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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 7 Chapter 2.1

Episode 9: Just Before the Second Stage (Doki Doki Love Attack)

1

The time was 2:15 AM.

In the grand hall located inside the castle at the center of Sevens Land (where we were), TV staff were busy setting up their equipment.

「Anyway, this room is quite luxurious.」

The grand hall had a large atrium using the space equivalent to two floors, with pillars that you’d expect in a palace, stairs made of marble with red carpeting, and walls adorned with what looked like expensive decorations. There was even a stylish bar counter in place. From what I overheard from the staff, it seems that this castle has many rooms planned to be opened for event use.

In the grand hall, amid the staff diligently preparing, the sight of the gorokuma helping out was nothing short of bizarre.

They assisted TV staff carrying heavy loads, earning words of gratitude. To that they’d respond with a thumbs up, as if saying ‘don’t mention it’. When asked, 「Isn’t that costume hot?」 they’d shake their heads, denying any discomfort. One was even dressed by wardrobe staff in a bartender’s outfit, shaking cocktails behind the bar.

「Could all the performers please gather over here?」

We nine participants gathered around Mr. Baba, who used the rolled-up script like a megaphone.

「We’ll be recording the 《Doki Doki Love Attack》 segment soon. When it’s time, guys line up facing the girls. Then boys propose your team partnership to the girl who catches your interest, sort of like confessing.」

According to Baba-san, the footage of this team selection would be recorded and quickly edited to be broadcast at the beginning of the live show at 3 AM. Whatever way you slice it, it was nothing short of a public confession.

「In five minutes we’ll start, so guys, make sure you’ve decided which girl you’re asking.」

With the cheap grin of an old man, we were temporarily dismissed. The participants scatter here and there.

Ikusaba-san is chatting happily with the TV staff. Yukihime-neesan is walking slowly and looking around the grand hall. Nishi-san is conspiring with Haruto who is from the same community and frequently glancing in a certain direction. That direction was towards Tetsu-kun who was standing alone by the wall. At the bar, the mysterious lady Ageha Kachou-san sipped elegantly from a cocktail glass (surely it wasn’t alcoholic) provided by a gorokuma.

「So, how do you see this second stage unfolding, commentator Tensai?」

In this environment, for some reason as if it’s her usual spot, Tensai plops down next to me and I point an imaginary microphone at her.

「The most crucial point is, of course, how much I can stand out during this TV appearance.」

「Nobody asked that.」

「What are you saying, Juugo? Is there anything more critical than that in this second stage?」

「Yeah, why don’t we drop that shocked look already? I didn’t say anything that surprising.」

Always playing it cool, this great detective.

「Aren’t you concerned about leaving your buddy Tetsunoshin behind?」

「Nah, just a while ago our partnership came to its conclusion.」

「Hmph, it must have been something trivial.」

「Trivial? Hardly! I’m a man who’s suffered heartbreak due to betrayal by a friend!」

「He’s just jealous because Tetsunoshin is popular.」

「Thanks for the pinpoint observation. And how did you know?」

「A great detective knows everything.」

「Don’t think you will always be forgiven just because you say that.」

「I actually planted a bug on Juugo.」

「What? Where?」

「No matter how much you fumble around, it won’t come off. I have planted it inside your body, after all.」

「No way! When did you do that?」

「The other day, while you were sleeping in your room. I stealthily dropped the bug into your mouth.」

「Hey, stop joking around. Besides, I have a ghost in my house that is awake 24 hours a day. There’s no way Nanana-chan would let something like that happen.」

「When I offered Nanana-dono a pudding, she sighed and said, ‘Oh well,’ and let it slide.」

「You’re serious about that?!」

「Well, joke aside…」

「Right, of course.」

「…Juugo, about the erotic books you’ve hidden in the bathroom…」

「That’s a joke, right? You didn’t really make me swallow a bug, right?」

Let’s put aside the idle talk.

「The problem is that we have to form teams without knowing the contents of the second stage.」

Yeah, that’s undoubtedly the issue. What we know so far is that we will be divided into four teams. After the stage ends, the two teams with the most coins will advance. And that we have to deal with something called 《Sugoroku de Pon》.

「But it doesn’t seem like M will explain anything more about the team selection before it starts.」

While I contemplate this, I spot M, apparently discussing the upcoming procedure with Baba-san.

「It must be her plan to keep the information vague and steer the situation to her advantage.」

「Using information control again, just as in the first stage?」

After the first stage, we were suddenly informed that our coins would carry over to the second stage, and about the bonus. We were completely taken aback upon hearing that.

We didn’t have any prior explanation and thought that simply collecting ten coins would suffice in the first stage.

If we had known beforehand, our strategy during the first stage would have been vastly different.

M’s actions, which felt nothing short of cheating due to the lack of explanation, were seen through by only one person.

「The number of coins each possesses will indeed be one criterion for partner selection.」

Even if we don’t know the second stage’s content, it’s obvious that pairing up with a participant who holds more coins would give you an advantage from the start.

「Still, the ones way ahead are Ikusaba-san and M.」

Ikusaba-san (who now boasts sixty coins) having outsmarted everyone including M at the bonus distribution, stands with a number that can frankly be called enormous.

M, tricked by Ikusaba-san, holds twenty-five coins. That is less than half of Ikusaba-san, but still twice as many as the rest of us.

From the third place downwards there’s little difference, with Ageha Kachou-san at fourteen coins and the remaining six participants each having ten.

「Simply put, these two will draw the most interest.」

「Basically, the rich get richer logic.」

「Hmph, I’m not fond of that capitalist analogy. It should be about… well, like the people who… like each other…」

「You’re quite the romanticist, Tensai.」

「Don’t be ridiculous! I am a realist, a seeking realist. A great detective whose only love is difficult cases!」

She seems desperate trying to sell that point, but her ears are bright red which makes the whole thing rather amusing.

「Well, as Tensai said, compatibility, or rather trust, is important. Even though we’re enemies aiming for the same prize, in this second stage, we’re partners who have to fight together.」

「Hmph, naive. Do you really think you can survive this battle with such a soft outlook?」

「Shut up, you romantic detective.」

「Don’t start with those strange nicknames!… But it’s unexpected. You’re focusing on the person rather than just the ability?」

「You’re always trying to discredit me.」

「Of course. Juugo is… not just my foil, but my worthy adversary. The more despicable, the better.」

「Hey, didn’t you just slip up and say ‘foil’? Isn’t that going too far?」

「Don’t take it personally.」

「I do take it personally!」

「So?」

「…Nothing. Just idealistic talk about wanting to partner with someone trustworthy, that’s all.」

「Idealism, huh? Aren’t those words of the thoroughbred of evil? Or are they Juugo Yama’s own sentiment?」

That annoying way of asking.

「Who knows. But at least I don’t feel like partnering with Ikusaba-san」

「You got utterly defeated by him at the South Red Mall 《ruins》 before, huh?」

「That’s not it! I wasn’t defeated, it just got messed up by some nosy detective, and… if it had gone on, I would probably have won!」

「You’re acting like a child, aren’t you?」

「Ugh, it really irritates me to hear that from a pipsqueak.」

「Don’t call me pipsqueak! …Anyway, Ikusaba-san’s tactics and strength can’t be ignored, not just the amount of coins she gathered.」

「Along with the thirty coins he collected in the first stage.」

In the first stage, even though there were more than thirty participants, each person had only five coins.

Well, actually it was effectively four. Because they only battled in areas advantageous to their own Nanana collection, thanks to M’s sure-win strategy lesson.

Within those conditions, to have gathered so many coins in just one hour, it was quite a feat… No, truly an extraordinary achievement. For us, who were actually there, we know just how significant that is.

「It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Ikusaba-san is the most prepared participant to win the 《game》.」

As much as it pains me to admit, she is right.

「Yet, even though Ikusaba-san outplayed her, partnering with M (aka Yun-chan) is an incredibly tempting option.」

「As the organizer, she has full knowledge of all the rules. Therefore, the benefits of teaming up with M in this team-based second stage are tremendously large.」

If a team is formed well, it might even be possible to learn why Yun-chan is posing as M.

「So it comes down to these two, doesn’t it?」

「Ikusaba-san and M. The combination of teams each will form is probably the first highlight of this second stage.」

Who will ikusaba-san propose to? Whose offer will M accept?

And for me, I have already decided on the person I’m going to propose to.

「What’s up, Juugo? Why have you started ogling everyone’s faces?」

「It’s nothing.」

2

「Doki Doki Attack!」

The voice of the university student announcer, lush with allure, echoes through the grand hall.

「Here we go, the team selection for 《Sugoroku de Pon》 is now beginning – the enchanted coupling game. Each boy will take his turn to confess… not to the girl he’s smitten with, but to the partner he wants to fight alongside with, and if he gets an OK, they’re a team – like a couple. What sort of ‘less than ideal’ teams will we see? And now, without further ado… declaration time.」

The announcer’s purposeful blunders throughout the commentary, paired with her sultry voice and flirtatious manner of speaking, left me feeling oddly… satisfied!