Shoe Sores and Aching Muscles - Kohaku Idol Story
This story wasn't proofread.See the specific non-proofread story TOS.
I would love to get this proofread someday, if you have interest, contact me on Twitter/X!
 |  |
|---|
Chapter 1
Phew, I’m wore out…
Finally made it. Sorry fer makin’ ya wait, Anzu-han, hope ya can forgive me?
I set out with plenty o’ time, but dang if I didn’t go an’ lose my way
Ain’t my first time comin’ to the Producer Room, yet it’s a funny thing. Guess I just assumed I’d get here no problem, an’ wound up headin’ clean the wrong way
When I realized it, I was standin’ smack dab in the opposite direction. Let out a weird yelp without meanin’ to
I figured, I managed fine in the city, I’ll be just fine here too… turns out that baseless confidence was just plain ol’ arrogance
…Come to think of it, when we first met, Anzu-han, it was kinda the same
I was lost at the station an’ you came up talkin’ to me. Ya remember?
I remember it clear. Back then I didn’t have the faintest clue where ES was, just stood there frozen
When it showed up after just walkin’ a bit, I was real shocked. Couldn’t believe I missed a buildin’ that huge. Felt pitiful
But well, it ain’t a bad memory. Since we was headin’ the same way, ya walked with me, even patched up my blisters
The city’s all glittery but cold somehow. Still, there’s good folks ‘round, that made me happy
…Even today, if I’d called ya, ya would’ve come pick me up? Anzu-han, you really are kind
But I ain’t no kid no more, ya know. Compared to back then, I can get anywhere on my own feet
I’m used to my shoes now, no more sore feet from walkin’ ‘round. Bein’ clueless ‘bout left or right, that’s all in the past
…Well, gettin’ lost in the first place still ain’t exactly cool
At least ya didn’t see me openin’ the map app and wanderin’ in circles
Anyhow, just makin’ it here on my own feels good. Ain’t much, but there’s a sense of achievement
And if next time I come without messin’ up, then this weren’t a failure. It’s experience
This time I can brush it off as a “personal errand”, but if it was work, I couldn’t be so easygoin’
I’ll make today’s wrong turn count next time. Don’t worry ‘bout me
So then, let’s get to the point, what’s this errand ‘bout?
…Hmm, hmm. Heard rumors ‘bout that. Somethin’ that just started, right?
As part of Mega Stream, idols doin’ solo live streams…
Oh, makin’ a costume just for that stream, huh
So that means it’s a pretty serious project. Well, if all idols are included, I s’pose it’s natural
So? What ya want bringin’ that up with me?
…Ya wanna hear my opinion? Someone new like me don’t know half as much as you, Anzu-han. Ain’t even worth askin’, is it?
Ehh… next is my turn…?
Whe-what’s that ‘bout! This ain’t no “personal errand,” it’s proper work!
I thought it’d be more like small talk, at most just casual chat, so I came here relaxed…
True enough, like ya said, reckon a solo job could count as a “personal errand”...
Nah nah, normally it doesn't! But knowin’ you, Anzu-han, ya just said that so I wouldn’t get all tense
I get it now. Ya wanna put my tastes and image into the costume, heh
“The me I wanna show right now,”. Hmm…
…Nothin’ comes to mind right off
If it’s clothes I wanna wear… I could pick casual wear easy enough
But it ain’t like I feel strongly, “I wanna wear this,” I just grab whatever on a whim
And idol costumes are another thingy. Somethin’ that important, I get nervous thinkin’ if it’s really okay for me to decide
I do kinda think it’d be good if it’s a costume fans love, one they’ll remember forever
But what you’re wantin’, Anzu-han, ain’t that sorta “right answer,” it’s my own feelings, ain’t it?
If ya ask how I wanna show myself now, honestly I got no idea
But still… since ya called me out like this, feels wasteful to say nothin’
Like ya said, I could leave it up to ya, Anzu-han, but if I do nothin’, it’s the same as back then
Same as that time I was just standin’ there, surrounded by huge buildings
…I been lost plenty since becomin’ an idol, but I still remember every path I walked on my own feet
That’s why this time too… even if I wander ‘round, I’ll find the answer myself
Mega Sphere’s so wide it still feels like I done come to some foreign country
Might sound dramatic talkin’ ‘bout how I’ll live here
But maybe it’ll be a good chance to think on how I’ll spend my days in this new place
Chapter 2
(What kinda of self I wanna show, huh... bein’ asked with no clue like this, it’s not somethin’ you can answer easily)
(Good thing I got some time to think. I gotta thank Anzu-han)
(Hmm… For now, I’ll take another look at the outfits I’ve worn so far. Might give me some clues)
(This one’s from when I did Crazy:B, and this one’s from Double Face…)
(I hadn’t really noticed before, ‘cause I was always focused on the work at hand, but the vibe really changes with each unit)
(But… what is it…? I’ve got good feelings for both, but maybe it’s better not to use the unit outfits as reference)
(This time I’m standin’ not as a unit, but as Kohaku Oukawa himself)
(…I think I understand that logic, at least in my own way)
(Tryin’ not to think about the unit’s image is tough. That means my choices get a lot narrower)
(Speakin’ of solo, I remember wearin’ my exclusive outfit that had a cherry blossom on the back)
(It was beautiful, and I think it suited me pretty well too)
(I’ve always been familiar with traditional clothes, but it doesn’t feel like what I want to show now)
(Not just an extension of the past. What can I show as Kohaku Oukawa in this very moment? It’s tough…)
(…Hm? Someone’s here)
(Mutterin’ to myself here, but what are them doin’? Don’t look like them are lost though…)
Found it! I’ve discovered the hidden exit leadin’ to a brand-new world☆
After a hundred years of hardship! A huge adventure full of ups and downs has paid off! Congrats to me!
With this, I’ve gotten one step closer to the “Million Secrets” slumberin’ in Mega Sphere—where findin’ them all grants your wish!
Advancin’ straight toward uncoverin’ the truth! The adventurer Esu’s journey ain’t over yet…☆
Now, what awaits ahead, I wonder~
—That ain’t an exit, it’s a vent, y’know?
Ah! Hello, Kohaku-senpai. Thanks for your hard work
Thanks for bein’ polite. You’re Esu-han, right?
What’ve ya been doin’ all this time? And what’s this “Million Secrets” thing anyway?
Good question! My unit mates don’t really go along with it~
”Million Secrets” is just somethin’ I made up. Mega Sphere’s huge, so it ain’t strange if there’s that many secrets, right?
But still, a million… realistically, ain’t a hundred enough?
No no. It’s “Mega”, so a million’s gotta be about right
Geez. I just don’t get what kids do
How old are ya, anyway?
Me? I’m sixteen
No way, really?
It’s true. Look, my ID~
…It really is. Same age as me, huh
Eh!???? Seriously??????
I always thought you were older! Crazy:B is a unit with a grown-up vibe, isn’t it!
Kohaku-senpai’s calm and presence… it’s totally that of a veteran
But if we’re the same age, callin’ ya senpai’s weird. Uh… Kohaku-kun?
Whoa, feels kinda off…!
Kohkohkoh♪ I actually prefer it that way. Rarely anyone calls me senpai anyway
When it comes to same age, only Rabu-han comes to mind, and I’m the youngest in the unit. Feels kinda close, y’know?
I get that! The moment I realized we’re the same age, all the walls came down☆
I’d be glad if we can get along from here! Pleased to meet yaaaaaa!
…You’re mighty energetic. How do you have that much voice?
Thankss! Energy’s my only sellin’ point!
That’s respectable in its own way though…
(I wonder… Esu-han feels so dazzling. Hard to believe we’re the same age)
(…Even Rabu-han’s kinda cheerful. Esu-han feels more age-appropriate, I guess)
(If I’d grown up somewhere else, livin’ a different life… would I have been more lively too…?)
Hm? Something wrong?
Ah, nuthin’
It’s just… lookin’ at you makes me feel like I’ve aged a bit
Feels like I’ve been left behind a little
Left behind, huh… are we talkin’ about speed?
Speed?
Yeah. Like how you go through life, growin’… that kinda stuff!
But it’s all good! There ain’t no early or late for startin’ an adventure!
Strike while the iron’s hot! Let’s go together!
Go out? That’s a vent, ya know
Open sesameeeeeeee! Come on, let’s go to a brand new world☆
Hey, don’t pull my sleeve…!
Oi! Listen to what I’m sayin’!?
Anzu-han, thanks for makin’ the time. About the outfit we talked ‘bout yesterday…
Eh? You mean my movements are stiff?
You really noticed that? Is it that obvious?
Don’t worry, it’s just muscle soreness
Yesterday, we… walked all over Mega Sphere, me and Esu-han
In Esu-han’s words, that was an “adventure”
We didn’t go into vents, thankfully. But we walked forever up emergency stairs, back alleys, weird spots
Places no one normally pays attention to
My legs are screamin’. I rarely ever get muscle pain though
…Used muscles I normally don’t? Hm, makes sense
If ya think about it, it’s kinda like growth pains. Quietly hurtin’, but… not bad
Esu-han looked like he wanted more, but for me, it was a huge adventure
Just walkin’, but somehow it felt fresh and fun
Probably because what Esu-han saw was totally different from me
Hard to say, but I felt something in Esu-han that I don’t have
…Then it hit me. Maybe my life from now on is an adventure itself
I can’t tell what I’ll be like in the future. Right now, I can’t even imagine
So now, I wanna absorb all sorts of things and grow
So I can move forward on my own two feet. So that when a big goal comes, I can hold my ground
For that reason… I wanna challenge myself with this outfit to show a version of me that could’ve existed
Birth, upbringing, things I like… I’ll set all that aside for a bit
I wanna wrap myself in the atmosphere of kids livin’ in the same era, even a little
…Surely that’s somethin’ only possible “now”
It’s fine to be unsure. Even if it doesn’t suit me, that’s fine too. I wanna go all in, just as I am
Gatherin’ what I lack like that, buildin’ experience little by little…
I feel like that way, I could live more like “Kohaku Oukawa”, holdin’ my chest high…♪
