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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 7 Chapter 2.3

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「This is an unexpected turn of events. Remarkably, a three-person team has formed. Including two of the less numerous boys in a reverse proposal. Now we have the second team established. They thought they each had a girl in hand… but it looks like the relationship hierarchy has been firmly set with the boys immediately starting to massage shoulders and fan her with a hand fan.」

「Hmm.」

Kacho Ageha being served by the two boys… including Tetsu. M (aka Yun-chan) can only observe in an infuriated mood.

Yun-chan wanted to pair up with Tetsu too. In fact, she was delighted when Tetsu came straight to her, so delighted.

Within Yun-chan’s mind, fueled by the ability of the Nanana Collection’s 《Sage King’s Crown》 which is a part of her mask, the mini Sakis in her head had been in a festive ‘wasshoi, wasshoi’ celebration ever since.

The person she liked had chosen her.

There could be no greater happiness than that.

Yet, Yun-chan couldn’t bring herself to take the hand Tetsu offered her.

If she teamed up with him, Tetsu would have to advance to the very end with her.

More importantly, being on the same team would undoubtedly mean Tetsu would try to uncover the circumstances she was dealing with.

And if she were continuously pressured by such a beloved person…

Struggling alone might mean she wouldn’t be able to stand by herself anymore. She might come to rely on Tetsu and reveal everything.

She might end up getting him involved.

That’s why Yun-chan had vowed to persevere alone. To manage the 《game》 as an organizer and triumph as a participant, fulfilling 《God》’s commands.

While she was pondering as M, out of nowhere came someone offering a hand.

「M, let’s partner up.」

「This is an unexpected development. One girl approaches another girl.」

Extending a hand towards Yun-chan was Asumi Nishi.

「What is the meaning of this? Aren’t we supposed to form male-female pairings?」

Yun-chan, not particularly fond of Asumi after the earlier episode, glared at her.

「That was the TV producer Baba’s intention, but not the rules of the 《game》. Besides, with a three-person team including two boys now formed, it will leave some girls without a team.」

Surprised, Yun-chan took a glance around and started doing mental arithmetic.

「Ahem… O..of course. I knew that!」

Caught in the moment, Yun-chan nods along with Asumi’s revelation, pretending to have been aware all along.

While puzzled by Yun-chan’s reaction, Asumi reiterated.

「The situation has turned out this way, but I’ve wanted to team up with you from the beginning. So M, please form a team with me.」

Then, Yun-chan pondered. She considered the future developments if she teamed up with Asumi now, including the next parts of the second stage and the final third stage. She reviewed her thoughts carefully with the miniature Yun-chans in her head.

And the decision Yun-chan reached was…

「I understand. I’m counting on you.」

Yun-chan (as M) took Asumi’s hand.

「The third team formed. One can only hope for a risque relationship to blossom between the lovely girls.」

「Like that would happen!」 shouted both Yun-chan and Asumi in unison.

They were both, after all, concerned about the same boy.

Yes, Yun-chan realized it at that moment. She saw Asumi’s happy smile when Tetsu had been snatching her arm away from the gorokuma Yun-chan had sent his way.

This person, like her, was also in love with Tetsu.

While Yun-chan had chosen Asumi as her partner for the same strategic reasons as M, there was a part of her that wanted to team up out of curiosity.

Curious and wanting to know what kind of relationship existed between Tetsu and this Asumi Nishi.

3

「Isn’t it odd that while we’re doing this, Nishi-san and Yun-chan have teamed up… Is that okay? That pairing seems like it’s going to be quite a battleground, sir.」

「Who’s a sir?」

Disgruntled Tetsu-kun looks towards Nishi-san and Yun-chan, who had just joined hands as a team.

「Nishi must have her own thoughts on this.」

Indeed, there was merit in teaming up with M who knew all the rules and could exploit her position as organizer. Just by partnering with M, one could become a favorite to pass the second stage.

It was unexpected though. I thought Nishi-san would partner with Haruto from the same community.

「This naturally determines the last team, then.」

「Hey, did anyone say you could stop working?」

「Right. Sorry, my lady.」

Tetsu-kun and I promptly resumed our tasks, fanning with the hand fan and massaging the lady’s shoulders.

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Meanwhile, Yukihime was still delivering an endless monologue to where Juugo had once been.

「Are you even listening, young master?」

「Right. Here I am.」

To her surprise, a foreigner stood where Juugo should have been.

「…What are you doing, Ishbal?」

「I’ve told you to call me Nighthalt D. Polnareff around here.」

Haruto dropping the foreign accent act, gives a wry smile.

「By the way, where is the young master?」

「Over there.」

Yukihime is shocked to see Juugo feigning a loyal fan to another woman.

「What! How? When?」

「Juugo has already teamed up with that lady over there.」

「W…when?」

「Yukihime seems quite the airhead, doesn’t she?」

Crack.

「Who’s an airhead, and who’s not?」

「Quite the heavy blow as usual. My knees are laughing.」

Yukihime, trembling with rage, kicks the wall she’s facing and mutters complaints in a frustrated undertone.

「The fool, the complete fool, that young fool… I wasn’t even that mad at him, if he had just shown a little more determination, I would have reluctantly agreed.」

「A pride issue for someone older, it seems.」

Crack.

「So, can we stop with the violence, maybe?」

「If you don’t want any more of this justice from me, you better avoid saying unnecessary things.」

「Understood. Well, anyway, everyone else seems to have finished forming teams, so it looks like it’s just me left, Yukihime.」

「So it is. Well then, I will fight solo as the fifth force.」

「You don’t have to hate me to that extent」, lamented Haruto. Yet he tried to smile nonetheless.

「Look, if I’m your partner, there’s no need for other teammates to worry.」

「Certainly, there’s no need for sneaking around in the shadows like you.」

Left speechless.

「Speaking of which, aren’t you going to team up with your fellow community members who have infiltrated this stage?」

「You mean, you’re concerned about my relationship with Asumi?」

「I have indeed decided to fight alone as the fifth force.」

「Lies, I’m sorry!」

Haruto continues, casting a glance at Asumi talking to M.

「Asumi suggested earlier that we should team up separately. ‘If we separate, there’s a chance one of us can make it to the next round,’ she said.」

「So, you’ve just been ditched out of annoyance?」

「I… wonder if that’s the case?」

「I don’t know.」

「Well, I can understand Asumi’s aim to emerge victorious as a community, and the unexpected scenario where our ace Taisei couldn’t get into the second stage would require some kind of action. The fact that she was able to partner with M, the organizer, is a big deal. If you think about it, Asumi’s strategy was correct.」

「I see.」

「Besides, I can now approach Yukihime without holding back.」

He bows respectfully and places his hand over Yukihime’s, which releases a heavy sigh as she lays her hand atop his.

「Alright. I’ll make this an exception’s exception, something that absolutely would not happen normally, and partner with you.」

「You didn’t have to go that far.」

「In any case, we’ll make sure to win with this team, and make you regret not choosing me.」

「To whom do you say that? I won’t ask, but you’re serious, just like me… So now, at least I don’t have to pretend in this second stage.」

Watching Haruto stretching so liberally, Yukihime pondered.

Yukihime doesn’t acknowledge Ishbal Kornahl, also known as Nighthalt D. Polnareff, as a man. However, as an underground professional she holds him in high esteem.

Therefore, the choice to select this man as a partner was an excellent strategy for this team selection.

Although she would never admit it out loud.

「Now that the last team has been decided, all four teams are ready. Who will achieve victory tonight?」

That was when producer Baba called out, 「Okay, that’s a wrap.」

「Thank you, everyone. It didn’t quite go as I’d planned, but this has its own charm. Now, get changed into your costumes, and follow the wardrobe staff’s instructions to move to each team’s dressing room.」

The match-ups for the four teams are as follows:

1. The Hiiyo Ikusaba – Tensai Ikkyu Team
2. The Kacho Ageha – Tetsunoshin Tsujimi – Jugo Yama Team
3. The Nishi Asumi – M Team
4. The Fugi Yukihime – Nighthalt D. Polnareff Team

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「I certainly didn’t expect you to turn down Juugo-kun and choose me.」

In one of the dressing rooms prepared by the TV staff, sitting on the chair, Ikkyu Tensai gave a pleased smile towards Ikusaba Hiiyo leaning against the wall.

「Don’t get the wrong idea, Ikusaba Hiiyo. It’s not like I thought it’d be advantageous to team up with you. I just wanted to confront Juugo.」

Tensai declares boldly; Ikusaba chortles amusingly in response.

「You’re always thinking about interesting things, great detective. So if you didn’t have that desire, would you have teamed up with Juugo-kun?」

「Who knows.」

Tensai turns away nonchalantly.

「But as a result, I’m satisfied you chose me as your partner.」

「What do you mean?」

「Literally what I said. I hold you in high regard.」

Ikusaba’s sincere smile meets Tensai’s dismissive snort.

「We have the same interest in winning here. Therefore, I will meet your expectations.」

Just then, a knock at the door, and the wardrobe assistant entered.

「Excuse me, here are your costumes for the main broadcast…」

The assistant displayed the catalog of proposed team costumes, but Tensai immediately threw a fit.

「What is this? There’s not a detective costume in here! I’ll have you know I refuse to make a TV appearance in anything other than a detective’s attire! If you try to put me in any other costume, I’m withdrawing from participation!」

The staff member, flustered by Tensai’s peculiar insistence, eventually relented after some mediation by Ikusaba and compromises, saying ‘alright’, and left to fetch the costume.

「Tough to manage, aren’t you great detective?」

「Did you say something, Ikusaba Hiiyo?」

「Nope, nothing at all. By the way, I’ve been wanting to hear your honest opinion on something.」

「? What is it?」