happy beans day ~the harpless brawl~ episode 12 "don't get your hopes up"

[mandytl]

 

Location: Botanical Garden - Subtropical Zone

Rustle rustle…

Rook: A supply crate that remains untouched. Not one of our fair adventurers has yet to visit this point, then.

Click.

Rook: Ohh! A magical camouflage jacket! As well as a… transmitter, I believe. And then… a racquet for pitching back beans.

All useful items for the coming battle. I’ll gratefully accept these.

Pan of Rook’s new outfit.

Rook: Fufu… I hope I’m making the best of Vil’s fashion advice.

( Now, if my prediction is correct, “he” will come on the scene very shortly… )

Tap tap tap…

( … There. Those footsteps and that breathing. There’s no mistaking it! ) 

Rustle!

Rook: Good day, Rose Chevalier! Comment allez-vous?

Trey: UWAH?!

… oh. It’s just you. Don’t scare me like that.

Rook: Oh là là. How rude of me. I didn’t mean to startle you. 

Trey: Don’t say something you don’t really mean. The look on your face says enough.

Rook: Fufufu. You found me out, but such is life. As a matter of fact, I was waiting for you.

Trey: Waiting…? How’d you know I’d come here? 

Rook: I’ll tell you precisely how… 

You, sensitive to your position as Heartslabyul’s vice dorm leader…

Are always bearing in mind the fact that you don’t wish to cause a scene that’ll affect the reputation of not only your dorm, but Roi du Rose’s excellent academic aspirations.

It’s especially obvious during events and tests with the other dorms, but for the most part, you have an aversion to standing out in a crowd.

Nor were you very assertive in any of these functions. I then thought to myself, ah, perhaps…

You would be thinking something along the lines of, “I’ll damage the good name of our dorm if I fail when the competition begins”. 

But the Trey Clover I know would never take an aggressive stance such as, “I’ll build our rep by going on the offense and catching the other team”. Therefore…  

I presumed your first move would be to head for familiar territory, to an area with a great deal of obstacles that’d let you spend the course of your time eluding your opponents. In other words, this botanical garden.

A member of the Science Club like you would find this facility less obstructive of an environment than any other.

Put another way…

“My chances of encountering Trey-kun are higher if I simply stay put, rather than search for him high and low.”

… and so, the idea arose, given we’ve always thrived together in the Science Club since I enrolled.

What do you say? Spot on?

Trey: A-Ahahah… You caught me off guard with your fast-paced rant out of the blue like that, but... 

You’re really good at hanging back and observing others, huh. 

Kind of disturbingly so.

Rook: I’m honored by your kind words, my friend.

Trey: Anyway, what were you looking for me for?

Rook: So that we could savor this competition together, as fellow vice-leaders.

Trey: I appreciate the sentiment and all, but…

You said it yourself: I’m not the type to take an aggressive approach.

That’s the idea. If I can make it out of this without having to take out my underclassmen or our dorm leader, all the better. 

Rook: —Trey-kun.

Did you ever consider why they separated the dorm leaders and their vices into opposite teams?

Trey: Huh? To avoid stacking the teams, right?

Rook: Indeed, but the rules stated the use of magic was prohibited, no?

When you consider this from purely a physical perspective, the dorm leaders won’t always come out on top.

Trey: Hm… Now that you mention it.

Then what was the point of the teachers dividing up our firepower in order to have a supposedly unbiased outcome…?

Rook: Fufu…

Trey: This'll be my third time participating, but…

Anyone who held out till the bitter end in the last two was typically in a group made up of about three people.

Rook: Indeed. You’re quick on the take. Well done, Trey-kun!

The power one needs to be on top… is leadership, the ability to guide others

Something that can only be gained through actual experience.

Trey: Makes sense. It’s easier to launch all sorts of strategies with a group.

Though just casually forming an alliance with a bunch of guys is pretty difficult.

There aren’t many students cut out for team work at our academy.

Rook: Ah, but Vil demonstrated this very power immediately, by attracting some Savanaclaw students to his side.

Trey: Commanding students from other dorms right off the bat, huh. He’s one outstanding guy.

Rook: Absolutely! There’s no one more worthy of being Pomefiore’s dorm head than Vil!

… No doubt he’s eager to add on to his entourage even further.

I need to acquire a competitive edge of my own in order to take on that beautiful wild beast.

That’s why I need cooperation. Cooperation from one who bears an influence to rival even the dorm leaders.

So I implore you. Would you lend me your skill, my friend? 

Trey: … Well, all right. I’ll go with you. But don’t get your hopes up or anything.

Rook: Merci, Rose Chevalier! I’m once again thankful for our friendship!