Chapter 1

Huh? There’s no one at the dojo. Not even Tetsu’s here yet?

(Bow to the gods and… there.)

‘Kay, guess I’m startin’ off. If I just go at it, Tetsu’ll turn up eventually.

…Hah! Sei! Hah! Seiya!

…This is useless. I keep fuckin’ up my forms ‘cause my mind’s all over the place…

I was thinkin’ if I got my body movin’ around, I’d get my thoughts in order. But instead of clearin’ my head, I’m just stuck practicing without my heart in it.

I’m settin’ a bad example like this.

(But it’s hard to talk to anyone else about this… So I ain’t really got a choice but to do something about it myself.)

…But man, I’m still hesitating—or really, I just got no idea what to do.

Pull yourself together man, this is pathetic. You got people who look up to ya, people who look atcha like you hang the damn moon.

Ugh… It ain’t like me to run myself ragged worryin’ over stuff…

(Cleaning up took forever! I’m sooo late~! Did Taishou start practice already?)

(Most of the third years have already retired from their club activities, but Taishou’s been showing up a bunch to help with passing the baton.)

(And thanks to that, I get to spar and run drills with him.)

(I mean yeah, it’s fun sparring with the other people in the club, but Taishou really brings that special something to the table! So I have the most fun when I’m with him!)

(And lately he’s been even more willing to spar with me than before, so I guess he’s really acknowledging me now~ ♪)

(All right! Today I’m gonna go in there and give it all I’ve got~! I’m not saying I need to score an ippon or anything, but I at least wanna get a few points on him.)

Seiya! Hah!

(Ohh, just like I thought, looks like Taishou’s already going at it~ I can feel his fighting spirit radiating from inside the dojo!)

(Hehe ♪ Maybe I should try scaring him as a little prank~? Like freak him out by yelling real loud or something.)

(Would he get angry though? But I’ve like, never ever seen Taishou surprised before, so I’m kinda curious.)

(I’ll just take a qui~ck peek inside…)

(Yep, he’s training, all right. …Huh? Taishou’s forms seem kinda sluggish today…?)

…Got no choice but to kill those guys.

…?!

(Huh? Huhhhhh…?! What did he say just now?!)

(Kill? Who’s killing who…?! Nghhh. Well Taishou’s the one who said it, so I guess it’d be Taishou doing the killing?)

(No way no way no way no way… There’s no way Taishou would talk about something so dangerous! I totally, definitely misheard something!)

(Ahaha. Man, I sure did jump to that conclusion real quick~ But I’ve gotta be calm and collected if I wanna be a man among men.)

(Okay, just take a deep breath and calm down… In… out…)

(Ossu, I’m totally calm now~)

(I’ll just check one more time. Just take a li~ttle peek…)

I wanted to settle things peacefully, but at this rate the people I love are gonna get hurt.

Now that it’s come to this, they leave me no choice. Next time we meet, it’ll be time to pay the piper!

(Uwaaaah! I really wasn’t hearing things wrong after all!)

(He absolutely just said it’ll be time to pay the piper! I heard it loud and clear with my own two ears!)

(What’s that supposed to mean?! D–does he have beef with someone…?)

(Ummm, uhhh~? Wh–what am I supposed to do?! Do I stop him?! Do I back him up?!)

(No wait, I shouldn’t just go supporting stuff like that, right?! Ahhh, I’m getting myself all mixed up, there’s no way I can deal with this myself~!)

(Oh, I know! Hasumi-senpai! I’ll just ask Hasumi-senpai what to do…!)

(He should be in the student council room right about now. So I’ll just head over there as fast as I can!)

(Taishou! Don’t go rushing into anything~!)

…Feels like there was someone outside just now…? Maybe Tetsu’s finally here?

Hey, Tetsu, don’t just stand there… Hang on, nobody’s here. Was I just imaginin’ things?

Huh? Is this Tetsu’s bag? So he really was here. But why’d that guy leave his bag here of all places…?

Hasumi-dono, why not rest a while? Thou hast work’d nonstop for some time now.

Mm? Oh, I didn’t realize how much time had passed already… Don’t worry. Thanks to your help, I’m just about finished.

I see! In that case, I’m glad.

In any case, Hasumi-dono, why art thou doing work for the student council?

Thou wert at work already upon mine arrival, and so I offer’d mine help with nary a thought… Hath not thy successors taken over such work?

I’ve already handed over the reins for the major things, but this is just the way I’ve always been. I can’t relax unless I’ve got a task in front of me.

So I thought I’d take care of some post-processing for the Chocolat Fes we had the other day… But it looks like I got too caught up in it.

Actually, Kanzaki. Why did you even come here in the first place and help me out like it was some normal thing?

Me? Umm? I suppose the answer would be…

I, too, become restless should I be not engaged in something. And so, I made haste to help thee as I oft would, Hasumi-dono!

In that case, you can’t go calling me out for running on autopilot. But anyway, now that we’re done here, let’s have some tea.

Then I pray thee allow me to prepare it! Hasumi-dono, I would have thee rest… ♪

Thanks.

…npa~i!

…Nn? Did you hear someone yell just now? And there’s a lot of noise coming from the hallway…

I’m unsure… But are those footsteps I hear?

It seems as though something is heading toward this room at great speed?!

Hasumi-senpai! Y–you gotta help me~!