THE IDOLM@STER SideM ST@RTING LINE-04 High×Joker/Drama

Drama part 1 ～High×Joker～

Translator: nemuruoogarasu
(DRIVE A LIVE starts playing)
	315 Production presents to you this High×Joker special! Make it sparkling! Make it thrilling! Hy…p… Meg… Max… uhh— / Hyper Mega Max, super hype-up— Special Radio!
	…All right, so we’ve begun the… Hyper Mega Max, super hype-up special radio…!
	We’re going with MAX excitement right at the beginning!
(DRIVE A LIVE fades out)
	*sighs*… Please wait a moment, Hayato, Shiki-kun.
	Ahaha! No beating around the bush with Juncchi’s demonic retorts, I guess!
	Did you say something just now, Shiki-kun?
	N-nothing, no sirree.
	What was with that title call just now? It’s completely different from what’s written on the script.
	The correct title should be… umm……315 Production presents to you…… this High×Joker special…… Make it sparkling… Make it thrilling… special radio……
	U-uh, wait, Natsuki. Maybe read those lines with a little bit more excitement so we can fire it up?
	Um…… More… excitement…… Mm…… Hm… ……How do I do that, Haruna?
	Ah…… Uh— Well, whatever. You’re fine the way you are. Yep.
	I can’t believe you. We’re not going to put in the Hyper Mega Max and super hype-up parts.
	But it’s totally a lot cooler this way! Hayatocchi and I thought this up in secret a while ago, just for this.
	Wow… *glares* Hayato, you’re a culprit in this too?
	Well~… umm… Ahahaha…
	All right, settle down there. You too, Jun. We’re losing time if we keep going like this.
	Oh, you’re right. Anyways, let’s get started!
(Haruna flips the paper)
	‘Kay… This program is for 315 Production’s… Eh… uh—… Hey, Natsuki, how do you read this…?
	……Um…
	Lend it to me.
(Jun takes the paper)
	Whoops!
	Jun......
	What part was that? …This program is for 315 Production’s unit, the up-and-coming idol unit currently in high school, High×Joker. We aim to show the listener our charm through this hype-up, vibin’ along, radio program, dude! Yay~
(Jun puts down the paper)
	“Hype-up… Vibin’ along…” Shiki-kun… You even meddled with the script?
	Urk—… Cat’s outta the bag…
	Mmhahaha… If we keep going like this, we won’t be able to make any headway… Guys, Producer finally managed to secure a special radio program for us. We gotta do it more properly. Ahem. …Um…
(Hayato flips through the papers)
	This one’s the original script. …This program is for 315 Production’s unit, the up-and-coming idol unit currently in high school, High×Joker. We aim to show the listener our charm through this special radio program. Though it will be a short time, please do accompany us! Now then, let’s introduce each member once more.
(Clapping)
	Ooh! / YAAAY~!
	I’ll go first! I’m the leader, Akiyama Hayato. I play guitar!
	I’m the youngest member, vocalist Iseya Shiki! YAY~
	I’m the pianist, Fuyumi Jun.
	......I’m Sakaki Natsuki… Bassist.
	I’m the drummer, Wakazato Haruna. I’m a young’n fresh 18 year old~
	The five of us together make up High×Joker!
	...We nailed it!
	‘Cuz we can do it if we try.
	It’s thanks to Hayato.
	N-not really, hahaha… You’re making me blush.
	What, are you planning to digress right after that? Let’s keep up the pace and continue on.
	Gotchas.
(Hayato flips through the papers)
	Um… Okay, then. First things first. We want the listeners to know more about us! So with that…
	By the way! I don’t know how all you guys decided on the instruments that you were gonna be playing. Since we’ve got the chance right now, please tell us all about it!
	……Ah, just now… He actually went along with the script…
	Why’d ya just expose me like that, Natsukicchi!? You’re gonna ruin our groove; it was going so well!
	Eh—…… Uh…… Umm…… I’m sorry.
	Ah, there, there. No worries, no worries. Don’t fight, and let’s all get along, okay? Anyway, we were talking about how we decided on the instruments we were playing, right? I joined last, so… Even though I chose drums, I didn’t really have some profound meaning for it. It was just the open position, simple as that.
	Even though you say that, when you’re with the drums, you’re rather… how do I put it? You’re serious about it, Haruna-san. Despite them being such exhausting instruments, stamina-wise, and requiring a lot of practice.
	Oh!? O-oh…… thanks!
	Yep, yep! Haruna, your drumming is really steady. And honestly, that’s surprising. That’s probably rude, isn’t it.
	Yeah, yeah. If I did have a steady disposition, I wouldn’t have repeated those years, huh…? Oh, so what about you, Hayato? Why did you start playing guitar?
	My reason? It’s because, no matter what, playing the guitar makes me popular!
	*sighs* ...
	Hayatocchi’s guitar playing is, like, how do you put it… Like, mega awesome! When we’ve got a hyped-up, vibing-along song, it’s so passionate! And when it’s a song that’s on the quieter side of things, it’s got this hyper tender feel to it~ I dunno if you could call it energy, but it’s got power behind it!
	I concur that he plays the guitar well. But that’s exactly why his impure reason of wanting to become popular is so…
	Huh? It’s not impure. I just purely want to be popular!
	…Hayatocchi’s eyes are sparkling and pure as can be…
	And what about it.
	Mmhahaha… So why did you play keyboard, Jun?
	Uh— I was…… originally a piano player. So that’s all there is to it.
	......Jun’s piano playing is… amazing......! Ah… it’s not like the sound itself is just echoing. It’s as if you can see the scenery from the sound…… When I hear it, it gets across to my heart so strongly......
	I-I see…!
	N-nothing less of you…
	Natsuki, that was embarrassing…
	Ahh, so why’d you start bass, Natsuki?
	......Ah...... um......
	Hey…! Natsuki…! Y-you can do this!
	Natsukicchi, say something, anything! If you keep quiet like this, then the program’s gonna be thrown haywire!
	Ah…… uh…… umm…… um. …Nothing, really.
	By “nothing, really,” you mean… You didn’t have a specific reason for picking it?
	...Yeah.
	But I like your bass playing. It gets easier to play the drums for me, I guess. We got a good groove between us as the rhythm squad, don’t we!
	Ah…… fufu. Yes.
	…Wha— We’re nearing the time limit, so we have to wrap it up? We don’t have that much time left!? Are you serious…?
	*sighs* It’s because we wasted time ever since the very beginning! Come on, let’s start finishing up.
	All right, then. To finish this off, let’s have each member talk about his thoughts on our future activities!
	As long as we’re going to be idols, imperfect as we are, I’ll do my actions without fail. That’s all I have to say.
	……Um… Ah…… I’ll try my best… at least.
	Uhh— Then I’ll try my own best to graduate safely!
	WHAT!? Graduate!? Harunacchi, you can’t graduate from the band! You can’t do that, no matter what! High×Joker is eternal~!
	No, man! Calm down, Shiki! I’m referring to graduating high school safely…!
	*sighs*…… Come on, leader. Please end things before everything falls out of order.
	Haha, yeah, I guess I have to. Mmh! I originally started this band because I wanted to be popular. But now, as a member of High×Joker, I want to stand on an even larger stage with everyone. That’s the major feeling I have about this, I guess. Oh, of course— for that to happen, we’ll need the fans’ support! So please do continue to take care of High×Joker from now on! So with that, we’ll be ending things here!
	Ooh, you wrapped it up nicely. Nice job, leader!
	‘Kay then, all of us are gonna ask too!
	Once more, ready, set…
	Please take care of High×Joker!
	And with that, your hosts have been High×Joker!
	Bye-byesies~☆