Chapter 1

Good morning! I’m excited to work with you all today!

…Wait, I don’t see anyone around. Was I the first one here?

It’s eight in the morning, but that’s still thirty minutes before we were supposed to meet. Maybe I came a little too early?

But it’s the first day we’ll be living together. It’d be no laughing matter if I showed up late.

What should I do…? I could play a game on my phone to kill time, but that might come off as rude.

…Oh, thank god, it’s Anzu-chan. Good morning, Anzu-chan.

Ahaha, I’m so glad you’re here. If no one else showed up, I would’ve ended up worrying that I got something wrong about when and where we were supposed to meet up.

We’re about to start filming for the second cross-agency project headed by the P Association—the movie Midnight Butlers.

I heard that the last project, Date Plan, was so popular that they started planning for a second one right away. And now the official name is the Shuffle Unit Project, right?

If I remember correctly, they recycled a movie plan that put out a casting call for the whole of ES, right?

Since Fist of the Shangri-la Idol got such a good response, they’re reusing the same structure or something.

I’ve still got momentum from my last movie, so I went ahead and auditioned… I really wanted to go with Hidaka-kun.

But it turned out he had a conflicting stage performance. Oh, well.

Huh? You’re happy I made it through the audition?

No no no, it’s all thanks to you. I’m just happy I’m getting a chance to work outside the limits of my unit and agency.

Everything’s been going smoothly, but I want to keep building up a good rep.

Fufu. Yep, I’ve got the whole script down pat. Look, it’s chock-full of sticky notes ♪

Our schedule’s so tight that we’re lodging together for the shoot, so it’s only natural I came prepared.

We’re renting out a private mansion deep inside a forest for filming, right?

Right, right. The chalk-white manor—a historic Western-style manor with a pure white exterior.

Are you excited about it too? In that case, I’ll take some pics whenever I’ve got some free time ♪

You’re always so busy, Anzu-chan. It’d be nice if you could at least make some nice memories in between jobs—

Wait, do you think I’m being too overprotective?

Huh? You think I’m like Izumi-san? No no no, he’s a little more than just overprotective.

He’s been in Florence recently, so maybe he’s taking better care of himself?

…Yeah, I’m looking forward to working with him again.

I heard he passed the audition too. Since he was my senpai when it came to modeling, we’ve got a lot to catch up on.

—Good morning.

Oh! Good morning!

…Oh my, I see someone arrived before HiMERU.

Fufu, the two of you are chatting quite intimately. How charming. Are you close?

Uh, yeah. We’re classmates and all… But we’re just friends, that’s all!

Umm, you’re HiMERU-san from Crazy:B, right? I got to see you perform in your live at MDM.

Yes, that’s what HiMERU is called. HiMERU looks forward to working with you, Yuuki-san.

Oh, um! I’m looking forward to it, too! Let’s do our best together this next week!

You don’t need to be so stiff. HiMERU is the same age as you, and we will be co-stars. You can afford to relax a bit.

…Right. But it’s our first time working together, so I thought I should at least be respectful about it.

But anyway, it’s nice to meet you, HiMERU-kun ♪

Yes, it’s a pleasure.

Huh? You’re still acting kinda distant…?

Fufu, HiMERU always shows the utmost respect to others ♪¹

Or, not exactly. But it would a bit of a hassle to change how HiMERU speaks depending on who he’s talking to. In this industry, there are many people whose ages are unknown.

Oh yeah, I get it. When you work in entertainment, it’s hard to figure out who’s been here for a long time and who’s still starting out. It can get pretty messy, huh.

Indeed it can. It’s easy to tell when someone has an appearance reflecting their age, but there are idols that use their youth and vivacity as selling points.

It’s an occupation where one can stand to benefit from a discrepancy between their age and their appearance, after all.

And of course, there are also benefits for HiMERU as an idol.

…?

Goooood morning ♪

Ohh, you guys’re here early.

Pretty punctual of you—Looks like you’re living up to your roles as butlers already ♪

Good morrow. What professionals you are, that you would gather earlier than the set time.

And thou art… Himeru, I recall, from that Crazy B? Then thou didst pass the “audition,” as well.

Yes, thanks to you. We were cast in roles that support one another.

Throughout the next week, HiMERU will occasionally need to leave for work with Crazy:B—

But nevertheless, he would appreciate it if you would think of him as a comrade and support him at our training camp.

Ay, thou art in good hands.

…Ah, I had meant to ask on the occasion when when we first did meet.

Hm? What is it?

It is but trivial—Howe’er, Himeru-dono. I have wondered the origin of thy “stage name.”

Just what is “himeru?” Is it a play on the word meaning to hide, or to conceal?²

The spelling is also strange. It is as though thou hast idolized thyself whilst belying thy true self—

Nevertheless, should we act as comrades, then I would do well to know thee without pretense between us.

Fufu. You’ve taken a surprising amount of interest in HiMERU ♪

Have I said something funny?

Not at all. HiMERU is grateful for your interest in HiMERU.

This stage name will allow him to be acknowledged in this pandæmonium of idols known as ES. In that sense, it’s the best option.

As they say, infamy is better than obscurity.

Hm…? By thy words, I would think thou dost affirm the incident Crazy B caused.

No, no, by no means. HiMERU was originally a solo idol, not part of Crazy:B.

If anything, he was on the side of those who suffered from the incident during the summer.

Nonetheless, HiMERU hopes that you will judge his true value through our work here ♪

—Hum. An opaque man, indeed. It is as if I speak with a charlatan…

I have begun to think I will suffer quite the hardship “co-starring” with you.

C’mon guys, you just met~ It’s only natural you don’t know each other that well.

Besides, isn’t it because you have such different personalities that Anzu and the director paired you up?

Hum…?

A unit and a person are two different things. Like, we were in deep waters with Akatsuki last year, right? But we managed to make up later on.

Of course, Tenshouin said some pretty outlandish crap when the P Association was coming up with their plans, so I did end up realizing that there are some people in the world who are just totally incompatible.

Your guys’ roles are like, the “cool guy” and the “sexy guy,” so there’s kind of a subtle distance between you two. Or like, a rivalry?

So maybe that’s why they picked you two at the audition.

…I see.

I agree not with the choice; however, I am but an amateur at acting. It must too be the fates’ design, as Anzu-dono did invite me to the “audition.”

I shall determine the truth at this “training camp”—this “Himeru’s” true worth.

Please do, partner ♪

Hmph. I have yet to accept thee as my partner—

Fufu. Well, we’ve got four of us here now ♪

The only one left is Izumi-san, and he’s gonna join us at the site. Apparently, he’d just gotten back to Florence when he got word that he passed the audition.

Must be rough for Izumi-chin, huh?

But I’m glad he’s joining us. It would’ve been such a shame otherwise.

Of course, he’s been coming back to Japan on and off, so it’s not really a “it’s been so long!” kinda feeling.

But it’ll be the first time I get to see him act, so I’m really excited for what’ll happen… ☆