Beau Soir

The raengmyŏn¹ in Beppu is delicious. As a noodle lover, I’m satisfied.

(The broth is light yet rich in flavor, and the noodles are chewy due to the mixture of starch and buckwheat flour… The kimchi and chashu² compliment each other harmoniously…)

Yep, definitely five stars. This is on par with HAMA’s Iekei ramen.

Oy, he’s here! Over here!

Surround him!

…!! You guys are…

Raito-san!! Thank you for your hard work!!

R-Raito-san! It was… It was all for us… I’m real sorry!

Oh, there, there. No need to cry.

I can’t do nothing but cry….! In reality… I caused the assault! Ya took the blame and… ended up in the clink…!

Didn’t we promise to leave that in the past? More importantly, I heard you have a new baby in the family. Is everything going well?

Yup, it’s all thanks to you…! I’m real, real sorry…

All of the assault charges ended up on you even though you were the one to unite us together as a fightin’ team… We’ve been reflecting on it ever since.

You’re exaggerating. It’s all behind us now.

No! It’s thanks to you that street rats like us were able ta reach the top as EDG3 and get some honest gigs. We’re even able to do night patrols now to keep the streets safe.

It’s thanks to Raito-san, the Golden Yasha³, that our fight team emerged victorious!

In the end, we got baited and screwed over by an old feud… And then ya took all of the blame and turned yourself in… The guilt kept us up at night…!

We’re still lookin’ for the mastermind who tricked us and got you sent to prison! We’ll never forgive him!

… I see. I appreciate the thought, but you’ve done enough.

It doesn’t bother me. Besides, prison was more entertaining than I expected.

Anyway, did you guys come all the way to Beppu just to see me?

Yeah. Right after we learned that you’d been released on parole, we found out ya were headin’ to Oita, so we thought we should come see you!

I’m sorry, Oita is quite the distance. And you all have work, too, right?

It’s not a problem at all! I wanted to ask… Raito-san, why didn’t ya come back to EDG3 when you were released…?

We remember the time spent with you as bein’ the most fun…

… Thank you. But I’m working as an idol now.

So the rumors are true…!

Raito-san becomin’… an idol…

It feels more natural to me to try out new ventures. I’ll leave the team to you guys.

Gotcha… Too bad, then.

My apologies.

… This idol thing. Is it gonna be a place where ya can truly belong?

Where I truly belong…

Dumbass! Don’t ask weird questions like that!

If it’s Raito-san’s decision, we can’t object! We’ll support ya on your journey as an idol! Please ‘scuse us!

Ah, are you headed home already?

It wouldn’t be good for your image if scary lookin’ guys like us kept loiterin’ around ya! Alright! ‘Scuse us!

‘Scuse us!

Please come to visit again~.

… Where I truly belong, huh?

What pitiful fellows… I can feel their admiration for you.

Kuguri… You witnessed that?

HAMA’s fighting team, EDG3… Was that where you brought together two teams at war that resulted in peace on the streets?

It’s so sad… They believe that you to be a compassionate king.

When in reality, you can feel neither love nor any other emotion. You’ve never felt strongly attached to anyone, have you?

Everything about them has become the past to you. An existence that no longer has any meaning. And those abandoned fellows don’t even realize it.

It seems you’re speaking from experience. I certainly don’t intend to be cold-hearted.

I wonder, Raito. You’re a king in a court of lies. From what I can see… Your heart rests on a throne made of ice.

… Of lies, huh. Aren’t you the one who stirred up others, exposing them to sin? I know that you were arrested on charges of incitement.

Originally, it was supposed to be undermining the government⁴, but I heard that you had your believers erase evidence as to lighten your sentence…

Unfortunately, any evidence of my incitement has now vanished. ♪ There’s no one in the world who may judge me.

Also, you’re mistaken about one thing, Raito.

I deceive others because I want to, but you’re different. You lack the intention to trick, yet before you know it, you’re spinning lies.

It’s my role to rip off that pretentious mask of yours and destroy you.

… I don’t understand. Is that why you’re participating as an idol? What’s the point of destroying me?

If I break you, it won’t just affect those old teammates of yours. Many people would fall into despair.

For example, nyuszi and maci.⁵

Nyuszi and maci… Ah, Chihiro and Tao.

They both trust you, after all. I wonder what would happen to those cute children if they were to find out that the person they trust is naught but an empty shell.

…

But don’t you worry, Raito.

For I will destroy you with the most beautiful method at the most beautiful time.

I see. All I merely need to do is not break. That way, I’ll overturn your conviction.

Alright. I’d like to see you try.

Momma~! Can I play this piano?

Look at that. There was a piano at the nearby department store when I was small. How nostalgic.

Hey, let’s play a duet~! How about the one we’ve been practicing in class!

…

A street piano, huh. What song is this?

…

Debussy, Beau Soir⁶.

… That reminds me, when I was a kid, there was a young piano prodigy that visited my house, and we’d play a duet together.

… I see, I had forgotten. Kuguri, that was you, wasn’t it?

… The piano broke. A long time ago.

Kuguri…?

(If I’m not mistaken, I remember us laughing together one day, the red glow of a sunset clearly visible in the sky.)

(I remember… At that time, I was still…)

! That’s… Nayuki!

! Ugh.

What a coincidence. Are you… researching tourist spots on your phone? You’re still as diligent as ever.

Tch, why are you talking to me.

Ah, is that the beach that Chief was referring to? The one with a beautiful sunset…

Come to think of it, you like watching the sunset, right?

Don’t act like you’re my big brother, especially when you don’t even have any interest in me. When did I ever say that I like sunsets?

After the last evening when we took a walk together, I…

Sigh… This is annoying. Don’t follow me.

Nayuki?

(Do you really think I have no interest in you? … And what is the walk we took together in the evening?)

… I have neither love nor emotion… And I’ve never been strongly attached to anyone… Is that why?

(If I had those kind of feelings… Would I understand what it means to have a place where I truly belong?)