_DEBUTING_AT_LAST
(Vol. 2 Track 1)

Tsugumi: (giggling) I can’t..! Toki..! Your face is totally blank in this one!

Toki: Ngh...

Hibari: Let’s see, what about the other photos? …Mhm, he has the same hollow look in all of them.

Tsugumi: More like, it’s as if he woke up on the wrong side of the bed!

Toki: Grr… For your information, being able to smile on command like that, it’s a talent, okay? Not everyone can do that so easily.

Hibari: Fufu, a talent? You flatter me, Toki-kun!

Tsugumi: But y’know, if we’re going pro, we can’t be making excuses! I seem to remember a certain someone saying something like that…?

Hibari: Ah, so he did. Something about being more professional, was it?

Toki: Ghk! …I didn’t say I wasn’t going to try.

Tsugumi: Oh! Now you’re sounding like a pro!

Toki: Oh, I’ll show you pro alright.

Tsugumi: Your eyes are are scary enough as is! C’mon! Smile, smile!

Toki: (creepy forced laugh)

Mitsuru: Hey…I look kind of out of it in my photos too, don’t I?

Hibari: Oh, you’re right.

Mitsuru: I was trying to look into the camera, but I must have gotten distracted, sorry.

Tsugumi: Hmm… I feel like it kind of works with you looking off to the side.

Hibari: Right? That kind of moody look suits you, it makes you look cool!

Mitsuru: Cool…? Right…

Tsugumi: I wonder why that is? Maybe you just have that aloof vibe? A certain sophistication? 

Toki: Hah!

Hibari: It probably comes with practice, right? You don’t really get your picture taken that often, do you Toki-kun?

Toki: I mean, Tsugu takes photos of me all the time whenever he likes…

Tsugumi: But you basically never smile in those either! I’ve got an idea! We should take more selfies throughout the day! With big, big smiles! 

Toki: I mean, we could try, but…

Tsugumi: But…?

Toki: What’s so great about having a bunch of pictures of your own face?

Tsugumi: Eh?! But don’t you feel great when you get a really good one?!

Toki: What, are you in love with yourself? Scratch that, I already know you are.

Tsugumi: Jeez, you decided that fast!

Mitsuru: I get it, I prefer taking pictures of cats rather than of myself…

Toki: That’s nice and all Mitsuru, but we’re talking about the CD jacket right now.

Hibari: You know, that might actually be a good idea.

Toki: Hah? And what would ‘that’ be?

Hibari: Cats.

Mitsuru: Right. Cats make everyone smile!

Toki: Now… Hold on just a minute. I know you guys like cats, but…

Tsugumi: Now there’s an idea! I bet there’d be some round the back of the studio…

Toki: Seriously, hold it! Let’s not make any decisions! Anyways, is a cat really the vibe we’re going for with our first single?

Mitsuru: Is that a no…?

Toki: Of course it’s a no!

[Inkuro playfully arguing over cats indistinctly]

Photographer: (laugh) I must say, these DIGPro kids you’ve brought me seem to be pretty good friends.

Tobikura: From my experience, it’s relatively common for bandmembers to be friends since their schooldays.

Photographer: Well, they look relaxed, it’s nice to see them getting along.

Tobikura: Oh! Do you think you would be able to take a photo right now, while they’re talking amongst themselves?

Photographer: Oh, easily done!

[sfx: camera beeps, shutter snaps]

Tobikura: Thank you very much! I just had the thought it’d make the fans happy too, for when we unveil the fanclub.

Photographer: Ah, that’s a good idea!

[sfx: camera shutter snapping repeatedly]

Photographer: Yeah, wonderful. I’m getting the feeling we won’t need any forced smiles for this jacket after all… Alright, we’ll be resuming with the photoshoot shortly, everyone ready?

Staff: Yes!

Toki: Uhm, excuse me. About the jacket visual, would it be possible to try retaking it again? 

Photographer: Oh! You’re eager, aren’t you? Well then, how about we try and get rid of that blank look of yours first go in this next one? 

Toki: Hah.. I’ll do my best! 

Photograph: Great. Now, I really want to get a feel for the vibe here, so how about we do a test shoot first? Could you all try spreading out a reasonable distance from each other?

Mitsuru: Reasonable…

Hibari: Does this look alright?

Photographer: Just about… Ah, Tsugumi-kun, you can come forward a little further. We want you to be spread pretty far apart. Yeah, just like that! Good! Right, on my signal, I want you to trying jumping on the spot as high as you can. It’s okay if you’re not smiling, just make sure you’re making eye contact with the camera, alright? All right, ready? Three, two…! 

[sfx: camera beeping, shutter snapping]

Tobikura: These four are the fresh new band who captured my attention, and now finally making their debut, known as Impish Crow! Uhh… Where did I get to last time? Oh, right! That was it! Around where they decided to go pro, and made a new song for their indie goodbye, right? This time, we’ll see the highs and lows as they reach their debut. Although for me, it all seems like happy memories now! Now then, let’s get started! 

Tsugumi: DIG-ROCK!

Inkuro: Impish Crow, Volume 2! 

Tsugumi: …Eh?! A collab?!?!

Tobikura: Indeed! A music charts program had decided they would like to use RISE as their ending theme!

Mitsuru: Ah, do you mean that one late-night show? 

Tobikura: Yes! The program is called RANKING Empire! 

Tsugumi: I remember that one, I used to watch it all the time! Wow! It’s still running then, huh?

Toki: I thought you said you weren’t interested in other peoples’ music.

Tsugumi: And I told you, I was just too busy with Inkuro! 

Mitsuru: It feels nice, having a well-known program want to play our song. 

Tobikura: Though, I would say it’s a bit of a shame it’s only on so late at night…

Toki: Not at all! We’re incredibly grateful to get a collab opportunity like this with our debut single.

Hibari: Also, even if it is late at night, it’s a specialty music channel, right? So music fans with their ear to the ground are likely to tune in, no?

Tobikura: Right, you’re exactly right! The program does updates every week, so their audience is pretty proactive when it comes to sharing new releases! There’s even a segment where they look through the program’s social media hashtag! 

Toki: So you’re saying… we might be able to get some more attention on us through the internet too? That’s not bad at all.

Hibari: Even before now, we’ve really grown our audience through word-of-mouth, haven’t we? 

Tsugumi: Word-of-mouth, right! That’s great! Feels appropriate! 

Hibari: Also, the online aspect of things is important, right? I mean, think about it, we don’t really have much online presence, do we?

Toki: We never really got around to it, since it was only the four of us.

Tsugumi: Then again, if we had, we’d definitely would have gotten more complaints about not being able to get tickets, right?

Mitsuru: Yeah. And because we were only an indie band, we couldn’t get bigger venues to let us perform. 

Hibari: Right. Back then, we had a lot of work on our shoulders trying to expand our reach. 

Toki: Wanting to get our music out there, but not being able to…We couldn’t increase our fanbase as much as we would have liked. We got our priorities backwards, didn’t we?

Tsugumi: And that’s why we went pro, right?

Tobikura: Just as Tsugumi-kun said! You’re all pros now, you don’t have to worry about any of those things anymore! Having a someone to promote you and back you up is exactly why I’m here!

Mitsuru: Tobi-chan, you were pretty cool just now!

Hibari: Very cool, so reliable!

Tobikura: Though, we’re still pretty understaffed, so we have room for growth there. I’ll fine-tune a couple ideas for strategies! 

Tsugumi: Wow, you really are a talent manager, Tobi-chan!

Tobikura: Uhm? Then… What did you think I was before? 

Tsugumi: Inkuro’s biggest fan?

Tobikura: That’s…! Not wrong, now that I think about it… (nervous laugh)

Toki: (light laugh) We’re counting on you, Tobikura-san.

Tobikura: Yes, of course! Leave it to me!

Mitsuru: Seeing all sorts of people think we’re cool would be nice.

Tsugumi: We are cool, so of course they will!

Toki: (deep sigh)

Hibari: If you sigh like that, Toki-kun, you’ll ruin the good mood.

Toki: My stomach just hurts.

Tsugumi: Eh? Why’s that? Oh! Is it because of the ramen you had as a midnight snack?

Toki: No, idiot. You know what I’m talking about.

Tobikura: There’s no need to be nervous, Toki-kun! The new song turned out fantastic!

Toki: It’s not that, I’m confident in the quality of our music, but…

Mitsuru: Toki makes it his job to worry about all the little things.

Hibari: And that’s what makes him Inkuro’s leader, right?

Tsugumi: Oh, c’mon! Cheer up and stop making such a gloomy face!

[sfx: Tsugu slapping Toki on the back]

Toki: Wuh?! Ow!

Mitsuru: Right. How about we all stop at the convenience store on the way back, and we’ll buy pudding. The kind Toki likes.

Tsugumi: Oh! I’m in! Toki’s buying!

Toki: Why me?!

Hibari: Tobi-chan, is that all for today?

Tobikura: Uhm, actually… I have one more important thing to tell you all.

Tsugumi: There’s more?! Tell us, tell us!

Toki: It’s not bad news, is it?

Tsugumi: You’re really still down in the dumps?

Tobikura: I would say it’s good news, personally.

[sfx: Toki putting down his case, shuffling through papers]

Tobikura: To commemorate the release of your debut single, we’re going to be holding in-store events!

Tsugumi: Events?!

[sfx: Toki looking through papers]

Toki: Mini in-store concerts?

Mitsuru: We get to perform?

Tsugumi: Wait, for real?! I can sing?!

Tobikura: Yes, certainly! You’ll get to show all sorts of people the power of Inkuro’s music!

Tsugumi: Let’s go!

Hibari: It feels like a while since we’ve performed live!

Mitsuru: Mhm. I’m itching to play again.

Toki: There’s a lot of locations in central Tokyo here… Oh.

Tsugumi: Hm? What’s up?

Toki: Well, nothing, just… There’s one close to home on here.

Mitsuru: Oh, you’re right.

Hibari: Isn’t this the place in the train station we used to stop by on the way back from practice?

Tsugumi: Uwah! That’s amazing!! I’m so looking forward to it!

Tobikura: It’ll be the site of Inkuro’s triumphant return, right?

Mitsuru: I wonder if anyone we know will be there.

Tsugumi: Of course they will! We’ll need to put in our best effort!

Toki: Hngh…

Mitsuru: Toki? Hibari? What’s wrong?

Toki: It’s… nothing.

Hibari: Everything’s fine. It’s all very exciting, isn’t it?