rubestie

Season: Winter

Writer: Akira

Characters: Madara, Kohaku

Madara: There was never any obligation for you to get involved in this mess in the first place.

You already have a place where you belong. There’s Tsukasa Suou, whom you are connected to by blood, and there’s Crazy:B, where you as an idol belong.

There is no reason why you should have to keep pretending to be J’s parent, as part of Double Face.

Kohaku: Even though you were the one who got me involved in the first place-

And stop makin’ me repeat myself over ‘n over again. Even if I don’t have any obligations, I have my honor. And my feelings.

J is the son of the GFK we eliminated. It’s our fault that he’s bein’ targeted by all these bad guys.

Because of us, GFK’s inheritance became a problem, and now that innocent kid is surrounded by a storm we made.

It would be wrong for us, the people who caused that storm, ta walk around nonchalantly as if nothin’ ever happened.

I can clean up my own messes. Don’t treat me like a kid, Madara-han.

Madara: You’ve done enough. No, more than enough, you’ve done well.

You’ve far outdone my expectations, honestly speaking.

You were nothing but a stranger to me. We just happened to meet each other back in that dark back alley. We ended up teaming up because our objectives were aligned.

But then. In the spur of the moment, we created that figurehead known as Double Face-

That costume felt unexpectedly comfortable to wear, and I ended up missing my chance to take it off.

Aah, I really had fun. Being with you made every day fulfilling.

I want you to listen without getting angry. You’re actually very important to me, I love you a lot.

Kohaku: ..No one in their right mind would get angry after hearin’ that.

Madara: Really? For some reason, people tend to snap every time I show them any affection.

Kohaku: Ya must be really bad at showin’ affection then. Ya probably make it sound as if yer jokin’, so people think yer makin’ fun of them and then they get pissed off.

Madara: I’m always serious - is what I’d like to say, but that would be a complete lie. Sigh, I learned to be eloquent at socializing, and so my whole life has been filled with deception.

Even then. You may not believe me, but what I said just now was the truth.

You called me your buddy before.

That made me happy, really.

Unlike me, you don’t tell stupid, meaningless lies. And that is exactly why that simple, casual show of affection really touched my heart.

Thank you, Kohaku-san. I’m glad I met you.

I’m so glad it was you I met in that back alley.

I really have been blessed.

madara+kohaku

Kohaku: Wh, why are ya sayin’ things that make it sound like yer goin’ ta die soon?

Even if I step down from doin’ the program, and even if Double Face gets disbanded, it’s not like this is goodbye forever.

Madara: Actually, I don’t plan on ever seeing you again.

Kohaku: Huh?

Madara: From here on out, MaM will be in charge of “[MaM]’s Chronicle of Parenting Struggles”, just like the name suggests.

I don’t know about Anzu-san, but this is probably what Ibara-san had planned since the beginning.

It’s obvious from the program name. You probably weren’t supposed to be involved in this plot at all originally.

However, Ibara-san underestimated the bond between me and you. I chose you as my reliable partner, and we tried to protect J together.

That must have been an unforeseen situation for Ibara-san. He probably didn’t expect things to pan out that way. That is probably why he spent so uncharacteristically long to find me and J when he first started searching for us.

Kohaku: He didn’t think Double Face were so friendly, ya mean? I get what ya mean, but that wordin’s kinda pissin’ me off.

Madara: Either way, what we’re doing now is simply returning to the original plot. Me and J will be the only regulars on “[MaM]’s Chronicle of Parenting Struggles”, and you will leave the show.

We already announced this to the public when we broadcasted that special episode.

I will raise J from here on. I alone will stay by his side, to protect and raise him.

Kohaku: Do ya really think that’s possible? Get off yer high horse already.

Up until now, we supported each other in raisin’ that kid. Even if ya try ta cut me off at this point, I can’t accept that.

Madara: Hahaha. Out of context it really does sound like we’re a couple on the verge of divorce who are meaninglessly arguing over custody.

Kohaku: Don’t try ta make jokes outta the situation. That’s a bad habit of yers, Madara-han.

Try showin’ yer true face fer once. No matter what ya do, it’s not like ya can make me hate ya any more than I already do at this point.

I hated ya from the beginnin’, so it’s impossible for my impression of you ta get any worse.

Madara: We’re not discussing what is and isn’t possible. We’re talking about what we should be doing.

Kohaku: So it’s about obligations. I hate that word.

Madara: Actually, it's about damage control.

Let's wind our conversation back a little bit. Our job this time never had a clear deadline.

We want to protect J. We cannot ignore our connection to that child. Besides, he asked me to save him.

I’m no hero who can gallantly come running when someone yells “Help me!”. But I also wasn’t able to become the kind of villain who can just ignore those kinds of screams.

I’m half-hearted and pathetic, but this time, I want to be able to protect the person I want to protect.

I was never able to do that before. I could only stand by idly and watch as this reality cut my little sister and Kanata-san into tiny pieces.

But this time, I might be able to protect J.

This time for sure, I want to become the kind of hero I longed for.

Even if that ends up being nothing more than a vigilante who ignores the law as he pretends to be a hero and hides himself behind a mask while he beats up bad guys.

That is my dream. It’s the dream I was unable to throw away.

If its for the sake of my dream, then I can bet my life on it.

madara