Hansel and Gretel - A Gathering of Witches 2

(The next day, in front of Starmony Dormitory.)

Arashi: (Dear dear, it's already gotten this late...

Thanks to that, my tummy's grumbling... With all the poses I had to do for the photoshoot, I'll have to fill up on more calories.

Today's dinner is: the chicken salad with steamed vegetables I bought from the convenience store ☆

—I haaaaaaate it... Sure, I'm on a diet, but isn't this a little too plain?)

Uuuuuugh, I want to eat some sweets... I want to spoil myself with lots and lots of sugar tonight...

Just... kidding. I've still got model work to do, so I should moderate myself for now.

Alright... Time to head home and sleep since I work from the morning tomorrow, too.

Ritsu: ...

Arashi: (Oh my. Isn't that Ritsu-chan over there?

What's he doing just leaning against the dormitory walls with that wistful look? I’m pretty sure he doesn’t sleep in the dorms, so...? Unless — is he waiting for someone?

I shouldn’t get in his way. I feel kiiind of awkward just staring at him too, so I'll just head back...)

Ritsu: ... (walks away)

Arashi: —Where's he going? Honestly, he's so hard to read...

Oh? Oh-ho-ho? There's a bag of sweets where Ritsu-chan was just standing... Did he forget them?

Fufu. Oh, Ritsu-chan... You can be such a scatterbrain...♪

Hey, Ritsu-chan! Wait just a sec!

He's already long gone... Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to hand them to him myself.

I won't feel so good if I flaunt such fine sweets while I'm on a diet, though...

When it comes down to it, I'll just have to lift the sweets ban through chasing Ritsu-chan...☆

(Meanwhile, inside the ES building)

Subaru: ♪~♪~♪

(Alright. Next's the last set! I'll go all out on this dance...☆

Step, turn, then jump...~!

And nail the landing ☆ Hell yeah! )

Phew. I've already run out of time for this dance room... Time sure flies when you're focused, huh~?

But with this, I'll totally surprise the rest of Trickstar the next time we practice together! Ahaha, I can't wait to see them again~☆

I'm ending today's practice on a good note, so we’ll call it a day here ☆

...Huh? Did something drop in here?

What is this... A piece of candy?

I've got it! Hokke~ must've peeked in on my solo practice, and then carelessly dropped some konpeito on his way back...!

Except Hokke~'s not that roundabout. I wonder if someone passing by the room dropped it?

They go right out into the hallway. Huh, weird. It's like I'm being lured with candy.

I’m kinda curious now, so I guess I'll go along with it.

Arashi: How weird... I wonder where Ritsu-chan's gone.

It's fairly late at night for him to have something to do here, not to mention a strange time for solo work...

Even if he says he's a night owl, wouldn’t he have his meeting much earlier?

Something feels off here... It feels shady.

But Ritsu-chan would never be the type to do something like that, would he...?

Subaru: Rasshi~, what's up? What're you doing here?

Arashi: ...Oh my, if it isn't Subaru-chan. Isn't it about time for a good kid like you to head home?

Subaru: I'm an idol though, not a good kid? Aren’t you becoming more and more of a big sis thanks to your ever-growing juniors in Knights, Rasshi~?

Arashi: Oh, my bad. I'm poking my nose into your business, aren't I?

I'm sorry. My juniors tend to go wild, so I've just gotten stricter. I have to be careful not to turn into one of those bossy ladies.

More importantly, haven't we gotten off track, Subaru-chan?

Subaru: Yeah. Derailing conversations' kind of a bad habit of mine, huh?

Hokke~ got mad at me about it the other day. He was like, "You've grown as an idol, but you haven't made any progress on staying on-topic in a whole year."

But he's sooo not one to talk when he's still as ditzy as he was last year, y'know~?

...Oh, I did it again.

I was just practicing until a little while ago. I've been getting solo work more often, so I haven't had a lot of time for it otherwise.

You'll get weak if you don't move your body, after all. I exercise and go running when I have the time, but that's about it.

So I rented out a dance room to practice in with some L$.

Oh, and I wanted to ask - did you drop this candy, Rasshi~?

There's a lot in the hallway. I was picking them as they led me to the emergency staircase... I was wondering if they were trying to invite me somewhere.

Arashi: Hallw...? Mm-mm, I just got here.

But it's strange, isn't it? To tell you the truth, I noticed Ritsu-chan left behind some sweets, so I came to the ES building.

Subaru:Huh...? Then Ritsu-senpai dropped this candy?

Why’d he do that~? I’m so curious~!

Arashi: Ufufu. We've come this far, so let's keep going. It's not like he's the type to do anything sinister. ...Though it sure is tempting my diet.

He's Knights' strategist after all — he’s sure to have something up his sleeve, right?