Christmas Showdown Thief Side Episode 3 Part 2 (Abridged)

Since ancient times people have said wandering performers were also spies investigating other nations. Entertainment and spying are deeply intertwined, as where people gather, information gathers. The clever and eye-catching entertainers are always drawing information towards themselves, and Nakano Entertainment Academy is an intel agency that recruits and trains spies and ninjas from every other world.
Many students are publicly listed as part of the school's entertainment courses, and as part of the intel course. These students lead public lives as actors and entertainers on one hand, and use their wiles and looks to gather information in the underside of society. These people hold both personas at the same time and use their position on a case by case basis.
Hermes is one of these people, pulling in many with his flute music. When he spends all the time he needs to do his job, he quietly leaves without anyone noticing. That's how he lived his life, here and in Olympus. Music was his only companion.

Once the plans have been revised, the party breaks off for the time being. By the time the sun has set, Hermes is hanging beneath some overpass. He puts his bag down and takes out his flute, then sets his hat down for tips as he starts to play. Since he's a little ways away from the station plaza, not many people pass by or stop. He never seemed to care whether he'd get an audience. The instrument he holds is a wind synthesizer he received from a bandmate he was with once. He recalls the time from back then about how novel music playing felt. Once he finishes his song, he notices that someone threw a coin into his hat. Hermes looks up to see MC and...
Benten: ...
MC: Hi / ...

Hermes: Sup guys. Came to continue our talks from earlier about my past?
MC: Well--
Benten: Do I look like I care!? Hermes, I challenge you to a MUSIC DUEL!
Hermes: ...wat
Benten: You have things you don't want to tell people right? Yeah sure whatever, I'm not gonna force you to talk. I still have a problem with your attitude though, so MUSIC FIGHT ME!
Hermes: girl you crazy
MC: welp / Benten's just like that / please humor her

Benten: (sets up amp) If you don't talk with your fists, then talk with your music. You're not half bad at it, you know? Music's the one thing that won't betray you, so that's why I'm challenging you on it. I'll give you MC as a handicap! Now FIGHT ME!
Hermes: Yeah you're cuckoo for cocoa puffs. But fine, let's do this. MC, I'll lend you something. Which one do you want?
MC: I wanna try the harp! / I can sorta do the flute? / I can't play!
---
(C) Hermes: It's cool! Just wing it and I'll work with you. We'll get something done.
---
Benten: Ready? Let's GOOOOO!
BATTLE START (more happens afterwards)

MC: (get into playing) / (keep up somehow) / (pretend to play)
The group's music starts echoing into the surrounding area. Hermes and Benten's improv jam sometimes harmonizes, sometimes clashes.
Hermes: (shit this feeling...)
Hermes starts remembering an old friend back in Olympus he gave an instrument too. He could just be himself and talk through the music without having to care about positions and duty. The feeling from then was something he forgot and wanted to forget...
By the station
Little Girl A: Isn't she the Viral Dreamers girl?
Yasha B: omg yes she is! Why's she here!?
Little Girl A: Guys look! Viral Dreamers is doing a street performance! With vocals!
Wolf C: Like oh my goood no WAAAY! I stan!
Girl D: Real shit y'all!

Back to MC's end
MC: (Awesome!) / (HOW DO WE STOP!?)
The three meet eyes, prompting Benten to strum all her biwa strings and drawing the audience's attention for the ending. Benten then makes a big jump and flourishes like a rock star to end the song.
The audience claps.
MC: huh / who are you people!? / Heeey!
Benten: Thanks for listening everybody! (waves)
One passerby picks up Hermes's hat and puts a tip in before passing it on. This goes on until the hat passes back to MC.
MC: Look at all that money! / (wave) / I'll tip too

Benten: Holy crap, thanks people! You know what, I'll put on in too as a thank you!
Hermes: But we were playing against each other!
Benten: Deal with it! We just got an audience together, I'm not leaving without putting something in! Okay peeps, I'm doing my own song from Viral Dreamers! Feel free to join in if you know the lyrics!
Hermes: Heh. Okay fine. (joins in on playing)
MC: I'm in! / (continue playing) / Break time!
The clapping, the instrumentals, and singing all join as one as they fill the night sky. When the second song finishes, Benten waves to the audience while Hermes and MC bow.

Hermes: ...music is nice.
Benten: Inorite? I especially love live performances! It's nice having an audience joining in! Really makes you feel like you have a connection with people even though they're supposed to be total strangers.
Hermes: Yeah.
Benten: Nice expression on your face! New idea, I'm gonna trust you now! It doesn't matter if you stab me in the back later! And did you notice something about our performance earlier? I called it a duel earlier, but your technique and volume was a match for mine! That meant you chose to take this as a group session we'd be doing together instead of against each other. That means you DO trust people, right? So you saying you don't trust anyone? I don't care about that. I picked up that I can trust you, so I'm gonna hang onto that feeling.
MC: Same / That's Benten for you / ...

Benten: I walk my own path and hell if no one else can understand. It's not like I can understand everything going through anyone else's head. If that leads to breaking up the band over creative differences, it's just how it is. But didn't it feel great to play together? That's what I got from your music Hermes. Let's do it again sometime! Then I can learn more about you. It's how I got this far, and it's how I'll keep going. The three of us are gonna make some new music! AWESOME! You just do whatever you want, Hermes. That's what I'm gonna do myself. Me and MC will always play with you at least. Right?
MC: Yep... / Yeah! / Can I not
(C) Benten: You're supposed to say yes here!

Benten: Don't you guys think so too? (waves where the crowd was where Taromaiti and Jiraiya are now)
Taromaiti and Jiraiya nod, though it's unclear if they heard Benten.
Benten: Whew, that was good. I'mma go home now. You guys better get some sleep too! Oh right, before that I'mma take my share of the tips. (grabs some money before handing the hat back and leaving)
Hermes: !?
Hermes: ...ha. Girl's a living tornado.
Taromaiti: I was worried when Benten said she'd come looking for you, but I guess there was no need to worry, just like you said.
Jiraiya: Eh, things at this level of seriousness happen all the time with newly made groups. Brings back memories. The two of them have music in common. Not really my thing so much.
Jiraiya: Alright, now that the group isn't in danger of falling apart we just gotta win this match!
Taromaiti: Heh, you're right. We should go too.

MC: Hermes, here's your instrument back.
Hermes: ...oh. Right.
Hermes: ...you and Benten are pretty stubborn. I tried to keep you guys away and cut any bonds to you two, but you both came chasing after me. Living like that...is a little too much for me.
MC: You can do it. Remember the crowd just now?
Hermes: They don't come out like that when I'm on my own. Ever since I met up with her at Shibuya, that girl's being making waves pulling everyone along. There's no point in going against it since there's no telling where she's going.
Hermes: It's a huge pain in the ass...but I don't hate it. Have my screws gone loose?
MC: But you want to be friends, right? / We're here for you / Let's get to know each other better

Hermes knows how easy it is to make that wish happen. All he has to do is reach out for it, so he warns himself that he can't no matter how much he wants to. If he tries to reach out and touch something, it'll fall apart and overflow.
Hermes: Welp, it's late. You head on home, MC.
Hermes couldn't bring himself to answer MC, so he avoids the subject with a practiced smile and attempts to end the meeting by being concerned for them.
MC: Later. / (stay) / (leave silently)
---
(A) Hermes: ...yeah, later.
(B) Hermes: Aren't you in a dorm with a curfew? You never got permission to be out, right? They'll get mad. C'mon, I'll see ya tomorrow.
(C) Hermes: ...MC. Later.
---
MC: (waves and leaves)
Hermes: ...I gotta do what I have to do, whether people are good or evil.
Is that sadness or a defiant smile on his face?
Hermes: Welp. Almost time for the showdown.
End of Episode.