Misumi Ikaruga/Prodigy Top Dancer

King of Burlesque

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Misumi	Good job, guys~. I had fun dancing.
Circus Dogs	Aarf!
Staff	Misumi-kun, do you have a moment? There's someone who wants to meet you.
Misumi	?
Abukawa	Hello, my name is Abukawa. I'm a freelance photographer.
Misumi	Photographer~?
Abukawa	I'm currently looking for models for my next photoshoot. I was totally entranced by your performance with the dogs.
	Please be my model!
Misumi	Model…?
Abukawa	No one fits the theme better than you. I feel like I'll reach my career milestone if you become my model!
Misumi	Hmm… But I've never taken a modeling job...
Abukawa	Please take a look at my proposal. The concept for this shoot isーー.
Misumi	ーー! Is this the costume?
Abukawa	That's right. What do you think? Looks good, right?
Misumi	So I can wear this?
Abukawa	Of course you can.
Misumi	I'll do it, then!
Abukawa	Huh? R-Really!?
Misumi	For real~.
Staff	Misumi-kun should be getting used to posing for pics due to his theater job, and he has good reflexes too. Don't you think this might be a God's calling?
Abukawa	Huh? You're an actor!?
Misumi	Yes~. I belong to MANKAI Company.
Abukawa	So that means there are other actors there?
Misumi	Yup~. There are 24 people in total!
Abukawa	I have one more request for you.
Misumi	…?
	I'm back~!
Izumi	Oh, welcome.
Misumi	*humming* Triangle, triangle~. Can't wait to see lots of triangles~.
Tsumugi	You seem to be in a good mood, Misumi-kun. Did something good happen at work?
Misumi	I've already gotten my next part time job~.
Izumi	What kind of job is it?
Misumi	Modeling!
Izumi	Modeling!?
Tsuzuru	That's kinda surprising…
Sakyo	Hey… you didn't take some shady job, did you?
Misumi	No worries~. It's a decent job.
Tsuzuru	What are you gonna model?
Misumi	Uhh… If I remember correctly, the concept is bur...? lesque?
Izumi	Burlesque!?

Sakyo	Tell me, which part of that is decent? Do you even know what burlesque is?
Misumi	Hmm, I don't really know honestly. But looking at this, I think it's kinda all right~.
Izumi	This is… a proposal?
Sakyo	Show me.
Izumi	...It's a well-made proposal. I don't see anything suspicious for now…
Misumi	Look, look! There's a lot of triangles in the costume!
Tsuzuru	So you got lured in by this…
Izumi	Ahaha…
Tsumugi	Looking at this proposal, it seems there will be three models in total.
Tsuzuru	Prodigy dancer, beefy dancer and veteran sexy dancer… They sound like character tropes to me.
Izumi	Which dancer will you take on, Misumi-kun?
Misumi	Prodigy dancer~.
Tsumugi	It suits Misumi-kun perfectly.
Misumi	You see, the photographer also asked me to bring two troupe members for this shoot~.
Izumi	Oh really?
Sakyo	You should've told us that sooner.
Tsuzuru	Burlesque dancers, huh… Don't you think Takato-san and Yukishiro-san are the perfect choices for this?
Tsumugi	I do agree, but… I think Tasuku has guest performance on the day of the shoot…
Izumi	Oh, right. I don't think Tasuku-san can do it…
Tsuzuru	How about Fushimi-san, then?
Tsumugi	Nice idea. Omi-kun also has a firm body. He fits the image of a beefy dancer.
Izumi	Let's try asking them later.
Misumi	Oka~y!
Sakyo	Hey, don't take any pics that will bring down the troupe's image, kay.
Izumi	(Now that I think about it... Sakyo-san said he was going to turn the theater building into a cabaret when we first met...)
Yuki	...So? What do models do during practice?
Tenma	A lot, like posing and making facial expressions.
Muku	There are also poses that require a pole, huh. I didn't know that...
Kumon	F-For some reason, they seem mature… It made me nervous…
Tenma	With the theme being burlesque, that goes without saying.
Kazunari	Alright, I'll be the photographer. Go strike a pose~!
Misumi	Okay~.
	Like this~?
	Or this~!?
Kazunari	H-Hold on! Sumi, you're moving too fast!
Yuki	The heck is that? They're all blurry.
Muku	Afterimage…?
Tenma	It's just the usual Misumi. He doesn't give off the vibes of a burlesque dancer at all.
Misumi	Uhh… This is hard~...
Kazunari	This snap is totes hilarious, though. Can I post it on Inste?
Misumi	Go ahead~.
Tenma	*sighs* Let's start understanding the concept firstーー.
Kumon	Ah! Isn't this just like a character trope?
Yuki	Now that you mention it…
Muku	Then… How about this?
Misumi	…?

Abukawa	Nice! Azuma-san, Omi-san, you both are awesome!
	Look this way and smile!
Azuma	Gotcha.
Omi	Like, like this…?
Abukawa	OK, OK! Keep it up, you've got the mood!
Izumi	(I tagged along since I was worried, but looks like there's no need for that now.)
	(Abukawa-san seems like a good person too. I was worried for nothing.)
Abukawa	And that's a wrap! Good job, guys!
Azuma	Good work.
Omi	Phew… it's finally over…
Izumi	Nice work there. You two totally killed it!
Azuma	It's all thanks to the photographer. I could relax.
Omi	Yeap. I was nervous at first, but this helped me learn a lot.
Azuma	Misumi is up next, right.
Izumi	Is he going to be okay…
	(Kazunari-kun posted a photo from their practice the other day, but it was so blurry I couldn't tell what kind of photo it was.)
Azuma	Don't worry, he's gonna be alright. I meanーー.
Misumi	...I'm in your care.
Izumi	…!
	(This is not the usual Misumi-kun. He looks like he's immersed in a role now.)
Misumi	Dear customer, is this your first time here?
CHOICE 1: Huh? Uh, umm… [+] Izumi Huh? Uh, umm… Misumi No need to be that stiff. Hehe, you're cute. Izumi Mi, Misumi-kun…? Misumi Misumi? Who's that? In this place, we're all nameless people enjoying our special time.
CHOICE 2: Ah, yes… This is my first time. [+] Izumi Ah, yes… This is my first time. (I was overwhelmed and ended up answering…) Misumi Haha… Are you nervous? Izumi Huh? No, it's just… Misumi Don't worry. I won't eat you. See you. Enjoy our show today.
Izumi	(Is that person just now really Misumi-kun…!?)
	(He looks like a totally different person…)
Azuma	Fufu, he's been receiving special training from the Summer Troupe for this shoot.
	They created a setting and a simple scenario so that Misumi-kun could act out the role as an "actor."
Izumi	Judging by Misumi-kun's personality, it does seem effective…
Omi	...I think so too.
Abukawa	Shall we start the shoot?
Misumi	Okay.
Abukawa	Nice! Awesome!
	Next, gaze deeply into the camera!
	I like that smile just now! It's beautiful!
Izumi	Amazing… He looks like a real dancer…
Azuma	Fufu, he's completely engrossed in his role.
Omi	I expect no less from an actor who's always immersed in his roles. He's awesome…
Misumi	Taichi, give me that triangle candy~.
Taichi	This one? Here you go!
Misumi	Whoa, thanks~! Strawberry-flavored triangles are so delicious!
Izumi	(Misumi-kun being immersed in his roles is nothing new, but I've gotta admit the shoot the other day was something else…)
Sakyo	...Hey, about the fee for the modeling job…
Izumi	Is there something wrong?
Sakyo	We got a lot more than what we've been told.
Izumi	Huh? You're right.
Misumi	Yeaay, I can buy lots of triangles I want~!
Izumi	But why…?
Kazunari	Isn't it because of this?
Izumi	Inste?
Misumi	Aah! It's the photo from the other day~!
Taichi	"#King of Burlesque #from MANKAI COMPANY."
Sakuya	It gets a lot of likes!
Kazunari	You've got a lot of positive comments too!
Taichi	At this rate, it's only a matter of time before you get hired for a magazine photoshoot!
Sakuya	You'll make a big splash!
Misumi	Hehe, it's all thanks to all Summer Troupe members! I'll treat them to sandwiches with my fee~!
Kazunari	You're so generous, Sumi! I'm gonna LIME everyone, then♪
Sakyo	I see… So that's why we've been paid more.
Izumi	All in all, I'm glad the photos are well-received by the public.
Sakyo	Yeah… Turns out it wasn't that bad of a deal.
Taichi	Sakyo-nii, you look like a wicked businessman now…!

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