| July 18th.
He wouldn’t stop talking today too. He’s nitpicky and naggy. |
| If I say that, he’ll make an annoying comment, so I keep quiet. But even if I say nothing, he’ll nag at me again; he really just can’t stop talking. |
| “How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t act on your own. |
| You’re putting us—the entire team—in danger.” |
| “I wasn’t acting on my own. I was just sleeping.” |
| “It’s the same thing!” |
| “Hey, both of you, stop arguing! Nothing happened in the end, so it’s fine.” |
| “You spoil him too much.” |
| “And you’re too serious. Here, eat something sweet to calm down.” |
| “It’s not like I need to calm down...” |
| “Just eat it.” |
| “—Om.” |
| “No, I don’t—.” |
| “Come on, you too. Unless you want to be my guinea pig for the new medicine I created.” |
| “—h.” |
| “And now you two have made up! Don’t fight again, okay?” |
| “...omnomnom.” |
| “....” |
| “...omnomnom.” |
| “You eat this. Now we’re even.” |
| “...omnomnom.” |
| He doesn’t like sweet food, so he gives me his snacks once in a while. That’s the only time he’s a good guy. |
| I just have to put up with this naggy guy, so I’m satisfied with my life.
I get to eat and sleep in a warm bed so long as I carry out my assigned jobs. |
| “Plus....” |
| “Ah, want one more?” |
| “...Yeah.” |
| I get to eat these sweet, fluffy marshmallows. |
| |
| |
| “—h.” |
| His limp body weighs heavily on my arm.
The wetness at his wound tells me how badly he’s bleeding. |
| |
| “Run, you can at least escape alone...” |
| His breath becomes increasingly shallow; my heart feels like it’s being crushed.
Panic builds within me. |
| “No! Don’t die!” |
| “I’m, already...” |
| “—hh.” |
| |
| |
| Hisoka | Om.... |
| ....nomnom. |
| Om.... |
| Homare | Hisoka-kun? Is something wrong? |
| Hisoka | ...What? |
| Homare | Perhaps you’re feeling unwell? |
| Hisoka | ...I’m not unwell. |
| Azuma | Is something bothering you? |
| Homare | He’s consuming marshmallows at a much slower speed than usual. |
| Tasuku | You keep track of that? |
| Homare | It’s essential information for inventory control. I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve never run out of marshmallows. |
| Azuma | Amazing, Homare. |
| Tasuku | How about you use those skills for something useful instead? |
| Homare | Ah! You haven’t gotten tired of these value-pack marshmallows, have you!? I need to get the value-pack marshmallows; else there will be fewer per pack and each one will become more expensive! |
| Azuma | You’re thinking about cost-performance too. |
| Tasuku | Yeah, so how about you use those skills for other things... |
| Hisoka | ...I haven’t gotten tired of them. |
| Homare | Then that’s fine. |
| Tsuzuru | Aaaaagh... I can’t think of anything! |
| Tsumugi | Are you okay? Is this about Spring Troupe’s next script? |
| Tsuzuru | ...No matter how hard I think, I can’t come up of a role for Chikage-san. |
| Tsumugi | Why don’t you try talking to him one-on-one? |
| Tsuzuru | I’ve interviewed him already, but it feels like I just can’t get him to speak his real feelings. |
| Tsumugi | How about going somewhere you can relax—maybe try talking to him over tea? You might have an easier time. |
| Tsuzuru | I see.... |
| Tsumugi | There’s a nice cafe on Veludo Way. |
| Banri-kun and I got to know each other better while drinking tea at cafes, so I think it can be pretty effective. |
| Tsuzuru | Yeah. I’ll try asking him. |
| |
| Tsuzuru | Sorry for asking out out of nowhere... |
| Chikage | Don’t worry about it. What do you need to talk to me about? Another interview? |
| Tsuzuru | No, I’m putting aside the script for today. I just wanted to talk with you one-on-one, Chikage-san. |
| Chikage | Oh? I see; I guess it’s not that easy for us to talk one-on-one. |
| Tsuzuru | It’s always pretty hectic in the dorms, after all. |
| Chikage | No matter where you are, it feels like someone else is there—it’s really like a big family. |
| Tsuzuru | Doesn’t it get a little loud for you, Chikage-san? I mean, I’m used to it, but. |
| Chikage | Do you have lots of family members, Tsuzuru? |
| Tsuzuru | We’re ten siblings. I’m the third eldest, so I have seven younger brothers. |
| Chikage | That sure is a lot. |
| Tsuzuru | What about you, Chikage-san? |
| Chikage | ...Oh, pretty average. Three. |
| Tsuzuru | I guess it might take time for you to get used to the dorms, then. |
| Chikage | Well, in a sense it’s a new and interesting experience. |
| Tsuzuru | What’s it like sharing a room with Itaru-san? |
| Chikage | You don’t really get many chances to share a room at this age, so it’s pretty fun. I already knew him anyway. |
| Tsuzuru | Itaru-san is more put together at work, right? |
| Chikage | Ahaha, at work, yeah. I didn’t expect him to be that kind of guy. |
| If his coworkers find out, I bet they’d be surprised. Chigasaki-san is always relaxed and smart, after all. |
| Tsuzuru | Can’t even imagine... |
| Chikage | I can see why. |
| By the way, that Masumi incident sure was something. |
| Tsuzuru | Yeah, he was pretty uncharacteristically down for a while. I had a hard time backing him up. |
| Now he’s completely back to normal, but. |
| It would’ve been nice if he stayed meek for a little while longer... But nah, I guess that would throw me off too. |
| Chikage | ...Tsuzuru, you seem like you were really born to be an older brother. |
| Tsuzuru | Eh? Really? I guess I treat everyone younger than me the way I treat my little brothers. |
| Chikage | Why do you go so far to take care of others? You can’t just leave them alone? |
| Tsuzuru | Hmm, I guess... When I see someone, I move without thinking. Maybe it’s my nature. |
| Chikage | ...I know someone like you, Tsuzuru. He spent all his time taking care of others, and was ultimately betrayed... |
| Tsuzuru | ...What was he like? |
| Chikage | He’s my uncle. He was a security officer at a police station. |
| He lived in the countryside, so he was friendly with everyone in the neighborhood. He often went around to help clean people’s houses and stuff; he was kind of like a handyman. |
| Tsuzuru | Huh. |
| Chikage | But one day, a housewife he knew asked him to come clean her house. The moment he stepped inside, she confessed that she had been in love with him for a while... |
| She was married, so he tried to refuse her, but unfortunately, her husband spotted them arguing. |
| Her husband was an assemblyman, so my uncle’s explanation was brushed aside, and he lost his job. |
| He’s doing better now, but for a while, he couldn’t trust anyone. |
| Tsuzuru | That’s... the poor guy.... |
| Chikage | ...Just kidding. |
| Tsuzuru | ....Wha? |
| Chikage | I made that up. |
| Tsuzuru | Haah!? |
| Chikage | The point is, that’s how much of an overly-caring person you are, Tsuzuru. |
| Tsuzuru | Okay... Then please say you’re using a hypothetical situation from the start. |
| Actually, Chikage-san, why do you lie? |
| (Now that I think of it, he said it was because he thought it was cute when we were confused or surprised, but...) |
| Chikage | ...Because truth is weakness. |
| Tsuzuru | Eh? |
| Chikage | How’s that for an answer? |
| Tsuzuru | No, I don’t really know what to say to that.... |
| (Chikage-san’s expression just now was totally different from usual. I sensed an endless darkness...) |
| ——. |
| (Darkness, huh... this might work.) |
