A Certain Morning of Them Now

[nebulancer]

 

Shu: *wakes up*

Since I’ve opened my eyes, I guess I should get up.

—

*sound of eggs frying*

Eichi: Eh?

Red or white, which color car should you buy for the meeting?

I haven’t even seen them, so I can’t decide.

But Dad likes white, right?

We got the yellow car before because you decided it, Mom.

How about asking Dad this time?

Dad’s coworkers were telling him, “What a cute car!” and he’d have to bear it with his face all red.

Eh? I’m cold?

“How did my son turn out like this?” No, no, no! I didn’t mean it that way…

Ah, I said this before, but I’m making breakfast right now.

I’m making fried eggs— fried eggs, okay?

…Eh? I should make dashimaki once in a while too?

That hurdle’s too high!

You should be proud of how much time I’m spending on this at le—

Okay, okay. That’s right.

You were always making four bento for your three children and your husband every morning, weren’t you?

All right, all right. I got it. I’ll do my best!

Next time, I’ll definitely make dashimaki and send you a picture, okay?

*ding*

Ah, did you hear that? You heard that, right?

The bread’s done toasting; I’m hanging up now.

Mm. Mmhmm. I’ll eat vegetables. I’ll drink milk.

For Isse and Icchi in their growing periods, nutritional balance is important.

Mm. Shu’s busy too, so I’m properly supporting him.

I got it already.

…Thanks. *laughs* Give Dad my regards, too. I’ll come home soon.

Uh, finally, for the car, I think either color would be great, but I’m rooting for white a little.

Bye! Talk to you later.

*sighs* Mom’s gotten to be so energetic in this one year, but whenever I’m talking to her through the phone, she feels the most powerful.

Why is that…? It’s a mystery.

But it’s a good thing that she’s doing well.

Now then, the bread’s been nicely toasted… And the fried egg’s finished…

There we go. Here!

Horimiya Eichi’s special Morning Plate is finished! *chuckles* Just kidding.

I guess I should go wake up Isse and Icchi…

*sighs* Such nice weather. In a pretty room lit by the morning sun, delicious breakfast’s been prepared.

Ah~ It’s so wholesome, my past self working as an AD would’ve been actually unnerved by this if he’d seen it.

Back then, pulling all nighters and shutting myself in was almost a given.

My breakfasts were usually staff bento and convenience store food.

Having cup ramen, I’d have to rely on vegetable juice to get my nutrition.

That was the job I chose, but I was actually pretty satisfied by that, and it’s not like I regretted it.

But health-wise, that might not have been the best choice…

[door opens]

Shu: Good morning, Eichi.

Are you preparing breakfast? It smells good.

Eichi: Ah, Shu. Good morning.

Yeah, I just finished making breakfast, and I was planning to go wake up Isse and Icchi.

Shu, you don’t have work today, right?

I thought you’d sleep more soundly.

Shu: No, you’re right. This is the one day I don’t have any work.

Eichi: Even so, you woke up early. You should sleep with all you’ve got, seeing as how you’re completely off work today.

Shu: I was planning to sleep that way, but I woke up early out of habit.

Eichi: If it were me, I’d want to enjoy my sleep without a moment’s delay.

Shu: You’re saying that, but you give off the image that you’re a morning person.

Eichi: I guess. I like waking up early.

By making my day longer, it feels more special.

Shu: Special, huh?

Eichi: It’s always on a change of the mood to the bitter end, though.

[door opens]

Shu: Oh.

Eichi: Hm?

Ichiru: *yawning* Good morning.

Issei: *yawning* Good morning.

Shu: Good morning, Ichiru, Issei.

Eichi: Good morning, Icchi, Isse. What’s wrong, you two?

Waking up without having someone wake you up…

Ichiru: Mmrgh… *slurring words* We can… wake up on our own too…

Shu: *laughs* It seems you’re not awake, though. See, you’ve got incredible bed hair.

Ichiru: But today, Shu doesn’t have any work, right?

Shu: Mm? Yes, that’s right.

Issei: We thought that it’s been a while since we’ve been able to talk to you.

Ichiru: Yeah, that.

Shu: *chuckles* That’s why you woke up? That makes me happy.

Ichiru: But… Honeshtly…

Issei & Ichiru: I’m sleepy.

Eichi: *laughs* You two stayed up last night with Shu, going “You don’t have any work tomorrow, right~?”

Do you want some café au lait to wake up?

Issei: I do. I’ll help out, too.

Ichiru: Me too.

Eichi: It’s all right! I’m servicing you guys this much! It’s a service!

It’d be dangerous if you’re half-asleep, anyway.

The two of you should sit and wait. Why not start talking with Shu in that meanwhile?

I’ll bring you Eichi’s special Morning Plate!

Shu: Sorry about this, Eichi.

Eichi: No worries. It’s been a while since all of us have been able to sit and eat breakfast together, so I’m happy.

Wait a bit, okay?

Shu: How about we wait for everyone to eat breakfast together, just like Eichi said?

Come here, you two.

I’ve been rushing around a lot and haven’t been able to talk with you two face-to-face.

I’ll accompany you as long as you want.

Ichiru: Yeah.

—

Ichiru: Thank you for the meal~!

Issei: Thank you for the meal!

Eichi: It’s not that big of a deal. Fufu. It seems the two of you are wide awake, now that you’ve eaten.

Ichiru: Yeah! I’m totally, completely refreshed!

Hey Eichi, thanks!

Issei: Thank you, Eichi.

What’ll you do after this, Shu?

Shu: Hm? Me? Let’s see…

It’s been a while, so I was thinking about wandering around the city without a clear goal.

If you all want, why not come with me?

Today’s self-practice for you, and you don’t have work either, right?

Ichiru: That’s right. So I’m coming with.

Honestly, every day’s been so busy, if someone had asked me that suddenly, I’d have to go, “I’m sorry, I can’t~”

But at that point, since I’m a performer, that’d be my dream.

Eichi: *laughs* That’s it.

Shu: It’s not as if I’ve just suddenly become busy.

I have an advantage from when I worked in my previous unit.

My face’s pretty well known, so it’s easy at times.

Issei: Your degree of popularity and experience might’ve been because of your previous unit, but…

Shu: Hm?

Issei: As Shu, as the person himself, you have some sort of eye-catching quality to you.

You have a sense of being here.

When I talk to you, your movements have some sort of elegance that somehow attracts my eyes.

There aren’t a lot of people like that.

I think it’s amazing.

Eichi: You’re right!

I get the impression that Shu’s always basking in the spotlight.

That’s how it’s been even since a long time ago.

Shu: Doesn’t that mean I’m out of place, Eichi?

Well, I’ve been told that since I was a child, but I’m not aware of it myself.

Eichi: Ah— really?

Shu: Yeah. It seemed I was the only one apart from the rest of the group.

Even so, I don’t remember being bullied or being made the odd one out.

I don’t have bad memories of it… but I would be singled out at first glance.

I thought it’d be because of my appearance, but I guess not.

Eichi: Appearance?

Shu: Since I don’t know my father, I can’t claim to know anything.

Although I think I might be foreign in some part of my ancestry.

Children are sensitive to that little difference.

Eichi: Oh… Once you’ve said that, your body’s features really are paler and your face is set more deeply, so you do seem different from Japanese people.

If you’re half or quarter foreign, then I’d completely understand.

Ah, but no matter which, you’re still a wonderful person!

Shu: *chuckles* Thank you.

Ichiru: Putting that all together, it’s, uh… What was it?

The closer you are, the tighter you are?

Shu: Being closer, one doesn’t mind, isn’t that it?

Issei: We said this before, but Shu stands out.

Being near someone who stands out makes you feel braver.

Ichiru: Issei and I end up attracting gazes a lot, too.

That might be something like it.

Eichi: The impact of having twins be with you is huge, isn’t it?

Even though you might think it’s rude, those thoughts pop into my mind too.

Going, “Wow! It’s twins! That’s amazing!”

Someone calling you “amazing” is probably rude, though…

Ichiru: Not really. I guess I’d hate being stared at for too long, but being looked at is something that’s happened since we were born, and honestly… I’m used to it.

Eichi: I see.

Ichiru: Yeah. I don’t think all that much about being called “amazing” either.

If you see two of the same face lined up next to each other, I think that’d be the normal reaction.

Like there’s no helping that they doubled up.

It’s basically if a mirror just popped up in the middle of the road.

Issei: I… was fine with it up until recently, but when I was young, I disliked it when people looked at me.

Ichiru: Eh— seriously?

Issei: Yeah. I felt… nervous when people looked at me.

I didn’t know if they were looking at me because we came from an orphanage or because we’re twins.

I didn’t know, so that might’ve made me unnecessarily nervous.

I thought that, if I did something bad, I’d be immediately reported.

“This is a child from an orphanage,” or something.

Eichi: Isse…

Issei: Also, I thought Ichiru would be taken away somehow, and I hated that idea.

Because I didn’t want him to be apart from me, I kept him close to me.

Ichiru: W-w-w-wh-wh-what’s up with that?!

Issei: *laughs* Of course that wouldn’t happen, right?

Since we’re always together.

Ichiru: Hmph. I guess.

Issei: Now, I’m fine with being looked at.

If I stand out and seem in the center of attention, I’m still bad with that, but I think I have to get used to it bit by bit.

We were the ones who chose this job, after all.

Ichiru: Yeah, that’s right.

For me, I’m gonna stand out the most whenever I can! That’s how I feel.

Issei: You’re very reliable, Ichiru.

Ichiru: Uhuh! ‘Cause I don’t hate standing out! Leave it to me!

Shu: Issei and Ichiru both can keep working on their weaknesses gradually without pushing themselves too hard.

In the first place, it’s rare to be pushing yourself so early in the morning, so there’s no need to rush.

Personally, I think it’s frightening to attract the attention of others in an instant.

Being crazed over immediately or losing attention in a flash is something you get tired of often.

The public interest is a fickle thing, to the point it’s almost a self-destructive pattern.

Eichi: Honestly, that happens often in agencies, doesn’t it?

On one hand, there are people who take hold of their momentum and step up in an instant and end up doing well, but on the other…

Shu: There’s a necessity in going along with what’s in fashion and using that momentum.

But you’re risking that you get pulled into it and get in over your head.

Issei, Ichiru, you’re all right.

We’re moving forward step by step, and we still have time.

Let’s take it without rushing.

Issei/Ichiru: Okay/Got it!

Eichi: *claps hands* Okay, okay~!

Since we’ve finished our chat, let’s return to our first topic.

We’re going to confirm our plans after this, but we’ve all decided to go out, right?

Since Shu is coming with, and it’s the four of us, we should check in with the manager.

Because there are four of us, let’s go in the car! I’ll take out the car.

Shu: *chuckles* Sorry for relying on you for everything, Eichi.

Eichi: No need to worry! I’m excited for our outing too.

It’s been a while since the four of us have been together like this.

Where should we go?

Hey, Shu, do you have anything you want to do?

Shu: Let me think… shopping, maybe?

Jobs such as onstage greetings and standing on an event stage are going to continue for as long as I can tell, so I’d like clothes that would be appropriate for them.

Eichi: Whoa~ I feel like we’re going to be buying some expensive stuff~

Issei: Eichi! I want to buy a hard disk with a little bit bigger capacity, too.

Eichi: Ah, got it! Isse, you want to buy something too?

Ichiru: Huh? Hard disk? For what?

Issei: My laptop’s available data filled up, so I was thinking about swapping it out.

Ichiru: Ooh, it’s because you’re taking a ton of pictures every day, huh!

Eichi: Then once we finish the drive, let’s head into a huge mall where we can go into an appliances store.

Ichiru: What mall are we going to?

—

*keys rustling*

Eichi: Car keys, car keys… I should check if there’s gas in the car, too.

…Shu and Icchi and Isse have always had something special about them since they were born.

Even so, was it because they had special circumstances that the people themselves became special?

In QUELL, I’m the only one whose household was so extremely normal.

I might just be the one who’s out of place.