Have Mercy, ■■■■, on Me 2

Present day. October, the second year after ES was established

Nagisa: ...Come on. You eat, too, Bloody Mary.

...Fufu. It looks so tasty ♪

Hiyori: Oooh, Mary is just as cute as ever! Come on, eat up!

Lately we’ve been doing so much in the Megasphere that we haven’t given Mary nearly enough attention.

So we’ve got to spoil her rotten today!

Nagisa: ...It’s a good thing that we found this place on our walk. I didn’t know that a pet-friendly café had opened near ES.

Hiyori: When you’ve been spending all your time up in the sky, it’s easy to neglect the things on the ground, right?

Nagisa: ...I wondered why Bloody Mary suddenly started running, but it must be because she wanted to bring us here.

Hiyori: Our little princess is such a good girl! Yes you are! Let me order you another puppy cake!

Nagisa: ...Maybe I will order another cake, as well.

...Watching Bloody Mary eat so happily has made me feel more hungry.

Hiyori: Yes yes! Go ahead and order whatever you want! We start work in two days, so we need to restore our energy!

Subaru: Wow, this is the new pet-friendly café that just opened?

Ahaha! It’s all shiny and sparkly ‘cause it’s brand new... ☆

Hokuto: Hey, calm down, Akehoshi. You’re going to bother the people in the café.

You too, Daikichi-kun. I know you’re excited to visit such a pretty café, but you’re a little too excited.

Hiyori: As lively as ever, Trickstar.

I knew it was you before I even saw you enter!

Subaru: Huh? Oh, it’s Ohii-san and Nagisa-san! Long time no see!

Hokuto: I’m guessing you two came here while you were walking Mary?

Nagisa: ...Bloody Mary seems very happy to see Daikichi-kun and you both.

Subaru: They’re pretty much besties now, after all ♪

Looks like they wanna play. Mind if we join you, then?

Nagisa: ...I don’t mind. It seems like it would be fun to have tea with you.

Hiyori: Aw, that’s no fun! I can’t believe you agreed so quickly, Nagisa-kun.

I wanted to enjoy my alone time with you a bit longer, though.

Hokuto: If that’s how you feel, you can always just say no.

Subaru: Whaaat? No way, don’t say that! Let’s spend some time together!

We’re so close, it’d feel all lonely to go out of our way to sit at two separate tables. Right? Pleeease...!

Hiyori: ...Fine, sure. I’ll let you sit with us, for Daikichi-kun’s sake.

I’ve decided to give Mary everything she wants today, anyway, and that includes playing with her friend Daikichi-kun.

Subaru: Yahoooo! Thanks, Ohii-san. Daikichi’s super happy, too... ♪

Hokuto: Actually, are we all going to have another conversation, just the four of us?

We did have that interview together a little while ago where we all got to talk, didn’t we?

Hiyori: Oh, did something like that happen?

I barely remember it, so I guess I just erased it from my memories until now.

Subaru: Huh? Was it the kind of job you don’t want to remember?

Hokuto: Are you being serious? I’m still angry at the interviewer in charge of things.

He deliberately brought up the thing from SS two years ago and reminded everyone about the CosPro scandal. He was undeniably rude.^[1]

Hiyori: Oh yeah, now I remember! We don’t get this chance often, so I hated that he kept dragging out such depressing topics!

Hokuto: Akehoshi probably didn’t feel great being reminded about the matter of his father, either.

Subaru: Huh? I didn’t really care about all that though.

Actually, wouldn’t it have been weirder to not bring it up in an interview with the four of us there?

Dad’s reputation’s gotten better since then, so I think I’d hate it more if they acted like it was some terrible thing.

Nagisa: ...Sweeping it under the rug like it is a taboo just makes it harder to talk about.

Subaru: Exactlyyyy! I knew you’d get it, Nagisa-san~

Oh, but you lied during the interview yourself, though.

Hokuto: Huh, did he? It didn’t feel out of place at the time, but...

Subaru: It was like, you remember when they asked about you as a kid?

I had a hard time answering that question too honestly. It was a toughie.

So basically I dodged the question by talking about Hokke the whole time, since I met him that one time a long time ago.^[2]

Hokuto: Now that you mention it, you’re right. Talking about my father irritated me, so I focused on my grandma instead.

And I believe you, Ran-senpai, said something about how hard it was to take care of your little brother and sister.

Subaru: Yep. But that’s not true, ‘cause you’re not actually related by blood to anyone in your family now, right?

Your dad used to be, uh... wasn’t he the guy they call Godfather?

Hokuto: ...That reminds me. I hear something like that from Isara during the Autumn Live.^[3]

Hiyori: Now that’s a trip down memory lane. I told Mao-kun everything I knew about Nagisa-kun when he came looking for answers.

Subaru: Right, right. And aside from that, I’d also heard little bits and pieces about Nagisa’s dad, too.

Nagisa: ...You’re correct, Subaru-kun. That was a script that Ibara prepared in advance.

...After all, I could not well talk about my father.

Subaru: I knew it! So then, what was your childhood actually like, Nagisa-san?

I’ve heard a few things here and there, but never the whole story.

Hokuto: Ran-senpai’s childhood... it’s hard to picture it, so I’m curious, too.

Nagisa: ......

Hokuto: If it’s too difficult to talk about, though, you don’t have to force yourself.

Nagisa: ...It’s not that. I just don’t know how to put it into words.

...When I was a child, I did not have much sense of self.

Hiyori: Fufu. Well, then, would you like me to tell the story for you, Nagisa-kun?

Subaru: Ohii-san? Can you do that?

Hiyori: Of course I can. Nagisa-kun and I are family, after all!

Let me tell you all about the sweetest, most adorable Nagisa-kun when he was a little kid.

And the fateful encounter that made us family... ☆