Volume 13 Chapter 387 Shirogane Aqua, Toward the Tour Final
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The air felt heavy as I pushed through my morning run within the sprawling grounds of Shirogane Kingdom¹. My lungs burned with every breath, a rhythmic ache that matched the thud of my sneakers on the pavement. With the tour final in Tokyo just days away, there was no room for slacking. I had to give the fans a perfect performance.
I rounded the final corner and spotted Kanon. I had already lapped her three times. She was doubled over, gasping for air as her ponytail swayed weakly.
”This is… way too much,” Kanon wheezed.
I pulled up beside her, offering a grin. “Keep those legs moving, Kanon. You’re almost there!”
”U-um,” she managed to grunt.
I surged past her, heading toward the gym. The Kingdom was waking up; I passed the princesses of the Harem, the maids, and the staff members out for their own jogs. What started as a solitary routine had turned into a massive morning ritual for the whole household.
”Why… why am I running at dawn?!” Kohina-senpai screamed at the sky.
”Quit complaining, Yukari,” Ako-san replied, her voice steady as she set the pace. “We have to burn off that New Year’s weight. Keep moving!”
I tried to slip past them like a ghost, but Kohina-senpai had eyes like a hawk.
”Hey, brat!” she yelled. “Don’t you dare ignore your senior when she’s suffering! Say something encouraging!”
”You clearly have enough breath to yell, Senpai, so you’re doing fine,” I shouted back over my shoulder. “Good luck, Ako-san!”
Kohina-senpai’s indignant screech echoed behind me as I sprinted toward the gym entrance. Ayana was there, her back to me.
”O-ssu², Ayana. Morning.”
”Oh… hey. Morning,” she replied, her face instantly flushing. It had been two days since our last “incident,” and she was still a blushing mess. It was almost too much to handle.
”The tour final is this weekend, right?” Ayana asked. “Good luck out there.”
”Yeah! Just watch me,” I said, bumping my fist against hers before heading inside.
Suddenly, a blur crashed through the nearby bushes. “Crap! I’m late! I’m late!”
It was Kaede. She was a ball of chaotic energy even at this hour. Right behind her, Announcer Onidzuka came screaming through on a bicycle.
”Morikawa-! Don’t you dare sprint like that right after giving birth! Take a taxi like a normal person! And you’re supposed to be on maternity leave anyway, get back here-!”
I shook my head, laughing as I hit the gym floor. I needed to focus on my “explosive” movements-the kind of sharpness that made a dance routine pop. I grabbed a hundred-kilogram barbell, feeling the familiar weight settle into my palm. I started pumping it with one hand, the iron whistling through the air.
”Are you even human anymore?” a voice asked.
I turned to see Victoria-sama³. She was dressed in skin-tight athletic leggings and a cropped tank top that left her midriff bare. Her signature blonde drills were tied back, but she still looked like royalty-even while sweating.
”Victoria-sama,” I said, letting the barbell down. “You’re here for a workout too?”
She sighed, pinching a tiny, nonexistent fold of skin at her waist. “I put on a little weight over the holidays. I need to get rid of it.”
”You’re hallucinating,” I teased. “Besides, I think you look better with a little more to hold onto when I grab your wa-actually, never mind!”
Victoria’s gaze turned icy, and I felt the temperature in the gym drop ten degrees. I realized my mistake. For her, it wasn’t about being attractive to men; it was about maintaining her status among the other women.
”Listen well,” Victoria said, her voice sharp. “The women here stay beautiful so no ‘pests’ try to claim you. The social ladder is a battlefield. If I slip up even once, some teenager will start calling me an old hag. I have to stay perfect.”
”You’re a beautiful woman, Victoria-sama. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
She froze, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second. She hid her face behind a folding fan, though she looked secretly pleased.
”You… say the most ridiculous things! But I suppose I’ll take it as a compliment desu wa.”
I finished my set and headed for the showers. After a massive breakfast to maintain my stamina-or keisen ability⁴, as Master Akio called it-I spent the afternoon drilling my choreography. By the time I was finished, I was doused in sweat.
”You’re overworking yourself,” Ako-san said, pressing a cold water bottle against my cheek.
”Ah… Ako-san. Aza-ssu.”
I downed half the bottle in one go.
”Do you have some time? Prime Minister Habu called for us.”
”Sure. No problem.”
The summons was unexpected. Prime Minister Habu usually came to me. For her to call us to a specific location meant something big was happening. I changed into formal attire and met Kohina-senpai at the car. She was standing there with her arms crossed, looking remarkably impatient.
”Finally,” Kohina-senpai snapped. “Aqua, Akocchi, let’s move.”
I looked at Ako-san. So Kohina-senpai isn’t just tagging along; she’s part of the set.
”Wait, are we… is Kohina-senpai driving?”
”Obviously! Who else would be behind the wheel?!”
I gripped my safety amulet and prayed for my life.
”Alright, let’s go! The Kohina Yukari-go Express is leaving the station!!”
An hour of terrifying lane-weaving later, we arrived at a massive gated facility. It wasn’t the Prime Minister’s office.
”This is the Air Self-Defense Force base in Fuchu City,” Ako-san explained as she stepped out of the car. “And it’s the headquarters for the Space Operations Group.”
I stood there, stunned. The Space Force?!
We were met at the gate by Toa, Shintaro, and Tenga-senpai. Tenga-senpai was vibrating with excitement, clutching his phone like he wanted to snap a thousand pictures.
”Junior, please tell me I can take a selfie with a jet-!?”
”No chance,” I said. “This place looks high-security.”
A stone-faced officer approached us. “You must be the group from Beryl Entertainment. We’ve been expecting you.”
”Excuse me,” Kohina-senpai interrupted, “I’m with Beyond Production. Bey-Pro!”
The officer ignored her and led us to a security checkpoint. “Valuables in the lockers. Please step through the metal detectors for a body check.”
I stepped up, holding my arms out. Go for it. Don’t be shy, touch me all you want!!
”Ah, um… the men only need the metal detector.”
”Oh. Right.”
Toa gave me a look so filled with judgment that I wanted to crawl into a hole. We were led deeper into the facility, past reinforced doors and humming servers.
”This is as far as I can take you,” the first officer said, stopping at a heavy steel door. “A specialized escort will take you to the briefing room.”
Another officer stepped out from the shadows of the hallway. “Follow me. I’ll take you to the briefing room.”
Following the staffer, we found two guards standing at attention before the door, clutching automatic rifles.
”Hey, Toa. Do you think those are actually real?” Aqua-kun asked.
”They’re definitely real,” Toa replied.
Standing on the opposite side, Toa muttered with a skeptical side-eye, “How the heck do you know so much about that, Aqua-kun?”
It’s because Akio-san told me, “If you’re going to be an idol, you might end up in a movie! You’re useless if you can’t field-strip a rifle in seconds!” I spent my entire previous life practicing that! Of course, I couldn’t exactly explain that to him, so I just laughed it off with a vague smile.
We thanked the woman who guided us, passed through a final metal detector, and stepped into the inner office.
”Ah, you’re here. Glad you could make it, everyone,” said Prime Minister Habu.
She stood behind her desk and offered a warm welcome. The Prime Minister… so she really was the Prime Minister. It wasn’t that I actually doubted her, but I’d had this nagging suspicion that she might just be a very convincing celebrity impersonator.
”Prime Minister Habu, is this about the BERYL space concert?” Aqua-kun asked.
”Yes, that’s part of it, but…”
Uncharacteristically, the Prime Minister’s voice trailed off. She glanced at her aides, signaling for everyone to leave the room except for our group.
”The truth is, we may have to postpone the BERYL space live,” she said, after a long pause.
The members of BERYL exchanged stunned looks. The first-ever idol concert broadcast from the stars-we’d been grinding through the same brutal training as astronauts since last year. We’d worked with the National Space Development Agency and Kohina-senpai to ensure every detail was perfect. Just recently, Eroy Musk’s “SEX Co.” had successfully launched the orbital stage in collaboration with the Americans. Everything was on track.
”Why the postponement?” Aqua-kun asked.
”A researcher from SEX Co. at the Okinawa station spotted a meteorite,” the Prime Minister explained. “Statistically, the risk is low. These things usually miss us. But if it hits something in orbit and shatters, the debris could shred the space station. We can’t take that chance.”
If it was a safety risk, there was no choice. A postponement was a letdown, but it was better than a total cancellation.
”I understand,” Aqua-kun said. “I’m okay with it. Are you guys on board?”
Toa, Shintaro, and Tenga-senpai all nodded in somber agreement.
”Thank you. That’s all for now. You’re free to head home,” the Prime Minister said.
We looked at each other, confused.
”Wait, you could have just told us that over the phone!” Kohina-senpai snapped.
”My apologies,” the Prime Minister replied. “I haven’t gone public with the meteorite news yet. I had to ensure total discretion.”
”Come on, Kohina-senpai, let’s go,” Aqua-kun said, trying to soothe her. “The Prime Minister has enough on her plate dealing with the national interest-and Toa’s antics.”
”Fine, fine! I’m leaving!” Kohina-senpai huffed.
As we turned to go, the Prime Minister called out. “Aqua-kun.”
I stopped and looked back at her. She looked smaller behind that massive desk, her expression unreadable.
”If… if I told you the meteorite was definitely going to hit, what would you do?” she asked quietly.
I thought about it for a second. “I think everyone would be terrified,” I said. “So, I’d want to keep singing and dancing until the very end. I’d want to make them smile one last time. And then… I’d want to be with the people I love.”
”I see…”
The Prime Minister fell into a deep silence. “Thank you again. And please… stay ready. Keep your voices warm and your routines sharp.”
”You can count on us,” I promised.
A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. It was Shintaro. “When the time comes, we’ll be right there with you,” he said. “We sing together until the curtain falls.”
”Shintaro, Toa, Tenga-senpai…” I whispered. Seeing them all grinning made the fear vanish.
”Hurry up,” Kohina-senpai called from the hall. “If that rock shows its face, I’ll just glare it back into the void.”
”That’s our Kohina-senpai,” I laughed. She was probably the only person on Earth capable of intimidating a celestial body.
When I finally got home, I hugged my kids one by one. If that meteorite fell, everything they were-everything they could be-would vanish. I couldn’t accept that.
”Everyone… Papa’s going to handle this. Kanon, I’m going out!”
”W-Where are you going?! Eh? The garden…? Why?!”
I stood in the center of the garden and drew a deep breath. I thought of Kanoa, Anon, my wife, my family, my friends, and the fans. If a rock was coming from the sky, I would just have to be strong enough to break it.
”Ten thousand punches,” I declared to the empty air. “Ten thousand straight punches of gratitude for every day we’ve lived!”
I began to strike, my fists blurring in the moonlight.
”You really are a hopeless idiot, aren’t you?” Kohina-senpai yelled from the second-floor balcony. “Hey! You’re the one who said you’d glare it to death! We’re in the same boat! I can’t accept this!!”
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Summary:
Aqua prepares for his tour final with intense morning cardio and gym sessions. After a humorous encounter with the residents of Shirogane Kingdom and the aristocratic Victoria, he is summoned by the Prime Minister. He goes with the group to a high-security Air Self-Defense Force base for a mysterious briefing.
After that, they only to learn that their historic space concert may be postponed due to a potential meteorite collision. While the official stance is caution, the Prime Minister privately questions Aqua about the end of the world. Inspired by his family and teammates, Aqua begins a superhuman training regimen in his garden to personally stop the meteorite.
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Trivia:
- Aqua is performing one-handed 100kg barbell presses, indicating superhuman strength.
- Kaede is running full speed almost immediately after childbirth, much to Onidzuka’s chagrin.
- The setting has shifted from a lighthearted idol training camp to a national security facility (Space Operations Group).
- Victoria’s mention of ‘pests’ implies a high level of competition and jealousy among the women surrounding Aqua.
- Aqua’s firearm expertise comes from his previous life.
- The ‘SEX Co.’ and ‘Eroy Musk’ are satirical references to SpaceX and Elon Musk.
- The training of 10,000 punches is a reference to Netero from Hunter x Hunter.
- Kohina-senpai’s claim to ‘glare back at a meteorite’ establishes her as a potentially superhuman or comedically powerful entity.
- The location of their home is referred to as ‘Shirogane Kingdom’.
- The meteorite threat has not been made public yet
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Character Insight:
Aqua shows his dedication to his idol persona while maintaining the physical habits of his previous life. Victoria reveals the pressure older women feel in this reversed-ratio society.
Aqua transitions from a dedicated idol to a protective father and ‘shonen protagonist’ archetype. His resolve is not just to perform, but to literally destroy a celestial threat to protect his domestic peace. The group bond of BERYL is solidified as they agree to face the end together.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Space Operations Group’ (宇宙作戦群) is a real unit of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, grounded in Fuchu.
The author parodies real-world tech figures and shonen manga tropes (specifically the ‘gratitude punches’ of Netero) to balance the high-stakes threat of a meteorite with the light-hearted absurdism of the characters.
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TL Notes:
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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