Intersection of Pranks 9
Rinne: “Huh...?! Did you say a bomb?”
Yuuta: “Yeah, take a look at this! There are numbers on the belt around the doll’s waist!”
“It’s clearly counting down from three hundred! No matter how you look at it, that’s definitely a bomb!”
“I guess the VP pulled one over on us again!”
“I guess this is what I get for teaming up with you for revenge, Rinne-senpai...!”
Rinne: “I mean sure, the VP set us up, but there’s no way this bomb’s not just some dumb toy.”
“If it were real, he’d have to risk blowing up his own room, right?”
Yuuta: “W–well maybe. But what if he just reduced its strength or something?”
Rinne: “Even if he did that, a spark could start a whole fire. It’s gotta be a toy he put here to freak us out.”
Yuuta: “...Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Yuuta・Kuro: ...... (nodding to each other)
Rinne: “But c’mon, does the VP really think we’d go crazy over a toy like this?”
“Something feels off about this—”
“Geh?! What was that? It sounded like some kinda explosion...”
Kuro: “My bad. I guess I stepped on a balloon n’ popped it by accident.”
Rinne: “Huh? That was a balloon popping? Did Yuta drop one or something?”
“Guess I freaked a bit ‘cause he was talking about bombs n’ shit just now—.”
Yuuta: “Sweet. Gotcha, Rinne-senpai ♪”
Rinne: “...Huh?”
Yuuta: “Thanks, Kiryuu-senpai. Great timing with that water balloon~”
Kuro: “Yup, glad I could catch Amagi-senpai’s attention.”
Rinne: “...Okay now, what the hell’s going on here?”
“Hey, Yuta? Why’d you put handcuffs on me?”
Yuuta: “Oh, it’s not just the handcuffs. I also strapped the bomb that was on the mannequin to your waist.”
Rinne: “That doesn’t answer my question! I mean, with the way things are going now, it almost looks like...”
Yuuta: “So you figured it out? To tell the truth...”
“I actually teamed up with the VP and came up with a plan to prank you, Rinne-senpai.”
“Tah-dah~ ♪ Huge success!”
Rinne: “Are you kidding me?! So does that mean the bomb around my waist is real?”
Yuuta: “It’s real.”
“You know, you just said the VP would never do anything stupid, buuuut...”
“What if I got his permission for it? Did you consider that?”
Rinne: “Gyahaha. You sure can have some funny tricks up your sleeve sometimes...”
“So now what? This ain’t the end of it, is it?”
Yuuta: “Smart cookie. You’re right on the money~”
“As it turns out, the VP is in the courtyard right now, and he’s got the key that can disarm the bomb.”
“If you catch him and grab the key before the timer hits zero, maybe you can stop the explosion?”
Rinne: (? Why’s Viper-chan the one who can disarm it...?)
“...! Got it. Then you guys really thought this one through... ♪”
“I gotta admit, I underestimated you. But I’m a sucker for a plot twist.”
“Gyahaha, all right, I’ll play your little game!”
Ibara: Fufu. I cannot stress how delighted I am that you fell into my trap, Amagi-shi.
But you certainly made me waste considerable time and effort.
I never intended to be part of this prank in the first place; it was a miscalculation on my part that so many of you would select me as your target.
It would have been simple to just reject it, but that would have entailed turning down similar offers. What a hassle.
Therefore, it’s better in the long-term to turn the tables on them and make the entire industry, as well as other idols, realize that there is no merit in targeting me.
And in the short term, I also get footage from these pranks.
I maximize profit while keeping my work in order. It’s killing two birds with one stone, truly. Ahaha ☆
Yuuta: “—You seem rather pleased with yourself, vice president ♪”
Ibara: “Huh?! That sounds like—”
(There’s some discomfort in my leg. Am I being restrained somehow...?)
Yuuta: “It would be bad for me if you tried to escape, so I’ve got handcuffs around your ankles ♪”
“Ahaha. You gave us some great reactions~ Narukami-senpai, did you get that on camera?”
Arashi: “Of course. It’s a perfect shot ♪”
Ibara: “Narukami-shi? Yuuta-kun? Why are you here...?!”
“Particularly you, Yuuta-kun. I just confirmed that you were in my room...”
Yuuta: “Oh, the one over there is actually Aniki in disguise.”
Ibara: “Hinata-kun...? He’s supposed to be...”
Yuuta: “Yeah, he’s got some work this morning, but he had some time before he left.”
Ibara: “......”
Yuuta: “The biggest threat to you was me, your partner, betraying you.”
Ibara: “...Indeed. When you contacted me, I did consider that possibility, myself.”
Yuuta: “Which is why I needed to make you believe there was absolutely no chance of me stabbing you in the back.”
“To do that, I figured I just had to put up an appearance of working with Rinne-senpai.”
“If I were acting alone, I wouldn’t be able to meddle with you while also pulling a prank on him.”
“But in reality, I was moving freely because I had Aniki disguised as me.”
Ibara: “...So you exploited notion that Hinata-kun would be unable to participate due to a prior commitment.”
Yuuta: “You’re the one who told me Hinata-kun couldn’t be on the show because of a scheduling conflict.”
“On top of that, you’re working under the impression that I’ve been focusing on solo work lately.”
“I’ve even talked with you before about getting some work that doesn’t have anything to do with us being twins.”
“So didn’t you subconsciously assume that I wouldn’t rely on Aniki for this rare opportunity to fly solo?”
“Hehe, doing this whole villain monologue thing feels so satisfying, actually ♪”
“Assault! Invade! Conquer~ ☆ I can totally understand why you love the feeling so much, VP.”
Ibara: “...Yes, I suppose I do. I don’t deny it, at least.”
“But having my plans foiled is conversely the worst feeling I can experience!”
“Enough of this. You managed to pull off your prank, so let’s put an end to this whole charade—”
Yuuta: “Oh, no, the prank’s just getting started, actually.”
Ibara: “There’s more...?”
Yuuta: “All of this was just prep work. The main event starts right now.”
“Well, it should be about time for Rinne-senpai to show his face, so here, take this key.”
Ibara: “...What is it for?”
Yuuta: “Rinne-senpai currently has a bomb strapped to his waist, and he’s looking for you. He’s been informed that you have the key to disarm the bomb.”
“—So you know what happens next, don’t you?”
Ibara: “Do you intend to say that I and Amagi-shi will fall victim to the bomb when he comes to me to disarm it?”
“It’s a fake. It’s merely a gag toy; nothing will happen even if the timer runs out.”
Yuuta: “But the last one who handled the thing on Rinne-senpai’s waist was Aniki.”
“Are you sure he’s got on something you put together, VP?”
Ibara: (So there’s a possibility it was switched out...! In that case, I can’t rule out the possibility of an explosion.)
Rinne: “—Found you, Snakey-boy ♪”
Ibara: “Amagi-shi...!”