[ES!!] A Raininja Day to Convey
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Shinobu wants to make an excellent pamphlet, but he believes a ninja can’t show himself off-duty…
This story is connected to the card [The Melody Of Rain Patters] Shinobu Sengoku.
Story Release Date: May 10, 2023
Chapter 1
Season: Winter
Location: Near the Fountain
Mm~ Where on earth is Shinobu-kun…? I heard he was here, but I don’t see where…?
—Mm?
Oooh—! Shuriken throw, woosh, woosh…! Now a backflip! And then~ Pose! ☆
(snapshot, snapshot) ♪ Ahh~ Chief! Wonderful~! Absolutely wonderfuuuuul!
(snapshot, snapshot) ♪ Your gallant form shines so brilliantly as you revel in your way of life…! Absolutely perfectttt!
I’m honored to have the opportunity to witness such precious, irreversible moments with my very own eyes, let alone take snapshots of them with my own two haaands~!
(snapshot, snapshot) ♪ Ah! May you please face me and make a suspiciously cute pose once more?
Huh? Suspiciously cute…?
I’m so sorryyyyyyy! It was a slip of the tongue!
I assure you that was not my true intention, I simply struggle to speak without stumbling on my words! I only wanted you to face me and make an adorably cute pose again, really!
Ah, I see. Very well then, another pose! ☆
Absolutely perfect, Chief~!
Ehehe. Your compliments make me happy, but I am really not doing anything particularly special, you know?
(snapshot, snapshot) ♪ Oh no, no, quite the contrary! I feel my very nerves and eyeballs bursting out due to your adorable form. Ufufufufu~♪
…Eugh. I feel like I saw something I shouldn’t have… Maybe I’ll just go…
Mm? Oh, Midori-kun! You were here?
Yeah, for a while now. Like, since you did that backflip, I think?
Aww, you could have told me! There is no need to act so distant~
It is also quite embarrassing to know I was being watched in silence during my practice…
I don’t think that’s the thing to be embarrassed about here…
—Mm? Wait, did you just say practice? Erm, what kinda practice are you even doing…?
I’m very glad you asked! I will have a photo shoot for my Feature Live’s pamphlet, so I have been practicing for it!
Ohh, so that’s why you’re taking photos and everything… The pamphlet you’re talking about is the one with a candid shot of the featured idol, right? So you’re up next, huh…
Indeed. I, of course, have been practicing in order to present an excellent pamphlet…
However, I came to notice a tremendously grave problem, you see…
Huh? “Tremendously grave problem”…? You’re scaring me… Is the job seriously that bad…? That means I’m gonna go through it at some point, too…
Can I know what it is, to prepare me for when it’s my turn? What did you notice…?
The fact of the matter is…
“The fact of the matter is”…?
A ninja mustn’t ever display their moments off-duty…!
That is why I am considering having them present my most gallant moment as a ninja instead. Thus, I asked Mayoi-dono to take various photos of me.
Why’d I even ask… Wait, doesn’t that mean you shouldn’t even be showing yourself in the photos? Since that just means you’re not actually hidden…
Well, we are in a generation of endless variety, so I believe that it is acceptable. A ninja has to display his traits to the public somehow, after all.
How convenient… Well, if you’re fine with it then…
So, as anyone would expect… You’re gonna present yourself as a ninja in the pamphlet, huh?
Of course I am! The way of the ninja is an inseparable path from my very life!
Yeah, I’ll always love mascot characters, so it kinda feels relieving to know you’ll also always love ninjas.
I don’t think I can be of any help, but just know I’m wishing the best for you.
Ehehe. Thank you, Midori-kun!
That all being said, why did you come to see me?
Oh, right. I wanted to let you know that Himemiya-kun wants you at the Student Council office as soon as you’re done with your club activities.
Eh? You came all the way here just to inform me that…? I apologize for the trouble… You could have just messaged me, you know?
Yeah, I thought of doing that at first, but I wasn’t sure if you’d see it on time, so…
I figured I may as well relay it in-person since I’m heading out anyway.
Anyway, I’ll go home now that you know. I don’t wanna get in the way of your practice, so, yeah… Good luck, Shinobu-kun, Ayase-senpai—
Huh? Wait, I don’t see Ayase-senpai anymore…?
Ermm— Ah! He’s still taking photos of me from behind those bushes.
Ufu, fufufufu~♪ The ever-so-innocent Chief speaking to a classmate is just as deliciousss~! (snapshot, snapshot) ♪
He really freaks me out…
Location: Meeting Room
The next day…
Anzu-dono~! I hope you’re doing well!
Hm? Ah, please do not worry about calling for me all of a sudden. I am well aware that you have a tight schedule.
And either way, as soon as I learned I was next in line for the Feature Live pamphlet, I had prepared myself for the possibility of a meeting with you.
I have thoroughly practiced for it beforehand, as well.
Also… I have something I’d like to speak to you about, anyway.
Regarding the pamphlet — As I am a ninja, I believe it is difficult for me to present myself off-duty.
You see, there is no such thing as “off-duty” for a ninja.
Thus, I have prepared an excellent number of assets that display my ninja prowess in all their glory!
Which one do you think works the best, Anzu-dono?
I personally feel that this one and that one are excellent, but—
Hm? What’s the matter? You’re making a strange face…
Huh…!? Ninjas are off-limits for this job!?
Chapter 2
Location: Garden Terrace
Uu… Forbidding my ninja-self was the last thing I expected when I mentioned that a ninja off-duty is no longer a ninja…
Ahaha, you got it rough, huh~? I mean, ninja is the first thing that comes to mind when anyone sees you, and vice versa. It’s your very identity, isn’t it?
Indeed… But I understand where Anzu-dono is coming from.
Hm? What do you mean?
As you said, it is impossible to think of anything but ninja when one sees me… I have too much devotion to that image, so to speak.
Because of that, I receive a lot of jobs that ask for a different side from me.
I believe that is one of the reasons why she wants to show who I am aside from ninjas this time.
So, I shall follow her wishes to the best of my ability, and seal off “ninja” from myself!
Haha, but I feel like your loyalty is kind of on brand for a ninja…?
I get it, though. It’s good to have a lot of tricks up your sleeve, while still establishing your main selling point.
I’m looking forward to seeing a pamphlet showcasing a whole new Shinobu-kun.
Thank you, Yuuta-kun!
Location: Staff Cafeteria
Days later…
Mmm~… It’s still raining…
Uuu… The one time I forget to check the weather forecast…! It is not my day today…
(I thought of waiting indoors until the rain slows down, but… It only seems to be getting stronger…?)
(Oh well, I suppose there is nothing I can do about the weather. Now that I have the time to spare, I should think up ideas for my Feature Live.)
(I’ve been trying to find a good idea to work with, but… nothing is coming to mind.)
Mm? The glass window is turning foggy from the rain…?
…Oh, I know! Let’s see… (scribble, scribble)… Nihihi, I doodled lots!
What next… Ah, I know! Like this… (scribble, scribble)
Heh! ♪ I drew an adorable frog~! A ninja must always come with their trusty toad partner, after all!1
Haa~…
Ohh! It never fails to amaze me no matter how many times I do it!
When I was young, I used to doodle a lot on glass windows during rainy days.
And it would always leave me super duper excited to blow on the glass and make the doodle disappear! It’s like ninja art!
Next up~… (scribble, scribble) A ninja always comes with a shuriken! Nin-nin! ♪
Haa~…
Next up— Oh, I know! I’ll draw Momocchi and Thunder.2 The rain will suit them as a background!
First you draw this… then this… and done! ♪
Shinobu-kun?
Ah, Midori-kun! Hello, what a lovely coincidence!
I just finished work, so… I came to eat a late lunch, and that’s when I spotted you. Are you also here to eat?
No, I was simply waiting for the rain to pass. I forgot to bring an umbrella, unknowing it would rain today…
Ohhh… Alright then, how about we head home with my umbrella after I finish eating?
Are you sure it’s okay!? That would be a huge help! Thank you!
By the way, what’re those frogs on the window? Did you draw them?
Indeed I did. I was a little bored, so I drew my partners, Momocchi and Thunder.
They look kinda messy, but that’s what makes them so cute…♪ Can I take a picture?
Of course!
(snapshot, snapshot) —and saved. Thanks.
Oh yeah, did your meeting for the Feature Live go well? You were practicing really hard for it the other day, right?
Ah—… You ask me that now…?
Huh!? Was I not supposed to…?
Ah, no… Actually, it must be fate to meet you here, Midori-kun. I would like to ask for your opinion on something.
Well, okay…
You see…
Time passes…
Ninja getting ruled out…? Huh, so that’s what ended up happening…
Indeed… So I wanted to ask you what you think would be a “non-ninja” me…
A non-ninja Shinobu-kun… Mmm…
Honestly speaking, your ninja image is so prominent that I can’t think of anything straight away…
Uuu… In the end, “ninja” is my only merit… (sniffs)
I don’t think that’s what I would call being a ninja, though…?
And anyway, we’ll need to stick around for a bit longer ‘cause of the rain, so maybe we’ll be able to think of something eventually.
Mm? Oh, actually, the rain is starting to calm down.
Oh, you’re right! It may fade entirely by the time we head home.
That’d be nice… I know rainy days are good for veggies and stuff, but they personally make me feel depressed…
Carrying an umbrella’s a pain, and it gets so damp and sticky either way… There’s nothing good about the rain…
You believe so? I feel as though rain has its own perks if you were to look at it from a different perspective~
There are certain types of training you can only do during the rain, and you can even have fun scribbling on glass windows.
Not to mention how nice the weather feels the next day. It makes it worthwhile.
Also, my partners Momocchi and Thunder absolutely love the rain, so I can play with them outside on those days!
…………
Hm? What’s the matter?
Oh, nah. I was just impressed, like, “Ah, that’s Shinobu-kun for you.” The way you can always look on the bright side of things is one of your best traits. I personally could never do that…
I know it’s not as straightforward as a ninja image, but how about making a pamphlet that showcases all those good traits of yours?
My good traits…
Yeah, I feel like you showed a lot of that just through our conversation…
Uu~! Midori-kun, I am deeply touched~! Thank you!
I’m glad then— Ah! Oh no, the adorable frogs you drew are dripping down from the rain drops… Now they just look horrifying…
Indeed they are… Water-drop art can only be displayed for a mere moment… It’s truly short-lived.
Way too short-lived… Paper is always gonna be the best place to draw art in the end…
Draw them on paper again when we head home, Shinobu-kun. How about we doodle mascot characters together? I wanna see you come up with a lot of cute stuff…
I’d be more than glad to! Spending time indoors is the true charm of rainy days! ♪
Yaay! I’ll finish my food quickly, okay? I’m so excited.
You’re right, maybe rainy days aren’t so bad after all if it means I get to experience stuff like this…♪
Right, right? You can come up with many ways to enjoy yourself, no matter the weather!
