#kaorus google search..

[xketsuekix]

again with the accursed whiteboard doodles

[skyburger]

whos your favorite of the crusaders from part 3... i think i love baofu the most tbh

[gooeykit]

getting 2 kno u tag game

tagged by @marylizabetha

last song: Air Gear OST and Night On The Galactic Railroad soundtrack [they kinda blended together bc i was listening 2 both during class]

fav color: IN ORDER Purple, Orange, Yellow, Magenta. [honorary mention, green]

last show: homestar runner

sweet/savory/spicy: IDK thats a time an place type question

fav characters: Enzo Matrix, Andraia, Slash, Bluto, Chilchuck, Senshi, Kabru, Roxas, Neku Sakuraba, Daisuke Niwa, Buratino [2013 ver], Bat [fist of the north star], Knuckle the Echidna, Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat, manic the Hedgehog, Harry and Heather Mason, Lisa Garland, Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Sweetie Belle, Queen Chrysalis, Priss Asagiri¹, Nene Romanova², Vashnevskaya³ and ADAMA⁴ [bubblegum crisis], Hige¹, Toboe² and Ghel³ [wolf's rain], Buzz Nikvest, Ben¹, Gwen², Grandpa Max³, Albedo⁴, Hugh⁵ and Julie⁶ [ben 10], GraveHeart, Asriel Dreemurr, Chi and Youhei [chi's sweet home], Phil [promised neverland] Speed¹, Princess Lila², Miss Doctor³, Chip⁴, Gardener⁵, Choo-choo⁶, Cookie⁷, Sailor⁸, Tricks⁹, Choosy¹⁰, Little¹¹, Arnold¹², Pelican Pete¹³, Sport¹⁴, the one sun tot with a bell¹⁵ and Cool¹⁶ [stop the smoggies] NiGHTS and Reala, Isaac Clark, CJ7, Gabumon, Dororo, Hyakkimaru, Ash Williams, Youhei Sunohara, Tomoyo Sakagami, Tigatron, Optimus Primal, RatTrap, Scorponoc, Cheetor, Cheki¹, Kaiba², Chroniko³ and little girl with bird toy⁴ [kaiba 2008], Kosaku Tokita, Sweetie Bot, Mrs. Pepperpot, Kaoru Matsubara, Miyako Gotokuji, Kevin Kertsman, Woobeewoo¹, Viola², Susan Strong³, Frita⁴, Lee⁴, BMO⁵, Memow⁶ and Shoko⁷ [adventure time]

last google search: 'lion posing'

current obsession: girl you tell me... idek, im all over the place. UM i think reboot, popeye, bloody bunny, dunmeshi and perler beads. and homestar runner.

i dont rlly care 2 tag others bc i already know everyone i wanna know online besides u mary, lel

[noxiatoxia]

ok so this was going to be a Ha Ha funne comic about young hitachiins being stupid because theyre Kids get it they dont think about their words lol !but fuck that i need to talk about the fucking movie. i spent 2 days 2 full ass day searching for that god damn cinderella movie you see i found it by typing シンデレラ(cinderella) into youtube and searching by uploaded in that hour because im insane and i found a youtube video with like 0 views that was just a rip of some VHS or DVD animated short film and i thought it was funny because the step sisters were twins with orange hair ha ha just like the hitachiins wow funny . and then i go to find it again a few days later and the uploaders account was terminated. so im like fuck and i tried so fucking hard to find it but as you can imagine typing "cinderella animation dvd" in japanese into google gives you like 500000 results and i spent so fucking long trying to find this particular god damn movie i found like several other cinderella movies in the process. the next day i do the same thing but try VHS instead and i found this scan of the VHS box and it looked familiar so i went on a goosehunt for this particular cinderella movies just called cinderella from 1993 well actually it's "heartwarming masterpieces animated series 5: cinderella" and there was actually 0 info about it like fuck all not even a wikipedia page in japan nobody was talking about this fucking film 3 pages on google max. i found a fucking amazon page which btw was the only page that had the fucking image that had the vhs for 170,000 yen which is like $160 and im like so desperate at this point to find the cinderella lost media i think hm should i buy this like seriously . i consider going to reddit but as a last ditch effort i typed in the voice actresses name for cinderella in the film + cinderella and would yuo fucking look at that the first result is a nico video mirror from 2 YEARS AGO the whole fucking movie. anyways i have the fucker downloaded so i'll never lose it again that btich. anyways i headcanon this is kaoru's favorite japanese-native animated cinderella film. because i think after all this im allowed to have that headcanon. fuck this all

[s-a-i-s-a]

Hello again, dear fandom. I have received some interest in the discord server. However… I have thoughts and questions. This will probably read more like a journal entry than anything else.

—

TW/CW: CP, Watsuki

I continue to struggle with how much I personally want to engage with RK given that the author is still alive, profiting, and more than likely continuing his crimes behind closed doors.

My initial intention was to open up a discord that centered fan-created content, particularly queer content and discussion. Despite a series that literally has “romantic” in its title, I have always viewed Watsuki’s shallow handling of RK’s canon relationships and female characters to be, at best, incredibly unsatisfying. Now knowing what we know now, it’s not surprising. Kaoru, Misao, and Megumi deserved better.

Things like supporting official merch and pedo apologist arguments were not going to be welcome in the discord. Piracy is a thing, and the only somewhat acceptable way to consume RK at this point, in my opinion anyway. However, a quick google search will lead one to articles that suggest piracy can actually boost sales and market awareness. Thus, my cognitive dissonance continues.

The anime reboot, while aesthetically pleasing to look at, is also more faithful to the manga. And thus, closer to Watsuki. For some reason, I was hoping the anime reboot would distance itself from some of the problematic narrative choices that already existed in the manga. And now, as I am watching this reboot with different eyes, and with the knowledge of its creator’s unspeakable crimes, I’m beginning to see just how outdated the series and its tropes actually are. I can’t find a reason to justify its retelling, other than the occasional nostalgia-driven dopamine hit. But that’s not good enough. There are other stories that are much more deserving of being animated.

Meanwhile, the Hokkaido arc is barely worth mentioning. It’s garbage.

—

TW/CW: fan death

Additionally, as some hardcore saisa fans may already know, one of the most prolific saisa fanfic authors, Kuroiyousei, passed away about one year ago now. While they were not the only one still producing queer RK fan content (newer fanart can still be found on pixiv), the English-speaking queer fandom has essentially died along with them.

So where do we go from here? Do we, as queer and trans fans, try to reclaim what we can? Is that even possible? I ask all of this as someone for whom Rurouni Kenshin was my favorite series. Its depiction of Saitou Hajime, my favorite character. And saisa, my OTP. I have fond memories of all the friends and experiences I had in this fandom.

But there are other stories out there. Other saisa-adjacent pairings and ships to sail.

Still. It’s not the same. I can’t blame fans (including myself) for continuing to feel something for a story that has impacted them.

But these days when I look at the RK manga on my shelf, instead of fond fandom memories there’s this question in their place: Is this no longer worth saving?

[rolloz]

Now that I think about it, here were my first impressions of all my faves

Ritsu: Oh this one is gonna be my fave (I was right)

Leo: WHY IS HE SO TRAGIC??? WHY DID THEY HURT YOU???? WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MUCH TRAUMA???

Tsukasa: I like the way he says "Leader"

Arashi: She is perfect and she KNOWS. I want this level of self confidence

Izumi: This is the one everyone hates, I see. (And then I became part of that everyone)

Mika: This is the one everyone likes, I see. (And then I became part of that everyone)

Kaoru: OH NOOO HE'S JUST A LIL GUY HE IS SO DORK OH SOMEONE PLEASE HELP HIM

Natsume: Why does he speak like a Homestuck troll

Nagisa: Who put a sweet lost child in the body of a norse god

Kohaku: Why is the little pink one filled with so much spite

Madara: Me, googling Madara because he's a cute funny cowboy guy, top search results: "Has Madara Mikejima murdered someone?" Me: ":0"

[midnightpillsnacking]

[Loulou*di S3V1 L 3-4] Hana-Doll 3rd Season THINK OF ME:MONO Translation

Translation below the cut.

Google Drive link | Listen to the album on Spotify

Project Archive: L 3-4

Musumi's Colleague: Did you find him?

Musumi: Not at all.

Musumi's Colleague: Let’s search at the far end of the facility.

(Medical staff members run off)

Kaoru: Just why am I…? When did I arrive here?

(Kaoru walks down and opens a door)

Kaoru: There’s a garden all the way here? (hears some rustling noises, walks over to investigate) A teddy bear?

Toki: It’s my friend.

Kaoru: Is someone there?

Toki: Hmm? No, there’s nobody. No–body at all. It’s always been like that. I’m alone.

Kaoru: …Then, is it alright for me to be here today?

Toki: Eh? But…

Kaoru: If you’re not opposed to it, that is.

Toki: …But, but, it’ll be bad if someone finds me.

Kaoru: I won’t come any closer. In any case, I’ll sit down with my back towards you. That way, even if anyone comes through the door, they won’t be able to see you.

Toki: … I see. Mm, then it’s okay. I’ll let you.

Kaoru: Thank you very much.

Toki: …Say.

Kaoru: Yes?

Toki: Why are you here?

Kaoru: … I wonder why.

Toki: You don’t know?

Kaoru: I’m not very clear myself.

Toki: Hmm.

Kaoru: How about you? Why are you here?

Toki: … I don’t know either. When I woke up, I was in the car and I couldn’t move. It hurt, so I ran away.

Kaoru: Why?

Toki: I don’t want them to see me. They can’t ever know.

Kaoru: They can’t know?

Toki: If I’m in pain, they’ll be happy.

Kaoru: Happy? Just who do you mean? That’s…

Toki: My family.

Kaoru: Your family will be happy if you aren’t well?

Toki: Yeah.

Kaoru: No way…

Toki: That’s why… they can’t ever know. Nobody can know… the truth…

(Leaves rustle)

Kaoru: Are you alright?

Toki: Don’t come near me. I’m okay, I’m okay. That’s why, please, please, don’t throw me away…!

Kaoru: …….

Toki: Please, please! Don’t leave me…!

Kaoru: I’m right here.

Toki: … Your hand’s… warm.

Kaoru: Yes. I’m holding your hand. But, that’s all I’m going to do. You don’t want to be seen, right? Don’t worry.

Toki: … Mm.

Kaoru: I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.

Toki: (whimpers)

Kaoru: Besides, I won’t tell anybody. I’ll keep it a secret.

Toki: … Hey.

Kaoru: Yes?

Toki: Thank you.

Kaoru: Don’t mention it. I was just doing an imitation.

Toki: An imitation? Of what?

Kaoru: A long time ago, when I was struggling, some kind people held my hand. I really liked that.

Toki: Hmm.

Kaoru: They held my hand gently, told me it was going to be okay, and gave me sweet things to eat.

Toki: Sweet things? What kind?

Kaoru: All kinds. Pudding, cake, and macarons too.

Toki: Sounds tasty. I love sweet things.

Kaoru: Me too.

(Both of them giggle)

Toki: That sounds nice. If only I could have that too.

Kaoru: But…

Toki: Hmm?

Kaoru: That might have been a dream.

Toki: A dream?

Kaoru: Lately, I can’t tell just what are dreams and what is reality.

Toki: … Isn’t it okay for it to be either?

Kaoru: Either?

Toki: Mm. You get to feel sweet and nice either way.

Kaoru: (chuckles) You’re right.

Toki: Aren’t I?

Kaoru: Yes. Your hand’s all warm now.

Toki: Mm. The hurt’s gone.

Kaoru: That’s great.

Toki: I want to stay like this forever.

Kaoru: Yes, me too.

Toki: I wonder if this nice, warm feeling is all just a dream too.

Kaoru: Maybe it is.

Toki: Oh, that’s right. I remembered something. Wanna hear about it?

Kaoru: Of course.

Toki: I’ve always had amazing dreams.

Kaoru: What kind of dreams were they?

Toki: I was standing in the middle of sparkling light, being watched by a crowd of happy people. And, best of all, I wasn’t all. I was with the people I loved, and we were walking in that light together.

Kaoru: That sounds like a dazzling dream.

Toki: Yep. And then, I thought of something. That I could do anything. That’s when I realized that that pretty world was all just a dream.

Kaoru: What do you mean?

Toki: I’m a weak and pathetic human, so there hasn’t been a single thing I’ve been able to do right. I don’t even have the hope to wish for it.

Kaoru: Just because you couldn’t do it in the past, doesn’t mean you won’t be able to in the future. If you could do it in your dreams, then you can do it in reality.

Toki: Do you think so?

Kaoru: Yes. If you were really incapable of anything, then you wouldn’t even be able to dream in the first place. Dreams are proof that you know it in your heart. It’s precisely why you know that the possibility isn’t 0–you’ve seen that it could be done.

Toki: I see. It’ll be nice if it’s really like that.

(Sound of footsteps)

Musumi's Colleague: Over here!

Toki: (gasps) Someone’s here!

Kaoru: It’s okay. Stay calm.

Toki: What should I do? I don’t want to be caught, I don’t want to take that medicine anymore…!

Kaoru: Medicine?

Toki: It makes me feel all soft inside and I feel really good… I’m so scared of it! It makes me feel like I’ll lose myself!

Kaoru: Please leave this to me. Just stay and hide here.

(Kaoru walks over)

Kaoru: Um, excuse me.

Musumi's Colleague: You are…

Kaoru: I’m sorry for entering without permission. I got lost.

Musumi's Colleague: Shouldn’t you be in the Observation Room?

Kaoru: I’m done with the post-observation hearing, so I was heading back to the dorm. But I forgot how to go back while I was trying to leave.

Musumi's Colleague: Is that why you’re here?

Kaoru: Yes. It was dark and I couldn’t tell where I was going. I got scared, so I hid in the bushes.

Musumi's Colleague: So that’s how it is. You must have been terrified.

Kaoru: I’m really sorry for the trouble.

Musumi's Colleague: No, we apologize as well. We should have done a proper follow-up. Come, let’s head back.

Kaoru: Yes.

Musumi's Colleague: The car will drop you off near your dorm.

Kaoru: Thank you very much. By the way, well, about the–

Musumi's Colleague: If you’re referring to him, then rest assured.

Kaoru: Did you already find out?

Musumi's Colleague: There are many cameras in this place. There’s probably much more of those kinds of things around that you can imagine.

Kaoru: I see…

Musumi's Colleague: You had contact with him, didn’t you? Did you two talk?

Kaoru: … Just a little.

Musumi's Colleague: What do you think?

Kaoru: He seemed terribly lonely and it seemed like something awful happened to him. It’s like he didn’t want anyone to find out what really happened to him.

Musumi's Colleague: Do you think the both of you could get along?

Kaoru: I can’t tell. It was dark so I couldn’t see his face, and I didn’t manage to ask for his name. Anyway, even if we were able to meet again, I can’t say that I will recognize that it’s him.

Musumi's Colleague: Anything else strange you noticed? Did he say anything?

Kaoru: He said he didn’t want to take the medicine. He said it made him feel like he would lose himself. Um, I don’t know what exactly this medicine is, but, please, do you think you could hold back from administering it to him?

Musumi's Colleague: That’s–

Kaoru: I know fully well that I’m not in a place to ask something like that. But I think he was genuinely afraid. It wasn’t for show.

Musumi's Colleague: (sighs) I understand. We will take proper action.

Kaoru: Thank you very much.

Musumi's Colleague: Leave the rest to us. You should head back to the dorm. The security guard over there will see you to your vehicle.

Kaoru: Alright. Then, I’ll take my leave.

(Kaoru leaves. The medical staff makes a call)

Musumi's Colleague: Please send the Anthos* Doll back to the dorm. As for the remaining Doll, immediately secure him and send him to the treatment room.

Musumi: I apologize. I put too much trust in Kaoru-kun and ended up taking my eyes off him.

Musumi's Colleague: You’re lucky that it was him. He’s a Doll that’s normally honest and obedient. He’s not the type to lie.

Musumi: That’s right… at least, he gave off the vibe that you could trust him unconditionally.

Musumi's Colleague: It’s because within Anthos*, he’s the one that’s the closest to full bloom.

Musumi: Oh, so that’s what it is! The flower’s ability truly is amazing. I heard that he’s suffering from severe memory loss, but what does that have to do with the water?

Musumi's Colleague: Nothing at all. We haven’t administered water to Anthos*. That’s a special case from Dr Toudou.

Musumi: I see. I had no idea.

Musumi's Colleague: It truly is our blessing in disguise this time. In that state, it’s only a matter of time before he forgets everything that happened today.

(The staff head back inside)

Musumi's Colleague: More importantly, we have the one from Loulou*di to worry about. If we don’t start regulating his condition before the next live show…

Musumi: The next live show… is another lavish one, isn’t it?

Musumi's Colleague: That’s right. It’s next week.

Musumi: Can we make it?

Musumi's Colleague: We’ve got no other choice. Right now we’ve only got the water to fall back on, but there’s still cause for concern. Live shows have a great impact when it comes to emotional state.

Musumi: But live shows are also a source for a lot of positive emotions, right? In any case both the mind and body will stabilize, so there’s the possibility that the need for water can be weaned off.

Musumi's Colleague: That’s all just a facade.

Musumi: What do you mean?

Musumi's Colleague: Just who gets to decide whether emotions are positive or negative?

Musumi: ‘Who’...?

Musumi's Colleague: Is the seed capable of judgment and thought?

Musumi: But… That’s what it says on the written material.

Musumi's Colleague: Emotions that leave an impact will influence the flower’s development. That much is true. But, that’s all it does. Do you think that the emotions experienced by a 20-something-year-old being cheered on by a large crowd of people is something that it can imitate?

Musumi: That’s…

Musumi's Colleague: By administering the water, we can complete the flower’s development and give it flesh and blood that can be controlled. However, in exchange, whatever human emotion that’s there dies. An eternal beauty is preserved, but can we really say that what remains is living? I’m no expert in philosophy, so unfortunately I can’t open myself to that discussion.

Musumi: Then, what if we just leave the seed in for a short period of time and just remove it after? How about transferring the same seed between different people? We can lessen the strain across individuals. A singular cycle may become shorter, but the seed will be able to accumulate the progress across clinical trials while in an idol, right?

Musumi's Colleague: Yes, it’ll be a little better if we could do it that way.

Musumi: So we can’t?

Musumi's Colleague: We don’t have a perfect successful example to draw from. Both the body and the inserted seed are tightly bound to their host.

Musumi: No way…

Musumi's Colleague: Have you heard of this idol that was in Loulou*di, Amemiya Kaito?

Musumi: Yes, from the written material.

Musumi's Colleague: Currently, we know that whether the flower withers or the host dies, the seed will start to rot from within the body. Where we managed to retrieve this evidence was from none other than Kaito.

Musumi: E-Eh? Hang on, Amemiya Kaito should have withdrawn from Loulou*di…

Musumi's Colleague: We are researching unexplored territory at the forefront of medical research. It’s as you said. The mindset of pioneers is a weight too much to bear for the average Joe. (starts to walk away) Ah, that’s right. As your senior, let me offer you a word of advice: It’s better if you don’t refer to the Dolls by their names. If you let your feelings get a hold of you, you’ll regret it later.

Translator’s Notes:

The medical staff in this drama track should be the recurring medical staff from the previous drama track. This was only what I gathered by ear, but if anyone owns the physical CD and has the credits for the characters, feel free to let me know!

[ao3feed-renga]

Cherry Blossom Concoctions

Cherry Blossom Concoctions

by TheMinster

A flash of light illuminates the shiny wet pavement, and Kojiro hangs up the phone before a deafening crack of thunder has time to follow the lightning. Rain falls heavily against the hood of his jacket as he growls. This makes the fourth rejection in six months, the fourth bank to deny him. Top it off with being let go a few hours earlier, and hot anger rolls through his veins. Serves Kojiro right for seeking help from bloodsuckers. The black clouds overhead do little to block the pull of the full moon. The skin along the back of his neck pricks as instinct beckons, goosebumps rising along the backs of his hands. Far above, his patron goddess calls to him, begging him to sink his claws into flesh, to plunge his teeth into the gullet of the man who so casually denied Kojiro his dream. Instead, he opens Google and searches for the nearest coffee shop.

~ ~ ~

Kaoru owns a coffee shop that's only open at night. Kojiro just wants his life to be easy, simple, and definitely doesn't plan to adopt any stray teenagers along the way.

Words: 10634, Chapters: 4/6, Language: English

Fandoms: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Kyan Reki, Hasegawa Langa, Chinen Miya, Shindo Ainosuke | Adam, Kikuchi Tadashi

Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki

Additional Tags: Urban Fantasy, Magic, Modern Fantasy, Witch Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Lycan Nanjo Kojiro, Werewolf Reki, Vampire Langa, Vampire Adam, vampire tadashi, Werecat Miya, Mentioned Higa Hiromi | Shadow, mentioned Shokichi Oka, meet cute, Cafe AU, Magical Coffeshop, minor bigoted language (anti supernatural sentiments), 5+1 Things, Five Times Kojiro went to Kaoru for a drink, Semi slowburn, Pack leader Kojiro, Found Family Elements, protective kojiro, mean Kaoru, supportive Kaoru, Kyan Reki is a Ray of Sunshine, Langa is a dork, Feral Miya, When you just want coffee but adopt 3 teenagers

From https://ift.tt/BEbYDue https://archiveofourown.org/works/43474105

[ao3feed-matchablossom]

Cherry Blossom Concoctions

by TheMinster

A flash of light illuminates the shiny wet pavement, and Kojiro hangs up the phone before a deafening crack of thunder has time to follow the lightning. Rain falls heavily against the hood of his jacket as he growls. This makes the fourth rejection in six months, the fourth bank to deny him. Top it off with being let go a few hours earlier, and hot anger rolls through his veins. Serves Kojiro right for seeking help from bloodsuckers. The black clouds overhead do little to block the pull of the full moon. The skin along the back of his neck pricks as instinct beckons, goosebumps rising along the backs of his hands. Far above, his patron goddess calls to him, begging him to sink his claws into flesh, to plunge his teeth into the gullet of the man who so casually denied Kojiro his dream. Instead, he opens Google and searches for the nearest coffee shop.

~ ~ ~

Kaoru owns a coffee shop that's only open at night. Kojiro just wants his life to be easy, simple, and definitely doesn't plan to adopt any stray teenagers along the way.

Words: 10632, Chapters: 4/6, Language: English

Fandoms: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Kyan Reki, Hasegawa Langa, Chinen Miya, Shindo Ainosuke | Adam, Kikuchi Tadashi

Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki

Additional Tags: Urban Fantasy, Magic, Modern Fantasy, Witch Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Lycan Nanjo Kojiro, Werewolf Reki, Vampire Langa, Vampire Adam, vampire tadashi, Werecat Miya, Mentioned Higa Hiromi | Shadow, mentioned Shokichi Oka, meet cute, Cafe AU, Magical Coffeshop, minor bigoted language (anti supernatural sentiments), 5+1 Things, Five Times Kojiro went to Kaoru for a drink, Semi slowburn, Pack leader Kojiro, Found Family Elements, protective kojiro, mean Kaoru, supportive Kaoru, Kyan Reki is a Ray of Sunshine, Langa is a dork, Feral Miya, When you just want coffee but adopt 3 teenagers

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/43474105

[fudan-no-nijiiro]

Hello! I'm here to nerd out about UtaPri.

He/him, based in Japan. I'll go by Niji for the purposes of this blog.

I've been into UtaPri since about 2018, when I saw someone on a train playing a game that looked like Love Live! but had dudes, which I wasn't aware was a thing that existed. A few Google searches later, I'd discovered Shining Live and my life was forever changed.¹ I fell out of the fandom for a bit with the end of SL, but now I'm back and pumped for Live Emotion.

I've done a bit of a deep dive into lore, and even dabbled in translation a bit in the past, though there are certainly more knowledgeable folks than me out there.

HEAVENS and QUARTET NIGHT are constantly vying for the top position in my heart, but STARISH always brightens my day as well. Similarly, my primary oshis are Yamato and Ai,² but I've got soft spots for several of the others, and I find something to love in all of them.

I'm definitely not a yume (yume-dan? oji?), though I salute all the princesses out there, and I cheer every time Reiji says "my boys." I am a bit of a shipper, but honestly my favorite parts of the franchise are the frameworks of intense platonic relationships that hold it up.³ That's probably part of why Shining Live and now Live Emotion hold my attention so well.

I write UtaPri fic sometimes, though I'm keeping it separate from the rest of my AO3 account at present. I'm in the process of getting it together in a way others can see while keeping it anonymous.

I am an adult, and this blog might have adult content. It'll generally be writing and outside links to writing, rather than art, though.⁴ Either way, I intend to keep this blog's label and tagging on the safe side. Assume this space isn't for kids.

¹ No, I'm not joking, though at times I might've wished I were. ² Another of my all-time faves is Kaoru. Like I said, I've done some deep dives. ³ Those of you familiar with Japanese might have figured out that my username is a bit of a pun. 普段/腐男. I think I'm hilarious. ⁴ Unless you count the Egoistic outfits as age-sensitive, which, they're wearing shirts under all those harnesses, so I figure it's probably safe. Actually, come to think of it, there are some pretty intense necklines sometimes, and then there's that one Ren album cover...well. Suffice to say it probably won't get too visually horny in here, though evidently I can make no promises.

[death-threats]

Distraction mission accepted!

Saw a fan art of Sanji as Tamaki (from Ouran) this morning. Which host would Kid be? I was kind of leaning towards Mori for a while but now Im thinking Kasanoda from the later episodes.

Roster A:

Luffy as Honey, Nami as Renge, Zoro as Mori, Sanji as Tamaki, Brooke and Franky as Hikaru and Kaoru, Robin as Kyoya

(Also Im picturing Usopp as Nekozawa and laughing my ass off)

Roster B:

Law as Kyoya, Bepo as Honey, Killer as Mori

Thoughts?

Friend, I will be completely honest with you. I haven't seen or read Ouran! But it is on my list! I was too curious about this and with a few google searches, I totally agree with your assessment haha! Also Usopp as Nekozawa is PERFECT, from what I've just read. I need to get into this series.

As for Kid, I definitely think he'd be Kasanoda rather than Mori. Zoro is DEFINITELY Mori. Thank you for this ask! I really wanna watch this now!

[janec23]

Lost in Space

Chapter 1: The attack plan

“So, what about this famous plan? Is it ready? I’m sick of waiting. This planet stinks.” The blond guy crossed his arms with a disgusted grunt and leant against the back of the sofa of the elegant cafè, while looking around in annoyance. “And honestly, I just don’t get why we gotta meet up in this fancy-pants joint. Like, seriously, what’s the deal?” He added grudgingly.

In response to his complaints, the young man in front of him adjusted the mask that covered his nose and mouth and looked intently beyond the glass window of the bar, in the direction of the small gym just in front of the building. “Bear with me Kaoru.” He murmured absentmindedly, and turning back to look at his companion continued in his usual calm tone, “The plan is almost ready, once Malika joins us I will take stock of the situation. Her training should be almost over.”

Kaoru huffed annoyed and fidgeted, clutching the bandages that wrapped his left arm, “I just don't understand how that stupid earthling beat me, the others were child’s play. Stupid useless creatures.” He muttered between his teeth and cast a venomous glance at the café patrons around him, who were enjoying that late autumn afternoon, oblivious to the danger that laid just a few steps away from them.

The young man with the mask ignored his companion’s comment and continued to indolently observe the comings and goings of earthlings outside the café’s glass window, searching through the crowd for Malika. Suddenly, after ten silent minutes of waiting, the young man pulled himself up and suddenly interested, lowered over his eyes a pair of greenish-lensed googles that were tucked into his dark hair. “There she is.” He thought as he observed the young woman who was just exiting the main entrance of the small gym, he had been keeping an eye on for the past half hour.

He saw the girl nervously running a hand through her brown hair, ruffling them, she must have just washed it, because it looked light and fluffy. She was clutching the strap of the backpack she was carrying in one hand, and judging by the way she was doing it, she seemed worried about something, in fact her eyes kept glancing around guardedly as she waited for the intersection light to turn green.

The guy focused his attention on the girl, trying to ignore the unkind comment Kaoru had made to the waitress who had passed by for the umpteenth time, asking them if they finally wanted to order. “Great.” Muttered the young man when he had finished gathering the information he was interested in, pulling up his googles and putting them back on his head. 

At that moment another girl came out of the gym and his attention was all on her, he followed the slender, athletic body of the charming blondie with his eyes and noticed, with a hint of annoyance, that there was a young man next to her: the gym instructor. He watched the two talk amicably until the girl burst into laughter.  She shook out her long blond hair, rested a gloved hand on the man’s chest, as if to brush him off, but at the same time casting a languid glance at him with her lavish green eyes.

The two continued talking for a while, until with a peck on the cheeks, they said their final goodbyes, and Malika headed for the café where her crew awaited her.

“Finally!” Huffed Kaoru once the girl had entered the café, and raising an arm beckoned her to join them. The girl flashed a smile as she caught sight of them, making her way over to where they stood. She threw the duffel bag she was carrying onto the floor under the table before sitting down next to Kaoru. “Hello guys.” She greeted them cheerfully, “How’s it going? Robin, is everything ready?” She asked and casting a glance at the guy in front of her, she prepared to listen to him.

Kaoru huffed again, “You look cheerful today.” He mumbled sourly, “And you never look like that, ever.” Malika bounced him back by rewinding her hair, “Did that earthling work their magic on you or what?” The boy asked with a note of mock irony, but before she could answer, Robin intervened to avert a possible quarrel between the two.

Relations between them had always been peaceful, but on that particular mission, due to some unforeseen events and several injuries, Kaoru had become more short-tempered than usual, and he had not liked his and Malika’s meddling at all. “Partners, shall we focus?” He asked earnestly and observing them from above his mask, tried to get their attention.

“Oh yeah, ‘cause we’re just experts at staying focused, aren’t we?” Muttered Kaoru flashing a look at Malika, “The faster we wrap this up, the quicker we can escape this stinking hole of a planet.” He added, wrinkling his nose. He then observed with disdain the tray of the waitress who had just passed by him, on which two small plates with a slice of cake each were resting.

Robin sighed ignoring his companion, “We are almost ready for the attack, after tomorrow will be the right time to deal with the earthling.” He said seriously, “After tomorrow? Seriously? Why’s that? I was hoping we could wrap this up today itself. We’ve been waiting for like three quortz already, and I’m just so done with it.” Blurted out Kaoru impatiently again. At those words Malika shook her head, annoyed. “Tell you what, will you stop interrupting? We wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t failed.” She snapped at him, at those words Kaoru turned to her with blazing eyes, “Are you kidding me? While you were busy having fun on the ship, I was busting my butt fighting the last anomalies, it’s thanks to me that we didn’t end up against an army of stupid earthlings.” He retorted by inhaling and raising his voice, so much so that a couple of patrons turned toward him, curious about his words.

“Too bad you then got beaten by a stupid earthling, a little girl, five times.” Malika hissed underling the number with her open hand. At those words, Kaoru let out an annoyed growl and would have stood up to fire back, had not the waitress arrived. In fact, Robin has motioned for her to come closer, intending to shift his crew’s attention away by reminding them that they weren’t the only ones in the bar. 

The girl smiled and asked them if they would like to order. Malika took the opportunity to ask for orange juice and ice cream, while Kaoru merely muttered curses and Robin stretched out the credit card to pay for their order in advance.

When the situation was back under control, Robin picked up where he left off. “As I was telling you, we will attack in a couple of earthling days.” He said, all business-like. Then, he turned back to Malika, who was sinking her teaspoon into her ice cream, much to Kaoru’s obvious annoyance. “Miss Malika, I understand you have succeeded in your intent to seduce the fitness instructor.” He muttered, and the girl let a grimace escape, “Of course I succeeded, earthlings are so dumb, just a few sweet words and a seductive glance, and they are easily taken for a ride like cargo on the tugboat." She replied boredly, “I don't want to do it anymore though, you know I prefer girls.” She added throwing him an offended look, Robin pretended not to hear the last line, “You know it was necessary, our target has feelings for the instructor, for the success of the plan we have to exploit her every weakness. Therefore…” And here he turned to Kaoru again, “I need you to penetrate her dwelling after tomorrow, after she leaves for work, and ransack the entire apartment. You will also find canvases in one of the rooms, I want you to destroy them, along with the brush set on the desk. It must look as if thieves have broken in and have turned on these particular items, once they have found nothing of value.” He concluded seriously, Kaoru nodded, suddenly becoming interested. “Are you sure there ain’t nothing valuable in there?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, Robin shook his head, “No, at least not for us.” He replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice that denoted how much he hated being interrupted to answer such frivolous questions.

“You still haven’t explained why we can’t attack right away if we’re practically ready, you’ve already spent too much time watching the girl.” Malika interjected, sucking noisily on her orange soda from the straw, which made Kaoru fidget even more.  The young man elbowed her, “Aren’t you ashamed? Eating earthling food like this. It’s disgusting.” He whispered to her with a repulsed look, in response Malika shrugged her shoulders and finished drinking her orange soda with nonchalance, “I like it, earthling food tastes better and has a different texture, more interesting than our pills.” She explained sinking her teaspoon into the remains of her ice cream and enjoying the last bites with her eyes closed, much to the irritation of his companion. “Mmm… delicious.” She whispered only to annoy him.

Before Kaoru could say anything Robin resumed his speech, “Despite our opponent’s great power and her ability to control the flow, she is still a earthling and a woman to boot. And like any woman she is subject to the normal cycles of fertility.” He explained, crossing his arms. Kaoru raised an eyebrow giving a sign that he didn’t quite understand, but Malika opened her eyes wide, “Don’t tell me that…” She murmured in surprise, leaning towards him, “Yes, I’ve been keeping track of her menstrual cycle, and a few days ago her body temperature rose, a sign that she was ovulating. And today, when I checked her vitals, I noticed again, a slight change in her temperature, meaning that she will have her period in a couple of days.” Continued Robin serious and composed, Malika shook her head and sighed, “The first day is always the worst.” She muttered with a huff, “In fact, we’ll hit her when she’s weakest.” Concluded Robin in a cold voice, “After all, we already start at a disadvantage, planet Earth cannot modulate our flow, and Kaoru’s battles have well demonstrated that.”

At those words the blond guy gave him a nervous look while pretending to adjust his bandaged arm, “At least I was good for something.” He mumbled, Malika smirked and ran a hand through his hair tousling it, “Come on Kaoru, don’t feel bad, you were outstanding against the other earthlings. That little girl is just an annoying setback.” She tried to cheer him up, the guy sighed without reacting, and Robin took the opportunity to continue, “We've gathered some information about how the flow works in earthlings who have it, that girl is just an exception that deserves to be looked into. In fact, I don’t think we will be able to neutralize her flow so easily.” He reflected, “What do you propose to do?” Asked Malika interested, “To capture her and take her to the spacecraft with us, some time in the containment cell and the flux should be able to dissipate or at least normalize so that she is no longer a threat and I can study her.” Explained Robin composedly. 

Kaoru nodded, “Sounds like a solid plan. We'll keep her quiet while the rest grab the cargo.” He added with a smile, “In a few days, I’ll be back in the game, and that little girl is gonna regret ever beating me!” He finally exclaimed, but had to calm his enthusiasm by noticing how his crew was watching him.

“What?” He asked surprised, “What’s wrong is that you can’t fight idiot!” Malika reprimanded him by casting a nervous glance with her green eyes, Robin nodded, “You’ve been hit in vital points more than once Kaoru, and even though the medicine I injected you with doesn’t allow you to notice, your internal organs have sustained extensive damage.” He explained calmly and pulling out what looked like a tablet from his inner jacket pocket, handed it to his companion, who took it and peered at the screen.

“You mean I won’t be able to fight?” He asked surprised. He had received a couple of very powerful blows during his clashes with the first earthlings with flux just after their arrival on planet Earth, but he had managed to cushion and protect himself anyway. During the five clashes with the earthling girl, it had not seemed to him that her blows had been so devastating as to do such damage to him. But perhaps that was due to Robin’s pumping him full of medicine and strengtheners.

The last fight had been more challenging than the others, and he had come off really badly, with cuts, grazes and bruises all over his body, plus his broken arm, but he never expected that after two weeks he would still be unable to fight.

He looked intently at the analysis of his vitals on the screen of the tablet Robin had handed him, he could see what looked like internal bleeding in a state of reabsorption in several parts of his body, and because of all the medication he had taken, it looked like his liver was slightly enlarged. He huffed and pushed the tablet on the table, away from himself, “All right, I get it, I’ll just sit back and watch you have fun.” He mumbled.

Robin took the tablet back and stowed it in the inside pocket of his jacket, “Remember the task I’ve just given you, after tomorrow, you must sneak into the earthling’s house and turn it upside down. Such a move will demoralize and deprive her of the emotional support she needs to fight.” Then he cast a glance at Malika, “Miss Malika will have to continue to entice the gym instructor instead.” “Do you want me to hook up with him tomorrow?” She asked innocently, as if asking a child what flavor of ice cream he preferred.

Robin tightened his lips, but tried not to give away his irritation, “It is not necessary to go that far, but if he could increase the displays of affection in the presence of the earthling, that would be more than enough.” He said in an atonal voice, trying to avoid showing more annoyance than normal. Malika nodded, “I think I’ll hook up with him, after all, I wouldn’t mind trying a earthling before leaving again.” Reflected the girl, casually passing an hand in her long blond curls.

Robin pretended not to have heard, “In any case, on the day of the confrontation it would be appropriate for you to move the spacecraft to a lower altitude, so as to get the earthling on board as quickly as possible. We can’t afford for other earthlings to notice what we are doing, even if devoid of flow, we know that killing is not an option.” He muttered, and Kaoru huffed for the umpteenth time, emphasizing the fact that if it were up to him they would all be dead already.

“So you will be the one fighting Robin?” Malika asked curiously, realizing that according to the just laid out plan, she would be too busy with the ship to help him, the man nodded, “Of course. Even if I am a mechanical engineer, I still had military trining, and although it wasn’t as intense as Kaoru’s, if everything goes as planned, the earthling should be weak enough to be neutralized after a long and exhausting fight.” He explained, thinking back to the nervousness he had read in the girl’s eyes a few hours earlier when she had come out of the gym and was glancing around worriedly.

It had been two weeks since her last clash with Kaoru, enough time for him to study her and for her to fall into a limbo of uncertainty and unease. He had sent Malika to charm her kick-box teacher so as to hurt her emotionally. Malika’s flux was too weak on Earth for the girl to realize that she was not actually earthling, and having no hostile intentions toward her, not being a military man, it was almost completely neutralized. Kaoru on the contrary, as a special member of the military, had a powerful and constant flow, and his open hostility toward the girl had practically made him an easy target for her to be spotted.

In order to drag him into the café, he had forced him to carry one of his reducers so as to disguise him. Otherwise, the earthling would have detected his presence immediately upon leaving the gym, and likely attacked him. Given Kaoru’s current state, he would not be able to withstand another encounter with her.

Too bad the reducers did not work with the flow of earthlings, otherwise it would have been child’s play to knock her out.

With those thoughts, the young man stood up, adjusted the mask over his face for the umpteenth time, and invited his crew to follow him out of the café. 

If all went according to plan, they would leave that planet in a couple of weeks.

Author's note: thank you for making this far! This story may have some warning in the future, but I will make a list before the chapter

[loveycloud]

these outfits look so nice together!!

[onemoresomething]

not me realising that making PTIW!Kaoru an expert at karate means that I will also need to have some basic knowledge of karate

[baya-ni]

SHADOW’s Queer Coding

I first started exploring this idea of Sk8′s implicit queer rep (as in stuff other than explicit same sex intimacy) in this post.

I know we like to joke that Hiromi is the Token Straight of the protag gang, but I argue that he’s as much an example of queer rep as any of our main characters, albeit in a less conventional and fanservicey way.

So that’s what this post is gonna be, an analysis of Hiromi/SHADOW as a queer figure, how his character fits the Jekyll/Hyde archetype as a metaphor for queerness and The Closet, the similarities between SHADOW as a skatesona and early drag, and how his character represents a larger problem of exclusion within queer fandom spaces.

The 1886 Gothic novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is the origin of the phrase “Jekyll and Hyde”. What I’m calling the Jekyll/Hyde archetype, refers to the same thing; it refers to duality, to a character who is “outwardly good but sometimes shockingly evil” (as described from the novella’s wiki page).

And the Jekyll/Hyde dynamic has also long been associated with Queerness. The antagonism between Jekyll and Hyde as two sides of the same person resonates with many people as similar to the experience being in the closet, and many many scholars have written about this queer reading of Jekyll and Hyde. Do a quick google search if you don’t believe me.

Hiromi experiences his own Jekyll/Hyde duality through his SHADOW persona, which seems to entirely contradict with Hiromi’s day to day personality.

Whilst Hiromi is sweet, romantic, and generally very cutesy, SHADOW is mean-spirited, sadistic, described as “the anti-hero of the S community.”  And though these two personalities seem entirely at odds, SHADOW doesn’t exist in a vacuum, he’s very much a part of Hiromi. In the show, this manifests as SHADOW’s sabotage moves being all flower themed, as Hiromi works in a flower shop, and how he’ll “step out” of character when playing babysitter to the kids.

Below is passage from an essay titled, “The Homoerotic Architectures of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” which reminds me a lot of Hiromi’s character, such that I think his character arc can be read as an allegory for coming out and self acceptance.

The closet, here, is a space not only for secrecy and repression, but also for becoming; it is the space in which queer identities build themselves up from “disused pieces” and attempt to discover the strength needed for presentation to the world. The closet is both a space of profound fear and profound courage—of potentiality and actualization. (Prologue)

Unlike the kid/teen characters, the show’s adult characters all lead double lives. When they aren’t skating, they have day jobs. Kaoru is a calligrapher, Kojiro is a restaurant owner, Ainosuke is a politician/businessman (but tbh his job is just being some rich dude), and Hiromi works in a flower shop.

But of the adult protagonists (so not Ainosuke), Hiromi compartmentalizes the most.

Kojiro leaves his face totally exposed such that he can be recognized both on and off the skate scene. Kaoru at least covers his face, but his trademark pink hair and constant use of Carla doesn’t make it very hard to connect the dots between him and CHERRY. He’s also always with Kojiro in the evenings, so if you don’t recognize him as CHERRY when he’s on his own, you certainly will when you see him interacting with Kojiro/JOE.

Next to these two, Hiromi seems the more adamant at separating his Work from Play.

Even when he’s been clearly found it, he still tries to deny that he and SHADOW are the same person. Miya even uses this to coerce Hiromi into helping him and the boys:

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the separation between Hiromi and SHADOW can be interpreted as a metaphor for being in The Closet. As SHADOW, he leads a secret life, one characterized by an tight-knit underground community with a vibrant night scene, where he behaves in ways typically frowned upon by larger society. He worries about being found out and judged by the people close to him.

But in Ep 4, the walls of his Closet begins to come down, or in this case is literally imposed upon by other members of his community, by its younger members, who don’t feel the same need to hide their passion for skateboarding or lead the same kind of double life.

We then see the line between Hiromi and SHADOW begin to blur.

He becomes less of an antagonist, and instead the audience sees him become a mentor and “mother hen” figure for the younger skaters. Later on in Ep 4, we see him casually interacting with the other protags in full SHADOW mode, not as an “anti-hero” but as a friend.  In Ep 6, he acts as a babysitter for the kids, and we see him totally comfortable appearing both in an out of his SHADOW persona throughout their vacation.

And I think that this gradual convergence of Hiromi and SHADOW will culminate in this tournament arc.

There’s something more personal that’s driving SHADOW to do well in this tournament. It’s not just for bragging rights or his pride as a skater, but the results of this tournament is going to have some kind of greater impact on Hiromi’s personal life. Personally, my theory is that Hiromi is using this tournament to prove to himself that he’s worthy enough to ask his manager out on a date.

Hiromi is no longer compartmentalizing, his two lives are overlapping and influencing each other. Recall the essay quote I cited earlier:

The closet... is the space in which queer identities build themselves up from “disused pieces” and attempt to discover the strength needed for presentation to the world... of potentiality and actualization.

This is exactly the case for Hiromi. Through skating, he is piecing together the disparate parts of him such that he can present himself to the world as a more unified and confident being.

And the show presents the very skating community that Hiromi has been working so hard to keep separated from his personal life- Reki, Langa, Miya, Kaoru, and Kojiro- as the catalyst for that becoming.

That, my dear readers, is queer coding if I ever saw it.

But there’s probably gonna be people claiming something along the lines of “But SHADOW can’t be queer rep because he’s Straight!” And I assume that’s because he shows romantic interest in his female manager.

First of all, Bisexuality. Also Ace/aro-spec people. And second of all, SHADOW is Hiromi’s drag persona.

And before anyone can say anything about how Hiromi can’t do drag because he’s straight (assumption) and cis (also an assumption) uhhhh no, fuck you.

Drag didn’t start with RuPaul’s Drag Race, that’s just how it got mainstream. And it’s also how it got so gentrified and transphobic. You heard me. But anyway.

Drag is, and has always been, first and foremost about exaggerated, and oftentimes satirical, gender presentation and performance. It’s about playing with gender norms through artistic dress and theater, not so much to do with sexuality or gender identity.

Literally, what’s the difference here?

SHADOW is a persona of exaggerated masculinity with a punk aesthetic. Regardless of his sexuality or gender identity, Hiromi’s gender performance as SHADOW is drag- that makes him queer representation, change my fucking mind.

Queerness is more than same-sex romance, and by extension, good queer representation is not limited to canonized gay ships. The very word Queer, in it’s ambiguity, is meant to encompass the richly unique experiences of everyone within the LGBTQ+ community.

In my opinion, Queer =/= Gay. I mean, they’re colloquially the same yes and even I use them interchangeably. But for the purpose of this post, they’re not the same, and that’s to argue that Hiromi/SHADOW’s lack of acknowledgement as queer rep illustrates a larger issue of exclusion within fandom.

I mean, this is something we all kinda been knew, but in the case of Sk8 specifically, there are a two main reasons why I think Hiromi is rarely acknowledged as queer rep.

1. He’s not shippable with another male character

Fandom favors mlm ships when it comes to what’s considered good queer rep. And the ultimate mark of good queer rep is explicit acts of romance or intimacy between two male characters. Unlike with any of the other characters in the show, we can’t point to Hiromi and automatically clock him as gay, especially because he expresses romantic interest in a woman.

So by default, he’s less popular, because “Ew Straight People” amirite /s.

2. He’s not attractive

This is really interesting, because like JOE, Hiromi is a beefcake.

But fans don’t thirst over him the same way they do over JOE. Granted, the show really plays up JOE’s muscles in a very strip-teasey way that literally encourages viewers to find him attractive. By contrast, Hiromi is pretty much covered head to toe and he paints his face in theatrical makeup- the point is to look scary, not attractive.

In essence, even though Hiromi engages in “queer behavior” through his SHADOW persona, his queerness isn’t palatable.

But I also think there’s some pretty insidious undercurrents of fetishization going on here, of both Asian people AND gay men. Which is... a whole other thing I really don’t have the capacity to unpack completely.

But basically, Hiromi doesn’t fit into any of the popular BL archetypes so he’s less likely to recognized as Queer. Relatedly, he’s also less often subjected to a fetishistic gaze as other characters. I mean...

So again, fans just don’t find him as appealing. Attractive characters are always more popular than ugly ones.

And I’m sure there are a lot of people who just don’t care for Hiromi’s personality, that’s fine, he does act like an asshole sometimes. But this post is meant to illustrate that queer rep takes multiple forms, and unfortunately I think a lot of media just tends to fall back on stereotypical portrayals of queer people for the sake of broader appeal. And by consequence, the fandom’s idea of what constitutes queer rep narrows to same-sex romance, usually between two cis gay men.

With the release of Ep 9, I know a lot of people queer people are going to find representation in the Kojiro’s whole “unrequited love” thing. But personally, I feel more represented by Hiromi, his journey of self-acceptance and subversive relationship with gender- that’s what resonates with me as a trans person.

And I think it’s important to see that kind of less palatable type of queer representation more acknowledged in fandom, and in Sk8′s fandom especially, because I know the demographics of this fandom lean heavily queer.

But that’s all for now, lemme know what you guys think :)

[twilightmalachite]

Fruitful OCTOBER - Chapter 3

Author: Nishioka Maiko, Happy Elements K.K

Characters: Yuuta, Kaoru

Translator: Mika Enstars

Proofers: moricchiichan & meteorgreen

"You’ve gotten a lot better at speaking than you were before, though~. You must’ve been really working hard."

Season: Autumn

Location: Hanging Garden

The next day

Kaoru: (Man, I’ve been out of it ever since yesterday...)

(And when Yuuta-kun got back, I didn’t even have it in me to ask about it in the end. I felt so troubled, I went out of my way and bought the same magazine.)

Hmmm...

(But no matter how many times I read it, it’s just an article about how this grape juice can make your love blossom. Why would Yuuta-kun go to Anzu-chan after reading this?)

(I mean... thinking realistically, there’s only one possibility left. Like, no matter how you think about it, there doesn’t seem to be any other reason.)

I wonder if he’s really going to gift it to Anzu-chan after all...

Adonis: Hm? Is that Hakaze-senpai hunched over on the bench over there?

He looks a little depressed...

Hakaze-senpai?

Kaoru: Huh? Oh, it’s Adonis-kun. Finished work?

A gravure[1] job, right? A photoshoot is a great way to highlight those unique features of yours, isn’t it~!

Adonis: Unique... I don’t know about that, but I found model work fairly easy since you don’t need to speak that much. I’m still not very good at making conversation.

Kaoru: I see. You’ve gotten a lot better at it than you were before, though~. You must’ve been really working hard.

You were struggling a lot more back then! Do you think it’s always going to be a weak point of yours, even so?

Adonis: Yeah. Hakaze-senpai, you and the others all reassure me that there’s nothing wrong with it, but... I’m still not sure if that’s really okay.

Kaoru: Ahaha, you always take everything so seriously, y’know~.

Adonis: But actually, Hakaze-senpai, did something happen? You looked a little bit depressed...

Kaoru: Eh? Do I?

Adonis: Yeah. You were sighing, too, as if you were at a loss... Perhaps I misunderstood?

Kaoru: Mmn~... Well, you’re not too far off~.

Oh, right! Your timing is perfect, maybe you could also give me your thoughts, Adonis-kun?

Truth is, it’s about this magazine. Yuuta-kun read this, then it seems like he went to see Anzu-chan afterwards. What do you think about it, Adonis-kun?

Adonis: Hm? A featured article on grape harvesting...?

Yeah, it sounds very nice. Perfect for the season.

Kaoru: Mhm. That much is true, but read a bit more of it.

Adonis: More...?

“Can these grapes really capture the heart of your special someone?!”, “Countless success stories from our patrons!”...

Grapes have such an ability...?!

Kaoru: (Oh, right... I forgot that Adonis-kun takes things at face value like Ran-kun does...)

Well y’see, Adonis-kun—

Adonis: If this is true, I’m also interested. I definitely want some.

Kaoru: Huh?! You too, Adonis-kun?

Adonis: Yeah. Though it says it makes love blossom, essentially, this is a juice with the ability to attract someone else, correct?

I’d be interested in something like that too. Would asking Yuuta give me more details?

Kaoru: Hmm... probably. It was originally Yuuta-kun who read it, so it’d be best to hear from him. He probably knows more about it than I do, at least.

Adonis: Gotcha. I’ll go and ask Yuuta, then.

Kaoru: Huuuh!? You don’t waste any time! You’re that interested?!

(—Hm? Hold on...)

(If I go with Adonis-kun, maybe I can find out more on what Yuuta-kun went to Anzu-chan for yesterday...?)

(...Alright. I’ll pretend I don’t know anything, then—)

I-I see. What a coincidence~! You know, I was really curious about it too~. Since we’re both here, shall we go ask together?

Adonis: Of course. Come on with, Hakaze-senpai.

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Gravure (グラビア) modeling is a genre of modeling very common in the industry, and isn’t as scandalous as google searches may suggest. Its focus is on making the model look good and appealing to the opposite sex.