Coin Laundry Baby

Alright, so let’s start our meeting to decide on the Night Team’s name and tour concept.

Mhm, let’s get this started.

Mr. Presideeeent! Your hair is looking as perfect as ever today! I’m looking forward to another day of working with you!

So this is what it means to be a brown-noser…

……

Yodaka-san, wake up, please. Our meeting’s starting.

Hm…? Ah, did our ark arrive at Polaris safely…?

Y’should be more worried ‘bout your brain than that. What’re you yappin’ about?

This is Earth, the third planet in the Solar System.

I’ve never seen this side of Yodaka-san before.

Thanks for joining us today, Raito-san.

You’ve been showing Nagi the ropes, right?

I’ll be studying under Professor Raito for life.

Nagi’s a bit anxious about this whole thing, but he certainly has potential. He already has a lot of practical experience from running his shop. He has a fantastic eye for detail, and puts a great amount of care into his work.

Ohh, you were praised.

Ew…

Guess he’s not used to gettin’ compliments…

Okay, to start off, Nagi, can you present your proposed team name and tour concept?

Yeah. Everyone, please look at the document I just sent you.

Following R1ze, Day2, and Ev3ns…

Our name is… L4mps?

Lamps… It feels so warm and tender… I think it’s a lovely name.

…Hmph.

L4mps are lights where people gather. I had an image in my mind of street lamps that softly light up the roads at night.

What do you think, Kafka?

Mhm, it fits with their nighttime image, and the concept can be easily visualized. Let’s go with that.

…!

Good work, Nagi.

Alright, next is the tour concept.

Please take a look at the next page. Our tour concept will be “a trip to deepen bonds with others”.

By “others”, I mean the guests’ family or other loved ones. I want the tour to provide people with a memorable opportunity to deepen their bonds.

So my idea is to help people grow closer to the people they love most…

I think it’s a great idea. Our guests will love it.

It is lonely to be on your own, correct? Yes, I think humans will like it.

I think it’s great too! Personally, I’d be really happy if I could go on a trip to deepen my bond with my dear brother. Right, Brother Dearest?

Well… Uhh…

’Sup? Somethin’ on your mind?

It just feels like we’re pushin’ our opinions and values and stuff onto the guests, so I kinda don’t like it.

Pushing…?

Yeah. Like how everyone says that y’gotta spend Christmas with your partner. Feels like we’re tellin’ people what they havta do.

……

(Nagi-kun’s not used to leading meetings like these, so I’m not sure if he can handle criticism… I should help h⁠—)

I see. Ryui, I understand your concerns. You must feel that way because our bonds with others are incredibly vital to us as social animals.

That’s precisely why Nagi wants this tour to help improve those bonds. Did I understand that correctly, Nagi?

…Thank you very much.

(N-Nice save, Raito-san…)

Hah, runnin’ to your teacher ‘cuz you can’t answer it yourself, huh? Whatever.

What about the people who don’t get along with their families? They ain’t welcome to the tour or what? Not everyone has a good relationship with their family.

And what about the people who don’t got any “loved ones”? Some people don’t got any friends or a partner they can invite to the tour.

……

Sure, the concept sounds good on paper, but⁠—

Ah, yes. That’s me.

What do you mean?

Someone who does not get along with their family and who does not have any loved ones?

Yeah. I was abandoned.

Huh?

I got abandoned in a coin laundry when I was three years old. Maybe she just forgot me there, like how people lose their socks in the laundry.

Oh, my god…

Ah, is that the reason why you run a laundromat? So she will return for you?

Yeah. She hasn’t though.

…Do you remember anything about her? I figure you don’t remember much, since you were only three.

I don’t remember enough to lead to anything. All I know is that my real name is probably Nagi. It was written on a tag attached to my clothes.

(I vaguely remember someone giving me a four leaf clover too. Was that my “mom”…?)

……

…I see. That’s why you were so caring when we were looking for my dear brother…

Ah, it’s okay, it’s not really that sad of a story. To be honest, I don’t really care about it myself.

I see…

Um, so, I lived in an orphanage for a while after that, so I think the idea of a family is something I yearn for more than most people…

Maybe that’s why I seem kind of pushy about my concept. Now that I’m explaining it, it sounds kind of embarrassing.

…rassing.

Huh?

It ain’t embarrassing, goddammit! If that’s your reasoning behind it, then just fuckin’ go with it!! Be proud of it!!

Huh? What? Okay.

*sigh…* I get why you want this, but that just leaves me with more questions.

Who are you gonna invite to it? At this rate, you won’t even be able to participate in your own damn tour.

…Okay. Does everyone agree on the concept?

It looks like it.

Okay, so the concept will be “a trip to deepen bonds with others”! Good work, Nagi-kun.

Ah… Yeah. Thanks.

……

Ryui, what’re you makin’ that face for? He pulled the meanness right outta you, huh? Hahaha.

I’m not makin’ a face, and he didn’t do shit.

Well, whatever. Ya should’ve told me alla that from the beginning. Then I wouldn’t have said all that shit about your concept.

…Sorry.

Just say “Okay, I’ll do that.” Don’t apologize for everything, invisi-moron.

Okay, I’ll do that. Thank you.

Alright… Looks like we’re done he⁠—

Oh, Chief! Hold on. Before we end the meeting, there’s one thing I wanted to announce.

Oh, go ahead.

We just got a call from the owner of the property that Ryui and Toi had their eyes on. He said that he’d be fine with renting it out to Ryui.

Huh?

What?!

R-Really?!

That old fart… He’s always talkin’ shit about me, so why’d he approve…? Unless this is all a set-up for somethin’.

……

Innocent, but falsely accuuused!

You have Nagi to thank for this one. ♪

Huh? Me?

You were de-weeding that empty plot, right?

De-weeding? You were⁠—

I was doing that.

Haha, so you did.

He owned that plot as well. He was very impressed with how you de-weeded it without using any herbicides to keep the soil and the wildflowers healthy.

So he considered our request ahead of our grandfather’s, even though they’re old friends…? Wow!

…I didn’t know the owner of that plot also owned the property you were looking at, Ryui.

You can always trust a florist to take great care of plants.

Very well done, Gii!

……

And it doesn’t end there.

Really?

He has quite a bit of influence, and he’s involved with the municipal government’s administration.

He requested the Night Team to help plan and participate in a large event that will occur at the park soon, so you can use that as an opportunity to start gaining the trust of the locals.

That sounds like an amazing opportunity, Mr. President.

There’s no reason for us to reject, so, naturally, I accepted. Here are the documents for it.

You don’t get a chance to participate in something this large every day! I can’t believe Nagi-kun got us this opportunity by just doing some de-weeding! That’s amazing…

I’m confident in my de-weeding skills, but… I… I never expected something this good to happen to me in my entire life.

(Nagi-kun’s so moved that he’s literally shaking… He’s been working so hard since the ceremony!)

Nagi-kun, what should we do for the event?

Huh? Uhh…

Hmm… I see. I just glanced over the document.

I think the scale is large enough for you to be able to host Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest?

It’s somethin’ they do in Munich, Germany. The biggest beer festival in the world!

Yes, they put up a large tent and serve people beer brewed exclusively for the festival.

Exactly. It’s spread to JPN as well, and many regions hold their own Oktoberfest. I think it would be a perfect fit for this park event.

Yeah…! I thought that would be a good idea too, because it’s the perfect season for it, and drinking beer outdoors really adds to the flavor well not like I’ve ever done it before but I’m sure it does and also⁠—

Ahaha! I had the same idea too!

Me as well! Raito sure knows everything!

I’m surrounded by clowns here.

Are you sure you’re alright with that idea?

Yeah. There’s literally nothing else I’d rather it be.

……

(Nagi-kun’s pretty easily swayed by other people’s opinions, so he has some areas he needs to improve on, but…)

(He’s gotten so much more positive lately, and it’s leading to some good results.)

(I’ll do my best to support Nagi-kun and the Night Team so they can make this event a success and have fun doing it!)