Renga’s Resolution

I’d like to congratulate everyone in the Morning Team on a job well done. I’ve received all of your ward tour plans. We’ve made great progress.

I’m sure it was a lot of work to finish them in such a short amount of time. Good job, everyone!

I knew I could put my trust in your shining talent…!

I also have something I’d like to announce. I’ve had an app developed for us and our guests to use. I’ll send it to all of your devices, so have a look.

This one? Woah, it’s so easy to tell where the crowded areas are and how to arrange car rides…

If we use this during our tours, we can avoid having too many guests crowd into a single ward, which will result in a more pleasant experience for everyone.

With that said, I’d like for us to start finding participants for our first tour. As for how we can advertise it…

Ah, uh, can I…say something?

Hm? What is it, Renga?

…I’ve been focusing on mayor stuff lately, so I haven’t made many appearances as a celebrity, but…I wanna advertise our tour, so I asked my manager if they could get me on TV more.

Then I got an offer from a show that always pulls in crazy high ratings…

That’s amazing. What’s it called?

Celebrity Ranking Royale…

Ah! It’s that really popular game show that airs in mahorova!

They give you a ton of time to promote anything you want if you win, right?

If I remember correctly… They give you some items, and you need to figure out which ones are the expensive real ones and which ones are the cheap fakes… It can be anything from meat to wine, even dances and movies.

Yeah. You win if you can guess the real ones right more than your opponents… I’ve…been thinking of going.

…Are you insane?

W-What’s the problem? What’s wrong with me going?

There’s no way you would win.

W-Well, my manager did tell me that I shouldn’t go, because if I talk for too long, they’ll find out that I’m stupid…

(Ah, I see… I guess his manager is a harsh critic too.)

But I can’t let that stop me. This is our big chance…

Hmm, but didn’t you say that your whole celeb thing is a lie? It’d be pretty bad if they found out.

Well, yeah, but…

Tah-daaaaah! That was the sound of me appearing on the scene. In times like these, rely on none other than Karigane Sakujiro. I shall be your support, Nishizono-san.

Ah, I see. Sakujiro was talking about wanting to do something on the side yesterday. I guess he was talking about you, Renga.

“On the side”?!

Ah, well, yeah. Sakujiro-san went through all of the past episodes of the show and got almost everything right.

It was difficult to assess the wine and meat through the screen, but I can assure you that I would answer correctly if I could taste them.

Well, I’d expect Sakujiro to get all of the answers right. He could also make sample questions based off of the show’s history.

Yes, without a doubt. Wine, meat, the arts… By taking into consideration the time of airing and the time of preparation, I can very accurately determine what they will ask.

(If this were anyone else, I’d be surprised. But coming from Sakujiro-san, it’s not too shocking…)

Also… I was thinking about this while I read all of your tour plans today, but…my ideas just aren’t as good as everyone else’s.

So I wanna help advertise our tour at least! Sakujiro-san said that he would train me… I wanna work towards that win!

……

(Renga-kun…! He’s grown so much that he’s almost unrecognizable from when I first met him. He can finally own up to his weaknesses…)

It’s worth a try. We’ve got nothing to lose. Sakujiro’s going to put you through the wringer, but you’re prepared for that, right?

…! Yeah! I’ll win this and spread the word about our tour for sure!

I will be sure to match your level of enthusiasm, Nishizono-san.

(Sakujiro-san’s training will probably be really, really hard, but…Renga-kun might win this if he goes through with it.)

We’ll all be supporting you.

…Yeah, sure.

……

…That’s how we’ve been moving as of late.

Understood. Good work on mediating while I’ve been gone, Sojun.

It is my duty to do so.

Additionally…we’ve discovered the whereabouts of the former Mrs. Nishizono after she fled HAMA following her divorce. We’ve also conducted a DNA test.

True to your suspicions, Nishizono Renga…is not blood-related to either of his parents.

…I see.

We’re keeping an eye on the alleyway that Murakumo Ten discovered. There have been no developments there yet, but…

Kiba is incredibly perceptive. He might have already realized that we’re onto him.

When do you plan to reveal Nishizono Renga’s true identity?

……

That idiot is going to appear on a popular TV show soon. The best time to strike…would be right after that.

I will let the media know.

That sounds good.

…I’m going back to the dorms. I’ll let you handle the rest.

*sigh…* I’m all wet from the rain.

(Hm? The lights in the living room are on… It’s 1 a.m.)

Incorrect. That is the thousand yen wine. The genuine Romaine Comte is number three.

Urgh… I diddun knyow… O-One more…

You seem quite drunk, so let us stop for tonight. We have been practicing for five hours.

N-Nah, ‘m ‘kay… I almoss got it… U-Ugh…

I shall bring you some water.

……

How pointless…

(Even if he wins, everything will come crashing down on him soon… I won’t be holding back.)

Mmmm… Th’ thousan‘ yen wine is, like…kinda refreshin’… ‘N’ th’ Romaine Comte is…stronger…I think… Gotta write it down…

……

(Show yourself already, Kiba… You can still keep your protégé out of harm’s way.)

……

(How absurd. Trivial emotions like these only lead to tragedy… I won’t let it happen again.)

(I won’t show sympathy…not to someone so close to Kiba.)