For the rest of the day, Masashi rested, wanting a break from all the recent hectic events. When dinner came, he told the group what Kasumi had found out about the locked door in the woodland kingdom. Though most of the group seemed disappointed that they could not go into the locked room, they agreed to let him know if they ever found any potential clues to unlock it. He also told them about his plans for having the group spend the evening playing games in the arcade; it was to be held tomorrow night, since doing it tonight felt too sudden.
The next day, after the breakfast meal, Masashi walked to the lower second deck of the pirates' cove, wondering what the others were up to. As he walked through the narrow hallway, he saw Sister Hikari standing by the "STAFF ONLY" door at the other end.
"Ah, Masashi, there you are!" the nun said, stopping as he approached her. "I've been meaning to ask you for permission for something."
"Hmm? What is it?" Masashi asked.
"I've thought about cleaning the two rooms back there." Sister Hikari pointed at the hallway behind the "STAFF ONLY" door. "I don't want to focus all my time on Kumi, and I think those two rooms may have something of worth."
Come to think of it, on his first visit to those rooms, he had hardly checked out what was in them. One of the rooms appeared to be a regular storage room, and the other was so messy that he could hardly walk around. A tidying was needed if he wanted to ever make use of them.
"Sure, go ahead," Masashi said. "I'm confident that you'll do a good job sorting things out."
Sister Hikari smiled. "Thanks for giving me your leave. I thought that you would allow it, but still, I prefer to ask."
"Oh, it's all right. I trust you, so you don't need to report everything that you want to do, unless it's very important," Masashi answered, reasoning that it would be too tiresome for her to tell him her every deed. "By the way, how's Kumi doing? I hope he's doing all right after everything that's happened."
Sister Hikari sighed as she shook her head. "He's doing all right… but he told me that last night, he'd had a nightmare. Granted, it was a small one that ended quickly, but I'm afraid that his problems have not come to an end."
"Hmm… that sounds tough," Masashi replied. "Then again, I guess it's expected that he hasn't recovered yet. Seeing Haruka and Abraham be executed would definitely shock someone like him a lot… And I still remember his behavior in the Memory Bank."
At that time, as part of the motive, the group had gone to the Memory Bank to be given back their stolen memories. After the procedure had been done, Kumi had started to act weirdly, calling out to his mother and his father as if he had imagined their presence. Masashi had been so confused by the sight that he could not think about what to do. He imagined that he would be similarly unready if such a situation were to happen again. It was easy to imagine such a situation, but if it actually happened, he would forget about his plans at once.
"Oh… Yes, I was also startled to see him act like that," Sister Hikari said. "Thankfully, my idea of warmly embracing him appears to have stopped things from worsening… but it still worries me that Kumi's state of mind had grown worse from shock."
"Well, he may be around the same age as we are," Masashi replied, "but deep down, he's still a child at heart. It's natural that all this would frighten him much more than us."
"Hmm… I agree. But at the same time, it's one of his best qualities," Sister Hikari said, smiling slightly. "He has a very bright and sweet view of the world and tries to see the best in everything. And his attachment to fantasy may seem silly, but I've become sure that it's his way to cope with this whole situation."
"So you think it's a coping mechanism?" Masashi said.
Sister Hikari nodded. "There are some who have found his attachment to be irksome, but we all have different ways of coping with stress and fear. For Kumi, he's fallen back on a special part of his childhood and has turned it into something beyond inspiration for his tales. It's why he keeps going on hunts for fairies that we can't see. You've seen him do that, haven't you?"
"I sure have," Masashi answered. "He even was chasing after a fairy on our first meeting."
Sister Hikari chuckled. "I've occasionally heard from him that he goes on fairy hunting with his friends at his orphanage. I guess he must've had this habit for a long while."
"Oh, yeah, speaking of that… he was separated from his parents when he was young, wasn't he?"
"That's right… I've hardly asked him about it, since I know it's a very sensitive subject…" Sister Hikari replied. "This is only a theory of mine, but I suspect that he loved fantasy a lot when he was young… and when he was no longer with his parents, that was when he began to use it as a coping mechanism. It's his way of finding happiness at a time like this."
"Huh… That makes a whole lot of sense."
On his first meeting with the storyteller, Masashi had found him to be rather silly with his fairy hunting and his enthusiasm that he had for fantasy. Even for a writer of fantasy, his interest in it seemed somewhat abnormal, and even for his sweet, childlike nature, he came off as far younger as if he had somehow stopped growing after a certain point. But looking back at it, Masashi could see how Kumi's attachment had come about as a response to these dreadful circumstances. It was the nearest thing that Kumi could do to find peace and normality right now.
"All right, then, I'll be cleaning up the rooms," Sister Hikari said. "If there's anything else that you want me to do, feel free to ask."
"Ah, thank you, Sister Hikari, but you really should give yourself a break. You've already done so much for us."
Sister Hikari chuckled. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten what you told me a while ago. I'll be sure to sit back and relax every now and then."
Masashi went up to the arcade, thinking that he might play one of the games there. When he entered, he saw Arashi playing sitting before one of the arcade machines.
"Hey, Masashi! Let's play a game together!" Arashi cried out as soon as he noticed his presence. The game that he wanted to play was End Dream Racing Kart, which Arashi had played with Murphy yesterday.
"Sure, I'll have a go at it," Masashi answered. He played a few racing games with Keiko back home, so he was already familiar with the experience.
He sat down at the neighboring machine, and the two began to play a few rounds of the game's multiplayer mode. To his surprise, however, playing on an arcade machine felt rather different from playing on a console, and it took him a while to get used to the controls. Meanwhile, however, Arashi played with no problem, and all three game sessions the pyrotechnician won.
"All right!" Arashi laughed merrily as he pumped his fists, the screens showing the results as slow relaxing music played. "I've won again!"
"Good for you…" Masashi said, who could not but feel disappointed at his loss. "Say, Arashi, you said a while ago that you lived with your grandparents, right?"
"Um…" Arashi said, the glee on his face waning. "That's right… but Grandpa isn't with us anymore…"
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that…" Masashi replied, realizing that he had been too direct in his approach. "If you want, we can talk about something else instead—"
"Hey, hold on a minute!"
To his surprise, Arashi looked unhappy at his attempt to change the subject, his arms crossed, his expression contemplative and unlike him at all.
"Um… Masashi, I want to let you know… ever since we talked about Grandpa last time, I've felt a little… troubled," Arashi said, his voice quivering.
"Oh… So you want me to help you with your trouble?" Masashi said, interest piqued. "Do you want to talk about him, then? Maybe it'll be good to tell me the full story behind your grandfather."
"Well, yeah, but..." Arashi sighed. "My grandpa's tale… doesn't really have a happy ending. So I want to tell you only the good parts and leave out the bad! But… that's not good for me, is it? To run away from that..."
Huh… He's surprisingly pretty insightful, Masashi thought.
For all his childishness, Arashi was aware that he now faced a problem, and he very much wanted to deal with it. And yet, he still had a little doubt in his heart that bade him stop. All he needed, then, was a little push.
"If you ask me… I think you should tell me," Masashi answered, partly out of curiosity behind his past, and partly out of hope that this was the best course for him. "It may hurt a bit, but you need to face what's troubling you. Only then can you find a solution to your problem."
Arashi groaned as he rubbed his cheek, thinking for a few seconds. "Well… now that I think about it, Grandpa once said that a little learning sometimes came with a little hurting. So maybe… I shouldn't hold back anymore!"
He clapped his hands together. "All right, then! Masashi, let me talk about Grandpa! Maybe you can help me afterwards!"
"Well, if that's what you want, then I'll gladly listen," Masashi answered, glad to see that his encouragement had worked. "To begin with, you live with your grandmother, but what happened to your parents?"
Arashi scratched his cheek as he lowered his head, as if so shy as to not look him in the eye. "Uh, well… when I was a baby… my mom and dad… they… they died in a car accident. I didn't know about it until Grandma told me it years later."
"So after the crash, your grandparents adopted you, I presume."
"Yeah, that's right!" Arashi said, brightening up a little, though his face was still etched with great discomfort. "Grandma and Grandpa did the best they could to give me a happy childhood! Grandpa taught me all there was about fireworks! He made everyone happy with his work! I can still remember how at a certain festival, all the men and women gaped at the beautiful fireworks he'd set off! All was well… or least… I thought it was."
Arashi sniveled as his eyes began to water. "But… one day, Grandpa suddenly fainted and had to be taken to the hospital…"
Masashi widened his eyes, realizing what had happened next. Arashi had even said that it had no happy ending.
"And what happened?" he asked. Still, he would ask how it ended, wanting Arashi to end the tale on his own terms.
"Grandpa…" Arashi whimpered, tears falling onto his lap. "It turned out that he… had cancer. He only had a few more months to live. I… I didn't understand it when I first heard about it! I thought the doctor could cure it if only we paid him enough! But as time passed, I learned how wrong I was… how our everlasting bliss wasn't meant to be!"
Arashi wiped away his tears with his wrist. "Then it was time… On my last visit, Grandpa's condition had grown much, much worse… I could still talk with him, albeit barely. He… He told me something at that moment."
He gulped and took in a deep breath of air as if fighting against an unseen force that would rather not let the tale's ending be known. Masashi stood dumbly, waiting with bated breath to hear him speak.
"I can still remember his words clearly: 'Arashi… I want you to do me one last favor... Don't let your time go to waste. Make the heavens shine with your fireworks… light up the people's faces… and spread bliss and wonder throughout the world! Do not ever… forget this.'"
By the time he finished his sentence, Arashi's tears flowed down his cheeks like two rapid rivers, his voice shaky.
"And after I left… it was all over," he whimpered, grimacing more and more. "Grandpa couldn't make it through the night… No one was around to watch his last moments… I don't remember how I felt upon hearing the news… In fact, I don't remember much of what happened over the next few days. I remember standing before his gravestone and Grandma's weeping… but otherwise, it all felt like a blur to me, as if I were in another world."
Aah... Another world...
However weird the words might sound, the feeling of being in another world did not feel all too outlandish to Masashi. One might say that his grandfather had helped build Arashi a new world after he had lost his parents in a car accident. And at such a young age, Arashi had not expected his world to end. No one had wanted it to happen.
It was the awfullest feeling that Masashi could imagine.
"Eventually… I managed to come back to my senses," Arashi said, his tone utterly dreary. "I remembered Grandpa's wish… I remembered what he wanted me to do. So I worked as hard as I could to become the best pyrotechnician I could be! But…"
Arashi looked up at Masashi with watery eyes. "I can see it clearly now… it was that day! Ever since that day, I haven't been the same! All the people around me began to say I acted too extreme! I got angry way too easily! I had a bad temper, they said!"
Ah, now it all makes sense.
It was his grandfather's death that had made Arashi the man that he now was. He had come back to this world through his grandfather's wish, but he had come back a different man as well. He managed to continue his grandfather's legacy, but he was still trapped by the remnants of his old world, the foundation that his grandfather had built having never been fully replaced. And without a rebuilt foundation, he would continue to fare through this world unsteadily.
"Arashi… thank you for telling me all that," Masashi said. "I think it's good that you've told me all this."
"I…" Arashi said nothing for a few seconds. "I… don't really feel all that good, if truth be told."
"Ah, that's not surprising to hear. I think these things take time," Masashi replied. "Once you come back to this with a cooler head, I think you can learn to handle your grief better."
And yet, Arashi showed no smile, gazing down with a woebegone look. "Yeah… Maybe… Um, Masashi, I think I need to go. I want some time to be by myself."
"Oh… Of course."
Arashi then stood up and walked out of the arcade. Masashi did not follow after him, wanting to respect his request of being left alone, and hoped that over time, Arashi would find a way to regain his steadiness in this world.
Masashi headed back to the first ship, wanting to get something to drink. The weather had not improved at all, as it still lightly rained, clouds blanketing the heavens with their gloomy covers. Once he arrived at the kitchen, he saw Sister Hikari sitting at one of the tables.
"Ah, Masashi, good day," Sister Hikari said with her usual warm smile. "Is there anything that I can help you with?"
"Nothing, really," he answered. "I only want to chat with you some more. I thought it was interesting to hear you talk about yourself last time."
Sister Hikari chuckled as she flicked away a fringe of her long red hair. "Is that so? Well, I confess, it flatters me to hear you say that. I don't often chat about myself, and even as a nun, I'm not without a little pride. Now, is there anything in particular that you want to talk about?"
"Well, I've been wondering… how did you become the Ultimate Nun in the first place?" Masashi asked. "Nuns aren't all that common in Japan, after all."
"It certainly isn't." Sister Hikari gently set one hand over the other. "Well… you already know that I live in a small community with a church. But it wasn't my choice to join this community. It's more that it found me when I was all by myself."
Masashi widened his eyes. "You weren't with your parents?"
She shook her head. "I was found on my church's doorstep when I was but a baby. One of the good folk who raised me believed that my parents might have been forced to leave me because of poverty, and so that was what I believed." She heaved a great sigh as she leaned back against her seat. "I grew up thinking that I might never see my parents again. After all, forsaking one's child is a crime, and I imagined that they were not living happy lives.
"And yet, I would not condemn them," she continued. "After all, I didn't know the tale behind my abandonment. Theft is a sin, and yet I understand that there are some thieves that were forced to thieve. And so, in the same way, I believed that the circumstances might have forced them to forsake me."
Masashi looked at her with awe, amazed at her open-mindedness. Though not at all unwilling to deem lawbreakers to be sinners, she was at least willing to understand what had pushed them to sin. If he were forsaken by his own parents, he was not sure whether he would think bitterly of them, even if it were possible that they had had a good reason to do so.
"So… have you ever tried to find out what happened?"
"No… To be clear, I've never gone out of my way to find the answer," she answered. "The answer, instead, came to me one day."
"What?!" Masashi exclaimed, wide-eyed. "What do you mean?!"
She stopped for a few seconds before speaking. "A few years ago, a certain man stopped by the church to take a break. When he met me and learned of my name, he asked me whether I'd been left on the church's doorstep on a certain date. Once I answered yes… he revealed that he was my father."
"Wow… You must've been pretty surprised to see your father drop by one day," Masashi said.
"Indeed, I was! It was almost surreal to meet a man whom I had never thought I should ever have the chance to meet," she answered. "He was as shocked as I was at this reunion. But I didn't waste the opportunity to ask him why he had left me at the church."
Masashi sat silently, waiting excitedly for the next part.
"He wasn't all that forthcoming at first… but after I pressed him a bit, he revealed why my mother wasn't with him anymore."
She sighed, looking none the happier as she recalled the tale. "My mother… died giving birth to me. He then thought that he'd somehow been responsible for it, and so he lost the confidence to take care of me… and he had cut off ties with his family, so he'd been put in a rather precarious situation."
"Ah…" Masashi said, surprised. "So… he was forced to leave you at the church, then."
"That's right. For the next few years, he'd had to do sundry things to be able to pick himself up again, and he had never expected to reunite with his own daughter," Sister Hikari continued. "It… It delighted me to see him again. So when he apologized and said that he didn't expect to be forgiven… I firmly told him that he was wrong! I gladly forgave him for his misdeeds, and he was so overjoyed that he even hugged me!"
Masashi gasped. "So… all was well that ended well?"
"At that time, yes," she said. "I was willing to start things anew with him. Before he left, he asked me whether I could visit him later. Of course, I promised that I would see him again soon! But…"
For the first time, tears began to gather in her eyes, her hands shaking.
"It seemed that God had something else in mind for me…" she mumbled. "The next morning… I woke up to the news that he had been killed from being run over by a car."
"Oh… Oh my God…"
As she wiped away a few of her tears, Masashi could feel his heart beat slower, her words still echoing in his mind. Having seen how kind and forgiving she was, he thought that there was no person more undeserving of such tragedy than she.
"Sister Hikari… I… I'm sorry that you had to go through all that," Masashi said softly. "I'm sure it must've been very difficult for you."
"Yes… For many days, I mourned my dear father. I had hardly known the man, and yet I would welcome him into my life. It was supposed to have been a new chapter. But... it seemed that that chapter's beginning was its end as well. All chances of connecting with my father… had suddenly become no more.
"I kept thinking about the few moments that I had had with him, that very time when I had last seen him," she continued. "I remembered what I last said to him: 'I'll see you later'. Such simple words of parting… and yet, I wished… that I had said 'I'll go with you'."
It was clear what she meant: she felt responsible for her father's death, even though she had played no role in it at all. Indeed, her lack of a role was proof of her guilt. Masashi could not agree with her line of thinking, but it was hard not to understand why she had reached that conclusion. If she had gone with him, her father's death might have been averted. The two might have gone not to his home but to some other place for celebration, and so they might have avoided the place of his killing.
Her world had not become less from her father's passing, because he had never had the chance to build a place in it.
That there was nothing left behind in her world had led her to think about the world of what might have been, the world of infinite possibilities. How likely that a possibility would have played out was wholly up to one's disposition. It was no wonder why one might wish to live in the world of what might have been.
"I didn't want others to feel such pain," Sister Hikari said, regaining what little composure she had lost. "And so I worked as hard as I could to be there for others… to be their hope… to work for God's glory."
"And that's how you became the Ultimate Nun..." Masashi said, to which question she answered with a nod. "That's… That's incredible. What happened to you was cruel, but I'm glad that your devotion to help others grew even more."
He could say that it was a blessing disguised as a curse, but there was no way that he would ever accept that kind of blessing if it involved a loved one's death. And though his impressions of the man were not fully positive, he could partly sympathize with his reasoning for forsaking her. It had been a rather complex situation, Masashi did not doubt, and he could not exactly condemn him, uncertain that he would not have done the same thing if he had been in his shoes.
Sister Hikari chuckled as she relaxed her shoulders. "I apologize if my little tale was too grave for our conversation. I know you expected something lighter..."
"No, no, not at all!" Masashi replied. "I appreciate that you told me all this. I think it's interesting to hear how you became the woman that you are! We're all aware of the good that people like you do, so it's all the more interesting to learn of your backgrounds."
"Really? Well… thank you, Masashi," she answered. "I'm glad to hear that my tale interested you. Hopefully, it may prove to be of some help to you in the future."
After he found a snack in the kitchen and ate it, Masashi headed down to the third deck and wondered whether there was anyone in the playroom. He headed there, and indeed, there was a certain boy prancing about.
"Ah, hello, Sir Masashi!"
Kumi rushed up to him, his book of tales sticking out of his satchel. He looked so blithe that if the silver translucent wings strapped to his back were actually real, then he would rise in the air and circle around Masashi like an excited fairy.
"Hey, Kumi, what are you up to?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing much, but I'm waiting for some pixies to come!" Kumi said, beaming. "I saw some gathering here earlier, so maybe more will come!"
Masashi was always impressed by his imagination. The storyteller would find no fairies, and yet he would still pretend otherwise, as if being a storyteller of fantasy required that he act so. It was amazing how dedicated he was to the genre.
"Ah, but you don't need to go! I was about to go on a break, actually!" Kumi continued. "So if you want, I can tell you one of my tales. I've been meaning to tell you the tale of Edwin, the peasant boy who gains the power of summoning foxes!"
Masashi chuckled. "Well, I'd like to hear that… but what I have in mind is a conversation about you."
"About me?" Kumi looked at him confusedly, cocking his head. "Um, all right! I don't really talk about myself that much, but if you think I'm interesting to talk about, then I'll talk! So, uh, is there anything in particular?"
"Well, for one, you now live in an orphanage," Masashi said, "but before that, you had a family, right?"
As soon as he asked that, however, Kumi's face became filled with worry, and he shrank back a bit.
"Um… You're not asking me what happened to my parents, are you?" Kumi asked shyly. "Even though you're a dear friend, it's still not something I want to talk about…"
Masashi raised his hands defensively. "Oh, no, no, of course not! I simply want to know about the life that you once had. I'm a bit curious about your childhood, that's all."
Admittedly, he was surprised that Kumi, though open and friendly, too had limits on what he would talk about. But it made sense; if he had been forced to be separated from his parents, then talking about it would only upset him, and Kumi would simply clam up if approached about it.
To his relief, Kumi brightened up as he sighed out of relief. "Oh, if it's that, that's all right! Feel free to ask about that!"
"Well, to begin with, what was your home like?" Masashi asked.
Kumi took a few seconds to think. "Um… it was only Mom, Dad, and I. I had no siblings, but it would've been cool if there'd been any, since I'd have had someone to play with, don't you think?"
Masashi could not say no to that, remembering the times when he would play with Keiko either in their home or in the nearby park. Feeling daring, he would sometimes challenge Keiko to a game, and the loser would do what the winner wanted. Oftener than not, Keiko would win and force him to help him with chores. In the end, he would never learn his lesson and would plan another game, hoping to outwit her, and finding the attempt itself to be fun.
"Where did you live?" he asked.
"Uh, somewhere in Tokyo. We were kind of rich… At least, that's what the others at the orphanage told me when I told them about my home."
"So you lived in a well-off neighborhood, then," Masashi said. It was kind of weird to think of Kumi as someone who had had a well-off childhood, given that his green tunic made him look more like a peasant, but then again, only someone well-off could afford to wear that elaborate outfit in this era. "Your parents loved you greatly, didn't they?"
"Oh, definitely!" Kumi beamed as he took out Sir Teddybane, his beloved teddy bear companion. "For one, Mom and Dad bought me lots of things! Toys, books, clothes, you name it! In fact, Dad bought me Sir Teddybane for my seventh birthday!"
"Wow… that sounded sweet," Masashi replied, imagining a young Kumi yelping in excitement as his father gave him a brand new teddy bear.
Wait a minute… a young Kumi's hardly any different! Masashi thought. Even Kumi as he was now was far shorter than the others, looking like a child. Was it possible that he had somehow stopped growing a few years ago?
"And moreover," Kumi said, "Mom and Dad would read me a tale every night!"
"Oh, really?" Masashi said, putting up a smile. "What kind of books?"
Kumi chuckled as his cheeks reddened. "Well, they read me many kinds, but most of them were about fairies, knights, witches, and the like. Hearing about them every day made me more interested in these creatures that mankind has sadly forced into hiding!"
That's your explanation on why we don't see fairies and the like, huh? Masashi thought, amazed by his insistence. Of course, Masashi was sure that it was only a part of Kumi's fantastic enthusiasm that he had fostered since his childhood. In the end, he must be aware that it was all fiction, but he kept it up because it was fun to do so.
"So did you write any tales of your own?" Masashi asked.
"Heh, I sure did!" Kumi answered. "In my free time, I would write about how Mom, Dad, and I would live in the same world as such heroes as the doughty knight Sir Barton and the white-haired witch Audrey! But I admit, I cast myself as the hero most of the time, and Mom and Dad were simply the hero's parents… Not that Mom and Dad ever minded!"
"Yeah, I think they were more than flattered to see your imagination at work," Masashi remarked. "With how much you spent on writing, it's no wonder that you should eventually become a famous writer."
Kumi chuckled again as he scratched his light-brown hair. "Aw, thank you, Sir Masashi! It gladdens me to hear you say such kind words! May the fairies' blessing be with you!"
Masashi could not but chuckle at such a saying; it might be silly and childish, but it was Kumi's way of showing greater appreciation. Even though there were no such thing as fairies, he had not the heart to make the boy give up his pretending.
Kumi then let out a sigh as he glanced downwards, and to Masashi's surprise, a smatch of wistfulness in the boy's eyes.
"All those good times… I wish I might have them again…" Kumi mumbled. "I wish I were with Mom and Dad again..."
Masashi could not brook seeing such a sad expression on his face. It looked rather weird, as if someone had set another boy's face on it and had tried to change it to match Kumi's features. But in the end, it did not at all befit the kind and blithesome storyteller, and Masashi would do something about it.
"It's all right, Kumi," Masashi replied softly. "After hearing everything about your time with your parents, I think it's natural that you miss them a lot. I'm sure you think a lot about how you want to reunite with them."
Kumi stared at him speechlessly for a few seconds, as if wanting to see whether he truly meant his words. It seemed that he had passed his test, as the storyteller then let out a small hesitant smile.
"Th-Thank you for saying that, Sir Masashi…" Kumi said, voice slightly shaky. "If truth be told… I didn't expect you to have me talk about Mom and Dad. Even though I think a lot about them… it's been a while since I talked much about my life with them. The others in the orphanage already know, of course, but…"
"Look, I get it. I'm a stranger, so of course you wouldn't be open about it," Masashi replied. "I've met people to whom family's a sensitive subject, so you're not alone there."
"But… Sir Masashi… you're no stranger to me," Kumi replied. "You… and all the others here… are my friends."
"Friends…"
Masashi chuckled, liking the way that he said the word. It had such a sweet and silly tone that he could not but find it charming and befitting the small boy. "Kumi… thanks for saying that. I appreciate that you think of us that way."
Yes, they were all friends here. Even the more unpleasant characters had some goodness in them, and Masashi could tell that Kumi, being ever so kind and gentle, wanted to grow closer with them. Sure, he had his flaws and might act childishly upon hearing something that he disliked, but perhaps over time, Kumi could learn to overcome these differences and grow up a little. And that, to Masashi, needed no magic at all.
"Ah, Sir Masashi! I think I've rested long enough!" Kumi said as he put Sir Teddybane back into his satchel. "The pixies are a-waiting, and I need to replenish my supply of pixie dust!"
"Good luck on your hunt," Masashi said.
Kumi then scampered off to another part of the playroom, and a few seconds later, he yelped, apparently having seen one. Then he ran, picking up his speed, and disappeared into the passageway linking the playroom to the hidden library.
It was about seven o'clock, the time for the group to play some games at the arcade together. Most of the group made its way to the arcade; Maiha had already made her lack of interest in the event clear. Masashi wondered whether there was any way to change her mind, but he had decided not to press her on the matter any further; he had promised to let her be, after all. Moreover, the two other players that were absent were Kumi and Sister Hikari; the former had said that he felt a bit sleepy, and so the latter had decided to spend the evening with him instead, in case something unexpected might happen to him.
The eleven participants arrived at the arcade, welcoming its warmth. The arcade machines' lights flickered now and then, and a quiet electronic tune buzzed from the speakers. It was a little different from how the arcade appeared during the day, and it reminded Masashi of this one cafe that he and Keiko had stumbled upon while walking in the downtown area.
"All right, Masashi, what now?" Sorao asked, he and the others facing their leader.
"Well, I think that we can play a few of the multiplayer games together," Masashi answered. "And as I heard from Monokuma earlier, you can earn tokens from these games. The tokens automatically go to your Monopads, and you can spend your tokens on some prizes."
He pointed at the gift shop counter at the other end of the room. The sundry prizes ranged from loudspeakers to archery equipment, and Masashi himself had his eye on one of the posters of End Dream, the role-playing franchise. He hated to admit it, but Monokuma at least had the decency of offering good prizes for spending one's time at the arcade.
"Ah, the arcade... I don't usually go to arcades, but the sight of games is always swell to see," Murphy said, sounding less grumpy than usual. "How about you, Hikari?"
Hikari shook her head profusely. "I-I hardly go outside... M-My adoptive mother forbids me to leave, a-and I'm not really interested in games, anyway..."
"Oh, I get it. You're scared that you'll lose whenever you dare challenge someone," Sayua said. "So you act like a rank wuss and stay out of it. I totally get it now!"
Hikari said nothing as she merely frowned and glanced away from the haughty cheerleader. Meanwhile, Tanjiro sighed and rolled his eyes from hearing yet another one of the cheerleader's boasts.
"Uh, Sayua, could you save your, uh, 'excitement' for the games?" Tanjiro asked politely. "I see no need for that kind of speech."
Sayua sneered. "You know what, Tanjiro? You're right. There's no need for it. After all, whoever may challenge me, I'll still win."
"Aren't you cocky!" Murphy said, looking none too happy after she had insulted Hikari. "I bet you're wrong on that, though. I can tell a blowhard when I see one."
"Thinking I don't live up to my words, are you? Let me prove you wrong, then, buddy!" Sayua then pointed at him determinedly. "In fact, I'll even give you the advantage! Choose whichever game you want!"
"Hmph. All right, then. That one." He pointed at one of the End Dream Racing Kart machines. "I've played it tons of times. How about you?"
"Oh, that? Never!" she replied. "But that'll only make your loss all the better for me, so try me!"
"Ooh, can I join?" Kasumi said, raising her hand. "Your little contest sounds pretty cool, and I'm quick at learning new things, so I'm pretty sure I'll have little trouble winning first place."
Murphy eyed her warily, snarling. "I know there's beginner's luck, but you can't be that confident in your skills unless you're trying to intimidate me like Sayua over there."
"And besides!" Arashi pointed at Kasumi. "Knowing you, I bet you'll try to do something shady like one of your pranks!"
"Yeah, I won't exactly be surprised if you try to cheat," Faye said, still mistrustful of her.
"Cheat? Oh, don't worry about that!" Kasumi said, trying to put up a reassuring smile. "It'd be dishonorable if I were to cheat like that, so I swear that I'll play truthfully!"
Though Arashi appeared not at all convinced by her claim of starting anew, in the end, he said nothing as he backed down. "E-Even so... someone ought to keep an eye on you! I bet you'll still try to distract the others somehow to gain an advantage!"
Haruyuki chuckled as he stepped forth. "There is no need to worry about that. I myself have already planned to watch over Kasumi. Under my watch, she will have no chance to cheat."
Meanwhile, Sayua snorted, looking none too fazed by the third player's entrance. "Sure, sure, whatever. In the end, two of you are gonna learn what it means to be trounced by me, Sayua Tomi! You should even deem it to be an honor!"
Sayua then headed off to the machines, Tanjiro only giving a dismayed look as he silently followed her.
"Hey, Hikari," Murphy said, beckoning to her. "Come with me, will you?"
"Wh-What? But why?" Hikari replied, looking truly confused. "Y-You're the one playing, aren't you? I-I'd only be watching."
"Even so, watching is a fun experience in itself. Tons of people watch other people play games online," Murphy replied. "And who knows? Maybe you'll like it!"
"Indeed, this race promises to be interesting," Haruyuki added as he followed Kasumi to another machine. "Let us see whether it matches my expectations on the winner."
Though Hikari looked not at all enthusiastic about it, she said nothing as she followed him as well. At least she showed some willingness to participate in tonight's event, and Masashi appreciated that Murphy was going out of his way to encourage her to participate more, even though it involved only watching for now.
Once the three players began their race, Sorao sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Man, Kumi isn't here... I hoped that I could get the little fellow to play Kriegsherr."
"You mean that shooting game?" Masashi had played it already, and though he found it fun, there was nothing exceptional about it. It was at least serviceable with its realistic graphics and the way that it used its military setting.
"Yeah. I think playing that would help him," Sorao replied.
Faye gave him a befuddled look. "Uh, how? I don't see how playing a violent game would help him in any way. If anything, he would be busy screaming and curling up."
"Yeah!" Arashi added. "I can handle it, but Kumi? I don't think so!"
Sorao crossed. his arms as he glanced to the side. "Ah, but don't you get it? Kumi clearly has a problem with seeing scary stuff like that. You saw how he reacted after Haruka's and Abraham's executions. Now imagine how he'll react if he ever gets in an emergency and sees someone bleeding."
"So you want him to be exposed to violent images to help him get used to it?" Mari said.
Sorao nodded as he raised a finger. "Yeah, you get me. It's kind of like what that book about Brightmere Research said. You know, how augmented and virtual reality can be used to help patients suffering from certain fears."
Oh, yeah, that's right… Tanjiro and Sayua found it in the hidden library… Masashi thought, recalling the contents of that book.
The more he thought about it, the more he understood what Sorao was trying to argue here. He could not deny that Kumi had a problem with handling gory imagery, and if he were ever in a situation where he found someone bleeding, he might not be able to help that person out of fright, and with his unwillingness to do anything, a needless death would happen. This did not apply only for the killing game; it could take place in any sudden emergency in the outside world.
Faye, however, did not appear convinced by his argument. "I don't know, Sorao… I get what you mean, but I doubt that you'll ever get Kumi to play it. Even without the highly violent and bloody imagery, the game itself still wouldn't appeal to him. For one, it involves him shooting at human characters, not monsters, does it?"
"Well... yeah, but..." Sorao answered.
"Also, they all come off as pretty human," Masashi said, remembering how enemy soldiers would cry out in pain rather realistically after being shot. "It's not cartoonish at all."
"But doesn't Kumi write stories in which humans kill other humans?" Sorao responded. "I don't see why he would have a problem with that."
"Well, keep in mind that it's all written, and I doubt he ever goes into detail about the violence itself," Mari said.
"And in a video game, he's far more involved in the action, since he actively controls a character's every deed and movement," Faye added. "If his character pulls a gun's trigger, he's essentially pulling the trigger as well."
Sorao heaved a sigh as he shook his head. "All right, I get your point, dude… No Kriegsherr for him. If you ask me, it'd help the little fellow, but I can see why you think he won't like it at all."
"If it helps, I appreciated that you offered to help Kumi that way," Masashi said once he saw Sorao look a little glum. "But maybe it's a problem that Kumi can learn to overcome over time. He doesn't need to play a violent video game to help him with his timidness."
Sroao chuckled. "Thanks for saying that, man. You know, I may not look like it, but I try to look out for you guys. Sure, we may not know each other that well, but we're all buddies, aren't we? In the end, the main foe is Monokuma, and we've got to stick together at a time like this."
"Wow, Sorao… That's actually a pretty inspiring thing to say," Faye said, looking amazed. "I admit, you may come off as stupid at times, but I can see that at the end of the day, you mean well."
Sorao laughed merrily. "I know I make mistakes and questionable decisions at times, but in the end, I want to make the world happy. That's what I tell myself whenever I feel nervous before my concert performances."
"I totally get you!" Arashi said, pumping his fists. "That's what I aim to do with my fireworks as well! The thousands of people that see them at festivals and firework shows always say how incredible they are!"
"Oh, uh, same for me," Faye added, glancing elsewhere as she fiddled with her fingers. "All the customers that buy my goods at my family's bakery come out happy, so I know that I'm making a positive difference in the world."
"That's... an interesting way of putting it," Mari remarked. "And as for me, I'm a phenologist. My research of the seasons can help us understand natural phenomena better, and our relationship with nature can then be strengthened. That's pretty good, isn't it?"
Masashi smiled upon hearing such words from them all. From what he could tell, Sorao had sounded truthful in his every word about wanting to make everyone happy. He definitely was the kind of guy that, as an upperclassman, would go out of his way to help his struggling lowerclassmen, even if it gave him less time to rest, and it boggled Masashi that Tanjiro seemed to greatly loathe the man. The writer truly ought to give him another chance, Masashi thought.
"Oh, I've got an idea!" Sorao pointed at the machine for the fighting game Combat Magique and opened up his arms. "Faye, want to give it a try? I've wanted to thank you for giving me that treat yesterday."
Faye set a finger on her chin. "Oh, that? I simply wanted to help you out, that's all. It was a simple, straightforward, onefold gesture. I don't need you to 'repay' me for it… but I guess it may be fun to give it a try."
Sorao smiled. "And you'll have the advantage. All the characters speak French in the game!"
Faye looked at him with much amazement. "Oh, wow… you actually remember that about me. Maybe you're not as forgetful as I think."
The two continued their conversation as they walked over to the Combat Magique machine, Arashi chasing after them. In the beginning of the conversation, Faye had appeared to be a little annoyed to hang out with Sorao, but now, her chirpy tone and body movements betokened her enjoyment in the conversation. It was swell to see her getting along with the man, however irksome he might be at times.
"All right... Which game do you want to play?" Masashi asked Mari, the only other person remaining.
"Hmm... How about that one? I've never played it before."
Mari pointed at the machines for Battle on Blue Earth. The premise was that a bunch of strange portals appeared out of nowhere one day, and from them came several monsters that threatened mankind, and so the heroes were sent to fight them off. The goal for both players was to last as long as they could; the winner was, of course, the one that lasted longer. The players could choose from a variety of characters, each with its own techniques and powers, and so there were many different ways of playing it. It was not a bad game, but Masashi did not find it to be that remarkable, since sooner or later, the game felt repetitive.
"All right, let's play that one."
Still, this was a chance to spend more time with Mari, whom he liked to a certain extent. Among the others here aboard, she seemed rather normal, albeit prone to excitement whenever talking about her interest in phenology. Though a little quiet, she had an agreeable disposition that made him not object to being around her.
The two walked over to the machines and began playing the game. Masashi, always preferring to start off simply, chose a warrior-type character, whose attacks were mainly defined by his sword. Meanwhile, Mari chose a magician-type character, whose techniques were a bit harder to pull off to compensate for her attacks' long range.
The graphics of the game were those that one might expect to find in a game aimed for children, what with its lack of graphic violence; every felled foe simply "disappeared", leaving nothing behind except the occasional potion or boost. It was a game that someone like Kumi might enjoy, and if he were here right now, Masashi could imagine him finding enjoyment from this, even if he were losing.
Of course, the opposite was true for him; he was doing much better than Mari, who seemed to have a little trouble with pulling off some of the combos as she looked at the screen with a fixed gaze, her foot tapping the floor. As time passed, the wider the gap between their scores grew, and Mari let out a sigh of frustration, her mouth creasing into a slight frown.
"Hey, Mari... try to lure your enemies in a group before using your fire magic," Masashi said, looking at her screen for only a moment. "That way, you'll get more points for combo kills."
"Oh, really? Let me see."
Mari then did as he had said, and indeed, once ten monsters were clustered together, she got points for pulling off a 10-kill attack, at which result she cracked a little smile, her shoulders relieved of some tension.
"Ah... well, it's worked," Mari replied. "Thank you, Masashi."
"It's no problem," he replied as he went back to focusing on his screen. "And you know, you should also try this..."
He gave her a few more tips to better her performance, and after she followed them, the gap between their scores grew smaller, though he was still in the lead. Nonetheless, he was more invested in the game, now that she posed a greater challenge. It was good that he was winning, but he wanted her also to have fun with this.
After a while, Masashi messed up one of the combos, whence he lost his concentration a little. That one moment was all it took, however, as the monsters that thronged the field mercilessly attacked him and bereft him of what little health he still had. As he had been killed, the game came to an end, and the performance and the bonuses accounted for, the scores were reckoned.
"Ah... So I lost."
Mari sighed as she shook her head, having been behind by a few hundred points, which was not exactly a small gap. Still, weighing all the factors, Masashi thought that she had done rather well, given that he had had the advantage of playing the game beforehand.
"Well, that was fun," Masashi said gladly. "I actually thought I might lose at the last second, but it seems luck was in my favor again."
"It sure fits your Ultimate Lucky Student title. As the loser... I thought it was fun as well."
She turned toward Masashi, smiling a soft smile. "I don't usually play these games, so... thanks for helping me back then. You didn't need to do that, you know."
"Oh, it was nothing," he replied. "I merely thought you needed a little help, so I told you a few tips, that's all."
"Really? Don't tell me that you tried to throw the match to help me as well."
She then leaned nearer toward him, gazing intently as if trying to determine whether he had spoken truly.
"What? No, no, of course not!" Masashi said, meaning every word. "I simply made a mistake at the last second, really."
After a few seconds, she leaned back and chuckled as she brushed off a strand of her long black hair.
"Don't worry. I believe you," she said happily. "I might've had more time to catch up to you if you hadn't made that silly mistake... but what's done is done. No need to fret over it."
Afterwards, Mari headed off to the women's restroom nearby, and Masashi decided to check up on how the others were doing. He first headed to the players at the End Dream Racing Kart machines, and it seemed that they had just finished their race.
"Aha! See? Told you that I'd beat you guys!"
Kasumi clapped her hands together and set them on the back of her head as she leaned back on her chair. Meanwhile, Murphy gaped at the results screen showing that he had made it to fifth place, and Sayua to seventh; Kasumi was second place, and the other spots were taken up by the AI players. Hikari and Tanjiro too looked amazed, looking at her for an explanation, whereas Haruyuki chuckled a soft but mirthful chuckle, as if he too were the winner.
"H-How? How did you pull off those maneuvers that easily?" Murphy said, setting a hand on his straw hat as he leaned back with a flabbergasted expression.
"Yeah, how the hell did you beat me?!" Sayua said, pointing at her accusingly. "No way a beginner like you could've pulled that stuff off!"
"Well, for one, I'm no beginner," Kasumi answered. "I've played this game a few times in the past, even though this version's a bit different."
"That's not what you said!" Sayua said back. "You said you were a quick learner!"
"I am!" she said. "I'm quick at learning how you guys play the game. I didn't say I had no experience with the game, did I?"
Tanjiro groaned. "So that was downright misleading wording of yours…"
"And thanks to that, I actually let my guard down around her…" Murphy replied. "By the time I realized you were beating me, it was already too late."
Haruyuki chuckled, covering his mouth with his gray scarf. "It was undoubtedly a splendid match! In a race, one cannot simply stop to think about one's next moves. No, all is constantly moving, and so the match is oftener than not decided by one's primal instincts. Indeed, Kasumi did very well, using her items at the right moment and letting you two focus on each other with her words. Had it not been for the sudden bomb thrown by the AI at the last second, she would have won first place! Such a sudden change, for a moment, made me want to throw my hands up in protest, but alas, that is how the dice fall."
"You… seem very ecstatic about it," Tanjiro said, giving him a puzzled look.
"H-He was clearly cheering her on, that's why…" Hikari mumbled, leering at them both. "A-At least Murphy beat that dumb woman..."
"Who are you calling dumb?!" Sayua said, glaring at her. "I would've gotten ahead of him if it hadn't been for the damn computer! I demand a rematch at once!"
"Looks like to you there's no such thing as being served humble pie," Murphy remarked.
Having seen enough, Masashi headed over to the Combat Magique machines, where Sorao, Faye, and Arashi were. When he arrived, Sorao and Arashi were busy playing against each other, each of them having nearly no health left.
"Come on, come on, come on!" Arashi said, clicking hard on the controls.
But it was no use; Sorao pulled off one last combo move that felled Arashi. Once the results screen popped up, the musician cried out in victory as he smirked at the pyrotechnician.
"Nice try, buddy, but it looks like I'm better than you at this," Sorao said cheekily. "Your attempt to wreak revenge for your precious Miss Nirigiri hasn't worked out at all. It was much easier to beat you than her, that's for sure. You're nothing more than a weakling that can't avenge his lady."
It was clear that Sorao was only playing around, finding some mirth in pouring salt over his opponent and hoping to draw an angry response from him. Then he would look cool and mature before him and would garner the respect of anyone who might be watching this.
"Gah…" Arashi groaned as he lowered his head. "Y-Yeah, well… I'm all right with that!"
"What?" Sorao looked at him, mouth slightly open. "You're not getting angry over that?"
Arashi sneered as he set his arms akimbo. "In the past, I might do such a thing… but no longer! I decided a while ago that I needed to change. And so! Even though I am a bit angry at what you've said… I'm going to be a grown-up and won't make a mess out of myself! I won't go on any childish tantrums anymore!"
Faye chuckled as she patted him on the shoulder. "Good for you, Arashi! I'm glad to see you're trying to mature. Maybe you should take a page out of his book, Sorao."
Sorao cringed at the remark. "Man, you know that's low…"
Masashi smiled upon hearing his declaration. He could remember how in his first meeting with him, Arashi had acted blithely at first before suddenly growing angry, to the point that Masashi had feared that he might try to harm him. But after Haruka's death, Arashi had had enough of his emotional problem and so had striven to overcome it after Masashi had encouraged him. Yes, it was thanks to him that Arashi was on the path of getting a hold of himself and becoming normal again.
After he talked with them some more, Masashi heaved a sigh as he took in the sight of the arcade. It was such a splendid sight to see it filled with people who found mirth in these little amusements, laughing and squealing as they played along, as if they were in no killing game at all. Through his mind rushed memories of the fun times that he had had with his friends over the years. They would all play around in the nearby playground, pretending that it were a castle that was besieged by fiends, the gang splitting up into fiends and defenders. They would go to the nearby park to take a walk and admire the blossoms while chatting about the TV show they had seen last night or the manga they had just read. And they would even go to another city every now and then, spending most of the day on exploration.
And he must not forget about Keiko, his dear younger sister. Even though she was only two years younger than he, whenever she accompanied him and his friends, she would always keep track of the time and remind them whenever they acted out of line, as if she were the older one instead. Though he would sometimes whine to her about her persnickety nature, in the end, he would follow her suggestion and do what she said. And after she had gotten the title of Ultimate Maid a year ago, his friends would joke that she had always come off as a maid to them, but to Masashi, it hardly mattered what title she had; in the end, she was his younger sister, and everything that she did was not due to her being the Ultimate Maid but due to her being Keiko. If she were to suddenly lose the title, nothing would change for him.
It might not be a life of ambition, but he had no reason to want for more. He loved being normal.
More Free Time Events! This time, Arashi, Sister Hikari, and Kumi are featured. It's always good to learn more about our beloved characters in this crazy world of Danganronpa, isn't it? I'm somewhat fond of Kumi; his connection with fantasy is pretty fun and interesting to play around with, and I find his childish nature to be pretty endearing. And most of the group spends time by playing games. It's good to have some light-hearted moments before, well, everything becomes... less light-hearted.
Next time, the motive will be shown. Chapter 3 feels a bit slower than the other two, since I want to take the time to focus on more characters than usual (gee, what could my reason be?). Anyway, feel free to guess on what you think will happen!
