will look like in this world.

Subaru: Yeah, yeah. I can’t wait to see how our avatars’ lives will turn out. An idol’s potential is limitless!

Subaru: I’m sure Hokke～ and Sari～ will pick the idol career as well! I can’t even imagine a reality in which we’re not idols, after all☆

<Several days later. In the real world, Trickstudio>

Mao: ...It’s been a while since we changed our avatars’ jobs to idol, but they’re not doing any idol-like activities at all～

Mao: All my avatar is doing is helping out the local population.

Hokuto: You’re right. My avatar tamed a dinosaur and is using it to clear the forest, while Akehoshi’s avatar is still obsessed with the construction of his theme park.

Hokuto: Although he’s constantly dealing with power outages.

Subaru: Yeah, because a theme park consumes a boatload of energy. Building it was so easy, but maintaining it turned out to be a lot harder.

Makoto: Would you like me to share some of my power with you? I’ll charge a friendly rate♪

Subaru: Whoa. Ukki～, you’re pulling a face like a crafty businessman!

Makoto: Fufu. That’s because operating a power plant requires resources. Exchanging the power for money would keep the transaction as simple as possible, don't you think?

Makoto: In any case. I’m also curious why our avatars won’t engage in idol activities…

Makoto: …but looking at it from the perspective of their feelings and the goal of the game, they might just be prioritizing the development of the city.

Makoto: So once they manage to get their lives on track, I’m sure they’ll start to devote themselves to their idol activities.

Makoto: Each of our areas is starting to show its unique characteristics. I’m curious to see how each of them will end up looking...♪

TL note:

Subaru named his supercar “レッツ号” It’s a pun. The pronunciation is “let’s go”, but the “go” is written with a kanji that is used as a suffix in ship and airplane names. So essentially he called his car the “JS Let’s Go” (so we went for: JuSt Go).

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

As an aside: I decided to change the word "section" I previously used to "district". I also edited the previous chapter to keep it consistent.

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Virtuality and Ideals/Chapter 2

Previous chapter

Eichi: ...In just a few hours, your city has crumbled, and the world has fallen into ruin. Congratulations ♪

Makoto: This is no cause for celebration…! Waaah, how could this have happened～!?

Mao: I’m feeling the same. When I looked away for just a moment, the city hall I worked so hard on became an empty lot again…

Hokuto: What a shame.

Mao: No, no, this is your and Subaru’s fault, you know!? You just randomly started building those giant towers.

Subaru: Huh? Why is it my fault?

Subaru: We had plenty of money, so I just picked the tower – the most expensive structure in the build menu – and started building it.

Subaru: Hokke～ is the one who got all competitive about it and decided to build an even taller tower than me.

Hokuto: No, it’s definitely your fault. That tower you built violated my neighbourhood’s right to sunshine.

Hokuto: I built my tower as an indirect way to point that out to you, but I couldn’t have predicted that it would end in mutual destruction.

Eichi: The screams for help sounded like those from a monster movie, didn’t they?

Eichi: Since it was just a trial run, I did consider picking a good moment to drop a meteorite on your city and just force the game to end.

Eichi: But I never expected you to self-destruct. This doesn’t bode well for you.

Eichi: In any case, you should have an understanding of the basics now. I hope you will reflect on your mistakes and endeavor to build a better city next time.

Subaru: Okay. We’ll do our best.

Subaru: Sari～, think of a good idea for me☆

Mao: Huh? Why the sudden request?

Subaru: You’re the Student Council President, right? I bet you’re good at this sort of stuff♪

Mao: I was the Student Council President. What kind of job do you think that is?

Mao: This kind of stuff is the job of important people like mayors. Or – since it’s a city-building game – people who are good at gaming.

Mao: Like Tenshouin-senpai said, out of Trickstar’s members, Makoto's probably the best suited for this.

Hokuto: Right. We’ll be counting on you, Yuuki.

Makoto: Ahaha. I’m happy you trust me, but now there’s a feeling of pressure.

Mao: Don’t feel like you’ve gotta do it all alone, okay? We have no intention of offloading our work onto you.

Makoto: Thanks. And I’ll try to get the hang of the game as soon as possible, so we can all play leisurely.

Makoto: The purpose is to develop one city with the four of us, but until we get used to that, there’s a high risk that we all try to build stuff in the same spot.

Makoto: And we want to try to avoid one person ruining things for another like what happened earlier. How about we each pick one of the wind directions for now and try to build up some experience in our own little corner?

Subaru: That’s a great idea. Let’s do that☆

Subaru: Alright! Let’s build the shiniest city in the world～. Ay, ay, oh♪

<Several days later. In the fictitious city “FREEDOM”, Mao’s district>

Makoto: Hello～ Isara-kun, I’ve come by to hang out～♪

Mao: Welcome to my humble abode. Make yourself at home♪

Makoto: Wow, it sure is humble. Did you tear down a lot of buildings in one go?

Mao: Nope. It looked like this from the start. Both me and my avatar are at our wit’s end, but it’s not like I can just sit here and do nothing, so I decided to just gather resources for now. How about you?

Makoto: I’ve been rearranging the buildings in my district, and I just built a power plant.

Mao: Power plant?

Makoto: Yeah. Electricity is indispensable for the development of civilization, so it’s the most basic of basic strategies for these kinds of games.

Mao: Ooh. I didn’t know that.

Mao: ...Hey. I just took a peek at the data, and it looks like your population count is going down by quite a bit.

Makoto: That’s because I’m prioritizing the development of the area. The most efficient way to do that is to decrease the number of residential buildings, and build power plants instead.

Makoto: Fewer people also means fewer grievances, which makes it easier to govern them. It’s a case of two birds with one stone.

Mao: That’s so cold-blooded…! But I guess this type of game really draws out people’s characters.

Mao: Subaru said something along the lines of “I want to make it a city that revolves around idols”. What is it called again? “SANCTUARY”?

Mao: He was building something like that amusement park Tenshouin-senpai opened.

Mao: And Hokuto being Hokuto, he’s working hard on building his district of the city, even though he’s not very good at it. It’s a bit of a mess, but I liked seeing how he was doing things by trial and error.

Mao: The problem is trying to predict the avatars’ actions. Just like the real Trickstar, they’re way too unpredictable…

<A while later. Mao’s district, periphery>

Mao: “...Hey, Hokuto. We’ve been walking at a steady pace for a while now…”

Mao: “...but everything here looks the same. Are you sure we’re not lost?”

Hokuto: “I’m sure. We’re completely lost. And I have no idea which way we came from, either.”

Mao: “Don’t say that with so much confidence～! You should’ve told me as soon as you noticed we were lost. I just followed you without a second thought.”

Hokuto: “It’s alright. My grandma taught me a foolproof solution for when you’re lost.”

Mao: “Your grandma sure seems to know everything…”

Hokuto: “Yes. There is no truth about this world that she does not know.”

Hokuto: “It’s called ‘the left-hand rule’. If you put your left hand against the wall and follow that wall, you will eventually arrive at the exit.”

Hokuto: “Apparently it also works with your right hand. In any case, we should just pick a hand and follow it.”

Mao: “Why are you talking about walls? There’s nothing but trees around us.”

Mao: “Plus, I’ve only read it in a manga, so I’m not sure about this, but isn’t the left-hand rule meant as a solution to mazes?”

Hokuto: “…”

Hokuto: “It’ll be alright. Just follow me.”

Mao: “What’s with that baseless confidence? That just makes me more anxious…!”

Mao: “...Hm? Wait a sec, Hokuto. I see something over there.”

Mao: “Whoa, it’s a dinosaur…! Let’s get out of here before it sees us!”

Hokuto: “No. We should tame it and make it our friend. Riding it will be faster than walking, and by climbing its long neck, we should be able to get our bearings.”

Hokuto: “I never thought I’d be able to find a dinosaur by using the left-hand method. Grandma’s teachings are truly amazing.”

Mao: “I’m the one who spotted the dinosaur, though…?”

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Virtuality and Ideals/Chapter 1

Previous chapter

Eichi: ...In any case, now I’ve chided you lightly, in a way befitting the start of the fiscal new year¹, it’s time to get to the point.

Mao: (quietly) That was lightly?

Makoto: (quietly) Ahaha. I felt like it was rather heavy.

Eichi: I’d love to engage in more idle chatter, but that will have to wait until another time…

Eichi: Anzu-chan, would you be so kind as to hand out the documents I gave you to them?

Hokuto: “City Building Plans ‘FREEDOM’”?

Eichi: Indeed. There are plans to build a new city from scratch in a certain location, and I would like the four of you to lend a hand.

Subaru: Build a city? You want us to level a piece of land and start building houses?

Eichi: Yes. Work like that might be involved as well.

Makoto: Urk. That doesn’t really seem like work for a weak-bodied gamer like me…

Eichi: On the contrary. I think you’re actually the one who is suited for this job the most, Makoto-kun.

Eichi: Because we’re actually talking about a virtual simulation. The four of you will be building a fictitious city in a game.

Makoto: A virtual simulation? Then what is this “certain location” you mentioned...?

Eichi: A private online server. Did you really think they would leave the construction of a real, physical city to a bunch of young idols who only just graduated high school?

Subaru: Aww, and here I was thinking we’d get to drive excavators and bulldozers. Too bad☆

Mao: What are you on about? You don’t even have qualifications or a license for that kind of stuff♪

Hokuto: ...According to the documents, Anzu is in charge of this project, but will she be involved with building the city as well?

Eichi: No, it’s nothing more than a formal title. Anzu-chan won’t have anything to do with building the city.

Eichi: She will be there to manage you. I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable having her do that, rather than myself.

Makoto: Hmm. Just having us play a game? What a strange request. Though, as a gamer, I’m not going to complain…?

Makoto: Oh! This company…

Subaru: Ukki～ why are you staring at the list of supporting companies? Did you spot Wakame-san’s name on there?

Makoto: Wh-Why would Izumi-san’s name be on there?

Makoto: I just spotted the name of a game company I know. It’s an experienced developer who has made lots of city-building sims.

Makoto: I’ve heard that their most recent games are so realistic that they even got recognition from professionals. Apparently, they’re even being used as infrastructure simulation tools.

Makoto: A few years back there was a rumor that they were working on a new game that would make use of AI. Could this job offer be a playtest or a PR stunt for that game?

Eichi: Sure. You could see it like that.

Eichi: The remuneration is outlined in the proposal. The agency will provide all the materials you will need. What do you think? Would you accept this job offer?

Hokuto: ...I guess we could. It’s not like we have other pressing jobs right now, and we don’t have any particular reason to refuse.

Subaru: Yup. I’m not sure what we’re gonna be doing exactly, but if Anzu is there, I’m not worried.

Subaru: It actually sounds like fun☆ I second that～♪

Mao: Ahaha. Here we go again, jumping right in without a plan, huh～?

Mao: But according to the documents, there’s also a life sim element to the game. It'd be nice if we could learn a thing or two through playing the game.

Makoto: Video games aren’t just a pastime, after all. We’ll do our best to be of use.

Eichi: I’m glad you’re all so positive about it. Well then, I’ll give you an introduction by launching the game on this PC.

Eichi: ...This is the virtual space that has been prepared for you.

Mao: Huh? But isn’t this city finished already? It doesn’t look like there’s anything for us to do.

Eichi: It’s actually unfinished. Please, build and tear down buildings in whichever way you want.

Hokuto: It looks like there are people living in this city. It might be a game, but I’d feel bad about changing their environment…

Hokuto: Hm? Did I just see a tiny Akehoshi?

Subaru: Oh? Where?

Makoto: I see him, too. Why is he crouching in the middle of the street?

Mao: It looks like he found a sparkly little orb. He’s jumping up and down excitedly, just like the real Subaru would.

Eichi: I’m glad you noticed. This game actually has an AI.

Eichi: Avatars of Trickstar that are based on your habits and profiles are living freely in this city.

Hokuto: That only makes me more reluctant to change their environment, you know?

Eichi: Now, now. It’s just a virtual reality, so please keep that in mind. And it might be called a game, but there isn’t actually that much the player can do.

Eichi: What the player can influence are the mechanics pertaining to the development of the city, and the avatars’ career selection. The rest is up to the avatars themselves.

Eichi: The player can’t manipulate the avatars’ actions or emotions. You could call it a “god’s pov”.

Eichi: When the player wants to influence the game, they need in-game currency. In a standard game, you can only gain this currency through the management of your city…

Eichi: ...but to let you get used to the mechanics, I’ll provide you with a generous amount of funds for now.

Eichi: Alright. It’s time to play...♪

TL note:

“年度” is the Japanese word for the fiscal year. Unlike in most western countries, the Japanese fiscal year usually runs from April 1 to March 31, and coincides with the school year.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

Build! Freedom packed with ideals! - FREEDOM - Prologue

<Spring of the second year since ES was established, “Trickstudio”>

Makoto: I’m back～♪ Sorry for making you wait.

Makoto: I noticed that I was hungry, so I got us all a hamburger menu. The one with the limited edition side dish—

Makoto: Huh? What’s that red beam of light on the wall?

Subaru: Don’t move, Ukki～!

Subaru: If you touch the light beam, you’ll be turned into a cute plushie! Just like this!

Makoto: That plushie, is it supposed to be Isara-kun? It’s so cute～♪

Makoto: But I don’t think it’s possible for people to turn into plushies. We’re not in a sci-fi movie, after all.

Makoto: …Ooh, were you trying to set up a bit with that!? Let me think for a moment, I’ll play along!

Makoto: This plushie looks just like Isara-kun! And here I thought you were just kidding.

Makoto: Have I ended up in a different reality while I was out shopping? Or could this be a dream?

Subaru: No. Sadly, this is reality. Apparently, this is the result of extra security measures in the building.

Makoto: Hng, Isara-kun… Even if you’ve turned into a plushie, nothing can destroy our friendship. I’ll always be your friend, Isara-kun!

Hokuto: …Yuuki. Why are you standing in the doorway? Are you having trouble getting in?

Makoto: Oh, Hidaka-kun.

Hokuto: Hm? What’s with this red beam…?

Makoto: No, Hidaka-kun, don’t do it! If you touch that beam, you too will get turned into a plushie—

Hokuto: Turned into a plushie? What are you talking about?

Subaru: Jeez, Hokke～. You never play along with our bits. You killjoy, you～

Hokuto: Don’t prod me with your elbow. What on earth are you two doing?

Subaru: We got a new lamp, so we were pretending to be in a sci-fi movie☆

Subaru: That light beam is just from a lamp. If you press this button, it’ll project Trickstar’s logo onto the floor, like this.

Mao: It’s quite fun, and it was on sale, so we ended up buying it. Though, it’ll probably lose its novelty pretty soon.

Makoto: Oh, Isara-kun. So you were on the second floor.

Makoto: What’s with this plushie? It’s an adorable little caricature of you. Did you buy this somewhere as well?

Mao: It’s a sample of a plushie that will be sold as merch soon. Anzu just came by to drop it off.

Hokuto: Is Anzu here too?

Subaru: No, she left again right away. Apparently she was needed somewhere else.

Mao: Exactly. There wasn’t even any time to make her some tea～

Makoto: Oh. I wonder if Anzu is just as busy as ever this year.

Makoto: She graduated from Yumenosaki, so I figured we would have more time with her than last year, but I guess not.

Subaru: Despite the fact that the four of us are hanging out in the Trickstudio almost daily～

Subaru: Speaking of. We’ve managed to spruce this place up quite a lot. We’ve added lots of decorations, and it’s starting to look like a true hideout…☆

Mao: That’s because you keep showing up with more sparkly things, Subaru～. Anyway, I hope Anzu finds this place cozy too.

Mao: Because the Trickstudio is meant for her as well♪

Hokuto: …Speak of the devil. I just got a message from Anzu.

Hokuto: Apparently she wants us to come to the StarPro office. It seems that Tenshouin-senpai has business with us.

Subaru: What kind of business?

Hokuto: No clue. Apparently Anzu doesn’t know the details either.

Hokuto: We know who we’re dealing with. I can’t say I have a very good feeling about this, but it’s not like overthinking it is going to help us.

Makoto: Yeah. Nothing in particular comes to mind.

Makoto: In two hours, huh? Then I guess we’ll have time to eat lunch first.

Mao: Sounds good. The smell of junk food in here is making my stomach growl～

Mao: Let’s eat up before it gets cold. Itadakima～su♪

<Two hours later. StarPro’s office>

Subaru: Oh, there’s Eichi-senpai. And Anzu is here too! Yaho, yaho～♪

Eichi: Yaa. I’ve been waiting for you, Trickstar.

Eichi: It’s already April, so this might be belated, but… Congratulations on your graduation.

Hokuto: Thank you. Did you make us come all the way here just to tell us that?

Eichi: Of course not. I don’t have that much free time.

Eichi: While you may no longer be students, a new year has started. As the president of StarPro, I would like to ask you what your plans for the future are.

Subaru: Wow, this feels like one of those student-teacher meetings at school. The future, huh? Hmm…?

Subaru: How about one that’s “bright, fun and lively”?

Eichi: What is that? It’s such a vague idea that it sounds like a slogan.

Subaru: How about “great financial growth”? Or “immaculate health”?

Eichi: Both are important, but neither are the kind of answer I’m looking for.

Eichi: You’re no longer a bunch of fresh new idols who are still wet behind the ears. You should at least set a clear goal for yourselves.

Mao: Ahaha, I’m so sorry… But we can’t just think of something like that on the spot. We’re always just flying by the seat of our pants, after all.

Hokuto: That’s right. Even if we draw up a detailed plan, we always end up in one predicament or another anyway.

Hokuto: Dealing with stumbling blocks on our path and overcoming obstacles that stand in our way is simply our way of doing things.

Subaru: Ooh, Hokke～ you’re so cool～♪ Woo～ woo～☆

Eichi: Come, now. Don’t try to glorify not having any plans.

Eichi: I was already worried that you guys would have this mindset. You should look at yourselves a little more objectively.

Eichi: There are children all over the world who want to become idols because Trickstar are their role models. Now is the time for you to set a good example.

Eichi: I’m not saying you have to become perfectly orderly and exemplary. I’ve experienced firsthand how difficult it is to rein you in, after all.

Eichi: But still. You need to at least put in considerable effort in order to avoid disappointing those who look up to you.

Eichi: Because you are shining idols¹ that are physical representations of their hopes and dreams.

TL note:

Eichi used the word 偶像 here, which literally means “idol” (a statuette to worship). But there was the reading “アイドル” (aidoru) behind it in parentheses, so it carries a double meaning, similar to how the English word “idol” carries a double meaning.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[hoshibatake]

Hi guys, I'm gonna put Sunflower Live on hold for a couple weeks, because I'll be translating the new Trickstar event story!

[hoshibatake]

Sunflower Live - Chapter 12

Previous chapter

Downtown

Subaru: Thank you so much in advance～!

Subaru: Fufu. It’s so nice of the shop assistant to take the T-shirts and handkerchiefs to the academy for us, isn’t it!

Mao:��…

Subaru: Sari～? Don’t ignore me! It makes me sad when you ignore me, you know～?

Mao: S-Sorry. I was fully zoning out, because I’m feeling a little sleep deprived.

Subaru: Sleep deprived? Oh, I get it! You were probably playing games well into the night like Ukki～ tends to do, right?

Subaru: It’s not good to let your hobbies get in the way of your sleep schedule, you know～? It’s better to only spend an hour a day on video games!

Mao: Ahaha… I wasn’t staying up to play games though. I was mulling something over in my head and before I knew it, the sun was rising.

Subaru: Hmm. Should I not pry any further?

Mao: What are you talking about? You’re usually up in everyone’s business, so it’s rare for you to hold back like that.

Subaru: Even I know how to be considerate～ Or, I guess it would be more accurate to say I’ve learned how to be considerate.

Subaru: Oh, oops. We were so busy talking that we almost walked right past the shop we were headed for. We can get the rest of the supplies we need at this art supply store, right?

Subaru: Excuse us～!

Mao: (Subaru went right inside. I’m glad he didn’t start grilling me about it, but now it seems like I’m keeping secrets, and that makes me feel guilty…)

Mao: (No wait, I was actually keeping secrets and Makoto found out in the worst way possible.)

Mao: (Maybe Makoto really didn’t tell Subaru and Hokuto. The Sunflower live is right around the corner, so they might not find out at all.)

Mao: (But there’s no guarantee that they won’t. And will we be alright when things between me and Makoto are this awkward?)

Mao: (Makoto is mad at me, and Ritsu is fed up with me. Haven’t I learned my lesson by now? How many times are you gonna repeat the same mistake, Isara Mao…?)

<A couple minutes later>

Subaru: Heave… ho! Well, we bought all the stuff we needed, so let’s go back to school☆

Mao:  Subaru.

Subaru: Hm? What’s up, Sari～? What’s with the serious face…?

Mao: There’s something I want to tell you��

Mao: When I told you the president lent us the money, you asked me whether there were any special conditions, right?

Mao: He actually set another condition, aside from Trickstar becoming number one during the concert.

Mao: …That second condition was that we need to be the most profitable booth as well.

Mao: And if we fail to meet either of those conditions, I’ll have to dedicate myself to Hibiki-senpai for the rest of the summer.

Mao: I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before…! I just didn’t want to worry you guys more than I had to.

Mao: Makoto happened to overhear me talking about it with Ritsu… and he got mad at me for not telling you guys.

Subaru: I see… I already thought things felt a little off between Ukki～ and you. So that’s what happened. That makes sense.

Mao: H-Huh? Are you not upset that I kept a secret from you despite us being friends?

Subaru: I’m sure Ukki～ gave you enough of an earful already. And I was the one who insisted that we participate in the Sunflower live.

Subaru: You were just trying to grant my wishes, so I can’t really be upset with you for that.

Subaru: So, it’s water under the bridge! Oh, but you should tell Hokke once we get back.

Subaru: If we manage to sell the most at our booth, your summer will be safe and sound, right? That means right now I should be putting my energy into giving it my all instead of getting upset!

Subaru: Ahaha! I feel even more pumped now! Ay, ay, oh～♪

Subaru: C’mon, repeat after me, Sari～!

Mao: Yeah. …Thanks, Subaru.

Mao: Ay, ay, oh♪

Classroom 2-A

Hokuto: …Huh? Anzu?

Hokuto: Fumu. So you came to school to work on the costumes we’ll be wearing during the Sunflower live.

Hokuto: Hm? Whether it’s just us two? Oh, Akehoshi and Isara are doing some shopping. Me and Yuuki are on the design team, so we stayed behind.

Hokuto: We were about to start thinking of a design for the T-shirts, so we’d be more than happy to get some advice from you.

Hokuto: It’s called the Sunflower live, so maybe a drawing of a sunflower would be good…? Give me a second. I’ll try drawing a sunflower.

Hokuto: ～…♪

Makoto: Hidaka-kun, you’re so good at that～ It looks just like a real sunflower♪

Makoto: But it might be a little too realistic. Since it’ll be printed on a T-shirt, I think the fans would like something that looks a little more illustrated.

Makoto: What is it, Anzu-chan? Would you like to try drawing one?

Makoto: ...Wow, yours is so good, too～! It’s very cute, so I think the fans might like this.

Hokuto: That’s quite good, indeed. If we turn that sketch into a neat line drawing, that’ll be a good design concept.

Makoto: I think other booths might use sunflower designs as well... So we should probably put in a “Trickstar” element as well.

Makoto: What? We could make the leaves of the sunflower the different colors representing the members of Trickstar, you say?

Makoto: Sounds great! I’ll send Akehoshi-kun a message telling him to buy the necessary ink colors right away.

Makoto: *tap tap tap*... And send～♪

Hokuto: You always type so fast. That would have taken me more than twice as long as you, Yuuki.

Makoto: I’m always looking stuff up on my phone, so I’m used to typing on it～

Makoto: …Ahaha! Akehoshi-kun already replied♪

Makoto: Right, right… He wrote: “Will do. Someone from the store will bring by the T-shirts and handkerchiefs with their truck, so be ready to receive them!”

Makoto: Oh, I got another email. It says: “We’re picking up the last items now, so we’ll be on our way soon.”

Hokuto: Let’s make sure we incorporate Anzu’s pointers and finish up the design before they’re back.

Hokuto: It looks like it’ll be a typical Trickstar design, like I promised, so I can’t wait to see their reactions.

[hoshibatake]

Sunflower Live - Chapter 11

Previous chapter

School Route

<The next day, early morning>

Mao: (Haah… I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.)

Mao: (How can I even look Makoto in the eyes after what happened? No, not just Makoto. Subaru and Hokuto too.)

Mao:  (Makoto might have contacted the other two to let them know, so they’re probably just as angry with me as he is.)

Mao: (It’s all my fault, so I wouldn’t blame them for getting upset with me.)

Mao: (I’m used to apologizing. I’ll just have to square up and go see them.)

Classroom 2-A

Mao: Excuse me～♪

Mao: Ahaha, even though the classrooms look the same, visiting a different class makes me feel weirdly uneasy.

Mao: I guess you guys don’t feel like that, since you usually have classes here, huh～?

Subaru: Oh, so you finally showed up! You’re late, Sari～! You’re five minutes late!

Hokuto: Don’t lie to him. We just arrived early, is all. Isara is right on time.

Subaru: Huh!? Really? Yikes, I misremembered what time we agreed to meet again!

Hokuto: It’s no problem this time, right? If you’d be late, that’d be an issue, but it’s actually better to be a little early.

Makoto: Hm～ Though, others might need time to prepare, so if you’re much too early, that could also become a problem.

Mao: (H-Huh? They’re all acting anticlimactically normal?)

Mao: (Did Makoto not tell the rest yet? I want to ask him, but I feel like talking to him would be awkward right now.)

Hokuto: Well then, since we’re all here… Let’s start discussing our ideas without further delay.

Hokuto: I’ll go first. …Heheh, take a look at these. Maracas made from empty drink bottles♪

Subaru: Ooh! If you shake them to and fro, they make a fun sound! Shaka-shaka-shaka…☆

Hokuto: Right. I filled it with little pebbles I found a the beach.

Hokuto: Making these reminded me of how fun it was when I made them with my grandma when I was in primary school…

Hokuto: The fans can have fun shaking these simultaneously during the concert.

Makoto: You sure love your grandma, Hidaka-kun.

Makoto: Hmm… I know you must have fond memories about these, but they look a little too home-made if you ask me.

Subaru: Hey, if you don’t want them, can I have them? I’m sure Daikichi would love these!

Hokuto: It’s not that I don’t want them, but I’ll gift them to you if it will make Daikichi happy.

Subaru: Yaaay! Thanks, Hokke～! I’ll give them to Daikichi as soon as I get home!

Subaru: Okay, can I go next? Cause you see～ I made this sea glass themed photo stand!

Subaru: We’ll be selling photo cards, so there will probably be lots of customers who would also buy a photo stand to go with it!

Mao: Yeah, it has summery vibes, and I think selling photo stands in which to put the photo cards is a smart business decision.

Mao: It looks pretty professional as well, so I think it’s a great idea. What do you guys think?

Hokuto: I feel the same as Isara. That’s a surprisingly good idea coming from you, Akehoshi.

Subaru: I could’ve done without the “coming from you”, but whatever. I’m just glad my idea passed～!

Hokuto: We don’t have a lot of time, so let’s move on. Isara and Yuuki, you’re next. Which one of you wants to go first?

Mao: I’ll go first, then. I made this brooch out of sea glass.

Mao: Although, these seem hard to mass-produce… So this would probably be something we’d only do if we have time to spare.

Makoto: Well, uhm, I’ll go last I guess. My idea is to make screen-printed handkerchiefs.

Makoto: The idea came to me when I was putting the handkerchief I used to wipe the soda off my face in the washing machine～

Makoto: Oh, Hidaka-kun. Thanks for letting me borrow your handkerchief yesterday.

Hokuto: Fumu, you even ironed it for me. Thanks for returning it to me in such a neat state.

Hokuto: We were planning to screen-print the T-shirts, right?

Hokuto: In that case, we can just screen-print these too, while we’re at it. I think this is a good idea to adopt.

Mao: Well then, I guess we’ll be making sea glass photo stands and screen-printed handkerchiefs.

Mao: We’ll need to go buy the supplies we need to screen-print stuff, as well as handkerchiefs and T-shirts. And we’ll need to think of a design, of course.

Subaru: Me, me! I want to go shopping～!

Mao: Can I come with you? That’s a lot of stuff to carry, and it’s more fun to go together than to go alone, don’t you think?

Subaru: Yup! Let’s go together! Going alone might be lonely, but going together definitely won’t be!

Hokuto: Alright. Then Akehoshi and Isara will do the shopping, and Yuuki and I will start making a design.

Hokuto: Heheh. We’ll make it a typical Trickstar design, so you can look forward to that.

Next chapter