[sfx: door opening]
Shogo: I'm back.
Toma: Oh, welcome back, Sho-chin!
Kantaro: Ah, welcome back, Shogo! Hey, look at this!
[sfx: footsteps, rhythmic clinking, which then continue in the background]
Shogo: ... ah, is the ceiling leaking again?
Kantaro: Yes! For the third time! And by the time we're done talking it's going to be soaking wet again!
Shogo: I see... we'll just have to try and get in touch with the old man about it. Until then...
Toma: We can just put a bucket down under the drip~?
Kantaro: This is supposed to be an idol office!
Toma: We can just clean it up whenever someone comes over. Sure, the building is a bit of a wreck, but the inside is mostly clean, so it's fine, nobody has to know~!
Kantaro: That's not what I mean...!
Aoi: There's a reason the rent is so cheap, after all. We can't afford any luxuries. But, anyway, Shogo, how did the leader meeting go? Apparently there was an announcement from BAE about the next event?
Shogo: Ah... yeah.
Kantaro: Hold on, let's clean this place up before we stand around and chat.
Toma: I'll go get the buckets!
Kantaro: Hey, don't forget the floor cleaners!
Shogo: What should I do?
Aoi: You're fine. You can just take a seat, Shogo. You're probably nervous and exhausted already, right? Leave this part up to us.
Shogo: --! Mm. Thanks.

Kantaro: Eh!? A team battle!?
Shogo: Yeah. They'll be dividing the teams that participate into two competing units. The winner is going to be decided by whichever unit has more total points by the end of the final match.
Aoi: So in other words, it won't be decided by winning or losing an individual battle?
Shogo: Yeah. What matters is how many points each team contributes to their unit.
Aoi: That's... a big responsibility.
Kantaro: It's totally a different kind of difficulty from a tourmanent matchup.
Aoi: But, no matter what, if you put in your best effort, it'll yield results.
Toma: Right? We're totally buffed up from our time in Road to Legend! But, so, the really important thing is, what happens if we win?
Shogo: Ah, that's...
Toma: Well, I mean, for us, just being able to stand on that stage is kind of enough of a reward in and of itself, yeah?
Kantaro: But of course, there's gotta be something, right?
Shogo: Ah... yeah. ... The victorious unit will be given the right to perform a Triumph Live at Club Paradox in order to commemorate--
Toma, Kantaro, and Aoi: For real!?
Aoi: That's great, though!?
Shogo: ... and in addition, the profits from the event will be split between the winners.
Toma, Kantaro, and Aoi: --!?
Toma: And, uh, how much is that going to be, exactly...?
Kantaro: Even if you divide it up into four parts, that's still going to be so much, right...?
Aoi: It's so much I'm having trouble even imagining it...!
Toma, Kantaro, and Aoi: ...!
Toma: So you gave the okay, right, Shogo?
Shogo: No, I wanted the chance to consult with everyone first.
Toma: No, no, no, there's totally no need to wait to consult with us!
Kantaro: All three of us are totally unanimous! Right?
Aoi: Yeah. We left our previous agency and set off on our own. I can think of no better stage to help the new VISTY grow.
Toma: Right? And if we win and get the prize money...
Kantaro: We can move our office and sharehouse into a better building where the roof doesn't leak!
Toma: Exactly!
Kantaro: And more than that, we could get new equipment, and a location crew for traveling, and start building way more awareness to secure us future work!
Toma: Alright, let's start working on a list of what all we want to get our hands on right away!
Aoi: It may be a little bit too early for that...! ... ah, but, I feel like we've really learned, ever since we left the office... idol work is really expensive. Even if you sell out a concert, the cost of renting a venue and the equipment and hiring staff for a single live show mean you really don't profit much at all. And you then we'd want to update our wardrobes for performances, and do voice training and dance lessons, too.
Toma: And you've gotta have money to even dream about those kinds of things. That's the hard reality of it.
Kantaro: But we're idols! We don't say things like that.
Toma: But now that we're independent and on our own, we're kind of still in a precarious situation.
Kantaro: That's true, but... we chose our own path. We've even gotten way more support and Stellas than we used to.
Aoi: Yeah. That's why this moment is so important. We absolutely can't give up now.
Toma: We don't have an agency or any money, so this is a huge chance for us to really achieve an amazing feat! Right, Shogo?
Shogo: ...
Toma, Aoi, Kantaro: ...?
Aoi: Is something the matter, Shogo? You've been really quiet and you've had a really troubled look on your face for a while now.
Shogo: ... mm. I think this event is definitely an amazing opportunity for VISTY.
Aoi: Then--
Shogo: But, since it's a team match... if 1Nm8 decide to participate, then we may end up being in the same unit as Kei, right?
Toma, Aoi, Kantaro: --!
Shogo: And then even if we're on separate teams, there's every chance that we may have to go up against him directly.
Kantaro: I see... that's right, isn't it?
Toma, Aoi, Kantaro: ...
Shogo: To be honest, when we entered Road to Legend, I wasn't thinking that far ahead. Especially because our first matchup was against cozmez.
Toma, Aoi, Kantaro: ...
Shogo: As the leader, I just felt like I have a responsibility to protect VISTY somehow.
Toma: I feel the same way too, you know. It's a lot to deal with when you're told out of the blue that we were going against the previous champions, you know? All I could do was hide the fact that I was nervous and scared about it.
Aoi: I'm the same. After Kei announced he was leaving music, I was so shocked to see him come back on a new team. I wanted to know what the real reason was that he left VISTY. But at the time, I didn't have the bandwidth for that.
Kantaro: I'm gonna tell you now that I still don't buy it. And I'm still mad at him all the time.
Aoi: That's fair. Understanding something with your head is very different from understanding it with your heart.
Toma: But you know, that's probably the reason that we were able to fight in the Road to Legend.
Shogo: Toma...
Toma: It's really complicated for me, too, you know? But, if Kei had ended up staying with him, we'd probably still be dependent on him. Right?
Aoi: ...!
Kantaro: ...
Shogo: You're right. Kei was the sun that shone down on VISTY. We were just reflecting that light. We were getting carried by Kei's overwhelming talent back then. I really and truly was forgetting to let myself truly shine on my own. Or... no. Somewhere along the way, I had started to give up on the idea that I could shine at all.
Toma, Aoi, Kantaro: ...
Shogo: When Kei quit, I finally noticed it. I was so mad at myself. I had decided that I was going to be an idol, but what was I even doing?
Aoi: But that anger is kind of what lit our fuse, isn't it? That we didn't want to be like that. That we had to change.
Toma: That's right. If he hadn't left, we wouldn't be writing our own lyrics like we are now, right right?
Kantaro: Hmph. Well, it's all because we've got my tracks under it.
Toma: Sure, sure! Bravo, bravo!
Kantaro: Hey, don't ruffle my hair!! Seriously, I work really really hard!
Aoi: [laughs] We know. That's why they're the best tracks you've ever made.
Kantaro: If that's true then you should be giving me more respect!
Toma: We totally respect you.
Kantaro: If you respect me then why did you eat the pudding I had in the fridge without asking permission!? It had my name on it and everything!
Toma: ... ah, well, anyway...
Aoi: We'll go buy you a replacement later. Toma will pay for it.
Kantaro: I want apologies from you guys, too, Aoi, Shogo! I deserve three!
Toma: Hey, I thought we had a rule about buying stuff on each others' dime? I'm paying my share!
Shogo: [laughs] ... hey. We...
Toma, Aoi, and Kantaro: ...?
Shogo: We've changed a lot since then, haven't we?
Toma: Naturally! Right now, we're having like... having a growth spurt, you could say?
Kantaro: Eh? What do you mean by that? Rude.
Aoi: [laughs] But, I think all of us could each have been our own shining stars, even if we're still working on getting there.
Toma: For real! And one day we're gonna shine super bright.
Kantaro: That's why we can't afford to pass up this chance, right?
Shogo: Then...
Toma, Aoi, and Kantaro: Mm!
Kantaro: I don't care at all whether Kei shows up or not... is something I can't quite say yet, but...
Toma: We're idols on the edge, so we don't really have a choice in the matter, yeah?
Aoi: If we just stand around being scared, nothing will ever get done, right?
Shogo: ... mm. Then we'll go. We'll be brave and move forward. We'll shine bright and seize that chance!
[sfx: Group huddle, VISTY cheering, laughing]
Kantaro: I'm going to make an amazing track again this time!
Toma: Time for the brand new and improved VISTY to re-debut!
Aoi: We're going to convey just how much we sparkle to all of our Stellas!
Shogo: Alright! Let's get some yakiniku today to keep our spirits high.
Aoi: Whoa! It's been a long time since we got meat!
Toma: Well, let's get buying!
Kantaro: Shogo, can we buy ice cream, too? The good kind~?
Shogo: I'll allow it! But, everyone is limited to one item.
Kantaro: Huh!? You've gotta be kidding me!
Aoi: Oh, by the way! I heard that there's a supermarket in the next town over that's supposed to be really inexpensive.
Toma: Well, it may be a little far, but let's get walking!
Kantaro: Hold up! Aren't we supposed to be idols? This is not sparkly behavior!
Shogo: [laughs] Well, this is what we are now.
Toma: Sure is. Save the sparkle for the stage.
Aoi: We're still small stars, after all.
Shogo: But with the four of us together, I'm sure we can shine bright.
Kantaro: ... ... ... ugh, I guess I don't have a choice.
Shogo: So we need to buy meat and vegetables and ice cream and pudding...
Aoi: I need to go put on a jacket...
Kantaro: Lemme go get my hat!
Toma: Hey, let's get a move on, people!
Shogo: ... and the new gummies that are out, and...
Aoi: Hold on a minute!
Toma: And so, my esteemed VISTY: away we go~!
[sfx: door opening]