[The school bell rings]

[Footstep sound effects play]

Mao: When Hokuto calls me out to somewhere, usually something is up, you know? That guy… looks level-headed, but he’s quite belligerent, and all. It feels like he might say, “We’ve been challenged to a duel again, so I decided to accept it,” or something. Though I’d really wish he’d give me a break with the hassles. Well, it’s not like there isn’t a part of me that enjoys that, too Even if it is as I imagined, I guess I’d go along with him, huh?

[Sound of a sliding door opening plays]

Mao: Heey!

[The sliding door closes]

Hokuto: Oh, Isara. Thanks for coming.

[Sound of footsteps plays]

Mao: There’s no way I’d ignore it when you called me, right? Huh? Even Subaru and Makoto are here? Was Trickstar’s practice day today?

Hokuto: No, I called Akehoshi and company out here, same as you. Actually, idol work has come in for us. Specifically, for a unit song and a magazine gravure interview.

[Cheerful piano music begins to play, Subaru jumps up.]

Subaru: Oh! A unit song, and stuff! How idol-like, huh! Speaking of which, for two jobs to come in at the same time, that’s amazing, isn’t it? Is something else we can thank Hokke for, since he went all around promoting our name?

Hokuto: It’s not just the result of my efforts, but also the result of our many Dream Fes live performances. However, it is not like we don’t have anything to worry about. No matter how much our popularity has risen, if we fail here, we’ll be back to square one. In the end, even our very existence could be forgotten. That is the world of show business. And that itself is why, no matter what the job, we need to take it on with it a gentlemanly attitude.

[A dismal sound effect plays]

Subaru: *sigh*.... Hokke, you talk so much… In short, what’s the deal?

Hokuto: Uh… yeah. It’s a gravure interview and, I wanted to say we’ll have Yuuki participate as well, but…

Subaru: Ahh, I see. The unit song is fine, but the other one is a gravure interview, isn’t it? The gravure is the tricky part for Ukki, and all. And that’s why you were worried, Hokke.

Mao: A magazine gravure interview, huh…. Makoto, do you feel like you can do it?

[The music stops]

[Makoto messes with his glasses]

Makoto: Ehhh… Honestly, I don’t have any confidence in myself, and all.. and if I could run away from it, I would want to, but… But, I can’t run from this, can I? From here on, this kind of request will come up more frequently, I’m sure, and all.. And I can’t just run around saying “I don’t like having my picture taken!” can I?

Mao: Yeah, you’ve become quite respectable, haven’t you? If this was the you from just a bit ago we were talking about, you would have run away from this, no chance of changing your mind. Perhaps having Sena-senpai take your picture during Duel was good for you, huh?

[Whimsical music featuring whistling begins to play]

Makoto: Ah… I couldn’t stand it that time, so… but, that that certainly might have been the start for me. But, I wonder if I can do it? When I’m in front of a camera, my face stiffens up, and I break out into a cold sweat and tremble, you know?

Mao: When Sena-senpai did it, you didn’t, did you? Ahh, but, you were sweating, weren’t you.. and your expression was a little stiff.

Makoto: That was because I was being pushed forward by Izumi-san’s momentum, you know? At any rate, Izumi-san’s tension was so high, I felt with all my being that I wanted to run away, but…

Mao: I was wondering what that was all about, too, you know.. Hokuto was pretending not to see what was going on, either, so I seriously had some doubts about whether that was really practice for Duel, and all.

Hokuto: Since he was participating in our practices on the condition that he could photograph Yuki, see… I couldn’t say anything about it.

Mao: Ahh, did you say something like that? Well, you did acquiesce to those conditions and were able to do a photoshoot under them, and all. I’m sure that you’ll be able to handle a gravure interview somehow.

Makoto: Um, yeah! I’ll do my best to be able to do it somehow.

Subaru: Hey, hey, Hokke! When is the actual interview?

Hokuto: It’s Monday of next week. Including today.. there isn’t even a week, is there?

Subaru: In that case, starting tomorrow, let’s do some special training so that Ukki won’t feel nervous during a photoshoot? If he becomes able to face a camera, he won’t have any mess-ups on the day of!

Hokuto: That’s a pretty good idea, for you, Akehoshi. Let’s make arrangements so that we’ll be able to borrow a studio tomorrow.

Makoto: Ehh? I couldn’t make you guys go that far for my sake, you know. This is my problem, and all. And for me to involve everyone…

[Subaru bangs on something]

Subaru: Ugh! You’re being so reserved, Ukki! We’re comrades, so rely on us more, you know!

[Subaru stomps toward Makoto]

Subaru: It makes me sad when people hold back strangely, and all. That’s not like you, you know, Ukki! Hyah!

[Rattling sounds, as Subaru grabs Makoto’s glasses, they jostle with each other for the glasses]

Makoto: Stop it, Akehoshi-kun! Don’t take my glasses!

[Makoto and Subaru continue to jostle with each other]

Subaru: Mhm! Ukki, you sure have a nice face, after all, don’t you! So much so that it’s a waste for you to be wearing glasses! Hey, why don’t you wear contacts?

[The music stops]

Makoto: I’m happy you say that, but…

[Sound of the glasses rattling plays]
Makoto: I don’t like my own face much, you know. And Izumi-san is obsessed with my face, too, and I guess I’ve come to dislike it even more, or…. Now that you mention it, for the gravure interview, did they say I should wear my glasses? Or, should I take them off for it, I wonder?

Hokuto: Your face is a benefit to you as an idol. If you can, I’m sure it would be better to take them off, but… I’ll leave the decision up to you.

Makoto: Hidaka-kun, you wouldn’t tell me I absolutely had to take them off, would you?

Hokuto: I intend to keep in mind how harsh it is to be forced to do something. Since I should become a top idol like my parents, I lived my life being forced to do a lot of things, see.

Makoto: I see… These glasses hide my weak heart for me. They make it so I don’t have to take on everyone’s gazes directly. So that I can protect my own heart….. But I can’t go on doing that, can I? I don’t want to stay weak forever. I want to grow with everyone, too. So… I’ll take off my glasses, you know.

[Cheerful music featuring an electric guitar begins to play]

Makoto: Because I want everyone to see my real face.

[Subaru rustles around]

Subaru: Ahh! That’s what makes you Ukki! Allllriiight! Let’s toss those glasses into the air! Wasshoi! Wasshoi! Wasshoi!

[Slide whistle sound effects play, as Subaru throws the glasses into the air over and over]

Makoto: S- stop it, Akehoshi-kun! Don’t treat my glasses so roughly! Even though I said I’d take them off, it’s just for that day! So normally I’ll be wearing them, you know!

Subaru: Huuh? You are? You’re going to all the trouble, you might as well take them off for good.

[Makoto snatches the glasses back from Subaru]

Subaru: Ah…

[Makoto puts the glasses back on]

Makoto: I guess when you’ve worn them for so many years, you get attached to them. And, contacts are scary, so, see… P- putting a foreign object in my eye or something.. Just imagining it, I start to shiver, you know?

Hokuto: Hmm. I have never used contacts, but.. according to what I’ve heard, the hard ones can be fairly painful, it seems. If you want to avoid pain, then the soft type would be better, right? But, I’ve heard it’s easier for them to hurt your eyes, and all… If you look at the long term, the hard type may be better, huh….

Makoto: Uh, um… I don’t want something that hurts, but if I think about my eyes, I wonder if the hard are better…. Hmm…. hmmmm……

Mao: You still haven’t decided to use contacts, and all, there’s no need to think so deeply on it, right? Right now, you have to conquer the photoshoot first, you know?

Makoto: Y- yeah, that’s true, isn’t it? First of all, we’ve got to do something about that! Alright, I’m going to give it my all starting tomorrow!

[A zooming sound effect plays to signal a change of scene]

[A gloomy gong sounds, dizzy sound effects play]

Makoto: (The stuff we got so excited about yesterday, I wonder if I can really do it?)

[Piano music begins to play]

Makoto: (That is- That’s no good! If I start getting faint-hearted now, I won’t even be able to do what I can do, and all. Ughh… but I don’t have any confidence in myself, you know… Will I be able to smile like I should, facing the camera? Will I be able to meet the desires of the people I’m working with? When I was a gravure model, I suppressed my own emotions and acted like a doll. Since that was the only thing I could do. No, it was that it was easier for me to do that. Facing the camera with a forced smile…. When I remember that time, I shiver, you know. As I am now, I can’t imagine why I was able to do that kind of thing…. I got out of that situation, and I’m together with comrades who share the same aspirations as me. We do all fight sometimes, and all. It’s not like everything’s going perfectly well, but.. even so, I am standing here by my own will. It’s not like anyone has ordered me to. This is the path I chose myself. It’ll be okay. I’m the kind that can do something if I try! I’ll forget the past, and walk on  toward the future. The first great step for that has finally come.)

[The music stops, Makoto opens a door]

Makoto: Everyone! Sorry to make you wait.

Mao: Oh! You finally came, huh?

[Makoto walks into the room]

Mao: It’d been a while and you still hadn’t come, so we were getting tired of waiting, you know!

Makoto: S- sorry. I was thinking about a lot of things, and ended up getting here late.. But I’m fine now! I’ll do my best in a photoshoot, or whatever we have to do!

Subaru: Oh! Ukki, you’re motivated, huh! Ukki~! Look over this way!

[Makoto turns]

Makoto: What?

[A camera flashes, dizzy sound effects play]

[Cheerful music begins to play]

Makoto: Uwah! You surprised me! You used the flash on me all the sudden, and now I can’t open my eyes!

Subaru: Ahaha! A great success!

[Rustling sound effects play as Subaru messes with the camera]

Subaru: Now, let’s see….

[The camera beeps as Subaru looks through the pictures on it].

Subaru: Ahh… but you’re closing your eyes in it, aren’t you! We’ll have to take this over, won’t we~ That being said, Ukki~ ....We’re doing one more!

[Subaru begins taking tons of pictures of Makoto as Makoto flails around]

Makoto: Wait! Wait a minute! I’m still not emotionally prepared!

Hokuto: You guys sure are energetic, huh? But… yeah. I’m relieved that Yuuki is more cheerful than I expected. It looks like he’s having no problem with having his picture taken, doesn’t it?

[Makoto laughs]

Makoto: That before took me by surprise, you know...? I might not be able to say that it’ll go completely without issue, but… I’ve found the answer within myself, so I intend to do everything I can, you know?

Hokuto: I see. You’ve got a good expression, don’t you, Yuuki?

Makoto: Thank you, Hidaka-kun. Umm, for an outfit, should I wear this?

[Rustling as Makoto picks up some clothes]

Hokuto: Yeah. When you’ve finished changing, stand over there, please. I had intended to ask a professional cameraman, but it wasn’t possible to do that much.

Makoto: No, doing all this for me is more than enough, you know. Alright, I’ll go and change quick, okay?

[The music stops]

[A zooming sound effect plays to signal a time skip]

[Rustling sound effects play]

Makoto: Akehoshi-kun? Is this alright for my pose?

[Strange sound effects and a cymbal crash play, a crane cries out]

Makoto: That is, what kind of thing is the “image of a crane that could take flight at any minute?” Do I spread out both my arms? Or, should I hop on my feet, too?

Hokuto: Akehoshi…

[Hokuto walks toward Subaru]

Hokuto: What kind of stupid orders are you giving?

[Hokuto hits Subaru]

Subaru: Augh! Punching me, you’re horrible, aren’t you!

[Subaru flails around]

Subaru: I’m against violence!

Hokuto: It’s because you won’t get into it seriously, you know! We’re doing this to help Yuuki conquer his issues with photoshoots. It is not a game.

[Subaru straightens himself up]

Subaru: I know that! I was thinking in my own way that if he has his photograph taken in a bit of a novel pose, Ukki could get over his dislike for it, see! You could put it that way, couldn’t you?

Hokuto: If he was able to get over it with a method like that, it would be a simple story, right? However, Yuuki has disliked photoshoots for many years, you know? That being as it is, I suppose we’ll have to get through it by repetition, won’t we?

[Mao walks toward them]

Subaru: But…

Mao: Well, well, you guys, calm down! Because you guys are fighting, Makoto is all shook up, you know? Subaru and Hokuto, I know you both are thinking of Makoto when you’re acting. So rather than pushing your opinions on each other, how about taking this in a more respectful direction? Well, I guess the “image of a crane that could take flight at any minute?” is a bit crazy, but…

[Subaru makes a sulky noise and rustles around]

Subaru: And I thought it was a good plan! Too bad!

Hokuto: It was far from a good plan. However, yeah. Striking a novel pose and having his picture taken might be one method, too. If he becomes able to respond to requests for any pose with a smile, he wouldn’t be nervous in a gravure, right?

[An arrangement of Rebellion Star begins to play]

Makoto: That’s right, isn’t it? Yeah! In a gravure photoshoot, I feel like I’m making a fake of myself, but… if I go at it thinking that I want people to see me as I am, I could come to like it, couldn’t I? Right now, I feel like I could take flight!

[Makoto beings to flap around]

Makoto: Alright!

[Makoto begins to run to the window]

Mao: Wait, wait, wait! Don’t try to jump out the window! This is the second floor, so….!

[Mao pants and sighs]

Mao: Well, it looks like you’ve broken through in a good way, but I’m telling you, don’t make that your distinctive trait! You’re an idol, not an actor!

[Makoto laughs]

Makoto: Yeah. I’ll be careful.

Makoto: (Akehoshi-kun, Hidaka-kun, Isara-kun, thank you for being so serious for me. Being surrounded by comrades as great as you, I am just so happy, you know. If I had continued being a gravure model, I would not have been able to meet Akehoshi-kun and company. I was saved by meeting Akehoshi-kun and everyone. I want to be able to pay back that debt. I want to convey my thanks to them, for returning me to being a human from being a doll.)

[Mao laughs quietly]

Mao: (That Makoto, he’s so lively, isn’t he? He’s making me feel like even I’m having fun. Makoto has a spirit that makes him try too hard, so I was worried, but as things stand, it looks like it will be okay, huh? Don’t forget that smile, please. I believe that you can do it!)