gyaxa | Entries tagged with 18trip

Renga

Woah, this is for me?! Thanks, Chief!

Hey, I’m not overreacting. Yeah, I’m used to getting presents from my fans…

But it’s different when it’s you thanking me. I’m really happy…

I’m glad just knowing you feel that way, but this sorta gift is really nice, too. I’m sure I’ll remember it for a long time.

… Alright! I’m gonna get you a present too. It’ll be first rate, so look forward to it!

Kafka

Thank you for the gift, Chief! Hehe, I got another precious memento from you.

… I’m not exaggerating. Every gift you give me is the best treasure I could ever ask for, and I’ll never ever forget about any one of them.

So… here. This is for you. I wanted to get you a gift to show how grateful I am to you.

Haha, we both got each other gifts in secret. I guess we’ve started to think a little bit alike after spending so much time together.

This gift alone can’t possibly express how grateful I am, so… let me keep showing you, okay?

Ten

Woah, a present? Are ya bribing me or something? … “As thanks”? I don’t remember doing anything for you, though.

Oh, so it’s a “showing how grateful you are for everything” type of thing. I can take it off your hands, then.

Ah, right. I thought this might happen, so I got you a little something too.

Here ya go. It got good reviews, so I think you’ll like it.

… C’mon, this isn’t from my “stock of return gifts” or whatever. Let’s say I got this specially for you, ‘kay?

Yukikaze

You picked this out for me?

Thank you for such a wonderful gift… I’m the happiest big brother in the world right now.

Let me give you a gift too, as a token of my appreciation. Thank you for everything… Chief.

… “We’re gonna go in circles at this rate”? Hehe, nothing wrong with that.

I’d happily tell you how grateful I am over and over again, at least. So please… could you accept all of my affection?

Liguang

I was wondering why you were sneaking around… So you were preparing this in secret.

The only other person who’d try to surprise me is Linxing. I’m grateful for the gift, though.

Sometimes people let the chance to share their appreciation for others slip by, even when they mean to be sincere in regards to their gratitude and obligations.

So I’ll take this as an opportunity to follow your lead. Both to repay you for the gift, and all that you do for me day in and day out.

I can try my hand at my own surprise as well… Heh, sit tight and wait for it.

18TRIP Translations

Renga ・ Kafka ・ Ten ・ Yukikaze ・ Liguang

Let me hear say "Morning!”

Hey, sorry for the wait; here's breakfast to start your day.

Don't you like Tuscan food? Milanese food?

Nah, it's gotta be the sunrise flavor.

Who likes HAMA FOOOOD?

An unseasoned sunny side up

Our tears from past days add just the right touch of salty.

Black coffee, on long nights like these,

A splash of white milk for a bit of bright shine.

We start our morning! Ratata-Tataratatarata…

One more Brand new dawn (Hey!) One more Brand new dawn (Hey!)

One more brand new topping—bring it on! (Hey, Hey!)

Here's a menu, with things you've never known,

If you're nervous, let's eat together as one.

Where should we have? Hey, that lighthouse your vibe?

Haha, Let's go!

We're rockin’ to the Rise (Rise!)

This morning, we're still on the R1ze (R1ze!)

We’ll get our fill just by waiting around?

(Eh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Ey)
Renga・Ten・Liguang: … Not quite!

Kafka・Yukikaze・Liguang: Rockin’ to the Rise (Rise!)

Each and every day, we're giving R1ze (R1ze!)

Till next morning comes ‘round… (Eh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Ey)

The sun will always rise and shine!

Hmm… Don't worry, it's all fine

Let me hear say "Morning!"

Sweeeet, that's how I'm swinging,

A thick stack of French toast on my dish.

Can I have a drip of some sweet-as-you honey?

Please give me your melt-in-my-mouth lips.

(Heat it up! Heat it up!) Put it straight on the heat!

(Heat it up! Heat it up!) Feel the beat!

Kafka・Ten・Liguang: Once the rising sun burns our body and heart,

We start our morning! Ratata-Tataratatarata…

Ladies and gentlemen

I'll show you something brand, brand new!

Hoooooooo!!!!!

“R-1-ze" Reaching it is easy!

Big? Shiny? Energetic? Incredible?

You'd need more than five senses to describe our showtime!

Here's a menu, with things you've never known,

If you're nervous, let's eat together as one.

How much you want? You can have as much as you'd like,

Alright? Let's go!

We're rockin’ to the Rise (Rise!)

This morning, we're still on the R1ze (R1ze!)

We’ll get our fill just by waiting around?

(Eh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Ey)
Kafka・Yukikaze・Liguang: … Not quite!

Renga・Ten・Liguang: Rockin’ to the Rise (Rise!)

Each and every day, we're giving R1ze (R1ze!)

Till next morning comes ‘round… (Eh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Ey)

The sun will always rise and shine!

Rise (Rise!)

This morning, we're still on the R1ze (R1ze!)

We'll get our fill just by waiting around?

(Eh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Ey)
… Not quite!

Rockin’ to the Rise (Rise!)

Each and every day, we're giving R1ze (R1ze!)

Till next morning comes ‘round… (Eh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Ey)

The sun will always rise and shine!

18TRIP Masterlist

Interview with Character Designer Oyo

What were your thoughts from when you were first asked to do the character designs for 18TRIP, and when you actually tried the game for yourself?

Though it’s difficult to get a full grasp on a project from just the proposal alone, I could feel a sense of liveliness from the “travel” theme. And when I played the game after it was released, I remember finding myself moved in a whole manner of ways by the time I finished reading the story, even though I already knew many of the details. I felt that it could be a story about the love that envelopes humans (and nonhumans, of course) as they go on trips to new places and through time. Maybe I’m exaggerating. Eitori is an adventure game about tourism.¹

When designing the characters, what concepts did you focus on or give special attention to?

I wanted each of the characters to be distinguishable by their eyes alone. Also, while Eitori does take place in the near future, the Heisei era (1989-2019) is also a pretty big motif for the project, so I tried to make the designs feel both nostalgic and a little futuristic at the same time. Overall, I aimed for the designs to be simple, polished, and stylish.

Since three members from the Morning Squad are on the cover, could you elaborate on some of the design details for each member of the Morning Squad?

Renga Nishizono—His design is one of the ones with the most little details included in it. I’m not sure if it will get brought up in the story, but there are reasons for his heterochromia and the parting of his bangs. Also, he has super long legs, since he’s a celebrity.²

Kafka Oguro—His design was figured out at the very start. I see Kafka as HAMA Tours’ starting point, and one of the anchors for the other characters’ designs. If you were to swap some of the strands of his defining bangs, he’d end up with a run-of-the-mill middle part. Since he’s full of attractive qualities, I wanted to add a down-to-earth touch, like “maybe even someone this capable frets over how to part his bangs each morning”, and this is how it turned out.

Ten Murakumo—He’s a lost cause, personality-wise, but I think his design came out looking rather neat. He looks clean on the outside but has some dirty parts to him on the inside, and I think his face having a downer vibe managed to capture that side of him nicely. Will there ever come a day where there’s light in his eyes? Who knows.

Yukikaze Kamina—I was asked to make him look like his eyelashes are practically sparkling, so I struggled with figuring out how to design his eyes. I didn’t want it to look like he was wearing makeup, so after some trial and error we settled on monolids and two lower lashes, which I think sets him apart nicely. Of all the characters, he’s one of the ones I try my best to depict handsomely, and I get a little nervous every time I draw him.

Liguang Lu—A lot of time was spent designing his outfit. I tried to give him a Chinese-style outfit that was a little rough and not too outlandish, which was a bit of a struggle. Looking back on it, I worry that I might have given him one too many accessories, but they help make him look more intimidating, so I think it was the right call. Also, his jacket is see-through.

Which illustrations of the ones you have drawn have been the most memorable and why?

Illustrations like the one on the cover this time around, where the characters are wearing new outfits, are a lot of fun to draw. I enjoy figuring out an outfit that shows a new side to them while also feeling like something they’d pick out themselves.

Is there anything you’d like to draw for 18TRIP in the future?

I’d like to draw more of the many side characters. A lot of them have less flashy designs than the ward mayors, so I think it’d be fun.

Could you close us off with one last message for 18TRIP’s fans?

Thank you for finding 18TRIP. To make sure everyone can keep enjoying the characters, stories, music and more both inside the game and out and look forward to more, I and the other staff will continue along this trip as excitedly as ever.

1. The term "adventure game" refers to story-focused games with less action-filled gameplay. Visual novels are an example of this genre. ↑

2. This issue was released in November 2024, but you can learn the reasoning behind the parting of Renga's bangs in his novel 1.5 update. ↑

spoon.2Di vol.116 Masterlist
18TRIP Translations

Yukikaze: This is the card shop I frequent.

Tao: It’s pretty big. They’ve got a good selection of stuff, too.

Nagi: Oh, they’re in the middle of a match over there…

Sojun: …

Yukikaze: I’m known around these parts as “Kazeyuki”. Some call me the “Masked Ice User” too.

Tao: You are rocking that disguise.

Nagi: It must be hard being famous…

Hasuda: Kazeyuki-shi~!! We’ve been breathlessly awaiting your arrival…!

Ouji: Are these the friends you were talking about?

Yukikaze: Mhm.

Guys, these three are my TCG friends Hasuda-shi, Ouji-shi, and Himeno-shi.

Himeno: It is but an honor to make thy acquaintance.

Tao: Nice to meet ya.

Nagi: I’m just a humble newbie, but nice to meet you.

Sojun: It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Himeno: Hrrmm…

Ouji: T-They aren’t celebrities or something, right…?

Hasuda: Two dashing young fellows as fresh as a spring day, along with a handsome man bearing an unmistakable wealth of strength… Is this the shine of back-to-back foils…?!¹

Tao: Are they scared of us…?

Nagi: We’re shining? Where? Our head? Eyes? … Don’t tell me it’s my nose.

Yukikaze: It’s a compliment.

Tao: (Kamina-san’s the actual celebrity here… I guess they really don’t have a clue.)

Obnoxious Player: … Oi, Masked Ice User. Sit your ass down if you’re just standing around. Today’s the day I crush you.

Yukikaze: ! It’s been a while. How have you been?

Nagi: Oh, a wild ruffian appeared.

Tao: Uh… do you know this guy?

Yukikaze: I get the opportunity to play against him sometimes, so he's something of a rival of mine.

This works out nicely. Why don’t you guys watch us play a game?

───

Obnoxious Player: … Urgh. I surrender.

Tao: Woah, he didn’t stand a chance! Kamina-san’s got serious skills.

Sojun: It seemed like anyone’s game for a while there… But you secured a clean victory.

Yukikaze: You’ve improved a lot.

Obnoxious Player: … Someone beat me, so I had to get serious. You better be ready to have your ass handed to you next time.

Yukikaze: I’m looking forward to our next match.

Obnoxious Player: On my honor as a gardener!

Yukikaze: On my honor as a gardener!

Tao: Woah…

Nagi: Wait…

Tao & Nagi: T-That’s so cool…!

Sojun: (“On my honor as a gardener”...)

Tao: It’s like you came straight outta a comic book or something!

Nagi: Mhm. Not sure who this “gardener” is, though.

Yukikaze: “Gardener” is the name for MotG’s players, and the phrase we just used is us gardeners’ catchphrase.

Sojun: So that’s what it is…

Yukikaze: I didn’t use it at the dorm since we were only having casual matches, but I’d be happy if you guys remembered it.

Nagi: Yessiree. I’ll strive to never forget my honor as a brand new gardener.

Tao: (Hachinoya-san’s really into it.)

───

Tao: Ah, Hachinoya-san. Are you heading out?

Nagi: Mm. Are you on your way to the office?

Tao: Yeah. The Evening Squad’s got a meeting today.

Akuta: (Yo, it’s Tao-san and Nagi-san.)

Nagi: I’ll do what I can to help HAMA flourish today. On my honor as a gardener.

Tao: Haha, you’re already using the catchphrase. On our honor as gardeners!

Akuta: W-Wait… whazzat?! That sounds sick!

───

Tao: Can I take these plates, Kamina-san?

Yukikaze: Yeah. Thanks for the help.

Chief: Be careful with those plates, Nagi-kun! They're still hot.

Nagi: I’ve got it handled. I’ll make sure everyone else’s food gets to the table safely, at least, on my honor as a gardener…!

Chief: Huh? Isn’t that…

Akuta: HOLD IT! Lemme help, Nagi-san!!

On my honor as a gardner!!

Nagi & Tao: ?!

Nagi: When’d you learn that, Akuta…?!

Kiroku: On my… honor, as a gardener…

Nanaki: You guys've been saying that nonstop lately. Can’t say I don’t get it, though.

Chief: (Isn’t that the MotG catchphrase? I’ve heard it from Yuki-nii before, but why’s everyone else using it…?!)

Yukikaze: ……

Chief: (Ah… Yuki-nii looks really happy. Hehe, that’s good.)

───

Yukikaze: Chief. Have you seen Liguang around?

Chief: Hm? I haven’t, no.

Yukikaze: He told me he’d eat dinner here at the dorm today. Maybe he’s still in our room. I’ll go find him.

Chief: Please do!

───

Yukikaze: Liguang? Dinner’s rea—

Liguang: That's everything. See to it that it goes as lined out.

Sojun: Understood. I will ensure everything is carried out smoothly.

On my honor as a gardener.

Liguang: Right. On your honor as a gar….

… Hm?

←

1. Foils are rare cards with a holographic shine. ↑

Stories Masterlist

"Gather Round, Proud Comrades"

Characters: Yukikaze, Nagi, Tao, Sojun, Chief, Akuta, Kiroku, Nanaki, & Liguang

Yukikaze: … And now I’ll summon Archer on Ice!

Tao: Then I’ll use… Trick Card: Shield of the Flame Dragon!

Yukikaze: Heh… Sorry, but that dragon’s not going to be playing any tricks.

Tao: What…?!

Yukikaze: Archer on Ice’s ability: if there are 3 ice guardians on the battlefield, power and life points are doubled for one turn… so the action will still hit!

Tao: Wha… oh no!

Yukikaze: Furthermore, I’ll use Snow Sorcerer’s special ability and pull three cards from my deck. End of turn.

Tao: Urgh…!

Nagi: W-Wow… Yukikaze-san reeled off some super long incantation, and now Tao’s in trouble.

(I don’t have a clue what’s going on, but I can feel his nerves from here. This is a bona fide heart-pounding duel…!)

Sojun: (He realized his opponent would use his trick card and used his own guardians to counter… I wouldn't expect any less from Kamina-san.)

Nagi: But isn’t Yukikaze-san almost out of, uh… life points? Can’t Tao win if he recites his own incantation?

Sojun: Do you mean the ability description? … It depends on the cards they have on hand, but I doubt he’d have an easy time securing a victory.

Tao: (There’s a pretty good chance Kamina-san pulled a strong card just now…)

But I’ll lose if I stay off the offense any longer. I’ll take a shot! I’ll send two of my onfield guardians to the graveyard, and activate Hellflame-Clad Gladiator! For 3 fire mana, I cast a max-power spell!

Yukikaze: Good call. But you won’t beat me that easily. I activate trick card: Avalanche of Fury!

Tao: Argh, I knew he’d have something good…!

Yukikaze: Avalanche of Fury’s ability: in exchange for sending 1 guardian to the graveyard, incoming attacks are countered and reflected!

Nagi: If it’s reflected, then…

Sojun: That’s check mate.

Tao: … Darn, I really thought I had a chance this time, but Kamina-san’s way too good.

Yukikaze: No, I’d have been in trouble if I hadn’t pulled that trick card. Good game, Tao.

Sojun: Those were outstanding plays from the two of you.

Nagi: It was all so immersive I almost thought you two were taking the hits yourselves. I’m glad you guys are alright.

Tao: Ahaha… I guess there are a lotta shows like that, though.

Nagi: And now to our victor, I bestow a prize.

Sojun: A pot…?

Yukikaze: Ah, the herbs I asked you for.

Sorry to keep you waiting after you came out of your way for me.

Nagi: Don’t sweat it. I think I lucked out, getting to watch such an exciting battle and hear Sojun-san’s commentary.

Tao: I didn’t know you were into MotG, Sojun-san.

Sojun: I first started playing with Kamina-san in the Boss’s stead, but recently I’ve started working on improving my deck of my accord.

Yukikaze: Thank you for always playing with me, Sojun.

Tao: So you got hooked from that.

Nagi: I was totally bewitched just from watching one match… I’m sure once you get hooked on MotG, you’re in for life.

Yukikaze: If you’re interested, Nagi, I can help convert you.

Nagi: Convert…?¹

Yukikaze: I have a couple of starter decks sitting on standby, so feel free to take one.

Nagi: A whole deck…? I’d feel bad taking it from you.

Yukikaze: Then how about I give it to you in exchange for the herbs? I’m grateful for them, so I’d like you to accept this in return.

Nagi: O-Oh… Then I humbly accept.

Yukikaze: I have a couple different ones set up, but…

Hm, let’s go with this one.

Nagi: “A Party Peeking Through the Trees”...

Sojun: I’ve never seen this set before.

Tao: This is the new one that just came out, right? Is it good?

Yukikaze: Mhm. It’s easy for beginners to use, too.

And it’s mostly nature guardians, which I thought fit Nagi just right.

Nagi: Fit me… just right…

Tao: … Oh, that reminds me! I wanted to pick up a pack of the other set that came out with this one, for some new fire guardians.

And losing just now made me wanna improve my deck, so maybe I should go grab some now…

Yukikaze: Then why don’t we all head to the card shop together? My TCG friends are usually at the store this time of day.

I’ve been meaning to introduce them to Tao and Sojun.

Tao: Sounds sweet. I’m in!

Sojun: I’d be happy to oblige. The Boss ordered me to accompany you today, after all.

Yukikaze: I think Nagi’d get something out of it too, since you’re just getting into MotG.

Nagi: Then… I can tag along too. I’ll make sure to watch my manners in front of my esteemed forefathers.

Yukikaze: My friends are all very kind, so just be yourself. Let’s get going.

→

1. The word Yukikaze says, 布教 (missionary work), is used by otaku to refer to introducing someone to their interests and trying to get them on board, a usage Nagi is unfamiliar with. ↑

Stories Masterlist

Chief: A skating theme really does suit Yuki-nii best…!

Yukikaze: The temperature and ice should feel realistic, but since we’re in mahorova, it won’t hurt you if you fall.

So feel free to skate to your heart’s content.

Yachiyo: Waaah~! Yukikaze-san’s such a saint for making sure even a klutz like me can enjoy myself…

Chief: The snowman is really cute, and the lights are so pretty! I’m glad we can skate here.

Yukikaze: … I’m glad you like it. My little brothers all helped me figure it out. I’m so blessed—

Kafka: We get it.

Yachiyo: AAAAAH~~~!!

Kafka: Woah, Yachiyo? What?

Yachiyo: L-L-L-Look over there, Boss is skating…!

He’s so majestic… but his back is completely defenseless!! I-I-I-I must become his shield… Here I come, ice!

Chief: Woah, Yachiyo-kun?! You can’t just rush off like that…!

Liguang: (This reminds me of skating with my sisters at an amusement park a long time ago.)

(It was cold, but nice. … Maybe I should invite them out again.)

Renga: Hey, Liguang! Don’t go get a big head just ‘cause you can skate a little better than me… Hey, listen to me!!

Liguang: Tch, don’t talk to me.

Ten: Hehe, keep at it, Renga-saaaan.

Renga: Will do! You’re not gonna skate, Ten?

Ten: I can’t get used to the skates, so I’ll sla… chill out here a little longer.

But you should pay attention to your surroundings when you’re skatin', Renga-san.

Renga: Huh?

Yachiyo: S-S-S-SHORRYYYYY! THIS PEASANT IS ON A ONE WAY TRIP FORWARD! OUT OF THE WAY PLEAAAAAASE!!!

Renga: STOP, YACHIYO, STOP!! I CAN’T MOVE THAT FAS—

Renga & Yachiyo: GWAAAAAAA!!!!!

Liguang: What a bunch of idiots…

Ten: Lol.

Yukikaze: Everyone looks like they’re having fun. I’m glad.

Kafka: I’m not sure if you’d call that “fun”… well, whatever.

Let’s get going, Chief—

Woah…?!

Yukikaze: Are you alright, Kafka?

Chief: (Wow. Yuki-nii caught Kafka before he could fall…!)

Kafka: … Did I ask for your help?

Yukikaze: Sorry, I moved without thinking.

Just to be safe, make sure you’re bending your knees when you fall. You’ll have an easier time if you shift your weight to your heels, too.

Kafka: … I get it, so let go of me!

Yukikaze: The ice show will start soon. Head to your seat when the announcement plays.

Chief: Okay.

I’ve been looking forward to your program since you first told me about it! Good luck, Yuki-nii!

Yukikaze: Thank you. I’ll put my whole heart into it, since it’s for all the people who came to support me… and you.

Kafka: … Urgh.

(These two are in their own little world sometimes. I can’t say it doesn’t bother me…)

(But I suppose I can let it slide, just for today.)

───

Chief: ……

Yukikaze: Chief? What are you still doing here? Everyone else already logged out.

Chief: Mm… I just wanted to stick around for a little longer. Your ice show was amazing.

I loved the whole setup too, but… the upright spin you did at the end was especially captivating. I found myself holding my breath watching.

I had a lot of fun skating with everyone, too. Thank you, for all of this!

Yukikaze: … Ah.

Hey, Kaede. Would you like to skate for a little longer?

Chief: Okay!

Having the rink all to ourselves feels kind of luxurious!

Yukikaze: You’ve gotten better at skating.

Chief: You think? Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m not scared of getting hurt, so I can go all out.

Maybe we could pull off a lift here… haha, just kidding…

Yukikaze: We can.

Chief: Huh?

Yukikaze: I remember that when we were kids, you saw a lift being performed while we were watching a tournament and said you wanted to try it yourself.

Maybe we can’t do it at a real rink, but we can do it just fine here in mahorova. We just have to be in sync.

Chief: A-Are you sure…?

Yukikaze: Of course. Do you trust me?

Chief: Of course!

Yukikaze: Then… your hand, please. Let’s do this, Kaede.

Chief: (He has a completely different aura now. He’s moving like a professional now. This is what Yuki-nii's world is like…)

Yukikaze: Don’t let go of my hand.

Chief: Okay—woah?!

(I’m floating…! He’s actually lifting me up…)

Yukikaze: ……

How was it? Scary?

Chief: Not at all! It was fun!

I never thought we’d actually get to do a lift together… and the way you moved was so smooth and cool.

You really are just like an ice prince, Yuki-nii!

Yukikaze: … You never change, do you?

Chief: Ah, sorry! I got a little too excited… Well that’s embarrassing.

Yukikaze: … No.

(Who knows how many times I’ve been saved by those sincere words and look in your eye…)

Chief: Yuki-nii?

Yukikaze: You can stay just the way you are.

Thank you for being by my side, Kaede. I hope we can stay like this forever.

←

Stories Masterlist

"Our Sequence"

Characters: Yukikaze, Chief, Nagi, Kafka, Liguang, Renga, Ten, & Yachiyo

Yukikaze: ……

Nagi: (… Yukikaze-san? Is he worried about something? He’s staring a hole into his tablet.)

(Wait…! On the family advice segment the other day, they brought up that all-too-typical noontime problem. Could it be…?!)

How about chanko nabe? With some ginger, too, so we can warm up our body and soul from the cold.

Yukikaze: Hm?

Nagi: Oh. So you’re… not worried about what to make for dinner.

Sorry. Now I look like a weird chanko advertisement that popped out of nowhere.

Yukikaze: Don’t worry about it, Nagi. Feel free to give me requests for dinner anytime. We can have chanko tonight.

I’m trying to work on my BD event in mahorova right now…

Nagi: Hm. You were gonna make it a rink, right?

Yukikaze: Yeah. I plan on letting everyone skate to their heart’s content, and then doing my own performance at the end.

Nagi: I’m always slipping up my jokes and on bananas and stuff, so I’m glad I’ll get a chance to try my hand on actual ice this time.¹

And I’ll get to watch one of your ice shows without putting my life on the line to get a ticket. I’m seriously blessed.

So… were you worried about what you’re doing for the show?

Yukikaze: Ah, actually… I’m trying to think of what light setup I want to do.

I have a specific vision for it, but it’d probably be hard to pull off in real life, so I’m not sure where to start…

Nagi: You’re shooting for the stars, huh.

I like it. You can weed out every obstacle on any weedy path if you start small.

You can do basically anything in mahorova anyway, so why don’t you try sketching out your idea first?

Yukikaze: I’ll give it a shot. I’m thinking of…

… Something like this.

Nagi: It reminds me of… a Nebuta festival, kinda? But these, uh… beams? The way you drew them reminds me of the violent ebb and flow of life…²

You should definitely see this through, Yukikaze-san. Not realizing this would be a great loss for all mankind.

Yukikaze: I see… Thanks, Nagi. I’m a little more confident in this now.

I’ll ask Nayuki to stick this in the center of the rink and have it emit some light.

Nagi: Light… ah, then how about you give all the guests penlights in the same shape?

I saw Toi using one before. They may be small, but a whole bunch of them together is incredibly bright. It might reach the level of light you’re aiming for then.

Yukikaze: That’s a great idea, Nagi. I was trying to think of ways to have the guests be involved in the performance already, too, so I’d like to use it, if you don’t mind.

We should be able to mimic a fraction of the Chief’s brilliance this way.

Nagi: Huh? The Chief…?

Kafka: Hey, Yukikaze! What does the Chief have to do with any of that?!

Yukikaze: Kafka, Liguang, welcome back. Did your meeting go alright?

Liguang: Yeah. We managed to reach an agreement.

But it sounded like you’re talking about your BD event…

Kafka: You cannot be serious, Yukikaze. How is that bipedal blob of algae supposed to be Chief?!

Yukikaze: I was trying to evoke the Chief’s overwhelming brilliance. This is what I ended up with.

Nagi: I think it looks fine… It gives me the same happy feeling Chief does.

Kafka: … Well, you do get that sorta feeling from the Chief, true…

But more importantly! How is anyone supposed to skate with this giant thing smack dab in the center of the rink burning everyone's eyes?

Yukikaze & Nagi: True…

Yukikaze: The rink has to be kept at a certain brightness, or else it’s not safe to skate on. What was I thinking…

Liguang: Were you distracted by your own desires? That’s not like you.

If you want that thing to mirror… “the Chief’s image”, then you can just have it emit less light.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with the illumination idea on its own. That might be one way to pull it off.

Yukikaze: Liguang…

… I want to make this event as good as I possibly can.

(I want the guests, the Chief… everyone who’ll go out of their way for me to enjoy it.)

Would you guys mind lending your inept big brother a hand?

Nagi: Of course. I’d be more then glad to help you. Properly, this time.

Liguang: I don’t have any plans after this.

Nagi: What about you, Kafka…?

Kafka: … I’d rather you not be doing weird stuff in the name of the Chief, and since the company’s backing it, I do want the event to go well.

I’ll give you some advice, as your president.

Yukikaze: Thank you guys. I’m so lucky to have so many kind little brothers.

I’m sure we’ll figure something out if we all put our heads together. I think the chanko nabe will turn out extra tasty tonight.

→

1. Nagi is making a pun using the word 滑る (suberu), which can mean to skate, to slip, or to flub a joke. There was an attempt… ↑

2. The Nebuta festival is a festival in Aomori that involves fantastical illuminated floats. ↑

Stories Masterlist

Special Weekly Report — Renga

Renga: For this week’s report, Kafka asked us to praise the Chief, since you’re always working so hard.

I think it’s really… really amazing how you never make fun of anyone, even if they're not the best at something or mess up, and are always lendin’ someone a hand. It’s really obvious how much you you care…

… But I want you to count on me more too! There's stuff you struggle with, too, right? Ya don't have to hide it from me. I want to help you, just like you always help me!

Special Weekly Report — Kafka

Kafka: I’m having everyone lather you in praise for this week’s report, so listen closely, okay?

What I admire you for… has to be how seriously you take hospitality.

The sight of you taking care of tourists… is dazzling. Just watching by your side always makes me happy.

But that doesn’t mean you can push yourself, okay? I'm here for you to lean on, Chief, so you have let me help you. You matter to me, so I get worried sometimes. You understand how I feel, don’t you?

Special Weekly Report — Ten

Ten: I mean… It’s not like you’ll be all that happy bein’ praised over the cassette. Being forced to praise you by the Prez outta nowhere has me totally flustered too.

You’re fun to watch though, I guess. Like when you're all caught up in the other mayors’ beef, and when you look like you’re about to keel over from cleaning up after Yachiyo-san. Oh, and when you don’t notice the others getting all bothered over you.

Ah, I’m not making fun of you, ‘kay? People tend to find those kinda things cute. So you can stay just the way you are~

Special Weekly Report — Yukikaze

Yukikaze: What to praise the Chief for… For starters, your cheerful “good morning” gives me the energy to put my utmost effort into each and every day. And then there’s the smile you have when you dig into the food I make for you…

There’s the way you fit perfectly in my arms when I hug you, too. And just having you by my side is enough for me already. I’d praise your entire existence if I could…

Hah, look at me… Once I start praising you, I never run out of things to say. This tape isn’t anywhere near long enough. I’ll head to your room tonight. Then I can take my time telling you the rest, face-to-face.

Special Weekly Report — Liguang

Liguang: I can’t imagine you’re all that happy either, getting praised in this manner… Ah, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to say you aren’t praiseworthy.

A lot of the mayors here can be handful at times, but you’re always doing your part to help them. Not everyone can be that charitable.

With Oguro keeping an eye on things, I doubt there will be much cause for concern, but if you ever find yourself having trouble finding your way forward, give me a call. I’ll lend you a hand, on terms not too bad for you… Hmph, just kidding.

Special Weekly Report — Yachiyo

Yachiyo: Oh, Chief has lots and lots of good points!

On top of your normal workload, you always help me out with my constant screwups, and even go with me when I have to stop by and apologize to people who don’t live nearby!

And you never lose your patience with me, even though I’m a piece of trash who never learns no matter how many times I make the same mistake!

… Le gasp! Doesn’t this mean the Chief would make a great idol…? I’m sure you’re sick of always having to clean up after someone like me, so please, let me produce you! I’ll make sure you shine on stage…!!!

Hospitality Cooking —Morning Squad Edition—

Kafka: Alright, everyone’s here on time with their aprons in tow ♪ Good morning, everyone!

Ten: *yawn*…

Yukikaze: Are you alright, Ten?

Ten: Mm… I was out all night, so.

Renga: Wait, you were out drinking again?! I told you not to drink so much…

Ten: I never said I was drinking…

Renga: Do you wanna go take a nap…?

Liguang: He knew we had this planned for a while. His lack of sleep is his problem.

Kafka: Exactly. C’mon, look sharp, guys!

Let’s get things started! Hospitality Cooking Course—Morning Squad Edition!

Renga: I’ve been wondering, but what’s this “cooking course”?

Kafka: Could you enlighten everyone, Yachiyo?

Yachiyo: Yesh! In order to improve our hospitality, we’re going to try our hand at cooking!

U-Um, what this means is that we’ll… uh… what was it… Basically, we’re gonna cook…! Since it’s a cooking course!

Liguang: *sigh*…

Kafka: Basically, the Morning Squad is going to put together our very own menu.

Renga: We’re putting together… our own menu…? That sounds really neat!

Kafka: And if it turns out well, we might just use the recipes again for our next tour!

Yukikaze: I remember my original shumai being well-received. All the visitors… hehe, and Chief enjoyed it.

Kafka: No one asked, so stop bragging.

Yukikaze: Ah, you really liked it, too, didn’t you? Don’t worry, Kafka, I didn’t forget.

Kafka: Ugh, whatever… More importantly…

I asked the Chief to taste-test the food we cook today, so give it your all, everyone!

Renga: Got it! I’ve got this in the bag!

Liguang: We haven’t even decided what we’re making yet.

Renga: W-Well, obviously we’re making breakfast food, since we’re the Morning Squad…

Ten: We need six guys to make one breakfast?

Renga: Ah…! Well… why not…?

Ten: Besides, I’m not usually in the mood to chow down in the morning.

Yukikaze: A filling breakfast is the start to every good day. You need to make sure you’re eating enough, okay?

Ten: Ah… right.

Renga: Oh… uh… huh? So is breakfast off the table…?

Kafka: I think it’s a good idea. I’d like to serve the Chief breakfast fresh from the kitchen.

Yukikaze: I like it too.

Yachiyo: Uh, if that’s settled… Does everyone prefer bread or rice in the morning?

Yukikaze: I prefer rice.

Kafka: Bread for me.

Renga: Ten likes… neither, I guess? Since you don’t really eat breakfast…

Ten: Well, I eat it when someone makes some for me.

Yachiyo: S-Someone’s making you breakfast…? Who?!

Renga: Huh… his parents, right…?

Ten: Yep, y’know, when I’m at home and stuff.

Kafka: What about you, Yachiyo?

Yachiyo: Ah, I’m a total energy gel truther! I’ve got to have my fix of dandelion in the morning.

Renga: And I prefer bread. There’s nothing more supreme than some fresh bread in the morning.

Liguang: Rice is better in every regard. Though I suppose it might be too complex for your simpleton tongue to understand.

Renga: Hah? Oh, let me guess. You’ve never had really good bread before, have you?

Liguang: Hah?

Renga: Listen up, okay? The bread celebs eat is only made using the most high-class techniques, starting from the flour. Got that?

Ten: But the other day, you tried one of those dirt-cheap cream buns and said you were gonna eat one every day.

Yukikaze: The six for 100 yen ones, right…? Sales gimmicks sure are extravagant nowadays.

Renga: Wait, that was only 100 yen?! I thought it was one of the fancy thousand yen ones!

Liguang: Hmph, the bread group is spewing nothing but nonsense.

Renga: Urgh…! W-Well, the rice group should stop makin’ fun of us!

Yukikaze: Sorry, Renga. I wasn’t trying to make fun of you…

Renga: Ah, wait, no! I’m talking about Liguang, not you…!

Yachiyo: Awawawa, what about the energy gel group…?! D-Do I have to apologize?! I’M SHO SHOOORY!!!!!

Yukikaze: Calm down, my little brothers. A filling breakfast is key to getting through the day, so we can have both bread and rice.

Ten: Won’t that be too much for the Chief?

Kafka: Yeah… Maybe we should cut back on what we make.

Yachiyo: Um…

Kafka: Hm?

Yachiyo: S-So about the Chief… I think it maybe kind of might be good for them to eat plenty today…

They had to work overtime to help fix my screw-ups, so they were pooped…

Kafka: Wait, seriously?

Yukikaze: Then we’ll have to make sure to feed them plenty so they can feel better today.

Kafka: You can’t let the Chief hold your hand through everything just because they’re too nice, though. Got that, Yachiyo?

Yachiyo: Y-Yesh, loud and clear!! I’ll etch it into my braaain!!!

Kafka: *sigh*... Alright guys, less talking, more cooking!

───

Yachiyo: T-Two hours later!

Kafka: And fresh from the oven is the Morning Squad’s original breakfast, made specially for the Chief~

Yachiyo: WAAAAH~~~ Everyone’s dishes look sooo good! It’s like bait for a pauper fishie like me~~~ *drool*

Kafka: Can everyone show what they made?

Ten: I made fish ball soup, since I was in charge of seafood.

Yukikaze: That’s nice and easy on the stomach. Perfect for when you have a hangover.

Liguang: So you just made something for yourself.

Ten: Nah, of course not. I thought it’d make a nice pick-me-up for the Chief.

What did you make, Liguang-san?

Liguang: Congee. I put together some light porridge and topped it with egg and greens.

Renga: Heh, pretty plain if you ask me! Feast your eyes on the Nishizono Family’s legendary egg benedict! The ho… uh, holly…

Kafka: Hollandaise sauce?

Renga: Yeah, that! It’s really good. Our butler taught me how to make it.

Just one bite and you’ll know it’s the real deal!

Liguang: The poached egg is falling apart.

Renga: Urgh… S-So I had a little trouble! What are you, my in-law or something? Stop naggin’ me!

Yukikaze: I can tell you tried your best. That’s what’s most important.

Renga: … Hehe. Yeah! Yukikaze’s right!

Liguang: You’re acting rather cocky for someone getting treated like a brat.

Renga: I-I ain’t a…!

Ten: Prez’s dish sure is fancy~

Kafka: Hehe, since I’m part of the bread group, I made sandwiches~ They’re mini-size, so I could make them all different flavors.

Of course, the fillings are all the Chief’s favorites ♪

Yukikaze: I made some of the Chief’s favorite dim sum dishes.

Renga: Ah, oh, wha… wait…

Liguang: … Just how much did you make?

Yukikaze: From left to right… shumai, gyoza, xiaolongbao, zongzi, steamed buns, and turnip cakes.

Yachiyo: WOW~~~! Look at all that steaming hot dim sum!!!

Renga: W-Wait a sec… You made all that while I was struggling with the poached egg…?

Yukikaze: My mind was filled with the Chief the whole time, so before I knew it, I had made all this. But I know they'll eat all of it with a smile.

Ten: So it’s filled with love. Now that’s heavy, in more ways than one. I’m sure the Chief’ll be full in no time.

Liguang: It’s like we have a hotel buffet going on here.

Renga: Y-Yeah… just one of these might be enough for most people…

Kafka: Hmm… then let’s all have breakfast together.

Ten: So even Prez isn’t gonna make the Chief eat all of it, huh?

Kafka: Well, this is way too much, isn’t it? They wouldn’t be able to move after all this.

Yukikaze: I want Chief to eat while it’s still warm… I’ll go wake them up.

Kafka: Wait just one second! I’ll wake them up!

Yukikaze: Haha, you’re so sweet, Kafka. But I can handle this. Please, take a seat.

Kafka: I’m not being nice, you know. You sit down.

Yukikaze: But aren’t you tired after making all those sandwiches? You should sit—

Ten: Why don’tcha just go together?

Yukikaze: Together…? Yeah, you’re right.

I’m sure the Chief would be happy waking up to see the two of us. Actually, let’s all go together.

Renga: Wait, all of us?

Ten: Seriously…?

Yachiyo: W-Won’t the Chief fly into a rage if they have to see my stupid face first thing in the morning…?!

Liguang: Probably.

Yachiyo: I knew it…

Yukikaze: There’s no need to fret. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you.

Renga: … If it’ll make the Chief happy, then I’m in!

Kafka: … Yeah, they’d definitely be happy. Let’s all head up together then, and say good morning.

Cassette Masterlist
18TRIP Translations

"When the Rain Stops"
Kafka

All I hear is the rain beating against the window

As it gleams before running off,

And I’m brought back to my boring old room.

Please, at least tell me where you came from…

All I feel is the chill of the glass

And all I see is my lone reflection.

I find myself asking him

How this will all come to an end,

And receive no answer.

It was just the rain and me

Until you snuck your way in.

Little by little,

You gave me a tomorrow,

And countless days beyond that.

Since when were we always together?

As if reading a picture book,

You tell me of your adventures.

Not one scene escapes my mind.

The rain harmonizes with your voice.

Please, take me with you.

And when the rain finally stops…

I’ll take your hand myself, and bring you

Wherever you wish to be.

Cassette Masterlist
18TRIP Masterlist

Renga

Oh, don’t be shy now

Don’t bother wrapping your head around all this.

Let’s just get this partie on the road!

I’m the blueprint—your very own model celeb.¹

So just leave your body in my hands!

(Good morning! Morning! Rise and shine!)

Ah, okay okay okay

Not a single person left behind.

So get on get on now

Don't matter what’s on your mind,

Now’s no time to make yourself lie low!

Let’s start our day, up and away!

~~High~~, yeah? ~~Higher~~?

＼Hai! Yeah! Yeah!／

Up ~~high~~ we ascend till we burn to ash so golden

Shining in gilded rays!

If we’re set on having a bla-a-a-a-ast…

(La la la la la la la la)

If we fake it till we make it and laugh along the way we’ll be alright…

We’re sure to be the real deal!

Still with me?

I live for all things luxury!

Leave your comfort in my hands this life and forever.

I’m a natural-born celeb, so sorry ‘bout that!

Even the darkest alleys become my spotlight,

The whole world’s my stage!

HAI! HAI! HAI & HAI!

YES! YES! ~~HIGH-END~~ “YES”!

HAI! HAI! HAI & HAI de ~~HIGH~~!

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah…²

Ah, okay okay okay

Leave all your pretty words behind.³

On and on and on here

Every little thing led to this partie time.

Leave your troubles to the ocean’s flow!

Let’s start our day, up and away!

~~High~~, yeah? ~~Higher~~?

＼Hai! Yeah! Yeah!／

It’s love we celebrate in a glory so naked,

We can feel out the whole way!

Let’s start our day, up and away!

~~High~~, yeah? ~~Higher~~?

＼Hai! Yeah! Yeah!／

Up ~~high~~ we ascend till we burn to ash so golden

Shining in gilded rays!

If we’re set on having a bla-a-a-a-ast…

(La la la la la la la la)

If we fake it till we make it and laugh along the way we’ll be alright…

We’re sure to be the real deal!

TL NOTE: Though the official translation of the title is "Party Time", since the original title uses Renga's mispronunciation of the word ("パーチー" instead of "パーティー"), I use "Partie Time".

1. "Model" here is used to mean "guideline", but I realize Renga is also quite literally a model. Let's say I made that pun intentionally… ↑

2. Multiple times throughout the lyrics, the sound "hai" is used with words like はい ("yes") and 灰 ("ash") in order to sound like "high". Since the word "high" isn't actually used, I decided to include it but have it striked out. ↑

3.The original lyrics use the phrase 手練手管 (wiles), with the 練 being the character used for the "ren" in Renga/Kiba's name. ↑

Cassette Masterlist
18TRIP Masterlist

Side A
Next Voyage
Sebone no nai Karasu
Partie Time
Ame ga Yandara

Side B
Drama Tracks

18TRIP Masterlist

Side A
Dawn
Brand New Dawn

Side B
Drama Tracks

18TRIP Masterlist

Renga

Sales Department

You can leave the sales side of things to me! My name's a huge catch, so we'll have loads of projects lined up in no time!

… Huh? Then can I handle the presentation for the new proposal…?

Uh, well… That kinda thing's… y'know, not where I really shine, so, um…

Planning Department

I had Yukikaze look over my proposal for me, and Kinari checked it too and found 75 issues for me to fix.

But Kafka said it didn’t really feel like me, and that the proposal didn’t have to be perfect… I still gotta work on it some more.

… So, could you help me think through how to make it suit me better, Chief…?

GA Department

I’m gonna settle the expenses for the cake today!

It’s the cake we bought for one of our business partners. Uh… “cake”, “5000 yen”… done!

… But what about the other expenses, like the taxi and stuff…?

Development Department

Y’know how sometimes you get bonus merch and stuff?

I thought we could do a photo card of me and Yukikaze to take advantage of our celeb power, so I brought it up…

But Ushio told me we should be careful about doing “RPF bait”… what’s wrong with a selfie?¹

───

1. Renga quotes Ushio as saying the word "生もの", which refers to works depicting real people in slang. ↑

Training Department

Heh… I thought up the perfect lesson plan. Everyone’s gonna love it.

Day 1: Getting the Celeb Way Down Pat.
Day 2: Lecture on Perfecting a Charismatic Aura.
Day 3: Cool Poses Fit for a Photoshoot—with Practice!

It’ll be a special training campaign (all meals included) that’ll help you be a super charismatic celeb like me in just three days! Yep, I’ll go with this for my next lesson…!

Kafka

Sales Department

Alright, today I’m going out for dinner and karaoke with the bank president.

I made sure to practice his favorite metal songs, so it’ll be a blast.

Sakujiro said I should refrain from headbanging… so a tambourine will have to do.

Planning Department

Proposals are supposed to have some personality…

But writing basically a whole novel or having nothing but drawings in it is a little too much personality.

I’m pretty fond of these ones, but we might need to go over how to write an actual proposal soon.

GA Department

Oh, here’s Akuta’s expense reimbursement form. Let’s see…

“Movie”, “movie pamphlet, “popcorn (strawberry flavor) that I ate at the movies”, “Grub (for inspiration)”…

I wonder if he thinks we're giving him some kind of allowance. Nayuki’s gonna have a great time with this.

Development Department

It's a lot of work thinking up new merch, but Yachiyo always has a lot of good suggestions.

So does Ushio. He has a strangely keen eye for what the consumers want.

I guess he must be in the know, huh? Hehe, that’s sure something.

Training Department

For today’s training session, we’ll be focusing on communicating effectively.

Specifically, learning how to get people to open up and trust you.

Let’s start out with some practice conversations. Hehe, now who should I pair up~? ♪

Ten

Sales Department

Getting to drink on company dime during business dinners rocks.

Better company might be nice, but I guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

If you need someone to liven the place up, I’m your guy. I’m pretty good at getting people in the mood.

Planning Department

Whoever first said “booze makes a great ice-breaker” musta loved to drink~¹

Y’know, if you think of proposals as coming up with excuses to do whatcha want, they seem kinda fun to make.

… Writing the actual proposal is still a drag, though.

───

1. The word Ten's talking about here is "飲みにケーション", which is a combination of "drinking" and "communication" and refers to how sharing a drink can improve business relations. ↑

GA Department

I thought general affairs would be one of the more chill posts.

But ya gotta deal with the mail and all the equipment, and calculate expenses and stuff… There's a lotta little stuff you have to watch out for.

Pretty hard to fit in a good break like this.

Development Department

Y’know, I’ve always wanted to try making my own sake~

How does a collab with a local sake brand sound? You can leave figuring out the sake to me.

I gotta get to taste-testing first, for research purposes. … I've got a lotta work on my plate now~

Training Department

‘Kay, for my lesson, I'm gonna teach you all the basics on chilling out while on the job. Real important stuff.

Take one break an hour and a nap after lunch, and don't go spending all your energy in the afternoon. Then you get off work on the dot and hit up your favorite bar and public bath.

Rinse and repeat, and you'll be super motivated to work hard the next day. You should all try it out.

Yukikaze

Sales Department

I know a lot of my little brothers struggle at working on sales. The truth is, I don't have the best speaking skills myself.

I used to struggle with interviews too, but with enough practice, I can handle them just fine now.

I'll just do the same thing now. Back then, I made up answers for a hundred different questions I could receive… Alright, I'll start off with a hundred different topics for small talk.

Planning Department

The diagram Kafka had on his proposal made it easy to follow, so I tried my hand at making one myself…

But I ended up spending two hours putting stars on it.

Turns out you can insert a star shape onto the document. I was trying to arrange triangles to make them. Technology is really something.

GA Department

It's sort of fun to sign and stamp documents online.

I got a little trigger-happy with the button, though, and approved some forms I shouldn't have, so Kafka yelled at me.

I'll be more careful before pressing next time. I won't make the same mistake again.

Development Department

Thinking up products that people will like reminds me of cooking.

You have to make sure the meal fits each person's tastes, while still ensuring it has the proper nutrients…

… Alright. I'll make curry tonight.

Training Department

I've been trying to think up a lesson plan, but being a teacher is no easy task.

I doubt I can teach anyone confidently when I'm being made aware of all the ways I have to improve at my work here.

I think I could explain the rules and strategies for MotG well enough, though…

Liguang

Sales Department

I'm heading out for mahjong with some of our business partners later. Isotake overheard my plans, and thought it sounded like all fun and games…

But mahjong's a game even more suited to cultivating business relations than golf is. Not only does it help your relationship grow, but it's also a chance to learn what kind of person they are through their plays.

Are they a suitable business partner, and if so, how will we maintain our relationship with them? … Those are the questions this sort of reconnaissance answers.

Planning Department

The proposals Oguro puts together are always foolproof and reliable.

Yet they're all ambitious, and he doesn't limit himself to any niche.

… If I could, I'd have him working for me.

GA Department

A whole two extra zeros here… Whoever filled this out did a pretty sloppy job.

If this happened again, I'd show them the door.

… Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of authority here.

Development Department

So these are the t-shirt samples that were supposed to arrive today.

We’re supposed to try them on to make sure they fit…

But the pattern looks like a shoddy AI job. Who made this?

Training Department

What we need to work on the most right now is team building.

For that, we’d need to compile everyone’s strengths and goals and coordinate with their supervisors… but this company doesn’t work like that. Then we should instead work on setting up a chain of command based on the organizational chart…

… This is far too intensive.

18TRIP Translations

Yukikaze: So we’re heading to school first. Oh, that character looks cool.

Liguang: … It looked like he just came falling from a tree.

Yukikaze: Mm. A perfectly smooth landing from almost two meters high. He must be in good shape.

Liguang: Why was he even up there…

A strange, handsome boy: “Well well, you’re just in time. The fight to become top dog at this school is just about to begin—”

Liguang: …… What kind of setup is that?

Yukikaze: According to the blurb… "with the yearly student council election on the horizon, the campus is in turmoil as the students are split into three different factions."

Liguang: And that kind of plot’s necessary for a romance game…?

Yukikaze: Hey, look at the background, Liguang. There are cracks in the wall. Looks like they take these elections seriously.

Those must be the battle scars left from previous elections. It really gives you a sense for how intense their fighting gets. Reminds me of the elections at Asu High.

Liguang: People certainly got heated about them, but never to this extent.

Yukikaze: More characters are showing up. They all seem very unique and charming.

Hm? A choice box popped up…

A tad bit overpassionate, handsome boy: “Let’s change this school together!”

A smart and calculating handsome boy: “Heh… casting your vote for me would be the most logical choice.”

A quiet, handsome boy: “T-There’s no way I can let these guys become student council president…”

A strange, handsome boy: “My my. So? Just who will you stand with?”

Liguang: (They’re forcing things along quite a bit… but this must be where you choose your romantic interest.)

Yukikaze: Alright, then—

I’ll choose no one.

Liguang: ……

Why? Aren’t you supposed to?

Yukikaze: But… If I took one of their hands, they’d surely start fighting.

Liguang: But this is a romance game. Aren’t the characters supposed to fight over you?

Yukikaze: I don’t want my little brothers to fight, though. There must be a way to make everyone happy. I’ll… find it no matter what.

Liguang: (I doubt he gets what the point of this game is.)

(But if he’s enjoying himself, then it’s fine… I suppose.)

───

Liguang: Kamina, I’m ba… you’re still playing that?

Yukikaze: Ah, welcome back, Liguang. I just finished it.

Liguang: So how’d it end?

Yukikaze: The heroine became the student council president, gained control of all the factions, and united the school.

Liguang: She did? With that bunch of ruffians?

… But that wasn’t the point of the story, was it? Who ended up being her partner?

Yukikaze: Ah… she didn’t end up with anyone.

But it ended with a smile on each of my little brothers’ faces, so it was a perfect happily ever after. Toi was right—it was a really touching story…

Liguang: (I’m not sure he got what the younger Shiramitsu really meant by that…)

Yukikaze: I’ve got to share my impressions with him, as thanks for introducing me to such an amazing work.

←

Stories Masterlist

"Unification, and My Very Own School Love!"

Characters: Yukikaze, Toi, & Liguang

Yukikaze: … Hm?

???: Hic… sob…

Yukikaze: (Is one of my little brothers crying…? It’s coming from the living room… I wonder if something happened—)

Toi: Uuu… hic…

Yukikaze: Toi! Hey… is something wrong? What happened?

Toi: Ah, Yukikaze-san…!

I’m sorry, please don’t worry. I was just really moved by what happened in my game…!

Yukikaze: Your game…?

Toi: That's right. I'm sorry for worrying you…

Yukikaze: It's okay. I'm just glad you aren't upset.

But what kind of game are you playing? It moved you quite a bit.

Toi: Oh, it's a romance game that takes place at a school, and the heroine is in trouble, so to protect her from the rival factions at the final… AH!

I'm diving into major spoiler territory… Hmm, I'm not sure how to explain it… but it was a really really good scene…!

Yukikaze: ……

Do you think I could try that game, Toi?

Toi: Huh?

Yukikaze: I'd like to borrow it from you. I'm curious to see what kind of story it is for myself.

Toi: R-Really…?!

Yukikaze: Yeah, if you think I could manage…

Toi: Of course you can! It's a traditional otome game, so all you have to do is read the text and select from the choices it gives you…!

I can lend you the whole console, so please try it! I'd love to know what you think about it!

Yukikaze: Really? Thank you. Then I'll be sure to give it my full attention.

───

A clear, charming voice: "Sparkle on! Our Secret School Love!"

Liguang: … What is that?

Yukikaze: Sorry, is it too loud?

Liguang: The volume’s fine… The rabbits don't seem bothered.

Yukikaze: That's good.

Liguang: But you've got your hands on yet another oddity… What's caught your attention this time? A game?

Yukikaze: Yeah. It's a romance game. Toi lent it to me.

Liguang: … Why would he lend it to you?

Yukikaze: Apparently the story is really good. It moved Toi to tears. I was curious about it, so I asked him to lend it to me.

Liguang: Huh…

Yukikaze: Do you want to watch? Alright, let’s get started.

→

Stories Masterlist

Ten ・ Liguang

Don't Look away

Here we go!!

My wings, already starting to rot,

My true self, the world knows not.

Once again, without a second thought

He's buzzing about how I'm of a good lot

What's up? A mask to appease the good guys.

Behind the scenes, young hands are stained with crime.¹

Hidden from everyone's eyes

Rage I can't clear from my mind.

A simple pawn, hanging on by a thread,

His lack of direction left unsaid.

No drive, no creed held within,

Everything decided by mere whim.

This life is whose to claim?

My cheeks are wet with rain.

Bursting forth is the sound of pain.

Let's just do it

Get your party on!!

I'm a spineless crow.

Get your party on!!

Let's get this show on the road.

Get your party on!!

Any tragedy made of lunacy

Leave to the shadows that dirty work!

It's all cleaned up behind the scenes.

Society, Underworld, Keep Out

I shout out Oh-oh-oh-oh

Values that don't feel the light's glow,

Waiting for the inevitable, I stare into the night

Everyone and their cute little assumptions

Don't know a thing about these ridiculous burdens.

All their idealistic beliefs are just simple tricks

That go nowhere in the end.

So obnoxiously the light shines,

I'm sick of the future I'll have to call mine.

On borrowed wings I steal a glance at the heavens,²

But crows let their shadows speak for them.

No matter how much hope you try to throw at me

I'll just keep throwing it back.

In this world of madness and lies,

I've long grown used to the sound of my cries.³

I see a flashing burst of neon,

A hand outstretched beyond the horizon.

“I gave up” “I know it all”

You can't boil it down to just that.

We live for impulse and fun,

Sure, I'll show you a dance.

The day will come where shadow melts with light,

But I still can't make out where my answer lies.

Let's tear away the darkness that hides it from sight,

With no end in sight I'll just fly with you

With my own two hands, I'll grasp this identity…⁴

Blinding speed…

Get your party on!!

I'm a spineless crow.

Get your party on!!

Let's get this show on the road.

Get your party on!!

Any tragedy made of lunacy

Leave to the shadows that dirty work!

It's all cleaned up behind the scenes.

Until dawn till dawn till dawn…

Every empty word and boding sign observed,

Let's dance ‘em all away, Yeah yeah

Ignorance is bliss

I'm just a crow with no backbone.

1. The original lyrics use the word 厨房 (chuubou) which means kitchen but is also a homophone for the word 中坊, which is a slang word for "middle schooler". Since Ten started "working" at a young age, I tried to include both meanings of the word…! ↑

2. The original lyrics include the phrase 10を仰ぐ, where 10 replaces the 天 (ten) in the phrase 天を仰ぐ, meaning "gaze at the heavens" and sometimes used in despairing circumstances. Dawn also used the word 天 to make a pun off of Ten's name. ↑

3. The word cry used here specifically refers to the cries animals make. ↑

4. The original lyrics say "identify" here, but they pronounce it to rhyme "identity" (?), and identify doesn't really make sense contextually (unless there's something I'm missing), so I changed it to "identity". ↑

Cassette Masterlist
18TRIP Masterlist

“Having finished your first study trip and tour, have you learned anything unexpected about each other?”

Yukikaze: I was surprised to see just how much Liguang cares about his rabbits. I help out with them sometimes, too, but he always makes sure their fur is in tip-top condition. He treats them like they’re his beloved little siblings.

Liguang: They’re pretty comfortable around you too.

Ten: Can kinda see them getting more attached to Yukikaze-san.

Liguang: ……

Yukikaze: Also, he seems to have trouble getting up in the mornings. He’s usually pretty lethargic when he’s just waking up.

Liguang: I’ll try and get better if it bothers you.

Yukikaze: Don’t worry about it. It makes me happy to get to see that side of my reliable little brother.

Ten: Mm, can I go? I guess for Yukikaze-san, it’s the big brother thing he pulls with everyone. Was not expecting that from him… or the fact that Liguang-san would be totally chill with it.

Yukikaze: I’m pretty good at being a big brother, if I do say so myself.

Liguang: … One thing I learned about Kamina since rooming with him is how many interests he has outside figure skating. There’s his cooking, and his favorite card game. I think it was—

Yukikaze: Mm, MotG. (*EDITOR’S NOTE: MotG is short for “Malice of the Guardians”.)

Liguang: I guess it only makes sense that a top class athlete would be good at making use of his time.

Yukikaze: You could say that about Ten, too.

Ten: Hm?

Yukikaze: He’s busy with school and finding a job, and his mayor work on top of that, but he never seems to be that stressed. It’s really impressive.

Ten: Thanks, haha.

Yukikaze: Did anything about Ten surprise you, Liguang?

Liguang: Not at all. You get what it says on the tin with him.

Ten: What does that mean~? Well, whatevs. Let’s move on.

“What were your feelings on the Morning Squad’s first “Hospitality Live” (HosLive) concert, which was received extremely well by fans?”

Liguang: The Lus have been working as ward mayors for generations, so I wasn’t surprised when Oguro proposed a tour…

Ten: But a live concert is something else, right?

Liguang: Of course, it does make for good advertising and helps with raising satisfaction and repeat guests, but I wasn’t planning on having to sing.

Yukikaze: The concert went well, though.

Ten: I’d rather not show off my face too much if I can help it~ I’m good at dancing, though, so I think I managed to pull it off.

Yukikaze: I got to interact with the guests during the HosLive, which I don’t really get to do for my competition programs. It was fun, what with how lively it got.

Liguang: A good chunk of the Morning Squad are basically amateurs when it comes to performing, so we still have a lot of room to improve.

Ten: Should we get some pointers from the Evening Squad? Y’know, on how to wink and make hearts and stuff.

Yukikaze: Great idea. Let’s work on winking and making hearts during tomorrow’s practice, Liguang.

Liguang: … Some things might be good to work on.

“The three of you have a very mature aura within the Morning Squad, so if you were to form a unit and perform, what concept would you like to include in your concert?

Ten: Hmm… dancing, I guess.

Liguang: You’re just saying that so you can take it easy.

Ten: Then what would you like to do, Liguang-san?

Liguang: Nothing in particular comes to mind… Maybe the instrumental for the song could include an erhu.

Yukikaze: That’s a Chinese instrument, right? I’m sure it’d be very unique and memorable. That’s a great idea.

Liguang: What about you, Yukikaze?¹

Yukikaze: Let me think… If we want to focus on making it feel mature, then we could do something themed around spies or the mafia.

Ten: Haha, that'd be perfect for you, Liguang-san.

Liguang: You’re saying that?

Yukikaze: ?

“All of you live together in the company dorm, with Yukikaze-san and Liguang-san in the same room, and Ten-san sharing a room with Renga-san and Kafka-san. Do you have any memorable stories?”

Yukikaze: We’ve all settled into the dorm lifestyle by now, though there was a little disagreement when we were first deciding on rooms.

Liguang: Don’t remind me. I’m satisfied with how things turned out.

Ten: I still can’t get used to rooming with guys, and there’s three of us in there. Well, four.

Liguang: Four?

Yukikaze: You mean Shumai?

Ten: Yep. His bed’s in our room. Usually, Prez and Renga-san take him for a walk in the morning, but he started whining when his walk was late the other day.

Liguang: Then you should’ve taken him on a walk.

Ten: No way~ But thanks to him, I wasn’t late to my first class.

Yukikaze: Good job on getting to class, Ten. Shumai did a great job, too.

Liguang: You should be grateful, Murakumo.

Yukikaze: I sometimes hold MotG matches—the game we brought up earlier—in the Mochipeta room.

Liguang: Yeah. Thanks for playing with Sojun.

Yukikaze: I was really happy when you watched our game the other day, Liguang. You’ve probably started picking up on the rules by now, right? I have a custom starter deck on hand just for you, so we can play together any time. We can make each night an exciting one.

Liguang: … One day.

“Since your study trips afford you many opportunities to travel, is there anywhere you would like to visit?”

Ten: Maybe an island down south~ Anywhere far away where I could just chill would be sweet, though.

Liguang: … A place with vibrant festivals, I suppose. I’ve been interested in fire festivals recently.

Yukikaze: … I’d like to go somewhere snowy, since the Morning Squad hasn’t visited a place like that yet. I think there was a place like that that held fire festivals too. And I’m sure all my little brothers would have fun making snowmen and having snowball fights.

Ten: Do you think we’re little kids, or something…? But I hate it when it’s hot, so I’d be chill with that. I’d totally be down for some hot drinks after being out in the cold.

Yukikaze: Yeah. I’d like to see the auroras with everyone, too. … Maybe I should ask Kafka about going, for when we next have the time off for it.

Ten: You think we could write off the food and travel fees as business expenses?

Liguang: What kind of company would pay for its employees’ personal vacations?

Ten: Lame~ Let’s go there for a study trip, then. And fill me in beforehand on when we’re going, please and thank you.

1. Liguang calling Yukikaze by his first name is almost certainly a typo, but there haven't been any corrections yet… ↑

spoon.2Di vol.116 Masterlist
18TRIP Translations

Special Weekly Report — Renga

Renga: For this week’s cassette, we have to talk about the Morning Squad’s good points.

I mean, that’s… everything! Ah, but that’s not a good answer, huh? Hm… Oh, I know! Everyone in our group is super nice to animals!

Kafka and Yukikaze always spoil Shumai, and Liguang’s had pet rabbits since forever. Wouldn’t kill him to let me pet them at least once, though…

Ten takes great care of his aglaonema, but word has it he likes cats too…

I don’t think there’s a single bad animal lover out there. You think so too, right?

Special Weekly Report — Kafka

Kafka: The Morning Squad’s good points… I guess the fact that we have these five members.

For the longest time, morning always reminded me of a plain cold ceiling, or wilting flowers in a vase, or lukewarm porridge.

But now, seeing the morning sun makes me think back to the first tour and Hospitality Live we pulled off together.

So I’m glad to be in R1ze, and I’m glad Renga, Ten, Yukikaze, and Liguang are all here with me.

I’m a little too embarrassed to say this in front of everyone else, so let’s keep this our little secret, okay, Chief?

Special Weekly Report — Ten

Ten: Our squad’s good points, huh… I gotta go with how fun our leader is~

A couple days ago, Renga-san said we should play rock paper scissors to decide who walks Shumai, since it’s “no fair if someone hogs him”.

Liguang-san wasn’t in the mood to play along and kept choosing rock, so me, Prez, and Yukikaze-san started goin' with rock too. Renga-san didn’t realize though, so he went with scissors and wound up the one loser.

He didn’t do it on purpose or anything, so I think he’s really something.

Special Weekly Report — Yukikaze

Yukikaze: The Morning Squad’s good point… It has to be the members we have. They’re all my cute little brothers.

You remember the brand-new-recipe shumai wrapping get-together I held the other day? Everyone pitched in.

Since Ten’s family runs a sushi restaurant, he’s good with his hands, and Yachiyo said he’s good at 3D modelling, too…¹

Oh, and Kafka’s gotten a little bit better at wrapping shumai. And since Renga and Liguang competed to see who could wrap more, we had enough to throw a shumai party for the whole dorm.

Haha, you looked like you really enjoyed it, Chief… I plan on holding another one, so we can all wrap shumai together again.

───

1. I am aware that Yachiyo's comment doesn't seem to make sense, but based on some reactions I've seen, I don't think it's supposed to… ↑

Special Weekly Report — Liguang

Liguang: This group’s strong point is that none of the members skimp on putting the work into their daily activities.

Oguro’s always coming with new plans for us, and along with all the practice he does for work, Kamina’s always eagerly cooking up new types of shumai. Since we get along as roommates, I get to taste test them quite often.

Murakumo checks up on the bars in Chinatown for me, though he doesn’t bother with the ones that don’t serve alcohol. … And that idiot…

He’s always running around wasting his time, but I suppose hard work’s bound to pay off in any century… But he doesn’t have the brains for it. And just looking at his mug pisses me off. That’s all I have to say.

The Morning Squad's General Meeting

Renga: Uh… Ahem, thanks for all coming on such short notice, guys.

Yukikaze: Of course. You’re our leader, after all.

Liguang: Aren’t we supposed to have our squad meeting in two days?

Kafka: Then there must’ve been some sort of emergency. Right, Renga?

Renga: Yeah. T-This… This might be a matter of life and death…

Ten: Damn, well that’s no good…

Renga: Your life!

Ten: … Um…?

Renga: Your life’s at stake, Ten!

Kafka & Yukikaze & Liguang: ?

Ten: Wha…?

Liguang: Did he find out about Murakumo’s family business?

Kafka: What do you mean by that?

Renga: I realized something… that Ten’s been out all night recently… drinking…!

Ten: Wait, you realized that now?

Renga: You came back after midnight yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that too…!

Kafka: Ah, I noticed that too.

Ten: Ah, sorry about that, Prez. Was I waking you up?

Renga: That’s not the issue…! You just drink so much… I’m worried about how your body’s holding up…

Liguang: Hah, what a waste of time…

Renga: No it isn’t…?! I’m being serious here…

Yukikaze: That reminds me. Renga got into this medical show on TV that was playing during dinner a couple days ago.

Ten: Ah, so that’s what gave him this idea? He’s so pure~

Liguang: Make sure you add “stupid” in the fine print.

Renga: Hey…! … But if it’s “fine”, then isn’t that a good thing…?¹

Kafka: But it’s not a bad thing to bring up.

The liver’s known as the silent organ, you know. You can go as hard as you want when you’re still young, but there’s little you can do once it starts causing problems for you.

Renga: Yeah, Ten!

Ten: Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. Everyone in my family’s good at handling their alcohol~

Yukikaze: But if you come home so late, you won’t get enough sleep. You might not be able to grow any taller.

Renga: Yeah, Ten!!

Ten: Uh, think I’m a bit old for that…

Liguang: I truly could not care less. … But, seeing this man being made a fool of might be worth its while.

Yukikaze: My little brother… Is there some problem you’ve been drinking away?

Liguang: Heh. How’s your job hunting going? You don’t bring it up too often.

Renga: Huh?!

Ten: Liguang-saaan?

Renga: Wait, has it not been goin’ well…? Then I just got to step in!

Kafka: Looks like we gotta hold another mock interview ♪

Yukikaze: I’ll lend a hand, too. I helped the Chief take their career match assessments back when they were entering the job market.

Kafka: Huh? Why’s this the first time I’m hearing of it?

Renga: Then I gotta pick up some books about interviewing people and brush up my skills! The Chief and Sakujiro-san might be good people to ask… Ah, and Nayuki, too!

Ten: Woah there, Renga-san, hit the brakes.

Renga: ?

Ten: You don’t gotta do all that. Just keep an eye on me, and I won’t drink too much.

Renga: M-Me…? But I’m no good at holding a drink…

Ten: Aw, and here I was thinking that I could hold back a little if my trusty friend Renga-san was with me.

Renga: …! O-Okay, then! I’ll tag along whenever I don’t have work!

Ten: Yaaay, looking forward to it.

Liguang: Tch, this is stupid…

Kafka: Don’t push yourself too hard, Renga.

Renga: Don’t worry! I’ll stop Ten before it gets to that point!

Yukikaze: That’s the spirit. Please, protect my alcohol-loving little brother’s liver.

Ten: Then let’s head out at 6 tonight.

Renga: You’re gonna drink today…?!

Ten: Of course! Now I’m excited, since Renga-san will be with me.

Renga: Uu… But…! We’re done as soon as I say so, got it?!

───

Shumai: Bark!

Kafka: Shh, Shumai. It’s late.

Shumai: Whine…

Yukikaze: Is someone at the door? No one’s ringing the bell… I’ll go check.

Renga: Urgh…

Kafka: Oh dear. Looks like Renga got sent back in a self-driving taxi.

Renga: … Ten… I think this nekst bar is…

Yukikaze: You’re at the dorm right now, Renga. Welcome back.

Liguang: It’s not even 8 yet. This guy couldn’t last two hours?

Kafka: Well, what else did you expect?

Yukikaze: Seems like things will be carrying on like this for a while.

Renga: Nngh… I’ll… protec’… Ten’s liver...

Shumai: Woof ♪

1. In Japanese, Liguang remarks that Ten should add a "ruby", or extra text above the original text which is used to elaborate on its reading or meaning, that says "stupid" over "pure" (meaning that in Liguang's eyes when Ten called Renga pure it meant he was calling him stupid too). Renga evidently does not know what a ruby is, and asks what they're talking about in the original dialogue. ↑

Cassette Masterlist
18TRIP Translations

Daily Life at the HAMA House
Chapter 1: R1ze

Short stories featuring the 18TRIP characters will now be released bimonthly! For the very first story, the Morning Squad come together to search for Kafka’s pet dog Shumai.

A typical morning at the HAMA House—

Clambering loudly as can be, Renga rushed into the living room.

“Guys, we're in trouble!”

Yukikaze, who was in the middle of serving Liguang his breakfast, tilted his head. “What's wrong, Renga? You can have some of the leftovers of what I made for Liguang, if you missed out on breakfa—”

“That’s not it! I mean seriously… we're in trouble!”

After thanking Yukikaze for the food, Liguang sighed as he took hold of his chopsticks.

“Don't kick up a fuss in the morning. Just spit out what happened already.”

“Shumai…! Shumai went missing…!” Renga shouted out, Shumai’s leash gripped tightly in his hand. “He always runs straight over when it’s time for his walk, but he’s nowhere to be found…!”

Calmly, Liguang looked over the living room for any sign of Shumai before speaking up, “did you check if he's in any of the rooms?”

“I did! He wasn’t anywhere!”

“Then maybe Kafka is taking him out right now.”

Yukikaze rested a hand on Renga’s shoulder, who looked like he could burst out into tears any minute. Renga managed to calm down a little, thanks to the Yukikaze and Liguang’s composure, but he just shook his head in response.

“Kafka’s out fishing today, which is why I was gonna be the one to take him.” Just like that, Renga’s unease came right back, and a look of distress swept across his features. “W-What do we do…?! He must’ve ran away…!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you look for him. You don’t have to cry.”

“I-I’m not cryin’!”

Yukikaze readily offered his aid, and Liguang, seated beside him, set down his chopsticks as he wiped down his mouth. “... I’m free until noon. I can lend a hand.”

Upon seeing Liguang’s empty plate, Yukikaze’s eyes widened the slightest bit. “You’re already finished, Liguang? You must be really worried about Shumai, too.”

“... Don’t come up with any weird ideas, Kamina—”

“Y-You guys… Then let’s get searching!!”

The second they made to leave, however, the door swung open, and in came Kafka, holding his fishing gear as he blinked in surprise.

“Oh? What are you all up to?”

And right behind him was Ten, back from a long night out.

“‘m back… Is something up?”

“The two of you were together?”

Kafka shook his head in response to Yukikaze’s question. “We ran into each other just now.”

“Oh, I was out on the town drinking all night~”

“What are you guys doing?”

At Kafka’s question, Renga raised his voice in a panic, “Shumai’s missing! We were about to go searchin’ for him—” he cut himself off with a gasp, before hanging his head in shame, “I-I’m sorry, Kafka. I know I said I had it handled…”

“Don’t apologize, I’m always asking you for help with Shumai anyway. Let’s all search for him together.”

“... Why does it kinda sound like I’m included in that?”

“Because you are, Ten. Why wouldn’t you be?”

“... T-Tha… Thanks, you guys!!” Renga shouted out, his voice shaky.

After letting out a sigh, Liguang pointed at Kafka and Renga, “you two check around the routes you usually walk him on.”

“G-Got it!”

Liguang showed his phone, opened to the map app, as he continued, “most lost pets are usually found within three kilometers of their home if they’re found the same day. The rest of us will split up and go looking for him.”

“Alright.”

“Welp, whatever ya say~”

“I’ll ask everyone else to let us know if they spot him.”

Nodding their heads in agreement, everyone then went their separate ways.

After some time had passed since the five members of the Morning Squad went looking—

“Where the heck did he go…” Renga recalled the time Shumai ran away during one of their walks. “We managed to find him pretty quick then, but… what if we can’t this time…?”

At the very second Renga’s heart was about to give in from worry… he received a notification on PeChat.

“... SHUMAI!!!!”

When the five members of them came rushing back to the living room, they were greeted by Shumai, tilting his head with a confused bark.

“W-WHERE… WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU~~~?!”

Renga, on the verge of tears, took Shumai up into his arms, making Yachiyo start to tear up in turn. “W-What a heartwarming reunion…! I’m gonna cry too… *sniffle*!”

“Thanks for letting us know, Yachiyo. But… aren’t you supposed to be at the office right about now?”

The teary-eyed Yachiyo froze at Kafka’s remark. “AH, I’m… I’m so sorry!! I slept in… I’m on my way right now….!!”

“I’ll turn a blind eye just this once, so hurry~”

“O-OF COURSE!”

Once Yachiyo hurried off, Yukikaze began to speak, “so where was he?”

“Havin’ a lil photoshoot in our room! My shutter was flying—I got so many killer shots of this genius little puppers!” Akuta turned to face them, sporting a thumbs up.

To that, Liguang responded in a harsh tone, “so he was here the whole time? I recall a certain idiot telling us he checked everyone's rooms.”

Renga stiffened, before shrinking in place, “I mean… I couldn’t just barge in and risk waking someone up, so it’s not like I checked every room…”

“... Bèndàn.”

After spitting out his biting remark, Liguang started to make his leave.

“Shouldn’t you thank Liguang for helping, Renga?”

“Urgh… Damnit. Fine, Liguang, I wouldn’t mind offering you my thanks… Hey, wait up!”

Renga placed Shumai down, after which the dog rushed to his owner’s feet.

“Woof!”

“Hehe. Thanks to you, everyone in R1ze just got a little bit closer.”

As Kafka moved to pick up Shumai, Ten shot him a side-eye. “... You're sure ya didn’t know Shumai was home, Prez~?”

“How could I have? I came home the same time as you.”

“I wonder.”

Ten found himself shrugging at Kafka’s taciturn response.

18TRIP Masterlist

Linxing: LA~LA~HA~MA~♪ HAAA~MAAAAA~♪ Oh~Yeah!

Renga: Someone’s having fun.

Linxing: Of course I am! I’m here with Onii-chan and Renga-san, after all!

I don’t remember it that well, but if I feel like we did something like this back when we were kids… it’s like I’m reliving my childhood memories!

Liguang: … That so.

Linxing: Ah… this is the spot where Renga-san was running in “Es-S”. That scene was so cool!

Renga: Really?

Liguang: … And excessively reckless.

Renga: What’s that look for?! L-Like you… you were rolled the wrong way!

Liguang: It’s “rub”, bèndàn.

Renga: And just what is that ben… whatever ya keep saying?! Are you insulting me?! He is, isn’t he?!

Linxing: (And they’re at it already…)

(Onee-chan told me they used to be the best of friends, so why don’t they get along now?)

(Whatever the case! They should try and get along, just like old times!)

(And with that said… I shall now commence “Operation: Make Onii-chan and Renga-san Make Up”! My first plan is—)

Why don’t we all ride on the teacups together?

Renga: Teacups?

Liguang: … I’ll watch from here.

Linxing: Don’t be like that~ There aren’t a lot of people here, so we can get on right away!

Liguang: But…

Linxing: Pleeease?

Liguang: … *sigh* Fine.

Renga: I… I’ll ride too!

───

Attendant: Next please… Three of you? Go right ahead~

Renga: … So there are the teacups… I’ve heard of them before…

Linxing: (You can chat on the teacups, and they’re loads of fun too… Perfect for making up!)

(Phone rings)

Linxing: Ah, my boyfriend’s calling me.

Sorry, you guys can ride without me. —Excuse mee, I’m getting off!

Renga: Huh?!

Liguang: Hah?

Liguang: Then I’ll get off too. I’m not riding this thing with just you.

Renga: Wait a sec, Liguang! You can’t just stand up like that, or else…

(Ride starts)

T-The cups are moving…?!

Liguang: ……

Renga: … Hey, what’s this thing in the middle? It’s spinning, even though we’re not touching it…

YEEP?!

Liguang: Tch, you idiot…! Don’t touch things if you don’t know what they are!

Pass it over. No more touching it.

Renga: Hey, don’t hog it all to yourself!

Liguang: Just listen to people when they’re talking to you!

Renga: Give it to me—woah, it’s speeding up…?!

Liguang: Urgh…!

School kid in line A: Woah, look at that cup go! They’re spinning like crazy!

School kid in line B: They’re really going at it! WOW!!

Linxing: (Aw, he asked if I’m having fun with Onii-chan. Going out of his way to call me… he’s the sweetest.)

I should pick something out for him… Ah.

(Renga & Liguang spinning on the teacup)

Liguang: Knock… off…! Bèndàn…!!

Renga: Shut it! You’re the… should be…!

Linxing: Woah~! I can’t tell what they’re screaming about, but they’re spinning so fast!

I guess guys really like spinning wheels… Ah, I should send a picture to Onee-chan!

“They’re getting along great~♪”...

Aaand send! Hehe, at this rate, they’ll be getting along in no time ♪

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Entries tagged with 18trip

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