Cards — The Roses and the Lost Child 3

[gyaxa]

Hiiro: (I see some white object from between the hedges!)

(If I just reach out my hand, I’m sure I can grab it!)

Woah—

Huh?

(There’s nothing there? Then just what did my finger brush against…?)

A branch of—white roses?

……

The flowers are blooming so beautifully, but the branch must’ve broken off due to the wind. The flowers also seem to be damaged. But just why…

—Ah, could the sound I was hearing have been this branch being dragged by the wind?

Quite a large chunk was broken off… it’s only natural that it made such a strong noise.

I thought it was a rabbit or bird when I first laid my eyes on it, but I guess it wasn’t an animal at all.

I’ll just tuck it into this crevice so it won’t blow off anymore. Sorry for startling you, Mayoi-senpai…

Mayoi-senpai?

(He’s not there anymore…)

(Could we have gotten separated when I dove into the hedge?)

Heeey, Mayoi-senpai?

… No response. That’s strange, I don’t think I went that far.

Maybe I ended up wandering into that maze Mayoi-senpai was talking about. What way should I go to reconvene with him?

Hmm…

Ah, should I try contacting him? I’m sure my sudden disappearance made him worry.

As long as I have my smartphone, I can contact people who aren’t even near me. The growth of civilization is just incredible…♪︎

First, I open HoldHands… hm?

(I got sent a message with a sparkling subject line… which means it’s a shining message¹. I wonder what it’s about.)

(... It’s from Tenshouin-senpai?)

Umm… “I have good and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

(That’s it? He didn’t even state what business he has with me. I feel like I’ve heard that line before, but could this be a prank?)

(But the fact that he went out of his way to contact me using a method that only unit leaders can use means…)

(This message probably holds some sort of significance…)

 

!

—Hello?

Eichi: 『Hello there. Thanks for opening my message ♪︎』

Hiiro: ? Why do you know I did that?

Eichi: 『My settings are set so that I get a notification telling me you opened my message. And the fact that you opened my message means you're looking at your phone right now.』

『Do you have time for a little chat right now?』

Hiiro: I do… but I'd like you to keep it short if possible.

I got separated from my companions, so I'd like to reunite with them as soon as possible lest I make them worry any more.

Eichi: 『You're lost, are you? Then we probably don't have the time to waste pressing you to choose. I'll just start with the good news first.』

『The truth is, the data from my recent check-up was unusually good ♪︎』

Hiiro: Check-up?

Eichi: 『I ended up having to get hospitalized last month, so I was worried about my results coming back poorly.』

『I'm really relieved that wasn't the case. The doctors said there was nothing wrong in particular, so I'll be able to pursue many more activities now.』

Hiiro: …Hm. Well, congratulations, I suppose, but it's not like that has anything to do with me, right?

You took the trouble to message me about it, so I thought the matter in concern would have something to do with me.

Eichi: 『Well, I think it's good news for you, at least.』

『After all, the less time I can spend in the office, the more chance something will happen when I'm not around to protect you.』

『For instance… if one of the other higher-ups had made any decisions or designations involving you.』

『Now I'm able to protect your unit from, say, being reorganized or dissolved.』

Hiiro: That's—

 

Eichi: 『... Now it's time for the bad news. I'll keep it brief, just as you wish.』

『A few days have passed since I posed my questions to you, but have you think up any answer at all?』

Hiiro: … No, not yet. I've been thinking this whole time, but I haven't come up with anything.

I haven't been able to reach an answer I'm satisfied with, let alone one that would satisfy you.

The more I spend thinking it over, the farther I feel myself drifting away from what you meant… and I find myself back at square one.

Eichi: 『Hm, so you're lost in thought as well. Well, the reason why I called in you in the first place was to have a redo and be more clear, but…』

『I'll be in a pinch if the higher-ups start to get dissatisfied while I'm waiting for your answer. We'll be in an even tighter spot if they end up taking action, so why don't I give you a hint?』

Hiiro: A hint…

Eichi: 『I believe a few days ago, you had a conversation with Starpro's staff about ALKALOID's future, correct?』

Hiiro: Right. They asked me what work I wanted to try in the future… and I told them that I had no hopes in particular.

Part of it was that I couldn't think of anything in the moment, I admit, but I also thought that, as a newcomer with little experience, it wasn't my place to share any wishes I might have.

Of course, I do want to do all kinds of things with the rest of ALKALOID, but…

As Mayoi-senpai said, I don't think we're in a position to be able to tackle any kind of work head on.

Eichi: 『… Well, I understand what you mean when you elaborate like that. That kind of humble stance is normal for a newbie idol such as yourself.』

『But this is the entertainment industry. Sometimes, people will cherry-pick parts of what you say, find faults with it, and completely miss what you actually meant to say.』

Hiiro: ?

Eichi: 『Imagine you were one of the people who heard you say you have no particular aspirations for your future work.』

『You guys became the protagonists of this summer, and all eyes were on what you’d do next…』

『So hearing you say that made it sound like you’re an ambition-less idol who can’t even put your aspirations to words ♪︎』

 
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1. For those of you who play jpstars, he's talking about kirakira mail. It's officially localized to shining message. ↑

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