Mitsuteru felt regret.
…I think letting Kazu-kun escape was a mistake.
That boy really was a teammate to Midorikawa. He had made a quick dash away, but Mitsuteru knew he had to be nearby.
He could see a tail of black hair sticking out from behind a storage cabin five buildings away.
...That's Ryū-kun hiding, isn't it?
Ryūji would never choose to hide, so someone had to have prevented him from continuing on this way. That was most likely Kazuma.
Of course, with 5 buildings between them, he would have to talk very loudly for them to hear him. Ryū-kun could probably guess as to what I'm doing, but that's fine. I know he'll accept me and he won't tell anyone.
But, thought Mitsuteru while setting the chat to everyone except Ryūji and Wakamura.
Daybreak: "Is anyone spying on me?"
Almost Everyone: "...
That silence was suspicious.
Once you started down the road of doubt, you could never escape it, but with his age group so close to the ones a year older, his suspicions were justified. So…
Daybreak: "Hello, everyone within 10 meters who isn't moving."
Bullet Idiot: "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
Daybreak: "Well, I used the location data gathered by TSUBAKI via Suzaku-senpai – oh, but I can't see it myself since it's personal information – and had a message automatically sent to everyone who matched those conditions."
He had sent it, but it was a trick.
…I hope someone is dumb enough to self-destruct by asking about the messages…
However…
Almost Everyone: "..."
No one fell for it.
I'm impressed, he thought, but in a way, it seemed to reveal just how expertly awful everyone in their age group was.
...We really are too close to the point of our senpais.
Daybreak: "...Everyone. Why are you all so cement-like when it comes to finding other people's weaknesses?"
Bright Child: "Eh? What are you talking about, Mittsuncchi? Are you doubting us because of some kind of persecution complex?"
Daybreak: "Hmm."
When they put it like that, he could not really deny the possibility.
He knew Kazuma and Ryūji were 5 buildings down, but perhaps no one else was spying on him.
Daybreak: "Yes, maybe I am overthinking this."
Bright Child: "Right, right. We'll be there soon, so you should probably try being less negative."
I see.
Daybreak: "If you aren't there, then you won't mind if I send a new message with a virus, will you?"
Bullet Idiot: "...Ariake, I think we can still talk this out."
Daybreak: "You give up too easily!"
A black clad figure jumped from a rooftop two buildings away. They were moving as far away from him as they could.
It's impressive how they like to double down on their awfulness, thought Mitsuteru with a sigh.
…But it looks like my doubts were justified.
Daybreak: "Then let's start with Nire-chan."
Bright Child: "Eh!? Wh-why would you do that? You're supposed to do this in aiueo order, right!? And that would put Kazuma and Ryūji first. Wow, and you would be next Mittsuncchi. C'mon, Mittsuncchi, infect yourself with a virus!"
Daybreak: "Any complaints if I start with Nire-chan?"
Almost Everyone: "Go right ahead."
Bright Child: "Ah! Dammit! What is with all you people!? Do you want something that badly!? Then I'll place a curse on you that gives you long-term employment, effectively ending your life right there! Liiiifetiiiime employyyyymeeeeent!"
Bullet Idiot: "…We're all pretty much employed already and isn't that curse usually seen as a blessing?"
Bright Child: "F-fine then! I'll place a curse on you that makes you all fat!"
Almost Everyone: "What does that have to do with anything!?"
Daybreak: "Okay, okay. Here we go, Nire-chan."
Bright Child: "You're going to infect my things that casually!? Bring it on! Rika-chaaaaaaan! Solve this with money! Get your captain in here!"
6Ri: "If you insist..."
Kane-shima has been added to the chat.
A prostration arrived via transmission.
Kane-shima: "Jackass, how much do you want?"
Daybreak: "The thing is, I don't really need much money."
Kane-shima: "And you call yourself human!? Normal people get turned on by talking about money!"
Almost Everyone: "Only you do!"
Bright Child: "Ignore the mean people and focus on Mittsuncchi, Urushima! That boy is satisfied with his life because he has been on squads with boobs!"
Daybreak: "Actually, that was a lot of trouble. I needed to be careful most of the time and I wanted to respect them all…"
"Satomi!" shouted Ryūji's voice from 5 buildings down. "C-calm down, calm down."
Mitsuteru felt bad about that kind of collateral damage, but…
Daybreak: "I have realized something after seeing so many different things already."
Gummy: "Hm? What's that?"
Daybreak: "I think I prefer butts compared to boobs, since those tend not to be the more controversial parts. Yes."
Shige-ko: "Don't just decide something pointless like that!"
No, no. Compared to the world at large. Yes, the world at large.
Daybreak: "Okay, it's time, Nire-chan."
Bright Child: "That's a complete non sequitur, Mittsuncchi! And c'mon, let's settle this with money! You're supposed to be nice to us when we offer you something. Now, let's try that again!"
Momo: "Is that some high-level provocation?"
That's how I saw it too.
Daybreak: "Okay, Nire-chan. Care to explain what you're doing at such close range?"
Bright Child: "Eh!? Because this looked like a lucrati-…whoops, no, forget I said that! Umm."
Lollipop Lover: "You needed to take a dump, didn't you?"
Bright Child: "Kh…! N-no, um, uh."
Lollipop Lover: "If you had anything like I did last then, then it makes sense. I was forced to have quite a challenging battle this morning. But fighting that logic battle while listening to the birds in the morning could be difficult."
Gun Man: "Well said, Osano!"
Lollipop Lover: "So Satomi, who is suspected of owning not a dog but a bug, agrees with me on that?"
Gun Man: "Um, uhh…"
Daybreak: "Okay, here goes."
Bright Child: "W-wait! Yes, I'm…I'm taking a dump right now, so stooooop! If you wait just a minute, I'll move away!"
Okay: "Doesn't that excuse do more damage to her life than the original accusation?"
But that was one enemy gone.
…That leaves…
Black Bullet: "Ariake, behind."
He looked behind and saw a small point of light atop the large building leading towards the main city that acted as a sign for new people.
It was a familiar light.
Daybreak: "Momo, can you check to the city?"
Momozono had brought out Egret to watch Ariake through a sniper scope.
But Ariake had just spoken to him via transmission.
…To the city?
He looked.
Mikado City's early morning was barely starting and Katagiri had yet to tell them anything about what the directors would be sending them. So here he was, looking to the left as asked into the city.
But there was nothing out of the ordinary there. He could see a few silhouettes moving along the horizon, but those would be some of their sponsor's vehicles.
...I guess they wanted to go check out why the ground sunk in yesterday.
That will be a big deal, he thought. The cit itself had changed due to that, but they wouldn't know the reason for it until Border had come to an agreement with the sponsors.
It would be a serious issue. However...
"There's nothing there."
Just as he said that into the transmission, he looked in his Egret's scope and saw Ariake raise his hand and swing it to the right.
He was saying to dodge in that direction.
…Huh?
First look and now dodge? What's with this? wondered Momozono.
Just then, his Egret's scope shattered as a bullet flew in from Ariake's direction.
.
Momo: "Ohhhhhh! Don't scare me like that!"
Bullet Idiot: "Wait, Ariake! What are you doing to Momozono!? If something happens to him, one of his teammates will ask Misaki to submit the next one without censorship bars!"
Second Dragon: "That will only provoke him."
Daybreak: "Well, I thought it would be too cruel if I fired without actually letting him see me shoot, so I gave him a warning. Also, I shot his Egret's scope, not him."
Dino Boy: "Um, how far away was that?"
Okay: "Lookin' from the side, it seemed to be 'bout 700 meters. With some assistance and Tokyo's skill, that's probably an easy shot. Anyone within range of him aim should be on their guard."
Ryūji sensed some familiar presences moving away from various parts of the area.
...Ah, that's the sound of Grasshopper being used...
They were all interested in this. Part of that would be to tease him or just out of curiosity, but...
...They must be worried how Ariake and Tsukiko-senpai;s relationship will turn out.
Everyone knew about this on some level.
At the base, he had gone out of his way to send a message to his former captain.
It happened when he had been fighting in his most recent match.
He always said he would let everything go, but he had been told not to let anything go concerning their past together.
Everyone understood what that meant. So…
"Nn…"
Go for it, he thought while watching Ariake breathe in.
The boy looked around and then turned toward Ryūji.
"—"
It felt like Ariake had intentionally overlooked him.
But then he faced the door again and opened his mouth.
And just as he prepared to say "Shitokei-san"…
"Oh, Ariake, you're here."
The door opened.
A petite girl stood before Ariake.
Mitsuteru hid his hands behind his back.
"Umm, are the Yagura Branch members here?"
"Not yet. Akasora-san was already here, but he went to the base for a meeting. And Mukuro left when he thought no one was looking. Shokubutsu is here though."
Her words made him feel a tilt in his hear. While this did make sense...
...So has become more casual and relaxed in her stance and words.
Was that because of something that had happened to her?
And Mitsuteru knew he had been placed in that mindset as well. Which may have been why he said what he did.
"Come in. I am watching over this place until we receive our orders on what to do concerning our idiot. Oh, use the bottom shoe rack."
He saw that was the same rack that held her and someone else's shoes.
Using the same spot sent his heart racing and he left the door open.
After taking a breath, he removed his shoes and entered the branch office.
...Oh, is that Shitokei-san's luggage?
He tilted his head once remembering the conversation he had had with his current captain the night before.
Then she spoke with a smile.
"Thank you."
"No, it's nothing..."
He had hoped that they were close enough that they did not need to thank each other for every little thing. It could just be a casual conversation. So...
"Isn't this the usual-..."
He trailed off as he realized something.
He stood at the entrance to something outside of "the usual".
That was why she had thanked him for coming. That was why she had said something she usually would not have.
...Does that mean..?
She was glad he had come here.
"—"
That thought made him gasp.
.
"U-um, Shitokei-senpai?"
Mitsuteru frantically stepped down onto the entranceway's solid wood floor.
And…
"Um, uh."
He shut the door.
Momo: "Oh, he's sealed them in."
Viper: "Takato-san is in trouble now... And I already gave my imagination a workout with Momozono-kun's time earlier."
Momo: "Um, what were you imagining?"
Gun Man: "Oh, come to think of it, Ryūji didn't try to stop him at seeing who opened the door."
Second Dragon: "It would have been wrong to do so... And I knew he would be fine if it was her."
Momo: "I think he's actually far from fine, but that's a separate matter... But isn't this like that former squad getting together? I hope it ends fine enough."
True Hero: "Well, when Mittsun is forced to do things like this on his own, he tends to try and rely on someone else. Since Shigeko isn't around, he might just rely on their connection via their former squad."
6Ri: "Isn't it all fine since it's Takato-san, though? She is nice as it is, so having a connection with her would only make things better."
Hero: "Ha ha. That is true, Rika-chan. ...Mei-san has done some really nice things for herself recently, so he is in perfectly good hands now."
6Ri: "...Thank you very much."
Almost Everyone: "Ohhh..."
Mitsuteru shut the door and returned from the hard floor to the open room of the branch office.
...Ah, I did that without putting my shoes back on.
But he had bigger issues.
He needed to reform himself here.
He looked up and saw her. The relaxed stance was off, but...
"Shitokei-sa-...senpai?"
"Yes, what is it?"
Well.
"I want to let it all go."
That was why he had made sure to hold onto it all.
Not everything being held onto would be enjoyable.
Did she really understand that?
"It might be a giant pain in the ass. Believe me."
"No, it wouldn't."
"But..."
"You're talking about our former squad and your position 'here', right?"
He was.
They had once been on the same Border squad, but to everyone else, that meant he no longer had a place as he was still a B-Rank.
That would place him in a place where he could not fully accept everything that was happening without him. Which would mean...
...I couldn't stay by their side and help them to my fullest.
He had to be by their side, but it would be dangerous if he was.
That sounded contradictory, but there was no helping that.
And as far as his current squad was concerned, it would dangerous for someone like him to lose anything for them now.
Could he really take that step when there were so many other options?
"I..."
I really am, he thought, doing something I shouldn't be, aren't I?
So he opened his mouth.
…Should I really be here?
He tried to ask that. She had thanked him before, but he found himself uncertain if that was really what he wanted to do.
"I would be a burden, wouldn't I?"
Because…
"I'm trying to leave everything I've held onto because of all of your unspoken invitations and because I'm scared of what will happen with Kiyoshi-san. ...So I would be a burden, wouldn't I?"
"Why?'
She tilted her head forward.
It was strange to hear her ask questions.
So he wrinkled his brow and explained.
"Listen, Shitkei-senpai."
"Yes?"
"This time, I'm forcing something out without really thinking it through. Um, to put it more poetically, I'm leaving behind all of the hardships I've gone through both with you all and because of you all. Isn't that what you would call a burden?"
He asked.
She crossed her arms, frowned, and tilted her head.
"Hmm..."
"What is that 'hm' for?"
"Well, Mitsuteru? Um."
"What is it?"
…Why am I answering like normal!?
Shinichi would probably die of laughter if he heard this. In fact, he had to be in the know here, so he was probably burying his face in a pillow to suppress the noise.
I can't believe this, thought Mitsuteru.
Why did he always feel things unrelated to normal people worries and everyday thoughts when he was around these people?
…Trying to act dignified is useless with them…
He silently sighed at the fact that he just had to accept it and she straightened her tilted head. But her "hm" expression remained.
"Mitsuteru, I am relatively knew to proper emotions, so, do you think you would be a burden on us?"
"Yeah, I'm forcing all of this onto you all…"
"Back then, back when we were still with each other, we were the ones that told you to come join us once we had decided on where we would be, so you're not forcing anything on anyone."
She was right about that. And he remembered what Kimura and the others had said the night they had officially disbanded.
...They wouldn't be able to get along very well without me with them...
Part of him wanted to suggest finding someone less average, but they likely saw something other than that in him. He felt that was what it meant to leave your daily life with someone and take responsibility for that, but...
"Shitokei-san, you all wouldn't think of me as a burden?"
"I would be grateful to have you with us. Do you know why that is?"
"No, um…why would you be grateful?"
"Because I can't imagine living without you now."
"Y-you're just flattering me with that!"
"Now, now," said the senpai while raising both hands to calm him.
She wanted to have him around.
"I think you wanting to let everything go is not something bad, and I can't see any reason why it would be a burden, but I at least want you to remember the good times. So how should I put this...?"
"What?"
"I can't think of any scenario where any of us wouldn't want you around."
So...
"Everything would be way easier with you here, so we would be really happy."
"Well, um, I…"
He too had accepted the odd fact of life that she would come visit him.
And he realized something else too.
"Shitokei-san?"
"What?"
"I don't think of you as a burden either."
That was it.
"I'm the same. I want to depend on having you around. All of you. ...Yeah, even Kiyoshi-san."
Her eyes widened a little at that.
Then she smiled.
"Then this is not something you feel obligated to do. You are really coming here."
The tension left her shoulders.
"In that case, we will take responsibility for every little thing that makes it hard for you to be here."
.
Mitsuteru was dumbfounded.
"—"
He said nothing because he did not know how to respond.
And she said more while lowering her brows and smiling kindly at him.
"I am sure there will be some tricky stuff with the others. ...But we will do something about it."
"Th-that's not possible."
"It is. If it was not, I wouldn't have said it in the first place. Also," she said. "If things aren't working out, we have everyone else."
"...Everyone else?"
"That is right. Even if you can't fully let everything go or simply wish to hold onto something for yourself, you can hold onto what you want while everyone else makes up for what you can't let go of. ...I get the feeling they would not do that for our idiot of a former captain, but there's no way they could just ignore you if you were in need."
"Relying on people like that...isn't how we did things."
"Then," she smiled. "I suppose that is something we all must let go of. Especially that boy who has decided to take everyone's troubles onto himself."
He thought about what she meant.
...What have you been through?
A quiet laugh escaped his mouth because of what this girl was saying.
"You say you'll take responsibility but now you're telling me to help you take responsibility?"
"You would not be satisfied with yourself if you didn't, would you?"
She pointed at his hands which he had kept behind his back the entire time.
"You have gathered the courage and came here. ...While I might be the person you were expecting to see, we can think about it and do something about it. You can't just irresponsibly ignore those things. Not when our idiotic former captain has done that for so long."
That was true.
But he belatedly felt heat in his cheeks and said something.
"Um, Shitokei-san?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"A lot about this is still up in the air, so there is something I can't come out and say at this point."
The groundwork was not compete, so he would lose a lot if he took action now.
So even if he had "entered" this place, he wanted to confirm something about himself first. And once he knew it was okay for him to truly "enter" this place...
...It starts here.
That would be the final thing to let go of.
He had already let it go and seen what was left behind and he was aware of that fact, but...
"Once I can convince myself and feel more at ease with this...I'll say it for myself."
He would speak the words that allowed and permitted himself everything.
"So can you all wait until then?"
.
He had said it.
I said it, thought Mitsuteru.
His gaze gradually lowered.
He could not look at her head-on.
But when he looked down, he saw her relaxed stance.
...What happened to cause Shitokei-san to become so much more casual? ...Does this mean I can properly call her "senpai" now?
Also, he added while thinking back on what he had just done.
...That was way too much!
It was normally the boy who was supposed to say that.
So that part was right.
In a game, it was the line the protagonist said to the heroine. Saying he would be back for her once he had grown worthy of her was generally a death flag or an NTR flag, but it was that sort of pretentious line.
But, he though. It is still too much!
"—"
He could not believe it.
He was hanging his head more out of exasperation with himself than from bashfulness.
He was aware he was still holding onto some things and was automatically selling himself too highly.
And in the process, he had ultimately set in their positions.
…Now I've done it…
But there was another way of looking at this.
"Mitsuteru."
He looked up and saw her there. With her now usual expression.
"Then this is our little secret, okay?"
"…Yeah, I suppose so."
That was right.
From now on, he could carry this secret in his heart.
The others from their former squad probably had something like this too.
Murakami, Ninomiya, and the others would as well.
Everyone knew those things existed.
And his latest secret was this.
…Oh, then Kiyoshi-san, Kanzaki-san, and Kimura-san will more or less know what it is…
But a secret was a secret.
They had confirmed that they were prepared to follow through with their respective feelings, but he had not yet actually confessed. However…
"Shitokei-san?"
"Feel free to be more casual. But, yes?"
"I-I still haven't told Shigeko about this and I didn't really have much else to do here, but, um, this is an important time, right?" He breathed in and continued. "So I will be relying on everyone else for a while. So..."
A smile escaped with his words.
"I would appreciate it if you could all just be yourselves and depend on having me around as well."
Gun Man: "He isn't coming out..."
Gummy: "So starting in the middle of the day is an option for them. I'll have Suzume-chan add that to her list of possibilities."
Bamboo Sniper: "Hey, I just finished some training with Shōhei. What are all of you doing?"
Lollipop Lover: "Right. Izumi ran away after a virus threat, Hikari is def! - decating, Momo was sniped at, and Shigeko screamed."
Bamboo Sniper: "Can someone explain properly?"
Gun Man: "Yeah, that's not much of an explanation is it? Umm, to put those in proper order, Shigeko screamed, Izumi was found by Mittsun while getting some material for the elusive SS on the roof, and Momozono was sniped at. Oh, and Nire is doing battle in the bathroom to avoid getting a virus sent to her."
Bamboo Sniper: "Could someone else explain properly?"
Gun Man: "B-but, Narasaka! That was a serious answer!"
Bambo Sniper: "I didn't want a serious answer; I wanted a good one!"
Spear Idiot: "Calm down, Narasaka! Good answers are hard to come by in this world!"
Resistance: "That's right! The pursuit of them is a noble thing, but not if you refuse to accept the truth because of it. You must be able to flexibly accept the more bizarre answers as well!"
Slick Girl: "But when they're too bizarre, they can be rather incomprehensible."
Dino Boy: "…Hiyami, choose your words better."
Almost Everyone: "How about denying what she said!?"
Bright Girl: "And I'm not really pooping!"
Shige-ko: "It probably doesn't matter anymore, but…Saeki."
Second Dragon: "Oh, right. You can go in. I can see them with a knife in the window."
Momo: "Murder?"
Second Dragon: "No, not like that. ...It looks like they're cooking in there."
.
Ryūji smiled and nodded at the sight reaching his eyes.
He tapped Kazuma's shoulder with the same tempo.
It was the sight of both former teammates slicing up something.
But Ryūji was more focused on the strength and rhythm of what it looked to be than the action itself.
"That looks like a good temp."
Yes.
"That means those two...are happy."
Shinoda sighed inside the light office room.
On the primary chat window in front of him, the other directors were going over everything they had discussed in private and without any of the normal combatants being around.
"So we have made a decision then, given what we just found out about Tsukiko. That hammered in the final nail."
"The location of his Trigger is his house, but there was no one there when we went to get him."
Shinoda was fairly certain the two directors speaking via Border's transmission were trying to find a reason to go after the boy. It felt wrong to think something like that, but these accusations were would not be the first time if proven true. It would be the second time for the current Border and the second time for someone from that age group.
...Things are gradually getting noisier around here, aren't they?
With that thought, he glanced to the chat window next to him that displayed the director's chat. Sawamura had already said she was going to look into some things, but he sent a message to the others.
Shinoda: "How do you view these results?"
Megane Director: "Right, right. I want to say we can stand to put a little more trust in Yuki and the people he knows, but would that be too cowardly?"
Rugby Man: "Just looking at the results he's had for Border, it seems that things have been going well enough, especially since he is the prep for the Yagura Branch. However, those results only involved him and were not because he was there to begin with. In certain cases, it had been because of him that they happened in the first place."
"True," sighed Shinoda.
Using Yuki's original name with the sponsors had backfired, Mei had been the one to finish the fight during the Galopoula attack, and a few other issues stemmed from him without any real intention for them to happen.
"Everyone will end up thinking that it was because of him that those situations had happened at all and will view him in a bad light."
Of course, if they actually went about doing something against that sort of assumption, they would make an enemy out of some terrible people. Shinoda doubted anyone would do that, but it would still spread unease throughout the people. After all, the older sister of that family had done some things recently that caught peoples' attention.
At the same time, both siblings had the same things in common in this kind of situation. They had both done things to catch a bad eye, but they had meant well while doing them all.
However...
Rugby Man: "The Taiyōko family has demonstrated their power to achieve victory in any sort of battle they enter. They made sure to strike us back after one of us had made a damaging comment and, just as Rindō said, trusting the one who hate his family the most wouldn't be too bad...no, it would actually be for the best to do so. After all, he would be the one to be the most antagonistic to anything his parents would want. They had tried to get us to mass-produce Triggers more than we have today so that everyone could have one for defense."
Which meant...
Shinoda: "He would be the first person to disagree with that line of thinking and would have no reason to do as these accusations say."
Both: "Exactly."
Shinoda sighed at that response from the two directors. He was glad this was being done via chat. The look on their faces would be bitter indeed had they known he was letting out a sigh like that.
...Does that idiot - that idiot who can't bring himself to say he's needed - understand any of this?
He had a feeling he knew exactly what the idiot would say if he asked.
"As long as everyone else is fine right now, isn't that good enough?"
Shinoda shrugged and emulated that idiot's manner of speech. After a quick pause, he brought a hand to his face and several sighs came from his mouth.
…This really has gotten ridiculous.
Shinoda: "This means there will be one hell of an issue coming up: sides. I doubt anyone working for Border has fully realized what will happen when it all happens. From this point on, until this is all resolved, sides will be chosen. There will be the ones who trust Yuki enough to go against Border, those who will be on Border's side for one reason or another, and those who will refuse to take sides."
Shinoda typed in his thoughts and considered the meaning of what Border would be doing for now.
...It's a good thing there is another festival today. Our agents are out of school for it and it will be good to use that to cover anything we do.
Shinoda: "It's time to tell our agents that there will be a manhunt for Tsukiko Yuki. As much as I hate to say that, it's what was decided on."
Kushikage can actually be useful from time to time, realized Yuki.
He needed something to move around in without being tracked by Border.
White Fox: "Kushi, what is inside your old home in this terrible memory?"
Still Got It: "Good Question."
He was not going to question the change in chat names.
Still Got it: "That terrible memory hasn't been altered since those two lunatics had died and I only spent my time there recently with your girlfriend and some of your friends. Kiyoshi, don't fix the bed, okay?"
White Fox: "S-so we're just starting with that kind of thing!? Anyway, is there anything I can use to move around even with my body? It only has to get me around without being ntoiced."
"Good question," repeated the older sister on the phone.
Still Got It: "If you go into the kitchen - take a right after walking in the front door - and you'll find a pile of straw in the storage space in the back. Move that straw and you should find it."
White Fox: "Find what? New clothes or something? Did you or them use it to hide yourselves?"
Still Got It: "Yeah, you'll find a tatami-sized slice of cheese taken from a special event."
White Fox: "How is that a 'yes'!? And what kind of person has some absurdly large bacon just sitting in their home like that!?"
Still Got It: "Kiyoshi, what memory is more previous than dairy?"
Yuki started to think that was a good point, but shook his head instead.
He had found the house in question and it was in front of him now.
It was the house his family had lived in when they had come from Mikado City. The growth of the trees was different, but he could still recognize them as the ones he and Kushikage had ran into, were pushed into, and had hit repeatedly for training.
He spread his arms along the length of his body and checked that he had nothing on him that could be tracked by Border directly.
It was something he had not done for some time now.
His family had taught them to rid themselves of anything that could be tracked when they wanted to go unnoticed. So...
...I hope I can find something else to use.
He found himself at his family's house.
That looming house looked identical to the one he had remembered from the past.
"It may have been more oppressing back then, though."
The growing tree in the garden was taller than when he had seen it. And...
...Kushi was right. It does seem to be left untouched before yesterday.
A pole that was large at the top and got smaller near the bottom stood in the garden. It was larger than the one Yuki had and the length of it was also quite long.
Yuki's had been modified to be the length of his arm and was generally lighter than that one, but this older one was made to form the tall silhouette of a proper flagpole.
This had been the original idea for his Idōgetsu.
"Tch. Sorry for the terrible backstory, Idōgetsu."
The weapon had originally be used to maintain a distance and strike.
It had originally been something to make sure the user would be safe while also advancing to attack.
...From the looks of this, this one hasn't been touched since I left this dammed place and was used as an ornament for the garden.
He tugged some stings lingering in the air around the pole to see what had been placed around it in his absence.
...Studying my Trigger here would not accomplish much.
If necessary, he could always his family's house again and look into it there.
Something else mattered now.
White Fox: "Kushi, is there supposed to be something here for me?"
If so, would it be better to leave it be?
He did not know.
His visit before becoming "Tsukiko Yuki" had been his first in some time, so it might as well have been a stranger's house.
But when he peeked in through a window, he could see the inside of the house and memories came flooding back.
Figures of his parents played in his mind.
It was hard to tell since they only appeared as faceless people, but he could remember the two of them helping with studies, playing musical instruments together, and patching up any wounds he or Kushikage had gotten.
...They really did get along well.
They had been a powerful duo who worked well together. His mother in particular had often told him and Kushikage a story about their fights and it had even been made into a song. Yes, I used to sing it a lot without knowing what it was about and, now that I've gotten into this large mess, I don't even know if I remember those lyrics. ...If I ever do remember, I should ask Suzu to help me make a remix using my own personal style. But...
"–––––"
The memories of those times would appear and disappear.
Something occurred to him whenever he remembered one of those memories or felt their presence in his heart.
...I've never really seen mother and father like that once Mukuro was born.
His eyes widened once he realized what he had thought.
He had thought of them as his parents and not the ones who had been soldiers.
He could remember his mother circling behind his father and embracing him from behind. They were watching something.
"..."
They had both scooted back the chair his father had been sitting in, so they had probably been watching something surprising or a horror show. His mother had pushed the chair back forward with his father in it and they had clearly laughed together.
...I see.
Yuki thought, That's right, there had been more frivolous times for us back then.
Still got It: "Kiyoshi."
White fox: "Eh!? Oh, yeah, wh-what is it!?"
Still Got It: "Circle around behind the kitchen. You should find a Trigger I used when those two decided I should figure out what I am."
White Fox: "Wait, they had a Trigger with them back then!?"
Still Got It: "It wasn't one from Border, so we wouldn't be in trouble with them if we had it. Besides, those two made sure those fuckers didn't know about it in the first place."
White Fox: "I have a lot to say about that, I'm telling you now. Why did our parents have something like a Trigger and why wasn't it one from Border. It would be bad if it was, for multiple reasons, but then it would at least make more sense in that case. What exactly have you and those two been hiding from the rest of us?"
Still Got It: "We can talk about that shit when you aren't being hunted down."
In a way, he appreciated that his sister hadn't forced out an excuse and simply said they could talk later.
It was nice to have that kind of leeway. But...
"Oh."
Behind the kitchen was where he and his siblings had removed part of the house's materials when they wanted to get away from their parents but did not want to leave, so he moved what was there and looked around.
...This has to be it.
A large bucket was leaning up against the wall next to the kitchen entrance. He felt like he had seen it there when visiting before, but he may have been inventing the memory.
At any rate, he grabbed it and looked inside of it to find a black object there. It's shape was similar to that of Border's standard Triggers, but it looked much thinner and more streamlined.
...That covers at least two issues for me.
Just as he thought that, he saw something there.
Just as he thought that, he saw something there.
Something large and silver was leaning against the side of the shed. It likely been used to drive the pole into the ground.
It was a silver cross.
"It's so big."
He could remember when his sister had used that.
It looked the same as it did now. Upon being able to ask for a personalized Trigger, Kushikage had asked that her second one be one modeled after this silver cross. The end result had been the large blade used to slice, defend, or crush.
It was what she was used to. There had been no reason to remake the shape.
But when Yuki moved his gaze again, he saw something else there.
"Neighbor parts?"
.
Two white tower-like pieces were leaning against the shed alongside the silver cross.
They were the legs of a Neighbor.
He had fought enough to tell that they were similar to a Bambster's legs. But...
"They're shaped differently."
That realization did not even require a close inspection. These were not as wide and they were a size smaller.
They likely only functioned to hold a body up. They could not move too well or bend at proper angles.
They looked similar, but they were different.
White Fox: "Kushi."
Still Got It: "Kiyoshi, I take it you noticed."
"Yeah," confirmed Yuki.
White Fox: "It would have been hard not to notice this."
Still Got It: "Yeah, anyone with half a fucking brain would have noticed. ...Noticed that our father managed to take the dominant position even if for a short time. Oh, but it was only for 12 turns out of I don't know how many."
White Fox: "They were doing it that much!? And why the hell do you even know that!?"
Still Got It: "Don't be an idiot, Kiyoshi. It was those 12 turns he managed to steal from mother that gave us you. And as for why I know... Those two weren't used to having a child around, so they were very relaxed in where they did it and how loud they were. I'm sure even the neighbors could tell what was happening. Be happy they fixed that when you were born."
Yuki realized that continuing this conversation was a no-win scenario, so he changed the subject.
White Fox: "Some Neighbors parts were placed here, weren't they?"
Still Got It: "Yeah, they involved themselves with the ones that came over. So what's this about their parts?"
White Fox: "I found some parts from trion soldiers in this house."
Still got It: "Come to think of it, those were there."
That confirmed it, so Yuki decided to ask about it.
White Fox: "These don't seem to be from the normal Bambsters that come through since the shape and function are fairly different, but was taking these things common for our parents?"
He heard his sister groan in thought and he could easily picture the woman holding a finger to her lips.
Still Got It: "To be honest, I don't really know."
His sister readily gave up.
Still Got It: "Our family has been doing weird stuff ever since our grandparents's generation. From what I've heard, they were busying themselves with Neighbor tech since our family has weird body issues. They can either be good or bad, really. Remember how you used to get sick so easily? Yeah, like that. I guess that would explain Mukuro's insomnia. The women of our family got really lucky with how great our bodies are."
White Fox: "I always kept up with my physical abilities though."
Still Got It: "You can't do much since your condition is inside of you body. Your immune system has always been weak. I guess that explains how you easily got sick after whatever the hell happened to you. ...Don't take it too hard, Kiyoshi. It was just bound to happen."
"I see," muttered Yuki while viewing that body part made of trion.
Their parents had apparently not known how to act while having a child around, so he doesn't doubt that the pole in the garden had been used for some high level bonda-...well, for their entertainment. The silver cross must have been to drive the pole into the ground.
White Fox: "What did they use these Neighbors legs for?"
Still Got It: "That would only shame father, so I'm not saying shit on that matter."
...Oh.
If their father had wanted to "lay" for that, their mother would likely have told him to use that.
Had their father realized that?
Or was he more oblivious than they had thought?
He did not know.
But something else bothered him now.
White Fox: "Kushi, are there any others like these still in the house?"
Still Got It: "Hmm. I think I threw some in the bunker down below."
...You could treat them more carefully than that.
White Fox: :"What if someone stole them?"
Still Got It: "Don't worry. I put up some traps around to punish anyone going for them. Are your curious what it does, Kiyoshi?"
White Fox: "No, I've heard more than enough of that from Umi."
But Yuki said more.
White Fox: "How about I go check on them once this is all over?"
Still got It: "Would you really want to do that, Kiyo? ...Oh, I had an idea. I can ask your girlfriend to go too, so you can visit together."
...Now you're just asking for trouble!
That made him nervous.
His sister said nothing and an odd silence fell, so the woman was definitely contacting Mei.
His partner would probably speak with some others before making a decision.
...S-so she won't have an answer for me until then.
Rampage Dress: "Okay, Yuki, let's go visit your family's house once this is all over or something. I want to see just where you grew up as a child."
White Fox: "W-wait, Mei!? Why is your chat name that!?"
Rampage Dress: "I've gone through some things recently and decided that it's fine. I'll just embrace this for myself. And with that being said, there are some things I want to speak with you about. But before that, I want you to know something. ...Thank you. Thank you for helping me so much and letting me lean on your for so long. But now it's time we became equals. So I'm going to help you with what is going on. After that, we can right everything and become proper equals. Then I can confess to you."
Yuki paused but eventually nodded.
She could not see him, but he still nodded.
White Fox: "If you're going to go so far, then it means I really am unneeded at this point."
If Mei was going to do this, he would try his best to counter that. Was it selfish of him? Most likely, but he was being true to what he had known from the start.
...It would be better for me to leave the stage and let others go on.
At least it sounded like everyone would be fine enough. Would there still be any of that giant cheese? If so, they really would have no problem with much else in the house.
...Why am I incapable of imagining myself having a future with everyone?
Was it his personality, that habits he had formed, or just Mikado City's culture? Whatever the case, he doubted it would ever change. And...
"Ah."
A car had arrived in front of the house.
He had to withdraw from here now.
He could see the door start to open from the car out front.
While preparing to leave his family's house once more and not looking back until he had to, he suddenly looked to the side.
His own memories were coming back to him inside of this forgotten house.
...Those are memories of those times before anyone else came in.
And he thought of something else while looking out the window. He had turned on the Trigger and replaced his body, so this was the last of his memories he would think about before he left.
He saw it for himself.
It was a memory of his own sister getting up in the morning and eating breakfast in this forgotten house.
His sister had cooked and served the food.
The image in his mind had him feeling wary of and hostile toward his sister back then.
Nevertheless, that scene played out in his mind while he moved towards the back door.
...Kushi.
He had felt defeated by his entire family at the point, but this may have been the worst of them all.
"Honestly. And I know you're going to do or say something five seconds from now to make me reconsider how I'm feeling about you."
Yuki spoke to himself while walking out the back door and taking a leap.
"I will take this as a lesson. Instead of making more and more enemies, I will view everything through the lens of unneededness."
Toby felt pressured here.
He had come to Border's main base of operation along with Takeshi and Hoshi and they had fully intended to meet with Suzume at their squad's operating room.
But they had been stopped before they could reach that room.
"Hey, is it true!?"
"Is that guy going to cause more trouble for us again!?"
"Are you guys involved with that stuff!?"
"Taiyōko-chan, will you go out with me!?"
He did not hesitate to send a hard glare in the direction of that one.
Wanting to punch that person in the face, he tried to reach out.
But he was stopped by the wall of people around him.
His back was pressed against Takeshi's and Hoshi's as a wall of people crowded around them, trapping them in.
It would have been easy enough to use Headfirst Fall to get out, but that would leave his teammates behind. That was not something he ever wanted to do.
Take could bring out his Laser Shooter, but he's been doing so good in changing himself that I don't want him to go back any steps. Hoshi always has a crowd around her, but she never seems to try and get out of them.
This was a problem.
He was feeling too pressured to have his Side Effect be of any use and his two teammates could not deal with this many people around them.
...The easiest person to blame for this would be Yuki, but that would also be an idiot's way out. Yuki isn't here and everything going on involves rumors. These people just don't want to think for themselves and only want to follow what is being said by others.
Takeshi had told them about the captain's meeting that Border had the previous night. The captains had been told not to say anything, but that seemed to fly by Takeshi due to the subject matter.
It was why Kotowari Squad would be meeting up now.
The only ones who would not be there were their Operator and Substitute Operator.
But it had become increasingly more difficult to go to their room with this many people crowding around them and asking pointless questions.
...What can we do here? Toby thought as he felt something to his right and left.
He could not turn his head away from the ones in front of him in case one of the people tried to push forward. But he felt them regardless.
To his right, Hoshi had grabbed his hand. She had likely wanted to make sure she could remain with them in case anything did happen.
To his left, Takeshi had grabbed the bottom of his shirt. This had been more so using him as an anchor to not lose his cool. Some ruffling of clothes told him that Takeshi was also gripping his scarf in a death grip.
Letting out some air through his nose, he sent the two of them a message through their squad's chat.
Lobo: "I'll clear a path for the two of you. Just make sure to run right away."
Shooting Star: "...Right, my apologize. I am never good when it comes to pushing crowds."
Izumo: "...Sorry."
The both of them were younger siblings with at least older siblings, these reactions must have been because of that fact. They were used to having their older siblings, or someone akin to that, by their sides.
Unlike them, he is an older brother. He was used to this already.
So with that set in place, he made his first action.
"–––––!"
He had stopped as soon as he raised his leg.
He had planned on using Headfirst Fall to rush some people and use their knees, arms, or legs to gain some height, but he had stopped short of activating the Trigger. The sign frame had not formed and he was glad. If it had shattered here then he would be sent barreling through the crowd and causing an incident.
Instead, the one who had caused an incident is the one who had fired a gun into the ceiling.
A loud click could be heard that gathered everyone's attention.
"You all better get away from my teammates before I turn you all into a doujinshi! Too late! Already material! I've got you all down and will be using you all! Heh heh heh! Good luck trying to look each other in the eyes after seeing your private parts out on display!"
The familiar voice of Suzume cut through the air, stopping all movement.
There were some who had taken her threat seriously and ran as fats they could away.
And some others...
"You can't do that!"
"Yeah, we'll file our complaints and get you for that!"
"We can finally take out the SS that's been plaguing us every Valentine's Day!"
Toby felt himself shudder at the realization that these people did not know who they were messing with.
Well...I guess we'll see just how popular those doujinshi are.
From within the sea of people he could hear the girl's signature laugh. To his right and his left he could feel the grips of his teammate's hands tighten a bit more.
"Do you honestly want to try me? I'm not above asking others for help in these sorts of matters. Mei-san alone is enough to honestly resolve this, but I can also go to some others for help. Yes, you backwards idiots don't seem to understand what exactly I'm talking about here. If you honestly don't want things to end here for yourselves, I will gladly bring out an army to shut you down and shut you up. Now get out of here before I sting all of you~ Shoo, shoo!"
There was a moment of stagnation.
Toby thought those idiots would continue this fight. They had been prepared to go against both Suzume and the SS. Doing so would only ruin their social lives and any future they had in Mikado City.
He felt another shudder as he thought about that possibility.
...It's times like these that I'm glad we're on Suzume's good side.
.
It was honestly annoying to come to this kind of sight.
Even with a smile playing on her lips, Suzume could feel her irritation grow even more.
She had woken up to a terrible message saying that they would need to hunt down her former captain.
She had thought nothing of it until she had finished her breakfast.
Her mother had worried about her the entire time while her younger sister asked why she was so tense.
...Oh, I guess I have too much away without honestly realizing it, she had thought while waving off her family's worries.
It was likely what Takeshi and the others had spoken about the night before.
But there was no reason to think about what to do.
Of course we're honestly going to be on Yuki-san's side. He is the idiot who decided to take in three terrible children who have a lot to make up for.
So she had made her way to the Border base to speak with her teammates. They would share the same thought as her on the matter and they would come up with a plan on what to do.
What she had not expected was the wait that followed.
She had waited a good twenty minutes before leaving the operating room to look for her teammates. They would not normally be late for this kind of thing, so it was likely that they had been caught up by some trouble.
And that was exactly what she had come to.
A sea of people crashed against each other while leaving a hollowed out space in the middle. Within that middle were her three teammates, all of which seemed unsure as to what to do.
It's honestly adorable to see Take and Hoshi-chan cling to the dog like that, though. I'll make sure to use that in one of the general doujinshi.
They would be compensated and she would get to write some fluff. There had been a surprising lack of it for this past week and she was feeling some withdrawal from it.
With herself set on her next publication, she turned on her Trigger and brought out Ibis.
Aiming it at the ceiling, she fired it. Nothing came out but light and sound. She had fired a blank to grab their attention.
Some of the people were smart enough to take her threat seriously while others remained idiots and tried to fight her on the matter. It was only after she told them that she could call the others that they started to disperse.
Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she turned to her teammates.
"You three are honestly too much."
"...I'm glad you came when you did. My plan would have probably gotten us in a lot of trouble. Oh, but I would have taken the blame for it."
"Good. I would have smacked you otherwise."
She understood by a glance that he was acting as an older brother instead of a teammate.
She approved of this behavior and so turned from him to the two who seemed to still want to cling to him.
The way Takeshi held his shirt and the way Hoshi held his hand felt similar to her own younger sister. They had been like that when they were younger, but now they had grown to the point of simply telling the other if something was wrong.
These two children are going at a good pace. There's honestly no need to disturb them right now.
"Heh heh heh," she laughed while crossing her arms under he breasts. They had popped out a bit, but she thought nothing of it as she lowered her brows.
"So shall we head to the operating room so we can talk about what is to come for us? I'm sure everyone can guess we're we stand with this issue, but it's still good to go over these things."
Mei smiled as she laid the plates down on the table.
She had started making food with Mitsuteru inside of the Yagura Branch Office while most of the inhabitants were out. None of them would mind and she had made sure to make some for the branch director's nephew as well.
"...Than you...for the meal...Mei-san...Ariake-sama..."
"Mitsuteru is Yuki and my former teammates. We care for him a lot, so no need to go to those lengths, Shokubutsu."
"Sh-Shitokei... Sorry. ...Mei-senpai, there's no need for that! You can go at your own pace, Tenryū-kun."
"...Ariake-san."
"!"
She nodded her head at Mitsuteru's reaction.
"Yes, Shokubutsu is really an adorable person."
"At least I know why Yuzuru likes him so much..."
"...You know...Ema-san...?"
"Yeah... His mentor helped me out a good amount. And, um, well..."
"He had a crush on her."
"Senpai!"
"Sorry. He has a crush on her."
"SENPAI!"
Mei's smile grew a bit bitter as Mitsuteru threw his head onto the table.
That mentor in question was her cousin who was not longer around. That feel stung for her as much as it did the two Snipers, if not more.
She had been unaware about how to feel once finding out, but now she knew that she was sadness and disappointment. Who it was directed at was an unknown, but she was fine with that.
There was no reason to have all the answers anymore.
It became even more pointless to think about when she remembered her other cousin, the one who had lost his sister.
That's right. I still need to speak with Minoru.
There are so many things I need to do now.
And one of the most important things right now is...
Contacting her squad.
Mei pulled out her phone while smiling at the two boys.
"I will be in a discussion with Kotowari Squad to let them know some things. Once I have done that, we will discuss what to do with the current issue. Shokubutsu, I will add you in at that point, but don't feel like you need to speak up, okay?"
"...Okay..."
"Very good," she nodded. "And as for you, Mitsuteru. I don't doubt that you will help us, so I can let you in. But I need to know which of your teammates are on our side here. If you could ask them, that would be nice."
"Uh? Oh, r-right. I'll ask. ...Just know that I doubt Shigeko will be on our side."
"I figure as much. But getting confirmation would be nice."
After all, she had confirmed that the food they had made tasted good. Yes, it was nice to confirm that you could make something taste so good.
She took another bite from one of the watermelon slices set aside for them. The sweet taste spread over her tongue and had mixed surprisingly well with the curry on her plate.
Maybe I should try and add some dried watermelon slices into the curry next time. I would either need to pound it or cut it small enough that it would not feel out of place.
Kako had been getting more creative with her fried rice dishes and Mei did not want to fall behind with her curry dishes.
The two of them could compare next time.
"Um, Mei-senpai, I don't really know what you're thinking, but if it involves watermelon and curry then I have something to say about that."
"What would that be?"
"Please don't do it!"
Mei's brows raised a bit at that.
Mitsuteru was giving her a pleading look directly in front of her. To their side she could see Shokubutsu nodding along with him.
That was strange. Watermelon tasted good and curry tasted good. Mixing those two up with the right process would only make it taste even better.
"Why is that?"
"Because Tomo and I would start crying! You can't just mix something as sweet and juicy as watermelon with something like curry! Kh! Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn... Just please, Mei-senpai. Please don't do something like that. I don't think I would be able to ever let go of something like that."
It was worrying how Mitsuteru took in a breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out through his nose.
She could see some tension leaving his body, but he still seem riled up.
"Very well. I will not try to mix them together. Oh, but if you want, we can go buy you a watermelon to split with Tomoe. You can even take Shokubutsu with you."
"...That sounds...nice..."
"Right, right. That does sound nice. And I'm sure you and Tomo can get along. Both of you are good children."
It was sad to know that she would not have a new recipe the next time she had to fight Kako, but seeing the satisfied expressions of both boys felt like it was more than enough for her.
Now, then.
Rampage Dress: "Hey, is everyone here?"
Suzume smiled as she looked down at her phone.
They had just reached their operating room when Mei had messaged them all, asking if they were together.
Honest Sister: "Depends on who you mean, Mei-san. I am here with the other three. I don't know where the JK Operator is."
JK: "I'm here, I'm here. Just be warned that some of Border's agents are nearby."
Rampage Dress: "That's fine. They can't do anything to stop us."
Oh? That was new.
Heh heh heh. Looks like Mei-san honestly had some fun while we were not around.
That was fine. She deserved some time to herself.
JK: "What did you want? Now that you seem to be better there's no reason for me to even be here anymore."
Rampage Dress: "Actually..."
Suzume raised a brow at this.
Mei would not normally leave it open like that, but she had.
Rampage Dress: "I wanted to know if you would like to become Kotowari Squad's permanent Operator."
There was a harsh silence over the room.
None of them said a word as they let the message and meaning sink in.
They understood well enough what those words meant for them and what Mei had wanted to tell them.
It was a nicer way of saying what had already been said.
JK: "Are you sure you should be saying that with these guys around?"
Rampage Dress: "I said it exactly for that reason."
JK: "That's pretty messed up."
Suzume let out a sigh as she crossed her arms under her chest.
This time was not the same for her as before.
She had no reason to feel left behind and had no reason to think so.
So let's see how those two will react to this.
Hoshi had caught the meaning as well, but she must have accepted it since she only nodded her head.
As for the other two...
Izumo: "...Mei-san."
Rampage Dress: "Yes?"
Oh, she actually asked that.
It was strange, but she let it go.
Izumo: "...Can I ask for the reason?"
Rampage Dress: "There are a few reasons for this choice. But if I had to narrow it down... I have decided to want for more."
"'Want for more'?"
Suzume laughed from her chest as she wrapped an arm around Hoshi and brought her in close.
Lowering her head to the girl's shoulder, she whispered into her ear.
"Mei-san has finally found something to honestly want and someone who she wants to share that with."
Who it was had been no question.
Rampage Dress: "There are a lot of things I want right now, but there is something in particular that I want more than anything."
Izumo: "What would that be?"
Rampage Dress: "I want to punch that idiot in the face."
That was fair.
Rampage Dress: "And then I want to be there for him. Once that is done, I want to join the Yagura Branch with him. I also want to become an S-Rank agent using Shikifuku for that. Akasora-san has already agreed to it, so that is not an issue. And once that is all over with..."
What was it that she wanted most?
As someone who always wanted something, Suzume knew what the answer to that would be.
Rampage Dress: "I want to be with him. I want to be with you all, as well. With Murakami, with Kako-san, with Minoru, with Mitsuteru, Kimura, and Kanzaki, with Ninomiya, with Sawamura, with Suzunari, with Tamakoma, and every other person I can think of. I want to be with all of you to the point that it makes my heart beat rapidly."
So.
Rampage Dress: "Will you allow me to be with you while not being around you?"
"Want for more without any loss. ...Heh heh heh. Mei-san sure has gained something important while we weren't looking. Honestly. She moved so far ahead of us that fighting that Neighbor in the underground seems like a trivial matter."
She smiled.
That's right. She had been missing so much that the rest of us wanted to keep her around and keep her safe. We were such children that losing those broken people made us feel like we were even more broken than them.
Honest Sister: "Oh, honestly. Just how much trouble can we really be?"
Rampage Dress: "I have been asking that for some time now."
She was even able to joke alongside them.
Suzume smiled down at her screen before looking up at her teammates.
Hoshi had sunk into her side, a smile playing on her lips.
"It is fine to want for things, is it? ...I feel like I have been hearing that a lot lately."
"Heh heh heh. That's right. Want for more without worry. The rest of us will help to make sure those wants honestly become reality."
"In that case... I want to be 'here' with you all. Hehe. Is this what it means to be selfish?"
It seemed that Mei was not the only one who had decided to want for more.
But this would be something else for later.
For now...
"What do you two boys have to say to that?"
.
Izumo: "Mei-san."
Lobo: "Mei."
Takeshi and Toby looked to each other before confirming their own thoughts and feelings on the matter.
Rampage Dress: "Yes, Takeshi, Toby?"
She was viewing them as children who had taken a step in growing up.
That meant they only had one answer for her.
Both: "Thank you for your hard work. We'll see you around, so have some fun with him, okay?"
They would be supporting each other while also looking forward to the future Mei had decided for herself.
They had hoped that she was smiling on the other end of the message.
Rampage Dress: "Thank you for allowing me to watch over you all. I look forward to seeing how far you all will go."
Toby lowered his hat over his eyes.
Takeshi lifted his scarf over his mouth and looked into it.
The both of them could not look at anything else and refused to moved from their spot next to each other.
.
Rampage Dress: "Nakagami?"
JK: "Sigh. I knew this was coming. Just call me Suzuka, okay? You have a higher authority to me."
Rampage Dress: "Can I call you Suzuka because I am thankful to you?"
JK: "...Do what you want."
She must have been embarrassed and wanted to hide it through her message.
Rampage Dress: "Suzuka?"
JK: "Yeah? What do you need?"
Rampage Dress: "Can I ask that you take care of them?"
Hoshi pushed herself into Suzume's side as the girl laughed again. Small tears could be seen coming from the corner of her eyes, but no one thought anything of it.
The atmosphere had lightened up a bit as the messages continued.
Kotowari Squad made sure to pay close attention here.
JK: "You say Yuki-san is difficult, but you're kind of the same. When did this happen? Just ask me to be their Operator already."
Rampage Dress: "You are right. From my own experience, there is no need to ask for you to take care of them. It will naturally happen and you won't be able to escape it."
JK: "Now you're freaking me out! It sounds more like a curse than a simple job, you know! You can't just do that to me!"
If it was a curse, none of them had any complaints about it being one. It was a natural state of things for them all that would not be changed.
Nakagami must have realized this as she simply continued with the original question.
JK: "Anyways, I'm fine with it. But I'm also a par of the Yagura Branch. I'm their only Operator currently. Moving to the base is a lot of trouble and I end up with a lot less freedom."
Rampage Dress: "That is true. I will no longer be an Operator, so my title of Ultimate Operator will be a mute point. With that being said, it should be fine, right? Shiriashi's Abe Ruri is going to be an Operator for the Yagura Branch soon. And even if she was not, everyone in the branch maintains their freedom by working without a set Operator. You being gone will leave a space, but they can manage just fine."
JK: "That sounds more like a hit towards me than anything else..."
It really did sound like that.
But Mei had a point. The Yagura Branch did not necessarily need an Operator at all times.
"Hah... Alright, I think it's about time I gather myself here."
"Don't stress yourself here, Take. Things will go whichever way is easiest. Make sure you honestly know where this will go."
Takeshi moved his scarf so that it no longer covered his face.
He looked directly at Suzume.
He then moved to Hoshi at her side.
And his eyes finally landed on Toby.
The dog boy had managed to gather himself as well and was grinning widely. All of his teeth could be seen and there was a bit of a feral look in his eyes.
Kotowari Squad worked on a basis of equality. No one person's words were above another's and everyone had a say in their choices.
Takeshi was placed as the squad leader more so on a whim than anything else. Even so, he tried to maintain that feel here.
"Everyone, do you trust me here? I want Suzuka-san to be our Operator when Mei-san properly leaves. But to do that we need to do a single and simple thing. But that single and simple thing may lead to some annoying problems."
"I'm fine with whatever! As long as we keep this up as ourselves, I have no problem with anything we do!"
Suzume and Hoshi nodded their agreement with that.
It was good to know that they had all finally reached this point.
A place where they were all truly equal.
"Right. Let's get our next Operator then."
Turning back to the chat in front of him, Takeshi began typing.
Izumo: "Suzuka, you will not have to worry about a loss of freedom. Once this season of the B-Rank Wars comes to an end, we will be seeing if we can transfer to the Yagura Branch as well. So please hold off until then."
Mei could see it before her eyes.
The calculations to what Takeshi was going on about were plying out before her eyes.
But...
They aren't taking over my normal thoughts.
They were playing out int he back of her mind and allowing her more trivial thoughts come to the surface.
She had thought that she would need to be the one to convince the Yagura Branch Operator to take her place, but Takeshi had taken to do that.
The others must have agreed to this. That's good. But there is an argument Suzuka can bring up here that can shut them down right away.
And she did not hold back on using that excuse.
JK: "Are you sure you guys aren't just following those two? If you join the Yagura Branch so soon then everyone would assume that it's because you want to be around your former captain and Operator."
That was right. Even if they waited for the B-Rank Wars to end, it would still be seen as Kotowari Squad being attached to the two of them.
They all knew that would not be the case, but it was an argument they would need to get over if they truly wanted to be free of any sort attachment to her and Yuki. This would also gain them a reliable Operator, something they would now be lacking.
So what will you do, Takeshi?
How would be fight this argument?
Izumo: "Yes, we still want to see Mei-san and Yuki-san."
This was where it would begin.
Izumo: "But we also want to have that same freedom to do things. Plus, Akasora-sensei has been our teacher already. We have always been troublesome in his class, so this would be a good way to repay him for all of that.
JK: "That only applies to you, Lobo, and Hoshi-chan. There is still someone in your squad who has no real connection to this branch outside of those former teammates."
Honest Sister: "Heh heh heh! You're talking about me, right!? You don't honestly need to worry about me! Yes! I might as well bring this up now so that we can get it over with. Mei-san has softened up the atmosphere, so now is honestly the best time to do say this. JK Operator, I am about to say something that will tear down your argument and show you what you're honestly messing with when bringing in this summit flower."
Mei knew what this would be.
All of the clue had been there and her calculations took no time to figure it out.
I am glad to see that you have also made a decision for yourself, Suzume.
There was only one way this conversation could go now.
Honest Sister: "After this B-Rank Wars season, I will be leaving Kotowari Squad. I'm not honestly sure how long it will take, but I will also be leaving Border as a whole."
There it was. The obvious answer shown before them.
"Kh..."
Mei looked up at the sound of someone clicking their tongue and met with the eyes of Mitsuteru.
The two looked at each other for a moment before breaking and returning to their phones.
It seemed that both of them had some things going on in their respective chats.
Izumo: "Senpai, there is no need to worry. We won't be missing you at all. In fact, it will be a relief knowing that we won't have to watch out backs so much."
Lobo: "And we can finally use that space you take up for recordings. Yeah, can you hurry up and leave already? I want to try some things out with the operating room."
Shooting Star: "Um, I will miss having you around, Suzume-senpai. But...it will be nice to stretch out a bit without having my face pressed to your breasts."
There was no mercy for the songstress.
Honest Sister: "All of you can go die! Except you, Hoshi-chan. I can forgive you. So you two idiot boys! I'm honestly going to make so many doujinshi out of you two! I'll make sure that some are 'accidentally' uncensored and released to the public! Yes, the both of you will have absolutely no social life when I'm done with you!"
Suzume had finally broke, but that was fine. All of the doujinshi that would be made would involve aged up versions of her teammates and their names would be changed. She could get away with that and not worry about the age of the characters.
Thinking through the process, Mei had calculated out the cost of it all and found that the end result would likely be well worth the trouble of it all.
Rampage Dress: "Anyways."
Almost Everyone: "Don't just skip over this!"
Rampage Dress: "Anyways."
Yes, anyways.
Rampage Dress: "Suzuka, do you have anything for that? If not, I think it is about time you start moving your belongings into the room for the foreseeable future. And you all, make sure to clean up the room. I won't be there to tell you to do so anymore."
Lobo: "Tell that to Take and Suzume. Hoshi and I make sure to always clean up after ourselves."
Shooting Star: "Ah! I can help clean up, Takeshi-kun, Suzume-senpai."
Rampage Dress: "Let them do it themselves, Hoshi."
That would be the only issue they would have to deal with now.
Even if he complained about it, she knew that Toby and Hoshi would end up helping their teammates clean the room to make sure there was space for their new Operator.
JK: "I guess I don't have a choice here... Fine, fine. I'll stick around and help them out. But Mei-san, I have a request for you then."
"Oh? What could that be?"
She did not notice that she spoke out until she noticed the stares from Shokubutsu and Mitsuteru.
She waved towards them for a moment before going back to her phone.
They shrugged at her response and went back to their own things.
JK: "Enjoy your time with Yuki-san."
That much she could do.
"Um, Mei-senpai? I got confirmation on who you can let in from my squad," Mitsuteru said across from her.
"Good. Just let me tell them and then I'll let you all in."
"Okay..."
She raised a brow at his quiet tone but said nothing about it.
For now she would let her former squad know what they would be doing and who would be joining them.
Rampage Dress: "Hey, all of you. I've got something else to say. The other reason we needed to talk to each other.
Here it was.
Rampage Dress: "We will now be going over what we will be doing concerning Yuki and Border's decision on what to do with him."