“The Phantom of the Opera is there——inside your mind”
The original soundtrack vinyl of The Phantom of the Opera spun inside a stylishly aged metal record player, echoing through the entire abandoned theater.
As the soaring male voice and the winding female voice reached the climax, white feathers danced under the stage spotlight.
The man wearing an owl mask raised the wine glass in his hand, watched a feather fall into the glass, and said in a low voice,
“Fox Mask, the protagonist trapped in that pitiful life script is both me and you.”
“Putting on the melancholy act again, Owl. Fox Mask is living it up right now, flirting with that Sakuraraku every single day.”
Tied to a stone pillar to the side and forced to watch Owl’s one-man show the entire time, Valentine finally couldn’t help opening his mouth to be cheap.
“Tsk.“
Just as Owl was about to smash the wine glass in his hand onto Valentine’s face, a tiny figure came stumbling over while hugging a stack of clothes taller than she was.
“Eh? Where’s Fox Mask? Did you two make her leave again?”
For her tiny body, the somewhat enormous rabbit head on her head split into a stiff smile, yet her tone seemed to be forcibly suppressing a surge of anger, making the two people on stage tremble with fear.
“I’ve been tied up here the whole time, you know, Baby Face-sama~” Valentine hurriedly flattered, trying to shake off any connection.
“I only, in a slight burst of inspiration, let Fox Mask watch one of my, short, little plays.” Owl tightened his meticulously crafted tie and said seriously.
“Oh~ So what you two mean is that I’m the one who drove Fox Mask away?” Baby Face hugged that stack of clothes and tilted her head as she asked.
Who would say it wasn’t?
The two of them knew it clearly in their hearts, but neither dared to say it out loud.
Every time Fox Mask came to [Night Theater], Baby Face would drag her to try on all kinds of exquisite, cute little clothes, treating Fox Mask like a dress-up doll to play with.
And the fact that Fox Mask had left in such a hurry this time was most likely also to escape Baby Face’s “torment.”
“Ahem, I think Fox Mask must have her own matters to busy herself with, so she doesn’t have time to keep us company. Valentine, wouldn’t you say so?”
Valentine hurriedly nodded.
Owl leaped down from the stage with elegance, bent at the waist, and spoke to Baby Face with the utmost respect.
Although Owl was the leader of [Night Theater] to the outside world, inside [Night Theater] the food chain was Fox Mask > Baby Face > Owl > Valentine.
After all, no one wanted to offend the team’s number one combat power and the makeup artist in charge of the monsters’ “styling.”
“Fox Mask still has to go to school. Do you know what school is? It’s a place where you live and study together with hundreds or thousands of people the same age. Fox Mask should have told you about it, right?” Owl guided her patiently, terrified that even a trace of displeasure would appear on this young lady’s face.
Though you couldn’t see it through the rabbit head anyway.
“But I just want to stay with Fox Mask a little longer. Is that not allowed either?” Baby Face lowered her head, her tone muffled.
“Of course it is. Once we have avenged her against those magical girls who abandoned her, she will have more time, and a more sincere heart, to accept us. Isn’t that right?”
Owl picked up the clothes that had fallen to the ground for Baby Face and patted her shoulder soothingly.
In his mind, that rainy night surfaced once again.
In the hazy rain, the black-haired girl’s face showed no expression.
She held that blade and said to him,
“Please let me join [Night Theater].”
His gaze turned toward the distance, toward that 「Hatsuzakura」 hanging on the sword rack.
Whenever Nadeshiko left the blade in [Night Theater]’s care, everyone would take time out of their own schedules to maintain this blade, so that it could be worthy of Nadeshiko’s silver-gray fox mask.
If what betrayed you is justice, then we will become evil to accept you.
Because we are all pitiful people who are trapped.
“Welcome to [Night Theater], Fox Mask.”
——
These two have been acting strange since earlier…
Nadeshiko looked at the two who had been doing a two-person act the whole time and couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed.
After being teleported away by Owl’s feather magic, she had first changed into her own casual clothes at [Night Theater]’s base, rescued Valentine from Owl’s torment, and only then leisurely arrived at “miumiu,” wanting to buy some sweets to reward herself.
As a result, she turned around and ran into Rakuraku and Hanaka who had just walked back from the mall.
Although they didn’t know she was Fox Mask, having Nadeshiko speak to the “enemies” she had just crossed blades with still left her a little unused to it.
She just hadn’t expected… that such a small Hoshisaki Middle School would have so many magical girls.
Rakuraku, Hanaka, and counting herself, that made three.
Thinking this, Nadeshiko became a little happy again.
The amount of Villain Points that could be obtained from a single target was limited.
In other words, she needed more magical girls! More, more!
But she also really wanted to eat that soufflé caramel cream ice cream!
Nadeshiko looked at the paper bag in Rakuraku’s hands and suddenly felt a little regret for giving it to Rakuraku.
She would just think of a way to compensate Rakuraku later!
Anyway, an ice cream this big, she definitely couldn’t finish it either!
Inspiration struck Nadeshiko.
She clapped her hands and proposed, “This chance is rare. How about we eat and chat here together?”
Rakuraku and Hanaka couldn’t ask for more regarding Nadeshiko’s invitation.
Especially Hanaka.
She was currently stuck on face and didn’t know how to find a chance to get closer to this cute girl.
So the two of them obediently followed behind Nadeshiko like children lured by the Pied Piper.
Nadeshiko picked a window seat that just happened to look out on the setting sun.
She patted the seat, signaling the two of them to sit over.
But this was a four-person seat.
If someone sat beside Nadeshiko, then the other person would have to sit across from them all alone.
“A two-person seat would be a little cramped, you know~ Hanaka probably isn’t used to that, right?” Rakuraku stepped forward first.
The resentment from being fiercely mocked at noon finally had a chance to be vented.
“I’m not some pampered young lady. Of course it’s no problem. Nadeshiko-san, do you still want to eat anything else? I’ll order it for you.” Hanaka turned the tables, ignored Rakuraku’s words, and sat down beside Nadeshiko on her own.
This shameless woman!!!
At this point, Rakuraku could only sit across from them in a huff, staring at Hanaka with resentful eyes.
Meanwhile Hanaka flipped through the menu as if nothing were wrong, whispering to Nadeshiko on the side.
“Nadeshiko-san, add my LINE. After I get back, I’ll send you the violin piece I recorded.”
Nadeshiko took out her phone and added Hanaka to her friend list, but noticed Rakuraku’s resentful gaze.
Is she unhappy that she can’t monopolize the ice cream?
That possibility instantly occurred to Nadeshiko.
So she set her phone aside, picked up a spoon, scooped a spoonful of ice cream, and held it to Rakuraku’s mouth.
“Rakuraku, I didn’t get the chance to feed you at noon. Come on, aah—”
!!
Rakuraku hadn’t expected Nadeshiko to bring up old matters at this time.
Looking at the wooden spoon held in front of her, her face started flushing red again.
She hurriedly closed her eyes and slightly opened her mouth.
“Mmph, Rakuraku is such a good girl.” I gave you the first bite, so no more being angry, okay?
“Do you two… do this often?” Hanaka at the side watched the two of them interact so sweetly, yet couldn’t very well say “feed me too,” and could only grit her teeth hatefully to the side.
“This is normal between good friends, right~?” Rakuraku wiped her lips, placing special emphasis on the three syllables of “good friends.”
Today’s victory, Hanaka defeated.
“So this is normal between good friends?”
Nadeshiko hurriedly noted it down in her phone memo.
She really had no experience getting along with ordinary girls.
She had only been clumsily imitating her former teammates’ behavior, always worrying whether she was doing something wrong.
Hearing Rakuraku say this today, she finally set her mind at ease.
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