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nebulancer
Summary – Yoru and You earnestly work on filming for their drama. Huge waves of notifications are sent to their phones from their childhood friend Matsunaga Taichi, also known as “Mattsun,” who has come to Tokyo from their hometown of Nara.
It seems he has an important “notice” to announce to them...?
“I’m sure that you were the thread that connected You and me back then.”
“If you weren’t with us, I just know we wouldn’t be spending time together like this now.”
1. Drama – “Mattsun Makes the Scene"
Detective: “*panting* ...Ah! So this is where you were, Professor! What’s the matter?”
Myouken: “...Detective. Was the weather like this on the day of the incident as well?”
Detective: “Yes. It’d been rainstorming for a while now, and the senior citizens down in the village said that the Dragon God was enraged. Yet on that day, the weather was suddenly clear as could be, in that one location.”
Myouken: “It seems as if I’ve made a big misunderstanding. No—
The culprit made it so that we misunderstood.”
Detective: “...! And by that, you mean...?”
Myouken: “Yes. Let’s go back to the village. I will tell you... the true identity of the fake Dragon God legend!”
Director: CUUUT! Okay!
Staff members: Good work there! / Good work! / Thank you for all your hard work! / Actors, please come back!
-
[You taps on his phone, having returned to their breakroom.]
You: Ugh, yikes.
Yoru: What’s up?
You: There’s loads of notifs from Mattsun.
Yoru: Oh, whoa—You’re right. *chuckles*
You: The guy’s makin’ the most outta visiting Shibuya. It’s not even his first time there, though.
Yoru: Ahaha! True. Maybe he intends on conquering all the famous sightseeing spots.
You: How’m I supposed to react to the paired picture of Matsunaga Taichi and Hachiko?
Yoru: Mm... Maybe saying “Looks cute”?
You: No way have I ever referred to a dude with that descriptor. Let alone Mattsun.
Yoru: What a mean way of putting it... *chuckling*
Ah, but... I do like Mattsun’s smile. Isn’t it a friendly, bubbly smile, that makes you wanna smile with him?
You: True, he’s one big bundle of friendliness. Judging by the distance he has with it, he must’ve asked someone on the streets to take this paired shot with Hachiko for him.
I can imagine him going up to ‘em all confidently, like, “Please take it away~!”
*laughs* Sheesh, that guy!
Yoru: Ufufu. I’ll reply to him, then.
“We’re done with work. We’ll get back to the dorms, so...” Umm...
“Meet us at the entrance in one hour.” Sound about good?
You: No problem.
[When Yoru sends the message, there’s a knock on their door.]
Yoru: Yes!
Staff member: Excuse me.
...Heh, Yoru-kun, You-kun. Thank you for your hard work as always.
You, Yoru: Good work today!
Staff member: Thanks to your efforts, we’re ahead of our schedule and done filming. You’re a great help!
Yoru: We should be the ones thanking you. It was an outdoor scene, so I was concerned about the weather. It’s a real relief that the look of the sky was perfect, too.
You: With this, we’ve reached the end of our scenes in the Tokyo metropolitan area, huh?
Yoru: Mmhmm.
Staff member: Aah, yes. With that in mind... we’re considering going for a light drink after this. Would you like to join?
You: Ohh!
Yoru: Actually, a friend from our hometown is visiting Tokyo...
You: And we were discussing having a drink together for the first time in a while.
Staff member: Ahah, I see! You had a prior arrangement. Well, that’s a shame.
Er, by “hometown,” you’re referring to...?
You: It’s in Nara.
Staff member: Ah! Yes, yes, that was it. We visited the prefecture to film before, right?
Yoru: Yes, though it was a good distance away from the area we grew up in. It was for the first installment.
You: It was for the “Ogre’s Girder Bridge Murder Mystery” for the series “The Legend of Myouken Yoshitaka.” We went to the Dorogawa Hot Springs for that one.
Yoru: It sounds so nostalgic when you put it that way. And to think, it would be made into a series that we’re doing right now? I’m happy as can be!
Staff member: Ahaha! It’s thanks to both of your passionate acting. We’re the ones who should be thanking you.
Still... hometown friends, huh? Heh, sounds nice.
When I get way too invested in work and don’t go home, I end up completely forgetting to contact my acquaintances back home. It’s like they’re worlds apart from me at this point.
Yoru: Where’s your hometown?
Staff member: It’s in Yamagata. It’s really not all that far away, though...
You: Well, yeah. Time passes fast in Tokyo. And, like, before you’ve realized it, a whole year’s passed already.
Staff member: *laughing* Yes, exactly! Ah—Sorry for dragging the conversation along with useless chatter. Let’s go together another time, then.
Thank you for all your hard work during today’s filming!
You, Yoru: Thank you for the hard work!
[After the staff member walks away, a notification comes up on their phones.]
You: Oh my god. And that same oh-so-beloved hometown bestie is declaring that we’ll be chatting the night away...
Yoru: Mattsun sure is pumped...!
But what kind of announcement is so important that he needs to come all the way to Tokyo to tell it to us?
Could it be that he’s...
...
......Getting married?
You: No way.
Yoru: You shot that down fast.
You: Well, yeah. There’s no way. Absolutely no way in hell.
And let alone marriage, he doesn’t even have a girlfriend in the first place.
Yoru: That’s... true too. Aah, then!
Maybe it’s an announcement that he’s gotten a girlfriend?
You: No way.
Yoru: You shot that down fast.
You: Think about his personality for a bit, would you? He wouldn’t drag the news on for this long. The very moment he got himself a girlfriend, he’d send waves of giddy, wild messages that say something along the lines of, “I’ve gotten myself a sweetheart~!”
Yoru: That’s also true. With that in mind, what kind of announcement could it be?
You: Beats me. Still, imagine if he drags on the wait this long, only for him to reveal that it wasn’t all that big of a deal in the first place. That’s sorta like him to do, so wouldn’t that be pretty funny on its own?
We can treat it as an appetizer or accompaniment to our drinking sesh and laugh about it.
Yoru: Ahah! Sure thing.
-
Mattsun: Oh! You, Yoru~!
You: Wassuuup~
Yoru: It’s been a while, Mattsun.
Mattsun: For sure! It’s been a long time, guys!
You: But it doesn’t feel like any time’s passed at all, to be perfectly honest.
‘Cause you’re contacting us at least three times a week.
Mattsun: I’m a guy who stays on top of his game ✨
Yoru: Ahaha! Did you wait long?
Mattsun: Nope, just got here.
Aah, that’s right! I just remembered.
This here’s for you guys.
You: Huh? What’s th—Pfft! *You claps a hand to his mouth in laughter*
Mattsun: Well, y’see~ I went outta my way to report my long-awaited sightsee of the city to y’all with pictures too. But you didn’t react to it at all, sooo...
With the power of creation, I’ve saved it for your convenience! As a bromide set! ✨
You, Yoru: What are we supposed to do with this...
Mattsun: Better decorate it in a showy place for everyone to see. And my recommended shot is Hachi-KOOL with yours truly! ☆
Yoru: A-ahahaha... Th-they’re wonderful pictures, aren’t they...
You: Yeah, bro, don’t worry. I’ll stab thumb tacks right in your nostrils and stick it up on the wall. So? What’s up with that bag?
Mattsun: Oh, yeah. Canned beers, shōchū highballs, and DRINK! ING! SNACKS!
I bought like mountains of ‘em, so let’s talk the night away, guys!
You: Ohoho! Now that’s some thoughtful consideration.
Yoru: Thanks. I’ve also prepped dinner. Let’s go up to the room.
Mattsun: Lead the way!
-
Yoru: This stuff’s pretty simple, but I hope we can make do with this?
You: Thanks, bud! It’s definitely enough.
Aagh, I’m so hungry!!
Mattsun: OooOOoough~! I expected nothing less of Lord Yoru~!
Yoru: The two of you are in prime condition, huh...
You: Well, then! To celebrate our long-awaited reunion~? Cheers!
Yoru, Mattsun: Cheers. / Cheers!!
[They gulp down their drinks and sigh in satisfaction.]
Mattsun: And also~?
You, Yoru, Mattsun: Let’s dig in!
Mattsun: Mmrm. Mm. Mhm. Mmh!! Bro, this is delish! Yoru, you’ve gotten even better!
Yoru: I’m glad to hear that. Thanks.
Mattsun: Mhmm! Yum, yum! Man~. You, you don’t know how envious I am of you for always gettin’ to eat stuff this good!
You: I’m not always eating his food... or actually, I am.
Yoru: Well, the prep work’s no different whether it’s for one person’s meal, two people, or even six.
You: Um, nah. Prepping food for six is way different from prepping for one.
Yoru: I’m happy to have everyone eat my food, so the sensation’s about the same.
Mattsun: There're people out there who can’t cook for themselves ‘cuz they’re too busy with work, but that’s definitely not the case with you, eh?
You: If anything, it provides a good breather for him when he’s too busy, or when he’s at wits’ end. Isn’t that right?
Yoru: Quite right. When my head’s reaching breaking point, I feel like my heart gets soothed if I move around my hands without a care in the world.
Mattsun: Aah, I totally get that! For me, that’s driving my car.
When I’ve got pent-up stress, I let my mind go blank as I drive through the rice field paths. And when that happens, I start thinking that things will work out somehow, you dig?
You: Huh, wow. Even you build up stress?
Mattsun: It’s rare, but it happens~ ‘Cuz I am a working adult.
You: Well, true.
Mattsun: Yeah, yeah.
Yoru: Blankly riding through the rice field paths... Sounds nice.
Mattsun: Living smack-dab in the middle of Tokyo, you have just about everything... but it’s pretty obvious that rice fields are one thing you can’t find laying around.
Yoru: Yeah... The smell of dirt. The smell of grass. There are times I yearn to be back in Nara, where the wind smells differently according to the season.
Mattsun: Whenever you get that feeling, you’d better drop on by and come back lickety-split. Y’all can only do that because you’re working adults, isn’t that right?
Yoru: Fufu. True, true! No doubt about it.
You: *opens a bottle and gulps* Haah... So.
Mattsun: So what?
You: It’s about time we get down to brass tacks. What’s the thing you wanted to report to us?
Mattsun: Mm-HMMM~!? Uh-huh.
You’d wanna ask that, huh?
You’re totally curious, aren’tcha? It’s like, totally catching your attention, isn’t it? You’re curious? Mm? You’re so curious, huh, huh~!?
You, Yoru: Not that much.
Mattsun: COME ON!!!!
Yoru: Ahaha! Sorry, just joking! We are curious. It is catching our attention.
You: Man, you came all this way to Tokyo just to tell us about it. Don’t drag it out any longer and spit it out, would you?
Mattsun: Nrrgh, okay, all right.
Mmgh... ...Actually...
I, like, got transferred to Tokyo!
Yoru: Huh, really!?
You: Whoaaa!
......What kinda job do you even work in the first place?
Mattsun: DUDE!!!!
Yoru: If memory serves me correctly, you’re working in sales for a food production company?
Mattsun: ✨Yo~ru~!✨ ✨I believed in you~!✨
✨I expected nothing less of you, my bosom buddy!✨
You: Aaah—Aah, ah, ah! I’m dimly remembering it from the edge of my memory.
Mattsun: Could you please!? Remember it in full color!?
[An empty wind blows.]
You: Ah. Nope, it faded away.
Mattsun: REMEMBER ME!!!
You: Hahaha! It was with a cup noodle company or something, right?
How was it again? Didn’t expect yourself to land an offer from a major company, so you were completely stupefied at how unexpected it was?
Mattsun: Nnahahah! I am more capable than you’d expect, You-kun. ‘Tis I. ☆
You: Yeah, sure, whatever.
Yoru: And you sent us a box of cup noodles, right?
Mattsun: Yep, ‘n I sent boxes to my relatives, too.
*sighs* The two of you moved to Tokyo ahead of me, and among all my other friends, there’d be a few who started moving outta our hometown depending on their post-high school courses.
Entering higher-level education by going to university? Attending vocational school? Start job hunting? Live in Tokyo? Osaka? Or perhaps even overseas!?
What do I want to do? What could I do? I suffered when choosing my future course after high school.
Yoru: He suddenly started monologuing.
You: Yeah, let’s just listen along while we eat.
Mattsun: In the end, I went on to higher education in a local university. I got rather carried away and spent a merrily fun campus life in Nara.
You: Dang, going off how this guy phrased it, he must’ve been real merry about it all.
Yoru: Shush.
Mattsun: Would it possibly... be fine... for me to... continue...?
You, Yoru: Go ahead, go ahead.
Mattsun: And then, the job-hunting season descended upon me. ‘Twas a time in which I had to face my identity head-on once more.
I love fashion, but I’m not passionate enough about it to make it my job.
I like manga too, but it’s not as if I want to become an editor or something.
Being a recruitment agent, which sounds super-cool? I only ever use my laptop to watch videos~... *gasps*
I was lost.
You: I don’t think that’s where you were supposed to be lost considering you’d already chosen your major at uni. A little too late for that, don’tcha think?
Yoru: SHUSH...!
Mattsun: WHAT ELSE... did I have...!?
What... else... could I...!?
*ding-dong!* Ah! I like eating, too.
You: The conclusion you reached was so simple, it gave me whiplash.
Mattsun: People who care nothing about fashion will still eat food. Whether you’re hooked on manga or games, you’ll still eat. Doesn’t matter if you work at a recruitment agency or if you work for a foreign company!
EVERYONE IN THE WORLD EATS FOOD!!
Yoru: ...That’s true.
Mattsun: I narrowed down my search results to food companies as I began my job hunting. Day after day, I wrote cover letters... I did nothing but interviews after interviews...!
And at some point the first girlfriend I made in my life dumped me immediately after we became a thing—
AND THEN finally, I joined the company I’m currently working at!!
You: He casually slipped in a pitiful anecdote in the midst of all that. Don’t worry about it.
Yoru: D-don’t let it get to you, Mattsun.
Mattsun: Thanks~...
And with that, I became an adult... *a tear sparkles down his cheek*
[Scattered applause from You and Yoru.]
Mattsun: Ah-HEM!
Well, anyway, I did like our ramen back home in the first place. And it’s true that if you like something, you’ll be more passionate about it, which’ll make working lots easier.
You: Aah. Now that you mention it, you’d constantly pop into the convenience store to buy ramen, ever since high school.
Mattsun: I know, right?
Yoru: Your diet consisted of eating lunch, eating ramen afterschool, and then also eating dinner... Thinking back on it now, it’s a real surprise that you didn’t put on extra weight.
You: For real. I get the vibe I was perpetually hungry in high school.
Mattsun: Same.
Yoru: I... wasn’t that extreme, I’d like to think... *chuckles*
Ah, Mattsun. What kind of work do you do for a food production company?
Mattsun: Uhhh. It’s like, when you go to the supermarket? Y’know how there are places with new releases?
Yoru: Yeah.
Mattsun: I plan and create those types of corners with shop people, uhh... they’re not exactly the local shop employees, nor are they from headquarters. But anyway, I work with them to raise the sales from the shops.
Basically, it’s designing ways to collect more data for the company I work for.
You: Gotta say, that sounds like the perfect job for you.
Mattsun: Yessiree. I think so too.
I know all sales is the same thing, but it’s all about the customer, you dig? There are times they ask a little too much of me, or times I get put through the wringer.
Still, I like getting to interact with all sorts of people and having a blast in rowdy places, so I honestly think the job was made for me.
Yoru: Mmhmm! I think a lot of people would take a liking to you, so the job’s right up your alley.
Mattsun: But of course~
And even the, ah, elder ladies. They say stuff like, “Matsunaga-kun’s such a strapping young lad~ If only I were thirty years younger~” and whatevs. I get, like, loads of candy.
I doubt I’d lose out to you guys in popularity, as long as we make our battlefield my workplace. ☆
You: Yeah, go off.
Mattsun: So anyway, until now I’d been enjoying myself decently over there. But when the sales operations in eastern Japan were falling, so we had to discuss how to fortify that side of our company, they asked me to handle it.
You: Ohh, oh, oh.
Yoru: That’s incredible! They’re expecting great things from you.
Mattsun: So true.
On one hand, it made me happy. But on the other hand, the entrepreneurs I’d been tasked with had all been in the west. I also worried about going, since I’d have to start fresh with eastern Japan starting now?
You: Aah...
Yoru: ...It was the same for us. Back when we’d been going back and forth by bullet train on the weekends, we’d done so for a good deal of time already. When it was decided that we’d have to permanently settle here, we wracked our brains over it, huh?
Though “wracking our heads” might be a little off.
Leaving... felt lonesome. It shook us up.
Mattsun: See, it was exactly like that!
And what encouraged me to go through with it was you two.
You: Huh? Us?
Mattsun: Yeah. Thinking about how the two of you are already out here, working hard, was the deciding factor.
I love our hometown. It’s the place that raised me. It’s not like I was missing anything there, but it’s just...
Since my life’s so long, I shouldn’t stay in just one place the whole time. Wouldn’t it be fine to give doing something else a shot? ‘S what I thought.
You, Yoru: Mattsun...
Mattsun: Eheh! So, with all that said and done...
That’s the story of yours truly, who actually got here last night and started moving in this morning!! ✨
You: Mm, mmhmm—
HMM!?
Yoru: WHAAAT!? You’ve already moved!?
You: Not, “I’m gonna be moving in soon!”
Mattsun: YESSIREE~! THAT’S RIGHT! ☆
I’ve already settled my certificate of residence deal~ I! Am the brand-new Matsunaga Taichi, who has become a resident of Tokyo~!✨
Yoru: Th-this is way too sudden...
Mattsun: Well, y’see. Y’all said you were... off work tomorrow... didn’t you?
Yoru: Ah—Uh, um, yeah. We did.
Mattsun: Ahhah~ I see~ Then, tomorrow, could you go out with me to buy stuff for my new lifestyle? ♡
You, Yoru: What.
-
(part 2)
