azurecrystalz

First Note

HAMA Tours - Conference Room

1

Kaede

From now on, this is where you all will be working–the HAMA Tours office.

I’m looking forward to working with all of you!

Kafka

Oh good, you all made it. Welcome.

I’m Oguro Kafka, the president of the agency and Mayor of the 0th Ward.

Tao

Woah… A real agency…

Raito

Kafka, eh? I saw you frequently on TV back on the prison island.

I’m really looking forward to working with you.

Chihiro

So this is gonna be the office~?

Yachiyo

(Uwahhhah! Natsuyaki Chihiro and Kitakata Raito in the flesh?!)

(O’ gods who have descended upon this wretched world, your presence is too bright for a pauper like me to bear witness to!)

Daniel

What’s wrong, Nayuki? You’re lookin’ a little blue.

Nayuki

…Nothing you need to be worried about.

Kafka

I’m sure Nayuki and Chief-chan have already covered the basics with all of you, but let me explain it again.

You will all become local idols in order to boost HAMA’s popularity. You’ll all be working as Ward Mayors as well. To be frank, you’re already starting with a negative rep. That’s a pretty big issue for you as idols. You’ll probably have a lot of antis.

Which is why I want you to be transparent, and work your way back up with your own skills.

Chihiro

That’s a little mean, Prez. That’s, like, the hardest thing to talk about~

Talk about mental pressure~

Kafka

Well yeah, I’m doing this because I can see your potential.

Here’s a piece written by our very own composer… This is your first song, Ev3ns.

Sound of something being placed on desk.

Chihiro

! A song…!

2

Kafka

Yachiyo’s the one that came up with the choreography.

I’d like you all to really practice this first, and then you’ll perform it in front of an audience.

Chihiro

FR?! But Chii wanted to think of some choreo tooooo~!

Yachiyo

Umumumum! That’s fine! You can change the whole thing if you wanted to, Chihiro-sama!

Chihiro

Oh, word? Hey, could you show me a bit of the choreo later?

Yachiyo

Oh, of-of course…! Being invited by the miraculous No. 14… I-I’m so honored I could faint…

Chihiro

Ahaha…

Tao

Are we just going to perform a song out of the blue? I don’t… really know much about being an idol, though.

Raito

Why not give it a try? People who make the most of everything always win, after all.1

Kafka

You’ll be starting out with some basic work, so you’ll be alright.

You’ll also be going on a study tour before you start doing work as idols in earnest.

You’ll be acting as idols for your tour too. Look forward to it.

Kuguri

Well, you sure like to play rough.

3

Kafka

Sorry, but those are president’s orders ♪

Nayuki, do you have a list of possible locations ready?

Nayuki

Yes. I’ve begun the job hunt. The destination for the trip will be decided soon as well.

Kafka

That’s Nayuki for you. What a talented manager ♪

Well, that just about covers it for my explanation today. Chief-chan, would you take everyone and show them the staff dorms?

Tao

(There are dorms?! Thank God…!)

Chihiro

Yachiyo, right? I’m gonna call you Yapoo. Is that all good?

Let’s go! I wanna listen to the soundtrack!

Yachiyo

Huh?! R-Right…!

(I was given a nickname by THE Natsuyaki Chihiro?!)

(Hieee… I’m gonna pass out! Should I get a tattoo of it somewhereee…?!)

Footsteps, then the door closes.

Nayuki

Kafka… I’ll be honest and say that I’m holding this against you.

4

Kafka

Hm? What? What ever did I do?

Nayuki

(Sigh)… Whatever.

I’m never making a bet with you again.

Kafka

Nayuki, hold on just a sec. Sakujiro, bring that out.

Sakujiro

Yes, Bocchama. Manager, please take a look at this device.

Nayuki

…?

?! This is…

Kafka

Can you handle this starting tonight? Don’t let the other members find out about it.

Nayuki

(Exasperated sigh)… A new hassle everywhere I look. When it rains, it pours.

Footsteps, then the door closes.

Sakujiro

Bocchama, here are the background screenings of everyone in the Evening Team.

Kitakata Raito stayed, exactly the way you thought he would…

Kafka

If he left after all the preparations we made, that’d spell the end of it, but he acted exactly as expected.

As for Domeki Kuguri, they wanted to keep him detained in order to fix all the behavioral problems he had in prison… but we managed to take him with us.

5

Sakujiro

He’s quite the dangerous man. He was even able to control the guards there.

Kafka

He’s a bit of an ideological criminal, so we’ll have to keep an eye out…

But as long as he’s keeping to his own devices, he won’t act out.

Sakujiro

Natsuyaki Chihiro was also apparently able to receive aid from the guards.

Kafka

That’s just one of his talents. Even though he’s the one with the most scandals and instability of the bunch, his experience with being an idol puts us at an advantage.

The ones that truly made it through the Survival Game… were Azekawa Kinari and Kinouchi Tao…

Those two seem pretty interesting, don’t they?

Sakujiro

Yes… They’re quite surprising.

Kafka

I wonder what might happen…2

Ev3ns is going to be an interesting bunch to watch…


Translation Notes

Footnotes

  1. なにごとも楽しんだ者勝ち is a colloquial expression that would have the same vibe as saying something like “the real idolhood is the fun we have along the way”.

  2. 鬼が出るか蛇が出るか is a Japanese proverb that literally translates to “will it be a demon or a snake”; it’s used when a situation has a looming outcome that is unforeseeable.