Chapter 2

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Ngah? Nazuna-nii, heyyy~ ♪

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Gah—Y’don’t gotta bow to me or nothin’? I guess you’re in a good mood today~ Somethin’ nice happen to ya?

… ♪

Ohhh… Yeah, I don’t really get it. But if you’re happy, then I’m happy too~ ♪

But you always just barely make it in time, yanno?

C’mon Nazuna-nii, if y’don’t show up early, Oshi-san’s gonna have a cow. And he’ll totally take it out on me.

……

(I can’t just tell him I’ve been practicing singing in secret—I’ve barely made any progress whatsoever. And if Oshi-san finds out, he’ll get mad for sure.)

(But lately, all the other units have been working harder.)

(We can’t just keep doing the same things we’ve always done. Valkyrie’s getting more and more outdated.)

(We’re still at the top of Yumenosaki right now, but that means we’re in full view of everyone else.)

(They’ll study us, copy us. That’s what happens when you’re a champion.)

(And an audience gets bored if you keep showing them the same thing all the time.)

(It doesn’t matter if it’s the most extravagant, high-class French food you’ve ever seen… If you eat it every single day, you’re obviously gonna get sick of it.)

(So we’ve gotta change, too. But we’re pretty restricted in Valkyrie… Something will only make it to the stage if Oshi-san approves of it.)

(It’s that same pickiness that lets us maintain such high quality. We’re a one-of-a-kind work of art.)

(But nowadays, everything is consumed at this insane pace.)

(We only have an old recording of my voice to fall back on… So we won’t be able to keep producing new songs. And there’s a limit to how many arrangements you can make.)

(If we just stand by idly, the other units are going to overtake us.)

(So I’ve got to train my voice so Oshi-san will approve of it.)

(If I can sing again, Valkyrie can start changing. We can evolve, move forward.)

(If he just recognizes my growth, maybe he’ll be willing to try new things instead of just… sticking with what he already has?)

(Mika-chin, too… Maybe we can finally use him as a valuable asset, rather than just a backup dancer?)

Nn? What’s up, Nazuna-nii? You’re just starin’ off into space… Oh, right! ♪

I know it’s a little late, but here… It’s a birthday present ♪

…?

I made these clothes for ya. They prolly look all ratty to ya, since you’re so used to wearin’ clothes Oshi-san made, but…

I really put my all into these ♪

Sorry~ I forgot about givin’ ‘em to ya for so long. It’s like, I missed my chance here, wanted to add a couple things there, needed to fix some stuff here and there…

I got so jumbled up, I ended up missin’ your birthday~ ♪

I’m awful sorry I’m so late, but I hope you still like ‘em, Nazuna-nii?

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Mi… Mika-chi… Th–tha… ou, ‘m happ…

(Crap, I’ve been silent for so long, my voice won’t come out on demand! I can’t even say thank you!)

You two. Be silent; I’m taking a call.

Ngah? Sorry Oshi-san, you’re on the phone… Wait, that’s a cup phone?

And what of it? I have a friend who’s not fond of electronic devices. He needs this to keep in touch with me.

But compared to a smartphone, it is much more difficult to hear the person’s voice through the line.

So be quiet. Honestly—Pardon the interruption… Rei?

It’s rare to see you awake in the middle of the day. Have you finally found your motivation? You’ve acted as a mere bystander for so long, claiming you have no interest in the matters of an ephemeral world.

Well, allow me to say this. You are one of the few who truly understand me—I could even call you a friend…

But if you stand against me as a unit, I will trample over you unsparingly.

With you as an opponent, I haven’t the luxury of mercy.

I’ve gotten quite worked up about the growing number of obnoxious philistines lately. So try not to do anything I would find disagreeable, yes?

Advice? For me? Haha, do you think yourself my elder? Were it not you on the other end, I would have already hung up on you, Rei.

fine? Ahh, Tenshouin’s…? Is something happening with his unit?

I would presume this is just a load of fanfare, correct? The young heir to a massive conglomerate playing idol~ What a story.

They are hardly an enemy of Valkyrie. The stage is not something which can be swayed by a mere checkbook.

The stage is the grounds upon which we display our sublime, noble art.

To carve your whole being, your essence, into this world…

I find it unpleasant to watch such capricious aristocrats lay waste to a place of serious competition. In the end, they are but third-rate idols.

They cannot defeat true art—And that is precisely what we are. I only pray the philistines of the world have refined their taste enough to see the difference between the authentic and the spurious.

Personally, more so than fine, I am far more concerned about what you’re doing.

It seems you’ve all started to move about—You, Wataru, Kanata… and that boy.

Within this worthless, depraved school…

You are impossibly rare works of art, crafted by mere chance. You are gifts from god; I don’t wish to crush you with my own hands.

To have met you four at this foolish Yumenosaki Academy…

I am truly grateful, from the bottom of my heart. I can only describe it as a miracle—wouldn’t you agree?

Thank you for your advice, Rei. I’m not so stupid as to turn a deaf ear on a warning from someone I consider my equal.

I will proceed with caution. Yes, sleep well… my friend.