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... huh?

[It's not the first line but the last one that makes his eyebrows raise.]

What does that mean... Do you mean as individuals? Or about how we met at the park? Elan-kun doesn't seem like the type to kiss and tell, so there's no way you meant anything related to space travel...

[Yes. "Space travel" is the metaphor we're going with here when talking about that spaceship room.]

I suppose you could tell him that after our fun-filled encounter at the amusement park, I've been on your mind ever since, and you were dearly hoping to run into me again. That sounds a tad embarrassing, but I do tend to have that effect on people. And I'm sure Nagisa-kun would understand, since he's drawn to me, too ♪

A little of both. I'm not going to spill any secrets, but I'm sure I could make up something about being held on to too tightly during a ride...

[ He smirks. ]

Nothing too scandalous, but enough to make life interesting.

[ He clicks his tongue in thought as they walk. ]

That last part isn't entirely a lie. You've never been far from my thoughts, you know. Even if I'm not really all that head-over-heels...

[He turns up his nose.]

Actually, Elan-kun's the one who held tight onto me! ✰

[So much for refusing to give in to that sort of talk. He's just a little huffy, even though he assumes it's all teasing on Elan's part. Nagisa doesn't get sad or jealous over his connections with other people these days (not like he used to, anyway), but the idea of flaunting their closeness in front of him seems somewhat crass. And there's no way they're telling him about the spaceship...

That last statement manages to catch him off-guard, though, him turning to Elan with genuine curiosity.]

Is that right?

[Well, he is memorable. And there's that saying that you always remember your first. Still, he's a tad surprised. Or maybe he's just surprised that Elan admitted he'd been thinking of him? It's easy fodder for more teasing, but for once he refrains.]

Well, I'm glad I could give you some pleasant memories to look back on. And now we're in the process of making new memories, which should comfort you on your next travels. But if you find yourself getting antsy, you can always send me a message. Maybe one that says "Thinking of you~" with a little heart next to it ♪

[Alright, so maybe he didn't completely hold himself back from teasing.]

I wouldn't mind receiving something cute like that. Or more of those scenic pictures, I suppose.

I don't send cutesy little messages like that.

[ He sighs, as if he's suffering through all of this - although he's clearly not since he hasn't just ditched Hiyori to find his own way out of the woods. He glances at him with a bit of a smug smile. ]

Maybe a scenic picture or two. You've earned that much, anyway.

[ He furrows his brow as something occurs to him. ]

So... I know you're a unit and you've talked a little about them, but how close are you to all of these people?

It's never too late to start ♪

[You can always learn to be more charming! Even he, who was already charming, picked up some new tricks while developing his idol persona. But Elan-kun isn't interested in sweet-talking others, or making himself more appealing to potential fans, is he?

Honestly, he's charming the way he is. Hiyori wouldn't have gone to bed with him if he hadn't thought so. And he still thinks of him from time to time, even though they'd fallen out of contact. Though it might be a lie to say he's "never far from his thoughts," since he keeps rather busy. Plus he has other people to focus on, like the members of his unit.

Which Elan is currently asking him about.

He frowns a little—not reproachfully, but something about the question combined with Elan's expression seems... suspicious. Like he meant it in a suggestive way. But he'll just ignore any implications there!]

Well, as I said, Nagisa-kun and I are wonderfully close. We're lifelong friends, after all. And Jun-kun is my partner who's expected to be in-sync with me at all times, so I'd say we're close, too!

[Close enough to fake-kiss onstage in that video Elan saw.]

Plus, I'm the one who taught him everything he knows, so he's heavily in debt to me. But as for Ibara, we're pretty much just colleagues, so there's not a lot to say there. I'm sure he'd claim our relationship is "strictly professional," which suits me just fine. Though Nagisa-kun is quite fond of him, and he and Jun-kun also seem rather close these days... Does any of that answer your question?

Hmm.

[ Five seems a little non-committal, but maybe that's just as suspicious, honestly. He gives Hiyori a little smile as he considers this information and turns it over in his head. He's not really trying to imply anything (but he thinks it's funny if Hiyori thinks he's trying to imply something, so he's not going to try and clear that up). ]

Oh, I think it does. I'm hoping meeting them all in person will tell me a lot about them, too. And I'm interested in seeing how they interact with you in person when you're not on stage! That should be just fascinating!

[Never ask a woman her age, a man his salary, or Hiyori Tomoe which member(s) of his idol unit he wants to sleep with.]

You're really interested, huh?

[Cue another brow raise. Just listen to all those exclamation marks! Was Elan always such an excitable character?]

But well, that's fine, I suppose. If I was about to meet someone you're close to, I'm sure I'd be excited to ask them questions, too. Like "What's Elan-kun like?" and "Isn't he cute?" and "Does he ever eat anything but ramen?"

Should I not be interested?

[ He smiles thinly and clasps his hands behind his head again. ]

Unfortunately, I don't think there aren't exactly a lot of people close to me left to meet.

[Well, no. It's only natural to be interested in him and Eden, since they are a top unit. And as for their relationships within the unit, well, it's normal to be interested in those, too. Their fans sure are! The relationship between him and Jun-kun is a huge selling point! Not to mention Ibara and Nagisa's... whatever they have. But he doesn't get the chance to say any of that before Elan's phrasing steals his attention.

Left to meet? What does that mean? That no one's ever been very close to him? Or that there were people who were close to him, but those people aren't around anymore? Because why?]

No?

[He eyes Elan for another moment before looking away, the teasing smile wiped clean off his face. Still he keeps his tone light, musing aloud as they walk beneath the chilly sky.]

Well, perhaps the next time we run into each other, things will have changed. But until then, I'll just have to get to know Elan-kun from Elan-kun.

[Which doesn't mean interrogating him. It can mean karaoke or little conversations like this. Even that thing they did in the hotel wasn't a horrible way to communicate with someone.]

Don't you think you know me now?

[ No, he doesn't, and Five knows it. He's being a pill, poking and prodding and seeing what he can draw out now that he's met him again. He might be fond, but he still has a tendency to throw little jabs here and there just to see what kind of reaction he can get. Or maybe it's a defense mechanism. It's hard to say and he certainly wouldn't give a solid answer if pressed. ]

Or am I still mysterious?

Well, we're not strangers, anyway. You do seem a bit mysterious, but that's not a bad thing. A little mystery adds allure ♪ Though, if I had to ask something...

[Hmm.

Of course there's a lot he doesn't know, from what sort of job Elan worked before to why he finally left. Why, Elan-kun could hail from outer space for all he knows! But again, he doesn't want to pry too much.

There must be some safe topics he can ask about, though. Something light and conversational like food (though they've already talked about that), school (though Elan-kun doesn't attend school, does he?), clothes...

Ah, that's it.]

Perhaps I'll ask where you got those earrings from? Those pointy ones you wore last time. Were they a gift, or just something you found in a store somewhere?

The earrings...?

[ He trails off with a little sigh and looking a bit thoughtful. There's another long, long pause while he seems to mull over the answer. ]

...they were a part of the job. Or that's where I got them, anyway. I might keep them around, though.

[He blinks.]

Part of the job?

[Well, that's not what he expected. It's one thing to have a uniform, but what sort of job requires dangly earrings? Unless the job is "fashion model" or performer of some stripe, but Elan-kun made it sound like it wasn't anything like that. At the very least, there was no singing involved!

He didn't work in a red light district, did he? You know, as eye candy? No, but that wouldn't square away with some other things, like his virginity. So surely it wasn't that.

In short: he's clueless here! But, again, he's not out to interrogate and bring down the mood! So, as usual, he shrugs it off.]

Well, they certainly looked good on you. I'm sure they'd look good on me, too, of course—I wear earrings for my jobs all the time. All sorts of lovely pairs that match my outfits ♪

But now you have the freedom to wear whatever you want, hmm? That must be exciting. Like finally taking off a school uniform ♪

I'll tell you some other time.

[ And maybe he will. He doesn't like sharing that part of his life, but... maybe he'll do it for Hiyori. Just this once. Or that one time in the future. No point in pretending he's not being mysterious about it, though. ]

They were good earrings, but part of me isn't sure I want to keep them around...

[ He raises a hand to brush his ear. ]

Maybe I'll find something to replace them with. After all,like you say, I've got the freedom to choose now, right? Might as well do something fun.

[Hiyori sends him another glance.

The thing is, Elan doesn't have to tell him. If he'd rather talk about the future than the past, Hiyori can hardly blame him. It's not as though they're close enough chums to share everything.

But if Elan wants to talk to him, well... that shows something approaching trust, doesn't it? Either way, it must have taken courage just to say it. So that earns a smile of acknowledgment, before he continues to chat frivolously as always.]

Yes, that's the spirit! That's something we're all entitled to: freedom of expression ♪ And the nice thing about earrings is that you can coordinate them with different outfits, so there's never any need to stop at just one pair.

[Easy for Mr. Moneybags to say.]

I don't often wear them off the stage, but they're the perfect compliment to my stage outfits ♪ I'd need to see more of your clothes to decide which ones you should buy. Though, if I had to choose without seeing your closet...

[He studies Elan's face for a moment before he nods to himself.]

... I'd go with something that matches your eyes. A pretty emerald pair ♪ Or maybe peridot? They're a little light to be emerald.

I'm not that worried about fashion just yet.

[ He drawls with a low laugh; he's dressed in hiking clothes, including a bright orange, puffy jacket to help ward off the chill. The idea of coordinating an outfit is a bit down his list of priorities. ]

But looking my best is something I enjoy, at the appropriate time and place-

[ And then he's talking about his eyes! Elan can't help but flush a little and he shakes his head with a laugh, trying to dismiss the idea without giving away any embarrassment. ]

Listen to you. Maybe I should just hire you to coordinate all of my outfits in the future. Wouldn't that be fun?

You can still look good while hiking, you know. Just look at me, for example ♪

[He says with a wink, like he's wearing anything special. He's not—just a cream-colored jacket over a turtleneck, black jeans, and lace-up boots. Plus a pair of earmuffs, so he can keep his ears warm while avoiding hat hair. But there are no dangly earrings to be seen, and anyway, he's an idol. His career rests heavily on his appearance.

It's hard to perceive Elan's blush when their skin is already tinged faintly red, thanks to the chill. But he doesn't miss that laugh—that's a good reaction. And while Hiyori's honestly not a huge flirt these days, at least outside of handshake events, something about Elan-kun makes him want to tease.]

Dressing you up like a doll, huh? That could be fun I suppose, though that's not usually my thing. But maybe we could coordinate our outfits? Or, we could do a swap! I choose what you wear, you choose what I wear! It'd be interesting to see what Elan-kun would pick. I'm sure you've thought about it a lot, right? ♪

You do look good. But is it enough to keep you warm?

[ He's a little doubtful - or just teasing. He has also gone with a hat, though, because he doesn't much mind the hat hair, as it turns out. He adjusts the backpack he's wearing as they walk, laughing. ]

Are you sure you want me to do that? What if I decide to pick something that would ruin your public image? Maybe I'm cruel like that.

I'm plenty warm! Though I do wish it'd warm up a bit, since I don't like when it gets too cold. And my hands are the part that feel coldest, so I'll just have to warm them up by putting them on Jun-kun's neck when we get back!

[Just a little friendly prank between stage partners.

Elan's last reply causes him to smirk, holding his head high with an air of supreme confidence.]

And what might that be? I can pull off just about any look. If you want to see me wearing next to nothing, just say that!

How about stripes and plaid?

[ He shrugs carelessly, grin a touch wicked. ]

Or a dorky bowtie? That might look kind of cute.

Been there, done that, and my natural beauty still shined through ♪

[He's referring to his old school uniform, mainly. Or his other uniform before that. What is it with idol training schools and plaid pants? But anyway, as for the bowtie thing:]

Like one with a cute pattern, you mean? Sure, sounds fun ♪ I'm sure I'd still look cute in one. If you don't believe me, we'll just have to go shopping and try on different outfits sometime so you can see. And in return, I'll get to dress you up like we said before. How's that sound?

More than fair.

[ Five laughs. Is he... having fun again?

Yeah, he is. ]

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

~♪

[He hums in lieu of a response. And then keeps walking, content not to run his mouth for the next little while.

Is Elan-kun having fun? He sure sounds like it, anyway. He's laughed a lot in the past few minutes! If Hiyori could bring a little sunshine into his peripatetic existence, then getting lost was worth it.

It's still a little bit before they approach the inn, since he really did get very lost. But as they get closer, he starts to hear something, a familiar voice shouting through the trees.

"Ohii-saaaaaan!"

Hiyori's ears perk up.]

Jun-kun?

[That is, indeed, his partner. There's no mistaking that voice or that nickname. But obviously Jun can't hear him from where he is, and continues to call out to him.

"Ohii-saaaan! Where the hell did you wander off this time? I'll have to start tying a leash 'round your neck if you don't come back~"

Now that makes him frown, shaking his head with an affronted look on his face.]

So rude! Who does he think he is, talking to me that way?

[A rhetorical question. But then he glances back at Elan and smiles, shaking it off.]

Ready for more human contact? ♪ I promise he doesn't bite, anyway.

Oh, he's talking about leashes. Naughty.

[ Elan elbows him in the side. ]

But I'm as ready as I'll ever, I suppose. Time to get back into the limelight... just make sure to only say good things about me.

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