LIVE - Part 3
[sfx: city noises]
Iori: Ay! Well, ain't this shapin' up well? So this is the new CLUB Paradox, is it?
Zen: Indeed! Everyone is getting fired up for the long-awaited final battle! There's just the final touches left to put on it now, so full steam ahead!
Satsuki: Whoo! This is super rad!!
Iori: Ah. Looks like it's been quite an undertaking, though?
Zen: Mm. I'd have never thought this entire floating island would be repurposed as a music hall. It's quite the pleasant surprise!
Iori: One more thing...
Zen and Satsuki: Yes?
Iori: Why the hell are you guys here!? Ain't you supposed to be supervising!?[1]
Zen: [laugh] After watching everyone on-site working up a sweat, I couldn't just stand by and watch.
Satsuki: And they were short-handed so I volunteered! I'm gettin' paid for helping out, too.
Zen: And it's a good chance for muscle training!
Satsuki: Exactly! Look at this, Aniki! Check out these super macho muscles I've been building up while helping out! [flexing noises]
Zen: Oh! You're getting stronger, Satsuki-kun!
Satsuki: Ahahah! Same to you, Zen-nii! You're getting swole! Look at those total ladykiller muscles!
Zen: Well, how about... this!? [flexing noises]
Satsuki: Whoa! That's--!
Reo: Waaah, what's going on over here? No-sleeves and monkey boy showing off their muscles?
Satsuki: --! You little shit...!
Hokusai: Thank you for waiting. We brought drinks.
Iori: Ah! Much obliged!
Reo: Yep! An iced coffee for aniki, and for Zen-nii... soy milk cafe latte, right?
Zen: Ah! Thank you!
Reo: An iced tea for Hokusai, and for meee... a caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream and caramel sauce! [drinking] Ah~! It's so good~!
Satsuki: Oi! Where's mine!?
Reo: Hah? Why don't you just go drink out of the hose, monkey-boy?
Satsuki: You... goddamn...
Hokusai: It's okay. I bought you a drink too, Satsuki. Here. Hiyashi Amazake[2].
Satsuki: ... I mean, thanks, but... isn't that kind of a lame choice...?
Zen: Not at all! Excellent choice, Hokusai-kun! Amazake has a lot of amino acids and it's great for the body! It'll give you lots of energy!
Satsuki: Then trade with me!
Zen: [laughs] Absolutely not.
Satsuki: Zen-nii...
Reo: Hey, but isn't it amazing, though? There are all kinds of cafes and restaurants around here!
Hokusai: I hear there are lots of places to hold live performances even outside of CLUB Paradox.
Zen: That's not all, either! They've built a large music hall. Not just for hip hop performances either-- just about any kind of music is welcome there!
Iori: And all thanks to that... [laughs] Our business is booming, too! We may not have gotten the ten billion yen prize, but we're still not going to be hurting for cash!
Zen: Indeed! If we can forge ahead with business here, then rebuilding the Suiseki isn't an impossible dream!
Satsuki: Yeah!!
Reo: It's like the old man said, right? If you're about to fall, you have to grab onto something and stand up again.
Iori and Zen: --!
Hokusai: That's right. We took part in the stage battles... and we gained something along the way.
Reo: Mm. We won some, we lost some. We learned a lot, and we grew up a lot.
Satsuki: We're not little kids that need to be protected anymore! We can be your power, too, Aniki!
Iori: ... heh. You guys... [laugh] You really have grown, huh?
Satsuki: Yeah! I've been doing muscle training, too!
Reo: You're still on about that? How annoying...
Satsuki: Hey, you little shit, if you've got all that free time, why don't you start working out too?!
Reo: Hah? How dumb are you? Building muscle is totally unbecoming of cute little Reo-kun.
Satsuki: How lame is that!? You're useless if you don't have us as backup!
Reo: No I'm not!
Satsuki: Then what can you do?
Reo: ... [clinging to Hokusai] Waaaah! Hokusai!! Satsuki is bullying me!
Hokusai: Satsuki. Everyone is different. There are things you're good at. There are things you're bad at. Trying to force it is no good.
Satsuki: Why am I always the one getting... huh?!
Hokusai: Pet pet. Satsuki is a hardworking boy. Good boy.
Satsuki: Y--you don't need to give me headpats in a place like this...! Stop it!!
Reo: Wow. He got embarrassed immediately.
Hokusai: You don't have to be embarrassed. You're a good boy, Satsuki.
Satsuki: Aaagh! Aniki! Break time is almost over, so I'm gonna head back to the site!
Iori: Ah! Keep up the good work, Satsuki.
Satsuki: Heheh. The boss said they couldn't finish the work without me around, so... well! Zen-nii, too! I'll see you later!
Zen: Yeah! We're all counting on you!
[sfx: Satsuki leaving]
Reo: Well, us, too, then! Is it alright if we observe from over there?
Zen: Yes, but be careful.
Reo: Got it~! Let's go, Hokusai.
Hokusai: Mm.
Iori: [chuckles] Satsuki's doin' great, isn't he?
Zen: He is. Everyone on-site is treating him like he's their own son... they said that working here feels like they're back in the old days. ... back when the old man was running things.
Iori: Did they, now.
Zen: Yeah.
Iori: ... you know, speakin' of the old man. The other day I was lookin' into the investors that were backing the Alter Trigger lab.
Zen: ... did you find something out?
Iori: Mm. According to the people who were behind the attack, the old man suddenly withdrew all the funds he had been givin' them. He probably figured out what they were up to.
Zen: Then... that was probably why they decided to cut him off...
Iori: Makin' an example out of him, yeah? ... but what do you think?
Zen: About what?
Iori: About what you're seein' right in front of you.
Zen: ...
Iori: The Paradox Live bein' involved with such a big to-do, but they're able to launch such a large-scale development project right afterwards. ... ain't it kinda weird?
Zen: ... Alter Trigger's lab was dissolved because of that first incident, but that was just a cover... so there must be a much larger organization is involved behind the scenes?
Iori: The old man always said that even if you fall down, you gotta just get back up again. He's not the type of person to get turned off that hard just because of one or two little dirty secrets.
Zen: In other words, you think the old man knew more than that... he definitely got involved in something that he didn't want us to know about.
Iori: Maybe so.
Zen: So then... who really is the enemy?
Iori: Who can say? I ain't givin' up the game yet, though.
Zen: Of course not.
Iori: To avenge the old man, and the rest of our comrades... Suiseki Iori won't stop until they're brought down. Just wait and see.
Yohei: Good job, professor. With this, that makes you the landlord proper, yeah?
Saimon: Thank you, Yohei.
Yohei: I didn't wanna say this until now, but when we lost the Paradox Live, I was bracing to lose this bar too, y'know?
Saimon: I never would have expected the price for the land deed to drop like that, hm?
Yohei: Yeah. After that whole incident, suddenly all that talk about this land undergoing development turned out to be total bullshit. No surprises that that shitty realtor was in bed with Alter Trigger.
Saimon: That's true. ... but, with this... we can breathe easier now.
Yohei: Well, I donno about that. The price may have tanked thanks to that whole deal, but I bet if we had pushed a bit harder, we could've gotten it for free.
Saimon: Or perhaps we could have bribed them? ... [laugh] The important thing is that we were able to protect the bar.
Yohei: Yeah. Here's to our place.
Saimon: Cheers. ... the Paradox Live... thinking back on it, I accepted the invitation on impulse because I didn't want to lose this bar.
Yohei: Heh... but it quickly turned into a lot more than that.
Saimon: Indeed. We got set off.
Yohei: Back at the start, we got dissed by those BAE brats, yeah?
Saimon: But it was thanks to Yeon-kun that we were able to re-focus on what it was we needed to protect.
Yohei: Our sound... TCW's sound... ... she said that music connected people to one another. We were able to do that, weren't we?
Saimon: ... yes. I'm sure even Tsubaki would praise us a little. ... but I don't plan to be satisfied with just that.
Yohei: Tch. 'Course.
Saimon: ... but anyway, where is Shiki? It's about time for him to be back from school.
Yohei: He's out with those cozmez twins. He said they were gonna go around to some record shops and be back after.
Saimon: Hm? He's with those two...? ... heh. Shiki really has changed as of late, hasn't he?
Yohei: Yeah. Now that he doesn't have to be so scared all the time, he's gotten a lot brighter.
Saimon: Heheh. That's also all thanks to our participation in the Paradox Live, isn't it?
Yohei: ... well. Shall we get the bar ready to open? Since after all, the greatest thing our participating in the Paradox Live did for us is making the bar a whole lot busier.
Saimon: Ah, I forgot...!
Yohei: Gimme a break. You're supposed to be the owner of this place, aren't you?
Saimon: [laughs]
Yohei: And moreover... where'd that goblin Ryu get off to?
Saimon: Didn't you send him off on some errands?
Yohei: Yeah. I couldn't have a serious conversation with the realtor if he was around.
[sfx: door opening, bell ringing]
Ryu: Tada~! Major discovery!! Major discovery!! Look look look! This was just laying around on the street so I picked it up~!!
Yohei: The fuck is that.
Ryu: A baby monster!! A Spikysaurus DX!!
Yohei: Spikysaurus...?
Ryu: Hm? Is something wrong, Master? Your face is about three times as scary as it usually is~!
[sfx: door opening, bell ringing]
Shiki: I'm hom--
Yohei: Where the fuck did you get this!?
Shiki: --!!! W-w-what's wrong, Master?
Yohei: This stupid asshole picked some weird creature up from god knows where!
Ryu: It's not a weird creature! It's a baby dinosaur!!
Shiki: D-dinosaur...?
Yohei: It's an iguana! I-gua-na! Another cat would be one thing, but who the hell ever heard of a street iguana!?
Ryu: Here, Shikki, isn't it cute~? It's a Spikysaurus DX!!
Shiki: Y-yeah...
Ryu: Doesn't this spiky comb on its back feel neat when you touch it~?
Shiki: I-it does... but I... I'm not good with this kind of animal, I don't think...
Saimon: Welcome back, Shiki.
Shiki: Ah--! Owner, you're here early today.
Saimon: I had some things that needed doing. I heard that you went to some record shops with the two boys from cozmez.
Shiki: Y-yes!
Saimon: Did you have fun?
Shiki: Yes!
[sfx: Shiki rummaging through bag]
Shiki: I found some neat things, too. Nayuta-kun recommended this one to me, and Kanata-kun said I absolutely had to listen to this one...
Saimon: Oh, I'm glad to hear th--
Yohei: Hah?? I ain't allowing this! We've already got a fuckton of cats!
Ryu: Master's a no-fun curmudgeon!! Bullying me takes years off your life!!
Yohei: Hah? You think that's gonna change my mind!? What happened to the groceries I sent you for?
Ryu: ... ah? I forgot about that~!
Yohei: --!
Saimon: Now, now. It's all fine. I can just go buy those groceries instead.
Ryu: Boss~! [Ryu noises]
Saimon: But, about the iguana... what are we to do about that?
Yohei: ... why are you looking at me?
Saimon: Well...
Ryu: The Spikysaurus DX wants to stay here too! [horrible lizard voice] I'm Spikysaurus DX! I like it here! I want to stay here! No-fun curmudgeon master is a big stupidhead! STOOOOOOPIDHEAD!
Yohei: ... I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to that.
Shiki: U-um... don't you think maybe somebody lost it...?
Saimon: That's what I was thinking. I've never heard of such a thing as a stray iguana.
Shiki: Then... maybe we should let it stay here, until we find its owner...? I'm not the most comfortable with it, but, I'll work hard to make sure it's taken care of, so...
Yohei: ... why are you looking at me, too, Shiki...
Ryu: Staaaaaaaare.
Saimon: Yohei.
Yohei: ... ... whatever! Do whatever you want!
Ryu: YAAAAY!
Shiki: ... I'm happy for you, Ryu.
Ryu: Thank you, Shikki~! Spikysaurus DX, you should thank Shikki too! [horrible lizard voice] Thank you, Shikki! I love you~! Let me give you a kiss!!
Shiki: A-ah!! Don't put it in my face like that--! I'm sc-- Ah!
Ryu: Let's play tag~!
Shiki: Ryu-kun! Agh!
Ryu: Nyahahaha!
Yohei: Oi! No running in the store! We're opening soon!
[sfx: Ryu harassing Shiki with an iguana continues in the background]
Saimon: [chuckles] If somebody needs a place to be, then this bar can be that place. That's Bar 4/7's guiding principle, Yohei.
Yohei: You think you're saying something real profound right now, don't you.
Saimon: Heheh.
Yohei: Really, though, this place... heh. It's pretty nice here.
Allen: Hey, have you guys seen the news? The construction on CLUB Paradox is done!
Hajun: We already know. It's trending on social media.
Anne: You look to be in good spirits, Allen.
Allen: Of course I am! cozmez's final battle against Buraikan is finally about to happen!
Hajun: [sigh] Really, how much of a dumbass are you?
Allen: Huh?
Hajun: Isn't it your dream to go up against Buraikan? If you had taken cozmez up on it when they turned it down despite winning, we could have stood on that stage as BAE.
Allen: ... I know that... I wanted to win, too. I wanted to win the stage battles and fight against the legendary Buraikan, on that stage I love so much, we could prove that we exist... if that were to happen, then...! ... that's what I thought. But I realize now that it's different. We fought those stage battles, and a lot went down, but in the end, the three of us... our sound connected as BAE. Heh. I wonder why, but after all that effort to win, but that's what makes me the happiest. I'm proud of us! Thank you, Anne. Hajun. For making music with me.
Anne: Allen...
Hajun: ... if we don't win, if we're not standing at the very top, then there's no point. ... I always thought that, too. I was so used to winning that I wasn't prepared to accept being on the losing side. But... hm. I wonder why, but it doesn't seem to bother me now. I lost, but I don't feel like I lost anything. I feel like I gained something, in fact. ... heh. How unlike me.
Anne: That's not true... I don't think that's true, Hajun.
Hajun: Hm.
Anne: ... me, too. I always felt like there was something about me that wasn't enough. I wore my cute clothes and my makeup and was always chasing after whatever seemed fun... but I think something in me was worried. Like I was always reaching out for something I was never going to be able to grasp. But that changed on our performance that day, with the two of you, and all the other teams we went up against in the stage battles. The songs and the phantom illusions all came together, and I think I started to understand... the thing that I really wanted all along, I already had! ... thank you, Allen. Hajun. For making music with me.
Allen: Anne...
Hajun: ... yes? What is it? Allen? Anne? Why are you giving me puppy dog eyes?
Anne: You already know.
Allen: Mm.
Hajun: ... don't tell me you want me to say it, too.
Allen and Anne: Staaaaaaaaare.
Hajun: Ah, fine! Got it! I just have to say it, right? ... ... ... <Thank you>, Allen, Anne. For making music with me.
Anne: Aw, come on, Hajun! You're so cute when you're being honest.
Allen: Looks like rain tomorrow... or maybe a typhoon!
Hajun: You guys!
Allen and Anne: [laughing]
Hajun: ... at any rate. This means that there are plenty of things we got for participating in the Paradox Live.
Anne: Right?
Allen: Ah... but... ... nngh! I'm still frustrated! I'm glad they're going against Buraikan, but I wanted that to be me!!
Hajun: Hm. No need to rush. I'm sure that if we continue to work as BAE, we'll have other opportunities sooner or later. Next time, for sure.
Anne: But hey, Hajun. Do you think you're going to be okay to keep doing phantom lives?
Hajun: No need to worry about that. I haven't had any other symptoms since then. I'm in perfectly good condition.
Anne: I'm glad to hear that.
Allen: But if you start feeling even just a little bit off, be sure to tell us right away.
Anne: No holding back, got it?
Hajun: I'll be sure to do that. Besides that, I still have my own revenge to finish taking, don't I? There's no time for me to waste on falling apart.
Anne: I didn't forget about that.
Allen: Now that you mention it... do you guys think Alter Trigger was really dissolved in the end?
Hajun: Yes. ... at least, on the surface.
Anne: Just on the surface, huh?
Hajun: That said. The Yeon Conglomerate is also in the crosshairs of the law for providing under-the-table funding to Alter Trigger. I wouldn't say this was exactly what I had planned, but even that much damage to their reputation is a good first step for revenge!
Anne: How very like you.
Allen: Poison-tongued sadistic smiling prince... oh! By the way! There was something I wanted to talk about.
Anne: And that is?
Allen: It's almost the final battle, right? So... [whispers]
Anne: ... oh, I like that! Let's do it!
Hajun: If you're not going to give me a choice, I suppose I'll go along with it.
Allen: Yeah! Then it's decided!
[1] It's established at various points that one of the Suiseki's various revenue streams is construction contracting, so that's why they're involved here. [Back]
[2] Amazake is a sweet drink made of fermented rice that's either non-alcoholic or extremely low-content alcohol. As far as I can tell, this is just a slightly genericized name brand amazake. [Back]