He had moved from Osaka early in life with his family, loss his accent, but not the exuberance. Or the business acumen said to characterize Kansai people. He had apprenticed early in his teens at a takoyaki stand, and got a taste for the fast pace and classic patter. An Osaka boy could do well with a big personality and skill with food and drink. He wasn't a billionaire, some huge success, but he owned a settled location. Even off the main streets, those in the know, especially tourists, knew it was a great place to be. Sit on one of the stools, have him crack an Asahi or Kirin Ichiban, then listen to a game attempt at English small talk that may or may not have been intentionally bad, that raised a lot of smiles and calls for food. He was quite skilled and quick, keeping a teppanyaki plate on one side of the restaurant stall, and a place for frying on the other, mostly for his famous takoyaki. It was all street food, and maybe the Osakan tapir bumped the prices up a little more than he should have for the location and degree of complexity. But no one ever complained.
Long days with back-breaking labor meant money in his pockets. But nothing more. He had nothing but lonely nights and beer before that day he found Basue. When he laid eyes on the three lights of the stage. Migi, Manaka, and most especially, on the left, Hidarin.
His devotion was total, his exuberance undimed by rising popularity or death metal screams. He waved his glowsticks exactly like he would trying to woo customers. In the fullness of time he and a couple of others were hired by the scary Hyodo to do work for the band. He was a natural hype man, and encouraged other fans to cheer, and buy merch. Selling, always selling. Time in employment meant time to be near Hidarin. That time was well spent, on both sides.
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Hidarin, despite being a twin, and sometimes scarily in-tune with her sister, was not like the oddly grounded but still bubbly Migi. The scary part of scarily in-tune suited her nicely. Even being very serious, and quite logical, her flat tone and moderated mood most of the time made her a proper foil for her golden sister's sometimes silliness. She really could be a deductive and logical guinea pig, having solved the mystery of Santa at an especially young age, but also continuing to go along all for Migi's sake. Her sometimes stoic nature meant she could take creepy content much more easily, never flinching at folktales and urban legends. Absorbing and not being affected meant she could be interested in such legends, like Baku. A dream eater. There was something intimate about a mysterious creature coming to her at night, consuming the dreams she had. And the odd look, a tapir of all things. Not something she often thought about.
Getting into the idol game was very much Migi's choice, but she liked the idea almost as much. They were talented enough, and told they were cute enough. Well... Manaka was the catalyst and Hyodo the one who set it all up, but it was something worthwhile. She was happy to do it, even in the early time, the lean time, when they never left Basue, when they relied on family for support. At some point it became not just about the art, but dedication, and devotion to that core of fans that showed up every time, that gave the affection and attention, that helped them get through it. Like The Trio. The dedicated otaku. Which included, of all things, a baku... a tapir. Always dressed like a street vendor and always calling like one. She would eventually learn that was because that's what he was.
She would learn a lot of things about him. She worked hard but he worked harder. Being an underground idol she could more easily hang at his stand, sing little come-ons to customers, dance and bounce for them like he did for the band. It was fun to see him work, fun to watch him having as good a time with his frying and serving as she did with her idol work. It did strike her sometimes that they were pushing another job on him. It reminded her of Manaka. But he was all smiles about it. Happy to be helping the band he loved. Helping her. She grew aware of his devotion, and found it agreeable.
More than agreeable...
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The latest commission from
\n\t\t\t\t\t4pcsset one of three. Obviously this is Hidarin the guinea pig from The OTMGirls, from Season Three of Aggretsuko. Along with one of the men called The Fanboy Trio, Bakkun the tapir. They're earnest, wacky goofs, devoted to the band in their overexcited way. And I think they ship well together. They're good folks, deep down. And yes, they're opening the band chant and doing, er, body signals. The hands are occupied but Hidarin can happily make an O out of her legs with Bakkun's body's help.Hidarin and Bakkun (c) Sanrio
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\n\t\t\t\t\t4pcssetThe backstories are pure invention based on limited info.