rubestie

Season: Spring, ES! timeline

Location: Soundproof lesson room

Characters: Akiomi, Jin

<Simultaneously, during lunch break>
akiomi+jin

Akiomi: ♪~♪~♪

Jin: ♪~♪~

…It’s useless, my voice won’t come out. I really have gotten weaker than I’d like to admit.

Akiomi: Of course you have. Bodies are like machines, if you never train or upkeep your body, it will start growing rust.

Actually, it’s somewhat unnatural that you’re still able to keep up with the students, or even outdoing them.

Even if you are an unparalleled genius, that is.

Jin: What flattery~. The period when I was active was called the dark age of the idol industry, so there were hardly any other idols to compare me with…

Those circumstances just make me look more outstanding than I actually am.

Akiomi: You’re being modest. Now, rather than giving up right away, let’s keep working hard a little longer.

Even if you’re weakened, you’re still the super idol Jin Sagami. If you keep at it, your senses will remember what to do in no time.

Rather, that’s why you asked me to accompany you for lessons, is it not? I’m a very busy man, so please be grateful to me.

Jin: Sure, sure. You’re a huge help, Kunugi-sensei. I’ll buy you a round later.

Akiomi: That won’t be necessary. Alcohol is bad for your health. If you’re able to make a comeback as an idol, that will be enough thanks for me.

…Though I can’t help but wonder why now, after all this time?

Jin: I explained it already, didn’t I? It’s for Project-Saga, a low-budget project centered on the revival of past idols.

Akiomi: That in itself is delightful news. Male idols like the great Hidaka-senpai have a tendency to last longer…

I’d say you retired way too early, actually.

Jin: As did you. And rather than last long, it’s more like he can’t retire since there’s no once else who can take over for him.

We shouldn’t eclipse the young kids. We need to welcome in the new era, or so they say.

The entertainment industry also needs to reinvent itself… Well, it’s not like I care what happens to the entertainment industry at this point, honestly.

Akiomi: Then why did you become a teacher at an idol school, exactly.

Surely you must’ve had other career options? You could even have started a family or become an ordinary person.

Jin: I don’t like the phrase “ordinary person”~. What are idols supposed to be then? Gods? Objects of worship to be admired from afar?

Akiomi: H~m. Wouldn’t they be something lower in status? Like slaves?

akiomi+jin

Truthfully, during our active era, we didn’t even have the freedom to pick our own work or love who we wanted. Our rights weren’t acknowledged.

Or something like that~... It’s awful how getting old makes you complain about everything.

Jin: Ahaha. You’re doing fine. Kunugi-sensei is still young by society’s standards.

Akiomi: As are you. …You're trying to change the subject, Sagami-sensei.

If you truly have no lingering feelings for the entertainment industry, for idols, then why are you spending time in a place like this?

Jin: No, it’s just because no other workplace would have me.

It’s because I spent all my youth trying to become an idol. I was obsessed with that and I never bothered to learn anything else.

It didn’t pay off. I was content with just focusing all my energy on the goal right in front of me when I was younger, but I kinda regret it now.

I should have worked harder and played harder.

Even though I did get some experience working as a doctor at my family’s hospital, it’s not enough for me to work as a real doctor now…

Through pity and connections, I was able to land a job as the school nurse here.

We~ll I do still have the money I earned while I was an idol, so honestly I could probably play around without working for the rest of my life.

But if I wasn’t able to be around people, I’d go absolutely mad~, really.

After retiring, I secluded myself for a short while. It felt as if all my energy was being drained from my body.

Akiomi: Fufu. You feel annoyed when you’re surrounded by people, but if you try to isolate yourself you feel lonely. What a bothersome person you are, honestly.

Jin: Being bothersome is being human, isn’t it? In the workplace, a machine who can complete all his tasks might be more valuable, though.

Akiomi: That might not be true anymore. The winds are changing, you know.

It seems like kids in other schools are even managing various companies.

Kids these days have a far wider future and more freedom than we think.

Jin: Phew~. A CEO in high school, huh. It almost sounds like something from a game. Times really are changing, we old men can’t keep up.

Akiomi: Now, now… Don’t say that, let’s keep working hard a little longer. I’m cheering you on, Jin.

Jin: …Thank you, Akiyan.

Akiomi: What’s that for after all this time. Now let’s not waste our time chatting, we should be more efficient. It’s time to restart your lesson, Sagami-sensei.

At the very least, I’ll need you to regain a tenth of your former strength.

You’re always bossing on as a teacher. You need to be able to back it up, or else you’ll just look uncool you know?

Jin: Yup. That’s why I’m asking you to help me out with lessons like this. Please keep helping me out, just whenever you have the time. I’ll pay you back for it later.

I could train on my own too, but I know I’d just slack off.

Akiomi: You’re lazy, after all. Even if it is a request from a person you owe a lot to, I’m surprised you accepted this job at all.