Perplex Ch. 4-5 (Unproofread)
Unproofread Translations Terms of Service
This story is not JP proofread. Unproofread translations are under much harsher terms of service. While these translations are as accurate as I can personally make them, I am not comfortable with and do not permit use of the following:
⦿ Do not take or publicly circulate screenshots of this translation.
⦿ Do not use this translation in analysis threads, story threads, fanworks, quotebots, etc.
⦿ Do not link this translation in masterlists, story directories, etc.
I would love to get this story properly proofread and posted one day! If you are a translator interested in JP proofreading this story, feel free to DM me at @citrinesea on X.
Chapter 4
Greetings, everyone. It looks as if we are all here!
A good afternoon to you too, Saegusa-dono. I look forward to working with you today.
Hehe, it’s a real pleasure to work with you today. This is certainly a strange group of four, isn’t it?
You said it. It’s more like there’s not a lot we got in common. Well, it’s just a normal drink tasting, so I guess they just grabbed the people who had the free time for it?
The term "free time" is not something I will overlook. Time is money, and I don’t have an overabundance of it to throw around.
Oops, sorry. Shouldn’tve called it free time, huh? 'Cuz this is just another job too.
Yes, that is exactly right. We cannot sell anything that would damage the image of our offices, after all.
Teehee, isn’t it exciting to see what kind of drinks we’re going to have? You feel the same, don’t you Shinobu-chan?
Y-Yes! I’m curious too!
(... Hang in there, Sengoku Shinobu! As a bonafide ninja, I’ll see to it that Yuuta-kun’s prank is a success!)
......
“Uh oh~ doing alright over there, Shinobu-kun? You seem a little nervous by the looks of it.”
"Oop, did the cameras start already? The mastermind behind this prank is me, Aoi Yuuta~♪"
“The truth about this drink tasting is…it’s all a sham! It’s a fake project that was arranged solely for the prank!"
“A little birdie told me that Shiina-senpai from Crazy:B and Cafe Cinnamon was planning on making drinks based on the image of each agency!"
“I took advantage of the opportunity!”
“Here’s a special thanks for Cafe Cinnamon’s manager! Tha~ank you very much!”
“Now then, no time to delay, lemme fill you all in on the contents of the prank~”
“This time, the target is… COSPRO’s Deputy Director Ibara Saegusa-sen~pai!”
“The drinks are all being crafted by Cafe Cinnamon, but the STARPRO drink is actually my mega spicy, little concoction.”
"I’m a spice aficionado, but it's a drink packed with so much heat that it’d set my mouth on fire, so if the deputy director were to drink it, it’d be a disaster..."
“Of course, the only one who doesn’t know is the deputy director. Shinobu-kun, Kiryu-senpai, and Narukami-senpai are all in on it too"
"I really just wanted to make the deputy director drink it, but unfortunately, since the plan was to invite one idol from each agency, I had to move things around behind the scenes."
"Any~ways, with the inside scoop outta the way, I'm gonna have Shinobu-kun and the others make sure the deputy director drinks the super spicy STARPRO drink."
"And while the deputy director’s rolling on the floor from sucking down the heat, I’ll come out from a different room and reveal the truth ☆"
“Now then, now then, what kinda interesting reaction is Deputy Director Saegusa gonna give us? Stay tuned, everyone!”
"Right, let's all take a look at the scene of the crime again. C’mon, c’mon..."
Thank you for your patience~ I have with me here your specially-made agency-inspired drinks~
Oh my, they’re pretty stylish, aren't they~♪ I wonder which drink is inspired by NEWDI?
This one. This time, we asked idols from each agency for their input and created the drinks off of it.
Is this one RhyLin? The color’s the most subtle, so I was thinkin’ it had more of a mature kinda air to it…
Right on the money, Kiryu-kun. Wow~ I'm glad you picked up on it~♪
I see. If I had to say, the flashy, cheerful-looking drink feels as if it’s more befitting of STARPRO, so by process of elimination, this one would be COSPRO.
Ahaha. The colors are so vibrant, just looking at them will cheer you up! It looks so tasty~♪
(… Phew, everything’s going okay. Saegusa-dono doesn’t seem to suspect a thing.)
Well then, take your time, everyone~♪
Thanks for going out of your way for us, Shiina-senpai.
STARPRO, COSPRO, RhyLin— they all look absolutely scrumptious too~ Could you let me try them later.
Yes, of course it’s no problem. I need to evaluate the other flavors so I can properly convey the merits of the COSPRO drink, after all.
Alrighty now, should we try ‘em out?
A-Ah, please wait!
What’s the matter, Sengoku? Y’don’t gotta straw or somethin’?
No, that's not it. Since we're already going to the trouble, how about we do the drink exchange first?
Why would we do that? Wouldn't it be better to evaluate the taste of our own agency first?
Yeah. You’d usually drink from your own agency, wouldn’t ya?
(Eh? Why aren’t you taking my side, Kiryu-dono!? This isn’t part of the plan!)
It’s not an issue for me. Look, wouldn’t you want to say your own agency drink’s the best if it’s the first one you had?
It might be a good idea to give our comments on the flavors of the other agencies to make sure there’s no bias.
R-Right! That’s what I was thinking, that’s why I suggested it!
I see. Well, it’s cool either way. I don't think it’s gonna matter whether it’s before or after.
(Alright, back on track! Now that we’re here, I’ll just give Saegusa-dono the STARPRO drink and…)
No, I'm personally against it. I think it would be better to drink the drinks from our own agencies first.
… Eh?
I think we would be able to give more accurate reviews if we started with our drink, cycled through the others, and ended with our drink again.
Hm~m, yeah. After knowing all the other flavors, we might pick up on more things we found appealing when we circle back.
Not just that, but in the unlikely event that the COSPRO drink is dubious, I would want to make sure those from other agencies don’t drink it first and become victims themselves.
I personally think it would be best to be sure the drink is delicious before asking for everyone else's input. How’s that?
For sure. If the NEWDI drink isn’t tasty, I can’t recommend it to everyone else.
Welp, it's just a rough draft, so I guess there's a chance it’s gonna taste bad. Guess it’s somethin’ that does need a taste-test.
(N-Narukami-dono, Kiryu-dono, wh-why! )
(If those two drink the drinks from their own offices, I'll have no choice but to drink the mega spicy STARPRO drink too...!)
Oh? Is something the matter, Mr. Sengoku? It seems you haven’t taken a sip of your drink yet…
We have an interview to respond to as well, so there’s no time to dawdle.
R-Right~! At this point, there’s nothing I can do but drink it...
(I have no choice but to prepare myself for the worst. This is the fate of a ninja who has failed his mission…)
W-Well then… Here comes Sengoku Shinobu~!
(Sip… Gulp, gulp.)
(Cough) …!?
Shinobu-chan!? Hold it, what’s wrong? Get it together!
Oi, his eyes are rollin’ to the back of his head! Are you okay, Sengoku? Was it the drink?
… So it was a trap.
Huh? Trap?
How about you show yourself now, Yuuta-kun. I suppose you’re watching us from somewhere.
… I-I’ve been summoned, da-da-da-daaaa~ ♪
Just kidding. Aha… ahaha….
Yuuta-chan!? Wait, that aside, you’ve got a signboard…
It says “Prank: Huge Success” on it…? So that means Sengoku passed out ‘cuz…
You’ve got it wrong! I wasn’t pranking Shinobu-kun…
I was the target, right? So, I used the trap to my advantage.
It'd be more appropriate for me to take that sign right now, don’t you think? Should I say “Reverse Prank: Huge Success!” Yuuta-kun?
Kh…
That’s what happens when you snap your jaws at the wrong person. Next time, please make sure to assess the strength of your opponent and choose your prey accordingly, a-ha-ha~♪
Chapter 5
I’m so annoyed~! That victorious look on the deputy director's face! It keeps popping up in my head, and it pisses me off!
Calm down. Weren’t you the one who arranged this whole thing, Yuuta-chan?
If Ibara-chan noticed what you were up to and retaliated, isn't that just karma?
You’re callin’ it karma, but it's not like Aoi got what was comin’ to ‘im. Sengoku was the one in the crossfires instead.
Oi, you good Sengoku? If you’re feelin’ okay, give us a sign.
……
No good, his soul’s sucked out of ‘im for good. Aoi, tone it down a lil’. Just how spicy didja make it?
Sorry. I figured it wasn’t as spicy as I thought, so I got a little carried away.
I’m sorry to Shinobu-kun, too. He was willing to take part in the prank, but it turned out like this…
(Sigh)… First off, get to linin’ up some chairs over there, Aoi.
It'll be more comfortable for ‘im if we let Sengoku sleep across ‘em rather than me hafta carry him piggyback forever.
Yeah, yeah…
At any rate, I never would have thought that project was a prank...
Yeah. It's surprising how you don’t notice ‘til they get the jump on ya.
No, no, what are you talking about?! It’s bizarre for you two to say you didn’t know!
Eh? What’s that supposed to mean?
We called you two in to help as instigators, didn’t we? Why wouldn’t you know anything?
You’re sayin’ that, but we don't know what's going on.
Gyahaha~♪ That’s a miserable lil’ mug you got there, huh Yuta~♪