Pearls Before the Emperor

[nebulancer]

Subaru: ♪~♪~♪

...Erm. Do you need anything, Student Council President?

Eichi: Oh my, you noticed me. You're surprisingly, could I say, sharp-sighted, much like a powerful wild animal's wariness...

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interfere with your lesson.

Subaru: It's all right, I don't mind. It was just about time for me to go leave the school, so I was thinking of taking a break and going home...

Uh, can I not use polite speech?¹ I'm not good with it.

Eichi: I don't mind. Speak frankly with me.

As myself, rather than the "Student Council President," I would prefer that you feel free to call me "Eichi." Likewise, I'll call you "Subaru-kun" with familiarity.

Subaru: Why's this guy coming on so pushy, anyways... Then, uh, Eichi-senpai. Did you need something from me?

Eichi: Not at all. I had just finished work for the Student Council and was beginning to proceed home, but I saw a room still lit up.

Just in case, as Student Council President, I just had to give a warning to any student left behind.

Fufu. I thought it was a song I'd remembered hearing before, and to think it was you, just as I believed...

Well, for me to be working so late, it feels that this was a wonderful find.

Since some time ago, I've been wanting to talk with you once things had calmed down, after all.

Subaru: Ah, okay. But I got lots of things I'm gonna have to hear from you, too, okay?

Speaking of which, even though you said that kinda thing in [DDD]... That you're not really involved at all, y'know.

I thought you weren't really interested in me~ and stuff.

Eichi: My interest is immensely so. With you- rather, all of you in "Trickstar," I've become your fan.

It's turned to that, as an opponent whom I was defeated by, coming to respect you was obvious.

However. Even without much unnecessary meddling, you all, formed from a delicate balance, seemed to have attained a bad influence.

You gained the strength to stand on your own, so I wonder if my worry was unneeded?

Subaru: Yeah. Don't get us wrong, okay~? We wouldn't be "Trickstar" if we couldn't handle being shaken up to that point, no matter how much you try to interfere with us.

If that's so, you wanna try a rematch?

Eichi: Ahaha. If it were a straightforward match, you wouldn't even reach underneath my feet yet. That's all right, as a young child would surely bounce back from that, at least♪

Someday, may we have a rematch... or so I believe. Even in the [DDD], I did promise such.

As "fine" has not reached perfection, it feels that this is not the time.

Subaru: ...Hey, Eichi-senpai. Is it really okay for us to participate in the [SS]?

Eichi: What do you mean by that?

You all have the right and the ability to participate. More importantly, your infinite future is... you'll surely grow. That's what I, Tenshouin Eichi, have guaranteed.

What's wrong? Could it be, that you've become afraid of contending upon a large stage that you haven't yet experienced? Even if so, there will be no mercy, from myself moreso.

Subsequently, should this have become just as I'd said, you all may not have ended without savoring such suffering and despair.

IF² this were speculation, it wouldn't have much meaning to it.

Despite that, if you were to lash back at me like this, saying, "Stop screwing around! We'll go to choose the way we want!" so arrogantly, would you declare it to be this way?

You are the ones yourselves who have chosen this path of hell, so do your utmost to submit to it.

I won't save you. I won't become absorbed in knowing what will happen to such shameless fools. If I were to see that, I'll surely ridicule you.

Subaru: ...Got it. Yeah, somehow I'm relieved with you saying that.

Eichi: Relieved? You're quite the odd one, aren't you? I had just stabbed you, yet you're meaning to say "Thank you" in response?

Subaru: Actually, if you were gonna hug me, pat me on the head and spoil me, I'd be weirded out.

We're enemies, so with all we've got... Making as if we're about to die, dealing out punches like we want to kill each other, those kinds of enemies. I'm glad there's an existence like that out there.

For there to be such a strong enemy by my side that I have to overcome and to challenge: that's something to be happy about.

But anyways~, [SS] is at the end of the year, so there's still a lot of time ahead.

Even about other schools' representatives, we don't really know the details right now, so I gotta get my motivation set.

It's not that I'm showing symptoms of being burned out, but somehow recently my spirit's kinda gone.

Everyone else in "Trickstar" has their own club activities and stuff in school or whatever... Like all they're doing is thinking about what paths around them they can choose.

Eichi: Aah, that's why you were the only one doing lessons today.

"Trickstar" gives off an impression of always four, working well together and acting alongside each other, so I'd thought it strange.

Subaru: Ahaha. By chance, today everyone just had other things to do...

But if it were something like before the [DDD], everyone would gather up and practice until we collapsed, even if we had to leave everything else alone.

I guess, in the end, my spirit's disappeared. I understand that, clear as day.

Eichi: Fufu. Without much ambition or ideals, not minding what's in front of one's eyes yet eating away and making to fight, such a ruffian is...

Even if they could be seated upon the throne by chance, it would be pearls before swine, would it not?

In that case, if they couldn't bear such heavy responsibilities... There would always be a replacement.

Subaru: Yeah. As long as someone like you is here, Yumenosaki Academy's probably gonna be fine.

You've got the ambition, the ideals, and the dream. You can rule, and you can see it with your entire being.

That's why we worked hard with our lives on the line. All of us, until we crumbled and broke apart, until only stardust was left...

Even though we were left over as a result of that, you were the one who picked up and put us to effective use.

Eichi: Yes. For now, leave the ruling to me, and you who are still young can rampage around on the battlefield.

Yumenosaki Academy's idols are amazing: that's what I'd like you to make the entire world know.

I'll support you, truly. ...Do your best, Subaru-kun.

Subaru: Yup, thanks. I'll do my best, Eichi-senpai.

Eichi: Fufu. It became quite the long conversation, didn't it... It would be troubling if your body became too cold, so hurry, change and head home.

Take care on the road during nighttime, as your body is top priority.

Subaru: Nah, I live close to the school, so it's all right.

My mom has the night shift at work today, so even if I go home quickly I'll be all alone... That's why I stayed here till it was late, doing lessons like this.

Ah, that's right. Eichi-senpai, if you can, do you want to come to my house to eat dinner?

It's kinda like we haven't talked enough... My mom made too much curry, so we have to eat it soon or else it'll rot.

Eichi: What? That's a surprising request, what will I do... I'd like to taste homemade cooking once in a while; if you're going so far as to ask me, I suppose I'll intrude on your company.

There's a troublesome socializing party for me today, so I didn't want to go back home very much... Honestly, I'm relieved that you invited me.

Subaru: Got it, so it's decided? If you have the chance, you can stay the night too~♪

Eichi: You as well, you're not one to speak of coming on too pushy...

Quite possibly, we could be similar as comrades.

Subaru: Nah. I'm me, and you're you. That's why talking with each other's fun, isn't it?

If everyone's the same, it wouldn't be fun. That's what I think, though.

Eichi: Yes, that is so. Really, it's just as you say...♪


¹-敬語, pronounced keigo, is the term for polite speech. It's used with people in higher positions, and in this case, Eichi. When the two of them talk here, Subaru's using a "-su" while speaking, but he's not very good nor used to it, thus asking if he can stop doing it.

²-This "IF" part is written with English (in all caps, no less!) and has a (もしも) next to it. They mean the same thing, but I kept the IF to preserve the stylistic choice.

(The title of this sub story is used with the placement of "pearls before swine," a term used in the story. The term, if you're unfamiliar, describes things that are given but are unappreciated of their high value. Thus, "Pearls Before the Emperor" would mean valuable things being offered to Eichi, the emperor, and his not accepting it even though he knows of their values...)