Unification by Force - Seamless Composure - 1

[verdantgrove]

 Location: ES Hallway

<Ten minutes later, inside the ES Building>

Souma: (Fufu. I ended up deep in conversation with Tsukinaga-dono for quite some time indeed. At this rate, I will be late for our meeting.)

(At last, with my responsibilities coming to a close, I have managed to earn some flexibility in my schedule. Yet, in spite of that, I was told that I am meant to attend school from time to time, and that I must attend class as well. And thus, I am reluctantly doing as such—)

(And I have been caring for the fish tanks that belong to my club, as no one other than I has the capability to do so.)

(It was also requested of me by Hasumi-dono that I keep a close eye on Isara-dono, and so, although I am not a member of the student council— I have been lending a hand and such around there as well.)

(It was certainly quite taxing work, but I have handled everything quite well and completed my duties thusly. I have grown to be able to duly execute my responsibilities as an “aidoru”, free of anxieties about what is to come.)

(Although as of late it feels as if we as Akatsuki have too much time on our hands, which is far from comparable to our days at Yumenosaki.)

(I am certain that Hasumi-dono and Kiryuu-dono have already prepared a secret stratagem which we can use to continue our steady advance onward.)

(I shan’t wish to enter the realm of becoming a hindrance to such reliable seniors, so I shall, at the very least, behave as their trusted blade.)

(For the sake of playing such a role, I am sharpening and polishing myself accordingly for them.)

~...♪ 

Location: Dojo

Souma: Pardon me! I, Kanzaki Souma, have now arrived!

Kuro: —That’s why I told ya to quit talking like you know everything!

Souma: (Hm? J-just what is happening here?)

Kuro: That kind of thing’s been getting on my damn nerves for a while now.

I don’t give a damn how smart you are— are ya trying to say that you’re the only one who’s ever right, and everyone around ya is a bunch of brainless idiots that are always wrong?

Who the hell do ya think you are? Answer me.

Keito: You’re putting words in my mouth. What’s got you so riled up… Are you even listening to what I’m saying, Kiryuu?

Kuro: You can ask me to listen, but I’m still not gonna get it— ‘cuz I’m a brainless idiot, ya know.

Keito: You’ve got a bad habit of self-deprecation. I fear it likely stems from that past of yours— you did used to be a good-for-nothing delinquen— 

Kuro: Like I said, quit being so self-centered, and don’t act like you’ve figured out every little thing about me!

Souma: U-um… W-wh.. wh.. What is going on?

Are you rehearsing for some sort of play, Hasumi-dono, Kiryuu-dono? Your performance was so shockingly true to life, so much so that I had almost thought you two were quarrelling in earnest…?

Kuro: Oh, Kanzaki’s here. I told ya to go to school like yer supposed to and not just show up here, didn’t I?

Keito: The reason he showed up at ES this late in the first place is likely because he was at school.

Don’t take out your anger by scolding a diligent person like him; such irrational behavior from a parent will leave a child with nowhere else to turn but to a life of delinquency.

Kuro: What the hell do you think you’re saying, huh? Do ya just hate every single little thing I do, Hasumi?

Keito: I told you before, you’re putting words in my mouth. I’d like to think you aren’t stupid enough to not understand what I’m saying, so I think it’s more likely that you just don’t want to.

I should be asking you just what on earth about me you’re so displeased with. Or are you simply getting angry for the sake of getting angry?

Kuro: Who asked you for that input?

Souma: Umm… Although I do not know how this situation came to be, I ask that the both of you regain your composure, at least the slightest bit.

The entrance of this training room is open and we are visible to the public— if we were to garner the attention of passersby, we shall provoke unwanted speculation.

Kuro: Hmph. No one cares about us enough at this point to do that.

Keito: I disagree. What Kanzaki said is correct. That storm of turmoil that Crazy:B stirred up in the summer is still fresh in the public’s memory, so we should likely refrain from any sort of conduct that would needlessly disturb our surroundings.

Kuro: Yeah, yeah… Our great and admirable leader, the wonderful Hasumi Keito, and absolutely no one else, is right as always.

So it follows that ya don’t need the two of us. Do whatever you want, and do it alone.

Keito: ……...

Souma: Kiryuu-dono, Hasumi-dono— 

Kuro: ...Shoot, let’s cool off a little.

Keito: Y-yeah. Let’s. This isn’t over. We’ll talk this over properly later… Kiryuu. 

Kuro: ……... 

Souma: (...? What is this subtle atmosphere of distance between the two of you? Just what on earth happened while I was not present?)

(Although I do worry, I wonder if it should really be alright were I to ask.)

(Kiryuu-dono headed off without so much as a glance towards me. Hasumi-dono, as well, appeared to be rather overwhelmed— I shall contemplate this more deeply.)

(I do not believe that either of them desire my opinion, nor my consideration on this matter.)

(Rather, it appears as if they were concerned that this matter was not something to discuss in front of children, and so they brought their heated argument to a full and complete stop.)

(If I am to be honest, I am quite comfortable with such a position as that. It is the position that I desire. It is the very reason I was born to follow and be of service to those whom I hold in high regard.)

(But… Am I truly of use to Hasumi-dono and Kiryuu-dono? I am unable to do so much as even understand their argument, let alone able to admonish them— though I am not expected to do such a thing, am I?)

(Moreover. In the event that such a conflict as this should arise between Hasumi-dono and Kiryuu-dono again, both of whom I love and respect— in the event that they can no longer work together—)

(Just whose side am I meant to take?)

(I am but a well-sharpened blade; the only thing that I am capable of is severing all creation into scraps.)

(If that is the case, then to take the side of one of my seniors would be akin to killing the other by my own hand, would it not?)

(Until this very moment, I had never considered such a possibility, but…)

← Previous | Cover | Next →

Proofread by allegiantheart and Amagiiz.