Chapter 1

Here I am~ ♪

……

Uh, hang on… Is it just you here, Rapunzel? I totally wasted my cute grand entrance on you.

Zzz, zzz… ♪

(Why’s he asleep? That doesn’t make any sense at all.)

(I mean, I guess it does… obviously that guy would sleep too…)

(It’s kinda nice to see him actually behave like a real human for once.)

(Mmm. I was alone with him all the time, doing special training with him up until the Tanabata Festival…)

(But even now, he’s so hard to figure out.)

(I just can’t get used to him at all. But if we’re gonna be in fine together… we’re gonna have to come together and make nice.)

(Follow stupid Trickstar’s example, or something. It’d be good for us to have a stronger sense of solidarity, yeah.)

(It wouldn’t actually be a problem to just blindly follow behind Eichi-sama, since he’s such a strong, majestic ruler. And we’re pretty much unmatched at this point…)

(And I’m kinda super scared of getting closer to that guy.)

(We’re at the top of the school—the unparalleled champs. So I’ve just gotta keep improving myself and aiming even higher.)

(So I never cry over losing ever again.)

Zz, zzz… ♪

Zzzzzzzz… ♪

Hey, I know you’re awake, Rapunzel.

Amazing! You saw right through me! I was feigning sleep… ☆

You were really hamming it up over there. It came off as unnatural. What was up with that whole zzzzzz thing? How do you even make that sound?

Would you like to practice? There’s a trick to it! I simply have you read the movements of my lips to give off the impression of the letter Z!

Yeah, no. I don’t need a skill like that… You keep learning all sorts of skills that are totally useless to idols.

Fufufu, but these tricks help you, Princess.

The master of one art is sublime in his own right, but once it goes out of style he will find himself out of work.

And what’s the market like for people who snore like they’re in a manga? Whatever, you just like hearing yourself talk.

Indeed I do! I am Hibiki Wataru, magpie by birth. I can even tie knots in cherry stems with my tongue! I’ve made the Tokyo Tower before ☆

Mm… So okay, you’re basically a useless jack of all trades, then.

Whatever. I was going to talk to Yuzuru or the Prez when they got here, but you’ll do. So uh, Rapunzel, are you any good at dancing?

What are you saying? There is nothing Hibiki Wataru can’t do!

I more or less jive with all styles of dance. What are you looking for?

Would you care for ballroom dancing? Or perhaps ballet? Cheerleading? How about the limbo? These are all my specialties~ See for yourself ♪

Eep! Don’t wriggle around me like a bug?!

Fufufu. It makes me happy that you get surprised so easily, Princess. You’re highly sensitive~ ♪

Are you saying I’m childish?

Never mind—I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you, so can you listen to me…? Don’t just brush it off. Please.

Hm? Not to worry; what’s on your mind? If you don’t mind my help, I’ll happily lend you my hand as a fellow member of fine ☆

And look! With every passing second, the number of hands increases! How many did you say you needed?

Take as many as you like! One, two, three… ☆

Eugh!!! The arms just keep springing out! Gross gross gross gross—?!

Has something happened, sir?!

Y–Yuzuru… Save me, there’s a monster! A multiplying hand monster!

A monster? Oh, Hibiki-sama. Might I ask that you not show the Master such strange things? It isn’t good for his upbringing.

Fufu. I think it’s fine; those two have become quite the bosom buddies…

I feel like splitting us up for training—Wataru with Tori, me with you—has been rather beneficial.

I could hear their voices echoing from down the hallway. Such boisterous activity is a staple of youth ♪

More importantly, though, I overheard that you were having trouble with something… right, Tori?

If you’ll let me give you some advice, I will happily hear you out and eliminate the cause of such anguish with a flourish ♪

E–Eichi-sama… ♪ That’s exactly what I wanted to hear!

Not that horrible gag about “lending a hand” or whatever!

You’re playing around too much, Wataru. Perhaps you’re trying to dance around something… but Tori is a pure, untainted child, so don’t mess with him.

Anyway, let’s listen to what Tori has to say while we warm up.

The recent heat wave has made my health decline, so I’m going to take things slow today… I need to carefully get into the swing of things.

There’s no particular hurry, so we have all the time in the world for you, Tori.

President-sama, I fear you’re too sweet on him.

Nevertheless, I am grateful for this proposal.

Yes! Let us all come together to poke fun at Princess’s problems!

Don’t poke fun at me!

C’mon, I’m being serious about all this!