Track 5

Ch-Chief…!

Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just came here to grab something I forgot.

Are you… practicing for something? It doesn’t look like you were dancing or singing—

I wasn't practicing for anything!!!!!

Whoa!?

It’s just, um, th-there’s this person I’ve been butting heads with and we kinda agreed to settle things so I was just, uh, preparing myself for that…!

And it’s definitely not a fistfight or anything dangerous like that, so please don’t get the wrong idea!! …Gah, why did I have to say it like that…!?

*wheeze, pant, wheeze*

So that’s what you’re doing…! You scared me for a bit, but I guess that's just how teenagers are these days.

Is this person you’re talking about Ushio-kun?

HUH!? How did you—

(Oh, right. He has probably seen me and Ushio going at it plenty of times by now…)

Yeah… It’s him.

I see. So you and Ushio-kun are having a fight…

You know, watching the two of you has made me realize something.

(The chief has been watching me…!?)

It’s great that you have a friend you can be completely honest with.

Huh…?

That’s why you guys fight so much, right? Because that’s how you communicate with each other without putting up a front.

(Me… communicate with Ushio?)

When you grow up, you learn how to smooth things over and make compromises to avoid conflict. But that also means opportunities to speak your mind become pretty rare.

Which is why I think the bond between you two is really special. To be honest, I’m a little jealous!

I see…

(I actually think it'd be better if we didn’t really fight at all…)

Anyways! Play nice and don’t hurt each other too much, okay?

O-Okay.

[Bold words for a panda. Why don’t you just get out of the ring already?]

You’re the one who keeps calling a human “panda.” If anyone’s a lost cause here, it’s you. Maybe you should take your own advice and tap out.

[Why would I listen to anything a panda says?]

…Hmm.

(I’ve been training Andy to talk like Ushio for D-Practice, but it’s not toxic enough…)

Hey, Andy. Let’s take a quick break.

[Understood. Is there anything else I can help you with?]

Actually… Can I ask you something?

[Of course.]

…Do you think people fight as a way to communicate with each other honestly?

The person I like said that, but I can’t wrap my head around it.

[I see. Wanting to fully understand the thoughts of someone you like is completely natural.]

…Thanks.

[From a logical standpoint, there is some basis to that interpretation. Given that fighting is often regarded as a form of communication, it is easy to see why most people would think so.]

[Since communication is driven by the desire to get your feelings across to the other person, it can provoke intense, emotional reactions from those involved.]

But isn’t that just being immature?

Like, let’s say you’re trying to get your crush to understand your feelings—

“Men serve no purpose in life except for being my slaves, but you…”

“How dare you act out and brush me off!! You’re just some commoner!!”

The moment you start fighting instead, that just means you would never click in the first place. Like, how are you supposed to build a relationship with someone like that?

So forcing yourselves to talk to each other at that point is just a waste of time, especially when you’ll only hurt each other and get heartbroken in the end.

(…Yeah. That’s exactly why I started keeping people at arm’s length in the first place.)

If I have to take on that kind of risk for someone I don’t even like, then I’d rather just be alone…

[That’s understandable. Distancing yourself from people you do not get along with is important for one’s mental wellbeing and everyday life, as well as fostering healthy interpersonal relationships.]

Exactly.

[However, deciding whether a fight truly means you would not click with someone is usually where opinions tend to differ.]

…

Are you not, um, going to… give her, a chance?

Nope. Because I don’t like her that way.

…For me, the answer’s obvious the moment we fight.

That’s why I think it’s better to avoid those kinds of things in the first place—

I BEG TO DIFFER!!

UWAH!?

I’m afraid you’re being a bit too rash, Nanamegi-kun.

Oh, it’s you, Mr. Saku-chan… You scared me…

My sincerest apologies, it seems I’ve startled you more than I intended.

I was simply about to enjoy a lovely evening of knitting beneath the moonlight, when I just so happened to hear your conversation.

Wait, you heard all that…!?

(About my D-Practice… and th-the person I like…!)

Only the tiniest bit.

Really?

I’ve heard only the tiniest, most minuscule bit imaginable.

(That sounds even more sus…!)

Now then, Nanamegi-kun. You seem to have quite a lot weighing on your mind…

I believe it is simply because you have yet to truly understand people on a deeper level.

*sigh*…

People are multifaceted by nature. The more you come to know someone, the more you’ll find parts of themselves to love and hate.

Sometimes, they exceed your expectations, and other times, they fall short. And as that cycle repeats over and over again…

Eventually, they become an existence you can no longer simply label as someone you love or hate.

…

This applies to someone you relate to just as much as it does to someone you don’t. Until you can recognize that—

Your current data of that person is simply far too incomplete.

Too… incomplete?

Ah, but of course. How an AI interprets its data is also quite relevant. After all, insufficient data will yield a low-fidelity output.

…!

(So that’s why Andy’s version of Ushio felt off… It's because I don’t know much about him…)

If you wish to obtain words that can truly land a winning blow, you must first understand your opponent well enough to generate a complete version of who they are within yourself.

Do that, and you shall fear no battle.

!

(Does Mr. Saku-chan know about D-BATTLE…!?)

Oh my. It seems I’ve rambled too much. I shall continue my knitting elsewhere.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor!

…He definitely heard way more than he let on.

(I thought the teachers were supposed to be anti D-BATTLE, but…)

I’ll worry about that later. I’ve got something more important to do right now…!

Guys, are you still awake!? I need your help with training…!

‘Sup. Yup, still wide awake and raring to go, so hit me.

What… should we, do…?

Tell me everything you know about Ushio.

His likes, dislikes, habits—anything…!

(That’s how I’ll build up my data on him.)

(From plain dislike, to something more dimensional. That way, I can hit him with words that’ll really pack a punch!)

In the name of taking down the Diss Emperor K, let’s rename the 1000 D-Drills to—

1000 K-DRILLS!