Gambit - Night Stalker Chapter 3
Aug. 23rd, 2024 04:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shivalriesSeason: Winter
---
Location: NewDi Lounge
Tsumugi: Hm... Let's go over what the main issues are.
So, what we're dealing with right now is some strange misunderstanding that's been going around King Slayer's fanbase...
...and now they're lobbing criticisms at Knights, of all people, who are technically the original group.
Tsukasa: Right. So, I suppose we should clear up that misunderstanding.
Tsumugi: Easier said than done, though... In situations like these, I don't think even King Slayer telling the truth would convince the fans otherwise.
Tsukasa: D-Do you really think so?
Tsumugi: Everybody believes only what they want to believe. I mean, haven't King Slayer already told the truth a bunch of times during their performances?
They've been saying Knights are the originals, and they're the copycats.
Tsukasa: Oh... And yet, there are still some who refuse to believe this for some reason and insist that King Slayer was here first.
Tsumugi: Yeah. So, even if King Slayer say it again...
It might just invite more backlash. People might start assuming that their poor King Slayer's being threatened by Knights into publicly declaring that they're copycats.
Tsukasa: But... But that makes it sound like there is no solution.
Tsumugi: Hehe, well, back when I was in fine, we used that sort of mob mentality to our advantage to paint the Five Eccentrics as villains.
Speaking from experience, once the public decides you're evil, it's incredibly difficult to turn your image around.
Tsukasa: ......
Tsumugi: Of course, to the agency, Knights is our golden goose, and you've all been working alongside us all this time—
So while I'd love to help you, I'm afraid there's no way the agency can interfere in the current situation.
We've been doing our best to publicly deny the false accusations and spread the truth around...
But to be honest, I don't know how effective that's been.
Tsukasa: I can imagine... Still, even simply telling me of the situation has been a great help.
Though, I wish I could've learned about this before things turned so dire.
Tsumugi: I mean, it never crossed my mind that you didn't know.
The agency has been the target of so much criticism, I'd thought more people would be coming to Knights directly to protest.
Tsukasa: That is what I find strange.
Aoba-senpai—you're aware of how, around autumn, Knights was dealing with an oversaturation of personnel, yes?
Tsumugi: Yeah. Since it concerns your salaries and all, we do keep tabs on how many members are signed with each unit.
Around that time, Knights, much like Ryuseitai at a different agency, had its hands tied after taking in so many new members.
Tsukasa: Yes. However, after many twists and turns, we eventually returned to our original five-member structure.
Some of the new recruits who were separated from us at that time began to form new units with their friends.
I believe a handful of them even had contact with King Slayer, as King Slayer expressed that they would "take in refugees", or something of that sort.
Tsumugi: Ah, now that you mention it, I remember that.
King Slayer's agency is overseas, so the newbies who signed with them became independent from ES...
At that point, they became virtually invisible to us.
Tsukasa: I wouldn't ask you to keep an eye on every last detail of those listed at a different agency—let alone a foreign one.
But from our perspective, they were once our comrades with whom we shared a table, and to top it off, we cut them off partially for our own convenience.
We couldn't simply ignore them, so we've been peeking at what they've been up to every so often.
And yet, I did not even get an inkling that the King Slayer issue had grown so grievous until you told me just now.
Have I simply been careless?
Tsumugi: No, I find this unnatural too. Maybe someone's been hiding the truth?
Tsukasa: I wonder... Actually, a few of the promising new members that joined us in spring have transferred to King Slayer since then.
Specifically, Ohji Kuroki-san, and his elder brother Ryuji-san—those two have been sending me regular updates on their activities.
I did not sense anything suspicious at all in those reports.
In every update, it sounded like they were enjoying their idol careers... The Kuroki brothers were always very talented and motivated, trustworthy individuals—
I wholly believed what they reported to me, without so much as a doubting thought.
And yet it seems reality is quite different from how they've been conveying it to me.
They deliberately concealed information they should've shared, and instead sent over the most trivial updates. As a result, I've been slow to notice the situation brewing outside.
What exactly does this mean?
Tsumugi: I don't know, but I think you should contact those Kuroki brothers you mentioned. Then, you should try to puzzle out their real intentions.
Be very cautious, Suou-kun. I don't know anything about those two, but...
This all feels very unsettling. If they've actually been plotting from the very beginning to back Knights into a corner like this...
Then they are very, very shrewd, and you are in a very serious predicament.
You'd literally be like prey lying immobile in a spider's web, all your limbs already plucked from your body.
Tsukasa: Indeed. I should have been more cautious when I first heard the name "King Slayer"—those who would murder a king.
They may have been assassins whose ultimate goal was to take our lives all along.
Still, I would hope that isn't the case... The Kuroki brothers I know were always so eager and earnest about their idol ambitions. I truly did see promise in them.
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 2 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 4 >
---
Location: NewDi Lounge
Tsumugi: Hm... Let's go over what the main issues are.
So, what we're dealing with right now is some strange misunderstanding that's been going around King Slayer's fanbase...
...and now they're lobbing criticisms at Knights, of all people, who are technically the original group.
Tsukasa: Right. So, I suppose we should clear up that misunderstanding.
Tsumugi: Easier said than done, though... In situations like these, I don't think even King Slayer telling the truth would convince the fans otherwise.
Tsukasa: D-Do you really think so?
Tsumugi: Everybody believes only what they want to believe. I mean, haven't King Slayer already told the truth a bunch of times during their performances?
They've been saying Knights are the originals, and they're the copycats.
Tsukasa: Oh... And yet, there are still some who refuse to believe this for some reason and insist that King Slayer was here first.
Tsumugi: Yeah. So, even if King Slayer say it again...
It might just invite more backlash. People might start assuming that their poor King Slayer's being threatened by Knights into publicly declaring that they're copycats.
Tsukasa: But... But that makes it sound like there is no solution.
Tsumugi: Hehe, well, back when I was in fine, we used that sort of mob mentality to our advantage to paint the Five Eccentrics as villains.
Speaking from experience, once the public decides you're evil, it's incredibly difficult to turn your image around.
Tsukasa: ......
Tsumugi: Of course, to the agency, Knights is our golden goose, and you've all been working alongside us all this time—
So while I'd love to help you, I'm afraid there's no way the agency can interfere in the current situation.
We've been doing our best to publicly deny the false accusations and spread the truth around...
But to be honest, I don't know how effective that's been.
Tsukasa: I can imagine... Still, even simply telling me of the situation has been a great help.
Though, I wish I could've learned about this before things turned so dire.
Tsumugi: I mean, it never crossed my mind that you didn't know.
The agency has been the target of so much criticism, I'd thought more people would be coming to Knights directly to protest.
Tsukasa: That is what I find strange.
Aoba-senpai—you're aware of how, around autumn, Knights was dealing with an oversaturation of personnel, yes?
Tsumugi: Yeah. Since it concerns your salaries and all, we do keep tabs on how many members are signed with each unit.
Around that time, Knights, much like Ryuseitai at a different agency, had its hands tied after taking in so many new members.
Tsukasa: Yes. However, after many twists and turns, we eventually returned to our original five-member structure.
Some of the new recruits who were separated from us at that time began to form new units with their friends.
I believe a handful of them even had contact with King Slayer, as King Slayer expressed that they would "take in refugees", or something of that sort.
Tsumugi: Ah, now that you mention it, I remember that.
King Slayer's agency is overseas, so the newbies who signed with them became independent from ES...
At that point, they became virtually invisible to us.
Tsukasa: I wouldn't ask you to keep an eye on every last detail of those listed at a different agency—let alone a foreign one.
But from our perspective, they were once our comrades with whom we shared a table, and to top it off, we cut them off partially for our own convenience.
We couldn't simply ignore them, so we've been peeking at what they've been up to every so often.
And yet, I did not even get an inkling that the King Slayer issue had grown so grievous until you told me just now.
Have I simply been careless?
Tsumugi: No, I find this unnatural too. Maybe someone's been hiding the truth?
Tsukasa: I wonder... Actually, a few of the promising new members that joined us in spring have transferred to King Slayer since then.
Specifically, Ohji Kuroki-san, and his elder brother Ryuji-san—those two have been sending me regular updates on their activities.
I did not sense anything suspicious at all in those reports.
In every update, it sounded like they were enjoying their idol careers... The Kuroki brothers were always very talented and motivated, trustworthy individuals—
I wholly believed what they reported to me, without so much as a doubting thought.
And yet it seems reality is quite different from how they've been conveying it to me.
They deliberately concealed information they should've shared, and instead sent over the most trivial updates. As a result, I've been slow to notice the situation brewing outside.
What exactly does this mean?
Tsumugi: I don't know, but I think you should contact those Kuroki brothers you mentioned. Then, you should try to puzzle out their real intentions.
Be very cautious, Suou-kun. I don't know anything about those two, but...
This all feels very unsettling. If they've actually been plotting from the very beginning to back Knights into a corner like this...
Then they are very, very shrewd, and you are in a very serious predicament.
You'd literally be like prey lying immobile in a spider's web, all your limbs already plucked from your body.
Tsukasa: Indeed. I should have been more cautious when I first heard the name "King Slayer"—those who would murder a king.
They may have been assassins whose ultimate goal was to take our lives all along.
Still, I would hope that isn't the case... The Kuroki brothers I know were always so eager and earnest about their idol ambitions. I truly did see promise in them.
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 2 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 4 >
