Last Mission - Karmic Retribution 14

Season: Winter

 

Writer: Akira

 

Characters: Ibara, Madara

 

<At the same time. The large hospital near ES where J was taken after collapsing.>

 

Ibara: I just received a reply from Suou-shi. It seems he is heading here immediately with Oukawa-shi.

 

I was having trouble reaching Oukawa-shi. As you predicted, however, it seems he was being taken care of at Suou-shi’s home-

 

Madara: …

 

Ibara: Mikejima-shi? Are you listening? Hello, he~llo?

 

Madara: Aah… right, sorry about that.

 

I should have been the one to make arrangements at the hospital and reach out to the people involved in the project, but you took care of it for me. You've been really helpful, thank you for that.

 

Ibara: Oh, I was simply doing what I do best.
 

You lot tend to forget all about those common-sense tasks, so as long as I am there to fill that gap, you will appreciate me - I’ll be sought after.

 

It’s all just part of my sales pitch.

 

Besides. Even though I haven’t added my name to the credits, I am acting as the producer for “[MaM]’s Chronicle of Parenting Struggles”.

 

As the one responsible, I will take care of what needs to be done. Unlike the people you are used to at Yumenosaki Academy, I never leave everything to the idols on-set.

 

But wow, I was really surprised back then. To think that J-san would collapse after the shoot finished.

 

Madara: In hindsight, it was bound to happen. I wasn’t careful enough.

 

J is still a child, he hasn’t grown to the point where he can work nonstop like this.

 

Even though he learned the basics of being an idol at the Maizuru House, he was fundamentally no different from any ordinary kid living a normal life.

 

As a performer, he was still a complete beginner. And we forced that child to do heavy labor that would be tough even for adults. Twice a week, we would shoot episodes for that weird program.

 

It looked like he was just having fun messing with adults, but the amount of work must have taken a huge toll on both his body and his mind.

 

It’s only natural that he would reach his limit and collapse like this.

 

No. We should have predicted this. How stupid of us, of me.

 

J… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

 

Once again I’ve ended up hurting the one I promised to protect.

 

Ibara: Now, now, don’t be so pessimistic. According to the doctors, J is just ill with a common cold, right?

 

However, since it appears J-san’s consciousness is still rather muddy, they decided to have him stay admitted to the hospital for a couple more days…

 

At the very least, there should be no danger to his life.

 

Madara: Sigh, even though I knew there was a cold going around recently… I neglected to make any precautions, and didn’t even realize when he caught a cold.

 

I’m disqualified to be his guardian.

 

Ibara: N~... I wonder about that.

 

(I can’t help but feel like there is something fishy here. Is this really just a normal cold?)

 

(Since the common cold is going around currently, what if the doctors just went with the most likely explanation they could think of without actually being sure?)

 

(It is a doctor’s job to make a diagnosis, after all. They can’t very well get away with saying that they don’t know what is wrong. They may have tried to cover for themselves by picking a common diagnosis.)

 

(I only caught a quick glimpse of J-san as he was carried to the hospital, but more than a cold, it seemed as if he was-)

 

(H~m, what could it have been? This slight feeling of unease, the uncanniness of the situation.)

 

(They do say truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.)

 

(For all these hardships to fall onto this “family” at this impeccable timing - that is really something you would expect from a drama series.)

 

Either way, we can’t keep being depressed. Let’s do whatever is possible for us to help.

 

Of course, now that our main character J-san has collapsed, we can’t very well keep filming for “[MaM]’s Chronicle of Parenting Struggles”.

 

It has grown to become a popular program with a cult-like following, so it really is a shame. We created this show as a means to an end, however, so there is no reason to dwell too much on it.

 

What do you want to do? Should we cancel the show? Or should we go on hiatus until J-san is able to return?

 

Personally, I don’t mind either one. Whichever you choose, we will have to make an official announcement stating that intent for all the viewers who are looking forward to the show.

 

Now that Oukawa-shi has left and J-san has collapsed, the best course of action would be for our last surviving regular, Mikejima-shi, to personally make that announcement.

 

If the agency announces it without any of the regulars present, the fans might not accept it, after all.

 

Madara: That’s true… Of course, I’ll cooperate wherever necessary.

 

Rather than simply posting the announcement on social media, it would be better if we posted a short video titled “Important Notice” to let the fans know it’s real.

 

It still hasn’t been long since we posted the special episode announcing Kohaku-san’s retirement, so it might be weird for us to post another one this soon though.

 

Ibara: On the contrary, this could be positive for us. This should make the fans create a fuss over the entire ordeal, which will create an even bigger focus on our show than before. 

 

Talents who can gather attention like this are rather hard to come by, you know.

 

In the beginning, this was our motivation behind incorporating Crazy:B into CosPro as well. Those guys have a valuable talent for creating controversies. 

 

And lately, they’ve become more or less normal idols, and I strangely find myself missing the excitement.

 

They are probably catering to the wishes of their fans, but I personally don’t find it very interesting.

 

In that sense, I was expecting greater things of you two.

 

Madara: What you’re looking for in idols would be more apt in a terrorist organization, I think… So this time you wanted us to charge in with bombs instead of Crazy:B?

 

Ibara: Your wording makes me sound horrible. I merely want to revitalize this stagnating industry.

 

If everyone is a goody-two-shoes then things will be boring, no?

 

Madara: Well, I agree with you on that point. Though, putting us and Crazy:B aside, we probably shouldn’t have forced that kind of role onto J-san, who is still a child.

 

It’s probably too late at this point, but I’ve reflected on it. What occurred this time is all my fault. I’d like to emphasize that when we make our apology to the fans of the show.

 

Kohaku-san and J did nothing wrong. Everything bad that happened came from me.

 

If we phrase it like that, then we can avoid casting dark shadows over Kohaku-san and J’s futures. At the very least, we can keep it to a minimum.

 

All the bad things are mine to carry, as MaM. 



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Last Mission - Karmic Retribution 15

Season: Winter

 

Writer: Akira

 

Characters: Ibara, Madara, Kohaku, Tsukasa

 

 

Ibara: Yes. Putting J-san aside, Oukawa-shi is currently a member of one of the top earners for us at CosPro, Crazy:B.

It would be convenient for us if you, who are affiliated with a different agency, could take on all of the responsibility.

 

Anzu-san might get angry with you again, if you keep up this self-sacrificing habit of yours.

 

I prefer to consider the situation from a business-like perspective, however, and I insist on respecting your wishes.

 

Returning to the problem at hand, I’ll repeat my previous questions. What do you want to do? Do you want to cancel the show? Or would you like to continue?

 

Madara: …I’m not qualified to make that decision. Or rather, this isn’t something we should decide on our own.

 

J should decide. The most important thing is what he wants to do.

 

I’ve kept making mistakes because I never took that into consideration, or even thought about it.

 

At this point I’ve reflected on my own behavior, and want to do what’s right, this time for sure.

 

Ibara: …All villains are destined to be defeated by the allies of justice.

 

Villains can’t reflect on themselves, reform their ideology, and be reborn as an ally of justice.

 

You see it happen sometimes in Buddhist stories and old shounen manga, but reality is not that kind.

 

In “my” eyes, you look almost laughably much like you’re suffocating right now now*.

 

Madara: …

 

 

Madara: -J, how are you feeling?

 

Hahaha. I bet you’re surprised. I was kicked out of the hospital room earlier because the staff didn’t want me catching your cold, but there are many convenient ways to sneak into places.

 

Though I guess that also means any villains targeting you would have an equally easy time sneaking in here, so it’s not very good.

 

It might be better if we moved you to a hospital with a little more security if you’re gonna stay hospitalized. Like the hospital where my sister is receiving treatment, that place is specifically made to treat members of the police force.

 

…J? What’s wrong, you’re not saying anything.

 

Are you sleeping? Did they give you the kind of cold medicine that makes you sleepy?

 

(-No, that’s not it. There’s clearly someone under the futon, but even if J was to pull the futon all the way over his head, this still doesn’t look like J’s body.)

 

(J is too small and thin for his age, but even considering that this futon looks overly large on him.)

 

-J!

 

…!? Eh, why are you here? What’s going on?

 

Kohaku: Madara-ha~n!

 

Where’s J? Is he okay? Argh, I don’t even know what ta say, how could somethin’ happen ta J when y’all were together?

 

Madara: …Kohaku-san.

 

Kohaku: Wh, what’s wrong? Ya look so pale, is J’s condition really that bad?

 

Wait, what’s goin’ on in here? That’s yer sister, Maguro-han, ain’t it? Why’s she bound up in the bed like that?

 

What are the two of ya doin’, really?

 

Madara: You know, I don’t have the slightest clue myself-

 

J was supposed to be asleep in that bed, but when I moved the futon my sister was bound up there in his place.

 

J has disappeared somewhere.

 

Kohaku: …

 

 

Ibara: -It seems like someone took advantage of the disturbance caused by J-san collapsing.

 

I was busy contacting everyone involved in the program, and even Mikejima-shi was uncharacteristically obedient and left the hospital when asked to by the doctors.

 

To rebel against the doctor’s instructions when at the hospital would not only be pointless, but could even be harmful, after all. There was nothing else he could have done.

 

There was nothing Mikejima-shi could do for J-san while he was sick, so even though he was worried for J-san he had no choice but to leave the hospital room.

 

However, some scoundrel took advantage of that momentary gap in our security. He colluded with a fake doctor to get inside the hospital room, after which he swiftly kidnapped J and escaped through a back entrance.

 

In this way, J-san ended up stolen from us.

 

Tsukasa: Are we pursuing the kidnapper?

 

Ibara: Of course, I quickly mobilized my private forces and sent them in pursuit. 

 

The kidnapper is a professional. There were almost no traces left in the room after the kidnapping, and the surveillance cameras both inside the hospital and in the nearby areas had been disabled aforehand. Honestly speaking, tracking him will be extremely difficult.

 

They’ve completely defeated us. The whole case was almost suspiciously well executed. 

 

J-san’s sudden collapse should have been a completely unexpected occurrence for everyone.

 

And yet. J-san collapsed, was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, was examined and admitted to the hospital, after which he was taken to his room-

 

All this took place in less than an hour. During this time, the kidnapper managed to prepare and commit a seemingly perfect crime.

 

Perfectly utilizing the split second during which we were unable to react.

 

Tsukasa: Does that mean this person noticed J-san’s physical condition worsening beforehand and spent time preparing for the crime?

 

Ibara: There was no way to foresee this incident, which is exactly what makes me think this case is unnatural.

 

Though we can’t exclude the possibility that the culprit had prepared countless potential plans and one of them coincidentally happened to work out.

 

I just cannot help but feel suspicious.

 

Tsukasa: Suspicious in what way?

 

Ibara: What I am about to say could be interpreted as defamation, but I can’t help but wonder if the perpetrator behind this crime is- 



TL-notes:
* - Ibara usually uses the "jibun" pronoun for himself in Japanese, but here he uses the "ore" pronoun.

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