Fire Girl (Dropped - Wait for NanoDesu version)

[castor212]

Meanwhile, I think Commie still has Fire Girl, Apocrypha, and Mahoyo up in their site. It kinda hurts.

@Lunarw why not use Qooapp?

[lunarw]

To the people reading this, the juicy part starts around Chapter 9. You need to calculate my rate of post and then extrapolate on the time.


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Chapter 4


Early morning.

Hinooka family house.

Seeing off her father's car early in the morning, Tsuyu picks up the newspaper at the front. The chill of the morning creeps up her pajama's sleeves. The sky can be seen through the scattered cloud rifts, looks like today's weather is going to be a good one.

"Kobo-chan is already a high schooler, huh..."

A braking sound can be heard. It seems that it originated from in front of the entranceway. It sounds different from the bicycle the postman uses. Still, it also doesn't sound like the aggressive yakult selling lady. Turning around, she sees a boy wearing a school uniform straddling a bicycle with a bread in his mouth. It's Touya. Realising that Tsuyu is there, Touya hurriedly eats and swallows the bread. A high-spirited greeting soars out of his mouth.

"Morning!"

"...G, good morning."

Holding the unrolled newspaper that covers her lower body, she greets him back.

Who? What is it? Am I seen in my Pajama? Should I call the police? Should I?

Heaps of questions run about in Tsuyu's head. Staring at Tsusyu fixedly, Touya asks.

"Are you perhaps Hinooka's little sister?"

Tsuyu slowly nods. Touya checks the time his phone.

"...Is Homura still sleeping?"

Again, slowly nods. Tsuyu then immediately turns around and runs up to the second floor.

"Homura, Homura!" Without knocking she flew into Homura's room. She then proceeds to pull the blanket and hitting her older sister that is underneath it. "Wake up, Homura."

"...What... I'm still sleepy..."

Homura looks at Tsuyu with half open eyes. Near her pillow, there is a mountain of book on side dishes recipes. The mountain collapses and turns into a book river.

"I'm saying there's someone in front!"

"...the Joie one..."

"It's not the yakult selling lady! It's some guy! Do you know him? Is he an ex? A stalker!? should I call the police?"

"...Eeh? Who...?"

Homura sluggishly crawls out of her bed. She crawls on all four heading towards the window. Originally lacking the older sister's dignity, when she just woke up she has zero of it.

"Homura, your button!"

Homura leans out the window. From on top of Homura, Tsuyu quickly conceals and straightens the chest area of the just now opened pajama. From the road in front of the house, Touya waves his hand.

"Morning, Hinooka! Did you just woke up? Hurry and come down!"

"..."

The absentminded Homura's eyes finally come into focus.

"Touya, what are you doing in front of a person's house?"

"Don't 'what are you doing' me, I properly told you yesterday right?"

"What was it?"

"Running right? You're running to school."

"....Yes...Yes...Right, right. That was it."

"Are you okay?"

"Sorry, wait for a bit.'

"Five minutes."

Closing the curtains Homura sluggishly begin taking off her clothes. She rarely uses her training wear that it is practically new. When was it? She purchased it when she tried to follow one of her boyfriends' hobby.

"Shall I do your hair?"

Tsuyu asks.

"Yes please."

Homura feels refreshed after taking off her pajamas. Reaching the dresser, she removes the dry cleaning tag from the wear.

"Can't keep him waiting too long. And it is my fault for oversleeping...I suppose this is fine."

Saying that, Homura waves out a training cap.

"Who was that?"

Tsuyu asks suspiciously. She probably has a lot of questions but that is the one she wants to know the most.

"Hmm? A friend from school."

"Come to think of it,he is wearing the Aoko's (Seiran High) uniform... Then he's your new boyfriend?"

"It'll be simple if he is one."

From the side of the window, Tsuyu looks furtively out at the entrance. The boy in question who found the free time to be umanageable, is riding tricks on his bicycle.

"...Homura, that is not your type, right?"

"I told you he's not my boyfriend." Homura skillfully gathers her hairs to the back. If she can put on her cap, it'll be perfect. "Actually, I dont understand it myself."

Homura, who looks good in anything, looks bitter to Tsuyu.

"Anyways, from now on he'll be coming every morning."

What is this older sister saying this early in the morning? If this was before her father left for work, there would have been a bloodshed.

"Eh? Every morning? Wa, Wait, Mom...!?"

Tsuyu, who was looking for help from her mother downstairs, runs back to the window when she heard the sound of the entrance door. Her mother, who is aptly wearing an apron, is coming out of the house. She is delivering a juice to the properly bowing and greeting Touya.

"I already told Mom last night."

"Gu... At least say it was during the sun was setting..."

"Yes. Perfect."

Homura decided after looking in the mirror. She feels pretty much like an athlete. She goes and washes her face, making Touya wait for another 10 minutes. During that time, a cheerful conversation between her mother and Touya can be heard from the entrance door. Since it comes to this, it is unlikely that her father would not give his permission.

"Ah, that reminds me. Tsuyu, lend me your shoes."

"Wear your own!"


Lunch time.

Homura is bowing resolutely at her lunch friends.

"Sorry Makino-san, everyone. Starting today I need to eat lunch elsewhere for a while... I'm really sorry!"

With both hands on her desk, she prostrates herself. Makino folds her arms and scowls at her.

"...What did you say just now?"

In the classroom during lunch time. Having arranged their desks, the girls turn into silhouettes due to the sun behind their back. With their elbows on the table and their hands together, they solemnly murmurs.

"It's a guy."
"Definitely a guy."
"She will never come back."
"Such a short friendship."

With a foot on the chair, Makino leans forward threateningly.

"Yo, Hinooka. If you think you can easily quit my gang and become a civillian, you need to think again."

"..." Homura trembles.

"I should get rid of you..."

Makino threateningly puts a finger gun in front of Homura's face. She proceeds to poke Homura in the cheek.

"Hau."

"...Hinooka-san, the eraser left a mark on your face."

"Eh...? That's awful."

"It's because you were dozing off."

"Yeah, I can see NOMO on your face."
"No it's not."

"Then, Dosuttera."
"No it's not!"

For a while, the smiling Homura is surrounded by laughter.

Makino tenderly says.

"You're going to enter the Shinryoku Festival's cooking contest right?"

"Yes."

In Homura hands there is a pouch containing a big bento box and under it, a recipe magazine can be seen. You can't say it's something simple, but understandng something easily is one of Homura's strong point.

"Is that so."

"It's in another two weeks. Good luck."

"Someone will be sampling that right? I'm a bit jealous."

"I know, right? It's unfortunate. Homura is interesting when you get to know her."

"At first she is a quiet person. It's a bit hard to quip at her."

"What do you call it? Airthrow?"

"Airthrow?" from the fighting game?

"Yes, that. When one waits to give a retort, she throws the stupid act in a totally different direction."

"You lost me."

"In other words, she trudges on even when being teased."

It feels exactly like middle school. Feeling goosebumps reminiscing, Homura leaves the place.

"..."

Homura casually views the classroom. Kujou-san is nowhere to be seen again today.


"How's the run?"

"It's not that hard."

"Liar, you were breathing hard at the hill road."

Near the courtyard's lawn there is a wooden deck laid out with benches. It's bit like a park. It's a first come, first serve lunch time's popular spot. Touya and Homura was lucky to be able to get it. Rather, people were probably holding back. It's because other benches are filled with couples...

"I didn't have enough time so today's course is only half a course. Tomorrow onwards it will be doubled."

"Wait, that's so sudden." Relaxing cross-legged on the bench, Touya looks straight at Homura. "Even if you manage to secure a win from the Shinryoku Festival, you won't be able to suddenly join the Exploration Club's activities."

"I know." Homura nods clenching her fist. "It's important to have basic stamina. I read at least that much."

"Oh." Touya raises his eyebrows. "You finally read the Exploration Club's pamphlet."

"Well... It's difficult, so I read it little by little."

"That's fine. Well then, I'll be eating this." Two sets of fancy bento box is placed between Touya and Homura. "Can I?"

"...Feel free."

Homura nods with a nervous expression. Lifting the lid, Touya peeks into the bento.

"It looks ordinary."

"...Re, really?"

Homura pours two cups of soup from the thermos.

"Thanks for the meal!"

"Please help yourself... I'll also, thanks for the meal..."

Handing over a cup to Touya, she nervously holds her bento. Touya vigorously chows down the food.

At the first bite his face was expressionless. At the second bite, it looks like he has a puzzled look on his face. At the third bite, his face definitely turns into a grimace.

"...k...!" His consciousness finally returns after cleansing his palate with the soup. "...."

He wordlessly glares at Homura.

"...Hinooka."

"H, How was it?"

"By any chance, is this the first time you ever cook?"

"You didn't know?"

"This is the first time I'm hearing it."

Touya, thinking that he had mistaken something, tries the food one more time. However, the result did not change.

"...Hinooka. I have a body that can eat any food. I would never say it's bad."

"You just said it."

"It's just that, one would not think that this is something that can be used to invade a contest filled with girls that have training from the home economics club. Hmm? Are you trying to win the humor award?"

"You don't need to go that far!"

"Oi, you. What is that?"

"Eh? ...This?'

With a CG-like smile, Homura hides the bento behind her back.

"It's a bento?"

"The insides are totally different. What is that?"

The thing hidden behind Homura's back is definitely her mother's handmade bento.

"It, It's because my mother mistakenly made food for three people. She usually cooks for my father, little sister and I."

"Ho..."

"I mean look at the prototype model No.1. The ingredients used can be accepted as foods, if I threw it away, it means that the cooking increased the carbon dioxide for nothing."

"Why do I have to take care of global environment when you are eating human food?" Touya grinds the bento box against Homura's head. "Try eating this thing yourself. Why is the omelette tastes like coffee? Huh?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Homura instantly becomes dejected. With a serious face, she sighs and murmurs.

"Let's take turn sampling the food. Or we can do a Russian roulette..."

"Don't be stupid. From tomorrow onwards properly cook for two. You have to cook for five in the contest, you know. This is supposed to be practice."

"Uuu, I understand."

Well, during her effort yesterday at home she vaguely knew by tasting it step by step. Homura brought some magazines to figure out her menu but looks like it's not time for that kind of discussion.

However, being criticized does not agree with Homura. Her bubbling (misdirected) anger gushes out. For example, towards the morning run.

"...By the way, why is it I'm the only one running and Touya-kun is on the bicycle? Isn't it unfair?"

"It's to strengthen your stamina! I've already finished my morning pratices before I came over!"

"Oh. As one would expect from a sports youth."

So that means he would have to wake really early in the morning. To Homura that is an unknown territory.

"Touya-kun, don't you have friends you have lunch with?"

"Ah, I don't."

Touya answered nonchalantly.

"...I see, sorry."

"Rather than calling it lunch, I only ate breads. I ate it during the second or third break between classes. The other guys are also like that."

"You ate it before lunch time, huh? Then what do you do during lunch time?"

"Basketball."

Indeed, between the courtyard where Homura is right now and the school building on the other side, sounds of a ball bounds and cheers can be heard.

"Sorry."

It's fine, really. We were just playing. Despite that, when I told them I'll be eating with you so I can't play for a while, they strangled me, hold my arms and legs and spin me around. Good grief, I really want them to eat this, right?!"

"Haha... I rather not."

After that, they divide the prototype bento equally. Sometimes screams of Ugh and Agh come out of their mouth.

In the blue sky beyond the passageway, a silver midday moon is solemnly suspended.

"Hey, Touya-kun."

"Hmm."

"Is New Terra far?"

"You didn't feel like going?"

"No, not very."

"What?"

Touya grumbled disappointed.

"I mean, the crucial points are not written at all inside the pamphlet. It's full of threatening words."

"It can't be helped. It's for the agent's protection."

"It's hard to persuade my father with just that...'

"I see. Mine easily gave the OK so I can't advise you on that." Gazing at the moon, Touya's eyes are serious. "Your honorable mother readily supports you anyhow. She has a misunderstanding about the cooking contest however. Also, I think the poison during the exploration will lose to your food. To some extent, it serves as a dry run."

"The bento that I take all night to make is poison, is even compared to a poison."

Homura murmured mocking herself while handing over another cup of soup to Touya. Receiving the cup, Touya quickly bows his head.

"...No, sorry, I said too much."

"Yes, you did."

"Don't worry. Bring more. I'll sample it as much as you like."

Hearing that, Homura bows her head.

"It is also a request from me. Honestly, I can't rely on anyone else."

Because it's too embarrassing.

Touya returns to gazing at the sky and says.

"Distance doesn't matter in New Terra. The theory of transfer is still under study and I only experienced it two times."

"Really? It doesn't matter?"

"Yes. In the end, it's something humans decide for their convenience. New Terra is a mathematical being. So human's knowledge can be used to get the result of transfer calculation."

"A mathematical being..."

Putting aside the contents of Exploration Club's activity, the pamphlet page containing explanations on the Sky Planet's existence and similar stuffs made Homura immediately drowsy.

It is troubling that Homura-san, who is aiming for Magician is like that.

"For our earth, the way to perceive is the opposite.."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, our earth is actually round but we use a plane map right? The only reason we used it because it's traditional. In reality, a map's area, direction and range is unreliable, it can be applied there but it cannot be applied here, it's imperfect. To know the shape of the earth, one would need to directly goes to a place or look down from space."

"That example is easy to understand." Homura nods. "...So instead of the real thing, New Terra is closer to a map?"

"Looks like it. It's complicated."

It's a bit late but Homura is taken aback.

"I'm not an official member of Exploration Club yet, is it okay for you to tell me that?"

Touya laughs when she starts to look around restlessly.

"The information that I've told you can be found on the internet. But they haven't be able to successfully make a transfer for civillians. If you're interested, you can look it up."

"I can't use a computer. I get through with reading email on my phone."

Touya is startled.

"Are you serious? It's an indispensable technical skill in Exploration Club. You don't even know how to search the internet?"

Saying that, Touya brings out a phone... or something like it. It looks like one of the latest model from the major brands but she has never seen that sombre coloring before. Like on the pamphlet, there is a mark that says UNPIEP.

"Wow, that's cool! Hmm...? Is the phone the rumored 24 hours monitored transmission device.."

"Transmission device? It's GPS. It's a provisional item for Exploration Club. And it's not a phone it's an access device. If it is stolen, bad things can happen so they at least can track it. But this thing is really incredible."

Touya brags while presenting the access device, he then flips it open to show off. Right at that instance, there is an incoming call. Looking at it vibrating and flashing light, it looks like a normal phone.

"...Oh? It's the chief."

"!?"

Hearing the word chief, Homura reflexively put on her guard. Touya unlocks the device and answers the call.

"Yes, this is Touya."

"...You can use it to call, isn't that a phone."

Homura grumbles.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Yes. I'll be careful from now on."

The call didn't even last for ten seconds. Homura sidles up the bench and moves her ear closer to eavesdrop, but she clicked her tongue when she failed. On the other hand, Touya becomes smaller and dejectedly puts away the device.

"What's up lad?"

"I was scolded. I shouldn't show my device to outsiders."

"Huh?"

Homura cautiously stand up from the bench and surveys the school building. The peaceful school is filled with noisy cries like lunch time usually does but... The darkness of the passageway, The water tank's shadow on the rooftop, it all look ominous.

"You are really being monitored..."




Image: Just go already.

[lunarw]

Sorry for the lack of update. I was hospitalized for 2/3 of August and I've been playing catch up since my discharge. Anyway, here's chapter 5.


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Chapter 5

A rainy morning.

A darker than usual room.

After stopping the ringing clock, she realizes something.

"Mmm, oh yeah..."

Today is Sunday.

A week has passed since she took up running and and bento cooking. Touya told her to take a break today but she woke up early anyway. It's not strange for her to be tired. She had terrible muscle pains for the first two, three days but she had already gotten used to it.

Closing her eyes and listening to the raindrops, she returns to her melancholy state. The one week dash doesn't feel real, like a one night dream. Giving in to the sleepiness, Homura indulges herself in inactivity. It was noon when she finally came out of her room.

The woman is nowhere to be seen at the station today. Giving the leaflets on the wall a fleeting glance, she goes pass the ticket barrier. Wandering around the boutiques in front of the station, she finally enter a shop she had set sight on. A famous traditional restaurant that came out in a magazine. It's a restaurant but they also sell bentos out front. When she arrives, the afternoon sale has just started. So she queues and buys the freshly made bento. For some reason she doesn't feel like going home right away so she goes to the nearby shopping mall and finds a seat in the food court.

"Oops, picture, picture."

Remembering to take a picture after she had splitted the chopsticks, she hurriedly stops her chopsticks. While holding in her appetite, she takes pictures from various angles using her phone. As one would expect of a famous restaurant, the rich flavor penetrates her. Looking back, it was yesterday or something that the sampler finally snapped.

Why is the presentation getting better when the taste has not changed at all?

Isn't there something you should practice first before octopus and rabbit decorations?

However in a way, Homura felt like the more she cooks, the more ingredients she's killing. She also dislike using too much time. To put it simply, she is not cut out for cooking. Even the bento she's holding is not that charming. With one look at its picture, one would say it doesn't look delicious and her own bento will shame it in terms of appearance. However, after properly tasting it, the pomp is totally unneeded. It's a wonder why they would think the simple decorations are best for it.

The food court's atrium.

In the center, there is a fat pillar with a display monitor that is showing a news. When she looked carefully at the news and talk shows, the broadcasts relating to New Terra stand out. It wasn't mentioned as much as UNPIEP, but the Exploration Club name was also mentioned. Among other things, she had seen many times the adviser for an Osaka's public high school's Exploration Club appeared in an interview to explain things. She looked like a kind and funny teacher. Sometimes a thought flitted across her mind, that if she's going to enter the Exploration Club, it's better to enter that one. Of course, realistically speaking it's impossible. She might even fails entering the Seiran High's Exploration Club, she didn't think she would be accepted there. And there is also the problem about her study, even though she had already push it to the darkest corner of her mind. Well, she is in a predicament as it is.

Noticing the shadow on the table, she raises her face.

"Is this seat taken?"

The jingling of keys can be heard from the pockets of the three guys. They look like university students or old high school students. Those are quite the hair sets. She can smell the hair product from here.

"No it's not."

Probably due to the rainy weather, the food court has many open seats. Homura felt bad by bringing her own food so she bought a drink, for them to expressly come to Homura's table means...

They're picking up women.

"Are you alone?"

Come to think of it, it's been a while since she went to the city by herself.

"No, I'm waiting for someone." Homura answers with an insincere apologetic smile.

"Nah, you have been here for a long time."

The roundabout rejection is being ignored.

"Or are you being stood up?"

"Looks like it."

Just as she thought, this is becoming troublesome. If the other side is only one guy, she would be able to have a kind conversation, but why is it when there are two, three guys it becomes something like an excessive competition?

Seeing that they will not pass on, she checks her phone and made a disappointed face.

"There is no reply to my mail so I'll give up and go home."

"So you have nothing to do? You have free time?"

She is certainly free. She is even more free before. These guys are a week too late.

"Rather than that poor bento, won't you rather have something like grilled meat or grilled meat?"

"Why are you doing the carnivorous appeal?"

"No, no, this bento is really delicious."

He just said something unnecessary.

"Really? How good? Tell me."

"Huh? Err..."

"If you won't eat it anymore let me finish it."

"Like I said, you're overusing the gluttony appeal."

They gradually surround her. Since her seat is directly in front of the atrium's railing she can't just up and leave. If she do stand up, she will need to push past them. It's a drag, so maybe she can pretend to cry but that feels like an admission of defeat. She also doesn't want to make it a serious matter by calling the security guard.

"Sorry for the wait."

A husky voice can be heard when she is troubled on what to do. However the owner of the voice is hidden behind the guys.

"Who?"

The guys turn around to look and see a girl standing there. She's a bit shorter than Homura and has a wild feeling about her. Her hair is a long wolf cut. She is carrying a case for a wind instrument over her shoulder. The case is full of stickers that make it has a rock and punk look. With a matching set of clothes, it looks like she is about to go on stage.

"Excuse me, excuse me."

She forcefully walks in between the guys and sits next to Homura.

"Here."

"Y, yes."

She hands over the case to Homura while she crosses over.

"You, are you this girl's acquaintance?"

"Yes, something wrong with that?"

The girl she has never seen before answers fiercely.

"Right?" she asks seeking approval. Homura nods repeatedly.

"No way, she just said 'who?' just now."

Yes, she did.

The girl glares at Homura for her slow uptake.

"Ah." One of the guys suddenly raises his voice, "She's Kamikoma from Hiyoshi."

"Geh."
"Kamikoma... I, idiot!"

All at once, the guys panickly scan their surroundings. They look like herbivores on the lookout for predators in the Savannah. And they were talking about meat and meat just now.

"Me? Idiot?"

The girl called Kamikoma tilts her head.

"I, I'm sorry."

"Pipsqueak? Breast so small it's considered poor? So thin that it looked like I'm not eating?"

"W, We did not say that!"

"Is it that? Are guys free? How about treating me to a tea?"

"I'm sorry, please forgive us!"
"I'm sorry."
"Please."

The three guys pitifully lower their heads and leave the food court. To leave is the correct choice even if it is hard to understand.

The girl has a petite form and a slender arm but she's actually an expert in hand-to-hand fighting...

Actually, inside the case is hammer with thorns...

Well, be that as it may.

"Thank you very much."

While holding the case, Homura stands up and bows her head.

"It's fine. You look like you're used to that kind of treatment. Even if I wasn't here it wouldn't have been a problem."

"That's not true. You were a great help."

"They were an eyesore, that's all."

Saying that, Kamikoma stretches her back and looks around the food court. Muttering 'there she is', she raises her hand.

"Sorry, Orie. Over here."

If she's not wrong, Orie is...

"So the appointment part is true."

Kamikoma turns around and smiles mischievously. Just as Homura thought, the one that appeared is her classmate, Kujou Orie. She's wearing a black formal dress for bolero. With both her hands, she's holding a violin case. Different from Kamikoma, it is a classic performance style. With a mature look about her, she is beyond recognition without the school uniform.

"Hinooka-san..."

"As expected, it's Kujou-san. What a coincidence!"

Kamikoma looks at the both of them.

"Orie, is she an acquaintance?"

"..."

Kujou remains silent with a hard to understand face.

"Orie."

Homura unintentionally answers.

"Yes, we're classmates. Even through middle school."

She makes an effort to explain brightfully. Kamikoma rests her chin on her hand and waits for something from Kujou. However, the person in question is only knitting her eyebrow.

"It is... not a coincidence. A lot of Seiran High's students come around here."

"Yes, you're right."

"...You're not going to introduce me?" said Kamikoma.

With a small sigh, Kujou says.

"This is Kamikoma Sachi-senpai. A third year from Hiyoshi High."

As expected, she's an upperclassmen. Homura could see that from her attitude.

...It is rude, but that means she has a really petite body. However, her aura doesn't make her look small.

"My father and Kamikoma-senpai's mother works together in a music related job and that's how Senpai and I got acquainted. This is Hinooka Homura-san."

"Nice to meet you, Hinooka-san."

Kamikoma holds out and shakes her hand with Homura. Having received back the case, Kamikoma says.

"By the way, this is a sax."

"Sax...?"



"Saxophone."

"Oh"

...Even if she said that Homura only vaguely knows. But she knows about the other thing.

"Kujou-san is holding a violin right? Kujou-san plays violin, huh. That's really wonderful."

"...It's nothing. I only know this."

Kujou turns her face away.

"Again with that modesty. You two are even properly dressed... Was there a concert?"

"No, it's after this. We were actually going to eat here but due to my circumstances we were late."

Kamikoma claps her hand. Feeling a bad premonition, Kujou squints her eyes.

"If it's okay would you like to listen? To our live."

"Your live!? Yes, is it okay!?"

"Of course. It's at 'Rhapso' just after the arcade."

"I know that live house! Certainly!"

"...Minors are not allowed tonight." said Kujou.

"Yes. Minors are not allowed but if you say my name they'll let you in."

"Ooh, a back stage pass?"

"And you probably need to share a table, it's okay right?"

"No problem."

"Okay then, we have rehearsal so we'll be going first. Hinooka-san, the live starts at 6:30 p.m."

"Thank you! I look forward to it."

Now that it becomes like this, she wished she had chosen the right cloth. Seeing both Kamikoma and Kujou walking together, it looks like the senior and junior is the other way around. However, seeing Kujou nodding at what Kamikoma is saying makes it certain that she's the junior. It is somehow funny. When they are about to leave the food court, Kamikoma stops and says.

"I'm going to the toilet. After that, I'm thinking of buying a light meal. Go ahead and wait for me downstairs, Orie."

"I understand."

Dispassionately saying goodbye, Kujou walks towards the escalator. Kamikoma who is waving returns towards Homura and stands on her knees on the chair.

"...?"

Holding the rails, her eyes follow the descending Kujou's figure on the escalator across the atrium. Homura also looks at her.

"Kujou-san is really cute."

The small upperclassman nods a little.

"Are you Orie's friend?"

Once again Kamikoma inquires.

"Yes... Is what I think..."

"I see. I wonder if Orie is fitting in at school."

"U, umm."

"That girl is really shy and her words are sharp."

During middle school, she was... Shamefully, Homura had completely forgotten.

"If I'm not mistaken, Kamikoma-senpai's Hiyoshi High is also..."

"That's correct. Like Seiran, it's an escalator school so to speak. I invited Orie but she had already decided on this route by herself. Perhaps she is being rebellious towards her parents."

"Is that so? She is really remarkable... Totally different from me who left it to others."

"Hinooka-san."

Kamikoma turns around and faces Homura.

"I have an earnest request. It's about Orie."

"Yes."

"I won't tell you to get along with her. It's not something that happens when you tell it to happen. However, if she ever got bullied will you tell me? She would never tell me herself."

Kamikoma-senpai truly is concerned for her. Be that as it may, Homura herself is still worried about where she belongs in the school. How is she going to promise anything?

"Our class don't do that kind of stuff. Please don't worry. Plus, I am seriously thinking of getting to know her intimately."

Clenching her fists, Kamikoma draws nearer to Homura.

"Really?" Kamikoma breathes a sigh of relief, "Sorry for talking about this when we just met."

"Kamikoma-senpai is a bit manly."

"Don't say manly, I rather you say strong-minded."


She is able to enter the live house without trouble. She descends to the basement using the stair with ambient light. The narrow entrance leads to a spacious hall beyond it. She is already prepared to stick out like sore thumb due to minors not allowed, but to her suprise half of the visitors are foreigners. The stage with the checkered tile is illuminated with amber light. It is as if looking through a whiskey glass. There is a grand piano on one end of the stage. There is also a camera for recording purposes installed at the back.

"Ooo, is this the legendary... Jazz!?"

This is probably jazz, the thing that Homura's father sometimes listen to. However, to Homura all music sound the same. After she was guided through the dark seating area and when she arrives at the table, the performance suddenly starts. It is different from the concerts and lives that Homura are used to, there are no clapping and cheering, it is a graceful curtain raise. With trumpet, bass and an unusual acoustic guitar that was prepared in advance, all the players on stage sway their bodies while playing. Most of the players are also foreigners. Within them, the petite Kamikoma-senpai who is playing the sax stands out to an extent.

"Kujou-san is..."

Kujou's figure is nowhere on stage. However, she feels that violin does not match with jazz. Homura was engrossed with the performance, but when the drink is brought over, she notices the person sharing the table.

"...Ah."

"..."

It seems the other person was looking at her as their eyes meet. When Homura nods, the other person quietly closes her eyes and nods back. The girl with long, beautiful hair appears to be a minor, probably a friend of Kamikoma-senpai. Even in the gloom of the seating area it shows, she is so shockingly beautiful that Homura unintentionally ignoring the performance and fixes her eyes on that person. Her memory circuit is in full operation after she witnessed the overwhelmingly beautiful person.

"..."

Bashful, the girl who is sharing the table quietly takes her glass and slightly gestures at the stage.

"Ha... Sorry."

Homura's sanity returns. After the pleasant performance, Kujou appears on stage with a number tunes. Surrounded by the large build players (minus one), Kujou's white shoulder stands out on stage. She looks like a small queen in that black dress.

"Uwoh, she really is cute."

A sigh of admiration leaks out. The performance resumes. Judging from the time, it's probably the last piece. Using her bow to follow the melody, the band lower their tone to enhance the performance. She can feel goose bumps at the back of her neck. What a brilliant finger movement! It is a shock to Homura who is listening to her performance for the first time.

There is no conductor in a jazz band, it's melody is complex and Homura feels that there is no leading music part. On the other hand, violin is for classics solo parts. Figuratively speaking, it's like screaming and shouting, a mass of egoism.

Despite that, she plays the instrument as if it is following the surrounding melody, talking enjoyably with them.

"...I wonder what song this is."

"It's How High The Moon."

She unintentionally mutters out loud and the girl sharing the table answers. She also looks a bit excited. Kujou-san's serious face comes apart and she is smiling gladly. It is the first Homura ever sees her smile. Not losing to the violin, the performance goes towards its climax. During the climax, Kujou is vigorously stroking the violin and the performance finally ends.

All the audience stand up and applaud them. The stage is wrapped in whistles and cheers. Homura also springs up from her chair and applauds full of emotion. Kujou-san becomes birght red when hugged by the foreign guitar player.

"Aha."

When she looks properly, Kamimkoma-senpai is also being hugged at the side.

"Hmm?"

When she looks at the table's side, the one sharing the table is already gone. The one who is hugging, or should she say clinging to Kamikoma-senpai as she is being pushed away, is the beautiful person. With an exhausted face, Kamikoma-senpai is at a loss. Suddenly remebering her thoat's thirst, she brings the drink to her mouth and she frowns.

"This is alco... a cocktail?"

[hayate]

Thanks for the translations.

Wow, Jazz is rare for them these days? O.O

I'm excited on what will happen to them.

[Rocket Burrito]

Beautiful work, thanks for the translations m8, always glad to see things relating to the more unknown Type-Moon works!

[evoeden]

Thanks for translations !

[Rocket Burrito]

https://www.facebook.com/NanodesuTra...98373770359405

Apparently this is happening, rejoice?

[lunarw]

https://www.facebook.com/NanodesuTra...98373770359405

Apparently this is happening, rejoice?

Ah, yes that. Already talked to EternalDreamer. So without further ado, I hereby declare I am officially dropping my ongoing translation.

I'll leave this thread as it is. Probably would delete them when EternalDreamer post his translation so that people won't compare them and realize I am a bad translator.

[Haseo Nanaya]

Well thanks for all your hard work lunarw!!

[Rocket Burrito]

Ah, yes that. Already talked to EternalDreamer. So without further ado, I hereby declare I am officially dropping my ongoing translation.

I'll leave this thread as it is. Probably would delete them when EternalDreamer post his translation so that people won't compare them and realize I am a bad translator.

Regardless, it was definitely a readable translation and I give my thanks for the effort placed into it!

[Vritra]

Thank you for your effort still.