Next Door - Closed Circle Chapter 2

[shivalries]

Season: Summer

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[NewDi Office]

(A while later)



Tsumugi: Mmn~ Refreshed and restored!

I feel so light! You're amazing, Natsume-chan—all the achiness and exhaustion in my body has been swept away. ♪

Natsume: Lately you've started calling me "Natsume-chan" sometimes like it's so natural, Senpai.

I don't know if it's on purpose or not, but stop that; it's annoying... How long are you going to treat me like a little kid whose only worth is his cuteness?

Tsumugi: What?! I didn't mean it like that... It's just a term of endearment, right~?

Natsume: That right there is what a typical harassment offender would say.

...Ah, I see now, you're trying to change the topic by making me mad. I often use that tactic too, but being on the receiving end of such magic is incorrigible.

Leo: Wahaha! "Incorrigible"! Copying Keito?

Natsume: ...Laugh while you can, Sir Knight.

The rest of us still at Yumenosaki are busy strengthening our base there, but we’ve practically left our graduated seniors to run free.

We're nearly done with all our business, and the piled up disappointment and stress is fit to explode.

The savings you seniors have built up for us in the form of trust and gratitude are dwindling quickly before our eyes—understand this and repent.

...Well, whatever. It's not like saying it aloud is going to get us anywhere.

Tsumugi: ...?

Natsume: Anyway, I'm getting seriously tired, so I'm going back to rest.

Neither of you are young, so don't push yourselves too hard. Back when Yumenosaki was at the center of the industry, people were collapsing left and right from pushing past their limits.

But we've built up an idealistic place where idols won't have to be exploited and crushed underfoot—and it's ES.

Calling it an "idol utopia" may just be a front, a way of sugarcoating it all, but...

Blood was spilled and sacrifices were made to build it... So at the very least, I don't want to think this enormous structure is meaningless.

And besides, prioritizing working like mad over your health was only a laudable action until the bubble economy burst. [1]

If you don't fix those outdated values already, you'll be left behind by this ever-changing world and locked away in some storehouse like an ancient relic.

Or more accurately—you're not a kid who can get praised just for being hard-working anymore. If you're going to pretend to be an important adult then at least learn some proper dignity and etiquette.

...That's all. Ugh, my plans were ruined thanks to this sudden call. I spoke too much—perhaps I'm more anxious than I thought.

Tsumugi: Oh, um... It's dangerous outside at night. Do you want me to walk you back?

Natsume: Are you joking? It takes less than five minutes to get back. Besides, I can protect myself.

Leo: Aaand he left~ What's up with that guy? He was muttering all those weird things...

I thought the creepy magician thing was just an act, but now I'm thinking it's all natural. Whoa, that's interesting.

I love weirdos like that! Wahaha!

Tsumugi: Mmhmm. Even if society sees you as "weird", being accepted and loved for "individuality" instead is one of the best parts of being an idol.

Anyway, Natsume-kun restored my energy, so it's time to get cracking on work again~ ♪

Oh, actually, before I do that, shall we take care of your request first? Um... You were looking for a job, right?

Leo: Whoa, hey, wait a sec. Didn't you hear what Nacchan was saying to you?

This isn't a game. There's no way he can just restore all your health with a lil' hocus pocus.

You were already on the ground when I found you, so take care and go get some rest. You can leave my thing for later—it's not like I can't try to find something myself, anyway. I think.

Tsumugi: Ah, you called him Nacchan again. Natsume-kun actually seemed pretty angry, so I would suggest you use a different name.

Leo: Wait, what'd I do wrong? And on that note, why're you so understanding when it comes to everyone except yourself, Oba-chan?

Tsumugi: Ahaha~ You can't see your own face without a mirror, after all.

Also, I actually did hear what Natsume-kun said.

He was saying something like, only kids can get praised just for being good and obedient, right?

But I'm an adult, so I'm not gonna listen to him. ♪

Leo: Dang, good thing you didn't say that to his face. He woulda lost it.

Suo~'s like that too, y'know. He often yells at me like, "Please stop poking fun at me while we're having a serious conversation!"

I guess it feels sad and frustrating for him because it's like his voice and feelings aren't reaching me...

I mean, I get it, but I just can't help playing it cool and acting like an adult who's got it all together.

Tsumugi: Yeah. I understand where kids like Natsume-kun are coming from, but we can't make a living off listening to each and every one of their opinions.

We'll just weaken, exhaust all resources, and finally go down together. If one person doesn't pay their taxes, it'll only cause society's mechanisms to malfunction and then plunge everyone into misfortune.

...I couldn't bring myself to say that in front of Natsume-kun, though.

I can't show him how frazzled and anxious I am at any cost. But in truth, NewDi is in pretty serious trouble right now.

We've long breached the critical zone already.

Using my experience from when I was in fine, I've managed to keep our financial situation afloat, but I'm reaching my limit.

Leo: Ahh, I see. You've really worked hard, Oba-chan.

I'm pretty sure you don't really like to stand at the top and order people around, yet you've struggled to maintain the current situation while our president is away.

Why don't you just make the prez a figurehead and take all the power for yourself? They haven't come back, anyway. Plus, it seems like they're too fired up with ideals to see reality for what it is.

Why not make the prez's position like mine in Knights and become the real "King" of NewDi?

I think that'd be a way smarter choice, financially speaking. They say that the best guys for management are the ones who can make the cold, hard decisions, right?

Tsumugi: Don't make me sound like some kind of sociopath...

Besides, what you can do and what you want to do are two different things. People like you whose interests and talents cross over are actually in the minority.

I've already had my fill of being a leader after fine, anyway.

I've always had roles like that pushed on me since I was a kid, so I'm used to it and I'm sure I'd do an okay job at it, but...

Nobody ever wants to take the role in which you have to work hard to prevent a "game over" from happening, then act as the reset button in the one-in-a-million chance things go south...

So I step up to volunteer and end up gaining status along with it. I guess it's a full-on habit now.

But neglecting myself for complete devotion to my work also tramples all over the feelings of the people who decided to like me, of all people, you know?

So lately, I've been working for my own sake—my own happiness.

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[1] Bubble economy: a general economic term, but also a period in modern Japanese history characterized by rapid inflation and excessive extravagance. When the bubble "burst" in 1992, the economy stagnated. According to the handful of Japanese language sources I looked through, during this time period, working hours were longer than they are now, and there were many who died from overwork (karoushi in Japanese). I'm not sure when exactly concerns about the toxic work culture were pushed more into public consciousness, but at the very least it seems to be after the bubble burst.

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