We might as well. Otherwise I'm not going to be able to keep my promise, am I?
[ He nods and gestures for Hiyori to follow. He scouted the place out a little bit earlier and... well, it is mostly a sound-proofed room, but they do have some impromptu room service you can order! ]
[Time to go looking for it. Except he doesn't need to, because it turns out Elan knows where it is. He's had a little more time to explore the hotel, so that figures. Though, did he happen to come across it earlier, or did he actually go looking for it? If it's the latter, why, that might mean he was looking forward to their karaoke session. But that's getting a bit ahead of himself, and in any case, Hiyori doesn't ask.
It's a small room with a machine set up at the center, nothing fancy. But there are a few tables, all of which have menus sitting out, and that's enough to please Hiyori.]
Looks like we'll both get to keep our word ♪ Though I'm not sure if they have any local delicacies. But well, anything you want is on me, so order up ♪
[Or anything he wants to drink, but is Elan-kun even past the drinking age? Hiyori isn't, so he's not going there!]
[ Five will never admit to looking forward to it, but maybe he was. Who's to say? Not him. So instead he just waves his hand and settles into a seat, picking up the menu and scanning it. ]
Nope, we were a bit preoccupied, I suppose. I didn't even get the chance to show off that photo we took together. But I guess that's what the drive home is for.
[After placing the order on his phone, he leans across the table to look Elan in the eye.]
Is there one you were hoping to get to know better? I still think you and Nagisa-kun would have a lot to talk about. I could try to get him down here, if you want. The more, the merrier!
[Then his smile turns sly.]
Or do you prefer having me all to yourself for the night? ♪
Yes, yes I did! I just wondered if it might be better to even the playing field, that's all. But there's probably no doing that, since I am me. And it's not really a competition anyway, I suppose...
[He really does get up this time, making his way to the freestanding karaoke machine and starting to fiddle the song selector. It's been a while since he went to a real karaoke place; the last time was with some girls after school who were all too happy to be treated, long before his career had taken off, so he's curious to see if he'll find his songs. And the answer is...]
Excellent, they do have our songs ♪ Hm, and it looks like they have everyone else's songs, too...
[Not just Eden's, or songs from other popular groups such as Knights. They also have songs from 2wink, Switch, Crazy:B, and even Ra*bits. It looks like Eichi's attempts to usher in a new golden age of idols have borne fruit.
As far as Eden's songs go, they seem to have all of them. Even recent tracks, and even B-sides. The machine has Eve's songs, too, of course. But what hasn't he shown Elan that he'd like to show him? Let's see here...
Ah, there they go.
He looks up from the screen to flash Elan a smile, addressing him as he would a fan.]
Looks like you're in luck ♪ You get to hear my solo song! That one's about smiling and having fun no matter what sort of day it is, so try to take the message to heart, alright?
Really? All the way out here? I guess they gotta try to keep up with what the tourists from the big cities want after all...
[ He leans back in his seat and watches (listens). He doesn't follow many idol groups (any, really), so it's a little beyond him, honestly. He finds he enjoys watching Hiyori fiddle and choose, though. ]
Ha, are you saying I don't know how to have fun? Should I be insulted?
Nope, not at all! I just thought I'd send some encouragement your way.
[But this isn't a promotional ad, so he'll cut the pep talk and finally press play on the song. It's got a peppy beat, more so than the Eden and Eve songs Hiyori showed Elan before, and after a brief intro, he starts to sing.]
♫♪~
[The lyrics are quite on-the-nose: him encouraging the listener to sing and shine no matter the weather, even if they have to fake a smile at first, all while dropping his catchphrase and spouting questionable English. The skies might be cloudy now, but the sun will always come up later! And he, Hiyori Tomoe, will be there to meet the listener under the sunny sky.
... It'd be easy for someone cynical to scoff at such a song. But then, what else would you expect from the idol called Hiyori Tomoe? This is his solo; it was tailor-made for his stage persona, so of course the lyrics aren't subtle. As an idol, he lives to spread cheer and make people happy. If watching him shine gives people the strength to go on, despite life's hardships, then that's a wonderful thing.
Not that he's really thinking such deep thoughts right now. He's just having fun, singing his best and performing some simple dance moves, smiling brightly for his audience of one. That's right, this isn't for his fans, this is just for Elan-kun! And isn't it "fantastic" that they were able to meet again?]
[ Elan settles in to listen and watch his private show. It's kind of nice, honestly, although a part of him wonders what Hiyori's manager might say about him using his vocal cords for karaoke of all things. Then again, what his manager doesn't know won't hurt him, so he's not about to bring that up. No; it's nice to just listen and be suitably entertained. He flashes a grin as Hiyori continues, listening and just letting himself vibe a little.
And when it finally wraps up, he applauds without a hint of irony. Isn't that nice of him? ]
[Two things there. First, Hiyori Tomoe answers to no one! And second, karaoke could be considered practice for his job, especially since it's his song he's singing.
His cheesy solo song, which Elan actually seems to like. He's the tiniest bit surprised to hear that praise, accompanied by applause. But in response, he smiles, feeling oddly just as satisfied as he would performing for a crowd.]
Fufu. Thank you, thank you ♪
[He flashes Elan a wink, then sets down the microphone.]
That's basically how it works! If you don't know the lyrics, you can read them off that screen thing over there. I'm not sure how much you'll find that you're familiar with, but they do have a large selection. Want to give it a try?
[ With a mock sigh of suffering, he gets to his feet and walks over to examine the console, starting to click through the different songs. He's not incredibly familiar with music, but he knows a few tunes and he tries to find something that he thinks he won't mangle. Eventually he settles on something and he launches into it. It's a bit of a strange song, but he's managing it... mostly. His voice isn't bad! But he's not a practiced singer and that shows up in some of his attempts at notes or the speed he sings at.
But it's enough, maybe.
Depends on how harshly he's judged.
The song itself is a song about the nightlife; of being a teenager and loving being able to stay up late, of finding some freedom in those dark hours. The night's for entertainment! For fun! ]
[Hey, no one's holding a gun to his head! There's no need for that "woe is me" act. But Hiyori's still excited to hear Elan sing, so he heads back to his seat and waits.
There's no rush for Elan to pick a song; he can recall him saying before that he didn't know much music. But he's curious to see what sort of song Elan will choose. And the answer is...
... hip hop??
Well, it's not too shocking. Still, his eyebrows raise It feels like Elan-kun chose something fairly high-level for a first-timer! And not even Crazy:B could get away with some of those lyrics he's spouting. But seeing Elan give it his all, well, that makes him impressed. And maybe there's also something about the theme that connects with him: meeting someone on a night out, being introduced to new music by them, and wanting to get to know them... hmmm.
His lips curve. He wants to cheer Elan on! So, once he gets over that initial surprise, he's back to smiling, sitting with his legs crossed and one of them swinging lightly, one finger on the table tapping along to the beat. If he had a penlight, he'd wave that. But seeing as he doesn't, he'll settle for applauding once it's done.]
That's the main one that comes to mind. Every verse went by awfully fast, though, so I can see why you had trouble with it. And certain lines could've used more oomph!
[This is all expressed matter-of-factly. But he doesn't seem like he's really complaining.]
There are other things I could point out, too. But you're right, it wasn't bad, especially for a first-timer. It was fun to watch and listen to, which is what matters. Seeing Elan-kun express himself was well worth the price of admission, I'd say ♪ Though now I'm wondering what sort of wild nights you've had—you haven't really been staying up all night, have you? You shouldn't! That sort of thing's just awful for your health!
[Hey, he asked for feedback! Which Hiyori is more than capable of providing, given his career.]
Yep! For that song, anyway. But that could easily be fixed with practice. What can't be fixed so easily is someone's voice—but Elan-kun has a nice one like I thought, so there's no problem there.
[Hiyori's all smiles as he listens to him talk. Something about the song resonated with him, too, huh? Perhaps the rebellious outlook spoke to him after he spent so long being a good boy at his job. But Hiyori won't ask; it's just a song, and those are meant to be enjoyed without thinking about them too hard.]
Well, that's good to hear. Now I know something else that Elan-kun likes, besides "a good view" and "me!" ♪
[Cue an obnoxious wink, before he shrugs in response to that last question.]
I could! Or we could take turns until the food arrives. Whatever Elan-kun wants is fine. But if you're on a roll or you want to prove yourself, by all means, keep singing your heart out ♪
Hmm. How about one of your favorite songs that isn't one of yours? Or at least if they have something like that. I'd be interested to hear you sing something that wasn't written with you in mind.
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[ He nods and gestures for Hiyori to follow. He scouted the place out a little bit earlier and... well, it is mostly a sound-proofed room, but they do have some impromptu room service you can order! ]
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[Time to go looking for it. Except he doesn't need to, because it turns out Elan knows where it is. He's had a little more time to explore the hotel, so that figures. Though, did he happen to come across it earlier, or did he actually go looking for it? If it's the latter, why, that might mean he was looking forward to their karaoke session. But that's getting a bit ahead of himself, and in any case, Hiyori doesn't ask.
It's a small room with a machine set up at the center, nothing fancy. But there are a few tables, all of which have menus sitting out, and that's enough to please Hiyori.]
Looks like we'll both get to keep our word ♪ Though I'm not sure if they have any local delicacies. But well, anything you want is on me, so order up ♪
[Or anything he wants to drink, but is Elan-kun even past the drinking age? Hiyori isn't, so he's not going there!]
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Anything is fine. Although maybe not ramen...
[ He remembers their conversation from earlier. ]
Maybe a hamburger steak...? Or something grilled?
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Why not both?
[He smiles brightly, speaking with the confidence of someone who never has to choose.]
One hamburger steak, one "something grilled!" But getting the beef skewer would be too much beef, so I suggest we do pork belly! How does that sound?
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[ He waves a hand with a shrug. ]
You're the one paying for it, after all. How can I complain?
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[Which, according to the menu, can be done... online? Yep, looks like it. Ah, the wonders of the modern age.]
Looks like they have a lot of drink options, but I'll just pick two oolong teas for now. We can sample those other things on a reunion trip...♪
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[ He waves his hand. ]
Hope your friends didn't bother you about me much. [ Well, maybe he hopes they did a little. ]
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[After placing the order on his phone, he leans across the table to look Elan in the eye.]
Is there one you were hoping to get to know better? I still think you and Nagisa-kun would have a lot to talk about. I could try to get him down here, if you want. The more, the merrier!
[Then his smile turns sly.]
Or do you prefer having me all to yourself for the night? ♪
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[ He sticks his tongue out. ]
Any complaints?
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[He pushes his chair back as though about to get up from the table.]
I can also go first and show you how it's done! I'm just itching to know if they have my songs. Unless you think that's cheating?
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[ He gestures for him to go ahead, laughing. ]
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[He really does get up this time, making his way to the freestanding karaoke machine and starting to fiddle the song selector. It's been a while since he went to a real karaoke place; the last time was with some girls after school who were all too happy to be treated, long before his career had taken off, so he's curious to see if he'll find his songs. And the answer is...]
Excellent, they do have our songs ♪ Hm, and it looks like they have everyone else's songs, too...
[Not just Eden's, or songs from other popular groups such as Knights. They also have songs from 2wink, Switch, Crazy:B, and even Ra*bits. It looks like Eichi's attempts to usher in a new golden age of idols have borne fruit.
As far as Eden's songs go, they seem to have all of them. Even recent tracks, and even B-sides. The machine has Eve's songs, too, of course. But what hasn't he shown Elan that he'd like to show him? Let's see here...
Ah, there they go.
He looks up from the screen to flash Elan a smile, addressing him as he would a fan.]
Looks like you're in luck ♪ You get to hear my solo song! That one's about smiling and having fun no matter what sort of day it is, so try to take the message to heart, alright?
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[ He leans back in his seat and watches (listens). He doesn't follow many idol groups (any, really), so it's a little beyond him, honestly. He finds he enjoys watching Hiyori fiddle and choose, though. ]
Ha, are you saying I don't know how to have fun? Should I be insulted?
[ He's teasing. ]
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[But this isn't a promotional ad, so he'll cut the pep talk and finally press play on the song. It's got a peppy beat, more so than the Eden and Eve songs Hiyori showed Elan before, and after a brief intro, he starts to sing.]
♫♪~
[The lyrics are quite on-the-nose: him encouraging the listener to sing and shine no matter the weather, even if they have to fake a smile at first, all while dropping his catchphrase and spouting questionable English. The skies might be cloudy now, but the sun will always come up later! And he, Hiyori Tomoe, will be there to meet the listener under the sunny sky.
... It'd be easy for someone cynical to scoff at such a song. But then, what else would you expect from the idol called Hiyori Tomoe? This is his solo; it was tailor-made for his stage persona, so of course the lyrics aren't subtle. As an idol, he lives to spread cheer and make people happy. If watching him shine gives people the strength to go on, despite life's hardships, then that's a wonderful thing.
Not that he's really thinking such deep thoughts right now. He's just having fun, singing his best and performing some simple dance moves, smiling brightly for his audience of one. That's right, this isn't for his fans, this is just for Elan-kun! And isn't it "fantastic" that they were able to meet again?]
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And when it finally wraps up, he applauds without a hint of irony. Isn't that nice of him? ]
Beautiful as always.
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His cheesy solo song, which Elan actually seems to like. He's the tiniest bit surprised to hear that praise, accompanied by applause. But in response, he smiles, feeling oddly just as satisfied as he would performing for a crowd.]
Fufu. Thank you, thank you ♪
[He flashes Elan a wink, then sets down the microphone.]
That's basically how it works! If you don't know the lyrics, you can read them off that screen thing over there. I'm not sure how much you'll find that you're familiar with, but they do have a large selection. Want to give it a try?
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[ With a mock sigh of suffering, he gets to his feet and walks over to examine the console, starting to click through the different songs. He's not incredibly familiar with music, but he knows a few tunes and he tries to find something that he thinks he won't mangle. Eventually he settles on something and he launches into it. It's a bit of a strange song, but he's managing it... mostly. His voice isn't bad! But he's not a practiced singer and that shows up in some of his attempts at notes or the speed he sings at.
But it's enough, maybe.
Depends on how harshly he's judged.
The song itself is a song about the nightlife; of being a teenager and loving being able to stay up late, of finding some freedom in those dark hours. The night's for entertainment! For fun! ]
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There's no rush for Elan to pick a song; he can recall him saying before that he didn't know much music. But he's curious to see what sort of song Elan will choose. And the answer is...
... hip hop??
Well, it's not too shocking. Still, his eyebrows raise It feels like Elan-kun chose something fairly high-level for a first-timer! And not even Crazy:B could get away with some of those lyrics he's spouting. But seeing Elan give it his all, well, that makes him impressed. And maybe there's also something about the theme that connects with him: meeting someone on a night out, being introduced to new music by them, and wanting to get to know them... hmmm.
His lips curve. He wants to cheer Elan on! So, once he gets over that initial surprise, he's back to smiling, sitting with his legs crossed and one of them swinging lightly, one finger on the table tapping along to the beat. If he had a penlight, he'd wave that. But seeing as he doesn't, he'll settle for applauding once it's done.]
Nice! Now that's what I call entertainment! ♪
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I wasn't too bad, was I?
[ He's being a bit self-deprecating, but maybe it's because he's not a professional singer. ]
Hope that settles our account, huh? Any feedback for me?
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[An immediate answer.]
That's the main one that comes to mind. Every verse went by awfully fast, though, so I can see why you had trouble with it. And certain lines could've used more oomph!
[This is all expressed matter-of-factly. But he doesn't seem like he's really complaining.]
There are other things I could point out, too. But you're right, it wasn't bad, especially for a first-timer. It was fun to watch and listen to, which is what matters. Seeing Elan-kun express himself was well worth the price of admission, I'd say ♪ Though now I'm wondering what sort of wild nights you've had—you haven't really been staying up all night, have you? You shouldn't! That sort of thing's just awful for your health!
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[ Well, he'll accept that, even if he's a bit miffed. He shrugs and sets the microphone down with a sigh. ]
Well, the deal is done - and no, I haven't been staying up all night. I just like the song.
[ It's got a certain vibe that he feels like he fits with, honestly. ]
Are you going to try and make me sing some more now?
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Yep! For that song, anyway. But that could easily be fixed with practice. What can't be fixed so easily is someone's voice—but Elan-kun has a nice one like I thought, so there's no problem there.
[Hiyori's all smiles as he listens to him talk. Something about the song resonated with him, too, huh? Perhaps the rebellious outlook spoke to him after he spent so long being a good boy at his job. But Hiyori won't ask; it's just a song, and those are meant to be enjoyed without thinking about them too hard.]
Well, that's good to hear. Now I know something else that Elan-kun likes, besides "a good view" and "me!" ♪
[Cue an obnoxious wink, before he shrugs in response to that last question.]
I could! Or we could take turns until the food arrives. Whatever Elan-kun wants is fine. But if you're on a roll or you want to prove yourself, by all means, keep singing your heart out ♪
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No, no, you're the professional. I could get used to having a free concert on demand every time we get together. Go ahead!
[ He's being a little obnoxious himself, he has to admit. But he likes tweaking Hiyori's metaphorical tail a bit just to see how he reacts to it. ]
Show me more of your catalog.
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[He did suggest they take turns. So he gets up from his seat again and heads for the machine. Though he does ask,]
You mean another one of my songs?
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1/2
2/2
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sorry for being slow lately
no worries, i know the feeling.
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sorry for the delay!
lol what delay
maybe it just felt like one to me because i spent a million hours at work on monday
oh no... hope you're free from overwork now
mostly!
great news
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yeah it's my turn to apologize for being slow at this point
noooo worries
dies under a mountain of game tags
i know this feeling
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