rubestie

Season: Autumn

Writer: Nishioka (feat. Akira)

Characters: Ritsu, Mao, Yuzuru, Arashi

Ritsu: …..

(H~m. I feel like I might have been too harsh back then…)

(But people like that won’t understand unless you give it to them bluntly. I regret the way I said it, but I won’t retract what I said.)

A place everyone can love, huh…

It won’t stay that way. Normally, this place would be filled with warmth, more than anywhere else. To think that all of that warmth would be lost all because of a simple misunderstanding.

<Five hours earlier. In Ritsu and the others’ room.>

Ritsu: -There you have it.

ritsu+arashi

Arashi: I see. I also couldn’t wrap my head around why the old master would want to shut this inn down. But after hearing his reasoning it makes sense.

Ah. I obviously don’t agree with that reasoning, though.

Yuzuru: I think I might understand his feelings a little.

There are some similarities between his feelings about not wanting to create a burden for the person he would leave behind, and how a servant wishes not to become a burden for his master.

Ritsu: Yeah. And so I have something I want to discuss with the two of you. I have a plan I want to carry out by taking advantage of the rules of this competition.

Yuzuru: The rules, you say?

Ritsu: Yup. The rule stating that “the loser has to follow the will of the winner.”

Arashi: That’s nice and all, but what exactly are you planning to do, Ritsu-chan?

Ritsu: You see-

<Present time. In the forest>

Ritsu: (Aah. The moon is really pretty tonight, looks like the weather will be clear for tomorrow’s match.)

Mao: Ritsu.

Ritsu: N? Ah, Ma~kun. What’s wrong? What are you doing here?

Mao: That’s my line. I went to the store to buy a drink, but then I saw a shadowy figure walking outside and thought it was a ghost.

Ritsu: Ma~kun is a scaredy cat as always, huh. I won’t be able to keep you as my underling if you keep acting like that, you know? You have to get used to this.

Mao: When exactly did I become your underling.

All jokes aside. What are you doing in a place like this?

Ritsu: N~? I’m just taking a walk. I was walking around and taking in the scenery surrounding this inn before our showdown.

Mao: Huh. It’s rare for you to do something like that, Ritsu. Did something happen?

Ritsu: I suppose… I thought I should take a good look at the thing I’ve decided to protect.

Mao: (Oh. This really is rare. For Ritsu to say something like this. He’s usually aloof and doesn’t tend to show much of what he’s feeling, after all~. But I like this side of him.)

Ritsu: What? What’s that smile for. You’re a little annoying…

Mao: No, no. It’s nothing, really. I’m just acting like normal, okay?

Ritsu: Beg to differ. What was up with all that enthusiasm during our practice match? You didn’t act like that at all when this project was first explained to us.

Well, I can pretty much guess why. Ma~kun decided to stand by the young master, didn’t you?

Mao: Yeah, that’s about right. It’s the same for you as well, no?

Ritsu: Pretty much. I want to help the old master communicate his thoughts. So I can’t afford to lose to Ma~kun’s team.

Mao: Sounds nice. That’s how a real showdown ought to be, after all! Let’s have a serious battle ♪

Ritsu: Ugh~. That kind of pure athleticism gives me the ick. I’ll forgive it when it comes from Ma~kun, though.

…Well then. The preface ends here.

Mao: Preface? What are you talking about?

Ritsu: We can have that serious battle of ours, but there’s something else I want your team to help out with as well.

Mao: You want our help?

Mao: Oh~, I got it. I like that. We’re in on that plan. I’m sure no one on my team would object.

N? If everything goes according to plan, the outcome of our match won’t matter so much anymore. And yet you still want to go all out against each other? Well, anything else would feel like cheating, so I’m fine with that.

Ritsu: Of course. I can’t sit quietly and accept losing.

And if we want to stir someone’s heart, we need to show them our very best effort first.

Mao: That’s true.

I see~. So the time has finally come for Ritsu to turn his blade on me? That makes me sad as your childhood friend…

Ritsu: Huh? I can’t believe you would say that after having your team beat us senseless during the practice match.

Mao: Ahaha. It was a joke. It’s true that I’m really looking forward to this, though.

We’ve had our arguments throughout the years, but we’ve never had this kind of showdown before.

I thought I would never get to experience a serious match with Ritsu in this lifetime. But this time it seems like I’ll be able to fight a serious Ritsu for the first time… ♪