Wonder Game - blue bird, red queen 1

[bakemonoremy]

Location: In front of the School Gates, Nighttime

- One year ago, in fall. Immediately following the subjugation match against Hibiki Wataru of the “Five Oddballs” -

Hiyori: Hm~, the stars are sparkling beautifully, with no regard for the situation here on earth! What wonderful weather!

Now then, Nagisa-kun, what shall we do next? We are free now, free to go anywhere we’d like!

Nagisa: ………

Hiyori: Wow, you're a spoiled child today, aren't you! What’s the matter, why are you gripping my hand so tightly? Ahaha, it’s been a while since we last did this, huh ♪

...We took quite the detour, didn’t we.

Nagisa: ………

Hiyori: Ahaha. You’re shaking your head, are you trying to say “It wasn’t a detour”?

You’re right! It’s not like this was all just a dream, we really did spend our youth here at Yumenosaki Academy!

While trampling over the youth of countless innocent young people.

There was no other way to go about it. If we had stopped halfway through, that would have been the real tragedy. It was a close call, and completely wretched, but we achieved our goal, so we should feel satisfied with that.

...We really did our best, didn’t we?

Nagisa: ………

Hiyori: Yep! You don’t have to say anything for me to understand, we’re family after all! I feel the same way you do, I am also at my limit. We... can no longer sing on that stage again, right?

Even though, as we are the revolutionaries of this school, we’d be ushered in by thunderous applause for sure. But that’s all just because we spent so much time manipulating the consciousness of the students.

The applause and the smiles we earn… I can no longer tell if they’re the real thing.

Nagisa: ………

Hiyori: Yep. Of course, there’s no such thing as 'true' and 'fake' for smiles and even emotions. There's value in being able to produce them in someone else, no matter the methods employed for it..

However. That is just the same thing as peddling drugs, and my soul can’t take any more of that.

That's why, even though I feel bad for Eichi-kun and Tsumugi-kun, who apparently want to stay here, or rather, seem under the impression that this is only the beginning...

I want to go far away. It's the perfect chance, now that the contracts expired.

It may be too late for it now, but… I want to protect the purity of my soul.

If I were to defile it any more than I already have, I’d feel guilty towards the ancestors whom I inherited my soul from.

I’m an aristocrat, not a killer or a warmonger. Everything was so much fun and sparkling so brightly that it took me a long time to remember that.

But I want to believe that it isn’t too late now.

What will you do, Nagisa-kun? There’s no need to force yourself to come with me, okay? If you want to stay here, you can!

Your life belongs to you and no one else.

Nagisa: …..Hiyori-kun, you--

…..Ever since we first met, you’ve never conveyed what’s really important through words.

…..That’s why, just like you taught me, I will respond to you in kind.

…..Not letting go of your shaking fingertips, is my response.

Hiyori: Ahaha. I see, so that’s how it is.

Let’s go together, then. We may not know our destination yet, but as long as we’re together, we can go anywhere!

The world is wide and life is long, there’s still so much fun awaiting us….☆

Ibara: Salute~! I apologize for interrupting this pleasant chat, but I assumed from your appearances that you must be the two leading actors of fine, am I wrong?

Hiyori: ....? …And who might you be?

Ibara: Aah, how rude of me to do this through the window of a car… Here is my card!

Hiyori: ? Cosmic Production’s… Saegusa, Ibara-kun?

Ibara: Yes! I am still a mere novice though, so I am sure you haven’t heard of me!

I am but a rogue* who snatches up various jobs while being an idol on the side, but it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance nonetheless!

Hiyori: And what kind of business does a rogue such as yourself have with us? It’s cold, and I’m exhausted for the day, so to tell you the truth, I’d like to go straight home now.

Ibara: Allow me to apologize once more! I am deeply ashamed, there is no excuse for my inability to read the atmosphere!

However, the guard around the two of you has always been so tight that there was no gap to get in touch with you at all… But today, the long awaited chance that I’ve been hoping for from the bottom of my heart has finally come!

I don’t intend to bother you by drawing you into a longwinded conversation today, though! I shall take my leave after exchanging greetings with you!

Please keep the names 'Cosmic Production' and 'Saegusa Ibara' in the back of your mind as you return home!

It surely won’t prove disadvantageous to you! As they say; when God shuts one door, he opens another, although it is cheeky of me to act like I am God in that scenario! Makes me sick to my stomach!

In any case, if you have nowhere to go, please consider joining us!

With us, you’ll be able to start at management level, no, we are even prepared to grant you leadership positions right away! We will give you a passionate welcome any time, so please give it some thought!

That’s all! That’s the gist of it, well, I do apologize for appearing in front of you so suddenly and rambling on and on!

However, I pray that this encounter will turn out to be a fortunate destiny for the two of you!

Now then, I shall excuse myself for today! If at all possible, I hope we meet again someday! Salute~♪

Hiyori: ………

Nagisa: …..What was that all about.

Hiyori: Who knows. Even for a solicitor or headhunter, that guy was quite bold, and rude to boot.

Well, on days where fine has a live, the security around here is extraordinarily high, so he could only get into contact with us in this short moment.

But even then he was in an awfully big rush, and since he didn’t preface his statements I couldn’t even comprehend what he was going on about…

Well, I guess if we’re interested, we can always call the number on the business card he left us with…

But right now, this all feels way too fishy.

Nagisa: …..That child--

Hiyori: Hm? What’s wrong, Nagisa-kun?

Nagisa: …..He smelled like father.

Hiyori: He smelled like milk?** Yep yep, it’s freezing out here, I’d love to drink some hot milk right about now!

Nagisa: …..Mhm. Let’s go home, and go to sleep once we warmed ourselves up.

…..We will think about tomorrow’s matters when the day comes.

…..For today, I am completely exhausted, too.

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* Yes, he’s using the word “gorotsuki”, the one Kanata uses to refer to Madara.

** The words “father” and “milk” are homonyms here.