gyaxa | Butterfly Dream — Dreaming Chrysalis 7 (Reply)

(30 minutes later. Having successfully retrieved the pillow, Izumi and Ritsu were seated at a cafe, waiting for the other two who were running late.)

Izumi: … So?

Ritsu: Hm~? You gotta be more clear, okay? We’re not that close, so I have no idea what that “so?” of yours is supposed to mean.

Izumi: You’re smart enough to figure it out anyway.

… So like, what’s going on here? What kinda stupid joke is this?

This morning, you come up to me saying “Suuchan and Yuu-kun will be acting a little strange, so just go along with it the best you can”.

You seemed weirdly desperate, so I played along for your sake.

But it all became so idiotic partway through that I seriously thought about leaving, y’know. It was suuuch a pain!

Ritsu: Ah, you bought it? You’re pretty sincere deep down, so I knew a serious approach would do the trick.

Sweet. My acting skills to get other people to spoil me are as sharp as ever~♪

Izumi: Excuse me? How is anyone supposed to trust you if you lie so much?

Ritsu: I’m perfectly fine not being trusted by “just anyone”, though~

In any case, you’re pretty smart, so I don’t think I need to spell it out for you.

Saying that makes me sound like some cliche villain going “only fools feel the need to explain every last detail~”, which kinda sucks, though.

Izumi: Hmph. If I had to say, we’re more like those cliche villains than some heroic protagonist.

But yeah, I don’t really need the explanation.

Those brats never say what they’re really thinking, so the plan was for them to spit out all the stuff they’ve been bottling up inside, right?

But having that kind of serious confrontation now after all this time is seriously embarrassing.

I’m guessing that’s why they decided to “switch”... so they could borrow each other’s appearance and position.

Well, it was no secret that they were hiding stuff before, though.

Kasa-kun’s always so stubborn and tries to act all tough, and basically never opens up about the important stuff…

He spits out complaints left and right while hiding what really matters… It’s like he’s covering those delicate, vulnerable parts of himself with armor so that nothing can hurt them.

Ritsu: Sounds like a certain someone I know. … In any case, that’s the gist of it.

You’ll be graduating soon enough. A little heart-to-heart before you take off couldn’t hurt.

Or else, those regrets will follow you to the grave.

Wrap everything up nicely with a proper farewell. My stomach’s in knots just watching you guys, y’know?

Izumi: Hmph, I’m just graduating, okay? It’s not like I’ll be gone forever.

Ritsu: You never know what the future holds in store, though. Only God knows when you’ll be able to see each other after graduation…

It’s not like you thought you and His Majesty would spend so much time apart last year, did you?

Izumi: ……

Ritsu: Settle this year’s issues now—while you’re still alive. Just a word of advice from your friendly ol’ neighborhood vampire

Izumi: Kuma-kun, I don’t know if you can tell, but you’ve started acting a lot like your brother recently.

Ritsu: What was that? I’ll kill you.

… Juuust kidding. Hearing that kinda stuff doesn’t bother me that much anymore. I don’t really get it myself.

Izumi: That means you’ve found a little peace of mind, doesn’t it? That’s a good thing, really. You were just like a living corpse when we first met, y’know?

Ritsu: You were the same way this fall. It was like you died inside. But recently… it seems like you’ve been really enjoying yourself.

Izumi: Thanks to a few people I know, I’m sure.

… Hm?