Chapter 1
Present day—early December, in the final stages of the SS Qualifying Rounds, at an airport in the Kansai region
(Man~ I’m so frazzled.)
(I’m just reapin’ what I sowed, but I dunno why I’m the only one who’s gotta keep flyin’ back an’ forth between Kyushu, Shikoku an’ Kansai.)
(It’s ‘cause I’m in two units—Double Face and Crazy:B—all at once.)
(But it’s not like I can just quit one of them now, can I? I got both an obligation to ‘em and a sense of human decency. ‘Sides, it’s a unique position I can work to my advantage.)
(I was basically under house arrest as a kid, so I didn ’t really get a chance to interact with the world.)1
(I wish I could live my life two, even three times as full as the rest of ‘em.)
(I do enjoy the life I got now, but…)
(Whether I can live it well is another story entirely.)
(Am I gonna be all right? I never had a normal life before, and I don’t got many skills at all—)
(So I’m worried I can’t do this after all.)
(I don’t really got no role models around me. I’m walkin’ down the back roads of life; prolly not even the textbooks know the right answer for me.)
(There’s no one to tell me I oughta do this or that. I’m the only one who can decide which path to take.)
(…That’s a mighty normal experience, ain’t it?)
(I guess I’m livin’ a more normal life closer to my ideal than I thought.)
(I don’t wanna be a slave, just obeyin’ whenever someone tells me what to do.)
(Naw, I’ve always wanted a life like—)
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
…?!
(Nnngh? I was wonderin’ who was kickin’ up all that fuss—)
(But ain’t that someone from Knights…? ‘S far as I can tell, that’s Madara-han’s friend—and Madara-han’s known for never gettin’ too close to anyone.)
(He should be the only one Madara-han can call his friend. Yep, there’s no way my research is wrong.)
(That’s Tsukinaga Leo, right? What’s he doin’ in a place like this?)
(Well I mean, I knew Knights was placed in the Kansai region, same as us, but…?)
(We were tryin’ to let sleepin’ dogs lie an’ stay as far away from Knights as we could.)
(We just made that alliance with ‘em to keep safe, then high-tailed it away from ‘em to avoid comin’ into contact—)
(Actually, the rest of Crazy:B looked like they were really diggin’ their heels in to avoid that topic. Or was it just my imagination?)
(Anyway, if that’s Crazy:B’s strategy, I’d better stay away from Knights too.)
(Bou’s also in Knights, and if he’s really as serious and uptight as he claims, they won’t do anything bad to us.)
(But if Bou hasn’t grown out of his old self—)
(Then if we just so happen to stand too close to ‘im, he might up an’ squash us like bugs.)
Come on, quit messing around and get on the plane, now! You really have no idea when to give up, do you? Sooo~ annoying!
Nooooo! Stop deciding things for me! You’re always like this~! It’s my life, isn’t it?!
Excuse me?! Your life belongs to me, remember?!
Really, it’s more like you gave it to me, all like “Here you go ♪” when I didn’t even ask for it. So shouldn’t you be a little more grateful since you wanted all this?!
Yep! I know I gave everything to you, but how ‘bout you give it back now and pretend it never happened!
Not like we signed a contract or anything, right~? So it’s fine!
What are you even talking about?! You really think I’m going to return something that was given to me?
Nah, doubt it—But do it anyway! At least lemme go free for right now! Please Sena! I love you!
I don’t need your cheap love!
If you don’t need it, then give it back! Give it baaaack, you thief~!
(What in the—Is this some lovers’ quarrel…?)
(I can’t speak for anyone else or nothin’, but I feel like all those people at ES oughta be more concerned about what the world thinks of ‘em.)
(Don’t they realize what people’ll think if you kick up a fuss in public?)
(Do they just think they can do whatever they want ‘cause they’re standin’ at the top?)
(The only ones allowed to do that are dictators and little kids.)
…Hm?!
(Crap! I got so curious I ended up starin’, and now our eyes’ve met!)
Oh~! It’s you! You’re Mama’s little henchman! Suo~’s Yuu-kun!
Um? By Mama, you mean Madara-han? I don’t remember becomin’ his henchman, and what the heck does “Suo~’s Yuu-kun” even mean?
(No wait, I just responded on instinct! Even though I was tryin’ to hide myself!)
(This ain’t good~ I still haven’t broken my bad habit of talkin’ back to the TV or computer screen!)
Huh? Yuu-kun? Yuu-kun’s here? Where is he?!
Now’s my chance! You loosened your grip! And now I can…!
Ah—Hey, wait! Don’t run awaaaaay?!
—Save me!
Wh–Wha?
What’s your name again? I can’t remember! But if you’re Mama’s henchman, you’ve gotta be a hero too! So save me from the bad man who’s after me!
Who’re you calling a bad man?! If you look at it objectively, you’re the one causing problems for other people—
Look! Sena’s chasing me down with that demonic look in his eye! If he catches me, he’ll do terrible things to me!
T–terrible things? Is that guy hurting you or somethin’…?
Well no, but! He’s just a terrible guy!
He throws me in the bath and won’t let me out ‘til I’m squeaky-clean!
And while I’m locked away he throws out all the pretty rocks and cool-looking sticks I picked up! That’s such a mean thing to do!
…? …? Umm, is that a code for something?
Anywho, let’s book it! C’mon, you’re comin’ with me!
Uh—Huh? But why? Why me…?!
Kohaku is talking about being locked in a 座敷牢 (zashikirou) as a kid. Zashikirous are barred rooms inside one’s home which were used to confine criminals, the physically disabled, or the mentally ill, especially during the Edo period. It’s a privately operated form of house arrest where a section of the family’s home is partitioned and locked to deprive the prisoner of freedom, prevent them from going outside, and cut off their relationship with the outside world. In most cases they were not intended to punish the person, so they were comfortably furnished.