Chapter Text
“SWEET-P, SOMEONE STOLE MY COSTUME!”
Four faces stared at him dumbfounded as Stork stands at the door stark naked. Sweet-P, Shonen-Doll, Kuchinashi and Ike-P surround a table full of various sweets and tea. Apparently and unusually so, Sweet-P had managed to convince some of the musicians to have tea together. Unfortunately, something had to ruin it.
“Oh… I didn’t realise everyone else was here.”
“FOR FUCK’S SAKE, STORK. PUT SOMETHING ON BEFORE YOU BARGE IN!” Sweet-P yelled, standing up and knocking over her chair.
“I should’ve never left my room,” Shonen-Doll murmured in his seat.
“But! You see! Someone stole them!!” Stork tried to explain.
“You have other clothes don’t you!?”
“I do have a spare but my mask’s–”
“THEN PUT THEM ON AND DON’T COME IN UNTIL YOU DO.”
Sweet-P shut the door on him at that. She huffed back to her seat and took a deep breath before speaking.
“Well, now! Let’s continue where we left off before we were rudely interrupted, shall we?” Sweet-P said, returning to her sunny disposition.
Ike-P shook his head. “Has it always been like this?”
“I don’t know,” Kuchinashi answered. “I think I need the mindphones after that.”
There was a knock at the door after a little while and Stork poked his head out.
“Um, I’m back.”
“You can come in now, Stork.” Sweet-P affirmed.
Stork stepped inside, wearing what he usually wears minus the mask and wing attachments on his jacket.
“Okay, now what happened, Stork?”
“It was early this morning as I woke up and did my stretches that I realised there was something deeply wrong!!” Stork began, rather dramatically. “I distinctly remember safely stowing away my mask and hanging a fresh costume for tomorrow at their usual place but when I woke up, they were gone! And my mask that I always keep by the desk is gone too!”
“You didn’t misplace it anywhere?” Kuchinashi asked.
“No! It was all there the night before and I especially would never leave my mask in a place I’d forget.”
“By the way, is that what you actually look like?” Ike-P brought up.
Stork flustered, covering his face as if he’d just realise he wasn’t wearing his mask. Not that it could cause anyone to unsee his true face.
“Well, yes. I didn’t ask μ to change anything.”
“For some reason it doesn’t feel all that shocking,” Sweet-P said.
“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” Kuchinashi pondered.
“Oh I get what you mean,” Ike-P interjected. “Like when you recognise a stranger you’ve met in a past life.”
“That’s not what I meant but anyway, back on topic, why would anyone want to steal your costume?”
“I don’t get it either,” Shonen-Doll added. “It’s not like anyone in Mobius would be desperate enough to steal something like that.”
“They’re someone weird for sure” Sweet-P sighed. “But don’t worry Stork, we’ll get it back or at least try to find out what happened once μ and Thorn get back.”
“Thank you, everyone.” Stork sniffled. “I hope we can catch the culprit.”
The Go-Home club was truly full of imbeciles. Eiji Biwasaka concluded as much when he first joined, but now that he had been exiled, it had only proved him correct. To abandon someone as paramount as him over such a minor thing? Everyone was a fool. Mere ants below him. In any case, he was on his own now to find a method back to the real world.
As Biwasaka was deliberating on his next course of action, a movement caught his eye from around the corner. The street he was walking on was virtually empty and not only did this part of the city tend to be desolate, he saw a flash of white that was familiar. Biwasaka activated his catharsis effect. He could easily take on a lone Musician. Plus, even if there wasn’t any information he could pry out of him, he could take the person as hostage and use it as a bargaining chip for μ to let him go back to reality.
As Biwasaka approached closer, he noticed something was different about the musician. Stork was dressed as usual and Biwasaka could see that he was holding a camera but… did he always have green hair? Just as Biwasaka was closing in on him to catch him by surprise, Stork had caught on and turned around. With a flick of his whip, he caught the man by the foot but to Biwasaka’s astonishment, Stork brandished a knife as he dropped his camera and pointed it at him.
How interesting.
“I didn’t think you’d have a weapon like that,” Biwasaka commented.
“Who are you?”
His voice was different. It was deeper and his attitude was much more hostile than before.
“Shouldn’t you know a Go-Home club member when you see one? Especially me?”
“How should I know that? If you’re going to get in my way, I won’t hesitate to use force or even kill.”
Biwasaka was certain this was definitely a different person.
“I’m only speaking as someone who understands that you’re dressed as one of the Ostinato Musicians. Or are you simply a fan?”
“I don’t care about the Musicians. Release me or else.”
“Hmph, demanding, aren’t you?” Biwasaka said, deactivating his catharsis effect. The imposter slowly stood up when his foot was released. He looked to be around the same height as Biwasaka and upon closer inspection, he definitely had a different air about him than to the musician he’d fought back at the hot springs.
“Are you going to put away that knife or are you intending to stab me?” Biwasaka remarked with the confidence of a man who was certain he could never be wounded.
“I’m not so idiotic as to let my guard down that easily. That and whatever you just did only stands to reason.”
Well, he couldn’t blame the man for being so defensive. “Carrying around a knife doesn’t exactly scream reason.”
“As if being left weaponless while those things run around is a wise idea,”
“Those things?” Biwasaka was intrigued by the man more and more. “Are you referring to the digiheads? You must be becoming aware that this world is fake then.”
“What?” The surprise was evident in his voice despite the mask.
“I will explain then.” Biwasaka smiled. “To put it simply, this world is a fake reality created by that virtual doll μ for those who despair of the real world. You and I are trapped in it and those digiheads are out to get rid of us who’ve become aware of this.”
The other man stayed silent. He was still holding the knife tightly in his hand. Biwasaka could’ve left him alone after finding out he wasn’t the musician he thought him out to be but he sensed something in the man that could prove him a valuable ally when he currently stands alone. Both Go-Home Club and the Musicians are threats Biwasaka was wary of and facing them by himself if he ever did come across them would be dangerous.
The man finally speaks. “It’s hard to believe but I can’t say I’m not familiar with these kinds of things and everything I’ve seen does become more plausible with your explanation.”
“I’m glad you’ve grasped it quickly.”
“Haruto-san and my parents… It all makes sense,” he muttered. "Even in this world, there’s still a wall in front of me…”
Biwasaka ignored his mutterings and continued, “I have a proposition to make with you, if you will consider. I want you to help me in escaping this world.”
Osoto perked out of his sudden brooding at the mention of that.
“You want to escape?”
“There’s no benefit for me here any longer and I’d like to go back to my current life in the real world. As fellows who have become aware, wouldn’t it be better for us to team up?”
“I’m not fully convinced, all things considered, but it seems I have no choice.”
Biwasaka stretched out his hand. “It seems we’ve reached an agreement. I’m Eiji Biwasaka.”
“Masaki Osoto.” He responded in kind and put away the knife.
“But I have to ask, why are you wearing something like that?”
“It may be odd, but I felt like it was appropriate attire at the time for something I was doing. The mask gets stuffy after a while though.”
Osoto removed the mask to reveal the face of a gentle looking young man. It was a little silly imagining him pointing a knife with a face like that.
“How did you come by it?” Biwasaka asked.
“That’s something I’d rather not say. I do have some more questions about Mobius though.”
“What do you want to know?”
“What happens if you kill someone in this world?”
The sun shined brilliantly on Osoto’s gentle face as he said it.
Biwasaka smiled. He chose the right person after all.