ALKALOID VS Switch – Joint Front (Chapters 1-8)
Chapter Index
Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4 - Ch5 - Ch6 - Ch7 - Ch8 - Translation Notes
Chapter 1
A few days earlier. A few hours after the MM Tournament draw, at the shared space in the Star House.
—Hiro-kun, you idiot! Do you even have a brain in there!?
Out of sixteen choices, you just had to draw the absolute worst possible one…?
Did you go get cleansed before the draw? You obviously didn’t, right!? 1
How else could your luck be this bad!?
I’m sorry, Aira. You’re right, I didn’t go through the ritual.
I let you down and betrayed your trust in me. I really hope you can forgive me for that.
Alright, alright. No need to scold Hiiro-san.
The results of this draw were guided by God’s will. You may consider this a trial put in our way by him.
If Hiiro-san hadn’t been the one to draw, the result would have been the same.
Even if we are to suppose otherwise, that would not have altered our predicament.
Now, we are only left with the choice to steel ourselves and overcome this trial.
I mean, I guess that’s true, but… honestly, drawing the very last number is the worst possible omen for what’s to come…
Please, don’t be sad, Aira-san. They do say that there is fortune in leftovers…
Ah! Um, please don’t misunderstand, the last thing I would want to do is imply that Switch are anything in the vein of leftovers for not being picked!
I know that… You obviously wouldn’t say that…
I mean, I know I’ve been complaining, but any of the units that are participating in MM would be scary to go against.
I don’t think anything would’ve changed no matter what Hiro-kun drew…
But still… of all units, it had to be Switch…?
I don’t believe the gap between Switch’s ability and ours is so immense as to warrant such pessimism.
One can’t deny that they are formidable. Their staging expertise should not be underestimated.
Each of their members is an incredibly capable performer, and they come together as one harmonious group.
If we were still in those times when we were newcomers… when Switch had been the ones to lend us a hand, we wouldn’t be a proper match for them.
However, we’ve grown immensely since then.
Yeah, Tatsumi-senpai’s right!
With the way we are now, if we give our best efforts, I think there’s a decent chance for us to win!
This could be the perfect opportunity to show our friends in Switch how much we have grown since those times.
Hmmm… I’m not really on board…
… What’s wrong, Aira?
… Tattsun-senpai already mentioned this, but Switch have done a lot for us.
When we were about to get fired, they helped us out in our time of need at the Bon Festival…
I know how the competition works, but that doesn’t mean I can do a 180 that easily…
Even if we did win, wouldn’t it be like biting the hand that fed us?
I mean, I’m not saying we can beat them for sure!
It’s just that I can see it coming off that way…
While I understand where you’re coming from, Aira-san, I don’t think there’s any need for you to worry.
Switch don’t seem to me like they would be small-minded enough to harbor resentment over something of this sort.
I get that. I thought the same, but…
I just can’t help but see it like we’re turning against the people that helped us.
I understand… I can relate to that feeling on my end, just a little…
Going against the people we’re indebted to is not too pleasant, and I would hate to make Sora-san dislike me as a result…
Hmm… But that’s just what competitions are like. When a match takes place, there’s bound to be a winner and a loser in the end.
Comparing your abilities against someone else’s can be a good opportunity that allows you to identify your own struggles. Isn’t it similar to taking mock exams in school?
Don’t you think you’re putting this too lightly with that comparison? This is a massive production on an international level.
And I already know that, anyways! I get it perfectly well, and I still don’t agree with it!
… Hm?
Why’re we even in this situation where we don’t have a choice but to compete in a live tournament!?
All of a sudden, we got told there’s gonna be this tournament show taking place across the globe. It doesn’t even feel like real life.
I agree… After being abruptly informed about a global live competition, I was also a little perplexed.
Right, right! I knew you’d get me, Mayo-san!
Most importantly, I don’t really see the appeal in choosing the best idols in the world through a tournament…
The concept itself of winning the tournament seems too far away…
To reach that objective, we would have to emerge victorious against units such as Mellow Dear Us, Eden and Knights…
That would certainly prove difficult for us…
Oh! O-of course, by that I don’t mean to imply that anyone in ALKALOID is lacking in terms of ability!
Only that, to be able to win against the likes of them, we’re…
I understand what you mean. In comparison to the units you just named, ALKALOID still has a long way to go in terms of recognition.
Japan might’ve been a different case, but on a global stage, their position is absolutely dominant over us.
Needless to say, Mellow Dear Us are world-renowned idols…
Recently, Eden’s Jun-san has made his solo debut, which has been garnering international acclaim for the group.
Knights, too, has a sizable fanbase thanks to the notoriety of Leo-san.
The key to advancing through MM will most likely lie in figuring out how to put up a fight against those units.
Right, I get it! The charm of MM has got to be watching everyone give their best to try to win against those super dominant units!
And I also get how it’d be fun to watch a live showdown between idols.
But even then, I still don’t like the idea of idols having to worry about doing better or worse than other idols…
Every idol is someone’s favorite. I don’t see the need of hosting a whole competition to try and pick the best one…
… Aira.
I know… It’s pretty naive of me to think like this, right…?
—Oh, I don’t think that’s true at all, Shiratori-kun!
In fact, I can understand how you feel perfectly… ♪
Huh!? A-Aoba-senpai!?
Chapter 2
Oh, I’m sorry for the sudden intrusion! I must’ve startled you.
No, no, don’t worry! It’s okay, it wasn’t anything important.
Really? From what I heard, it sounded like you were talking about MM.
Yeah, you’re not wrong about that.
We were discussing the results of the draw as a group.
By the way, what are you doing here, Tsumugi-senpai?
Oh, excuse me. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, or anything.
I was walking by, completely by coincidence, and that was when I heard Shiratori-kun’s voice.
If you’re talking strategY, you should try paying a bit more attention to your surroundingS.
We are your opponentS, after alL. If we had been trying to eavesdroP, we could easily have passed it off as a coincidencE.
HaHa~ “Walls have ears, doors have eyes”, as they say~ Ai-chan’s grumbling was heard loud and clear!
What!? You mean you heard everything!?
You were talking about what would happen if ALKALOID were to win against Switch, weren’t yoU?
Haha. Aira-kun, It’s pretty bold of you to assume that outcomE.
I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!
I just meant that you guys are a tough opponent…
That aside, what are you all doing here?
I don’t mean to say you were trying to listen in on us, but…
Oh, we really just happened to pass by coincidentally and wanted to chat. There’s no need to be so wary of us.
We actually just wanted to say hi, but hearing that Shiratori-kun was thinking the same as us piqued our interest…
… Um, thinking the same? What do you mean? Like, that there’s no need to pick winners and losers…?
Yeah. We in Switch have been discussing how to approach this match since we got back from the draw…
And we decided that we’d just enjoy MM without minding the outcome.
Oh… May I ask what exactly you mean by that?
If I am to interpret your words literally, it sounds like you, as Switch, are not concerned with whether you might win or lose this match.
Well, that’s not exactly truE. I wouldn’t say we don’t care at alL.
The World Tour Megasphere Match, an event aiming to find the icon of the new century of idolS… this is a massive production drawing international attentioN.
This event is highly anticipateD, and comes with significant clouT. At the same timE, it’s a ruthless battlefield where each unit will have their standing brought to the forefront in the form of the outcome of every matcH.
We don’t want to be labeled as inferior to other units as a result of losing in the first rounD.
We do have a conviction not to lose if we can help iT.
But, doesn’t that contradict what you said about not minding the outcome…?
HiHi~! Thing is, we in Switch have some things that our pride won’t let us compromise on~
If we did that, we’d stop being Switch!
… Are you talking about your magic of happiness?
That’s the same reason why you helped us out back then… right?
Exactly. Our wish has been the same since we formed Switch, and it will never change.
We want to find the things that have been scattered away in the face of our absurd, hopeless reality, and gather them in our hands instead of forsaking them.
Our mindset might be a little naive, and not really suited to a competition about finding world-famous idols…
But regardless of the circumstances, we are magicians, so we don’t want to give up on our goal to make miracles come true.
So, we’d like to aim for an outcome in which everyone can smile, and no one has to be sad.
You can see how this projecT, which accentuates the disparity between unitS, isn’t quite to our liking with that goal in minD.
We’re aware that definitely labeling one group or another as the winner will make certain fans upseT, and we don’t want to ignore their feelingS.
…! Yeah, I was thinking the same! That’s exactly how I feel!
I’m so glad it’s not just me that was thinking along those lines, like I assumed at first.
4piece, the Mega Stream, and now MM… Lately, we’ve been made to compete with each other time after time, in one way or another.
All those projects were great, but even then, I guess I just really don’t like the idea of idols having to compete with each other…
Every idol is the best to the eyes of their fans. So, idols being forced to compete and then being ranked against each other just gives me a bad feeling…
So, with that in mind, we have a proposal for you. What do you think about collaborating with us for the duration of MM?
Collaborating…? How exactly would we…?
With the way MM is structured, we can’t forgo the competition entirely…
Just because MM is a competition doesn’t mean we absolutely have to fight each otheR, does iT?
SaY, since we’re going to be performing the song assigned to us together on the final rounD…
Couldn’t we just perform together starting from the very first shoW?
… Hmm. Indeed, there is no such thing as a rule forbidding us from putting on a joint performance…
TheN, wouldn’t it be for the best if we put the outcome of the match seconD, and instead focused on helping each other gain international fanS?
If ALKALOID and Switch hold a lot of collaborative activities together for the duration of MM, we’re sure to garner a huge influx of fanS.
I see your point. In fact, if I remember, there were those that were able to efficiently gather Nices by collaborating during the time of the Mega Stream.
But, there’s still one thing I can’t overlook.
Even if we do collaborate, because it’s a competition, someone will come out on top in the end.
A winner and a loser will emerge regardless. I’d like to know Switch’s thoughts on that.
It’s unfortunate, but I think we have to accept that we have no choice in the matter.
It’s not like we can change the rules.
But, precisely for that reason, until that time comes…
Wouldn’t you like to prioritize making our fans happy by collaborating with us?
I’m on board! Sure, the final result might be inevitable, but even knowing that…
But I still think it’d be much better to have fun on our shows together instead of fighting.
This certainly seems preferable to establishing a hostile atmosphere between us…
And Aira-san seems happy with it, so I’m in favor… ♪
Hmm. I see that both of you are in agreement with Switch’s proposal.
What do you think, Hiiro-san? I’m interested in getting the opinion of our leader. How do you feel about this?
… Hm, let’s see.
We’re not on the verge of being fired, or being labeled as underachievers, anymore.
There’s no reason why we can’t afford to lose in MM under any circumstances, either.
With that in mind, their proposal seems appealing for ALKALOID, so I’m inclined to accept it.
(Besides, this feels like the choice that will make Aira and Mayoi-senpai the happiest.)
If you think so, then I have no qualms, either.
Growing our international fanbase will surely be beneficial for our future as ALKALOID.
If this will make MM enjoyable for Aira and Mayoi-san… we’ll take Switch’s offer.
Let’s go! You guys heard his answer, right?
Yes! Hehe, thank you for accepting our proposal.
Thanks for offering! Let’s work together to make MM a blast!
Chapter 3
Back to the present, after Switch and ALKALOID’s joint handshake event.
—Phew. The handshake event finished without issue~
HaHa~! So many more fans came than Sora expected! It was so fun~♪
Hehehe, our respective fanbases came together as one.
I’m glad… It looked like they were getting along with each other and enjoying MM together.
That is true. However, I have a couple of regrets about how we handled this event.
The main problem was that there were misunderstandings stemming from our lack of knowledge of the local culture. In retrospect, I wish we had done more research on Egypt in advance.
That’s true. In addition to that, idol culture is not very widespread outside of Japan yet…
We didn’t consider that the locals wouldn’t be familiar with the concept of a handshake event…
Yeah, and so, almost everyone that showed up were our fans that traveled here from Japan…
There were plenty of things we failed to pay attention tO. To begin witH, Egypt traditionally sees the left hand as uncleaN.
It also seems like shaking hands with a member of the opposite sex is seen as poor mannerS, which might have lead some female fans to sit it ouT.
We were pretty careless, huh… I saw Ra*bits having a handshake event, so I thought we should do the same.
Only now that all these culture and etiquette mishaps are coming up, am I actually realizing that the world is a lot more diverse than I thought…
Next time we have an event, let’s make it something like a fansign that’s easy for everyone to attend!
Sakasaki-senpai, let’s make up for our mistakes in our next event together!
Haha, of coursE. ThougH, our biggest priority should still be the first rounD.
Oh, you’re right! I almost forgot that’s happening the day after tomorrow…
I’ve gotta get everything fully memorized in time…!
Speaking of which, I have something I want to ask you about, Senpai.
Um, you know how there’s this part of the choreography? Well, about that…
(Hehe. At first, I was a little anxious that ALKALOID wouldn’t accept our proposal, but it seems I had nothing to worry about.)
(On the contrary, Shirakuri-kun looks like he’s enjoying it the most out of anyone.)
(I hope things can go on like this, so that we can put on a show that both fans of Switch and ALKALOID will enjoy… ♪)
…
… Oh? Hiiro-kun, what’s the matter?
Hm…? Oh, Tsumugi-senpai. Sorry, I think I zoned out for a moment.
Is that so… Are you feeling alright? If not, please let us know.
Even though the climate is relatively light, the sunlight has still been pretty harsh. It would be terrible if you ended up suffering from heatstroke.
Ah, no need to worry about that. I just had something on my mind, is all.
… Oh, really? Is there something weighing on your mind?
… Yeah. But talking about it now isn’t gonna be productive, so please don’t worry about it.
It’s just something I got hung up on for no real reason.
Hehe, you don’t need to be that restrained.
If there is something on your mind, don’t hold back from talking it out with us. For the time being, we’re one single team.
Or, is it something you’d rather not discuss with me? If that is the case, you can always go to your friends in ALKALOID…
Don’t worry, it’s not like that. Actually, Aira is the one I can’t really talk about this with.
Shiratori-kun?
Right now, my thoughts are exactly the opposite of Aira’s.
I’ve been wondering if collaborating with Switch was really the right choice.
Oh, I understand why that might be hard to bring up to him.
From my perspective, he seems to be enjoying himself from the bottom of his heart.
Yeah, and I don’t dislike this set-up, either. Getting to collaborate and host joint events with Switch is an honor.
I’m also learning a lot from working together with you seniors.
In fact, the fans seem to be reacting very positively, too. A lot of people have been saying that they feel relieved supporting us, since we’re working together so harmoniously.
It’s just that, watching every other unit that’s participating in MM fully and earnestly devoting themselves to winning…
It made me start to doubt if this is really right.
Of course, I understand how Aira feels, too.
If someone is labeled as the loser, that unit’s fans will definitely be sad as a result.
Trying to make as few people sad as possible is a noble thing to do. That’s the reason why I agreed to Switch’s proposal back then.
But… there's still some part of me that can’t fully agree with that logic.
Because, no matter how well we get along, it won’t change the fact that this is a competition.
Every competition has an outcome. There’s going to be a winner and a loser.
If a winner is decided on, there will definitely be those that are upset by the result…
But, if that’s the case, shouldn’t we treat the competition more seriously…?
What do you think, Tsumugi-senpai? If Switch loses, won’t that make your own fans sad?
… That’s right. It’s a difficult question to answer, for sure.
A competition is something complex. I had thought it wouldn’t be a big problem for us if we were to lose…
It’s not as if losing this match means death for us, after all.
Well, that doesn’t change the fact that someone will be sad as a result…
So, in the end, I don’t think this question has a right answer.
…
Maybe, the crucial thing you have to figure out is what is important to you.
What’s important…
To us, advancing in MM isn’t that important. We don’t think winning is everything.
Considering our objective as Switch, in fact, sticking close with those that have lost might be more in line with our ideals.
… Then, does that mean that you’re okay with losing?
Ahaha. Well, it’s not like we actively want to.
Despite what they may say, I know that Natsume-kun and Sora-kun really don’t like losing.
But if ALKALOID has a reason why you can’t lose, even if I can only speak for myself, I would be okay with us being the losers.
Hiiro-kun, do you have a reason why you want to win MM?
… I’ve been thinking about this for a while.
I said the same when I agreed to this, but our future isn’t at stake, or anything of the sort. It’s not like we absolutely have to win no matter the cost.
It’s strange, right? I don’t have any reason to aim for victory, but I’m still having doubts about this.
No, there’s nothing weird about it. If you’re feeling uneasy about it, it wouldn’t be right to let that feeling go unchecked.
But, if you can’t find that reason, I’d be glad if you could continue collaborating with us and helping us fulfill our own goal.
With us all working together, everyone can have fun with MM without taking any losses.
We can keep operating like this until you figure out what that “important thing” is.
That’s true. I did promise that we would collaborate with Switch.
Sorry, I shouldn’t have contradicted that.
Oh, it’s alright. If you change your mind, feel free to let me know anytime.
… Alright. Thank you, Tsumugi-senpai.
Chapter 4
A few days later, in a practice room.
♪~♪~♪
1, 2, 3 ♪ 1, 2, 3 ♪
Alright, that is enough for now. Hehe. Unsurprisingly, both your singing and your dancing are perfect ♪
HaHa~! It’s all thanks to Murky Oni~san’s guidance~!
Well said. I get the impression that the quality of our performance has increased thanks to your direction.
Oh, no, no! I couldn’t even measure up to the talent and ability that you three have in a single pinky!
In particular, the way you were constantly adjusting your own performance according to your surroundings taught me a lot…
Yeah! I was thinking the same!
I mean, your performances have always been great, though.
It’s just that you’re even more polished than before now. It’s like you grab my attention by force and don’t let me look away!
Why’s there such a big difference? Maybe it’s ‘cause cutting your hair short made your visuals go off the charts…?
HiHi~! That’s not all there is to it~! Lately, Senpai’s performance skills have been going up really fast!
Senpai’s idol power level has reached 530,000~♪
530,000? What measurement are you using?
Oh, deaR. That’s very rude to Lord Fr*eza, Sora. 2
Senpai’s performing abilities have indeed been improvinG, but it’s only him returning to his regular conditioN.
He’s always had this much potential as an idoL.
Huh? It’s really unusual for you to praise me so openly…
… Natsume-kun, you’re not feeling sick by any chance, are you?
That would be terrible. Let me see your forehead, please…!
< Don't get cocky. You're a useless piece of trash whose power level as a worthwhile human being is no more than 5. I'm going to kill you.
So mean!? But, this is more like you…
Up until noW, you’ve been carrying the burden of all the office work you were taking oN.
Oh, I see. The accumulated fatigue resulting from that work must’ve been preventing you from performing at your best.
Ahaha, it’s not that big of a deal.
I think this is something anyone can accomplish ordinarily.
You’re setting the bar for “ordinary” so high…
But we’re going to stand on the same stage as Switch, so we’ve got to put on a performance we’ll be proud of!
Right. Then, let’s get right back to practicing.
—Fwah! Phew, water’s so good…
Water drunk right after a hard workout has a special taste… ♪
But still, I’m drained…
(Thinking about it, today’s schedule has been pretty rough.)
(After we had our joint tourism stream with Switch in the morning, we also had the handshake event…)
(And now we’re having this joint practice session. The day’s been jam-packed…)
(Well, it does make sense with the first round being the day after tomorrow. Makes sense that we’d have a lot to do.)
(It looks like the others have still got energy to spare, and they’re consulting with Mayo-san about the choreography.)
(I don’t want to fall behind, but…)
Hah… If I don’t rest a little longer, I’m gonna collapse…
… (Looking intensely at his computer screen)
Huh? Sakasaki-senpai’s away from the group, doing something on his own?
… What is he doing?
(Huh, that’s a video of the performance we just rehearsed! Even the stage effects are blocked out!)
Waaah…! So this is how it’s gonna look when we actually perform this! So lovey… ♪
Hm? Oh, Aira-kun. You surprised mE.
Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to disturb your concentration!
But, that’s really cool! Switch really has such unique stage effects that no other unit could ever replicate!
Feels like you can’t tear your eyes away. It’s so captivating, I don’t wanna blink and miss even a second of it… ♪
I’m so excited to know what the next show’s effects are gonna look like. I just can’t wait to see how you’re going to surprise us next!
Why, thank yoU. As the one in charge of it, I’m very flattered to hear thaT.
I’d like for the fans who watch us on stage to have fresh new feelings on each of our new showS.
If we use the same stage effects and techniques every single timE, our audience will get bored of it eventuallY.
The only way to survive in this cutthroat industry is to always stay on the lookout for new staging ideaS.
Especially since this is our joint front with ALKALOID. The more people are involveD, the more possibilities for stage effectS.
Since your fate also rests in my hands this timE, I’ve got to get even more creative than usuaL ♪