Are ya alright, Anzu?!

Not to worry, Nii~chan is here! You're all safe now! That sure was scary, huh? Did you get hurt?

Whoa, glad to see you're full of energy! Y'know, I was really worried about ya! Everyone in the other regions said that you were nowhere to be found!

Especially Mako-chin! He had a super scary look on his face when he told me to tell him if I had any info about your whereabouts⁠—

...? Uh? Hey, Anzu? Why are you ignoring me? I was really worried about you!

Nazuna Nito. Lemme tell ya three useful pieces of information.

Eep! D-Don't just come outta nyowhere! Ya scawred me!

One: This is where the SS Administration works. Act like a squealin' animal and I'll have ya exterminated like one.

Two: I'm the one who called ya here. Common courtesy dictates you oughta greet me before you did her.

Three: Anzu's bound by contract to only do as I tell her, to the letter. And under my orders, she's prohibited from interactin' with other idols.

Speakin' carelessly like that might make her wanna talk back, y'know? Then eeeverythin' she worked so tirelessly to protect would've gone right down the drain.

But if you think that relievin' your own anxiety is worth tramplin' over Anzu's resolve and hard work like that, then do whatever pleases ya.

.........

...What did you do to Anzu?

Me? Nothin'. As you can see, we're just here to do what we usually do.

As a member of the P Association and the SS Administration Committee, I'm here for the sake of all idols.

Supposed to be, anyway. I ain't lookin' to get kicked in the face again by makin' a huge fuss outta things.1

As long as you idols don't go losin' yer minds and start any unnecessary bullshit, I'll keep to this little contract of ours, easy.

So relax. I ain't gonna lay a single finger on her. As long as Anzu's a good girl, I'll be on her side.

......?

Same can be said of you, Nazuna Nito. The two of ya are in pretty similar situations right now, so you better be on your best behavior even if something serious comes up.

You're a pitiful little bird who's bein' threatened in the middle of a hostage situation. Don't just stand there, be a good boy and do something that'll put me in a better mood.

Follow Anzu's lead, got it?

I have no idea what you're talking about...?

Either way, where's Tenshouin?! He made all of this up, right? I was thinking that he's been quiet lately, but he's up to no good again, huh?!

Eichi Tenshouin...huh? I ain't got nothin' to disagree with you about, but how did ya even jump to that conclusion?

He wouldn't leave any tracks behind.

He's the one who called me here! On HoldHands! When I woke up this morning, I didn't see anybody from Ra*bits around! So I searched everywhere for them⁠—

Then Tenshouin rang me up and told me to meet up with Anzu to find out the real story behind all of this!

I was real worried about Anzu too, so I came over here in a jiffy!

Hmm... I wonder why you're the only one who can wander around so freely.

Tenshouin's probably just messin' around. I ain't got a clue what his goal is.

Hmm...?

Whatever. Have a seat, Nito. Kickin' up a fuss ain't gonna get us nowhere.

By the way, all of yer adorable juniors are in my and Tenshouin's hands.

I can do whatever I feel like to 'em, so you better watch yourself.

I haven't even bothered givin' the four of ya any Order worth a damn. That's how little your Ra*bits is weighin' on my mind.

Besides, there're already plenty of ways to bring people to their knees without resortin' to deception.

For example, I could hold a gun or knife to Anzu's head.

That oughta be enough to make you do whatever I tell ya to.

You and I ain't equals. If you're smart, you would've had that drilled into your useless brain already.

...If you do anything to Anzu, Tenshouin and all the other idols would go up in a rage.

And that's why she's bein' secluded here, all on her lonesome. Long as I keep her nice and safe, I can do as I like.

That's all there is to it. I ain't got a clue why this girl is so loved, and I don't give a damn about her life either way.

But if I find she's startin' to get in my way, then you can bet she'll be taken out of the picture without a second thought. If you catch my drift and really care about her, do your best not to piss me off any.

.........

You're good at followin' orders, ain'tcha, Nazuna Nito? That's what I heard from Tenshouin.

.........