nebulancer

☆Fights between adults, fights between children (Shu & Eichi)☆

They have each other in mind. They’re thinking of each other.

Even though consideration and kindness is the root of it all,

Why do people clash with each other?

“It’s supposed to do with us, but things were settled without us realizing a single thing. There’s no way I could be happy about it.”

“Eichi...”

I couldn’t stop once I started putting my feelings to words.

Shu’s eyebrows raised ever so slightly.

As someone whose poker face had become all too customary, he was expressing the utmost surprise and shock possible. And I knew that was the case.

I sensed a good “response” because of that.

If my words could cause his heart to waver if only a little, then there was space for us to discuss something more.

“Hey, Shu. If there are any issues that come up in our work, I want you to tell us as much as you can.

There are things that you obviously have to tell the talents themselves, right?

If it has to do with the numbers, or if it flies in the face of your duty to keep things confidential, then you don’t have to tell us everything.

As someone who used to be in that business, I have a decent grasp of that.

But I’m not asking you to tell us everything. I’m asking you to stop keeping it all to yourself, Shu.”

“......”

Shu didn’t try to stop me from talking.

I didn’t try to stop myself from talking, either.

I thought, if I had such strong feelings that I’m unable to hold them back, then I would have to take this opportunity to say them all.

I decided to unleash all the recent pent-up feelings I had lingering in my heart in one go.

“Whether it’s QUELL-related troubles or things that were on the verge of becoming conflicts but didn’t, the topics about it never come to us. They stop at you, and you try to hold things off and settle them yourself. I think the range of things you try to handle is too big.”

“......”

“If it were back when we’d debuted, I’d understand.

Isse and Icchi were still minors, and I’d only just come from behind-the-scenes to being thrown into the spotlight. I didn’t know left from right.

You were the only one who stood as a complete, whole entertainer by yourself.”

“That’s not true...”

“It was, beyond the shadow of a doubt. I’m not putting myself down by saying that: it’s an undeniable truth.

But the situation now is different, isn’t it?

We’ve grown, too.”

“I agree.”

“Do you really? Do you really think so?”

“......”

As I pressed him a little further in my questioning, Shu momentarily averted his gaze.

Shu, who looks at everyone’s eyes directly as he speaks, actually looked away from my eyes – it didn’t matter how brief of an instant it was.

That meant something big.

I trusted that was the case and said something I’d always wanted to say.

“Are we...... that unreliable?”

“!”

Izumi Shu looked up as if he’d been struck.

“......That’s... not it.”

This was the first time I’d experienced a twinge of irritation with him, ever since we’d known each other.

For all his dramatic reactions, he’d smooth everything over instantaneously.

I loathed that mature side of him.

I opened my mouth to say, “Quit glossing things over with that poker face of yours! Hurry up and get rid of it already!”

But,

“......”

In the end, I closed my mouth and didn’t say it.

“Shu......”

The depths of his eyes were wavering.

Swaying back and forth. Flickering unsteadily.

What lay in those eyes were bewilderment, confusion, and...

(Fear?)

＊＊＊

Eichi: Gaaaah~~~ I had a fight with Shu~ (crying)

Rikka: There, there~ Cheer up.

Eichi: Your reaction to that was so lazy~~~ (crying)

Rikka: Sorry, sorry. (laughs)

But you’ve been together in a unit for this long, haven’t you? Wouldn’t you consider it a given that you have one or two fights along the way?

Eichi: Well... yeah... I guess, but......

Rikka: I know, right?

Rikka: It’s perfectly fine to have discrepancies in your opinions!

If anything, it’s scarier to have everyone within the unit thinking the exact same thing.

Eichi: ......You have a point?

Rikka: It’s obvious that you’d try to stick to your own opinion, and it’d be more unhealthy if you didn’t assert your opinion to the other.

Eichi: ......You have a point.

Rikka: Which is why that was a fight that would’ve happened at some point.

Eichi: ...I... guess you’re right.

pat pat.

Rikka: Between the two of you, neither of you were comparatively wrong or correct. It’s a topic that can’t be settled with “one of you was right, one of you was wrong.”

In the first place, it’s not even my place to judge you two, so I’ll give you my opinion on the contents of your argument later.

Eichi: Yeah.

Rikka: If there’s just one thing I’d like to request of you...

Is that this time, I want you to take the initiative when making up. Approach him instead, why don’t you?

Eichi: What?

Rikka: You know Shu. He’s completely bypassed his childhood years in favor of becoming an adult all too quickly. I think he’s definitely unaccustomed to having a fight. He’d probably be bad at making up, too. (wry laugh)

I just think that I’d like you to start solving the issue from a suitable position.

Eichi: ......Mmhmm. Well... yeah. I’d meant to do that from the beginning.

Rikka: That’s good to hear.

Eichi: But still... ...*sigh*~

I wish there were, like... A better way for me to tell him how I felt......

Aagh, jeez, I’m such an idiot......

If I get you to charge me up on doting power, I’ll go apologize to Shu.

Rikka: Yeah, go ahead and do it. Good boy, good boy, good boy~!

Eichi: You’re treating me like you would an animal... (wry laugh)

＊＊＊

Shiki: ......

Shu: .......

Shiki: ......

Shu: .......It wasn’t my intention... to look down on him like that.

Shiki: ......

Shu: The fact that the words caught in my throat momentarily... made me feel nothing but contempt for myself. I felt absolute despair.

Shiki: You’re exaggerating.

Shu: .......

Shiki pats Shu on the shoulder.

Shiki: You’re not going to part ways due to a conversation of that caliber.

Believe in Eichi.

Shu: I do.

Shiki: Then what are you hesitating about?

Shu: ......He might have come to hate me.

Shiki: Like I just said, something that little wouldn’t............It’s a message from Rikka.

Apparently, Eichi’s coming here (to the piano room).

Shu: ......What do I do, Shiki?

slap.

Shiki: What are you, a child?

＊＊＊

# Eichi and Shu’s fight, Round 1

# Including his interaction with Rikka-san

# Thank you very much

# Horimiya Eichi Birthday 2023

Eichi: Allow me to provide additional information. This is a story from our past. (It’s quite embarrassing) We’d had several smaller arguments before this. The current counter of huge battles until now has reached twelve. (laughs)

Issei: These days, you’ve been saying words like “You dummy!” which makes it pretty easy to understand.

Ichiru: And Shu’s supposed to respond to it, but he has such a sucky vocabulary when it comes to swear words that it heads in a weird direction. Which is why it defaults to the the argument being undecided.

Eichi: “Shu, you’re such a dummy!!”

Shu: “!? Eichi, you...”

Eichi: “...”

Shu: “...”

Eichi: “...”

Shu: “.........r eyes convey a strong sense of purpose, but your bangs have gotten longer lately, so there are times I feel like it’s hard to see them. I think it’s a waste.”

Eichi: “Sorry!!!! I was the one at fault for calling you a dummy!!!! Sorry about that!!! Also I’ll go trim my bangs a little!!!! Yeah!!! Thanks!!!??”

Eichi: I think it’d be better if Shu’s vocabulary stayed put. We need to make sure we don’t teach him bad words. (A sense of duty)

Issei: For sure.

Ichiru: True that.

Shu: ? What are you all talking about?

Everyone: How to raise you and your sensibilities properly.

Shu: What?

# A gentleman’s dictionary contains no swear words

# If he’s upset, he does not resort to scathing criticism but instead turns his feelings into reasonably polite and clean words

# His childishly upset self is only limited to close companions