#rabu han

[asherasgayagenda]

this has been on my mind for A LONG TIME so

writers pick the one you use, readers/anyone else choose the one you prefer to see

[averyspoopedcorgi]

just noticed kohaku was ratio'ed by microsoft too

[mayoiayasep]

aira birthday!!!

[airabuhan]

something i’ve noticed a lot with the jp fandom who like kohaai is that they often refer to kohaai as ‘tomobigi’ or a shortened version of tomodachi beginners, aka friendship beginners or newbies at friendship… aira’s fs 4* story has become the common nickname for kohaai… i’d love to popularize that nickname in eng fandom as well… can we use tomobigi……. (begging)

[sagie-artzz]

This is how the scout story will go. Trust me.

[Rbs appreciated]

[paperconsumption]

adore the choice to make it LOVE all caps. engstars keeping up the queerbait spirit

[zenyuu]

I watched the enstars movie bc someone uploaded the full thing on fb and i understood nothing. But aira and kohaku were there so it was worth it

[rolloz]

THE FUNNY THING IS MY NICKNAME ON THE WEBSITE IS AIRA

(@ your "yeah aira was probably the one to teach kohaku abut tumblr sexymen." tag. which was hilarious actually)

IT WAS YOU. YOU CORRUPTED KOHAKU /j

[eveningspringbreeze]

A First Step, Towards Friendship

Season: Spring (ES!! second year)

Characters: Kohaku, Hiiro, Madara

Hiiro and Kohaku: Nom nom….

Hiiro: Ah, I accidentally got some on the table. Could you get a wipe, Kohaku-san?

Kohaku: ‘Course, here ya go. Ya gotta open yer mouth big an’ wide so that ya don't spill crumbs. 

Hiiro: Thank you, I’ll take note of that! 

Kohaku: (...He looks ‘bout as normal a boy as they come when he’s eatin’ breakfast, huh)

(The Hiiro-han I saw durin’ Matrix astonished me so much that I can’t help but incessantly worry away just from bein’ near him) 

(He disciplines in a way that dredges up memories of my sisters… or particularly, the way he made us prepare for all kinds o’ things) 

(He dived headfirst into playin’ villain just so Crazy:B could secure the first win)

(There sure were lotsa things happenin’ in the Amagi village, but by far my biggest shocker would be…) 

Hiiro: Umu. Today’s bread was baked wonderfully. It was so delicious. Maybe I should get seconds? 

Kohaku: (whispering) With that face, he follows every rule to an absolute. He forces everyone to follow them with him, an’ any opposition turns him into a terrifyin’ lad)

(Like say, were there to be a rule that determined that all breakfasts shall be bread, what would Hiiro-han do?) 

(Would he even go as far as to tell me, who’s currently eatin’ rice, to have bread instead?) 

Phew. I got so caught up with these stupid ideas that simply eatin’ breakfast took far too long. 

???: I’m hooooome!!!! ☆ I’m so thirsty after running! 

Kohaku: Mm… no doubt, that’s Madara-han’s voice. G’mornin’. 

Madara: Ohh, if it isn’t Kohaku-san! Goooood morniiiiing! ☆

Kohaku: Yer always so damn loud. 

Anyhow, there’s somethin’ I wanted to ask… 

Would ya rather have rice or bread for breakfast? 

Madara: …Hmm? That’s quite the unexpected question. 

Have you been wondering about what food I like? I’m so happy to hear that ♪

Kohaku: Ah, no, this ain’t the type o’ question that should be thrillin’ ya. Not like I’ll die without yer answer anyhow. 

Madara: Now now, don't be shy and say it with your chest! "I'm dyin' to make breakfast for Madara-han", right? ♪

Kohaku: Who’s sayin’ what? And the same goes to you. Rather than "accidentally" pullin’ it outta me, can'tcha just ask directly? Y'know, "Why is Kohaku-san asking me something like this, hmm?"

Anyhow, I’ll explain… I was eatin’ with Hiiro-han just now. 

So we were in the Matrix project, where this an’ that happened… Now, I’ve got this slightly odd relationship with Hiiro-han. 

Madara: Mmhm. I see, I get the situation now. 

Oh, to think that Kohaku-san would consult me for relationship advice ♪

Mama’s delighted! Moved beyond words! So happy, in fact, that I feel inclined to ruffle Kohaku-san’s head ☆

Kohaku: Uwaah!? Stop! 

Actually, what’s with this weirdass attitude? Are ya makin’ fun of me, ya jerk? 

Madara: Hahaha, who’s to say? 

Anyway. Personally, I’d say that becoming friends with Hiiro-san could alleviate much of your worries, Kohaku-san. 

Kohaku: Friends? 

Madara: Yep. For example… if Hiiro-san were to invite you to a meal, you wouldn’t turn him down, right? 

Kohaku: Well, I ‘spose so. We were eatin’ together earlier too. 

Madara: Then, let’s extend it from within the Starmony dorms to ES as a whole. What would you do if he asked you to go shopping with him? Turn him down? 

Kohaku: Maybe if I had other plans… ‘sides that, I don’t see a reason to not go. 

Madara: Yep. So basically, you two are already on pretty decent terms. 

But what would you consider Hiiro-san to be to you? 

Is he an acquaintance from a different unit? Or perhaps someone close to a good friend of yours? …Try taking a step back to reevaluate. 

Kohaku: That’s true. Who knows whether or not Rabu-han an’ I have the same thoughts on this person. 

Madara: I’m also assuming that, since whatever happened during Matrix, your thoughts on him have complicated since. 

You two may be on relatively good terms, but with your perspective, it seems you can’t quite put a good name to your relationship. 

And that’s exactly why if you were able to get to a point where you could start calling him a “friend”, you could reforge your relationship with him entirely. 

Kohaku: Woah… I’d never expected you to give such sound advice. 

Madara: ….That’s odd. I’m supposed to be your older senpai with plenty of life experience under my belt, no?

Kohaku: My bad. I just didn’t expect the friendless Madara-han to be the one advisin’ me on makin’ friends. 

Madara: Hrm… what was that about me making fun of you earlier? 

Kohaku: Ahaha! ‘Course, I think I can do this with yer idea. Thank ya kindly ♪

Now, I’ll call Hiiro-han right away—

Hiiro: This… is a store selling idol merchandise, yes? 

Did you want to come to this store with me, Kohaku-san? 

Kohaku: It must’ve been a doozy to be called an’ brought here so suddenly, sorry ‘bout that. 

I was just glad to have gotten in touch with ya… but the only spot I can think for bringin’ “friends” is this idol goods store. (2)

Hiiro: “Friends”? 

Kohaku: Mmhm. I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout wantin’ to be such with ya, Hiiro-han. 

I thought of talkin’ it out with fists too, since I reckon that a playfight could bring us closer. 

Hiiro: With fists? Playfight? 

Kohaku: Ah, I’m just talkin’ to myself. Don’t worry ‘bout that. 

…So far, I believe you and I’ve been toddlin’ along on just “being on decent terms”. 

What do you think ‘bout callin’ each other “friends” from now on? 

We’ve even worked together as one unit before, so how ‘bout we continue workin' together? 

I’d never really tried to make friends before, so I may slip an’ say weird things from time to time. If that’s okay with you…. how about it? 

Hiiro: ….Umu! I’d love to, Kohaku-san! 

Kohaku: Really? 

Hiiro: Of course ♪ You’re a close friend of Aira’s, so I assumed that the two of us were already friends. 

But now that I think about it, I never did walk up to you and go, “let’s be friends!”, did I? 

From now on, as newfound friends… I’ll be in your care, Kohaku-san ♪

Kohaku: Ahaha, shakin’ hands as proof of our friendship, huh. What a nice feelin’ ♪

I planned on the two of us just goin’ shopping as friends, but I’d like ta hear more ‘bout ya, Hiiro-han. 

Do you have any other friends, like Hinata-han? What hobbies do you have, and what do ya usually talk about? Can ya tell me?

Hiiro: Of course! Let’s shop and chat away! 

Kohaku: Thanks, Hiiro-han. As friends, from now on… I’ll be in yer care ♪

—--------------------

Translation Notes

Callback to Aira's FS1 4* story, "Novices in Friendship", where Aira brings Kohaku to presumably the exact same merch store. 

Thank you for reading! This is not proofread at the moment, but this was such a cute story that I had to translate it!! ^^ 

[posebean]

fantasys your alkaloid‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ‼️ ‼️  ref sheet of alkaloid for my alkakurei fantasy au that i totally didnt abandon crazy:B here (notes abt world+magic system and other stuff on that post)

stuff abt their outfits and etc under read more

hiiro is fresh from his village baby boy left to go find his nii-san with only his clothes and a trusty satchel at his side- he just goes around looking for his nii-san and etcetc idk how long the gap is but he finds tatsumi and mayo and stays with them for some time and during that time tatsun gets him a coat because baby boy literally only has those and hes just been doing work for some guild (idk how to explain bc guilds require education but i guess tatsun pulled strings for him) so he has money to live while also looking for his nii-san and sometimes he has to go to cold places and one time he comes home after a job in a cold place and hes sick and tatsun is like hiiro-san please take this jacket with you :..) so now hiiro has a coat custom-made for him :3! he's good with elemental magic (the 5 core elements water wind fire earth plant) very versatile and a skilled little guy (not as talented as his nii-san but no one is as talented as nii-san!) anyways yadda yadda he gets a message or smth and is preparing to leave tatsun and mayo but (spoilers for meru fic) meru points him towards the town where everyone else is and yea he goes and finds his nii-san and now his goal has changed from find nii-san to convince nii-san to go back home but he befriends everyone else too and i think they do eventually go on some kind of adventure together maybe more the three younger ppl aira hiiro and kohaku

aira is a little silly fellow he dresses nicely (very inspired by fs2 but i cant stop looking at it and thinking damn he french colored......) and loves magic so much he admires all the grand mages and everyone in the upper echelons and loves watching other people cast spells and such unfortunately for him while he has a decently high innate talent, his control is God Awful which results in magic never going well for him- with no control at all, literally negative control, he can try to cast one spell and something completely different will be cast instead- and the skill level varies too it's literally just a roll of a dice for him if he tries to cast a simple flame spell he might end up flooding the room with a wall of water, it's that bad kkshfkj also he acts like he doesn't like it but he actually loves rabuhan-junior so much he secretly spoils the hamster named after him and rabuhan junior loves him back rabuhan-junior likes to sleep in his hat or on aira's head whenever kohaku goes out and leaves rabu-han junior with aira tatsun has very normal clothes bro dresses like a dad (did you know both of his fs have the same color palettes i didnt but using them as reference made me realize, anyways-) his clothes are very comfortable and easy to move around in, especially given his injury from [spoiler event here ]. he also has a cane and his injured leg has pain suppressor sigils and bandages wrapped all over it his leg isn't completely unusable like its not broken or anything its more like. a kind of necrosis like if you unwrapped it there would be a dark mark thats like icky and sometimes it flares up and hurts tatsun so much that he falls over and :( he found the cane one day in the catacomb (wonder who put it there) he added the begonia himself as a reminder of his sin... shiro is his little mouse familiar that he conjured with the help of kaname! she's a sweet little thing, often found sleeping on an open book on tatsumi's desk. she has the tatsumi-colored ears and legs because she was conjured up rather than a pact familiar. regarding magic tatsun is pretty average on both control and power, but that doesnt really matter because most of the spells he uses are passive spells more used for healing/doing work. he likes to garden and has a beautiful garden of all kinds of flowers at the chapel :) he just doesn't dare touch the flowers in the catacomb, because he knows someone else already takes care of those also that purple gem hanging around his neck is a gift from mayomayo it doesn't do anything and has no magic but tatsun still likes it :) mayomayo dresses in all dark colors because he believes that if he always dresses in dark colors no one will ever have to be bothered by seeing his existence he comes from a lineage that practices forbidden magic, not necessarily all dark but some of the more ... interesting spells . something happens in his past and he ends up leaving, taking with him his tome and well. proceeding to get chased by all kinds of monsters out in the wild because for some reason he just attracts all kinds of beasts poor guy magic-wise he does have the forbidden magic from his family but he more specializes in healing and curse removal- he doesn't dare do anything else for fear of (redacted). besides, maybe he'll one day be able to actually save somebody instead of hurting them, maybe his existence would be worth it some day. the ribbon in his hair (the green/teal one) is from tatsun :) he said mayo would look good in brighter colors and mayo disagreed so tatsun gave it to him and now its become part of his outfit and (i combust into a thousand bits ) also because of that mayo feels like he has to give tatsun something back so thats why he gives tatsumi a purple gem he had that used to hang from his spell tome anyways i still love this au very much and i hope you enjoyed now i will proceed to forget about it again /j i still really wanna write kohaku's fic and then maybe one last one for rinne-kun or smth because aghghj there's still so much that's not developed yet but (explodes)

[harleysart]

"I caught you~ Rabu-han."

 BRO THE KOHAAI IN THE NEW FS2 STORY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.  i drew the wrong outfit but it's fine!

[asherasgayagenda]

sometimes I forget that engstars removes honorifics and kohaku calling aira love hits me like a fucking truck

< hit by the truck that is kohaai

[turkey-sandwich]

Takamine Midori got fucking shot in the head.

Had a dream where they released FS2 Midori that's just Not very Midori like at all and the outfit was so fucking ibara-core

[mayoiayasep]

wait this fucking means no more rinne valentines next year god dammit

[toujokaname]

Card shuffle / Episode 3

Author: Akira

Characters: Hiiro, Niki, HiMERU, Kohaku

"So we're the stepping stones, the sacrificial lambs."

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[ Read on my site for a better viewing experience using Ois~su ♪ ]

Season: Winter

Location: Café Cinnamon

At the same time, in the ES building, at the coffee shop Cinnamon.

Hiiro: Hello! I'm Hiiro Amagi and I'll be taking over as the leader of Crazy:B starting today!

Everyone, I'm looking forward to working with you!

Niki: Aah, Otouto-san, come in, come in~♪

Please grab a seat there and sit tight for a sec, I'll treat you to lunch as a welcome~♪

HiMERU: —Shiina seems strangely upbeat.

Kohaku: Even if it's just for now, I reckon he's glad to be freed from Rinne-han's tyranny.

HiMERU: That sentiment is understandable. However, considering the plan ES has proposed, it's hard to be entirely happy about it.

A showdown between Crazy:B and ALKALOID, an all-out war...

There's certainly some demand for a clash between the newcomers who gained most prominence in ES's inaugural year.

However, there are several concerns.

First of all, given the grandiose and flashy nature of this project, there's a risk that the public perception of us may be fixed to "that" in the future.

Kohaku: We might be endlessly stuck playin' the roles of the Crazy:B and ALKALOID who're always at each other's throats...

I ain't fond of that at all, it might make it hard to get involved with my buddy Rabu-han.

HiMERU: Right. And structurally, there's a high probability that Crazy:B are set to be the villains, the losers in this plan.

That's how wrestling works. The heroes triumph over the villains and bask in the applause.

Kohaku: So we're the stepping stones, the sacrificial lambs. If someone had to pick between ALKALOID and Crazy:B as the villains... Right?

I'm sure that as the project organizers, ES'd prefer to promote the so very well-behaved ALKALOID.

HiMERU: Yes. However, it would be unpleasant to be used as a mere stepping stone in such a way.

While we may not be saints, HiMERU refuses to be demonized as a villain just to further emphasize the righteous.

Kohaku: ...Well, yeah, I ain't fond of that either. I don't mean to be cold-hearted, but we've got no obligation to prop ALKALOID up like that.

I'd be willin' to be a stepping stone for someone I like, but bein' forced to do so for folks I've got nothin' to do with is a different story.

HiMERU: Indeed. Therefore, HiMERU has devised a plan.

In accordance with this project's script, the leaders of Crazy:B and ALKALOID will be temporarily swapped, correct?

Our leader will no longer be that embodiment of evil, Rinne Amagi, but his younger brother, who is clearly a good kid at a glance.

Kohaku: Uh-huuh, I've got it, HiMERU-han. A leader's like a banner, and if that banner's been swapped out for a more innocent-lookin' one—

HiMERU: Exactly. Our overall image could also be painted in a positive light. No, let's make it so.

Under a new leader, we will be born again as virtuous beings. At least, we'll make it look that way to the world.

Then, we'll become the allies of justice, using the "villainous ALKALOID" led by Amagi as our own stepping stones.

We will no longer be the miserable losers, but the shining protagonists.

Kohaku: That's an enticin' idea. Yeah, if that's the case, what we need—

Hiiro: ...? Um, is it okay if I say hello?

Kohaku: Of course ♪ C'mere, c'mere, Hiiro-han!

Hehe. Things got a bit weird, but let's all get along, yeah? ♪

HiMERU: Yes ♪ Oops, the chair's a bit dusty. Let HiMERU take care of it with his handkerchief—Wipe, wipe ♪

Kohaku: (...A tad too obvious, ain't it?)

HiMERU: (No, Amagi's younger brother seems to be a very straightforward person.)

(Those kinds tend to be somewhat obtuse, so it's best to be overly blatant in displays of goodwill.)

Kohaku: (Ah, so by playin' nice llike this, Hiiro-han'll get motivated. And he might even be determined to do his best for us in Matrix.)

HiMERU: (Exactly. And so, by brilliantly defeating the ALKALOID led by Amagi, who seems blatantly unwilling to do so—we, Crazy:B, will emerge victorious in this project.)

HiMERU: (The victors are justice! Thus, we will become not miserable losers, but the winners who garner applause!)

Kohaku: (Feels a bit uncomfortable deceivin' such a genuinely good kid. But this is a real competition—ain't nothin' sinister 'bout it, so no one can call it cowardly~ Koh koh koh ♪)

[ ☆ ]

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[mirrortouchedsea]

What does being an idol mean to you, Kohakucchi?

wc: 2467

Despite being an idol for a few months going on a year, Kohaku doesn't really understand the concept of idols.

This was my piece for @alkakureizine ! You should check it out everyone did a great job ^.^

Read on AO3

----

“Hey Niki-han,” Kohaku started as Niki set a plate with his lunch in front of him. “What does it mean to be an idol?” 

Niki’s face took on a pensive look, like the question was hard to answer concisely. “Hmm, well I’m not too sure, Kohaku-chan. Why don’t we talk about it together over lunch? My break starts in a minute here.” 

“Sure.” Kohaku took a bite of his food as he let his thoughts surface again. He had been having doubts about being an idol, about what it meant to sing and dance on stage with Crazy:B (and to some extent, with Double Face). Could someone like him even call himself an idol? 

It was just a minute later when Niki set down an astounding five plates piled with food on the table and sat across from Kohaku and began eating. 

“So Kohaku-chan, what brought this on?” He asked between bites, not bothering to wipe the sauce dripping down his chin. Kohaku thought it was almost endearing how much Niki was “un-idollike” in these moments. Niki felt more down to earth than some of the other idols at ES at least. 

“I was just thinkin’ about a conversation I had with Rabu-han earlier is all,” he responded. “I know Rabu-han says we’re real idols but ‘m not too sure what that really means sometimes, and I don’t think he does either. At the very least, he didn’t care for my answer on the subject.” 

“Nyahaha! Is that all? Well, Rinne-kun would always say that idols bring love and joy to the world with their music when we were younger. He’d never admit to that now though.” Niki moved one of his plates to the side and began working on his second one. “Do idols have to be contained to just the music industry though? I think that Nagumo kid from Ryuseitai would consider me an ‘idol’ from my cooking show days.” 

“Huh, I didn’t know that Tetora-han looked up to you like that.” 

“Me neither, he just came up to me one day and started talking about how he used to watch my show when he was younger. He’s an enthusiastic one at least!” 

The two of them laughed at that. 

“Well I s’pose that idols could be anyone that someone looks up to. Even the man on the news could be an idol to someone out there, but I don’t think that’s what most people think of when you say ‘idol’...” 

“Hmm, yeah, TV personalities are being phased out to make room for musical idols more and more. Oh, how I wish I could still do a cooking show like I used to!” 

Kohaku knew that Niki was thinking about a specific set of events, though the details had never really been made clear to him. Rinne would always dance around the topic and Niki would just change it altogether. 

“Well then, I guess Rinne-kun was right for once about idols being people who make you smile and want to live! We wouldn’t be here without his love of them, after all.” 

“What d’ya mean, Niki-han?” 

“Oh, did we never tell you? Rinne-kun ran into an idol when I first picked him up off the street who inspired him to keep going or something. That’s how he tells the story anyway. I think he might have just seen someone on one of those TV displays on the street and got taken in by all the glitter.” 

“Kohkohkoh, you really don’t trust him, do ya.” 

“Nah, I trust Rinne-kun with a lot of things, but to not exaggerate his idol origin story isn’t one of them.” 

Kohaku raised an eyebrow. “You trust Rinne-han with anything?” 

“Well…” 

They laughed lightly as Niki finished another plate.

“Anyway, Kohaku-chan, I think you’re a great idol. You’ve got a lot of fans who love you and cheer you on, even as Double Face! We’re all a little awkward on stage but that’s part of our charm, isn’t it?” 

“I guess you’re right, Niki-han. Rabu-han always talks about how people think you’re cute and adorable on stage when you forget the choreography. He doesn’t like to tell me what they say about me online though.” 

“Hmm, I wonder why that is.” 

“I think he just wants me t’ focus on the people we see at our lives. He tells Otouto-han the same thing.” 

“Does that answer your question then, Kohaku-chan?” 

“I think I have a better understanding of idols now. Thanks, Niki-han.” 

“Nahaha, I’m glad! I have to get back on the clock in a minute here, but I’ll see you at practice later, right?” 

“We have practice later?” 

--- 

The next day, HiMERU and Kohaku met up at the cafe and slid into a booth in the far corner. HiMERU finished scribbling some notes on the paper in front of him and slid it to the boy across from him. 

“Here’s the notes from the meeting you missed yesterday. HiMERU recommends just skimming over it, as we don’t have any important work this week.” 

“Thanks, HiMERU-han. Didn’t we have that new song we were supposed to be learning?” 

“Ah, yes, thank you for reminding HiMERU. He believes it should be…here.” He points to a circled date on the schedule. “Try to practice your vocals before then. HiMERU is free this afternoon if you’d like to work on them together.” 

“Thanks again. You really don’t have to do that for me though.” 

“Nonsense. HiMERU needs to make sure his junior is keeping up with everything. Please let HiMERU know if you have any questions.” 

“Yeah yeah I got it you don’t have to keep repeating yourself like that.” 

HiMERU chuckled. “Of course, HiMERU will keep that in mind.” 

Their drinks were called out from the counter and HiMERU excused himself to get them, leaving Kohaku alone for a minute. The question he had asked Niki the other day tickled at the back of his mind, wanting to know what HiMERU thought about it. He would probably have a very different answer from Niki at the very least. 

A bright pink drink with whipped cream was set in front of him, pulling him from his thoughts. 

“Here you go. Enjoy, Oukawa.” 

Kohaku nodded as he bent the straw towards his mouth and took a drink. It was really sweet, almost too sweet. Aira might like it more than Kohaku did, though Aira would also probably insist on sharing it. 

“Hey, HiMERU-han, I got a question for you.” 

“What is it, Oukawa?” 

“What does being an idol mean to you?” 

HiMERU took a sip of his coffee. 

“Such an interesting question, Oukawa. Why do you ask?” 

“I was just thinkin’ about it. Rabu-han asked me a few days ago and didn’t seem to like my answer so…” 

“Ah, HiMERU understands. An idol to HiMERU is someone who is perfect and yet down to earth. Someone that their fans can aspire to be some day.” 

The answer is so matter of fact that Kohaku takes a second to respond. 

“That’s a very HiMERU-han answer.” 

“What do you mean by that, Oukawa?” 

“It just feels like somethin’ you’d say. Which I guess is why yer sayin’ it.” 

HiMERU chuckles and takes another sip of his drink. 

“HiMERU is glad to hear that.” 

“Mhm. Anyway, do you have any idols that you look up to, HiMERU-han?” 

HiMERU hesitated and took a long sip of his coffee. 

“He would rather not talk about that.” 

Kohaku raised an eyebrow. 

“Maybe another time, Oukawa.” 

There’s an awkward pause as Kohaku tried to figure out what to say again. The mood had soured just a little bit and he wanted to avoid making it worse. 

“Forget about it then. You said you were free to help me later, right?” 

HiMERU smiles again and sets his cup down. “Of course. He finishes his job around three this afternoon if that works for you?” 

--- 

The music ended and everyone slid into their final position with the last beat. Their breathing was heavy and the stench of sweat filled the air, but they had finally mastered their newest choreography. Kohaku felt proud looking at himself in the mirror with everyone else. He really had come a long way since their first live all those months ago. 

“Alright! Great job everybody!” Rinne shouted, pulling everyone into a very sweaty hug. They all grumbled, but Kohaku could see the tiny smiles on HiMERU and Niki’s faces. This song had been giving them difficulty with all of the complex jumps and having to stay in sync so much, but they had finally gotten to something presentable. 

Just in time for their live, too. With just under a week left, they had all been worried about being able to get this dance down. Niki had even asked to simplify some of the choreography, but when they tried that, everyone agreed it wasn’t nearly as impressive as the original, and thus scrapped the idea. 

HiMERU and Niki were already out the door, yelling something about meeting up for dinner in a few hours. Kohaku tentatively approached Rinne who was packing up the rest of their gear to take back, sweaty towel draped around his neck. 

“Hey, Rinne-han, can I ask ya something?” Why did this feel so awkward? He didn’t really approach Rinne first, it was normally the other way around. 

“Aw, Kohaku-chan has a question for me? Shoot, little man.” 

Kohaku rolled his eyes. “I was just wondering what being an idol means to you?” 

“Where’s this comin’ from? Did little Ai-chan put something in your head again?” 

“Rabu-han has nothing to do with this.” Kohaku felt his face heat up. “Not in the way yer thinkin’ anyway.” 

Rinne laughed. “‘Course he doesn’t. But why do you want to know?” 

“It’s for a school project,” Kohaku lied through his teeth. He knew Rinne would see right through it, though the older man didn’t say anything to that. 

“Alright, if it’s that important, I s’pose you can get an exclusive interview with the Amagi Rinne.” Kohaku rolled his eyes again. Maybe this was a mistake. 

“Well, you already know how I ran into that idol on the street and it completely changed the course of my life, yeah? That’s also shaped my own philosophy on idols. I know the other bees probably told you some bullshit about making people smile and laugh, but it’s more than that. 

“Being an idol is about giving people a place to belong. Crazy:B is there for the underdogs, the people that society tries to crush under its thumb, telling them to get back up and fight back, to speak their mind. If nothing else, we’ll be there to support them. 

“It’s more than just those surface level emotions. Music should resonate with the soul.” Rinne pointed to his heart. “You want to feel the music in your bones, scream those lyrics and mean them with everything you have. Never back down and never give up.” 

Kohaku was entranced for a moment after Rinne was done speaking, expecting something else to come after. 

“That was…very profound of you to say, Rinne-han.” 

“Kyahaha! I’m full of surprises, Kohaku-chan!” 

“But uh, thanks a lot. I think I get it now.” 

“So what exactly is this ‘school project’ you needed this for?” 

“Uh…” Kohaku bolted for the door as Rinne cackled and chased him out, both of them abandoning their practice bags in the room. They could always come back for them later anyway. 

--- 

After thinking about all of the answers he had gotten, Kohaku met up with Aira in the cafeteria again. He set his plate of food down and slid in the booth across from his dear friend who was typing away on his phone. 

“Oh! I didn’t see you, Kohakucchi! You said you had something for me?” Aira tapped the enter key and clicked his phone off, putting it face down on the table. 

“Yeah. I’ve thought about what it means to really be an idol for me and--” 

“You didn’t have to take it that seriously, Kohakucchi! I was mostly just joking with you and Hiiro since you two don’t know anything about idols.” 

Kohaku felt his face flush again. 

“Well if you don’t wanna hear my answer then--” 

“Agh! No I didn’t mean it like that, Kohakucchi! Please tell me!” 

Kohaku flicked a piece of rice at Aira and took a bite of his food. 

“I s’pose I can tell ya then, since you asked so nicely.” Kohaku purposefully chewed slowly on his food as he put his thoughts in order. “Well, Niki-han said being an idol is about making people smile, and doesn’t necessarily mean yer in the music business. Anyone can be an idol in any occupation.” 

Aira nods with a curious look on his face. He almost certainly didn’t agree but found the answer interesting all the same. 

“An’ HiMERU-han said that an idol should be somethin’ anyone can aspire to be, someone’ untouchable but humble.” 

“HiMERU-senpai is kind of old fashioned, though I guess that makes sense.” 

“An’ Rinne-han was Rinne-han. He said idols have to give a voice to the voiceless or somethin’ like that.” 

“He’s more…idealistic than I thought he would be.” Aira took a bite from his snack. “But you still haven’t told me what being an idol means to you, Kohakucchi.” 

It was then that Kohaku realized he hadn’t actually thought of his own answer. He supposed it was probably a mix of the others but… 

--- 

Just like in practice, the music wound down and they all slid into place. Niki’s jump was a beat behind but everyone was able to cover for it, and honestly? It was still a very Crazy:B performance. 

The audience is cheering and Kohaku thinks about what Aira said. You still haven’t told me what being an idol means to you. His eyes scan the crowd and he lands on a group of people towards the back of the small venue. They’re excitedly jumping and yelling with everyone else, decked out in what looked like handmade merch (maybe they couldn’t afford idol merch? It was certainly a possibility). 

He recognized them from a few of their other lives. Did they go to one of their handshake events too? They must have. 

Everything clicks into place as Kohaku realizes why he’s an idol. There are people just like him out there, people who feel isolated by their families from the world, people who can’t connect with others easily who are brought together by Crazy:B’s music. By his music. Because he’s up on stage and having fun with his friends (his new family), people are finding a reason to keep going. 

He smiles and waves to the crowd, smiling brightly at the fans in the back row.