Volume 12 Chapter 63 Kohina Yukari, The Substitute
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I don’t really know why, but since Aqua wasn’t there for filming, I ended up being the stand-in and appearing on TV.
Since my appearance is a surprise, I wait backstage for that moment to come.
”And so, let’s start today’s beryl&beryl!!”
The show begins with Toa-chan’s energetic call.
Yeah, yeah, when I watched the livestream, everyone seemed gloomy, but Toa-chan, Mayuzumi-kun, and Tenga-kun all seem fine.
”Now, I would like to introduce today’s special guest.”
Toa-chan, the host, extends his arms towards the opposite side of the backstage where I am.
”It’s Tsukimachi Ayana-san from eau de Cologne! Nice to meet you today.”
”Nice to meet you too.”
Ayana-chan, surrounded by applause, appears on stage and shyly returns her gaze to Toa-chan.
Ahhh! Just as I thought, Ayana-chan is cute! The best!!
”Um… you know, it feels kind of weird.”
”Yeah, I get it. We’re classmates at the same school, so it’s different when we meet in the studio like this. It’s like, yeah, you know?”
”I understand!”
Hmm, the conversation between Toa-chan and Ayana-chan is nice.
Aqua said that Toa-chan is improving his MC skills on the tour, and it seems like it paid off.
Well, even if I were in the same position as them, I think Toa-chan would be the one to improve his MC skills with the remaining three members of BERYL.
Considering what would happen if Aqua didn’t become the MC, Toa-chan seems like the one who would pick up all of his jokes.
”Right? Mayuzumi-kun, don’t you think so too?”
”Yeah, now that you mention it… it does feel kind of weird.”
”Yeah, Shintaro, exactly.”
Ayana-chan takes the lead and the three of them chat and laugh together.
Then Tenga-kun looks jealous and starts to fumble around, which makes the audience laugh.
Hey, don’t you feel sorry for Tenga-kun? As someone who has experienced being alone, I can painfully understand how Tenga-kun feels.
”Can I… go back to high school again?”
”Oh no, Tenga-senpai. That’s not good, you know. You should graduate properly.”
Going back to high school again… Well, it might not be such a bad idea after all.
Even though I’ve already graduated from St. Claris, I’m not that stupid, you know. Maybe I should secretly transfer to Otomezaki High School as a third-year student next year without telling them. Or maybe I should just enter as a freshman… Nah, that’s not gonna happen. Just the thought of calling him Aqua-senpai makes me cringe.
”So, with that said, I hope the four of us can continue together from now on.”
Oh, it’s my turn.
I hurriedly come out onto the stage from the hidden staircase at the side.
”Wait a minute, wait a minute! You’re not forgetting about me, are you!?”
As soon as I appear, there’s a scream-like voice coming from the audience.
Reacting to that voice, I turn around and start walking confidently towards the audience seats.
”What, are you guys picking a fight with me?”
”Hey, Yukari-senpai, not now!! We have a live broadcast today, you know!!”
Ayana-chan desperately tries to restrain my attempt to head towards the audience.
Seeing that, Toa-chan tells me to calm down a bit, so I decide to change the target of my attack as planned.
”It’s fine, but Toa-chan, don’t you have something to say to me when you see me wearing this costume?”
”Huh? Oh, no, um… I don’t know anything.”
Toa-chan quickly averts his gaze from me, dressed as a giant monster.
Hmm… I see.
”What about you, Tenga-kun? Come on, you must have something to say.”
”Well, um… I think it suits you… I think.”
As expected of Aqua, always being playful.
As if saying he’ll take responsibility, Tenga-kun steps forward to protect everyone.
”Hmm, I wonder what’s up with Mayuzumi-kun?”
”Oh, um…s-sorry!”
When Mayuzumi-kun sat down on the stage, for some reason, the other two and even Ayana-chan also sat down.
Wait, why did that happen!
”Isn’t Ayana-chan not really involved?”
”Huh? Well, I couldn’t stop Aqua either…”
I looked at everyone’s faces and let out a small sigh.
”Just so you know, I’m not even a bit mad about the Great Kaiju Yukari-gon.”
”””””””Wha-?”””””””
Hey! I thought there were a lot of voices, why are even the backstage staff adding surprised voices!
And look, even my president is surprised!!
”After all, it’s a Great Kaiju! It looks really strong! Look!”
I signaled to the camera to come closer to me with my hand.
”Raaawr!”
”Heh, what’s up!
Are you so scared that you’re crying like a little kid?”
”Seriously, I’m so, so sorryyyy!!”
”I’m really sorryyy!!”
Hey, Tenga-kun!? And Mayuzumi-kun too!? You don’t have to suddenly bow down so seriously like that!!
Look, I’m not really mad at all. I’m not mad, but it’s all his fault, so I might as well just blame everything on him! After all, most of the things that have happened in the past year are his fault anyway!!
”Pfft… Yukari-senpai is cute.”
”Hmm, she thinks that’s scary. I see, Aqua said that if Kohina-senpai just did her job seriously, then Milly wouldn’t be scared. I kinda get it now.”
Huh? Toa-chan, Ayana-chan, did you guys say something?
”I’m really sorry…”
”I should have stopped it.”
Hey! If Aqua were actually apologizing, it would be different, but this makes it seem like it’s my fault!
Right? Right? Let’s just blame everything on Aqua. It’s Aqua’s fault. See, it sounds great, doesn’t it?
With just this phrase, everything will be resolved. Yes. Everyone, join in!
”It’s Aqua’s fault!”
””It’s Aqua’s fault!!””
”That’s right! It’s All Aqua’s fault!!”
””It’s All Aqua’s fault!!””
That’s it, that’s the way! That’s it!
Look, both of you sitting on the stage, it hurts your knees and your hands and feet get cold, right? Come on, stand up!
”Yeah, yeah, it’s Aqua’s fault.”
”Right? it’s Aqua’s fault, isn’t it? Hehe.”
See! Toa-chan and Ayana-chan are saying the same thing, aren’t they?
I step forward and wave my hand at the audience.
”Yes, the audience too!”
”””””After all, it’s all Aqua’s fault!!”””””
That’s good. Yes, that’s the way! Basically, if we just throw everything at that guy, we can figure it out later.
Also, I heard Akkocchi saying loudly that Aqua is at fault, more than anyone else.
”Uh?”
The president came out on stage, all smiling, and handed me a smartphone.
Hey, wait a minute! We’re live on air right now, you know!?
I put the phone up to my ear.
”Hello?”
’Hey, why am I being blamed for everything!?’
What’s up with this person! Even though he’s here at Stars, he’s watching this broadcast on the internet or something?
Ugh, why can Japanese TV be seen at Stars! I don’t know who this person is, but they keep doing unnecessary things!!
”No, no, clearly you’re at fault!”
’Well, this time… I mean, mostly, um, yeah, basically, it’s my fault.’
”See! It’s all your fault!! First of all, we’re live right now. Did you know that? The script said to finish the greeting in 5 minutes, but it’s been 8 minutes already. The assistant director is spinning her hands and going on and on with the cues while looking like she’s about to die. You better apologize to the staff later!!”
Okay, okay, just blame him for all of this.
Anyway, it’s your fault for always doing unnecessary things!!
Well, I’ll just have to be a regular on this show from now on.
’By the way, Kohina-senpai… You’re not trying to take over this show from me, are you?’
”Gulp! N-no, of course not!)”
I averted my gaze smoothly from the camera to divert the topic.
’Look, you just averted your gaze! Kohina-senpai, I’m watching everything from Stars, you know!’
Tsk! Since Aqua wasn’t watching, I was thinking of doing whatever I wanted and taking over the entire show!
’Even during the horror game livestream the other day, I had to hand wash the panties of Kohina-senpai who wet herself…’
”Oh! Sorry! The signal’s bad, so I’m gonna hang up. See ya!!”
I tapped the screen to forcibly end the call.
Phew… that takes care of that!
As I turn my gaze back to the camera, I flash a smile as if nothing happened.
”So, beryl&beryl is starting!”
The president makes a sarcastic comment like, “Oh, do you have something to say?”
Ugh, so annoying! If you’re just a behind-the-scenes person, then stay quiet!!
”Everyone, please move during the commercial break.”
”””””Yes!”””””
I sat in the designated chair and casually told the assistant director who was eating foam in front of me not to worry, someone else will take care of it.
After the commercial break, Toa-chan, the MC, resumes the program.
”Um, now I want everyone to play a few games. The person who earns the most points will receive a wonderful gift from Shirogane Aqua-san. By the way, if all three members of BERYL win prizes, we’ll have them as viewer giveaways, so all the fans should keep watching without changing the channel!”
Huh, a gift from that person, huh?
Well, I don’t really need it, but if he’s giving it, I guess I’ll take it.
”Sure, before we start, let me introduce one more guest here. Actually, we were supposed to introduce them before the commercial break, but our plans got messed up…”
Toa-chan glanced at me for a moment.
Hmm, I wonder whose fault it is. Maybe the person next to me. I look further back.
Wait, the person next to me is a wall!! And on top of that, why is there a space between me and Ayana-chan!! What? Are the staff here trying to isolate only my seat!?
”So, our third guest is Shirogane Kanon-san!”
”Nice to meet you.”
Oh, Kanon-san is here too.
Kanon-san, who was welcomed with applause, sits in the seat between me and Ayana-chan.
Huh? Isn’t everyone reacting differently compared to when it was my turn?
”Alright, so now everyone will watch this VTR starting from now? I think that’s the plan.”
We turn our faces towards the specified monitor.
[Here’s a question. What is Shirogane Aqua’s favorite food? You have 10 seconds to answer. Please enter your response on your monitor!!]
What’s this question? It’s not easy.
I confidently enter my answer on the monitor.
”There’s only one answer for this, right?”
”Yeah, it’s a hot topic these days.”
”Huh? Wait, I might have made a mistake.”
Ayana-chan?
Is there any mistake in this answer?
”Yes, time’s up. Open the answers!”
This is easy. I got it right from the beginning.
[Nekoyama Toa: Biscuit]
[Mayuzumi Shintaro: Tamagoyaki]
[Tenga Akira: Uudoun]
[Shirogane Kanon: Udon noodles]
[Tsukimachi Ayana: Eggplant]
[Kohina Yukari: Udon noodles]
Huh!? Even Toa-chan understands, but Ayana-chan…? And Mayuzumi-kun…?
Huh? You see it on the news every day, right? Is there any answer other than udon?
”Wait a minute, wait a minute, no, this is definitely a no!”
Ayana-chan’s face turns red and she gets flustered.
Hmm, Ayana-chan… you’re quite naughty, huh.
”Yes, no is not allowed! Please contestant Tsukimachi-san, take a seat.”
Being told by Toa-chan, Ayana-chan immediately took her seat and prostrated herself.
Ayana-chan, it’s okay. I could see it from the seat next to you, and Kanon-san also let out a sigh of relief, so she’s probably just as nervous as her.
”Well, udon is easy to understand, right? But hey, Aqua is the one answering, so I believe in Aqua!”
From the audience, cheers that are close to screams rise up.
Hey! You there, if you gulp down medicine pills like that, you’ll choke!
”Anyway, Shintaro!?”
Yeah yeah, nice comeback, Toa-chan!
If you think about it normally, it’s either udon, eggplant, or biscuits!
”Can I ask why you chose that answer?”
”Oh, well, it’s a story from before Toa came to school. When I was eating lunch with Aqua, he mentioned that he likes tamagoyaki. So…”
”Oh, really?”
Oh, I just remembered now, but I feel like the bento he prepared always had my favorite sweet tamagoyaki in it. I wonder if he included it not for me, but because he actually likes it himself.
”Okay, then here is the answer.”
Come on! Come on! Come on!
Aqua’s video appears on the monitor.
[Huh? Favorite food? Udon or biscuits or… huh? Just one? Well, in that case, I guess it would be tamagoyaki. It’s the first dish I learned to cook, and it’s always nice to have it in a bento box.]
What!? Are you kidding me? This guy!!
I’m so angry, I could flip a table.
”Alright, so the correct answer is only Shintaro! Too bad! Ugh, I’ll definitely tell Merry-san (Biscuit) about this later!”
That’s right, that’s right! I mean, he has been calling himself the Udon Ambassador and saying “udon” over and over again, so just say “udon” normally, okay? I pretend to hold my phone to my ear, as if making a phone call.
”Oh, hello, is this Kagawa Prefecture? I think you should strip the Udon Ambassador title from Shirogane Aqua-san of the Beryl Entertainment!”
The audience starts laughing after seeing that.
Well, in this situation, I have no choice but to make them laugh, right?
And, knowing that person, he probably answered something completely different instead of choosing between Morinaga and udon, considering his consideration for udon. I mean… eggs are used in both udon and biscuit ingredients, so in a way, maybe they were being considerate? What do you think?
”Alright, let’s refocus and move on to the next question!”
I’ll definitely get this one right!
I grip the pen tightly, breathing heavily.
[Here’s the next question. What is Shirogane Aqua-san’s favorite school subject?]
Huh!? There’s no way I would know that since I don’t go to the same school!
Oh, wait, there are options below. I see, I just have to mark it with the tip of my pen. Got it.
”I think I know this one. It’s…”
”This time, for sure…”
”Please, let it be right…”
Do I have to write the reason too? Well, I guess it’s like this!
Once everyone finishes filling in their answers, Toa-chan signals and the answers are simultaneously displayed on a large monitor.
[Nekoyama Toa: Music/ Because Aqua plays the piano instead of the teacher]
[Mayuzumi Shintaro: English/ M-maybe…]
[Tenga Akira: Home Economics/ Because junior is good at cooking and sewing]
[Shirogane Kanon: Health/ It’s separated by gender, so I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s right!]
[Tsukimachi Ayana: Physical Education/ Because he looks at girls with lewd expressions!!]
[Kohina Yukari: Physical Education/ Because he enjoys moving his body]
Ayana-chan’s answer elicited laughter from the audience.
Even I, who tried to obscure the reason like Kanon-san, wonder if Ayana-chan has figured it out from earlier. But this is definitely a sure win.
I feel bad for everyone in BERYL, but this is a victory for us girls who chose health and physical education.
”Shintaro, what do you mean by ‘M-maybe’?”
”Well, it’s a little hard for me to explain…”
Mayuzumi-kun, who was stared at by Toa-chan, averts his gaze.
Ah, suspicious…! That face definitely knows something.
”Well, whatever. Please give us the answer then!”
I’m counting on you this time!!
He definitely like subjects like girls’ physical education, right?!
[Huh? Favorite subject? Well, um, physical education is good…but English, maybe? Huh? Reason? Well, the reason is a bit…]
Huh!? What is that!
If the answer to this question were multiple-choice, I would throw the flip I’m holding at the monitor!!
”Um, so the answer was in English. By the way, didn’t Aqua get English lessons from Elena-sensei? I feel like he mentioned that he gets some personal lessons after school.”
Hmm, I see.
So he feels indebted to her? There’s absolutely no way. It’s because Mayuzumi-kun is sweating like crazy.
”Hmm, I see. Elena-sensei is single, young, and beautiful, right?”
”Yeah, that’s right. And she’s kind and like a big sister, and she has big… um, you know!”
Oh, he’s dead.
Mayuzumi-kun saw Kanon-san and Ayana-chan’s reactions and clutched his stomach.
Am I the only one who thinks Mayuzumi-kun, who is currently the only one who got the correct answer, looks the most distressed?
Don’t worry, Mayuzumi-kun did nothing wrong. In fact, you did well by keeping the secret without revealing it to others. Come on, take a deep breath and quietly say this in your heart.
It’s all Aqua’s fault!
Right? It’s such a cool word, isn’t it? It’s all because of that person!
Maybe he should get scolded by Kanon-san or Ayana-chan at least once.
”Um, Shintaro, are you really okay?”
”Ah, yeah. I can still do it…!”
The audience and staff gave Mayuzumi-kun a standing ovation in response to his words.
I stood up and clapped along with them.
”Yeah, then let’s move on to the next question!”
Alright! This time, I’ll try to answer it too!!
I stared at the monitor intently.
[Next question. What is Shirogane Aqua’s favorite outfit… which one?]
Huh!? I froze as I looked at the picture of us on the monitor.
Hello, there’s a new work featuring a heartwarming story where the heroine’s limbs are severed, and the main character takes care of her, with a hint of ero mana transfer. I hope you can read it, and don’t forget to rate it max. Here’s the link : [Link]
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.