<A Few Minutes Later, in the Seisoukan Common Room.>
Madara: Now then. Iāve managed to put the brakes on Souma-san and Anzu-sanās project for now, butā
The real problem is figuring out how Iām gonna get my project approved... Hmm, what to do, what to doā¦ ā¦?
Rei: Ohh, so this is where youāve gotten yourself to, Mikejima-kun. Iāve been searching high and low for you for quite some time now, you know?
Madara: Oh myyy, if it isnāt Rei-san. Whatās up? Were you looking for me?
Rei: Indeed. Itās about this afternoonās business. You asked for my help, but left me in the dark as to the outcome. Thatās rather thoughtless, donāt you think?
Madara: Whoops! Come to think of it, I have forgotten to thank you! I was sooo caught up in my own thoughts that it completely slipped my mind.Ā
Let me fix that now: Thank you! The intel you gave me about Anzu-sanās whereabouts and Souma-sanās project earlier was such a great help āŖ
Rei: Mmm. So? How fares the outcome of your proposal?
Madara: Siiigh. The outcome? Nothing, nada, zilch. As things stand right now, Halloween is a no-goāmy plan didnāt take off at aaall.
Thatās why thereās going to be another meeting scheduled the day after to decide whether to go with Souma-sanās proposal or mine.
Rei: Well~, thatās probably the best outcome you couldāve hoped for given the limited time you had to pull it off. But really, Mikejima-kun, you do make a hobby of imposing impossibly tall orders on yourself.
It's the peak of Spring right now, with vibrant sunshine and blooming flowers everywhere. And here you are, stubbornly pushing a Halloween event, which is... to say the least, thoroughly out of season.
Madara: Thatās exactly why itād be fun! Besides, if weāre gonna fuss about something like the season, itās Autumn in the Southern hemisphere nowww, isnāt it?
If thatās the problem, we could just hold the event in Australia and tadah~! Problem solved!
Rei: Good grief. What a mad stretch of logic you make to justify your whims. Even in Australia, itās the wrong time of year for Halloween. No matter where you are in the world, everyone knows Halloween is firmly tied to October 31st.
Madara: Hmm? Whatās going on here? For someone who helped me out earlier, Rei-san, are you against my Spring Halloween idea now?Ā
Rei: No, Iām not against it at all. Itās just that I canāt help but voice my dissatisfaction on seeing the unnecessarily complicated path youāre on.
Frankly, I believe this whole business could be resolved most quickly, if only you could just be honest, Mikejima-kun.
Madara: I am being honest, though! I think Anzu-sanās project is amazing, and I reeeally want to make it a reality!
Rei: Ohhh, I donāt doubt that part is true. However, what Iām referring to is something elseāmore accurately, closer to your true feelings, Mikejima-kun.
Madara: ā¦ ā¦ Hahaha. It looks like youāve already figured me out, Rei-san.
Rei: Deducing the motives of others is a specialty of mine. Because, why would you be clinging so stubbornly to Halloweenā
Or more specificallyāto last yearās Halloween? When I think about what happened back then, the answer becomes crystal clear.
The extreme lengths you go to, Mikejima-kun, are so adorably pathetic and touchingly brave (1). I canāt help but wonder, why are you keeping your true intentions concealed from the young lady Anzu?
Madara: ā¦ ā¦ Because I donāt want to manipulate her. Using sob stories to tug at her feelingsāThatās just ā¦ uncool, isnāt it?
Iāve already caused Anzu-san enough grief because of Double Face, not to mention the hurtful things I said to push her away. (2)
Madara: Thatās why this time, I reeeally want to make her smileāby using this project, which she poured so much of herself into.
Rei: Huh. Even if, by doing so, you might end up causing her even more trouble?
Madara: Haha~. You reeeally donāt pull your punches at all, do you? However, that trainās already left the station; thereās no turning back now.Ā
Iāll absolutely make this Halloween project happen, no matter what it takes.
Rei: You really are a stubborn one, for crying out loud.
Just so weāre clear, this is the last time Iāll be helping you on this.
I do want to support you, Mikejima-kun, but as someone from the same agency as Kanzaki-kun, I cannot in good conscience undermine his endeavour.Ā
Besides, if youāre aiming to be my successor, I expect you to be able to handle this level of adversity on your own.
Madara: Of course! I donāt plan to keep relying on you forever, Rei-san. This is something I want to do for myself after aaallā
Chiaki: āOHHH! There you are, Mikejima-san!
Madara: Hmm? If it isnāt Chiaki-san and Kaoru-san. Are the both of you looking for me tooo?
Chiaki: Thatās right! Iāve heard all about your Halloween project from Hakaze. We thought you might need some help, so here we are!
Kaoru: For the record, Iām only here because Moricchi dragged me along, okay~?
Chiaki: Haha! Donāt be like that, Hakaze. You were curious about Mikejima-sanās fixation on Halloween too, right?
Kaoru: Well, I donāt deny thatā¦ ...
Madara: Nope. I appreciate your kind intentions, Chiaki-san, but Iām not in any trouble at aaall. Thereās no need to help me out with anything.Ā
Rei: Now, now, Mikejima-kun. It isnāt good to lie. Werenāt you just agonizing over how to get your proposal approved?
Madara: Youāre sooo heartless, Rei-san. I reeeally wish you wouldnāt out the fact that Iām struggling so promptly like this!
Rei: For crying out loud. You should tone down on your secretive ways, Mikejima-kun. You have a bad habit of trying to take on everything and solve everything on your own.
Kaoru: Huh? ā¦ ... (stares at Rei)Ā
Madara: ... ā¦ ā¦ (also staring at Rei)Ā
Rei: Wh-what is it, you two? Why are you staring at me like that?
Kaoru: ā¦ ā¦ Hahhh. Take a moment to reflect about what you just said, why donāt you?
Rei: In any case, Mikejima-kun, you should trust the people around you more and be honest about your true feelings.
Your motivations this time arenāt anything you should be ashamed to share with others, at any rate.
Madara: Urmmm. You mean my pathetic need for self-satisfaction?
Chiaki: Whatever it is, you can count on us, Mikejima-san! Iām all in to support you, no matter what!
Kaoru: That goes for me too. Iām already involved to this extent. Might as well see it through to the very end, right?Ā
Besides, in your words from this afternoon, Iām āan honorary member of this merry gangā already, right?
Madara: Haha, I canāt argue with that logic, Kaoru-san.
Good grief. Thereās absolutely no need for your meddling in this matter at aaall, but... I guess Iāll show Rei-san some face this time.
Promise you wonāt laugh when I tell you what this is really about, okayyy?Ā
Chapter 3 / Chapter 5
Lupine Halloween Masterlist
(To be continued)
Translatorās Notes
Rei describes what Madara is doing as ććććć (ijirashii) which is a unique term that exists in JP. Some dictionaries explain it simply as āadorably pathetic / endearingly pitifulā while others explain it further as the emotional state of deep sympathy, admiration and sadness you feel when witnessing someone being endearingly pitiful, brave, and touching in their struggling efforts despite their weakness / vulnerability, which evokes respect and a desire to support that someone.Ā
(Example: Hinata Shouyoās first and only middle school match where he and his 2 inexperienced friends and 3 newbie freshmen went up against Kageyama Tobio's powerhouse school and got crushed despite valiantly trying their best, prolly.)Ā
Madaraās harsh words to Anzu were said in Antique Legend Epilogue 3 (January 2021) as he walked away from her. This kicked off a long period (also known as the MadaAnzu divorce) where Madara kept his distance from Anzu until the Poltergeist/New Color event (January 2023, so for about ~2 years).
During their estranged period, some mentions of Madara + Anzu can be found in
- Hidden Beasts ,
- his FS1 3* Idol Story As an Elder
- Myriad of Colours and Flowers (starts from ch 5)
- Secret Service Ch 8 and Epilogue 4 (where Madara's efforts to protect Anzu and his sister Maguro while so many people were threatening to destroy him, especially in the 5 Epilogues, are very overlooked)
- and Poltergeist .
There is Last Mission as well, where she kicked him after he (jokingly) suggested they get married. Interestingly, in Madara's FS2 (30th March 2024), their dialogue indicated they had already reconciled with each other, but now we have Lupine Halloween (November 2024) set slightly before FS2.
Itās not proofed, so if thereās any feedback, please DM me.
Gast: That said, if youāre recommending love stories or somethingā¦ I guess I could read oneāfor, you know, educational purposes.Ā
Ren: No, I wonāt be able to recommend anything from a genre I donāt read.Ā
Story unlocked from the skill tree in Gast Adlerās 3* Hero Card, Dear Mr. Postman
Characters: Gast Adler, Kisaragi Ren
Gast: Well then, now that our patrolās done, how about we stop by the bookstore on the way back?Ā
Ren: Ugh. Comics again?
Gast: Nah. Iām thinking of picking up a novel today.Ā
Ren: You? Thatās unexpected.Ā
Gast: Haha! Replying to fan letters the other day was such a pain, you know? I figured it wouldnāt hurt to brush up on my reading now and again.Ā
Thatās why Iād appreciate it if you could tag along and recommend a novel that even I might be able to read.
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ Fine. Iāll join you.Ā
Gast: Huh? Thatād be a really great help butā¦ ā¦ Do you have something to do at the bookstore too, Ren?
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ Yeah. Thereās a book I want. Iāll grab it while Iām there.Ā
Gast: Well, that works out perfectly. Letās go āŖ
Ā < At the bookstoreā¦ Bells at the door chime as they enter. >
Roy: Ah, Gast-san! Thanks for your hard work today!
Gast: Hey, Roy. On store duty today, huh?Ā
Roy: Yeah. My parents are out running errands, so Iām holding the fort for now. What can I help you with? Comics? Fashion mags? Weāve got them all.Ā
Gast: Actually, Iām thinking of reading a novel for a change. Ren here is going to recommend something for me.Ā
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ā¦
Roy: Oh? Back again today?Ā
Gast: Hm? Again today?Ā
Roy: Yep. He was here yesterday too. Isnāt that right, Ren?Ā
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ Uh. Y-yeah.
Gast: Huh? Didnāt you say you had a book you wanted to get?Ā
Ren: Uh. There was something I forgot to buy.Ā
Roy: Wow. Even after buying close to ten books yesterday, youāre already back for more. You must really love books, huh?Ā
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ Yeah.Ā
Roy: Well, let me know if you need anything. If we donāt have it in the store, we can always order it for ya.Ā
Gast: Well, I donāt want to keep you from your work either, so weāll just browse for now.Ā
Roy: Sure, take your time!
______________________________________________________
Gast: Well, here we are in the novel section. So many booksā¦ Itās hard to know where to start, huh~?Ā
Ren: Well, what kind of books are you looking for?Ā
Gast: Hmm, something easy to follow. Complicated plots are a bit much for me, so Iād prefer something entertaining over artsy.Ā
That said, if youāre recommending love stories or somethingā¦ I guess I could read oneāfor, you know, educational purposes.Ā
Ren: No, I wonāt be able to recommend anything from a genre I donāt read.Ā
Well, how about this bookāThe Door into Winter? It looks like something you might enjoy.Ā
Itās a classic Sci-Fi novel. The premise isn't complex, so itās easy to get into and itās got a solid plot. Itās also a common choice for childrenās book reports.Ā
Gast: Oh, Sci-Fi, huh? Iāve avoided it cosā the premises always seemed too complicated, but if kids can enjoy it, I probably can too.
Ren: And this one hereās a short horror story, but I recommend it tooāThe White Cat. The plot twist at the end is great.Ā
Gast: Itās nice that itās shortābut, uh, horror? I donāt dislike it, but right now, Iām in the mood for something more light-hearted.Ā
Ren: A light-hearted storyā¦ ā¦ In that case, how aboutāI Am a Cat? Iām not a fan of the ending, but itās light and easy to readā
Gast: Huh? W-wait a second.Ā
Ren: What?Ā
Gast: These are all books about cats, arenāt they? Even The Door into Winterāitās got cats on the cover!
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ Itās just a coincidence. Every one of them is a classic with an entertaining and easy-to-understand story.Ā
Gast: Hmm? Is that so? In that case, Iāll take all three.Ā
Gast: Iāll let you know my thoughts on them after Iām done āŖ
Ren: Write them down. Iāll read it if itās in the form of a book report.Ā
Gast: Haha, deal. By the way, arenāt you going to grab some books yourself, Ren?Ā
Ren: Iām good.Ā
Gast: Huh? Didnāt you say there was something you forgot to buy?
Ren: !Ā
UhāI thought I did, but it turns out I didn't. So just go and pay for your stuff already.Ā
<A few minutes later. The doorbells of the bookstore chime as they leave. >Ā
Gast: Well, Iāll save these novels for bedtime reading. Since weāre already here, how about we drop by a darts bar on our way back?Ā
Ren: Youā¦ Darts again?Ā
Gast: Haha. Itās a fun and casual way to pass the time, you know? Itās just that itās no fun to play alone, so I need someone to play againstā¦ ā¦
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ If itās just for a little while, Iāll join you.Ā
Gast: WhaāRen!? You mean it!?
Ren: Whatās with that reaction?Ā
Gast: Itās just so unexpected, Ren. You usually wouldnāt agree to play darts with meā¦ ā¦
Ren: Oi, are we going or not? Make up your mind.Ā
Gast: Oh, weāre going! Haha, thereās a place nearby I go to regularly. Come on, let me show you the way āŖ
Gast: Wowww~ that was a blast. We somehow ended up playing five games, huh?Ā
Iāve got to say, Ren, youāre a natural. The way you corrected yourself after a miss was seriously impressive.Ā
Ren: Hmph. Darts isnāt even that hard. Once youāve got your form down, itās all about making adjustments, just like you would for shooting.Ā
Gast: No way, thatās the hardest part! If weād played one more game, Iād probably have lost.Ā
Ren: Who knows? But I wouldnāt have minded playing another round with you.Ā
Gast: Hmmm~?
Ren: Huh? What?Ā
Gast: I was just thinkingā¦Ā youāre being unusually social today, Ren.
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ Thatās not true.Ā
Gast: No, it totally is.Ā
Um. Usually, when I invite you to do something, you hit me with a bunch of sharp responses like āNot interested,ā āNot my concern,ā or āStop bothering me.ā Those really sting, you know?Ā
Ren: Well, itās because youāre hella annoying, thatās why.Ā
Gast: See! Thatās exactly the kind of response Iām talking about!
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ Sigh.
Gast: Donāt get me wrong, Iām genuinely happy that you agreed to hang out. However, if Iām really forcing you to do stuff you rather not, Iād feel bad about it.Ā
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ When I was delivering those letters, you went out of your way to help me with the route planning. I figured it wouldnāt hurt to return the favour once in a while.Ā
But I didnāt expect you to overthink it and call it me being āunusually social.ā
Gast: Oh~, so thatās why, huh?Ā
Haha. Sorry, that was a mean thing for me to say earlier. I was just surprised that you had agreed to hang outāitās rare, so I got carried away.Ā
Ren: Hmphā¦ ā¦
Gast: Hey~, would you mind hanging out with me for a little longer? Things have been so hectic lately, I could really use something relaxing.Ā
Ren: ā¦ ā¦ Something relaxing?Ā
Gast: Iād like to go spend some time with cats. Thatās the ultimate stress relief, isnāt it?Ā
Ren: Thereās no helping it, I guess. Iāll join you, just this once.Ā
This story cat's whims is unlocked from the skill tree in Gast Adlerās 3* Hero Card, Dear Mr. Postman.
It's also dedicated to e-san. Thank you for all the encouragement, the 2am brainrotting over Enstars and Helios, for laughing with me at Ren's tsundere way of caring, at Gast's being so uwu, at the irony that Gast doesn't get Sci-fi despite being in a game that's all about it and so on. I'm so glad that we have the same oshis. Merry Christmas!
It's not proofed, so if there's any mistakes or feedback, please DM me.
Halloween 2024: šµāļ¼ES Lying Wolf Game šŗāEpilogue
Madara: Hmmm? You reeeally enjoyed how there werenāt only cool wolves but cute ones too, and how some scenarios made your heart skip a beat?Ā
Character: Mikejima Madara, Anzu
Season: ā
<At ES Meeting Room.>
Madara: And with that, the Wolf Game has officially come to a close! Iām reeeally curious, how many answers did you manage to get right, Anzu-san?
The last time I checked, it looked like you were giving all sorts of wrong answers and getting āeatenā by everyone left, right and centreeeā¦
Ohhh? Really? You say your rate of correct answers has improved since then? Well dooone, Anzu-san!
Youāve come such a long way since I managed to trick you at the start. YES, YES, MAMA IS SOOO PROUD OF YOU! ā
Uhhh. By the way, what did you think of aaall the idolsā performances in the Wolf Game?
Hmmm? You reeeally enjoyed how there werenāt only cool wolves but cute ones too, and how some scenarios made your heart skip a beat?Ā
I see, I see! If thatās how Anzu-san feels, then it sounds like this project is shaping up to be a big success!
Iām sure the fans will love it too āŖ Iāll be sure to share your thoughts with everyone later!
Now, please hold out your handāIāve got a little thank-you gift for you. Consider this my apology for tricking you before the Wolf Game startedāthe sweets I failed to give you earlier... āŖ
Anzu-san, thank you so much for helping with the rehearsal. Thanks to your efforts, everyoneās fully prepared to give their best for the main event.
Happy Halloween āŖ This yearās celebration is looking like itāll be a fantastic one too!
Prologue / Main Masterlist
Translator's Notes:
It's not proofed, so if you have any feedback, please DM me.
Madara: GOOD AFTERNOOOON! IāM MIKEJIMA MADARA, ALWAYS ON THE GO AS THE SOLO UNIT, MAM ā (2) I would absolutely love it if you would affectionately call me āMamaā!
MaMā¦ ā¦ in other words, me, yours trulyāhas been travelling aaall over the country attending festivals, and taking on the role of cranking up the party mood to the MAX! Iām always on the lookout for fun things to do!
I love having a great time, and if you decide to make me your oshi, Iāll guarantee youāll have a blast too! I promise youāll never have a dull moment when Iām around!
Ahhh, I reeelly wish we could chat face-to-face instead of through this video call. If you're interested, I'd be totally delighted if you could come attend one of my Lives!
Epilogue
Translatorās Notes:
āęØćā or oshi is how one refers to your favourite/your bias in an idol Unit.
Madara started his JP introduction like this ćć½ćć¦ććććććMaMćć§ę“»åäøć®äøęÆēøęć ā or, 1) Solo Unit, 2) MaM (Unit name), then Mikejima Madara (his own name). I couldnāt express how he introduced himself as āSolo Unit/Unit nameā before āown nameā without the English sounding broken, but I just wanted you to know, lol.Ā
Halloween 2024: šµāļ¼ES Lying Wolf Game šŗāPrologue
Madara: Guess it right, and youāll be rewardedābut guess wrong, and the idol playing the wolf will gobble you up in one big GULP āŖ
Character: Mikejima Madara
Season: ā
<At ES Meeting Room.>
Madara: Anzu-san, pick a hand~ āŖ
Hmm? Whatās with that confused look? I didnāt see that coming!
Iāve got a yummy treat hidden in one of my hands. Iād reeeally love for you to guess which one!
Madara: Haha, you seem reeeally stumped! Well, they say you should be able to tell by looking at the colour of my handsā¦
Come on, take a closer lookā¦ ā¦āŖ
Alright, so Anzu-san has chosen the right hand, huuuh? Well, the correct answer isā
Madara: Thereās NOTHING in either hand! GOTCHA ā
Hahaha. Are you gonna be okayyy being this easy to trick? Especially since youāll be helping out with the Halloween event rehearsal being held at ES!
āāAs youāve probably heard, Anzu-san, from here on out, youāll need to determine if the idols are telling you a ātruthā or spinning a ālieā.Ā
Guess it right, and youāll be rewardedābut guess wrong, and the idol playing the wolf will gobble you up in one big GULP! āŖ
Everyone will be taking this rehearsal with Anzu-san veryyy seriously, so we can make all the fans happy!
If you believe everything the idols say, like you did just now, youāll get eaten by the wolves again and againāso do beware!
Come, come, the lying wolves are waiting for youuu āŖ
Are they telling the truth, or spinning a sneaky lie? Just how many will you be able to catch, Anzu-san?
slight ia for now @kuppakohee - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
