Itaru Chigasaki/A Desire That Still Can't Be Shaken

A Full Course on Eradicating Worldly Desires

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Itaru	Mmn… Ahh...It’s morning…
	Today’s a day off. *sighs* It’d be heaven if I didn’t have to wake up at 5 A.M… I’m gonna get just a little more sleep…
	Ah, but the limited gacha banner starts at noon today.
	I gotta make some paid purchases in-game before that. I also wanna drink some cola so maybe I’ll head to the conbini in the afternoon…
Sakyo	So you’re awake, Chigasaki.
Itaru	Sakyo-san? Can I help you?
Sakyo	You’re getting rid of your worldly desires today.
Itaru	….Huh?
Izumi	Good morning, everyone.
Sakuya	Good morning, Director!
Citron	Morning!
Azami	Hungry… So, we’re having Buddhist cuisine for breakfast again, huh…
Banri	Looks like it.
Taichi	I’m getting used to vegetarian meals, but I miss Omi-kun’s french toast~!
Omi	Haha, I’ll make some when we get back home.
Izumi	Now then, let’s all start eating breakfastーー
	...Huh? Where’s Itaru-san?
Sakyo	Ahh, if you’re asking about Chigasaki…
Itaru	…..
Izumi	(Wow, he’s really here just like Sakyo-san said he’d be…)
Izumi	Copying sutras by hand?
Sakyo	Yeah.
	I made him do morning ascetic practices by copying sutras by hand.
	He’s always lazy in life, and breaks curfew in the middle of training camp to go to the conbiniーー
	Not only has he not adhered to lights out, he doesn’t get up easily in the morning either.
Banri	You were doing bedtime checks…
Azami	Well, Itaru-san isn’t the only one doing that.
Chikage	There are people doing that. I’m doing the same thing too, but the difference is between someone who won’t get caught versus someone who somehow ends up getting caught.
Sakyo	ーーIn any case, today is a good opportunity.
	I've prepared a “Course for Eradicating Worldly Desires” just for him and I’ll discipline him starting from the mind.
Izumi	A-A course in eradicating worldly desires…
Izumi	(I thought it might have been too strict since it’s an off-day, but…it might be a good experience since we’ve come all the way here to lodge at a temple.)
	ーーGood morning, Itaru-san.
Itaru	Ah, Director-san. Morning.
Izumi	Good work with doing ascetic practices. Will you be having breakfast soon?
Itaru	Wow, it’s already this hour, huh?
Izumi	How’s writing the sutras by hand going?
Itaru	Ahh, it’s surprisingly refreshing. I half-doubted it at first, though.
Izumi	That’s great! Now then, let’s go eat breakfast.
Itaru	Okay.
	Ahh, I’m going to go wash my hands for a second. You go on ahead, Director-san.
Izumi	Alright.
	(Itaru-san looks more refreshed than I thought he’d be. Maybe forcing him to get rid of his worldly desires from the mind really workedーー)
	!?
	I-It looks like he still has a long way to go…

Taichi	ーーThanks for the meal! Whew. What are you guys doing today?
Tsuzuru	Since we’ve got today off, I want to head out somewhere.
Citron	I want to go sightseeing! I heard there are a lot of parks around here, and there are many different things to see!
Sakuya	Wow, that sounds fun!
Banri	I’m going shopping. You, Azami?
Azami	I heard there’s some cosmetics limited to this area, so I’m gonna go look for ‘em.
Itaru	Limited, huh… I’m going to go buy souvenirs for work. Want to come with, Senpai?
Chikage	Right. If that’s how it is, we should get a rental car nearby…
Sakyo	ーーHold on, Chigasaki.
	You’ve still got two things to do for the Worldly Desires Eradication Course. You’re gonna stay here and do ‘em all.
Itaru	What?
Omi	Well, just writing sutras by hand isn’t exactly a course, after all…
Itaru	No, no, writing the sutras earlier was enough to clear my mind. As proof of that, I’m feeling very calm and refreshedーー
Sakyo	You talking about this?
Taichi	Is this Itaru-san’s handwritten sutra?
Juza	It has “SSR SSR SSR...” written on it.
Banri	Wooow.
Tsuzuru	That’s pretty bad.
Chikage	That’s literally worldly desire.
Azami	I don’t think you can say you dispelled anything at all. That’s nothing but worldly desire…
Masumi	He’s diseased...
Itaru	You’re the last person I want to hear that from.
	No, but really, I feel refreshed and I think my worldly desires have disappeared quite a bit.
Chikage	Let’s test it then. How about you try pulling the gacha once?
Citron	YES! If his worldly desires have disappeared, then he should rake in the SSRs!
Juza	….Is that how that works?
Itaru	I understand. I’ll try pulling, then.
Sakuya	Y-You can do it, Itaru-san!
Itaru	My mind is clear…
	ーーHah!
Citron	Ohh! T-This is…!!
Tsuzuru	N-No way, for real!?
Citron	It is utterly garbage!!
Banri	Def a shit pull.
Taichi	It’s a garbage pull!
Sakyo	...You got something you wanna say?
Itaru	...I’ll be going to the Worldly Desires Eradication Courses.
Itaru	Doing ascetic practices in the forest… I’ve only got a bad feeling about this.
Izumi	There, there.
Itaru	At least you’re the chaperone and guide instead of Sakyo-san. You’re a lifesaver, Director-san…
	...Hey, do you hear something?
Izumi	It’s...the sound of water?
Itaru	Don’t tell me, what’s up ahead is…
Itaru	My hunch was right on target…
	Seriously, this is... Impossible, no way… I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die…
Izumi	I-It might be better than you think! The waterfall isn’t that big, and the weather’s great!
	I heard Juza-kun was also interested in morning ascetic practices where you meditate under the waterfall!
Itaru	Yeah, but I don’t have such a strong body. Seriously, I can’t, Director-san, could you please turn a blind eye here or somethingーー
Attendant	So you’re the person who’s come to meditate under the waterfall. Now then, please change into this attire used for the waterfall.
Itaru	N-No, I’m…
Attendant	Go ahead, this way. There’s another person who has a reservation after you.
Itaru	W-Wait a second… Seriously, I can’t, I’ll die, I’ll die!
Izumi	G-Good luck, Itaru-san!

Itaru	ーーHey, Director-san… Am I still alive?
Izumi	You’re alive, you’re alive.
Itaru	*sighs*...
	It’s cold, it hurts, and I never want to do this again. I didn’t even think about gacha whatsoever the entire time I was being pounded by the waterfall.
	I’m certain, this might be effective in eradicating worldly desires…
Izumi	That’s the most important thing of all. Keep up that spirit, let’s move on to the third part in the Eradicating Worldly Desires Course!
Itaru	...Right. Okay, let’s go.
Izumi	Yes, let’s gーー
	!? Woah…!
	*splash*
Itaru	ーー!
Izumi	I-I’m sorry! Are you all right!?
Itaru	I’m fine, I just fell into a puddle for a moment, that’s all. What about you, Director-san, are you okay?
Izumi	I’m quite alright. But Itaru-san, your jersey’s dripping wet…
Itaru	It’s fine, I’ll accumulate good karma.
CHOICE 1: "I was saved thanks to you, Itaru-san." [+] Izumi I was saved thanks to you, Itaru-san. Thank you very much. Itaru You’re welcome. Like, my body moved on its own when I thought you were in danger. ...If I had to guess, I might have been able to move instantly thanks to sword fighting practice. Izumi You really worked hard during stage combat practice, though. Itaru I have to work even harder and harder in sword fighting in order to protect you whenever, Director-san. Alrighty, shall we head back to the temple lodging?
CHOICE 2: "You have to get changed quickly." [+] Izumi We have to go back and get you changed right away…! Itaru I’m fine. I mean, earlier I was destroyed by the waterfall so thanks to that, I don’t feel that cold. Izumi You say that now, but if you catch a cold… Itaru …If I do catch a cold from this, I could probably get you to nurse me back to health. Well then, guess I’ll keep on my soaking wet jersey on for a little while longer… Izumi Don’t! Geez, what did I just tell you! Itaru Haha, just kidding. Alrighty, shall we head back?
Izumi	(Last up is basic Zen meditation. Since this is a rare opportunity, I wonder if they’d let me meditate together with him.)
Itaru	This posture is pretty demanding…
Attendant	Breathe slowly…
Itaru	….
Izumi	…
Itaru	(Clear the mind… Clear the mind…)
Izumi	(Clear the mind…)
Itaru	(Clear the mind… No thoughts… Head empty…)
	ーー!
	Hell yeah!
Izumi	Huh?
Itaru	I get the feeling I’ll get something good if I pull right now! SSR SSR….!
Izumi	Itaru-san! Turn off your phoneーー Ah.
	B-Behind you, Itaru-san…
Itaru	Hm?
	*hits*
	Ow…! You don’t normally hit people this hard, I hope?
Attendant	Sakyo-san requested me to be merciless.
Itaru	Sakyo-san did, huh…
Izumi	Ahaha…
	But what were the gacha results, Itaru-san?
Itaru	Hah!
	This is…
Izumi	?
Itaru	...A garbage pull.
Izumi	What!?
Itaru	An utterly shit pull, case closedー
Izumi	...Let’s go back to meditating.

Ri