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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? ♪

I think I want you to be the only witness to my terrible thinking.

[ He sticks his tongue out. ]

Any complaints?

You won't be terrible! Or if you are, I'll just coach you until you're better. How's that?

[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?

No, no, you sang them in the first place. How could it be cheating?

[ He gestures for him to go ahead, laughing. ]

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?

[ He's teasing. ]

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? ]

Beautiful as always.

[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?

I suppose I have to.

[ 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! ]

Edited 2024-02-05 03:02 (UTC)

[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.]

Nice! Now that's what I call entertainment! ♪

[ He clears his throat as he finishes and settles a hand on his hip with a little snort. ]

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?

"Too slow!"

[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!

Too slow?

[ 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?

[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 ♪

[ Elan rolls his eyes at the last bit, but he doesn't object as he comes trotting back to his seat. ]

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.

Elan-kun's getting a bit carried away, it sounds like. But fine!

[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?

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.

Ah, but my favorite songs are our songs. That sounds like a fun challenge, though, so let's see here.

[He starts to fiddle with the song selector. Truthfully, he didn't grow up listening to idol music. He didn't even know who the old "super idol" Sagami Jin was until Jun turned out to be obsessed with him. But he does know some songs: big hits that everyone knows, girl group songs...

Other ES idols' songs. Those he's more likely to be familiar with, as he's collaborated with other members of various units on projects before. And the thought of covering one of their songs by himself seems like a fun challenge. Let's see: does he go with a rebellious Crazy:B song, in the vein of what Elan just sang? Something that sounds like a super sentai song? Cute synthpop like what 2wink sings? He weighs his options while scrolling through the list.

Then settles on something with a smile.]

This looks fun!

[After picking up the mic, he smiles beautifully.]

Ready to see me be extra cute? ♪

Well, of course they're your favorites. But I still want to see what else you can do. Show me your skills!

[ He's teasing and being genuinely encouraging at the same time; that helps, doesn't it? He watches as Hiyori flips through the different songs on display and then settles on something. He's honestly a little curious by this point. ]

Is that a trick question? What if I say no?

[ He isn't going to. But he could. ]

Then your heart won't stand a chance, I'm afraid ♪

[And with a wink, he starts the song.

A cheery little tune fills the air, and pink hearts fill the lyrics screen. Hiyori nods his head along to the intro, holding the microphone to his chest, preparing to sing this song he's never sung before. But he can do it! He's excellent at being cute. So, after taking a breath, he starts to sing.

The song doesn't strain his voice much. He's obviously not as practiced at singing this (he's had no practice at all, in fact!) so his voice might lack some "oomph," but it's within his comfort zone. The lyrics are about making chocolate: "I'm thinking about you while mixing with the whisk," that sort of thing. It's Valentine's Day, and on this day, the singer wants to show thanks and give back the love they've received! The song could be addressed from someone to their crush or from an idol to their fans; either one works, and it all seems pretty typical...

Until he reaches the chorus, and then suddenly there's some sort of rabbit theme. Ukarete pyonpyon, tobidate pyonpyon... Elan might be forgiven for wondering what on earth that's about. But this song was originally sung by Ra*bits, a bunny-themed idol group who sometimes perform in big floppy ears, so that's what that's about. The lyrics are what they are, and Hiyori sings them with pride! For the duration of this song, he's a cute rabbit! So be it! He won't be gesturing at his head and making bunny ears with his hands like Rab*its does while performing the song, since he's got the microphone to hold, but he does hop around a bit. And how does it all end?

With him offering the listener a homemade chocolate, packed full of love and kisses, of course. "I'll feed it to you, say 'ahn~'♪" And just to drive home the point, he reaches out with his free hand, as though holding a little something out to feed Elan. Hopefully he's not allergic to shameless cutesy fanservice.]

[ Whatever Elan (Five) was expecting, it wasn't really this. It's so... cutesy. Not that Hiyori's image doesn't fit it, but it definitely takes a bit of a turn from his usual display. It's very... peppy, he thinks. Even with the rabbit theme that creeps in. So he just sits and watches and listens, looking a touch bemused. It's a lot, but he can't complain too much. Especially with the way that Elan holds his hand out as the song comes to an end. If we were anyone else he might even blush! As it is, Elan seems to take it with a sense of aplomb.

He leans forward and opens his mouth with a little "ahhh~" sound.

Look, he can play along when he wants to. ]

I almost feel disappointed you didn't really make me chocolate after all of that.

[The bemused look on Elan's face isn't what he typically aims for as an idol, but it is funny. And Elan's reaction at the end is doubly so. Hiyori's innocent and cheerful smile transforms into a grin when Elan joins in. Audience participation, how wonderful! And really, he should just consider himself lucky that Elan didn't comment on how suspicious-sounding his "ahn~" was...

Once the song's done, he sets down the microphone, feeling pleased with his performance.]

Nope, no catering service! ♪ Though there should be some food on the way. Want me to feed you? ♪

[ Maybe it was a little suspicious. Don't @ him. Either way, he leans back in his seat with an amused smile. ]

Being waited on by an idol? How many of your fans are so lucky? I think I'll take advantage of the offer.

[ He's teasing, of course. But maybe he's also seeing what he can get away with. ]

Yep, you'd have to be foolish not to.

[He heads back to their table, smoothing over the front of his yukata on the way there. Even after two songs he's got plenty of energy, more than enough to tease Elan as he takes the seat across from him, putting one elbow on the table and resting his chin in hand with a mischievous smirk.]

But will that be enough to satisfy your appetite, I wonder? Elan-kun seems to want more and more as the night goes on: private concerts, sweets, all sorts of things!

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