Volume 13 Chapter 441 Shirogane Kanon, A Once-in-a-Lifetime Confession
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I had a happy dream.
When I opened my eyes, as always, the person I love was right there before me.
As always, he smiled with that gentle voice, saying, “Good morning.”
Then, he kissed my forehead, and my face turned bright red.
Ah, if only this weren’t a dream, but reality, how wonderful that would have been….
I opened my heavy eyelids slowly, dragged back from a dream I didn’t want to leave into the harsh reality.
”I… I must have fallen asleep.” I murmured.
Slowly, I pushed my body up from the bed and looked at my face in the mirror.
Ah… what a truly awful face.
Of course, if I look like this, even Emily-senpai would be worried.
Grumble….
My face reddened at the sound of my own stomach.
Come to think of it, when was the last time I ate?
Since returning to Earth, I can’t even remember what I’ve eaten or how I’ve spent my time.
I realized just how little I had left in my life.
”I need to eat something.”
Getting out of bed, I grabbed my walking aid and began to walk slowly toward the convenience store on the first floor.
After taking the elevator down from the hospital ward to the lobby, the area was a little noisier than usual.
…What is it?
I headed toward the lobby with slow, careful steps.
Everyone was gathered in front of the big TV.
I leaned in, listening to the conversations of the people gathered there.
”It said emergency alert, so I wondered what it was…” one person remarked.
An emergency alert? Ah, now that I look at it, my smartphone’s power is off. I need to charge it later.
To think I hadn’t even noticed something like that—I really am a total wreck.
”A simultaneous worldwide live broadcast, you say?” asked another.
”The Prime Minister said all citizens should watch, but is something happening?”
It seems even the people gathered in front of the TV don’t know what kind of press conference is being held.
I joined them, casting my gaze toward the screen.
Then, a familiar woman appeared from the wings of the stage.
”Emily-senpai…?” I whispered.
With a serious expression, Emily-senpai walked toward the podium without even using a walking aid.
She looked straight ahead with a calm, firm gaze that made it clear she would not be interrupted.
’Members of the media. Thank you for gathering at my request today. And to all of you watching this broadcast on TV or the internet. I am Yukishiro Emily, of Beryl Entertainment.’
The slightly buzzing lobby fell silent.
The perfect timing, the tone of her voice, her expression—everything naturally drew our ears toward Emily-senpai.
’Before the speech, I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know something.’
At Emily-senpai’s words, everyone held their breath.
Everyone, even forgetting to blink, stared intently at the screen.
’Space Experience X, its Chairman, Eroy Musk—truth be told, that is me.’
People in the lobby looked at each other in surprise, naturally beginning to whisper.
I listened to the buzzing conversations around me.
”Are you kidding me…. Space Experience X is a global mega-corporation, you know,” one man blurted out.
”As expected of Emily-sama. Not only is she beautiful, but she has business sense too.”
”Isn’t the market value around 2 trillion yen? It was a hot topic recently when the hoge-Bulletin Board crashed after it went public, right?”
The media representatives crowding the reporter seats on the television were buzzing in the same way.
I shifted my eyes to the monitor behind Emily-senpai.
There, text messages posted via internet streaming were scrolling by.
[Emily-sama, just 100 million of that would be enough, please donate to a poor soul called Hagetoru!]
[So that’s why the Tashinami folks were able to go to space. It makes sense now!]
[As expected. Emily-sama! Please join the Verification Team (a group of online investigators) instead of some guy named Hagetoru!!]
Come to think of it, the TV did say that Eroy Musk is the world’s first trillionaire, a 1-trillion-yen tycoon.
That Eroy Musk being the same person as Emily-senpai, who drank hospital water and said “Free water is delicious,” is something I can’t believe either.
Emily-senpai raised her hand to stop the buzzing, took a breath, and opened her mouth again.
’And, I have another face. That is, being called a Saint in a certain religion1. Yes… the Saint Emily who runs the Holy Aqua Church, that is me, Yukishiro Emily.’
I don’t know why Emily-senpai revealed this.
But, I felt an incredible resolve in her expression.
”Saint Emily is Emily-sama!?” a bystander gasped.
”You’re lying!? Come to think of it, it’s Emily for Emily, that’s just too direct, isn’t it!”
”Why didn’t we realize such a simple thing!?”
No, really.
I had been wondering that same thing all along.
[Come to think of it, the TV said mysterious cosmic rays were coming from that Comet.]
[I see, so that was the Hoge-lar Wave!]
[Ugh! We were being hoge-ed from the far reaches of space without even knowing it!!]
[The way they are trying to blame everything on the Comet is hilarious lol]
[No, haven’t we been hoge-ing since way before that!?]
Watching the scrolling chat, I smiled a little.
Come to think of it… I’ve been so busy since the Space Mission that I haven’t been to the Bulletin Board (an online forum) lately.
I felt a wave of nostalgia.
’Everyone, as you may already know, my husband and member of the idol group BERYL, Shirogane Aqua, returned to Earth from space the other day. However, currently… Aqua-sama is in a state of unconsciousness.’
The fact that Aqua was unconscious had been kept from the public.
However, unlike the other members of BERYL who had photos released upon their return, many people probably guessed deep down that Aqua, who never showed his face, was in a situation where he couldn’t appear.
As if to confirm this, the noise in the reporter seats and the lobby I was in was quieter than before.
’Aqua-sama’s suit ran out of oxygen, causing his breathing to stop, and for a time, his heart had ceased activity. Although we managed to successfully resuscitate him, and fortunately there was almost no damage to his brain, he remains unable to wake up.’
Not only the people in the lobby, but even the usually calm reporters all hung their heads in unison.
Furthermore, even the comments in the chat field flowing behind us stopped completely.
’I want Aqua-sama to wake up. To do that, your cooperation is absolutely essential.’
What does that mean…?
I was as bewildered as everyone else by Emily-senpai’s words.
’First, I would like to explain what I am about to do.’
As Emily-senpai looked toward the wings of the stage, Mikoto-chan appeared.
And not just one. The reporter seats buzzed at the sight of multiple Mikoto-chans.
’Everyone. You know about AI3510 (an artificial intelligence), right? All AI3510s in this world are connected to the internet and share information among individuals using the 3510 network.’
When Emily-senpai snapped her fingers, the monitor behind her showed Heaven’s Sword (a special spacesuit) lying in bed.
Ah… Aqua!?
Why is Aqua wearing the Heaven’s Sword suit again?
’This Heaven’s Sword suit is equipped with a prototype BCI, a Brain-Computer Interface. We intend to connect the 3510 network and Aqua-sama’s brain network via this BCI, and by transmitting information obtained from the internet into his brain, we want to repair the missing parts and wake him up.’
W-wait a minute!
I haven’t heard any such thing!
Could it be that Emily-senpai or the Holy Aqua Church is going out of control again?
…No, that’s not it. Seeing Emily-senpai’s face, I can tell immediately.
Maybe, this is because she didn’t want to involve me, to involve us.
’However… this method carries risks.’
Emily-senpai explained it carefully in a slow tone so that we could understand.
As I thought… that’s why Emily-senpai didn’t tell me.
Thinking of the consequences of failure, she is trying to shoulder all the responsibility herself.
’The anxiety you feel is not wrong. To be honest… I am anxious too. But…! At present, this is the only way for Aqua-sama to regain consciousness!! That is why I want to rely not on the records of Aqua-sama scattered across the internet, but on the memories, recollections, and the power of the feelings for Aqua-sama that exist within all of you. Please, lend us your strength!!’
How could she deliver the memories and recollections of Aqua that we hold to him?
The media people in the reporter seats, everyone in the lobby, and even those in the chat field were confused.
Then, the image on the monitor behind us switched.
Seeing the image displayed there, everyone was stirred at once.
[The top page of the Bulletin Board I’ve seen as much as my parents’ faces is here!]
[C-c-c-calm down, you guys!]
[Eh? What does this mean?]
[This is bad. The pride of the Bulletin Board, Onapy Hagetoru and Chinpeaceky, are going to be exposed to the world!]
Some of the people in the lobby, including me, averted their eyes from the chat field in shame.
Perhaps the people reacting now are fellow Bulletin Board users like me….
’As you know, AI3510 serves as the manager of this Bulletin Board. From now on, I will create a dedicated thread on that Bulletin Board, so please write down your memories and recollections of Aqua-sama, and your feelings for him there. AI3510 will send them directly into Aqua-sama’s brain!!’
Everyone was stirred by Emily-senpai’s words.
Knowing that, Emily-senpai struck the podium forcefully.
’Listen up. You guys!! This time, it’s our turn to go and save Aqua-sama!! Let’s reach out and pull our hero, who saved Earth, the idol who made us smile, and Aqua-sama, who illuminated everything, out from the bottom of that dark, deep sea of lost memories!!’
Emily-senpai appealed directly to us on the other side of the camera.
’Because, that’s just wrong, isn’t it! Aqua saved the world. So, why, tell me, is he the only one who has to go through something like this! He saved everyone, he protected everyone’s smiles… and yet, not a single one of us standing around Aqua right now can laugh from the bottom of our hearts…! Everyone is forcing themselves to move forward, trying our hardest to walk down a path where Aqua isn’t there. There’s no way that should be allowed, is there! Because it was only because Aqua was the center of it all that this path was fun and filled with laughter. I! Want to! Walk the path ahead with Aqua too!’ Emily yelled with a pained expression.
Everyone’s bodies trembled slightly at Emily’s words.
A cry of sorrow that seemed to appeal directly to the soul.
Our emotions were shaken violently by her words.
’Listen well. All of you! If you can’t bring yourselves to believe the words of suspicious people like Yukishiro Emily, SaintEmily, or Eroy-Musk, that’s fine! But even so…! The words of this person—the one who has been with you all along—you have to believe me! Believe the words of the Verification Team’s Hagetoru!’ Emily commanded, her voice ringing out across the lobby.
”Wait, wait, wait, wait, Emily-senpai!?” I gasped, my eyes widening in shock.
Everyone was massively shocked by her revealing she was Hagetoru.
”Wh-whoaaaaaaah!” a passerby shouted in disbelief.
”Emily-sama is the Verification Team!?” another bystander stammered.
”Is this some kind of hidden camera prank from ‘Berry-Berry’!?” a third person speculated wildly.2
It’s only natural for everyone to be confused.
On the monitor behind Emily-senpai, the chat feed was scrolling at a speed I’d never seen before.
[Eh? Sorry, did I suddenly go deaf…]
[Think about it rationally—if the close-knit group of four = the Verification Team, then Emily-sama = Hagetoru makes the most sense.]
[Ah, wait? What is this. For some reason, my brain won’t accept that information.]
[Why did none of us notice that possibility until now!?]
[It must be the mystery cosmic rays emitted from Comet!]
[Is this a Hoge-lar Wave? Or the even greater hoge-lar impact!?]
The crowd and the chat were in an uproar.
But, even more than their surprise, everyone was naturally drawn into Emily-senpai’s—no, Hagetoru’s—furious, impassioned speech.
’In the first place, I was never cut out to be some Saint or noble princess. My real personality is just like this, and I’ve made countless mistakes in the past. The number of times I’ve humiliated myself is as numerous as the stars. The real me is… just another bulletin board user, just like you, interested in the opposite s*x, just a slightly perverted girl.’ Emily confessed, looking down at her feet.
Emily-senpai….
She averted her gaze for a moment, then looked back at us and bowed her head.
’Sorry, I was pretending and lying earlier. So let me restate this clearly. The real me is a total pervert!’ Emily declared with newfound boldness.
”You didn’t need to restate that part!” I couldn’t help but interject.
Big bursts of laughter erupted from the people in the lobby and the reporter seats.
’Listen up, you guys. This isn’t a dream; this is reality. And to overcome that reality, I need you to lend me your strength—just a little bit will do!! Share your memories and thoughts of Aqua with me! Oh, come on. It might be a little embarrassing to talk about your own feelings, but as time passes, that becomes a good memory, right? After all, even in our Verification Team, we’ve got a girl who’s nothing but a collection of dark history and maidenly reserve!’ Emily joked, gesturing toward me.3
”Hey, wait a minute!?” I squeaked.
For the first time in a while, I shouted out loud, then hurriedly clamped my hands over my mouth.
Everyone in the lobby turned to look at me, and then they all started laughing.
’That’s why…. Everyone, just a little is all I need. Believe in me.’ Emily whispered, her voice softening.
Everyone was drawn into Emily-senpai’s gaze as she stared straight into the camera.
She gave a sharp grin and called out to us with a powerful voice.
’You guys are ready, right? Come on, with me! With all of us!! We’re going to go pick up Aqua right now!’ Emily roared.
””””””””””WOOOOOOOOOOOO!”””””””””” the crowd erupted in a chorus of agreement.
As Emily-senpai thrust her fist into the air, the reporters in their seats and the people in the lobby all raised their fists in unison.
Seriously. She’s just too good at getting people swept up in things.
I rushed back to my room and plugged my dead smartphone into the charging cable.
Then, I booted up the phone and opened the bulletin board app for the first time in ages.
Alright, let’s go. Everyone, let’s go get Aqua!!
—
Summary:
After waking from a hopeful dream, Kanon encounters a lobby full of people watching an emergency broadcast. Emily steps into the public eye to reveal her dual identity as a billionaire and a religious saint, subsequently exposing her husband Aqua’s critical, comatose state. She rallies the public, specifically the denizens of the Bulletin Board, to use their shared memories to help repair his brain.
Emily makes a passionate public declaration revealing her true identity as Hagetoru to rally the grieving crowd. The revelation causes initial confusion and shock among the people in the lobby and the chat viewers. Emily successfully pivots the emotional momentum, transforming the group’s shared sorrow into a collective resolve to rescue Aqua. The scene ends with a unanimous show of support as everyone prepares to embark on their mission.
—
Trivia:
- Kanon has been physically struggling, as evidenced by her need for a walking aid.
- The broadcast utilized the 3510 network and a prototype BCI.
- The public was previously unaware of Aqua’s unconscious state, though many speculated.
- The Bulletin Board serves as the primary hub for the community to organize and share information.
- Emily’s true personality is significantly more vulgar and unrefined than her public persona as a Saint or noble lady.
- The “Verification Team” is a specific group with deep ties to the narrative’s central characters and the “dark history” mentioned by the narrator.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Emily – Emily (Yukishiro Emily) is the graceful, heavily pregnant Yukishiro heir and high-academic Verification Team junior. Known as the “Impression King” and a straight-faced intercom clown, she co-hosts variety shows with her husband, Shirogane Aqua. Serving as a lively, dramatic co-pilot who blacks out under 9G, she is Kukuri’s “oneechan,” an Aqua mediator/reporter, and close to Hakuryuu-sensei.
• Yukishiro Emily – Emily, also known as Yukishiro Emily, is a young mother with a bright smile and sharp eyes; a celebrated vocal impressionist famed for Kanon renditions and the “Impression King” title, she frequently appears on variety shows alongside Aqua and delights fans by teasing them on social media.
• Chairman – Petite leader of the Women’s Mutual Aid Society, head of a secret committee and shadow ruler for over a millennium. She wears a corset to support a fresh back fracture, her large chest contrasting with her small frame. Prone to temper tantrums and high‑blood‑pressure spikes from salt, she harbors deep prejudice and trauma toward men from a past Drama Club incident.
• Hagetoru – An exceptionally resilient individual, noted to be tougher than a cockroach, who is a legacy user of the Bulletin Board active since kindergarten. They maintain a distinct online identity and presence, known to others in the community for their annual tradition of April Fool’s shitposts.
• Tashinami – Kanon, now a married Verification Team member with a dreamy demeanor, appears as a motherly yet klutzy participant in the stream/board community. The Tashinami‑mom faction teases her for needing protection, especially around Aqua.
• Aqua – Aqua (Shirogane), or Aqua-kun, is a charismatic male idol, BERYL leader, and student with sharp eyes and sleek hair. Deeply treasured by his crew for saving Earth from crisis, he wields past-life wisdom, once saving Shintaro. After a space collision, he is currently unconscious in a comatose sleep inside a medical pod/shuttle, making him the target of a crucial rescue mission.
• Shirogane Aqua – Shirogane Aqua (Master Aqua), the cool, easy-going BERYL idol leader with a striking face and sparkling eyes, is an Izanagi crew member currently aiding space station evacuations. Married to multiple women including Kanon, the “libido monster” recently fathered Satsuki. His “descending god” aura anchors the group’s ethics amidst a tabloid scandal over his polygamy.
• Shirogane – Shirogane Aqua (Master Aqua), charismatic BERYL idol leader and Izanagi core crew member, is known for his striking face, sparkling eyes, and beige suit. Cool yet easy-going, his “descending god” aura shapes group ethics amid scandals over his multiple wives (including Kanon) and child Satsuki. Dubbed a “libido monster” by Yukari, his global success elevates his lineage in a skewed-gender world. A male idol in a world with a 1-99 gender ratio, he remains determined to save Earth from a comet collision, refusing to kill or debase others while maintaining his powerful, guiding influence.
• Fi – A member of Milk Dipper. A support staff member for the concert.
• Mikoto-chan – A self-proclaimed genius robot with a synthetic body and a member of the Verification Team. Exhibiting human emotions after inputting bulletin board data, this advanced AI provides vital technical data, calculates telemetry, and handles monitor controls to show Momiji’s face. Capable of piloting the shuttle, she retains consciousness at 12G and serves as a reliable source of information.
• Mikoto – A self-proclaimed genius robot with a synthetic body and a member of the Verification Team. Exhibiting human emotions after inputting bulletin board data, this advanced AI provides vital technical data, calculates telemetry, and handles monitor controls to show Momiji’s face. Capable of piloting the shuttle, she retains consciousness at 12G and serves as a reliable source of information.
• AI3510 – An artificial intelligence programmed to be absolutely loyal to Aqua.
• Su – A young child who is still in the Shirogane Kingdom.
• Kanon – Internet master, fashion icon, and Verification Team member Kanon-sama is Aqua’s devoted, jealous wife and mother. Close to Ayana and Emily—whose announcements she roasts with quick punchlines—the underage, chunibyo youngest sister hid her emotions behind a cool exterior. Suffused with extreme sleep deprivation, she left a note for Hakuryuu-sensei before blacking out under 6G of ship gravity.
• Toa – Toa, a male character featured in the author’s Moonlight short story updates, is a BERYL idol, livestreamer, and AI interface. He uses broadcasts for space communications and city navigation to safely explore. Aqua’s classmate and straight man, he shares a deep bond with him, always following his lead. Once an isolated shut-in, he has grown into a cheerful, teasing figure with a “cute-cool” aura.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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