COSMET

Proclaim your allegiance to the Vermilion,

And raise its flag high above this world of red and black!

Hiiro・Mayoi: The soaring castle walls are our pitch-black pride.

Shall we show them?
The soldiers of the suits, ready to counter!

 

What absolute sophistry!

Hold any value?

 

 

May the Vermilion grow strong and proud,

And raise its flag high above this world of red and black!

Aira・Tatsumi: We place our crimson faith in this kingdom engulfed in thorns.

Exactly who we are!

 

If you just live for yourself,

Believe in yourself and push on!

Aira・Tatsumi: We pledge allegiance to the "grand absolute"...

 

Hiiro・Mayoi: For our complete obedience.

 

Mayoi・Aira: The more foolish they'll seem.

 

It's only natural for me to be drawn

Mayoi・Tatsumi: To this vibrant world.

Proclaim your allegiance to the Vermilion,

And raise its flag high above this world of red and black!

Hiiro・Mayoi: The soaring castle walls are our pitch-black pride.

Anyone break through!

 

Hiiro・Aira: In order to grasp that meaning,

Mayoi・Tatsumi: And draw across those cards.

Paint over that defiant white!

 

O resistant white, there’s nowhere for you to flee to,
Mayoi・Aira: For here lies the burning red

Hiiro・Tatsumi: And seething black

Kingdom of Vermilion!

 

Hiiro・Tatsumi: Oh, resistant white, it's time to choose.

Mayoi・Aira: For within this raided fortress

Each carries his own fated suit!

 

May the Vermilion grow strong and proud,

And raise its flag high above this world of red and black!

We place our crimson faith in this kingdom engulfed in thorns.

Exactly who we are!

 

If you just live for yourself,

There's a meaning you'll never be able to grasp!

With the suit of your soul,

Believe in yourself and push on!

 

Vermilion, Vermilion, a world of red and black…

Vermilion, Vermilion, paint over the white!
Mayoi・Aira・Tatsumi: Under the "absolute",

 

Aira: I’m glad the roses are still in full bloom~♪︎

Mayoi: Since we had to leave in the middle of our visit last time, so I’m glad we could this park a visit once again before live…♪︎

Tatsumi: There’s just a couple days left until the live. We’ve just about wrapped up our lessons and such, so today should be a good opportunity to refresh.

Hiiro: Yes. Today, I want to have a look at all the different breeds of roses they have!

Aira: ….Speaking of which, didn’t we study Alice in Wonderland together in preparation for the live?

You really get a sense of scared of the queen the soldiers were when you realize what beautiful white roses they were willing to paint over.

Tatsumi: The more you learn, the more you’ll appreciate the world around you. It might be a blessing in disguise that we get to enjoy the rose garden at this point in time.

Mayoi: We’re about to enter the maze, so how should we proceed?

When Hiiro-san and I got separated the other day, I panicked and ended up taking a look at a map of the maze, so I have a vague idea of how it’s laid out.

It seems that it splits into a couple of routes at the main entry point.

No matter which path you choose, you should be able to reach the goal…

Hiiro: So it’s a matter of if we all take the same route, or individual ones.

If we’re all going to reach the goal in the end, I think it’d be interesting if we all took different routes.

Aira: I’m kinda worried about getting lost…

But as long as there aren’t any dead ends, I’m totally fine with that.

Tatsumi: Then why don’t we each take a separate route? It sort of reminds me of how the stage for our new song is set up, too.

Mayoi: Ah, now that you mention it…

Aira: Then it’s settled! See you guys at the goal ♪︎

Hiiro: (...Hm. I’m pretty sure I’ve been faring rather well up to this point.)

(The estimated time to complete the maze was 15 minutes, so if I keep going like this, I should reach the goal sooner or later.)

… At any rate, these roses are absolutely breathtaking. It feels like I’ve really wandered into Wonderland.

Alice must’ve been a very brave girl, what with how she continued on with her journey, despite having suddenly ended up in some world she knew nothing about.

… Was I like that too, I wonder?

(When I first left my hometown to come to the city, everything I set my eyes on seemed strange and foreign to me, and the customs of the city confused and bewildered me.)

(But because I set my mind on bringing my brother back to our hometown, I feared nothing.)

(I no longer have any obligation to fulfill that objective….)

(However, I’ve become painfully aware of just how inexperienced I am, so I don’t want to lose the enthusiasm and sense of duty that drove me at that time.)

(A strong will to push forward in order to achieve something…)

(For ALKALOID and my future self’s sakes, I want to ignite the flame that dwelled within me back then.)

… Maybe I should bring this up to everyone later. It’d be nice to hear their views on the matter too. 

Taking note of my unit members’ opinions will help make me an even better leader, after all…♪︎
 

Mayoi: Ah, Hiiro-saaan! Look over here!
 

Hiiro: Huh? I didn’t expect to run into anyone before reaching the goal.

Mayoi: It appears the routes connect and open up into a clearing.

I wasn’t sure if anyone else would pass through here, so I could’ve just went ahead on my own…

But if possible, I’d like to go the rest of the way with everyone else—
 

Aira: Huh? Since the two of you are here, does that mean this is the goal?

… That can’t be it. There’s still roses everywhere you look. What’s got you guys stuck standing here?

Hiiro: Nothing, really. We’re just waiting for everyone to gather here.

It’d be more fun if we walked the rest of the way together, and I’d be happy if we all got to reach the goal together.

Don’t you agree, Mayoi-senpai?
 

Tatsumi: —Don’t you, Mayoi-san? ♪︎

Aira & Mayoi: YEEP!?

Tatsumi: I caught sight of your backs, so I thought I’d try joining in on your conversation.

Aira: Oh, geez, that scared me. Tatsumi-senpai, you can be really mischievous sometimes, y’know?

Mayoi: (taking deep breaths) I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest…

Tatsumi: Fufu, I hadn’t meant to cause you such a big shock.

That aside, the goal should be close, yes? Given how we’ve managed to reconvene together.

Hiiro: I believe so. This clearing has five different paths branching off of it, and each of us four came out of one…

That means there’s only one path left that leads to the goal ♪︎

Mayoi: Then does that mean that, had we all taken the same route, we would’ve been confronted with four different paths to choose from?

Aira: I guess that means splitting up was the right call ♪︎

Tatsumi: All we need to do now is take the remaining path.

But since this is such a big maze, I’m starting to suspect that there may be some kind of trick lying in wait for us.

Hiiro: Given the time, I’m pretty sure the goal is right up ahead. Let’s just all proceed ahead, even if there’s some kind of trap waiting to throw us off guard.

If the four of us are together, we should be able to overcome any difficulty thrown our way ♪︎

Aira: Ahaha, that sounded kinda cool. Then let’s have Hiro-kun take the lead…
 

Hiiro: Alright, then let’s all march on toward the goal…♪︎

← | →
 

Hiiro: I already told you that even before our phone call in the rose garden, I had already spoken with Tenshouin-senpai… right?

Mayoi: Yes, during the car ride back… You said that he sparked a conversation with you while you were reading fan letters in the office. 

Hiiro: It was a mess of questions and answers that I had no chance of grasping. However, he was definitely asking me back then.

How am I going to respond to my fans’ expectations? What do I need to do in order to fulfill his wishes? Just what are idols?

He told me to think as hard as I could, so I’ve been trying my best to come up with something since then, but…

In the end, I couldn’t reach the answer on my own. And after some reflection, I realized I haven’t changed at all since I was a child.

Tatsumi: Since you were a child?

Hiiro: Back then, Nii-san asked me a certain question, and I spent the longest time pondering over it.

At that time, I thought I already knew the answer, more or less…

But I didn’t want him to be disappointed with my answer should it be wrong, so I tried thinking it over more.

After all, to be able to give the correct answer is to fulfill your role. What purpose does answering questions have if you don’t provide the right answer?

Aira: Huh? But it’s a question, not a school problem, right?

Since your answer isn’t getting graded for points like a test for school, isn’t reaching the perfect answer way harder?

Well, I’m just happy being able to listen to you talk about what you’re thinking.

I get frustrated a whole bunch when I see you able to do anything, and end up being like “what the hell’s with this guy?” a lot.

But when I see you get worried and have to think things over, it reminds me that you’re just like me in some aspects.

Hiiro: … Hm. I wish I was capable of thinking flexibly like you can.

This incident made me realize that, just like all those years ago, I just can’t seem to be confident about my own achievements and end wasting all this time brooding. It feels like I haven’t grown a single bit.

Tatsumi: That’s nothing to abase yourself over.

You’re capable of dedicating yourself fully to prudent decision making, which lends itself to being able to take bold initiatives—

Couldn’t you consider your ability to deliberate questions by yourself so thoughtfully a virtue you’ve had ever since you were young, Hiiro-san?

Mayoi: That’s absolutely right. Besides, you’ve grown in many aspects.

Compared to when we first met, you’ve grown remarkably better at dancing, singing, and stage etiquette. If my word has any worth to you, I could assure you that over and over again.

You’ve went from knowing next to nothing about idols to having grown an unbelievable amount over the course of just one summer.

Just keep working on things you’re still inexperienced with, even if it doesn’t go as well as you'd hope. Of course, we’ll also be here to lend you a hand…♪︎

Aira: The two of you totally sound like his parents or something right now.

Hiiro: Did you just compose a haiku? No, there’s no seasonal word, so maybe a senryuu?¹

Aira: Nah, I really wasn’t trying to make a poem or anything…

Hiiro: Fufu, thank you for all the kind words, everyone.

If only I could place trust in myself and reach an answer—If only I could stir ALKALOID to action with my judgment…

I’ve been reflecting on these things since I brought about this crisis and caused you all so much trouble.

But having friends huddled close and supporting me is extremely reassuring. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Mayoi: And all three of us are delighted to see your smile again…♪︎

Tatsumi & Aira: ……♪︎
 

Hiiro: I’ve managed to grow in many aspects, just as Mayoi-senpai pointed out.

I’ve become familiar common knowledge of city folk, and I’ve gained so, so much ever since I became an idol… which must mean I’ve learned at least a little bit.

I’ll try thinking with a positive mindset from now on. About a definite answer I can offer to Tenshouin-senpai, and what I can do for ALKALOID from now.

Tatsumi: Of course. There’s no need for you to carry any burden by yourself.

The matter of ALKALOID having to produce results concerns the whole unit, after all.

Even if someone caused a situation to arise sooner or later, we would all confront the situation as one, wouldn’t we?

Aira: Just thinking about if I started something, and then had to get shaken up like that by Tenshouin-senpai… gives me the heebie-jeebies, to be honest.

So it’s really impressive that you managed to think everything through and properly share it all ♪︎ It’ll all work out! Have some faith in yourself!

Hiiro: Being praised by Aira feels kind of strange.

Aira: Huh, what does that mean?! I’m trying to be encouraging, y’know!

Tatsumi: There, there. I’m sure being praised by you just makes Hiiro-san a little shy.

Aira: Seriously~? Then just say that from the start, sheesh.
 

Mayoi: ……

Hiiro: You’re rather quiet, Mayoi-senpai. Did something happen?

Mayoi: I was just listening to your lovely conversation… and my mind started drifting back.

To thinking about what I want to do with the rest of ALKALOID.

Hiiro: Did you come up with anything?

Mayoi: Not yet…

So I focused instead on what’s hindering us at the moment, and tried to think of what we could do to get good results, but…

To put it simply, it’d mean winning some kind of award, or more realistically, becoming so popular that we'd have to schedule our every minute.

A high status among idols… We just need to have a large demand, so there’s no need for us to be particularly avaricious.

Aira: That’s true. We are the typical modern idol, after all.

Like, have you ever thought anything like “I’m gonna become a member of the Big 3!”? Definitely not me.

Tatsumi: The Big 3… Hm, their popularity rating is based off of L$, a clear-cut metric, so they might be a good indication of who holds authority in ES.

Aira: But it’s not like numbers mean everything, right?

Everyone has a different idea of what makes someone a “top idol”.

In my case, I usually just call super amazing idols top idols, but…

Sales, skill, notoriety… wealth? There’s a different idol at the top of all these categories.

Mayoi: H~m, so no matter how much we deliberate, we can’t pull nothing out of nowhere, in the end…

Tatsumi: It really shows how regularly we have to think everything over, including both our big and small goals.

Hiiro: Ah, about that. I’ve come up with something.

Aira: Huh, when you’d do that?

Hiiro: It’s just something I happened to hear about, rather than really want to try…

However, we could all participate in it without delay, and I think it’d make a good experience for us.

Besides, I heard that it’s on a pretty large scale… so we should be able to obtain some good results.

Aira: W-Wait a sec. Stop skirting around the subject and tell us what you’re talking about!
 

Hiiro: —Alright.

Let’s participate in a live. ALKALOID is going to stand on the Wonderland stage.

1. A haiku is a japanese poem containing 17 syllables and a kigo (a seasonal word that adds to the tone and meaning of the poem). Hiiro noticed that what Aira said (senpai-tachi, itteru koto ga oyappoi) is 17 syllables, but due to the lack of a kigo, he started wondering if Aira composed a senyruu (a 17-syllable poem that focuses on human foibles rather than nature) instead. On my part, I tried to make Aira's line 17 syllables, but... ↑

Hiiro: No, that’s not what I…!

Eichi:『I know that’s not what you meant. That’s why I’m moving you to action right now so you can appease them.』

Hiiro: … What do I need to do?

Eichi:『You sure got serious fast. The fact that you’re quick at getting down to business is a big help ♪︎』

『It’s simple, really. You made them harbor bad sentiments towards you, so now you need to do the opposite. Use your upcoming work to change their opinion of you.』

『That said, the higher-ups are also kicking up a fuss. You’re going to have to amp up your workload up until SS.』

Hiiro: Work… to change their impression…

Eichi: 『Act while keeping your goals as an idol in sight. Hold your aspirations up high and seek to carry them out.』

『By repeating that process, you can keep shining like a star—that way, you won’t leave anyone uneasy or unsatisfied.』

Hiiro: I’ve been thinking since I checked your message, but the way you’re speaking right now reminds me of how you spoke to us back when our summer first began.

Eichi: 『Is that so? Well, it’s still the same old me speaking, after all.』

『—Alright, I think it’s time for you to tell me. What ALKALOID—what you should be doing right now.』

Hiiro: (He’s being a lot more clear now than he was when we spoke in the lounge… I think.)

(True to his word, he did give me a lot of hints. He shared his request with me, and the conversation unfolded in a pretty straightforward manner.)

(My remarks, taken as clueless and empty. The point Tenshouin-senpai has been trying to make during both of our conversations these past few days.)

(The actions I need to undertake to fix the impression I made, and the request he made of me…)

(As an idol… I need to hold my aspirations up high, and act of my own volition. Then see them to fruition, and produce results. Which means—)

I’m not confident I could convey it well using my own words, so I’ll borrow something you once told me.

You’re telling me to prove my worth, are you not?

So that we, who successfully carried out our roles this summer, can have ALKALOID continue to be noteworthy. 

Eichi: 『That’s not a bad line of thinking ♪︎ I’m impressed at how much more perceptive you’ve grown since summertime.』

『In this shrewd business world, you have to completely devote yourself to beating down your opponents in order to survive.』

『I’m looking forward to seeing how you lead ALKALOID, Hiiro-kun…♪︎』

Mayoi: Huff, puff…!

Aah, Hiiro-saaan! Thank goodness, I finally found youuu!

Hiiro: Mayoi-senpai.

Mayoi: You just disappeared, and I started panicking!

I should’ve just jumped into the hedge right after you, but some other visitors showed up, and I…

I got self-conscious, and ended up being too late to follow you. Uuu, I’m sorry…

Hiiro: Please don’t apologize. I’m the one at fault.

Mayoi: Wah?! Hiiro-san, there’s a cut on your cheek…

Hiiro: Huh?

Mayoi: Something must’ve grazed you… It’s bleeding just a little bit. Does it not hurt?

Hiiro: Not one bit. Had you not said anything, I doubt I would’ve noticed at all.

I wonder if I got snagged by a rose thorn?

Mayoi: That’s probably the case… Once we get back, I’ll make sure to disinfect it so it can heal.

Hiiro: Alright, thank you.

… Hah, I’m pathetic. Not only could I not stop myself from reacting, but getting injured on top of that?

Mayoi: Speaking of which, why did you jump into the hedges out of nowhere?

You did seem to be in a bit of haze before that, but I just assumed you went back to thinking about your problem…

Hiiro: I heard some sort of noise coming from far away, so I was trying to track its presence.

I figured it was probably an animal of some kind, so when I spotted a white silhouette… I reached out to try and grab it.

In the end, it wasn’t a rabbit or anything of the sort, but a branch of white roses that was being blown along by the wind.

Mayoi: Wow, so even such a splendid set of roses can get torn and carried off by the wind…

Fufu, but even so…

Had it truly been a white rabbit, it would’ve been just like Alice’s tale, the one we were speaking of earlier.

Hiiro: The story starts with her chasing a white rabbit and falling into a hole, right?

If I saw a rabbit pulling out a pocket watch in real life, I’d probably be too shocked to even consider trying to catch it.

???: Ah, there they are!

 

Tatsumi: Thank goodness we could finally find you two.

Aira: Geez, don’t worry us like that. Hiro-kun wasn’t responding to any of the messages we sent him, and Mayo-san stopped responding to us in the middle of our conversation…

Wai— HUUUH?! What the hell is with that cut on your cheek?! You know idols can’t bruise their faces!

Hiiro: A-Ah, I’m sorry. For everything.

Tatsumi: Please calm down. It’s rather unfortunate that he got injured, but if we cover the cut with some makeup, it shouldn’t hinder his work.

I was quite distressed when Mayoi-san contacted us to tell us Hiiro-san had disappeared, but everything’s alright now that we found him.

Mayoi: I-I apologize. I got myself quite worked up…

Hiiro: Woah, that’s a lot of unread messages. I was so immersed in my conversation that I didn’t even notice.

Aira: Conversation? Were ya talking with someone?

Hiiro: Yeah. I received a call from Tenshouin-senpai.

Tatsumi: From Eichi-san…?

Hiiro: Um, that’s right. I’m sure it’d be better to share what happened with you all, but I’m not sure where to begin…

Aira & Mayoi: ?
 

Hiiro: I was told some bad news.

ALKALOID may be facing a whole new crisis, and it’s all my fault.

 

Hiiro: I ran into Mayoi-senpai while he was loitering in the ceilings, and then he joined me as I stopped by the offices.

We didn't really have any business there, but I'm glad we could chat a little with the staff!

Mayoi: They told us that they received the responses to our interviews and the fan letters addressed to ALKALOID.

Aira: Ooh, fan letters! Everyone's always super quick to share their reactions, so maybe their opinions on the recent R2 are there too.

Tatsumi: Every time we appear in a live, they make sure to write us letters… I'm truly grateful.

Hiiro: Didn't we receive a lot of fan letters after "Feather Touch" ended, too?

After reading each and every letter, you really start to get a sense of how deep everyone's impressions were of our lives.

Mayoi: And they always mention how excited they are for our next live in their letters…

It makes me feel like I've received the courage necessary to take on yet another live.

Aira: I totally get you! Once you know how many people are gonna come see you, you start feeling like you've gotta try harder and harder!

And I always catch myself feeling hard for them when they say stuff like "I'll definitely be at your next live!", since I've been in their shoes before.

Tatsumi: We are truly blessed to be able to receive our fans' sentiments, whether on stage or by reading their impressions and responses.

In order to have more and more people come see ALKALOID's performances, we're going to have to participate in many more lives.

Hiiro: … Ah. So I should have said that I want to participate in more lives.

Tatsumi: ? What are you talking about?

Hiiro: While we were at the offices earlier, the staff asked us if there was any work we wanted to do in the future.

I couldn't think of anything in the spur of the moment, but thinking back, that's probably what I should've said.

Mayoi: I couldn't think of anything either…

Besides, listing off stuff that we want to do ourselves seems awfully brazen…

Aira: We are total newbies, after all. We might end up coming off as self-important if we shouted out our hopes and aspirations like that.

Tatsumi: Thinking about what the staff wanted to hear at this point won't do us any good, but we should probably come up with an answer in case we get asked the same question in the future.

When we had the opportunity to collaborate with Anzu-san and plan Feather Touch—

By building off of Aira-san's meticulously thought-over proposal, we were able to pull off our most large-scale solo project to date.

Of course Anzu-san's skill as a producer was extremely helpful, but I believe Feather Touch was only truly able to reach its fullest potential because of the ideals Aira-san had drawn out for it.

Aira: You're exaggerating, those were just my wild fantasies…

Mayoi: You're positively adorable when your cheeks get flushed like that, Aira-san. You look just like a Red Delicious apple…♪︎

Hiiro: Fufu, are you flustered?

Aira: Well, sorta, yeah. Plus, now I'm remembering how Tattsun-senpai saw my secret files, which was super embarrassing.

Tatsumi: I’m glad I could have a glimpse of Aira-san’s dreams… though I might incur God’s wrath for thinking so.

In any case, coming up with an answer together could help us prepare for future questioning.

At the very least, it will give us the experience of planning things ourselves.

Hiiro: Right. It’s precisely because we’re lacking in experience that each and every opportunity gives us so much potential to grow.

Coming up with a plan might not be a simple endeavor, but the experience will surely help us grow stronger, won’t it?

Mayoi: Since idols take on an extensive array of work, we don’t have to restrict ourselves to just ideas for lives. We could get away with some plans for things like events and TV programs.

… Well, I say that, but it’s not as though I’ve come up with ideas myself, being as bad as this as I am.

Aira: Hmm… I haven’t really thought about the kinds of events I want us to participate in.

I feel like I always found myself imagining the kinds of lives I wanted to participate in or the kinds of stages I wanna perform on instead.

Tatsumi: Since you’ve always been writing down the things you want to do, does that not mean you’ve already started developing a plan?

Why don’t we use that as a starting point, and add the things we want to try as ALKALOID to the list? That way, we’ll always have something to say.

—Why don’t you start us off, Mayoi-san?

Mayoi: EEK, the smile-plus-killer-pass combo?!

Tatsumi: Anything is fine. You can just say that you want to sing a lot of songs or perform at a large venue.

Mayoi: W-Well, I… uh—um…?

Aira: (whispering) Have you thought of anything, Hiro-kun?

Hiiro: (whispering) No, not yet. I’m still at the point where I’m pondering over whether there’s any sort of work I want to do with the rest of ALKALOID, or anything I want to try myself.

(Participating in lives, being interviewed for magazines, having my picture taken, having people reach out to talk to me…)

(All the day-to-day endeavors I undertake as an idol are extremely fulfilling and worthwhile.)

(If I had to name one thing I want to do…)

Hm…

Aira: What’s up? Didja come up with anything?

Hiiro: Yes. I think I want to keep participating in all kinds of work with the rest of ALKALOID.

Aira: Ahaha, they’re asking “as a part of ALKALOID”, so I’m pretty sure that’s a given for all of us.

Hiiro: Haha… You’re probably right.