WITCH CRAFT 4

Sora: ......

Natsume: Sora? Are you all right?

What’s wrong? You aren’t dancing or singing.

Senpai and I are covering for you, but that may start to look suspicious soon. We shouldn’t unnerve the audience.

Remember that we are magicians who fulfill everyone’s hopes and dreams.

Sora: Oh... Sorry, Sora sorta spaced out~?

Natsume: It’s okay. You’re still in your first year, so mistakes are to be expected.

We had already taken that into account, and you have more than enough outstanding talent and potential to compensate for it.

I apologize for my mistake. I always do this: I run the calculations in my head, and it never aligns with reality.

In that regard, I could learn something from Senpai, as he observes everything impartially from the sidelines.

Your synesthesia puts a large strain on your mind.

Even average humans would be negatively affected by flashing lights or loud, incessant noise. Both their minds and their bodies would begin to malfunction.

The world, and society itself, is built for people with normal senses. You exist outside of that.

Simply living day to day wears you down more than it would others.

Like a fish drawn from the sea, like a vampire exposed to sunlight...

Yet you have been running around since morning for the sake of your precious friend.

Your stamina—no, your everything is being drained. I failed to anticipate that; it’s my error of command.

You just looked so happy... and so I couldn’t help but overlook it.

You have always longed for ordinary days spent with friends, haven’t you? I understand: I, too, was once called a monster.

The happiness I sought after, my golden days of youth were robbed from me by my own immaturity and foolishness, and by malice and evil intent...

I don’t want you to endure the same.

As the leader of Switch, as an idol who brings happiness and dreams to his audience, and as a professional whose job is exactly that—

I should have handled things more carefully.

I displaced my own feelings onto you, as if I were a foolish parent attempting to fulfill their dreams vicariously through their child... I caused you to suffer; I’m sorry, Sora.

Ah... so that’s why Wataru-nii-san didn’t accept my script back then.^[1]

Rei-nii-san carried me off and kept me far away from true hell. All of my Oddball nii-sans did.

Sora: Master... there there ♪

Natsume: ? Why are you patting my head? My hat will fall off; you really are a strange child, aren’t you...?

Sora: HaHa~ ♪ People say that a lot!

Master~ Please don’t apologize. That will just make Sora more sad.

It’s Sora’s fault for stopping when he got tired. He doesn’t have enough stamina. You didn’t do anything wrong, Master.

Besides, of course Sora wants to fulfill your dream.

Sora is part of Switch, and we grant everyone’s wishes, after all. You’re the one who made Sora a magician.

So there’s no reason to say sorry at all~ ♪

Natsume: ......

Sora: Master~ Being tired is one reason Sora wasn’t moving... but the main thing is that he was in awe.

Sora: Look, Master! It’s so beautiful! The whole world is sparkling with rainbow—no, a whole spectrum of colors we don’t even have names for!

You brought me all the way here.

You, Senpai... everyone here at Yumenosaki...

Every person living in this world found Sora when he was lost in a far-off, parallel universe.

They told him to come here and said it was okay to stay... They gently took Sora’s hand and led him to his place. So Sora will repay that kindness.

People get confused by Sora no matter what he does, though...

So please teach him what to do. Even if Sora can’t do it very well yet, he’ll learn it for sure.

Sora wants to use the magic that makes people happy, too, just like Master and Senpai.

Tsumugi: Sora-kun... ☆

Sora: Gyeh?! Senpai, you’re hugging Sora so tight he can’t move!

Tsumugi: Sorry, sorry! Ugh, I can’t believe I’m crying during our live!

It’s just that what you said made me so happy... ☆

Natsume: Ć̟ͬa͗̊l̼̮m̟ d͈͑͢ò̫̠w̬̟̙n̛̓.̓͑͌^[2]

Tsumugi: Gwoh?! Y–you hit me again, Natsume-kun! But never mind; we’ve gotten all out of array. We should focus on the performance ♪

Natsume: And whose fault do you think that is? But yes, as much as it irritates me Senpai’s opinions are usually correct.

So it pisses me off to say it, but our live is not over yet.

To all those around the world who still don’t know of us...

I will arrogantly demand they come over and see us from up close, to come play with us ♪

T͙͓͈o͘n̘͂͂ig̹̔ht i͘s Hall͚͟ȍw̶ȩͦȩͥṅ̚.̭̒̃ T̪ͤͩòͫnigh̳͊t̰̒̌,̶ e͔v͚͟͡e̻͉n̅ h̛̀͢ē̬ͭrèt̘̀i̺͢ċ̯́s a͟rĕ̅ g̋ͅì͢vè̪̔n ả͇͠ v̛͡o̧̙͛i̔c̜͒é̹̭ to s̔p̳̬e̼̋̍a̔k͕ͥ.

Ì̛̗f͙̓̓ tḧ̞ͥe͑y̦ ẃ͙on̵͎̈’ẗ̤́̑ gi̓v͒̃eͥ u͈̖s̴̛͉ s̸̖om͎̐͛e̫ť̜̕h̄̇͡iͩ͗n̸̲g s̖ẇ͕e̔̎ẻ̱t͓ͦ,̳̟̑ t̪̄͢h̝͙e͊̚n̥ t͗ͫhͧ͘e̿͢y̼ͭ̒’̠̜l̯̟l f͕ḁ͉̎c̫̤͢e͊͊ oͨu͙r̲̥ w̎̀͞rͬath̨—bͭ̂ut͇ i̘͙̽f_̰ t͂͜h̭̒ey can t͋o̲ͤuͥͯ̚ch́ͨ̆ uͧs̈́̅…͗ i̊f w̶̨̌e͇ͨ̚ c̜̾̉ā̳n̼ sp̀e͚a̞̽̑k̼̩̈ ôp̼ͣ̕e̠ͩn̮l̥͐ͮy,̿ t̄h̄e̺͙ͯ w̺e͒ ca̖͌͜n ļ̱ơv̤̜̀e e̠a̎ͮc͍̉ͧh̦̩ o͊t̰̳̰h͉͌͠e̤͜͝ř̟ͥ, too.͉

W̗̄e͚ ŝ͢hoų͆͜l͕d́ ā͞͞ll͊͑ a̕i̛m̾ f̓o̢̲r̓ thͩá̖͈t. L͓͓͕ét̜͗͒ u͍͡s̿͗ b̀̎̊ri̛ͪng̗ lo̝̙v̩̚e͓ ã͉̞n̈̏ͬd̹̘̓ ḇ̅r͕̾i̦̜ͨl̲̍lǐ̵̱a̿ͫ͘n̖ͯ͠c͊̿eͮ to̜ͮ oͥ͆ͪu̺̒͢r n̺̏e̚i͍͍͓g̃͗̾hb͇ơr̯̦ͦsͥ͘ iń̻ͦ t̙͌̋his͙ͬ wͯ̌̊ǫr͈͇ͩld̦̰ f̢̳̀u͇͆̐ll ofͪ l͚on̩e͈l̮̿͞y s̢̯͖o͚͛͑u̝l̖s̹.̟̅

Tͥ͝r̂͝ic̐ḱ o̷r t͝r̔̍e̳͑ͬa̙͛t̮͕͒ ♪^[3]