Paradox Live Stage Battle "FATE" - Part 2
Allen, Anne: [sigh]
Chungsung: And now, our thirty-sixth question.
[sfx: game show sfx]
Anne: We're still at this? Haven't the questions ever since, like, number ten gotten really weird?
Chungsung: However do you mean?
Anne: I mean, ever since then it's been a Hajun trivia quiz, like "which foot does Hajun put his shoe on first when he's going out, left or right?" and "which of Hajun's eyes has better visual acuity, left or right?".
Allen: And, in general, where did you even get the answers to personal questions like that...?
Chungsung: Is there a problem?
Allen: Uh, no, I don't have a problem...
[sfx: stomach growling]
Allen: I'm really hungry, though...
Anne: [laughs] Allen, that's because you keep giving wrong answers. At least I made it into the meat entrees.
Allen: I still haven't made it past the appetizers...
Anne: Hey, is this just a bunch of busiwork to harangue us with?
Chungsung: Nothing of the sort. However, if we are not able to complete this, it may interfere with bocchama's meal... [sigh] We simply have no alternative course of action. Well then, moving forward: Jump Up Bonus Quiz!
[sfx: gameshow sfx... 2!]
Chungsung: As long as a correct answer is given, Allen-sama will be served the same dish as Anne-sama is given, and then we will proceed to the dining hall such that we may all enjoy dessert together.
Anne: Seriously, why are we being quizzed?!
Chungsung: And so: what is Hajun-sama's preferred brand of coffee?
Allen: Wait, I know this one!!
*
[sfx: passive aggressive cutlery, door opening, footsteps]
Anne: Hajun! We're here to have dessert together!
Hajun: [laughs] What could possibly have held you up?
Allen: You'd never guess. That weird pervy butler dude kept giving us this really weird quiz and kept dinging us for it...
Hajun: Hah?
Anne: Back in that room we were being checked to make sure we would be appropriate guests to dine with the Yeons. To be honest it was kinda bullshit.
Dongha: Chungsung! Show me the results!
Chungsung: Yes, sir.
[sfx: footsteps]
Chungsung: Please take a look at the document I have provided.
[sfx: paper rustling]
Dongha: ...!
Anne: How's it been here? Doesn't seem like you guys are having a friendly family reunion...
Hajun: [laughs] Correct. Rather, it was more like a unilateral declaration of war. It seems he wants to defeat me head to head in the Paradox Live and prove to the entire world that he's better than me.
Allen: Whoa...
Anne: Kinda messed up, huh?
Hajun: It seems that doing phantom lives is the first thing in his entire life that he's really wanted to do and chosen for himself. [laughs] Or so he said, anyway.
Allen: Hah?
[sfx: rustling paper]
Dongha: What on earth is the meaning of this low score!? ... Sugasano Allen! Anne Faulkner!!
Allen: Huh?
Anne: Yes?
Dongha: The two of you are disappointments! You claim to be friends, but you don't know the first thing about Hajun!!
Allen: Huh!?
Anne: He's mad all of a sudden...!
Hajun: Hm? What's the problem here?
Dongha: I had Chungsung check to verify how much these two know about you. My understanding was that you lived together, but look at these results! Yeon Hajun, these two know nothing about you!! You call them your friends? Your comrades?! You talk about your bonds as a team!? Hmph! This is appalling!
[sfx: paper crumpling]
Hajun: ... [laughs] I'm the one who should be appalled.
Dongha: What was that!?
Hajun: "Does he put on his left or right shoe first when going out"... what good does knowing something like that do?
Dongha: It's simply a matter of knowing and understanding one another, obviously! To fight alongside one another without knowing such simple data... what a foolish blunder! That's... you're failures as a team! Yeon Hajun! They don't deserve you!!
Hajun: ... do you really think so?
Dongha: ...!
Hajun: First of all. Who deserves me is something that I decide for myself; you have no right to dictate that.
Dongha: ...!
Hajun: Allow me to give you some advice, as your elder. Bonds are not determined by how how much you know about somebody; it's what you know about them. What has led you to believe that if you know a lot of trivial information, then that will lead to strong bonds? [giggle] It's quite foolish, isn't it?
Dongha: Are you mocking me!?
Allen: Well, I mean, to be honest, I'm kind of ashamed that the only question I could answer was what kind of coffee Hajun likes... but, Dongha, I do think I know a fair amount about your elder brother. I think that's enough for me, and I don't need to pry more than that.
Anne: Not to brag or anything, but as friends, as a team... what we need to fight together... I have more than enough for that.
Dongha: ...! And what is it that you know?
Hajun: That is something you'll have to find the answer to yourself. Fighting along Baek Chungsung in the Paradox Live, you can figure it out from there on your own.
Dongha: ...!
Hajun: If you were able to throw everything else aside and choose to participate in the Paradox Live on your own, then I believe you can do that much. But if you are incapable of that, then Yeon Dongha would simply be an empty vase, wouldn't he? ... and, at any rate, BAE might well pound AMPRULE into the dirt well before then.
Anne: Well, I have no intentions of losing to a little boy who doesn't appreciate the taste of coffee in the morning, yeah?
Allen: We'll prove ourselves in our own way, in the Paradox Live. Keep an eye on us to see the greatest performance we can put forth!
Dongha: ... hmph! I don't care who or what you claim to be. I'm always perfect. That's what it means to be Yeon Dongha! I don't know the word defeat. I was born different from you lot. All of your idiotic perceptions and baseless confidence-- I'll crush all of it into dust!
Hajun: Sure, whatever you say. [standing up] Now, I've had quite enough of this pointless blathering. Allen, Anne, let's go home.
Allen: Huh?
Anne: What about dessert?
*
[sfx: footsteps]
Anne: Ah...! We ended up skipping out on dessert!
Allen: All because Hajun just had to try and be cool...
Hajun: Did you truly expect to continue on with having dinner under those circumstances?
Allen: I mean, yeah... .... [laughs] But this makes me want to have a chance to talk to Dongha more properly.
Hajun: Hm?
Allen: ... I mean, I kind of get it. It's probably not on the same level as being born into the Yeon family, but like, that feeling of having your entire future decided for you and on rails from the moment you're born...
Hajun: ...
Allen: ... like you said. Phantom lives were the first thing that Dongha chose to do on his own.
Hajun: Yes.
Allen: I was the same way. I got blown away by Buraikan's music and got into hip hop... no matter how much my parents objected... [sigh] So, I think it's not just to defeat you, Hajun. He wouldn't have chosen to do phantom lives if he weren't serious about it. I'm sure he actually enjoys it for one reason or another... you can really hear it in AMPRULE's music. ... but you probably already know all that, don't you, Hajun?
Hajun: ... Allen, you're really...
Anne: And Hajun, you really played the part of proper big brother back there.
Hajun: Pardon? I absolutely did n--
Anne: I mean I don't blame you. Dongha's really cute, after all.
Hajun: How do you figure?
Anne: He looks juuuust like someone else did back when he was a kid!
Allen: Right!? [laughs]
Hajun: Wh-- how on earth are Dongha and I alike?
Anne: Brothers who are both super-sadists!
Hajun: ...!
Allen: Listening to the two of you talking gave me the creeps!
Anne: Right? It's so wild~.
Hajun: Hold up, what's wild?
Anne: I mean, you know~?
Allen: For sure!
Hajun: That doesn't answer the question!
Allen: Oh, by the way, Hajun. When you're going out, which shoe do you put on first?
Hajun: Uh...? Uh, my left, but...?
Anne: What? No way! The butler had it right!
Allen: That's so wild.
Anne: It really is!
Hajun: Will someone please explain to me what's wild!?
*
[sfx: passive aggressive cutlery]
Chungsung: Dongha-bocchama, would you like to have dessert?
Dongha: No. I've lost my appetite. ... is it already in the room?
Chungsung: Indeed. I myself consulted a famous patisserie and used carefully-selected ingredients to prepare a customized dish for you, bocchama.
Dongha: ...! I'm going back to my room!
Chungsung: Then in that case, would--
Dongha: It's fine! I can do it myself!
[sfx: footsteps, door opening]
Chungsung: Bocchama.
Dongha: What.
Chungsung: Why did you not choose to divulge the truth?
Dongha: What?
Chungsung: The true reason you chose to do phantom lives, bocchama.
Dongha: ...! You--!
Chungsung: Ah-- I humbly beg your pardon if I have gone too far. ... bocchama, may I beg you to punish this lowly fool, please, bless me with pain from the young master's feet...
Dongha: ... you disgust me.
[sfx: door slam]
Chungsung: ... ah, how disappointing. Will there be no punishment today? Ah, then there's nothing to be done about it. [laughs] It's not all bad, I suppose. I do wonder, however, why bocchama is so fond of them... candied apples are a very vulgar snack, after all.
*
[sfx: Dongha very angrily eating a candied apple]
Dongha: ... I won't admit that... I'll never admit to that! That they...! Those mutts' songs... my feelings... there's absolutely no way! [angrily eating] [deep breath] There's absolutely no way...!