Epilogue of Ev3ns SIDE:B

May I help y…

Huh?!

Pardon the intrusion!!

Excuse us!!

‘Scuse us!!

Wha… Kodama-san?! What are you doing here?

Chief, I heard you shouting. Is everything okay?

Please give me an order to continue the performance, Master.

Wait, Kodaman?!

Warden Kodama?! What’s going on? Why’d you bring your guys with you?

(Oh, perhaps all of my preparation is starting to show its results.)

(…The head warden. He’s finally here.)

Ch-Chii…!

Ah, ahem! I have something very important to give to Ev3ns.

Something…important?

Hand it over, men!

Yes, sir! These have been awarded you by the head warden.

Kitakata Raito! We have taken into consideration your model behavior, your continued participation in your prison task, and the fact that you were imprisoned on false charges. As a result, you have been dismissed from your task and discharged from prison!

…Huh?

The others have also been discharged! The details for each of you are different, but you have all earned your freedom. You may read more in your individual certificates!

…The true culprit of the assault turned himself in? And he confessed that I had taken the blame for it…?

Nayuki, did you…?

Surprisingly enough, I didn’t have any part in this. The culprit just felt guilty and turned himself in for your sake.

I see… I should go and visit him then.

My certificate also says that I was discovered to be arrested on a false charge. How did they come to this conclusion?

They found the tape that your father left you, so they decided to reinvestigate.

Your actions were found to be legal, since his life support was suspended at his own request and with the consent of his family.

……

Chii’s still guilty. But it says that since it was a minor offense, my prison term’s over. Yippie!

Same here. I mean, mine should’ve a false charge too, but… Well, as long as I’m free, it’s whatever.

Due to a lack of evidence, I was found to be innocent through a retrial, hm? And I’m to be presented for a trial in the near future… I see.

(My kittens did an excellent job erasing the evidence. They deserve a reward…)

In any case!! As of today, you are no longer prisoner idols!

Ev3ns is now a group of ex-prisoner idols! I hope you’ll never forget about the days you spent on the island… The grueling training I put you through… The love I felt for you…!

(Love…?)

Shine brightly! For you are idols, stars who gleam more brilliantly than anyone else! Go Ev3ns!

Let’s go! Ev3ns!

Let’s go! Ev3ns!

Flawless and unparalleled! The ex-ex-ex-ex-prisoners!

Ev3ns, go!

Go, Ev3ns, go!!!

(W-What are they, a cheer squad…?)

I’ve now expressed my love for you… I know you will become the best idols in JPN! Now, excuse me.

Chii… You have what it takes to win against 13’s…!

…!

W-What was that all about…?

Hmm… Well, guess we’re not prisoners anymore. There goes our selling point.

Um, I think being ex-prisoners is still one hell of a rep to have.

This might mark the beginning of the next chapter for Ev3ns. Let’s keep working hard, so we can see Warden Kodama in our audience again!

Understood.

*sigh…* Well, I suppose I’ll put up with you as long as I’m here for temporary housing.

Of coursies! Let’s keep the vibes going strong!

(That surprised me, but I’m so glad that the Evening Team is free now! Hmm, where’s the extra food?)

Chief, I can help you carry that.

Oh, Raito-san. I’m really glad they found out you were falsely charged. Kafka’s excited to put out a press release about your discharge soon.

Ahh, right… I suppose that’s the natural course of things.

(Hm? Raito-san doesn’t look as happy as I expected him to be.)

Is something bothering you?

Well, I did agree with Chihiro when he said that we lost one of our selling points by being discharged. On top of that, it just doesn’t feel very real to me.

The man that I took the blame for turning himself in makes me wonder if what I did even had a point… He has a family too, so I’m very worried for them.

(Raito-san’s changed so much… When I first met him, he wouldn’t have been the type to care about other people’s feelings so much.)

You can visit him and ask him about it! And I’m sure Ev3ns will find lots of more selling points from now on.

…Right.

Besides, nothing will change the fact that I’m an ex-prisoner now. Even if I was imprisoned on a false charge, people will still be wary of me.

Ev3ns will continue to face a fair amount of adversity as we move on.

So that’s why I’m sure there’s a certain something that only people who enjoy our performances understand…

I’ll put my faith in that, and Ev3ns can keep moving forward, embracing our scars as we go…!

We will lead the way for everyone who suffers just as we have. We’ve been smeared in mud, we’ve been disparaged and criticized…but we still move forward. That’s the kind of idol group I want us to be.

I think that sounds perfect for Ev3ns!

Thank you.

…Chief, you’ll be my companion for life, won’t you?

Of course.

Haha, then nothing can take me down!

Thanks for coming, Nagi. Here’s what I wanted to hand you.

Just use this to record anything you’d like. That’s all. You can give it back to Renga once you’re done.

……

What’s the matter?

I’m worried that I’ll overwrite something if I start recording… What if I end up accidentally erasing the whole thing?

Haha, don’t worry about that! All you have to do is press the record button, so you’ll be fine.

Oh, and I’ve been meaning to invite you to this for a while, but…I’m a biker too.

Would you like to go on a road trip with me sometime?

…Sure. If you’re okay with it.