Epilogue 1

Present day. A few days after receiving Gatekeeper’s letter

Nagisa: ...It’s been a long time since I’ve come to Hiyori-kun’s home.

...I suppose the last time was when I reunited with him at Yumenosaki Academy and I came over a few times.

...After we transferred, we both lived in dorms. And even after graduation, we’ve spent most of our time at Starmony Hall, or in the Megasphere. I haven’t had the opportunity to stop by.

...How strange, that visiting here feels more like coming home.

...It’s familiar. The smells, the sights, they’re all the same as before.

...Fufu. I feel like I’m drowning in nostalgia. Just about everything here reminds me of happy memories.

Hiyori: —Sorry for making you wait, Nagisa-kun.

...What’s wrong? You have this far-off look in your eye.

Nagisa: ...I was thinking about the time I spent here with you. Do you ever reminisce, Hiyori-kun?

Hiyori: Ahaha. I guess it is a bit nostalgic. But I can’t say the same for most of the times that I’ve come home.

Maybe it’s because you’re here with me that I feel that way.

I spent my whole childhood here at the manor, but it was those days that you were here that were most fun to me.

I wonder if I still have that hiragana workbook we used to study.

Nagisa: ...While I enjoy talking about the past, I would like to know why you called me here.

...I brought the key I received from Gatekeeper, just as you asked.

Hiyori: Good. Then first, let’s try that key on the safe over there and see what’s inside.

Nagisa: ...I knew you still had that safe.

Hiyori: Huh? You’re not as shocked as I thought you’d be. It was supposed to be a surprise, though.

Nagisa: ...I had my suspicions when you told me to bring the key with me to the manor.

...Still, I want to know why you have the safe.

...As far as I am aware, we lost it according to the deal you made.

Hiyori: Of course. Well, it’s sort of a long story.

But the gist of it is that the safe I gave to the suspicious person was a fake.

Nagisa: ...A fake? What do you mean by that?

Hiyori: I asked my brother to get me a replica that looked identical to the safe. Which means, the real one has been kept safe here at the manor this whole time.

Nagisa: ...I don’t think he was someone who could be fooled by a fake.

Hiyori: Yep, I agree with you. It was a seriously risky gamble.

In the first place, if that guy had had the key with him, it would have been all over.

That said, I was pretty certain he didn’t have it.

If he’d had the key, he wouldn’t have bothered stealing the safe from my room, right?

He could have just quietly taken out what was inside, and we’d have been none the wiser.

So I knew from the moment he tried taking it that he didn’t have the key.

Nagisa: ...And if he did not have the key, then there was no way to tell if it was real or fake.

Hiyori: On my end, all I had to do was pull off that one single moment.

Nagisa: ...Why did you? Once he realized that what he wanted was not inside, there was the possibility that he would try again.

Hiyori: Which is why I had a safety net. I put some real inheritance inside the fake.

Nagisa: ...Hm.

Hiyori: Fufu, you don’t look convinced. You want to know how I got my hands on your father’s inheritance.

Nagisa: ...That is not where I have my doubts.

...Your brother must have continued investigating my Father’s hideout after it had been discovered.

...Because he took me in, it would not be strange if he also kept some of his belongings.

Hiyori: I knew you’d get it! You’re totally right: Brother put in some things he found in that white room where you were found.

Although all he really put in there was some idol merch.

But since they were things from Godfather’s hideout, there could be no doubt that it was his inheritance.

Nagisa: ...Hiyori-kun. That does not answer my question.

...After all, this would not have worked if that person knew what was inside of the safe.

Hiyori: True. And there was nothing we could do about that. It’s why I said it was a risky gamble.

We had to consider the possibility that, worst case, he’d come after the safe again. If that happened, I was just planning to hand it over without a fight.

By that time, you’d already been adopted by the Rans, and the Tomoe family was planning to wipe our hands of anything to do with Godfather after all this.

But as it turned out, the suspicious person has been nowhere to be found since that day.

Well, it could be because we tightened security around the manor after the incident.

At the very least, no troublemakers have shown up looking for the safe since then.

Nagisa: ...If that’s the case, then why did you hide it from me?

Hiyori: It was so that you wouldn’t be targeted by those strange people again, you know?

I have no doubt in my mind that those people who came after the safe that day were up to no good.

I knew you really cherished this safe the way you cherished your father...

So if you held onto it, that would have opened you up to all those people from then on.

If you’d known we still had the safe, you would never have let it go, right?

So I tried to get you to leave it be as gently as possible.

Nagisa: ...So that’s it.

Hiyori: Yep. I only ever wanted you to be happy.

I wanted you to live in that idol world you were always dreaming about, without all that unnecessary baggage.

I did everything in my power to make that happen.

So, even though I knew I was a burden to everyone in my family except for my brother, I used their strength and influence.

Nagisa: ...That must have taken a considerable amount of resolve, considering the mask you have always worn to placate your family.

...I’m sorry for putting you at risk like that.

Hiyori: Ahaha! It’s nothing that serious!

I’d say I was asking too much of you, making you give up something so important to you like that.

But as your “big brother,” I only wanted to do whatever I could for your sake.

It’s rather disappointing to hear you apologize, actually. I’m sure I taught you to use more appropriate words in times like this.

Nagisa: ...Fufu. You’re right.

...It is because of you that I am able to live in this world as a human.

...If you had not been there, I would still be just a broken doll, singing meaningless songs in the dark.

...Thank you, Hiyori-kun, for giving me my brilliant future as an idol.

Hiyori: Fufu. Don’t mention it ♪