Wonder Game - infinite 11

[bakemonoremy]

Location: 2nd Floor Hallway

Natsume: ………..

Tsumugi: Huff, huff! Please wait, Natsume-ku~n!

Natsume: ...What is iT. Is there something you forgot to tell mE, SenpAI?

Don’t concern yourself with mE, just go finish your woRK.

This might be the last chance to be spoiled and fawned over like a priceless senior that you will ever get in your unfortunate liFE, you knOW--

You should accept this happineSS, SenpAI. You have the right to do sO. I’m not being sarcastIC.

Tsumugi: But… Natsume-kun, you keep frowning and looking displeased. And if you aren’t happy, then I probably can’t feel happy from the bottom of my heart, either.

So let’s talk about this properly. I want to take away everything that brings you pain, and bring a smile to your face.

No, I want to make you happy. Because it is my duty as someone who hurt you in the past, and because I want to do it. ...Or am I being a bother?

Natsume: ………..

I̵̖̻͙̭̳͉ ҉͎d̲̙̤̹͕͉͍o͔̲͟n’̼̩͖t҉̮̦̭̞̣ ͈̲͓̼͡úͅnd̪͇͚͍͕̣͖͢e̯r̦s͞t̯͙̮̱a̙͙̣̘n̮̫̞̗d͔͕͔̪̲̲̬ y̙̬̹̻o̰̪̼̠̗͕͢u.͚ͅ

͇̯ͅͅ

̙̗̳̲̙͢W͈͉̩͚̝̹ͅh̳̲̫͚͎̞́a̡͕͉̙͕t̙ ̪̼̦̞͓́ḁ̙̼̫̀r̘̫e͉̬͉̣̲̖͔ ̛̱̹̥̲͓y̜̣o̙̺ͅu̩͡ ̠͖̫t̘̞h͕̫í̱̥n̤̙k̗͉͙̞̗̩͘ì͎̫̣̫ņ͕͕̫g̡̬͕̮̝͇?̩̭̳̣̜͕̀ ͠W̼h̟̩̤̹͎͠a̱̪̬̭͎͟t̰̝̯̲ ͏̲̞͕do̞̯̞̘ ̼͜y̦͖̗͉o͏͎̳̳̱̭̳u̧͙̘ ̭̪̻̱̲͚w̦̠͎͉̦a̞̦̥nt?̸ ̯͕̳̮̯W̸̗h̰͕̫͖̼a̪̯̫̗̘̭͎t̶̰̺̯͖ ̴̫͚̻k̵̥̹͔͇i̼̜̱̟̰n҉̞̪̰̮d̗̯́ ̙͓̘͉o͉̮f̼̺̖͢ ̤̳̰͍̗̮ͅd̤̤̮̜̪̭͠re̠̙a͎͟ḿ̠̯̱̣̭͉ś ͙͚͎̮́do̙̦͚ ̷̩̠͙̫͕y͚͈̮͚̳̹͞o͈u͕̼ ̧̹͈̱̺͉̮̬h̡͙̭̠̘͖͔̲a̗͢v̧͍e̟͍̲̟͍̮̳?̨

̼̟̜̦̕

̞͖͉̳͔̟͍́W̷̥h̙̝̗̜̜̜̥͘a̰͕͓̗͕͓̯t̩̪̼̜̬̹̼ ̩ͅa̝m̦̬̫̀ ̶̳̪͉̤̠̤ͅI̙̖̲̭͇,̗̩̪͉̫͔̀ ̢t͕̫̺̳̺͘ͅo̵̹͙̹̺͙ ͚̘̻ͅy̢o̵̼̻̬͖̹͉u͙͔͘?̖

Tsumugi: ………..

...Do you want to know?

Natsume: N-nO. You don’t have to say iT, just forget iT.

The tongue is an organ that exists in order to produce liES, which is why you can say anything you want if it’s just worDS. And Senpai only ever says whatever’s convenient to me anywAY, so I can’t believe a single word you sAY.

Tsumugi: ...Yes. That’s why I intend to show it to you through my actions.

Fortunately, I was granted the chance to do so, like this.

I’m so glad. I really am, Natsume-kun. And it’s all because Nagisa-kun and Hiyori-kun, and even Eichi-kun, didn’t forget about the past.

It wasn’t all a dream, and it wasn’t an illusion that will disappear as soon as I close my eyes...

That means that the path we walked together, and the days we spent together, weren’t all in vain.

That thought makes me happy, and that’s why I will finish “Wonder Game” with everything I have. It seems like Saegusa-kun and others set up various schemes, but it’s all okay.

I am sure you know this, but I am a pretty bad guy myself. I trampled all over countless children and their dreams, and when it comes to being a scoundrel, I am even more experienced than Saegusa-kun.

That’s why I won’t lose this game. I will make it a success just like you want me to, and I’m sure this will yield great results for Switch even in the future.

Natsume: So you are free to retire in peaCE, and graduate while feeling complaceNT?

How selfish of yOU, SenpAI.

Tsumugi: ………..

Natsume: ...Truth be toLD, I kind of did whatever I could to look into Senpai’s future plaNS.

I have a grasp on the teaching staff's weaknesses to a certain degrEE, so I was able to get my hands on the career survey questionnaires through some dishonest meaNS.

WeLL, they’re the kind of frivolous teaching staff that would divulge classified information like that after being threatened just a little bIT, anywAY…

And those people are only able to access information of little importanCE, so they were only able to get their hands on questionnaires from over half a year aGO.

I acquired a summary of thEM. Reading that constitutes a violation of privaCY, and I’m sure even you wouldn’t be okay with thAT… Which is why I never mentioned this to yOU.

But I had to knOW. As a member of the same unIT, Switch, I have to consider Senpai’s future plaNS.

Because it impacts our upcoming scheduLE, and the winning conditions of “Wonder GaME”. If we don’t know what outcome to aim fOR, and what our goals aRE, we can’t take a single step forward after aLL.

...In any caSE. SenpAI, apparently you plan to quit being an idol and aim for a teaching positiON? 

Tsumugi: Eh? Um, well, I do remember writing something like that on a career survey, a long time ago…?

Natsume: You’re so easy to reAD. If possible you want to become a teacher at an idol training school like YumenosaKI, rigHT?

The apple doesn’t fall far from the trEE, or have you possibly already forgotten how your mother failed at that very same vocatiON?

I’m sure you just want to make up for all the dreams you crushed underfoot by making other people’s dreams come true this tiME. And why nOT, I gueSS. It suits yOU, SenpAI.

You love to look after peopLE, after aLL. And you make up for your lack of talent by working that much hardER, so I’m sure you’ll see better results by putting all of that into teaching otheRS.

Just nOW, you were giving out very accurate and suitable instructions to the former students of that idol training schoOL, tOO.

And they adore you quite a bIT, so I think this kind of work really suits you weLL. If I were a fortune teller you consulted about your careER, I’d tell you to “go forth without hesitatiON”.

Tsumugi: ...Natsume-kun, are you telling me that I should quit being an idol?

Natsume: That’s what you want to dO, isn’t iT?

It’s what you meant by saying you’ll “show it through your actioNS”, rigHT? Isn’t that why you spent all that time earlier showing off what a splendid “idol instructor” you maKE?

Like you were trying to say “This is what I’m going to be, best of luck with whatever you guys are doing~”, rigHT?

And I’m fine with thAT, Switch was only formed in the first place because you asked me to help yOU, after aLL.

If you say “I’ve had enough”, then I’ve had enouGH, tOO.

Tsumugi: ...I can’t accept that. Why did this conversation turn out like this, Natsume-kun?

You misunderstand me. No, I’m at fault for not explaining anything to begin with. I made you anxious, raised your suspicions, and forced you to say all these things you don’t even mean.

I am sorry. I am always too late to realize these things. I’m a simpleton, a complete idiot… That’s why Natsume-kun has to scold me practically every day.

But, I believe I changed just a little bit. I’ve grown up, and I’m no longer unable to feel anything. 

Natsume-kun, you were the one who taught me. You taught me pain… and everything else.

Natsume: ………..

Eichi: ...Hey there. It seems like my timing is the absolute worst, if I may say so myself. But do you have a moment, Sakasaki-kun?

Natsume: ...W-what is iT? What business do you have with me instead of SenpAI?

Eichi: I can’t tell you that here. I’ve often tried to get you to have this important one-on-one conversation with me, though…

I can’t do anything that would constitute a breach of contract, like trying to make you exchange things that you are unwilling to part from.

Tsumugi: ...Contract?

Eichi: Yes. We may have had bitter experiences with them, but sometimes, laws and contracts that leave no room for human kindness are necessary.

For me and Yumenosaki Academy, and probably the entire idol industry, the time to become adults has come.

Natsume: What are you talking aboUT? WeLL, if it’s just a conversation you waNT, I don’t miND. It’s not like I have anything better to do right nOW.

To be honeST, I much prefer a conversation with the student council president over one with that man over there who’s laughing without a care after abandoning Switch in order to fulfill his own dreaMS. 

Tsumugi: P-please wait just a second, Natsume-kun! We’re not done talking, I still haven’t conveyed a single thing I wanted to tell you!

Natsume: You’re out of tiME. I had gotten my hopes up and waited all this tiME… But it turns out I’m the “idiot” heRE.

B̩͕͙y͍͔e̬̭̮͞ͅ-̸b̳̖̫̙̗y̞̲̬ͅe͔̗͍̞̩,̙̰̀ ͇̘͈͎͇͟ͅT͏͖̖̜̗͙̰s͇u̗͍͕͙̼͕͘m̺̹̘͎͢u͏̩̜͉̪̺͕̱g̠͝i̺̝͇̦͕-̜͘n͚͚͞ͅiis̭̰̲̪̙͝a̴n̫̦͙̙̤.̻̺̦͕͖ ̣I̮ ̦̼͚͍̻h̷̦͙o͕̫͔̠p̻̳e͕̹̞̟̤̲͝ ͏̪̝y̙̹ͅǫ̝̝̳̭͕̟u’̪̩̤l͕̲̩̱͚̰̙͟l̰̜͕͚͕̠͘ ̞̝̱͙̲̘͘b̡͉͖͚ę ͕͚̻̺͞h̯̜͔a̷̦̞̟̘̹̭͕p̹̜̻͞p̖͇͡y͖.͓͙̗̲͉͜

Tsumugi: Please wait, Natsume-kun! You’ve got it all wrong! To me, happiness is…!