Extra 2: Magic Words

—–Translated by daydrop. Please read on the original site at daydrop.nowaki.net.

Translator Note: This story takes place after “Love Rivals and Irises” and contains references and spoilers for the spinoff.

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“Come to think of it, I was pretty shocked at the Lucky Man shoot the other time.”

The uninvited guest (Ushio had invited him to be precise) Tatsuki had spoken up abruptly.

“Nacchan, you used some pretty unfamiliar Kansai expressions.”

“Huh? Did I really?” Shin made a puzzled-looking face.

“You did. I think we were with the Kansai Asahi people when you said it. Oh, right, you said ‘milty,’ a milty video.”

“Meaning brazen and transparent?”

“Well, yes, that’s right,” Shin said, answering Ushio’s question. “Kinda like it’s a lil’ fake, an’ ya can feel it, but they’re tryna to pass it off like it ain’t?”

“And you also said ‘unfornate.’”

“Hnn, it’s kinda like unfortunate?”

“Can’t you just say unfortunate?”

“Naw, it’s a bit different. Unfor’nate is unfor’nate. It has a nuance where the roughness stands out.”

“You don’t seem to use it normally.”

“It just kinda comes out unconsciously if I’m ’round people who use it. Ya ain’t ever have that happen before?”

“What do you think, Paisen?”

“Why are you bringing me up!?”

“Wha? Because I was born in Tokyo and raised on hip hop~”

“What does hip hop have to do with anything!? Anyway, Kitarou, how long do you plan to keep using that accent?”

“Eh? It’s not like I plan on it. It’s not something that I think about preservin’…”

“Huh? How many years have you lived in Tokyo now? Wouldn’t it normally correct itself? Or what? Do you think if you leave your Kansai accent as it is that it will be adopted through the country? Or maybe you just think you sound cool speaking it? No single dialect is better than the other, but people seem to think that their dialect makes them special, especially people from Osaka.”

“N-No, of course not,” Shin denied meekly. He couldn’t parry the onslaught of accusations with a brashness like Tatsuki, and Ushio stepped in to help him out.

“Now, now. Even Kunieda-san sometimes slips a little Shizuoka into his words. Like ‘Shizoka.’”

“Screw you. I do not.”

“And you’ll mistake ‘Bikkuri Donkey’ for ‘refreshing’ too.”¹

“Who the hell makes that kind of mistake!? Anyway, my parents are from Tokyo. There’s no accent for me to pick up.”

“Just by claiming that your parents are from Tokyo, it pretty much shows that you have a bit of a complex about it, Senpai.”

“What did you say?”

“What’s wrong with Shizoka? Shizoka’s a nice place~ It’s pretty big, but the Nozomi doesn’t even stop there though~”²

“Bastard, you’re just mocking the place.”

“No way~ I would never~ It’s the land that spawned such a highly respected senior colleague of mine after all~”

“The word is birthed, damn it.”

“This talent that the sea, mountains, and tea fields of Shizoka has nurtured~ I mean seriously, what did they feed you to be able to raise such a hilarious person?”

“Minagawa, watch out for the boomerang coming back for you.”

“—By the way, so it really doesn’t come out?”

“…What?”  

“The Shizoka accent.” 

“What the hell.” Kei frowned. “Why are you asking me now?”

“Because it’s now, obviously,” Ushio replied. “Here.”

Ushio’s hips were already pressed up against his body, but then they rocked into him, and Kei trembled at the pulse that echoed from the deepest part of his body.

“Ahh…”

“I was wondering if there were any sweet nothings from your hometown that you could use for times like these.”

“Of course not, stupid. Ngh.”

“You say that, but I bet that there really are some. Something to get me hot and bothered.”

“There aren’t. Ah, ah… Pay attention to what you’re doing, and do it properly, stupid…”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

Kei was taken aback by the about-face and the awfully humble apology. 

“I’ll pay attention and do a proper job about it,” Ushio declared. “Kei,” he whispered, stroking a cheek tenderly. “I love you.”

Ushio stared directly into Kei’s eyes from a very short distance away.

“Wha—…”

Kei rushed to turn his gaze away, but Ushio was on him immediately. Oi, was this what he meant by “a proper job”? It was technically right, but it wasn’t. This was just “proper play,” wasn’t it? But uh, if he were asked if he completely hated it, it wasn’t really the case though.

“I love you. What about you?”

“Hey, quit it, stupid!”

“Answer me. Look into my eyes properly.”

“Quit it, I said!!”

“Kei.”

“No! Come on—!”

“Nawada-kun, do you have a minute? I would like to ask you something about the broadcast today.”

“S-Sure.”

Kei led Shin to the bathroom of a deserted area in the building and carefully checked that there was no one around. 

Okay, no one would come.

“Kunieda-san, um, so you had a question…?”

Shin was nervous, pretending to be cute and innocent again (in Kei’s subjective opinion), so Kei gave him a pleasant smile, and then used both of his hands to pinch Shin in the cheeks.

“Ow!”

“Seriously, you bastards, why do you give me nothing but trouble and grief~?”

“Huh? Huh? Um, ow. It hurts, sir.”

“Shut up.”

Kei did think about making Shin’s cheeks as puffy as Garigari-kun, but he was at work, so he restrained himself and let go.

“Anyway, half of it was for that idiot of yours, so go ham when you pinch him for me.”

“Huh? Wha—…?”

Kei returned to the staff room after letting Shin leave first, and Tatsuki had gone up to Shin, having picked up on something.

“Huh, Nacchan, your cheeks seem a little red.”

“Y-Ya think so?”

“Did you grab a drink or something?”

“Of course, not!”

“So what happened?”

“Uhh… Hey, let’s get back to work. There’s lots to do.”

“Huh~?”

Shut up, you idiots, Kei ranted at them in his head.

My face was a hundred times redder yesterday because of you two.

—–Translated by daydrop. Please read on the original site at daydrop.nowaki.net.

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1. Bikkuri Donkey is a Hamburg steak restaurant.
2. Nozomi is the fastest train service on the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka.

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