Sand Sculpture of the Heart - Track 10
Translated by jelly
(At long last… The first day of HAMA Tours’ second feature tour is here! A lot of Kinari-kun and Kuguri-san’s fans have come, it’s pretty much a full house!)
(Kuguri-san didn’t do much after what happened… but Kinari-kun said that he did listen to the bare minimum of his requests…)
(Regardless, I hope this feature tour will be a success…!)
(So the next tour after Ward 2 is in Ward 11… Really? An escape game? Can anyone even enjoy this but the whippersnappers nowadays?)
(Hmph, let’s see what they’ve got….)
OOH! OOH-OOH-OOOOH!
COULD IT BE… COULD IT BEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Kodama hastily walks towards Hassaku.
!? Eek!? Y-You’re that weirdo from before…!
I’VE BEEN DYING TO SEE YOU! DYING, I TELL YOU! MY SOULMAAAATEEE!!!!
C-Cut it out! Stop hugging me…!
You, my brother-in-arms who was there to watch Ev3ns’ first tour with me on that fateful day!
The man, the myth, the legend, Shigetake Hassaku! As Ev3ns’ OG fanboy, I’ve been DREAMING of this reuniooonnnnn!!
(Huff huff). Okay, okay, I get it, now would you please release me…
Amazing! We’re sticking together this time too, Hassaku!
(NOOOOOO….! Why does it always end up like this when the Evening Team is involved?!?!?!)
Welcome. Please put on this helmet to dive straight into the “Mystery Desert Tour: Walk Down Memory Lane” experience.
(An immersive experience within a special space in the metaverse, all inside a shopping mall. I see what they’re going for now.)
FWWWWOOOO!! The one and only Ice Prince of Ev3ns, the Shortcake Cutie himself, Kinyari, is the one who designed this tour…
This is the once-in-lifetime, holy-grail-level event where I can literally dive headfirst into the very soul of my bias…!! Here I come, Kinyari!!
(I see, for a fan, this is a chance to understand the inner workings of their bias. What a truly profound world… However, I, for one, do not really understand!)
Participants warp into virtual space.
Oh my… This is…
(The wind, the humidity, even the feel of the sand… It is all so realistic. Yet, I don’t feel any discomfort in my body at all…)
“Welcome, Kodama, Shigetake. Thank you for participating in our tour. This is a space where you are able to experience walking alongside your childhood self as you aim to find the oasis amidst the desert.”
K-Kinyari! Oh you’re still the forever king of the kawaii factor…..!
A walk with my younger self…? What does that entail, exactly?
“…In a moment, your childhood self shall appear before you. This is the version of yourself that resides dormant within your heart on a daily basis, your other self.”
“Please, reach the goal together, hand-in-hand.”
Kinari’s hologram disappears.
(Gasp), Kinyari vanished!
(What does he mean by my childhood self appearing…..?)
Hey, grownup me.
Hm? Who’s tugging at my sleeve…?
It’s me.
My… childhood self…!?
Ehehe. Let’s find the oasis together!
UUUOOOOOGGHHHH, IT’S LITTLE ME! H-H-He’s so stinkin’ cute…!!! My heart can’t take this level of killer cuteness…!
(He’s… crying, no, sobbing at the sight of his younger self…!?)
Tatsuji, stop crying! Those tears should only be for your bias!
Yeah, that’s right!!! C’mon, kid-me, hop on my back!! We’re off to meet our bias!!!
……
(Some people never really change, even after all these years…)
Compared to that… I…
Let’s hold hands! Okay?
…Alright, alright, if you insist.
“OMG! You guys made it~! Chii has been waiting like foreeeverrr! Your first hint to reach the oasis will be given by the one and only Chii-sama~☆ Yay!”
Hauh, Chii…!!! Having your ult-bias’s apparate right in front of you all of a sudden… my heart is TOO WEAK for this…!!
Uwahhh, so cute…!!! Makes me wanna stan him…!
I see your tastes have not changed… since childhood.
Hey, walking together like this is really fun. When we get to the oasis, let’s make a wish!
I do believe this is not that sort of game, however…
But you’ll be happy to reach the goal right? Hey, the truth is, I have a lot of dreams!
…
Participants and children running.
I can see it! That’s the tent the band of thieves uses as their base…!
There’s a freakishly handsome guy by the tent!
“Hello, well done coming this far. I’ll give you the next hint. But before that, would you like to chat if you’re feeling tired?”
WH-WH-WH-WHAT!? I get to chat with Ev3ns’ leader, the Rizz King himself!?
WH-WH-WH-WHAT AN AMAAAAZIIIING TOOOUUUR!! ALL THIS!?!?!? FOR FREE!?!?!?
“Lately, I’ve begun to think that there might be some sort of connection between the way ramen tastes and the phases of the moon…”
“If I were to make stock from pork bones naturally fermented in the ground on the night of a full moon…”
Wh-What is he talking about… A horror movie…?
Ahaha, this Nii-chan’s funny!
“Good work so far! You’re nearing the finish line.”
“Do you think you can keep up this pace for just a little longer?”
(Solving all these puzzles has gotten surprisingly fun. When it gets too difficult, our childhood holograms appear and give us hints…)
AHEM! Taotao, I have a question!
“Hm? What is it, Kodama-san?”
GH… My heart does backflips like crazy when you call my name. BUT! This is my only chance! RESIST, TATSUJI KODAMA….!
Hey, just what are you trying to ask…
SO! That mug in Chii’s dazzle post from two days ago…
IS IT YOURS, TAOTAOOOO!?
“Huh? Uh, I dunno, I don’t really check dazzle… We’re roommates, though, so something like that could happen.”
Arrghh, I’m so… torn. I’m burning with envy, but their chemistry is just too PEAK…! My fragile heart’s in a blend of joy and jealousy right now!!
“Um… You’re faithfully following Chihiro’s dazzle, aren’t you? I think that stuff makes him real happy. ”
THESE FEELS! WHAT DO I DO WITH THESE FEELINGS! BUT TAOTAO AND CHII ARE SUCH A PERFECT PAIR, I CAN’T HELP BUT SHED TEARS OF HAPPINESS!!!
(J-Just what feelings is he talking about… I really don’t understand this man…)
That uncle is very serious about the things he likes! Watching him is getting me all excited, too!
……
I SEE IT! THE OASISSSSSSSSSS!
At the entrance is… the 14th Ward Mayor, Domeki Kuguri…
“Hey there. Nice job making it this far.”
“Did you really choose to walk through all this sand? You’re quite the strange bunch. I’ll give you a little reward for it.”
Kuguri presents a reward.
OH MY IDOL! Is this… a special VIP pass to Kinyari and Kugurin’s duet live!?
The fandom Gods have smiled upon me! I, Tatsuji Kodama, have officially reached the PEAK of my life…!!!
(I do not believe Gods can apparate in the virtual world…? And, as we dilly-dallied, ward 14’s mayor has vanished on us…)
Sound of crowd speaking.
We’ve made it~! Those puzzles were so fun!
We dragged a little bit over time to talk to the members of Ev3ns!
Thanks for coming along with me, little me. You were suuuper reliable~.
(So there were this many participants. There seems to be a setting which prevents encounters with those who you did not log in together with.)
(However, why is it…)
This is where we part, adult me.
…!
This is what Kinari envisioned, you know. In order to spend time with your childhood self as much as possible, you were made to not encounter other participants until you reached the goal.
…I see.
Can I have a hug before we say goodbye?
…! T-To do such an outlandish thing…!!
But everyone else is doing it?
Children laughing.
N-NOOOOOOOO! HOW CAN I PART WAYS WITH SUCH A CUTIE-PATOOTIE VERSION OF MYSELF!!?? I CAN’T HANDLE THIS! BIG HUG, NOW!!!
Right back at you, adult me!! I love you soooooo much!!
…
Grown-up me.
Ahem. Well, I suppose if everyone else is partaking.
Hassaku gives Child Hakkei a hug.
(…How petit. Despite being a hologram, he’s warm.)
You’re always giving it your best. That’s pretty awesome, Hakkei.
…!
You don’t have to give up on things yet.
I’ll always believe in you. Farewell.
The hologram disappears.
He vanished…
(Did my younger self really act that way…? Abundant with hope and confidence, always aiming ahead.)
…That warmth still remains on my hands.