Wonder Game - outbreak 5

Location: Library

- Late Spring, 1 Year Ago -

Nagisa: ………..

Tsumugi: He~y, Nagisa-ku~n ♪

Fufu. You're hanging out at the library a lot lately. Actually, weren’t you sitting in the exact same spot just yesterday?

In fact, it looks like you didn’t move an inch since then. Did you go home at all?

That’s no good~, you should go back home properly. Hiyori-kun must be worried about you.

Nagisa: ………..

Tsumugi: Ah, I didn’t mean to scold you. I’m just concerned for you, Nagisa-kun.

Fufun. Now that we’ve finally become companions from the same “unit”, we should support one another.

...Huh?

Nagisa: ………..

Tsumugi: Nagisa-kun, could it be that you’re sleeping? Just like Alice in Wonderland~♪

Nagisa: ………..

Tsumugi: Hmm? But wait, his eyes seem to be just slightly open…? To be able to sleep with open eyes… Rather than Alice in Wonderland, that’d make you Zhang Fei from the Records of the Three Kingdoms*1, huh?

Nagisa: …...I’m, up.

…...Let me rephrase. I am awake.*2 And I don’t know Alice, but I know who Zhang Fei is.

…...I r-, read the Records of the Three Kingdoms the other day. I know of him because I have read them.

Tsumugi: Ah, I see. If Nagisa-kun is Zhang Fei, that’d make Hiyori-kun Guan Yu, since he’s always with you, and Eichi-kun would be Liu Bei?*3

Nagisa: …...Then, what is Tsumugi-kun?

Tsumugi: Me? Umm… Liu Bei’s army corps is full of admirable personages, so comparing myself to any of them would be kind of embarrassing~?

Errm, then let’s say I’m a nameless soldier!

Nagisa: …...There’s no human with no name. I mean, without a name.

…...Umm. Also, I’m sorry. The one who sleeps with his eyes open is, probably not Zhang Fei.

Tsumugi: Eh, is that so? Hrmm, I must have gotten him confused with someone else then?

Nagisa: …...M-, maybe that’s, in the novelization*4. I, haven’t read it yet, so maybe he does it there.

Tsumugi: Ahh… While they may boldly reorganize the historical facts from the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the novelization is actually more well-known, since it’s more enjoyable to read and interesting.

For fans of the novelization, the historical facts may actually seem false in comparison. I guess sometimes enjoyability triumphs over truth.

Nagisa: …...Truth, doesn’t exist. Does not.

…...Humans are, two-dimensional beings. Because, they live within their episodic memory*5.

…...That’s why they can neither perceive nor understand the truths that occur in this three-dimensional universe the way they really are. Probably.

…...Humans don’t have the faculty for it. Do not. That’s why.

Tsumugi: Ah, Eichi-kun said something similar before. I wonder if that’s some sort of famous saying~...

“People perceive reality as though it were a story, so once you become the author, you’re unstoppable!”...or something like that?

Nagisa: …...That, is history. Probably. Caesar would be a good example of it, since he wrote the “Commentaries on the Gallic War”*6, I suppose.

Tsumugi: Fufu. There’s no need to use keigo~, though I guess I’m not one to say that, since I’m always polite to a fault myself.

Nagisa: …...O-, okay. Keigo, tends to use more letters, after all. I mean it uses them, huh.*7

…...But. I, only just figured out how to use proper words, to hold a conversation, lately. 

…...Ke-, keigo, too. I only barely grasped the construction of it, finally.

…...Changing so suddenly, is hard, I mean, difficult. I am sorry, Tsumugi-kun.

Tsumugi: Aah, there’s no need to apologize, really! It may be a bit too formal to use with your family, but there’s nothing wrong with having good manners, generally speaking!

Nagisa: …...I-, I see. I, am glad to hear that.

Tsumugi: (Fufu. Nagisa-kun has a rather frightening expression and is usually taciturn, so he’s hard to approach, but…)

(Once you talk to him, he’s actually a docile, good kid. This is an unexpectedly pleasant discovery.)

(I might be able to get along well with him. No…-- We may even become irreplacable friends, who fulfill their dream together.)

Nagisa: ………..

Tsumugi: (.....Err, huh? I only took my eyes off him for a second, and Nagisa-kun disappeared!?)

Nagisa: ~..........♪

Tsumugi: Ah, found you! Geez, running off in the middle of a conversation with someone is a breach of etiquette, you know~?

Nagisa: …...Eh? Sorry, talking about it roused my interest, so I thought I’d go read the novelization of the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

…...Fufu. Libaries are great. To think that I can read as many books as I like, just like that.

…...It’s like, a dream. Truly, by the grace of God, fufufu ♪

Tsumugi: (H-, he’s a weirdo~! Well, he may act a bit strange, but I guess it’s fine since he seems harmless?)

(When you compare the negative influence he has on his surroundings with that of the “Five Oddballs”...?)

(Rather than Nagisa-kun, it’s his companion Hiyori-kun who’s a problem.)

(His family seems to have some sort of connection to Eichi-kun’s, and I was worried about the atmosphere between them getting a bit unfriendly.)

(But it’s even more critical than I anticipated… Uu, are we really going to be okay at this rate?)

Nagisa: …...Fufu. You look like you’re having fun, I mean like you’re enjoying yourself, Tsumugi-kun.

Tsumugi: Eh? No, no, this is a troubled expression!

Nagisa: …...Is it? I misread it. Even though I read a book on how to read people’s inner thoughts based on their facial expression, the other day.

Tsumugi: Ahaha. It’s impossible to completely understand someone else’s heart.

Nagisa: …...But, I want to understand. Because, the way I see idols, humans are the only living things worthy of them.

-----------

*1 Records of the Three Kingdoms ; Zhang Fei

*2 TL Note: In his second year, Nagisa is visibly bad at speaking. He often says things in casual Japanese, just to correct himself a second later and say the same thing again but in polite keigo. He also uses lots of short sentences, or stutters, or has breaks in his sentences that are shown by commas. Sometimes he adds part of a sentence after he ended it already, which comes off as him being insecure of what he’s saying. I’ve tried my best to preserve this effect in my translation.

*3 Guan Yu ; Liu Bei

*4 He’s probably talking about Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which states that Zhang Fei always sleeps with his eyelids open.

*5 Episodic memory

*6 Commentaries on the Gallic War

*7 TL Note: Seeing Nagisa struggle with keigo makes Tsumugi take pity on him and give him an out, and then in the very next sentence Nagisa speaks in keigo first, and then corrects himself to use casual Japanese instead. But after one sentence he drops that and tries to use keigo yet again.

Wonder Game - outbreak 6

Location: Library

Nagisa: ………..

Tsumugi: Aah, Nagisa-kun! You walked off in the middle of our conversation again!

And if you try to read in a dark spot like that, your eyes will get worse~. How about you come here and take a seat where you can read in a well-lit area?

Nagisa: …...How strange, that you say “your eyes will get worse” when someone has near-sightedness, even though it’s not like their eyeballs are hurt in any way.

…...Even though it’s merely adaptation. How interesting, words are. Fufufu.

Tsumugi: Right… That aside, Nagisa-kun, I know we kind of ended up having fun chatting, but…

That’s not why I came here. There’s something we need to do, so could you come with me?

Nagisa: …...Don’t wanna.

Tsumugi: Eeh? Please don’t say that! I’m begging you, please!

Nagisa: …...But I want to keep reading. Well, I guess I can read, while I’m walking.

Tsumugi: You shouldn’t do that~! That’s a breach of etiquette, or rather, it’ll be the cause of an accident!

Nagisa: …...Is that so. When I talk to Tsumugi-kun, I learn lots of new stuff. Things.

…...You’re like the table of contents to the human world.

Tsumugi: What? Umm, are you praising me? Thank you very much~♪

Nagisa: …...What’s important is, the content of a book, though. The table of contents by itself, is not very interesting.

Tsumugi: ………?

Location: Hallway

Tsumugi: Heave-ho, heave-ho.

Nagisa: …...Are you, okay?

…...I-, I am sorry. For making you carry, half of the books I borrowed.

Tsumugi: Don’t worry about it. Carrying them by yourself would be difficult, since you borrowed nothing but heavy volumes, Nagisa-kun… And on top of that, you borrowed all 20 books the library limit will allow you to borrow at a time.

Carrying them all by yourself would be impossible.

Nagisa: …...I’d be fine. I’ve got a lot of brute strength. Physical strength.

Tsumugi: Fufu. But if we can finish the upcoming briefing session without delays, I’d like to have a practice lesson afterwards while we’re at it.

So it’s for the best if we both don’t tire our arms out too much.

Nagisa: …...Yeah. That’s logical.

…...But, hmm? That’s wrong, because, I’m making Tsumugi-kun carry half of the burden that should be mine alone.

…...I am, causing Tsumugi-kun a disadvantage. No, you incurred a disadvantage of your own will, it’s illogical.

Tsumugi: Not at all. We are companions from the same “unit” now. That means, if you look at the big picture and balance the accounts, I make a profit by lending you a hand, too.

Nagisa: …...Hmmm. You and I are separate people, but you still calculate it like that?

……”Unit”. My comprehension of that, is still somewhat lacking.

……Oops.

Tsumugi: Wawawah!?

Natsume: HeY! Aren’t you watching where you’re goiNG!? I’m gonna curse yOU! Aah geEZ, you made me drop my precious chemicals all over the floOR!

Tsumugi: Wawah, this is bad!

Wh-... Oh, it’s you, Natsume-kun! Hello~♪

Natsume: GeH, it’s that jeRK… Shoo shOO, don’t come near mE, I find you unpleasaNT!

Tsumugi: Eh~? Please don’t say such saddening things, aren’t we so close that we even take baths together~!?

Natsume: Excuse mE? When did that happEN?

It’s a bother when you bring up stories from a time when I wasn’t even at the age of discretion yET, can you quit acting so over-familiar with mE?

I am a transcendent beiNG, the likes of which a commoner could never fathOM, a magician and diviner--

Tsumugi: Wow, Natsume-kun! Did you develop a case of chuunibyou when you got into high school?

Natsume: I͓̲̪̩'̰̀m̨̠̯͔̦̼ ̵g͚̙̯̤̪̰o͉̫̯̻͖ṇ̡̩̹n̝̦̞̣̪̮͜a̸̭͇̺ ͓̰͚̞͙̯͎k͖͇͈̰̘̯͜i̦̩̬̠͕͙̳l͘l͏̻̥̜̫̼ ̯̟͢y͖͔̠͢ọ̩͕u̞͉̲͕̯̪̟!̀

Nagisa: ……Tsumugi, -kun, do you know him?

Tsumugi: Yes! I used to be friends with him, his name is Sakasaki Natsume-kun! By complete chance, we met again here at Yumenosaki~♪ As if it was predestined!

Nagisa: ……Destiny. I see, then he must be an important guy, I mean person, to you.

Tsumugi: Yes! I want to become close to him again, like we used to be~. He’s like a little sister to me!

Natsume: Can you at least say “little brother” insteAD?

WeLL, whatevER. If I keep talking to this idiOT, it’ll just cause my own IQ to go doWN… Stop trying to get involved with mE, just go disappear somewheRE, for reAL.

Tsumugi: No way. We caused you trouble through our carelessness, so let me at least help you clean up around here.

……Nagisa-kun, can you go ahead to the student council room without me?

Nagisa: ……Yeah. I’ve got it, bye-bye.

…………

……No. I was the one who bumped into him, so it is my duty to make up for the damage I’ve caused.

……I feel like, I should help with the clean-up, too. Using the accounts you talked about as a reference, this would mean that the accounts are balanced again, right?

Tsumugi: Yes! How admirable that you realized that all by yourself, Nagisa-kun! And if we all clean up together, it’ll be done much faster~♪

Natsume: ……Don’t advance the conversation without mE. Good griEF, what troublesome seniors I have heRE.

If you react in such an admirable wAY, I can’t even let my anger out on yOU ...What am I supposed to do with my raised fist nOW?

Wonder Game - outbreak 7

Location: Student Council Room

- 30 Minutes Later -

Tsumugi: Sorry for intruding~.

(Fufu. We got here a bit later than planned.)

(But Natsume-kun forgave us for crashing into him and causing him trouble, and I’m happy that we got to talk a lot.)

(I’m worried about how strangely tense he was, though…)

(Maybe choosing him as a first-year to be one of the “Five Oddballs” was too much of a burden after all?)

(In that case, we did something terrible. But Eichi-kun told me to recommend someone among the first-years…)

(And I couldn’t think of anyone else but Natsume-kun.)

(You know, Natsume-kun… Ever since we were young, to me, you’ve been--)

Hiyori: Aah geez! How many times do I have to tell you to “be quiet”, until you get it? Have your ears gotten worse, too? 

Eichi: What a childish insult. To denounce someone else’s physical attributes is discriminatory and vulgar. It makes me wonder what kind of education the children of the Tomoe family receive.

Aah, but you don’t have to tell me about everyone else’s upbringing.

Regardless of your treasured older brother, the inheritor, I suppose the Tomoe family lacks the means necessary to give the mere spare that you are, as the second son, an appropriate education.

The Tomoe Foundation has really gone to the dogs.

Hiyori: If the alternative is exposing the ugliness of your own age to the whole world like a certain conglomerate, I would find it much more elegant to disappear into the cold, hard ground instead.

…..And if that was supposed to be a counterblow, you chose the wrong words to put into your mouth.

I wouldn’t even forgive God himself if he scorned my house like that.

Eichi: My oh my, I had no idea. To think that you still had the influence necessary to introduce whatever you have as a “house”.

Tsumugi: (Uwah… I anticipated this, but the atmosphere between them is even colder than I feared. Actually, is it just me or do these two get along worse by the day?)

(Eichi-kun and Hiyori-kun treat everyone else amicably...)

(So how come it's only when they face one another that they can't help but get into a fight, every single time?)

(While, to an onlooker, they may seem like night and day to a degree, they're still so alike in many ways~...)

Hiyori: ….Hm? Ah, I’ve been waiting, you two! Especially for you, Nagisa-kun! I’ve been so lonely because we rarely find the time to see each other since we were sorted into different classes in high school!

Nagisa: …...Mhm. I’ve been lonely, too. Maybe that’s why, I’ve been feeling a chill lately?

 …...Hiyori-kun, you are my sun.

Hiyori: Hearing that makes me so happy! Come come, come here and sit next to me ♪

Eichi: How very passionate. ….You’re pretty late, Tsumugi. Did it take you a while to find Nagisa-kun? 

Tsumugi: Ahaha. I'm sorry for coming so late... For once, I actually found Nagisa-kun right away, but there was some trouble on the way here.

Eichi: Eh, trouble? Is there a problem?

Tsumugi: No, we resolved it already, don’t worry. More importantly, we’re running out of time, so we should start the briefing session.

Eichi: Yeah yeah, roger. Let’s obey the leader ♪

Tsumugi: Uuu. I wonder why I have to be the leader, even though I have the least ability out of everyone here…

Well, I guess there’s no need for the leader to be the strongest of all, like some kind of splendid king.

An idol unit’s leader is more like a class representative at a regular school, anyway.

They may come with a title and responsibilities, but they have no real authority, so it’s more like being middle management.

Eichi: …..Well, ordinarily, yes.

Hiyori: Hey now, quit chatting happily amongst each other over there.

Eichi: I don’t want to hear that from you two. Why are you holding hands as if it’s the most natural thing in the world?

Hiyori: ? Because we love each other, why else? How pitiful, you don’t know anything but insignificant, superficial relationships where no one will hold your hand!

Guess I win this round, Eichi-kun ♪

Eichi: Hm~m, why are you turning this into a contest…? Maybe it’s as they say; the weaker the dog, the louder their bark. Should I throw you a bone, or something?

Tsumugi: Now, now, let’s stop it with the quarrels!

There’s no need to force yourself to pretend like you get along, but please at least behave well enough that you won’t be an impediment to our work!

Hiyori: Wow, how unusual of you to raise your voice.

But you can’t fault me for having a sour look on my face. Whenever that money-obsessed guy over there opens his mouth, he sucks all the happiness particles out of his surroundings.

Eichi: Oh my, how pitiful. I knew a dog with its tail between its legs could have a twisted heart, but to think that even their sensory organs could be affected by their madness…

What’s a happiness particle? What color does it have, how does it smell, can you explain that to me?

If you can’t do that, it’s nothing but an hallucination. And do you know what they call people who use their hallucinations and delusions as a foundation for disparaging statements towards others? Sick.

Hiyori: Who’s the sick one here? What, are you trying to say that you and I are the same, or something?

I’ll have to refuse that. Because, no matter how often I’m reborn, the one thing I never want to turn into is Tenshouin Eichi!

Eichi: Is that so? I wouldn’t want to be reborn as anyone but myself, though. We don’t see eye-to-eye at all, do we now, Hiyori-kun?

Tsumugi: (Aah geez… They just won’t quit fighting, I feel like it’s a waste of effort to even try to stop them. Are we really going to be okay like this, as fine?)