Nice work, everyone~! Man, that was a lot busier than I'd imagined!

Looks like some people made reservations in advance, but there's already a line for those who couldn't get in during lunch⁠♪

Sengoku's role as a former ninja fit the theme well, so the customers were pleased~⁠♪

Indeed. It was all swith improvisation, but they welcomed me with open arms.

One customer happened to be a Ryuseitai fan and ordered a multitude of dishes from me⁠—

Namely Dead Omurice, Dead End Parfait, and some Dead Black...coffee. I was also able to chat with them every time they made an order.

Heheheh, you are surpassing all of my expectations. The Drama Club cannot afford to lose here!

Of course. I'd say Hibiki-senpai's acting more like support, passing orders from person to person and such.

With the kitchen receiving more orders than it can handle, it's as though he's keeping it from spiraling out of control by coordinating magic tricks and small talk.

That's because my duty is to keep the customers satisfied~ I thought by doing those, I could avoid running into trouble and buy some time.

Hehehe. Now that we survived the busy lunch hour without a scratch, let us take a break.

...Or at least, that is what I would like to say.

Hmm?

Take a look around. Don't you think there's someone missing?

"Someone missing"... Anzu-san just came out of the kitchen, but that's not exactly "strange"...

Mayoi-senpai isn't here... Didn't he say that he had to "powder his nose"⁠1 earlier?

He is using the restroom. The door is locked shut.

Hehehe. I've picked up on something! My hair sensors have been activated...

What the actual hell does that even mean?!

How remarkable, Hibiki-dono! I thought this ability of yours was just hearsay—I didn't know you were truly capable of this!

Perhaps I should've recruited you for the Ninja Association while you were still a student...

Oops. Haven't you seen this little trick before, Sengoku-kun? It's a bit like applying magic to your hair—but let us return to the matter at hand.

Judging from the reverberations in the air, there is no one in the restroom...⁠♪ It is likely that Mister Phantom escaped through the window.

Egad, you are utterly correct! There is no sign of him behind the door!

Huh, you can sense that too?

Sensing one's presence behind barriers is among the first techniques a ninja must acquire!

Anyhow, Mayoi-dono shouldn't have gone too far... I do not know what came over him, but I shall search for him right away!

Oh? You want to come along too, Anzu-dono? I appreciate your aid!

Hmm. You want me to continue working, so you're going to look for him yourself?

...I cannot let you do all of that alone.

Mayoi-dono is the only other member of the Ninja Association. I can't abandon him, no matter what the circumstances are.

Surely you understand, correct?

I agree with Sengoku-kun, Miss Anzu.

As I am an Eccentric, I don't know much about Mister Phantom. Could it be that working with me put a heavy burden on him?

However, a play is nothing without actors to perform it. I'm certain that Mister Phantom doesn't want us to continue without our full cast.

If you find something to be a burden, then I shall shoulder that burden. Such is the grace of having a supporting actor by your side.

Leave the café to me. Tomoya-kun, could you give me a hand?

Um... Well... I'm sure Hibiki-senpai will be fine. This dude has ridiculously high stats anyways. You should go focus on finding Ayase-senpai.

...Much obliged. If you insist, I shall search for Mayoi-dono at once!

Sob, sob...

(Aah... I ran away without changing, so everyone is staring at me... It hurts.)

(I mean, of course they would be. A grown adult dressed in a strange outfit curled up on a bench, hugging his knees and crying...)

(But my tears aren't stopping.)

(Chiiiief... Please forgive me. I'm such a lowly creature!)

(But I can't do anything about iiiiit! If things... If things continue like this...!)

(I-I can't... I c-can't breathe. I can't remember how to breathe. I feel like my mind's in a haze...)

(It's impossible for me after all. He—Hibiki-san said that he lives by meeting others' expectations...)

(But I can't do that.)

(...I felt like I was going to lose consciousness several times just from all of the people looking at me.)

(Surrounded by bright, sparkling people like ALKALOID, I still felt like there was something I could do.)

(But in a job like this, with all of us working individually to draw our customers' attention, it felt like the burden on me specifically had increased.)

(If I continued trying to do my job at the café, I would have collapsed—Dead End Café would take a huge blow, and it would be my fault.)

(By asking the Ninja Association for a favor, they were taking a risk.)

(And if I ruined it, the association—a place beloved to me—would certainly crumble and disappear into nothing.)

(Even though Chief has been trying so desperately to fulfill his desire of turning it into a real club.)

(If it comes to that, it'd be better for me to return to the darkness where I once was.)

(If I can avoid hurting anyone, then living in a desolate place where the light never touches is a much better choice for me.)

(You gave me love, so I will sacrifice myself for the sake of that love. The Phantom of the Opera ended things the same way, didn't he?)

(It doesn't matter how much despair I feel, so long as the one I love can be truly happy. I don't mind if you despise me for running from my responsibilities.)

...Thank you so very much, Chief. Now, it's time to sever the bond between us.

This is...truly a dead end.