TROUBLE MAKER 4

Sora: Hiiii, Mitsu-chaaaaan ♪

Mitsuru: Whoa, Sora-chan! You always take me by surprise ‘cause you pop outta nowhere! Yayyy ☆

Sora: Yayyy ☆

Arashi: What’s with that weird high-five...? You boys are as friendly as ever.

Sora-chan, is that your costume for the Halloween Party? It’s sooo cute ♪

Sora: Thank you! When somebody compliments you, you say thank you! Sora put this on so he can help Hina-chan hand out fliers~

You have to dress up on Halloween! This is the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” see~? HaHa~ ♪

Mitsuru: Sick! I wanna wear something like that too, Arashi-chan-senpai ☆

Arashi: What do you expect me to do about that...? Ra*bits is going to be in the Halloween Party, right? So I’m sure you’re all going to wear a costume, too.

Mitsuru: Yup, I’ll ask Nii~chan about it! I just know it’s gonna look awesome!

Nii~chan’s always pulling off stuff like that ♪

Hey Sora-chan, can I help with the fliers, too?

If I keep running on the field here I’m gonna get in trouble again, but I have so much pent-up energy it’s like I’m gonna explode if I don’t do something about it!

Sora: HiHi~ ♪ Sora doesn’t know~ But Hina-chan would probably say okay~?

Mitsuru: Oh, I know Yuu-chan’s number so I’ll ask him. They’re almost definitely doing this together!

Hehe, I’m so glad I found something to do ♪

Sora: If Mitsu-chan is happy, then Sora is happy too! HuHu~ The world is so colorful today ♪

Mika: Ahaha, you got so much energy. The cryin’ crow’s already laughin’... Well, I’m glad it all worked out in the end.^[1]

All it takes is that kid from Switch showin’ up to make everybody happier ♪

Sora: That’s how Switch is! Do you want to join us, Mika-chan-san?

Mika: Aw, naw... Thanks for the offer, but I’m workin’ on a job for the school right now.

But I hope y’all have fun together. Halloween’s an event for the kids, after all... ♪

Shu: Hmph... all this incessant chirping is unpleasant. This is exactly why I hate such annual events; everyone gets so needlessly energetic.

What hopeless philistines, letting themselves be swept along by the whims of the world.

Mademoiselle: “Shuuu-kun. If you hate the noise so much, why on earth did you come to school today?”

“Honestly, you complain about every single thing you do. I don’t remember raising such a child.”

Shu: What would you have me do? Spare me the lecture, Mademoiselle; I love you so.

Untold numbers of units are participating in this Halloween Party; even guests are to dress up.

And we must create an unusually large amount of costumes for it.

Even with Kiryu and outsourced manufacturers engaged in various tasks, we’re still short-staffed...

And thus, I’ve been called upon. It is a good chance to line Valkyrie’s pockets, as well.

It is far more convenient to work on-site than to deal with deliveries and other complicated procedures.

And it would be simply ridiculous to keep running back and forth between home and the academy every time I’ve finished a costume.

I could use the internet to outsource certain things to suppliers, but I loathe computers.

Mademoiselle: “Fufu. Do you remember that time you saw all those nasty comments online and took an ax to your computer, Shu-kun?”

“Grandpa really gave you a good lecture for that~ ♪”

Hmph. Grandfather is in his twilight years; his patience grows thin. Humans gradually return to infancy as they age, after all.^[2]

In any case, working without even seeing the client’s face goes against my aesthetic principles.

Each garment I create must be perfect. It is a labor of love; every thread must espouse my devotion.

Mademoiselle: “Fufu. You are an artist, through and through. I know all about your obsessions and hang-ups ♪”

Shu: Hmph. I am reluctant to allow those vulgar people who don’t understand true art wear my glorious creations.

Yet, there’s no way around it. To achieve my true goals, I must be willing to compromise.

Mademoiselle: “Oh my, Shu-kun talking about compromise? How you’ve grown; I couldn’t be more proud ♪”

Shu: It is not growth; it’s a fall from grace. I despise myself.

To have become yet another cog in the wheel of society, sharing my lot with philistines, only to break down and be discarded one day—it is nigh-unbearable.

But I will graduate in less than half a year.

Before that that time of parting comes with that defective thing which has stayed by my side without even a complaint...

That idiotic scarecrow—I intend to leave him with the means to survive alone.

It may be just pearls before swine, or gold before a cat: mere reparation, meaningless sentimentality.

But I intend to give that broken doll the finest costume I’ve ever tailored.

Shu: Do you think me weak for wanting such a thing... Mademoiselle?

Mademoiselle: “......”

Shu: What’s wrong? Why won’t you respond to me? These episodes have grown more frequent recently; won’t you share your sweet voice with me... my beloved?