Chapter 3: Run, Nado, Run!
【Ji! What exactly is the strange organization of the theater group I joined!?】
As soon as Night Star realized that the Group Leader and the rest were Star Eclipse Embodiments, she began to sweat profusely.
According to the lessons taught by the Night Watcher, Star Eclipses were dangerous beings; getting too close could spell misfortune, and the only way to stabilize social order was to eliminate them.
Thus, Night Star and Night Lan had always kept a safe distance from the Star Eclipses, steering clear of them until she met Eypar, which completely turned her perspective around.
Then, Lianhua’s presence utterly transformed her negative impression of Star Eclipses.
At least to Night Star and Night Lan, among the Star Eclipses, there existed exceptions, beings that wouldn’t harm others.
Like Eypar and Lianhua, for instance.
But as for the Group Leader and the others… they’re still in the dark…
“Ugh…”
Night Star now felt a bit anxious, unsure if she could still return to the theater.
Now that she knew the entire cast was made up of Star Eclipses, it was hard to justify visiting them casually.
Noticing Night Star’s unease, Lianhua asked curiously, “Night Star, what’s wrong?”
“Um… it’s nothing, just suddenly realizing I did something really stupid…”
She recalled the first time she went to a Star Eclipse gathering with Zero Meow.
She ended up bumping into the Group Leader, who was a Star Eclipse, and somehow got roped into joining this bizarre theater group.
Not a single doubt crossed her mind!
Now, thinking back to that moment, Night Star wished she could travel back in time to grab her own shoulders and scream: “Run, Nado, run!”
But fear was a futile sentiment now.
Night Star was officially an Audience Performer of the Rising Sun Theater Group.
Though she had no performing talent, she was still part of the troupe.
Besides, Lianhua was the Puppet Master of the group, making it hard to cut ties.
And, is there even a possibility?
Could it be that the Group Leader and the others are like Lianhua and Eypar, also the more human-like side of Star Eclipses?
In that case, maybe there’s no need for fear.
Probably.
“Phew…”
Night Star took a deep breath, decidedly uncertain.
“Um…”
Gazing at Lianhua, Night Star decided to spill the beans about Star and Star Eclipses and how it related to her current situation.
“Lianhua, I need to tell you something about Stars and Star Eclipses, and it’s about your current state.”
“Hmm?”
Under Lianhua’s puzzled gaze, Night Star laid down the definitions of Stars and Star Eclipses as explained by the Night Watcher.
With her clear explanations, even an elementary school student would grasp it.
It’s only natural that the exceptionally clever Lianhua understood perfectly.
Some time passed.
Lianhua fell into deep thought, a contemplative look appearing in her eyes.
“So I’m an ominous Star Eclipse, huh?”
Upon hearing this, Night Star quickly shook her head.
“No, not at all! To me, Lianhua is not ominous; even if she is a Star Eclipse, I’m not afraid of that.”
“Mm, I can feel that,” Lianhua said with an adorable smile. “So was Night Star just pondering about the theater? The Group Leader and I are the same kind, we’re both Star Eclipses, and you must be worried about them, right?”
“Umm… kind of. At first, I had no idea about their true identities, and now realizing it, it’s a bit of a thrill—oh, no, I should say it scared me a bit.”
As she said this, Night Star wore a rather odd expression.
Thinking it through.
Night Lan’s identity served as a mascot within the Night Watcher community, while Night Star’s role in the Star Eclipse camp felt suspiciously mascot-like too—what was so weird about that?
In other words:
Night Star and Night Lan both had bright futures!
Lianhua pondered further.
“Hm… Night Watchers, if we were to draw an analogy, our relationship as Star Eclipses and Night Watchers would be akin to that of criminals and law enforcers, right?”
“Umm, yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
“So do you think the Group Leader and the others are bad Star Eclipses?”
“I don’t know…”
From her first impression of the Group Leader, Night Lan didn’t dislike him; in fact, she thought he was a fantastic performer who brought joy to people.
The same went for the Fraudster and the Gentleman she had met later.
But now… Night Star felt a little hesitant.
Wait.
Suddenly, Night Star realized she might have overlooked something.
Why were the Group Leader, the Gentleman, and the Fraudster present at the Night Watchers’ mission to deal with Star Eclipses that day?
Could it be that the ones the Night Watchers were targeting were really the Group Leader and the others?
Connecting these dots left Night Star stunned once more.
If that’s the case… it could be confirmed that the Group Leader and the rest didn’t seem like obedient Star Eclipses at all.
At the very least, they were different from Eypar and Lianhua!
So, when the Group Leader talked about going out for performances, he was actually referring to instigating the so-called Star Eclipse phenomena, right, Kora?
Suddenly, Night Star felt like she had boarded a sinking ship and wondered if someday the Night Watchers would just come and catch her by surprise!
With that thought, Night Star took a deep breath to calm herself down and cautiously asked Lianhua, “Um… Lianhua, what kind of person do you think the Group Leader is?”
Lianhua thought for a moment and said, “He really cares about the theater members. After you left, Night Star, I didn’t want to go home, so I decided to wander for a while, and then the Group Leader showed up. He said my puppet show was great and wanted to invite me to join his theater…”
“And then you joined?”
“Yeah, I was kind of drawn to the idea of a theater, and the Group Leader seemed like a good person, so I agreed.”
“He seemed like a good person, huh…?”
Night Star nodded thoughtfully, unsure what to do.
Should she sever ties with the theater or continue as if nothing happened? It felt like a tremendously important decision.
One wrong move could lead to catastrophic consequences.
What to do…?
Just as Night Star was deep in thought, the doorbell rang.
Ding dong~
The sound jolted her from her thoughts, raising her eyebrows in confusion.
Who could it be?
Meanwhile, Night Lan, who had been trying to blend into the background, stood up to see who it was.
“Hmm?”
As soon as she cracked the door open, Night Lan spotted a familiar black-haired youth outside—it was the guy next door, the so-called “good neighbor” Mo Tu.
“Oh, it’s you…”
Night Lan’s expression soured instantly, completely losing her previous politeness.
Ever since she realized Mo Tu had deceived her from the get-go, she had been itching for revenge.
Little Lolis hold grudges like nobody’s business!
Unfazed by Night Lan’s visible disdain, Mo Tu lightly raised the items in his hands and smiled, “I just baked some sweets, made a bit too much, want some?”
“Ugh… I guess I won’t be polite about it.”
Night Lan took them, entirely accustomed to Mo Tu showing up with food.
“Hmm, don’t think this will let me forgive you for deceiving me. Though you did help me, that’s a separate matter.”
“Aw, it’s not a big deal; I’m not bothered by it.”
“No, no, I think you should care about it a bit more…”
Mo Tu didn’t continue along that thread, instead casting a glance at the small room behind Night Lan.
“Has your friend come to see you? Is it Lianhua, right?”
“Umm…”
