Is there something the matter?
No.
So, although unplanned, you drove him away.
Does this mean that this was the actual beginning
of your relationship with Urita-san?
Was it?
Mr. Detective...
Say...
Do you know about this?
"Showcase"?
Yes.
It's a social media platform where anyone can easily do a live stream.
You can even tip money.
Hana-san does this, too?
Yes.
When I started watching Hana's showcase for the first time
it was a rough experience.
Are you saying that Urita-san entered and...?
One year and one month before
Nobody seems to be coming.
Evening~
T-Thank you for taking time
out of your busy schedule to come here and watch.
Mr. KurageMaster...
Is there anything you'd like to talk about?
You want me to talk?
Y-Yes, anything is fine.
Sorry, I'll be back.
T-Thank you very much for coming.
Did I do something wrong?
When users who are curious about you join the showcase and get greeted with,
"Finally! Tell me something interesting!"
It's not really that inviting, I guess.
Huh? What?
No, it's a lame excuse.
No, no, no, go ahead.
Nevermind.
It's okay, say it.
Well...
I don't mean for them to say something interesting,
I just want to let them speak freely.
What I mean is...
For someone to join
my boring room during their precious spare time,
I'd like to at least offer them a place
to speak freely about whatever...
Still, greeting someone with "Tell me something!"
It's like being put on the spot and forced to say something interesting.
And to have other people talk in your stead
isn't exactly what you'd call good customer service in the first...
I'm wrong again...
I wouldn't say you're...
I've got it!
How about you take the plunge and do some skits?
S-Skits!?
Hold on, hold on.
I can't do stuff like imitations.
No, it doesn't necessarily have to be funny or anything.
What's a non-funny skit?
Are you sure about this!?
In your case, all you need to be is like this.
You know, just like the way you are.
Like this?
You know, just your usual self. Just like this.
Like this?
Yes, you don't need to do anything special.
Hanapi's 3-minute cooking!
Here we go (lol)
A new corner?
(lol)
...isn't that dangerous?
Tade Kuu Mushi mo Like it!
T-Today's menu is this!
S-Sunny side up eggs!
Yay!
It's sunny-side-up eggs.
Cracking the eggs.
- Huh? No Oil? - Egg!
Seeing the nice reception in her room,
- Egg! - Egg!
Look at her (lol)
I was really happy.
But I forgot one big problem.
( Submit )
The hell?
She likes that kind of stuff?
I hadn't yet told anyone about me being an ota.
Translation: HPriest @ d-addicts Twitter: @hpriestsubs
Here.
For me?
Yes.
Really? Thanks!
No, it's not really worth a "thanks" or anything.
Can I open it?
If you don't like it, you can use it as a dust cloth, really.
I'm opening it now.
It's not really your style, right?
No, it's extremely...
Cute!
I'm glad.
There's a sunny side up egg.
Yone-san, just a little bit more.
That's it.
This is great.
Yone-san! What are you doing?
It's just that I received a new signature from Noritama down here.
I want to show it off on Twitter the best I can!
Did you pump yourself up?
How about this pose?
"Teacher Teacher"
Ah! "What is Love?"
All wrong, all wrong!
It's "UFO", right? Think about his age.
"Brainstorming" by Morning Musume.
This one!?
What's with the attention-seeking sigh by our old lady here?
Well, must be nice being an otaku. You seem to have fun.
But aren't you an otaku yourself?
No, I'm a fan, not an otaku.
What's the difference between a fan and an otaku?
I'm not really sure myself,
but a fan is a moderate supporter who understands his social position
while an otaku doesn't know when to stop
and is far beyond the norm.
Ai-san, how many tickets did you buy today?
- Me? - Yeah.
20 tickets.
I bought 10!
The way I see it, you're the one far beyond the norm.
- No, no, no.
In my case it can't be helped, since there's such a big overlap,
not to mention
I'd never wear an ota shirt like you guys.
Are you saying that you don't have the confidence to wear an ota shirt?
What's with you and your useless positivity?
Those shirts are literally screaming, "I have no taste in fashion."
In other words, you do lack the confidence.
Confidence?
You know, just like the old lady you are,
your taste purely depends on what other people will think about you.
And given the lack of acceptance,
this Sunny Side ota shirt wouldn't get you any Likes
and therefore it's embarrassing.
You know, if you weren't that pretentious,
you'd proudly wear a shirt signed by your favorite artist.
Ye, ye, sorry for being normal.
More importantly...
Feeling too embarrassed to wear a shirt made by Hana herself...
- H-Hold on a sec.
Aren't you feeling bad for her?
- How did you?
Ai-san?
- Are you serious, Ai-san? - About what?
No, it's not...
You should have been honest with her!
No, no! You see, even she herself was all like,
"I know it's not something you wear."
Isn't that because you made her feel that way?
"I'm not an ota, I'm a fan." You gave her that kind of impression
and made her feel small.
No, I wouldn't...
Poor girl.
- I feel bad for Hana. - Me too.
Must be hard knowing that your biggest ota is too embarrassed to tell anyone about you.
No, that's not true.
Then, tell me!
"This girl is my oshi."
Have you ever introduced Hana to anyone like this?
I understand how you're feeling.
I can't tell anyone at school neither.
Really?
That's surprising.
I'd like to tell them, though.
I see.
That said...
I've been getting better at my job thanks to my otaku lifestyle.
Endo-san, your performance is on a different level.
Really?
Well, I'm leaving on time again today, so if you excuse me!
Okay, good job.
Company drinking parties, too.
Since I like to gesture and chant during songs,
I've become super popular.
Tiger! Fire! Cyber! Fiber!
Diver! Viber! Jyaa jyaa!!
I have something to say! Indeed, our boss is cool!
Hosokawa Takashi - "Kita Sakaba"
On the drinking-bar street in the north [Kita no sakaba doori ni wa]
- So please be cool about my assessment, too!
A long-haired woman matches [Nagai, kami no onna ga niau]
As a result, my valuation inside the company went up...
You want me to join the reception?
Yes.
Since you make things lively. You know, I want you to do the same thing.
Well, sure...
X Japan - "Kurenai"
Can I start with this? You all know this one.
I changed the key, though.
- That's amazing. - Thanks.
Endo-san...
Endo-san, what are you...?
She knows.
She knows what's up.
Endo-san, what is this?
Why aren't you joining her?
What is this...?
For this me, which is stained crimson, [kurenai ni somatta kono ore wo]
there is no longer anyone left... [nagusameru yatsu wa...]
- So please sign the contract! - Please sign the contract!
I wish she'd stop trying so hard to appeal.
A normal employee like her attending a business reception.
It's them who requested her, right?
Exactly!
Even though she's only there for the karaoke.
All the preparatory research, the presentation, the actual reception...
She didn't even bother about the presentation or reception.
"We just decided to do something more fun."
But she seems to be pretty popular.
What's she doing at work after 5:00 pm anyway?
Shouldn't she be at home and learn some Portugese cuisine or something?
She's becoming a bride after all.
It appears that she got dumped already.
Apparently she was dumped by her boyfriend.
Maybe that's why she's pouring herself into work?
Now I feel bad for her.
Sure.
We're having a BBQ mixer next Sunday.
The lineup is Marubishi Energy,
Itoutsu General Urban Development
and Goldman Sachs Management.
Wanna join???
You have one new message.
I felt a great sense of impending crisis with the current asset management
I already have plans on that day, so I have to pass this time. Sorry.
and revised my strategy again.
Don't you get cheeky.
Did I seem cheeky?
My previous self would have accepted such an invitation in a heartbeat,
but this time I didn't feel like going,
because why would I waste my precious day off
by having to listen to an endless bombardment of boastful speeches and feeling inferior?
Worth 25 tickets, huh?
Hello?
Ah, Old Lady?
We're meeting outside Luminous Mall at two today.
An artist from the same agency has her appendectomy today,
so they apparently want Sunny Side to perform in her stead all of a sudden.
Huh? Why them?
They were the only ones with a free schedule for today.
But how should I say...
The venue completely feels like an away game,
so we gotta come here and support them.
Luminous...?
It was outside a shopping mall full of trendy and fancy shops
and I decided to go early in order to do some shopping there myself.
but I had no idea it would become a separation day for me.
Hello, Komatsu-kun? What's up?
- Ai-san. - Yes?
I'm bringing some friends today.
- You told them! - Yes.
I see... I see, I see, I see.
Well, now I feel like I should try and invite a friend next time, too.
Is that you, Ai?
I'm hanging up.
You're shopping, too?
Yes, I am.
You were shopping, too?
- Yes, I was. - I see, I see.
Say...
Would you...
Would you... like to join me and... go to a ra... (raibu/live show).
There you are!
- Sorry about that! - Not at all.
Huh? Ai?
Yeah, I just ran into her.
( "live" is being spelled "raibu" in Japanese )
What did you say? You want to go to a ra...?
Ah, ra... ra...
Ra?
Ra... ra... ramen!
Maybe we should have ramen or something.
Ramen?
- We already had ramen for lunch today. - Ah, I see.
Although we could join her while she eats.
Ah, no need, no need...
I'm actually not that hungry...
- There's a floor guide. - Ah, you're right.
- But you know, I don't... - Why not? Let's have some drinks together.
Apparently there's a really good cafe around here.
You're right!
Yone-san! Yone-san! This way!
This way! Here.
Did you see those ridiculous shirts just now?
There were signatures on them, too.
They must be one of those otakus?
- Probably. - What's the matter? Some anime?
Beats me...
Incredible, isn't it?
Where's Ai?
Ai?
They have a set of sweets here.
We just ate, though.
There's still room for sweets. I mean, don't they look delicious?
That's Ai-san, right?
The old lady is here?
She mentioned about trying to invite her friends next time...
That looks like a high hurdle.
I'm sorry, Natsumi,
but could we swap seats?
- Sure, but why? - I just can't deal with open space in front of me.
Sorry for being like this.
The heck?
Ai-san?
Maybe you haven't heard yet, but today we're having a...
You know this girl?
My bad.
I mistook you for my cousin.
We're having a free live show over there. Our group is called Sunny Side Up.
Sunny Side Up?
An idol group?
Must be one of those underground idols, no?
Underground idols? You know them, Ai?
No... I don't...
No, not at all...
You gave her that kind of impression
and made her feel small.
No, I wouldn't...
Poor girl. I feel bad for Hana.
You see, the girls in those underground idol groups,
they don't go through an audition,
they just go like, "I want to be an idol!"
and suddenly they're idols on the very next day.
- Anyone can be an idol? - That's what I'm saying.
In the past there were only a chosen few who became idols.
But nowadays even a girl from a lower school caste
can go and sing some songs at some filthy live house,
proclaim being an idol while others proclaim being her fan,
and that's all it takes to be an idol apparently.
But...
It's like a meeting of people in need for self-esteem who don't meet the demands of the real world.
That's what it feels like.
I think it's those ota people and their likes who are cringy,
but most of those idols are no better themselves.
Nobody desires them yet they proclaim themselves as idols.
They must be delusional or something.
Why?
Why do you think they must be delusional?
Do you always need someone's approval before you do what you want?
Do you have to be desired in order to stand on a stage?
Who came up with such rules?
I'm asking you when it was decided that you can't do those things!
- Hey... Ai! - People are watching.
Am I stupid?
Always caring about people's opinions...
Am I really that stupid?
- I can't... - Ai?
I'm one of them.
I proclaimed myself as a fan
of a girl who proclaimed herself as an idol.
I'm that girl's ota.
You see, Hana sucks at singing and dancing
and to make things worse, she's a nervous mess with stranger anxiety.
It's a cringy and shameful sight.
But that's exactly why, when I saw her for the first time,
I was like, "That's me."
"I'm this person," I thought.
And you know, that other me...
She's working so incredibly hard.
Like, she doesn't get discouraged, always moving forward.
Yes.
That's why...
That's why?
That's why I'm...
Codependence.
Isn't that what this is called?
You better get some counseling, seriously.
Hey...
Right.
Sorry.
Okay, see you.
"Hana is my kami-oshi"
You were wearing that?
Well, only from up there.
What about your friends?
That felt good.
Being able to say that you like something...
It's nice.
How come?
You actually understand it now?
Don't touch me. Don't touch me!
- Sunny Side! - Up! Up!
- Now and always! - Up! Up!
KARIN!
Hello everyone. We want to be your tiny suns.
We're...
Sunny Side Up!
Thank you very much!
Hana!
Okay, first of all...
- How nice.
...I'd like to crack the eggs.
I saw your live show while shopping today
Suika-chan?
Everyone in Sunny Side is so cute!
Ah, the shell...
I messed up with the shell.
I want to be an idol, too.
A... girl?
And that's how...
I plunged into the hottest summer of my life.
Excuse me, but...
Did Urita-san pop up in this story at all?
Come in.
Pardon me.
What's the matter?
We actually have a witness.
What do you say? Want to listen to them now?
- I guess so. - Okay.
Translation: HPriest @ d-addicts Twitter: @hpriestsubs - ko-fi/patreon: hpriestsubs