Track 8

A-Akuta…! I thought you went with Muneuji…

We’re done so I came to get you guys!

That was fast…

Oh hey, those’re Kiroku’s puppets.

!? You knew, about them, too…?

Yeah. I’ve seen them lying here and there around our room.

…, …!

But I thought it was like, your own little secret, so yeah.

…

You’re unexpectedly mindful, huh?

It’s not fair that only Nanaki gets to knoooow. Lemme in toooooooo.

(...Is it okay… to tell him?)

(I want to… be able to breathe easier around them.)

…

Kiroku~?

…These 5… are… my friends.

Ooh.

Rouzel… is like an angel… always encouraging me…

Mm, mm.

Dewawa, is the index finger… He… is a bit, foul… mouthed.

Wow, that’s like Ushio.

Hahaha…! I said the same thing.

But… he’s not, a bad, guy… I think.

That’s even more like Ushio!

Ahahahaha. I’d kinda wanna see them have a diss-off.

KB, the middle finger… is always, level-headed… The ring finger, is Pinfu… who lives, true to themself. And Ripris, is on my pinky… they get, sleepy, when they talk.

Whoaa, these guys are insanely fire! So this is the secret to being an upcoming world-famous genius?

(The two of them… are smiling…)

(They’re, accepting, my other side…)

…Huu…

(How long has it been… since I’ve last, talked to someone…. like this—)

*inhale*… *exhale*…

What’s wrong?

Sorry, did we push you too hard?

…N, o.

I was, thinking, about what you said earlier, Nanamegi…

?

The air, tastes fresh… It’s delicious…

I feel like, I can breathe, easier than usual…

There’s always so much work to do after coming back from a trip…!

(But it looks like both Kiroku-kun and Nanaki-kun learned a lot. I’m sure this will turn out to be a great tour…!)

Chief… Here’s, my weekly report tape…

Oh, you’re still here? What about dinner? Did you eat already?

I’m rehearsing… for tomorrow’s… presentation…

I see…! Good luck on your preparations!

(We’re having an online meeting with the curator tomorrow. Kiroku-kun is going to do a presentation on the okiagari he made in Kanazawa.)

(There were some difficulties last time… but he’s still practicing even now to overcome that…!)

Um…

Well then, all the more reason to have a proper meal!

I think Yuki-nii was going to make dinner for Liguang-san, I’ll ask him to make an extra special meal for you too.

…! That’d… be great…

Ahaha. You’re in your growth spurt after all. Get home safe!

Got, it… Then, I’ll… get going…

Phew, I guess I’m the only one left.

(Oh, Yuki-nii replied right away. Looks like I can leave things to him. I’ll keep at it for a little longer then…!)

…Before that, let me listen to Kiroku’s report.

…*inhale*… *exhale*…

(...? He’s taking deep breaths. But he doesn’t sound too nervous.)

Chief… Do you remember… how I showed you, my friends… back in Shodoshima, when I was troubled…?

(Oh, he’s talking about those puppets of his. Of course I remember them.)

I didn’t show, anyone else, besides you… Not even, the other guys…

I was scared. Of being called creepy…

(...If I recall our conversation from back then, he said he accidentally hurt someone with his words as a child.)

(Self-expression and speaking can be really scary. Sometimes, you might hurt others and get rejected.)

But… Nanamegi said, that, he wanted… to know me better…

So I… introduced him, to them. I… was able, to properly… explain everything… I think… Since… he accepted me, for who I am.

At that moment… I felt, like I could, breathe, so much more clearly. I felt it, all the way, in the back… of my nose… it was refreshing.

That’s why, I’m really grateful, to Nanamegi… He told me, “Let’s give it our all for this tour!” …I feel, the same way.

Kiroku-kun…

I want, to learn… to speak up, more. Even, after this tour.

I hope, you can… listen to me, speak… again.

(...Yeah. I’m also glad he’s willing to talk to me about this…)

…*sigh*...

(During our previous meeting… I stepped in because it was hard to see Kiroku-kun struggle so much—)

(But I’ve been regretting the entire time we were in Kanazawa, and even after we got back.)

(Kiroku might have been able to speak up if I had waited just a bit longer… What if I took that chance away from him by butting in…)

(But I’m relieved now that he managed to get up on his feet and start moving forward again… though, it might be a bit selfish of me to think this.)

I hope the presentation goes well tomorrow.

(No, it’ll be okay, even if it doesn’t go well.)

Because… Kiroku-kun is surrounded by good friends.