Refuge 3

Wataru: Amazing! Welcome to my kingdom... ☆

Forgive me, but I’m a little busy right now! I am ashamed that I cannot show proper hospitality when you’ve made such efforts to visit me!

Ah, I am a disgrace as an entertainer! It is the greatest mistake of Hibiki Wataru’s life!

How rude of me to keep my esteemed guests waiting, I know, but I have now prepared some tea for you with my right hand and some flowers for you with my left!

And with my right foot do I pull out the chairs; with my left I offer up a little jig! My, so busy ♪

Now please, make yourselves quite comfortable~ ☆

Allow me also to use my hair to weave a blanket for your lap! And I shall use the ventriloquism techniques I learned from Shu, as well! Hmm, hm-hmm ♪

I shall also perform for you a most pleasant song! Amazing... ☆

At the very least, I hope you may enjoy this hospitality ♪

Should there be anything that’s displeasing to you, you only need let me know and I’ll do everything in my power to accommodate you! Ahahaha... ☆

Fufufu, now that I’ve taken care of that: back to the main matter! Tomoya-kun, Tomoya-kun! Come on out; don’t be scared!

Stay not shut inside the closet, but emerge into the brilliant... no, the Amazing world outside!

Leave for the nights your solitary introspection, when it is naturally dark!

Haha! I understand now! We’re recreating “The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats,” are we? Amazing!^[1]

Tomoya-kun! Come on out, now! It is I, your mother... ☆

Tomoya-kuuun? At least give me a response, or any indication that you’ve heard me!

I do so dislike that you’re ignoring me! I promise you need not be afraid of me! Talk to me, Tomoya-kuuun ☆

Oh, woe is me! I’m at a loss! Hokuto-kun is allegedly busy doing something else, so we don’t have enough actors for our next play!

All of the new club members keep quitting. I wonder why that is!

Ergo! The burden falls upon your shoulders, Tomoya-kun! Please come out and offer your assistance!

I’m not going to eat you! So I beg you, open the door of that closet as well as your heart!

You have such little talent for the theater that you betrayed even my low expectations!

But that is exactly why we must train you from now on, yes? To that end, I vow to put you through a training regimen from hell... ☆

There’s not enough time, so I don’t mind playing multiple roles!

But I still need you, Tomoya-kun! It is far too lonely to put on a one-man show! Ah, this feels just like a marriage proposal ♪

Come out now, or you’ll force me to use much stronger measures!

If you won’t respond to my requests when I’m asking nicely, who knows what I will be driven to beyond that... ☆

Yuzuru: Um, I beg your pardon... but you seem rather busy, so should we come another day?

Wataru: Oh, apologies! but I was rude. I did hear about this from the right-hand man in advance!

I’ll deal with Tomoya-kun later; for now, I must welcome you ♪

Yuzuru: Hm, the... right-hand man? I can only assume that refers to the vice president?

Wataru: Indeed it does! He even calls himself “Eichi’s right hand,” you know!

Which is quite funny, when you think about it; Eichi is left-handed! Ah, how I do so love to analyze these sentiments... ☆

No matter! Once again, I welcome you to my kingdom!

You two are the new members of fine, I presume? Have you come today to make acquaintances?

Yuzuru: Yes. We are but novices who know next to nothing... and so we wish to request guidance from so great a tutor as you, Hibiki-sama.

Under your instruction, I hope that we may behave in a manner befitting of fine.

So I hope that we can rely on your continued support and encouragement from now on ♪

...Oh. It seems I’ve gone ahead with my own introductions without regard for my master. Are you all right, sir? You’ve been quiet for some time now.

Please introduce yourself to Hibiki-sama, sir ♪

Tori: ...Huh? Um, but? This guy is Hibiki?

Yuzuru: Yes. Though he is considerably more eccentric than I had heard... his likeness matches the photograph I found in my research.

This is indeed fine’s Hibiki Wataru-sama ♪

Tori: Huh? What? But—but I know this guy! I knew I’d heard his name somewhere! And I’ve seen him before, too!

Wataru: Ohoho, am I quite famous? Where is it you’ve seen me, then, sweet little master? ♪

Tori: No way, no way! You’re the enemy! You’re fine’s—you’re Eichi-sama’s enemy!

I was there to watch the live when Eichi-sama faced off against you!

Yuzuru: Oh... ah, now I see it. I was also there during that live.

I failed to make the connection at first because my impression of him now is considerably different.

Wataru: Hmm, is it because of the mask? I do veritably become my role once I take the stage!

Then, I often surprise people when they meet me off it because I’m not even a little bit what they expected~ ♪

Tori: Th–that isn’t even close to what I meant! You’re literally Eichi-sama’s archenemy!

S–so why?! Why are you part of fine now?!

Wataru: Well, certain developments happened, you could say... Nevertheless, my interest is not in fine, but Eichi!

I’m not particularly motivated to do anything with fine, really.

I am indeed quite busy with preparations for my next performance... so I will rather leave all of these unit activities to you two! Please, just do as you like!

I certainly won’t interfere ♪

Now, then—Tomoya-kun! Tomoya-kun! Come out, come out, wherever you are! There’s no point in trying to hide!

One cannot change their situation in life unless they engage with reality using their own hands, their own feet, and their own voice!

Come, shake yourself free of gravity and join me in the singularity of pure pleasure... ☆