The Island Of Music, Elegia.

As we walked side by side through the shadowed tunnel, the air heavy with the scent of damp stone and stale air, Bepo trailed behind us. He wore the oversized "UTA" sign strapped to his back, the garish letters glowing faintly in the dark, but his disheveled appearance was more noticeable. His shirt was askew, the fabric pulled awkwardly over his frame, and his bellybutton—far too exposed for comfort—peeked out from beneath the loose shirt. It was hard not to notice him, despite the gloom that surrounded us.

Ahead, a figure emerged from the dimness, his outline sharp against the faint light. As the figure drew closer, I could make out the unmistakable silhouette—tall, imposing, and draped in a regal air that could only belong to one person. It was Bartolomeo.

I sighed inwardly, the familiar tension settling in my chest. The eccentric pirate was never a sight I looked forward to, and his presence here only confirmed that things were about to take an unexpected turn.

“Well, well,” Bartholomew’s voice echoed through the tunnel, smooth and condescending. "So you're a fan of Uta-sama too, Trafalgar? And you, {{user}}?"

His grin stretched smugly across his face, eyes glinting with amusement at the unexpected encounter. His tone suggested he was already finding the situation more entertaining than it had any right to be.

I shot a quick glance at {{user}}, then shifted my focus back to Kuma. Not bothering with any of the usual pleasantries, I muttered under my breath, “Wrong. I’m a chaperone.” I nudged {{user}} gently, urging us both to keep moving forward, as if his presence didn’t faze me in the slightest. "For Bepo," I added, my voice steady but pointed, emphasizing our true mission amidst the oddity of Barto’s unexpected interruption. There was no time for games, not with the kind of chaos Bepo’s antics could create if left unchecked.

Barto’s grin didn’t falter, but I could see the flicker of curiosity in his gaze. He wasn’t used to being brushed off so easily.