Suspended In Eternity

Season: Summer

Location: Meeting Room

Keito: I see...so, the true identity of the ‘rumors’ can be traced back to Ayase’s mouse extermination endeavor.  

Kuro: yep, it sure seems that way.

Souma: who could have guessed that the mystery culprit was merely a mouse?  All of this suspense was for naught.  

Keito: hmm...mice aren’t exactly notorious for their cleanliness, so perhaps it’s best to report this to Eichi instead of trusting Ayase to take care of it.  That way, we can get a professional exterminator to come in.

Kuro: yeah, ‘s probably not a bad idea.  It seems like a lot to handle otherwise. 

Y’know, something a lot like this happened back at the high school, too, so I kinda jumped to the worst possible conclusion this time around, but I’m glad it turned out alright in the end. 

You remember, right, Danna?  The whole terrorism threat.*

Souma: w-what was this?  A threat of ‘terror’!?  This is certainly news to me!  

Keito: wait!  Why do you know about this in the first place?  I was under the impression that only the administration and the student council officers were aware so as not to cause panic within the student body?

Kuro: ah, that’s totally my bad.  I overheard ya talking on the phone about some pretty suspicious shit, so I thought I’d hang around the school at night to see if I could catch this so-called terrorist...

Keito: you~ did~ whaaaaaaat.....!?

Souma: H-Hasumi-dono’s face has suddenly become like that of a Hannya mask**!  I understand your feelings, Hasumi-dono, but I implore you - please regain your composure!

Keito: this is me being composed, after hearing such a confession!

The only thing I can be somewhat relieved about is that nothing horrible came of it!  What if you had walked straight into a confrontation with an armed terrorist?  You’re truly the world’s biggest buffoon!

Kuro: I wasn’t thinking about it at the time, but looking back on it now, it wasn’t my finest moment.  

But even back then, I had a guy scolding me kinda the same way you’re doing right now.  

The only thought in my head at the time was that I’d be perfectly happy using myself as a human shield if it meant protecting the people that I care about.  

But that was just my stubborn pride talking; the truth is, if something ended up happening to me, those same people who also cared about me would be the ones grieving in the end.  

In that way, it’s kinda the same as going out to purposely destroy something that’s real precious t’ me - and if the only reason for it was so that I could feel some sorta self-satisfaction, that’d really be uncool.  

So that’s why this time I decided t’ let the two of ya help out.  

Though, I guess even with alla that, it was all ‘cuz I was the one who brought up feeling that weird ‘presence’ in the first place.

Keito: ...how do you expect me to be cross with you now that you’re genuinely reflecting on your past transgressions?

Still, do try to keep from acting irrationally.  

You don’t want to be responsible for giving me an ulcer, do you?

Souma: this is a valid point.  I know that I have caused you stress in the past, Hasumi-dono, but I feel as though Kiryu-dono has me bested in that regard.

Kuro: hahaha.  Yeah, I’ve definitely made some bad choices.  

But seriously, thank ya - both of ya.

...Hmm?  I can feel that ‘presence’ again.  Are there still mice running around?

Souma: this was the room that seemed to be the central point that the ‘rumors’ all stemmed from, so it does seem possible that there might be mice in the ceiling here.  

Kuro: ...I’ve got an idea.  Leave it to me.

Oi!  Get outta here!  Graaaaaaah!

Keito: --------!?  W, w-w-w...what on earth are you doing!?  Give me a warning if you’re going to punch the wall out of nowhere!  You fool, are you trying to bring the entire building down!?

Kuro: I thought a loud noise might surprise ‘em and make the mice run away...

Ah, I can’t feel that ‘presence’ anymore.

Keito: but what good is making them scatter going to do!  Think of a better plan!

Souma: ah.  Erm, Kiryu-dono, Hasumi-dono.  It appears as if the impact of hitting the wall has caused something mechanical to fall from the ceiling...

Kuro: huh.  Is it part of a light or something that came down...?

...Hm?  What’s that? 

Souma: is this...a mechanical toy mouse?  It appears as though it is broken...why would something like this be falling from the ceiling?

Kuro: a toy?  Why would there even be a toy in here in the first place?

Keito: hmm...I suppose that there are child actors and idols that are also within the sphere of ES, so it might belong to one of them.  

I’m not sure if it was the impact of hitting the wall or the act of falling, but either way, it’s broken because of our actions.  We should report it properly.  

For the time being, let’s find a member of the office staff so that we can inform them and apologize.  

Souma: understood.  Should we bring the mouse along with us?

Keito: it’s best to leave it.  We still don’t know if it was lost or placed here for safe-keeping.  If it was lost, it would be fine to bring it, but if someone comes looking for it and can’t locate it, that wouldn’t be helpful.

If we broke something and then effectively stole it as well, that might cause more trouble.

Let’s leave it for now, and if we need to, we can come back for it.

Souma: right, then.  I shall leave it here on the table.  Let us depart, then, Kiryu-dono, Hasumi-dono.  

<Ten Minutes Later>

Ibara: It appears as though the members of Akatsuki have vacated the room.  This ‘mouse’ is...ah.  I’ve located it.  Collect this, and then it’s ‘mission complete.’  Such a thing is far, far too dangerous to leave lying around to be discovered by just anyone in ES.  

That Kiryu...I had no idea that his intuition was so precise...this was entirely an error on my part.

Well, since all of them wrote it off as merely a toy, I suppose there’s not much to worry about --- it’s helpful that the members of Akatsuki are such straightforward types.

(What you don’t realize, men of Akatsuki, is that this is no mere toy - rather, it’s the latest in a series of ‘mouse drones’ that I’ve been involved in developing.  

I knew that going with such a shape was the best option - aside from being exceptionally efficient, it also happens to be both durable and easy to implement.  Security completely overlooks it, and even if someone were to see it, there’s little chance they would actually realize what it was.

The way the world is now, being ruthless has become the norm - even I can’t predict where or when someone will try to kill me in my sleep.

‘Information’ is something that can be both the greatest sword and the greatest shield, so knowing more is always an advantage.  

Hmm, I suppose this one is still broken...though, it would be a much bigger hassle if it were completely ruined.  After all, it’s programmed to self-destruct if it’s ever found or captured.  

But no matter how wrecked the outside happens to be, so long as the disc inside is safe, the ‘data’ there can be properly extracted.

Even so, more than half of the ‘mouse drones’ that I’ve been testing out have been destroyed.  

This is all the fault of that Ayase Mayoi.  It’s truly aggravating.  He has the ability to sense them right away, and immediately goes on the hunt.

I’m fond of hunting myself, but being the one who gets hunted is a different story.

Perhaps it’s time to pull back a bit - we’ve managed to gather a lot of ‘information’ by this point, so it might be prudent to simply lay low for the time being).

Well, there’s no sense in lingering here.  It’s fine to retreat before they return ---

???: [come here...]

Ibara: ...hmm?  What was that voice just now...?  I’m the only one in this room.

(Thinking about it now, one of the ‘rumors’ that has been circulating ES recently has nothing to do with me...and wasn’t ‘a creepy voice in the meeting room’ something that came up?  Could that really...?)

Heh.  It’s just a ridiculous story.  Good grief.  

But that’s right...

You invisible foe: I cannot prioritize fighting you while in the midst of a different battle.  However, should I perish in the struggle - perhaps only then would I consider dealing with you.

Well, that will most certainly never happen!  Ahahahaha...☆

Translation Notes:

* - just like in the first chapter, this whole section is a callback to the ‘Gang’ gacha story 

** - a Hannya mask is a mask used in Noh theater, typically being a rather exaggerated depiction of a jealous female demon.  

Season: Summer

Location: Hallway

Mayoi: ah, yes, indeed: the identity of the being behind these ‘rumors’ is none other than myself!

Souma: r-really!?

Mayoi: yes, there’s been a big rodent problem here in ES lately.  I think of this place the same as I would of my own body, so if something that isn’t supposed to be here is running around without permission, it makes me feel uneasy.

Ah!  I’m sorry!  Forgive me for being creepy and not explaining it properly!

Kuro: ...’s not like we think that, but anyway, keep going.

Mayoi: ah, right!  So, I’ve been chasing these creatures through the ceiling at night.  

There’s not a lot of space between the ceiling and the walls, so that would be the reason for the sliding sounds and the banging.

Souma: wait...then the strange ‘knocking’ sounds were also caused by that!?

Mayoi: I dunno if it was me or the mice I was chasing, but either way, the sound can be traced back to ‘mouse extermination’ in some way.  

Sometimes I have to come down, too, so it makes perfect sense that I’d give someone a fright if they weren’t expecting me in the hallway.

I’m used to people screaming when they see me, though.  I-it’s because I’m so deplorable, I’m sure...

Kuro: nah, that’s not the reason - I think it’s ‘cuz you’re dropping down out of nowhere in the dark.  Anyone would freak out a little.

Mayoi: they would!?  So it’s not just because it was me!?  Somehow, that’s a relief... ♪

Kuro: so, that’s the story?  It’s all to do with your little mouse extermination thing, yeah?

Mayoi: yep, yep, that’s right!  They’re pretty persistent; I definitely managed to catch some of them, but it always seems like even more come back the next time.  It gets pretty frustrating...

But I guess a lot of my actions have had unintended consequences, and so even without meaning to, I became the source of these ‘rumors’ ☆

Kuro: hey, now - since we’ve got our answers, maybe it’s time you address that instead of just the mouse problem.

Souma: that’s right!  We’ve been put through a lot of trouble due to these ‘rumors’...

Mayoi: uuuuu, I’m sorry!  By the time I realized, they’d already started to spread.  

But I think that if I get rid of the mice, the rumors will naturally disappear on their own.  

Hiiro: see?  Didn’t I say he’d be able to help?  

Besides, Mayoi-senpai, you’ve kinda been in a bad mood lately.  

Mayoi: I’ve been determined to see this through!  But the truth is, instead of a mouse, I’d rather capture a cute creature and keep it with me until the day that I die.

So then...I’d do it like this...fufu...fufufufu ♪

Hiiro: hmm, I think that mice can have a cute side, too.  Back in my village, we just looked at them the same as any other critter from the mountains, but it seems as if they’re really hated in the city.

Mayoi: eeeeew!  They’re not cute at all!  They only cause trouble!

Kuro: well, we do kinda consider them pests here.

Souma: in any case, we can also conclude that the ‘spooky voice’ Aoi heard was because of you.

Mayoi: hmm...?  I usually don’t say anything.  There’s no point in calling out to a mouse, you know.  

I mean, I guess maybe I could have done it without meaning to?  Or something like that?

Kuro: I dunno how t’ answer that, but if ya say that everything else was you, that’s a big weight offa my shoulders.

Souma: yes, this is excellent news, Kiryu-dono!  This way, you can concentrate on training without any worries!  Let’s be sure to hone our bodies as much as possible today☆

Kuro: yep.  If that’s everything here, we should get going to the dojo.

Ayase, Amagi - thanks for all your help.  See ya later.

Mayoi: so that’s what the rumors were about...I’m sorry that I caused all of this without realizing.

Hiiro: nah, don’t worry about!  Like you said earlier, once the mice are gone, people will just kinda forget about this.

Mayoi: right.  I’ll try to clear them out as soon as I can.

By the way, weren’t you going along with them?

Hiiro: nope, I just happened to run into them here!

Mayoi: ah, is that so?  It seems like something you’d be into...

If it wasn’t for that reason, why were you here?  I mean, not that you need an excuse to just be walking around ES, Amagi-san.

Hiiro: oh, that...I was following a ‘presence’, but they ended up getting away.

Recently I’ve always been like...catching something out of the corner of my eye, but whenever I try to figure out who or what it is, they just run from me.

Mayoi: ah, are you chasing the mice around, too?  That makes sense.  They’re fast little things, aren’t they?

Hiiro: a mouse?  No, it wasn’t that...I’m not even sure if whatever it was is a living thing, to be honest.

Mayoi: no, it’s got to be the mice.  That’s what I’m chasing through here night after night...isn’t it?

Season: Summer

Location: Hallway

Kuro: we’ve gotten a lot of info over the past little while, but it’s not like we’ve made much progress with it - the best we can tell is that most of the stories do seem to kinda line up.  

Souma: hm~m, we have spread our resources to cover more ground, so I had thought that the likelihood of discovering something pertinent would have been quite high, but...that does not seem to be the case.  

Kuro: well, no sense in stressing out about it - if that’s the way it is, then there’s not much that we can do t’ change it.  

Souma: true enough.  And today, at long last, we have an opportunity to make use of the training hall once again.  That activity is always an optimal way to clear the mind and shrug off any lingering troublesome thoughts.  

Kiryu-dono, shall we have a practice match today --

Huh!?

Hiiro: woah!?  That was kind of a surprise, huh?  My bad!  I almost ran smack into you because I wasn’t watching where I was going.

...Hmm?  Kanzaki-senpai?

Souma: ah, is that Amagi?  It was certainly a surprise to have you round the corner with no warning.

Hiiro: yeah, sorry!  I didn’t see you there!  Like I said, I was kinda not paying attention.  And you...well, if you’re with Kanzaki-senpai, you’ve gotta be Kiryu-senpai, right?  

I’m just glad the two of you are okay!

Kuro: nah, don’t worry about it.  I can handle being roughed up a little, but some guys around here might not take it too kindly, so try and pay attention t’ your surroundings, yeah?

Hiiro: yep, I’ll be sure to remember!

Souma: hmm?  I was under the impression that the two of you would know each other.

Kuro: well, we kinda do, but I don’t think we’ve ever talked before.  Y’see, we’re both part of the martial arts circle here at ES, so for sure we’ve seen each other around.

Hiiro: yep!  Besides, Buchou* really admires you, and he talks about you so much that I feel like I kinda know you already.

Kuro: speaking of that, you’re also in the karate club back at the high school, right?  So Tetsu really did take that over...that makes me feel a lot of things; maybe one day I’ll drop by as a club alum and check things out.  

Oh yeah, you were kind of in a rush before, Amagi - is something up?

Hiiro: nope, it was nothing important!

Well, the truth is that I was trying to catch somebody, but they’re probably long gone by now.  It’s my own fault for not looking where I was going and almost running you guys down, though!

Kuro: you were trying to catch someone?  Were you playing tag or something?

Hiiro: yeah, in a manner of speaking!

Souma: well, this also works out in a way - since we have you, we do have something we’d like to ask you.  

Recently, there have been a myriad of ‘rumors’ around ‘Eee Esu’** regarding various unexplained occurrences: disembodied voices, scuttling sounds from the ceiling, and strange tapping noises.  

Many people have had these experiences, so we have been trying to find some sort of explanation.  Do you happen to know anything?

Hiiro: huh, this is the first time I’ve heard of anything like that.  But y’know, considering what some of those ‘rumors’ are...

Kuro: huh, d’ya have an idea?

Hiiro: maybe.  A lot of those things kinda sound like they’d be caused by Mayoi-senpai.

Kuro: Mayoi-senpai...?

Hiiro: Ayase Mayoi!  He’s part of Alkaloid, just like me!

Souma: so, why do you think he would be the cause of these ‘rumors’?

Hiiro: well, he told me that we’ve kinda had a mouse problem lately and he was working on getting rid of them from the ceiling, so maybe that’s what people have been hearing?  

Have you heard these stories pretty recently?  ‘Cuz if so, the timing would match.

Souma: mice...you say.  Is that really true?

Hiiro: yep!  Though, if you want more info, it’s probably best to just ask him directly.  

Kuro: ...yeah.  We were kinda running into a dead end anyway, so there’s no harm in asking this Ayase what he knows...

Do ya happen t’ know where he might be?

Hiiro: even if we started looking, he’s much more likely to come out if you just call for him.  In fact, it kinda feels like he’s around right now.  

Souma: c-come out, you say...?  From where...?  There are not many places to conceal oneself in this corridor...

Hiiro: o~i, Mayoi-senpa~i!  We’ve got something to ask you, so could you pop in for a bit?  Mayoi-senpa~i!

Mayoi: y-y-you were calling for me, Hiiro-sa~n?

Kuro: what the hell!?  Some dude just fell down from the ceiling!

Souma: goodness!  What kind of sorcery is this!?  Where did you appear from?

Mayoi: aaah!  I-I’m really, really sorry!  I came down out of nowhere, so forgive meeeeee!

But I was in the ceiling.  Look, the panel that’s right above us is shifted a little.  I thought that someone was calling me, but that couldn’t be right - who would want to speak to a mere zygote such as myself?

Ah, or perhaps, my existence is even smaller than that...what would that make me...?

Hiiro: you’re always so funny, Mayoi-senpai!  But don’t worry!  I really was calling you.

Mayoi: ah, so I did get that part right!  What a relief!

Hiiro: but I’m not the one that wanted you - these two from Akatsuki have something they’re looking to ask.  

Mayoi: something to ask me?  

...Um, what is it?

Kuro: oi, why do you keep moving away from us?  It’s hard to talk like this, so come closer.

Mayoi: u-um~...by the way, that temple guy isn’t here today...?

Souma: by that, are you...referring to Hasumi-dono?

If so, he is not accompanying us at the moment.  We were heading to partake in some training together.

Mayoi: I-I see!  That’s wonderful!  In that case, let me get as close as possible.

Souma: you really do not have to come that close.  But, incidentally, do you have some sort of problem with Hasumi-dono?

Mayoi: n-no, I couldn’t possibly say.  Even the thought of uttering it causes my mouth to dry up in fear.  Please understand that I’m just not able to speak as freely as you!

But he just...there’s this scent he has, the scent of virtue, and when he’s close, it makes somebody as filthy as me want to disappear completely.  

I’m sorry for being such an evil pervert!

Souma: a scent?  Really?  Does Hasumi-dono really smell a certain way?

...ah, or do you perhaps mean the smell from the incense that is burned during the morning sutra?  

If that is indeed the case, it does possess quite the mysterious smell, though personally I find it somewhat uplifting.  

Kuro: hahaha, I get ya, though - I always kinda wanna disappear too when he starts preaching.

Mayoi: I-I’ve actually found like-minded companions here...!  I wasn’t expecting it, but it feels comfortable...fufu, fufufu... ♪

Right, then!  We’ve gotten a bit off-topic, but I believe you had something to ask me?

I’m so sorry that you had to waste even a moment of your precious time on me!  Ahh, as penance, I will grovel so deeply that the ground will bury me up to my knees!  

Kuro: calm down.  You’re a troublesome kinda guy, aren’t ya...anyway, we’re the ones who called you out ‘cuz we’ve got something to ask.

Mayoi: and you truly want to ask me.  Is that right?  

...What is it?

Translation notes:

* - referring to Tetora