Volume 13 Chapter 352 High School Girl, First Concert Experience in Kumamoto: BERYL Takes the Stage!
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The long-awaited BERYL¹ concert was finally set to begin tonight, and the air was thick with a delicious sort of anticipation.
”There are going to be crowds everywhere, so do be careful. But more than anything… have the time of your life! I’ll be right here to collect you when it’s over!”
”I will! Thank you, Mum!” I chirped, giving my mother a grateful wave as she dropped me off near the venue. With a skip in my step, I hurried toward the sprawling outdoor concert grounds.
As I reached the entrance, my eyes grew wide with wonder. “Blimey, it’s massive!”
The news had mentioned that Beryl Entertainment² had poured a small fortune into constructing this outdoor arena specifically for BERYL’s performance. More impressively, the facility was to remain as a gift to Kumamoto, a stage for future artists who lacked the budget for such grand venues.
There was a flurry of theories on the Bulletin Board³ from the older fans. They predicted that after Aqua-sama and the others graduated high school, BERYL would embark on a grand tour of all forty-seven prefectures, using these newly built facilities. It was a bit beyond me, but if the veterans on the boards were saying it, it was surely the gospel truth.
I was still standing there, quite overwhelmed by the scale of it all, when the rhythmic thud of running footsteps approached.
”Sorry! Have I kept you waiting?” my friend gasped, breathless.
”Not at all, Mum only just dropped me off!” I replied, and we grabbed each other’s hands, bouncing with shared excitement.
”Applying for those tickets together was the best decision we’ve ever made. A miracle like this won’t happen twice!”
”Too right! I’m going to remember every second of tonight for the rest of my life!”
Clasping hands firmly, we presented our tickets and stepped through the gates. Immediately, we were greeted by a vibrant wonderland of merchandise stalls, collaborative food trucks, and gleaming photo spots.
”It’s like a Beryl theme park!” my friend remarked, her eyes darting from one attraction to the next.
We made a beeline for the welcome display featuring Aqua-sama. While Tenga-senpai, Mayuzumi-kun, and Toa-chan were all undeniably wonderful, there was something about Aqua-sama’s charisma that was simply impossible to resist.
”Let’s get our merch before the show starts!”
”Lead the way!”
Even though Kumamoto had its own Beryl shop, the limited-edition tour items were only available here. I pulled up the official app on my phone, scrolling through the digital catalogue.
”Oh, look! This Aqua-sama Akusta⁴ is brilliant, isn’t it?”
”It is! Let’s get matching ones!”
We scanned the codes on the product tags with our cameras. I set mine for immediate pickup, wanting to have it in my hand right away.
”Hang on, I’m just going to nip over there and check out those other goods,” I said, spotting a particular corner crowded with older women.
”Right you are, I’ll go check on my wishlist too,” my friend replied.
I slipped away, moving toward the section with a sense of conspiratorial stealth. There it was—the life-sized body pillow of Aqua-sama. Keeping my distance, I scanned the code from the display board. Carrying that home on the bus would be a nightmare of embarrassment, so I opted for home delivery instead.
”I… I actually bought it…” I whispered, heart hammering against my ribs.
”I… I actually bought it…” echoed a familiar voice from right beside me.
I jumped, looking sideways to find my friend had done exactly the same thing. We both stared at each other, mouths agape in total shock.
”Well… I mean… we are at that age, aren’t we?” she stammered, her face turning a vivid shade of scarlet.
”U-um. Yes. Let’s… let’s just make sure we don’t tell our mums, alright?”
We burst into giggles and shared a quick, fierce hug. It felt as though our friendship had been forged into something even stronger in that moment of shared secrecy. We collected our Akustas from the counter and immediately clipped them to our bags.
Next, we queued at the food trucks for the ‘BLT-Aqua Sandwich.’
”The tomatoes are so fresh!” I said, taking a hearty bite.
”They’re local! Apparently, they’re using Kumamoto tomatoes for this specific stop.”
It made sense. Aqua-sama was the man who had caused a national udon shortage and forced the Minister of Agriculture to hold an emergency press conference over a lack of eggplants. We were lucky there were any tomatoes left in the prefecture at all.
After a final nervous trip to the toilets, we stood before the entrance to the stage area. My heart was thumping so hard I thought it might leap out of my chest, even though I wasn’t the one performing.
”Ready?” I asked.
”Ready!” my friend chirped, though she looked just as jittery as I felt.
The atmosphere inside was electric. I remembered the words of the famous fan, Hagetoru: “Don’t underestimate a BERYL live! The tension hits you the moment you step into the stage area. Keep your spirits high!” She might be a bit of a joker, but in this, she was absolutely serious.
I pressed my hands together, my breath misting in the cool November air. It was a chilly night, and most of us were wrapped in coats. However, I noticed several older women starting to shed their outer layers.
Wait, what are they doing? I wondered. Are they trying to show off their figures to get Aqua-sama’s attention? I glanced down at myself, debating if I should do the same despite the cold.
Suddenly, the stage lights plunged into darkness. The massive screens flickered to life, displaying the four members of BERYL.
”KYAAAAAAA!”
”AQUA-SAMAAAAAA!”
”TOA-CHAAAAAN!”
”MAYUZUMI-KUUUUN!”
”TENGA! TENGA! TENGA!”
The roar of the crowd was deafening. A montage of their tour footage flashed by in a blur of ten seconds, set to a pulsing beat. Then, the Beryl Entertainment logo appeared to a renewed wave of cheers.
[11 / 24]
That was today’s date. As the ’11’ faded, the ’24’ began to count down, each second punctuated by a heavy thud of music.
[20]
My chest tightened with excitement. Despite the cold air, a warmth was beginning to spread from the very core of my being. I finally understood why everyone had been taking off their coats.
[15]
My friend and I hurriedly fumbled with our buttons, shedding our jackets just as the fans in the front row began to chant along with the screen.
[10… 8… 5…]
The countdown rippled through the crowd like a tidal wave. By the time we hit the final numbers, every single person in the arena was shouting at the top of their lungs.
[3… 2… 1!]
The music cut out. The screens went black. For a single heartbeat, the entire venue was plunged into a heavy, expectant silence.
’Do you have the determination to step?’
My heart nearly stopped. It was Kukuri-sama! The cheers redoubled, fueled by her recent appearance in the Taiga drama. She wasn’t in her usual idol frills; she wore a sophisticated gown that made her look like a true lady.
She opened her arms slowly as a chorus of voices rose behind her. They sounded like a celestial choir sending knights off to a mythic battle. Then, the stage brightened to reveal dozens of male dancers led by Maruo-kun and Kujaku-kun.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, a display of masculine grace and power that I had never seen before. It was breathtaking. Kukuri-sama turned her back to us, leading the dancers into the depths of the stage with the commanding presence of a queen.
’I can’t go back to who I was yesterday. Let’s fly together toward tomorrow,’ she sang.
The floor of the stage suddenly transformed into a giant display, shimmering with light as Kukuri-sama walked across it. Before we could even process the spectacle, Hisui-chan appeared, clad in gleaming Western armor like a Valkyrie from legend.
’You are the warriors who will shape this nation’s future,’ she declared.
The two girls met in the center, clasping hands in a prayer-like gesture that felt almost holy. The spotlight intensified, illuminating the faces of the male dancers. They didn’t look like performers; they looked like soldiers determined to change the world.
”Look! Something’s rising from the floor!” someone screamed.
It was kinetik STAR⁵, the backing band, along with the soloist Tomoe Setsuna. The orchestral swell shifted into a jagged, aggressive guitar riff, and the crowd’s energy hit a fever pitch. Setsuna began to rap, her words sharp and rhythmic.
’Finally, finally, finally, the day has come!’
Hoshikawa Mio-san’s voice joined in, escalating into a visceral shout that sent shivers down my spine. The band members—Nino-san on drums, Karen-san on guitar, Kouko-san on piano, and Serika-san on bass—were playing with a ferocity that seemed to consume the air itself.
’They’re coming. Are you ready?’
Setsuna stepped forward, thrusting her microphone toward the audience. “ARE YOU LOT READY FOR THIS?!”
”WE’RE READY!” we roared back.
”I can’t hear you! ARE YOU REALLY READY?!” Hoshikawa-san screamed.
Our response was loud enough to rattle the very foundations of the arena.
”Fine then! The opening act ends here! BERYL Japan Live Tour in KUMAMOTO, presented by Beryl Entertainment, starts NOW!”
The lights flared blindingly bright. Suddenly, figures began to descend from the very ceiling of the stage structure.
’Our dependable leader! Tenga Akira!’
Tenga-senpai dropped down, guitar in hand, seamlessly swapping places with Karen-san without the music missing a single beat.
’Everyone’s mascot! Nekoyama Toa!’
Toa-chan followed on a suspended platform, high-fiving Nino-san before taking over the drum kit with a grin.
’BERYL’s In-game Leader! Mayuzumi Shintaro!’
Mayuzumi-kun descended next, bowing politely to Serika-san as he took up the bass. And then, the final call came.
’And finally, our King and the Ace of Aces… SHIROGANE AQUA!’
The spotlights swung upward, piercing the night sky. A tiny speck was falling from the clouds at a terrifying speed. The crowd gasped, hearts in throats—until a parachute billowed out at the last possible second.
He didn’t land on the stage floor. He landed right on top of the stage roof, looking down at us like a god from the heavens.
”You’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you?” Aqua-sama’s voice echoed through the speakers, cool and confident.
The following two hours were a blur of pure, unadulterated heat. We sang, we screamed, and we danced until our legs felt like jelly. When it was finally over, my friend and I stood in the cooling night air, dazed.
”That was… that was incredible,” she whispered.
”Yeah,” I agreed. “Incredible.”
I made it home in a dreamlike stupor, collapsing into bed the moment I got through the door. But the dream was cut short the next morning.
”Hello there! Saint Delivery! I’ve got a delivery for an Aqua-sama body pillow cover! Hehehe!” a boisterous voice called out from the front door.
”Wait! Stop!” I shrieked, sprinting toward the hallway, but it was too late. My mother was already there, looking at me with a very peculiar expression.
That delivery woman! I didn’t see her face clearly, but she had a suspiciously curvy figure—I bet it was that Hagetoru person in disguise again!
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Summary:
A high school girl and her friend attend BERYL’s massive outdoor concert in Kumamoto, experiencing the high-budget ‘Beryl Wonderland’ attractions. They secretly purchase life-sized Aqua body pillows, realizing their shared obsession. The concert begins with a dramatic, multi-layered opening act featuring Kukuri, Hisui, and various backup dancers and bands. The members of BERYL make grand entrances from the ceiling, culminating in Aqua parachuting onto the stage roof. The chapter ends with a humorous delivery mishap the following day.
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Character Insight:
The protagonist represents the ‘everyman’ fan perspective, highlighting the immense cultural and economic impact BERYL has on local regions like Kumamoto. Her interaction with her friend over the ‘secret’ merchandise shows how the idol culture fosters deep, albeit sometimes slightly embarrassing, social bonds. The grand, almost religious imagery used for the idols’ entrance reflects the near-deific status they have achieved in the eyes of their young followers.
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Behind the Scene:
The author notes that the delivery woman is not actually the fan-favorite character Hagetoru, despite the protagonist’s suspicions. The chapter highlights the massive scale of BERYL’s operations, including building entire venues and using advanced stage technology, reinforcing the ‘national idol’ status of the group.
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T/L:
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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