Teddy Bear - Trace of a Thread Chapter 6

[shivalries]

Season: Autumn

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CW: Suicide Mention

[Archery Range (Autumn)]

(The next morning)

Tsumugi: Zzz, zzz…♪

Leo: Wake up, Obachan~! It’s morning! Ucchu~…☆

Tsumugi: Oof?! Cough, cough… Hey, Tsukinaga-kun, please don’t jump on me like that! I thought I was gonna die, you know~?

Leo: No worries, you won’t die! Humans are pretty hardy, after all!

Mika, you too~! Awaken, archangel Michael…☆

Mika: Zzz, zzz…♪

Leo: Wahaha♪ If you won’t wake up, then I’ve got no choice but to use my last resort! Take this-- Tower Br*dge! Aaand~ Robin Sp*cial…☆ [1]

Mika: …?! Nngaa, cut it out! Don’t go breakin’ out into wrestling moves! My bones are gonna break! They’ll break!

Beg yer pardon, Tsukinaga-senpai, but my joints don’t go that way~?!

Nghh… Ritsu-kun did the same thing on our school trip. Is this popular with Knights right now?

Leo: Fufu, I’m the one who raised Rittsu, after all♪

And besides, he won’t wake up if you hit him or shake him, so I’m trying all kinds of methods!

The joint moves work pretty well~ I guess after being hit with ‘em so many times, Rittsu’s learned them well, huh?

So Mika, you’re friends with our Rittsu? Thanks for being so close to our kid~♪

Mika: Ahaha... it’s more like… we’re often both hidin’ in the corner of the classroom, so we just end up talkin’ to each other.

If we’re bein’ fair, I’ve been closer to Naruchan since we were first years~♪

Leo: I see~ Our group tends to seem kinda standoffish… so hearing they’re having fun in class too makes me feel a little relieved ♪

More importantly! Don’t just sit there in a daze, let’s get moving! I just thought of a little something! Once we’re ready, let’s go!

Tsumugi: Nghh, my glasses… Ahh, there they are.♪

Fufu. Let’s see, what’s this about, Tsukinaga-kun? Where are we going?

Leo: I won’t tell you just yet! You should always save the fun for later~ so just imagine whatever you like for now♪

Mika: What’s up with that…? But wait, hang on, last night we were talkin’ and I fell asleep in my uniform at some point and...

Tsumu-chan-senpai and Tsukinaga-senpai… you both stayed here with me?

Leo: That’s what I said, right? No? I don’t remember!

I just couldn’t leave you alone somehow… so I thought, maybe I’ll stick around.♪

I wanted to have a sleepover anyway! Ahh, it’s so fun, I want to do it with Knights and the archery club sometime!

I’ll jot it down on my hand so I don’t forget, hmm hmm~♪

Tsumugi: Fufu. I’m probably alright, but was it okay for you to stay, Tsukinaga-kun? Isn’t your family worried?

Leo: Nah, I’m good too~ This happens a lot, as I often wander around and end up staying the night somewhere.

At least I quietly used the payphone at school and contacted Ruka-tan before sleeping.

Fufufu. Ruka-tan got mad and said, “Come home sometimes, Mom and Dad are worried too.”♪

Tsumugi: “Sometimes”? Meaning, you don’t actually come back that often?

…Uwah, looks like I’ve got some messages on my phone too.

Ahaha. Even though she often leaves home suddenly herself, my mom got worried and texted me, “Message me!” “Are you okay?” “You didn’t kill yourself or anything, did you?”…♪

…Mika-kun, did Shu-kun send you any worried messages too?

Mika: Nnghaa… I just ran out with what I had, so I don’t have my phone or anythin’ on hand, y’know?

Leo: Huh, really? That’s not good~ So you don’t have a wallet either?

Mika: Mm? I left my wallet in my school locker, so I can just go get it right now, I guess…?

Tsumugi: Oh, how careless… But if I recall, you take the train or bus here, right?

If so, then you’ll have a problem getting back without a wallet, huh.

Wait, but I thought Shu-kun’s house was pretty close to here, actually… Well, at the very least, I can lend you some money so you can take the train.

Leo: No no, we’re gonna go shopping, right? It’d be tough without a wallet~♪

Tsumugi: What do you mean, “right”? Wait, we’re going shopping?

What’s this about? Could you explain things properly to us… Tsukinaga-kun?

Leo: Like I said, you’ll see when we get there! Come on, wash your face and let’s go!

Let’s head out as soon as we’re all ready! As they say, there’s no time like the present, right~?♪

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[1] Robin Special is an upside-down possibly wrestling-inspired attack move done by the character Robin Mask from the Kinnikuman series. Poor Mika.

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