narumika nation

[ ♪ ]

Hiyori: ......

(Though the roads are this packed, I can't hail down a car.)

(...How unsightly. Trying to leave the country without a word to Ibara or Nagisa-kun... It's like I'm skipping town.)

Hiyori: Ahaha. And here I thought the concept of "skipping town" was a world removed from me.

Ahh, dear me. I feel so miserable and pathetic that my chest aches... It hurts.

Hiyori: ...So I'm getting in the way of Jun-kun's progress, am I.

I never thought this would be the way I'd have to confront the hard truth of that fact.

Hiyori: I've long been aware that Jun-kun improves at a remarkable pace.

Just experiencing what it's like to perform by that boy's side, you'd be hard-pressed not to acknowledge it

Up until now, I'd always watched over that progress by his side with a smile. How wonderful, you should be so proud of your improvement, or so I'd lovingly praise him.

The difference between us was once great enough that I could put on an air of superiority.... but any leeway for that is now long gone.

Perhaps Jun-kun's father saw through that arrogance of mine

Hiyori: And the one who's gotten carried away... is actually myself

Hiyori: What a sorry sight I am. I absolutely can't allow Jun-kun or Nagisa-kun see--

Jun: — Ohii-san, I've found you!

Hiyori: ....Huh? Jun-kun?

Jun: Pant... Pant... You're seriously such a handful, you know that?

I'm already so wiped, but who'd have thought you'd having me running around like this even then?

Hiyori: ...Jun-kun, what are you doing here?

Jun: That should be my line, y'know~?

Geez. you got the other two all worried, Ohii-san. Suddenly vanishing with your luggage and all...

Hiyori: ....!

Jun: Huh? Wait, Ohii-san! Why are you running!?

Jun: Ugh, seriously. I won't let you get away!

Jun: ...hup! I've gotcha this time!

Hiyori: ....Come now. Do stop holding onto me with all your might.

Jun: Please don't ever go thinking you'd win against me in a race, Ohii-san

Jun: Unlike you, I actually work out ♪

Hiyori: .... Oh, the cheek of you, Jun-kun

Hiyori: It's hardly a race between me with my luggage versus you with all your agility, isn't it?

Jun: Haha, that's true. If you'd prefer, wanna have another go at a proper race right now?

Jun: Even without any kind of handicap, I think I'd still win, though?

Hiyori: Ahaha, sounds good. It'd give me another chance to run away, so why don't we do just that?

Jun: I'm joking. As if I'd let you get away.

Hiyori: Well, I don't think I'd win against you, Jun-kun, so there's no point in resisting.

Hiyori: In any case. What's up with those unfitting sunglasses?

Jun: Huh, they don't fit me? They were pretty pricey, y'know?

Jun: Well, I got 'em for the sake of disguising myself, though, so I'm not all that attached to them.

Hiyori: If you bought them as a disguise, then they're even more pointless, no? In fact, they even make you stand out!

Jun: Seriously...? Guess that was a waste of money, then.

Jun: Anyway, why were you running from me, Ohii-san?

Jun: Well, to begin with, why were you here without saying a word to the others?

Hiyori: ...Oh dear. so we've gotten back to the topic

Jun: Dude, it was clear as day that you were trying to avoid it.

Jun: In fact, it's even weirder that you thought you'd be able to avoid it in this situation.

Jun: In any case, is it really that hard to talk about?

Hiyori: ...Not really.

Hiyori: Actually, even I don't quite understand why I was running from you, Jun-kun.

Hiyori: In truth, I ran in the spur of the moment. I can't quite explain it myself, either.

Hiyori: And for that same reason, I ended up leaving the others without a word while not quite knowing why, either!

Hiyori: This overseas climate isn't good for my complexion, and I'm not feeling my best, so I'd like to go back in soon...

Jun: So you're gonna play dumb until the end, huh? Well, let's try a different question, Ohii-san.

Jun: — what did my father say to you?

Hiyori: ......

Jun: There's no way you'd be acting like this if he'd only rejected the Eden performance request, after all.

And if you're going to insist talking outdoors is unpleasant, then let's go back to a hotel.

My old man's in my room... so that's out of the question.

So for now, why don't we go to the room you're staying in?

If we stay out talking for so long at this hour, we're bound to catch a cold~

Location: Hotel Room

Jun: 'Scuse me, coming in... Wait, huh? The others aren't here?

Oh, right, I was so locked in on catching you that I forgot to let 'em know.

In that case, they're probably out looking for you right now...

I'll text them for now to say I've found you.

Alright, then. For starters, won't you tell me just what my old man said to you?

If we're here, we can talk without anyone else listening in, yeah?

Hiyori: I wonder about that? Who knows if someone's planted something to eavesdrop on us.

Jun: Stop trying to avoid the topic already, please. Not to mention there's no need to worry about something like that.

I guess it happened during Absolute, but it's not like Ibara hasn't been staying vigilant after that.

Hiyori: Ahaha. Well, he certainly did go around inspecting all the power points this time.

Jun: Couldja knock it off? You're making it sound so scary...

Jun: Hold up, you're trying to change the topic again, aren'tcha? You're being annoyingly stubborn about this, Ohii-san.

Jun: Give it a rest and spill it, already. It's not like this doesn't have anything to do with me, yeah?

Hiyori: ...Well, you're right. I talked about various things with your father, but...

Perhaps to sum it up, it's that Eden would become a hindrance to you from now on.

Jun: GODDAMN! That shitty old man, he really does spew nothing but bullshit.

Jun: Eden? Become a hindrance to me? There's not even the slightest hint of that no matter how you look at my activities!

Hiyori: ...Is that so? I believe it's the truth, though.

Jun: What...? What's gotten into you, now?

Jun: I'm still a newbie to all this! Folks like me are a dime a dozen in America.

Jun: Honestly, even now I still find it so crazy that I've managed to get this popular...

Hiyori: Come now, you're doing it again. That's your inability to appraise yourself rearing its head.

Hiyori: You say you're still a newbie, but you've long had the ability to overtake even me, you know.

Hiyori: The proof of that is in the fact that Thunderbolt scouted you alone, no?

Jun: ....Even if that's the case, what my old man said is wrong.

Jun: Eden would never become a hindrance to me.

Jun: So, y'know, just pay no mind to the insane nonsense my dad spouts.

Hiyori: ...No. Pay no mind to it? I can't do that.

Jun: Ugh, c'mon! You're being so stubborn, you know that? Ohii-san, what's got you so insistent about...

Jun: — wait, what?

Hiyori: .........

Jun: Wai— Ohii-san, why are you crying!?

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