#you may be asking yourself. op why are three of these about makoto. is he your favorite character?

[euyrdice]

knb + text post part two | (part one)

[jokertrap-ran]

[Stand My Heroes] 聖夜を奏でる♪ Symphonic numbers (Performing the Holy Night ♪ Symphonic numbers) Event Story: Part ② Translations

*Sutamai Master-list *MC name is retained default Izumi Rei *Scenario Writer: @eno_bara (榎戸乃ばら) *Kurisu Masuo Charisma Suoh…I see what you did there coly ww

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Special Stages

⋆⋅☆ Kujo Mansion: Living Room ☆⋅⋆

Kaname: And Koya-kun says that he watched your Shampoo CM.

Kirishima: Tell him that he was really dashin’! And help me ask him how he made his eyes sparkle like that.

Kaname: —Yeah, see you.

Kirishima: Ah, he hung up?

Kaname: Kyosuke-kun and Hikaru-kun are going to the Concert on the 24th. Tell him yourself then.

Kirishima: For real?

Shindo: What an unusual crowd is going to be gathering.

Kaname: Seems like they’re going because Tsuduki-san got the green light to gather references there.

Kujo: I see. So he contacted you because he knew that we were the one of their backers?

Kaname: Yup.

Miyase: Oh! I’ve just thought of something good.

Kirishima: What is it?

Miyase: How about we invite them to the party since we’re all going to be there?

Kujo: Brilliant.

Miyase: Do you agree to it too?

Kaname: …I don’t mind; not particularly, anyway.

Miyase: I’ll do my best to whip up all the food then.

Shindo: Looks like this we’re having another unnecessarily lively Christmas again this year.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Streets ☆⋅⋆

MC: (Phew…we ended up getting off late again.)

When I speed-walked to the Station——

???: Oooooi, Rei! Get on in!

Rei: (Hm?)

I turned around upon being called, noticing a familiar face waving from behind an open window of a car, stopped by the roadside.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Inside the Car ☆⋅⋆

Kirishima: Is it cold in here?

Rei: Nope, it’s warm.

Kirishima: I see.

Rei: Thank you so much.

Rei: It’ll be a great help if you could send me all the way back, but are you sure about this?

Kirishima: I was just on my way back from running an errand for Kujo-san, and I was just in the mood to go for a drive.

Rei: Sorry about this…I’m really beat to be honest, so thank you.

Kirishima: That’s good then. I’ve got something I wanna talk to you about too, so nice timing!

Rei: What about…?

Kirishima: We’ll be holding a Christmas Banquet on the 25th so Kujo-san wanted to extend an invitation to you too!

Rei: A Christmas Banquet…

Kirishima: Could it be that you’ve already made plans?

Rei: Rather than plans, I suppose it can be called work…in a sense, but that’s how it is.

Rei: I’m really glad to be invited, but…

Kirishima: I see…So you’re busy.

Rei: (Ahhh, my heart hurts when I see him so disappointed like a kicked puppy…!)

Rei: I apologise. Can I put my invitation tentative or will that be an inconvenience?

Kirishima: You can just take as long as you need. Even if you barely make it on the day itself.

Kirishima: Miyase’s all hyped up making tons of food.

Rei: I want to eat his cooking!

Kirishima: Don’t push yourself too hard at work, okay? I hope you come to the party.

Rei: Yes! Thank you so much!

Rei: You too, Kirishima-san! Be sure not to catch a cold or anything like that!

Kirishima: ‘Course! I’d only make Kujo-san worry if I’m not healthy during Christmas!

Rei: (Seems like everything and everyone are already in Christmas-mood except us down in the NCD.)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Headquarters ☆⋅⋆

It was only on the next day, that the Investigation took a big step forward.

Imaoji: Seki-san, has that information been checked over?

Seki: Yes.

Seki: Kurisu bought drugs from the dealer in Club R and used it before continuing with his night life.

Seki: That’s why we’ll call him out on his way back and intercept him then.

Seki: That’s the plan we’ve come up with after all the prior investigations we’ve carried out.

But the new information from his Ace was that, “Kurisu didn’t do drugs at all when he was out enjoying his night life”. Therefore——

Yui: Then, why was he buying all those on a schedule…?

Seki: That’s because…

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

——A few days ago.

⋆⋅☆ Concert Hall ☆⋅⋆

Makoto: ——I see. So, there’s a difference in practicing in a Hall and in a Studio.

Kurisu: Yes! I’d get even more into it whenever I practice in a hall!

Kurisu: The sound’s different, you see. For example, the violin. Are you aware of this, perhaps?

Kurisu: It’s sound like mm~♪in a studio, but nnnn~~♪in a Hall.

Makoto: ——I apologize. Amateurs like me can’t tell between such subtle differences.

Kurisu: Ahaha! It’s all OK, all’s good♪Because I’ll show you how different they are now!

Makoto: (He’s someone who’s always full of energy, but he seems to be way more excited than usual today.)

Makoto: (…Actually, his eyes seem to be sparkling strangely…)

Kurisu: Now, my lovely Orchestra! Are all of you ready!?

Kurisu: Let us descend into the lovely world of music!

Seki: ——Pardon me.

Kurisu: !?

Makoto: You guys…

The Orchestra members all looked uneasy as a buzz filled the air at sudden entrance of the Outsiders. Kurisu’s face paled as a sheet as Seki questioned him.

Seki: Kurisu-san, you’re under suspicion of possession and usage of Illegal Drugs.

Seki: ——According to our Information, you use dangerous drugs whenever you do music, more often than not.

Makoto: ——!

Seki: Could I ask of you to cooperate with our Investigation?

Kurisu: …I see~ Alright. I’ll cooperate with you.

Rei: Then, may I check your personal belongings?

Kurisu: What you’re looking for is over here.

It looked as if a lightbulb had clicked in Kurisu’s head as he opened something that resembled a Conducting Baton’s Case——

Aoyama & Yui: ——!

A bucket’s worth of white powder fell from within.

——And now, back to reality.

Makoto: I’m with the NCD right now. I’ve also gotten arrested.

Kyosuke: “ARRESTED——!?”

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Department ☆⋅⋆

Makoto: I’ll contact you again once I’ve been released.

Aoyama: Released…?

Makoto only calmly sipped at his coffee after he ended his call.

Rei: Makoto-san…please don’t say things like that; It’ll only invite more misunderstandings.

Rei: We only wanted to ask you some questions.

Makoto: I just wanted to try using the word “release” in relevance to my current situation.

Makoto: I just thought that I’d never have another chance to do so in the future if I didn’t take the opportunity now, when it presented itself.

Man: Ahaha…

Seiya, the Concert Master who seated beside him, only laughed bitterly at that.

Apparently, it looks like the Concert Master was responsible for “Rounding everything up” when it came to anything concerning the Orchestra. You could say that he’s a Conductor-player, if anything.

Seiya: Uhm…So, how long do we have to stay cooped up in here, exactly?

Aoyama: We’ve already heard whatever you have to say, so you’re free to leave.

Seki: Thank you so much for cooperating with us.

Rei: Thank you so much!

Seiya: Ahh, is that so. That’s great to hear…Everyone in the Orchestra’s really worried.

Rei: (Oh, that’s right. Their Conductor was suddenly arrested and taken away in the middle of their practice, so they must have been pretty shaken up about it.)

Makoto: It doesn’t look like I can gather the material I need in this situation.

Seiya: You must have it rough too, Sensei. I’ve got to think of something else, now that I’ve lost my Conductor…

Seki: You have my deepest condolences.

Seiya: Thank you…Actually, I’ve been thinking about this for quite a long time now, but…

All Three: ?

Seiya: All the guys down in the NCD look astonishingly dashing.

Aoyama & Seki: Wha——

Rei: (That’s what caught his attention!?)

Seiya: Man, I thought that I’d have gotten used to being around such good men after having spent every day seeing Kurisu-san around recently.

Seiya: But Seki-san and Aoyama-san both have a manliness about them that would make even top Kurisu-san’s own.

Seiya: I’m really, REALLY, in the mood to play a Violin now! I feel like this will make for a really nice tune!

Seki: R-Right…

Rei: (I wonder if all musicians are all that emotionally sensitive…)

Yui: ——Seki-san. About Kurisu, Imaoji-kun’s Investigation seems to be going smoothly in that field.

Seki: I see, that’s good——

Seiya: PINK HAIR!? AND NOT TO MENTION, ANOTHER DASHING ONE!?

Yui: Huh…?

Seiya: HA!? I apologize for being so loud.

Rei: (Seiya-san…)

Makoto: (How interestingly curious…)

Seiya: No— Really, all the beauties are being gathered here, in one place.

Seiya: So good, that I’m almost tempted to ask you to take Kurisu’s place as the Conductor to draw in the same crowd that his good looks would have inevitably drawn.

Rei: (Just for that reason…?)

Yui: What in the world is he talking about…?

Makoto: ——I see.

Rei: Huh?

Makoto: The NCD suddenly turning into Orchestra Conductors? Now… that’s interesting.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Department ☆⋅⋆

Makoto: ————

Aoyama: (……? I don’t know why, but I feel like…he’s staring an awful lot at me…?)

Makoto: (The Narc’s Ace, Aoyama Itsuki.)

Makoto: (——If he were to be the Replacement Conductor…)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Aoyama: ——Stop. I’ve already repeated myself countless of times, but this isn’t getting any better. Is it that difficult?

Aoyama: I’ll play the Violin so listen well to how I do it.

Aoyama: ——♪——♪♪♪——♪♪——

Player: ……! He’s way better than me! I’ve just lost all my confidence!!

Aoyama: Huh…?

Player: Rather, normal people like us cannot just manage to do everything like you high-spec people do on the drop of the hat!

Aoyama: Yes, I do understand that I’m on a different level from the average joe. Therefore, it was in my intention to do this properly and stand as everyone’s equal here.

Aoyama: How about you first tell me what you’re able to do? …Wait, what can you do?

Player: There it is; that’s what I was talking about.

Aoyama: ……?

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Makoto: (…That didn’t turn out very interesting.)

Makoto: (Since he’s an Ace, he might be much more suited to be the Concert Master than a mere Conductor.)

Aoyama: (Why is he staring so intently at me with such a poker face?)

Rei: (Makoto-san…?)

Makoto: (Next will be him…)

Seki: ……?

Makoto: (The reliable Section Chief of the NCD, Seki Daisuke——…)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Seki: ——Yes, everyone’s doing brilliant.

Seki: Especially the Violins, it was a pleasantly beautiful sound.

CRAAASH!!

Seki: !?

Percussionist: WHOA!? ALL THE VIOLINNISTS HAVE FALLEN PREY TO THE CONDUCTOR��S SUGAR-SWEET WORDS!

Seki: Eh…?

Woodwind Player: Hey…you’ve…got to be…kidding…Even the guys are down for the count!?

Brass Player: THE CONDUCTOR’S WAY TOO HANDSOME, I CAN’T CONCENTRATE AT ALL!!!!

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Makoto: (…Maybe it’s because I read the original work of the Love-comedy movie that Kyosuke’s going to be appearing in; my imagination seems to be oddly geared in that direction of things, for some reason…)

Seki: Uhm…?

Makoto: (He’s up next, I guess.)

Yui: ……?

Makoto: (The NCD’s most Inquisitive and talented brain when it comes to Research, Yui Kotaro——…)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Yui: No, all wrong, that’s not it! Violins! You’re causing Arteriosclerosis with that!

Yui: More——! We need more, if we’re going to make for a nightfilled with bloodshed!

Yui: Cymbals! More violent actions! Treat is as if you’re having Sympathetic Nerve Reactions!!

Player: W-What is he talking about!?

Player: He’s super, duper, hard to understand…!!

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Makoto: ——Pft!

Yui: ! What’s with him?

Rei: Um, Makoto-san? Is everything alright there?

Makoto: I had thought that it’d be interesting to see all of you NCD people as Replacement Conductors, but——

Makoto: I think that’s impossible, after all.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Department ☆⋅⋆

Seiya: Of course, it was just a little joke of mine.

Seiya: To an Orchestra, a Conductor is akin to their heart, or a Piero, at times.

Seiya: It’s precisely because we’re not high-leveled individuals that we can’t just simply pass the reigns over any Conductor just on the drop of a hat like that.

Yui: I won’t do it even if you asked.

Seki: Yui.

Yui: …Sorry.

Seiya: Haha. Looks like I’m the only one with a long history running, as things are looking out to be.

Seiya: I was also introduced to other people, so don’t worry about it.

Makoto: Does that mean that I can still continue gathering the data I require?

Seiya: Of course, if that is what you wish.

Makoto: That’ll be a great help. I’ll be in your care again.

Seiya: I suppose this must also be some sort of fate. Please come by to watch us on the 24th, if you’re free.

Yui: A Orchestra Concert on Christmas Eve?

Aoyama: That doesn’t sound bad at all.

Rei: Now that things have come down to this, I’m kind of interested in seeing how the performance turns out.

Seki: We’d gladly attend once the case with Kurisu-san calms down. We’ll be supporting you.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Streets ☆⋅⋆

Rei: (I’m finally walking the streets at the usual time I get off from work. That feels kind of new, now.)

Kaname: ——Big sister?

Rei: Oh, Kaname-kun? Hello.

Kaname: Are you on the way home now?

Rei: Yup. You too?

Kaname: I’m on my way back from the Bookstore. I checked where this particular book was stocked and that was the only Bookstore that had it.

Rei: I see. What a coincidence.

Kaname: ————

Rei: ? What’s wrong?

Kaname: …Do you have some time next weekend, big sister? It doesn’t matter even if you’re only free in the night.

Rei: Next weekend——?

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ In a certain Room ☆⋅⋆

TV: “Uh— Now, continuing on! This will be the follow-up report on the Dashing Conductor, Kurisu Matsuo!”

???: SHUT UP!!!!

???: Shut up, shut up, shut up! I’ll never forgive you…! How dare you arrest my Mats!?

???: I’ll never acknowledge a replacement! A Concert without Mats? I’ll destroy it…!

───⋅𝕿𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊…⋆⋅☆

[imagineyourstars]

Hello it's me again. I like to request a scenario about the transfer student and her 2-A classmates hanging out on their days off.

this !!! i wrote a lot more than i originally planned !!! (i wrote 4000 words lmao) i made sure to keep the pronouns gender-neutral too ! i tried to keep it friendly but there’s a bit of ship-tease too~

but aaaaaa i love friendship requests…. they heal my soul…. writing for groups can be a bit chaotic sometimes but it’s really fun !!! i hope you like it ♥ and thank you for blessing me with such great requests !! - mod mademoiselle

Today was going to be a good day, you just knew it.Maybe it was how your lips were always tugging into a small smile, or how youwere humming happily while you were getting breakfast ready. You definitelywere in a good mood, and the reason for it all just so happened to be sendingyou a hundred of text messages per second.

“Don’t be late, alright !” “You remember how to getthere I hope ?? If you don’t I can come and pick you up !!” “Today’s gonna beso much fun !!” Subaru wouldn’t stop sending more and more texts, to the pointwhere you just couldn’t keep up with the flow and answer him. Well, it’s notlike he would mind, not with how excited he already seemed to be. 

Today was theday when you and your classmates had agreed to see each other, and you’d beenlooking forward to it ! You’d been pretty busy this summer, and everyone elsealso had their own things to do, so you couldn’t really see the boys often.But you sure missed them, and it seemed like everyone missed you too !

You finished getting ready, checking one last time youwere looking okay and then left your place. You didn’t even take the time tocheck you didn’t forget anything, but it was more than alright ! You’d beenpreparing since yesterday evening, after all. You even found yourselfpratically running until the meeting point, the middle of the shoppingdistrict. Hokuto and Makoto were already there, and when the blond boyenthusiastically waved to you, you couldn’t help but do the same immediately.

“Good to see you. I hope you’re doing fine.” Hokutosent a small smile your way, which was his own way to show he was overjoyed atthe thought he finally got to see you after one long month apart. You noddedenergetically, making Makoto chuckle. The glasses boy’s cheeks were gettingmore than a little pink…

“I-I’ve been looking forward to today, you know”, heeventually managed to stammer out. Your smile immediately eased his stress,althought he got a bit redder too.

“Me too !” you answered. “I thought summer holidays would be restful,but… it’s kind of sad without you all.” Makoto nodded, while Hokuto lookedabsorbed in his contemplation of one of the store’s windows. He was hiding afaint smile, though…

“I never thought I would say that, but I did miss theidiots a bit—Oh.” You were about to turn around, curious to see what could havecaused Hokuto to stop talking immediately, but a pair of hands obscured yoursight.

“Guess who~ !” His chest was pressed close to yourback, and you could feel how loud his heartbeat was.

“Subaru !” You broke into a huge smile when he laughedbrightly, removing his hands and hugging you tightly.

“The one and only ! Did you miss me~ ? I’d feel prettydown if you say no, so just lie, okay ?” His blue eyes were bright andtwinkling, as usual, and the mere sight of them made you all jittery. Youreally, really missed them all…

“Ah, Subaru, not fair ! Don’t hog them all to yourself! Seriously, he just came in and he’s already acting like he owns the place,that’s exactly why we didn’t miss you !” Makoto looked happy to see his friend though, high-fiving him while Hokuto just shook his head.

“Idiot Duo, you’ll have more than enough time to catchup later. Don’t just ignore Adonis and Souma, say hello.” Huh ? When did theyeven get there ? You turned around and greeted the two boys with a smile. Adonisfaintly answered, and Souma nodded.

“Do not worry, Hokuto-dono, for we only just arrived.It is a pleasure to see you all.” Souma even bowed, and Subaru gave you a little wink.

“I found those two on my way, so we decided to walkthere together”, he explained happily. Makoto looked more than a bit curiousthough, head tilted to the side.

“Were you together, Adonis, Souma ? Did you perhapsmake plans without us ?! Aaah, how unfair ! I want to go out with my friendstoo !” Adonis, not getting the joke, merely shook his head in response.

“It’s not that. Souma and I have been spending a fewdays together. He showed me a lot of very beautiful places. I am thankful.”Wow, that sure sounded great. You kind of wanted Souma to show you around too !

“Oh, by the way, has anyone seen Natsume-kun ? We can’treally keep moving without him, right ?” Makoto asked, looking a bit confused.

“Is he even coming today ? He never answered my calls.”Hokuto sure didn’t look like he cared.

“I sent him looots of texts, so I think he knows !” Theboys kept chattering, exchanging suppositions and trying to agree on what todo. You barely listened to them, lost in your own thoughts. It didn’t seem likeNatsume to never answer and just ignore an invitation… but then again, it didseem like him to forget to check his phone… Wait, that boy, over there… ?

“Ah, he’s here ! Natsume-kuuun !” Subaru waved at himenthusiastically. Natsume barely even waved back, but did grin to you briefly.He was sipping on iced coffee and didn’t look like he’d hurried there at all.

“Hey, Sakasaki. You’re late. Didn’t you know about thetime of the meet-up ?” Hokuto asked, looking coldly at the newly-arrived boy,who just snickered in response.

“Time is only a social construct, Hidaka.” Well, hesaid that but his dark circles were cleverly hidden by a pair of sunglasses.

“Yeah, so basically he’s trying to say that he sleptin.” Subaru and you laughed at Makoto’s joke, who seemed more than pleased atthe attention. Even Adonis broke into a small smile, but Hokuto just sighed,shaking his head.

“Well, whatever. Let’s just move on, now that everyone’shere.” Hokuto, faithful to his position as the class’s representative, was nowattentively studying a list he seemed to have taken out of his backpack. Did he…prepare a schedule for the day ?

“Hokuto-dono, if I may… What are we to do today ?”Hokuto just blinked at Souma’s question, visibly unsure of the answer.

“Well… I was thinking something relaxing buteducational would be good. We could go to a museum or visit a shrine, if youwould like.” Subaru loudly whined, dejectedly shaking his head.

“Eeeeh… A museum… This isn’t fun at all, Hokke ! Can’twe just go play somewhere~ ?”

“Subaru-kun might be right, even though it’s the firsttime in his life ! I’d prefer to have fun too, but well, I’m not picky either !”Makoto seemed to be uneasy at the thought of siding with either of his friends,which made you laugh quietly. It’s just like him…

“I will follow you. I don’t mind either way.” Thanks,Adonis, that was helpful… You turned your head towards Souma, curious as towhat his opinion was, and he just so happened to be looking at you. Hehurriedly looked down, cheeks slightly tinted pink.

“I-I do not mind either. I do think the temple wouldbe refreshing, but I do not know what youngsters these days do for fun…” Helooked so flustered ! You couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Natsume justsnickered, still sipping on his coffee.

“Your leader skills are strong, Hokke-kun. Why don’twe just go and play ? You can visit shrines by yourself if you want.” Natsume’swords didn’t seem to make Hokuto happy, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, hestepped closer to you.  For just a split second you thought his face looked a bit gentler, as he sent you an inquisitivegaze.

“What about you ? What do you want to do ?” Of course,everyone turned your way with expectant faces, waiting for your answer to getgoing. Not wanting to offend anyone, you hesitantly replied.

“Well, since most of us seem to want to do somethingfun, um… Maybe the arcade sounds good ? What do you think ?” They kept quietfor a moment, but ultimately everyone nodded and you silently let out arelieved sigh.

“I knew you’d understand~ Summer’s for fun stuff,right ?”

“Little kitten, you have good tastes, after all.”

“I do not know much about this ‘arcade’ place, but please teach me about it !” Seems like everyone was more or less pleased with your choice, and thatincluded Hokuto, who smiled softly at you.

“Well, if it’s what you want… then okay. Let’s headthere, you guys.” A chorus of enthusiastic exclamations echoed as his answer.

The room of the game center Makoto picked was dark,but pretty big, and the music was just a bit too loud for you to hear hisexplanations properly.

“… and then this button here is for reloading. Simple,right ? Really, aside from shooting, there’s not much to do in this game, but it’sfun to play with friends !” You nodded confusedly, trying to recap it allin your head. He said it was simple, but the controls seemed ridiculouslycomplex for an arcade game… Makoto visibly caught on your confusion, as helaughed and hesitantly patted your shoulder.

“Don’t worry, it’s simple once you get the hang of it! Wanna play against me ?” Against ? You thought it was a co-op game ! But helooked so happy at the thought of showing you his favorite game…

“Um, yeah, sure ! But go easy on me, okay ? I’m just abeginner !” He smiled widely, inserting credits into the machine.

“Sure, don’t worry ! I won’t be too hard on you~”Before you even had time to answer, the game was starting, and you were doingyour best to remember all the controls. Aiming proved a bit trickier than youthought, but you were doing a pretty good job at killing all those zombies !Just as you were about to brag and tease Makoto, you noticed his score wasthree times as high as yours.

“How do you do that ?! I’m going as fast as humanlypossible, and you’re still better ?” He laughed at your comment, but didn’t avert his eyes fromhis screen. 

“I have years of practice under my belt, you know ?Just let me have a chance to show you my cool side !” Cool side or not, youdidn’t intend to lose to him ! You were getting more and more into it, andyelped when someone suddenly glomped you.

“Aah, be careful, the boss is about to come out !Here, lemme help !” Subaru’s hands joined yours around the gun’s handle,his fingers expertly pressing the buttons. And his aim was much better than yours too…but it was really hard to focus on the game when he was practically hugging youfrom behind… You hoped neither he or Makoto would notice you were blushing abit, but fortunately, they were too into the game to even look at you beforeit was over.

“Subaru, you lying cheat ! You promised you wouldn’tinterfere ! You’re the worst wingman ever !” Subaru just laughed brightly inresponse, handing you the gun back.

“I couldn’t help it, their score was just so bad, it’salmost like it was calling me to the rescue~” You puffed out your cheeks. Andhere you thought you did pretty good !

“Hey, it was my first time ! Don’t be too hard on me !”Fortunately, Hokuto came to your rescue, alarmed when he heard just how muchnoise the three of you were making.

“The Idiot Duo’s not bullying you, are they ?” heasked, looking genuinely worried about you.

“Please forgive us, Hokuto-sama, we didn’t know youwere their knight in shining armor today !”

“Yes, we’ve been fools, Hokuto-sama… !” Subaru andMakoto were now prostrated on the floor, prompting you to giggle. Hokuto justsighed, before gently taking your arm and taking you away.

“Do you want to stay with me ? I’m trying to figureout how the games work. That, and trying to hide from Sakasa—”

“Oh, you’re here, Hokke-kun. Still afraid to take up achallenge, I see. Well, should I make it into a victory by forfeit for me ?” Natsumeliterally came out from nowhere, a teasing smile on his lips. You didn’t reallyknow what that was all about, but you suspected Natsume was having a lot of funteasing Hokuto.

“What happened ? Oh, did Natsume challenge you to agame ?! No way, you should just give up, Hokke !” Subaru and Makoto had joinedyou, much to Hokuto’s annoyance.

“Hey, Subaru ! It’s not Hokke but ‘Hokuto-sama��, didyou forget already ? Jeez, this kid can’t do running gags at all…” Makoto’sjoke made you smile again, and he looked pretty pleased at that.

“Oh, isn’t it the ‘Idiot Duo’. Good timing. I’m prettybored, so I asked Hokke-kun to face me off in a game, but he’s been avoiding meever since.” Natsume’s grin was positively cat-like.

“Hey, Hokke, you should have told us ! We’d haverooted for you ! What game is it ?” Subaru asked enthusiastically. Hokuto justsighed in response, visibly troubled.

“It’s this one… um, Dance Dance Revolution, was it ? I don’tknow much about this sort of things, so of course I’d lose.” Makoto gaspedloudly at Hokuto’s words.

“Don’t say that, Hokuto ! Aren’t you a natural atdancing ? You should give it a try !” You even found yourself nodding at the glassesboy’s words, and Hokuto seemed to hesitate a bit when he noticed it.

Natsume didn’t miss even a second of it, and keptgoing relentlessly. “Then, if you want it to be more exciting, shall we putsomething at stake ? Let’s say there’s a prize to be won… and it’s littlekitten.” You just blinked. Was he implying…

“I’m not a prize !” He completely ignored yourinterruption, but his eyes had lightened up and you could clearly see he washaving a lot of fun.

“Since the prize is already decided, let’s just saythe winner gets to ki—”

“I’ll do it.” Hokuto was already stepping towards thearcade game, much to Natsume’s delight. You were left staring at them inconfusion, while Subaru and Makoto were getting fired up.

“A fated battle between men, to protect their prideand their love ! How moving !” Makoto even got a tissue out to wipe his eyes,just for the sake of his joke. That boy goes too far sometimes.

“I’ll call this ‘Encouter of Fate ! Newbie Grandpaversus Sadistic Creep’ !” While they were getting excited together, you idlylooked over the other games. Hokuto and Natsume looked very intent on havingthis little showdown, and you were looking for an excuse to mysteriously disappear.You didn’t doubt Natsume would win, and you didn’t intend to give up to him soeasily.

Your salvation came in the form of very disoriented Soumaand Adonis, who were hesitantly trying games. When Souma met your gaze, hisface visibly relaxed.

“Ah, we were looking for you. Adonisu-dono and Iwanted to try…” You didn’t catch the end of the sentence, as the music was abit too loud and Souma a bit too quiet.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that ! What do you want to try? Maybe I can show you how it works !” Souma looked a bit embarrassed, but hedid step closer to you.

“We would like to try… the, um, the ‘purikura’, was it…?” Those photobooths ? Well, it was a bit surprising but who were you to judge?

“Oh, okay ! Can I try it with you too ?” Keeping asouvenir of today didn’t seem like a bad idea, and besides you wanted to be somewhere hidden when Natsume would start looking for you. Adonis shyly smiled at you.

“Of course. I want to make a lot of memories with myfriends.” And with that, the three of you were inside the booth, trying out thedifferent options. Adonis and Souma were curious about everything and seemed tobe having a lot of fun. You were completely forgetting about the others whenthe curtain suddenly opened, revealing a peering-face with bright blue eyes andorange hair.

“Aaah, you’re taking pictures without me !! How couldyou ! Make some room for me, Zaki-kun !”

“Subaru, you’re going to ruin the pho—” Too late. Youdidn’t have time to finish your sentence before Subaru’s photobomb wasdisplayed on the screen. You could only see his face and half of Adonis’nervous smile on the picture. Subaru’s face wasn’t even blurry, and hisecstatic wide smile was displayed in glorious HD.

“Save this picture ?” asked the automated voice, buteveryone kept silent. You exchanged a glance with Souma, then Adonis, andeventually everyone broke into laughter, including the photobombing culprithimself. Only once were you all calmed down did Adonis press the ‘Yes’ button.

“I like this picture”, he explained, shooting you asmall smile. You nodded. It was… very like Subaru. You were sure you were goingto keep it, actually. The curtain opened again, Makoto peeking insidethe booth. Two more pairs of legs were standing behind him, and you supposedNatsume and Hokuto were done with their little duel.

“Ooh, you’re taking photos ! Can we join ? Of course,we can also wait a bit !” he exclaimed loudly. Natsume just groaned, and you couldn’trestrain a smile at the sound.

“I’m not interested in pictures.” Makoto’s facemomentarily disappeared from the booth, as he turned it towards Natsume.

“Oh, come on ! Just a few souvenirs !” But Subaru wouldn’thave it and dragged Makoto inside, making him stumble on Adonis’ legs (whichwere taking most of the room inside the booth). Before Natsume could protest,Hokuto pushed him inside as well, and while the first few pictures were… challenging,to say the least, everyone ended up loosening up and relaxing. And the picturescame out nicely, too !

“Well, now that that’s taken care of, should we go andhave a bite somewhere ?” Hokuto suggested, looking at his watch.

“It’s already this late, huh ? Time flies when you’rehaving fun !” Makoto chirped, and Subaru vigorously nodded.

“As long as I can eat meat, I’m fine with anything.”Adonis’ meek voice was barely even audible in the noisy atmosphere of the gamecenter, but your smile in response made him break out into a shy attempt at a smileof his own.

“Then, let’s go and have fast-food ! Yahoo, I’m theone who gets to choose~” And with those words, Subaru dashed outside, causingNatsume to snicker.

“They do say fools are the happiest.”

“Oi, Akehoshi… Too late”, Hokuto sighed, massaging histemples. You gently patted his back, and he smiled faintly your way. His eyeswere so gentle whenever he was looking at you… “What do you want to eat ?” he quietly asked, so quietly you could barely hearhim.

“I’m fine with anything, really.” You smiled too, andhe looked deeply relieved.

“Then let’s just catch up with this idiot. He mightget lost, after all.”

Eating with everyone was definitely an experience.Souma was new to fast-food, but didn’t seem to dislike it. Natsume stole foodfrom the others whenever they were not looking, and Makoto seemed veryself-conscious at the thought he would be eating right in front of you. Subarudidn’t lack material for his jokes, his target of choice frequently alternating between Hokuto, whoinsisted to examine what was inside his food methodically before eating it, andAdonis, who ate easily twice as much as the others. You were pretty nervous atthe thought you might end up getting sauce everywhere but fortunately, you didn’tmess up. There must be a god, after all…

After that, everyone headed to karaoke. With Hokutoaround, it felt a bit more like a singing lesson to be honest, but Makoto andSubaru were experts at relaxing the mood. Souma didn’t know about karaoke andseemed to enjoy himself a lot ! Natsume just tried to disrupt everyone’sconcentration. You thought you’d be a bit awkward at the thought of having tosing with everyone, but it went really well ! Time flied, and before you knewit everyone was already saying their goodbyes.

“Thank you for teaching me so much. I will be forevergrateful to you all. Next time, please feel free to come at the Kanzaki familyestate. I shall show you many beautiful places and dishes.” Souma bowed deeply,prompting a little laugh out of you.

“No need for that, Souma ! I’m glad you had fun. Seeyou soon !” You waved, and there he went, soon followed by Adonis.

“Thanks for today. It was fun. Don’t forget to havedinner.” He left immediately after his elliptic goodbyes, apparently on thephone with one of his older sisters. From what you gathered, they were gettinghungry and were waiting for him. Oh well, you’d see him soon at school, afterall.

“Oh, it’s this late ?” Makoto winced when he noticedthe time, then shot you all an apologetic smile. “Sorry everyone, gotta hurryhome ! See you guys !”

“Aah, wait for me, Glasses ! Well then, see yaeveryone !” Subaru left running after Makoto, but not after giving you a littlewink. You waved at him, smiling happily, until you suddenly noticed you wereleft alone with Hokuto and Natsume. And here you’d forgotten about their littleduel and Natsume’s reward… You could practically feel Natsume’s grin as heslowly creeped up from behind you.

“Does that mean I can finally get my prize, little kitten? I’ve been ready since this morning.” Oh no he’s not. Your mind was reeling,trying to think of a witty comeback, but you didn’t need one in the end. Hokutostepped up, eyes shooting daggers at Natsume.

“I don’t think they really like that joke. I’ll bewalking them home. Goodbye, Sakasaki.” He dragged you away without any furtherexplanation, and you just followed him confusedly, before turning around towave at Natsume. You didn’t want him to be angry at you or anything, andfortunately it didn’t seem like he took it badly. He just waved back, a small, mysterious smile on his lips.

You were deep in your thoughts and didn’t notice whenHokuto suddenly stopped walking, a few minutes later. You just crashed into hisback, and as you were about to ask him if everything was alright, he turned toyou. His face looked a bit grim, and he was just as deep in thoughts as youwere.

“Sorry. Are you okay ?” You nodded, much tohis relief. “Good. I just… I’m sorry for this whole thing with Sakasaki. It waschildish, and certainly not very fun for you.” He sighed, albeit more deeplythan usual.

“No, don’t worry about that ! I didn’t mind, really.Well, to Natsume it’s just a game after all, right ?” You smiled, trying torelax the atmosphere, but Hokuto didn’t smile back. He was attentively studyingyour face, and eventually turned his eyes away.

“A game, huh. So that’s how you see it.” He kept quietfor a moment, then started walking again, with you following him as fast as youcould. His legs were much bigger than yours, after all… When he suddenly spokeagain, you weren’t expecting it and were a bit startled.

“You know, you won’t have to worry about Sakasakidoing anything to you. I… well, I’m the one who won.” Oh ? That was unexpected.You wanted to congratulate him, but he looked so serious that your words justdied in your throat. And when he shyly took your hand in his, you completelyforgot about them.

“Would you hate it if… if we walk home like that ?”You just shook your head in response, worried your voice would betray you if you talked. Heseemed relieved and squeezed your fingers just a bit tighter.

“Then, this will be my reward.”