(ensemble stars event) recollection! monochrome checkmate chp. 4: the killer's anthem 4

[takenaka]

As usual I worked on this with Chika. She has a copy on her blog with more screencaps so if that's what you prefer please check that out...!!


Location: School Entrance

Izumi: (Aah~.... I’m so tired)

Izumi: (My god, seriously what is wrong with him, he’s such a handful)

Izumi: (Even though his arm is broken, he just came to school and composed music with one arm like everything’s normal)

Izumi: (I couldn’t just leave him like that, so I dragged him by force to the hospital and dumped him there.)

Izumi: (Why did I have to do that... This is all I seem to be doing lately)

Izumi: (I, like, booked a practice room and all, but ended up wasting time because I had to take him to the hospital...)

Izumi: (The rental fee isn’t cheap, give me a break already)

Izumi: (I have to keep going about things in a roundabout way, even though both money and time are limited)

Izumi: (And even though every little thing racks up maintenance costs because we’re a large unit)

Izumi: (Well, he prepares the songs, our outfits are also designed and made cheaply by a “connection” of his)

Izumi: (Even without a lot of expenses, it’s not like we make that much either)

Izumi: (That guy just can't cut anyone off... Caring for all those useless people, what an idiot)

Izumi: (plus, it's not like it’s gonna pay off)

Izumi: (Those ingrates just leech off of him, just using him as a “convenient fool”)

Izumi: (They don't make good use of the things he worked so hard to prepare and then spend the leftover money on luxuries)

Izumi: (But he kept smiling through it all anyway... He definitely doesn't see what's going on huh?)

Izumi: (He's such a child, he doesn't get he's being used)

Izumi: (I sometimes almost snap)

Izumi: (But If I tell those guys off, he treats me like I’m the one who doesn’t know how to take a hint... Telling me to “Be friends!”)

Izumi: (Ah, I'm so mad. I hope they all die~ Every single person who displeases me)

Izumi: (But. All it does is stress me out... I wonder why I can't leave him)

Izumi: (Normally, I would have been fed up with him ages ago)

Izumi: (Well, it's not like there’s anywhere else for me to go. I can’t go back to modeling, so I’ll have to live my life out here...)*1

Izumi: (Gradually being tainted by inhaling and exhaling this stagnating air)

Izumi: ...

Arashi: ...

Izumi: Hm? Hey, what are you doing over there, fucking four eyes?

Arashi: Agh?! You scared me. Don’t sneak up on me like that! What are you, a cat?

Arashi: And, like, “fucking four eyes”? So~ me~an~, my feelings are hurt!

Arashi: Do they not look cute on me? These glasses? There’s no way they don’t! I'm matching with Mr. Kunugi~ Aren’t they suuper cute ♪

Izumi: Will you stop talking like that?*2 It’s weird... Also, don't like, just stand there in front of the school gate, you're blocking the way.

Arashi: Oh dear, but I’m not in anyone’s way? See, there’s plenty of space to pass through.

Izumi: What I’m trying to say is you're an eyesore, why’d you come to the same school as me?

Izumi: And when I wasn’t around, you changed, in a gross way. This discomfort index is really something?

Arashi: Whaa~? What’s with you, then don’t talk to me? I'm not interested in you, Izumi~ Actually, I don't even see anything right now! Love is blind... ☆

Izumi: Don’t call me by my first name, you should call me by my last name.*3 Didn’t I tell you from the first time we met to be more polite to your seniors? Are your ears just fashion accessories?

Arashi: (Giggle) Wouldn’t it be great if they were, I could change them up

Arashi: But first things first, according to my sources, Mr. Kunugi should have finished work and should be passing through here right now, but...

Arashi: I don't see him at all, do you know what’s going on?

Arashi: Izumi, If I remember correctly, you and Mr. Kunugi are close, right?

Izumi: Not really...

Izumi: So, remember how he was the top idol from the generation just before ours? Well, all I do is just ask him for advice, since it’s easier to ask someone competent.

Izumi: He’s unexpectedly nice, or more like, he’s comparatively nice to me

Izumi: He helped me out for just a little bit right before he became an idol.*4

Izumi: Actually, I should be the one asking you, you know him? You're from a different agency right, did you meet working on the same set?

Arashi: Haha, There’s a tear-jerking love story behind it!

Arashi: Fate brought us together~ Do you want to know more? How romance blossomed with Mr. Kunugi...!

Izumi: No, I don’t have the slightest bit of interest. Why would I want to listen to some sob story about a guy who is obsessed with some other guy?

Izumi: It’s unsound, and it has nothing to do with me or my life

Izumi: Anyway, Kunugi...Mr. Kunugi, he’s a new teacher, so it seems like they’ve pushed a bunch of work onto him

Izumi: So, he's probably working overtime until late again today?

Arashi: Oh my, you sure know a lot. No way, Izumi, are you also after Mr. Kunugi? You can’t! He’s my soulmate!

Izumi: I'm not, I’m seriously not. You can have him. I just know a lot because
maybe since he’s lonely because he doesn't know a lot of people here at school yet…

Izumi: but when he saw me, he tried to talk to me in an over-familiar way

Izumi: well he's a teacher, and I guess I do owe him one for helping me out back then…

Izumi: So I end up listening to him vent. I feel like I always end up in this kind of role

Arashi: Haha, Izumi, you have a foul mouth and a bad attitude, but you're easy to talk to

Arashi: You actually listen... and help think of ways to solve the problem together, and give out advice too

Arashi: In this school, most people only go on and on about what they want to say. Izumi, someone like you is invaluable, really ♪

Izumi: Well, that means they’re just a bunch of brats. Ah, jeez, soooo annoying.

Izumi: Still, it's a waste of time to wait for Kunugi here so... You're free, right? Come with me

Arashi: Huh, why? No way? Thanks for asking me out on a date but unfortunately, there’s someone I’ve promised myself to ♪

Izumi: Stop saying things like that, it’s obnoxious... Whatever, just come along

Izumi: I have practice after this, but you can broaden what you can do during practice with two people rather than one

Izumi: You have an eye for things. Let me know if there’s like, something lacking in my performance

Izumi: I’ll let you use the practice room for free, it’s a great deal, right?

Arashi: Whaat~ Izumi, you sure like to practice.... In this school, hard work doesn’t pay off?

*1 Just for clarification purposes, “here” refers to the idol industry
*2 You may already be well aware of this from other stories but for those who aren’t, Arashi uses feminine speech in Japanese. Read up all about it here.
*3 Arashi calls Izumi “Izumi-chan” and Izumi wants him to call him “Izumi-senpai”
*4 Referring to how Kunugi did modelling before becoming an idol