es translations

An Afternoon with you, mid yawn Letting the casual chatter wash over me Hair fluttering in the wind As the gentle breeze flows through our sunny spot

Today, this is our prime spot The most comfortable place to be A talent for finding the best space to be

"Like a kitten" you don't have to explain I don't mind / stay with me, take your pick Just being by your side, doing whatever I feel like That's the answer, after all You're my most special homie

A calming atmosphere where we can both relax We found each-other

Things were weighing on my mind a little this morning But I've reset it all since then And recently realised A gentle smile from you is the most rare

An exchange between the two of us, a test to see who can hold out the longest It's none of my business, I know, yet I worry But there's friends who care, Just Know

Like a kitten, let's get together in this mood Just at the right timing When you can't bring yourself to be sweet It's okay to be a little aloof* Let's take a nap together

Whatever tomorrow's weather might be Or my yearly fortune It doesn't matter to us at all We can go at our own pace

"Like a kitten" you don't have to explain I don't mind / stay with me, take your pick Just being by your side, doing whatever I feel like That's the answer, after all You're irreplaceable to me My homie

The best atmosphere of all We found each-other

(Fritz) Ritsu: Fuuaa, I know it's a little late to say this, but I don't think I'm cut out for things like balls and big gatherings. The room's too bright, people's obvious desires make my stomach churn, and the musics so loud it hurts my ears. Ehh? That's cold. I like Ohimesama because she's always on my side. You do bare your fangs innocently every now and then, though. You're such a bad girl.

*Commotion within the ballroom*

(Fritz) Ritsu: Aah, the lights went out. It's strange that all of the windows opened all at once, too. I hope nothing bad happens, but we'll be fine. Night-time is my specialty, after all, so I can see just fine like this. But staying here might be dangerous, it'll be bad if we get stuck in the crowd and get hurt. Let's take cover over here for a bit, instead. Come here, Ohimesama. Don't let go of my hand. Alright, we've made it to the balcony. The wind's pretty calm, so we should be able to relax here. The full moon is beautiful, isn't it? There's not a single cloud in the sky. It's just perfect for tonight. Yeah, now that the lights from the castle have gone out, you can see the stars clearly too. I think the moonlight is enough for me, though. I can see your face clearly like this. You can see me too, right? Of course you can, when we're already this close. Ah, someone might be coming. Should we move somewhere else?

*Commotion outside on the balcony*

(Fritz) Ritsu: Don't move. It would be bad if you fell, right? Mm-n, I can fly, that's normal, isn't it? You can't? Well, let's get going.

Track 1 -Encounter-

Track 2 -Escort-

(Izmir) Izumi: This is so annoying, the numbers aren't going down at all. Fritz (Ritsu), you've just been playing around this whole time, haven't you? You're not even trying. If you're that sleepy, why don't you go and keep Ohimesama company in the carriage?

(Fritz) Ritsu: Got~ it. I'll be off, then. Ohimesama~ Are you alive? Sorry, sorry~ You look like you're doing just fine. Stop trembling like that in the corner- come over here. Th~ere we go. You don't need to worry so much. We're not the kind of guys who'd get taken down by such weaklings. That said, I did get kicked off the battlefield by Izmir (Izumi). So I'm not allowed to be out there anymore. As I've told you before, I just can't stay awake during the day. It's cloudy today, so it's not too bad, but sunny days are the absolute worst and I'm basically useless. Uuwaa, I'm sleepy. Mhhm. Eh? Are you saying it's okay for me to rest my head on your lap? That's nice, but... if I were to just drink Ohimesama's blood, I'd be back to full energy in no time. Just kidding, just kidding. Ahaha, your face is bright red. How about it? Did I make you a little nervous? I don't think we'll lose, but I can't afford to let my guard down. Vampires may be immortal, but if their weaknesses are exploited, they'll turn to ash in the blink of an eye. Humans have to be even more careful- especially someone like you. You look like you'd break even easier than I would. Just as I finished saying that, it looks like the cleaning is all done.

(Alan) Arashi: I'm sorry for worrying you, Ohimesama. Are you hurt anywhere? Aah, Fritz. Were you hiding over there? Humu, perhaps you was thinking of taking a nap with Ohimesama, but unfortunately, there's no time for that right now.

(Fritz) Ritsu: Ahh, well then. Would you like to go outside?

(Alan) Arashi: Fritz-chan, you're taking your sweet time eating like that, how long is it gonna take, mm-?

(Fritz) Ritsu: It's fine, isn't it? I don't like when it's noisy, so I don't mind just watching from here

(Alan) Arashi: Don't lie. Your gleaming red eyes have been glued to that girl ever since she came in here.

Translations for old Greeting Event voice lines from ! era on Basic. These typically occurred when tapping on a character at a specific time of day, and you'd be awarded with new voice lines and material to increase your character rank. TL under the cut

Afection Event Translation from ! era. This feature was abandoned with the release of !! era and is no longer present in new events and stories, however they were quite cute so I wanted to preserve them for archiving purposes. TL under the cut

Translations under the cut (best viewed on desktop)

Hello! I have translated all of the Cross Scout Story "Unsafe" featuring Ritsu, Niki, Kanata, Tsumugi, Yuzuru, Tomoya and Midori!

Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 1 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 2 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 3 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 4 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 5 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 6 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 7 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 8 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 9 Warning, Don’t Mix? Chapter 10

< One hour later >

Niki: “Okay then, everyone, the science show will now begin! Clap clap clap ☆” “What I’ll be doing right now, is making a mysterious whipped cream that won’t fall from the pan even if you turn it upside down” “That’s right, it’s just as I say, usually if you turn a bowl upside down, the cream will fall out”

Ritsu: “Fufu. It’ll be perfectly fine, y’know…♪ He’s not lying at all, his assistant Ritsu-kun guarantees it”

Niki: “Ahem. Everyone, keep your eyes on me!” “Here you have this plain ordinary whipped cream. It’s got a nice peak, and no matter how you look at it, it’s just plain old delicious-looking whipped cream, right?” “Alright, now, I’m gonna flip this cream over~!”

Ritsu: “Everyone, make sure you’re watching veryyy~ closely”

Niki: “Alright, here I go~! Three, two, one!” “How about that! Even after flipping it upside down, the cream stays perfectly in the bow!” “It’s sooo mysterious, right~! But, if you’re watching right now, you can do it too!” “Alright, time for the grand reveal! It’s not actually whipped cream, it was meringue” “Meringue is made by whipping egg whites, it’s the same white part of the egg that you see whenever you make fried egg” “When you whip them at a tremendous speed, the proteins contained within the egg whites react with the air, and gradually form a stiff meringue state” “The stiff meringue sticks to the bowl, like this, see… ♪” “A mysterious cream that defies gravity, it won’t spill at all even if held upside down!” “Hm? What’s gravity? Eh, umm…”

Ritsu: “Gravity is the force that pulls us towards the earth. When you drop something, it falls downwards because of the gravitational pull”

Niki: “... Apparently so! All you need is one egg, and you can make it easily at home, so I really hope you all give it a try ♪”

Yuzuru: Good afternoon, everyone

Tsumugi: Ah, Fushimi-kun. Nice to see you. But what are you doing here?

Yuzuru: I was on my way home from shopping and passed by this venue, only to see it was bustling with activity When I looked closer, I saw Shiina-sama and Sakuma-sama, so I thought I would stop by By the looks of things, it seems that the issues Shiina-san had with organising this event have been resolved

Kanata: Yes, right now they’ve just finished “gravitational cream” and will start “rice paper flowers*” soon

Yuzuru: “Rice paper flowers”, huh?

Kanata: If you add “colouring pigment” to the water, place the “rice paper” in and fry it with “oil”, it will become a flower, they say

Yuzuru: I see. So, I take it that means Shiina-sama has decided on a cooking demonstration

Tomoya: Ah, not really… actually, they were planning on doing a science show for everyone. But we had a little bit of trouble, so we had to change everything last minute

Kanata: Niki’s “idea” was to turn a “science” experiment into a “cooking” demonstration to teach them

Tsumugi: We all worked together and brought over some ingredients from Cafe “Cinnamon”...

Tomoya: And the gas stove we are using in the show was lent to us by the “Overnight Outdoors Party”

Kanata: When we told them of the situation, they lent it to us right away. They are all “good” kids

Yuzuru: That must’ve been tough. However, all of the children seem to be enjoying the show

Tsumugi: They’re all watching in fascination. Shiina-kun cooks, whilst Ritsu-kun helps explain the science…

Kanata: Fufu, the two of them are a “good pair”

Tomoya: I was worried for a moment about what would happen, but Shiina-kun’s performance has been a great success

< A few hours later> 

Niki: Ritsu-kun, thank you for your hard work today! Man, I really appreciate everything you’ve done today..!

Ritsu: Well, I guess it all worked out in the end, right? The kids looked happy, and it turned out to be a pretty good show Above all, it feels good to know that our performance was the liveliest of them all…♪

Niki: I’m glad to hear you say that I thought it during the “Valentine’s Fair” too, but Ritsu-kun really is a great strategist~ Without Ritsu-kun, we wouldn’t have been able to set up this stall for the event. I never would’ve thought of a good enough strategy that would exploit all of these loopholes in the rules

Ritsu: Of course, that’s just how it is. I am the “wise strategist full of wisdom”, after all Aah, well, this time Nikipyon took it upon himself to steal all the good parts though~...

Niki: Eh? Me?

Ritsu: Yeah. It was Nikipyon who took it upon himself to come up with a clever idea to make a science show out of cooking, right?

Niki: Well, I just remembered that when Ritsu-kun brought that science book over, some things from it could be applied to cooking as well You know what they say, right. “Cooking is science”

Ritsu: It was a successful day. I think Nikipyon did a good job today If cooking was just like the battlefield, wouldn’t you be able to become a strategist on the same level as me?

Niki: Eeeh, really! Nyaha~♪ It’s not that big of a deal~ But since I got Ritsu-kun’s seal of approval, that means I can officially call myself the strategist for Crazy:B from now on, right ♪

Ritsu: Hey, hang on, Nikipyon, isn’t that a bit too early? I said “if cooking was like the battlefield”, right?

Niki: In that case, I’ll continue to fight in this field of cooking! From today onwards, you can definitely call me a “strategist” ♪

Ritsu: I’m not doing that at all Ahh, oh well. At least, now I can finally get some good earned rest. Fuaa…♪

< A few days later, at the neighbourhood event >

Niki: Okay, the tent is all set up and ready to go! The stalls around us are steadily getting set up too~ This is going to be exciting Ritsu-kun, how’s it going with the table decorations?

Ritsu: They’re also finished. All that’s left is to set up the equipment we need for the science experiments 

Niki: Everyone, thank you so much for helping out today.. ♪

Tsumugi: Don’t worry about it at all. I was happy to give you some advice, and it’s my day off anyway. I’m happy that I can be of some help to you, Shiina-kun

Tomoya: I did want to see how the science show would turn out… ♪ But, why is Shinkai-senpai here?

Kanata: Well, this morning I happened to pass by the “courtyard” and saw something interesting going on~♪ I wanted to see the “science show” and thought I could “help” out

Niki: Shinkai-kun, please put that box somewhere around here. I think that one is full of science equipment 

Ritsu: Fuuaa… well then, wake me up when you’re all ready. I’m gonna sleep for a little bit

Tsumugi: Hm, Ritsu-kun, are you going to sleep here?

Ritsu: I’ve already contributed enough, haven’t I? The preparations are almost complete, so let me have a little rest…

Niki: Nyaha. Ritsu-kun really helped out a lot, you know~ Let me just open this box-- … Ha? There’s no science equipment here, it’s just a bunch of puppets!

Tomoya: Eh!? Really?

Kanata: That’s right. Under the “puppets”, there’s some “cups” and “daggers”

Ritsu: …

Niki: T-this one, too…ah, there’s just loads of stage props in here!

Tsumugi: Maybe the boxes of props that we aired out before a few days ago got all mixed up, and were swapped with the things that Shiina-kun was preparing for the science show

Tomoya: I, I’m sorry! It’s because I was airing out all of my stuff right next to it…!

Niki: No, no, it’s not your fault, Tomoya-kun, I was the one organising everything next to you in the first place It’s my own fault for not checking all of the boxes properly!

Kanata: What should we do now? We can’t “prepare” for the show like this

Tsumugi: There’s roughly only an hour until the event starts. I don’t think there’s enough time for me to run in to town to pick up any supplies…

Niki: W-what should I do…!?

Ritsu: Calm down, Nikipyon. We’ll have to figure out something quickly Anyway, Tomoya-kun, wouldn’t it be best for you to contact the theatre company quickly and try to bring the props? They might be in a difficult situation too

Tomoya: Yeah, I will!

Ritsu: Aoba-oniichan, would you mind helping Tomoya-kun? The two of us can do something about it here

Tsumugi: I understand. I’m used to these kinds of situations, Mashiro-kun, so don’t worry, it’s okay

Tomoya: Thank you very much!

Ritsu: -- Aah. I just wanted to get some sleep, but this has turned into such a hassle

Niki: Uu, Ritsu-kun, what should I do…

Ritsu: All we have with us are some prop preparations for the show, like the backdrop and microphone, as well as the sweets we can hand out…  I think I could go and pick up some things from ES, but what can I realistically do right now…

Niki: Uu~... I wish I had some good ideas (This only happened because I was careless and didn’t double check the contents of the boxes) (I have to do something. What can I do… cooking… if I can try something to do with cooking) Ah! I’ve got it, something I might be capable of doing right now!

Ritsu: Eh?

Kanata: Oh, it seems like you’ve come up with something… ♪

Ritsu: If you’re in such a difficult situation, let this strategist give you some wise wisdom to help you move on from this predicament… ♪

Niki: Ritsu-kun! Did you come up with any good ideas!

Ritsu: Of course. My idea is… this, here

Niki: Nn? Ritsu-kun is holding… a science book?

Ritsu: That’s right. I listened to lots of different opinions and thought about it thoroughly, and I thought it would be better to deliver this kind of experience to the kids, rather than a physical object

Niki: Ahh, well, we were just talking about something similar. What a coincidence~♪

Ritsu: Hmm. But I was definitely the first to come up with this idea

Tsumugi: Ahaha… So, what does this “science experiment” entail?

Ritsu: Fufun. I’m going to do a science show with some fun science-related activities

Niki: A science show?

Ritsu: Yeah, look at this book, you can make a boomerang or an air canon that flies pretty well using normal, everyday items and show it to the kids 

Niki: Yeah, they all look pretty cool. If I could see what they’re like up-close, it’d be awesome!

Tsumugi: It’s like those educational programs that sometimes show kids using air canons, isn’t it?

Tomoya: When I was a kid, I used to look forward to watching craft shows like that. It was fun to be able to make things and play with them myself ♪

Niki: Ehh~ it’s the same as watching a cooking show and then trying to make it yourself, right? As expected of Ritsu-kun! His title of strategist in Knights isn’t just for show after all

Ritsu: Of course. You should never underestimate me… ♪

Niki: Okay. Let’s get started on making preparations! 

Ritsu: Ah, just wait a sec, Nikipyon

Niki: What’s the matter, Ritsu-kun. You suddenly grabbed my arm..

Ritsu: Why not aim higher than just a science show? We could have the children surrounding the Cafe “Cinnamon” stall, the very top in terms of popularity within the stalls…

Niki: The very top… does that mean something like the number one best selling stall?

Ritsu: Yeah. If we’re gonna do it, you might as well aim for something like first place My plan would double the sales. Driving customers in to Cafe “Cinnamon” and raising sales, and then Nikipyon will be praised by the manager and get ten times the staff free-meals How about it? Do you wanna give it a try?

Niki: G-guh… ten times the amount of meals… A, ah… ahhh, w-wait a minute! Ritsu-kun, you’re trying to trick me again! I just remembered that when I traded with you at the Cafe “Cinnamon” Valentine’s Fair, I ended up losing tons of money*                  

Ritsu: This isn’t like that. Just a suggestion for your stall, so Nikipyon shouldn’t lose out, right?

Niki: Hmm, really~? But what’s in it for Ritsu-kun?

Ritsu: I just don’t want to lose to other stalls. I guess it’s the competitive military strategist in me So, what are you planning on doing? Don’t you want ten times the amount of food, Nikipyon?

Niki: Uu~.... I’ll do it! I want to reach the very top of the staff free-meal world!

Tsumugi: Ahaha. It’s like a business deal, but for the very top of the “neighbourhood stall” world

Tomoya: Shiina-senpai, you’re so weak to food, it’s worrying me… you’d probably fall for some suspicious man trying to sell you a weird pot in a heartbeat 

Niki: So, what’s your plan for us to get to the very top?

Ritsu: Fufun. My secret plan is to make sweets and to hand them out to everyone

Niki: Sweets? But, you’re not allowed to hand out anything like that…

Ritsu: Well, if you’d just listen to the end, Nikipyon I’ve heard from many people that sweets are a pretty powerful way to make kids happy So, if possible, I’d like to make some and hand them out around the stall. But I also know it’s not okay to sell sweets at the event

Niki: See, I told you..

Ritsu: But that’s no good because it causes sweets to become the main focus

Niki: What do you mean?

Ritsu: In the old days, before Kamishibai** events occurred, they’d hand out hard candy to the audience. So I’m going to imitate that this time The main event will still be a science show, but afterwards we’ll hand out some small sweets to all of the children who watch  Kids love candy, so they’ll come for the sweets and stay for the science show, meaning we’re just exploiting the loophole and making our own version… ♪

Niki: Ah, I see…!

Tomoya: In other words, then, it’s like the bonus-marketing tactic. I too sometimes buy things I’m somewhat interested in just because I’m really fond of the bonus it comes with

Tsumugi: You shouldn’t overdo it, but it does have a pretty big effect. I think the overall impact of adding sweets to the science show would be enormous 

Niki: It’s a great idea! Let’s go with that! Tomoya-kun, are you almost done with airing out these items?

Tomoya: Yeah, all that’s left to do is collect everything left over

Niki: In that case, I’d like to borrow this space next so we can begin preparing for the science show!

Tomoya: Sure, that’s fine with me. There’d be plenty of space once we’ve cleaned up, so let’s keep working hard together ♪

Tsumugi: Once we’ve collected all of the items that have finished airing, I’ll help out too

Niki: Thank you the both of you~ ♪ Okay, it’s settled then! Ritsu-kun, let’s go grab all of the materials that we need

Ritsu: Eh, me too? I already did my part and came up with an idea, so isn’t my job here done?

Niki: What are you talking about? I still need plenty of Ritsu-kun’s help Come on, come on, let’s go~♪

Ritsu: Hey, stop pulling my arm, I’m getting tired, y’know…

*Referencing “Sweet Hunt”

**Kamishibai is a form of Japanese street theater and storytelling that was popular during the 1930s, used with illustrated paper boards. It was a good way to entertain children and pretty creative as these boards would be decorated very prettily and served as entertainment for younger children, while adults watched butai or sumo instead. They did hand out sweets for children as well, so Ritsu is correct in his idea

< A few minutes later >

Niki: Tomoya-kun, does this look okay?

Tomoya: Shiina-senpai, it looks really good! Once you’ve finished that, please shake out this puppet as well

Niki: Got it, leave it to me Nyaha ♪ the sunlight on me feels so good as I’m airing out some of the things like this~ It’s a great way to feel refreshed

Tsumugi: People and objects both benefit to being out in the sun -- By the way, Shiina-kun, what would you like to discuss with us?

Niki: Ahh, that’s right. I was so busy airing out these puppets that I completely forgot about it Well, this and that happened, so--

Tsumugi: I see. So, you need to figure out what sorts of things will make kids happy, other than food, and you wanted to ask around for ideas

Niki: But, the more I think about it, I ended up thinking about food… and then I got hungry I’m pretty useless on my own, so I’d like to hear your thoughts and opinions

Tomoya: Things that children will enjoy? Hmm, that’s pretty difficult

Tsumugi: Children are too honest, after all. If they’re not having fun or seem disinterested, they’ll just go off and find something else more fun to play with If a show they’re watching isn’t entertaining enough, they won’t give it a second glance, huh

Niki: Hey, Aoba-kun. Could you please stop saying such things with a smile on your face, hahh~

Tsumugi: Ehh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise at all I’ll do my best to think of some ideas. Let’s see… What about something the children can take home and have fun with? Like a home-made toy? When I was a child, I often played with toys that I made myself Since we suffered with financial difficulties at home, I didn’t have access to many toys But even with simple materials like milk cartons, you can make spinning tops and building blocks. They’re pretty bare bones, but they’re surprisingly fun

Tomoya: I used to make those kinds of toys, during Elementary School myself and my friends attended craft classes! That brings back memories~ I wonder if I still have some of those toys at home?

Niki: A hand-made toy… ah, I’m sorry to say this, but I already tried origami earlier Folding cranes and such was more difficult than I thought, so I’m not sure if I’d be any good at making any sort of hand-made toys now

Tsumugi: I see. I suppose if you’re making hand-made toys, they have to be of a good quality or people won’t be interested in buying them

Tomoya: It feels like we’re putting ourselves in a corner by targeting a specific age group. Maybe we should think of things that can be generally enjoyed by everyone?

Niki: Something that can be enjoyed by everyone? Tomoya-kun, do you have any ideas?

Tomoya: How about something that we can all play with together?

Niki: Like, the kids playing all together or something?

Tomoya: Yeah. I remember when I was a kid, I used to play tag a lot with the other kids So, how about selling something like a “Play tag with Oniichan” pass, and once you’ve gathered enough kids, everyone can play tag together or something?

Niki: Ah, so like selling them an experience rather than an object? That sounds great, since it wouldn’t take much time to prepare, either … Ah, no, it’s no good after all. If I did that, I’d get so hungry from running around that I’d collapse

Tsumugi: Ahh, I see, especially considering Shiina-kun’s constitution, it might be best to avoid that idea. Also, I guess we don’t know if the venue will have anywhere to play or run around

Niki: I’m sorry for complaining even though you’ve helped me with your ideas, ahh~

Tsumugi: It’s okay, don’t worry. Ah, it’s time for us to turn these puppets over

Tomoya: Well, should we start turning them over starting from that end? … Oh. How about a puppet show?

Niki: A puppet show?

Tomoya: Yeah, wouldn’t the kids enjoy it if we used puppets or dolls like these and performed something like, “Let’s sing and dance with us!”

Niki: Nyaha ♪ Tomoya-kun, you look like you’re good with the puppets yourself~ Cute~

Tsumugi: That’s typical for Mashiro-kun, since he’s so dedicated to acting

Tomoya: Ehehe, I just glanced over at the puppets and had an idea, that’s all

Niki: Ah… but it’s no good

Tsumugi: Hmm, no good?

Niki: Simply put, I don’t have enough people for it. Even if you two here help me out, it’ll still just be three people, and if each of us plays multiple roles, it feels pretty small-scale

Tomoya: That’s true. Puppet shows usually require more than just people moving the puppets, there’s other aspects that need to be operated too

Niki: I really thought that using puppets would be a good way to make it more approachable, but I guess not~ It would be great if there were any more ideas that required as few of people as possible but was still enjoyable for kids to love

???: Fufu, looks like everyone’s in a tricky situation…

Niki: Nn? That voice…

Niki: Hm~... It’s no good, I can’t think of anything! I can’t think of any good ideas! All I can think about right now is food! Is there really anything else other than sweets and food that can make kids happy? Is there anything at all? Something other than food… other than food… food… Uu, thinking about it this hard is making me hungry At time like this, I usually take a break in a warm sunny place and have a snack! Sugar should replenish my energy~♪

Tomoya: Aoba-senpai, please pass me that box here!

Niki: Ohh, is that Tomoya-kun and Aoba-kun over there?

Tsumugi: ~♪ (brushing the dust off the puppet)

Tomoya: Aoba-senpai! After you’re finished with the puppet, could you bring that box over here?

Tsumugi: Got it. Leave it to me~ Yo~ssha. Huh, this box is surprisingly heavy. You seemed to have carried it pretty easily, Mashiro-kun, I was surprised

Tomoya: I’m used to carrying heavy things stage equipment, so this is a piece of cake for me ♪ Aoba-senpai, please don’t push yourself too hard. Since you’re stuck doing desk work all of the time, you’re more likely to pull a muscle in your back

Tsumugi: Ahaha, it’s okay. I’m an idol after all Eh, uwaa, my balance is a little off…?

Niki: Eh, Aoba-kun’s box is falling this way!? Uu, I don’t think I can catch it~!

Niki + Tsumugi: Uuuwah!?

Tomoya: Aoba-senpai!? Are you okay? A-and Shiina-senpai too! I’ll move this box on top of you, hang on!

Niki: Ouch, oww… well, hello to the both of you

Tsumugi: I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. Are you hurt anywhere? Ahh, oh no! The contents of the box has spilled out and gone everywhere! I’ll need to check if anything is broken

Niki: Well, the puppet seems safe, at least Umm, Aoba-kun? I’d be grateful if you could help me out of this mountain of boxes as soon as you can…

Tsumugi: A-ah, right! Of course. Let me help you

Niki: Hmm, what’s this inside this box, a teacup…? There’s also plastic replica daggers, books, and jars that could be used as props What were you two up to before?

Tomoya: I was just airing out some items. If you look over there, there’s some similar tools, right?

Niki: I see it now. I couldn’t before because it was a bit out of sight, but now I can see that everything’s neatly laid out on top of some newspaper

Tomoya: You’re right, we plan on lending some props to a small theatre troupe in the neighbouring town that have connections to “Dramatica” So here I am, doing a small inspection of the props, and since the weather’s nice too, I thought I’d air out some of the props ♪ I usually keep everything tucked away in the storage room, so I thought I’d let it see the light of day every now and then Let them sit in the sun like this, and then pat them down to dry… check the tools for any damage…

Niki: Wow, that seems like a lot of work. Just from a glance, it looks like there’s roughly 30 or so items, so I’m sure it’ll take you a while

Tomoya: That’s right. I was working on it alone and then Aoba-senpai called out to me

Tsumugi: During my break, I just so happened to see Mashiro-kun carrying some boxes. It looked like he was having a tough time doing it by himself, so I thought I’d come help him out ♪ Also, I’ve been stuck recording in the studio a lot lately and spent a lot of time indoors, so I thought it would do some good to go out and catch some sun

Niki: I see~ well, in that case, I’ll stick around to help air out some stuff! But in return, I’d like some advice

Tsumugi: What sort of advice?

Niki: Well, that’s it. I need some sort of advice, or a little bit of help coming up with ideas

Tomoya: Ideas, hmm.. I’m not sure I follow, but I get it. Let’s talk a bit while we air out some of these objects

Ritsu: - And so now, I have to help Nikipyon come up with ideas

Yuzuru: I see. That definitely sounds to be a tricky situation

Kanata: Rei’s “little brother” is so kind to be “helping” Niki. There, there… ♪

Ritsu: Hey, can you stop patting me on the head?

Kanata: Eh~ you are not that kind after all..!

Yuzuru: Oh, Shinkai-sama. Has Takamine-sama taken the mascot character from you?

Kanata: Yes. It is only during times like these that Midori tends to act “seriously”

Midori: It’s not like I’m serious about it just because it’s a mascot character. I just find it relatively easy to get motivated

Yuzuru: Fufu. Both Takamine-sama and Bocchama are the same, easily lured by things

Ritsu: That’s right, Yuzuyuzu always takes care of Tori-kun, right? You must know what makes kids happy, hm?

Yuzuru: Oh, Sakuma-sama. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat Bocchama like a child

Ritsu: Ehh… even though this whole time you’ve called him an uncontrollable brat

Yuzuru: … Ahem. Right now, he is fulfilling his duties admirably ♪

Ritsu: Hmm. So how did you keep Tori-kun happy in the past?

Yuzuru: Giving him sweets when he was down usually helped cheer him up Even if he was sad because he wasn’t doing too well with his work, Bocchama would quickly become cheerful as soon as you gave him his favourite sweets

Kanata: Fufu. I can “picture” that happening in my mind

Ritsu: So I guess it’s sweets after all. But I was told that it’s not allowed to sell sweets at the stall

Yuzuru: I see… how about reading a book aloud, then? Whenever I read to Bocchama, he always seemed happy to be read to at bedtime. He once praised me, saying, “It’s so pleasant to hear stories from you, Yuzuru”

Ritsu: Ehh. Tori-kun gets read stories before bed then, huh? Fufu, I guess he’s still a little kid after all… ♪

Kanata: Rei’s “little brother”, please ask me what makes “children” happy, too~♪

Ritsu: Hmm, Kanashi~?

Kanata: I am also an “older brother”, see~ I tend to take care of children often

Midori: Uum… I mean, it’s probably too much to group us in with actual kids

Kanata: Ufufu~ it’s okay, because to me, everyone is an adorable “child”~♪

Ritsu: So, I’ll ask you just in case, what kind of ideas does Kanashi have in mind?

Kanata: Yes. Well, in Ryuseitai, we all take turns being the “commander”, so each member has their own “stage” doing things they want to do Seeing every child “experiencing” their special interests, they look like they’re having fun Midori’s is the “character mascot” stage, Shinobu’s is the “Ninja” training, and Tetora’s is doing something where he can move his “body” freely, this is when they are the absolute happiest

Yuzuru: I see. Reading a book to Bocchama might be a similar experience Listening to and enjoying a fairy tale is also like these kinds of things he likes

Ritsu: Huh, so it may be possible to give them first hand experiences, rather than something like an item

Kanata: Yeah ♪ even without “sweets”, there are plenty of ways to entertain “children”

Ritsu: Not things, but experiences… Hmm… Ah, that’s it. I think everyone would be able to enjoy that then…!

Yuzuru: Oh, it sounds like you’ve come up with something

Ritsu: Hmh. There’s something I need to look up, so I’m heading to the library. I got some good feedback in a place I didn’t expect, huh… ♪ thank you

Yuzuru: No, I’m glad to know that we were able to help you

Kanata: If you need any help, please feel free to “ask” me. It’s the responsibility of “adults” to take care of “children”, anyway

< The next day >

Ritsu: (I really didn’t expect things to turn out this way for me) (We decided to split up and think of our own ideas for now, but I’ve got no idea what kinds of games make kids happy. Even if I am a strategist, this is pretty unknown stuff to me) (I have nothing to do with any of this anyway, maybe I’ll just take my leave here) (... But it would be a pain if people thought Nikipyon couldn’t come up with anything on his own, I guess) (And I don’t want others to assume I’m too stupid to think of a solution to all of this) (Ugh. I just can’t get that idiotic “nyaha” laugh out of my head…! It’s echoing all around my brain!) (... I guess I have no choice. I’ll try and look for something that the kids will enjoy, the very best that I can) (Well, if there’s something I don’t fully understand, it’s quicker to just ask someone about it who does know…) (Maybe I should talk to someone who has younger siblings. I’d be interested in hearing about how they made their younger siblings happy when they were kids) (Siblings, huh…) (The person closest to me would be Anija, huh…) (Yeah, no way) (I can’t rely on him to help because he’ll only talk about me. On the other hand, if I start talking to him, he might just end up annoying me the whole time) (If he’s not in the right headspace, it won’t be any use to me at all. I’ll need to look for a different Oniichan) (The only other siblings would be… Rinrin and Hiiro-kun, and Hinata-kun and Yuuta-kun, huh) (- I don’t think they’re likely to give me a proper answer, though) (In fact, aren’t there any normal, good older brothers around? You’ve gotta be kidding me…there’s seriously no decent big brother anywhere round here?) (What a bummer. My plan to ask about what makes kids happy has already hit a dead end)

Midori: Yay! Thank you so much!

Ritsu: Mmn? What’s going on…?

< Location: Seisoukan Dorms - Common Room >

Midori: Master Artist Fushimi, thank you so much! Uwa, it’s the masters newest painting… ☆ The Master Artists work, it has such indescribable expressions. This guy has such a lovely face like the last… fufu ♪

Yuzuru: Is that so? Well, if you enjoy my art that much, then it was worth it after all

Kanata: It’s great, Midori~ There, there

Midori: Fufu, I’ll let this head patting slide for just a moment… ♪

Ritsu: Oh, there’s a kid that’s definitely happy

Midori: Kid? Just now, you said I was being treated like a kid…? Uwa, Sakuma-senpai. You appeared so suddenly

Ritsu: Oissu~ Sorry, sorry. You looked like you were having fun, Mido-kun, I couldn’t help it So, what was it that made you so innocently happy?

Midori: Innocently… What kind of face was I making for it to be worded like that? Well, it’s true I was excited. After all, I received a new illustration drawn by Master Artist Fushimi~♪

Ritsu: Eh, a mascot character, right?

Yuzuru: I don’t intentionally draw just mascot characters, but…

Midori: That’s what makes it so great ♪ A picture like this drawn without it in mind is truly the essence of mascot characters… ♪

Kanata: Seriously… Midori will become attached to anyone just as long as he has (mascot characters) How terrible, even when I’m “right here”

Midori: Eh, Shinkai-senpai? What’s with that face? What kind of expression is that?

Kanata: This is “me” who feels “jealousy” towards Yuzuru~♪

Ritsu: Uwa, Mido-kun, you’re in trouble. It’s such a messy love triangle. Cmon, cmon~♪ Aren’t you gonna explain yourself?

Midori: Ah, no, I don’t see why I have to explain myself to Shinkai-senpai…

Kanata: Uu, Midori is so cold.. I even went to the trouble of creating a new “mascot character”, too…

Midori: Uwaa, so cute!

Ritsu: Way too simple~…

Kanata: Do you want it? You want it, right? If you’re “honest” with me, I’ll give it to you

Midori: Kuu.. With the mascot dangling back and fourth right before my eyes like that, I can’t resist…!

Kanata: Ufufu ♪ If you want it, try to take it from me

Ritsu: Putting those two from Ryuseitai aside… It’s true that mascot characters are popular with children. I’ll try to look into it

Yuzuru: Sakuma-sama, you’ve been mentioning children for a while now, are you having some sort of problem regarding children?

Ritsu: Yeah. I’ve been mixed up in a bit of trouble lately

Yuzuru: Hm. If you don’t mind, please let me hear you out too

Niki: I don’t really understand the complicated stuff anyway. It’s like you said, Ritsu-kun, I’ve been totally at a loss So, I guess it’s not a good thing for total amateurs to suddenly try things that are way too difficult, huh… Origami is just like cooking. You have to master the basics first, before moving on to the next step!

Ritsu: Ahaha. I guess that might be true But, you know, what you have in your hands there, it’s nowhere near just the basics The crane’s remains (?) are completely scattered everywhere. Poor thing… It doesn’t even have a head or a neck, or wings. What the hell did you do to it for it to end up like this?

Niki: Well, I don’t really know either. Nyaha, it’s weird!

Ritsu: Well, I understand the meaning of Nikipyon’s strange behaviour earlier. But it’s still way too confusing Even if you’re not that good at origami, don’t fold it while saying such ominous things

Niki: Uu, I’m sorry…

Ritsu: Umu. That’s good for now So, what are you planning on doing with the origami stall? There isn’t that much time left, right? By the time Nikipyon figures out the basics of folding cranes, it’ll be the day of the event already I don’t think the kids would be too happy about getting a tattered origami crane, either… maybe you should give up on the idea and think of something else?

Niki: Honestly, I knew it was going to be tough the moment I started pulling out all of the cranes feathers But, what else would kids like… -Ah, that’s it! Ritsu-kun is the main military strategist in Knights, right?

Ritsu: Eh?

Niki: The main strategist is someone who works under a high-ranking official and comes up with all kinds of plans, right?

Ritsu: Well, speaking broadly, I guess that’s right…

Niki: Ritsu-kun! Please become my strategist!

Ritsu: Ha…?

Niki: I need you to help me think of some ideas that will help make kids happy!

Ritsu: Uugh, this is way too troublesome. Bye bye, Nikipyon

Niki: Hey, wait wait~!? I’m begging you! In Crazy:B, Rinne-kun and HiMERU-kun are the smart ones, so I just follow along with their ideas, you see~ So I’m really not good at coming up with ideas like this by myself…

Ritsu: Why not sell snacks or something? Kids love sweet, right?

Niki: Ah, it seems that sweets aren’t allowed, so that’s a no-go

Ritsu: Haa? You’re the one that asked me to help, so don’t be picky with my ideas

Niki: It’s not me being picky, they’re just the rules, you know~ I would absolutely love to sell sweets, if I could

Ritsu: Eh~ no way… Nikipyon, can’t you just come up with some ideas by yourself?

Niki: Uu, even someone as smart as Ritsu-kun can’t help me, it’s difficult, huh…

Ritsu: Ha?

Niki: I figured smart people could come up with ideas fast like pon pon*. I thought Ritsu-kun would be able to think of something, but… Ahh, it’s a shame…

Ritsu: No no, don’t get the wrong idea Military strategists and advisors aren’t walking encyclopedias, after all. Their role is to think of optimal solutions and turn the tide of the current situation. I’d say I’m smart, but I’m not a genius who knows everything, so don’t get that confused

Niki: Hm~? So do you mean that military strategists aren’t actually all that smart after all?

Ritsu: No. My role isn’t to spread “knowledge” but to apply “wisdom” 

Niki: But no ideas are coming to mind? Is that what it means to be a military strategist?

Ritsu: It’s not like they won’t come up at all. Once you have the knowledge of the situation, the rest is easy

Niki: So, if I try really hard, can you come up with some ideas for me?

Ritsu: Of course. I don’t even have to try that hard

Niki: I’m so happy! If the strategist from Knights can help give his opinion, then my stall will definitely be a success ♪

Ritsu: … Ahh. Hold on a minute, I still need to actually think about it, Nikipyon-

Niki: Nyaha~ what you need is a wise military strategist, right ♪

Ritsu: (Ehh…? Doesn’t this sound like something I can’t refuse?) (I only spoke to him to avoid any trouble, so why did this happen) (Maybe I shouldn’t have called out to Nikipyon earlier…?)

*pon pon is onomatopoeia for a quick sound or noise, can also mean popcorn, implying ritsu’s ideas pop up faster than cooking popcorn