Elysian's Monogatari

Chapter 104: Atonement

"All right everyone I apologize for the wait! I've written a great script so please take a moment to read it!" Ibara said. "Sure. We do need a script since it would be difficult to tell the world about the truth." Tatsumi said. "...As much as I don't want to lie I suppose that's true." Shiro said with a sigh.

"Exactly! Trust me, everything will go as planned as long as you follow the script!" Ibara said. "...Sounds a little sarcastic. Are you implying that you are pulling every string behind the scenes?" HiMERU asked. "Ahaha this time please make sure to act according to my expectations everyone!" Ibara said.

"It's not like I have any grudges against any of you! I don't want to hurt or demean you needlessly. It wouldn't benefit me in any way after all." He then said. "Well you do seem to act without malice." Ren said. "Then again it's not like you have any good intentions either. It will eventually backfire if you keep treating others like pawns on a board you know?" He then said with a sigh.

"Oh don't worry I've had plenty of those comebacks! I don't know how you see me but almost nothing has gone perfectly according to my wish so far! Where did I go wrong? Everything was supposed to go according to my plan! Perhaps bringing in people beyond my control like his Excellency and His Highness is the cause of all those failures!" Ibara said.

"Hm? Am I causing you trouble Ibara?" Nagisa asked as he tilts his head. "I'm baffled that this is even a question! The only thing I remember is being toyed around by you, Your Excellency!" Ibara said. "...My bad." Nagisa said.

"Well don't worry about it. The great benefits Eden has given me are enough to balance out the troubles. Or you could say that no matter how many times I fail and suffer it will all become the nourishment that leads to my next scheme." Ibara said.

"The same could be said about Reimei Academy. It was almost ruined because I failed to control it but I am Saegusa Ibara, the man known for not making the same mistake twice." He then said. "...Actually to me you look like you are always making the same mistakes." Nagisa said.

...Wow. Ran Nagisa actually said that out loud without having any ill intentions. Shiro thought a little surprised. "No interruptions! I wonder if it's because I've been behind the scenes all the time when the chains of events happened at Reimei Academy that I failed to keep up with the situation. So this time I will be fully involved with COMP from the very beginning. I'll control everything perfectly and make it all into profits for me." Ibara said.

"How greedy. Perhaps I should learn from you about that." Tatsumi said. "HiMERU does not wish Tatsumi to become like the Deputy Director though." HiMERU said with a sigh. "Agreed. Please don't change to an even worser person, Tatsumi-senpai." Ren said.

"Haha. You always embrace everyone without denying them don't you Tatsumi-kun? That's your best and your worse trait you know. You accept and love all people so people love you in return. Even Shiro-kun." Hiyori said as Shiro responds with an "Oi."

"But humans have limits. If you take more than you bear you might break again." Hiyori then said. "I will remember that. Thank you for your advice Hiyori-san." Tatsumi said. "It's fine since I love you as well." Hiyori said. "I don't think we've crossed paths often back in school though." Tatsumi said.

"Well in the script prepared by Ibara we became best friends when I visited you in the hospital. That's just a pretty, fabricated, fictional story but I do want to become your friend Tatsumi-kun. I heard a lot about you from Jun-kun so I already respected and liked you before even meeting you in person."

"Especially when I first met Jun-kun. He was unbearable you know. Everything was about Tatsumi-kun this and Tatsumi-kun that honestly I got really tired of hearing it. Jun-kun regretted that he wasn't able to stop you from walking to your doom. Just like how I regretted not being able to save Celestial."

"You and the brothers fell into despair at the time when the four of you grew distant and stopped talking, and he had been regretting it ever since." Hiyori said causing Tatsumi and the brothers to be silent while Ren gives a slightly guilty expression.

"So not that it's an act of atonement but he decided to put his life on the line for me. This time instead of pretending not to see he wanted to try his best to cherish and love me. He wasn't straightforward with his feelings since he was a kid and you were probably the one who made him into a 'warrior of love' so I always thought of you as an incredible person." Hiyori then said.

"I didn't do anything for Jun-san. We just had tea together and had light conversations when we met each other occasionally." Tatsumi said. "...But that might be the only salvation for Jun-kun who was living in hell then. You accomplished so much more than you ever thought. Isn't that right, Shiro-kun, Ren-kun?" Hiyori said.

"...I don't want to admit it but Tomoe is right. Back then we were treated like trash so living in Reimei Academy was practically a hell for us even if we wanted to be idols at first. But then you came, Kazehaya Tatsumi. You willingly opted out of being an honored student, tried to help us and make our lives better even if it's a little bit." Shiro said.

"What Nii-san said! True it ended as a failure but I never once regretted whatever happened back then. I mean it's because you and HiMERU-senpai we get to experience how it likes to have idol lessons and even dance and sing on stage. Even if it's for a while I had fun. That's why I never hated you, Tatsumi-senpai." Ren said with a smile.

"Unlike Nii-san." He then said as he looked at his brother who just merely replies with a "hmph.". "Shiro-san...Ren-san..." Tatsumi said. "Haha you see. You have not realized yet but you've already done a lot for them. Those three who are non-honored students are the proof of that." Hiyori said.

Meanwhile Jun can be seen reading the script prepared by Ibara. "Look at him. He should've despised a project like COMP since it brings attention to Reimei Academy where he used to suffer under its system. Instead he is reading the script in silence and doing warm-ups to make sure he can bring the best performances. Such as good boy." He then said.

"He sealed off his own grudges to act the way people wished to see him. He never stopped honing his skills to make his fans happier." He added. "Hai. Jun-san is indeed outstanding. Even when everything was crumbling down Jun-san was the only one who didn't change. I should've learned from him instead of arrogantly thinking I was able to help such a person." Tatsumi said.

"I should've followed his example and worked harder to become a better self. However it's too late to regret it now. I became an idol because I wanted a place to belong to. And that's already an ulterior motive don't you think? But Jun-san has been walking this path more dedicatedly and sincerely than anyone else." He then said.

"I respect him. He who was looked down upon as a loser's child, was probably the only winner of the old Reimei Academy. He was the only one who didn't lose anything. That's why he's able to turn everything he gained into his radiance and shine so brightly now. Ahhh how I envy him." He added.

....True Tatsumi-senpai is right. Ever since back then the sole person who did not change his ways is Jun-kun. I called him Senpai since he was the only one who didn't need to repeat a year so in terms of education he's older than me. I did feel like our relationship as friends fell apart the moment I called him Sazanami-senpai and now I call him Jun-san. What a horrible person I am

To be honest just like Tatsumi-senpai I was envious of Jun-kun. Yes he is not involved with whatever revolution Tatsumi-senpai and HiMERU-senpai did and because of that he did not get into trouble. But I felt like it was unfair that Jun-kun get to advance forward whereas we were stuck for another year just because we did what we wanted to do.

We started out as friends but Jun-kun kept going further and further away from me. He eventually became Eve with Hiyori-san and his unit even became successful unlike ours. That's why I was slightly upset on the inside. I was envious to the point I wanted to actually destroy Eve.

But I knew there was no point in me doing that so I didn't do it. Even though Jun-kun just wanted to genuinely continue to be friends I shoo him away because I couldn't stand looking at his success. That's why I will make up for it now. For all the times Jun-kun tried to talk to me and the fun times we had together, I will make sure he gets the kindness he deserves. No matter what. Ren thought.