Cried Wolf

Taotao~. Have you calmed down~? Feeling okay now?

My bad… Sorry for troubling you.

No worries, I didn’t know that Taotao’s bad with trains. I’m sorry, too.

No… I thought it wouldn’t bother me anymore. I’m fine with planes and cars, but its been awhile since I’ve been on a train…

Cheer up~! Taotao, try the ice cream!

It’s so delicious, and there’s frozen fruit inside! Bussin’~. ♪

Yeah… Delicious. Sorry we couldn’t go sightseeing.

I told you it’s cool. Anyways, when did your trouble with trains begin?

Hmm… You told me about your past, so it wouldn’t be right to keep mine a secret.

….!

I mentioned it briefly before, yeah? In the past, I made an appearance on TV for my family…

I… I wanted my parents to praise me… So I learned this… “Pick a card, any card” magic trick? I even lied that I was psychic.

….!

My parents aren’t bad people, but… but they tend to get fanatical… and easily get obsessed with strange ideas.

They became convinced that I was a child chosen by God…

I see…

I have a younger brother, too, but he was always ignored by my parents because of it…

I thought all of the lies were getting to be too much, so I revealed the truth on a live broadcast. I said my abilities were just a sleight of hand; that I was a fraud. And then…

As expected, people started criticizing me, labeling me, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Every time I got on the train, I’d hear people whispering… I couldn’t bear it anymore.

So that’s what happened…

Now I’ve grown up, and my appearance has changed. I’m almost unrecognizable… I thought I’d be able to handle the train again.

Sigh… I’m so lame, right? Sorry. It’s worse than I thought. So depressing~…

Taotao’s not lame at all… I think you’re really strong.

I mean, you always… speak the truth.

Well, that’s because I was “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” I’m not telling lies anymore.

It must have been hard for you to make an appearance on TV like that when you were just a kid.

Hmm… The hardest part was that my parents still believed I was special even after I exposed myself as a fake.

… I’ve always wondered what they were looking for because it wasn’t me. In the end, we failed to understand each other.

We both struggled with our parents, huh.

Right.

Anyway, it doesn’t matter if you can’t ride a train ‘coz there are lots of other ways to get around! Besides, a minivan is the standard for idols!

So, can Taotao still do the “Pick a card, any card” trick? Chii wants to see~.

Eh? It’s like trauma at this point…

It’s fine, you can conquer it! Having special skills is an advantage for idols, you know?

Conquer it… You make it sound so easy!

(Come to think of it, that guy also begged me in high school to show him this trick… I still have the muscle memory to do it. This conversation somehow feels quite nostalgic.)

Next time… If I feel like it.

Pinkie promise~. ♪

I just wonder if I can do the live performance tonight. I’m only a chicken who can’t even ride the train…

And now I remember how much I don’t like to be the center of attention…

(That’s a given, considering his trauma with the TV appearance.)

If Taotao makes a mistake, Chii will save you!

You can rely on me when we’re on stage. It might not seem like it, but I have a ton of experience!

Really? That’s reassuring…

(Taotao has helped me so much already, so at the very least… I’d like to support him during the live.)

(More than anything, I’m happy he shared his secret with me. Does this mean… we’re friends? If it is, then…)

(I’ve finally made a real friend for the first time.)