Chapter 1 - A Fateful Encounter on a Run
Nonogi Park
Huff......huff......
A vast, cloudless sky! A sun shining with golden splendor! There's no better day to push myself to the limit than today!!
If I'm to truly excel in my training at Morinomiya, I must focus on building my stamina.
(I pride myself on my stamina, but compared to the guys at Morinomiya, I still have a long way to go......)
(If I am to embody any role to perfection, I cannot afford to neglect my training.)
Alright! Time for one final push, then onto the next challenge—
<Go, go, Tsukasa-kun! >
<You can do it, you’ve got this~! ♪>
Hm?
Oh! If it isn’t Miku! What's the matter?
<Guess what?>
<Today, Miku and everyone are gonna be the official Wonderlands x Showtime Support Squad~! ☆>
<Even on your days off, you guys work so hard with practice and studying, so Miku's here to cheer you on ☆>
<Tsukasa-kun, go, go, you got this~♪>
Hah Hah Hah! So that’s what this is about!
Thank you, Miku! I feel my energy flowing already!
<For reaaal~!?>
Yeah! I was just about to go for my final sprint, but with this newfound energy....… one more extra lap it is—
……Mmm.……Meow.
Hm…...?
<Hey, hey, Tsukasa-kun! Did you hear that!?>
So you heard it too, Miku. Just what in the world—?
Myaa…....
There it is again! Wait… could it be…....?
…...Sounds like a cat. But that meow...… it’s so weak...…
…...It might be in trouble. Let’s go find it!
<Yeah! Um...… Miku thinks it came from over there!>
Alright, let’s move!
*Tsukasa runs off*
I was sure it was around here, but…....
<Tsukasa-kun, Tsukasa-kun! Look at the pond over there!>
Meow…....
That..... That cat’s stranded on the stepping stones…..!
<It looks really scared..… Tsukasa-kun, please! You have to save it!>
Of course! If I can just find a place to jump to…...
(…..No good. The stones are too small; if I try to cross, I’ll slip and scare it even more…...)
(There has to be another way—)
<Oh, I know! What if we show it how to jump across?>
Show it how?
<Mhm! If you show it the ropes, the kitty will know how to cross!>
<When Miku practice for shows, KAITO and the others always demonstrate for me ☆>
I see...… That might just work.
Can't really say for sure....… but if I put my acting skills to use, it might just understand!
Alright, you there!
.....?
Okay, eyes on me! Watch very closely because this...... is how you jump!!
Hup—!!!!
*really loud and dramatic jumping*
.......?
<......Looks like the kitty only tilt its head?>
…..It doesn’t seem to be getting the message.
But if we keep trying, it just might understand!
One more!
*This the part where they start playing the dramatic shounen OST*
Alright, listen up! You gotta plant your paws nice and firm…...
Like this! And then..… you go like this!
……Meow.
Don’t worry, you can do it...…!
M-Meow...…!
<Oh! It’s trying to jump!>
That’s the spirit!
If we do this together, you’ll make it for sure!
Let’s do this! Ready...… and —
JUMP!!
HWOOOOAAAHHHH!!!
Meowww~!!
Oh......
That was a perfect jump!!
Amazing! It was all like boing! and then shoom!
So cool~☆
Indeed! That was a display of true bravery!
Err......
—Nyantaro!!
Meow~!
<Aww, so this little one's Nyantaro now ☆>
<Ehehe, seeing Nyantaro smile makes Miku all warm and fuzzy too~♪>
Well, I did just make that name up on the spot…...
…..Hmm? That marking on his back…..
Now that I look closely, it’s shaped like a star! You bear the mark of a true star...... How magnificent, Nyantaro!
.....Meow.
*Nyantaro runs off*
Ah. hey......!
<Aww, he ran off....>
Honestly...…what a fickle one you are.
But even if it was only for a short while, we still faced hardships together as comrades.
A send-off like this should be nothing less than spectacular!
Nyantaro, stay strong out there~~!
<Bye-byeee!>
…...Meowww~!
Ehehe, it meowed back~♪
Yeah. That was one radiant smile.
—Alright! Now that we know Nyantaro’s safe, let’s get back to training, shall we?
<Okay! Miku’s gonna cheer super hard for you ☆>
A Few Days Later
Mizuki, hurry! The Ferris wheel’s just up ahead!
The gondolas are supposed to be super cute, but..… I can’t see anything from here. We need to get closer..…!
Airi-chan, you’re walking way too fast~! And wait, is it me, or are you just, like, bouncing off the wall today!?
Well, duh! I mean, today—
We’re going to a cat-themed carnival!
A traveling carnival coming to town is exciting enough, but a cat-themed one...…!? Is this even real?
From what I saw on social media, even the Ferris wheel and rides are cat-themed! That’s just..… just…...
Absolutely, undeniably the cutest thing ever.....!!!
I see now~! Airi-chan, you really, really love cats, huh?
Yeah! I’d love to snuggle them and give them all the love, but… I can’t....…
That’s why I just had to come here.
A place where you can feel surrounded by cats without even touching them? It’s basically heaven on Earth..…!
Hehe. Alrighty then, let’s go all out and have a blast today~♪
Yeah! I think the carnival is just past this park....…
HEEEEEEEEEEY!!!
NYANTAROOOO!!!!! WHERE ARE YOUUUUU!?
Wait.... This voice......