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shivalriesSeason: Autumn
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[Nurse's Office]
(In the present, after waking from the dream)
Ritsu: ……
(Mnn. Ahh... I fell asleep.)
(…Um, this isn’t a dream too, right? Is everything okay now? This is reality, for sure?)
(That was a weird dream… Maybe it’s because I’ve been switching my days and nights around lately, but I tend to get nightmares when my daily rhythm gets thrown off.)
(I’ve been pushing myself a lot, too. Maybe my nerves are frazzled.)
(Hmm. Thanks to the nap, I think I’m feeling a bit better, at least…)
(I should go find everyone. It seems way too likely things could be going wrong, since it’s Trickstar we’re working with.)
(Secchan’s been acting weird and distant since Ousama came back, after all.)
(Even though Secchan’s a part of Knights too~ Maybe he’s not fully aware of that yet?)
Mao: Zzz, zzz…♪
Ritsu: (…What’s this?)
Wha… huh, Ma~kun? Why’re you sleeping next to me?
(Then is this really a dream, too? When we were kids, we used to fall fast asleep together after playing around all day, but we’ve pretty much stopped doing cute things like that these days~?)
Mao: Zzz…♪
Ritsu: (Ah… Oh no, I wanna mess with him now.)
(Oh, stop that, Ma~kun… If you wear such a cute and vulnerable sleeping face, the naughty demons will come out to do terrible things to you, you know? Like this - poke poke ♪)
Mao: …Nn… gyah?!
H-Huh? Where am I? Did I fall asleep?
Ritsu: Yup. ‘Morning, Ma~kun.
Why were you sleeping next to me? Were you always such a spoiled little kid?
Mao: Mm? Wha~? Wait a sec, I’m still half-asleep!
…Ahh, right, I remember now. I came with Makoto to check on you. Since we were gonna be walking around outside, we went ahead and changed out of our aprons.
But you looked like you were having such a nice, peaceful snooze—
I would’ve felt bad if we disturbed you, so we went over what we had left to do, then I decided to wait here until you woke up. And well, I wanted to get some rest, too.
I thought I’d nod off for an hour or so, so I told Makoto that and then fell asleep right where I was sitting on that chair… I think. For some reason, when I opened my eyes, I was on the bed.
Ritsu: Right. Sorry, I probably dragged you onto the bed without realising it.
I don’t really notice it myself since I’m usually asleep, but it seems like I have that kind of habit. Secchan scolds me for it pretty often.
Mao: Ahaha. You usually have your guard up, but you fall asleep around Sena-senpai, huh? That’s good, it looks like you’re getting along pretty well with Knights…
Ritsu: Fufufu. Jealous, Ma~kun?
Mao: Nah, I think it’s a good thing, after all. You should be making other friends besides me. I can’t babysit you into old age, nor do I want to.
Ritsu: …I don’t need your worry, Ma~kun. I’m expanding my own social circle just fine.
Mao: Yaawn…♪ Ahh, I was only kind of half-sleeping. I might’ve just made myself more tired.
Ritsu: Speaking of which, you’ve been looking really tired lately, Ma~kun. Come to think of it, the student council is usually in charge of S1 lives, so is that because of that?
Mao: Yeah. And I’ve had some worries of my own, too. A lot happened that you’re probably not aware of… Like in Autumn Live and stuff.
Ritsu: Oh? Well, you also tend to burn yourself out from poking around other people’s business.
Anzu’s the same way; you’re both handling a lot… Are other people more important than yourselves?
Mao: That’s not really true. I do get the feeling that maybe I’m just doing it to get thanks and validation, after all.
So maybe... it might be for “my own sake”.
Ritsu: Mm. I guess in the end, Ma~kun doesn’t really think I’m important - he’s just taking care of me because he thinks he’s important, huh…
Mao: Nah, you’re important to me too.
Ritsu: ”Too”, you say… If I’m just gonna be loved half-heartedly, I’d rather not be loved at all.
Mao: Um, did I offend you? For getting ahead of myself and saying I’d take care of you despite being younger?
Ritsu: Well, that’s what I asked for. Of course I’m not offended, stupid Ma~kun.
But I’ve been growing up bit by bit too, and the number of things precious to you is growing out of hand. Such as Trickstar, the student council, and everything else as well.
You’re not as talented as you might think, Ma~kun. You can’t assign equal importance to everything…
Not when there are so many things you can’t afford to lose…
Ma~kun, what are you even doing here?
Mao: Huh…? Like I said, I came to check up on you. I heard you haven’t been feeling well lately, so I was worried. Is that too much?
On top of that, Trickstar and Knights are making sweets together right now. You like that kind of thing, right? So Makoto was thinking we could get ideas—
Ritsu: Huh? What, that sounds like fun. Actually, why didn’t you wake me up sooner?
Look, it’s already evening… No matter how long the sweets making lasted, it’s probably come to an end now.
Ahh, how disappointing. If I’d known that was the case, I would’ve woken up even if I had to force myself, just to show off my skills.
Mao: Ahh, you’re right… But since you’re not feeling well, I thought it’d be better to let you sleep.
Ritsu: Is that so. Well then, I guess you don’t know anything about me, Ma~kun.
We’re supposed to be childhood friends. But now I understand that you don’t understand a thing about me… You’re so uninterested in me that you don’t even try.
I get it. You only wanted someone helpless, someone you could take care of so you could feel like you were actually doing something.
You just wanted some self-respect. It could’ve been anyone else, right?
Mao: …Sorry? What are you getting all upset for, Ritsu?
Ritsu: You really don’t get it, huh. That’s why I’m mad, Ma~kun.
Mao: …?
---
< NIGHTMARE Chapter 5 || Masterlist || NIGHTMARE Chapter 7 >
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[Nurse's Office]
(In the present, after waking from the dream)
Ritsu: ……
(Mnn. Ahh... I fell asleep.)
(…Um, this isn’t a dream too, right? Is everything okay now? This is reality, for sure?)
(That was a weird dream… Maybe it’s because I’ve been switching my days and nights around lately, but I tend to get nightmares when my daily rhythm gets thrown off.)
(I’ve been pushing myself a lot, too. Maybe my nerves are frazzled.)
(Hmm. Thanks to the nap, I think I’m feeling a bit better, at least…)
(I should go find everyone. It seems way too likely things could be going wrong, since it’s Trickstar we’re working with.)
(Secchan’s been acting weird and distant since Ousama came back, after all.)
(Even though Secchan’s a part of Knights too~ Maybe he’s not fully aware of that yet?)
Mao: Zzz, zzz…♪
Ritsu: (…What’s this?)
Wha… huh, Ma~kun? Why’re you sleeping next to me?
(Then is this really a dream, too? When we were kids, we used to fall fast asleep together after playing around all day, but we’ve pretty much stopped doing cute things like that these days~?)
Mao: Zzz…♪
Ritsu: (Ah… Oh no, I wanna mess with him now.)
(Oh, stop that, Ma~kun… If you wear such a cute and vulnerable sleeping face, the naughty demons will come out to do terrible things to you, you know? Like this - poke poke ♪)
Mao: …Nn… gyah?!
H-Huh? Where am I? Did I fall asleep?
Ritsu: Yup. ‘Morning, Ma~kun.
Why were you sleeping next to me? Were you always such a spoiled little kid?
Mao: Mm? Wha~? Wait a sec, I’m still half-asleep!
…Ahh, right, I remember now. I came with Makoto to check on you. Since we were gonna be walking around outside, we went ahead and changed out of our aprons.
But you looked like you were having such a nice, peaceful snooze—
I would’ve felt bad if we disturbed you, so we went over what we had left to do, then I decided to wait here until you woke up. And well, I wanted to get some rest, too.
I thought I’d nod off for an hour or so, so I told Makoto that and then fell asleep right where I was sitting on that chair… I think. For some reason, when I opened my eyes, I was on the bed.
Ritsu: Right. Sorry, I probably dragged you onto the bed without realising it.
I don’t really notice it myself since I’m usually asleep, but it seems like I have that kind of habit. Secchan scolds me for it pretty often.
Mao: Ahaha. You usually have your guard up, but you fall asleep around Sena-senpai, huh? That’s good, it looks like you’re getting along pretty well with Knights…
Ritsu: Fufufu. Jealous, Ma~kun?
Mao: Nah, I think it’s a good thing, after all. You should be making other friends besides me. I can’t babysit you into old age, nor do I want to.
Ritsu: …I don’t need your worry, Ma~kun. I’m expanding my own social circle just fine.
Mao: Yaawn…♪ Ahh, I was only kind of half-sleeping. I might’ve just made myself more tired.
Ritsu: Speaking of which, you’ve been looking really tired lately, Ma~kun. Come to think of it, the student council is usually in charge of S1 lives, so is that because of that?
Mao: Yeah. And I’ve had some worries of my own, too. A lot happened that you’re probably not aware of… Like in Autumn Live and stuff.
Ritsu: Oh? Well, you also tend to burn yourself out from poking around other people’s business.
Anzu’s the same way; you’re both handling a lot… Are other people more important than yourselves?
Mao: That’s not really true. I do get the feeling that maybe I’m just doing it to get thanks and validation, after all.
So maybe... it might be for “my own sake”.
Ritsu: Mm. I guess in the end, Ma~kun doesn’t really think I’m important - he’s just taking care of me because he thinks he’s important, huh…
Mao: Nah, you’re important to me too.
Ritsu: ”Too”, you say… If I’m just gonna be loved half-heartedly, I’d rather not be loved at all.
Mao: Um, did I offend you? For getting ahead of myself and saying I’d take care of you despite being younger?
Ritsu: Well, that’s what I asked for. Of course I’m not offended, stupid Ma~kun.
But I’ve been growing up bit by bit too, and the number of things precious to you is growing out of hand. Such as Trickstar, the student council, and everything else as well.
You’re not as talented as you might think, Ma~kun. You can’t assign equal importance to everything…
Not when there are so many things you can’t afford to lose…
Ma~kun, what are you even doing here?
Mao: Huh…? Like I said, I came to check up on you. I heard you haven’t been feeling well lately, so I was worried. Is that too much?
On top of that, Trickstar and Knights are making sweets together right now. You like that kind of thing, right? So Makoto was thinking we could get ideas—
Ritsu: Huh? What, that sounds like fun. Actually, why didn’t you wake me up sooner?
Look, it’s already evening… No matter how long the sweets making lasted, it’s probably come to an end now.
Ahh, how disappointing. If I’d known that was the case, I would’ve woken up even if I had to force myself, just to show off my skills.
Mao: Ahh, you’re right… But since you’re not feeling well, I thought it’d be better to let you sleep.
Ritsu: Is that so. Well then, I guess you don’t know anything about me, Ma~kun.
We’re supposed to be childhood friends. But now I understand that you don’t understand a thing about me… You’re so uninterested in me that you don’t even try.
I get it. You only wanted someone helpless, someone you could take care of so you could feel like you were actually doing something.
You just wanted some self-respect. It could’ve been anyone else, right?
Mao: …Sorry? What are you getting all upset for, Ritsu?
Ritsu: You really don’t get it, huh. That’s why I’m mad, Ma~kun.
Mao: …?
---
< NIGHTMARE Chapter 5 || Masterlist || NIGHTMARE Chapter 7 >
