Chapter 1023 - The Meaning of a Name
And so.
After the celebratory toasts and the exchange of gifts from everyone, the time came to drink, eat, and get rowdy. What kind of BGM, you ask, was selected for such an occasion?
That much was obvious.
"'Hey, Ashe, I'm here. This is your five-day-late surprise present.'"
""So cool! Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!""
"Seriously, you're so loud... How many times are you going to replay that? You guys never get tired of it."
"Fuuu..."
"Mizuki, you don't have to join in with those two idiots. ...Kaede-san? What are you doing?"
"Huh?! Oh, um...! I-I think... my heart's racing...!"
"Please, just calm down. Don't go shortening your lifespan over this stupid ruckus... okay?"
And that was the scene.
Nearly two hours had already passed since the party began. Which meant, of course, that this was far from the first time the four of them had gotten hyped up over the scene playing on the home theater screen... the very, very beginning of the recent Four Pillar War.
On top of that...
"Agh...!"
And it was also far from the first time that the esteemed Miss Shijo had been utterly vanquished by a convincing wink from my master, the Sword Saint.
After any kind of event in the virtual world, a viewing party like this was always an unavoidable tradition. So I came prepared for it today, and I really didn't mind... but...
"Nozomi-kun."
"Hm?"
—And so, while watching my friends who would probably enjoy this forever if left to their own devices, I secretly savored the not-entirely-unpleasant feeling as I munched on some snacks.
As I was relaxing in my usual way, someone left my childhood friend to her near-death state, deeming her 'beyond help,' and moved to the seat next to me.
It was Mizuki, who, as always, looked a hundred times better in glasses than I ever could. She called out to me quietly.
"What's up?"
I offered a wry smile, glancing at Kaede, who was still writhing on the sofa, abandoned.
It seemed she, at least, was the first of the two idiots to be satisfied with the endless loop of highlights. I tilted my head at her—her expression was faint, but she clearly looked like she had 'enjoyed it to the fullest.'
"It's not a big deal, but about the video's title... and, you know, everything else. What should we do?"
"Hm? What do you mean, 'what should we do'?"
Her serious tone made it easy to understand this wasn't an extension of their usual goofing around.
However, the slightly abrupt question made me tilt my head again reflexively. Just as I was about to ask 'what are you talking about,' my thoughts caught up.
And so, Mizuki's added words and my understanding arrived at the same time.
"Should I change 'Acrobat'... to 'Crown'?"
"Oh, right, that..."
And so, the producer's inquiry was an issue that really needed to be decided on sooner rather than later. It was a discussion about my title, which had, much to my surprise, changed.
"We can probably leave 'Clown Archive' as it is... but... no, wait. That's not right, is it?
The current 'Crown' probably emphasizes the meaning of a 'crown' more than a 'clown,' right?"
"Ah, well, I mean, for that, it's fine if it stays as clown..."
...And yes. My own response was so halting and indecisive that it was now Mizuki's turn to tilt her head.
Well, I mean, what is it? It's just... you know...—
"Honestly..."
"Yeah."
It's just... you know?
"...The new one just doooooesn't feel right at all."
"...Is that so?"
Including the fact that its reading, aside from the completely arbitrary 'Crown,' was unclear—Hoshikake? Seika?—
Even now, days after the title change, the new name just hasn't clicked with me... or rather, to be blunt...
"...I guess... I ended up really liking 'Acrobat' after all."
"Ah..."
That's probably what it was.
The public had been hyping up 'Crown' since the early days, so maybe it didn't feel strange to them, but to me, it was none other than 'Acrobat.'
I think I'd grown more attached to it than I realized.
On top of that, while the 'Crown' reading was one thing, the arrangement of the characters in the new name felt infinitely misaligned with my own self-image...
"Huh? What's this? Nozomin isn't happy with his new title?"
"Really? I think it's fine. Isn't it just plain cool?"
And well, once again, it seems to be pretty well-received by everyone but me.
It's not like complaining about the system's naming conventions will do any good; it's too late for that. So I'm not against just swallowing my personal hang-ups along with everyone else's positive feedback.
"—Uh, well..."
I mean, I have no choice but to accept it. It's not like I hate it or anything... or so I thought, but my expression must have still been lukewarm.
Following Shoko and Toshiki, Kaede turned her attention away from the theater and chimed in. I looked her way, and the pure and innocent young lady dutifully raised her hand to signal her intent to speak.
"They both... um... seem so much like you, Nozomi-kun, so I think they're wonderful, you know?"
She stated an opinion completely opposite to my own 'it's not like me' feeling, and she said it without a hint of doubt.
"You think so...?"
As I couldn't help but tilt my head again...
"I do. The words have changed, but the meaning that comes across... yeah. It hasn't changed at all."
Kaede stated, still full of a mysterious confidence. And then—
"Ah, yeah, yeah. I kinda get what you mean."
"The meaning, or maybe the vibe, yeah, it's pretty much the same."
Before I could even ask what she meant by 'the meaning,' Shoko and Toshiki voiced their agreement. Now I was completely lost... and when I looked to the last remaining person...
"...? Yeah."
Mizuki-san nodded in agreement, too.
"Ultimately, I think it depends on how you interpret the way others perceive it, Nozomi-kun."
"Right."
And it seemed she was going to explain it for me. I was starting to get genuinely embarrassed being put on the spot like this, but if it could clear up the unease in my chest, I decided to listen quietly.
And so, after she saw me listening intently...
"—Both of them are things that exist because of others."
The 'meaning' Mizuki stated was met with no objections from our other friends.
"The 'Performer' (Acrobat), which only has meaning with an audience to entertain, and the 'Bridge of Stars' (Crown), which cannot exist without stars to connect... both seem so much like you, who loves people and is loved by them."
"..............................Did you choose your words specifically to make me blush?"
"I did."
And in the end, I was just being teased.
"...Ugh... mm... well, I guess... if you put it that way..."
I see, so that's it. If you look at it that way, it's possible. To have it verbalized by someone else and then try to take it in again—
"I guess... I guess you could say it feels like it's... carrying on the legacy... in a way."
Surprisingly.
"...Producer."
"Yeah."
"Let's leave the old ones as they are. And for the new stuff..."
Ah, surprisingly.
"...Yeah, let's go with the new one."
"Okay. Roger that."
Just like my old name.
Maybe I can grow to like this one, too.
Even the author is feeling the loss of [Acrobat].