Nameless Doll 5

A half-hour later

Shu: Oho, ohoho! Hoho... ♪

Mika: Ngah, you kinda sound like an owl, Oshi-san.

Shu: Fufu. Well, you are a crow, so I would say it’s rather fitting!

Isn’t it splendid, Kagehira? I would go so far as to praise you, which isn’t something I do often! Kakaka ☆

Mika: Ngahh? Ehehe, then lemme hear it ♪

Shu: Stop clinging to me; it’s too hot for that! The recent heat wave has been so intense it feels as though we’re in hell!

Mika: The building’s air-conditioned, though. Anyways, it just feels more right if you an’ Maddie are together...

Here, take her ♪

Shu: Gh, how did you end up with Mademoiselle again? Give her back!

Mika: When you were paying back at the coffee shop, you told me to take care of her for a sec.

Said she was in the way of pullin’ out your wallet...

Natsume: Ahaha. They’re so close that there’s simply no room for anyone else when they’re together.

Arashi: It’s irritating, isn’t it? Like seriously...

Well, I am relieved to find out that their relationship isn’t as dangerous or immoral as I was fearing.

Ufufu, they’re kind of like brothers, or maybe a father and son... ♪

Shu: You three! Don’t just loiter around; go buy your tickets. This is a veritable trove of beauty, the likes of which have hardly been seen in recent years!

It would be unthinkable to die before witnessing it!

Natsume: There he goes about death again... You can go enjoy yourself without me, Shu-nii-san.

Perhaps seeing such beautiful things will bring forth a surge of creativity that allows you to escape your slump.

Shu: Hmm... I understand now: this is why you all went to the trouble of bringing me out here?

Mika: Well, yeah. You ain’t been doin’ so hot lately, Oshi-san...

I was hopin’ you might get inspired if you saw some stuff you like, an’ then you’ll be able to enjoy your sewin’ again.

I’s walkin’ around with Naru-chan... and Anzu-chan, too, an’ we saw a banner hangin’ outside a department store.

We took a peek inside an’ saw an exhibition that looked mighty interesting.

I thought you’d wanna stop by, so we called you.

I didn’t mean to bother you, though... Naru-chan an’ Anzu-chan ended up makin’ that weird prank call---are ya mad at me?

Shu: If I seem angry to you, then you must be going blind!

I ought to take this opportunity to refit you with matching eyeballs, then. I’ll even use the most lovely velvet for them... ☆

O, beautiful Victoria! Would that I had been born into a world of such brilliant art, under the reign of such a splendid queen!

Mika: You’re even more excited than I thought you’d be...

What’s, uh, Victoria? Kinda sounds like our name Valkyrie ♪

Shu: No, it doesn’t? You are not a child; are you so incapable of evaluating anything outside of simple comparisons?

To begin with, you ought to look up what you don’t understand before you ask me! I’ve thought this before, but you really do lack artistic curiosity!

Mika: Urgh. No matter what I say, you get mad.

Arashi: Fufu. Getting mad at you just means you’re important to him.

Natsume: Nii-san, Nii-san... I know you’re already moved by the display at the entrance...

But I believe the main exhibit will be worth a visit, as well. You should check it out ♪

Shu: The main exhibit? Ah, that one called “Nameless Dolls,” yes?

I should say first that I am quite particular about dolls.

Such is not limited to myself, however. People reject things they don’t like as offensive, tossing them into the trash bin of their minds so as to forget about them.

At the same time, we have the tendency to categorize and give name to that which we do, even if those things have only subtle differences between them. We put them on display and cherish them.

Arashi: I get what you mean... Izumi-chan and I can remember everything about our favorite makeup, even down to the very last detail.

Ritsu-chan, on the other hand... It doesn’t matter how much we tell him, he just calls them “that red one” or something.

People are so indifferent to things they don’t like. Ah, it’s hard to be loved... ♪

Shu: Oho. You know, I had been wondering just how thickheaded you were, being friends with Kagehira.

But I find we rather see more eye to eye than he does, surprisingly.

Arashi: Hmmm? No, it’s fine. You can just leave me alone and go talk to Mika-chan ♪

I’ll have a friendly chat with Anzu-chan and Natsume-chan over here.

Natsume: Yes. We will be way over here, so please enjoy yourself ♪

Mika: Well sure, that’s fine an’ all, but I already get to talk to Oshi-san all the time at home.

But I am wonderin’ ‘bout this whole Nameless Dolls exhibit.

Look at the doll on the flier here... don’t she look just like Maddie?

Naru-chan even asked if she was Maddie’s sister... but I don’t got an answer for that.

More I thought about it, the more I realized I dunno anything ‘bout Maddie even though we’re family... I figured I should ask you, Oshi-san.

Shu: Her family? Hm... you’re quite fortunate that he think that way of you, Mademoiselle.

Mademoiselle: “Ohh! Mika-chan, I can’t believe you’d consider me your family! I’m so happy!”

“But to be honest, neither Shu-kun nor I know much about me, either.”

“I only have a stamp that reads ‘little girl’ on me. And so I’m simply Mademoiselle, a doll without a name... I was abandoned before I could be given one.”

Mademoiselle: “Or perhaps I spent so long alone that everyone just forgot my name.”

“All that time... that is, until Shu-kun found me.”